HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

DICK VAN DYKE TO STAR IN SEQUEL TO MARY POPPINS

Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke will appear in the sequel to Mary Poppins according to the NEW YORK TIMES. Mr. Van Dyke will appear alongside Emily Blunt who will play Mary Poppins and Lin Manuel Miranda from Broadway's Hamilton. 

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" in 1964

Mr. Van Dyke says that the film will be set 20 years after the original movie with the children all grown up. He will play the son of Mr. Dawes' son  who was a greedy banker in the original movie. In the original movie Mr. Van Dyke played Bert, the chimney sweep and Mr. Dawes Senior, one of the greedy bankers in the original film. 

This new Mary Poppins movie will come out in 2018. Hopefully, it will bring back memories of the original film and create new memories for all the fans of Mary Poppins.

Class Dismissed, 

THE PROFESSOR

THE ROCK IS THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE

THE ROCK

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has a new award to add to his resume. This week PEOPLE MAGAZINE named him the "Sexiest Man Alive". This is just another accomplishment that The Rock has gained in 2016. In April of this year, FORBES named Johnson as the highest paid actor in Hollywood. With his appearances in the "Fast and Furious" franchise The Rock has become the biggest action star in Hollywood. Along with hits like Central Intelligence with Kevin Hart, Johnson has also cemented his place as an action-comedy star. 

Next year is shaping up to be another banner year for The Rock as he will star in three big movies. In April of 2017, Fast 8, comes out. In the Summer, the Baywatch movie, based on the 90's TV show will debut and around December of 2017, he and Kevin Hart will star in a reboot of Jumanji which starred the late Robin Williams. 

During his wrestling career Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson  always referred to himself as "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports and Entertainment" and I say Amen to that. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

CONOR MCGREGOR IS THE MAN

Conor McGregor as UFC Champion

Last night at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden, Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez and became the Lightweight champion. McGregor won by KO in the second round.  Now McGregor holds two titles as the Featherweight champion and Lightweight champion. McGregor became the first MMA fighter to hold championships in two different weight classes at the same time. 

McGregor is the UFC's biggest star since Ronda Rousey. MMA Fighting reports that McGregor wants a stake in UFC now that its owned by WME-IMG. With his brash attitude and his willingness to talk trash to any opponent, he has become their biggest attraction. McGregor has four of the five biggest Pay-Per-View buys in UFC history. WRESTLEZONE reports that UFC garnered a live gate at MSG of over 17 million dollars at UFC 205 with McGregor in the main event. That is the highest gate that MSG has ever had at a live event. 

Conor McGregor is now the King of MMA. How long he remains on top in both divisions remains to be seen. Right now he is the biggest mainstream attraction in combat sports whether it's MMA or boxing. Long live the King. 

Class Dismissed, 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. ROBERT VAUGHN

Robert Vaughn

Robert Vaughn, one of the most prolific actors in film and television died on November 11th at his home in Connecticut. He was 83 years old. Mr. Vaughn is probably most well known as Napoleon Solo, the main character in the TV show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. which aired from 1964-1968. He also had a great career in movies. 

As a fan, I first became aware of Robert Vaughn when he starred with Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor in Superman III as Ross Webster. In 1960, Mr. Vaughn came to prominence in The Magnificent Seven alongside Yul Brenner and Steve McQueen. McQueen and Vaughn would work together again in 1968 in Bullitt. 

Mr. Vaughn had a very lengthy career in television airing in many classic TV shows over the last 60 years. During his career he starred in shows like Bonanza, The A-Team, Hunter, Murder She Wrote, The Rifleman, and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. In recent years Mr. Vaughn made guest appearances in Law and Order: SVU and Coronation Street which is the U.K.'s longest running soap opera. 

Thank you Mr. Vaughn for giving me so many great memories. Your presence and talent will never be forgotten. 

