Kurt muss zurück ins WWE TV, aber sofort...
Kurt you still got it!!!!!!!!!!! Bitte als neuen Raw GM
Kurt muss zurück ins WWE TV, aber sofort...
Kurt you still got it!!!!!!!!!!! Bitte als neuen Raw GM
Sooo, das war mal echt lang...
Aber Kurt war toll. Wenn man sich so aufs Korn nehmen kann und trotzdem als one of the best ever ernstgenommen wird, hat man definitiv alles richtig gemacht
Selbst der vielleicht beste In-Ring Performer aller Zeiten sagt den Talenten, dass Charakter und Persönlichkeit wichtiger sind als die Matches selbst. Ich hoffe, da haben einige besonders gut zugehört...
Echt eine Hammer Rede von ihm freue mich unglaublich dass er endlich ein Hall Of Famer in der WWE ist! So ich wünsche euch noch einen guten schlaf und bis morgen zum Takeover Chat!
Raw GM! Ich schlaf jetzt erstmal
Folgende Namen wurden von der WWE am Freitag, den 31. März 2017 bei der WWE Hall Of Fame 2017 Zeremonie im Amway Center in Orlando, Florida in den "Legacy-Wing" der WWE Hall Of Fame eingeführt:
Judy Grable
Toots Mondt
Rikidozan
Farmer Burns
Luther Lindsay
Dr. Jerry Graham
June Byers
Haystacks Calhoun
Bearcat Wright
[Blockierte Grafik: http://up.picr.de/28765802tt.jpg]
[YOUTUBE]
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ZitatAlles anzeigenThe pre-show was what we usually get on the Red Carpet, interviews with various talents. I always enjoy it because it’s nice to see the talent out of character.
They then opened the show with a video roll introducing this year’s class. It’s a good one. The show opened with our host, Jerry The King Lawler. He got a big pop from the crowd.
Lawler welcomed us to the show and put over the class. We are opening up with Diamond Dallas Page. The showed video of HHH calling DDP and telling him that he is being inducted. DDP got emotional and said it’s been a great ride. They then turned it over to other people to talk about him, which they did via video.
After the video, which was great, Lawler brought out Eric Bischoff, who got an amazing reaction and a welcome back chant. He appreciated it. He talked about heart and he would get back to that in a minute. Then he got emotional and said he wished that he was in the crowd and someone else was inducting Page, “God Bless You Dusty Rhodes. May you rest in peace Brother”. He then said he is happy to be the distant second and being here to share this with DDP and the fans. He is amazed at the progress DDP made. He met him in 1988 when he was the manager of Badd Company. People told Bischoff that he towered over the guys he was managing. Then Bischoff said close your eyes and imagine Paul Heyman at 6’11 and 360 pounds of muscle managing Brock Lesnar.
He said that DDP kept at and he was talented and obnoxious. One night they got into a bar fight back in the AWA and when DDP went to WCW in 1991 he was not upset to see him go. He talked about all of the things that DDP did down in WCW and as AWA was dying, he needed a job. He failed an audition a year earlier so he was happy to get a call from WCW. He got to WCW and found out the guy who was there for his audition was the guy he got into the bar fight with, DDP. Instead of holding it against him, DDP worked with him and he ended up getting the gig. They became great friends, even though Page remained obnoxious. He clearly meant it in a good way.
Bischoff learned to respect Page’s commitment. That is what led him to go to work at the Power Plant to learn how to make himself more valuable, as he was a manager and commentator at the time. At 35 he was training to become an in-ring performer. Everyone around him said he was too old, but Page was relentless. Page would tape everything and corner people to watch it with him and give him their thoughts. He was relentless. He kept working hard as he became a wrestler. He tried every gimmick he could think of to get himself over and kept at it because he was committed. He said DDP went on to have career moments with all time greats like Savage, Flair, Hall, Nash, Goldberg, Hogan and more.
Bischoff respects him and he is here because of his hard work and that is why he is here. He said that he is happy to be here because of Page’s heart. Page shares his heart with others in need. He spoke about people that Page has helped with his yoga system and how he wouldn’t let people accept limitations. He namechecked Scott Hall and Jake Roberts and said that they were there tonight because Page was there for them. They nodded in agreement. With that, he brought out DDP.
