With pro wrestling mostly dominated by the giants and muscular brutes, it’s refreshing that the smaller high flyers were given their chance to shine. In the United States, Paul Heyman, the owner of ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) brought the Luchadores (Mexican high flyers) to his company and gave them the time and the platform to shine for the American audience.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

High flyers like Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, Eddie Guerrero and Psicosis was featured on ECW programming and the fans loved it. Moves like the Hurricarana, Plancha, and moves from the ropes became common place in the company. While there were wrestlers doing similar moves years before in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), AWA (American Wrestling Association) and NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), they were not as appreciated like they are now. Guys like “Jumpin’ “ Jim Brunzell, Hector and Mando Guerrero, Mil Mascaras, and Ricky Steamboat were doing moves that defied gravity and the fans weren’t recognizing them as great.

When ECW came along, Paul Heyman put the spotlight on Mysterio and the rest and they amazed the fans in the crowd because they were involved in the action. The wrestlers would fly from the ring apron to the floor right in front of the fans. Sometimes, the wrestlers would be sent flying into the crowd. This changed the dynamics because the fans felt like a part of the show.

Not too long after, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and smaller guys like them were brought in ECW and given a chance to shine. This provided fans with American wrestlers that they could identify with.

A rival company called WCW (World Championship Wrestling) hired Jericho, Malenko, and Benoit and added Mysterio, Psicosis, Guerrero, and many more high flyers and created a division based around their amazing talents. The division was so popular with the WCW fans that WCW had to stop their progress because they were becoming more popular than the bigger stars like Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash. Nash was famously known for calling the cruiserweights “vanilla midgets”.

Fast forwarding to present time, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Benoit became huge stars in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Their styles meshed with great grapplers like Kurt Angle, monsters like Kane and The Big Show, and more importantly, each other. Jericho, Benoit,Rey Mysterio, and Eddie Guerrero all won the top title in their respective brand of either Raw or Smackdown.

A new group of smaller stars are emerging to wow the fans. Guys like Sin Cara, Epico and Primo, and TNA stars Shiima Zion and Austin Aries are continuing the tradition of the small guy who can do amazing moves in the ring. We honor some of the smaller wrestlers in professional wrestling below. (You may also read about the smallest wrestlers in pro wrestling history.)

Rey Mysterio, Jr. (WWE)

The most famous of the lucha libre wrestlers who transitioned nicely into American rings and made a positive impact in the World Wrestling Entertainment product. Rey won numerous championships in his WWE career, including a run with the Heavyweight Championship. Loved by the younger fans, Rey places his head against the head of fans who wear his mask and gives them a positive message as he prepares for battle. His mask is the most recognizable of any traditional lucha masks. He also dresses in superhero gear like Superman or Flash for special events like Wrestlemania. His most popular move is called “619″. He drops his opponent across the middle rope and runs the opposite ropes. When he nears his opponent, he swings through the middle rope and kicks the downed opponent in the face. Rey has wrestled in WWE, WCW, and ECW in the United States.

Chris Jericho (WWE)

The man who lead the way. Jericho paved the way for the little man to become main eventers with the big man. His talents as a wrestler and a talker provided him the opportunity that most little men never had before him. Jericho has fought the biggest men in the business; men like Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, and Kevin Nash all felt the wrath of the smaller Jericho. Multi-time championship holder in organizations like ECW, WCW, and WWE guarantees him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Jeff Hardy (TNA)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Jeff Hardy started wrestling at sixteen years old in WWE rings. As a enhancement talent, he and his brother, Matt, were hired to get beaten down night after night for the bigger talent. Then all of a sudden they were given the chance to shine. After a few years, the Hardy Boyz won tag team gold and began a series of matches with tag teams The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in Ladder Matches. These matches were a turning point for the smaller Hardy. He was then given a series of matches with the Undertaker in singles competition. Hardy held his own and was given respect by the dead man. He captured singles gold a few times in WWE before moving to TNA Impact wrestling. Hardy finally won the TNA Heavyweight Championship after a few years in the company and helped break the small guy stigma.

The WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is bigger than life. The characters, the stories, and the fans are all needed to produce this multi-million dollar company week after week, show after show. One big element is crowd reaction. A wrestler must “get over” with the fans to succeed and that includes having a strong character and being identifiable. One of the most important parts of the show is the entrance music for the wrestlers. This is their theme song. Like the opening of your favorite sitcom, you know what show is coming on because of the intro music. This is the same with a wrestlers entrance music. The fans know who is coming out when the music hits! Below are just some of the most popular and identifiable theme songs in WWE history.

Kurt Angle – Olympic Theme

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Formerly the music of “The Patriot”, Kurt Angle’s United States theme was awesome. The theme was so powerful that the crowd would cheer “You Suck” to him when he was a hell (bad guy” and yelled “You Suck” at his opponents when he was a face (good guy). Truly this entrance music had the best of both worlds.

