Latest news with #WWEHallofFame
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Bayley Teases Dream Match With WWE Legend
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Bayley has teased a potential match for the upcoming Evolution 2 event. The former champion hinted at a match with WWE Hall of Famer Ivory. The second all-female WWE premium live event will take place on July 13th. It will be held at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Bayley Teases Match With An Icon On social media, Bayley shared a photo of herself with Ivory. The picture was posted with the simple caption, "Evolution 2." This post has led to widespread fan speculation. Many believe a first-time-ever match between the two could happen at the event. Ivory, a 2018 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, is an icon of the Attitude Era. She is a three-time WWE Women's Champion. She was also a memorable member of the heel faction, Right To Censor. Her last WWE match was in the battle royal at the first Evolution event in 2018. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: Bayley and Tiffany Stratton in action during Smackdown at Pechanga Arena on January 17, 2025 in San Diego, California. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: Bayley and Tiffany Stratton in action during Smackdown at Pechanga Arena on January 17, 2025 in San Diego, California. WWE/Getty Images More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation A Battle Of Eras At Evolution 2 A match between Bayley and Ivory would pit a current top star against a legend from a previous generation. This would be a significant addition to the Evolution 2 card. So far, only one match has been officially announced for the show. Jordynne Grace is scheduled to challenge for the NXT Women's Championship. While nothing is confirmed, Bayley's post has generated excitement for a potential "battle of the eras" match. Ivory debuted in WWE in 1999 and quickly became a top star in the women's division, capturing the WWE Women's Championship twice in her first year. Her most memorable run came as the sole female member of the controversial Right To Censor faction. As a conservative heel, she won her third Women's Championship, which she ultimately lost to Chyna in a high-profile match at WrestleMania X-Seven. After the group disbanded, she worked as a trainer on Tough Enough before leaving WWE in 2005. A 2018 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Ivory has made special returns for events like the first Evolution pay-per-view, cementing her legacy as a key figure of the Attitude Era. Ivory has yet to address this tease by Bayley, nor has there been any reports that WWE is interested in making the match happen. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The night WWE legend Scott Hall killed a man
"Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Professional Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," the upcoming book written by Marc Raimondi which documents the rise of the legendary nWo faction and the impact it had on the broader world, publishes on Tuesday, June 24. The following is an excerpt detailing the rise of Scott Hall, aka two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee Razor Ramon, who emerged as a central figure in wrestling's New World Order. Scott Hall was at work the night of January 15, 1983, tending bar at the strip club Thee Dollhouse in Orlando, Florida. He was bracing himself. Hall knew an altercation — 'of course it was over a girl' — was imminent. Advertisement It was early in his shift when Hall got word that the husband of the woman he had been seeing was outside in the parking lot. The man had busted all the windows out of Hall's car, and was fixing to get a piece of Hall next. Hall, a well-built, 6-foot-5 bodybuilder, went outside to confront the man and knocked him down immediately with one punch. The man, named Rodney Perry Turner, reached for a firearm and a struggle ensued. Hall took hold of the gun first — and shot Perry Turner in the head. He died instantly. Hall, then just 24 years old, was charged with second-degree murder. The case against him was later dismissed when sworn testimony was not enough to prosecute. 'I drilled him, and he went down, and his shirt went up and he was reaching for the gun, so I reached for it, too,' Hall recalled. Advertisement A bar employee told the Orlando Sentinel at the time Perry Turner had threatened to kill both Hall and Perry Turner's wife, Carol, when he found out Hall and Carol were dating. Two months earlier, Perry Turner had fatally shot another man. Perry Turner claimed he was attacked after the man made a pass at Carol. Perry Turner was never charged, as the killing was ruled justifiable. 'I should have sought counseling right then, but I didn't know anything,' Hall said. 