As the date for the WWE's biggest annual event gets closer and closer, it's always fun to look back and the good, and the not-so-good, of what makes WrestleMania the biggest event of the year. No other wrestling event in the world is watched, broken down, or comes under as much attention as Mania, which is why the company invests as much time and money as they do into it.

Today, instead of the good, I will break down the bad, and give you my WORST 10 all-time WrestleMania Matches of the last 26 years. The matches are in no set order, as these truly were all stinkers in my book.

1. WrestleMania II: Adrian Adonis defeats Uncle Elmer - This was to the point where Adonis (Keith Franke), who at one point was a very solid worker and heel, had gone the "Gorgeous George" route, and had also balloned to well over 300 pounds. His character garnered more attention than his skills, and this match with the tubby Elmer (Stan Frazier) was one for the birds. Thankfully for these two now deceased grapplers, this bout only lasted 3:25.

2. WrestleMania IV: Ultimate Warrior defeats Hercules - Neither of these two guys will ever go down as good workers, but this match of muscleheads was tough to watch, as was the entire feud for that matter. Herc was actually the better "wrestler" in the feud, which is not saying much. Warrior was nothing more than a muscle bound goof that never deserved the push that he eventually got, leading to main eventing WM VI. This 4:29 match that saw Warrior win when he lifted his shoulder after a half-nelson suplex is one to fast forward through if you ever watch this Mania in full.

3. WrestleMania V: The Red Rooster defeats Bobby Heenan - Not much needs to be said about this garbage, other than the :32 seconds it took Rooster (Terry Taylor) to win the match was about :30 seconds too long. Add the Brookyln Brawler in for a little post-match attack, and you have all the eyesores you can handle for one day.

4. WrestleMania X: Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon defeated Doink the Clown (Ray Apollo) and Dink in a "Mixed Tag Team match" - Ugly. That's about all you can say about anytime you have a "Mixed Tag," but add the awful clown comedy of Doink and his small mascot - Dink, and this just over six-minute match is one you'll want to forget.

5. WrestleMania XII: Roddy Piper defeated Goldust (w/Marlena) in a "Hollywood Backlot Brawl" - Talk about the dark ages for the WWE. This was supposed to be a parody of the O.J.Simpson car chase, where Piper chased Goldust around and it was shown on the large screen back at the arena. Awful. Needless to say that they kept cutting to this "match", and everytime they did it got worse and worse.

6. WrestleMania VII: Tenryu and Kitao defeated Demolition (Crush and Smash) (w/Mr. Fuji) - To me, Mania is supposed to be about feuds ending or starting, and wrestlers getting their shot at the big time. That's why having two wrestlers on the card that basically no one knew, or never really heard from again in Tenryu and Kitao fight for 4:44 beating an established team like Demolition was one of the bigger head scratchers of the last 23 years of booking of the event.

7. WrestleMania XVI: T & A (Test and Albert) (w/Trish Stratus) defeated Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) (w/Chester McCheeserton) - Ugh. Three of the four wrestlers in this match are downright bad workers, which made this thing ugly to watch from the word go. This Mania was bizarre in the fact where all the matches were tags or six-man matches, and this one may have been the worst of the bunch.

8. WrestleMania XXI: Akebono defeated The Big Show in a Sumo Match - A one-minute match that was very much a gimmick, but also very unnecessary. Again, no real reason to put one of your bigger names in a gimmick match with an unknown and make him lose. Hey wait, isn't that going to probably happen again this year? Hmmm.

9. WrestleMania XXV: 25-Diva battle royal to crown Miss WrestleMania - This would have been a solid put together match, but instead they made it a farce with the throwing in of Santino Marella dressed like a woman calling himself Santina. I would have like to have seen 25 divas from the past and present really being allowed to go at it.

10. WrestleMania IX: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) defeated Giant Gonzales (w/Harvey Wippleman) by disqualification - While Taker is still undefeated at Mania, this had to be the worst of his Mania wins. First off, Gonzales is just downright awful, and then you had it where Taker actually took a beating from him, only to make a return after the DQ. This one Taker fans won't ever want to relive.

