Latest news with #NWO
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wrestling Fans React to the Biggest 'What Ifs' in WWE History
One of the most engaging parts about sports and media discourse is discussing what could have been. There's a natural human desire to lament all possible outcomes from the past. It sparks intense debates and allows for endless hypotheticals. Recently, a fan took to X and asked about the most significant "what-ifs" in wrestling history. The post went viral and sparked endless responses, so I decided to consolidate it to make it WWE-centric while plucking out some of the more intriguing replies. Bret would've been about 44 at the time, and was such a technically sound worker, he likely would've had a few great years left in the ring. "The Hitman" would've made for an excellent leader of The Alliance. This has always been a popular sliding door, but of the group that competed with the Black and Yellow armband at SummerSlam 2010, who has been a star in any promotion, at any point, outside of Wade Barrett? It was a group with a shelf life that was too short, but fans have wildly overrated the stable's personnel in the years since. If Hogan had cold feet and stayed a face, he would have been released within the next few years due to his lucrative salary and diminishing fan support. The NWO doesn't reach the mainstream in the same way, but without Hogan politics, WCW booking doesn't crater, and the company remains a viable competitor far past 2001. Mr. Kennedy would've had a chance to be a main event star, but it would've been so hard to land the plane on this angle. It was a rare creative risk that was intriguing, but there were almost no viable payoffs. The world would keep spinning. This is tough for me. In the immediate aftermath, Creative was likely hesitant to push him in the same way, but he's been an ironman since. The likes of Seth Rollins and Charlotte Flair have been hurt more frequently, yet have never tumbled down the card. It seems like Balor has been more of a victim of sloppy angles than the inopportune injury. Advertisement Related: Wrestling Insider Makes Bold Prediction About Logan Paul's WWE Future Related: John Cena's Farewell Tour Has Been a Total Flop
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson and the unique crossover relationship between the NBA and pro wrestling
Nine years ago, the New York Times Magazine ran a column asking "Is Everything Wrestling?" At the time, they were mainly referencing the 2016 presidential election, which had an injection of professional wrestling vibes seemingly unlike any before it, but it was a signal that the art of sports entertainment had fully engrained itself in the mainstream. There was a truth in the answer then, and it remains valid nearly a decade later — Yes, everything to an extent is wrestling. Unlike the rest of society, sports and entertainment, however, the NBA and pro wrestling have been tightly intertwined for the better part of three decades now. Shaquille O'Neal has multiple appearances, including wrestling in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, LaVar Ball and his sons Lonzo and LaMelo Ball appeared in a bizarre, off-script segment with The Miz on "Monday Night Raw," Joel Embiid has adopted the "D-X" crotch chop as his unofficial celebration, even former Celtics center Enes Freedom (Kanter) has held a championship in WWE. Advertisement For some reason, when the intensity gets ratcheted up as the NBA calendar turns to the playoffs, the world's best basketball players decide to enter the squared circle. Sometimes, these interactions happen in the aftermath of a major series or once a team has been eliminated. Other times, like in 1998, two of the biggest NBA stars in the world will work a professional wrestling angle into the NBA Finals, as Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone did. In Marc Raimondi's upcoming book on the NWO and its influence on American culture, titled "Say Hello to the Bad Guys," the Rodman-Malone feud is one of the signature moments that illustrates the crossover appeal that professional wrestling has within the NBA. As the Bulls — in Jordan's "Last Dance" season nonetheless — and Jazz squared off for the Larry O'Brien trophy, Rodman and Malone were building toward a tag-team match alongside Hollywood Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page for Bash at the Beach 1998. Advertisement 'Legitimate sports crossing over with wrestling is a tale as old as time — from Muhammad Ali to Ernie Ladd to Steve 'Mongo' McMichael to Shaquille O'Neal," Raimondi told Uncrowned. "Wrestling as an art has captured the imagination of many a sports star, just like it has laymen in the U.S. and beyond." The Rodman and Malone feud was polarizing, but it accomplished its goal when you look at the biggest measures of success in pro wrestling — it drew eyeballs and sold tickets. Rodman was a cultural lightning rod in the late 1990s and to this day is one of the more recognizable names from the iconic NWO run in WCW. Malone, while not having the same penchant for chaos as Rodman, showed he could more than hold his own in the ring. Fast forward to September 2021, WWE tapped into the NBA playoffs well once again, this time enlisting the help of Hawks All-Star Trae Young. Young, fresh off an Eastern Conference finals trip, still had very real heat among the Madison Square Garden faithful after he scored 30-plus points in all three first-round playoff games at MSG. Naturally, WWE used him to draw a chorus of boos and create a moment from an otherwise forgettable 10-man tag match. Advertisement The playbook stayed relatively the same in June 2024, with MSG hosting an episode of "SmackDown." Weeks after the Pacers eliminated the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson became involved in a match between Logan Paul, LA