THE PROFESSOR

LEXA DOIG HAS BEEN CAST AS TALIA AL GHUL IN ARROW

LEXA DOIG

Talia al Ghul is coming to Arrow . TVLINE  reports that Lexa Doig has been cast as the eldest daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Ms. Doig is a favorite in many sci-fi circles as her credits include Andromeda, Continuum, Stargate SG-1 and Saving Hope. 



Talia al Ghul

Talia al Ghul is the eldest daughter of Ra's Al Ghul and usually works alongside her father in his quest for world domination. She has been a lover and enemy of Batman and his associates. Talia is also the mother of Batman's son Damian. 

The big question will be how Arrow will use Talia Al Ghul. In the comics Talia is the leader of the League of Assassins. In Arrow Talia's half-sister Nyssa has disbanded the League of Assassins. Will Talia have her own sect of the League attack Star City? Will she be looking for revenge on the Green Arrow since he killed her father in season 3?

We will find out when Lexa Doig makes her first appearance as Talia al Ghul on Arrow in episode 10. 

Class Dismissed
The Professor

KNIGHT RIDER REBOOT COMING IN 2017

KITT FROM KNIGHT RIDER

Michael Knight and KITT are returning in 2017. BLEEDING COOL  reports that Justin Lin who directed Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6 will be rebooting the classic 80's TV series as a digital web series in 2017 for NBC Universal. Lin is teaming up with Machinima which has produced many reboots of classic franchises such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

The original TV show which aired on NBC from 1982-1986 starred David Hasselhoff who played Michael Knight who worked for the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) taking down criminals with help from his talking Super car KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand). KITT had many special abilities. Not only could he talk, but he could operate himself, was impervious to injury, could jump over things, and run at super speed.

As a fan of the 80's TV show I will be interested on what aspects of the original show that this new reboot keeps and what it changes. With most of our technology mirroring KITT now some 30 years later it will be interesting to see how update KITT's technological advances.

It will also be interesting to see what they do with Michael Knight. In the original series he starts off as Michael Long a police detective and former Army ranger that is shot in the face while undercover and thought dead. He survives and receives a new face thanks to FLAG and takes on a new identity as Michael Knight, a "man who does not exist".

With Justin Lin and Machinima's great record of success, I think the Knight Rider franchise is in very good hands. 2017 should be a really good year. The year of the Knight Rider.

Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR

SMALLVILLE'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY

THE CAST OF SMALLVILLE

Fifteen years ago Smallville debuted on the WB (now the CW network) in the fall of 2001. The producers of the show turned the town of Smallville into a character unto itself. Clark Kent's arrival in a rocket ship caused a meteor shower and changed everyone's lives. Today there is an explosion of superhero movies and TV shows on every channel but in 2001 that was not the case. In syndication you had Hercules and Xena but they were starting to wind down their runs.  Most networks were focusing on teen dramas once the WB network found success with Dawson's Creek. 

The genius of Smallville was that it was a superhero show mixed with teen drama featuring a young Clark Kent who is 16, in high school, and finds out that he is an alien. In Smallville Clark Kent (Tom Welling) was a nerd, an outsider who never fit in. He was in love with his best friend Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) but he couldn't say anything because she was in a relationship with the football captain. Like any regular teenager that deals with puberty, Clark's powers would manifest themselves at awkward times. All these things made Superman who has been portrayed as so perfect since the end of World War Two, more relatable to the audience. 

One of the biggest reasons that Smallville succeeded was because of the relationship between Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and Clark Kent. As fans we not only got to see the evolution of Clark Kent into Superman but we also see how Lex Luthor becomes the man he is. Through the machinations of his father Lionel Luthor (John Glover), Lex becomes the tyrant we know him to be. Clark and Lex start as friends but over 7 seasons Clark and Lex become enemies as they both embrace their destinies. 

As Smallville moved on they introduced new characters and other heroes into the show. Characters like Lois Lane (Erica Durance) and Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) entered Smallville. When Kristin Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum left the show in season 8, the relationship between Clark and Lois became the centerpiece of the show until its end in season 10. 

