McMahon Economic Package - 6th June 2008

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to Begin $1 Million Giveaway to Viewers Live on USA Network's 'WWE Monday Night RAW'

WHAT: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will begin his unprecedented giveaway
of $1 Million to viewers every week on USA Network's "WWE Monday
Night RAW" live broadcast as "McMahon's Million Dollar Mania"
begins

WHEN: Monday, June 9th at 9/8 C

WHERE: USA Network's "WWE Monday Night RAW"

WHY: World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon has once
again shown his passionate bond with WWE fans by taking the
already #1 weekly year-round show on cable, WWE Monday Night RAW
on USA Network to a new level at the start of this 2008 summer
with a ground breaking on-air promotion.

Never before has such a prominent television executive given away
such a large amount of his personal wealth to the viewing
audience. The giveaway will be the largest ever undertaken on
television.

To participate, viewers must register on wwe.com each week and
then watch Monday Night RAW(R) on USA Network to acquire the code
necessary to win. Winners will be contacted live throughout each
Monday Night RAW broadcast.

Given the difficult economic situation many Americans now face,
"McMahon's Million Dollar Mania" offers an exciting economic
stimulus for loyal RAW viewers. McMahon and WWE are renowned for
creating compelling narratives that tie into current events,
drawing viewers and generating water cooler buzz across the
country.

CONTACT: Brad Bernstein 212.664.4401
Nathan Nazario 407.880.5993

Media Man Australia Profiles

Vince McMahon

WWE

WWE Afterburn Premieres On Channel Nine - Press Release - 5th June 2008

Channel Nine today announced an exclusive free-to-air-television deal with World Wrestling Entertainment®, giving the network the rights to show WWE Afterburn, one of the most popular international programs of the sports entertainment genre.

WWE Afterburn will screen on Sunday afternoons at 1:30pm starting Sunday, June 15.

WWE Afterburn, features the best matches and interviews of the week from WWE SmackDown®, in an action-packed one-hour show guaranteed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Hosted by Josh Mathews, WWE Afterburn provides all the best from the week’s matches and features the greatest moments from favourite WWE Superstars including Batista™, Big Show™, Edge™, Finlay™, The Great Khali™, Hornswoggle™, Michelle McCool™, Rey Mysterio® and Undertaker®.

“This exclusive deal with WWE is a great acquisition for Nine which sits well with our audience. It will attract a large number of young males and WWE fans to the network,” said Les Sampson, Nine’s Director of Acquisitions. “We are excited to bring this phenomenally popular international entertainment brand to Australian viewers.”

Jonathan Sully, President WWE Asia Pacific, said; "Our partnership with Nine will allow WWE to reach an extended television audience to the benefit of our fans and business partners. We appreciate Nine’s support, and view it as confirmation of the growing strength of the WWE brand in Australia.”

WWE Afterburn premieres on Channel Nine on Sunday June 15, at 1:30pm.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Network Nine Australia

WWE

THREE QUESTIONS: Batista - The Sydney Morning Herald - 26th May 2008

Who was your most fearsome opponent?
The Undertaker. He is a true legend and a future Hall of Famer. His size, strength and experience are unmatched. I'm unafraid of any of the other wrestlers.

What's your secret to an even tan?
Lots of beach time and constant turning. For me, living in Florida is a huge plus - you can't get much better.

What is your favourite chick flick?
Sleepless In Seattle. A good dose of romance and comedy mixed in with great performances from Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

Batista will appear in the World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown/Extreme Championship Wrestling tour at Acer Arena on June 15.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE SmackDown/Extreme Championship Wrestling

WWE

ECW

Wrestlers given chance at big time - The New Zealand Herald - 27th May 2008

New Zealand wrestlers will get a shot at the big time as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is to host trials in Auckland.

The WWE is touring Down Under and before the Auckland show on June 11 Kiwi Pro Wrestling (KPW) chief executive Rip Morgan will pick around 12 locals to perform in front of the organisation's talent scouts.

KPW director Janine Carline said a lot of people had put their hands to take part in the audition and despite the massive jump in scale to the WWE - "they have 70,000 people in stadiums, they do Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium" - there were some who had a real shot at selection.

"It's our credibility at stake. We're not going to put people across that we don't feel have the potential to make it in the WWE. We're not time wasters here, we're serious."

She said KPW had several former pros tutoring the current crop and they knew what to expect on the international circuit .

Mr Morgan said two of the organisation's top wrestlers - current champion H-Flame ("The Man of the Hour, the Tower of Power, just too sweet to be sour!") and Max "The Axe" Damage (finishing move: Collateral Damage) - had recently returned from a stint performing in Australia.

It has been almost 20 years since New Zealand tag team The Bushwhackers carried the flag in America and with 2008 the first year trials have been held here, it was about time to put New Zealand pro-wrestling back on the map, Mr Morgan said.

Candidates will be judged on ring skills, charisma, drive and fortitude.

Anyone who makes the cut will travel to a training camp in Florida to be groomed for a spot in the WWE.

KPW will name those selected for the try-outs on its website on June 3.

- NZPA

Media Man Australia Profiles

World Wrestling Entertainment

On tour with Kelly Kelly, by Scott Casey - Brisbane Times - 17th May 2008

From high school cheerleader to aspiring journalist to saucy World Wrestling star, Kelly Kelly's career has followed a varied path - to say the least.

The star will join fellow wrestlers including Undertaker and Batista on a WWE tour across Australia in June.

Kelly found her way into wrestling via modelling while she in college studying to become a broadcast journalist, with hopes of becoming a TV anchor.

"I love [wrestling], I just love every day of it," she said.

"WWE contacted me through my modelling agency and they knew I had an athletic background so they sent me down to Atlanta, Georgia where they kicked my butt for a week straight and asked me if I wanted a job at the end of it."

At high school Kelly did gymnastics for 10 years until an injury forced her into cheerleading.

"I still get to use some of my moves so that's pretty good," she said.

Living the life of a professional wrestler working in one of the world's most high-profile pursuits is difficult, she said, with an almost constant training schedule and travel around the United States and overseas.

"Even on my off days now I'm still training, so I try to get into the ring and learn different stuff," she said.

"We consider ourselves a big family [inside wrestling], some people have their own little cliques and we try to get along a best we can."

When Kelly first began as a wrestler she was billed as a "self-proclaimed exhibitionist" and put on strip shows called "Kelly Kelly's Expose".

"My jealous boyfriend Mike Knox used to come out and try and wrap a towel around me but I would still do it and eventually we broke up and I formed Extreme Expose with Booke and Layla and we were a little group who danced every week," she said.

"That ended so now Layla and I are going at each other's throats every week.

"The first night I did it [expose] my nerves were through the roof and then every week after if kept getting easier, but I still get nervous out there now."

She might not dance much any more, but Kelly is looking forward to a long career in wrestling.

"I plan to be here as long as I can," she said.

The SmackDown/ECW hits Australian shores on June 13 and will be in Brisbane on June 17 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE Smackdown / ECW Live

World Wrestling Entertainment

Batista's battles outside the ring, by Nui Te Koha - Herald Sun - 25th May 2008

"I never want to forget what I've been through and where I came from," Batista said in Sydney last week, where he was promoting the Wrestlemania 24 DVD, out June 7.

By any standard – even the wacky melodrama of World Wrestling Entertainment's storylines – Batista's journey is surreal.

Batista – born Dave Bautista – was raised by his mother, Donna, in poverty, and in a violent part of Washington D.C.

During his childhood, three murder victims were found in, or near Batista's front yard, in separate incidents – their home was near an alleyway notorious for violent crime.

"We saw some bad things," he said.

"We saw a couple of people die. There were fights all the time, stabbings were common.

"And I hate to say this, but I was numb to it. That's all I knew."

Batista said his mother, a lesbian, moved the family to San Francisco to escape the violence.

"I never had an issue with my mother's sexuality," he said.

"She loved us, she cared for us, and that's all that mattered."

Batista said her extended family disowned her for "being a Democrat".

Batista, 39, is a divorced father with two daughters. He also has two grandchildren.

He said family forced him to quit womanising.

"I didn't drink or do drugs. Women were my drug of choice," Batista said.

"I would have 10, 20, 30 girls throwing themselves at me. I wasn't equipped to handle it. So I took advantage. "

Batista and WWE stars including Edge, The Undertaker and Big Show will visit Rod Laver Arena on June 13.

Media Man Australia Profiles

World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE Legends of WrestleMania Announced - Pro wrestling spin-off to launch for PS3 and Xbox 360 next spring.

THQ and JAKKS Pacific confirmed this week that they are preparing WWE Legends of WrestleMania, a spin-off from the popular WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Further details were not announced for the new game, but based on the title, WWE Legends of WrestleMania should find the middle ground between the SmackDown franchise and Acclaim's last-gen Legends of Wrestling games, which starred a cavalcade of retired pro wrestlers.

"The development capabilities afforded by next-generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market," said Peter Matiss, vice president of global brand management at THQ.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

WrestleMania

THQ

WWE Video Games

Games

Gaming

Wrestler to bow out tonight, By Meghan E. Murphy - Times Herald-Record - 18th April 2008

CITY OF NEWBURGH — No one can predict what will happen when Rowdy Roddy Piper enters the wrestling arena with bagpipes blaring tonight. Only one thing's for certain: The legend says it will be the last time he'll set foot in a ring.

