Who is he and why is he important to wrestling?
Johnny Ace started wrestling in the mid-80's, associationing with the Bushwhackers, then called "The Sheepherders" for a short time. He would hone his craft more and more throughout the years, and surfaced in 1990 as one half of the Dynamic Dudes with Shane Douglas. After a year or so, Ace went to Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling and became a superstar. He would have intricate matches, with many different spots and holds. He would tag with American partners on occasion and would ultimate tag team with Mike Barton (formally Bart Gunn) until he got a call from the U.S. not for his wrestling, but for his booking of complicated matches. Ace worked behind the scenes as well as in the ring for AJPW, as he also was able to work with the American wrestlers on making the work rate better. WCW brought him during 2000 to improve the work rate of the matches. The WWF acquired him when they bought out WCW.
Did they make a special World title belt for Andre The Giant?
Yes. It was only used a few times, but there was an extra long belt made for Andre, so he could wear it. It still exists, somewhere in the WWF storage closet.
When was his last match?
December 4, 1992 at Budokan Hall, working in the mid-card comedy match with Giant Baba and Rusher Kimura against Haruka Eigen, Motoshi Okuma & Masa Fuchi.
Was he courted by the ECW in 1996?
Yes, in a sense. He was give comp tickets to see an ECW event. Paul Heyman wanted to show him their more kick-ass product. Angle wasn't interested to begin with, but went to be polite.
Is it true that he's the only gold medalist in the WWF history?
It's true, it's true. However, there were two other Olympians in the WWF. Mark Henry and Ken Patera were both weight lifters.
If one of the gold medals is the Olympic one, what is the other one?
World championship medals from other competitions.
What happened with his title loss to the "Iron Shiek"?
In 1983, Bob Backlund was the old WWF and Vince McMahon Jr. saw Hulk Hogan as the future of the WWF. Backlund was unwilling to turn heel and didn't really want to give the title to Hogan. So, in a match with the Iron Shiek, Backlund was in the dreaded camel clutch and his manager Arnold Skoaland throws in the title. Backlund leaves the WWF and Hogan gains the championship a month later.
Why did Backlund receive the title from Bret Hart in 1994, then lose it to Kevin Nash three days later?
He was a heel champion buffer between Hart and the soon-to-be-face Nash.
Why didnt't he face the Honky Tonk Man at Summerslam '88 for the I-C title?
The WWF front office, even though they pushed him for over a year and was finally going to get his hands ln the I-C title, decided to have him start a program with Ron Bass. The reason is that a new upcoming star, The Ultimate Warrior, was more marketible. Beefcakes fued with Bass was bloody and "hairy" at point, but Beefcake recovered, sort of.
Who was Fur face?
Brutis decided to come back to wrestling in 1991, two years after his surgury. As a precautionary measure, he had to wear a mask. The WWF came up with Fur Face, a wrestler who attacked heels after squash matches. This went on for two months until the WWF scraped it and had Brutis come out as himself, and hosted an interview segment called "The Barber Shop." He would return to the ring with Hogan at WM 8 to face Money Inc. with friend Hulk Hogan.
Is he Andre's son?
No. That was an angle to hype his feud with Hulk Hogan in the mid-90's.
Does he suffer from the same disease as Andre?
Yes. Acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess amounts of growth hormones, causes both Andre and Wight to be as big as they are.
When was his first WWF stint?
In mid-1995. The big two were scouting him from his rounds at ECW and Japan. WWF gave him several try out matches. (Some were broadcasted, with Dibiase as his manager.) Benoit decided to head for WCW, because they were re-opening a relationship with New Japan. This gave Benoit an opportunity to work in both the states and Japan, so he took WCW's offer.
What was his first WWF title?
Depends on who you ask. He won the WWF Light heavyweight title in Mexico on March 3, 1991, but it is not clear if the WWF now recognizes it or not. If not, his first title was the I-C belt he won at WM 16, April 2, 2001.
Why is there hatred between him and Kevin Sullivan?
In the early to mid 90's, