Tag Archives: WWE

“WWE ’12 ” takes wrestling gaming to slamming new levels

THQ and Yuke’s have set a new standard for a fun professional wrestling game with WWE ’12, which gives the SmackDown vs. Raw series a much needed update. FINALLY…a wrestling game that’s fun and addictive to play without too much repetition.

WWE ’12 is the 13th game in the series and looking back, they’ve come a long way. Who would

The Undertaker and Edge are two of many superstars avaialable in "WWE '12"

have known way back when, with the release of the inaugural WWF SmackDown! that we would one day be able to fully customize our wrestling game experience? With the aid of the ever-popular Create-a-Superstar, Create-an-Entrance, custom soundtracks, Create-a-Finisher, Create-a-Brand and the brand new Create-an-Arena options, users can now completely immerse themselves in the WWE Universe and put their own unique spin on things.

The first obvious difference between WWE ’12 and its predecessors is the extreme fluidity in the core gameplay. Going from one move to another is easy, fast and looks fantastic. They’ve done away with the choppy and awkward animations from years past and replaced them with the most fluid, authentic-looking gameplay in a wrestling game to date. And to go along with this, the folks at THQ have also gone to great lengths to make sure that every in-game shot is nearly identical to one you might see through a WWE camera lens. Combine that with new gameplay features, such as wake-up taunts, move interruption, and comeback moments, and you become entirely immersed. These little things really add to the overall ambience that WWE ’12 is able to provide.

The reason many of the people buy these games every year is to put their own creative touch to the series. Whether it’s creating a character, a logo or even an entire wrestling brand, WWE ’12’s creative features really help keep the game fresh for a long time to come.

You can give your opponents the patented DDT off the second rope as Randy Orton in "WWE '12"

Create-a-Wrestler, a staple in the series, is virtually unchanged from previous years, apart from a new hair choice here and new boots there. You can still create custom logos in the paint tool and place them on your custom superstar as a tattoo, tights logo, face paint, mask design or anything in between.

One new feature this year is an all-new Create-a-Titantron. This is a completely unique feature that uses various templates with B-roll footage, combined with in-game footage of your custom superstar to give you a pretty decent looking entrance video. Whether you want to make one for a Canadian Patriot, a demonic hellbeast or even Mr. Perfect himself, you can do it.

Another long-awaited feature added this year is Create-an-Arena mode, which is literally what it sounds like. You take control over nearly every aspect of a wrestling venue, from the aprons, the mat, the turnbuckles, the barricades and even the electronic billboard that scrolls around the arena inconspicuously. You can add your own logos or use one of the preset ones they were nice enough to include for you. Among these included logos are every single WrestleMania logo ever, multiple Royal Rumble logos, old World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view logos and many more. Having created a decent looking Ring of Honor arena myself, I can say that although this new feature is not perfect, it’s off to an impressive start, and the potential is unlimited.

Triple H gives Kevin Nash a sledgehammer to the gut in "WWE '12"

Last year we were introduced to WWE Universe mode. This was essentially a hybrid between story mode and exhibition mode. While you didn’t play out linear storylines like Road to WrestleMania, each match had significance. You could start feuds or feuds could be started for you. You could form new tag teams or be betrayed by your tag team partner. The WWE Universe literally crafted itself around your every move.

So what have they done this year? Made it 100 times better, with the ability to completely make the WWE Universe your own. Don’t want to wrestle on Raw, SmackDown or Superstars? No problem! You can make your own brand, complete with it’s own roster, show name, brand logo and arena, and swap them out with the Monday, Thursday, and Friday shows. For many fans, this is a dream come true.

Speaking of Road to WrestleMania, to say that it’s been overhauled is an understatement. Unlike previous years, where you could choose one of several WWE superstars and take them on a several month journey towards the spotlight of WrestleMania, WWE ’12 takes a different approach. This year’s Road to WrestleMania is a much more linear experience, with a much better storyline. You take control of multiple characters, including Sheamus, Triple H and even your own custom superstar (voiced, ironically enough, by current Total Nonstop Action X Division Champion Austin Aries). Each character’s story arc segues into the next playable character quite smoothly, and the overall story is quite impressive. And, not to spoil anything, but be ready for a lot of WCW.