TOM WELLING AS CLARK KENT/THE BLUR IN SMALLVILLE

In Season 8 Clark moved to Metropolis and embraced his superhero identity known as "The Blur". As a fan I always wanted to see Tom Welling in the classic Superman suit and I always thought it was wrong that he never wore it on the show. In hindsight, Clark never needed the classic suit and his "blur" costumes were very modern and would fit well in today's superhero culture.  

Since it ended in 2010, superheroes have become big business in movies and television with Marvel and DC battling for supremacy. The CW network has garnered big ratings with shows like Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow on its programming slate. Today, Warner Brothers has struggled to make Superman relevant with movies like Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman being critically panned. Its possible that if they stayed with the formula that Smallville started they might be more successful. 

Smallville was one of the most successful TV shows ever, airing for 10 seasons. It introduced Clark Kent and Superman to a new generation of fans and delighted longtime fans. 15 years after its debut, it is still fondly remembered as a precursor to what we see now.

Thank you Smallville. 

THE PROFESSOR

A DYNASTY REBOOT IS COMING TO THE CW

DYNASTY

Dynasty, the hit prime time soap from the 1980's is being rebooted for the CW. TVLine reports that Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage are writing the pilot for the reboot. The original show centered around a young secretary, Krystle Jennings (Linda Evans) who falls in love and marries her rich boss Blake Carrington (John Forsythe). The show also featured Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington who came in as Blake's ex-wife and was the main cause of conflict on the show. The show ran from 1981-1989 and helped launch the career of Heather Locklear.

TVLine reports that one of the new ideas that Schwartz and Savage plan to introduce include changing Krystle Jennings ethnicity from a Caucasian woman to a Hispanic woman. This isn't the first reboot that the CW has done as they've done reboots on Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210.




Lucas Till as MacGyver

Bringing back old shows from decades past seems to be a staple in today's TV landscape. The new MacGyver reboot starring Lucas Till garnered over 10 million viewers on its premiere two weeks ago and had over 9 million viewers last week according to Variety. Now ABC is planning on doing a reboot on Magnum P.I. focusing on Magnum's daughter Tommy and Netflix is doing a reboot of the old 60's TV show Lost In Space according to TVLine. All of these networks are hoping for the successful launch that MacGyver has had. 

Hopefully Dynasty will enjoy the same success as MacGyver when it debuts on the CW. I'm sure CW will capitalize on the producers connection to Gossip Girl to form a loyal fanbase. The question is: how many of those fans will care about the show and how many fans who loved the original series will want to watch this show? Only time will tell. 

Class Dismissed, 
The Professor

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON WRESTLING....

A.J. STYLES AS IWGP CHAMPION


A.J. Styles won the WWE World title at Backlash last week at Backlash. A.J. has won world titles in multiple organizations including TNA, IWGP, and many other organizations. A.J. Styles is truly a character that no matter where he goes, he can connect with the fans and make them believe in wrestling. He reminds me of Bret Hart in that Bret was so good and he could sell wrestling to the masses. A.J. fits into that mold as well. He can wrestle and he's very exciting to watch with his high-flying skills. Congratulations A.J. You deserve it!


Bobby Lashley as the TNA World Champion

On October 2nd Bobby Lashley will defend the TNA World title against EC3 (Ethan Carter III). 


Ethan Carter III


Lashley has been one of the most dominant champions in the history of the business. Lashley is one of the greatest athletes in wrestling. He is a former amateur wrestler, a former member of the U.S. Military, and an MMA fighter. 

Currently Lashley is in a feud with EC3 and EC3 doesn't have any of the credentials of Lashley. Now with the popularity of MMA, TNA Wrestling will have to explain how a "wrestler" like EC3 can beat a man with the credentials of  Lashley. 

My answer: Make it a Fatal Fourway elimination match. TNA should add Mike Bennett and Moose to the match. 




Moose and Mike Bennett


Moose and Lashley have bad blood so they can eliminate each other leaving Carter and Bennett to fight it out for the title. This way Lashley remains strong and Carter can win the belt. 


Anyway these are just my thoughts on wrestling. Until next time...

