WWE- Where it all begins again

[Reply #400 on:]

Please, for Gawd's sake, don't put the title on Randy Orton.  If Benoit wasn't so emotionally devestated, I'd day let him have another run with the belt.

Benoit was true raw emotion, HHH was the emotion of having tear gas sprayed in his eyes at the appropriate moment.

[Reply #401 on:]

Here's a few predictions I came up that may happen.  Obviously the survivor series match will change.  I can imagine Benoit being put on to replace Eddie and someone else to replace Batista and with the tribute happening smackdown will probably win that match.  Kerwin White will probably go back to Chavo Guerrero since he broke character at the press conference.

[Reply #402 on:]

Ralph: That was my impression of Triple H's performance too. Nowhere near Benoit, Rey, Batista or even wife Stephanie. Benoit's was absolutely heartwrenching — the Jurassic Bark ending of wrestling promos. And I liked the end where Cena put the Eddy shirt in the middle of the ring and then placed his belt below it. Nice image. Also, since you're friends with Superstar Billy Graham — is it true they're holding Eddy's funeral there? That's what I've heard from a few people.

ffSO: Chavo will wrestle as Chavo on Friday night. They'd be foolish to not let him stay a Guerrero because it's not like ending his Kerwin White character is going to be the equivalent of changing Stone Cold or The Rock at their peaks. They're going to have to either move someone big over from Raw to Smackdown! to make up for Eddy's passing, or sign someone big, because SD! is going to have some serious star problems with no Eddy and no Batista. Problem is, Brock won't sign, Rock doesn't need wrestling, and Hogan ... no.

[Reply #403 on:]

what about hogan????? Mystery_Meat~????

[Reply #404 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mystery_Meat:
Ralph:

Also, since you're friends with Superstar Billy Graham — is it true they're holding Eddy's funeral there? That's what I've heard from a few people.

I haven't talked to Wayne in about 5 years; however I did read that the funeral is being held in Phoenix (Eddie and his family has a home there) and that Wayne has been asked to do the eulogy.

Superstar Graham was a guy that I idolized back during the 70's - he was the first of the muscle-bound bodybuilders in wrestling.  He could work the crowd and the stick like few could.  He was in the league of Dusty Rhodes, Blackjack Mulligan and Thunderbolt Patterson (sorry kids, these are names from ancient history).  A lot of guys immitated Graham (Austin Idol, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, even me), but nobody ever duplicated him.

As for Eddie, he had his own following and his own style, which I feel that nobody (even Chavo) will be able to duplicate.

Over the past 5 years, a lot of young guys have dropped dead - Rick Rude, Road Warrior Hawk, Bobby Duncum Jr., Terry Gordy (another friend of mine), Brian Pillman, even Miss Elizabeth.  I'm glad I got out of the business back in the early 80's, because I have way too much to live for to end up dead during the prime of my life.

God Bless ya, Eddie G.  There's nobody out there that can Lie, Cheat and Steal like you (not even Bender).

 

Fry1248
what about hogan????? Mystery_Meat~????

I'll answer this: 

Hogan is not in any condition to do anything more than a novelty match every now and then (Shawn Michaels' shoot comment of 'You can call his name all you want, but he ain't coming back until he needs another payday' was so true).  His knees and hips are shot, and he may be chronologically 52 years old, his body is almost 70.  Also, Hogan is not the type to share the light with anybody, so HHH will politic hard to keep Hogan out (because Mr. Lavesque is THE GAME - biting sarcasm).

I met Hogan way back in 1981 in Georgia when he was wrestling under the name of 'Sterling Golden'.  He was a pompous egomaniac way back then - he was NOT popular with the boys in the back, and that is why Ole Anderson (head booker of GCW) got rid of him after only 6 weeks.  Hogan is a stain on wrestling - he has destroyed almost as many careers as Vince McMahon to put himself over.  I can promise you that Hogan has NEVER done anything for anybody that didn't directly benefit himself.

Yes, I despise the man that Terry Bolea is.
 


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[Reply #405 on:]

Sorry about the double-post:

From WWE.com: After the untimely passing of Eddie Guerrero, WWE and the entire sports-entertainment community is still reeling from the devastating loss of a champion. The initial autopsy reports on Guerrero have come in. WWE.com spoke with Eddie’s widow, Vickie Guerrero, earlier today.

“It was heart failure. It was from his past – the drinking and the drug abuse. They found signs of heart disease. She (the examiner) said that the blood vessels were very worn and narrow, and that just showed all the abuse from the scheduling of work and his past. And Eddie just worked out like crazy all the time. It made his heart grow bigger and work harder and the vessels were getting smaller, and that’s what caused the heart failure. He went into a deep sleep.

As soon as they saw his heart, they saw the lining of his heart already had the heart disease. There was no trauma, and Eddie hadn’t hurt himself in any way. It answered a lot of questions. I knew Eddie wasn’t feeling very good for the last week. He was home and kept saying he wasn’t feeling good and we thought it was just “road tired.” So we thought he just had to rest. It answered a lot of my questions, too, because he was just so exhausted. She said it was normal because the heart was working so hard.

When he didn’t call me last night and the night before I knew it was for real, because he would call me every night. I miss his phone calls. I cried through the whole thing (last night).

I loved his laugh. His laugh was the best.

We just celebrated his four-year sobriety last Thursday. We just thought we had life by the handful. We thought we had it all figured out. He worked so hard to make a better life for us.

[Reply #406 on:]

I didn't see this one coming. I watched wrestling when I was younger, mostly WCW when it was on. Eddy was one of my favorites, with Benoit, Hogan, and the Harts. Simply amazing he'd pass now, especially in his prime. It feels like Owen Hart again, except this happened outside the arena.

[Reply #407 on:]

So rey took off his mask??
Anyone have a picture of him?

[Reply #408 on:]

Fry1248: He only showed the top of his head when he unmasked because he buried his face in his hands. If you want to see what he looks like without his mask, google up some images of him from the last days of WCW. He lost his mask in a match to ... wait for it ... Eddy Guerrero. He was even heel briefly, aligned with Konnan, Billy Kidman and someone else. The Misfits? The New Blood? Ugh, I can't remember what they were called, but I do remember that they buried Ric Flair in the desert because ... search me. WCW was really funky (not funKAY) in the last years.

[Reply #409 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mystery_Meat:
He was even heel briefly, aligned with Konnan, Billy Kidman and someone else. The Misfits? The New Blood? Ugh, I can't remember what they were called.

It was Rey Mysterio jr., Konnan, Eddy Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. I think they were called the Filthy Animals.

[Reply #410 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mystery_Meat:

Ugh, I can't remember what they were called, but I do remember that they buried Ric Flair in the desert because ... search me. WCW was really funky (not funKAY) in the last years.

I stopped watching WCW in late 1998.  In 1999, I spoke to Moolah at a local eating establishment (Columbia, SC - Moolah was my first trainer back in 1977 - Tim Woods was my on-the-road trainer 1977-1978); I made the comment on how pathetic the WCW product had become.  She agreed.  Now I have no use at all for Vince McMahaon, but from what I picked up from her, McMahon was a angel next to Eric Bishoff (Moolah would be grateful to Vince - she is set financially for life because of him, but Bishoff is still a lower level of scum next to McMahon).

Now that WWE is going the way of WCW in ratings, angles and characters and Vince now the self-appointed God of pro-wrestling, I keep hoping that Ted Turner, Rupert Murdock or somebody finances a rival organization to give the fans a decent alternative (as long as TNA continuously pushes Jeff Jarrett down our throats, they will never become a viable alternative).

[Reply #411 on:]

Roy — Good call. I knew it was something in that vein, but I couldn't remember what. Misfits were Misfits in Action, with General Hugh G. Rection (Hugh Morris), G.I. Bro (Booker T in his most embarrassing moments), Lash LeRoux and Private Stash, whose previous identity escapes me. New Blood was the group of younger wrestlers who faced off with the Millionare's Club (new vs. old, of course, and not well done).

Ralph — I think TNA can be viable if for no other reason than that they're the only national alternative for someone who left/was cut by WWE. And to TNA's credit, they're not picking up the WWE castoffs indiscriminately. Christian is a natural, the Dudley Boyz are still over, Gail Kim is good and Rhino is effective with other ECW guys like Sabu. They haven't hired like Kenzo Suzuki or Mordecai.

The X Division is pushed as hard as the heavyweight division, which allows Jarrett to be a champion while giving the good workers a title of their own (because when it comes right down to it, I'd much rather see A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels or Samoa Joe and Austin Aries than Jarrett and Rhino or anything involving the former New Age Outlaws.

[Reply #412 on:]

 

Originally posted by Mystery_Meat:
To TNA's credit, they're not picking up the WWE castoffs indiscriminately. Christian is a natural.

Christian? Did I understand you correctly? Is he in TNA?

I remember in 2002, when he was on his losing streak, and he would throw fits in the ring. Before DDP became his mentor.

Is it true that on the Wrestlemania box set that just came out, the WWF logo is blurred? If so I think that's stupid.

[Reply #413 on:]

The logo has to be blurred and "WWF" is muted, sadly, and yeah, Christian is in TNA, as "Captain Charisma" Christian Cage.  His theme is now on TNA's site, and is pretty catchy.

[Reply #414 on:]

Jay:His music is cool.

[Reply #415 on:]

Yeah.  I think it would be better if it had lyrics, but they can always add those later.  I'm just glad he was able to come to TNA with much of his WWE stuff intact.

[Reply #416 on:]

me too

[Reply #417 on:]

The thing about Christian is cool.

But the thing about the WWF sucks! Damn Wildlife Bastards. I understand why they need to change the name to WWE, but why can't they keep it WWF on past shows. And why don't they need to blur the solid WWF logo from before the Attitude era?

I feel like breaking something.

[Reply #418 on:]

I don't think the old-school blocky WWF logo has to be blurred. The original deal was that only the WWF "scratchy" logo is the one that needs to be edited out. Of course, why can't Vince go back to that and keep the name "WWF"?

Roy, the whole ordeal with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wildlife Fun is totally Vince McMahon's fault. As far as I've found out, when the WWF was suffering financial losses in the mid-90s, Vince came forward to the Wildlife Fund in order to broker a deal. Vince gave the Wildlife Fund the rights to use the WWF initials in Europe. Over there, they could still be called the World Wrestling Federation, just not abbriv. it.

However, when business picked up again, Vince thought he could go back on the deal and promoted his wrestling as the WWF in Europe. The Fund rightly sued and Vince lost. For whatever reason, instead of going back to the old deal, he scrapped the entire thing and started teh WWE. Which is stupid.

[Reply #419 on:]

I saw Bret Hart's interview on Byte This and it was good.  Bret Hart goes into what he's been doing since he's retired.  And he mentions who we'd like to face if he could.

[Reply #420 on:]

   

Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
I saw Bret Hart's interview on Byte This and it was good.  Bret Hart goes into what he's been doing since he's retired.  And he mentions who he'd like to face if he could.

Who's that?

 

Originally posted by evan:
Roy, the whole ordeal with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wildlife Fun is totally Vince McMahon's fault. As far as I've found out, when the WWF was suffering financial losses in the mid-90s, Vince came forward to the Wildlife Fund in order to broker a deal. Vince gave the Wildlife Fund the rights to use the WWF initials in Europe. Over there, they could still be called the World Wrestling Federation, just not abbriv. it.

However, when business picked up again, Vince thought he could go back on the deal and promoted his wrestling as the WWF in Europe. The Fund rightly sued and Vince lost. For whatever reason, instead of going back to the old deal, he scrapped the entire thing and started teh WWE. Which is stupid.

