With the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) growing in numbers and popularity, they were creating more and more stars. With the media cramming to get every piece of UFC action into the mainstream, the company expanded into different regions like pro wrestling before them. With the comparisons eventual, Dana White proposed the slogan “As Real As It Gets”. The UFC wanted to break away from what pro wrestling was about and keep the company as diverse as possible. The UFC Hall of Fame was a legitimate sports award going to fighters who earned their way into it. The following fighters are the elite in mixed martial arts and join their brethren who walked before them.

Mark Coleman March 1, 2008 (UFC 82)

The “Godfather of Ground & Pound”, Mark Coleman was a unique fighter for his time. Coleman, nicknamed “The Hammer” for his vicious poundings that he puts on to his opponents with his fists was one of the first fighters to punch fighters into submission. He had high profile fights with Dan Severn and Pedro Rizzo, he won the UFC 10 and UFC 11 Tournaments and became a legend in Pride Fighting Championship. Coleman was a man before his time and was added to the Hall of Fame on March 1, 2008 at UFC 82 before Anderson Silva beat Dan Henderson to unify the UFC and Pride Middleweight Championships.

Chuck Liddell July 11, 2009 (UFC 100)

Photo Credit: Bad intentionz via Wikipedia

The “Iceman” scared the hell out of people. When you were in the octagon with Chuck Liddell, chances are you were getting prepared to get knocked out. Liddell was an unknown coming into the UFC at UFC 17 on May 15, 1998. He stood out because of his short mohawk, his now world famous trademark. HE worked his way up the ranks until facing Randy Couture on June 6, 2003 at UFC 43. Liddell was knocked out by Couture that day, but it created a foundation for each man as their rivalry grew to epic fights that everyone wanted to see. After stringing together enough wins, he again faced Randy Couture on April 16, 2005 at UFC 52 and defeated Couture for the Light Heavyweight Championship by knockout. At UFC 57 on February 4, 2006, Couture was chasing Liddell for the Light heavyweight title, but the “Iceman” picked apart his opponent and retained the title. He won a few more fights and eventually lost the Light Heavyweight title to Rampage Jackson at UFC 71. Liddell was the first UFC fighter to be on the cover of ESPN magazine and he’s acted in nearly a dozen movies in his career. Liddell was the first fighter to cross the mainstream and be recognized by hollywood stars who were fans.

Charles Lewis, Jr. July 11, 2009 (UFC 100)

In the same night that Chuck Liddell was inducted into the Hall of Fame, so was another famous Ultimate Fighting Championship member. One of the three founders of the TapOut clothing line, Charles “Mask” Lewis, Jr. was inducted posthumously becoming the first and so far, only non-fighter to be included. Lewis was killed March 11, 2009 in an automobile crash that also seriously injured his girlfriend. He was allegedly in a high speed street race with another car when his Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale collided with a 1977 Porche and sent him into a street light. The impact killed Lewis and sent shockwaves throughout the UFC community. “Mask” will forever be a part of the UFC family and his contributions to the product led him into the UFC HAll of Fame.

Matt Hughes May 29, 2010 (UFC 114)

Photo Credit: Tom Nguyen via Wikipedia

The fight that catapulted Hughes into fame in the UFC started at UFC 34 on November 2, 2001 against Carlos Newton. They were locked up against the cage. Hughes had Newton in a powerbomb position and Newton had hughes in a choke with his legs. Hughes dropped from lack of blood flow and passed out. As he landed, Newton hit his head and was knocked out. The referee, John McCarthy, called for the bell and Hughes was awarded the UFC Welterweight title. His run with the title became historic as he plowed through everyone in the division. He was finally stopped by BJ Penn at UFC 46. Penn and Georges St. Pierre became the biggest rivals to Matt Hughes. Hughes became the first fighter to tally an impressive 18 wins and 2 time 6 fight win streak in the UFC. Hughes deservedly went into the Hall of Fame on May 29, 2010 at UFC 114.

Tito Ortiz July 7, 2012 (UFC 148)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The ” Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was very young coming into the UFC as a cornerman before starting his impressive run in the company. He was a character that people either loved or hated and the crowds would pay money for him to get beat down. His first trainer was none other than Tank Abbott. Ortiz debuted with a win over Guy Mezger at UFC 13 on May 30, 1997. His first loss was almost two years later at UFC 22 by Frank Shamrock, brother of Ken Shamrock. He beat Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, his first title in UFC. He went on a tear with the belt only to be stopped at UFC 44 by fellow Hall of Famer Randy Couture. He was really never the same after that. He won some and lost some, but he did beat Ken Shamrock in their trilogy. Sadly, on July 7, 2012 at UFC 148, he retired after losing a decision to Forrest Griffin and being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ortiz always drew people into the arenas to see him and he was a great trainer on the Ultimate Fighter reality series.

You may also want to check out UFC Hall of Fame: The Elite ( 2003 to 2006).

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Pro wrestling has featured big over all wearing farmers, crazy maniacs who talk to themselves, playboys, american heroes, terrorists, assassins, giant mummies, and anything your creative mind can conjure up. But nothing can beat royalty. In particular, wrestling kings.