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. GENE WILDER

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka

Gene Wilder, the legendary actor who played Willy Wonka passed away last night at the age of 83. Wilder was known as a comic genius who came to prominence in the 1970's appearing in many movies by Mel Brooks including, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles. Wilder was nominated for an Oscar twice for his role in The Producers and for co-writing Young Frankenstein with Mel Brooks. 


Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder

In the late 70's and early 80's Gene Wilder teamed up with Richard Pryor and did two of his biggest movies Silver Streak and Stir Crazy. In 1974 Wilder portrayed his most beloved character, Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The movie was entertaining and taught many lessons to children all around the world with Wilder leading the charge as the zany Willy Wonka.

Nothing I write here can really do justice to the career of Gene Wilder but I had to write something. Gene Wilder in my opinion was one of the greatest actors I've ever seen. His timing was impeccable and there will never be anyone like him again. 

Rest in Peace Mr. Wilder and Thank You. 

THE PROFESSOR

KEVIN OWENS BECOMES THE NEW WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION

Kevin Owens

On RAW last night Kevin Owens became the new WWE Universal champion. The match was a fatal 4-way elimination match between Kevin Owens, Big Cass, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. The big story came at the end of the match when Triple H  returned and took out Roman Reigns. Triple H then rolled Reigns in and Rollins pinned him. In a surprise move Triple H turned on former protege Seth Rollins and allowed Kevin Owens to pin him to become the new champion. 

This was something that shocked me as a fan. I never expected Kevin Owens to become champion because of his look. Owens isn't the typical WWE superstar but it was a great surprise and it adds a fresh wrinkle to the main event. Now Owens can take on former champions Rollins and Reigns or even his current tag-team partner Chris Jericho. These matches will be 5-star matches.

Owens is beloved by the Internet Wrestling Community and you could hear the fans chanting "You Deserve It!!" as RAW went off the air. Kevin Owens (aka Kevin Steen) has been in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) and Ring of Honor (ROH). Owens is one of the best wrestlers in the world and has a great personality that bleeds through on interviews and on his twitter account. 

Congratulations Kevin Owens. You definitely deserve it. 

Class Dismissed
The Professor

SUMMERSLAM IS NXT

FINN BALOR VS. SETH ROLLINS

On August 21, 2016, wrestling history will be made when  Seth Rollins faces Finn Balor to crown the first WWE Universal Champion at Summerslam. In many ways this is the culmination of something that started in 2012 when NXT, WWE's developmental program began. 

Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are both former NXT champions and in fact Rollins was the first champion of the promotion. The late, great, Dusty Rhodes and Triple H  declared him one of the future superstars of the business. Rollins had been wrestling on the independent scene for a few years including wrestling for ROH (Ring of Honor)  before being brought into WWE in 2010. 

Finn Balor is an international superstar who has wrestled in the US, UK, Ireland, and Japan. He has had his greatest success in Japan where he wrestled in IWGP (International Wrestling Grand Prix) where he was a 3-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag-Team Champion. Balor arrived in NXT in 2014 and defeated Kevin Owens on July 4, 2015 to win his first NXT Championship. He would hold the title for 292 days and become the longest reigning champion in the company's history. 

This match at Summerslam could set off one of the best feuds in wrestling history. Longtime fans may talk about Seth Rollins and Finn Balor in the same breath as Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat one day. Not to mention WWE will have events Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in the Barclays Center with stars from NXT and WWE being featured. 

I'm sure that when WWE started the NXT program in 2012  they knew that the stars they created would main event a pay-per-view but I don't think they thought it would happen this soon. NXT's motto has always been, "The Future is Now". I think that expression will be proven true when Rollins and Balor meet at Summerslam. 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. GARRY MARSHALL

Garry Marshall passed away at the age of 81 this past week. Mr. Marshall produced many hit movies and TV shows including Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, and Pretty Woman. Mr. Marshall helped launch the careers of many including Henry Winkler, Julia Roberts, and the late, great Robin Williams. 

