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Watch the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony tonight
Kurt Angle to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017; tickets available now
It’s true, it’s true! Kurt Angle will be taking his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 just two days before WrestleMania 33, as first reported by ESPN.com.
“Kurt Angle’s accomplishments both in the Olympics and WWE were extraordinary,” said WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Paul Levesque. “He was one of the most gifted athletes to ever enter the ring, and we are honored to welcome him into the WWE Hall of Fame.”
Before becoming a legend of the squared circle, the proud Pittsburgh native was a world-class amateur competitor, becoming a two-time All-American and a two-time NCAA Champion while wrestling for Clarion University in his home state of Pennsylvania. His incredible amateur career culminated at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he fought off the incredible pain of a “broken freakin’ neck” to win the gold medal for the United States of America.
In 1998, Angle made the jump from amateur to professional wrestling by signing with WWE. One year later, the gold medal grappler made his debut at Survivor Series 1999, picking up the first win of an undefeated streak that saw Angle capture the European and Intercontinental Championships. His unbelievable rookie campaign culminated at WWE No Mercy in October 2000, where he defeated The Rock to capture his first WWE Championship.
Though his wrestling ability was unparalleled, Angle adapted to the entertainment side of sports-entertainment better than anyone could have expected. Whether it was preaching his “three Is” – intensity, integrity and intelligence – taking part in a five-second pose with Edge & Christian or joining “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for a backstage sing-along, The Olympic Hero was able to make the WWE Universe laugh when he wasn’t wowing them with his athleticism.
By the time he left WWE in 2006, Angle had become one of the company’s most decorated stars in a short period of time. His resume includes four reigns as WWE Champion, a World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW, United States, Hardcore, Intercontinental and World Tag Team Championships. In addition, Angle was the 2000 King of the Ring and even served as General Manager of SmackDown.
In honor of these accomplishments, along with his incredible contributions to the WWE Universe during his storied career, Angle will be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony are available now. For complete information on how you can see Kurt Angle take his place in sports-entertainment history, visit Ticketmaster.com.
The Rock ’n’ Roll Express to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
The Rock ’n’ Roll Express, one of the greatest tag teams in sports-entertainment history, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017 during WrestleMania Week. The news was first reported by CBSSports.com.
Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson first joined forces in 1983, in fellow Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler’s Memphis-based territory, and immediately skyrocketed into superstardom. With long, flowing hair and bandanas adorning their flashy ring gear, The Rock ’n’ Roll Express were true rock stars stepping into battle inside the squared circle. The teen idol tag team squared off with the likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and his brother Lanny Poffo in Memphis, Tenn., but it wouldn’t be long before they began their worldwide journey to the top.
With music videos heralding their arrival from coast to coast, Ricky and Robert were greeted by high-pitched screams and booming chants of “Rock ’n’ Roll!” as they made their way through throngs of crazed fans. The heartthrobs’ next stop was Mid-South Wrestling, where they met their greatest rivals, The Midnight Express. Comprised at the time of “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton and “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey, along with loudmouth manager Jim Cornette, the dastardly Midnight Express were the perfect foils for Ricky and Robert. The Rock ’n’ Roll Express and The Midnight Express brought down houses around the horn for Mid-South. By the time they left the territory in 1985, Morton and Gibson had captured the Mid-South Tag Team Titles on three occasions.
Ricky and Robert would soon take the Express further north, to Jim Crockett Promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance. They made an immediate impact, capturing the NWA World Tag Team Titles from Ivan Koloff & Krusher Khruschev. With Crockett’s television airing across the country in the early days of cable television, The Rock ’n’ Roll Express were one of the top acts in a promotion that expanded from a regional territory to a nationwide sensation.
Ricky and Robert were in featured bouts at three early editions of Starrcade, challenging for or defending the NWA World Tag Team Titles. They brought their rivalry with The Midnight Express to a worldwide audience, including an unbelievable Skywalkers Match at Starrcade 1987, where both teams battled on top of a scaffold high above the ring. The Rock ’n’ Roll Express captured the NWA World Tag Team Titles on four occasions, battling the likes of The Midnights, The Four Horsemen, and The Russian Team.