Kings in professional wrestling have mostly been self proclaimed. Who wouldn’t want to be a king of something? With the nice velour robes and extravegant crowns, wrestling kings are head and shoulders above anyone else in professional wrestling.

Kings are so important that WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) created a tournament called “King of The Ring”. The winner would be proclaimed king of the company. No championship was given, it wasn’t needed. The king ruled over all in the land. There are still many kings in pro wrestling. We are going to roll out the red carpet and provide the common man with a look inside the world of kings in professional wrestling.

Jackie Fargo

Photo Credit: memphishishistory.com

The first king of Memphis Wrestling, maybe the first king of wrestling. Fargo was a huge name in professional wrestling. He mentored Jerry “The King” Lawler until Lawler beat him in the ring and took his “king” title.

Jerry “ King” Lawler

Photo Credit: WWE 236 via Wikipedia

Arguably the most famous king of wrestling. Lawler is a legend in the Memphis wrestling territory, but is probably the most familiar as the color commentator in the WWE. His ring work and commentary in WWE since the 1990′s has been so ingrained that people either don’t remember or don’t know that he wrestled anywhere else. Lawler would beat opponents with his piledriver finisher. He would hold his crown close to him during his interviews and talk about how he is the only king in professional wrestling. Hollywood star Andy Kaufman challenged Lawler in the mid-eighties to wrestling matches claiming he was the true king of wrestling as he wrestled women across the United States. Lawler beat Kaufman with a piledriver to silence him once and for all in their only match. Kaufman soon left pro wrestling with nothing more than a whimper and Lawler remained king of wrestling.

“King” Shane Williams

The most recent king in professional wrestling, Williams is a member of TCW (Traditional Championship Wrestling). He mixes an old school heel (bad guy) persona and the piledriver that Jerry Lawler made famous and brought it to the surface of the present.

“King” Harley Race

Photo Credit: necwwrestling.com

In 1986, Harley Race won the King of The Ring tournament over Pedro Morales in the finals. He started wearing the purple robe and purple crown. He began feuding with the beloved Junkyard Dog. Years ago Harley Race became the king of NWA by winning the NWA World Championship twice. His “King” gimmick lasted around six months until he was injured in a match with Hulk Hogan and then the gimmick was scrapped.

King Haku

Photo Credit: onlineworldofwrestling.com

Haku was given the title “King” when Harley Race left the WWE in 1986 due to injury. Haku and Harley Race feuded over the title at Royal Rumble that year. Haku quickly lost the gimmick and teamed with Andre The Giant as the Colossal Connection.

“Macho King” Randy Savage

Photo Credit: forum.bodybuilding.com

Winning the King of The Ring in 1987, Savage wore the robe, crown and scepter. Savage was bumped to main event after his run as the king and his teaming with Hulk Hogan as the Mega Powers. The “king” gimmick was very successful for Savage and as a bonus, he was given the services of Queen Sherri (Sherri Martel).

List of All King of The Ring winners:

• 1985 King of the Ring: Don Muraco (via defeating Tito Santana).
• 1986 King of the Ring: Harley Race (via defeating Pedro Morales).
• 1987 King of the Ring: Randy Savage (via defeating King Kong Bundy).
• 1988 King of the Ring: Ted DiBiase (via defeating Randy Savage).
• 1989 King of the Ring: Tito Santana (via defeating Rick Martel).
• 1990 King of the Ring: No event took place…
• 1991 King of the Ring: Bret Hart (via defeating Irwin R. Schyster).
• 1993 King of the Ring: Bret Hart (via defeating Bam Bam Bigelow).1994 King of the Ring: Owen Hart (via defeating Razor Ramon).
• 1995 King of the Ring: Mabel (via defeating Savio Vega).
• 1996 King of the Ring: Steve Austin (via defeating Jake Roberts).
• 1997 King of the Ring: Triple H (via defeating Mankind).
• 1998 King of the Ring: Ken Shamrock (via defeating The Rock).
• 1999 King of the Ring: Billy Gunn (via defeating X-Pac).

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  Photo Credit: WWF – King of the Ring 2000

   

• 2000 King of the Ring: Kurt Angle (via defeating Rikishi).
• 2001 King of the Ring: Edge (via defeating Kurt Angle).
• 2002 King of the Ring: Brock Lesnar (via defeating Rob Van Dam).

* Brock Lesnar was the last King of the Ring winner due to the WWE dropping the tournament & adding the “Bad Blood” PPV for the Raw brand in June ’03.

• 2006 King of the Ring: Booker T (via defeating Bobby Lashley).

* The King of the Ring Tournament was brought back to WWE in 2006 exclusively for the Smackdown brand. Matches took place on Smackdown the weeks prior to the Judgment Day PPV.

• 2008 King of the Ring: William Regal (via defeating CM Punk).

* The King of the Ring Tournament was brought back to WWE in 2008 as part of a three-hour edition of Monday Night Raw. The tournament was held in one night featuring William Regal defeating CM Punk in the finals.

• 2010 King of the Ring: Sheamus (via defeating John Morrison).