Knight and Santos Escobar. Haliburton, like Young years before him, was a natural heel in The Garden and tried to aid Paul by handing him a pair of brass knuckles. Brunson intervened and after the match was decided entered the ring with a steel chair, chasing off the heels (and giving Knicks fans a scare about his surgically repaired hand in the process). Once the Knicks dispatched the Celtics last week, the clip of Haliburton and Brunson on "SmackDown" resurfaced and became a trending topic in both the NBA and wrestling worlds. It's hard to say why the NBA — particularly some of the biggest stars and during the biggest moments — and pro wrestling cross over so well. Perhaps it's the nature of the sport itself. It's remarkably more difficult for one player to take over a game — and draw opposing fans' ire — in the NFL or MLB compared to basketball. Also, while the NFL essentially generates interest yearlong and is a ratings juggernaut, there still may be somewhat of a disconnect when it comes to culture. When is the last time an NFL player released a popular pair of sneakers? Does the parity of the league and relatively short career span hurt the league compared to the NBA in the crossover department? Advertisement There may be no concrete rhyme or reason behind it, but the fact remains, the NBA and professional wrestling are a tag team unlike any other in sports right now. Considering the history there and rivalry between the Knicks and Pacers (then, now, forever, anyone?) there could be plenty of more runway for Tyrese 3:17 and 1A. "Brunson and Haliburton have a chance to be a modern-day Rodman and Malone, especially if they continue their NBA rivalry in WWE," Raimondi said. "I wouldn't be shocked if that happened.'
Express Tribune
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Is Cena's heel run a bust?
On March 2, John Cena did the unthinkable and turned heel after more than two decades. He turned on Cody Rhodes and sold his soul to The Rock. In what's his last year as a wrestler, he defeated Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to make history again and win his 17th world championship, breaking Ric Flair's record. At WWE Backlash, Cena defeated his old rival Randy Orton in what was possibly their last one-on-one match to retain the title. When the turn occurred, it was compared to Hulk Hogan joining the NWO as to how industry-changing it had the potential to be. However, despite all the right elements, the weight that Cena's name, accolades and the gravity this historic achievement carries, the heel run so far hasn't lived up to the hype it had on paper. A number of issues have accumulated and left the fans underwhelmed with the run since March. But the biggest issue with Cena's heel turn might not even be Cena himself. Ruining wrestling In his first promo after the heel turn, Cena said he wanted to "ruin wrestling" and turned on the fans since they never respected him even when he was a good guy. That is a fact. The fans turned on him soon into his Super Cena days as most other fan-favourite stars didn't get their due recognition and opportunities in the company due to him being at the top. It frustrated the fans for years. After a significant time away, fans have come to appreciate Cena again but that wasn't always the case. Therefore, when he turned heel months away from his in-ring retirement, fans were elated. But Cena's logic and motivation left a lot to be desired. Performing as a heel doesn't just mean wearing a boo-boo face and blaming the fans. A heel persona is relatively easier than being a babyface since it allows wrestlers to be more interesting characters. When in a rut, they even demand to turn heel so they could save their careers. And it has worked countless times, including with Cena in early 2000s. Cena doesn't need to save his career at this point. He has done it all many times over. And yet the entirety of his heel persona can be summed up in a frown and the typical "all you people" lines sprinkled with one-liners right out of a fraudulent motivational speaker's speech. It cannot be possible that Cena has forgotten how to be a heel. He used to be a fantastic one before he became the top guy. The Doctor of Thuganomics persona still lives in fans' hearts even after two decades as that's what catapulted him to superstardom. Wearing a chain and lock, and rapping and dissing his opponents made the crowd love him. But now, the only way you can tell Cena is the bad guy is because he doesn't smile anymore and keeps a permanent frown on his face. In his promos, Cena keeps repeating he will retire with the championship and ruin wrestling and that he's the last real champion. But why does he want to ruin wrestling when he's the one who has reigned at the top for about 20 years? A heel turn of such magnitude should have a stronger motivation behind it. The run is also undermined by Cena's lack of weekly scheduled dates. The weeks-long wait between each appearance also leaves fans dissatisfied since upon each return, they are offered similar ambiguous promos with no answers. No Final Boss The motivation of the turn was teased when it happened. This is why perhaps the fans' dissatisfaction with Cena's heel run isn't entirely due to Cena himself, but The Rock. Dwayne Johnson's Final Boss persona was the best thing in wrestling during the buildup to WrestleMania 40 last year. The fans expected a follow-up this year due to his involvement with Rhodes. He appeared and offered the champ to sell his soul. When Rhodes refused, Cena accepted and the two former rivals beat Rhodes to a bloody pulp (along with a stiff shot from rapper Travis Scott that resulted in a broken eardrum and a black eye). However, in the last two months, The Rock disappeared and has had no involvement in this story that he kickstarted. In fact, even Cena and Rhodes have barely