The Express kept on rolling down the track and into Smoky Mountain Wrestling in the early 1990s, where they captured the promotion’s tag team titles on 10 different occasions while engaging in a bitter rivalry with Cornette’s Heavenly Bodies. That bad blood spilled over into WWE, where the two teams battled on pay-per-view at Survivor Series 1993. Ricky and Robert returned to WWE briefly in 1998 in a surprising role, joining up with longtime rival Cornette’s NWA faction. They competed in their first and only WrestleMania that year, taking part in a 15-team battle royal at the 14th edition of The Show of Shows.
They still compete on the independent scene to this day, showing that rock ’n’ roll is here to stay. Making their argument even stronger is their latest accolade: entering the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place on Friday, March 31 at the Amway Center in Orlando, are available now. Visit Ticketmaster.com for complete information on how you can see The Rock 'n' Roll Express take their place in sports-entertainment history.
Theodore Long to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Holla, holla, holla! Theodore Long is the next inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, as first reported by FoxSports.com.
Long’s induction is the culmination of a 30-plus year career in the sports-entertainment industry, dating back to the early 1980s, when he did odd jobs in various territories around the southern United States. That led to a position on the ring crew with Jim Crockett Promotions, the predecessor to World Championship Wrestling, and eventually a position as an official NWA referee. He shared the ring with legends and Hall of Famers like Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and countless others.
As the 80s drew to a close, Teddy Long left behind the referee’s stripes and became a manager, guiding the careers of up-and-coming grapplers. His first success as a manager came when his charges Doom, the powerful tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed, captured the WCW World Tag Team Titles from the Steiner Brothers. During his tenure as a manager in WCW, Long helped guide the careers of a varied group of competitors, including Chris Jericho, Johnny B. Badd, Ice Train and One Man Gang, among countless others.
In 1998, Long made the jump to WWE, once again donning the referee’s stripes and doing his best to enforce the rules during some of the Attitude Era’s biggest matches. By 2002, he once again turned to managing, this time hitching his wagon to the nasty trio of D-Lo Brown, Rodney Mack and Jazz, later adding Christopher Nowinski, Mark Henry and Mark Jindrak to the fold.
However, Long may best be remembered by the WWE Universe for his work as a General Manager. He was made the SmackDown GM in 2004, becoming the first African-American to hold the position. During several tenures at the helm of SmackDown and ECW, Long established himself as someone who would work his hardest to give the WWE Universe the best shows possible. That included the New Superstar Initiative, which introduced WWE fans to the likes of Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger, among others.
On top of that, Long was often lauded for his matchmaking skills. When tensions ran high between groups of four (or more) Superstars, he knew how best to diffuse the situation – by splitting them up into squads for a tag team match! Long’s love for impromptu tag team matches became his calling card, endearing him even more to the WWE Universe.
Long’s groundbreaking career in sports-entertainment makes him worthy of the awesome honor of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place on Friday, March 31, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., are available now. Visit Ticketmaster.com for complete information on how you can see Theodore Long take his place in sports-entertainment history.
Diamond Dallas Page to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Diamond Dallas Page, a world champion-turned-fitness guru, will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017 during WrestleMania 33 Week. The news was first reported by RollingStone.com.
DDP’s journey to the Hall is an unlikely one, to say the least. The Jersey Shore native broke into sports-entertainment in his 30s, starting out as a manager in Verne Gagne’s AWA while still working as a nightclub manager in Florida. Page took his flashy aesthetic from the clubs, coming to the ring clad in leather, studs and diamond-encrusted jewelry, and accompanied by beautiful bombshells he called “Diamond Dolls” on each arm. He backed up his brash look with trash talk on the microphone and cunning intellect in the corner. DDP led Badd Company to the AWA Tag Team Championship before heading to WCW.
Page took charge of the Fabulous Freebirds as Michael “P.S.” Hayes and Jimmy “Jam” Garvin turned from southern rebels to glam rock megastars, leading them to the WCW Tag Team Titles. DDP also guided the early careers of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Raven before stepping into the ring himself on a full-time basis in 1991. As a 35-year-old rookie, Page’s chances of success seemed slim, but his unmatched work ethic and determination to succeed would pay off in the long run.
Though he found moderate success as a villain in WCW, capturing the company’s Television Championship, he broke out on a worldwide scale after turning down membership in the nWo. DDP found himself an unlikely man of the people, but embraced the love of fans around the world, who continued to be amazed by the seemingly infinite ways Page found to catch his opponents out of nowhere with his signature move, the Diamond Cutter.