Labels: bobby heenan, Giant González, paul bearer, the great khali, undertaker

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments

A two-disc DVD set on WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan is set for release tomorrow by WWE. Regarding its documentary, it does not feature new comments from Heenan nor archival footage from past releases. His wife and daughter, however, are featured in the piece.

Labels: bobby heenan

Posted by Matt Loede at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

Before the great tandem of Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan ever took the stage for USA's Prime Time Wrestling, the first hosts of the show were Jack Reynolds and Jesse Ventura. Reynolds was a staple for the WWF for years before it really got mainstream and Vince Jr. took the company national.

Reynolds was with the company in the early 80's and assumed the role of play-by-play announcer for the then-All-Star Wrestling telecasts. On Thursday, Reynolds passed away in Cleveland at the age of 71.

Reynolds, real name Jack Rizzo, also worked at WHK and for a dozen years at WWWE 1100. He is the father of Fox 8 TV Sportscaster and personal good friend of mine Tony Rizzo.

Thoughts and prayers go out to Tony and his family, as well as the family and friends of Jack.

Labels: bobby heenan, gorilla monsoon, jack reynolds, jesse ventura, tony rizzo

Posted by Matt Loede at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

Shari Tyree, the ex-wife of the Ultimate Warrior, is shopping around the book rights to a memoir about her marriage to the former WWE champion, titled, “Behind the Paint; My Life with Wrestling’s Ultimate Warrior.” The book is being co-written by Steve Anderson, who worked with Bobby Heenan on his autobiographies.

The pitch for the book reads:

For the very first time, the wife of a professional wrestling star speaks out. Shari Tyree was married for ten years to Jim Hellwig, known as the Ultimate Warrior, and saw him through his meteoric rise, and bizarre fall from the pinnacle of WWE.

Warrior packed the aisles, and was a merchandising boom to pro wrestling. Fans, known as ‘Little Warriors’ screamed and cheered, and then were left baffled by his abrupt disappearance at the height of his success. Only Shari Tyree knows the stunning truth behind the Warrior’s face paint. Hellwig was a man possessed by demons, abusing steroids to achieve his massive, muscular frame, and then pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs to quell his fears, who had led a secretive double life that filled his marriage with turmoil and doubts about his fidelity, and even his sexuality. The avowed anti-homosexual avenger and anti-drug advocate battled with his own duality, and became the engine of his own destruction.

Behind the Paint chronicles Helwig’s early career as a bodybuilder, and his stunning rise in pro wrestling, the excesses of success beyond imagination, his battles with Vince McMahon and the private life no fan could have guessed at.

Hellwig continues to be a media personality, even outside the wrestling ring, making frequent personal appearances to espouse his anti-gay, anti-drug ideals.

Labels: bobby heenan, ultimate warrior

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

From: WrestleScoop.com

Earlier this week, WWE released new information for a new video game that's in development, WWE's Legends of WrestleMania. Although only 3 out of the 40+ characters confirmed for the game have been announced so far (Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Bobby Heenan), reader Trent Prue did some investigating and has uncovered evidence of other roster members. Trent writes, "I was scanning through the new screenshots they have up on IGN.com and the fans in the audience are wearing alot of old school wrestling shirts I spotted a Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Undertaker and Legion Of Doom shirts this is a good indication they will be in the game."

Speaking of the 'Legends' game, LegendsofWrestleMania.com is now online. WWE announced the launch of the site in a press release issued on Tuesday, but the site was not accessable until yesterday. The site includes a video trailer, high-resolution screenshots and a list of game features.

Labels: andre the giant, bobby heenan, hulk hogan

Posted by Matt Loede at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bobby Heenan has returned to his home after spending several months in the hospital following re-constructive jaw surgery, according to the Wrestling Observer. He was previously placed in a medically induced coma following the surgery to help with the healing. He is still unable to speak.

