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WrestleMania began as an amazing but ambitious gamble in 1985, and since then, it has turned into a giant, yearly spectacle that brings people together from all corners of the world to watch their favorite wrestlers duke it out. Whether you’re sitting in the arena seats or watching from your couch halfway across the planet, WrestleMania is where the biggest matches, craziest moments, and unforgettable surprises take place.

WrestleMania 41 came in hot and left fans absolutely gobsmacked. The hype was already through the roof with Cody Rhodes set to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against John Cena. Cena, WWE’s poster boy for nearly 20 years, has finally turned heel. That’s right. The guy who’s been waving the flag for hustle, loyalty, and respect did a complete 180 and shocked the WWE Universe. And just when we thought that twist was wild enough, Night 1 gave fans the first shocker when...

Top 5 Longest-Reigning WWE Champs: From Hulk Hogan To Pedro Morales (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Ever wonder who’s left their mark by holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for ages? It’s one thing to grab the gold, but holding onto it while hungry challengers circle is a different game altogether. These legends didn’t just win; they dominated, turning their reigns into epic sagas. From the Hulkamania days to the unforgettable dominance of Bruno Sammartino, these champs turned their title runs into iconic chapters of WWE history. Imagine becoming unbeatable by even the fiercest competitors.

So buckle up as we look at five wrestlers who won and held the WWE title for what seemed like forever. The longest-reigning champions showed that staying on top is more challenging than getting there.

1. Bruno Sammartino: 2,803 days

Bruno Sammartino’s name is the ultimate gold when you think of top-notch WWE champs who’ve...

WWE fans have a lot to celebrate these days. Monday Night Raw is moving to Netflix in January, Smackdown just premiered on the USA Network, and Saturday Nights Main Event is returning in December as part of the companys overall deal with NBCUniversal. Per Variety, the first special will be simulcast on both NBC and Peacock on December 18 beginning at 8e/5p, with the event broadcast from where it all began nearly 40 years ago, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, N.Y.

This is only the beginning, too. The deal between WWE and NBCUniversal will bring a total of four quarterly Saturday Nights Main Event specials to the network. Presale tickets for the first event go on sale starting Thursday, September 19, and fans can register now on WWEs website to get a special presale bonus offer. Tickets will officially go on sale beginning Friday, September 20, with general seating...

Muhammad Ali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024, Variety has learned exclusively.

Ali will be inducted during the Hall of Fame ceremony taking place on April 5 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He will be inducted by his widow, Lonnie Ali. The ceremony will be livestreamed on Peacock beginning at 10 p.m. Et/9 p.m. Ct.

Ali dabbled in professional wrestling at different times in his career. He famously fought an exhibition match against Japanese pro wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in Tokyo in 1976. In the leadup to that matchup, he appeared at a Wwwf (now WWE) show, where he entered the ring and challenged Gorilla Monsoon. Ali would go on to appear as a special guest referee for the main event of WrestleMania I in 1985, which saw Hulk Hogan and Mr. T face off against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Ali also appeared...

Pro wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper is trending with fans and fellow wrestlers paying tribute on the sixth anniversary of his passing. Piper, who once teamed up with Paul Orndorff to take on Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in the very first WrestleMania's main event, died on July 31, 2015 at the age of 61. As one of sports entertainment's most beloved superstars of all time, the loss still stings to this day for those who knew him along with fans across the globe.

You can see the love that people still have for WWE Superstar Piper by taking a look at social media, where he's getting an exorbitant amount of tribute posts. The official account for Piper posted a tweet that reads: "You are missed and remembered today and always Roddy. Rest in Peace 4/17/1954 - 7/31/2015."

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about my brother Rod," posted Virgil on Instagram.

Welcome to this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Paul Orndorff has died. One of the great professional wresters, Orndorff wrestled all over the world and in many great territories and promotions. It would be in the World Wrestling Federation where Orndorff would become an international star when he became Hulk Hogan’s nemesis. Orndorff and Hogan would draw large enough gates to be the envy of any wrestler at any time with their main events for the World Title. Orndorff would acrue many injuries over the years that would lead to his body not being able to survive the damage that a match could do anymore. In retirement, Orndorff’s reputation as a tough customer would enhance his legacy and lead him to be seen as an icon of the old-school ways of the sport. Paul Orndorff: F–k you pussy!

The legends of pro wrestling are banding together to say goodbye to WWE Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff. Known to wrestling fans worldwide as "Mr. Wonderful," Paul Orndorff sadly passed away on Monday following a recent dementia diagnosis at the age of 71. Many fans have been left in mourning in the wake of the news, and those who knew Ondorff and had even performed with him in the ring are feeling especially heartbroken.

One man who was quick to pay tribute online is Hulk Hogan. Previously, Hogan and Paul Orndorff had been foes in the 1980s. They even wrestled in the main event of the first WrestleMania with Hogan teaming with Mr. T to take on Orndorff and Roddy Piper. Acknowledging the news of Orndorff's passing, Hogan posted a heartfelt message on Twitter.

"Just got slammed with the Paul Orndorff news," Hulk Hogan tweeted. "Rip my brother, love you and...

Paul Orndorff, the WWE Hall of Famer who fought in the first-ever WrestleMania, died on Monday. He was 71.

His son, Travis Orndorff, revealed the news in an Instagram post. Last month, he said his father had Cte and was declining in health.

“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr.,” Orndorff wrote. “He is better known as ‘Mr. #1derful’ Paul Orndorff. Most of you will remember him for his physique. Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart. He will always be Pop, Paw Paw, and Daddy at home. And as much as many of you hated him as a wrestler, he absolutely loved you for it. He was an amazing father that showed me more love than I ever deserved. I love you Daddy.”

Orndorff began wrestling in 1976 and was...

Wrestler Hulk Hogan today led tributes to legendary wrestling Hall of Famer Paul Orndorff who has died at the age of 71. "Mr Wonderful" has suffered with numerous health issues over the last few year, including serious illnesses such as cancer and dementia. In a sad day for wrestling fans, the announcement was made earlier today, along with the setting up of a GoFundMe page link, which was set up a few days ago to help prepare for the idol's farewell funeral. Writing on his Instagram account the wrestler's son, Travis Orndorff gave this tribute.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. . He is better known as "Mr. #1derful" Paul Orndorff. Most of you will remember him for his physique. Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart. He will always be Pop,...

Paul Orndorff, aka “Mr. Wonderful,” one of the greats from the World Wrestling Federation’s 1980s heyday, has died. He was 71.

His son Travis made the announcement Monday on Instagram, where he has documented his father’s recent health struggles.

“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr,” wrote the younger Orndorff. “He is better known as “Mr. #1derful” Paul Orndorff.”

Orndorff was instantly recognizable in the ring for his impressive build and blond hair, but his son said friends and family loved him for something else.

“Most of you will remember him for his physique,” he wrote. “Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart.”

Orndorff came up in the Southern wrestling circuit, and signed with the WWE predecessor World Wrestling Federation in late 1983, where “Rowdy” Roddy Piper became his manager.

Following my list of the Ten Best WrestleMania Matches of the 1990s, I was sent down a rabbit-hole of watching every WrestleMania again and figured it might be cool to do the same for the 80s. Now, the 80s doesn’t have as many matches to choose from like the 90s did, and the 00s and 2010s will, but there’s still five WrestleMania events to dive into, so I thought it would be cool either way. Plus… there are some damn fine matches to be found in those first five Mania events. Sure… the workrate in many areas of the WWF during that time wasn’t as great as it would become, but there’s still plenty of iconic and entertaining matches, many featuring the same group of guys. So, here it is, my top ten of the best WrestleMania Matches of the 1980s.

10. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (w/Jimmy Snuka) vs.

Mattel has just unveiled one of their most amazing action figures yet, as one of their exclusive WWE figures for Comic-Con@Home is of perennial badass Mr. T. Known for his unique look and from starring on The A-Team and in Rocky III, Mr. T also dabbled in the world of professional wrestling and even competed in the main event of the very first WrestleMania. He would make other sporadic appearances in wrestling promotions in the following years, culminating with his induction by the late "Mean" Gene Okerlund into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.

As a fan favorite in the wrestling world, the new Mr. T action figure will have many WWE collectors rather excited. As a part of the company's WWE Elite Collection line, the Mr. T action figure comes in some rather beautiful box packaging that will make it practically impossible to even want to take him out.

To celebrate the DVD release of WWE: Getting Rowdy – The Unreleased Matches of Roddy Piper (available to buy from 2nd September) – we are giving away a copy to one lucky winner.

