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411Mania’s Squared Circle News Report 12.05.09
Welcome back inside the Squared Circle! How is everyone doing this week? Right now, my emotions are up and down. I mean, I have TONS of reasons to celebrate right now. The Oregon Ducks were victorious over the Oregon State Beavers (BOOOOO!) and are now on their way to the Rose Bowl, where they should dominate Ohio State to earn their first Rose Bowl victory in years! Not only that, but my girlfriend ended up giving me my Christmas present early this year…..and it was a Playstation 3! That now means I’ll have even less time to play the Wii thanks to the 360 and now the PS3. Man, I’m going to be a busy busy man.
As if the good news didn’t stop. Tonight is The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV! The show will feature Kimbo Slice vs. Houston Alexander in a “WHOEVER HITS THE OTHER GUY IN THE FACE FIRST WINS” fight. It should be an entertaining fight, but it’s apparent the UFC is trying to feed Kimbo a victory here. The only problem is, Houston can throw some pretty mean fists and if he connects with Kimbo…..Kimbo’s going out like a light at bed time.
See what I mean? With all this good news going on, how could I possibly be depressed about anything?
Oh…….yeah…..you’ll see…..
LET’S GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!
Biggest News Of The Week:
Umaga Dead At 36……
The wrestling world loses another……
Man, I really didn’t want to write this. When I originally sat down to write the “biggest news of the week” feature, I decided to focus on the rumor that the WWE was planning on dropping the ECW brand. I actually wrote a paragraph and half about it on Thursday night, before succumbing to the that thing known as sleep. Then on Friday, I headed off to work to do my thing. Since I work outdoors I usually have to rely on my trusty iPhone to stay up to date on the news, Facebook, Twitter, and all that good stuff. Well, during one of my routine checks I noticed people on Facebook posting something about Eddie Fatu (Umaga) being in the hospital. That’s when I raced over to 411 using that god awful Safari browser and noticed that Umaga was indeed in fact in the hospital and was in EXTREMELY bad shape. That’s when I just knew the wrestling world was about to lose another one……
On the way home from work, I just got this weird feeling to check 411 again and that’s when the following came up and smacked me in the face…..”Umaga Has Passed Away”. It happened….we had indeed lost another one. This time it hit me pretty hard considering Umaga was one of my favorite workers in the WWE before his release. He truly was an outstanding worker for a guy his size. He was able to move past the Three Minute Warning gimmick, return to the WWE and make some noise. Something has to be said about that.
Not a whole is available right now concerning facts surrounding Eddie Fatu’s death. We have been told that he died of a heart attack while in the hospital, but that’s it. Details will come out as the week unfolds, but as of right now all we can do is speculate. I could sit here and be the guy who mentions that perhaps Umaga did this to himself with his drug habit. Perhaps he should have entered rehab like the WWE advised him to do then he never would have been in this situation? I can’t really say anything right now considering I don’t know much. All I know is that the wrestling world lost another entertainer at a very young age and I honestly wonder if it will ever end……
R.I.P. UMAGA
This is perhaps my favorite Umaga match. It’s Umaga vs. John Cena in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Title at the 2007 Royal Rumble……..
You will surely be missed big guy……….
UPDATE!:
I was just sent the following press release courtesy of WXW C4 and the Anoai Family……..
WXW C4’s Statement On The Passing Of Eki “Umaga” Fatu
12/04/09 – On behalf of the Anoai Family and front office of WXW C4 it is our sad duty to announce that earlier today, December 4th, we lost another member of not only our wrestling family, but immediate family. Eki “Umaga” Fatu passed away today in Houston at the age of 36. While we mourn the passing of Eki, we also remember all the good times that we were able to share with him and the smiles on the millions of fans faces around the world when he walked to the ring to do what he loved most: wrestle. During this difficult time, we please ask for the fans and the press to respect the privacy of his family during this tough time. When there is more information to be made public, his family will do so. The worst thing that could happen would be to have false information about this horrible situation out there, only to make the situation even worse. We’d like to thank everyone for their sympathy and prayers and ask that everyone celebrate the life of Eki Fatu.
Remember This Guy???
The Warlord
As a young kid who loved professional wrestling, I always had a soft spot for the big guys who couldn’t wrestle. You see, I really didn’t watch the WWE for the athleticism back then. Oh no, I watched it to see big dudes beat the hell out of each other. It didn’t matter to me if the only thing The Warlord could do was rest holds and clotheslines. THE DUDE WAS AWESOME BECAUSE HE WAS BIG AND WORE COOL MASKS~!
However, as I grew up I came to appreciate the hard work it took to work a good wrestling match, which is why when I go back and watch Warlord matches these days…I can’t help but shudder. The Warlord’s WWE stint was incredibly long considering how untalented he was in the ring. It is good job security in the WWE when you are a big scary looking dude.