DDP came out with his daughters, to a huge pop. He said he used to have Diamond Dolls and now he has Diamond Daughters. He put them over and then said it’s time to go. He was funny. He talked about Mania 6 driving Rhythm and Blues to the ring in his pink Cadillac. He said he didn’t get that gig, his car did. And 33 years later, he is going into the Hall of Fame. He said he was truly humbled. The crowd gave him a “You Deserve It” and he got emotional. He said that Lee Marshall said he was an anomaly, he wasn’t supposed to be here. He talked about about Dusty Rhodes and how sad he wasn’t here. He talked about his first meeting with Dusty, doing a good Dusty impression. Dusty said he wanted to make him the Jesse Ventura and Gordon Solie would help him through it. He said didn’t start wrestling until he was 35 and a half and Michael Hayes fell down laughing. He talked about training under Jody Hamilton at the Power Plant. He said he can’t remember how many times he hit the mat and said this fake stuff hurts like hell. He asked if he really wanted to do this and he said Yes. The fans chanted Yes and DDP said Daniel Bryan is one of his favorites, he loved him. He said after three months he got over with Jody and it meant a lot to him. He thanks Buddy Lee Parker and Terry Taylor. He thanked Dusty’s wife Michelle. He said he knows that he wouldn’t get all of those callbacks without her. As Bischoff said, he was trying everything he could do back then to get over, all at the same time.
He said that he had to thank Eric Bischoff. It was Eric that made him lose all of those gimmicks and just be him. He thanked E for always watching his back. He said that he also wanted to thank his other mentor, Jake The Snake Roberts. Without the Snake there is no three time champion. Without him and Dusty he is not on the podium right now. He said that he filmed every match and people laughed at him, but everyone does it now. Jake watched all of the take with him and critiqued him. He said you don’t learn from winning, you learn from falling down. Jake was instrumental in helping him. He wanted to thank Johnny Ace for giving him a finish that would change his life. He had to make it his own so he wanted to thank William/Steven Regal for the cravat that made it work. He said that Ron Ries down in the Power Plant told him to do the Diamond Cutter first, before the move. When the fans did it back, they showed the booking committee that they cared and that helped him.
1996 he had his first competitive match with Sting. The next day PS Hayes calls him and he answered. Hayes wanted to get the machine. He said he saw his match with Sting and he has to be honest. I have never been so happy to eat crow. I’m proud of you boy. And Hayes hung up. In 1997 he got another call from Jake, “Congratulations!” For what? Reinventing the DDT. It meant the world to him.
He wants to thank Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Nash blew him a kiss. No one believed in his idea to turn on the nWo but they did. And they set it up perfect. The fans hated when he joined and they loved when he laid Hall and Nash out. They set the table for him to have the 1997 Feud Of The Year with Randy Savage. By the way, he is doing great impressions of everyone. He talked about calling Savage on Thanksgiving and leaving a message when it dawned on him that he wanted Savage to know how grateful he was to him. He hung up and thought that was it. He said at TV on Monday that Savage took him in a room and said he got his message and played it a few times. He said he called his dad and asked him if anyone ever did that for him and Angelo Poffo said no. He then hugged DDP harder than he has ever been hugged.
He thanked Hulk Hogan and said it won’t be this year or next year, but if you keep working on it you will make huge money with me down the road. He talked about the angle on The Tonight Show with Karl Malone when they went after Hogan and Dennis Rodman.
He thanked his support team for “putting him back together” when he came home off of the road. He also thanked his ex-wife Kimberly. Then he thanked his wife Brenda. He said that she is his strength. She is a breast cancer survivor and that they did it the holistic way. He then ran down a list of other people he had to thank before he left the stage, with the last one being “especially Chris Jericho”. Jericho smiled and the crowd chanted Y2J. He talked about Jericho blowing his back out about five years ago. He sent the video to Jericho and Y2J said he would do whatever he said and look at him now.
He said he wanted to thank his family, his friends, the fans for coming, the DDP Yoga people all over the world and the Accountability Crib. He wanted to thank Goldberg for a hell of a match. Lastly, he wanted to thank his Mom for always letting him believe that he could do anything. Dusty was mentor. He could be his big brother and even his dad. Dusty would let him vent all the time but one night he went to far and said he would never be World Champion. Dusty finally raked his eyes and say that is enough. He said then what the hell are doing this for? If you don’t believe that you have the ability to be the World Champion you need to get out of the business right now. He doesn’t remember what Dusty said after that, but he remembers what he did. He wrote down, “I will be the World Champion in five years”. He said it was less than 5 years when he did. He stepped in the ring with Flair, Hogan and Sting. He thanked Flair for changing his life that night. He will never forget it and he is truly thankful. When the guest ref Randy Savage handed him that Title, an inner peace came over him. The next day Dusty called. How’s it feel. He said Dream, it feels real. Dusty said That’s because it is.
He said that his buddy Jim Ross has called him one of the biggest overachievers ever and he takes that as a big compliment. He said to be an overachiever, you first have an over believer. Always believe in yourself. He thanked the fans and did the Diamond Cutter. Feel the Bang!
It was an awesome speech. Great start to the show.
They showed Roman Reigns and some fans booed. Come on man.
Rock and Roll Express are next. Lawler said he feels good having a hand in creating them. Video time. It was nice to see all time greats give them the credit that they deserve. Here comes Jim Cornette.
Jimmy came out in a tux and a racket. He yelled Oh Yeah! Then he said he said Oh My God, here I go. I’m Jim Cornette on a live mic and the sound guy is on Xanax. He talked about how much people are expecting out of that. I won’t be able to do this justice so I won’t even try.
JC talked about 34 years ago Jerry Lawler had an idea. MTV was taking off. He had these two great wrestlers but they needed a gimmick. He got them their outfits and they debuted in March of 1983. Lawler picked the right two for the job. Ricky’s dad was a ref and Ricky learned from him. Robert learned from his brother Ricky Gibson, who Cornette loved. Said he was great. He said that allowed Ricky and Robert to learn what the fans liked and didn’t like. The fans in Memphis knew them since they were teenagers so they needed to move to another territory to be exposed to fans that didn’t know them. Bill Watts came along and took them to Mid South. They were Justin Beiber before he even existed. The R and R had more sex on the way to the ring that most people had in a year. Women loved them, but men did too. They were smaller but they were quicker and smarter. He talked about how great Ricky was at selling and building to his big comeback. He would reach out to the fans and say help me, and they did. He has been beat up by R and R fans than by the team itself. Finally, he would make the hot tag to Robert and they would hit the double dropkick and it was over. They had great opponents but just like Batman needed the Joker, the R and R needed The Midnight Express. They all wanted to get over. The R and R were good, and the Midnights were the exact opposite. When they worked together, the matches were magic. He talked about how cool it was to be young guys in that spot. He said that they were hot and could have gone anywhere but two guys in Charlotte wanted them to come there, the greatest champion of all time Ric Flair and the creative genius Dusty Rhodes. So they went and got on national TV. He said as the feud was winding down, in came Stan Lane and it started again. In the 1990s backstage politics broke up the Midnights. In the 1990s the R and R because the backbones of Smoky Mountain Wrestling. If it weren’t for them, SMW wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did. He owes them more than he can ever repay.
They also debuted for WWE back then and exposed the world to what they were all about. Many wrestlers have told him that after seeing those teams they knew what they wanted to do, become wrestlers.
In the 2000s, they kept working. They would fight the Midnights on indies. The feud lasted 27 years. He got to manage the opponents of the R and R in their first match and he managed an opponent of them four months ago. They are still fighting and are training young wrestlers. 34 years.
He said that for their fans, the R and R were their family. He talked about fans who considered them family and took Christmas pictures. They brought the pictures to Ricky and Robert and behind the tree were pictures of Jesus Christ and the Rock and Roll Express. That’s how you know you are over. He brought out two men who have meant so much to his personal and professional life, and out they came.
