Category: WWE

The Honky Tonk Man To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2019

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WWE announced that The Honky Tonk Man (whose real name is Wayne Farris), the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019, joining D-Generation X.

WWE issued the following:

The Honky Tonk Man to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019

He’s cool, he’s cocky, he’s bad, and now, he’s a WWE Hall of Famer.

The Honky Tonk Man, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The news was first reported by CBS Sports. The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 6, the eve of WrestleMania 35, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets for the ceremony are available now.

With slicked-back hair and long sideburns reminiscent of a certain rock ‘n’ roll icon, The Honky Tonk Man first arrived on the scene in WWE in 1986 with a wide-eyed smile on his face, trying to earn the adulation of the WWE Universe. But WWE fans didn’t quite take to the Elvis lookalike, despite the stamp of approval from Hulk Hogan, as they jeered the newcomer relentlessly. A frustrated Honky Tonk Man called for a vote of confidence from the WWE Universe, and when the results came back overwhelmingly negative, the rockabilly wrestler snapped.

Enlisting the managerial services of fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart, The Honky Tonk Man unleashed his evil side, setting out to make his opponents twist and shout in agony. And if the damage he inflicted on his opponents wasn’t enough, he subjected the WWE Universe to his unique talents as a singer, facetiously thanking fans and telling them they were “a wonderful audience” as he belted out his own entrance music.

The new attitude was apparently just what the crooner needed, as he racked up victory after victory on his way to becoming Intercontinental Champion in June 1987 with a shocking victory over Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Following his big win, The Honky Tonk Man went on to claim that he was the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. At first, that boast may have rang a little hollow, but his claims began to hold a little more water as his reign continued.

By hook or by crook, The Honky Tonk Man held onto the Intercontinental Championship for nearly 13 months before his reign ended in lightning-quick fashion at the hands of Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1988. His record-breaking 454 days as Intercontinental Champion is a feat that has stood the test of time, as no Superstar has come close to eclipsing his unprecedented championship reign.

The Honky Tonk Man was, surprisingly, also willing to share the spotlight later in his WWE career, whether it was as one half of the tag team/band Rhythm & Blues with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, or as the manager of Rockabilly (fellow 2019 inductee Billy Gunn of D-Generation X).

But once again, the spotlight will be on The Honky Tonk Man as he takes his place in sports-entertainment history. Don’t miss The Honky Tonk Man’s enshrinement during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., during WrestleMania 35 Week. Tickets for this historic evening are available now!

 

Jeff Jarrett Wants A Judge To Give Him Back The Rights To His Name

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As part of an ongoing legal battle, Jeff Jarrett is trying to win back the rights to his own name and likeness from Anthem Sports & Entertainment — the parent company of IMPACT.

According to PWInsider, Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment filed an amended lawsuit on February 22 against Anthem. Jarrett and GFE had initially filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Anthem in August ’18 over the use of Global Force Wrestling’s Amped series, which was acquired by the company when they took ownership of Impact Wrestling from Dixie Carter.

Here’s a few interesting details from the amended lawsuit:

  • The lawsuit included a response from Anthem dated 11/30/18 in which they claim “the sixteen one-hour Episodes of Global Force Wrestling Amped content sought in this question no longer exist. It was deleted in the normal course of business, long prior to the onset of this litigation, in order to free up storage space on Anthem Wrestling’s systems.”
  • In a declaration, Anthem’s Executive Vice President Ed Nordholm explains “Anthem Wrestling was formed in order to acquire the assets of an entity called TNA Entertainment LLC, when Fight Media foreclosed on certain loans to that entity.”
  • Jarrett is now requesting a ruling that will cancel IMPACT’s trademark on his name and hand the rights back to him. Jarrett was recently hired to work as a backstage producer for WWE, so this ruling would make it easier for them to manufacture Jeff Jarrett action figures and include his likeness in video games/other media.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

What You Didn’t See On RAW: Post-Show With Sting, HBK, Kurt Angle, Ricky Steamboat, Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers (Video)

Image result for What happened after Raw went off the air: Raw Exclusive, Feb. 25, 2019

After Monday’s episode of WWE RAW went off the air on the USA Network, the action continued inside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

In a post-show segment, Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers came out and danced around WWE Hall Of Famers Sting, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Ricky Steamboat until Angle and HBK took out the trio with a super kick and some cake.

