Title Reigns, Champions & Stats Review for 09'

It seems these days the titles of the WWE change just about every other week, month or PPV. We've seen numerous title changes during the course of the year 2009, so let's examine which title changed hands the most, and which was the most stable for 2009. Use these fun facts about the various titles in 2009 to dazzle and amaze your friends with your vast WWE trivia knowledge!

WWE Title reigns

Edge def.Jeff Hardy 1/25/09 at Royal Rumble 2009
Triple H won Elimination Chamber 2/15/09 at No Way Out 2009
Randy Orton won Six Man Tag match 4/26/09 at Backlash 2009
Batista def. Orton (steel cage) 6/7/09 at Extreme Rules 2009
WWE Title vacated 6/9/09 when Batista was injured on WWE Raw
Randy Orton won Fatal Fourway 6/15/09 on WWE Raw
John Cena def. Randy Orton (I Quit match) 9/13/09 at Breaking Point 2009
Randy Orton def. John Cena (Hell in a Cell) 10/4/09 at Hell in a Cell 2009
John Cena def. Randy Orton (Anything Goes) 10/25/09 at Bragging Rights 2009
Sheamus def. John Cena (Tables match) 12/13/09 at TLC PPV 2009

Stats review: That makes for 9 official title changes/reigns for the WWE title in 2009. Randy Orton had three of those reigns, while Cena had two. The longest WWE title reign in 2009 was by Randy Orton who held the WWE Championship for a total of 90 days (6/15/09 to 9/13/09). Triple H was second with a 70 day title reign.

Current WWE champion: Sheamus

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World Heavyweight Title reigns

Edge won Elimination Chamber 2/15/09 at No Way Out 2009
John Cena won Triple Threat 4/5/09 at Wrestlemania 25
Edge def. John Cena (Last Man Standing) 5/26/09 at Backlash 2009
Jeff Hardy def. Edge (Ladder Match) 6/7/09 at Extreme Rules 2009
CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy (MITB cash-in) 6/7/09 at Extreme Rules 2009
Jeff Hardy def. CM Punk 7/26/09 at Night of Champions 2009
CM Punk def. Jeff Hardy (TLC match) 8/23/09 at SummerSlam 2009
The Undertaker def. CM Punk (Hell in a Cell) 10/4/09 at Hell in a Cell 2009

Stats review: A total of 8 title changes/reigns for the World Heavyweight title occurred in 2009. Edge, Jeff Hardy and CM Punk each enjoyed a total of 2 reigns in 2009. The longest title reign here for 09' is still going as of today, since Undertaker has held the title for 87 plus days now, ever since winning it back on 10/4/09 at Hell in a Cell. Edge & CM Punk are tied for second with 49 day reigns in 2009

Current World Champion: The Undertaker

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ECW Championship reigns

Jack Swagger def. Matt Hardy 1/12/09 at ECW on SciFi
Christian def. Jack Swagger 5/26/09 at Backlash 2009
Tommy Dreamer won Triple Threat 6/7/09 at Extreme Rules 2009
Christian def. Tommy Dreamer 7/26/09 at Night of Champions 2009

Stats review: There were just 4 title reigns or changes for the ECW Championship in 2009, with Christian enjoying two of those. The longest reign also belongs to Christian who has held the title for 157+ days as the reigning champion since 7/26/09. Jack Swagger is second with a 104 day title reign.

Current champion: Christian

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Intercontinental Championship reigns

CM Punk def. William Regal (No DQ) 1/19/09 at Raw
JBL def. CM Punk 3/9/09 at Raw
Rey Mysterio def. JBL 4/5/09 at Wrestlemania 25
Chris Jericho def. Rey Mysterio (No Holds Barred) 6/7/09 at Extreme Rules 2009
Rey Mysterio def. Chris Jericho (Mask vs. Title) 6/28/09 at The Bash 2009
John Morrison def. Rey Mysterio 9/1/09 at Smackdown
Drew McIntyre def. John Morrison 12/13/09

Stats review: There were a total of 7 IC title reigns in 2009. John Morrison held the title for a total of 103 days, the longest reign of the year. Rey Mysterio was second with a reign of 65 days, and third with a reign of 63 days. Also of note, Chris Jericho moved into the #13 spot on the Longest combined reigns list this past year, having held the IC title a total of 318 days over 9 reigns.

Current Champion: Drew McIntyre

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United States Championship reigns

MVP def. Shelton Benjamin 3/17/09 at Smackdown
Kofi Kingston def. MVP 6/1/09 at Raw
The Miz def. Kofi Kingston 10/5/09 at Raw

Stats review: Just 3 title reigns make the US title look like the most stable and consistent title in the ranks of the WWE. Kofi Kingston enjoyed the longest reign of 126 days total this past year, but The Miz has held it 86+ days and MVP held it 76 days.

Current champion: The Miz

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Unified Tag Team title reigns:

The Colons def. John Morrison & The Miz (Lumberjack title unification match) 4/5/09 at Wrestlemania 25
Edge & Chris Jericho won Triple Threat 6/28/09 at The Bash 2009
Chris Jericho & Big Show - defended titles 7/26/09 at Night of Champions 2009 (*Big Show was chosen to replace injured Edge)
D-Generation X def. JeriShow (TLC match) 12/13/09 TLC PPV

Stats review: Really just four title changes, and that's counting Jericho choosing Big Show to help him defend the titles after Edge was hurt. JeriShow held the titles for 140 days, although if you count Jericho's partnering with Edge, he alone held the total of 168 days. The WWE Tag team titles and World Tag team titles were unified as the "Unified Tag team titles" during a dark Lumberjack match prior to the official card for Wrestlemania 25.

Current Champions: D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels & Triple H)

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As noted above the United States Championship continues to be quite stable. You can argue a few things, such as the fact that the WWE and World Heavyweight titles are nearly defended at every WWE PPV during the year, while the IC, ECW & US titles aren't. It's also interesting to see that so many title changes occur in non-traditional matches, whereas in the past that wasn't the case. Then again, in the past, the titles didn't change over quite so often. We'll have a poll coming up to vote on which title changes hands first in 2010. Happy New Year to all WWE Fans!

See the WWE Womens Title & Divas Title Review 2009 here.

Active WWE + World Heavyweight Champions - The Stats

Right now there's exactly thirteen active wrestlers in the WWE who have held the World Heavyweight and/or WWE Titles. It should be interesting to compare the records to see how the various champs stack up, as we all know Triple H is the "King of Kings" in terms of reigns with 13 total (doesn't hurt being a son-in-law of Vince McMahon), but how do the rest of the best stack up? It may surprise many to know that Edge comes in second with 9 title reigns, but then again he's the "Ultimate Opportunist". Certain wrestlers only have 1 reign, while CM Punk has already enjoyed 3 quick reigns in his career.

Let's run down the list, you'll see how many WWE title reigns and World Heavyweight Titles each has, for their combined totals. Note that Edge is included even though he is injured but should definitely be part of this list. Great Khali and Rey Mysterio are both out of action currently (Mysterio suspended, Khali injured) but are former WH champs.