Vince McMahon – No Chance In Hell

Vince’s theme was created from a promo he did where he told Steve Austin he had “No chance in hell” of winning their upcoming match. Vince has used this theme for the last fifteen years and still power struts to the ring with it.

The Undertaker – Gong

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Undertaker’s theme doesn’t have an official name, everyone calls it the “gong”. Undertaker is the icon of WWE and his music still stands the test of time. His Wrestlemania entrances usually take about fifteen minutes to complete and include the gong theme, dry ice, druids, and other theatrics.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper – Bagpipes

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Roddy Piper has used the bagpipes as his entrance since he first started wrestling. He would play them himself as he came to the ring. In WWE, his entrance was either hated or loved by the fans. When you heard the bagpipes, you knew it was going to be a great night.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Glass Shatters

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

When the glass breaks and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin enters the arena, no one gets a bigger reaction. His entrance is probably as popular as the man himself. The entire process is electric and the people at the arena go berzerk.

Degeneration X – DX

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

There have been various versions of the DX theme with various members. Triple H, X-Pac, and The New Age Outlaws all had their own versions if they entered by themselves and the regular theme when coming out together.

Hulk Hogan – Real American

Photo Credit: wwe.com

Rick Derringer sang this song originally for Mike Rotundo (IRS) and Barry Windham, the U.S. Express. Hulk Hogan heard it and decided to take it for himself. While beating the bad guys all over the WWE, Hogan’s music was the most popular and most identifiable in the company. It also was an easy song to remember and sing along with.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage – Pomp and Circumstance

Photo Credit: wwe.com

Randy Savage was given “Pomp and Circumstance” in the 1980′s by WWE. He and Miss Elizabeth were two important characters at that time and people knew that once the music played it was going to be an exciting match. For the longest time, people thought Savage was entering their high school graduation when this music played.

Ric Flair – Whoo

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Using “Sunrise” movement from composer Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra since the 1970′s, Flair added the “Whoo” to it a few years ago. This song is probably the second most recognized song after Randy Savage’s “Pomp and Circumstance”.

Goldust – Shattered Dreams

The “Bizarre One” Goldust’s music was as unique as the character Dustin Rhodes portrayed. As the lights turn gold, pieces of gold flakes fall from the ceiling and he emerges with a blonde wig and robe. His make up is gold and black and his hair is gold. He pulls up his arms over his body and blows a kiss to the camera and strips of his robe revealing a skin tight bodysuit. Bizarre indeed.

The Rock

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

As “The Rock”, Rocky Miavia had a few entrances. With the “Nation of Domination” theme, he showed that he was the true leader. This lead to his catchphrase “If you smell what the Rock is cookin”. once that caught on, he was given the theme of the same name. He used the ultra popular theme for years until the phase of “Hollywood Rock”. That version included parts of the old one with a helicopter sound at the beginning. All of “The Rock” themes were about being bigger than life.

We have also made a list of the 10 smallest wrestlers and the kings of professional wrestling.

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

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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.

Things That Aren’t Around Anymore: Food Edition Part 2

This edition of “Things That Aren’t Around Anymore: Food Edition” is filled with all new temporary food items that we miss and a bonus section that features “Foods That Don’t Exist Anymore…Except When You Request Them”, which is a list of fast food items that are only available on request. In the age of technology, we have venues like Facebook to protest for foods to return. This gives customers a forum to be heard. We are ultimately what drives companies to succeed and we now have control (somewhat) over the foods companies put on the market. Enjoy the second installment of this wonderful series.

Crispy M&M’s (1998-2005)

Photo Credit: packagingpedia.wikia.com

In the crazy blue package, Crispy M&M’s were a hit when they first appeared in 1998. Tasting like the Kit Kat bar in pellet form, they were fun to snack on in fistfulls. Still available in Australia, the Southeast Asia and Europe, fans in the United States are petitioning for their return on Facebook.

Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup (2000-2006)

Photo Credit: businessinsider.com

Ketchup is red. Always will be, always should be. To prove this point, Heinz wanted to cater to the kid demographic and introduced color ketchup’s such as Blastin’ Green, Funky Purple, Stellar Blue and, “Mystery Color.” While the initial reception was positive, the consumers soon turned their backs on the color ketchup and after a few years it was gone.

Seven Up Bar (1970′s)

Photo Credit: candyaddict.com

The Seven Up milk chocolate bar featured assorted flavor nougat inside a delicious milk and dark chocolate coating. With cherry, coconut, caramel, fudge, jelly, maple, and Brazil nut centers, it was as if you had a box of chocolates in one handy bar. Technically, the Seven Up bar is still around in the form of the Skybar by Necco.