Not everything the Warlord touched turned to shit though. When he was a member of the Powers of Pain along with the Barbarian, I really enjoyed their feud with Demolition. Who can ever forget the infamous “double turn” of the Powers of Pain and Demolition at the Survivor Series? That was a great moment in WWE history and really showed why Mr. Fuji was such a bastard….
Here’s The Warlord vs. The British Bulldog….don’t say I didn’t warn you!…….
Random News Bits:
– In shocking news, Nick Bollea was involved in a minor traffic accident last Saturday, while on his way home from a charity event for a group that teaches safe driving. The irony in this story alone is enough to keep me laughing for days, however I just can’t comprehend the fact that Bollea is even allowed to drive. Why does this douche have a license? I thought having a license was a privilege? Shouldn’t you lose that privilege when you crash your car going over 100 MPH thus paralyzing your best friend? Maybe it’s just me that believes that……..
– Hulk Hogan is apparently telling anyone who will listen that TNA IS planning on airing Impact on Spike TV on Monday nights starting January 4. Not only that, but he’s also confident that Rob Van Dam and Ric Flair will follow him into TNA. And as if things couldn’t possibly get any sweeter, it also seems he’s leaning toward removing the six-sided ring. Remember when Hogan joined WCW and basically turned it into HIS promotion (and thus killing it….)? Is anyone else getting a big whiff of some deja vu or is it just me?
– In some more Hogan/TNA news, apparently Hogan’s buddies have been telling him not to go to the TNA Impact Zone due to the fact that it looks too minor league and Hogan has always been careful not to associate himself with minor league stuff. This is all retarded news seeing as Hogan should know the Impact Zone is pretty minor league before he signed a contract. The only way TNA is going to benefit from the signing of Hogan is if they see a boost in profits or television ratings. And the only way that’s going to happen is to have Hogan appear on TV. Therefore, who cares if the Impact Zone looks minor leaguish? TNA signed Hogan to help change that image in the first place….right?
– When Hogan does finally debut in TNA. Look for him to start a feud with Mick Foley that will eventually pit members of TNA joining sides with Hogan and other members of TNA joining sides with Foley. Basically it sounds like something the nWo did 10 years ago. What did you think was going to happen when you get Vince Russo, Jeff Jarrett, and Hulk Hogan all together? You are probably going to see a lot of familiar things coming up on Impact. At the end of the day though, I guess we will all be happy as long as it doesn’t end up like this……….
– TNA is reportedly really high on Madison Rayne at the moment. I’ll give you one guess as to who is in the doghouse though. I won’t say her name but it rhymes with Spacey Bon Flairch…..
– Angelina Love has been telling people that she will be returning to TNA soon. However, nothing has been confirmed by TNA so basically…..all you can really trust is her word. I guess it’s time to see what kind of person she is. She better not be a liar as I would really like to see her return to TNA and replace Spacey Bon Flairch……
– Here’s the updated card for WWE’s TLC PPV on December 13:
WWE Tag Team Titles TLC Match
Chris Jericho/Big Show vs. DX
World Title Chairs Match
Undertaker vs. Batista
WWE Title Tables Match
John Cena vs. Sheamus
ECW Title Ladder Match
Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin
WWE Intercontintenal Title
John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre (RUMORED)
WWE United States Title
The Miz vs. Mark Henry (RUMORED)
WWE Divas Title
Melina vs. Maryse (RUMORED)
WWE Women’s Title
Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool (RUMORED)
That’s a lot of matches. Plus when you add the fact that Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston should be on the card SOMEWHERE….it’s shaping up to be a pretty decent PPV for the WWE.
– It’s now looking like The Rock won’t be hosting in RAW in January after all (BUMMER!). Apparently he’s going to be busy promoting his new movie Tooth Fairy and doesn’t know if he will have time to squeeze in a stint as RAW’s main man. The good news is that he is EXTREMELY interested in hosting the show and it looks like he may actually do it in March now. He would be a perfect guest host leading into WrestleMania. Is it too much to ask to see just ONE “People’s Elbow” when you eventually return to the ring Rocky?
– The latest word on Amy and Joe Hennig’s training with Harley Race is that the two couldn’t be any more different. The rumor is that Amy is pretty athletic, however she is what the experts would call “untrainable”, meaning she doesn’t take coaching advice easily. She also wants to use her last name and play up the fact that she’s “Mr Perfect’s” daughter, while Joe has expressed an interest in perhaps using a different name and starting his own legacy. Either way, I can’t wait to see the Hennig’s debut in the WWE. If they have even half the talent their dad did, then when we are in for some GOOD TIMES~!