They hugged Corny and then walked around thanking the fans. The fans gave them a big Rock and Roll chant. Ricky put over Jimmy. He said that Jimmy and them are living proof that anything can happen in WWE because Hell did not freeze over. Robert said that the call to get in the Hall was the best call he ever got. Then he got a call that both children were having kids so he will have two grandkids. Ricky said he has seven kids and seven grand kids. And Robert said they all look like him. Pop. Robert said that they were still active and Ricky said that their independent rate went through the roof. They joked around and then said to be part of his business for 40 years and it has grown. He looks at the business now, they are professional athletes. They talked about their path and the people that believed in them. They spent time talking about Dusty’s vision and how he believed in them. Ricky said he was lost, and they kind of were, in a really good way. They are obviously having fun. Then he said that some people say that he is the Gene Simmons of Professional Wrestling. He said no, Gene Simmons in the Ricky Morton of Rock and Roll. Ricky put over Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash. Thanks to Ric Flair, the Greatest of all time. He had the building do a WHOO on three. Robert talked about Ric telling Jim Crockett to come down and see them in New Orleans. Ricky said that Michael Hayes always worked stiff. Robert said that he and Hayes would hitchhike to arenas to put up the rings. Ricky said that they made history with another team and he hopes they are up there soon, the Midnight Express and the greatest manager of all time, Jim Cornette. Robert thanked the man upstairs for keeping them alive. He then put over his fiancé and his family. He thanked his brother for teaching him everything he knows. Ricky talked about his wife Andrea for never trying to change him. Over 35 years they have been around the world together. They have been through great and bad times. They have shared life’s tragedy. He has four brothers, but Robert makes five. He is the greatest person he has ever met in his life. It was awesome. Both teared up. I may have too. That was a lot of fun, it really was.
Rick Rude is next.
Inducting Rick Rude is Ricky The Dragon Steamboat. He talked about 8 years ago he was up here and he still wears the ring with pride. He said that with Rude, they broke the mold on that guy. He talked about how Rude was a true heel who didn’t want to share his heel with anyone. He was a true heel. He talked about strong Rude was, doing 80 pound wrist curls one handed. He talked about him doing 300 pound seated rows. He was strong. You could feel how strong he was when you worked with him. He never would forget how to sell what had happened earlier. He talked about him being the Enforcer for DX and Bobby Heenan’s Family. He talked about great psychologists in the ring, and pointed out how great Rude was. He told a fun story about how Rude could adapt on the fly. He said that Rude was “snug” in the ring, you felt him. Ricky then brought out the family to accept the award.
His son accepted. He said when he found out he was to this, he wasn’t nervous even though he has never done it before. No, it was that how can he measure up to his dad’s words. So he did the Rude spiel about out of shape sweat hogs. Tremendous. HHH loved it. So did the crowd. He said that he won’t tell them about the wrestler. He will tell them about his father. He overcame incredible odds to gain the success he did. He was one of six kids in a single parent home. His dad was a hard worker and set a good example for Rick. He went on to be a bouncer and take sixth in the arm wrestling championships one year. When his friends started in the business, he did too, with Eddie Sharkey. His dad always worked hard to get better and did it for the fans. Rude loved boating and trying to hunt. But he loved his family. He worked hard for his family to have better opportunities than he did. His son said he accomplished that. He said his dad married the best woman he has ever known. He owns his own business. His sister is about to graduate college. And his late brother was a wonderful person. He thanked WWE for the honor and placing him among the greatest wrestlers of all time. Excellent speech.
Beth Phoenix is in next. Natalya will induct her.
She said that tonight she gets to induct her best friend into he Hall Of Fame. She got emotional and said that this was meant to be. It started with Mark Henry. The first time she met him the first thing he said was you remind me so much of Beth Phoenix. He looked at him and said who the hell as she. She said that they could pass for sisters. One day on MySpace this evil twin emails her and says that she wanted to become a wrestler because of two people, he uncles Bret Hart and Owen Hart. Beth said that Owen was her inspiration. Then she finally met this strange, amazing wonderful woman. She showed up wearing the same outfit. She became her sister, he partner in crime. They did whatever they could to impress Fit Finlay and Arn Anderson because if you can do that, you made it. The decided she wanted to be like her. They dubbed themselves Mae Young and Moolah. They didn’t want to be supermodels as kids. They wanted to kick ass and that is what Beth did. But she is also the kind of person that wants to lift others up. She talked about great stories from the road as Beth always believed in her, even when she didn’t believe in herself. They shared good times and bad, and the tough times teach you what you are made of. She talked about how Beth has a Masters degree, a mother, a pianist and a lot more. She got emotional when she said that Beth was her Uncle Owen’s give from heaven to her. So give it up for my best friend, Beth Phoenix! Great job Natty.
Beth came out and hugged Natty. She was obviously emotional, as the fans chanted Welcome Back. She said that they say you never forget your first love and that is true because her first love is wrestling. She said her grandmother loved it and introduced her to it. At WrestleMania 10 she saw Bret vs. Owen and a switch flipped for her. They crafted a work of art that stayed with her. It’s what she wanted to be when she grew up. She talked about going to college and hanging a Steve Austin poster on her wall. And her roommate loved it. He roommate encouraged her to become a wrestler if that is what she wanted to do. She thanked Ron Hutchinson for training her. She thanked a lot of others who helped her along the way, including Afa and his family who opened their home to her.
She got her first WWE Tryout in Toronto at 22 years old. She pumped herself up and opened the door, and walked right into Brock Lesnar. So much for not being intimidated. She went to the ring and saw so many people that she admired. The Dudleys, Christian, Val Venis, Simon Dean, William Regal, Chavo and Eddy and others. They were there early and worked with young talent that didn’t have a contract and she appreciates every moment that they spent teaching her.
At that time she became great friends with Molly Holly. Molly gave her ring gear and put her in touch with Nick Dinsmore and Danny Davis so she could train at OVW. She drove down to OVW and paid 100 bucks. She was handed a receipt saying it was paid in full, by Molly Holly so she could chase her dreams. That is awesome. He said that strong women build others up and that is who Nora/Molly is. OVW was great and she thanked everyone that was a part of it. Paul Heyman was last and got a big pop.
She said that Heyman saw something in her that he knew would translate to WWE. He helped her gain confidence and grow. She thanked him. Then she went on to Tommy Dreamer, who was there smiling. She said that he is the champion of the little guy. He still fights for people who have passion and she said she doesn’t know anyone that loves the business more than him. That is a shoot. She thanked him for all he did for her.
After a few hiccups she made it to the main roster and she thanked all of the women she got to work with. It took the Bellas to get to one that is still there. Lots of turnover there. All the women got pops. She thanked them all.
She talked about working with Candice Michelle and how much she did for her. In many ways she created the Glamazon. Candice cried when she said that. Then she went to Mickie James. That was her first opponent. She put her over and said that today’s roster is lucky to have her. Nick Aldis is there with her FYI. Eve Torres, she put her over big time. And then she went to Santino. She said that she suggested the idea to Vince McMahon and they ran with it. She talked about Santino ripped her in a promo that she didn’t understand. She thought it was good stuff but then back at the hotel an Italian fan translated it for her. She got ribbed a lot by him but he was the funnest she ever worked with and he put a smile on everyone’s face.
She then turned to Natty and put her over big time. She talked about Natty getting her teeth knocked out in a match and then asking the ref to hold onto them until later. She loves to perform. Natty is family to her and has always been there for her. Owen had a little part of bringing them together. As far as friends go, she’s the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.
She wanted to thank the current stars for continuing the movement for equality for women in wrestling. She name checked the female roster. She put over Finlay Arn, and so many others I don’t want to mention names and leave people out. She said it takes an army to make a WWE Superstar.
She wants to thank those that came before her and had her chase her dreams. Again, don’t want to forget anyone here. She did finish with Chyna. And mentioned Lita, who is there. She then talked about Chyna breaking down the door for her to appear in the Rumble. She saw Chyna on Raw and started lifting weights the next day. She never met her but she appreciates his contribution to the business.
She thanked the fellow inductees. It’s an honor to be next to them. She thanked the fans for demanding opportunity for women.
She said that her mom and dad aren’t there because he mom just had a Triple Bypass operation. It’s a miracle that she is here and they have always been her biggest fans. He favorite song is Wind Beneath My Wings and that is what she is to her. She thanked her brother and her wife. Her mother in law Judy for treating her like a daughter. She thanked her husband Adam, which got a bug pop, she was going to call him the Rated R…..when Tony Chimel came out. He gave the intro for Edge. It got a huge pop. He was holding their daughter. She said that being a wrestler has unique challenges. When wrestlers are married to wrestlers, it’s even worse. She gave funny examples. She told a funny story that culminated with Mick Foley, who is there with his daughter. She thanked her husband for being himself and a great father to their two girls. She loves him for being the husband and father that he is. She then told her daughters that they are her greatest accomplishments. She wants them to know that if they ever feel like they don’t fit the mold, it’s because they were meant to. You are meant for greater things. Embrace what makes you different and other different. That is what makes dreams become reality. She thanked us and left. Another great speech.
The Warrior Award with Eric LeGrand is next.
Dana Warrior came out to introduce him. As she was talking about what WWE had to offer, she mentioned stitches and they showed Sheamus. He better protect that tomorrow. She had fun at Enzo’s expense too. She then talked about her husband and how he inspired people to always believe. She then talked about LeGrand’s accident and all he has done to overcome his injury. It’s very impressive. She encouraged people to give to the cause. Your dollars could be the one that made the cure happen. She said Warrior was about love and Eric is the shining example of that. She then introduced a man who is a true warrior in every way, Eric LeGrand.
The crowd gave him a great hand. He thanked them. He thanked God for all of the blessings in his life. He thanked HHH for their friendship and the whole WWE family. He said that their friendship began with Joe DeFranco, their mutual friend. HHH invited them to SummerSlam in Brooklyn two years ago. He talked about the day he got hurt in 2010. It was a scary story. I can’t even imagine. He talked about after the bad prognosis, he said he would be back. That is when he found the Warrior he wanted to be. He said that he couldn’t sleep because the ventilator was so loud so he asked to taken off. They said he would die but when they took it off, he breathed on his own. He eats solid foods now. He showed that now he can shimmy in his shoulders. Six years in he could have given up. He has friends that have passed or given up but he didn’t. His dream is to make a spinal repair surgery like an ACL. He mentioned the great work that the late Christopher Reeve did and now it’s his turn to take over the mantle.
Then he moved on to being a fan of WWE. He said that everyone at some point in their life was a fan of wrestling. He talked about being put into the Walls Of Jericho by his sister, and laughed. He talked about breaking his bed overshooting a flying elbow. He talked about his love of the Attitude Era and Steve Austin. He talked about watching ECW and WCW but Steve Austin with his crazy act. He said that Kane inspired him as well. He talked about being Kane’s character in Smackdown vs. Raw back in college. He then moved on to the busiest man in Show Business, The Rock. He said he about people that could move the crowd, and that is The Rock. He thanked Dana Warrior and his mom. She is great, taking care of him. He thanks her. The last people he wanted to thank were his Rutgers Football Team, Team LeGrand. He got them to stand. He thanked them. He thanked WWE and said he will walk again one day. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. It was very inspirational. I am glad that they chose him.
Teddy Long is up next. After his video, JBL and Ron Simmons came out to induct him. They came out and said that Teddy Long is the cheapest man they ever met. Ron said Scrooge is second. This is the first time they have seen him in a while and they have a bill for him for 3 years of debt. It is over 72 grand. They know that they will never see a dime of it. They know this because he was the driver of the APA and Godfather and he was awful. He got a felony down south. Ron said for driving while black. The truth was while they were drunk, Teddy failed a test for drunk driving even though he hadn’t drank in a week. Teddy is old. He wasn’t around for just the Civil Rights movement, he was around for the Civil War. But in all honestly Teddy is one of the only guys in the business that has held almost every job. That is quite an accomplishment. Those alone should put him in the Hall but his personal journey is even bigger. He was born in Alabama when Civil Rights didn’t exist. He had to drink from a coloreds only water fountain. He was a block away from a church that was blown up in 1963 for racial reasons. He was arrested once for the color of his skin but people like him are teaching others about getting people to understand not to judge on the color of their skin.
After Ron won the WCW Title, Teddy said this isn’t about Black History, it’s about History. Ron said that if anyone deserves this, it’s Teddy. It shows that if you are willing to put in the work, anything can happen for you. With that they brought out their friend, the cheapest man on the planet. He came out in a bad ass red tux and did a little dance, feigning he hurt his back. When JBL and Ron checked on him, he said gotcha. He wanted them to dance but they didn’t want to.
Teddy said that the crowd wasn’t loud enough so they needed to give him a holler holler holler. He thanked them and they chanted his name. He started off by taking issue with being cheap, except he is. He said he had to correct the driving story. He was driving and got off at the wrong exit. The cop pulled him over. He said that he smells alcohol in the car. Ron Simmons says, “Oh we got a blood hound now huh?” JBL is in the front seat with a ton of beer cans on the floor. Police made him take the sobriety test. He passed. After that he still got a ticket for 200 dollars, and he found a way to get the APA to pay for it.
He ain’t long winded so he won’t keep you here all night. He knows what time it is. He talked about going down to TBS to work for Georgia Championship Wrestling. He didn’t get paid but he found a wrestler to get him backstage. He started to clean up to stay busy to look like he belong. He then got hired to work on the ring crew. Didn’t get paid at first but did after about a month. They were at a show in Marietta when a ref no showed. The promoter picked him to do it, even though he had no experience. His first bout was Black Bart and Ron Bass in a Texas Death Match. He was scared out of his mind. When they start bleeding, he jumped out of the ring.
Then when he was ref, he started riding with Kevin Sullivan and Eddie Gilbert. He learned a lot from them since they had great minds. They found out that he was a DJ as a teenager. They would drink beer and Teddy would DJ for them. They went to Jim Ross and told him about it and he became a manager. He got Ron and Butch Reed as the Ebony Express, and later Doom. He got Mark Mero and Scott Norton and other guys.
Then he came to work for the WWF in 1998 when Jim Ross hired him. He was a referee for a year or so and he was told that it was recommended to Vince to make him a manager. He went to Providence, RI and came out with D Lo Brown. He did a promo and Vince said I can’t believe I had you under my nose all this time and from that point on, he became a manager. He went over the guys he managed. He won’t take the time to list them all.
Then one night he came into Smackdown and they told him he would become the GM of Smackdown. He was nervous but he couldn’t let the McMahon down. He said he had to make it work, and he did, for nine years. He said he wanted to move on and thank people. He started with God. Then WWE and the Universe, and especially the McMahon Family. He appreciates the opportunity that they gave him. He wanted to prove everyone that had no talent that they were wrong and the McMahons gave him that opportunity. He wanted to thank his son. One night at 6 years old, he helped him put the ring up for WCW when there was no one else there to help him. Big pop for his son. He thanked his wife. He said that his wife Tasha is a good woman. Thanks for putting up with him because he is no day at the beach.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks for coming out and supporting everyone that is being inducted tonight. And he wants Bradshaw and Ron to know that if they have a problem with the money, he is gonna put them in a tag team match. Ron is gonna say his retired so that leaves JBL and you will go one on one with The Undertaker.
As he tried to close the crowd chanted his name. He said I’m a Holla Holla Holla Famer. He danced and then left. Good job Teddy!
Next up was the Legacy Hall Of Fame. They are:
*Haystacks Calhoun
*Judy Grable
*Bearcat Wright
*Farmer Burns
*Rikidozan
*Luther Lindsay
*June Byers
*Toots Mondt
*Dr. Jerry Graham
And now, it’s time for Kurt Angle. John Cena will be doing the induction. The video was great, it really was. The stuff that Angle did was awesome.