Kevin Nash gives C.M. Punk a big boot in "WWE '12"

Another thing that should be noted is this year’s massive roster. Not only are there more than 50 playable current WWE Superstars, but there’s also a plethora of unlockable characters, including the Rock, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Arn Anderson, and more on the way in the form of downloadable content. Perhaps the highlight of this expanded roster is the introduction of a character who hasn’t graced a WWE video game ring in quite some time (apart from WWE All Stars): the “Macho Man” Randy Savage! Expect to see Savage available for download in the near future.

WWE ’12 has set a new standard for fun wrestling games. With the fluid gameplay, the vast array of customization options, the incredibly impressive roster and the overall authentic feel that WWE ’12 brings, it’s no wonder it’s already won several awards. It’s a near-perfect embodiment of a wrestling game. WWF No Mercy, eat your heart out.

WWE ’12 is available for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. Rated T. www.wwe.thq.com.

Review by Dan Kemp

WWE’s Sheamus takes on the Muppets for Halloween’s Raw SuperShow

2 Replies

By Jonathan Williams

As a former WWE Champion and United States Champion, Sheamus has been one of the fastest rising stars in WWE history. The Irish-born grappler has dominated top tier talents such as John Cena, Randy Orton and, most recently, Christian. But on the Halloween edition of the Raw SuperShow in Atlanta, Sheamus (and the rest of the WWE roster) will face something they’ve never faced before: the Muppets. I recently spoke to Sheamus for a Creative Loafing article about this madcap match-up, but you can read the entire interview here on Wrestling with Pop Culture. You can also listen to Georgia Wrestling Now at 8 p.m. Oct. 30 to hear the full interview and more about the Raw SuperShow featuring the Muppets.

Courtesy WWE

Obviously you came up in Europe as far as your wrestling background goes, but you have had some pretty important moments in your career in Atlanta. First, at the Royal Rumble last year you had a successful WWE title defense against Randy Orton. Then this year at WrestleMania you defended the U.S. title successfully against Daniel Bryan.

Atlanta is somewhere that I travel through an awful lot, actually. I fly from Tampa, so I always know that Atlanta goes wherever I need to go. Of course, a lot of superstars live in Atlanta, and past superstars like Fit Finlay, are from Atlanta as well. So it’s up the road, but if feels like a local town.

Is there anything that sticks out to you about your matches in Atlanta or coming to Georgia?

The Royal Rumble was very special for me just because I hadn’t been on the road very long. I think it was my third pay-per-view and it was a very unique match. That was, I think, really when Randy Orton started getting real positive feedback from the crowd. Randy had been getting a lot of negative response from the crowd, especially during his feuds with Triple H and Cena. But I remember being in there and the whole Atlanta crowd started chanting, “RKO! RKO!” It was special to me because it gave me a chance to go against a competitor like Randy Orton when he was getting his first positive response. It was pretty cool to know they hated me that much.

Of course, the local guy Cody Rhodes got involved in that match, too.

Yeah, he jumped up there to get a cheap shot at me.

Things have changed quite a bit for you. Like you said, in that match you were clearly not the fan favorite. Coming back for Raw on Halloween, do you know yet what your match will be?

No. We don’t really know until we get to the building. Sometimes we have advertised main events on Raw, and there’s always the dark match that goes on after the show goes off the air. It is a Raw/SmackDown SuperShow and I was on Raw for a long time. Actually, my career started on Raw, then I was traded to SmackDown. I’m a workaholic, I like to do as much as I can. Careers don’t last forever, so I like to do what I can. And the Muppets are going to be there. I’ve been a big fan of the Muppets since I was three years old, so I’m very excited about that. Even Beaker’s going to be there, so maybe Sheamus and Beaker can tag team together. Who knows? It’s going to keep everyone on their toes, including the superstars.

I was going to ask if you know how the Muppets thing is going to work. And it’s on Halloween, so that throws another whole element into the mix. Of course I’ve thought about the Miz and Kermit, Vickie Guerrero and Miss Piggy, but I hadn’t even thought of you and Beaker teaming up.

You’re on the ball, fella. I actually forgot that the Miz looks like Kermit. Kermit’s better looking, though. Miss Piggy and Vickie is a great one, too. I don’t know who Animal would be with. Maybe John Cena. But I definitely hope me and Beaker run into each other during the show. There’s so much variety, especially with them hosting the show. It’s fun to keep things fresh and mix it up. With some of the Muppets and WWE superstars, it could be super chaos in the form of entertainment.

Were the Muppets big in Ireland when you were growing up? Did you see them as much as we saw them here?

I’ll put it this way, me and all me mates, when we were in kindergarten and grade school, the Muppets sold duvet covers, posters, school bags, it was everywhere. Muppets was as big in Ireland and the U.K. as it was in America. There was Muppetmania all over the globe.

Courtesy WWE

What would Sheamus normally be doing on Halloween if it wasn’t the Muppets hosting Raw?

I’m just a normal fella sporting a beautiful Irish tan and spikier hair. I love this time of year, fella, because I don’t have to wear sunscreen all the time. It’s my favorite time of year when the sun goes away, the days get shorter and I can walk around Florida in T-shirts and shorts when everyone else is covering up. During the summer I’m covering up while everyone else is wearing T-shirts and shorts. But this Halloween, Sheamus will be making Christian’s life a misery. If I can keep doing that, I’ll be a happy man.

I know you’ve been a big part of WWE’s anti-bullying campaign, but it wasn’t that long ago that you were one of WWE’s bigger bullies. Why have you had the change of heart over the last few months?

The first thing about it is, we’re global entertainment and what we do onscreen and what we do away from screen is not exactly the same. We are real people and a lot of what happens on television isn’t exactly the same as what happens away from the screen. Our biggest audience is kids and families and we’re trying to give them a positive message to let the kids know that bullying is wrong. We want kids who are getting bullied to talk to adults and talk to teachers, trust them and let them know what’s happening. We believe we have a responsibility as superstars with the voice that we have across the world.

As far me and my character, after I got in that feud with Mark Henry, I think my character has just relaxed a lot more. I felt I had something to prove or felt that the world was against me for a long time there, but now I’m just enjoying the crowd, enjoying the experience, enjoying being on television every week and looking forward to being back in Atlanta on Halloween night with the Muppets at the Raw/SmackDown SuperShow.

Raw SuperShow. $24-$93.05. 8:15 p.m. Oct. 31. (also on the USA Network at 9 p.m.). Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta, Ga. 404-878-3800, www.wwe.com.

“Michaels vs. Hart” closes the chapter in one of WWE’s most controversial rivalries

Leave a reply

By Dan Kemp

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about the volatile relationship between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart? Anybody who’s been watching professional wrestling for the past 15 years (or anyone with even a passing interest in what goes on in and out of the ring) should already know at least a little bit about their storied rivalry. Even before the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Michaels and Hart had many great matches, always trying to outdo each other. In fact, their historic matches and constant one-upping helped keep the then-World Wrestling Federation afloat when World Championship Wrestling came to the frontline and began winning in the Monday night television ratings in the ’90s.

Apparently there is still quite a bit to discuss on this matter, as evidenced by the new WWE DVD release WWE Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart. In this DVD, Jim Ross sits down with the two WWE Hall of Famers and starts off by taking a look at the humble beginnings of each man’s career. There is a nice video montage for each of them, which, if you’ve seen any of WWE’s previous Michaels or Hart releases, is really nothing new. Both men talk about how they broke into the business, who trained them, where they started, etc.

Soon enough, the interview begins to cover when Michaels and Hart crossed paths in the late 1980s. The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) was already a fairly dominant tag team in the WWF when the Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) made their WWF debut. Hart mentions how impressed he was with what he and Neidhart saw in the young Michaels and Jannetty, and how the Hart Foundation was pushing to face them in the ring. It’s clear that there was a mutual respect between Hart and Michaels from the beginning.

Eventually, the interview leads in the direction that we’ve all been waiting for; the beginning of the rivalry between Michaels and Hart. You’ll be surprised to find out a couple things regarding the events of the mid ’90s, where much of their hatred and disrespect came to fruition. Both men speak candidly about what was happening behind the scenes at the time, and for the first time you’ll be able to see just how bad things truly were between the two men.

Without giving too much away, the interview does end on a high note, as we travel to the present day and see Michaels and Hart reunited. There’s some backstage footage of the two meeting on the night of Hart’s return to Raw in January of 2010. After nearly 15 years, the two legends have patched things up and are moving forward as friends.

