The Bret Hart Appreciation Night festivities planned for Monday’s RAW will apparently air in Canada only.
Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas noted on Twitter that the happenings will air live on The Score right after RAW airs. He noted that Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels and some members of the Hart family are scheduled to be involved.
Credit – Wrestling Observer
As noted before, the May 27th RAW from Calgary will be Bret Hart Appreciation Night. This will be for TV also, not just the local crowd. Bret is still having some trouble getting around and is going through the recovery process from his second knee replacement back in February. As noted, Shawn Michaels will be returning for that show.
At the May 24th RAW live event in Salt Lake City, it will be Shawn Michaels Appreciation Night. No word yet why they’re doing a Shawn Michaels night on a Friday in Salt Lake City of all places. Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he will be appearing for the festivities. Apparently other Legends are being brought in also.
The following review was written by long-time WrestleChat.net contributor, Jeremy Plauche. You can follow Jeremy on Twitter @plauchej and on Facebook here.
Last night I spent another action packed night with Wildkat Sports and Entertainment for the International Invasion from the Mel Ott Center in Gretna, Louisiana. The house was packed and everyone was ready for some Wildkat action!
We start the night with Brett Landry and Big Ramp opening the show and getting the crowd pumped. It was guaranteed to be a great show! Brett made a heartfelt speech about the late Percy Pringle. Everyone in the room honored the life and career of Percy with a ten bell salute. I personally had tears in my eyes from the emotion in the room.
Al Lyons was introduced as the new interim GM for Wildkat Sports, being a long time veteran in the wrestling community. Lyons made his debut by announcing the match for the first-ever Wildkat Revolution Championship match with a four way elimination match with Rudy Russo vs. “Hot Shot” Blake Wilder vs. “Outlaw” Matt Lancie vs. Carson. Before Lyons could finish, he was interrupted by “One Man” Mike Dell who thought the Revolution Championship was nothing compared to the Wildkat Heavyweight Championship. Dell demanded that Lyons made a match with the current champion, the “Southern Stomper” Luke Hawx. Hawx would then join the two in ring stating that Dell didn’t deserve a title shot. It would be determined that Hawx and Dell would compete tonight and if Dell won, he would have a title shot against Luke Hawx.
Here are the results from tonight’s show
Every match was dynamic and full of action; I congratulate everyone for a well deserved job well done!
I had the opportunity to talk to Bolt Brady who tells me he has wrestled with Wildkat since 2012 and has wrestled all together for six years. The 27 year old Texas native trained at Champions of Texas Power Wrestling and also trained with Luke Hawx. Brady told me he’s always been a wrestling fan, looking up to X-Pac and Chris Jericho.
Rudy Russo has also been wrestling for Wildkat since 2012 and tonight is his 5th show. Russo has been wrestling collectively for 10 years. Russo tells me that he has always looked up the Guerrero family and worked with Chavo Sr. early in his career. Russo currently trains with former WWE Superstar Funaki.
Carlos Socorro has wrestled with Wildkat since 2011 and has involved in wrestling for 14 years. Socorro told me he looked up to the Radicals (Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn). Socorro is also a big fan of New Japan Pro Wrestling. After his match with John Saxon, he stated that he had a great match. It was good competition facing Saxon.
I asked Bestia 666 his thoughts about what he thought about Wildkat, “A good group of young, talented guys. I look forward to wrestling here again. Maybe I can team up with my dad.” Bestia 666 also praised Luke Hawx on his promotion was happy to wrestle tonight.
After the night was over, I had the honor of sitting down with “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters. Masters, a former WWE Superstar, told me he had so much fun wrestling with Wildkat tonight. He gave Bu Ku Dao praise over their match, saying Bu Ku Dao was a great competitor. Masters stated he’s always loved the southern crowds when wrestling, like the way tonight’s crowd reacted to the show.
Masters said it was the Ultimate Warrior that first got him into wrestling. Although the warrior was the first person to influence him, Masters Idol was Shawn Michaels. Masters said Shawn was a huge motivator becoming a wrestler; he also looked up to Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart.
Wrestling with the WWE was a fun experience, Masters stated. The money was great but the best part was being able to work with Shawn Michael and Ric Flair.
Lastly, I know what you are thinking, and yes; Chris’ Mom is doing just fine! Chris says she is doing great and is currently living with him while her house is being rebuilt!