A day after his 54th birthday, the WWE Hall of Famer promises fans one last "Piper's Pin" at Newburgh Free Academy's Spring Slam. The fundraising event will also feature a title bout between Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, New Windsor's Tony DeVito and the wrestling debut of K104 DJ Chris Marino. Samoa Joe took the Total Nonstop Action wrestling title from Angle just five days ago in a pay-per-view broadcast.

Only about 1,400 fans will get bleacher seats for the retirement match of one of World Wrestling Entertainments' biggest names. Piper has made only occasional ring appearances in the past few years, but said he couldn't turn down an opportunity to help raise money for young wrestlers.

Piper left home at 13 and slept in youth hostels. His first coach advised him to look into amateur competition to stay out of trouble.

In 38 years of wrestling, Piper's won 38 pro titles and more than 7,000 matches. He's also been stabbed three times, suffered spine injuries, has a titanium hip and last year beat Hodgkin's lymphoma. Tonight's match benefits the Newburgh Wrestling Boosters Club, which last year sent a dozen students to camp with Spring Slam proceeds. Coach Jeff Cuilty said the impact on the team of this fundraiser is evident: The team won the league title this year.

Wrestlers will sign autographs and take photos with fans at 6 p.m. Bell time is 8 p.m. at NFA, 201 Fullerton Ave.Tickets start at $15. For more information, visit www.northeastwrestling.com.

mmurphy@th-record.com

Media Man Australia Profiles

Rowdy Roddy Piper

WWE

Wrestling

WWE collecting, storing for future Hall of Fame site, by Jim Varsallone - The Miami Herald - 8th April 2008

With World Wrestling Entertainment honoring its Class of 2008 recently at the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Orlando, WWE Executive Vice President of Global Media Shane McMahon discussed an actual WWE Hall of Fame facility.

''We've been close a number of times,'' McMahon said. ``We actually looked at a place in Orlando a few years ago. We don't know where it's going to settle, yet. I think it's probably still a couple of years away, but we're really anxious to do it.

``We've been collecting memorabilia. We have this warehouse that's under lock and key that we just collect every single little thing. We date it. We put it on there. So, when it opens, it will be really cool.''

• McMahon, 38, said further global expansion is the next step for WWE. The company has increased its international touring and has been discussing business with other countries including an emphasis on Latin America.

Legendary promoter/wrestler Carlos Colon of the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico wants to work more with WWE. Other reps from Latin America including the Dominican Republic would like WWE to start a training program in its country, grooming wrestlers at an international WWE developmental territory or for a specific international WWE brand.

''[An international brand] is a potential,'' McMahon said. ``It's something, excuse the pun, we wrestle with. It's very hard because when you see this caliber of product with Raw and SmackDown! and even ECW, when you see the caliber of athletes and the production value and everything that we put in there with the storylines, that's hard to duplicate.

'My dad [WWE Chairman Vince McMahon] likes to call it, `America's greatest export.' It's hard to argue with him at certain things because we are pretty much ubiquitously distributed throughout the world.

``There could be another entity that develops. We'll have to see what happens.''

WWE is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney. The company also plans to open an office in Sao Paulo.

''The countries that we are in, we want to make better,'' McMahon said. ``The countries where we are not currently, which aren't that many, we want to get in, get the market and then bring all of our properties in there.

``The first thing that we do, from our game plan standpoint, is you have to get on the air. So you need television. Once you have a television partner, you start to build certain things with them. After that, you usually bring in a live event. That's usually the next hit. Then from there, you bring in your merchandising, your licensing and all the other intellectual property aspects, and that's how we build the marketplace.''

WWE's television programming can be seen in more than 130 countries around the world. Each year, more than 7,500 hours of WWE programming is broadcast in 23 languages throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America.

In January, WWE in conjunction with Bakus International thrilled Brazilians with the debut of the internationally renowned television programs WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown! on Sistema Brasileiro de Televisóo.

''We're excited to be teaming with Bakus International to get WWE programming on SBT, one of Brazil's top TV networks,'' Carl DeMarco, WWE President, Latin America, China and Canada, said in a release. ``The tremendous athleticism and charisma of the WWE superstars and Divas are going to capture the imagination of all Brazil.''

Gian Teppet, director of New Business Development and Board of Director member, said: ``SBT is proud to welcome WWE as the newest member of our great family. Knowing the Brazilian desire for quality entertainment and WWE's proven success in over 120 countries, we are certain that WWE will be a huge success.''

Bakus International's COO Bill Bakula said: ``The time has come for Brazil to experience WWE at full throttle. WWE is an experience, packed with plenty of thrills, action and fun for the entire family. WWE offers the greatest entertainment value in the universe.''

WWE programs reach more than 16-million total viewers domestically during the average week. WWE is rated among the top weekly cable programs especially in the male demographic.

• Signing wrestlers

WWE has 165 superstars under exclusive contracts, ranging from multi-year guaranteed contracts with established superstars to developmental deals.

''We welcome all styles because we want everybody to have a little something,'' McMahon said. ``What I got out of WWE is different than what you'll get out of WWE. Some people like bug guys. Some like small guys, high fliers, ground soldiers. So we always try to have a good eclectic mix.

``We welcome all of it, but they got to fit, first and foremost, in our locker. Because if you don't fit with our guys -- those are the guys you work with, travel the road with and you're competing against -- it's all about that. Sometimes I enjoy the Mexican style, but you look at what Rey Mysterio has done of adapting the high-flying aspect with the American style with much more of what we do with the psychology aspect.

``It's not just triple backflip into something else. Everything that we do has a meaning, and you're telling the story to the audience. That's one of the secrets of our business.

``Until people can adapt into that style, you won't see more. If those, who can come in, can adapt to it, great.''

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

Breaking barriers, opening doors highlight Class of 2008, by Jim Varsallone - Miami Herald - 4th April 2008

Jack and Jerry Brisco became the first Native Americans and brothers to win the NWA world heavyweight title, the world junior heavyweight title and the world tag team titles. Jack also was the first Native American to win an NCAA national championship.

They were part of a pioneer class of 2008 inductees into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Soulman Rocky Johnson helped open the door for African Americans in pro wrestling nationally, especially the South.

High Chief Peter Maivia did the same for Samoans. Gordon Solie set the standard for wrestling announcers; Mae Young for women's wrestling; Eddie Graham for promoters; and, of course, Ric Flair for wrestling and sports entertainment, period.

• When thinking of great brother tag teams, tandems like the Funks, the Wild Samoans, the Steiners, the Hardys and the Mulkeys come to mind. OK. Maybe not the Mulkeys, but most definitely, the Brisco Brothers.

Born and raised in Blackwell, Oklahoma, the Brisco Brothers made a big name for themselves, especially in the Sunshine State. They worked for Graham and with Solie.

''Eddie Graham was one of the greatest minds for this business and had an eye for talent,'' Jack Brisco said. ``Gordon was not only one of the greatest commentators, but he just knew so much about the business. The way he called a match helped the wrestler out so much because Gordon was so good at what he did.''

The Brisco Brothers were also very good at what they did.

For the most part, they were good guys, receiving cheers from fans. They did play bad guy roles when battling Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood for the NWA world tag team belts in the Mid-Atlantic territory. Jerry did much of the trash talking, and older brother, Jack, had a crazed look in his eyes.

WWE star John Bradshaw Layfield, a Texan, proudly inducted the Oklahomans into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 29 before 8,000 people during WrestleMania Weekend at the Amway Arena in Orlando. JBL said that proved, at least for one night, cowboys and Indians can get along.

A much decorated force, the Brisco Brothers made history inside and outside the ring.

Jerry Brisco: 'At the beginning of our careers, we wanted to be singles' wrestlers. Jack took off to Florida. I took off to Australia. Jack made a name for himself in Florida and Texas. I spent a year in Australia, honing my skills and then went to North Carolina and wrestled in the Mid-Atlantic area. I won several of the major singles' titles in the Carolinas and also in Georgia and Florida.

'Later, Jack became world heavyweight champion, and I became world junior heavyweight champion. We had very successful singles' careers. Toward the end of our careers, we knew there was one title that eluded us and could make us one of the most intriguing tag teams ever in the history of the sport, the world tag team championships. No other brothers had ever been the world heavyweight champ, world junior heavyweight champ and world tag team champs.''

JBL: ``The greatest team of all-time, the Brisco Brothers. A momentous thing happened in 1983 when they sold Georgia Championship Wrestling to WWE. That is when Mr. McMahon, WWE fully took over the entire world of professional wrestling and also made the Brisco Brothers independently wealthy.

``Jerry still works with the company which shows his legacy of how much he loves the business which I admire very much. Jerry still helps out a lot. That's what he does when he comes to TV.

``The Brisco Brothers in Florida held every major title you could hold. They owned this business from 1973-1983 which I believe makes them the greatest team of all-time.''

Jerry Brisco: ``It's a compliment to say you're the best ever at anything. We competed against a lot of great tag teams. Each one of them was tremendous in their ability. Each tag team had its own style. We brought something a little bit different. We were collegiate wrestlers at Oklahoma State University. My brother was a national champion. I was on a national championship team.

``We brought a collegiate style into pro wrestling, mixed at the end with sports entertainment style of wrestling. It is something we had special. The bottom line is we are sitting here today [WWE HOF press conference]. So somebody must have thought we were pretty good.''

Jack Brisco: ``Back in the day, there was a lot more tag team wrestling. A lot of the fans dictate that. A lot of the territories were built solely around tag team wrestling -- North Carolina and a lot here in Florida.

``Some territories didn't go for tag team wrestling. At one time it was very big. There were a lot of great tag teams around the country, and a lot of them were successful. As time went on, there were a lot more individuals getting into it. People weren't going into it as a tag team, and they've been very successful.''

