Post by Head Booker on Mar 17, 2007 9:22:46 GMT -6
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Internally, Batista is being compared to Jim "Warrior" Hellwig a lot now. People inside of WWE say that he doesn't really love wrestling and simply got in because he had a great a body and was always protected & pushed. Also, he didn't have to sacrifice to get where he is compared to others.
On the other hand, Triple H is a big supporter of Batista because he saw him as his personal protege who he took from nothing and groomed him into be a major drawing card. Triple H wanted Randy Orton and Batista as the next two big stars of wrestling since he and Ric Flair could legitimately say they developed them, which was the final goal of the Evolution faction. When Batista started getting over in 2005, Triple H was obsessed with him becoming a big star because he felt creating Batista would be a major part of his final legacy in wrestling. He's very much into his legacy, particularly because he realizes from the outside, there is some question as to how he will exactly be remembered.
Batista has developed a star attitude and the feeling is he felt because he was handpicked by Triple H to be the next big star, and because he has a unique look, people feel as though that he comes off with a sense of entitlement. Things he's said in the SmackDown locker room at times plus percieved arrogance and aloofness hurt his reputation backstage.
His fight with Booker T last May hurt him badly with Vince McMahon. Several SmackDown wrestlers lost a bit of respect for him with his behavior that day, as much as for him actually losing the fight. Vince McMahon copped a major "Bill Watts attitude" about Booker beating him up in the fight. Batista was scheduled to win the World Title at SummerSlam at the time the fight took place. After the fight, Vince pulled the scheduled title change and told people that Batista wouldn't get the belt back at all. However, during the fall, Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes talked Vince into giving Batista a long run as the top guy on SmackDown, including winning the title, because he had drawn before. SmackDown business at the time was way down. Hayes & Rhodes saw Booker T as a comedy heel and his run wasn't working as the top star of the brand. Vince didn't completely agree with them, but he went with it and Batista would go on to win the title at the Survivor Series.
Even though from a business standpoint, Hayes & Rhodes were vindicated (ratings and attendance have since gone up), there is still trepidation with Batista. At one point after SmackDown business had turned around, the plan was for him to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania because they believed it would take him to next level of stardom. However, as of late, WWE isn't too sure about letting Batista end the Undertaker's storied WrestleMania win streak. The feeling is that if he beats him, people are going to see him as a major heel because the audience sees Taker's win streak as just about the only real thing left in professional wrestling. At the moment, the more likely scenario is Taker beating Batista, thus keeping his win streak intact, not to mention winning the title, but we won't know for sure until WrestleMania.
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The Rock's surprise appearance this past Monday on RAW was put together by writer Brian Gerwitz. Gerwitz and The Rock keep in contact on a regular basis. Gerwitz asked The Rock if he would make a cameo appearance on RAW to help promote WrestleMania, and he agreed. Also, The Rock's dialogue in his cameo was completely unscripted.
When Rey Mysterio was at the SmackDown show in San Diego a few weeks ago, he was asked if he could return to the brand now. He was walking around with a limp backstage and doctors have adviced him to not return until July. Also note, he doesn't really need a cane. He only used a cane in his appearance so that Vince could use it on him to get heel heat. When he returns, there are plans for him to be one of the big eight stars in the company on his own, as opposed to doing some sort of Eddie Guerrero-related story.
In the latest edition of "Diva Dish" on WWE.com, Jillian Hall attempts to dispel the rumors that she's mocking Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke with her new bad singer gimmick. Jillian said that she's singing because she wants to and that it has nothing to do with Hogan's daughter. "I have no idea where people are getting this idea. The only things we have in common are blonde hair and we're both pop stars. There are a lot of blonde pop stars out there; it doesn't mean I'm trying to be her. I think people are saying this only because she's associated with wrestling, but her name has never come up when it comes to what I'm doing. I'm doing my own thing," Jillian said. The story originally started in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter a few weeks ago. After Hulk Hogan read off the list of candidates for this year's WWE Hall of Fame, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H wanted to get back at him because he infuriated Vince McMahon. So they devised this new gimmick for Jillian, which in their mind, is intended to be a spoof on Brooke Hogan. They had Jillian's hair styled after Brooke Hogan. She was also given accented contact lenses to make her eyes the same unusual blue color that Brooke's eyes are.
Source: PWInsider.com
- Stone Cold Steve Austin is in Los Angeles this weekend and will be making an appearance at the Wizard World convention to promote his upcoming film the Condemned.
- “Rowdy” Roddy Piper must be in better health as he has an appearance scheduled for next weekend at the Texas-Fear fest horror convention to participate in a panel discussion for the film “Sin-Jin Smyth.” He is also scheduled to attend the Big Apple Comic Convention in New York City on 6/23.
- The Rock donated time earlier this month at Destination Fashion 2007, a fundraising event with proceeds going to The Buoniconti Fund at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in Florida.
source: Pro Wrestling Torch
Big Show won't be signing with TNA anytime soon. He is involved in some sort of new project in which Show is both excited and motivated about. No details on the project have been given yet. Show will probably make his new commitment public by the start of the summer.
Jim Ross has posted up a new blog on his official website. In regards to a WWE-TNA rivalry, Ross said, "In all due respect to all involved, the good folks at TNA have a few miles to travel before they arrive on the same level as the WWE. The huge misconception here is this; the decision makers at TNA simply need to focus on improving their product and not worry about an imagined war with the WWE. That is largely what the WWE did during the Monday night wars which cannot be compared to an updated Monday night war with TNA, in my opinion. This is not a personal attack on TNA or anyone else but the simple fact is most businesses get better when they focus on what they are doing and not what the alleged competitors are up to." Click here to read the rest of his blog.