Triple H (WWE 8, World Heavyweight 5) Total = 13 reigns
Edge (WWE 4, World Heavyweight 5) Total = 9 reigns
John Cena (WWE 4, World Heavyweight 2) Total = 6 reigns
Undertaker (WWE 4, World Heavyweight 2) Total = 6 reigns
Randy Orton (WWE 4, World Heavyweight 1) Total = 5 reigns
Batista (WWE 1, World Heavyweight 4) Total = 5 reigns
Chris Jericho (WWE 2, World Heavyweight 2) Total = 4 reigns
Shawn Michaels (WWE 3, World Heavyweight 1) Total = 4 reigns
Big Show (WWE 2, World Heavyweight 1) Total = 3 reigns
CM Punk (World Heavyweight 3) Total = 3 reigns
Rey Mysterio (World Heavyweight 1) Total = 1 reign
The Great Khali (World Heavyweight 1) Total = 1 reign
Kane (WWE 1) Total = 1 reign

There's four guys considered Grand Slam Champions listed above. They are Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and Kane. The Grand Slam refers to a wrestler who has won a total of four unique titles - these titles include 3 levels of singles titles and then a tag team championship with someone else. See more about the Grand Slam champs here.

These are just a fraction of the accomplishments of the wrestlers above who have also won Royal Rumbles, A good example is Chris Jericho who has won the Intercontinental title a total of 9 times, and also was the first unified World Champion after defeating The Rock and Stone Cold in the same night. Chris Jericho has won almost every title possible in WWE history with the obvious exceptions of the women's titles and then the Cruiserweight. So which of the above is the best champion ever? The debate is open, some may say Triple H, others can argue for Edge or the accomplishments of a guy like Chris Jericho. And with Pay-Per-Views coming up, titles can always change hands and change the history books.

(Note: thanks to jlo the original for the reminder of Great Khali, also currently injured but nonetheless a former World Heavyweight champion)

Playboy Buddy Rose Dead at 56

Legendary wrestling superstar "Playboy" Buddy Rose was found dead in his home this past Tuesday in Vancouver, Washington. Rose who was in the first ever match on a Wrestlemania card was found dead on his couch. He was just 56 years old.

Rose's major star status as a wrestler came during the 70's and 80's, with his work for both the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and WWF. At the first ever Wrestlemania, in the opening bout, Rose played the part of a masked wrestler named "Executioner" who lost to Tito Santana. Also to Rose's credit may be the rise of Rowdy Roddy Piper. Rose and Piper engaged in an early classic wrestling feud while both men were part of Don Owen's Pacific Northwest Wrestling. While Rose didn't achieve any titles within the WWF he shared the tag team titles several times while a part of the AWA and various NWA's. ESPN Classic had been airing many of Rose's classic matches and Buddy Rose himself wrote fans a personal message regarding them at his official website. After his retirement from wrestling, Rose opened his own training school for aspiring wrestlers and also hosted a call-in talk show on a Portland radio station.

There's no official cause of death yet, but a family friend reported that Rose was suffering from a variety of health issues including diabetes. RIP to Playboy Buddy Rose, and deepest condolences to his friends, family and fans.

More info about Playboy Buddy Rose at Wikipedia.org

Undertaker's 16-0 Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak

With WWE's Wrestlemania 25 Pay-Per-View arriving in several days, the man known as the Phenom, or the Deadman, The Undertaker will once again head to the event and put his undisputably impressive undefeated streak on the line. Taker has defeated an impressive resume of WWE Hall of Famers and future legends. It all started with Superfly Jimmy Snuka, but along the way Undertaker's defeated everyone from his own brother Kane to Big Show & Albert in a handicap match, and even the Nature Boy Ric Flair. So far no WWE Superstar has been able to stop this impressive streak.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels believes he will be the man to finally end that streak in their upcoming Wrestlemania 25 match, and for weeks has been trying to get inside the head of Undertaker through mind games on Raw and Smackdown. Michaels has held mock ceremonies either dressed in all black or all white and has also made an appearance in Undertaker's stomping ground; an eery, dark graveyard full of tombstones to mark each of Taker's defeated opponents. Let's take a look at the list of 16 victims or opponents that Undertaker has layed to rest at Wrestlemania 25.

Wrestlemania Undefeated Streak
The Undertaker's 16-0 Record

1) Wrestlemania 7 (LA Sports Arena; Los Angeles, CA 3/24/91) -
The Undertaker's debut, he pinned Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka

2)WrestleMania 8 (Hoosier Dome; Indianapolis, IN 4/5/92) -
Undertaker defeated Jake the Snake Roberts

3)WrestleMania 9 (Caesar’s Palace; Las Vegas, NV 4/4/93) -
Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzalez (by DQ)

4)WrestleMania 11 (Hartford Civic Center; Hartford, CT 4/2/95) -
Undertaker beat King Kong Bundy

5)WrestleMania 12 (Arrowhead Pond; Anaheim, CA 3/31/96) -
The Undertaker pinned Diesel

6)WrestleMania 13 (Rosemont Horizon; Chicago, IL 3/23/97)
WWF Title: Undertaker beat Sid to become WWF Champion

7)WrestleMania 14 (Fleet Center; Boston, MA 3/29/98)
Undertaker beat Kane

8)WrestleMania 15 (First Union Center; Philadelphia, PA 3/28/99)
Hell in a Cell: Undertaker beat The Big Bossman

9)WrestleMania 17 (Astrodome; Houston, TX 4/1/01)
Undertaker beat Triple H

10)WrestleMania 18 – Skydome; Toronto, Ontario 3/17/02
Undertaker beat Ric Flair

11)WrestleMania 19 (Safeco Field; Seattle, WA 3/30/03)
Undertaker beat The Big Show & A-Train

12)WrestleMania 20 (Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/14/04)
Undertaker beat Kane

13)WrestleMania 21 (Staples Center; Los Angeles, CA 4/3/05)
Undertaker beat Randy Orton

14)WrestleMania 22 (Allstate Arena; Chicago, IL 4/2/06)
Casket Match: The Undertaker beat Mark Henry

15)Wrestlemania 23 (Ford Field; Detroit, Michigan April 1, 2007)
World Heavyweight Title Match: Undertaker defeated Batista by pinfall after a Tombstone Piledriver to become the champion

16)Wrestlemania 24 (Citrus Bowl; Orlando, FL March 30, 2008)
World Heavyweight Title Match: Undertaker defeated Edge by submission to become the champion

An impressive run of 16 straight Wrestlemania wins with no losses. Many people feel that Undertaker's time in the ring is going to be coming to a close within the next year. No rumors have leaked yet about an Undertaker retirement, but will Shawn Michaels have back-to-back Wrestlemania victories? Last year Shawn officially retired his good friend Ric Flair from wrestling. This year in one of the most anticipated Wrestlemania 25 matches, the Showstopper Shawn Michaels looks to end an impressive streak of 16-0 by the Deadman. Will Shawn Michaels have the power to stop Undertaker's undefeated streak? Or will the Heartbreak Kid become just another fallen opponent after Wrestlemania 25?