     Everything I know is a lie. Damn.

They're showing basketball instead of Smackdown here in Philadelphia, could someone post the results later?

[Reply #421 on:]

Bret is a legend, easily one of the best in-ring workers ever.  I got his set yesterday from FYE, it came with a skull cap, and a massive box that fits both his and Flair's sets perfectly side-by-side.  Given their current hatred, I love the irony of that, and the space it saves.  Tonight's SD was emotional, not as much as Raw, but I think time plays a great role in that.  I just posted a tribute to Eddie on VGPub.com, which felt theraputic to write.

[Reply #422 on:]

no fights yestrday

[Reply #423 on:]

Um, what?  SD was on last night, and they announced a Batista-Orton street fight for SD during the international tour last night.

[Reply #424 on:]

Cool huh?

more like




MEMBER EDDIE

oha anyone get the game?

[Reply #425 on:]

Not yet.  I should be getting it for review sometime during the next two weeks.  In unrelated news, Bill Goldberg was on Wrestling Observer Live, and praised Eddie for helping him in WCW.  He also has a baby on the way in June.  Congrats to Bill.

[Reply #426 on:]

yeah well done review what 'bout the game

[Reply #427 on:]

RAW
Shawn Michaels and JBL fought to a No-Contest   
Kurt Angle def. Shelton Benjamin   
Intercontinental Champion Ric Flair def. Trevor Murdoch   
Val Venis def. Triple H (DQ)   
Candice Michelle def. Mickie James   
Rob Conway vs. Tajiri (No Contest)

mber 21, 2005


The tension between RAW and SmackDown hit an all-time high as RAW rolled into Sheffield, England this week.

As the show came on the air, RAW GM Eric Bischoff led his Survivor Series team to the ring. He promised that SmackDown didn’t have the guts to show up, and revealed that his sending Edge to SmackDown was a master plan all along. As Big Show & Kane talked about how Batista was the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time, Todd Grisham announced from the parking lot that SmackDown’s team had arrived. World Heavyweight Champion Batista challenged Team RAW to meet them in the parking lot, an offer that Team RAW captain Shawn Michaels accepted to the dismay of Eric Bischoff.

RAW and SmackDown brawled in the parking lot, with RAW seemingly getting the best of the confrontation. After Chris Masters locked Rey Mysterio in the locker room, Kane & Big Show apparently gave Batista a double-chokeslam through a car windshield, leaving the Animal injured. The fight was broken up, and Team SmackDown took Batista to a local medical facility.

Later in the night, JBL returned, interrupting a match between Rob Conway and Tajiri, attacking both Superstars. JBL demanded a match with Masters, but Bischoff came out and offered him a match with HBK instead. JBL accepted, and later on, Theodore Long and Bischoff agreed to make it a Lumberjack Match.

Early in the match, JBL took control of HBK, working his back. HBK made a comeback and clotheslined himself and JBL over the top rope. Team SmackDown took the opportunity to pounce, attacking HBK before Team RAW managed to make the save. This would happen continuously throughout the match, giving JBL a decided advantage. HBK made another comeback, but Randy Orton pushed him off the top rope. HBK would then hit Sweet Chin Music on JBL, but the Legend Killer stuck his nose in again, this time giving HBK an RKO. This brought all nine men into the ring, and the brawl was on. After Kane & Big Show delivered another double-chokeslam, this time to Lashley, it appeared as if RAW would stand tall again. Instead, Batista returned, wielding a steel pipe. Batista attacked the World Tag Team Champions, and when the smoke cleared, it was the World Heavyweight Champion who was the one left standing.
 

