The Rock singing "viva Rock Vegas"

Bright light city gonna set my soul Gonna set my soul on fire . . . 

Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn, So get those stakes up higher . . . 

Viva Rock Vegas . . . 

Viva Rock Vegas . . . 

Viva . . .

Viva . . . Rock Vegas . . . 

Remembering Curt Hennig(Mr. Perfect) On The 10th Anniversary Of His Passing

WWE Hall of Famer Curt Hennig, best known to many as Mr. Perfect, passed away on this date 10 years ago. A decade later, Hennig is still remembered as one of the most beloved performers of his generation, with his freakish athleticism and rarely-matched technical ability. We’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the the life of Curt Hennig and express gratitude for the many great moments he creative. We also encourage you to comment below and share your favorite memories from his illustrious career.

From his time in the AWA, to the iconic “Mr. Perfect” sports vignettes,  his unforgettable run with the WWF Intercontinental championship, his chemistry with Bobby Heenan and Ric Flair, his “Rap is Crap” antics with WCW’s West Texas Rednecks and his final WWE run that began with a surprise entry in the 2002 Royal Rumble, there was only one Mr. Perfect.

RIP Curt Hennig.

Update on Vince McMahon

WWE has provided an update on Vince McMahon following his recent hip surgery. The WWE website reports:

“Mr. McMahon is currently recovering at home. Members of the McMahon family refused to comment, but speculation from Mr. McMahon’s medical team indicates things bode well for his recovery time.”

As previously reported, Vince McMahon has needed hip surgery for several months and Brock Lesnar’s recent attack on McMahon was done to incorporate his very real procedure with a WWE storyline meant to build up to a Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania.

WWE also provided the following [graphic] photo of McMahon’s hip during surgery:

WWE Superstars & Divas Comment On Bruno’s Sammartino’s HOF Induction

WWE.com has a new article up with quotes from various WWE stars talking about Bruno Sammartino’s upcoming induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Here are some highlights of what the following Superstars and Divas said:

Shawn Michaels: 
“As a Hall of Famer, I feel that, respectfully, the Hall of Fame takes on a legitimacy [with Bruno] that, could be argued, was not there before. The entrance of Bruno Sammartino is an example of the exclusivity, prestige and honor that should be the hallmark of any Hall of Fame.”

Tommy Dreamer: 
“It’s great that Bruno is being inducted into the Hall of Fame; it’s long overdue. To see him change his attitude about WWE is awesome. I credit Triple H with reintroducing Bruno to today’s WWE. I’m really glad he’s back as part of the WWE family.”

Joey Styles:
“As an Italian-American whose family is also from the Abruzzi region of Italy, Bruno Sammartino was and is an inspiration. The haunting story of his childhood in German-occupied Italy during World War II is even more amazing than his wrestling career. Back in high school, my paesans and I had a very bare bones gym above my friend’s garage that was adorned with posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney and, the only non-bodybuilder who inspired us to load more weight on the bar, Bruno!”

Trish Stratus: 
“Bruno being inducted is long overdue. It’s like how the Hockey Hall of Fame would be incomplete without Wayne Gretzky; Bruno being inducted makes the WWE Hall of Fame complete. I’m absolutely honored that I’m going to be inducted in the same class as one of our industry’s greats.”

JBL: 
“I don’t know what has happened in the past between him and sports-entertainment, but Bruno Sammartino belongs in the Hall of Fame. He sold out the Garden 187 nights. Most people go their entire career without 187 appearances in the Garden. Phenomenal record, what Bruno Sammartino did.”

Jeff Hardy Re-Signs With TNA For 2 Years

On Thursday night’s Bellator MMA show on Spike TV, TNA President Dixie Carter announced that she had just signed Jeff Hardy to a new long-term deal that would keep Hardy with the company for a “very long time.”

The TNA website has provided additional information regarding Jeff Hardy’s new TNA deal, revealing that he has signed a 2-year contract extension which will keep him with the company through 2015.

Hardy’s TNA contract was set to expire later this month, prompting speculation that he could be returning to WWE for one more run. Jeff Hardy was added to the alumni section of WWE.com on Thursday, which amplified the speculation.