* The King of the Ring Tournament was brought back to WWE in 2010 as part of a three-hour edition of Monday Night Raw. Qualifying matches were with the tournament concluding on November 29, 2010. Sheamus def. John Morrison in the finals.

Source: http://www.wrestleview.com/king-of-the-ring-winners

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a cut-throat business. Only the strong survive inside the octagon and no one gets a free ride to a contract. With thousands of fighters trying to get into the biggest company in MMA, spots aren’t given, their earned. The percentage of fighters that get into the UFC and last is very low and Dana White, the figurehead of the company doesn’t take lightly the need to keep the sport respectable.

Since the resurrection of popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 9, 2005 (The Ultimate Fighter Finale) with Stephen Bonner against Forrest Griffin, the UFC has risen to the top of Mixed Martial Arts. With a decorated history of events and specials, the company has added a Hall of Fame to further legitimize itself from the competition.

The Hall of Fame was created on November 21, 2003 with the induction of two of the most prominent figures in the company, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. There have been eight Hall of Fame inductees in total since 2003. The focus will be on those eight and a few potential inductees that may lead the way in future years.

Royce Gracie (November 21, 2003-UFC 45)

Photo Credit: Peter Gordon via Wikipedia

The first fighter to put Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the map. Gracie won the first UFC Tournament at UFC 1 against Gerard Gordeau by way of Rear Naked Choke submission at 1:44 in the contest. Gordeau tapped several times before the ref stopped the match. Gracie went on to become the first recognized fighter in the UFC. He fought his last official UFC fight against fellow Hall of Famer Matt Hughes at UFC 60 on May 27, 2006. Matt Hughes won the match by TKO (Technical Knock Out) via punches to end Gracie’s UFC career.

Ken Shamrock (November 21, 2003-UFC 45)

The “World’s Most Dangerous Man”. Shamrock defeated Pat Smith in the first round of UFC 1 and challenged Royce Gracie in the second round on November 12th, 1993. Gracie choked out Shamrock in less than a minute and advanced to win the tournament that year. Shamrock went on to Pancrase fighting and did well there. He returned to the UFC on September 9, 1994 by beating Felix Mitchell and advanced until an injury forced him out of the finals. Shamrock fought many high profile fights in his UFC career including Rich Franklin, Dan Severn, and his most hated rival Tito Ortiz. The Shamrock- Ortiz Trilogy put him on the map, even though he lost all three fights. His last fight in the UFC was October 10, 2006 at UFC Fight Night 6 against none other than Tito Ortiz. Shamrock’s induction into the Hall of Fame cemented a legacy for Shamrock and at the same time gave the Hall of Fame validity. Shamrock was a great addition to the UFC and his actions inside the octagon made him the “World’s Most Dangerous Man”.

Dan “The Beast” Severn (April 16, 2005 – UFC 52)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Dan Severn was a greco-roman wrestling machine. Debuting at UFC 4 on December 16, 1994, Severn tore through two opponents to get to fellow Hall of Famer (see a pattern here?) Royce Gracie in the finals. The two fighters fought for over fifteen minutes straight before Gracie caught Severn in a triangle choke to win the tournament. Severn went on to win the UFC 5 tournament, the 1995 Ultimate Ultimate tournament, and the 1996 Superfight tournament. He returned at UFC 27 and lost to Pedro Rizzo due to kicks. After the Rizzo fight, Severn never returned to the UFC, but he cemented his place in MMA history by winning one hundred and one fights and only losing nineteen in his career. On April 16, 2005, Severn was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Dan Severn is truly a “beast” in the eyes of UFC fans.

Randy Couture (June 24, 2006 – The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock Finale)

Photo Credit: David Shankbone via Wikipedia

The man with two nicknames, Randy “The Natural” Couture and “Captain America” Randy Couture has been a working mans fighter. He won the UFC Heavyweight title on December 21, 1997 at UFC Japan, won the UFC Heavyweight Championship for the second time on November 17, 2000, won the Light heavyweight title on June 6, 2003 at UFC 43 to become the first person to win two titles in separate divisions, won the Light Heavyweight championship on August 21, 2004 at UFC 49, and won the Heavyweight title for the last time on March 3, 2007 at UFC 68. His arch rival throughout his prime years in the UFC was “Iceman” Chuck Lidell. These two guys helped get each other into the Hall of Fame by having the best fights in the main events at this important time.

The idea of earning some extra cash over the summer sounds great but what if it involves working on a terrible job? There are some great summer jobs for college students out there but which ones are the jobs which will leave you tearing your hair out in frustration or breaking down in tears?

Anything to do with Fish

A number of college students are tempted to work in the likes of fish processing plants each summer. This sounds good in theory and the money is often decent but there is one big problem; the smell. Unless you are happy spending the rest of the year smelling like a halibut then this is one of the worst summer jobs for college students imaginable.

Door to Door Sales and Slamming Doors

So, you like walking around in the fresh air and you like to meet new people. Hey, doing a door to door sales jobs sounds like a whole lot of fun then. It isn’t fun. It is like getting all of your teeth taken out one by one by a drunken dentist with shaky hands who has forgotten to give you anaesthetic. People will be rude to you, people will slam their door in their face and no one will be interested in what you are selling so you won’t make any money. And your poor little feet will get blisters on them.