Tensions also mounted within the RAW roster heading towards Survivor Series. Kurt Angle took on Shelton Benjamin, and shocked the crowd again by announcing Daivari as the special referee. Angle worked his former protégé’s back and ribs throughout the match, but Benjamin rallied back. After Shelton hit a DDT on the apron, it seemed he had the Olympic Gold Medalist right where he wanted him. However, Angle escaped Benjamin’s attempt at a T-Bone suplex, instead locking in the Ankle Lock. Benjamin clawed his way to the ropes twice, but Daivari ignored the standard rope break rule. Benjamin then managed to reverse the hold into a roll-up, but Daivari blatantly reversed the pinning combination, and counted the victory for Angle.

After the match, Angle announced that Daivari was his personal referee, and would be the official for the WWE Championship Match at Survivor Series. Cena then interrupted Angle’s celebration, saying he wanted to find out what the WWE Superstars thought of Kurt Angle. After a trio of bizarre confrontations with the Divas, Snitsky & Tyson Tomko and the Boogeyman, Cena instead decided to ask the crowd. The crowd voiced their opinion, and Cena declared that Angle still sucked. The two then brawled, before the WWE Champion was able to send Angle & Daivari scurrying from the ring.

After Ric Flair used a handful of tights to defeat Trevor Murdoch, Triple H appeared on the TitanTron to congratulate the Nature Boy. He sarcastically lauded Flair for cheating to win, but then asked him what he would do at Survivor Series in a match where there are no rules to break. Triple H said he would finish what he started, and promised to show Flair what he could do later on. And indeed, when Triple H met Val Venis later in the night, he sent a powerful message to the Intercontinental Champion. Venis attacked Triple H early, sending him to the floor. However, Triple H grabbed a chair, and smashed it into the skull of the Big Valbowski. Triple H was immediately disqualified, but continued his attack. After delivering a series of chair shots to the defenseless Venis, Triple H scored with the Pedigree, leaving Venis beaten in the ring and sending a message to Ric Flair that this may be his fate on Nov. 27.

Also, another match was made for Survivor Series. During the match between Mickie James and Candice Michelle, two masked men appeared at ringside and abducted Trish Stratus. The distraction allowed Victoria to attack James, helping Candice to victory, but James was more concerned with the whereabouts of her favorite Diva. Trish was found tied up and gagged in an undisclosed location, where MNM revealed themselves as her captors. Melina then berated Trish, saying it was ridiculous that the most dominant Diva in WWE was unable to challenge for the Women’s Championship. That said, Melina challenged Trish to a championship match at Survivor Series; after Trish accepted, Melina kicked her in the head for good measure. MNM then departed, leaving the Women’s Champion on the ground, still tied to a chair.

SMACKDOWN

This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown was dedicated to the memory of Eddie Guerrero, who tragically passed away on Nov. 13, and several special inter-promotional matches were contested to honor the legacy of Latino Heat.

As the show began, Eddie’s entrance music hit, and World Heavyweight Champion Batista came to the ring in a low-rider to pay tribute to his fallen amigo. After parking the low-rider in the entrance aisle and entering the ring, Batista said that Eddie loved his family and the sports-entertainment business, and found peace inside the ring. He knew Eddie was at peace now, and said he will make sure that no one ever forgets Eddie Guerrero. As Batista left the ring, he laid the World Heavyweight Championship on the hood of the low-rider, one final tribute to his amigo.   

In perhaps the most emotional moment of the night, Eddie’s nephew Chavo Guerrero took on JBL. An emotional and fired-up Chavo dominated in the early going, but JBL caught him coming off the top rope with a fallaway slam to take control. JBL worked over Chavo, but as the fans chanted “Eddie, Eddie” over and over, Chavo nailed a tornado DDT to escape another fallaway slam attempt. Chavo then went to ringside, grabbing two chairs and throwing one into the ring. As the referee cleared the first chair, Chavo snuck the second one in. He tossed it to JBL, and in homage to his uncle Eddie, went down to act as if JBL hit him with the chair. While the referee questioned JBL’s perceived actions, Chavo hit the former WWE Champion with a low blow, and delivered Eddie’s signature “Three Amigos.” Chavo then climbed to the top rope, and after pointing to the sky in tribute, hit his uncle’s signature Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