Brock Lesnar Added To Another RAW

WWE is now advertising Brock Lesnar for the March 18 edition of Raw in Pittsburgh, PA. With that appearance set, Brock Lesnar is now advertised to appear at the following four RAW shows leading up to WrestleMania 29:

* February 25 from Dallas, Texas

* March 18th from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

* April 1st from Washington, DC

* March 11th from Indianapolis, Indiana

WWE SmackDown Results: February 8, 2013

* Cody Rhodes def. Kofi Kingston via Cross Rhodes.

* The Great Khali def. Titus O’Neil via Khali Chop.

* Big Show def. Kane via K.O. Punch.

* Jack Swagger def. Justin Gabriel via Patriot Act.

* Tensai def. Drew McIntyre by DQ after Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal interfere.

* Non-Title: 
Antonio Cesaro def. Sin Cara via Neutralizer.

* Mark Henry def. Randy Orton via World’s Strongest Slam to gain entry into the Elimination Chamber Match.

Detailed Results
-----------------------

The show kicks off with Big Show arriving in his own personal bus and, after his bus driver checks the parking lot for signs of Alberto Del Rio, “The World’s Largest Athlete” cautiously exits his bus and enters the arena. Big Show then makes his way to the ring, saying that there is a “double standard” in the WWE. Show continues, saying that he understands that he is “not popular”, asking if it was “fair” for him to defend his World Heavyweight Title in an unplanned title defense. Big Show then says that Del Rio acted like a “criminal” when he attacked him in his hotel room on RAW. Big Show continues, saying that, when you’re “popular”, you can do whatever you want. Big Show says that he does not “get” the fans as they call him a “bad person” when he decimates Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez. Show continues, saying that he conducts himself like a “businessman”, but they call him a “coward”, yet they cheer Del Rio when he assaults him. Big Show then vows that, at Elimination Chamber, the World Heavyweight Championship is coming back to him. Big Show then says that Del Rio has got the “night off” via his one-night suspension from Booker T. Big Show then says that there is “one man” who is responsible for the “double standards” and that is SmackDown General Manager Booker T. Big Show then calls Booker “jealous” of his “in-ring ability” and his “wealth”, but, most of all, the GM is jealous of him because Show is still an “in-ring, competitive, dominant force”, while Booker is a “sad man behind a desk, pushing a pencil”!

Naturally, this brings out SmackDown General Manager Booker T, who asks what Big Show’s “problem” is, saying that Big Show got what he wanted as he’s got another title shot at Elimination Chamber. Booker continues, saying that nobody likes a “bully” and that is what Big Show is when he targets Ricardo Rodriguez. Big Show then accuses Booker of giving Alberto Del Rio the information necessary to find Big Show’s hotel room on RAW, saying that the GM did it because it is the only way that Booker can stay “relevant” by trying to keep Big Show down. Booker does not back down, saying that he treats every Superstar on SmackDown “equally” and that is why he suspended Alberto Del Rio. However, Big Show continues to ask who gave Del Rio the hotel room information, but Booker argues that anyone could spot the giant in a hotel lobby. The GM then informs Big Show that he will be in action on SmackDown against a man who is very angry and very determined to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber Match and that is none other than the former rival and former tag team partner of Big Show, one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, “The Big Red Monster” Kane!

The opening match of the night saw two former Intercontinental Champions face off as “The Mustachioed Marvel” Cody Rhodes went one-on-one with Kofi Kingston. In the end, it was Cody Rhodes planting Kofi Kingston with Cross Rhodes en route to picking up the win.

Backstage, Daniel Bryan confronts his angry tag team partner, Kane, saying that he has apologized to Kane repeatedly for costing him his match on RAW and he forgives Kane for costing him his match on Main Event. Kane then tells Bryan to not speak another word, vowing to defeat Big Show and, then, Bryan can congratulate him.

With Natalya & Hornswoggle in his corner, “The Punjabi Giant” The Great Khali went one-on-one with Titus O’Neil on SmackDown. It was an easy win for The Great Khali as Khali drops Titus O’Neil with the Khali Chop en route to picking up the win. The mood quickly changed, however, with the arrival of “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry. Mark Henry wastes no time in re-asserting himself on SmackDown, first pulling Titus O’Neil out of the ring and tossing him into the ringside barricade. Henry then steps into the ring, going toe-to-toe with The Great Khali and Khali would fight back, managing to force “The World’s Strongest Man” down to one knee with a chop. However, Henry would endure what Khali had to dish out before hoisting the 360 pound Khali up and squashing him with the World’s Strongest Slam!