Waiting Tables for Rude People

As we have already seen, some of the worst summer jobs for college students involve fish and rude people but what if you combine both of them into one job from hell? Not everyone was born to wait tables and there is a very good chance that you weren’t either. This job involves long days, annoying customers, lousy pay and often demanding bosses who think that you have 20 arms and no brain. The same sort of principles apply to any sort of retail work as well.

Farm Work and Nasty Animals

Ah, the fresh, clean air in your lungs and the gentle sounds of the lovely animals all around you. Yeah, right. This job is all about getting down and dirty, carrying heavy stuff about, waking up at an hour you didn’t even know existed and fighting off surprisingly fierce animals. As far as the poorest summer jobs for college students go this one is right up there with stinking of fish and having an infinite number of doors slammed in front of your nostrils.

Building Work and Long Hours

It must be a great feeling to look at a building you played a part in constructing and be able to say, “Hey, I carried the sand that was mixed with cement to lay the bricks in the toilets of that place.” Sadly, the long hours, hard labour and frankly unpleasant working conditions mean that you won’t last long enough to see your precious sand get put to good use.

Telesales and, Guess What, More Rude People

Ok, so you don’t want people to slam their doors in your face on a door to door sales job, so what about telesales? This has got be more pleasant, right? Wrong. Because they can’t see you the people you annoy by phoning them will feel free to vent their spleen on you. If you have never had a spleen vented in your general direction then I can assure you that it is almost as bad as smelling of fish.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Every year since 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble has been granted a WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania, the “Grandest Stage of Them All”.

The Royal Rumble was invented by WWE’s first Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson in 1988. The concept, a battle royal type match that starts with two competitors and another wrestler entering ever so many minutes, was at first, presented as a bragging right to the other wrestlers, saying you were the best at that match. In 1993, the winner, Yokozuna, was given the chance to win the WWE championship at Wrestlemania IX against then champion Bret “Hitman” Hart.

The inaugural Royal Rumble was held on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan as the first winner. The first Rumble was a live television event and not a Pay-Per-View on the USA Network. The following event was featured as a Pay-Per-View and became part of the “Big Four” Pay-Per-Views along with Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series.

With no real rules, the most important rule in the Royal Rumble is that a competitor must be thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor to be eliminated.

List of All Royal Rumble winners since 1988

Photo Credit: Techarrow via Wikipedia

1988: Hacksaw Jim Duggan – inaugural winner.

1989: Big John Studd (eliminating Ted DiBiase).

1990: Hulk Hogan (eliminating Mr. Perfect).

1991: Hulk Hogan (eliminating Earthquake).

1992: Ric Flair (eliminating Sid Justice).

1993: Yokozuna (eliminating Randy Savage).

1994: Bret Hart/Lex Luger. Both men eliminated each other at same time to become co-winners.

1995: Shawn Michaels (eliminating British Bulldog).

1996: Shawn Michaels (eliminating Diesel).

1997: Stone Cold Steve Austin (eliminating Bret Hart). Bret Hart originally eliminated Austin when officials were not looking but Austin rolled back in and continued the match to eliminate Hart.

1998: Stone Cold Steve Austin (eliminating The Rock).

1999: Vince McMahon (eliminating Steve Austin).

2000: The Rock (eliminating Big Show).

2001: Stone Cold Steve Austin (eliminating Kane).

2002: Triple H (eliminating Kurt Angle).

2003: Brock Lesnar (eliminating The Undertaker).

2004: Chris Benoit (eliminating Big Show).

2005: Batista (eliminating John Cena).

2006: Rey Mysterio (eliminating Randy Orton).

2007: The Undertaker (eliminating Shawn Michaels).

2008: John Cena (eliminating Triple H).

2009: Randy Orton (eliminating Triple H).

2010: Edge (eliminating John Cena).

2011: Alberto Del Rio (eliminating Santino Marella).

2012: Sheamus (eliminating Chris Jericho).

2013: John Cena (eliminating Ryback)

Royal Rumble Facts

Most Royal Rumble Wins:

1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (3) – 1997, 1998, 2001

2. Hulk Hogan (2) – 1990, 1991

Shawn Michaels (2) – 1995, 1996

John Cena (2) – 2008, 2013

Shortest Time Spent In The Royal Rumble:

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

2009 – Santino Marella (one second)

1989 – The Warlord (two seconds)

1995 – Mo (three seconds)

1995 – Owen Hart (three seconds)

1991 – Bushwhacker Luke (four seconds)

1997 – Jerry Lawler (four seconds)

Most Eliminations in a Single Royal Rumble:

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

2001 – Kane (11)

1989 – Hulk Hogan (10)

1987 – Steve Austin (10)

1996 – Shawn Michaels (8)

1999 – Steve Austin (8)

Divas in the Royal Rumble:

Equality started in the WWE Royal Rumble in 1999 when Chyna entered the Royal Rumble at number 30 and was eliminated by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. She was in the Royal Rumble in 2000 as well. Beth Phoenix entered in 2010 and most recently, Kharma entered in 2012.