Unearthed from deep within the WWE vault comes unreleased matches and interviews from one of the most controversial and entertaining Superstars in WWE history, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper! Witness “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, Mr. Perfect, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, and more pay the piper as they take on “Hot Rod” in this collection of hidden gems! Just when you think you have all the answers, he changes the questions!

This set captures the anarchic spirit and pioneering persona that helped “Rowdy” Roddy Piper shape the landscape of modern sports-entertainment!

Not only does it includes rare, unreleased, and never-before-seen matches against other legendary Superstars – including both WWE matches and bouts from Roddy’s time battling the New World Order in WCW – but...

WWE wrestling legend, manager and commentator Bobby “The Brain” Heenan died has aged 73.

WWE confirmed the Hall of Famer’s passing on Sunday. His cause of death was not revealed.

Heenan, who was known as “The Brain,” had a career spanning four decades, starting in the ring as a wrestler.

Heenan successfully transitioned from wrestler to commentator and managed some of the biggest superstars in wrestling.

As a manager he helped develop the careers of stars such as Andre the Giant,Mr. Perfect , Paul Orndorff, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Rick Rude.

Heenan announced he had throat cancer in 2002 and...

WWE.com

Today, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts looks healthy, coherent and happy. Just a few short years ago, that wasn’t the case and the man’s life was in pretty poor shape. The demons which have plagued Jake during his life have been well-documented, so it’s heartening to see the man getting his existence back in fine fettle.

Thanks to the help of Diamond Dallas Page and his closest friends, Roberts has turned the sinking ship into a more healthy vessel. The former WWF and WCW star also has pro wrestling fans to thank for getting things back together, but at the same time he can’t help but think back to a time when they pretty much cost him a lot of money.

In this week’s article, find out about Jake’s thoughts on the feud that never was against Hulk Hogan. Words spoken to him...

WWE.com

Unquestionably, the biggest wrestling stars on offer at the original WrestleMania event were Hulk Hogan and ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. They were the glue holding the actual grappling side of things together, along with others like Paul Orndorff, Andre The Giant and Big John Studd. However, Vince McMahon didn’t believe professional wrestling was enough to make the event feel grand by itself.

For that very reason, he enlisted the help of celebrities like Mr. T, Liberace and Muhammad Ali. Mixing his WWF Superstars with these household names greatly helped ‘Mania, and it can’t be denied that the show is still the biggest highlight on the annual wrestling calendar to this day.

Back in 1985 however, not everyone was on board with McMahon’s vision. Some felt he was tarnishing the legacy of his father’s promotional techniques, turning wrestling into more of a casual entertainment attraction than a credible business.

WWE.com

Every great hero needs a great villain to battle, for without evil, there can not be good. Without Darth Vader, there is no Luke Skywalker. Without the Joker, there is no Batman.

In any event, nothing can revitalize a character like a good heel turn. The most recent major WWE heel turn took place when Seth Rollins turned against his brothers in the Shield and became the latest Corporate Champion. Recently, some online fans have advocated turning either Dean Ambrose or Roman Reigns heel to fill that top bad guy spot, shaking up the main event scene and giving us fresh matches.

With all this recent talk about heel turns and how they could potentially greatly improve the promotion, I thought it would be a good time to look back through history at some of the best and most effective heel turns we’ve ever seen in wrestling.

A former "Shark Tank" contestant closed a Brand New Deal -- but it wasn't with Mark or Lori or Mr. Wonderful -- she made it happen with NBA superstar Derrick Rose. The entrepreneur is Kaeya Majmundar -- who appeared on the show last year with a collapsible "BZbox" and scored herself a deal with Lori Greiner.   But that was then ... now she's onto designing shirts -- and recently approached Derrick Rose about a design that...

Whoa, hold up! They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown may not be the defining moments in 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper's film career. Like many actors and performers who leave us too soon, the WWE legend still has a few more unreleased projects under his belt. And today, we have the first trailer for his final screen performance!

Vivieno Caldinelli's 11-minute short Portal to Hell!!! is heading to the Toronto International Film Festival. And while it is a horror short, it's getting a lot of attention for bringing a very interesting career to a close for Roddy Piper. The wrestling Superstar passed away last July, but he left this one gift behind, making it one of the most in demand shorts at Tiff this year.

Portal to Hell!!! follows the apartment-superintendent hero in what is loving referred to as a 'primo slice of Canuxploitation'. He has enough on his plate,...