DDP skyrocketed into stardom through his rivalry with the nWo and one of its top members, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, taking part in a thrilling series of matches throughout 1997. Page soon became one of WCW’s top heroes, and the man that celebrities like Basketball Hall of Famer Karl Malone and late night television icon Jay Leno wanted to team with when they stepped through the ropes.
Years of hard work finally paid off for DDP at Spring Stampede 1999, when he defeated a trio of wrestling legends – Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Sting – to capture his first WCW World Championship. Page went on to capture the title on two more occasions before WCW was purchased by WWE in 2001. During his career in WWE, Page tried to show the WWE Universe and some of the squared circle’s most sour Superstars what a positive attitude could do for them. His efforts resulted in a reign as WWE European Champion, which he successfully defended on The Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleMania.
Yet for all his accomplishments inside the ring, DDP is also a Hall of Fame human being. After stepping away from the squared circle, he dedicated his life toward helping people take control of theirs. He developed DDP Yoga, a fitness program based around the exercises that helped him stay in the ring game for so long. Page also used DDP Yoga to pay back two of his friends and mentors – WWE Hall of Famers Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Razor Ramon – by having the two legends move into his home and work toward getting back into shape.
It is for his accomplishments in and out of the ring that Diamond Dallas Page is more than deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place on Friday, March 31, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., are available now. Visit Ticketmaster.com for complete information on how you can see Diamond Dallas Page take his place in sports-entertainment history.
Beth Phoenix to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
Beth Phoenix, one of the most dominant female competitors in sports-entertainment, will take her rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame when she is inducted as part of the Class of 2017 during WrestleMania 33 Week. The news was first reported by USA Today.
Phoenix first arrived in WWE in 2006, brutalizing Mickie James and aligning herself with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Unfortunately, a jaw injury forced Phoenix to the sidelines just weeks after her debut. She returned to Monday Night Raw more than a year later, ready to dominate the competition. Possessing great beauty and power, Phoenix dubbed herself “The Glamazon” and went right to work.
Within months of her return to WWE, Phoenix captured the Women’s Championship and dominated the division for months, muscling around the competition with ease before planting opponents face-first into the canvas with her patented Glam Slam. She also was part of an unlikely, yet infamous power couple with Santino Marella. The duo, dubbed “Glamarella,” found great success, often in spite of the wacky antics of The Milan Miracle. In fact, it was Phoenix who won herself a second Women’s Championship and Marella the Intercontinental Title in a Winner Take All Tag Team Match at SummerSlam 2008.
Phoenix went on to capture the Women’s Championship once more, as well as the Divas Championship before stepping away from the ring in 2012. On top of her championship glory, The Glamazon was a pioneer, truly showing what women could do inside the squared circle. Phoenix was the second woman ever to enter the Royal Rumble Match, eliminating the towering Great Khali in the 2010 edition of the 30-Superstar, over-the-top-rope melee. She wasn’t afraid to throw down in a hardcore match and even took part in the first ever Tables Match to feature women at WWE TLC 2010.
And now, Beth Phoenix is blazing a trail toward sports-entertainment immortality, as she enters the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place on Friday, March 31, at the Amway Center in Orlando, are available now. Visit Ticketmaster.com for complete information on how you can see Beth Phoenix take her place in sports-entertainment history.
“Ravishing” Rick Rude to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017
The WWE Hall of Fame just got a little more “Ravishing,” as Rick Rude has been revealed as the latest inductee into the Class of 2017. The news was broken first by Bleacher Report, who also revealed that Rude will be inducted by one of his greatest rivals, 2009 inductee Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.
It’s the ultimate honor for a man whose trek to worldwide superstardom began in Robbinsdale, Minn., a town that produced a talented generation of wrestlers, including fellow WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Perfect, Smash of Demolition and Nikita Koloff. A powerful man, Rude was a bouncer in Minneapolis alongside The Road Warriors, in addition to being a world-class arm wrestler.
Yet when he first entered the squared circle, he also realized that he may have been one of the best-looking men in the industry. At 6-foot-3, 252 pounds and possessing the chiseled physique of a Greek god, that assumption wasn’t wrong. Calling himself “Ravishing” Rick Rude, he embraced his gifts and reveled in the spotlight, flexing his bulging biceps and suggestively swiveling his hips at every opportunity, to the delight of women across the country.