Along with the riveting interview, there’s also a slew of matches and in-ring segments on the other two discs in this package. On the second disc, you’ll see some early tag matches between the Hart Foundation and the Rockers, along with several high profile singles matches between Michaels and Hart. If you’re a longtime wrestling fan, you’ve likely already seen most of these matches, but that doesn’t take away from their amazing quality. These two men are two of wrestling’s all-time greats, and they prove it in each of these matches.

The third disc is bit of a letdown. Aside from the iron man title match between the two at WrestleMania XII, the only things on here are the Hall of Fame induction speeches by both men and their in-ring reunion from January 2010. It’s all quality stuff, but, again, stuff we’ve seen before.

Overall, this is a great addition to any wrestling fan’s collection. The quality of WWE’s DVD releases has always been top notch, and this one is no exception. You’ll learn something new about Michaels and Hart, you’ll see some classic matches, and most importantly, you’ll feel the real emotion that both of these men felt during the interview. It’s really something to see that peace has been made between these two WWE Hall of Famers despite the in-ring rivalries, backstage politics and other controversy that came between them for some many years.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.

“Diamond” Dallas Page relives “The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro”

Leave a reply

During the ’90s, World Championship Wrestling rose to Monday night dominance over the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) with WCW Monday Nitro, which went head-to-head with WWF Monday Night Raw for more than five years. Though WCW eventually lost the Monday Night Wars in 2001, Nitro definitely provided some exciting times that wrestling fans still recall fondly to this day. With The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro, WWE honors its former foe with a three-disc set of Nitro highlights hosted by one of WCW’s biggest stars, “Diamond” Dallas Page. Page talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about the Nitro DVD and the memories it brought up for him.

Former WCW stars Kevin Nash and Booker T recently returned to WWE, and there are still plenty of other people from WCW in the company. How did you end up hosting this DVD?

It was interesting because when they first asked me if I was interested in doing it, I was like, “Hell, yeah. I’m interested. I’m honored!” But I wanted to see the copy because it was very important to me what was said there. After I saw it, I said, “You don’t really want me to do this.” And they were like, “What do you mean? We want you to do it.” I said, “I just wouldn’t say some of these things about WCW. I want to talk about the best of and keep it really positive.” And they said, “Well, change it.” WWE really wanted to do something really cool and I actually talked to some friends of mine because I wanted to know what the fans wanted to see. So they gave me some great ideas and WWE was like, “Great!”

At the end of the video I say that it’s a crime to try to fit six years into one production. I hope people get to see some of your favorite stuff, but they sure missed a hell of a lot of mine. That’s why I say at the end that I’m ready for volume two. I liked what they did, but there’s so much that WWE could do with the footage they have. You could do a DVD set just on mine and [Randy] Savage‘s feud. Never mind Sting and [Hulk] Hogan. You could do three sets of DVDs on just the New World Order, maybe ten.

Have there been talks about doing a DDP DVD?

If this one sells well, a DDP DVD might be a good idea. I’d put my career up against anyone’s in terms of things that have never been done before. I would never compare myself to Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels or Dusty Rhodes. I don’t have the talent that those guys did, and I have monster respect for all of them. But I am the anomaly. No one did what “Diamond” Dallas Page did. I tried wrestling at 22, didn’t work out. When into the night club business, came back as a manager at 32 in the AWA [American Wrestling Association], worked one day a month, which got me on TV every week. Then I went to Championship Wrestling from Florida and worked under Dusty after he left the NWA [National Wrestling Alliance] and started his own territory. I didn’t know a wristlock from a wrist watch and the next thing you know I’m doing color commentary next to Gordon Solie. Then I tried out for the WWF, at the time, and WCW, and both of them passed. Then Dusty brings me in as a manager at WCW and they say I’m too over the top to be a manager. Magnum T.A. said, “We should have put you in a pair of tights and seen what you could do.” So I became a wrestler at 35 and the rest is history. No one ever did, or will ever do, what I did.

You’re also the one who brought Kevin Nash and Scott Hall into WCW originally as Vinnie Vegas and the Diamond Stud.