Total Eliminations

Photo Credit: FreddiusMercurium via Wikipedia

With the Royal Rumble being held for twenty years, one has to wonder who eliminated the most wrestlers in the history of the event. Shawn Michaels has eliminated the most talent with thirty nine wrestlers. The monster Kane has eliminated thirty eight wrestlers and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin eliminated thirty seven. To round out the top five is The Undertaker with thirty five eliminations and Hulk Hogan with twenty seven.

Most Appearances in the Royal Rumble:

Photo Credit: The Badder in the World via Wikipedia

Kane (16)

Shawn Michaels (12)

Rikishi (10)

The Undertaker (10)

Big Daddy V (9)

We have also featured the ten smallest wrestlers and wrestling women.

Professional wrestling was born from athletes that were bigger than life. For the first fifty years most of the wrestling talent were big and burly. Men like Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant ruled the squared circle. Then came the luchadores of Mexico and in walked the most famous little giant of them all – Rey Mysterio, and everything changed. Here are the smallest wrestlers in WWE.

Hornswoggle (4’4, 130 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The smallest current wrestler on the WWE roster, Hornswoggle is the last Cruiserweight champion. His main purpose in the company is comic relief. His finisher, the Tadpole Splash, still elicits a big reaction. Before becoming Hornswoggle in WWE, he was known as “Short Stacks” on the independent circuit.

Rey Mysterio (5’6, 175 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The smallest of the top pro wrestlers in WWE and the world, Rey Mysterio has defied the odds and became world heavyweight champion. In the land of giants, Rey has the biggest heart. With wins over seven foot tall Big Show and the muscular monster Batista. Rey’s fast paced style and love from the fans, Rey is a shoe in for a Hall of Fame spot. With his career winding down, Rey is teaming more and more these days with various partners ensures a few more years in the ring.

Chris Jericho (6’0, 226 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The most famous of the smallest wrestlers, Jericho has been multi-time WWE champion, Intercontinental champion, tag team champion, and future Hall of Famer. Jericho is in the twilight of his career and he is making up and coming wrestlers look good. The Money In The Bank ladder match is the brainchild of Jericho and it’s been a popular way of getting a world title shot.

Justin Gabriel (6’1, 223 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The “Capetown Werewolf” came to the WWE as part of The Nexus group. He’s a hit with the female fans and has an awesome 450 splash. Justin is a young talent who will only get better. Running with The Nexus has taught Gabriel how to work as a team in matches and by that, he has learned to get better in the ring and has won multiple tag team championships.

Evan Bourne (5’9, 183 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Bourne is the ultimate babyface in pro wrestling. His youthful look is endearing to the younger fans and he has that fast paced move set. He and Kofi Kingston teamed up as Air Boom and won the tag team championships. His Shooting Star Press is a beautiful move. He’d make a great addition to a re-formed Cruiserweight division.

Sin Cara (5’7, 175 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

In the land of giants, Sin Cara needed to stand out. Coming from Mexico as Mistico, he was branded Sin Cara and given blue lighting and a trampoline to shoot into the ring. Sin Cara was given a heroes welcome by the younger fans, but his initial run didn’t pan out as planned. After returning from suspension he was placed with Rey Mysterio as a tag team. Sin Cara has a way to go, but look for him to break out soon.

The Miz (6’1, 230 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Miz’ transition from reality television to pro wrestling went smooth. He was a tag team champion with John Morrison and made the transition to singles star. He captured his first WWE championship on November 22, 2010 after cashing in his Money in the Bank against Randy Orton and defended it past WrestleMania. Miz is looking to climb the ranks again.

Yoshi Tatsu (6’1, 206 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Saturday Morning Slam mainstay and constant jobber, Yoshi Tatsu is on the taller end of the smaller guys. Yoshi comes from New Japan and if booked right, he could become a lethal competitor in the cruiserweight division. He hasn’t won any titles in WWE, but if he sticks around he may surprise you!

Tyson Kidd (5’10, 199 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The last graduate of the “Hart Dungeon” and one of the smallest men on the WWE roster, Tyson Kidd is probably the best wrestler on the roster after Daniel Bryan. He hasn’t been given many chances to shine in his career in WWE, but he does beat foes with his deadly “Dungeon Lock”. WWE should consider bringing the Cruiserweight title back and giving it to Kidd. He would make the belt shine on any given night!

Daniel Bryan (5’10, 192 lbs.)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The former indy darling has planted his foot in the WWE and calls it home. Being a small guy in the independents is one thing, but being a small guy in the “Land of the Giants” is another altogether. Bryan persevered through being small and getting over and a horrible name change to win the hearts of WWE fans everywhere. He is a multiple tag team champion and has also won the heavyweight title. One small blemish…18 seconds. Real fans will know what I’m talking about.

Check out incredible wrestling women who have shown that wrestling is not just a sport for men.