Royal Rumble Winners 2005 to 2008

This year's Royal Rumble will mark the 21st edition of the annual WWE event. The Rumble is one of WWE's "Big 4" and kicks off the Pay-Per-View schedule each year. It began way back in 1988 when Hacksaw Jim Duggan won the first ever Rumble. Back then there was no prestigious title shot afterwords though. More recently, the winner of the Rumble has been allowed to get a title shot on their brand, or even in the past choose which title they would compete for. Usually that title match comes at Wrestlemania but there have been exceptions. Below you'll find a brief recap and look at the past 4 winners of the Rumble from 2005 through 2008, as well as what they did with their title shot afterwords.

2005 Royal Rumble - Batista

In Fresno, California the 2005 Royal Rumble came down to #28 Batista and #25 John Cena from the Raw and Smackdown brands. After the two men had eliminated the Rated-R Superstar Edge, they went at each other. First, Cena attempted the FU on Batista but the move was countered. Next, Batista tried for the Batista Bomb, but Cena countered and put the headscissors on his opponent near the ropes. The two men both fell out over the top rope to the outside. Referees from both the Raw and Smackdown brands were present, each with a different view of who won. Eventually the Chairman, Vince McMahon came down to the ring and ordered a restart for the match. It was after this that Batista eventually hit a Spinebuster on Cena, then tossed him out for the win. In the weeks following the Rumble, Evolution member Batista had to decide which title he wanted to go for. It was eventually a no-brainer for Batista when he learned Triple H had faked a hit-and-run car incident with JBL. Batista then chose to go after his fellow Evolution member Triple H for the World Heavyweight title. Batista captured the title at the following Wrestlemania, and left Evolution soon after when he was attacked by his former partners.

Watch the final 8 minutes of the 2005 Royal Rumble!

WWE Royal Rumble 2005 DVD at Amazon.com

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2006 Royal Rumble - Rey Mysterio

2006 saw Rey Mysterio display an amazing amount of resilience and perseverance to win the Rumble in Miami, Florida. The "littlest big man" entered the Royal Rumble at the #2 spot arriving to the ring in a lowrider as tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio managed to last all the way to the end but had to face current Evolution heels, Triple H and Randy Orton. The duo teamed up to work on Mysterio, but Rey hit a 619 to eliminate Triple H. An angry Game beat up Mysterio on the outside, smashing him into the steels steps then throwing him back in for Orton. Mysterio was able to overcome the odds and countered an Orton move to eliminate him. A jubilant Mysterio dedicated the win to his late friend Guerrero. Mysterio would later lose his #1 Contender Status in a match to Randy Orton on Smackdown, then regained it. Eventually a Triple Threat match was scheduled involving the current champ, Kurt Angle, defending against Orton and Mysterio.

See the final 10 minutes of the 2006 Royal Rumble!

WWE Royal Rumble 2006 DVD at Amazon.com

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2007 Royal Rumble - The Undertaker

In 2007, San Antonio, Texas saw a classic showdown between two fan favorites to finish out the Royal Rumble. The hometown hero Shawn Michaels and the Phenom, the Undertaker were left in the ring after the team of Rated RKO (Randy Orton & Edge) were eliminated. Michaels and Taker gave an amazing back and forth fight, with Michaels hitting a Superkick after an Undertaker Chokeslam. Michaels went for a second Superkick but Undertaker avoided this one and eliminated Michaels over the top rope. Taker of course went on to Wrestlemania 23 where he used his title opportunity and defeated Batista to become World Heavyweight Champion. Also notable at this Pay-Per-View, the 2007 Royal Rumble marked the first time ever that the ECW brand was included in the Rumble.

Watch Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at 2007 Royal Rumble!

WWE Royal Rumble 2007 DVD at Amazon.com

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2008 Royal Rumble - John Cena

Last year many WWE fans remember the surprise moment when John Cena showed up for the Royal Rumble at the #30 spot, after many believed he was still out of action recovering from injury. It was a secret kept under wraps from the WWE fans and Cena's fellow wrestlers making it a truly surprising moment in WWE Royal Rumble history. In the final moments it was almost like a Triple Threat as Triple H, Batista and Cena were the last 3 standing. All 3 men went at it, with Batista trying for a Batista Bomb on Cena. Cena countered and Triple H was able to quickly clothesline The Animal over the top rope. From there, Cena became the first winner to ever use his title opportunity at an event other than Wrestlemania, but unfortunately he was also the first man since 2000 not to win the title after winning the Royal Rumble.

See Cena's surprise return to the 2008 Royal Rumble!

Watch Cena win the 2008 Royal Rumble!

WWE Royal Rumble 2008 DVD at Amazon.com

It seems as if only two of the above men will be a part of this year's Royal Rumble match. John Cena is scheduled to defend his World Heavyweight Title at the event against JBL, while Batista is currently on the shelf recovering from an injury and surgery. Rey Mysterio and The Undertaker have a shot to once again win the Rumble and create their destiny as they also look towards winning WWE gold again!

The 2009 Royal Rumble will be held in two weeks from Sunday, January 25th, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. Catch it live on Pay-Per-View and check WWE Characters the Blog for predictions before and match-by-match recaps after the event!

Related Blog Entries:

2009 Royal Rumble Participants

2009 Royal Rumble Matches

Royal Rumble by the Numbers

Recap/Results of 2008 Royal Rumble

2008 Royal Rumble entries & eliminations

Brother Love's Mission

Back in the WWF days, about 20 years ago, "Love" was definitely a big part of pro wrestling..Bruce Prichard took on the famous role of "Brother Love" after a career as a ring announcer with UWF (Universal Wrestling Federation). Brother Love was always decked out in an all-white suit with reddened face and hosted a special segment known as "The Brother Love Show". He had the trademark phrase of "I LOVE YOUUUUU" which he would exclaim during most of his in-ring or other speeches. His mission was simple. Spread the "word of love" to WWE and its fans. His show was also the scene for many famous ambushes by wrestlers looking to get the upperhand on their latest opponents too.

Brother Love was involved in several WWE stories during his career and most notably he managed the Undertaker until 1991, which is a sure sign of love. In 91, Brother Love sold the manager contract to Paul Bearer who became the famous keeper of Undertaker's special urn.

Brother Love was a character of controversial nature, which is nothing new for WWE. Back in the 1980's there were plenty of televangelist scandals going on involving religion. The WWE famously mocked these incidents by "showing some love" and preaching to the masses. For a while, Brother Love had been doing in-ring segments with various afflicted people and they would claim he had cured them of their problems. His love was felt all over.

In the "Ultimate" act of love, Brother Love's character was beat down by the Ultimate Warrior in March of 91 and he hasn't been heard from much in WWE.

In honor of St. Valentine's Day, here's to one cool WWE Character who shared the love, Brother Love.

View Brother Love's Wikipedia entry here.