Exactly! I created Scott Hall’s character, which became Razor Ramon. Scott would be in the car with me doing impressions of Tony Montana from Scarface and that became “The Bad Guy.” The thing with the toothpick, we were walking out of a freaking Waffle House and I grabbed a toothpick and said, “Oh, I’ve got a great idea. When you do an interview, flick your toothpick into the camera.” Then I tagged with Kevin Nash and we were green, but we could work. That’s when I tore my rotator cuff, got fired, came back and they sat me on the bench. It took Hulk Hogan telling me over in Germany, “I don’t know what you’re doing to keep getting so much better, but whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. You and I have the ability to draw huge money together.” Then Hulk went to Eric [Bischoff] and said, “You need to do something with him.” That’s when I started getting the little pushes and we all know what happened from there. Then I became the oldest World Champion.

While watching one of your World Championship matches against Sting on this DVD, I was reminded of the signs people used to hold up at shows back then. There’s a great one that says, “DDP: The Hippies’ Champ.”

Yeah, that one would show up occasionally and I thought it was funny. You know, Sting was the only guy who could get away with never turning heel.

Yeah, even when he joined the New World Order he wasn’t a heel.

Right. The red-and-black were babyfaces. So it was just easier to work as a heel against him. I knew how to do that and he’s one of the few guys I could do that with. Goldberg, too. I flipped myself, and Bischoff was mad as hell at me for doing it. What happened was I came back and was in an angle with Scotty Steiner. I had never been to Toronto and I came out and the place went nuts. When I started talking about Steiner, they cheered and I thought they were cheering Scotty. They were really cheering the angle, but I turned on the people and cut a vicious promo. I remember going back and Bischoff saying, “What are you doing turning yourself heel?” I said, “The people were cheering for Steiner and I got pissed!” And that was all reality based, so I went with it. But he was like, “You’re one of our top babyfaces! You can’t just flip like that.”

Another moment that was missing from the DVD was when the nWo was really trying to get you to join and it looked like you were about to, but then someone jumped you from behind.

It was Dennis Rodman and Hulk Hogan.

I was surprised that wasn’t on the DVD, especially after the part where you say something to the effect of, “Who was the only superstar to never join the nWo? We’ll get to that later.”

I really wanted them to put the La Parka match in there. That was one of the greatest Nitro moments ever, and they said they liked it, but they didn’t put it in there. I can’t remember why they didn’t.

The whole thing with the nWo was the bookers at the time didn’t want me to drop the nWo. It was my idea and they drew that out for so long. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. There’s something positive that comes out of everything, you’ve just got to keep looking for it. I was a heel and I never fucking changed my promos. Just like Steve Austin in ’97, I just turned my disdain and disgust for the fans to the nWo. That’s all I did. And at some point I became a pure babyface, but that took years.

The same thing happened with the Four Horsemen and several others. It was WCW vs. nWo, so it didn’t matter if you were a face or heel.

One thing that was huge to me was Sting going into the rafters. The only babyfaces we really had were the Big Show [then known as the Giant] and Lex Luger. And Lex was 6’4″, 290 pounds of pure chiseled steel, so they had to beat Lex down. I had a legitimate angle with these guys because I was really tight, best friends, especially with Kevin.

Now that you’ve done this DVD with WWE, are you working on any other projects there?

I’m open. I went in to promote the DVD on Raw and it was great having fun with Booker in the back. There are four guys I really wish I could have worked with. One being the Rock, of course, so it would be the People’s Champion vs. the People’s Champion. Shawn Michaels would absolutely have been another. Triple H and Stone Cold are the other guys I really wish I had been able to work with. But interacting with Shawn on Raw was cool.

I’m really glad I did the DVD set and it would be a natural fit for them to keep me as a host. When people think of Nitro, they think of “Diamond” Dallas Page because I was there from the get-go to the ending. Goldberg was made over that time period, but I was there when we were nothing and we were way down the ladder. And I can remember Eric Bischoff saying, “We’re going to kick Vince McMahon‘s ass.” And I’d be thinking, “What are you smoking, man? How can you even say that?” But first you’ve got to say it and believe it, or else you’re never going to achieve it. And he did. I was there with him for that whole ride.

That Raw segment with Booker T and Shawn Michaels was great, when Michaels said he missed Nitro because he always had to work that night.

Yeah, that was great! It’s total bullshit because we all watched everything we all did. But he was working that thing when he said, “I’ll check that out.”

