AC/DC has been confirmed as the band for WrestleMania XXV. In a related story, an Undertaker/Shawn Michaels storyline for WrestleMania was recently "leaked" online, allegedly sent to various sites by former WWE writer Bruce Prichard. The script was later confirmed as being false.
Gene Snitsky has been released from WWE.
Former WWE announcer Joey Styles punched out a drunk JBL backstage during WWE's Iraq tour.
Edge has expressed an interest in forming a stable with real-life friends Christian and Kizarny if Christian re-signs with WWE at the end of the year.
Showing posts with label JBL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JBL. Show all posts
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Orlando Jordan interview
Whoever we interview, we do it big. Our series of exclusive interviews continued last weekend when we spoke with former WWE superstar Orlando Jordan from his home in Florida. Jordan is an openly bisexual African-American wrestler, making him a true rarity in the sports-entertainment business. Read on as OJ candidly discusses his WWE run, false rumors, carrying the Warrior, and plans for his future.
The former United States champion refused to emphasize his sexuality when he spoke with us about his career. "I never really came out and said that I was bi. I'm me. I'm happy being who I am." Similarly, Jordan didn't want to stress his race when discussing role models. "[Being a] role model isn't something you choose. When you're in the public eye people find qualities in you."
Jordan was a natural athlete from day one. He competed in gymnastics since age six before becoming a member of the United States Forest Service. After moving to Florida he competed in amateur boxing and wrestling, becoming both a National and All-American champion. However, OJ revealed that the diverse background didn't make it hard to pick a ring style once he went pro. "I think it's who I was. I don't think it was something I chose over the years of training. It just kind of fit for me. I'm a pretty good-sized guy even though every time I meet a fan they always say 'Wow you're bigger than I thought.' I'm 6'4 and about 255 but for doing acrobatic stuff with that it's something that I needed to do. A lot of amateurs don't really make a good transition [to the professional circuit]. Kurt Angle, Brock [Lesnar], Shelton [Benjamin], Charlie Hass and myself have made good. I wanted to get away from that. I wanted to be a pro."
One of Jordan's most memorable feuds during his time with World Wrestling Entertainment was against the late Chris Benoit. When describing his experiences working with the now infamous performer, Jordan said their in-ring chemistry was "like peanut butter and jelly. Benoit was a great person to work with. Once I got the news it hurt my heart to find out what took place. Chris was a good friend to me. I enjoyed working with him. We were able to go out there and connected off the bat from the first time [we wrestled each other]. He's a hard worker and so am I."
Jordan, a member of the Cabinet stable, praised his former leader JBL. "Bradshaw was my partner and mentor." Jordan credited JBL as a locker room leader on the level of the Undertaker. What about the notorious pranks JBL is known for pulling in the locker room? "I was probably right there with him, and if not, instigating. There's tons of them I can tell [but] I can't think of any off the top of my head that won't get me in trouble."
OJ's three-year WWE stint came to an end in 2006. He pulled no punches when shedding light on the reason for his release or the speculation that went along with it. "By now they have all kinds of stuff out and people say a lot of things. Bottom line is that they I think didn't know what to do with me. That's the creative side's fault. Also of course rumors saying stuff about me because I'm bi getting released. I really don't like touching on stuff like that because it feuls bullshit. I think that people read the internet and quickly judge not knowing the truths. I've alwas wanted people to judge me for who I am. What's the difference between gay and bi? I'm bisexual; not gay. If you're going to call me something and stereotype me, do it right. None of the things you read that people put out I can say aren't true."
The former "Chief Of Staff" made headlines earlier this year when he wrestled the Ultimate Warrior in the Warrior's comeback match after a decade's absence from the ring. The Warrior has publicy stated in the past that he is against homosexuality, making one wonder if the two performers would have difficulty working together. "Despite what people might think I had no problem working with him," Jordan told us. "It takes two to wrestle. I think it was a case of not biting the hand feeding you. He was real compliant with me. I didn't have to deal business-wise. He had to trust me and rely on me to get through the match. I think his reputation preceeds him."
OJ's future looks equally bright. He's pursuing modeling and acting opportunities through his own company Wildcat Entertainment while working regularly with European wrestling group New Wrestling Evolution. He's also one of many wrestlers featured in Bloodstained Memoirs, a positive wrestling documentary expected out in 2009. Mostly though "I'm on a break for the holidays."
Orlando closed the conversation by informing us he was willing to grant us a second interview in the future. We're going to hold him to it, so send us your questions now! We encourage our readers to show your support for Orlando by becoming his MySpace friend. You can reach him at myspace.com/wwesuperstaroj.
The former United States champion refused to emphasize his sexuality when he spoke with us about his career. "I never really came out and said that I was bi. I'm me. I'm happy being who I am." Similarly, Jordan didn't want to stress his race when discussing role models. "[Being a] role model isn't something you choose. When you're in the public eye people find qualities in you."
Jordan was a natural athlete from day one. He competed in gymnastics since age six before becoming a member of the United States Forest Service. After moving to Florida he competed in amateur boxing and wrestling, becoming both a National and All-American champion. However, OJ revealed that the diverse background didn't make it hard to pick a ring style once he went pro. "I think it's who I was. I don't think it was something I chose over the years of training. It just kind of fit for me. I'm a pretty good-sized guy even though every time I meet a fan they always say 'Wow you're bigger than I thought.' I'm 6'4 and about 255 but for doing acrobatic stuff with that it's something that I needed to do. A lot of amateurs don't really make a good transition [to the professional circuit]. Kurt Angle, Brock [Lesnar], Shelton [Benjamin], Charlie Hass and myself have made good. I wanted to get away from that. I wanted to be a pro."
One of Jordan's most memorable feuds during his time with World Wrestling Entertainment was against the late Chris Benoit. When describing his experiences working with the now infamous performer, Jordan said their in-ring chemistry was "like peanut butter and jelly. Benoit was a great person to work with. Once I got the news it hurt my heart to find out what took place. Chris was a good friend to me. I enjoyed working with him. We were able to go out there and connected off the bat from the first time [we wrestled each other]. He's a hard worker and so am I."
Jordan, a member of the Cabinet stable, praised his former leader JBL. "Bradshaw was my partner and mentor." Jordan credited JBL as a locker room leader on the level of the Undertaker. What about the notorious pranks JBL is known for pulling in the locker room? "I was probably right there with him, and if not, instigating. There's tons of them I can tell [but] I can't think of any off the top of my head that won't get me in trouble."
OJ's three-year WWE stint came to an end in 2006. He pulled no punches when shedding light on the reason for his release or the speculation that went along with it. "By now they have all kinds of stuff out and people say a lot of things. Bottom line is that they I think didn't know what to do with me. That's the creative side's fault. Also of course rumors saying stuff about me because I'm bi getting released. I really don't like touching on stuff like that because it feuls bullshit. I think that people read the internet and quickly judge not knowing the truths. I've alwas wanted people to judge me for who I am. What's the difference between gay and bi? I'm bisexual; not gay. If you're going to call me something and stereotype me, do it right. None of the things you read that people put out I can say aren't true."
The former "Chief Of Staff" made headlines earlier this year when he wrestled the Ultimate Warrior in the Warrior's comeback match after a decade's absence from the ring. The Warrior has publicy stated in the past that he is against homosexuality, making one wonder if the two performers would have difficulty working together. "Despite what people might think I had no problem working with him," Jordan told us. "It takes two to wrestle. I think it was a case of not biting the hand feeding you. He was real compliant with me. I didn't have to deal business-wise. He had to trust me and rely on me to get through the match. I think his reputation preceeds him."
OJ's future looks equally bright. He's pursuing modeling and acting opportunities through his own company Wildcat Entertainment while working regularly with European wrestling group New Wrestling Evolution. He's also one of many wrestlers featured in Bloodstained Memoirs, a positive wrestling documentary expected out in 2009. Mostly though "I'm on a break for the holidays."