WWE wrestling legend and actor Rowdy Roddy Piper passed away at the age of 61 last night. No cause of death was immediately given, but his agent Jay Schachter confirmed to Deadline that Roddy Piper died peacefully in his sleep. He is believed to have succumbed to cardiac arrest. The actor and pro wrestler, whose real name was Roderick George Toombs, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma back in 2007, but Piper said last year that he was cancer-free. Here's what Jay Schachter had to say in a statement to Deadline.

"I am shocked and beyond devastated. He was an amazing man and a true friend, one of the most generous, sincere and authentic people I have ever known. This is a true loss to us all."

Roddy Piper started wrestling professionally in 1973, in various different leagues throughout the country, before he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1984. Although he was born in Saskatchewan,...

WWE.com

WrestleMania has been a spectacle since its inception in 1985, but it didn’t grow to be WWE’s most premiere pay-per-view of the year on its own; most of the event’s success can be attributed to the Superstars who have headlined it.

From the very first main event of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T teaming up against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff to Randy Orton defending the WWE Championship against Batista and Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30, marquee matches have always been major factors in an event’s prosperity.

Once a marker for how well a show was received before the days of the WWE Network, a PPV buy-rate was a huge indicator as to how big of a draw a specific Superstar was depending on their spot on the card. Additionally, their involvement significantly increased interest in the event, whether it was Hulk Hogan, The Rock or even John Cena.

WWE.com

There was a time when steel cages were used as prisons in which the hottest and most intense rivalries in all of professional wrestling would go to be resolved. Don Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka, Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff and Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart are just some of the bouts held in the confines of the steel structure that settled major rivalries and intensified others. They minimized outside interference and served as the battleground for some of industry’s giants. In recent years, however, Vince McMahon’s WWE has attempted to diminish the importance of the cage match, especially with Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber playing such a major role in their annual pay-per-view schedule.

Since the dawn of the new Millennium some 14 years ago, several top Superstars have done all they can to ensure that the cage match does not become extinct. Industry giants such as Edge,...

WWE.com

TMZ caught up with the Immortal Hulk Hogan the other day while the Hulkster was passing through Lax airport. Hogan was traveling with his wife, Jennifer McDaniel and Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart.

It seems that Hulk is upset by Brock Lesnar’s actions on the Monday Night Raw leading up to SummerSlam. WWE threw a little birthday celebration for the Hulkster who turned 61 complete with appearances from legends like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Ric Flair, and Paul Orndorff, as well as 9.99 candles for his cake — yeah. Brock Lesnar came out to interrupt the festivities and told Hogan, “Party’s over, grandpa.”

When speaking with TMZ, the Hulkster seemed offended by the comment, saying, “Brock, I haven’t done anything to get in your way, but if you keep throwing my name around I’m gonna get in your way.” Hogan continued to throw shade, elaborating with...

Hulk Hogan reunited with the New World Order and faced down Brock Lesnar in the ring to celebrate his birthday on WWE Monday Night Raw.

WWE Wishes Hulk Hogan A Happy Birthday

Hogan turned 61 on Monday, and Monday Night Raw dedicated their night to celebrating Hulk. The evening began with a highlight reel and happy birthday messages from celebrities, including NFL stars Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Aj Hawk.

But first, the night began with a highlight reel and a surprise ‘Nwo’ – New World Order – reunion with guests Ric Flair, ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. In the ring with Nash and Hall, Hulk, wearing his traditional red and yellow, ripped off his shirt to reveal his Nwo gear. The crowd was broke out into a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ only to be interrupted by Lesnar.

Lesnar and Hogan had an impressive stare contest...

WWE.com

We have reported for weeks about how Hulk Hogan will the be the guest star on Raw this coming Monday for his 61st birthday on August 11th. It was promoted by WWE on Raw, so Hogan’s presence will be a big part of Monday’s show in Portland.

There will also be some surprises because WWE hasn’t advertised other special names for Raw although it was teased by Scott Hall on Twitter. It’s now been confirmed by PWInsider that both Scott Hall and Kevin Nash have been booked for Raw.

As wrestling fans know, those two along with Hogan started the New World Order in WCW in July of 1996 and went on to dominate WCW for years as the top heel faction in the company. Once WCW died, they brought the Nwo to WWE for a brief run in 2002 that didn’t really go very well.

WWE.com

“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka could fly like no one else.

His Superfly Splash from the top rope onto his opponents was a thing of brutal beauty and he delivered it to the likes of Ray “The Crippler” Stevens, Paul Orndorff, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, and many more throughout the 1970s and ’80s.