'I was a kid.' Hall was raised in a military family. He has referred to his father as a 'big shot' in the U.S. Army. Hall's parents and grandparents had issues with alcohol, an addiction that definitely did not skip a generation. Advertisement 'We come from a long line of hard-drinking rednecks,' Hall said. Hall went to high school in Germany where his dad was stationed and moved just about every year before his family settled in Florida when he was a teen. Hall's father was a pro-wrestling fan, and Hall himself wanted to be a wrestler ever since he was eight years old when his dad took him to a hair-versus-hair match. Hall took a piece of the losing wrestler's hair home with him. 'And I just was hooked since then,' Hall said. Hall had spent time working the regional circuit as a wrestler in the 1980s, including a stint in the AWA like Hulk Hogan. Hall had a run with Curt 'Mr. Perfect' Hennig as the AWA tag-team champions, and Verne Gagne then wanted to position Hall as his No. 1 babyface. Hall absolutely looked the part. He was tall and handsome with light brown hair and a bushy mustache. With a wide chest, big arms, and bulging trapezius muscles, Hall looked kind of like a jacked-up Tom Selleck. Razor Ramon makes his entrance at WWF Wrestlemania X8. (George Pimentel via Getty Images) 'When Verne started pushing him to be his top guy, I know other people were going like, 'Oh man, same size as Hogan, better body, better-looking,'' Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer said. 'But when it didn't work, it was kind of like, 'Oh, he doesn't have charisma.'' Advertisement Things just didn't click for Hall as a generic good guy. The fans didn't get behind him. After taking a hiatus from wrestling, Hall found his way to WCW in 1991. He knew he had to change things up, because regular old Scott Hall, as impressive as he looked with his shirt off, wasn't working. And Hall really committed to changing things up. His new character was called The Diamond Studd. He was a cocky ladies' man with slicked-back black hair, a toothpick between his teeth, and dark sunglasses. The bushy hair and mustache were long gone. The Diamond Studd wore a five o'clock shadow and didn't skip trips to the tanning bed. The leaner Studd looked nothing like 'Big' Scott Hall from the AWA. The Diamond Studd was managed on screen by Diamond Dallas Page, who previously had accompanied the very popular Fabulous Freebirds to the ring. Like Hall, Page had a background in the nightlife industry, managing several Florida clubs. Hall and Page got along well, in the ring and outside of it. And Hall started to have some success in WCW with Page by his side. Hall had size, good looks, and could work an entertaining match in the ring. There might not be a blueprint for wrestling stardom, but he checked a lot of boxes. Still, Hall wasn't being positioned past the early matches on WCW cards. The main event wasn't even in sight. Advertisement That didn't matter to Hall so much. He was grateful just to have the job of his dreams. But Hall and his wife, Dana, had just had their first child, Cody. Making more money to support his growing family would have been nice. So Hall started having conversations with Pat Patterson, McMahon's right-hand man. nWo members Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan face off with Lex Luger, The Giant and Booker T during WCW Monday Nitro in February 1997. (WWE via Getty Images) 'Some guys were higher up [in WWF], but everybody was a star,' Hall said. 'So I said, 'I don't have to be a main eventer, I still want to wrestle.' Because even the lower-paid wrestlers are getting paid, and I had no education. So I thought, this is what I still want to do for a living. If I have to be a bottom guy, I'd rather do it for the best company.' 'Bottom guys' in wrestling — or low carders and midcarders — are kind of like the fighters you see on the preliminaries of boxing or UFC events. They're talented enough and have a big enough following to earn a spot on the event, but don't have the skill level or star quality to make the main event. Their main role is to lose to wrestlers tabbed as stars as those would-be stars make their way to a headlining role. Advertisement Hall would never be a 'bottom guy' again. He was pushed near the top of the card immediately in the WWF with a new character: Razor Ramon. Hall, as Ramon, became an arrogant, well-dressed, and villainous Cuban American from Miami. It was basically a rip-off of Al Pacino's suave but brutally violent Tony Montana character in "Scarface," which had gained a renewed cult following a decade after its release. McMahon had never seen the movie and when Hall came to him with the idea, he thought Hall was a genius. For weeks on WWF television there were taped vignettes trumping up his arrival. Hall wore gold chains with an open, button-down shirt revealing his chest hair. He spoke with a fake Cuban accent, called people 'chico,' and borrowed phrases from "Scarface," adding his own spin, like 'say hello to the Bad Guy.' Hall was neither Cuban nor even Hispanic, just like Hogan wasn't actually Irish. In wrestling, everything is about the performance. And Hall was more than believable enough as Razor Ramon.