Jerry Brisco: ``Back in the day, when it was just starting the cable TV wars, my brother and I were partners with a couple of people in Georgia Championship Wrestling that controlled WTBS, the major national cable at the time. Our contract with Ted Turner was Sunday and Saturday night with a 2-hour TV show that we produced in his studio.

``Vince McMahon was making his move throughout the country. We saw what was going on. I really got to give my brother most of the credit on this. He had the vision of looking around and seeing Vince coming into a lot of these areas and taking over talent that he was able to purchase, just cherry picking the top talent throughout the world and having that talent come work for him and then going into that particular territory and drawing big houses.

``The local guys [promoters] who lost their stars were suffering. We had the choice of trying to compete with Vince on a national basis or make the decision to sell.

``Being the competitors my brother and I are, we wanted to compete, but our partners didn't want to compete. They wanted to stay as focused as they were on the smaller venues and not really expand. As a lot of businesses do have major disagreements with stockholders, fortunately my brother and I convinced some of the other stockholders to join us, and we ended up with controlling interest in Georgia Championship Wrestling, and we contacted Vince, and the rest is history. We decided to sell, and it changed the course of sports entertainment.''

Jack Brisco: ``I think the wrestlers are much better off today. They have a much wider base to work with. They have bigger markets to work in. They're making a lot more money. I think everybody is much better off. The only drawback to not having the territories is you have to start your talent from within. In the old days when you needed talent, you would just go to another territory and bring the talent in.''

JBL: ``Jerry [Brisco] hired me in December 1995. He was a full-time agent with WWE. He and Blackjack Lanza were the agents, and Jerry really took me under his wing and did a lot with me.

'The Briscos were probably the greatest `wrestling' tag team. They were two of the greatest amateur wrestlers. Jack [a three-time, high school state champ] never got a point against him his college wrestling season [at 191 pounds] in 1965 for Oklahoma State. [Jerry lost just once his freshman season at 177 pounds for Oklahoma State].

``They were two of a few who were able to transition being real amateur wrestlers, the mat style, into our world of professional wrestling which is really phenomenal.''

Jack Brisco's resume of top moves: figure four leglock, superplex, belly-to-back suplex, sunset flip, sleeper hold, backslide.

Jerry Brisco's version: figure four leglock, double arm suplex, sleeper hold, belly-to-back suplex, vertical suplex.

In the late 1970s, the Brisco Briscos discovered Terry Bollea, who became top draw Hulk Hogan. They introduced Bollea to Hiro Matsuda for training in Tampa.

The Brisco Brothers own Brisco Brothers Body Shop, 4315 N. Hubert Ave. in Tampa. Jack is 66, and Jerry 58. Both could have had an extensive amateur wrestling career, but the lure of money in the pro ranks sent them on a very successful journey.

They have a very close relationship and also live in the Tampa area. Jack and wife, Jan, have been married 32 years. Jerry and his wife, Barbara, 30 years.

Jerry also helps train amateur wrestlers at Sickles High School where his wife teaches in Tampa. Their son, Wes, is training to become a pro wrestler.

• About the WWE Hall of Fame

John Cena: ``I love the Hall of Fame. It's the one night of the year for all the people who made this business as great as it is to get together. ... For those who enjoy sports entertainment, I hold the Hall of Fame near and dear to my heart.

``I have the utmost respect for anyone who has been honored and who are honored. ... It shows that they made their mark in this business. They made a ton of personal sacrifice to make this business what it is.''

Rocky Johnson: ``I never dreamed I would be here, but this has to be the pendant of it all. Not only that, but how many wrestlers or athletes could ever say they have their son induct them in the Hall of Fame? This I will never forget.

``I've won many championship belts and many firsts for African Americans in the South and the first Black WWE tag team champs with Tony Atlas. That was fantastic, but the most important [accolade] of my life is my son is flying in to induct me into the Hall of Fame, and he has to fly out right after.''

Elijah Burke: ``Rocky Johnson being inducted into the Hall of Fame means a lot. Rocky Johnson was to the African community and a lot of people in general a trendsetter.

``He was one of the guys, far and few between at that time, that we had to look onto and gave us hope that, hey, I too, one day, can be a WWE superstar. There wasn't many that we had. We had Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas and then we had the American Dream Dusty Rhodes, daddy.''

Randy Orton: ``The Hall of Fame means getting to sit in a room with people that I love in this business, people I've grown up with and look up to. If it wasn't for half the guys in this arena, I wouldn't be able to be where I am right now.

``So the Hall of Fame to me is getting to show the respect these guys deserve. I got to induct my father in 2005. That was an awesome thing for me to do because I love my father. If it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't be where I am, and that's what it's all about, respecting the people who paved the way for us.''

Sgt. Slaughter: ``I was influenced by my father who was a huge wrestling fan when I was a young boy. To stand up there and be inducted into the 2004 Hall of Fame for WWE was out of character, out of space type of happening for me. It's great to be here again. It's a time when you want to give them a Sgt. Slaughter salute and thank them for paving the road for all those who are behind us. It's just a great honor to be in their presence.''

Maria: ``There have been so many incredible woman. [Mae Young] paved the way. It gives us a lot to look up to.''

• High Chief Peter Maivia's daughter, Ata, who is The Rock's mom, gave an excellent speech, accepting the WWE Hall of Fame honor for her late, great father.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Native Americans

WWE

WWE Smackdown - Sunshine Coast Daily - 4th April 2008

The superstars of WWE and ECW are heading back to Brisbane for a non-stop action show on June 11 and with tickets on sale today.

Superstars confirmed so far include Batista, Edge, Kane, The Great Khali, Finlay and of course the beautiful Divas of WWE. Card subject to change.

Brisbane is the last stop on a five-date tour Down Under and this is one rare spectacle and tickets are expected to sell out fast so grab yours today.

WHAT: WWE Smackdown
WHERE: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
WHEN: Tuesday, June 17
TICKETS: On sale today via 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au
INFO: www.wwe.com

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

ECW

Show's over: Mayweather wins his WWE debut - Fox Sports - 31st March 2008

In one of the most hyped WWE events in decades, close to 70,000 fans filled the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida to witness Floyd Mayweather Jr. knock out "The Big Show" in a no-holds barred wrestling match at Wrestlemania XXIV.

Mayweather wore protective mitts and used his speed to run in circles with Big Show chasing. At some point Big Show began to pummel one of Mayweather's bodyguards. Mayweather would later jump on Big Show's back and applied a sleeperhold, which Big Show would eventually break and begin to batter Mayweather with chops, a sideslam and variety of other moves.

The handlers of Mayweather would pull their employer out of the ring and attempt to take him to the back, Big Show would follow in pursuit and attack Mayweather on the outside before throwing him back in the ring.

The Big Show would later attempt to finish Mayweather off with the chokeslam, bout the move was prevented by Mayweather's team members who would interfere in the match. While Big Show was distracted, Mayweather would attack him with a chair. He would give Big Show a low blow, sending the giant wrestler to his knees as he would land a few more chair shots before taking off one of the mitts and using a pair of brass knuckles to land a right hand that knocked Big Show out.

The ref would count him out at 11.41 of the contest.

The idea of pitting Mayweather, boxing's pound-for-pound champion, against Big Show, who stands at nearly seven-feet and weighs over 400-pounds, gave both Mayweather and the WWE a lot of crossover attention with boxing and wrestling fans. The bout, because of Mayweather's involvement, also received a lot of mainstream attention from major newspapers, magazines and television outlets around the world.

Mayweather still received a ton of criticism from boxing fans for taking part in a scripted fight. He would tell anyone who would listen, that we was being paid $20-million dollars to take part in the match. Most wrestling insiders said the actual number was between $2-5-million and the "$20-million dollar" fee number was part of the script.

On the undercard, in a billed "career ending match," the career of legendary wrestler Ric Flair came to an end after he was pinned by Shawn Michael.

Flair received a massive standing ovation from the crowd in what should his final match after a long career in that began in 1972.

Besides being one of most recognizable names in wrestling for the last 30-years, Flair won the heavyweight title a combined 16-times during his stints in the NWA, WCW and the WWE, though some sources say the number could be as high as 25.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WrestleMania

WWE

Ric Flair

Press Release - WrestleMania® XXIV Crushes Records, Careers - 30th March 2008

ORLANDO, Fla., March 30, 2008 – Champions were crowned, the legendary Ric Flair was forced to retire, boxer Floyd Mayweather prevailed, and Undertaker extended his undefeated streak as World Wrestling Entertainment® set both attendance and ticket sale records at WrestleMania XXIV tonight at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
WWE® grossed more than $5.85 million in ticket sales, making it the highest grossing live event in WWE history and in the history of the Citrus Bowl.

WWE set an attendance record for the Citrus Bowl with 74,635 fans from all 50 states, five Canadian provinces and 21 countries invading Orlando, pumping up to $30 million into the local economy. The WWE’s annual pay-per-view, pop culture extravaganza is televised to more than 100 countries.

In the match billed as a showdown between the greatest fighter in the world and one of the largest athletes on Earth, undefeated WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather barely survived against 7-foot, 441-lb. Big Show, eventually knocking him out with brass knuckles. Flair, a 16-time World Champion and 2008 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee, lost to another legendary star, Shawn Michaels, in an emotion-filled match, forcing him into retirement as one of the greatest pro wrestling stars of all-time. Undertaker defeated Edge® to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, extending his undefeated streak at WrestleMania to16-0. Randy Orton® retained the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Triple H® and John Cena®. Kane became the new ECW Champion, crushing Chavo Guerrero.