Labels: bobby heenan

Posted by Matt Loede at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

As the date for the WWE's biggest annual event gets closer and closer, it's always fun to look back and the good, and the not-so-good, of what makes WrestleMania the biggest event of the year. No other wrestling event in the world is watched, broken down, or comes under as much attention as Mania, which is why the company invests as much time and money as they do into it. Today, instead of the good, I will break down the bad, and give you my WORST 10 all-time WrestleMania Matches of the last 23 years. The matches are in no particluar order, as these truly were all stinkers in my book.

1. WrestleMania II: Adrian Adonis defeats Uncle Elmer - This was to the point where Adonis (Keith Franke), who at one point was a very solid worker and heel, had gone the "Gorgeous George" route, and had also balloned to well over 300 pounds. His character garnered more attention than his skills, and this match with the tubby Elmer (Stan Frazier) was one for the birds. Thankfully for these two now deceased grapplers, this bout only lasted 3:25.

2. WrestleMania IV: Ultimate Warrior defeats Hercules - Neither of these two guys will ever go down as good workers, but this match of muscleheads was tough to watch, as was the entire feud for that matter. Herc was actually the better "wrestler" in the feud, which is not saying much. Warrior was nothing more than a muscle bound goof that never deserved the push that he eventually got, leading to main eventing WM VI. This 4:29 match that saw Warrior win when he lifted his shoulder after a half-nelson suplex is one to fast forward through if you ever watch this Mania in full.

3. WrestleMania V: The Red Rooster defeats Bobby Heenan - Not much needs to be said about this garbage, other than the :32 seconds it took Rooster (Terry Taylor) to win the match was about :30 seconds too long. Add the Brookyln Brawler in for a little post-match attack, and you have all the eyesores you can handle for one day.

4. WrestleMania X: Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon defeated Doink the Clown (Ray Apollo) and Dink in a "Mixed Tag Team match" - Ugly. That's about all you can say about anytime you have a "Mixed Tag," but add the awful clown comedy of Doink and his small mascot - Dink, and this just over six-minute match is one you'll want to forget.

5. WrestleMania XII: Roddy Piper defeated Goldust (w/Marlena) in a "Hollywood Backlot Brawl" - Talk about the dark ages for the WWE. This was supposed to be a parody of the O.J.Simpson car chase, where Piper chased Goldust around and it was shown on the large screen back at the arena. Awful. Needless to say that they kept cutting to this "match", and everytime they did it got worse and worse.

6. WrestleMania VII: Tenryu and Kitao defeated Demolition (Crush and Smash) (w/Mr. Fuji) - To me, Mania is supposed to be about feuds ending or starting, and wrestlers getting their shot at the big time. That's why having two wrestlers on the card that basically no one knew, or never really heard from again in Tenryu and Kitao fight for 4:44 beating an established team like Demolition was one of the bigger head scratchers of the last 23 years of booking of the event.

7. WrestleMania XVI: T & A (Test and Albert) (w/Trish Stratus) defeated Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) (w/Chester McCheeserton) - Ugh. Three of the four wrestlers in this match are downright bad workers, which made this thing ugly to watch from the word go. This Mania was bizarre in the fact where all the matches were tags or six-man matches, and this one may have been the worst of the bunch.

8. WrestleMania XXI: Akebono defeated The Big Show in a Sumo Match - A one-minute match that was very much a gimmick, but also very unnecessary. Again, no real reason to put one of your bigger names in a gimmick match with an unknown and make him lose. Hey wait, isn't that going to probably happen again this year? Hmmm.

9. WrestleMania XXIII: The Great Khali defeated Kane - Some of the booking for last years Mania was a bit odd, but giving Khali, who never in a million years deserved a match, and allowing him to beat Kane, a match was not a good choice. Thankfully the most we'll see of Khali this year is a hopeful quick elimination in the 24-man battle royale.

10. WrestleMania IX: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) defeated Giant Gonzales (w/Harvey Wippleman) by disqualification - While Taker is now undefeated at Mania, this had to be the worst of his Mania wins. First off, Gonzales is just downright awful, and then you had it where Taker actually took a beating from him, only to make a return after the DQ. This one Taker fans won't ever want to relive.