Orlando closed the conversation by informing us he was willing to grant us a second interview in the future. We're going to hold him to it, so send us your questions now! We encourage our readers to show your support for Orlando by becoming his MySpace friend. You can reach him at myspace.com/wwesuperstaroj.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
CM Punk, Mr. Perfect, and Mike Austin.
The biggest post-Raw news item is unquestionably CM Punk's winning of the World title. If WWE's intent behind Punk wearing the big gold belt is to get fans interested in or talking about their product, mission accomplished! I personally didn't once change the channel off Raw after I saw Punk's segment, and this morning at my day job the few other wrestling fans in the building were discussing Raw for the first time in weeks and dropping Punk's name for probably the first time ever. The possibility of JBL capturing the belt the same night also kept me in suspense. At least until the familiar "deck stacked against the champion" cliche snuck its way into the program's writing and gave away the finish of the main event.
Punk's title win was a "too good to be true" moment for wrestling fans who have grown tired of WWE's by-the-numbers writing style. Pulling a WrestleMania IX (only in reverse considering Punk's weight and the face/heel role reversals) seemed like a move WWE would make. A slap back to reality, if you will. With WWE creative starting to think outside of the box, the big question now becomes: Where does CM Punk and WWE go from here?
That answer will likely depend heavily on the result of last night's Raw rating. Meanwhile, the top challengers for Punk's belt are logically JBL, John Cena, Batista, and former champion Edge. Edge is certain to continue his feud with The Undertaker on SmackDown at some point. Batista would have to turn heel for a match against Punk to work, according to one of the first rules of wrestling. The same goes for John Cena. However, Cena and JBL appear to once again be entering into a feud with one another. They don't need the World title to make that feud work, but it's quite possible one of them will get it by the next pay-per-view anyway. Regardless of how long his title reign lasts, hardcore CM Punk fans will surely feel the end came too soon.
A few other things have happened as a result of this move, by the way. The Raw brand once again has a Heavyweight championship, and the Money In The Bank storyline has now been concluded. At least until next year's WrestleMania when the match will more than likely take place again. Also, CM Punk is now the only man to hold the ECW, ROH and WCW/World titles.
Moving on to other wrestling news...
Here is the lineup for the upcoming two-disc Mr. Perfect DVD, courtesy of Silver Vision.
Disc 1:
Perfection
Twin City Origins
Building a Path
AWA
Mr. Perfect
Living up to His Name
Intercontinental Champion
The Prankster
Commentator
WCW
Return to the WWE
A Sudden Tragedy
Hall of Fame
The Perfect Legacy Lives On
Matches:
Curt Hennig vs. Eddie Gilbert
Madison Square Garden (21/11/82)
Curt Hennig and Scott Hall vs. Steve Regal and Jimmy Garvin
AWA Championship Wrestling (26/11/85)
Mr. Perfect Hall of Fame Induction
WWE Hall of Fame (31/03/07)
“Rap is Crap” Music Video
Vignettes:
Billiards October 1, 1988
Golf – Perfect Putt October 1, 1988
Darts October 8, 1988
Bowling October 8, 1988
Chess October 15, 1988
Basketball October 15, 1988
Ping Pong October 28, 1989
Diving November 4, 1989
Golf – Perfect Drive November 4, 1989
Horseshoes November 24, 1989
Baseball with Wade Boggs December 26, 1992
Football – Perfect Passer with Steve Jordan February 13, 1993
Basketball with Felton Spencer February 27, 1993
Hockey with Mike Modano March 13, 1993
Stories:
Curt Loved Karaoke
Disc 2:
60-Minute Time Limit AWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Curt Hennig vs. Nick Bockwinkel
AWA Championship Wrestling (15/11/86)
Curt Hennig vs. Terry Taylor
Commentary By: Michael Cole and Mick Foley
WrestleFest (31/07/88)
Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart
Madison Square Garden (24/04/89)
WWE Championship Match
Mr. Perfect vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden (15/01/90)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match with Special Referee Roddy Piper
Mr. Perfect vs. The Texas Tornado
Madison Square Garden (24/11/90)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect
SummerSlam (26/08/91)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Mr. Perfect vs. Shawn Michaels
SummerSlam (30/08/93)
Curt Hennig vs. Bret Hart
Uncensored (15/03/98)
The lineup is rather iffy, in my opinion. The rare AWA matches were a great inclusion, and Hennig's matches against Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are definite classics. You also can't go wrong with the "Rap Is Crap" video or the sports vignettes. On the downside, there isn't nearly enough WCW footage. Hennig was a member of the NWO and a United States champion there, for crying out loud! WWE is also forgetting about Hennig's brief return to the company in 2002 before his death. They could at least show his final WWE match against Matt Hardy. There are also no matches involving any of Hennig's Intercontinental title wins, or any of his classic matches against Ric Flair. If you're a big enough fan of Mister Perfect's character though, you'll probably still get plenty of enjoyment out of this set.
Promoters in Peru are outraged that Triple H is no longer a part of the upcoming Raw tour, since they built all their advertising around him.
WrestleMania XXV tickets are going on sale September 20th.
WWE has apparently lost a few people in talent relations as well as corporate recently, which could explain the recent lack of communication with talent concerning the brand switches.
Vince McMahon was present at the WrestleMania press conference in Houston, but never appeared before the people because he was still selling his injury angle. A few local area papers in Houston reported that he'd been seriously injured when the scaffold fell on him on Raw.
Batista got several stitches following Raw. He went head-first into Edge. Both wrestlers were otherwise reported to be okay.
The plan to tape ECW before Raw has been pushed back to September.
Indiana wrestler "Even Colder" Mike Austin is still at large after impersonating "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at a Wal-Mart autograph signing. The WCWO promotion Mike Austin performs for claims Austin was sent to Wal-Mart to promote an upcoming indy show, but once there he began charging unsuspecting "Stone Cold" fans $10.00 USD for photos and autographs before fleeing with the fans' cash. An unidentified man acting as the imposter's manager at the signing told police the Wal-Mart knew his accomplice wasn't Steve Austin, but claims they still allowed him to sign autographs. Wal-Mart officials said they suspected something was off when "Steve Austin" showed up to the event with no security or police flanking him. They notified police once they believed the man at the signing wasn't the real deal. Ironically, a few years ago the real "Stone Cold" judged a "Steve Austin look-a-like" contest, which was won by his future doppleganger. Police are continuing to investigate the matter along with help from World Wrestling Entertainment.
SOURCES FOR THIS ENTRY: F4W newsletter
Punk's title win was a "too good to be true" moment for wrestling fans who have grown tired of WWE's by-the-numbers writing style. Pulling a WrestleMania IX (only in reverse considering Punk's weight and the face/heel role reversals) seemed like a move WWE would make. A slap back to reality, if you will. With WWE creative starting to think outside of the box, the big question now becomes: Where does CM Punk and WWE go from here?
That answer will likely depend heavily on the result of last night's Raw rating. Meanwhile, the top challengers for Punk's belt are logically JBL, John Cena, Batista, and former champion Edge. Edge is certain to continue his feud with The Undertaker on SmackDown at some point. Batista would have to turn heel for a match against Punk to work, according to one of the first rules of wrestling. The same goes for John Cena. However, Cena and JBL appear to once again be entering into a feud with one another. They don't need the World title to make that feud work, but it's quite possible one of them will get it by the next pay-per-view anyway. Regardless of how long his title reign lasts, hardcore CM Punk fans will surely feel the end came too soon.
A few other things have happened as a result of this move, by the way. The Raw brand once again has a Heavyweight championship, and the Money In The Bank storyline has now been concluded. At least until next year's WrestleMania when the match will more than likely take place again. Also, CM Punk is now the only man to hold the ECW, ROH and WCW/World titles.
Moving on to other wrestling news...
Here is the lineup for the upcoming two-disc Mr. Perfect DVD, courtesy of Silver Vision.