Many other sites will cover the death of Mr. Marshall with more depth and eloquence than I can write here. As someone who aspires to work in TV, I can only hope to have a career in TV that has half of the influence that Mr. Marshall's has had. I remember watching a documentary on PBS entitled, Make'em Laugh where Garry Marshall talked about how he was influenced by comedians such as Jack Benny and Phil Silvers. Mr. Marshall has certainly influenced countless generations with his work.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Marshall. Your contributions will never be forgotten. 

THE PROFESSOR

STEPPENWOLF WILL BE THE VILLAIN IN JUSTICE LEAGUE

DC NEW 52 JUSTICE LEAGUE

Warner Brothers have released details on the upcoming Justice League movie as reported by Newsarama. The movie will pick up where Batman vs. Superman left off. Batman and Wonder Woman will work together and form the Justice League. The rest of the League will include Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg facing a much bigger and badder enemy. That enemy was revealed to be Steppenwolf, from the planet Apokolips. 




DC NEW 52 STEPPENWOLF

Steppenwolf is a new god on the planet Apokolips and he is the uncle of its ruler Darkseid. He is also Darkseid's general in his battles with New Genesis and leader of the parademon army on Apokolips. The parademon army was featured in the vision of the future that Batman had during Batman v. Superman. With Steppenwolf as the main villain of the Justice League movie then how long until we see Darkseid himself.


DARKSEID

I think that these new details lend credibility to the speculation that Superman will turn evil and serve Darkseid's in the Justice League movie. Superman could be brought back from the dead by Darkseid and used as a tool to conquer earth. This would create a battle of epic proportions featuring The Justice League vs. Superman and the forces of Apokolips. This has happened before in the comics specifically during DC New 52 Earth 2 comics.



Superman as Brutaal

Superman was killed during an invasion by Apokolips on Earth-2 but he was resurrected as a member of Darkseid's army named Brutaal. If the Justice League movie follows this scenario then I think it could be very successful.

We'll have to wait until 2017 to find out what happens.

THE PROFESSOR

BRUCE WILLIS TO STAR IN DEATH WISH REMAKE

BRUCE WILLIS


Another movie is getting a remake. Bleeding Cool reports that Bruce Willis will star in a remake of the 1974 film Death Wish directed by Eli Roth.


The original movie was based on a 1972 book and starred Charles Bronson as a man who goes on a vigilante streak in New York City after his wife is killed and his daughter is assaulted during a robbery.


Bruce Willis is known for the "Die Hard" films and is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Eli Roth is a great director. This could be an interesting re-make if it's not done exactly the same way as the 1974 movie.

Time will tell. 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. KIMBO SLICE

\
Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson


Last night it was announced that MMA fighter Kimbo Slice had passed away at the age of 42. ESPN reports that Kimbo had been waiting on a heart transplant. 

Kimbo Slice came to national attention as a backyard brawler who became a YouTube sensation who with his captivating look and great personality became someone that people could identify with. 

Kimbo was an immigrant from the Bahamas that came to Miami at a young age. He was homeless. He worked as a bodyguard for a porn company. His fights whether on YouTube, UFC, or Bellator were all efforts to feed his family. Kimbo Slice was a father of six and a husband. 

Kimbo Slice was the American dream. A man who worked hard and used his talents to achieve success. In the end no matter what you think of him as an MMA Fighter, Kimbo Slice was an attraction wherever he appeared. 

Thank you Kimbo. Rest In Peace. 

THE PROFESSOR

BROCK LESNAR RETURNS TO MMA AT UFC 200

Brock Lesnar

ESPN reports that after nearly 5 years away, Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon at UFC 200 on July 9.  The former UFC Champion's opponent has not been named but that doesn't matter, the return of Brock Lesnar to the octagon will make UFC 200 a must-see event. The card was already stacked with Jon Jones Vs. Daniel Cormier for the undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship.