In the night’s final contest, Eddie’s best friend Chris Benoit took on RAW’s Triple H. The emotional Benoit came out strong and aggressive, nearly locking The Game in the Crippler Crossface on multiple occasions. Triple H was able to escape each time, and managed to toss Benoit to the arena floor. Triple H took control of Benoit, working the back and ribs, until Benoit escaped. Triple H managed to block the Sharpshooter, but Benoit responded by blocking The Game’s attempt at a Pedigree. Benoit dominated from there, and his signature rolling German Suplexes led to The Wolverine finally locking on the Crippler Crossface. Triple H attempted to break out of the maneuver, but as he rolled over, Benoit released his grip and caught Triple H in a modified cradle. Triple H was unable to escape, and Benoit claimed the pinfall victory. After the match, Benoit and Triple H shared an embrace, and then pointed to the sky in tribute to their fallen friend. Dean Malenko, another of Eddie’s best friends, joined Benoit in the ring and embraced the Wolverine as well.

Also during the night, Matt Hardy defeated RAW’s Carlito, Road Warrior Animal & Heidenreich defeated Cade & Murdoch, and Juventud won an 11-man inter-promotional Cruiserweight Battle Royal, last eliminating Paul London.
 

Throughout the night, various clips were shown that chronicled some of the greatest moments of Eddie’s career and looked inside the personal life of one of the most beloved Superstars in WWE history. Also, several WWE Superstars also gave their thoughts on Latino Heat through a series of testimonial tributes.

JBL talked about how while he and Eddie were bitter rivals in the ring, they were the best of friends outside the squared circle. He recounted how their rivalry nearly caused riots in every city they visited, and how Eddie was always there for him when he was having problems. JBL’s last wish was to see Eddie come out in the low-rider one last time. (WATCH)

Big Show said that Eddie was a great man and a great father, and touched upon Eddie’s spirituality. Show said his only comfort is that Eddie is now in a better place where he is safe and loved, and knows there will never be another like him. (WATCH)

Booker T expressed his sympathies to Eddie’s wife and family, and said they could always reach out to himself and Sharmell. (WATCH)

Mr. McMahon praised Eddie as a classic performer, and one of the all-time greats. He said that Eddie was a master craftsman at work, and loved to perform for the fans. Mr. McMahon also said that above all else, Eddie was a good man. (WATCH)

And finally, Shane McMahon said that the Guerreros were one of the most special multi-generation families in the business, and Eddie was the most special of the bunch. Eddie loved what he did, and left behind a great legacy. Shane said that the fans’ chants of “Eddie, Eddie” will always live on inside their hearts. (WATCH) 

As the night progressed, Eddie’s low-rider remained parked in the entrance aisle, with the World Heavyweight Championship remaining on its hood; as the show went off the air, the final shot was a close-up of the championship resting there, a fitting final tribute to a man who will be remembered as a cham.

Chris Benoit def. Triple H   
Chavo Guerrero def. JBL   
Matt Hardy def. Carlito   
L.O.D. def. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch   
Juventud wins the Cruiserweight Battle Royal

[Reply #428 on:]

Here are the Survivor Series results.

Show spoiler

Best of Seven Series: Booker T def. Chris Benoit
Women’s Title: Trish Stratus def. Melina to retain
Last Man Standing: Triple H def. Ric Flair
WWE Championship: John Cena def. Kurt Angle to retain
Theodore Long def. Eric Bischoff
Elimination Match: Team Smackdown def. Team RAW

[Reply #429 on:]

cool wat about udertaker

[Reply #430 on:]

After orton won, the sd superstars came out to celebrate and taker's music hit.  Orton ran out of the ring as taker cleaned house.

I just find out that Ric Flair is wanted for road rage.  The police are looking for him.