Disc 1:
Perfection
Twin City Origins
Building a Path
AWA
Mr. Perfect
Living up to His Name
Intercontinental Champion
The Prankster
Commentator
WCW
Return to the WWE
A Sudden Tragedy
Hall of Fame
The Perfect Legacy Lives On
Matches:
Curt Hennig vs. Eddie Gilbert
Madison Square Garden (21/11/82)
Curt Hennig and Scott Hall vs. Steve Regal and Jimmy Garvin
AWA Championship Wrestling (26/11/85)
Mr. Perfect Hall of Fame Induction
WWE Hall of Fame (31/03/07)
“Rap is Crap” Music Video
Vignettes:
Billiards October 1, 1988
Golf – Perfect Putt October 1, 1988
Darts October 8, 1988
Bowling October 8, 1988
Chess October 15, 1988
Basketball October 15, 1988
Ping Pong October 28, 1989
Diving November 4, 1989
Golf – Perfect Drive November 4, 1989
Horseshoes November 24, 1989
Baseball with Wade Boggs December 26, 1992
Football – Perfect Passer with Steve Jordan February 13, 1993
Basketball with Felton Spencer February 27, 1993
Hockey with Mike Modano March 13, 1993
Stories:
Curt Loved Karaoke
Disc 2:
60-Minute Time Limit AWA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Curt Hennig vs. Nick Bockwinkel
AWA Championship Wrestling (15/11/86)
Curt Hennig vs. Terry Taylor
Commentary By: Michael Cole and Mick Foley
WrestleFest (31/07/88)
Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart
Madison Square Garden (24/04/89)
WWE Championship Match
Mr. Perfect vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden (15/01/90)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match with Special Referee Roddy Piper
Mr. Perfect vs. The Texas Tornado
Madison Square Garden (24/11/90)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect
SummerSlam (26/08/91)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Mr. Perfect vs. Shawn Michaels
SummerSlam (30/08/93)
Curt Hennig vs. Bret Hart
Uncensored (15/03/98)
The lineup is rather iffy, in my opinion. The rare AWA matches were a great inclusion, and Hennig's matches against Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels are definite classics. You also can't go wrong with the "Rap Is Crap" video or the sports vignettes. On the downside, there isn't nearly enough WCW footage. Hennig was a member of the NWO and a United States champion there, for crying out loud! WWE is also forgetting about Hennig's brief return to the company in 2002 before his death. They could at least show his final WWE match against Matt Hardy. There are also no matches involving any of Hennig's Intercontinental title wins, or any of his classic matches against Ric Flair. If you're a big enough fan of Mister Perfect's character though, you'll probably still get plenty of enjoyment out of this set.
Promoters in Peru are outraged that Triple H is no longer a part of the upcoming Raw tour, since they built all their advertising around him.
WrestleMania XXV tickets are going on sale September 20th.
WWE has apparently lost a few people in talent relations as well as corporate recently, which could explain the recent lack of communication with talent concerning the brand switches.
Vince McMahon was present at the WrestleMania press conference in Houston, but never appeared before the people because he was still selling his injury angle. A few local area papers in Houston reported that he'd been seriously injured when the scaffold fell on him on Raw.
Batista got several stitches following Raw. He went head-first into Edge. Both wrestlers were otherwise reported to be okay.
The plan to tape ECW before Raw has been pushed back to September.
Indiana wrestler "Even Colder" Mike Austin is still at large after impersonating "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at a Wal-Mart autograph signing. The WCWO promotion Mike Austin performs for claims Austin was sent to Wal-Mart to promote an upcoming indy show, but once there he began charging unsuspecting "Stone Cold" fans $10.00 USD for photos and autographs before fleeing with the fans' cash. An unidentified man acting as the imposter's manager at the signing told police the Wal-Mart knew his accomplice wasn't Steve Austin, but claims they still allowed him to sign autographs. Wal-Mart officials said they suspected something was off when "Steve Austin" showed up to the event with no security or police flanking him. They notified police once they believed the man at the signing wasn't the real deal. Ironically, a few years ago the real "Stone Cold" judged a "Steve Austin look-a-like" contest, which was won by his future doppleganger. Police are continuing to investigate the matter along with help from World Wrestling Entertainment.
SOURCES FOR THIS ENTRY: F4W newsletter
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