Always a star-studded event, WrestleMania XXIV featured several celebrity participants in addition to Mayweather. John Legend performed “America The Beautiful” to open the event, Snoop Dogg served as Master of Ceremonies for the BunnyMania Lumberjack Match, Kim Kardashian was a special guest hostess, and Raven-Symoné played host to 50 Make-A-Wish kids being honored by WWE in its largest wish granting event ever.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide

Media Contact: Gary Davis, 203-353-5066
Investor Contact: Michael Weitz, 203-352-8642

Trademarks: All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ECW is a trademark of WWE Libraries, Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition, contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE

WrestleMania

WWE Films ramps up slate, By Marc Graser - Variety - 24th March 2008


World Wrestling Entertainment has tapped Steve Barnett senior veep of production at WWE Films as the division ramps up a slate of pics to produce.

Barnett was most recently a senior VP at indie production shingle Titan Film Group, and senior VP of production and development at Dimension Films, where he oversaw such films as Frank Darabont's "The Mist," as well as the upcoming remake of horror pic "Piranha."

Before Dimension, Barnett was exec VP of production at Mark Canton's Atmosphere Entertainment, helping shepherd such projects as "300," "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and George A. Romero's "Land of the Dead." He also exec produced Romero's latest, "Diary of the Dead."

Barnett also served as senior VP of production at Michael Ovitz's Artists Production Group.

The strength of WWE's brand encouraged him to make the move to the company.

"There are very few entertainment companies in the world that can market their brand as effectively as WWE," Barnett said. "I am very excited in developing and producing films and television for a company with that kind of focus and potency."

Barnett comes to WWE Films as the production arm is in the midst of overhauling the types of films, direct-to-homevid titles and scripted TV shows it will produce starring its stable of performers.

Idea is to produce a slate of PG-13 pics, budgeted at around $20 million each for theatrical releases that range across all genres, rather than solely action or horror pics that go after a hard R rating, like its previous releases.

Company is currently lensing its fourth pic, "12 Rounds," a New Orleans-set actioner starring John Cena.

"If we do our jobs right, we'll make movies that appeal to all audiences," Barnett said.

WWE Films produced three pics -- "See No Evil," "The Marine" and "The Condemned" -- before hiring former Village Roadshow exec Michael Lake late last year to take the reins and educate the biz on what types of films the company is looking to make.

"What we're saying is, don't make any assumptions about anything," said Barnett, who reports to Lake.

As part of its revamped movie efforts, WWE Films brokered in February a first-look deal with Fox Filmed Entertainment, through which the company's pics will be distributed. "12 Rounds" will be released under the Fox Atomic label.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WWE Films

WWE

In a world of wrestling gimmicks, some work, some don't, by Andrea Adelson | Sentinel Staff Writer - 25th March 2008

Take a few athletes, maybe some animals, a set of hair clippers and a dollop of celebrity and you have the makings of a WrestleMania gimmick. The formula seems pretty simple when it comes down to some of the most farcical and fantastical story lines to play out at professional wrestling's biggest annual event.

What is old is new again seems to be a running theme. Last year, Vince McMahon and Donald Trump faced off in the "Battle of the Billionaires" -- where each man chose a wrestler to represent them and the loser had his hair shaved. Sound creative? The idea had been done at two previous WrestleManias.

Having a celebrity involved wasn't new, either. In fact, celebrities have been a part of WrestleMania since the first one in 1985 at Madison Square Garden, where Liberace performed with the Rockettes, and Cyndi Lauper got in the ring to help Wendi Richter beat Leilani Kai.

So it should come as little surprise that one of the big events at WrestleMania 24 on Sunday at the Citrus Bowl features boxer Floyd Mayweather. Mike Tyson was involved in perhaps one of the most memorable gimmicks when he punched out Shawn Michaels after acting as the special ringside enforcer between the Heartbreak Kid and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the main event at WrestleMania 14 in Boston.

That WrestleMania actually had a healthy helping of gimmick work. Pete Rose served as a guest ring announcer before getting the Tombstone from Kane. Gennifer Flowers, best known for her alleged affair with Bill Clinton, was a guest interviewer and ring announcer.

Her interview with The Rock marked the first time he said his famous catch phrase, "If you smell what The Rock is cookin'."

There are plenty of other gimmicks that have been done over the years. Here is a quick look at some of the best, and some that deserve to be tossed out of the ring for good.


The Best

Even though it had been done before, there was something cool about having Trump involved in the war of words with McMahon at WrestleMania last year. The look on McMahon's face after his head was shaved is one that many wrestling fans will never forget because his character is so despised.

The first instance of head shaving came at WrestleMania 3, when "Rowdy" Roddy Piper used the sleeper hold on "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. While Adonis was asleep, Piper and Brutus Beefcake shaved his head. This happened again at WrestleMania 20, when Molly Holly lost the Women's Championship to Victoria.

Any time William "Refrigerator" Perry is involved in anything, it is worth watching. His gimmick in WrestleMania 2 set the stage for future sports athletes and NFL players to take part in WrestleMania. A battle royal took place between wrestlers and NFL players, including Perry, Bill Fralic, Russ Francis, Harvey Martin and Ernie Holmes.

Andre the Giant ended up winning the match, but Perry had his own bit of fun. After Big John Studd eliminated him, Perry asked for a handshake. Instead, he pulled Studd over the rope and eliminated the wrestler.

The Giant was also involved in another hilarious moment, when he was being interviewed by Bob Uecker during WrestleMania 4. Andre the Giant had his hand on Uecker's shoulders when the longtime baseball broadcaster said, "Get your foot off my shoulder." The Giant took Uecker by the neck and started shaking him back and forth.


The rest

There were some interesting moments with animals. At WrestleMania 9, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan rode to the ring, dressed in a toga, riding a camel. That WrestleMania was known as the world's largest toga party because it was held at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

At WrestleMania 3, another rocker, Alice Cooper, teamed with Jake "The Snake" Roberts in a match against Honky Tonk Man. Though Honky Tonk Man won, Cooper and Roberts ended up putting Roberts' boa constrictor on Honky Tonk Man's manager, Jimmy Hart.

Rose saw his share of face time at WrestleMania, but the point of a gimmick is to do it once. He ended up getting on three straight WrestleManias, though in 1999, he showed up dressed as the San Diego Chicken. His first appearance should have been his last.

Generally, fans always love to see their favorites return to glory but sometimes that isn't the case in wrestling, where many guys end up looking fat and old. At least we know why the powers-that-be got a bunch of former stars together at WrestleMania 17. They named their match the "Gimmick Battle Royal."

The Iron Sheik won in his first WrestleMania appearance in 15 years. He ended up beating guys like Hillbilly Jim, Kamala, Kim Chee, Repo Man, Nikolai Volkoff and Brother Love, among others. Not sure this gimmick worked out real well. It is not even listed in the WWE's top 50 moments in WrestleMania history.


Toss 'em out

There is a reason WrestleMania 11 in 1995 isn't regarded as one of the better years -- the main event featured former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor against Bam Bam Bigelow. It is one thing to have athletes featured on the WrestleMania card, mostly as featured guests. It is quite another to have them star in the main event.

Taylor brought along Ken Norton Jr., Carl Banks, Rickey Jackson, Chris Spielman, Reggie Parks and Steve McMichael and won the match. The loss led Bigelow to get kicked out of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. As if losing to a football player wasn't bad enough.

Then there are the many tasteless moments that should have never been done. Going into WrestleMania 6 in 1990, Bad News Brown accused "Rowdy" Roddy Piper of being racist. So Piper showed up for their big WrestleMania match painted half black to show it didn't matter if Brown was black or white. Not so classy.


Andrea Adelson can be reached at aadelson@orlandosentinel.com.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WrestleMania

WWE

Wrestling events at Universal Studios Orlando - Miami Herald - 25th March 2008

WWE's WrestleMania Fan Axxess Tour is making a stop in Orlando from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 at the New York Public Library at Universal Studios theme park.

Activities include autograph sessions with WWE superstars, a tournament featuring the popular video game SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, trivia challenges and the opportunity to view exclusive WWE superstar videos and memorabilia.

Guests will also have the opportunity to create their own WrestleMania XXIV photo moment, take home a DVD of their own ring entrance with music and props and more.

Universal Orlando Resort is home to two distinct theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Universal Studios Florida is a motion picture and television theme park featuring attractions such as Shrek 4-D and Revenge of the Mummy The Ride. Universal's Islands of Adventure is home to some of the most thrilling and technologically-advanced attractions ever made, including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk Coaster.

The resort also includes an entertainment complex, three on-site hotels and the widely-popular Blue Man Group show. WWE's WrestleMania Fan Axxess Tour is included in admission to Universal Studios Florida. To purchase tickets visit universalorlando.com.

• TNA Wrestling will conduct three television tapings March 27-29 at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando. There will be a first-ever live telecast of !iMPACT! on Spike TV at 9 p.m. Thursday, March 27.

The other two will be taped -- one on Friday evening and then Saturday afternoon. Seats (free) are first-come, first-serve. You do not need park admission to enter.

• WWE is providing cable and satellite customers the opportunity to win a custom WrestleMania XXIV motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, the world renowned team behind the hugely successful American Chopper series.

Cable affiliates and satellite providers participating in the promotion include Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, Cox, Cablevision, DISH Network and DIRECTV.