According to MMAJunkie, Lesnar is the biggest star in UFC's history becoming it's biggest PPV draw.  Lesnar's first foray into the UFC saw him lose to Frank Mir and win against Heath Herring. Lesnar beat Randy Couture for the Heavyweight title in August 2008. Lesnar defended the title twice against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin but lost it to Cain Velazquez at UFC 121 in October of 2010. He lost his last fight against Allistair Overeem by TKO. Lesnar returned to WWE in 2012 and has been one of their top stars ever since.

Lesnar is still signed with the WWE  and they describe this as a "one-off opportunity" for Lesnar to compete in the UFC. I'm sure Vince McMahon see this as a great opportunity to do cross-promotion as WWE has a brand split coming in July that Lesnar will probably be a part of. 

Hopefully Lesnar wins this fight and goes out on a high note in MMA. If he loses then I think UFC will benefit more than WWE as a loss at UFC 200 could damage his "unstoppable force" persona in WWE. 

All we can do is wait and see what happens on July 9th. 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. MUHAMMAD ALI

Muhammad Ali, one of the most recognizable sports figures of the 20th century died on June 3, 2016. He was 74. His impact on American history as well as sports will never be forgotten. 

In February of 1964, a young boxer named Muhammad Ali defeated monster heavyweight champion Sonny Liston and changed the world of sports forever. Ali proclaimed himself to be "the greatest" in a post-fight interview and over the next ten years he would have a profound impact on American history. 

Muhammad Ali became a social justice warrior in 1967, when he was stripped of his title after refusing induction into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He refused induction citing his religious beliefs as a Muslim. His faith would not allow him to go to Vietnam and kill innocent people. America turned on Ali and branded him a draft dodger. White Americans hated Ali, while black Americans continued to support him seeing him as a strong voice for civil rights and equality during the turbulent 60's. By 1970 the Supreme Court overturned the government's decision to suspend Ali's license and he was allowed to enter the ring once again. 

Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali

By now "Smokin" Joe Frazier had won the title vacated by Ali. Frazier did loan Ali money during his time away from boxing and lobbied for Ali to get his license back even going to the White House to speak with President Nixon. Ali turned on Frazier calling him an "Uncle Tom," a negative term in the black community. On March 8, 1971, Ali and Frazier met in Madison Square Garden in a fight dubbed "The Fight of the Century" which attracted stars such as Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, Burt Lancaster, and others. Both Frazier and Ali were undefeated and when the smoke cleared Ali had lost by decision to Frazier. These two titans would fight two more times including the Thrilla' in Manilla in 1975 with Ali beating Frazier on both occasions. 

Ali would regain the heavyweight title in 1974 in Zaire after beating George Foreman who was the most dominant heavyweight at that time. Foreman won the title from Joe Frazier in 1972. Ali vowed to conquer Foreman and win the title. He would employ the rope-a-dope strategy by laying on the ropes and letting Foreman wear himself out while punching Ali. 

Muhammad Ali retired from the ring in 1980 and in 1984 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He became an advocate for Parkinson's disease and fought it with the same determination and heart he showed in the ring. 

Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest athletes ever. He became a legend because of his ability in the ring and his gift of gab outside of it. His impact on American culture and civil rights made him one of the most recognizable figures in the world. He shook up the world so that young African-Americans like myself can prosper in it. 

R.I.P. Champ and Thank You.

THE PROFESSOR

ANDRE THE GIANT MOVIE IN DEVELOPMENT

Andre the Giant and Vince McMahon

Andre the Giant was one of the biggest pop culture personalities of the 20th century. His legend and legacy live on even after his death in 1993. Variety reports (read the article here) that there will be a movie about Andre's life in and out of the ring. The film will be based on the 2015 graphic novel, Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven which was written by Brandon Easton and had art by Denis Medri.





Lion Forge Comics, the producers of the graphic novel and producers Scott Steindorf and Dylan Russell are partnering to make the film. Andre's daughter, Robin Christensen-Rousimoff will consult and have given the producers exclusive rights to the film. 

The graphic novel details Andre's rise to fame from his childhood to his debut in the 1960's and how he achieved pop culture icon status in the 70's. It also looks at his declining health in the 1980's while the wrestling business was rising thanks to Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. 