Royal Rumble: By the Numbers

An interesting advertisement aired for the 2008 Royal Rumble during Tuesday night's ECW on Sci-Fi. The promotional ad gives a look at the history of the Rumble, with various statistical numbers. Here's a look at these stats from the Royal Rumble history:

569 superstars have tried to win the match since its start back in 1989.
36 wrestlers have been eliminated by Stone Cold in various Rumbles.
11 Shawn Michaels appearances in Royal Rumbles.
11 is also the number of Superstars Kane eliminated in just 1 Rumble match.
10th Consecutive appearance for Kane this year.
3 different personalities of Mick Foley appeared in one Royal Rumble.
2 is the number of feet that must hit the ground to be eliminated.
1 woman has been in the Royal Rumble, Chyna. She was eliminated by Stone Cold.

More Facts from the Rumble:

62:12 minutes was Rey Mysterio's record time of survival to win a Royal Rumble.

2 seconds was the shortest time in the match by Warlord, eliminated by Hulk Hogan.

3 Royal Rumbles have been won by Stone Cold, the most by any wrestler.

The #30 entrant has only won it one time, with Undertaker's 2007 win.

The 27th selection has produced 4 winners, the most for any entry # in the Rumble.

Since 1993, 73% of the Royal Rumble winners have gone on to win the title they compete for.

This year's Royal Rumble will be held at New York's Madison Square Garden on January 27th, 2008. Available on local Pay Per View and in Hi-Definition. Check out the WWE.com Royal Rumble section for more info about the entrants and matches.

Check out WWE - Royal Rumble, The Complete Anthology at Amazon.com, for a complete DVD set of Royal Rumbles!

4 Great WWE DVD's for Holday Gifts!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday, or just want to get a cool DVD for a gift for a friend, here's 4 recent ones worth giving.

1) WWE - John Cena: My Life- With the champ sidelined there's no better gift than this as it chronicles his rise to fame. No it's not The Marine, but it is a great look at the former WWE champ's life. It's a 3 disc set (540 minutes) which includes rivals with Edge, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, & Umaga as well as interviews, matches, a look at Cena's car collection and more. Definitely a great gift for the Cena fans out there.

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2) Rey Mysterio: Biggest Little Man - Mysterio made his triumphant return to Summerslam in 2007 and extracted revenge by later beating Chavo Guerrero in an "I Quit" match. Includes his early days with Japan, Mexico, ECW, WCW and now WWE. Features his great tag team moments as well as rivalries with with Eddie Guerrero, Randy Orton, Matty Hardy, Kurt Angle and JBL. Follow the rise of this unlikely "smaller" WWE superstar as he has climbed to fame on this 3 disc set (540 minutes).

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3) WWE Shawn Michaels: Heartbreak and Triumph - The Heartbreak Kid is easily an all time favorite and current favorite amongst fans. Over the past few weeks we've also seen Mr. Kennedy pushing the DVD by hating on it (similar to how Santino was hating on The Condemned). "Heartbreak and Triumph" chronicles the success as well as the pitfalls in the career of Shawn Michaels. It's 3 discs with a run time of 540 minutes and includes everything from his original tag team "The Rockers" to DX to the Montreal Screw Job involving the WWE title and Bret Hart. Can't beat this collection of greatness!

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4) WWE - The Ladder Match- This collection is great as it shows you the history of ladder matches in all of their WWE glory. From the first ever featuring Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon to more current ladder matches such as TLC and "Money in the Bank" where Mr. Kennedy won it recently. It's 180 minutes and 3 discs worth of ladder matches as well as interviews and commentary about them. Check this out for some of the most unique and all-time best matches in WWE history.

If you've got a WWE fan to buy a gift for, maybe your kids, a brother, best friend or anyone else, these 4 DVD's are definitely ones that would please many WWE fans. There's many other great WWE DVD's available at Amazon.com as well. Stay tuned for more entries here on Christmas and holiday gift ideas for the WWE fans.

WWE Raw's 15 Year History

WWE Raw's 15th anniversary 3 hour special is just a week away. The show should include many highlights, matches and surprises from various personalities as a tribute to its longtime airing program. Raw debuted on January 11, 1993 from Madison Square Garden and was a 1 hour show. It was originally called "WWF Monday Night Raw". The show featured the Steiner Brothers, Shawn Michaels, Max Moon and The Undertaker all in action. Raw moved to its 2 hour format in February of 1997, which is what it currently uses. The show at one point was split into 2 halves, Raw is War and War Zone, but the war reference in the titles were dropped promptly after September 11, 2001.

Raw went through such periods as "the Attitude Era" and of course had its ratings battles with the WCW's Monday Nitro in 1995-1999 (see more about the Monday Night War DVD). Perhaps the biggest rivalry in Raw history belongs to Austin v. McMahon which has always been a popular storyline amongst the WWE brand in general. In 2002, WWE underwent the brand extension as it spun off the Smackdown show which featured a unique roster of wrestlers. Much of this was due to the purchase of WCW and ECW. Raw also left the USA network for a period of time and was shown exclusively on Spike TV. It returned to USA network on March 10, 2005. Over the years Raw has featured a who's who of wrestling talent on its roster as everyone from Hulk Hogan to Diesel, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Goldberg, Stone Cold, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Big Show and John Cena have been a part of the show.

In the past Raw used the theme music "Across the Nation" by Union Underground as its opening track. The current intro theme song for Raw is "...To Be Loved" by Papa Roach.

You can currently view Raw's 15 Intro Videos at WWE.com. Be sure to tune in on the USA Network on December 10th for the 3 hour anniversary show as Raw completes year 15 in early January.

Read WWE Raw 15th Anniversary Recap

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Get the latest WWE Raw recaps here!

Check out Raw's Greatest Hits!

See the WWE Divas List!

Find out about WWE Music and Theme Songs!

WWE Survivor Series History (1998-2007)

Yesterday, WWE Characters the Blog took a look at the first 11 historic Survivor Series Pay Per Views. Here's part 2 of the showcase of the November annual tradition for WWE, with a quick look at 1998 through 2007.

The 1998 Survivor Series was held at Kiel Center in St. Louis. The event was headlined by a tournament for the World Wrestling Federation Championship called Deadly Game, in which the Rock defeated Mankind in the final match to capture the Vacant WWE title. Also on the card, Undertaker defeated his brother Kane, and diva Sable won the WWE Women's title by pinning Jacqueline.

Survivor Series 1998 Wikipedia

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1999 Survivor Series returned to Detroit and also featured the elimination matches. There was a normal 4 on 4 tag team match featuring divas Mae Young, The Fabulous Moolah, Tori and Debra who defeated Ivory, Luna, Jacqueline and Terri Runnels. Kurt Angle also made his on-air WWE debut at this event, defeating Shawn Stasiak in a match. Big Show managed to win a 4 on 1 handicap Survivor Series match when he defeated The Big Boss Man, Prince Albert, Mideon and Viscera. Later in the main event match, Show won the WWE title by defeating The Rock and Triple H in a Triple Threat matchup.

Survivor Series 1999 Wikipedia

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Survivor Series 2000, brought the event to the Ice Palace in Florida. There were two traditional elimination matches on the card. In a tag team version, The Dudley Boyz teamed up with The Hardy Boyz and defeated Edge and Christian and The Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather). Also on the card, several titles were defended successfully such as the European title held by William Regal, the WWF title held by Kurt Angle and the WWE Women's title held by Ivory.