“Snuka’s leap off the top of the cage was as groundbreaking as any single maneuver ever in our business,” esteemed announcer Jim Ross said on the WWE produced DVD, The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the ’80s. “It showed athletes that if you’re talented enough and proficient in your skills, and you’ve got the guts, there’s really no limits.”

Hailing from the Fiji Islands, Snuka was a standout in a long line of Samoan greats. Trained in Hawaii by “Cowboy” Franky Laine, Snuka debuted in 1971 in Portland, Oregon, battling everyone from “Playboy” Buddy Rose to...

WWE.com

As per announcement on this past Friday’s edition of WWE Smackdown, “bo-lievers” everywhere can rejoice that third-generation superstar and longest-reigning Nxt champion Bo Dallas is set to debut on next week’s edition of the stalwart Friday night WWE program. Bo’s gimmick evolution may be more intriguing than his debut, though. As a traditional white-meat babyface, Dallas was foisted upon fans at Nxt as their top “good guy” performer, but his saccharine routine wore thin. A heel turn saw Dallas become a daft and unaware heel champion, the kind of guy who would tell his fans to “don’t stop Bo-lieving” and oftentimes comically mistook boos for chants of “Boooo.”

However, Dallas is a credible in-ring performer, less indie-style athleticism like Sami Zayn, and more 80s style wrestler akin to his father Mike Rotunda. His character’s metamorphosis from being doltish to being inwardly aware of...

WWE.com

A lot of people have been talking about Benjamin Morris’ 538 piece, “Are Pro Wrestlers Dying at an Unusual Rate?”

Like Morris, I am neither an actuarial scientist nor a demographer. So, our interpretations of the data should be taken with a grain of salt. My results were somewhat different from Morris’ due to a difference data set and changes in how we calculated actuarial predictions.

Differences in methodology from Morris

I also used Social Security Actuarial Life Tables, but my “expected mortality rates” for the age groups were not the same as Morris’. For each wrestler, I calculated what their age would have been as of today. Then, based on gender, I looked up the number of lives (out of 100,000) that were expected to still be alive and converted that to a percentage. His analysis looked at wrestlers who were on 20+ WWF PPVs through 2002. I went with a...

Here we are, finally, at the thirtieth annual WrestleMania event, live from the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Let’s get to the results shall we?

There was a two hour long pre-show for this event that aired on the WWE Network and in other areas of media. The pre-show featured a panel of guys like Mick Foley, Booker T and Shawn Michaels, along with Josh Matthews, discussing the upcoming matches and the spectacle of the event itself. The second hour brought us the pre-show match.

The match in question that aired on the pre-show was the four-way tag team elimination match between the defending champions, The Uso’s, The Real Americans, Ryback & Axel and Los Matadores. The match was okay, allowing each team to get some chances to show their capabilities and shine. The final two teams in the match were The Uso’s and The Real Americans, with...

WWE.com

WrestleMania has always been about the good guys. If you go back 30 years to the first one, the main event of that show saw Hulk Hogan and Mr. T to defeat the evil duo of Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Hogan main evented eight of the first nine WrestleManias and he won all of them. The only one he didn’t win in the main event was when Randy Savage, the second biggest face at the time, left as WWE Champion at WrestleMania 4. When Hogan left, others like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Undertaker ended WrestleManias as winners. It was something we became used to as fans.

It’s not just main event matches that the babyfaces won, though. They’ve won most of the midcard matches as well because WrestleMania has always been about sending the fans home happy. If you tell fans year after year that...

After about a month of taking in what the WWE Network has to offer I thought we could take a look at some of the things that are worth your time on there, and even just to pick up on DVD. Every PPV event from WWE(F), WCW and Ecw is included on the on-demand section of the network, which means there is hundreds of shows and thousands of hours worth of wrestling to dig through, so I wanted to whittle it down to ten shows that I feel are worth watching, and the reasons will be highlighted too.

Let’s begin with an obvious one shall we?

WWE: WrestleMania 1

Held in Madison Square Garden in New York City, the very first WWF pay-per-view ever presented and a show that lit the fuse on the rocket that became sports entertainment and the concept of pay-per-view. The show isn’t...

As I write this we are only a couple of weeks away from the thirtieth WrestleMania event, which is being held on April 7th 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The excitement for wrestling fans, and more-so, WWE fans, often reaches it’s height in the weeks leading to the so-called “showcase of the immortals” and what was once, prior to Vince McMahon feeling like it made the event sound “old”, “the grand-daddy of ‘em all”.

I started watching wrestling in 1992 and the first show I ever watched was WrestleMania 8, held at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The show featured two spectacular matches, being Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper and Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair. Randy Savage would remain my favourite wrestler of all time from this event on. Looking back on this event in 2014, and these matches still hold up today. Great selling, wonderful story telling, and top notch wrestling from these four men.

Of all the food groups (?) out there, the one constant that still brings me back to those nostalgic days of my childhood is a tasty bowl of cereal. For me, I went cuckoo for the likes of Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms (sorry, Cocoa Puffs), and with a recent discovery of Momofuku Milk Bar’s Cereal Milk, this nostalgia is definitely a thing others are sharing in. As horror fans, there’s a certain love we all have for the likes of Frute Brute, Count Chocula and Boo Berry. With a little digging, I’ve uncovered some more bizarre and creepy cereals children once fondly doused with milk and shoved into their innocent little faces... so grab your appetites and take a trip with me down the rabbit hole. I hope you’re hungry! 1. Freakies In 1972, Ralston released Freakies unto the world. These Freakies were a group of seven creatures named Hamhose,...

WWE Home Video

Mr. T will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, TMZ.com have announced.

It’s likely that WWE wanted to create some media attention by announcing the news through TMZ before it aired on TV tonight for tonight’s WWE Raw.

The rumors of the actor going into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the celebrity wing have been running rampant for months now. While Mr. T has reportedly been asked to go into the Hall of Fame before, he always refused the invitation. It’s fitting that he would accept it this year now that Hulk Hogan is back in WWE (and we are sure the added interest from WWE for this anniversary likely led to more money for T).

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon spoke to TMZ about Mr. T’s Hall of Fame induction: “His WWE appearances were instrumental in helping...

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A theme can be a wrestler or show’s very identity. It is the very first impression made on fans in most cases and the right theme can create a frenzy thousands strong with a single note or sound effect. WWE in-house musician Jim Johnston has done a beyond admirable job of writing, composing and recording themes for a vast majority of superstars over the years, but sometimes wrestling reaches out to mainstream musicians to make a theme song for a wrestler.

When that happens the result is something that makes both wrestling fans and fans of the band making the theme pay attention as the song is wildly popular. There are also cases where wrestlers will take an already popular song and make it their own, sometimes even breathing new life and popularity into the song and introducing the recording artist to a new audience. Other times, the...

Copyright: WWE Triple H – Thy Kingdom Come Blu-ray

As fans pour through the vast library of the WWE Network, you’ll see many of the same faces again and again. While more than seven hundred wrestlers have appeared on WCW and WWF pay-per-views, there’s a select group of top stars that have wrestled on dozens and dozens of times on PPV.

Using data collected from CageMatch.net and WCW PPV and WWF PPV star ratings from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, I’ve compiled a list of the most prolific PPV wrestlers. Also, I’ve included match suggestions covering many of their finest in-ring accomplishments. To be on a list like this you need longevity, star power and a lot of tenacity.

Let’s see who qualified!

20. Mick Foley

57 WWE PPVs + 18 WCW PPVs + 9 Clash of the Champions = 75 PPVs and 9 other events

All three of Mick Foley’s famous personas (Cactus Jack,...

Finally, WWE let the cat out of the bag that the legendary Hulk Hogan is returning to the company as host of "Wrestlemania XXX" in April. It's been rumored that Hogan would be back with the company for months, and he was expected to make his first appearance at the announcement of the WWE Network, but that never came to pass.

What does a "Wrestlemania" host do, though? There's not a lot of hosting history for the event to look back on, but there is one guy who's done it before. That person is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who hosted "Wrestlemania Xxvii." Johnson was there to set up an eventual match with John Cena the following year.

At 60 years old, with a number of major surgeries under his belt, it's not all that likely that Hogan will be building up to an eventual match. With the number of physicals and...

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The WWE Hall of Fame is one of the highlights of WrestleMania weekend every year because it’s a chance for WWE acknowledge their stars of the past. It also gives the WWE Universe an opportunity to see them on the big stage one more time.

PWInsider.com suggests that not only will we see individuals in the Hall of Fame this year, but we could also see a match being inducted.

Since this year’s WrestleMania is the 30th edition of the event, the belief is that the WrestleMania 1 main event would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That match featured Hulk Hogan & Mr. T (with Jimmy Snuka in their corner) taking on Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (with Bob Orton in their corner).

There are likely going to be some fans questioning whether a match should be inducted into the Hall of Fame when traditionally...

The trailer for the Naomi Watts-starring Diana biopic about her relationship with Hasnat Khan shows the people's princess on squeaky clean form. What do you make of this first look?

The first trailer for Diana, a biopic focused on the relationship between the princess of Wales and heart and lung surgeon Hasnat Khan, arrives swathed in respectability, promising a soft-focus love story for fans of the people's princess.

Olivier Hirschbiegel's film covers the last two years of Diana's life. We see the princess – played by Naomi Watts – pushing past paparazzi and tip-toeing through minefields in her role as a reluctant appendage to the royal family. It's duty, duty, duty until she bumps into Khan (played by Lost's Naveen Andrews) and he asks her out to the hospital canteen. From there the caged bird can sing.

Khan was the love of Diana's life, according to friends of the princess.

Us actor best known for his role as the mafia boss Tony Soprano

James Gandolfini, who has died aged 51 of a heart attack, was one of those rare actors who was able to portray a violent, bullying, murderous, vulgar, serial adulterer, while simultaneously eliciting sympathy and understanding from television audiences. In 86 episodes from 1999 to 2007, in HBO's hit series The Sopranos, the balding, beefy, middle-aged Gandolfini, as Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mafia boss, managed to transcend any stereotyping of Italian-Americans (although the charge was still made) by showing the flawed character's vulnerable side.

While Tony Soprano does embody the close-knit Italian-American community, with its codes of masculinity, Gandolfini, who had studied the Sanford Meisner method of acting for two years, lived up to Meisner's exhortation to "find in yourself those human things which are universal". Gandolfini always claimed to be nothing like Tony Soprano: "I'm really basically just like a 260-pound Woody Allen.

The first teaser trailer for Diana, director Oliver Hirschbiegel‘s biopic of the late Princess of Wales has been unveiled online, giving us a first look at two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts in the title role. Penned by Steven Jeffreys (The Libertine) the upcoming biopic Diana is the first feature film to take the so-called People’s Princess as its principal subject, nearly 16 years after her death. Watts actually looks legitimately like Princess Di, but she’s the only one they show in this first little tease. The cast includes Lost star Naveen Andrews as Dr. Hasnat Kahn, whom the Princess referred to as Mr Wonderful, the...

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Wrestlemania. The jewel in the WWE's crown, the Superbowl of sweaty men in tights suplexing each other in the squared circle, and quite possibly the greatest show on earth. Wait, come back, I'm being serious here. Whatever your feelings about Mr McMahon, assuming you have any at all of course, you can't deny that he loves to put on a spectacle.

Ever since the first Wrestlemania took place way back in 1985 at Madison Square Garden featuring Hulk Hogan and Mr T facing off against 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, Mr McMahon has taken great pride in giving wrestling fans the biggest, loudest, most entertaining event in the annual sporting calendar. Returning to the New York metropolitan area for the fifth time on 7th April 2013, Wrestlemania Xxix graced the gargantuan MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, bringing with it a set...

We are now one week away from the 29th edition of Wrestlemania – the biggest and grandest PPV in the history of the wrestling industry. For almost three decades Wrestlemania has been the scene of some of wrestling’s greatest feuds and most memorable moments. Stars have been made and careers etched in the annals of time. But as big as it has become the original Wrestlemania was far from being “The Grandest Stage of ‘em all” as it has become know. It wasn’t even given full national PPV exposure! Unbelievable when you think of how huge the event is today.

For those of you that are new to WWE or perhaps weren’t around when it all began What Culture show’s its age and goes back to 1985 to bring you a full run down of all 28 previous Wrestlemanias. If this doesn’t get you in the mood for...

WrestleMania 3. Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant. I remember it well. I woke up and ate my Flinstone chewable vitamins and said some prayers. I then started persistently bugging my father to order the pay-pay-per view early to be “double safe”. He had to literally grab the glass of raw eggs from my hands as they were almost down the hatch. I had my Hogan toy wrestler beat Andre at least 50 times leading up to the event. You know the large plastic ones with that ring that was hard plastic with impossible ropes that never really worked right. Every single time Hulk would get the snot kicked out of him for about 10 minutes only to miraculously “Hulk Up.” The hands would make a fist and shake. He would then slam Andre hard on the mat followed by the big leg drop. One, two, three. The fans go crazy. Me whispering,...

It’s an all too common scenario. You have a knockout night-out look chosen, ironed, and ready to go - which is a good thing, because Mr. Wonderful is on his way. You quickly get dressed and do a few turns in the mirror expecting perfection, except . . . that bra is totally not working. And the panty lines? Double uh-oh. Ready to pull the curtain on getting-dressed drama? All it takes is a lingerie collection that fits every occasion, like these must haves from Vassarette®. Not only are Vassarette® bras beautiful, stylish, and comfortable, they are available in three padding levels, from lightly lined to add-a-cup-size. Whether you want to subtly shape with Level 1, add lift with Level 2, or add volume with Level 3, you’ll get the shape you want under every outfit. Other features like multiway straps and plunging necklines promise a gorgeous, seamless look every time. View Slideshow ›...

American entertainer and singer popular in the 1940s and 50s

The American entertainer Tony Martin, who has died aged 98, was once described as a singing tuxedo. Although he was rather a stiff actor, he was handsome and charming, with a winning, dimpled smile. What mattered most, however, was his mellifluous baritone voice, which he used softly in ballads such as To Each His Own and I Get Ideas, and powerfully in Begin the Beguine and There's No Tomorrow, all hit records in the 1940s and 50s.

He was one of the top crooners of the period with Vic Damone, Andy Williams and Dick Haymes, all of them just below Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in esteem and popularity. According to Mel Tormé: "Tony Martin was technically the greatest singer of them all, as well as being the classiest guy around, both as an entertainer and a person."

He was...

The entertainer's great drive and perfectionism came from his massive insecurity

Sammy Davis Jnr was the complete entertainer. In an age of specialisation even in show business, the little black American was an outstanding night-club singer, comedian and dancer, and an able character actor when his enormous ego was under control.

Trained in vaudeville, he was equally effective in Broadway musicals and in the new media of movies and television. When he wrote his autobiography in his forties, he had already lived a full show business life and justifiably summed up his all-round career with the title Yes, I Can. Sammy Davis Jnr was one Jack of all trades who was master of all.

Born in New York, he came from a theatrical family and claimed to have begun his career at the age of three, making a first appearance on stage with his father and his uncle. Certainly he was in a movie,...

I'm not one for reality television. In fact, I tend to believe that this form of "entertainment" is turning the minds of our youth into seaweed and destroying American culture in the process. Programs such as Teen Mom, The Real World and Jersey Shore dish up dialogue and situations so vacuous and dimwitted that we may as well lobotomize those who watch them. I pray for the day that these media cesspools of narcissism disappear and the industry returns to employing actual writers to create more original sitcom and dramatic programming.

But there is one show that I find utterly fascinating and enjoyable. What's more, I am thrilled to say that my 8-year-old daughter is even more obsessed with it than I am. The show is ABC's Shark Tank, which airs Friday evenings and gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of five "filthy rich...

Although she first rose to prominence as an actor, on Reno 911, Niecy Nash has made a career out of her personality -- whether she's hosting (Clean House), competing (Dancing with the Stars) or letting the cameras into her home (Wedding Bash), Niecy the person long ago eclipsed Niecy the actress. And her fans have been laughing right along.

Tonight she returns to reality TV with the premiere of TLC's Leave It To Niecy, and her whole family is coming along for the ride! The eight episode series chronicles what happens after "I Do" as Niecy and husband Jay Tucker attempt to merge their families and celebrate their "Do Over." I caught up with Niecy and Jay to talk all about this journey, what separates their show from all the others and why Jay's ignorance of Niecy's career is a good thing.

Insider.com: Did you set forth any rules when planning to do this reality show?

Niecy Nash...

London, Feb 10: Actress Naomi Watts has been roped in to play the role of Princess Diana in "Caught In Flight" and she says that it is an honour to play the iconic role in the biopic.

"It is such an honour to be able to play this iconic role - Princess Diana was loved across the world and I look forward to rising to the challenge of playing her on screen," telegraph.co.uk quoted Watts as saying.

The film titled "Caught In Flight" will focus on Diana's relationship with Hasnat Khan, the man she described as "Mr Wonderful". It will be directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, whose 2004 film, "Downfall", charted the last days of.