[Reply #431 on:]

That was great last night, the "David and Goliath" match. I found it odd because

Show spoiler

on Raw The Big Show seemed to be a fan favorite, putting HHH in his place (which was awesome), then on Smackdown he was a heel, almost killing poor little Rey. Powerbombing him on Eddie Guerrero's Lowrider, which of course is going to piss off the Latino community, they love and adore Eddie.

It was also awesome to see

Show spoiler

Kane, Undertaker, and Big Show in the ring together. Hopefully they'll have a match in the future. Maybe Wrestlemania, that'll be a great way to end his career, beating Kane and Show. Hopefully they won't have another Orton-Taker match in 2006, they need to wrap it up.

[Reply #432 on:]

Abot Ric Flair:  Here's a couple of links, thanks given to 411wrestling.com
---------

News 14 in Charlotte reports that Ric Flair has turned himself in regarding the road rage charges. Their coverage of the story can be found here; http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=107832

The Smoking Gun has posted Flair's mug shots here; http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=107832

---------------

More Flair legal problems....
 http://www.wsoctv.com/news/5440067/detail.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Professional wrestler Ric Flair is facing more accusations of violence. His soon-to-be ex wife said he abused her.

Flair is out on bond after being charged with assaulting a man on a Charlotte road.

In May, his wife, Beth, filed for divorce claiming Ric slapped, kicked, choked, and bit her. She also alleges both steroid and alcohol abuse.

Also in the court papers were Ric's legal responses to Beth's claims.

He says that his wife had assaulted him more than once, "striking him about the head and body." He also said he "feared for his phyisical and emotional safety."

But those allegations Ric made agaist his wife Beth this past August are in stark contrast to what he wrote in his autobiography. "To Be The Man" was published just last year. In Chapter 10 he says, "I'm lucky to be her husband". He ends his book saying, "Beth has endured more than a woman should." He continued, saying he planned "on spending the rest of his life proving to her that diamonds are forever."

----------

Bad news keeps on coming for Flair...
 http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/entertainment/gossip/13307913.htm

Pro wrestler Ric Flair has been pinned by the IRS over back taxes and is fighting a nasty divorce battle with his wife.

Flair, one of Charlotte's best-known celebrities, owed the federal government $1 million in 1997, according to a statement from his accountant. The IRS began garnishing Flair's wrestling salary this year, seizing more than $200,000 so far.

Flair and his wife Elizabeth separated in February after 22 years of marriage. In a divorce filing, she accuses Flair of "cruel behavior" and says he slapped, kicked, choked, threw, bit and spit on her and pulled her hair.

Her complaint, which was filed in May, also accuses Flair of abusing alcohol and steroids, causing him to become "enraged, paranoid, emotionally unbalanced and violent," and says he exposed himself to her friends and committed adultery.

Flair acknowledges in court filings that he had a "tumultuous" marriage, but he denies the abusive behavior and steroid use and says his wife is trying to humiliate him with the allegations.

He accuses her of destructive behavior and says she hit him -- not the other way around.

Flair, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, and his wife did not return calls for comment.

Flair's attorney also wouldn't comment on the allegations, saying the divorce "isn't news" because it was filed months ago.

"We're defending the case, and we're not going to talk about their domestic problems," said Bill Diehl, perhaps Charlotte's best-known lawyer. "She accused him of being a bad boy. He accused her of being a bad girl. That's where we stand."

Flair was in the news earlier this week after being accused of road rage on Interstate 485.

The divorce case file at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse has grown as thick as two phone books, stuffed with financial records, credit card bills and property tax records.

There's also a letter from the judge, ruling that Flair must pay Elizabeth $20,000 a month until the case is settled, based on their previous living expenses.

Judge Jane Harper says the payment includes $2,000 for gifts, which Harper calls "obscenely high although far less than she says she needs," and $200 for religious contributions. "Whether she makes this or not," the judge writes, "I've included it to encourage someone in this family to share a tiny smidgen of their huge wealth with someone besides themselves."

The judge also says she'll consider freezing the couple's assets until the case is decided, because Flair used money from a retirement account "to get $92,000 for his girlfriend's finger."

Flair, in response to his wife's complaint, denies her charges and says it was her abusive conduct that led him to leave her. His response and counterclaim, filed in August, calls her "emotionally unstable, verbally abusive and physically violent."

He also accuses his wife of hitting him in an effort to provoke him into retaliating physically.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police records going back to 2002 don't show any calls for service relating to domestic abuse at the Fliehrs' south Charlotte home.

Elizabeth says she once called police to report abuse and Flair pulled open a wrestling scar to appear bloody, so it would look like she attacked him.

Flair says he and his wife have been separated three times and that she condoned and encouraged his "marital misconduct."

The wrestler says he is involved with a woman who he has taken on trips and bought gifts, but he invokes his right to privacy on the question of whether the relationship is sexual.

Much of the case file deals with the family's financial situation and wrangling over money.

Flair says he and his wife "lived well beyond our means" and racked up substantial debt to the IRS and other creditors.

In an affidavit asking for support payments, Elizabeth estimates that she spends $65,000 a year on clothing and $50,000 on vacations. She said she spent $50,000 on Christmas gifts in 2004. The family also owns a boat, a country club membership, and a house in the Piper Glen neighborhood with an estimated $1.2 million tax value, according to court records.

Flair, known for his "Nature Boy" persona and piercing "Wooooo," said he's due to make $500,000 from his WWE contract this year. But he hasn't received a paycheck since April, he says, due to the IRS' actions.

Flair also says he's concerned about his future in wrestling.

"I am 56 years old," the star writes, "working in a business that demands physical fitness and is dominated by performers much younger than I.

"There is no guarantee that even next year, I will be employed."

Road Rage Charges

Ric Flair was charged last week with injury to personal property and simple assault and battery, both misdemeanors, after a 29-year-old driver filed a complaint against him.

The driver says Flair got out of his vehicle on Interstate 485 in Charlotte on Nov. 23, grabbed him by the neck and then kicked the door of his Toyota 4Runner, leaving a large dent.

Flair told the Observer on Monday that it didn't happen that way. "I didn't do anything wrong at all," Flair said in a phone interview. "As usual, I will be exonerated."

Flair surrendered to authorities at the Mecklenburg County jail Tuesday morning and was released on $1,000 bond less than two hours later.

[Reply #433 on:]

That's messed up about Flair, I can't see him abusing sterois, but alcohol is a possibility.

Hopefully everything gets settled in Flair's favor.

Now onto a different topic. What does everyone think of Shane becoming the new GM? I'm excited because it's a change of pace, because Shane's a good guy, unlike Bischoff. I wonder what will become of Bischoff? If they keep him around, it'll sure be interesting, especially since Bischoff and Shane have a history of not liking each other. I remember when Eric broke into McMahon's house and kissed Linda against her will.

[Reply #434 on:]

Lots of wrestlers abuse steroids, and Flair abusing them wouldn't shock me.  Angle issued a statement recently stating that he was in "perfect" health.  Man is denial ever scary.

[Reply #435 on:]

I think you're in denial.

[Reply #436 on:]

How?  Angle's health has visibly declined over the past few years, and it's also well-known that a lot of wrestlers do steroids.  In Eddie-related news, there's a fantastic, 10+ page story on his life, and the history of the Guerrero family, in this week's Wrestling Observer newsletter.  It was easily worth the cost of the subscription in and of itself.

[Reply #437 on:]

Bischoff's gone and we'll have a new Raw GM next week. 

I also found out that Christy Hemme was released from WWE today.  That sucks.

[Reply #438 on:]

Oh, I'm sure they won't replace Bishoff as GM.  They've done this so many times before, and it always results in him being the GM, usually with a wacky counterpart.

[Reply #439 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jay:
How?  Angle's health has visibly declined over the past few years.

Really? Maybe I'm in denial. LOL

I'll miss Christy, she was my favorite Diva.

Anyone know where I can find the playboy pictures of her on the internet?