Survivor Series 2000 Wikipedia

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2001 Survivor Series was held in Greensboro, North Carolina and featured some intriguing matches. There was a six-pack challenge for the vacant WWE Woment's title which Trish Stratus took home. Test won an "Immunity Battle Royal" against several other wrestlers so that he wouldn't be fired for a year. And in the sole elimination match of the Pay Per View, Rock's "Team WWF" won over "Team Alliance". Rock's team was made up of Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and Big Show. Team Alliance consisted of Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon, all products of WCW & ECW, with Austin as the captain. Rock was the last man in this match after he pinned Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Survivor Series 2001 Wikipedia

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In 2002, Survivor Series was back in New York's Madison Square Garden. At this event, several titles changed hands. Victoria won the WWE Women's belt after defeating Trish Stratus in a Hardcore Match. The Dudleys along with Jeff Hardy won an elimination "Tables Match" over Rosey and Jamal and their manager Rico. Eddie and Chavo Guerrero won the WWE Tag team titles in a triple threat tag team match. Big Show defeated Brock Lesnar to capture the WWE Championship. And in the main event, the "Elimination Chamber" was unveiled in which Shawn Michaels defeated Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho and Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Title.

Survivor Series 2002 Wikipedia

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Dallas, Texas was home of Survivor Series 2003. For the main elimination match of this PPV, Team Bischoff consisting of Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Christian, Scott Steiner and Mark Henry defeated Team Austin. Austin's team included Shawn Michaels, RVD, the Dudley Boys and Booker T. Due to the team's loss, Stone Cold lost his position as Co-General Manager of the Raw show. Goldberg also retained the World Heavyweight Title by defeating Triple H at the event, and Mr. McMahon beat the Undertaker in a "Buried Alive Match" thanks to Kane's help.

Survivor Series 2003 Wikipedia

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2004 Survivor Series was held at the Gund Arena in Ohio. Team Angel defeated Team Guerrero in one of two elimination style matchups. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Maven) defeated Team Triple H (Triple H, Edge, Batista, and Snitsky)in the second. Trish Stratus retained her Women's title by defeating Lita. JBL also defeated Booker T to retain the WWE title.

Survivor Series 2004 Wikipedia

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At Survivor Series 2005 in Detroit, the two major WWE brands faced off in a traditional elimination match. Team SmackDown (Batista, Rey Mysterio, John Bradshaw Layfield, Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton) (w/Bob Orton and Jillian Hall) defeated Team RAW consisting of Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito and Chris Masters. Orton was the sole survivor, winning the match for his team. Also during the event, John Cena defeated Kurt Angle to retain the WWE Championship, and Smackdown GM Theodore Long defeated Raw GM Eric Bischoff, with help from The Boogeyman.

Survivor Series 2005 Wikipedia

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In 2006, Survivor Series was held at the Wachovia Center in Philly. In an early 4 on 4 survivor series match at the show, Team WWE Legends consisting of Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhdoes and Ron Simmons defeated the 4 man Spirit Squad. Flair was the last man surviving for his team to win. Mickie James also defeated Lita for the Women's title and Mr. Kennedy defeated Undertaker in a First Blood Match. In the main event 5 on 5 Survivor Series match, Team Cena (John Cena, Kane, Bobby Lashley, Sabu and Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Big Show (The Big Show, Test, Montel Vontavious Porter, Finlay and Umaga). Cena and Lashley were the last two men, collecting the win for their team.

Survivor Series 2006 Wikipedia

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Survivor Series 2007 will mark the 21st annual event of its kind for WWE. It comes to us from Miami Florida's Airlines arena where the Miami Heat play. It has just one traditional Survivor Series match on the card, with Triple H's team of himself, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Kane and Rey Mysterio facing Umaga's team which includes Finlay, MVP, Big Daddy V and Mr. Kennedy. Also on the card is a "Hell in a Cell" Wrold Heavyweight title match between Undertaker and Batista, and a WWE Title match between Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton.

Survivor Series 2007 Wikipedia

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More on Survivor Series:

View Survivor Series History (1987-1997)

Get a Survivor Series 07' Countdown Timer

WWE Survivor Series History (1987-1997)

This year will mark the 21st annual "Survivor Series" event for WWE, featuring a traditional elimination match. Triple H captains a team including the Hardy's and Umaga captains a team including MVP and Finlay. The first two Survivor Series were held in Richfield, Ohio and featured a full card of traditional Survivor Series matchups. Over the years, the event has turned into a card of less of these type matches. Here's a look at the first 11 Survivor Series events from 1987-1997.

Survivor Series 1987-1997

Survivor Series 1987, the debut of this event featured a huge main event elimination match with classic wrestlers. In the match, André the Giant, One Man Gang, King Kong Bundy, Butch Reed, and Rick Rude (w/Bobby Heenan and Slick) defeated Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Don Muraco, Ken Patera, and Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Oliver Humperdink). Andre the Giant was the sole survivor of the match and eliminated Bam Bam Bigelow to become the last man.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1987

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In 1988, the Mega Powers of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were the survivors. They headed a team which included Koko B Ware, Hercules and Hillbilly Jim and defeated the team of Akeem, Haku, Red Rooster, Ted Dibiase and the Big Boss Man.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1988

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Survivor Series 1989's main event had the Ultimate Warriors defeating The Heenan family. The Warriors consisted of Ultimate Warrior, Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels (The Rockers) and Jim Neidhardt. Their opponents were Haku, Andre the Giant, Bobby Heenan and Arn Anderson. Ultimate Warrior was the only survivor in this 4 on 4 match.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1989

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Survivor Series 1990 held in Hartford Connecticut had 5 of the traditional Survivor Series matchups. In the main event handicap contest, it was Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior who survived. They were part of just a 3 man team including Tito Santana and faced a 5 man team of The Warlord, Paul Roma, Hercules, Rick Martel and Ted Dibiase.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1990

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1991's Survivor Series from Detroit featured just a 3 on 3 matchup for its main event. Legion of Doom teamed up with Big Boss Man to face IRS's team which included Earthquake and Typhoon. L.O.D were the sole survivors here.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1991

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Survivor Series in 1992 returned to Richfield, Ohio and featured what many might call "normal" matches, including a Nightstick on a Pole Match between Big Boss Man and Nailz. There was just 1 traditional Survivor/elimination match and it featured 2 tag teams on each side. The Nasty Boys and Natural Disasters defeated Money Inc and The Beverly Brothers in this one. Nasty Boys were the last remaining team.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1992

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Boston, Massachusetts was the venue for 1993's Survivor Series. The card was back to traditional elimination matches and was highlighted by "The All-Americans" defeating "The Foreign Fanatics". The American team was lead by Lex Luger and included Undertaker, and the Steiners. They faced a foreign team of Yokozuna, Crush, Ludviga Borga and Jacques Rogeau. Lex Luger was the winner of the match.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1993