Designed by the elite Orange County Chopper team of Paul Teutul, Jr. and his son, Paul, Jr., the custom WrestleMania XXIV chopper is a one-of-a-kind bike themed around WrestleMania that utilizes a WWE ringside bell as part of the bike's air cleaner and parts of the WWE Championship belt for the bike's primary cover and chopper mirrors.

The customized chopper took one month to complete and is worth $60,000.

''All of us at Orange County Choppers were excited when approached by WWE to build a custom chopper for their WrestleMania XXIV sweepstakes,'' said Paul Teutul Sr., founder and CEO, Orange County Choppers. ``It was a challenge to incorporate all of the aspects of this grand event into a chopper, but we believe the fans will be happy with what we have created.''

The Custom WrestleMania XXIV Chopper Sweepstakes campaign is being supported by $10 million in cross channel media value. More than 1.6-million targeted direct mail pieces were sent to WWE pay-per-view buyers and purchasers of similar types of pay-per-view entertainment.

Guide and bill ads reached 9-million homes. The promotion is also being sustained by local market radio promotions in the top 25 DMAs and extensive web and media exposure.

WWE fans who purchase a new subscription to WWE 24/7 On Demand in March will qualify to receive a Limited Edition WrestleMania XXIV Chopper die-cast while supplies last. The die-cast is a one-time production replica of the WrestleMania XXIV Chopper.

DIRECTV and Dish subscribers who order WWE Backlash and Judgment Day also qualify to receive the custom die-cast replica.

''We have had a steady run of successful affiliate promotions over the past few years resulting in driving our fans to the pay-per-view and on Demand platforms,'' said Peter Clifford, WWE Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing. ``This Chopper promotion will be no exception. Our fans like to collect all things WWE.

``A custom chopper from a world famous building team will certainly take the cake. And, if you aren't the lucky one who wins the real thing, the Limited Edition die-cast will play a nice second.''

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on global activities, go to wwe.com/worldwide/.

• WWE star Chris Jericho will sign copies of his book A Lion's Tale and the new Fozzy CD release All That Remains Reloaded from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 27 at the Virgin Megastore at downtown Disney, 1494 Buena Vista Dr. in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The book and CD must be purchased at the store in order to be signed. Call 407-828-0222.

• The sixth THQ Superstar Video Game Challenge is 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27 during WWE WrestleMania 24 Week at the House of Blues in Orlando.

WWE superstars and divas participate in a single-elimination video game tournament using WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Xbox 360. WWE's ECW star Elijah Burke won last year's competition during WrestleMania 23 Week in Detroit.

Orlando bracket:Raw: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton; Carlito vs. Santino Marella. SmackDown: Finlay vs. MVP; Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio. WWE's ECW: CM Punk vs. defending champ Elijah Burke; Kofi Kingston vs. Tommy Dreamer. Divas: Beth Phoenix vs. Michelle McCool; Layla vs. Ashley.

The event also features four finalists from Europe and North America who will compete for two WrestleMania floor seats.

Tickets ($15) are on sale at hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=51293. Also check Ticketmaster online.

• The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is 7 p.m. EST Saturday, March 29 at The Amway Arena, 600 W Amelia St. in Orlando, Fla.

Ric Flair will be inducted by Triple H. Rocky Johnson and the late, great High Chief Peter Maivia will be enshrined by Johnson's son and Maivia's grandson, The Rock. Eddie Graham will be inducted by Dusty Rhodes. Also, Jack and Jerry Brisco and Mae Young will be part of the Class of 2008.

Business attire is requested.

Tickets ($55) are on sale at the Amway Arena Box Office, all Florida Ticketmaster locations (including FYE stores) and on Ticketmaster's website. Also charge by phone at 407-839-3900.

• The WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony will air taped delay at 11 p.m. Saturday, March 29 on the USA Network.

• Presented by The David Maus Foundation for the benefit of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the annual WWE Bacon, Bagels & Biceps Brunch is Sunday, March 30 during WrestleMania Weekend at the Rosen Center Hotel on International Drive in Orlando.

The Bacon, Bagels & Biceps Brunch was first presented by Donald Trump in 1988 on the morning of WrestleMania IV. For the past 20 years, it would be the jump-start to WrestleMania Sunday for WWE's enthusiastic fans.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster online for $125. Purchases include a full brunch, exclusive WrestleMania souvenirs and interaction with a dozen WWE stars before heading to the Citrus Bowl for WrestleMania XXIV.

• WWE Monday Night Raw is 8 p.m. Monday, March 31 at the Amway Arena. Tickets are on sale at TicketMaster outlets, by phone and online. Prices range from $20-70.

• WWE SmackDown! tapings and WWE's ECW live are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. Tickets are on sale at the AAA box office, TicketMaster outlets, by phone and online. Prices range from $20-75.

Media Man Australia Profiles

WrestleMania

WWE

Blackjack, The Nature Boy And More Memories, By Mike Mooneyham - The Post and Courier - 23rd March 2008

There aren’t many wrestlers still around who remember Ric Flair before he became the “Nature Boy.”

But Blackjack Mulligan, one of the top stars in the business during the ‘70s, was one of Flair’s mentors who helped the young Minnesotan make the transition to one of the most colorful characters and greatest performers in the history of the business.

Mulligan, 67, points out that Flair, who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 29, is the last of a breed of touring, old-school world champions.

“Randy (Orton) was trained by the Ortons. He has a smidgen of it. But Ric was NWA all the way,” said Mulligan, a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee. “Wow ... it’s going to be really sad. I knew it was going to happen, but here it is, just a short time away.”

Mulligan hopes that Flair, whose last match is expected to be March 30 at Wrestlemania 24, can make the next — and often difficult — transition to a life outside the spotlight of the wrestling world.

“I really, really worry about Ric. My mother was a single parent, and I was a survivor from a young child, throwing papers on the street. So when I left the business it didn’t matter. I was a survivor. I could leave and do things. I tripped up a little and got confused a little bit like other guys do. I made some mistakes. But it’s a horrible, terrible feeling when you leave the business.”

Mulligan, whose real name is Bob Windham, says he learned from his mistakes. He spent two years in a federal prison after running afoul of the law and being convicted of federal counterfeiting.

“I made some bad decisions hanging around lawyers, with people in the real estate business, and it cost me a couple years of my life. They never wind up in jail — the fall guy does. I learned that lesson. I thought I was going to be a tycoon, but I wound up being in a typhoon. And I got very wealthy. That’s the reason I didn’t make the move from Florida. But then all of a sudden one of my bankers, my lead guy, moved to Charlotte and built a shopping center. I was so strung out on money that when the dominoes started ... you make bad decisions. You make strange, weird decisions that you normally wouldn’t make. And you’re 50 years old.”

Mulligan and youngest son Kendall Windham were arrested by the U.S. Secret Service in a joint investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for counterfeiting in 1990. Both father and son spent 24 months in a federal prison as a result of a plea agreement and were released in 1992.

Health issues also have plagued Mulligan, legitimately one of the biggest wrestlers of his era at 6-7 and well over 300 pounds, although the wrestler continues to persevere.

“You’ve seen it all when you’ve lived as long as I have. The average age for NFL guys is 53, and here I am at 67 still kicking. I don’t believe it. I probably should have been dead a long time ago. I sometimes wonder what I’m still doing walking around. God knows when he’s going to stop this heart.”

Mulligan, who now runs a used car lot in central Florida, became a dive master at the age of 50 and, at 60, was the oldest person to make 300 dives in the ocean. He literally got his feet wet while serving in the Marines in Guam in 1960 as part of an underwater demolition team. He earned a deep-diving and wreck-diving certificate 30 years later.

Mulligan, a master storyteller inside and outside the ring, was offered a shot at Hollywood, but he was making too much money wrestling to take a cut in pay.

“They wanted you to work as extras and work your way up. I was making so much money wrestling, around $1,500 or $2,000 a night, that I couldn’t afford to do it. A guy came up to me and said, ‘Jack, how many parts are there really for Frankenstein? You’re so big, and they’re only going to use you for so many things, and then you’re used up,’ like (Big John) Studd found out. But if you’re smaller, you go to acting school and do like The Rock, and really blend in. And there’s a whole bunch of roles for you. So I guess the demand for us carny pitchmen out in front of the snake show are over.”

Mulligan says he hopes Flair’s good-natured personality doesn’t hurt him in his life after wrestling.

“He trusts so many people so much. They take his money and run off with his money. He and I tried a couple of things that just didn’t work. We thought we were going to be wrestling promoters running a territory that had already been so beat to death that a dog wouldn’t come to it. Only an idiot would have bought Terry Funk’s (Amarillo) territory after they killed it.”

Unfortunately, he says, he and business partner Dick Murdoch did just that.

Mulligan’s entrepreneurial endeavors, however, didn’t end there.

“Ric and I also bought Knoxville — yet another territory that had been beat to death. Here I am carrying $50,000 in a briefcase. Jim Barnett hated me with a passion. He picked me up in a limo, and he couldn’t wait to get the $50,000, which went away in about 20 seconds. Then they wouldn’t let me have Ric. We had The Sheik and Big John Studd for a few houses, but after that who was I going to work with?”

Mulligan and Flair’s out-of-ring antics were more outlandish than their entertaining in-ring theatrics.

“We did so many things that were unbelievable. I can’t tell most of them because we’re both married and want to stay married to our wives,” he jokes.

Mulligan’s tales of his adventures with the Nature Boy are numerous, and some indeed are better left to those who shared them.

