Ok, so I know this is cheesy, but I spent my childhood watching wrestling with my grandfather. He was obsessed! One of those dudes who would watch every pay-per-view special, on the edge of his seat all the while. I watched Hulk Hogan go from being a good guy to a bad guy and back again so many times I’m still not sure if he was actually a real American or just a commie traitor. Then things got… → Read More
Well, maybe not “save” WrestleMania, but help ensure it does better than last year’s edition, WrestleMania 26, which, at well under one million pay-per-view buys worldwide, was considered a bit of a disappointment. What’s different this year is WWE’s use of social media—that is to say they’re actually using it this time around. But even if this year’s edition, WrestleMania 27… → Read More
Word on the street (“the street” being this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, which is behind a paywall, sorry) is that WWE is looking to film WrestleMania in 3D this year. The event, which takes place on April 3 in Atlanta, would be the first WWE event (and first North American wrestling or MMA event) to be filmed in 3D. → Read More
Coming soon to your living room: WWE-branded Mad Catz accessories, specifically “FightStick(s)” and “FightPad(s)”. They’re being developed for the upcoming THQ video game WWE All Stars, the game that Dusty Rhodes (yes, the Dusty Rhodes) told me at E3 he was excited to be in. And then he told me to take a hike. Great day. → Read More
THQ wins today’s “Well That’s A Stupid Thing To Say” award. The company, which is right about to publish WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, has adopted the increasingly common practice of only making available DLC to people who purchase the game new. That is, not buying a used copy. → Read More
This was truly a life-changing moment. Pro-wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes was at THQ’s E3 booth today promoting the upcoming release of WWE All Stars and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011. And wouldn’t you know it, he told me to beat it! Yes~! → Read More
Rather than use E3 to pile on the mountains and mountains of hype of the big-bidget titles, I’ve elected to sprinkle through our coverage the small little gems that might otherwise go unnoticed. First on the docket is AAA: Héores del Ring a lucha libre (Mexican-style higly-flying pro-wrestling) game that’ll hit your Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PSP on August 10 of this year. I had some quality time… → Read More
I must be seeing things… is that an official WWE YouTube page, and one that already has last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw online? This is so unlike WWE, embracing technology. They must have hired someone new in recent weeks, someone who told them that, you know, the Internet isn’t merely for “geeks” anymore. → Read More
It took WWE almost two years to release an iPhone App, but here we are. That’s right, today the company, which fancies itself as some sort of catch-all, cutting-edge entertainment juggernaut, has bequeathed upon the world WWE Latest, a 99 cent App for the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s fairly basic, but should help those of you itching for, I don’t know, Diva photos or Raw results. You do know your… → Read More
Exciting—and confusing—TV news for y’all. For whatever reason, SyFy, once upon a time known as the Sci-Fi Channel, has agreed to air WWE Friday Night SmackDown! beginning in October. SyFy already airs WWE NXT (remember: we are wild and young), but now SmackDown? When did SyFy betray its roots of terrible alien movies and Stephen King movies? → Read More
Whatcha gonna do, brother, when you sign a one-year contract with TNA Wrestling, but still want to keep your name in the news? You get a radio show on Sirius XM, of course, dude. That’s right: starting this Monday, you, me, and anyone else with Sirius XM will be able to hear Hulk Hogan—wait, wait, Terry (I forgot, I’m shooting just like they do in TNA)—at 7pm ET on Howard 101. It’s… → Read More
OK, so PAX may be crawling with people dressed as Chris Redfield and, um, Generic Skimpy Outfit Female, but it takes a certain kind of geek to walk around with a WWE championship belt. I use the word “geek” with all due respect, of course: we’re all geeks here at PAX. → Read More
Credit to Ring of Honor, the professional wrestling promotion, for embracing the Internet era. The promotion has launched a new download store that makes its extensive video library only a $10 download away. A legal download, mind you. It’s all a fan could ever ask for. → Read More
The best numbers I could find suggest that 30 percent of homes in the U.S. have access to a DVR. That doesn’t seem like a lot, no, but it’s already had an undeniable impact on the way TV studios evaluate their shows. Lost, The Office, and The Ultimate Fighter all saw their final ratings boosted after taking into account delayed DVR viewings. That means that just because a show doesn’t have killer… → Read More
It’s been a running theme for the past few years, and as more and more people get faster Internet connections, and as video compression technology continues to improve, we’re going to be hearing a lot more about it. I refer, of course (of course!), to illegal streams of live sporting events. Whether you’re firing up TVAnts on Sunday to watch Arsenal take on Aston Villa, or trolling USTREAM for a… → Read More
So here’s an interesting look at Internet piracy you may well enjoy. The English Premier League complained the other day that illegal Web streams of live games (from Justin.tv and the like) were eating into its profits. No profits, no Premiership, was the implied threat. Then explain this to me: WWE ran a pay-per-view event in June called The Bash, and it marked the first time the company… → Read More
Oh now this is rich. Gillette—I think they’re up to 44 blades per razor now—has teamed up with WWE to promote the dark art of male grooming. Why should you care? I don’t know, perhaps you enjoy “social networking” and all that? Maybe you still watch WWE, long after The Rock quit, and long after Triple H… nope, wait, he’s still main eventing (with the exact same gimmick, no less). → Read More
Ha (n. Peter)! Presenting the best video of the day, the latest episode of GameTrailers’ Screw Attack. It’s sort of a retrospective on the game WWF Wrestlemania 2000 for the Nintendo 64. I’d say that it’s still the best wrestling game to this date, and that includes WWF No Mercy. God did No Mercy slow down a lot. → Read More
The storage gods have smiled upon us, friends! Starting this March, Nintendo will sell a 2GB SD card for the Nintendo Wii. Yes, you could have purchased such a card, or bigger, from, say, every other company on Earth, but this one has the official Nintendo Seal of Quality. (Remember that?) As always, Japan gets first dibs. → Read More
It’s not easy being a wrestler. Inside the ring you’re pounding an opponent’s head against the corner post, but outside the ring it’s hard to meet people. Nobody really wants to be your friend. Not even on MySpace. They say their your friends, but they are not really your friends.