Cena got a lot of boos when he was introduced. They chanted John Cena Sucks. So much for being chill on a classy night. Oh well. Cena didn’t sell it. He said it was nice to see all of you too. The fans chanted Let’s Go Miz. Miz did a ME?????? Cena said there’s a lot of energy for Sunday right here, right now. He thanked the fans but said that the moment we are about to experience is long overdue. He got them on his side. He said there are no words to describe how great this guy is because there has never been someone like him before. He could have you belly laughing right before he ran circles around you. He dominated as an amateur against bigger people. He won the Olympics with a serious injury. They all know that some guys come to WWE with such hype that they can’t meet it. He exceeded it and became the measuring stick for all WWE Superstars. A lot of people in WWE tried him, on and off camera, and they all failed. He could wrestle but he could entertain too. He made us laugh, cheer and believe. He is the type of guy that fathers tell their kids about and they kids say it can’t be true. Cena was there and lived it and it’s true, it’s damn true. Please welcome home the one and only Kurt Angle. Good job by Cena.
As he came out, with his daughter, the fans chanted You Suck to his music, and you would expect. Then, they gave him a big pop and a standing O. His daughter went to the back.
He said it was great to be back home. He thanked Cena for the wonderful speech. The crowd drowned him out with a Welcome Back chant. He said he has so much respect for Cena. He wanted to tell us a story about coming to WWE. After he won the Gold Medal in 1996 with a broken freakin’ neck. Vince McMahon called him up to his office and offered him a huge money contract. He didn’t want to pass it up but he said that if he signed it, he could never lose a match in WWE ever. He never heard back from him. Two years later he started watching Raw and he fell in love with it. He called WWE and talked to Jim Ross, who he sent prayers out to. He asked if the contract offer still stood. JR said no but you can come up and try out like everyone else. So he did and he picked it up quicker than anyone. He wants to thank some people. Jim Ross. Dory Funk Jr. Tom and Bruce Prichard. Gerry Brisco and Pat Patterson. Johnny Ace. AA. Fit Finlay. And more.
He thanked the late Steve Bradley and Shawn Evans for their help.
He said that he was on TV just 12 months after he started. It’s hard, but he did it due to a lot of unselfish athletes. Edge and Christian. The Hardys (the crowd chanted Delete). Jericho. Eddy Guerrero. As he worked up the ranks, Steve Austin. Then Rock, Taker, HHH, Big Show. Rikishi. He had to thank them all. He said very early in his career he was literally one of the best in the business and he couldn’t believe. Matches with Michaels, Orton, Lesnar, Cena and that crazy son of bitch Shane McMahon. He can’t wait to see him and AJ on Sunday.
He wants to give advice to the wrestlers in the crowd. He has done and good bad. Limit your mistakes. Follow the rules. Use common sense. Don’t be the person that people say could have been great if he stayed out of trouble. Take chances with your personality and character. He did. Sometimes when you make fun of yourself it works for you. Like the tiny cowboys hat. Someone brought him one and he put it on. It still works. Do you really think I wanted to do this with Steve Austin and Vince? He sang the Jimmy song. Another chance was the wig. It was brought out to him. He said he needed his headgear and got it. Do you believe he made the Immortal Hulk Hogan tap out with this on. He is gonna keep it on for a while.
He talked about when he drove a moped down to the ring to wrestle Taker. He didn’t like it but Angle did. He talked doing Whoo offs with Flair and Battle Raps with John Cena. He did one with the help of the crowd. It was cool. His favorite of all time was doing the Sexy Kurt. He said he would do it and made the crowd beg for it. He did it and they did it with him. Big pop and Angle chant afterward.
He said what he is trying to tell the wrestlers is you have to make moments. Personalities make moments. That is what fans last forever and he’s right. His favorite of all time was the milk truck. He wanted to thank the Lord for giving him the ability to do what he did. He thanked the fans for always making it fun for him. He thanked his brothers and sister, and mom and dad, for instilling to always give his best and nothing less. He thanked his five children. They are his life. He wanted to thank the one person that saved his life. She was there at his worst and is been there at his best, his wife Giovanna.
Last but not least, he will celebrate the only way he knows how. He has two milk bottles. And he celebrated the Hall OF Fame class and poured the milk in his mouth and all over himself to end the show.
It was a great speech and it just feels right for him to be back him where he belongs. I am happy for him.
And that was your Hall Of Fame. Overall I enjoyed the show. I do think almost four hours is a little long and if I could make one suggestion it would be to limit the number of inductees to five. Beyond that, fun show and one of WWE’s classiest nights of the year.