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In 1994, San Antonio hosted the event. The event featured the Doink vs Lawler team match (involving midget clowns and kings). In the final match, (5 on 5) Survivor Series match: The Million Dollar Team (King Kong Bundy, Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow and The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray and Tom Prichard)) (w/Ted DiBiase) defeated Guts & Glory (Lex Luger, Mabel, Adam Bomb and The Smokin' Gunns (Billy and Bart)). Bam Bam Bigelow and King Kong Bundy were the last remaining men in the match.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1994

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Survivor Series 1995 was held in DC and featured a (4 on 4) Survivor Series match: Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson, Davey Boy Smith, and Sycho Sid (w/Ted DiBiase and Jim Cornette) defeated Yokozuna, Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, and Dean Douglas (w/Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette). Goldust defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in singles action amongst several other traditional elimination matches.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1995

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1996 saw Survivor Series in the Big Apple, New York City's Madison Square Garden. The match featured a mix of singles matches and elimination contests. In one singles contest, Bret Hart defeated Steve Austin. In another, Sycho Sid pinned Shawn Michaels to win the WWF title. In one of the elimination matches, a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match saw Faarooq, Vader, Razor Ramon II, and Diesel II (w/Clarence Mason) fought Flash Funk, Jimmy Snuka, Savio Vega, and Yokozuna to a no contest. The ref disqualified the men for brawling in the ring and refusing to heed the ref's instructions.

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1996

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In 1997, Survivor Series headed out of the US to Montreal, Quebec. This event is notorious for "The Montreal Screwjob", where Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart with a Sharpshooter to win the WWF title. Vince McMahon has Earl Hebner call for the bell to give the match to Michaels, and Hart spit in Vince McMahon's face after the decision. There were also several elimination style matches, and in one 4 on 4 match, The Road Warriors (Hawk, Animal, Ahmed Johnson and Ken Shamrock) defeated The Nation of Domination (The Rock, Faarooq, Kama Mustafa & D'Lo Brown).

Wikipedia's Survivor Series 1997

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Those are some of the highlights from the first 11 Survivor Series. Check out Part 2 of this look at the history of Survivor Series 1998-2007.

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More on Survivor Series:

View Survivor Series History (1998-2007)

Get a Survivor Series 07' Countdown Timer

Greatness of the Game

WWE.com takes a look at each of Triple H's title reigns, including the hard fought matches which make him one of the greatest in the pro wrestling sport. HHH has done battle in just about every match type WWE has had, and has fought against most of the WWE's top champions throughout its history.

Here's the rundown of HHH's 10 WWE/World Heavyweight Championship title reigns courtesy of WWE.com:

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Reign 1: Triple H vs. Mankind

The first ever WWE title victory for HHH occurred on Monday Night Raw, on August 23, 1999. HHH threatened to break the arm of announcer Jim Ross if Mankind did not offer a title shot to the Game. Foley obliged and lost, beginning HHH's 1st WWE championship run.

Reign 2: Six Pack Challenge

Held at WWE's "Unforgiven Pay Per View" in September of 1999, The Game battled with 5 other hungry competitors: The Rock, the British Bulldog, Big Show, Mankind, and Kane. With the title up for grabs after it had been vacated by Vince McMahon, Triple H pinned The Rock to capture the title yet again.

Reign 3: Triple H vs Big Show

Triple H had lost the title to Big Show at 1999 Survivor Series and regained the title by defeating the giant Big Show two months later on Monday Night Raw (1/3/2000).

Reign 4: Triple H vs The Rock

Possibly one of Triple H's toughest opponents, the "Game" faced the "Great One" in a one on one "Iron Man Match". The match was held at Judgement Day and included the likes of Vince, Stephanie, Shane and the Undertaker becoming involved. Special referee, Shawn Michaels, disqualified the Rock due to Undertaker's involvement, giving Triple H the 6-5 match edge and the WWE Championship.

Reign 5: Triple H vs. Chris Jericho

March 17, 2002 was the date for Wrestlemania X8, where Triple H was the #1 title contender after winning the 2002 Royal Rumble. In the Wrestlemania main event, HHH defeated current champ, Chris Jericho for his 5th title run.

Reign 6: Triple H 1st World Heavyweight Championship

Since Brock Lesnar departed Raw for Smackdown taking the belt with him. Since Raw had no champion, GM Eric Bischoff presented the WCW's Championship to Triple H as the most deserving wrestler for the belt. Triple H became the first World Heavyweight Champion for WWE. Flair contested that he deserved the belt and ended up losing in a match to Triple H later that night.

Reign 7: Three Stages of Hell

Triple H battled with Shawn Michaels in an epic feud here. The best 2 of 3 falls would win the title. Triple H captured match 1 after hitting HBK with the Pedigree. Michaels pinned HHH in the 2nd match, a steel cage match. The final contest was a ladder match. Triple H managed to push the ladder down, sending Shawn Michaels flying out of the ring. HHH then climbed up and triumphantly grabbed the belt.

Reign 8: Triple Threat Match

Triple H in a battle against a WCW legend, Goldberg, and the Big Red Machine, Kane. Kane managed to chokeslam Goldberg knocking him out. Before Kane could pin him, Batista yanked Kane out of the ring, allowing Triple H to grab the pinfall win and Goldberg's belt!

Reign 9: Triple H vs Randy Orton

Triple H stated this match was "showing the student who was still the master". One of two title wins where he defeated the "Legend Killer".

Reign 10: Elimination Chamber

One of the most brutal matches HHH has been involved in took place at New Year's Revolution in 2005. The structure around the ring allowed each wrestler to enter the match randomly after a bit of time had run off the clock. HHH was allowed into the match third and outlasted his competition to pin Randy Orton. This was HHH's last title reign, as he lost 3 months later to Batista at Wrestlemania 21.

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Commentary:
Triple H will be returning to Summerslam to face King Booker to prove who's the true King of WWE. If and when he pulls off the victory, HHH will begin to re-climb the ranks of WWE and eventually go for his 11th title reign. It can be easily argued that Triple H is the greatest WWE champion of all time, just by running down the list of victories above. Possibly overshadowed by the popularity of the likes of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, The Rock and John Cena, nobody can doubt the greatness of the Game.

View WWE.com's "Ten Times the King" feature here, complete with full accounts of each match/title reign, Triple H quotes and photos.

WWE Superstar Hornswoggle

The meaning of "Hornswoggle" is to swindle, cheat, hoodwink or hoax.

Hornswoggle's real name is Dylan Mark Postl, born May 29, 1986 in Wisconsin. He stands just 4 foot 10 and weighs in at 127 lbs. In 2005, he made several appearances with NWA Wisconsin where he won its X Division Championship. He also appeared several times in 2005 for AWA Wisconsin's wrestling league. He eventually went on to sign a WWE contract in 2006. His favorite food appears the popular breakfast cereal of Lucky Charms, and he's no stranger to Looney Tunes type antics around the ring and backstage.

After signing with WWE, he made his debut as Hornswoggle on May 26, 2006 during a Finlay match against Paul Burchill. Hornswoggle appeared from under the ring and attacked Burchill, then scurried back under the ring. He continued doing this for many weeks after, many times with Finlay trying to stop him from attacking opponents. Eventually he was named "Little Bastard" at first by commentator, Michael Cole. Finlay eventually corrected him, informing Cole his name was Hornswoggle.