Want to check out Wildkat Sports and Entertainment? Watch the weekly episodes at www.wildkatsports.com, Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter @WildKatSports
Wildkat Sports and Entertainment returns June 8th, 2013 to the JD Meisler Middle School for “Schools Out!”. You can purchase tickets by emailing wildkatsports@gmail.com
Here are some pics taken at the show:
As noted before, Daniel Bryan took part in a Q&A along side Brian Soscia in Philadelphia. Here are some highlights from the interview.
On what wrestler he most enjoys working with now: “Even though I dislike him, I like wrestling Sheamus. He hits hard, he doesn’t mind being hit hard back. We go out there and we just fight. It’s nice, it’s fun.”
On wanting to wrestle Shawn Michaels and if he thought it could even come close to happening when Michaels was training him: “I want to wrestle Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. Shawn Michaels is the man. Yeah.
“It never occurred to me that he would come back because at the time, his back was so bad. You could tell how passionate he was about wrestling because he wasn’t supposed to be doing anything. All of a sudden, he would be showing us how to do something and he’d get so excited and he’d get in there, take a big back body drop. His feet would hit the ceiling — and it was a boxing ring, which are really hard. Then, he’d come in the next day and he could barely walk but he kept doing it. That was the thing.
On if he’s ever felt in over his head when in against any wrestlers: “Absolutely. There’s two guys: The Big Show and Mark Henry. So, I don’t know if you guys know this, but when Mark Henry grabs you, it’s not like somebody normally grabbing you. It’s almost be like if I had four hands and I grabbed you with my four hands as hard as I could. That’s how Mark Henry grabs you. You just feel completely helpless, almost like a child.
“…Do you know what also is not fair? When I was the World Champion, I was wrestling Mark Henry and The Big Show. So, Big Show’s close to 500 pounds, Mark Henry’s over 400 pounds. I am closer in weight to Hornswoggle than I am to either of those guys. And they would never give Hornswoggle a WWE championship match. … He’s 165 pounds.”
On when a “I Am The Tag Team Champions” t-shirt is coming out: “There’s a litany of t-shirts that may be coming out. The ‘I Am The Tag Team Champions,’ ‘Team Friendship.’ Something about us hugging it out. Who knows?”
WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels recently spoke with Phil Strum of The Poughkeepsie Journal and talked about his retirements:
Phil Strum: First of all, how are you enjoying retirement?
Shawn Michaels: I’m enjoying it immensely. It works for me. I’m a lazy person by nature, so retirement is right up my alley. I would have done it sooner, obviously, but apparently you have to work before you retire, so it would have been in my best interest to get that out of the way. I’m enjoying it very much.
PS: You sort of retired twice, in a way, because you stopped wrestling for four years. I went to the show where you wrestled Triple H at SummerSlam at Nassau Coliseum. At that point, everyone thought this was the last time we’re going to see Shawn Michaels. Then, you went on almost a decade-long run of amazing matches and amazing performances. What was that like to have that come back?
SM: It was a gift. The first — I never said I retired the first time. I guess, in my mind, retirement is when you leave on your own terms. The first one, being told I was never going to wrestle again as the result of a back injury, obviously that’s not the way you envision your career ending. Having dealt with that and gone through it and having the opportunity for a second chance, and that the second chance, as you say, being almost a decade, was at first, honestly as much of a shock to me as it was to everybody else. The genuine intention was to come back for one match and sort of see how everything did. To honestly feel like, holy cow, I feel like I can do what I used to do. I went with that until I felt that the peace within me that I could walk away again and it would be on my terms, my timing and all those things you wish and you envision being like. I got the opportunity to do that.
Jim Ross says he will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Shawn Michaels’ hunting show and Shawn may be appearing at a future NXT TV taping. JR tweeted:
“Nice talking to @ShawnMichaels today via phone. I’m going to do his hunting show soon. Hopeful HBK will join us one day @ NXT taping. #WWE”
Marty Jannetty recently spoke about his ankles being shot from 20 years of dropping off the top rope to the floor, and he noted WWE is still making money off his matches.
He complained that WWE will take care of Tammy Sytch after going to jail but won’t help him, and then asked if he had to get messed up on pain medication before he can get help.
He then ripped on Shawn Michaels and Dawn Marie, saying Dawn Marie releasing that his ankles were shot cost him bookings.
WWE Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels will be reuniting at Wrestlemania 29 weekend for a special signing and Q&A Session together in New York City.
The event will take place on Friday 4/4 at Dave & Busters in Times Square at 6 PM, priced at $225 a ticket, which includes a photo and autograph with both, as well as the Q&A.
For ticket information, visit ShawnandBret.com.