WWE posted video footage of the angle, you can check out the complete post-show segment from Monday night’s WWE RAW show featuring Sting, HBK, Angle, Steamboat, Mahal and The Singh Brothers below.

Becky Lynch Interferes In Ronda Rousey’s Match On WWE RAW, ‘The Man” Gets Arrested, Ronda Demands Becky Be Put Back In WrestleMania 35 Title Match

Image result for Becky Lynch Interferes In Ronda Rousey's Match On WWE RAW, The Man Gets Arrested, Ronda Demands Becky Be Put Back In WrestleMania 35 Title Match

“The Man” does not let anyone tell her where she can and cannot be.

The on-going feud between Becky Lynch and RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey went up a few notches on tonight’s edition of Monday Night RAW. Becky Lynch who was “suspended” for 60 days by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, showed up on RAW during Ronda Rousey and Natalya’s tag team match against The Riott Squad and Becky took a swing at everyone in sight.

Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey brawled all over the ringside area until they were separated by WWE officials and the Atlanta Police Department. The ATL P.D. got a hold of Becky and dragged her up the entrance ramp and restrained her via handcuffs.

After all of the chaos calmed calmed down, Ronda Rousey made her way back to the ring and called upon Vince McMahon to insert Becky Lynch back into the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania 35. This led to Stephanie McMahon coming down to the ring and letting Ronda know that the match that is set in stone for WresteMania is herself versus Charlotte Flair. Ronda was not pleased with that answer and demanded that both Becky and Charlotte be her WrestleMania opponents and as Stephanie McMahon made it clear she was not budging, Ronda dropped the RAW Women’s Title in the middle of the ring.

Batista Ruins Ric Flair’s Birthday Celebration

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“The Animal” Dave Bautista showed up to Ric Flair’s birthday celebration during Raw … but he wasn’t there to wish his old buddy well.

The celebration began with members of the roster gathered onstage as Triple H and Stephanie McMahon introduced guests Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Kurt Angle and Sting. Flair was introduced next, but he was nowhere to be found.

Instead … Batista was shown angrily storming into Ric’s dressing room. Then he was seen dragging Flair out. “Hey hunter, do I have your attention now,” Dave said over an unconscious Flair.

Triple H then rushed to the backstage area to make the save, but Batista was gone.

As we previously reported, Bautista has recently been in talks with WWE about wrestling a match at WrestleMania 35. Looks like things have now been solidified.

Roman Reigns Announces His Leukemia Is In Remission, He’s Back

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Roman Reigns made his WWE return on last night’s RAW in Atlanta, his first appearance since announcing his second battle with leukemia and relinquishing the WWE Universal Title back in late October 2018.

Reigns opened the show to a major pop and announced that he is now in remission and that he is back.

Later in the show Reigns and Seth Rollins came to the rescue of Dean Ambrose who was getting beat down by Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley and Elias.

WWE RAW Preview 2/25/19

Tonight’s WWE RAW will take place from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia as the Road to WrestleMania 35 continues.

* The Big Dog is back – Roman Reigns  is set to give an update on his leukemia battle.

* Ric Flair 70th Birthday Celebration

* NXT Superstars on the rise

* There’s something about Dean Ambrose

* Who will be The Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection’s first challengers?

Roman Reigns To Make Big Announcement On ABC’s GMA?

Roman Reigns / WWE Update

New promotional material for Roman Reigns’ appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America tomorrow notes that Reigns will be there to make “an announcement you can’t miss.”

Another promo for the appearance on GMA, seen below, says Reigns will go one-on-one with host Robin Roberts.

There’s no word yet on what that announcement will be but Reigns will return to WWE TV on tonight’s RAW from Atlanta to give an update on his battle with leukemia. Reigns has been away from WWE since announcing the diagnosis and relinquishing the WWE Universal Title back in October 2018.

There’s been speculation on a WWE ring return for Reigns after comments made by a personal trainer who recently worked with Reigns while he was in Hawaii. The trainer, Dave Gonyea, first noted that he had been helping Reigns prepare for his “in-ring return” while at the Island Club & Spa in the Waikiki area of Honolulu. Gonyea posted the photo below and told fans to tune into tonight’s RAW for more on the “in-ring return.”

Gonyea posted another comment to fans over the weekend and said Reigns is still recovering. He wrote, “Nah man he’s still recovering. He won’t be in action for another few months… keep in mind what leukemia is… and that he has been in remission this was a flair up that he needed treatment for. I was working out with him and he was definitely moving slow. It’s the PG era they aren’t working cancer.”