Sting was obviously a big part of WCW, and a lot of people think he deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Do you think he’ll ever go to WWE before he retires?

No, I don’t think so. Now that it’s PG, there might be a chance. But I think if Sting comes in it will be under his terms. He’s 52 now and he’s still out there doing his thing. I know how hard it is because I did house shows until I was 53. I don’t want to do it anymore. For Stinger to come back, what does he have to prove? The reason why he could do it is the face paint. He’s kind of ageless. I think he’ll be in the WWE Hall of Fame regardless. Sting is a guy they really want and I think they would do something really good with him.

For more information, go to www.wwe.com and www.diamonddallaspage.com.

WWE SmackDown competitors Curt Hawkins and Trent Barreta look to prove their post-WrestleMania worth

3 Replies

Curt Hawkins photo courtesy WWE

Curt Hawkins and Trent Barreta have been relatively successful as World Wrestling Entertainment tag team competitors, even co-holding the Florida Tag Team Championship in WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling a couple of years ago. More recently, however, the two SmackDown superstars have been battling each other in singles competition on WWE’s Thursday night show Superstars. Just a few days after Barreta picked up a victory over Hawkins on last week’s edition of Superstars (and only a few hours before the two would take part in a pre-WrestleMania lumberjack match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan that eventually turned into a battle royal won by the Great Khali), Hawkins and Barreta put their differences aside long enough to sign autographs at WrestleMania Axxess. They also took a moment to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about their post-WrestleMania future.

Curt Hawkins, you got your start with WWE in the Atlanta area at Deep South Wrestling. What’s it like being back in Atlanta for WrestleMania?

Hawkins: It’s kind of bizarre. It’s like full circle. I’ve come through before and I used to live here, but to be here for a week is cool. It’s even more bizarre that Bill DeMott, who was the trainer and head coach for Deep South, just recently came back on board for Tough Enough. So it’s really cool.

Barreta takes down Hawkins. (Photo courtesy WWE)

You were in Deep South Wrestling with a lot of people, including current WWE Champion the Miz, who are now on the WWE roster. How does it feel to be part of that group of people who have all gone on to bigger things with WWE?

Hawkins: It’s a shame that Deep South folded. I don’t think it gets the credit it deserves. A lot of stars were produced out of there. Luke Gallows was a big part of that and there’s tons of other guys. I think just because it was only around for two years that it doesn’t get the credit it deserves, because it produced a lot of stars and began a lot of careers.

At the WrestleMania Art Auction, we saw a piece of art that you did of Shawn Michaels flying through the air. He’s obviously had a big influence on you. What are your thoughts on him going into the Hall of Fame?

Hawkins: The reason Trent and I both are here is because we grew up watching him and he absolutely captivated us. He’s the reason we both became wrestlers, he was the inspiration. He’s my favorite wrestler of all time and it meant a lot for me to be there to see him get inducted. I made sure I was going to be there and I had goosebumps.

Barreta: I think he’s the best of all time. Nobody even comes close to him. Pretty much everything Curt said I agree with and to be there was unreal.

Hawkins: We used to live together in Tampa when were training in FCW and we pretty much watched his matches all day long.

Barreta: Even now, when I watch matches I pretty much only watch old Shawn stuff. He’s always good.

Trent Barreta photo courtesy WWE

Neither of you is officially involved in WrestleMania. What are you plans post-WrestleMania?

Hawkins: We’ve been busting our butts on Superstars trying to get noticed. So we’re just trying to get things moving and maybe not just do them on Superstars anymore. I think people are starting to notice and see how hard we’re working.

Interview by Jonathan Williams and Jason Von Stein

Cody Rhodes returns to his home state for WrestleMania XXVII

Leave a reply

Photo courtesy WWE

In the interview WPC did with Cody Rhodes for Creative Loafing‘s wrestling guide, he talked about his WrestleMania XXVII match against Rey Mysterio and what it was like being he child of an Atlanta wrestling legend. Below is the link to that interview followed by a few more words about being the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

http://clatl.com/atlanta/wwe-cody-rhodes-vows-to-unmask-rey-mysterio/Content?oid=3001733

Your father obviously has a lot of history in Atlanta, home of WrestleMania XXVII. What was it like growing up here where your dad has always been such a big star?