In a new trailer for her YouShoot with Kayfabe Commentaries, WWE Hall of Famer Sunny reveals that she had affairs with Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog while working for WWE years ago.
The DVD will be released October 9th. You can watch the preview below:
WWE.com is featuring an article by Zach Linder, Andy Green and Brian Pellegatto looking at the trainers for Tyson Kidd, Natalya, Zack Ryder,Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Damien Sandow and more. The article features a quote from Daniel Bryan saying he almost killed Shawn Michaels (his trainer).
“One night I nearly killed Shawn Michaels. This was before his return from his back injury. I was trying to do a thing where I’d spring off the second rope onto the top rope, spin and do a hurricanrana. Keep in mind, at the time I was 175 pounds, and that’s a lot of weight to land on somebody’s shoulders. I was trying to do it on Brian Kendrick, and it wasn’t working. We thought Brian was too small. He was probably 150 pounds at the time. Shawn watched us do it a couple of times, and he got in the ring and wanted to do it with me. I go to do the hurricanrana, land on him and he ends up landing right on his head and rolls right out of the ring. We all freaked out. That was the night I nearly killed Shawn Michaels.”
WWE is doing the Appreciation Nights for Legends in part to appreciate these stars but mostly to help push ticket sales to the local market.
Shawn Michaels recently had one, Pat Patterson had his postponed and one is planned for Jim Ross on October 1st. Expect more to be announced in the next few months.
WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson spoke with Slam Wrestling about his career and the “Pat Patterson Appreciation Night” taking place at tonight’s RAW from Montreal. Here are some highlights of what Patterson said about:
Becoming Vince McMahon’s Ring Hand Man In The 1980′s: “He made me quit wrestling and work in an office, something I had never liked. I didn’t like working in an office, I mean, I quit school so I wouldn’t have to work in an office. I became Senior Vice-president and I had no idea what that meant. The only thing I knew was pro wrestling.”
“I was just a kid who left Montreal with nothing and I went as far as working several main-events at the MSG in New York. You know what they say, if you make it to New York, you can make it anywhere and I’m very proud of that.”
His Appreciation Night: “Quite frankly, they didn’t tell me anything,” Patterson said regarding his appreciation night. “It will be pretty nerve-wrecking for me. I know I will be honored and that they want to do a big thing out of this. You know, I usually cry in those moments, so I really have no idea how it will go. I’ll be overwhelmed by all this I’m sure. It’s going to be a very touching night for me as I will look back at 54 years in the business, this business I loved and still do today.”
Patterson also said he has always been a big fan of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels and pushed hard for them to be featured as main eventers in the 1990′s.
Plans as of yesterday for Monday’s Raw in Montreal is for Pat Patterson’s appreciation segment not to air live, similar to Shawn Michael’s appreciation night.
Patterson, who is from Montreal, has been affiliated with WWE since the late 70s and his run with Bob Backlund for the title, and has worked as an announcer, booker, agent, head of talent relations and several other jobs. He’s the guy who came up with the Royal Rumble concept after being involved in Roy Shire Battle Royals in the 60s and 70s and is regarded as one of the greatest at coming up with finishes in the history of wrestling.
Focal points of tomorrow’s show are expected to be Bret Hart’s appearance and CM Punk, Paul Heyman and John Cena on-going storyline.
Wed Night 9/5, Future Endeavors (www.future-endeavors.com) celebrated itstwo-year anniversary with a nearly two-hour interview with Gabe Tuft, known in WWE as Tyler Reks. Among the subjects that were touched on:
* How he broke into the business
* How CM Punk misled him before the 2011 Royal Rumble
* The secret to Ryback’s non-existent pyro
* How his recent stripper gimmick had actually been years in the making with a story he said he has never told before
* The rise and fall of the Mid Card Mafia cartoon and its possible return
* His opinion on independent wrestlers that come into WWE
* His opinion on many WWE superstars and officials including HHH and his former partner Curt Hawkins, who he describes as a young Shawn Michaels
The interview is available – HERE
Arda Ocal of The Score and The Baltimore Sun recently spoke with WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart. The interview is embedded below. Here are some of the topics discussed:
- CM Punk wearing pink and black and Bret’s thoughts, particularly since Punk seems to be in a similar position in his character as Bret was in 1997
- Thoughts on Punk and Daniel Bryan being the Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart of this generation
- His UFC 149 experience in Calgary – walking fighter Nick Ring to the cage and having fighter Antonio Carvalho use his entrance music