WWE Superstar Hornswoggle became involved in Wrestlemania 23, when he climbed the ladder in the Money in the Bank Match. Mr. Kennedy climbed up the ladder and slammed the Leprechaun off, eventually capturing the Money in the Bank briefcase. This set up a brief feud between Kennedy and Finlay, until Kennedy apologized for hurting Hornswoggle.

On July 22, 2007 at The Great American Bash Hornswoggle won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship after he competed in the Cruiserweight Open; the other participants and the referee were unaware that he was even wrestling in the match. Hornswaggle entered by scurrying across the ring before the match even began. He is listed within the acceptable weight range to compete for the title. Winning this title made him the first person with dwarfism to win a Championship in WWE history.

Notes: Hornswoggle was forced to give up his Cruiserweight title sadly on a 2007 episode of Smackdown. Acting GM Vickie Guerrero informed him it was too dangerous for him to continue as champ. This came not long after it was announced he was the bastard child of Chairman Vince McMahon.

Hornswoggle has since been involved in the famous "Bastard Child of Vince McMahon" story. Hornswoggle has caused all sorts of mayhem and was involved in "Tough Love" matches. Vince McMahon even put him in a mini Royal rumble battle royal type match on Raw, featuring mini versions of wwe kane, batista and mankind. It was later revealed Hornswoggle was the son of WWE Superstar Finlay.

More WWE Superstar Bios:

wwe edge

wwe kane

wwe john cena

wwe jesse and festus

Favorite Triple H Feud

Looking back, Triple H has feuded with a number of great wrestlers and most of the top guys in WWF/WWE. He's feuded and fought with a who's who of wrestlers, everyone from Rock to Stone Cold to Mankind to Taker. He's tangled with friends such as Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Batista and Randy Orton (who all used to be part of D-evolution). He even fought Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania back when he was still Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The Game has definitely had many a classic match and classic feud. So which was the best feud?

My favorite Triple H feud was a toss up between either his feud with The Rock or Stone Cold. I chose Triple H vs. The Rock because Rock has always been one of my favorites. They fought back when it was D-X versus the Nation as well as in other situations. Back when it was D-Lo Brown, Mark Henry, Farooq, Owen Hart and the Rock. D-X came down to the ring dressed up and mocking the guys in the Nation. Triple H dressed as the Rock and had some very humorous lines. The in-ring battles between these two superstars were quite memorable including:

A Summerslam 98' ladder match at Madison Square Garden.

They fought in a steel cage match on Raw in 1999, with Chyna in Triple H's corner.

A great match at Backlash 2000 which the Rock managed to win against all odds (interfering McMahons and more).

There's a new poll on the website for fans to vote on their all-time favorite Triple H feud. You can choose from Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Batista, HBK, Stone Cold, The Rock, Mankind, and Undertaker. Let me know your thoughts here on the comments as well.

Vote for your favorite Triple H feud here.

Fallen Superstars Site

A new page/section added to WWE Characters site today, in memory of the true wrestling legends who have been taken from us. I will add more to this page as time permits, but for now it captures the memories of 10 WWF/WWE legends (including Eddie Guerrero, Bam Bam Bigelow, Bad News Brown, Owen Hart, and recently deceased Sherri Martel)..I feel in the wake of the whole Vince McMahon death hoax, remembering these stars is still even more important.

To visit the site, click the image above, or go here:
http://wwfcharacters.googlepages.com/fallenstars.html

Remembering Sensational Sherri

Above: Sherri inducted into 2006 WWE Hall of Fame.

Sherri Martel, better known as "Sensational Sherri" is definitely the biggest originator and inventor of the WWE/WWF heel diva. Today you see heel divas such as Lita, Melina and Victoria and all of them can thank Sherri for paving the way, as she was one of the baddest in the business. She managed the likes of Macho Man Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Million Dollar Man and Tatanka in the WWE, and was always a presence at ringside.

One of my favorite all-time matches was a "Retirement Match" between Macho Man and Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 7. Sherri was ringside in her usual style gear, somewhat outrageous and provocative white dress/skirt with beads hanging down around the leg area. She was a distraction to Ultimate Warrior throughout the match and also attacked him several times outside the ring. Despite this, the Warrior managed the strength and perseverance to outlast and beat Macho Man, causing him to retire. After the match, Sherri continued her role as hell and turned on Macho Man, attacking him in the ring. THis provided for the joyous and triumphant return of Miss Elizabeth, Macho Man's former manager and love interest. Elizabeth ran from the crowd into the ring and saved Macho Man, by tossing Sherri out of the ring.

Sherri had that early sex appeal as the villainous type diva who we loved to hate. She had toughness in the ring as well and even held the Women's Title for a good 15 months straight. These days, that sort of title reign is very rare. She might be gone but she will not be forgotten as she is a true pioneer of the words "valet", "heel" and "diva".

In rememberance of the greatness of Sensational Sherri, here's a few things to check out:

Check out Sherri along with other WWF/WWE superstars who have been taken from us early at a brand new page on the WWE Characters site:

WWE Characters - In Memory of Fallen Superstars

A great website devoted to Sherri at SensationalSherri.com. Includes pics, bio, news and more!

Check out the Sensational Sherri videos on YouTube, including matches she was at to manage Macho Man and Shawn Michaels. Also includes some great tributes put up just yesterday and today to remember this legend.

2007 WWE Hall of Fame Inductees

The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2007 will be inducted the night before WrestleMania 23 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Check it out at Midnight EST, this Saturday March 31 on USA..check your local listings.

Here are quick rundowns on the inductees, along with links to their Wikipedia entries for more info on them:


Dusty Rhodes "The American Dream"

"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes (born Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. on October 12, 1945) is an American professional wrestler. Rhodes currently works with World Wrestling Entertainment. In late 2005, Rhodes signed a WWE Legends deal and was brought onto the Creative Team as a "creative consultant", starting on September 8, 2005. He made an appearance on WWE Homecoming in which he, along with other legends, beat up the young and cocky Rob Conway, to whom Rhodes delivered a Bionic elbow. Read Wikipedia entry...


Mr. Fuji (Harry Fujiwara)

Harry Fujiwara (born May 4, 1935), known best by the ring name Mr. Fuji, is a former all time heel professional wrestler, who is best known for his work as a manager. As a manager, he would often throw salt in the eyes of face wrestlers. Although he was billed as Japanese, he was in fact a Japanese-American born in Hawaii. Read Wikipedia entry...


Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig)

Mr. Perfect - Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003), also known by his ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler who competed for the American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling promotions. He was the longest-reigning WWF Intercontinental Champion of the 1990s and one of the most famous wrestlers of his time. Read Wikipedia entry..