Wrestlers aren’t stupid. They know everybody thinks they are just a bunch of clowns. That’s why the company that… → Read More
I wake up every morning thinking, “Man, what I could really use is a social network where I could discuss the societal ramifications of the Kai En Tai-Val Venis castration angle of 1998, or join ‘The Kliq was the best unofficial stable ever’ fan group.” It seems my wishes have been granted. World Wrestling Entertainment has launched its own social network called WWE Universe, which has… → Read More
The demo for WWE Smackdown v. Raw 2009 is now available on the PlayStation Network. Given that I haven’t played a wrestling game since WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64, I can’t cast judgement on the Smackdown v. Raw series. Reviews are sorta mixed, it seems. Also, embedded primarily for nostalgic reasons and my own edification, one of the most infamous scenes in pro wrestling from the… → Read More
WWE Superstar Randy Orton wants to see more violence in video games, arguing that movie violence is far more detrimental to young kids than something like Grand Theft Auto. Yup, the pro wrestler recently defended our favorite pastime in an interview with Eurogamer, saying: Violence sells. I want to see more violence in games – the more blood the better…. The violence [in Goodfellas] is… → Read More
WrestleMania XXIV airs this Sunday on pay-per-view and will be the first WrestleMania broadcast in high-definition. They’ve jacked up the price this year, so if you want to see Randy “The One Man Dynasty” (wtf?) Orton defend the title in HD be prepared to fork over $70. (The standard def version is $55.) In all likelihood, I think I’ll just grab the torrent the next day. → Read More
I totally forgot to mention this yesterday, but the very first high-definition WWE pay-per-view aired on Sunday. The Royal Rumble, held at New York’s Madison Square Garden, is an annual last-man-standing sort of thing. It’s a big deal for wrestling fans. Raw also made its HD debut on USA last night. It’s broadcast in 1080i, which is as good as you’re gonna get on broadcast… → Read More
We know a guy who knows a guy who hooked us up with the trailer for WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 for the Nintendo DS, which comes out next month. The game looks to be graphically on par with the N64 games WrestleMania 2000 and No Mercy, probably the best wrestling games ever made. I could do without the cheesy rock music, but that’s the sort of thing you learn to live with as a wrestling fan. → Read More
We’re filing this one under insane, creepy, interesting, telling, and WTF. You’ve possibly heard of the WWE murder/suicide of the week, featuring popular WWE superstar Chris Benoit and his family. Yah, it’s not gadgety, but it’s about Wikiepedia, and if you like, then you’ll love! → Read More
Do I have a treat for you. It’s a picture of the upcoming LG Fusic II. Unfortunately, we know more about Vince McMahon’s death than we do about what this phone can do. Yes, we know it has a 1.3-megapixel camera, but so do every other cellphone on Earth at this point. Oh, and it supports EV-DO. We know that, too. The rest? Not a damn thing. No release date, no nothing. If you ask me, it… → Read More
In a conference with Cingular/AT&T about their new service, Video Share, a mobile-to-mobile video chat service reminiscient of video chat in Europe. The service is rolling out this summer. The best part? They’re partnering with WWE and Napster for some video and music hotness. Also, we’ll be seeing a new phone from Apple – something called the iPhone – officially… → Read More
Well, sans Hulk at least. Cingular has partnered with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to create premium content available for wrestling fans. Everything from wallpapers to ringtones to videos will be available. However, getting your fix of Macho Man Randy Savage will cost you a pretty penny. Some videos will be included as part of Cingular’s media service plan while others will… → Read More
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