Pro wrestling has mostly been dominated by men. With talent such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair being the names that people relate to pro wrestling, many fans forget that women have existed in pro wrestling as long as the men. Things are changing very fast! Promotions are popping up everywhere that are dedicated to strictly or mostly women wrestlers. Companies like Shimmer Athletics, Shine, and Ice Ribbon in Japan have shown women can bring it as equals, or in some cases, better than their men counterparts. Below are five of the best women talent from the United States, Australia , and Japan. Even though this is not a list entirely, these women have made a positive impact on their sport and made people realize that women wrestling is truly awesome and better than what you see in WWE and TNA.

Athena, The Wrestling Goddess

Photo Credit: prowrestling.wikia.com

Athena is best known for her phenomenal finisher, the “O-Face”, a top rope ace crusher! Think of it as a “Stone Cold Stunner” except that Athena starts from the top rope and grabs her opponent (who is standing on the canvas) in mid air and stuns them. The crowds go nuts for this finisher! Athena was trained by World Class Championship Wrestling manager Skandar Akbar and five time WCW World Champion and now WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Athena travels to various independent companies throughout the United States like Shimmer Athletics and Anarchy Championship Wrestling where she won the “Queen of Queens” tournament.

Sara Del Rey

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

She was coined “Death Rey” by friend C.M. Punk. Sara is a unique character who faces both men and women. She began her career in Japan and Mexico and returned to the United States in 2005 to wrestle for Shimmer Athletics in their inaugural show. She and Mercedes Martinez fought to a time limit draw. In 2006, Sara traveled to Pennsylvania to Chikara to face The Osirian Portal (Amasis and Ophidian) with her tag team partner Daizee Haze. This was her first official woman vs man match in wrestling. Sara toured various companies including Ring of Honor, Jersey All- Pro, and TNA wrestling. Most recently, Sara was signed to a WWE contract as a trainer for their NXT brand show.

Awesome Kong

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Whether it be awesome or amazing, Kong is a diva destroyer in womens wrestling. Standing almost six feet tall and over two hundred and seventy pounds, Kong is a dominating force in any pro wrestling company. She began her career in 2002 in Japan facing the best talent in womens wrestling. She returned to the United States in 2006 and became the cornerstone of the TNA Knockouts division. She returned to the independent circuit soon after and faced competition from Shimmer Athletics, Ring of Honor, American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance, and a few smaller companies before landing in the WWE.

Kong signed on December 29, 2010 and started vignettes on April 11, 2011. On April 25th, she was introduced as “Kharma”! She debuted at the “Extreme Rules” Pay-Per-View on May 1st attacking Michelle McCool. Kharma began attacking all of the divas during the next few weeks, blasting each one, except Kelly Kelly. On May 23rd episode of Raw, she ran to the ring during the women’s tag team match, fell to her knees, and began to cry. The next week, Kharma revealed she was pregnant and had to take a leave of absence. She returned at Royal Rumble 2012 and eliminated Hunico before being eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. Kong has since returned to pro wrestling for Chikara and Resistance Pro where she finishes opponents with her wicked “Implant Buster”, a lifting double underhook facebuster!

Melanie Cruise

Photo Credit: Prowrestling.wikia.com

Talk about making the best out of an opportunity! Melanie Cruise has torn through the women’s division in Resistance Pro, the new wrestling company owned by Billy Corgan. She’s had a great feud with Nikki St. John over the women’s championship. She’s now in the position to face current women’s champion Awesome Kong in a battle of the best in the division. Melanie debuted for POWW (Powerful Women of Wrestling) on April 26, 2008. She first appeared in Shimmer at Sparkle Volume 21 where she defeated Cherry Bomb to earn a spot on the main roster. As a relative newcomer to the sport, Melanie has been the focus of Resistance Pro’s women division and has been given tons of talking and promo time to build her character and the fans have stood behind her. Her finisher is the “Cruise Control”, a standing thrust spinebuster, leading her to the top of the company.

Kana

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Kanako Urai, also known as Kana in the Japanese and American rings is known for her stiff style with combination kicks and vicious submissions. She debuted for the AtoZ on June 16, 2004. She worked there for a few years until being forced to retire due to Nephritis, a inflammation of the Nephrons in the kidneys. She made her comeback on September 22, 2007 for Ice Ribbon, Joshi, and an assorted number of smaller federations as a free agent. She debuted in the United States on August 3, 2011 in Shimmer Athletics. She defeated Mia Yim in a great match. Kana’s finishers including Billiken (running hip attack), Kanagon (grounded dragon sleeper), and the Kana Lock (crossface chickenwing).

Read about the 10 smallest wrestlers in WWE.

Nothing goes together like Hollywood and Pro Wrestling! Not Peanut Butter and Jelly, not Laurel and Hardy, and not Abbott and Costello. With drama and out of control characters, sometimes you can barely tell the difference. Pro Wrestling has been included in movies for over forty years and some of them are, dare I say, pretty good! Here are some of the pro wrestling movies that need to be seen.