Internally, Batista is being compared to Jim "Warrior" Hellwig a lot now. People inside of WWE say that he doesn't really love wrestling and simply got in because he had a great a body and was always protected & pushed. Also, he didn't have to sacrifice to get where he is compared to others.
On the other hand, Triple H is a big supporter of Batista because he saw him as his personal protege who he took from nothing and groomed him into be a major drawing card. Triple H wanted Randy Orton and Batista as the next two big stars of wrestling since he and Ric Flair could legitimately say they developed them, which was the final goal of the Evolution faction. When Batista started getting over in 2005, Triple H was obsessed with him becoming a big star because he felt creating Batista would be a major part of his final legacy in wrestling. He's very much into his legacy, particularly because he realizes from the outside, there is some question as to how he will exactly be remembered.
Batista has developed a star attitude and the feeling is he felt because he was handpicked by Triple H to be the next big star, and because he has a unique look, people feel as though that he comes off with a sense of entitlement. Things he's said in the SmackDown locker room at times plus percieved arrogance and aloofness hurt his reputation backstage.
His fight with Booker T last May hurt him badly with Vince McMahon. Several SmackDown wrestlers lost a bit of respect for him with his behavior that day, as much as for him actually losing the fight. Vince McMahon copped a major "Bill Watts attitude" about Booker beating him up in the fight. Batista was scheduled to win the World Title at SummerSlam at the time the fight took place. After the fight, Vince pulled the scheduled title change and told people that Batista wouldn't get the belt back at all. However, during the fall, Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes talked Vince into giving Batista a long run as the top guy on SmackDown, including winning the title, because he had drawn before. SmackDown business at the time was way down. Hayes & Rhodes saw Booker T as a comedy heel and his run wasn't working as the top star of the brand. Vince didn't completely agree with them, but he went with it and Batista would go on to win the title at the Survivor Series.
Even though from a business standpoint, Hayes & Rhodes were vindicated (ratings and attendance have since gone up), there is still trepidation with Batista. At one point after SmackDown business had turned around, the plan was for him to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania because they believed it would take him to next level of stardom. However, as of late, WWE isn't too sure about letting Batista end the Undertaker's storied WrestleMania win streak. The feeling is that if he beats him, people are going to see him as a major heel because the audience sees Taker's win streak as just about the only real thing left in professional wrestling. At the moment, the more likely scenario is Taker beating Batista, thus keeping his win streak intact, not to mention winning the title, but we won't know for sure until WrestleMania.
source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The Rock's surprise appearance this past Monday on RAW was put together by writer Brian Gerwitz. Gerwitz and The Rock keep in contact on a regular basis. Gerwitz asked The Rock if he would make a cameo appearance on RAW to help promote WrestleMania, and he agreed. Also, The Rock's dialogue in his cameo was completely unscripted.
When Rey Mysterio was at the SmackDown show in San Diego a few weeks ago, he was asked if he could return to the brand now. He was walking around with a limp backstage and doctors have adviced him to not return until July. Also note, he doesn't really need a cane. He only used a cane in his appearance so that Vince could use it on him to get heel heat. When he returns, there are plans for him to be one of the big eight stars in the company on his own, as opposed to doing some sort of Eddie Guerrero-related story.
In the latest edition of "Diva Dish" on WWE.com, Jillian Hall attempts to dispel the rumors that she's mocking Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke with her new bad singer gimmick. Jillian said that she's singing because she wants to and that it has nothing to do with Hogan's daughter. "I have no idea where people are getting this idea. The only things we have in common are blonde hair and we're both pop stars. There are a lot of blonde pop stars out there; it doesn't mean I'm trying to be her. I think people are saying this only because she's associated with wrestling, but her name has never come up when it comes to what I'm doing. I'm doing my own thing," Jillian said. The story originally started in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter a few weeks ago. After Hulk Hogan read off the list of candidates for this year's WWE Hall of Fame, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H wanted to get back at him because he infuriated Vince McMahon. So they devised this new gimmick for Jillian, which in their mind, is intended to be a spoof on Brooke Hogan. They had Jillian's hair styled after Brooke Hogan. She was also given accented contact lenses to make her eyes the same unusual blue color that Brooke's eyes are.
Source: PWInsider.com
- Stone Cold Steve Austin is in Los Angeles this weekend and will be making an appearance at the Wizard World convention to promote his upcoming film the Condemned.
- “Rowdy” Roddy Piper must be in better health as he has an appearance scheduled for next weekend at the Texas-Fear fest horror convention to participate in a panel discussion for the film “Sin-Jin Smyth.” He is also scheduled to attend the Big Apple Comic Convention in New York City on 6/23.
- The Rock donated time earlier this month at Destination Fashion 2007, a fundraising event with proceeds going to The Buoniconti Fund at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in Florida.
source: Pro Wrestling Torch
Big Show won't be signing with TNA anytime soon. He is involved in some sort of new project in which Show is both excited and motivated about. No details on the project have been given yet. Show will probably make his new commitment public by the start of the summer.
Jim Ross has posted up a new blog on his official website. In regards to a WWE-TNA rivalry, Ross said, "In all due respect to all involved, the good folks at TNA have a few miles to travel before they arrive on the same level as the WWE. The huge misconception here is this; the decision makers at TNA simply need to focus on improving their product and not worry about an imagined war with the WWE. That is largely what the WWE did during the Monday night wars which cannot be compared to an updated Monday night war with TNA, in my opinion. This is not a personal attack on TNA or anyone else but the simple fact is most businesses get better when they focus on what they are doing and not what the alleged competitors are up to." Click here to read the rest of his blog.