After dropping The Great Khali with the World’s Strongest Slam, Mark Henry states that the Hall of Pain is “open for business”, asking if the fans had “any questions”. Henry continues, saying that Khali does not any questions and neither does Titus O’Neil. Henry then says that he answered any questions that Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, and Rey Mysterio might have on RAW when he laid waste to all of them. Henry says that what happened on RAW could have been “avoided” if Booker T would have called him, but the GM left him out of the Elimination Chamber Match. Henry asks how he could be forgotten, saying that he needs an “explanation” and calling the SmackDown General Manager out to the ring, saying that, if Booker does not come out there, he will destroy the entire SmackDown roster! Booker T does come out, but the GM does not cower, saying that Mark Henry is not impressing him or Theodore Long by victimizing the locker room. Mark Henry then threatens that, if Booker does not find a spot for him in the Elimination Chamber, then he will take out every able-bodied Superstar on the roster until he is the only man in the Elimination Chamber Match! Still not bending to the will of the scary Mark Henry, Booker places “The World’s Strongest Man” in a match against Randy Orton later tonight and, if Henry can defeat Orton, then Henry will earn his spot in the Elimination Chamber!

In the parking lot, Big Show barks orders at his bus driver, complaining about the temperature in his bus, the quality of his steak, and a ‘plumbing issue’ in the bathroom. Big Show then storms into the arena for his match, but one man was keeping a close eye on the giant as World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio is spotted loitering in the parking lot area, technically staying out of the arena, not violating his suspension.

Two angry giants would collide on SmackDown as, before he challenges Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Title at Elimination Chamber, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show would go one-on-one with one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, “The Big Red Monster” Kane. In the end, it was Big Show toppling Kane with the K.O. Punch en route to picking up an impressive win over the tag team champion. After the match, Alberto Del Rio appears on the TitanTron in front of Big Show’s bus, saying that he has made a “new friend”, none other than Big Show’s tortured bus driver! Del Rio then reveals that Big Show’s driver told Del Rio about how he was being mistreated and offered to help, telling Del Rio all he needed to know to perpetrate the attack on Big Show on RAW! Del Rio then tells Big Show to come see the “changes” that they made to the giant’s personal bus. Big Show then makes his way out to the parking lot where he finds his bus up on cinder blocks with the wheels removed! As a distraught Big Show stews about the state of his personal transportation, Del Rio dumps an entire bucket of orange paint on top of “The World’s Largest Athlete”! As Big Show wails about his treatment, Del Rio exits the arena on the back of a utility truck driven by Ricardo Rodriguez, telling Big Show that he knows a guy who could hook Show up with some tires!

As he continues to try and impress his way into the Elimination Chamber Match, “The Real American” Jack Swagger went one-on-one with Justin Gabriel on SmackDown. In the end, it was Jack Swagger locking in the Patriot Act on Justin Gabriel, forcing Gabriel to tap out to pick up the win.

Still wearing the embarrassment from RAW last week, Tensai would go one-on-one with Drew McIntyre, with his 3MB band mates Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal in his corner. In the end, Tensai would pin Drew McIntyre, but Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal would enter the ring, attacking Tensai. However, Tensai would be saved from the three-on-one attack by Brodus Clay as, together, the two unique super heavyweights would rid the ring of 3MB before getting down with The Funkadactyls.

The United States Champion was in action on SmackDown as Antonio Cesaro went one-on-one with Sin Cara in a non-title match. Despite an impressive onslaught by Sin Cara, Antonio Cesaro was able to stop Sin Cara with a European uppercut, following it up with the Neutralizer en route to picking up the win.

After being laid out with the F-5 by Brock Lesnar on RAW, The Miz was interviewed about the attack, but United States Champion Antonio Cesaro would get in Miz’s face, saying that The Miz keeps sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. The Miz responds, saying that he should be sticking his nose where it does belong. With that, The Miz attacks the United States Champion, sparking a brawl between Miz and Cesaro that has to be broken up by referees.

Then it was time for the main event as, for the first time in nine months, Mark Henry would be in action as “The World’s Strongest Man” went one-on-one with “The Viper” Randy Orton in an attempt to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber Match. Randy Orton looked moments away from a major victory after planting Mark Henry with his suspended DDT, but Mark Henry would counter the RKO, squashing “The Viper” in the corner before planting Orton with the World’s Strongest Slam en route to picking up the win and gaining entry into the Elimination Chamber Match!