Photo courtesy WWE

I wouldn’t have been a Georgia boy and grown up near Atlanta had wrestling not been a massive part of Atlanta. When I moved here, my dad was the executive producer at World Championship Wrestling and before that Jim Crockett Promotions. That’s why so many veteran superstars and talents from the past still live in the area because of the fallout when such a massive company with such massive roots was here. For WrestleMania to be in Atlanta, formerly a place that was taboo for WWE to come to, it’s further proof that when they say World Wrestling Entertainment it truly is the world. On a personal note, it’s great to be in a city that my dad was such a prominent entertainer in and getting the chance to sing my own tune and be on the same marquee he was.

“The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart returns to Atlanta for WrestleMania Axxess

Leave a reply

Courtesy WWE

One of the most colorful personalities in wrestling history, “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart got his start in the territory system of the ’70s and early ’80s, establishing himself in Memphis and surrounding areas. He was involved in the infamous feud between Jerry “The King” Lawler and Andy Kaufman in 1982 and vocalist for the Gentrys (best known for the chart-topping hit “Keep on Dancing”) in the ’60s and ’70s. After joining the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment), Hart was an integral part of several early WrestleManias, managing the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and the Honky Tonk Man in the ’80s and ’90s. With rumors that he might be involved in Lawler‘s match against Michael Cole at WrestleMania XXVII this Sunday, Hart is in Atlanta for appearances at WrestleMania Axxess this weekend.

Before we get started, I just have to mention that my roommate’s father, Billy Farmer, played bass for the Gentrys.

Oh my God, you’re kidding! Yes, Billy Farmer, oh my God! You know what? I [just got back from Memphis for] the premiere of Memphis Heat. It’s going to be on HBO this summer and it’s a story about Memphis wrestling. Jerry and I are featured through the whole thing and it’s about Sputnik Monroe and, you know, all the territories before WWE came along. We had Memphis, they had Texas with the Von Erichs, of course Atlanta had World Championship Wrestling. But that’s so funny that I [was just] there for the premiere of the movie and, oh my God, Billy Farmer was awesome. Thank you for bringing that up. What great memories.

You obviously played a big part in Memphis wrestling before you were in WWE, but you also spent some time in Atlanta as well in those early days.

I sure did. We stayed in that hotel, I believe it’s the CNN Center, five days a week and went home on the weekends. I was in WWF first, then we left after WrestleMania X and we did the WCW stint down there with those guys. Then, of course, I went back to New York and did the Hall of Fame and everything.

Were you ever part of the shows at the old City Auditorium and the Omni?

Yeah, the Omni and Center Stage were where WCW used to do shows. Before I went there, Jerry Jarrett was part of WCW. They had so many people coming in and running the old WCW stuff, and I want to say Ole Anderson was running the stuff down there at one time. But I’d drive from Memphis to Atlanta and it’d be me, Rick Rude, Lawler, “Handsome” Jimmy Valiant, Austin Idol – we’d all drive down there to do TV, then drive back to Memphis. We’d do all the little cities down there – Augusta, Columbus and everything. Tommy Rich was one of the biggest names down there at the time. He sure was.

A lot of managers at that time were former wrestlers. Did you ever actually wrestle?

Well, what happened was WWE called me when I was down in Memphis with Lawler and those guys and I thought it was a rib at first. There were no cell phones back then, so I’d be on the road up in Louisville or wherever and I’d call home from a pay phone every night. One night they said, “Vince McMahon called here.” And I said, “Come on. You’ve got to be kidding me.” I thought it was Austin Idol or “Handsome” Jimmy or somebody playing a trick on me, so I never called back. A week later George Scott, who was his booker at the time, called me and I still didn’t call back. Then Hillbilly Jim called me and said, “Jimmy, why aren’t you calling New York. Howard Finkel saw your tapes and they’ve got a big show starting called WrestleMania in two months and they’d like to see if you want to be part of that.” So I said, “Are you kidding me? Feet, don’t fail me now.” Vince called me and I was on the plane the next day going to New York and I stayed there for almost ten WrestleManias. I’ve managed 23 people up there, from King Kong Bundy at the first WrestleMania, to Greg Valentine, which was also on the first. Of course after that I had the Honky Tonk Man, Adrian Adonis, Dino Bravo, Terry Funk, Dory Funk, Earthquake, Typhoon, the Rougeau Brothers, Hulk, Brutus [Beefcake] and the list goes on and on. I’ve been so blessed and every day I look in the mirror, pinch myself and say, “Do I really get paid for doing this all these years?”
When I first went to New York and worked with Bobby Heenan, Lou Albano, Freddie Blassie and Mr. Fuji, all of them were ex-wrestlers turned managers. Myself and the Grand Wizard were probably the only two people at the time that never had wrestling experience. I was thrown into the ring a lot in Memphis because you had to do everything there – I almost had to set the ring up, referee, manage and wrestle, too. That’s when I did all the stuff for the late, great Andy Kaufman against Lawler back in the day.