Planters Cheez Balls (Around 1930-2006)

Photo Credit: filgifts.com

With the blue cardboard container and the bright orange spheres, no one can deny that Planters Cheez Balls were addictive. Planters were known for their nut products, remember Mr. Peanut and his monocle? Cheez Balls did two things: left your tongue dry and coated your fingers in orange flakey goodness. You can purchase knockoff cheese balls, but it won’t be the same.

Foods That Don’t Exist Anymore…Except When You Request Them

McDonald’s Mc10:35

Photo Credit: mcdonaldssecretmenu.com

When an advertisement says “For a limited time”, this burger is for a limited time. From 10:35 until 10:45, you can order the Mc10:35, a combination of egg, canadian bacon, and beef patty. Most people have never heard of this sandwich, so if you order it, be warned, you may get a blank look from the order taker.

Burger King’s Suicide Burger

Photo Credit: ranker.com

The name says it all. If you order this burger, it may be the last one you ever order. With four beef patties, four slices of cheese, piles of bacon, and BK’s special sauce. This burger can only be special ordered and has never been on the regular menu.

In and Out Burger Animal Fries

Photo Credit: Qfl247 (talk) via Wikipedia

Start with a steaming pile of hot, salty fries. Add melted cheese all over the top of them. Continue the layers with some grilled onions and finish it all off with a ladle of thousand Island Dressing. These fries will probably make you sick, but how good will it taste going down your gullet? Animal fries indeed.

Check out part 1 of Things That Aren’t Around Anymore: Food Edition

Have you ever bought something at the grocery store, ate it, and went back to get more, only to find that they don’t sell it anymore? Some foods on come out during certain times of the year or as limited editions, so you only have a short amount of time to get it. With limited shelf space, many products don’t make the cut. Other times, the product is just a bad idea but is liked by consumers only to be removed without notice. Here are some foods that arrived in stores, were well received, and then taken away with fans wondering where to find them or trying to duplicate the food at home.

Libby’s Fruit Float (1970′s)

Photo Credit: inthe70s.com

With flavors such as Strawberry, Mandarin Orange, Raspberry, Pineapple, and Peach, Libby’s Fruit Float was a thick syrup of fruit that milk was combined with to produce a yogurt like dessert in minutes. The tag line was to say “Fruit Float” three times fast. It was said to be nutritious, so you can eat it often.

Pillsbury Funny-Face Drinks (1964)

Pillsbury stepped up and challenged Kool-Aid and Flavor Aid in the powdered drink market in 1964. With their plain white packaging and flavors such as Goofy Grape, Chinese Cherry then Choo Choo Cherry, Injun Orange then Jolly Olly Orange and Lefty-Lemon Lime, Rootin’-Tootin’ Raspberry, Loud Mouth Lime, and Freckle Face Strawberry. Some of the packages would be considered racist now, but at the time were acceptable. Chinese Cherry depicted a buck-toothed, slant eyed character and the Injun Orange showed a orange skinned, war painted, feather wearing orange. By most accounts, Pillsbury Funny-Face Drinks tasted like Kool Aid, but there was only room for two and Pillsbury decided to stick with baking.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pudding Pies (1991)

Photo Credit: sivispacemparabellum81.wordpress.com

Three words: Green outer shell. Yep. Green as toxic slime on the outer shell of this pudding pie! First of all, the packaging was so awesome, you could keep it and pin it to your bedroom wall. As an added bonus, you get one of five “Secret of the Ooze” trading cards inside the package. Finally, the vanilla filling is probably the best tasting filling that you ever eaten. Do you think that some of these pies survived and may still be lingering in some dusty warehouse unseen by the gruffy warehouseman who would just toss them out without thinking of the value of these treasures?

Jell-O (1845)

The geletin based low calorie food was invented in 1845 by Peter Cooper who obtained a patent for powdered gelatin. Forty years later, the formula was sold to cough syrup manufacturer Pearle B. Wait. Wait and his wife May added flavoring such as strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon. This was the start of the Jell-O as we know it. Many flavors exist on the store shelves currently, but what about the defunct flavors? Flavors that you will never see again on the store shelves include:

Photo Credit: inthe80s.com

*Bubble Gum

*Chocolate

*Coffee

*Cola

*Italian Salad

* Root Beer

*Mixed Vegetable

*Maple Syrup

*Plain

*Seasoned Tomato

*Triple Chocolate

McDonald’s Pizza (Mid-1990′s)

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Who knew? McDonald’s selling pizza was like Pizza Hut selling fish sandwiches. You wouldn’t think it would be very good, and it wasn’t. The pizza was bland and sad. No one associated McDonald’s with authentic italian food and they could get real good pizza elsewhere. McDonald’s lost tons of money on pizza ovens and the huge drive through windows that were not needed after the pizza flopped. McDonald’s should stick with the burgers and fries.

Check out more foods not around anymore.

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.