Stay tuned for updates on Reigns’ status.

Sopurce: Wrestling Inc

Backstage News On WWE’s Recent Hiring Of Bruce Prichard

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Bruce Prichard is set to return to the WWE in a top, full-time position as part of the company’s creative team.

Prichard has actually been traveling with WWE and working as a backstage consultant since January of this year, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. It is believed that the deal to advance Prichard in to his current, new role within the company was finalized this past Friday.

Apparently, the idea of bringing Prichard back to the creative team in a full-time position was first mentioned early last week. It was instantly well received and the idea gained enough momentum by the weekend that Prichard will now reportedly be Vince’s right-hand man and a “very key guy” to the creative functions in WWE.

Tonight’s WWE RAW from Atlanta, GA marks the first show that Prichard will be working directly with Vince McMahon. Already advertised for tonight’s RAW is Ric Flair’s 70th Birthday Celebration and the anticipated return of former WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

Along with Prichard, WWE has had an influx of new hires backstage, including Steve Corino, “Hurricane” Shane Helms, Sonjay Dutt, Shawn Daivari, Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer “Abyss” Chris Parks and WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett.

Source: Wrestling Inc

WWE Hall Of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch Arrested In New Jersey

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Sources at PWInsider have learned that WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch was arrested in Freehold, New Jersey yesterday. Sytch currently remains incarcerated at the Monmouth County Corrections Facility as we anticipate further details about her arrest.

A bench warrant was apparently issued for Sytch in the State of Pennsylvania on 2/15, as well. On that day, the Carbon County Probation Department started the process to revoke Sytch’s October 2018 parole. Court records indicate that Sytch paid a $120 fee in the months of October and November 2018 to begin reimbursing the State of Pennsylvania for the costs in her legal cases. Since then, Sytch reportedly did not make any additional payments.

Sunny’s legacy as a performer has been accompanied by run-ins with the law for a few years now. In October 2018, Sunny was released from jail after serving the necessary time for failing to appear in court following her two DUI arrests in New Jersey the same year. Prior to that, Sunny had also been booked for DUI on three separate in Pennsylvania. She was arrested for DUI on May 30, 2015 in Mahoning Township, PA after police witnessed her driving erratically into a Wal-Mart parking lot. She was then arrested again in Lehighton, PA on June 1, 2015 after her car crossed the center yellow line multiple times, then entered oncoming traffic. At the time, she was unable to provide proof of insurance or a valid driver’s license. Sunny was then arrested again on June 20, 2015 in Towamensing Township, PA after crashing her car into a ditch. She told police that her GPS told her to make a “sudden turn” and that’s why she turned wide into a ditch.

Following her arrests and among other consequences, Sunny was sentenced to 5 years of probation with bi-weekly alcohol testing, 125 hours of community service and $2,100 in fines. She was released but warned by the judge that she would be in trouble if she had any more issues during her 5 years of probation. 18 days into the probation, Sunny was arrested in Northampton County, PA. She plead guilty to driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without insurance, displaying license plated on a car to which they didn’t belong, operating a vehicle without proper inspection and driving without evidence of an emission inspection.

Sunny’s troubles continued when she was rushed to a hospital in Palmerton, PA on September 12, 2016. She was then charged with possession of alcohol and being under the influence of alcohol, which led to a probation violation. She was released from the hospital on September 20 and arrested again on September 23 of that year after she was brought back to the hospital when police were called to her home. That experience would also see Sunny charged with being under the influence of alcohol, yet another probation violation. Sunny was then taken into custody, from the hospital, and taken to the Carbon County Correctional Facility. She was locked up for 5 months and paroled in February 2017.

UPDATE:

The Asbury Park Press reports that Sytch was arrested after being suspected of driving while intoxicated.

According to the report, Seaside Heights police and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office stopped Sytch at around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Sytch was charged by Seaside Heights police with DWI, reckless driving, open container in a motor vehicle and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. She was charged by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office for driving with a suspended driver’s license, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and careless driving.

Sytch was released to the Holmdel Police Department on Saturday and booked in Monmouth County Jail on charges of contempt after Seaside Heights police found that she had a series traffic warrants out of Holmdel and Knowlton. She was released from Monmouth County Jail after seeing a judge via video conference.

Sytch has faced a half dozen arrests since 2015. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

Source: Wrestling Inc