– The WWE has signed Jillian Beyor. She was the 2008 Playboy Model of the Year. For those of you who don’t know what she looks like, here ya go………
Mmmm, yes ma’dam. I’ll take two……
– Hit The Ropes radio recently sat down with Matt Hyson (Spike Dudley) and discussed his time in ECW, the WWE, and much more. You can listen to the interview here.
(Credit goes to The Wrestling Observer for the above news!)
Wrestling Top 10 Lists:
Top 10 Best Wrestlers In WCW Starrcade History
December use to be a fantastic month for WCW fans. When December rolled around, you knew it was time for some STARRCADE goodness! For you newer wrestling fans who weren’t around for the WCW days, Starrcade was basically WCW’s answer to WrestleMania. Still to this day, when December rolls around, I still miss Starrcade being absent from our lives. With that said, here’s the top 10 best wrestlers in WCW Starrcade history! Enjoy!
(PS: You know how I rank these guys by now. I give them tons of points based upon appearances, then some points for their win/loss record at the event, some points for the quality of their matches, and of course…a little personal bias…..)
This list is in a particular order……
Honorable Mention:
Vader
Starrcade Record: 3-2
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Rick Steiner and The Nightstalker. Mr. Hughes was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– defeated The Barbarian and Kensuke Sasaki. Dustin Rhodes was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1992)
– lost to Sting in the King of Cable tournament. (Starrcade 1992)
– lost to Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1993)
– defeated Jim Duggan. (Starrcade 1994)
Road Warrior Hawk
Starrcade Record: 4-3
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated The Midnight Express. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1986)
– lost to Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1987)
– lost to Sting and Dusty Rhodes. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1988)
– defeated Doom. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– lost to The Steiner Brothers. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The New Wild Samoans. Animal was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Nasty Boys. Sting was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1993)
Bobby Eaton
Starrcade Record: 3-3
Starrcade Appearances:
– lost to Jimmy Valiant and Miss Atlanta Lively. Dennis Condrey was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1985)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Dennis Condrey was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1986)
– lost to The Rock n’ Roll Express. Stan Lane was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose. Stan Lane was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1988)
– defeated Tom Zenk. (Starrcade 1990)
– lost to Sting and Abdullah the Butcher. Brian Pillman was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
AND NOW…..THE TOP 10!!!!
10) Ricky Morton
Starrcade Record: 5-0
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Nikita and Ivan Koloff. Robert Gibson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1985)
– defeated Ole and Arn Anderson. Robert Gibson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1986)
– defeated The Midnight Express. Robert Gibson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated The Fabulous Freebirds. Tommy Rich was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Larry Zbyszko and El Gigante. Dustin Rhodes was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
From Starrcade 90, it’s Morton and Rich vs. The Freebirds!…….
9) Dusty Rhodes
Starrcade Record: 3-2
Starrcade Appearances:
– lost to Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1984)
– defeated Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1985)
– lost to Tully Blanchard. (Starrcade 1986)
– defeated Lex Luger. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Sting was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1988)
It’s Dusty Rhodes vs. Lex Luger at Starrcade 87…….
8) Ricky Steamboat
Starrcade Record: 3-1-1
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Jerry and Jack Brisco. Jay Youngblood was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1983)
– lost to Tully Blanchard. (Starrcade 1984)
– defeated Buddy Lee Parker and Cactus Jack. Todd Champion was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– defeated Brian Pillman and Barry Windham. Shane Douglas was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1992)
– fought Steven Regal to a time-limit draw. (Starrcade 1993)
Ricky Steamboat vs. Tully Blanchard in all it’s glory……
7) “Diamond” Dallas Page
Starrcade Record: 4-2
Starrcade Appearances:
– lost to Jushin Liger and Bill Kazmaier. Mike Graham was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– lost to Eddie Guerrero. (Starrcade 1996)
– defeated Curt Hennig. (Starrcade 1997)
– defeated The Giant. (Starrcade 1998)
– defeated David Flair. (Starrcade 1999)
– defeated The Perfect Event. Kevin Nash was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 2000)
DDP vs. the late (and great!) Eddie Guerrero……
6) Arn Anderson
Starrcade Record: 3-2-1
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Billy Jack Haynes and Wahoo McDaniel. Ole Anderson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1985)
– lost to The Rock n’ Roll Express. Ole Anderson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1986)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Tully Blanchard was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1987)
– fought Doom to a “no contest”. Barry Windham was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Tom Zenk and Terry Taylor. Lex Luger was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– lost to Johnny B. Badd. (Starrcade 1994)
Here’s Arn and Windham battling those pesky Doom guys…….