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Zelina Vega riding high as WWE Women's United States Champion after years of shortcomings
Zelina Vega is a big believer in manifestation. Yet not even she could believe her biggest career achievement thus far. After her in-ring WWE career started in 2018, Vega finally captured a singles title, winning the Women's United States Championship by dethroning the inaugural winner Chelsea Green. It came at a coincidental time. Exactly one week before she won the title, she told USA TODAY Sports at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony red carpet she hoped the championship was in her future. In a way, manifesting it would happen. But when Vega landed the Code Red on Green and got the pin to put the gold in her hands, it was a gratifying moment she didn't expect as she looked at what was finally in her possession. 'It's as much a shock to you guys as it was to me,' Vega told USA TODAY Sports. 'I just realized that as I looked at (the title), I was like, 'Oh (expletive), this is real.' That's when I grabbed my face. That's when I realized it was real.' Long desired by fans, the introduction of the Women's United States and Intercontinental Championship in November 2024 meant more female stars could finally chase and obtain gold. Mid-card runs expand the possibilities available on the roster. That made for the perfect opportunity for Vega, who for so long had fallen short of being a singles champion. She has some notable achievements, like the inaugural Queen of the Ring and a Women's Tag Team Champion in 2021, but like all wrestlers, the goal is to obtain solo gold. Not only had it been years since she grasped a major accolade, Vega came close to finally doing it several times, only to fall short. 'If I'm being honest, it was very deflating each and every single time for me, too,' she said. 'But I think I always got something out of each title opportunity that I got.' She found plenty of silver linings with the championship losses. She lost to Asuka twice in September 2020, but felt like it showed management she's capable of performing in the spotlight. Despite losing to Rhea Ripley at Backlash 2023, she 'won so much more' being able to perform in Puerto Rico as a proud Boricua. In July 2023, Vega felt rejuvenated when she battled Liv Morgan. While there was something positive to take in each loss, Vega knew the clock was ticking on fans sticking with her. With consistent losing, the crowd loses interest and eventually moves on. But after years of just missing out, all the shortcomings, Vega finally did it — and validated herself as someone not to overlook. 'When it happened, the crowd erupted because they're like, 'Oh my god, we weren't expecting this either,'' she said. 'It's nice to prove people wrong.' Silencing the doubters is how Vega plans to carry her title reign. She has a tough act to follow in Green, who turned the inaugural run into comedy gold with the presidential-style reign and the 'Secret Hervice' in Piper Niven and Alba Fyre serving as her security. Vega applauded Green's work because 'she's always able to take something and run with it,' and when it comes to continuing to bring prestige to one of the newer titles on the roster, she wants to showcase that underdog mentality she's always had. Similar to how Rey Mysterio did with his World Heavyweight Championship run in 2006. 'When it comes to what I want to put onto this title, it is it does not matter how big, how small you are. Ultimately, it's what you have in your heart,' Vega said. Zelina Vega honors dad with title Not only did she prove people wrong, but the title victory meant she could have a full circle moment. Less than a week after the win, Vega went to New York City, where she brought the championship to her dad's memorial. Michael Angel Trinidad was one of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and his name is on the National September 11 Memorial. It was an emotional moment as Vega FaceTimed her mom. Both cried, knowing Vega's father played a major role in her decision to get into wrestling. She noted her father is 'always my why' to push through all obstacles, and when she put the title along her dad's name, she was able to take it all in. 'It felt nice to just finally exhale,' Vega said. 'The only times I've really ever done that was at Backlash (2023), winning (the title) and then at the memorial. 'It was nice to feel like I actually accomplished part of the promise that I made so long ago,' she added. Reuniting with husband Aleister Black in WWE It's a great time in Vega's household; not only is she champion, but her husband, Aleister Black, just made his return to WWE after he left the company in 2021 and went to All Elite Wrestling. Coincidentally, Black's return to WWE came the same night his wife won the title. Vega said the championship match wasn't even the top priority that day, with her focus mostly on making sure her husband was good. It wasn't all worries though. 'I was kind of just wowed by the fact that I was even seeing him at work again. I looked like a little school girl. I was smiling all day long,' Vega said. It made for an even sweeter celebration. When she got backstage from her win, Black was there to greet her and soak it in. Then right afterward, Black was next to get in the ring to have his moment. She said her and Black have been waiting for so long to work together, and now they get to be on the road together and have plenty of nostalgia kicks. She's gone from having this crush on Black when they were both in NXT to now full blown husband and wife. She's a champion, and her husband is back. After years of hoping dedication would eventually pay off, just about everything seems to be going Vega's way. 'You have dreams like that,' Vega said. 'But this time I didn't actually wake up.' The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
Buzz Feed
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
The Best WWE Muscle Mommy Wrestlers Of All Time