Labels: bam bam bigelow, bobby heenan, doink, ultimate warrior, uncle elmer, undertaker, wrestlemania

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

Jim Ross has posted his latest blog entry, touching on a number of topics. You can read the full blog by clicking here. Some wrestling-related highlights from this entry:

- Bobby Heenan, who has had a helluva tough go of it in recent weeks with two surgeries to rebuild his jaw, is in a rehab facility in Florida and is reportedly getting stronger by the day, but still isn’t able to talk or to eat solid foods. From what I am told "The Brain" is making the nurses laugh with his physical antics and by what he writes on his blackboard with which he uses to communicate. The Hall of Famer is arguably the greatest manager of all time and was much underrated as a wrestler. Back in ‘93 and not long after I had arrived in the WWE, the Brain, the late Lord Alfred Hayes, and yours truly traveled to the UK to do a TV broadcast from Sheffield. The airline upgraded all three of us to first class from business class and we were the only 3 sitting in first, which was staffed with 3 flight attendants. I don’t remember how many liquids we consumed on the long flight, but I do recall that the airline ran out of several "flavors" of spirits. I laughed so hard at Bobby’s stories that I had to move to another seat to distance myself from him just so I could get some sleep. Please keep "The Brain" in your thoughts and prayers as he continues to rehab his way back to better health.

- I can say somewhat conclusively that I have yet to be in an arena where Floyd Mayweather, Jr. hasn’t been booed and for the life of me I don’t see that changing. Nor do I see that as a bad thing. The hotter Floyd gets as an antagonist the more, one would assume, fans will want to pay to see Floyd humbled.

- Ah, the Hogan divorce. That’s not cool and it will be costly because, if nothing else, it will be costly in the respect that monied lawyers will hit the mother load in this one. The mistress, the kids, the cars, the mansion, the MONEY, etc all reads like one helluva reality show to me. Perhaps too real. After being in divorce court myself (no wise ass remarks please) I do sincerely feel for Hulk and his family, if nothing else, because this has gotten so much publicity and the alleged sordid details of this partnership continue to be "leaked." Of course, I was not a main stream celebrity, nor did I have any where near the cash that the Hulkster has earned over the years, when I ventured into divorce court.

- I get to hear a fair amount of feedback during my weekly travels and without question the match at WM24 that wrestling fans are talking about most is the Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels contest. It is hard to disagree, if one is a long time fan of the business.

- Apparently the Money in the Bank Ladder Match will have 8 participants this year, as it did last year, but that is unofficial. Perhaps we can confirm on Raw Monday night.

- I worked several hours Tuesday on future DVD releases on Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig. Both these guys are extraordinarily "story worthy." Curt and I did a fair amount of commentary together, which was discussed in the interview. Flair’s career is, well, amazing and the stories I could tell about Ric would make a great book and most likely piss off a bunch of people. Having two grown daughters and two granddaughters, I do not need to re-enforce to them my perceived "outlaw days" in the wrestling territories where I first met "Naitch" as was asked by Cowboy Bill Watts, the Vince McMahon of the territory, to "show Ric a good time". No problem. Did I mention that I had visited divorce court……

Labels: bobby heenan, curt henning, jim ross, ric flair

Posted by Matt Loede at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

From Pro Wrestling Insider:

WWE Hall of Famer Bobby Heenan underwent another reconstructive surgery where additional tissue and skin were transferred to his neck to help with the healing process following his surgery replacing his jawbone. Healing has been extremely slow due to the radiation treatments Heenan underwent in the past when he was suffering from cancer. The replaced jawbone bone is doing well and is set in place.

Heenan, who is said to be getting better and has joked he wants out of the hospital, will start physical rehabilitation to help regain strength and begin walking again (as he's been bedridden for so long) shortly.

Labels: bobby heenan

Posted by Matt Loede at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Following from Wrestling Observer about former WWE Hall of Fame Manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan:

- Bobby Heenan is undergoing major surgery tomorrow. They will be taking bone from both his shin and thigh and using it to reconstruct a new jaw, because his jawbone was destroyed by radiation therapy in treating his throat cancer. The surgery is major enough that after completion, they will have to put him in a coma for several days.

Labels: bobby heenan, wrestling observer

Posted by Matt Loede at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments