STING RETURNS TO TNT AND DEBUTS FOR ALL ELITE WRESTLING

 

STING

After nearly two decades, Sting returned to TNT on Wednesday night Dynamite in All Elite Wrestling. All Elite Wrestling promoted Wednesday's night's show as a game changer and it definitely delivered. During the episode of Dynamite Sting rescued Cody Rhodes, Darby Allin, and Arn Anderson from Team Taz with his trademark trench coat and baseball bat.

Sting was one of the major stars of WCW (World Championship Wrestling) during the Monday Night Wars of wrestling between WWE Monday Night Raw and WCW Nitro. Nitro's last episode aired in March of  2001 where Sting wrestled Ric Flair. After WCW closed down, Sting moved on to Impact Wrestling in 2003 and wrestled there until 2014. For the last six years Sting appeared in WWE until his contract expired in May of 2020.

All Elite Wrestling gains a tremendous amount of credibility and marketability with the addition of Sting to their roster. Sting is a major star to casual fans and AEW needs to attract casual fans in order to grow their promotion. It is being reported that Sting has signed a multi year deal with All Elite Wrestling so it will be interesting to see if Sting wrestles or has a supporting role. 

This Wednesday, the Stinger speaks and I can't wait to hear what he has to say. All I can say is that Wednesday nights just got a whole lot more interesting. 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. ROAD WARRIOR ANIMAL

 

THE ROAD WARRIORS: ANIMAL AND HAWK

One of wrestling's greatest legends, Road Warrior Animal, passed away on Wednesday. He was 60 years of age. Road Warrior Animal (real name Joe Laurinaitis) was one half of The Road Warriors, a tag team that wrestled around the world. Animal and his tag team partner Road Warrior Hawk were big muscular men that wore face paint and spiked shoulder pads inspired by the Mad Max movies. 

Hawk and Animal debuted in 1983 and for a decade they won tag team championships and drew millions of fans to arenas all around the world in promotions like the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling Entertainment. The Road Warriors were also international stars winning titles and appearing in Japan from 1985 to 1990.

The Road Warriors were presented to fans as being invincible. When they began in wrestling they were villains that beat up their opponents in an overwhelming fashion. They were street fighters who brought their skills to the wrestling ring. Their style enthralled fans and made them heroes because they would fight anyone. The Road Warriors feuded with legends like Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen, The Koloff's, and The Fabulous Freebirds.

In 2003, Road Warrior Hawk died at the age of 46 after he suffered a heart attack. For the last 17 years, Road Warrior Animal carried on the tradition of The Road Warriors until his death. Thank you Mr. Laurinaitis, you created a legacy that will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace. 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. KAMALA THE UGANDAN GIANT

 

On August 9th, Kamala, one of the most memorable characters in pro wrestling during the 1980's passed away at age 70. Kamala, whose real name was Jim Harris took on the persona of Kamala, a Ugandan hunter from Africa in the Memphis territory. In Memphis, Kamala would engage in a great feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler and then moved on to Mid-South Wrestling. During his career, Harris worked in all the major territories including Texas, Jim Crockett Promotions, and the WWE. 

In today's world the "Kamala" character would be out of place, but in the 1980's, wrestling was built on the concept of superheroes vs. giants and monsters. Kamala was a savage monster that faced a lot of superheroes during that era including Jerry Lawler, Magnum TA, The Von Erichs, Hulk Hogan, and Andre The Giant. 

Kamala was one of the most memorable characters in pro wrestling's history. Thank you Mr. Harris. Your legacy in wrestling will never be forgotten. 

THE PROFESSOR

MICHAEL KEATON IN TALKS TO RETURN AS BATMAN IN FLASH MOVIE

After nearly 30 years Michael Keaton is in talks to reprise his role as Batman in the Flash movie according to The Hollywood Reporter. Keaton who portrayed the Dark Knight in Batman and Batman Returns hasn't been seen in the DC movie universe since 1992. 

The Hollywood Reporter says that the Flash movie will focus on time travel and inter-dimensional travel and Keaton could be featured as an older Batman on a parallel earth. The article also states that Keaton could be used as a "Nick Fury" type character that pulls strings in the DC movie universe.

Bringing back Keaton as Batman would be a brilliant move for AT and T and Warner Brothers. Since Ben Affleck left the role after Justice League, Warner Brothers needs a big star for the Batman franchise since they don't know how Matt Reeves "The Batman" will be received by audiences when it debuts in October 2021. Keaton's return could also be used as an extra added value element to gain more audience interest in The Flash theatrical release. 

Michael Keaton may reprise his role as Batman after three decades in The Flash movie debuting in 2022. If this happens it could be a huge move for Warner Brothers and AT and T. As a fan of the original Batman movie, I hope this happens. 

Class Dismissed, 

THE PROFESSOR

THE TOP 5 GREATEST WWE WORLD CHAMPIONS

For over five decades, the WWE championship has been held by many legends of the sport.When Drew McIntyre won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 36, he became the 137th man to hold the championship. In this blog post I'd like to list the top 5 World Champions in WWE history.

BRUNO SAMMARTINO

 In 1963, Bruno Sammartino won the World title from Buddy Rogers. The Italian strongman held the title for nearly 8 years in the World Wide Wrestling Federation, the precursor to WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) was owned by Vincent J. McMahon, the father of current owner and WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon. Due to his muscular physique, Vincent J. McMahon marketed Bruno to the New York audience as a superhero. McMahon made the fans believe that Bruno could conquer all the different villains that were in wrestling at that time including foreign menaces like Ivan Koloff and giants such as Ernie Ladd and Bill Watts. Bruno would lose the title in 1971 but his impact on wrestling and the WWE would last a lifetime.

HULK HOGAN

When Hulk Hogan entered the WWE in 1983, he was marketed as a superhero just like Bruno Sammartino. He defeated the Iron Sheik, an Iranian sympathizer in 1984 to become the World Champion. This was a time when fans still remembered the Iranian hostage crisis and Hulk Hogan was an American hero. At 6'7 and 300 pounds, Hulk Hogan had a superhero appeal to fans. WWE marketed him to the hilt having him face all the major villains of that era like Rowdy Roddy Piper and monsters like King Kong Bundy. Hogan would have his biggest win, literally and figuratively against Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania 3. With that win Hogan cemented his legacy as a superstar. In 1994, Hogan left WWE for World Championship Wrestling. His presence in WCW made the company into a national powerhouse. Hulk Hogan is the only wrestler that was apart of two companies that he helped become mainstream entities. When Hogan left WWE, the company needed another superstar and that man was Steve Austin.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN

In 1995, Steve Austin entered the WWE and changed the wrestling business. When he won the King Of The Ring tournament in 1996, Stone Cold coined the phrase, "Austin 3:16 means I just whooped your @$$"and brought a new atttitude to wrestling. Austin's in-your-face attitude attracted fans to the WWE especially after he had a face-off with Mike Tyson on RAW in 1997 right before Wrestlemania 14. Austin was the maverick that wouldn't abide by any of the rules that Vince McMahon set before him. The Austin vs. McMahon feud was great TV and made Austin a pop culture icon and gave WWE a global platform. Austin is a six-time WWE champion that had great feuds with The Undertaker, Dude Love, Kane, and Kurt Angle. His greatest feud was with the next person on our list: The Rock.

THE ROCK

Before he was the biggest star in Hollywood, he was the most electrifying man in sports and entertainment. Dwayne Johnson a.k.a.The Rock has held the WWE World title eight times during his illustrious career. He had amazing feuds with Triple H, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and Hulk Hogan. His biggest feud was against Stone Cold Steve Austin who was the champion of the working class. The Rock in sharp contrast was Vince McMahon's corporate champion. His feud with Austin would make him the biggest star in the wrestling business and give WWE global notoriety. The Rock left the WWE in 2003 but has made sporadic appearances since 2011. In 2012 and 2013 he appeared at Wrestlemania to square off against our last entrant: John Cena.

JOHN CENA

For over a decade, John Cena has been the top star in pro wrestling. No other champion in WWE history has had that type of longevity in pro wrestling. He has held the WWE World title 13 times. Like Bruno and Hulk before him,WWE marketed Cena to kids and families as a superhero. Cena has had major feuds with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Batista, CM Punk, and The Rock. Cena has taken his success in wrestling and parlayed that into a successful Hollywood career.

Since 1963, the WWE World championship has been held by some of the biggest names in the wrestling industry. The 5 names on this list have been some of the best and most influential champions in WWE history. I hope Drew McIntyre has the chance to make his mark as a WWE champion.

THE PROFESSOR

ROMAN REIGNS OUT OF WRESTLEMANIA 36

ROMAN REIGNS

Roman Reigns has pulled out of his main event match with Goldberg at Wrestlemania 36 due to concerns over the Caronavirus pandemic according to Cageside Seats. Wrestlemania was being taped this past Wednesday and Thursday at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. It was set to air on April 4th and 5th with Rob Gronkowski as the special guest host. Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoai has battled Leukemia and is immuno-compromised. Reigns doesn't want to risk his health so he requested to be pulled from the event and WWE honored his request. 





Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reports that Braun Strowman wil replace Roman Reigns in the match with Goldberg (listen to Meltzer's comments here). An explanation will be provided on Smackdown this Friday night. A feud featuring Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns for the Universal title would seem fresh as the two haven't faced each other since 2017.

No matter what happens I hope all the wrestlers are safe and healthy. In this time of uncertainty that is the most important thing.

Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR

TYSON FURY WINS THE WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FROM DEONTAY WILDER

Tyson Fury made history on Saturday night defeating Deontay Wilder for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship. Fury promised that he would take the fight to Wilder and changed his style to a more aggressive style in the famous Kronk gym with a new head trainer, Javan Sugar Hill. 

Fury knocked down Wilder twice during the fight and Wilder was bleeding from the ear after an early shot from Fury. Wilder's corner stopped the fight and threw in the towel during the 7th round making Fury the new WBC Heavyweight champion.

Here are three possible directions that Fury could go in now that he's the WBC Champion:

1. A REMATCH WITH DEONTAY WILDER
On PBC on Fox it was mentioned that Deontay Wilder has 30 days to accept a rematch for the WBC title against Tyson Fury. Fury has two more fights left on his contract at Top Rank. Fury has said that he would like to do a rematch with Deontay Wilder and then do a match in MMA. The ball is in Deontay Wilder's court and we'll see if he wants a rematch with Fury after such a vicious beating in this past fight. 

2. GOING BACK TO WWE

Braun Strowman as Intercontinental Champion

In October 2019, Tyson Fury faced Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel and defeated him. Now that Fury is the WBC Champion and Strowman is the Intercontinental Champion that could mean WWE might want to do a Champion vs. Champion match at Wrestlemania 36. Will Fury want to go to WWE? Only time will tell. 

3. A FIGHT WITH ANTHONY JOSHUA


Anthony Joshua is currently the WBF, WBO, and IBF World Heavyweight Champion. Deontay Wilder wanted to do a unification match with Joshua but that never came to fruition for different reasons. Shawn Porter mentioned on PBC on Fox that Fury isn't interested in unifying the championships. That might change if enough money is put on the table. 

On Saturday night, Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder to become the WBC Heavyweight Champion. Now he has options to make history in many different forms. I think he will take the rematch with Deontay Wilder. That will be a helluva fight.

THE PROFESSOR

MY MOUNT RUSHMORE OF WRESTLING SUPERSTARS

MT. RUSHMORE

Mount Rushmore is one of the greatest monuments in American history. It features four of our most iconic Presidents including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. In this article I'd like to present my own "Mt. Rushmore" of iconic professional wrestling superstars. My criteria for four superstars that belong on this list are: 1. They entertained audiences for years, 2. They remain in the public consciousness years after they left the sport, and 3. They have made wrestling promoters money all over the world.

1. ANDRE THE GIANT

Andre The Giant was one of the greatest attractions in pro wrestling. He began his career in 1964 and traveled the world wrestling in places like France and Canada. In 1966 he began a world tour wrestling in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Africa. In 1973, he entered the WWE (then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation) and began a career that would make him a pop culture icon. In the 1970's it was the heyday of the territory system and the WWE kept Andre on the road visiting different places once a year so that people would come in droves to see him. This made Andre a national superstar while other wrestlers were confined to their respective regional promotions. While in WWE, Andre never lost a match so he was billed as being undefeated from 1973 to 1986. The first person to beat him on the main roster was Hulk Hogan in 1987 at Wrestlemania 3. In the 1970's another wrestler was making his way to the top who was the American Dream Dusty Rhodes.

2. DUSTY RHODES



Like Andre, Dusty Rhodes traveled the world to become one of the biggest names in pro wrestling. Dusty was a 3-time NWA World Champion. Along with his skills in the ring, Dusty used powerful promos to draw fans to the arenas. His heyday happened in the 1970's during the territory system where he had feuds in the NWA with stars like Terry Funk, Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham, and Ole Anderson. By 1985, Dusty joined Jim Crockett Promotions and had a long feud with Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen. The American Dream was a superhero to all his fans and WWE created their own superhero with the next star on our list: Hulk Hogan.

3. HULK HOGAN

When Hulk Hogan entered the WWE in 1983, he was marketed as a superhero. He defeated the Iron Sheik, an Iranian sympathizer in 1984 to become the World Champion. This was a time when fans still remembered the Iranian hostage crisis and Hulk Hogan was an American hero. At 6'7 and 300 pounds, Hulk Hogan had a superhero appeal to fans. WWE marketed him to the hilt having him face all the major villains of that era like Rowdy Roddy Piper and monsters like King Kong Bundy. Hogan would have his biggest win, literally and figuratively against Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania 3. With that win Hogan cemented his legacy as a superstar. In 1994, Hogan left WWE for World Championship Wrestling. His presence in WCW made the company into a national powerhouse. Hulk Hogan is the only wrestler that was apart of two companies that he helped become mainstream entities. When Hogan left WWE, the company needed another superstar and that man was Steve Austin.

4. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN



In 1995, Steve Austin entered the WWE and changed the wrestling business. He won the King Of The Ring tournament in 1996, Stone Cold coined the phrase, "Austin 3:16 means I just whooped your @$$"and brought a new atttitude to wrestling. Austin was a bad guy that fans loved and soon he became the World Champion beating Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 14. His feuds with The Rock and Vince McMahon made him an international superstar and a pop culture icon.

These are four of the most iconic wrestling stars to ever compete in the ring. To this day, when people talk about wrestling these are the names that people remember. 

Class Dismissed,
THE PROFESSOR

THOUGHTS ON THE WWE ROYAL RUMBLE....

Drew McIntyre

At the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble, a new superstar was made when Drew McIntyre won the battle royal. McIntyre entered at number 14 and made a big impact by eliminating Brock Lesnar with a claymore kick. The Scottish Terminator also eliminated Roman Reigns to win the Rumble. It's expected that Drew McIntyre will face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World title at Wrestlemania.

Other Thoughts:


Charlotte Flair

• Charlotte Flair won the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble. Whatever champion she faces whether Bayley or Sasha Banks, this could lead to Charlotte becoming a villain again. She could definitely help build other female stars including Shayna Baszler or Bianca Belair.

• Edge returned at number 21 at the WWE Royal Rumble. He looked in incredible shape and was still able to go with current stars. It will be interesting to see what WWE will do with him in future appearances.

• Keith Lee debuted and made a big impression getting to fight Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble.

At the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble, a new superstar was made in Drew McIntyre when he won the Royal Rumble. It shows that WWE is trying to build new stars in McIntyre and Keith Lee. With the additions of stars like Edge and Roman Reigns it will be interesting to see where WWE will go the rest of the year. 

Class Dismissed, 

THE PROFESSOR

R.I.P. ROCKY JOHNSON

Rocky Johnson

Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, a WWE Hall Of Famer and the father of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has died at the age of 75. Johnson came to prominence in 1982 as a WWE tag-team champion in with, "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas. Before his time in WWE, Johnson traveled the different territories of the NWA (National Wrestling Association) during the 1960's and 1970's. 

In the 1970's Johnson was frequently in World title matches with Harley Race and Terry Funk, solidifying him as a main event star. In 1976, Rocky was invited down to Memphis to engage in a feud with Jerry Lawler. Rocky had a background in boxing and was portrayed as a fighter facing Lawler in a boxer versus wrestler match. Memphis promoter, Jerry Jarrett was inspired by the Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali fight in June of 1976. Johnson would go on to defeat "The King" for the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. 

Johnson is most famous for being the father of the biggest star in Hollywood and Pro Wrestling, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Rocky Johnson paved the way for many African Americans to enter pro wrestling. His strength, speed, and skill made him an attraction all across America. 

Thank you Mr. Johnson, your contributions will never be forgotten. 

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR

3 THINGS I REALLY LOVED ABOUT THE CW CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS

1. KEVIN CONROY AS BRUCE WAYNE

For over 20 years Kevin Conroy was the voice of Batman in various series including  Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. During Crisis on Infinite Earths he portrayed an older, grizzled, Bruce Wayne that killed all his enemies including Superman. This Bruce Wayne is a more extreme version of Bruce Wayne/Batman from The Dark Knight Returns. Conroy's dialogue in the scene where he's fighting Supergirl even comes from that iconic graphic novel. 

2. BRANDON ROUTH AS KINGDOM COME SUPERMAN

In 2006, Brandon Routh appeared in Superman Returns and became linked to the legacy of Superman and Christopher Reeve forever. In Crisis On Infinite Earths Routh played two roles as Ray Palmer and Kingdom Come Superman. As Kingdom Come Superman, Routh is the CW's version of the Christopher Reeve Superman. On Earth-96, Kingdom Come Superman is the Golden Age hero we all know and love. He stands for truth, justice, and freedom even after losing all of his friends and loved ones.

3. JOHN WESLEY SHIPP AS THE FLASH

In 1990, when The Flash TV show debuted on CBS, it was a time when superhero shows were not as beloved as they are. The show only lasted one season and John Wesley Shipp went onto fame on Dawson's Creek. The new Flash TV show on the CW has used John Wesley Shipp as Barry's dad and as Jay Garrick. During the ElseWorlds crossover they introduced the Flash of Earth-90 played by John Wesley Shipp. In the Crisis crossover the Flash of Earth-90 sacrifices himself to save the Multiverse. It was a fitting tribute to John Wesley Shipp and The Flash TV show of the 90's which was the forerunner to what we see today.

Crisis on Infinite Earths ended this week and it was great. We got to see something special that may never be duplicated in movies or TV again.

Class Dismissed, 
THE PROFESSOR