mentioned the Final Boss, leaving fans with unanswered questions. During a podcast appearance, The Rock said he felt the character did his job and he stepped out of the spotlight to put more focus on Cena and Rhodes who were to main event WrestleMania for the title. Even during the match, only Scott appeared to interfere and help Cena, rather than The Rock himself. But the Final Boss character is needed back to answer the questions about why he and Cena joined forces. What did he offer to Cena that he sold his soul to him? Why did he want Cody in the first place? And what did The Rock give Cody last year after WrestleMania? And what's next now that Cena has got the world title? In over two months, there has been no progression in the story. WWE has only been offering random side quests for Cena to keep the reign. It's essentially a failed magic trick, where a rabbit doesn't pop out of a hat, so you distract the audience with card and number tricks, and claim that was the plan all along. But WWE hasn't convinced anyone yet that this was always the plan. Of course, this is easily fixable if The Rock returns and they provide some answers. But so far, it just seems like a pointless move. When Cena turned, he had already won the Elimination Chamber match and had a guaranteed title shot. He didn't need The Rock's help. So, now the payoff, if or when it comes, has to be much bigger than that to do justice to the story. According to reports, The Rock (who's a member of the board of directors at TKO Group, which owns WWE) wanted Rhodes to turn heel, but WWE refused, considering his popularity. The next best option was Cena. The Rock played along at first and then left them hanging to figure it out themselves. Whether there is any truth to these reports by the dirtsheets and wrestling journalists is irrelevant at this point. Such speculations will naturally spread among the fans when the story is flawed and character motivations aren't clear. Rest assured, WWE must tie up the loose threads and make sense of this heel run before the fans stop caring about bad man Cena, which has already started happening with the increasing cheers for the Hollywood star.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hulk Hogan's dramatic new look turns heads; here's how he appears now, as fans ask: 'How did this happen?'
Hulk Hogan isn't unfamiliar with shocking fans, but this time it wasn't in wrestling, but it was because of his new look which he showed off on live television, as per a report. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Code of war: India and Pakistan take their battle to the (web)front Forex reserves show a pauperised Pakistan, a prospering India Pakistan conducts training launch of surface-to surface ballistic missile A Throwback Beard That Turned Heads The 71-year-old WWE Hall of Famer made a dramatic appearance on Fox News' show Fox & Friends, and it wasn't just what he was saying that grabbed viewers' attention but his throwback two-toned beard, as per New York Post. Hogan shocked fans with a combination of his classic snow-white handlebar moustache set against jet-black stubble, a daring throwback look that immediately sent social media buzzing. Wearing his signature bandana-and-sunglasses set and a T-shirt that said "America first, beer second," Hogan's beard stood out against his tanned skin and bright white teeth, reported the New York Post. But it was the beard — a visual whiplash back to the past — that had people doing double takes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo The combination of white and black facial hair is not completely new to Hogan. He originally debuted the now-iconic contrast look, back in 1996, when he turned heel and joined the ranks of the dreaded bad boys 'NWO,' reported New York Post. Social Media Reaction On social media platform X (previously Twitter), a user asked, 'Does anyone believe this is Hulk Hogan?' quoted the New York Post. Live Events While, another said, 'Hulk Hogan giving off Wooly Willy vibes this am on @foxandfriends,' as quoted in the report. A user questioned, 'What style would you call this look from Hulk Hogan?' as per the report. FAQs Why is Hulk Hogan trending again? Because of his unexpected new two-toned beard, he showed off during a live TV interview. Did Hulk Hogan always have this beard style? No, but he debuted a similar look back in 1996 during his 'NWO' wrestling days.
Miami Herald
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘Who let him walk around like this?' Hulk Hogan's new look on talk show raises eyebrows
Some Hulk Hogan fans were probably adjusting their TV screens Thursday morning. The wrestling legend looked a little, um, different while appearing on 'Fox & Friends.' The 71-year-old was telling the panel about his new league featuring freestyle wrestlers, which is targeted to a more mainstream audience. The Clearwater resident's signature blonde mustache was there, but surrounded by a thick five o'clock shadow. Under the cable news show's X post sharing a clip of the chat, commenters expressed their confusion over his new look. 'WTF is that beard?' 'Dude, wash your face!' 'What in the fresh hell is going on with his face?' 'Hulk is unrecognizable!' 'Who let him walk around like this?' Thankfully, a few folks with archival knowledge of the popular sport cleared up the matter. Hogan's facial hair is a throwback to his days when he played a villainous character with a pro wrestling group dubbed the New World Order in the 1990s. 'The amount of dumb people that do not understand that Hogan has dyed his hair black to bring nostalgia to his NWO days is laughable.' The first competition in Hogan's league is set for August in Cleveland, Ohio. The match can likely expect a decent crowd now that Hogan's publicity stunt went viral. READ MORE: Hulk Hogan breaks his silence on family drama