What is your role in WrestleMania this year? Are you going to be involved in Lawler’s match at all?

I wish I could be. You never know what might happen. Everybody asks me, “Are you going to be part of the Jerry Lawler match? My gosh, you managed Lawler. Lawler inducted you into the Hall of Fame. You and Lawler have been friends for more than 30 years. He got you into the business. You went to high school together.” And I say, “You know what? Have megaphone, will travel, baby.” It would be great to be part of that, but right now I’m doing a lot of radio and TV while we’re down there, every day at fan Axxess, all the Hall of Fame meet-and-greets – Jimmy Hart’s going to do it rent a manager, baby.

You just mentioned all the other managers that were in WWE when you got involved, but there aren’t as many managers these days. It’s kind of a lost art, but do you think that will ever come back?

You never say never. That’s one thing about WWE. Box office-wise, crowd-wise, pay-per-view-wise, WWE is so far ahead of everybody else. They’re doing tremendous, but they always change everything. So you really never know what’s going to happen. But I still can bump and I still can do anything that anybody else can do, so I’m hoping I’ll someday get that call to step back in the ring and manage some of the younger stars.

I’ve got my colorful jackets and people always say, “Jimmy, why did you always dress so colorful?” Well, speaking of the Gentrys, I remember Dick Clark, on my first tour after high school with Sonny & Cher and the Beach Boys with the Gentrys, he pulled everybody together and said, “Look, when you’re on that stage you better give the people their money’s worth. Just remember, if you dress like the audience one day you’re going to wind up sitting in the audience.” That’s why I had the crazy jackets and the megaphone and everything else because I always wanted to give people their money’s worth. But the door’s always open for me. Like I said, rent a manager, Jimmy Hart.

How many WrestleManias have you actually been involved with?

I participated in the first nine. There were four others that I made appearances on and did publicity for. I’m like a pimple on prom night. They just can’t get rid of Jimmy Hart. I just keep coming back and I’ll do WrestleMania and that leads to something else like going on the USO tours for them and being in the video games. And you’ll always see Jimmy Hart action figures and the WWE Legends memorabilia and stuff they put out.

Like you mentioned earlier, Lawler inducted you into the Hall of Fame in 2005. This year some local legends with whom you are very familiar are being inducted.

What a great crew that was [in 2005]. You had “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Hogan, Paul Orndorff, who lives in Atlanta, by the way, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, whose son Randy Orton is such a major star now with WWE. We had Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik, so what a great crew I was able to go in with, and they were people that I worked with during the nine years I was there.

Have you ever eaten at Abdullah the Butcher’s restaurant in Atlanta?

As a matter of fact I managed him a couple of times when I was in WCW. And in Puerto Rico I was with Abdullah the Butcher on several big matches with Carlos Colon, so I’m definitely familiar with him.

“Bullet” Bob Armstrong comes from a great wrestling background and I’m glad to see him get a chance, too. His son referees in WWE. And I’m so happy to see “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan go in this year. They always put a celebrity in each year and I’m really excited about Drew Carey.

But what I’m really excited about is Shawn Michaels because a lot of people don’t know that his theme song is a song that me and my partner wrote for him so many years ago. And he’s kept that theme music all this time and never changed over. We wrote that for Shawn and Shawn sang it. I was happy to be a part of that and with him being inducted that night I’m like a proud father.

WrestleMania Axxess. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. March 31-April 2, 8 a.m.-noon April 2-3, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. April 2, 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. April 3. $35-$96, free 3 and younger. Georgia World Congress Center, Building C, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. N.W., Atlanta. 404-223-4000, www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/wrestlemaniaaxxess/, www.gwcc.com.