5) Scott Steiner
Starrcade Record: 7-2
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Doom. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– lost to The New Wild Samoans. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated Col. DeKlerk and Sgt. Krueger. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Konnan and Rey Mysterio. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated The Great Muta and Mr. Saito. Rick Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Arachnaman and Johnny B. Badd. Firebreaker Chip was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– lost to Randy Savage, Vincent, and Scott Norton. Rick Steiner and Ray Traylor were his tag team partners. (Starrcade 1997)
– defeated Sid Vicious. (Starrcade 2000)
It’s SID VS. SCOTT STEINER! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!………
4) Rick Steiner
Starrcade Record: 6-4-1
Starrcade Appearances:
– fought Sting, and The Fabulous Freebirds to a time-limit draw. Eddie Gilbert and Larry Zbyszko were his tag team partners. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated Mike Rotunda. (Starrcade 1988)
– defeated Doom. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– lost to The Wild Samoans. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated Col. DeKlerk and Sgt. Krueger. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Konnan and Rey Misterio. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated The Great Muta and Mr. Saito. Scott Steiner was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1990)
– lost to Big Van Vader and Mr. Hughes. The Nightstalker was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– lost to Randy Savage, Scott Norton and Vincent. Scott Steiner and Ray Traylor were his tag team partners. (Starrcade 1997)
– lost to Shane Douglas, Perry Saturn, Asya, and Dean Malenko. Jim Duggan, Kevin Sullivan, and Mike Rotunda were his tag team partners. (Starrcade 1999)
JIM DUGGAN AND THE VARSITY CLUB! Sigh…only in WCW……..
3) Lex Luger
Starrcade Record: 6-5-1
Starrcade Appearances:
– lost to Dusty Rhodes. (Starrcade 1987)
– lost to Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1988)
– defeated Sting. (Starrcade 1989)
– fought Ric Flair to a time-limit draw. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Great Muta. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated Stan Hansen. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Tom Zenk and Terry Taylor. Arn Anderson was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991)
– defeated Masa Chono. (Starrcade 1995)
– lost to Ric Flair and Sting. (Starrcade 1995)
– defeated The Giant. (Starrcade 1996)
– lost to Buff Bagwell. (Starrcade 1997)
– lost to Goldberg. (Starrcade 2000)
It’s Goldberg vs. Luger! A match I’m only posting to torture you……….
2) Ric Flair
Starrcade Record: 8-4-2
Starrcade Appearances:
– defeated Harley Race. (Starrcade 1983)
– defeated Dusty Rhodes. (Starrcade 1984)
– lost to Dusty Rhodes. (Starrcade 1985)
– fought Nikita Koloff to a Double DQ. (Starrcade 1986)
– defeated Ron Garvin. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated Lex Luger. (Starrcade 1988)
– defeated The Great Muta. (Starrcade 1989)
– fought Lex Luger to a time-limit draw. (Starrcade 1989)
– lost to Sting. (Starrcade 1989)
– lost to Sting. (Starrcade 1990) *wrestled as “The Black Scorpion
– defeated Vader. (Starrcade 1993)
– defeated Sting and Lex Luger. (Starrcade 1995)
– defeated Randy Savage. (Starrcade 1995)
– lost to Eric Bischoff. (Starrcade 1998)
It’s Flair vs. Race in a classic battle. Hell, I was only two years old at the time……….
1) Sting
Starrcade Record: 12-2-1
Starrcade Appearances:
– fought Eddie Gilbert, Larry Zbyszko, and Rick Steiner to a time-limit draw. The Fabulous Freebirds were his tag team partners. (Starrcade 1987)
– defeated The Road Warriors. Dusty Rhodes was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1988)
– lost to Lex Luger. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Great Muta. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1989)
– defeated The Black Scorpion. (Starrcade 1990)
– defeated Brian Pillman and Bobby Eaton. Abdullah the Butcher was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1991) *Also won the Battlebowl Battle Royal
– defeated Jushin Liger and Erik Watts. Steve Williams was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1992)
– defeated Big Van Vader. (Starrcade 1992)
– defeated The Nasty Boys. Road Warrior Hawk was his tag team partner. (Starrcade 1993)
– defeated Avalanche. (Starrcade 1994)
– defeated Kensuke Sasaki. (Starrcade 1995)
– lost to Ric Flair. (Starrcade 1995)
– defeated “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan. (Starrcade 1997)
– defeated Lex Luger. (Starrcade 1999)
STING VS. HOGAN IN THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!!!!……………….
YouTube! Find Of The Week!
Umaga vs. The Wildboyz……..
And that’s it for me this week. Remember, don’t be a stranger to 411! Bookmark the site and visit it countless times a day. Hell, be brave and make it your homepage! Trust me, it will make you a better person……
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