“We had parties at our houses when the wives were out of town. Sometimes we’d be in the front yard and they’d show up, and we’d run,” he laughs.

There is, however, a tidbit passed on by Mulligan that perhaps exemplifies the swath the wrestlers cut through the old territories.

“I woke up one morning with his shirt and his toe in my mouth,” Mulligan recalled. “He was naked, the room was destroyed and bodies were laying all over all over the place. His hair was all matted, he woke up and went, ‘Wooo!’ He was nuts.”

Mulligan, who like Flair had trained under wrestling great Verne Gagne, was a fixture in the Mid-Atlantic area from the mid-1970s through 1981, and some of his greatest programs involved Flair as both an opponent and a partner. The two also were one of the major reasons for the territory’s phenomenal success during that period.

Flair and Mulligan were no strangers, though, since Mulligan had helped indoctrinate Flair earlier in Texas. Flair, nearing the 300-pound mark at the time, had wanted to emulate Dusty Rhodes, even considering the mat moniker Rambling Ricky Rhodes. Mid-Atlantic booker George Scott, however, had bigger things in store for Flair, giving him the Nature Boy gimmick, complete with the signature figure-four finisher, hoping he would follow in the footsteps of “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers.

The next time their paths crossed in Charlotte, Flair had trimmed down, was sporting bleached blond hair and his own unique style. Scott convinced Mulligan to come to the Carolinas and take over the No. 1 heel spot until Flair, still learning the business but already considered championship material, was ready to take over.

Flair and Mulligan traveled together — via car and plane — and shared the NWA world tag-team belts. The two eventually became next-door neighbors and even went in together on a van.

“We bought these little old tract houses in Charlotte that this guy sold for $49,500. These were $200,000 places, so I bought four and Ric bought a couple, and we wound up next-door neighbors. And what a thing that was.”

Before he knew it, he says, Flair had Mulligan’s 15-year-old son, Barry Windham, chauffeuring him in a Cadillac limousine Flair had bought from the beach music group The Tams. Problem was, says Mulligan, that Barry wasn’t even old enough to have his driver’s license.

“I’m missing my daughter, Stephanie, one day, and she was 14 looking about 18. I’m trying to find Stephanie. And I hear this ‘one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four,’ and I look over the fence and Ric’s got all the girls, giving them swimming lessons. I said, ‘Flair, what are you doing?’ He said, ‘Mully, I’m giving them breathing lessons.’ I said, ‘You’re about to get some breathing lessons.’”

“It almost killed me,” laughs Mulligan, adding that he wouldn’t trade those times for anything in the world.

Their extracurricular escapades took them from every major nightspot in the Carolinas and Virginia to across the Mexican border to Nuevo Laredo. The Sweetwater, Texas, native recalls one such trip in which he took a group that included Flair, Wahoo McDaniel and Wahoo’s dad, whom Mulligan refers to as “the real Wahoo,” to a questionable establishment in Laredo with “a hacienda and 200 of the most beautiful women in the world.”

“The most you could spend was $40, but Ric spent a grand,” says Mulligan. The proprietor was so impressed that he asked Mulligan if he could “bring Blondie back.”

“He fell in love with this one,” Mulligan said. “He took her to Houston and later sent her back home.”

The two even owned a van together. They used real-life experiences to develop a lucrative storyline where the aging Mulligan, turning babyface for the first time in his career, parted ways with the younger, boisterous, cocky Flair. Dubbed “The Hat and the Robe,” it was one of the most famous angles in Mid-Atlantic history, with Flair tearing up a cowboy hat given to Blackjack by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, and Mulligan in return destroying Flair’s prized $7,500 peacock robe.

Whether it was in a small high school gymnasium or in front of 15,000 fans at the Greensboro Coliseum, Mulligan and Flair treated the fans to a performance they’d always remember. The “Mully and Rickus” show never failed to deliver.

“Those were some fun times,” says Mulligan. “I’ve had some real highs and some real lows, but I’ve been very blessed.”

Ric Flair, who will in Columbia for the Raw show Monday night at the Colonial Center, will be recognized earlier in the day in a ceremony at city hall.

“Ric Flair is a legend with thousands of fans in the Columbia area. He is a great friend of Columbia, and he generates a lot of business within our city. We are proud to honor him,” Columbia Mayor Bob Coble said in a news release.

The day will be proclaimed Ric Flair Day in Columbia.

The Ric Flair memories from fans throughout the country continue to roll in, and due to popular demand, here are a few more.

Andy Laudano, Fort Worth, Texas

I grew up in Connecticut, so my first wrestling exposure came from the WWWF. As a kid I remember getting mad that then-champion Bob Backlund never defended the title against other fan favorites/babyfaces. I held it against him when the wrestling magazines said that Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana and “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka all left the territory because they couldn’t get a title shot. It was through those same magazines that I first learned of other federations and of NWA champ Ric Flair. Here was a REAL champ that gave everyone a title shot — “good guy” or “bad guy.” One night he’d defend the belt against Ivan Koloff or Harley Race, and the next it was Ricky Steamboat or Dusty Rhodes. I became a big fan long before I ever saw him wrestle.

I moved to San Antonio, Texas, in the early 80’s, shortly after the David Von Erich memorial show and while World Class Wrestling was still strong. I was thrilled to learn WCCW was coming to town and Flair was defending the title (in a match where if he got disqualified during the match, the title would change hands) against Kerry Von Erich at the Freeman Coliseum. I was determined that I was going to meet Flair and get his autograph.

The semi-main event was The Rock and Roll Express (on loan from Mid-South) vs. their old rivals The Midnight Express. I had snuck my way to the back of the arena near the heels dressing room and was waiting in the shadows as the R-n-R’s music played. Next I heard the Midnight’s music and knew all the WCCW security would be escorting Jim Cornette, Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey though the crowd. This was my big chance, and like the clueless kid I was, I walked into the locker room. There was The Champ, bigger than life, sitting on a bench lacing up his boots.

Flair looked up as I nervously approached him and asked, “Mr. Flair, could I please have your autograph, sir?” Despite looking slightly puzzled at how I got back there and obviously knowing I wasn’t supposed to be there, Flair still signed for me. He asked me who I was with and I stuttered, “Um ... World Class Wrestling?” Just then he looks up and sees promoter Jose Lothario entering, and greets him with a loud “Jose!”

I knew that was my que to get the hell out of there and that The Champ had just given me the “heads up” so I could escape without getting into trouble!

I made my way back to my ringside seat with a HUGE grin on my face. The autograph read, “Best Wishes, Ric Flair” in some of the nicest penmanship I’d ever see. Even his handwriting had “Flair.” The sold-out arena was solidly behind their home state hero, but none of them were more vocal or cheered louder than I did for The Champ! Flair and Kerry gave us a one-hour draw that night and a memory I’ll never forget. One of many, many great memories.

Steve Clem, Spartanburg, S.C.

I am fortunate to live in Spartanburg, S.C., which is in the middle of the greatest wrestling territory ever, bar none and include them all. I know some will disagree with this, but it will be hard to prove otherwise. But from the 70’s to late 80’s, the Mid-Atlantic area ruled.

Many weeks I was fortunate to travel the circuit like this. Sunday afternoon in Asheville N.C., follow some of the wrestling greats to Charlotte, N.C., for the evening show. Monday night meant Greenville, S.C. Saturday afternoon or evening would be Spartanburg, S.C., and follow the greats up I-85 to close the weekend again in Charlotte.

During the latter years of Jim Crockett Promotions, I was fortunate to be a ringside regular for the weekly tapings. Especially in Spartanburg.

I have a personal photo collection that I took, that will rival anyone’s, including the great Bill Apter. These photos cover some of the greatest angles in Mid-Atlantic history. Two of my favorites were taken away from the ring, but still were centered around the legend himself, Ric Flair.

The first was on my birthday in the early 90’s after a Sunday afternoon card in Spartanburg. A large crowd was gathered in the back to see the wrestlers leave. The parking area was roped off, but that was not going to stop me, it was only a rope and Ric was a legend. I took off toward Ric and The Midnight Express , holding up some of the greatest photos of “the woo.” The cops said stop, but Ric said come on down. Who was I going to listen to, one of Spartanburg’s finest or the world’s greatest wrestler? Ric seemed to generally like the pics and signed them.

The other was taken in the Charlotte airport on the day Ric returned to the WWE. My daughter, Bailey, and I waited patiently as he made it through security, yes they even screen legends. As he finally made it through, I asked if we could take a picture. He said we had to hurry because the plane was waiting on him. As he left, I told him to take care of himself and also to take care of business. As he turned to go he let out a “woo,” and the world was about to be right again.

A few hours later in Orlando, I was watching Raw, and the Nature Boy strolled onto our TV screen. Bailey screamed, “That’s the guy we had our picture made with today.” I laughed and told her that no matter how many pictures we made this week, no character can bring as much joy to anyone’s life as Ric Flair did and has to mine. To this day we still have that picture, and she tells her friends about it every time someone is watching wrestling with us.

One more photo story. My wife, Cindy, and I were at the matches in Charlotte one Saturday night. The Horseman were doing an autograph session. It was packed wall to wall. There was no way we were going to make it to front. I held some 8x10’s that I had taken up in the air and hollered. The legend said let him through. Just like Moses parted the Red Sea, the crowd parted and we strutted up to the table. He grinned that trademark grin of his and signed every picture that I had. Another memory for life was made.

My two favorite live wresting events were the night in Greenville that he won the U.S. title for the last time against Greg Valentine and the night he won the world title from Vader in Charlotte.

I would just like to thank Ric for the memories. They are the stuff legends are made of. And that is what he is. Bar none and include them all. WOOOOOO!!!!!!

Jay Craven, Summerville, S.C.

I have two stories — both of these are from the County Hall days. Ric and Wahoo would have some of the greatest Indian strap matches, and by the time it was over, you could see strap marks all over Ric’s body. And his blond hair was pure red, and he was so red with blood all you could see was his eyes. He said in his book that good old Wahoo helped him earn his “red badge of courage.”

And another night at County Hall, while Ric was fighting Greg Valentine, Valentine got in a cheap shot on Ric and out the ring he went on the floor. And there was this little old black lady that was always there in the front row by ringside. And as Greg was through the ropes trying to get another cheap shot at Ric, she jumped up and gave Ric her cane to hit Greg with. And he got back into ring and put Greg in the figure four and won the match. But what was so amazing about that night was that after the match, Ric went out the ring on the same side that lady was seated and went over to her with all the fans there and gave her a hug and a kiss for helping him and raised up her hand to the crowd. Everyone started cheering.

I really just don’t know if I can watch wrestling anymore if Ric’s not there.

Robert Braswell, Raleigh, N.C.

I have so many great memories of Ric Flair. I have lived in Raleigh, N.C., all my 46 years, and Tuesday night at the Dorton Arena was the place to be. And on Wednesday at the WRAL studios, we would hang out and try to meet the wrestlers. But Ric and Johnny Valentine were my favorites.

But my close encounter with greatness came when a local radio station in Raleigh had a contest in 1980. They wanted you to write three questions you would ask Ric Flair, and if you won you would come to the station and get to ask them on the air. Well, to my surprise I won, and was able to meet Ric. He was nothing like the “Nature Boy” I had witnessed in the ring and on TV. He was so soft-spoken and made me feel at ease.

Two things I remember most was that he that he stayed around and talked to me and the people at the station long after the show and sighed a picture for me. And I forgot to bring my camera.

But it is a day I will never forget. One word for Ric Flair......Class!

Jay Rhodes, Troutville Va.

Living in the Roanoke, Va., area my whole life, Saturdays in the 70’s for me was all about Ric Flair and MACW.

In 1990 after a card, my best friend and I went to the Marriott to watch Ric firsthand. I had three friends of mine who met me there (female and hot as hell). Well, needless to say, Ric made contact right off the bat. My buddy and I were getting a kick watching Ric and three of Roanoke’s finest. Well over walks Ric with a shooter, grabs the back of my head and holds the glass to my lips. I said, “Give it to me Champ,” and he lets out a “Wooooo” and pours the drink down my throat. I put that glass in my pocket and it sits with a Ric autograph in it on my mantle with some other sports memorabilia.

Later on that evening Ric had Melissa on the dance floor. Julie asked me to dance. Bob Segar’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” was cranking up. I stuck both hands in the air for a double high five to Ric. He slapped my hands and said, ”Let’s tend to the ladies.”

He was the Nature Boy 24-7. It was not an act. He was so nice and a complete gentleman. About two months later, Ric was in town again and had hooked up with the girls. We lived side by side. I was out of town. When I got back home to check my messages Julie was on the other line inviting me for drinks at their place with Ric. I had two messages from Julie, but the third was a familiar voice. On my machine was, “Jay, it’s the Nature Boy, come on over.” I have never been so disappointed than missing that evening.

I think Ric Flair is the greatest performer in history. When I say that, I mean he is greater at what he does than anyone else at what they do. He is greater than Jordan, Montana, Earnhardt, Ali, all being equal. He is perfection. Ric you will be missed.

Andy McDaniel, Trade Lake, Wis.

The name Ric Flair means many things to many people. It is one of those names that you can mention and everybody knows who you are talking about. Even the person who tells you they are not a wrestling fan, they still know who Ric Flair is. His journey has been a long one and the memories could fill volumes of books. I do not think even the man himself has any idea how much he has meant to so many people over all these years.

It does not matter if it was at a high school gym in the 70’s tagging with Greg Valentine or in a cage with Blackjack Mulligan or wrestling Rufus R. Jones for an hour or whether it was the 80’s in the Charlotte Coliseum wrestling Barry Windham for over an hour or if the Horsemen were whipping up on Dusty Rhodes or in the 90’s headlining in Chicago or Korea with Inoki, or even now in the 2000’s, Ric Flair has always been THE MAN.

It was always something special when the “Champ” came to town. There are so many words that could be used to describe Ric Flair, but Legend is certainly fitting. That word, along with Icon, has been over used for many years quite frankly by many who do not deserve it, but that is not the case with Ric. I have been a fan from the first time I saw him in Charleston, S.C., against Wahoo McDaniel. To watch it on TV every Saturday was great, but up-close and live was indescribable. These incredible performers were larger than life and truly knew how to keep the people coming each and every week.

It has been a journey that has kept me a fan for over 30 years. The staple for me, though, has without a question been my adoration for the best of all times, the Nature Boy. He has been a constant over my entire life as a wrestling fan. There have been others to make claim to be the best or the greatest, but only one man can stand today and truly make that claim when it comes to professional wrestling.

Long before the days of sports entertainment, there were thousands of adoring and dedicated fans who filled arenas, high school gyms, coliseums, parking lots, ball parks, skating rinks or anywhere they set up the ring and saw their heroes, to quote the Nature Boy, “take each other to school.” In the midst of that action, in one of those venues, somewhere in Charlotte, Greensboro, Roanoke, Charleston, Greenville, Chicago, Tampa or any where else you can think of, you would find Ric Flair in the ring doing what he does best. It made no matter who the opponent was, you knew if you saw Ric you had just seen the best there was.

Today Ric Flair is the longtime fans last link to the past. He is “THE MAN” in so many ways and can truly boast of having wrestled the best all over the world. The respect and honor that Ric has garnered is well deserved. I am proud to have been able to watch this journey over all these years, and call Ric Flair a part of my life. He is like the old friend that you think of quite often and just say to yourself, “I hope they are doing well today.” Ric Flair is professional wrestling, and in this loyal fan’s opinion, always will be.

It is hard to imagine wrestling without the Nature Boy around, but as long his fans are alive the memories will live on forever. Thanks, Ric, you have given your all for so long, you will never know how much you are appreciated. Many have held belts over the years, but there will only be one “Real” Champion of Pro Wrestling and that is without any question the one and only, the kiss-stealin,’ wheelin,’ dealin’ son of a gun, Space Mountain himself, the Nature Boy Ric Flair. WOOOOO!!!!!!

My memories of Ric go back over 30 years. I was 4 years old the first time I saw Ric. He was driving down Interstate 26 heading toward Charleston County Hall to face Chief Wahoo McDaniel. This would be the first of hundreds of times over the next 30 years I would witness the “Man” in action. It was a joy to watch those great matches that unfortunately many will never get to see because they were not taped. The battles between Ric and all the greats of the past are like a who’s who of wrestling. He has truly faced them all, from Pat O’Connor to Bruiser Brody to Dusty Rhodes to Ricky Steamboat and, of course, Harley Race. The list could really go on and on for a very long time.

Some of my very favorite interviews over the last few years have been when Ric brings up the old days. One of my all-time favorite memories of Ric Flair comes from a day when he was not even there. It involved my, at the time, 3-year-old daughter Morgan, who Yes!, was named after the Nature Boy. It was her first day of kindergarten and I was greeted by the teacher when I went to pick her up and was asked the question, “What does your daughter know about Ric Flair?” Immediately I thought, “What did she do?” I went on to explain that Morgan had indeed been named after Ric and that wrestling had been a part of my life forever and she was familiar with it because of my involvement at the time as a promoter and sometime worker. The teacher laughed and said, “Now it makes sense.” I, of course, wanted to know what happened, so I asked what Morgan had done. The teacher explained that a little boy was picking on Morgan and had pulled her hair, and quickly Morgan turned around and grabbed this boy by the shirt and said, “I got my name from Ric Flair and I will kick your butt!” I have never been so proud; I nearly broke out into the strut and said WOOOO! Ric, my friend, your legend will live on forever. Thanks for the memories, you will never be forgotten.

Media Man Australia Profiles

Ric Flair

World Wrestling Entertainment

Pioneer black wrestler will be honored, BY JIM VARSALLONE - The Miami Herald - 23rd March 2008

A Pembroke Pines man and former professional wrestler will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his son, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

A former pro wrestler who helped pave the way for blacks to enter the field -- and who endured racism, abuse, even death threats -- will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday at Amway Arena in Orlando.

Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnson will do the honors, inducting both his father, Rocky ''Soulman'' Johnson, 63, who lives in Pembroke Pines, and his late grandfather, Peter ''High Chief'' Maivia (1937-82).

Dwayne Johnson credits both men for his success in football, professional wrestling and the movies.

The World Wrestling Entertainment honors will take place during WrestleMania weekend in Orlando.

Rocky Johnson started wrestling in the 1960s during tense times of prejudice and racial tension, especially in the South.

''Some guys didn't want to wrestle me because I was black,'' Johnson said. ``Others would try to make me look bad.''

Johnson was a ''babyface,'' or good guy, who competed against ''heels,'' who played the role of bad guys.

Still, because of his color, he endured plenty of abuse from pro wrestling fans.

''It was very different for me when I first started wrestling,'' said Johnson, who was born in 1944 in Nova Scotia. ``The biggest change for me was going to the South. I would always walk with my head up, never put my head down. There were things promoters wanted me to do because I was black, and I wouldn't do it.''

In the 1960s, there were probably five well-known black wrestlers in the United States -- Bobo Brazil, Sweet Daddy Sika, the Black Panther, Bearcat Wright, and Johnson. Most worked in the North.

The South was a good region for professional wrestling, but some Southern promoters refused to hire black wrestlers.

In pro wrestling, combatants are supposed to protect each other in the ring while making the action and tension appear believable. Some of Johnson's opponents would hit him for real.

''They wanted to hurt me,'' he said. ``They wanted me to leave the area and quit the business. They didn't want me to go over because of my color.''

With his amateur boxing background -- he sparred with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman -- Johnson was able to handle himself if things got out of hand in a match.

But a black man wrestling in the South in those years took a real risk.

Some promoters in places like Alabama told Johnson he would never be a champion. So he just left and worked elsewhere.

In Tennessee, white promoters and wrestlers ridiculed black combatants on TV by making them eat chicken and watermelon, Johnson said. They referred to them as ''Sambo'' and ''boy.'' They made them walk like a monkey or act like a gorilla.

TOOK A STAND

Black leaders eventually took a stand, forcing a TV station in Memphis to pull a wrestling show after a scripted tar-and-feather skit.

''To get respect, you have to give it,'' Johnson said. ``I was not going to respect them if they were not going to respect me.''

Following the famous Muhammad Ali-Antonio Inoki boxer-versus-wrestler match in Japan, Jerry Lawler wanted Rocky to face him in Memphis, billed as a boxer-versus-wrestler matchup.

Johnson was reluctant but eventually agreed.

Johnson versus Lawler sold out the Memphis Coliseum -- actually turning away 5,000 people, which nearly led to a riot.

''Since I was 17, I wanted to be a pro wrestler,'' Johnson said. ``My sister-in-law [Audrey Jones] told me to be like Martin Luther King and follow your dreams.''

Johnson's muscular physique and quick hands and feet excited fans.

In the 1970s, Johnson overcame color barriers to become the first black champion in Texas and later won belts in Georgia and Florida. One of the most decorated black wrestlers in history, he was the first African American to win the U.S. title in San Francisco.

Most notably, Johnson teamed with WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas in 1983, and they were the first black tag team champs in the North-based World Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE.

Ron Simmons officially became the first African-American world champion in 1992 in World Championship Wrestling.

Bobo Brazil actually won the NWA world title in 1962, but it was not recognized. In 1998, Johnson's son, The Rock, became the first African-American world champ in WWE history.

SAMOAN WRESTLER

Where Rocky Johnson helped pave the way for African-American wrestlers, the late Peter ''High Chief'' Maivia did the same for Samoans.

Maivia, who was born in 1937, was a Samoan professional wrestler who debuted in 1963, wrestling throughout the South Pacific and Hawaii before moving to the continental United States. He won the National Wrestling Alliance tag team championship and the U.S. title and the Texas title.

He also had a part in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

Rocky Johnson married Maivia's daughter, Ata. Their son is Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnson.

''It's fantastic to be inducted with my father-in-law [Maivia], who helped train me,'' Johnson said. ``I'm very, very proud of that. He also went though a lot, and he opened the door for the Samoan wrestlers.''

The WWE Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of the sports entertainment business, similar to a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Media Man Australia

WWE

The Rock

Ring Posts - Q&A with Shawn Michaels - Baltimore Sun

Shawn Michaels has earned the monikers “The Showstopper” and “Mr. WrestleMania” for his show-stealing performances on sports entertainment’s biggest stage. On March 30, Michaels will compete in his 15th WrestleMania, but this one is perhaps the most special to him. Michaels will be facing Ric Flair, the man he idolized as a youngster, in a match that very likely will be the final one of Flair’s legendary career.

I spoke briefly with Michaels about the match and his legacy at WrestleMania in a phone interview this afternoon.

You have wrestled Ric Flair before, but can you put into words what it means to you to be facing him at WrestleMania in what could be his final match?

There’s just an emotional thing here for me and for Ric that I think is probably hard for a lot of folks to get a hold of. I’m going in there with a guy that, when I was 16 years old, I sat in front of the TV and I said, “Gosh, I want to be just like him. He embodies everything I want to be. Everything I picture the wrestling life to be, he’s it.” Fast-forward 20-some-odd years later and to be a grown man and be able to call him my friend – we’ve gotten so close with each other in the last several years – and then for him to handpick me to try to get him his greatest moment. I take it so seriously and so personally because of what he’s meant to me in the past and what he means to me now as a friend, and what he’s created in this industry. I know there are so many people that believe he ought to be honored and set apart, and to be the guy that needs to get that done, on the one hand, it’s wonderful. On the other hand, I go, “Gosh, I wish I wouldn’t have been calling myself ‘The Showstopper’ and ‘Mr. WrestleMania’ all these years. I’ve really worked myself into a shoot this time.”

I’ve always gone into WrestleMania, and most of my matches and pay-per-view matches, where no matter what I was feeling on the inside – there have always been nerves and things like that – but I always went in on the outside feeling 7-feet tall and bulletproof. This is the first time that I’m visibly shaken. Can I honor him? Can I do what I really believe he deserves, and can I make it happen for him? Because I want to. There’s a strange emotional thing going on for me that I’ve tried to detach myself from as best I can, but it’s still there. There’s still a part of me that’s 16. Everyone wants me to bring my best, and to do that would mean him leaving this industry forever. Being the guy that did that, and I recognize that there’s a whole show that goes with that, but bittersweet is the only way that I can describe it. There’s an inner conflict going on with me the likes of which I’ve never really had before because there are so many real emotional levels with me. The idea of Ric Flair not being in this industry is something that I don’t even know if I’m prepared for.

I remember a TV match in 1991 or’ 92 that you had with Ric when you were still part of The Rockers. You were a young guy at that point and not yet a singles star. What was it like to work with your idol at that stage of your career?

He had been in the company for a short time and that was our first chance to get to meet each other. That was when I first began to tell him sort of how I felt about him and his impact on my life. At that time I hadn’t become an established anything yet other than a tag-team guy. I think it was one of those things that he had probably heard before and was flattered by. When we went out there, it was business as usual for him. Obviously, me, I was giddy, and it was the fastest eight minutes of my entire life. It wasn’t that long of a match, but it was something at that point in my life that I held very precious. It was like, “Holy cow, I’m in there with ‘The Naitch.’ I’m in there with this guy that I watched.”

The thing that always sort of brings me back to reality is that I’ve got this buddy, Kenny, who was there with me when I was 16 years old watching Ric. And he called me way back then and said, “I can’t believe you wrestled Ric Flair.” And, of course, now to fast-forward so many years later, and we still talk, and he’s like, “Holy cow, Shawn. Can you believe it? He might be having his last match.” There’s still a part of me that I keep tucked away and hidden here in Texas that’s still 16 and chatting with my buddy Kenny about the fact that I’m wrestling Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV. I was giddy then. Now, when I talk to Kenny he gets me giddy about it. But the harsh reality is that Ric Flair has always been a part of this business for as long as I can remember. Of all the interest that I’ve ever had in this line of work, he’s been involved in some aspect of it. And the idea of him not being in there – I feel like the old couple that when one of them goes, the other one loses their will to live a little bit. And I really have to wonder, as goofy as it sounds, how much more I’ll want to go on if he’s gone.

I’m in the midst of counting down the Top 20 WrestleMania moments on this blog, and, not surprisingly, you have been involved in several of them. If you had to pick just one, what would be your favorite WrestleMania moment that you were a part of?

Wow. Gosh, that’s always been a hard one for me. I suppose I always have to go back to the ladder match [with Razor Ramon in 1994] because I think that’s the one that sort of put me on the map. That’s the one where people said, “You know what? Thus guy could be a player.” I really have to credit that one for taking me to that next level. I don’t know that any of those other WrestleMania moments would have been possible had I not been in that match.

The plan for the main event at last year’s WrestleMania was John Cena vs. Triple H, but you were inserted in Triple H’s spot after he got hurt. Had he not been injured, what was the plan for you at WrestleMania?

At that time, like every other WrestleMania, there were a couple different ideas. That’s sort of how it’s been with me every year. … The last call I got before Hunter went down was, “Well, we’re thinking about maybe you and King Booker, but we’re also thinking about maybe putting you in the Donald Trump thing. How would you feel about that?” I was like, “Well, Donald Trump and Vince [McMahon] will probably get all the focus and it doesn’t really matter who you put in the match.” Those were the two talked-about scenarios. Just like it was with every other WrestleMania before that, I was like, “That’s fine.” I landed in the main event at WrestleMania XX, which wasn’t really a discussed thing. They brought to me the [Kurt] Angle match years ago. So, things have just slowly gotten better each time. The only one that I’ve ever requested on my own was [with] Vince McMahon, because, for one WrestleMania, I wanted to be in a match where I didn’t have all the pressure of having to tear the house down.

Although it still did.

And I appreciate that, but it’s a lot easier to go in when the sights are set sort of low. Again, that’s when that whole “Showstopper” and “Mr. WrestleMania” thing works against you. I’m at a point in my life now where I don’t know that I enjoy the pressure-cooker as much as I used to. So, I’d love to have a WrestleMania where all the pressure in the world wasn’t upon my shoulders. Apparently it’s not going to happen this year, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to a day, if it ever comes, when I can maybe be just “plus one other exciting match.”

Media Man Australia Profiles

Shawn Michaels

Ric Flair

WWE

Wrestling