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Body Slam (1987)

Remember “Face” from the hit television show “A-Team”? He’s the lead. His name is Dirk Benedict. Benedict plays M. Harry Smilac, a former music promoter who falls into debt and needs a gig. He tries to find a new musical act when he stumbles upon Rick Roberts (Roddy Piper). Smilac thinks Roberts is a musician, but he’s a professional wrestler. Body Slam is campy fun and tops a lot of bigger budget features presently. Sadly, Roddy Piper isn’t over the top like his wrestling persona in real life. Some other pro wrestlers such as Fatu, Captain Lou Albano, and Barbarian. You’d have a good time watching Body Slam once or twice, but after that, it gets old.

No Holds Barred (1989)

With Hulk Hogan, Zeus, Jesse Ventura, Gene Okerland, and Howard Finkel, “No Holds Barred” was so bad. This was the start of WWF/WWE movies as Hogan and Vince McMahon as executive producers. The premise was that Hogan was a popular wrestler named “Rip”. The network has a tough guy challenge show and wants Rip to face Zeus, a monster of a man. Rip declines and is pursued by Brell, the network executive. Rip’s brother Randy finds a warehouse where this fighting league is going on and tells Brell he is Rip’s brother and he’ll fight Zeus. Zeus beats him to a pulp and Randy is hospitalized…I know, this sucks. Finally, Rip beats Zeus at the end and Brell is electrocuted. It doesn’t stop there. Vince McMahon brings Zeus to fight Hulk Hogan in the WWF. You need to find the video for these matches.

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Ready to Rumble (2000)

David Arquette and Sean Conn star in this “World Championship Wrestling” (WCW) influenced comedy. The duo watch their hero, Jimmy King, lose the WCW championship to “Diamond Dallas Page”, the rival of King, and want to help him get his title back. The trio prepare for King’s return match and finally, after a slew of WCW wrestlers try to stop him, Jimmy King regains the championship with help from his new friends. Ready to Rumble was a box office bomb, but it’s fun to see the WCW roster in a movie.

The Wrestler (2008)

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Mickey Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar wrestler in the 1980s and now way past his prime winding down in the New Jersey independent circuit. Randy works part time at a supermarket and after fighting in a hardcore match, he suffers a heart attack and has bypass surgery. He quits wrestling for a while until fans recognize him at the store and he goes berserk and quits the job. Randy wrestles one more time against The Ayatollah. During the match he begins to feel chest pains as he climbs the top rope to hit his finisher “Ram Jam”, a diving headbutt. He salutes the crowd, leaps and the movie ends. It is said that Randy has died, others say he wins and gets his last sweet victory. You decide the ending. The Wrestler is considered by many as the best professional wrestling movie ever made.

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Arcade games ( or coin-op) have been around almost one hundred years. Yes, you heard it right. The earliest “arcade games” were at the midways of amusement parks in the 1920s. Fortune teller games and ones that played mechanical music were very popular at places like Coney Island. In the 1930s, pinball machines were introduced giving way to the pinball craze of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The first-person shooter game was “Duck Hunt” by Sega in 1969. The game featured animated targets and printed out your score on a ticket. We’ve come a long way in gaming technology. Presently, you can play a game from anywhere with anyone in the world. Let’s take a look at how we got there from the Golden Age until now.

Arcade Games of the 1970s

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Galaxy Game

Earliest of the coin operated video games. Installed at Stanford University in September 1971. It preceded “Computer Space”, the first mass-produced video game by two months. It would cost a dime per play or three plays for a quarter. The wait to play the game was said to be at least an hour.

Pong

Popular console name Atari was the creator for the ultra simple, yet competitive game, “Pong”. Pong is like tennis with simpler designs. The game features only solid lines and a square ball. The game was released in 1972 to major acclaim. The cabinet had the wood look with the front panels in harvest gold color. Pong was the first game to go transfer to home playing. Many pong home games still exist and work to this day.

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Space Invaders

Probably the most popular of the early recognizable “Arcade Game” was Space Invaders in 1978. Space Invaders was the beginning of the “Golden Age of Arcade Games” and had a recognizable art presentation on the casing. The black bigfoot creature on the front with spaceships flying around attracted people of all ages. Space Invaders became synonymous with video gaming

Arcade Games of the 1980s

Galaxian

Developed in Namco in Japan and imported by Midway, Galaxian is sort of like Space Invaders, but the aliens attack by diving at your ship as well as shooting back at you. The cabinet was a combination blue/green color with a mechanical bug on the front. The world record holder with 1,653,270 points is Aart Van Vliet of the Netherlands.

Pac-Man

The mainstream darling of video games, Pac-Man was developed by Namco and brought to the US by Midway in October 1980. Pac-Man was hot in pop culture soon after. The game features a yellow circle with an open mouth chomping little round pellets through a maze while being chased by ghosts. When Pac-MAn chomps a power pellet he can turn around and eat the ghosts. Each level gets more difficult and the ghosts get faster. Pac-Man merchandise was sold in the millions. Everyone had something related to Pac-Man; Kids had pencils, backpacks, cereal, clothing, stickers,etc. A big reason why Pac-Man was popular was the fact that parents also had fun playing the game with their children. The cabinet was a bright yellow with the characters scattered around it. Pac-Man is still popular today, the game is featured on many fan based websites around the world and merchandise is becoming quite valuable to collectors.