Rude journeyed from Memphis to Canada, Georgia to Texas and anywhere in between, racking up championships along the way. He emerged on the national scene in the mid-1980s in World Class Championship Wrestling, where he became the promotion’s first World Champion. He moved on to Jim Crockett Promotions, where he formed a truly awesome tag team with “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez and captured the NWA World Tag Team Titles.
The Ravishing One truly broke out after arriving in WWE in late 1987 however. Rude would immediately grab the microphone, then berate the WWE Universe for not being in as good shape as him while offering women the chance to take a few snapshots of his incredible physique. But once the bell rang, Rude backed up his braggadocio with a ruthless in-ring style that showed off his power and the vicious striking ability he picked up as a bouncer. It was all capped off with a devastating neckbreaker he dubbed the “Rude Awakening.”
With Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in his corner, Rude was a success from the start, though his womanizing ways got him in trouble with Jake “The Snake” Roberts. After making a move on “The Snake’s” wife, Rude showed off his penchant for mind games, wearing tights with Mrs. Roberts’ face airbrushed on them.
The Ravishing One went on to dethrone The Ultimate Warrior to become Intercontinental Champion at WrestleMania V in 1989, and he waged war inside the ring with the likes of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and The Big Boss Man before exiting WWE in 1990.
Rude made his way to WCW in 1991, quickly becoming the centerpiece of Paul Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance. The Ravishing One slightly toned down the womanizing, instead opting to show off just how dangerous he could be in the ring. He’d injure Sting and capture the United States Championship within his first month in WCW, then went on to take part in rivalries with the likes of Steamboat, Ric Flair, Ron Simmons and Vader before a back injury forced him into retirement.
Rude re-emerged in 1997, showing up as an announcer in ECW before coming back to WWE as the stoic “insurance policy” of the raunchy D-Generation X. Later that year, he returned to WCW, joining the infamous New World Order. Rude remained with WCW until early 1999, leaving shortly before his untimely death later that spring.
Because of his reputation as one of the ring’s most memorable villains, “Ravishing” Rick Rude has more than earned his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tickets for the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame, taking place on Friday, March 31 at the Amway Center in Orlando, are available now. Visit Ticketmaster.com for complete information on how you can see “Ravishing” Rick Rude take his place in sports-entertainment history.
Eric LeGrand to receive Warrior Award at 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Eric LeGrand, a former standout for the Rutgers University football team-turned-motivational speaker, has been named the recipient of the third annual Warrior Award. The news was first reported by ESPN.com.
Named after WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior, The Warrior Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of Ultimate Warrior.
The award will be presented to LeGrand by Dana Warrior, widow of Ultimate Warrior, at the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will broadcast from Orlando, Florida’s Amway Center live on WWE Network at 8 ET/5 PT on Friday, March 31. USA Network will also broadcast a special presentation of the ceremony on Monday, April 3 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following Raw.
LeGrand was a key player on the Rutgers University football team, before a spinal cord injury sustained during a game in October 2010 left him paralyzed from the neck down. LeGrand’s tremendous courage and unwavering strength throughout his rehabilitation captured the attention of the nation. He resumed his college classes via Skype and launched his sports broadcasting career as an analyst for Rutgers Football Radio Network. LeGrand founded the charity Team LeGrand of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation in 2013, and is now a highly sought-after motivational speaker. In support of LeGrand’s mission – raising funds for research to find a cure for paralysis and to help improve the quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries – WWE will make a $25,000 donation to Team LeGrand.
“It is an absolute honor to be named the 2017 Warrior Award recipient,” said LeGrand. “I am truly grateful for WWE’s support of my personal journey, and I am proud to continue to be an example of strength for people everywhere.”
“Eric LeGrand has shown incredible perseverance and unwavering positivity throughout his recovery,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “From the work he does helping others with spinal cord injuries to his motivational speaking, Eric is the perfect choice for this prestigious award.”
“Eric LeGrand truly embodies the Warrior spirit with his determination and positive outlook,” said Dana Warrior. “I am honored to present this year’s Warrior Award to Eric at the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.”
Last year, The Warrior Award was presented to Joan Lunden, an award-winning journalist, best-selling author and breast cancer survivor. In 2015, the award was presented for the first time to Connor Michalek, a Pittsburgh native and passionate WWE fan who passed away after battling cancer. In his honor, Connor’s Cure was created as a fund to support pediatric brain and spinal cord cancer research. To date, Connor’s Cure has raised $1 million and assisted more than 100 families around the world.