WWE has had many females wrestlers throughout the years. Even if you don't actively watch WWE, some of these women have impressive physiques that you can't help but admire! Beth Phoenix Known as the "Glamazon," Beth Phoenix has made history in her past duration with WWE. She won the WWE Women's Championship 3 times (2007, 2008, and 2010) and also won the WWE Divas Championship at Hell in a Cell 2011. Beth Phoenix was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017. Beth Phoenix is definitely one of the most iconic muscle mommies in WWE. Natalya Natalya has been known for her family connections with the Hart family, learning from the best-of-the-best Bret "the Hit Man" Hart. She has won a few titles over her years in WWE. In 2010, she won WWE Divas Championship and in 2017 at SummerSlam, she won WWE Women's World Championship. She has been an iconic queen in WWE since the beginning of her wrestling career. Her most recent career win was in 2021 on Smackdown. She won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship!*Fun fact: Natalya and Beth Phoenix are besties! Trish Stratus Trish Stratus should definitely be in everyone's top list as one of the greatest women wrestlers of all time. She is one of the most iconic wrestlers. She has won the WWE Women Championship seven times! How iconic is that! She retired after her last championship, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. Trish Stratus is the best of the best! Chyna Chyna is undeniably one of the greatest women of all time. Chyna was known as "The Ninth Wonder of the World." Spoiler: She is my #1 favorite wrestler all of time. She accomplished so much and broke many, many barriers in her time on WWE. She was a bold powerhouse in her day and definitely one of my icons. She won WWE Intercontinental Championship in 1999, January 2000, and August 2000. Then, she won the WWE Women's Championship in 2001. She was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is 2019. Chyna is the true definition of muscle mommy. Ivy Nile Previously on NXT in 2021, she joined WWE Raw in 2023. This muscle mommy is one of my favorites and has full potential in winning some titles in the future. Just look at those arms. How could I NOT put her on this list? Goals! Bianca Belair Bianca Belair is known as "The EST." She previously reigned on NXT, then joined WWE in 2020 on Wrestlemania 36. She won Women's World Championship in 2021. She won the WWE Women's Championship in 2022 and in 2023. She won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship twice in 2024. Just by looking at her physique, you can tell she's been an athlete her entire life! Jade Cargill Jade Cargill entered into WWE in 2023. On day one, I knew she would be BIG money by just looking at her physique. That is MAJOR goals! She has won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship twice with Bianca Belair in 2024. Rhea Rhipley Known as "Mami," Rhea Rhipley is one of my absolute favorites of all time (she's up there with Chyna!). When I'm at the gym, I aspire to be like Rhea. She was previously apart of NXT in 2017, then joined WWE in 2021. She won the NXT Women's Championship in 2019. Rhea has won several titles in WWE, including: WWE Women's Championship in 2021, WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in 2021, Women's Royal Rumble winner in 2023, and Women's World Championship in 2023 and 2025. She has accomplished so many wins and title reigns, and will continue winning titles in future! Jordynne Grace She wrestled in TNA with big impact and won TNA Knockouts World Championship three times in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Known as "The Juggernaut," she wrestles on NXT and has become a powerhouse. She is known for her fantastic physique, putting her on this list as a muscle mommy. Zaria Zaria started wrestling under NXT 2024 as her debut. She has been a powerhouse in her matches, following Rhea Rhipley's footsteps. She has one of the greatest physiques and looks.
Int'l Business Times
13-06-2025
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
WWE Legend The Undertaker Rushed Into Emergency Heart Surgery Right After WrestleMania 41
Wrestling legend The Undertaker is famous for living through Hell in Cell matches and decades of physical abuse in the ring, but even he and his wife, Michelle McCool, weren't ready for the frightening health ordeal that came after WrestleMania 41. In an open episode of their Six Feet Under podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer duo shared the behind-the-scenes medical crisis that was almost swept under the rug, and potentially lethal. WrestleMania Party Turns into Medical Disaster WWE Legend The Undertaker Rushed Into Emergency Heart Surgery Right The Undertaker and McCool were in Las Vegas earlier this April to celebrate her WWE Hall of Fame induction, a highlight moment that had The Phenom welcome his bride into the exclusive club. But soon after the pomp, the pair returned home to Texas—and directly into the ER. "It's because of the heart issues you've been having weeks prior, which, by the grace of god, we found out just by — It ended up being terrifying. The day we got home from WrestleMania, the next day at 6 am, we were at the hospital for a little bit of heart surgery," McCool said, per Newsweek's Andrew Ravens. What's The Hidden Danger? The surprising twist? The Undertaker had no clue he was in trouble. According to Michelle McCool, the routine doctor's checkup in March revealed the Hall of Famer's asymptomatic case of chronic atrial fibrillation (AFib), a dangerous heart rhythm disorder that had gone undetected due to a complete absence of symptoms. McCool said that the Undertaker had no idea what was wrong with his body. She wondered why he was out of breath while he was just going upstairs or playing with their dog. They never thought it was a heart-related issue. Inside WWE Icon's Emergency Hospital Stay Things quickly went into high gear. Following their visit to the hospital, physicians discovered his heart rate was irregular and his ejection fraction, the rate at which blood is propelled out of the heart with each heartbeat, was dangerously low at 30%, according to Bleacher Report. McCool said that it would be more like 100 percent. During their four-night stay in the hospital, the doctors had to cardiovert him to restore it to a normal rhythm." But the effects didn't hold. "That sadly lasted, what, 24 hours. Maybe 48. After four days, we go home, two days later, you're back in AFib. Man, I was stressed," McCool added. Originally published on