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Frogger

Maneuvering your frog from the street to its slot at the top of the board is the objective. Seems easy, right? It’s not that easy. Frogger is a great game that still holds up today. The big rig trucks, the race cars, and fast moving logs are all trying to stop you from getting to your goal. The music is simple, yet not distracting and it plays a delightful tune when you fill the slots and reach the next level. Froggers cabinet was a sight to see. A giant frog leaping forward with a tie around his neck and a tan briefcase in his hand. Frogger was definitely addicting.

The Rest

Games like Tron, Missile Command, Pole Position, Paperboy, and Qbert, you would be hard pressed to become bored in an arcade. Full of excitement and adventure, the arcade was somewhat of a getaway from everyday life. Every year the games were getting better and better. They were becoming more realistic too! Dragon’s Lair (1983) was played like a movie. The characters were almost real, thus becoming a precursor to what we play now. The game also cost fifty cents instead of the standard quarter. Donkey Kong was a huge hit in 1981 and after it’s success, there were many more Donkey Kong games available to play.

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Arcades like the ones in the 1970s and 1980s have basically ended. Not many are left that feature the true arcade experience. In 2011, a new hybrid of arcade games began popping up in New Jersey. They are called “Barcades”. Barcades feature a video game arcade/full bar for customer enjoyment. Many other states have adopted this theme and it seems pretty successful. The one problem with the “Barcades” are the restrictions. Only someone of drinking age can have the pleasure to partake in the fun.

Although the true arcades are a thing of the past, we still look back on them fondly. The fun that was had with a few quarters could never be duplicated. We will always have saturdays at the arcade.

The history of Guns N Roses has been one of tragedy and triumph, greatness and failure, and a story that needs to be told. The group has had many top hits and dozens of songs that were better than those who came before and after. With key members leaving the group and relatively unknown musicians added, Guns N Roses still have a place in the history of rock in which they revitalized. Some of their better songs from the different eras encompass the ” World’s Most Dangerous List”.

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Sweet Child O’ Mine (Appetite for Destruction)

Slash came up with the opening riff by messing around during a break in practice. He called it his “circus theme”. When the rest of “Guns” added their magic, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” became their most listened to balled and most recognizable song in the bands history. Axl Rose put lyrics to the music to commemorate his relationship with then girlfriend Erin Everly. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” brought out the softer side of this vicious band.

Madagascar (Chinese Democracy)

The live version of “Madagascar” is beautiful. With orchestral arrangements and audio clips of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, this is closer to the ending of what the original band had done. Almost a ballad, but a great inspirational song, that anyone can relate.

They introduced the song at “Rock in Rio” 3 in Brazil. Axl makes sure to play this song with every concert set.

Estranged (Use Your Illusions II)

With lyrics like “I’ll never find anyone to replace you, Guess I’ll have to make it through this time, oh, this time without you”, makes you wonder who he was singing about. Was this song his song to the original band? Did he know it was almost over? Who knows. This is a great song that was the third part of the trilogy that began with “Don’t Cry” and followed with “November Rain”. The video had dolphins and Axl jumping from a battleship. Go figure.

Patience (GN’R Lies)

The first time that the band “stripped down” into a full acoustical set with the mini-album “GN’R Lies”, “Patience” stepped out as the winner of the group. The band shot it in one take with Slash and Duff on guitars and Axl singing in a warm lullaby. The group gathered more fans from this song than any other. With steady radio and video play, many people were drawn to this radio friendly tune until they heard “One in a Million”. That’s another story.

Welcome To The Jungle (Appetite For Destruction)

This was the song that created the label “World’s Most Dangerous Band”. With Axl’s primal scream and searing guitars, this was the brutal death song for the glam-rock bands of the 1980′s. Axl sang about life on the streets of Los Angeles coming from Indiana. The song makes reference to drugs and decadence, and showed that rock music was still dangerous. Fans knew that something special was happening and parents knew they were in trouble.

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Paradise City (Appetite For Destruction)

“Paradise City” was like a day in the life of the band. With live footage of preparing for a concert and the actual concert itself, this was a unique and visually striking video for its time. Slash has said he hated the lyrics “Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty”. “Paradise City” made a great third video after “Welcome to The Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

Dead Horse (Use Your Illusion I)

This is one of the unusual songs chosen for the list. It’s a short song, but it says so much at the the time. “Sick of this life, not that you care” were a part of the lyrics that can mean many things. Was Axl tired of being a frontman to the most popular band in the world? “It may sound funny, but you’d think by now I’d be smiling”, he’s not having a good time here. This may be his venting song.

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I could list a dozen songs here and explain why they are the best songs that Guns N’ Roses have ever made, but I want you to go check them all out. Sometimes a band comes around and suddenly leaves after a few years only to return, never to be the same again. Time stops when you hear a Guns N’ Roses song. If you were a fan at the height of their popularity, nothing has ever came close to the feeling of watching them play, listening to their interviews and hearing about the trouble they had caused. Guns N” Roses were truly “The World’s Most Dangerous Band”.