Nick Bockwinkel

By 1975, Bockwinkel had become one of the biggest stars in the AWA, and captured his first of many AWA World Heavyweight Championships, at the age of 40, ending Verne Gagne's seven year reign. Unlike most wrestlers, who peak in their early thirties, Bockwinkel reached his peak, both professionally and in ability, well into his forties. As AWA Champion, Bockwinkel had notable feuds with the likes of Billy Robinson, Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher, Mad Dog Vachon, Jerry Lawler, and most famously, Verne Gagne and Hulk Hogan. He last held the Title in 1987, at the age of 52, dropping the championship to another second generation wrestler, Curt Hennig. Bockwinkel retired in 1987, ending a career that spanned four decades. Read Wikipedia entry...

Jim "JR" Ross

James William (Jim) Ross, also known as J.R., or Good Ol' J.R. (born January 3, 1952), is a professional wrestling executive currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working on its RAW brand as their play-by-play commentator. To many peers, Ross is considered to be one of the best wrestling announcers in history and has been called the voice of World Wrestling Entertainment. Read wikipedia entry...


Jerry "The King" Lawler

Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949) is a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator, known throughout the wrestling world as "The King". He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment working and wrestling on its RAW brand as the color commentator. He also wrestles and occasionally commentates for the Memphis Wrestling promotion. Read Wikipedia entry..

The Sheik (Edward Farhat)

Edward George Farhat (June 7, 1924 – January 18, 2003) was a professional wrestler best known as The Sheik (or The Original Sheik to distinguish him from the wrestler the Iron Sheik of the 1980s). He was the owner and operator of Big Time Wrestling, one of the most successful promotions during the 1960s. He is also one of the originators of what would eventually become the Hardcore wrestling style. He was also the uncle of ECW wrestler Sabu. Read Wikipedia entry...


The Wild Samoans were the tag team of Afa & Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).In interviews the duo would rarely speak, only grunting in a primitive dialect that only manager Capt. Lou Albano could understand. Completing their wildman image, the duo engaged in outrageous behaviour such as nose picking, and eating raw fish in interviews. On the March 23, 2007 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown!, it was announced that the Wild Samoans will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the Class of 2007. Read Wikipedia entry..

Undertaker's Wrestlemania Legacy

The Undertaker is the sole owner of some major Wrestlemania history. Standing tall at 14-0, the Deadman is unmatched in terms of his undefeated record at the "Super Bowl" of Wrestling. So just who has the Undertaker defeated in his 14 wins? Here's a look at the list:

The Undertaker's 14 Wrestlemania Victories:

1) Wrestlemania 7 (LA Sports Arena; Los Angeles, CA 3/24/91) -
The Undertaker's debut, he pinned Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka

2)WrestleMania 8 (Hoosier Dome; Indianapolis, IN 4/5/92) -
Undertaker defeated Jake the Snake Roberts

3)WrestleMania 9 (Caesar’s Palace; Las Vegas, NV 4/4/93) -
Undertaker defeated Giant Gonzalez (by DQ)

4)WrestleMania 11 (Hartford Civic Center; Hartford, CT 4/2/95) -
Undertaker beat King Kong Bundy

5)WrestleMania 12 (Arrowhead Pond; Anaheim, CA 3/31/96) -
The Undertaker pinned Diesel

6)WrestleMania 13 (Rosemont Horizon; Chicago, IL 3/23/97)
WWF Title: Undertaker beat Sid to become WWF Champion

7)WrestleMania 14 (Fleet Center; Boston, MA 3/29/98)
Undertaker beat Kane

8)WrestleMania 15 (First Union Center; Philadelphia, PA 3/28/99)
Hell in a Cell: Undertaker beat The Big Bossman

9)WrestleMania 17 (Astrodome; Houston, TX 4/1/01)
Undertaker beat Triple H

10)WrestleMania 18 – Skydome; Toronto, Ontario 3/17/02
Undertaker beat Ric Flair

11)WrestleMania 19 (Safeco Field; Seattle, WA 3/30/03)
Undertaker beat The Big Show & A-Train

12)WrestleMania 20 (Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/14/04)
Undertaker beat Kane

13)WrestleMania 21 (Staples Center; Los Angeles, CA 4/3/05)
Undertaker beat Randy Orton

14)WrestleMania 22 (Allstate Arena; Chicago, IL 4/2/06)
Casket Match: The Undertaker beat Mark Henry

An impressive resume of victories with a who's who of Hall of Famers and current WWE stars. Especially impressive is that Taker has defeated his own brother, the monster Kane in 2 different Wrestlemanias. In addition the Undertaker has overcome odds to win a casket match, hell in the cell and a 2 on 1 handicap match vs. Big A-Train and Big Show. Will Taker make it 15-0 against one of his toughest opponents yet, Batista??

The WWE Grand Slam

According to a Wikipedia entry:

"In the World Wrestling Federation (now known as "World Wrestling Entertainment") the term "Grand Slam Champion" was originally used by Shawn Michaels to describe himself upon winning the WWF Championship, the WWF Intercontinental Championship, the WWF European Championship and the WWF World Tag Team Championship. As of 2006, only six wrestlers have held all four of those titles. As the European Championship was discontinued on July 22, 2002, the number of future potential Grand Slam Champions is limited to wrestlers who have already held the European Championship".

The six wrestlers to have accomplished this feat:

Shawn Michaels
Triple H
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Eddie Guerrero
Rob Van Dam

Since the European championship is no longer in the WWE, the only wrestlers left who can still achieve the grand slam:

Val Venis, William Regal, Jeff Hardy, Test, Jeff Jarrett, and Christian Cage require to win either the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship to complete the Grand Slam.

WWE's Triple Crown

An interesting stat from the WWE archives. There are 12 wrestlers in WWF/WWE history who have achieved "Triple Crown Status". The Triple Crown of WWE is when a wrestler has held the 3 major belts from the WWE: The Intercontinental belt, the tag team belt and the Heavyweight belt. Pedro Morales was the first to achieve this in WWE history. DX & RKO both have all achieved this, as has the late Eddie Guerrero.

The 12 Triple Crown wrestlers:

Pedro Morales
Bret Hart
Diesel
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin
The Rock
Triple H
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
The Big Show
Eddie Guerrero
Chris Benoit
Ric Flair
Edge
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Rob Van Dam
King Booker
Randy Orton

An impressive list of wrestlers. The most notable missing entries; John Cena, Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Mick Foley and Ultimate Warrior, who are all 1 belt shy of the achievement. Cena would seem to be the most likely next addition to this list, as he should be a tag title holder at some point in his great career.

According to Wikipedia:

* Shelton Benjamin, Test, Johnny Nitro, Val Venis, Jeff Hardy, Roddy Piper, William Regal, and Marty Jannetty all need a world title reign.
* The Undertaker, Batista, Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley, and Rey Mysterio need a secondary title reign (IC title).
* John Cena and Bobby Lashley need a tag team title reign.

Note: For some reason, Kane is not mentioned amongst those to have held the triple crown. Kane has held the tag title several times and the IC title once. He held the WWE heavyweight title for just 1 night, by beating Stone Cold in Pittsburgh, PA on 06-28-98. It was a first blood match, in which the ref got knocked out, Undertaker interfered and hit Austin with a chair causing him to bleed. The title was won back the following night by Austin. (thanks to Myspace friend "Heartthrob" for hooking us up with this info!).