Many websites are wondering who could play Andre in the live-action film. Personally, I hope the film is done in animation or at least CGI. I don't think there are really any actors today that could capture Andre's personality. 

There is no set release date for the film, but I'm sure when it happens it will be just like Andre himself, larger than life. 

THE PROFESSOR

UFC IS SMARTER THAN WWE

DANIEL CORMIER VS JON JONES

Dana White is the smartest promoter today and his main event for UFC 200 proves that. At UFC 200 current lightweight champion, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will collide to determine the undisputed lightweight champion. Jones is currently the interim champion after defeating Ovince St Preux at UFC 197. Cormier and Jones were supposed to meet at UFC 197 for the title but Cormier was injured and had to pull out of the fight. There has been bad blood between the two since UFC 182 in January of 2015 when Jones defeated Cormier to retain the light heavyweight championship.

The factors that make this fight so attractive are simply that you have two guys who genuinely hate each other and are both champions in their own right. You would have to go back to Ali vs. Frazier to find a feud this great in sports. 

So Why would I say that UFC is smarter than WWE? Well, WWE had a similar situation and did not capitalize on it.


Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins

In November of 2015, WWE Champion Seth Rollins was injured during a match and was stripped of the WWE title. WWE held a tournament at Survivor Series 2015 and Roman Reigns became the new champion. I think WWE should have declared Reigns the interim WWE Champion so when Rollins returned their match could be a "champion vs. champion" match which would cause great interest with hardcore and casual fans. WWE did not do that and missed a golden opportunity to bring in fans. 

So UFC is smarter than WWE at least in this instance. Jones vs. Cormier will do great business for the UFC and WWE will continue to watch its ratings rise and fall on a weekly basis. 

Vince McMahon could learn a lot from Dana White. 

THE PROFESSOR

"RAVISHING" RICK RUDE: MY FAVORITE U.S. CHAMPION

RICK RUDE AS WCW U.S CHAMPION                                

On April 26th the WWE will put out a DVD featuring some of the greatest matches for the United States Heavyweight title. 

When I heard this DVD was being released it made me think about my favorite U.S. Champion: Ravishing Rick Rude.

Rick Rude became a star in the WWF in the late 80's in his feuds with Jake Roberts, Hulk Hogan, and The Ultimate Warrior. Rude even defeated the Warrior to become the Intercontinental Champion. 

In October of 1991 Rude would come to WCW and become one of its hottest heels. In November of 1991 he would defeat Sting for the U.S. Title and hold the title for a year. 

Rude was a cocky, arrogant, champion who believed he was better than everyone else even the world champion whether that was Sting or Ron Simmons. His feuds with Ricky Steamboat and Nikita Koloff put the title on the same level as the World title. 

Ravishing Rick Rude is the type of character that you don't see in wrestling as much anymore as things are more corporate. Rude was a tough guy who made you love to hate him and love the theatrics in pro wrestling. 

Rick Rude will always be my favorite U.S. Champion because of the prestige he brought to the title and the entertainment value he provided.

THE PROFESSOR

MARVEL PULLS DISNEY'S INHUMANS FROM 2019 SCHEDULE

THE INHUMANS

According to Deadline, Disney has pulled its movie based on the Inhumans comic off of its 2019 schedule. The Inhumans first appeared in a Fantastic Four comic in 1965. The Inhumans are a race of metahumans that have been both allies and enemies of The Fantastic Four. 

Currently, in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD they are using the term "Inhumans" to describe characthers that would normally be called "mutants."  The Inhumans on the TV show are not related in any way to how the characters are portrayed in the comics. They are more of an analogue for mutants but since Fox owns the rights to any and all X-Men related content Marvel has to use the term Inhumans. 

As a fan of Marvel, I wish they had introduced the Inhumans in Avengers: Age of Ultron. That could have been a great way to introduce the Inhumans to general audiences in a Super-team vs. Super-team battle. 

With the success Marvel is having, it doesn't need the Inhumans as a big-budget franchise but I'm sure they're thinking of how they can use them in future movies. All we can do is wait and see. 

THE PROFESSOR

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON THE ROYAL RUMBLE

Triple H

1. TRIPLE H IS THE NEW WWE Champion

Last night Triple H became the WWE champion for the 14th time. He entered the Rumble as the 30th entrant and eliminated Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose. This makes sense if you've followed the storyline. Roman has been a thorn in the side to The McMahon family for months and he even beat Triple H down with a chair in December before winning the WWE title on Raw the next night. Vince McMahon makes a match where Roman has to defend the title in the Royal Rumble. Triple H comes back and wins the Rumble eliminating Reigns in the process.This all sets up the main event at Wrestlemania where Triple H will defend against Roman Reigns.This proves that WWE can still tell a long-form story when they want to.




A.J. STYLES

2. A.J STYLES MAKES HIS DEBUT IN WWE

A.J. Styles made his debut in WWE as entrant # 3 in the Royal Rumble. The former TNA and IWGP champion had an impressive showing but was eliminated by Kevin Owens. This could be the beginning of a feud for Styles but I think the bigger deal is that Styles did not debut in NXT. NXT has been the place that many wrestlers who made their name on the independents and other wrestling companies make their debuts for WWE. This shows WWE wants to do something with A.J. Styles. A.J. is in his late 30's so the time is now if WWE wants to get the most out of him.

Class Dismissed
THE PROFESSOR

STING IS GOING INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME

Sting

WWE announced last Monday that Sting would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during Wrestlemania weekend. 

The first time I saw Sting, I was in second or third grade and we were all in the auditorium for recess because it was raining. Usually if it rained the school would show a movie or maybe some WWF wrestling. On this particular day they showed WCW Battlebowl '91 but at that time, I didn't know the event's name or any of the wrestlers. I had only seen WWF shows so the idea of another promotion was amazing to me. Sting would go on to win Battlebowl '91 and I would go on to remember the big, muscular, guy with the blonde flat top haircut, colorful facepaint, and colorful attire. 

As I began to get into wrestling more and more in the early 90's I watched both WWE and WCW even before the Monday Night Wars. Sting was always a great hero and I enjoyed his feuds with Vader, Jake the Snake Roberts, and Rick Rude.

By the mid to late 90's names from WWE like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall came to WCW and formed the NWO (New World Order) a super heel faction that destroyed everything in it's path. WCW needed a hero to take on the NWO. That hero would be Sting. 



As wrestling developed a much edgier attitude in the late 90's Sting would also evolve from the blonde California Surfer personality to a dark avenger based off of the movie "The Crow".  With baseball bat in hand he took on the NWO and defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW Championship at Starrcade'97 and took his place as an icon of the sport. 

After WCW was bought by WWE in 2001 Sting worked the indy scene and worked for TNA (Total Non-Stop Action) Wrestling from 2002-2014. At Wrestlemania 31 he wrestled a match with Triple H and even this past October wrestled Seth Rollins for the WWE World title. 

Sting deserves this honor for the three decades of wrestling and entertainment that he provided to fans like myself. Thank you Sting. Congratulations!

Class Dismissed
THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. PAT HARRINGTON JR.

Pat Harrington Jr.

TV Line reports (read the article here) that Pat Harrington has died. The star of the sitcom "One Day at A Time" was 86. Harrington got his start on Television working with Steve Allen on The Tonight Show. During that time he got to work with other greats such as Tom Poston and Don Knotts before they were stars.

He was a fixture during the golden age of television appearing on such classic hits like The Munsters, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and McHale's Navy.

Harrington is most well known for playing building superintendent Schneider on One Day at A Time with Bonnie Franklin, McKenzie Phillips, and Valerie Berinelli about a divorced single mother raising her two daughters. As a fan I watched the show and was impressed how they blended dramatic and comedic elements so smoothly.

Thank you Mr. Harrington for your enormous contribution to TV.

THE PROFESSOR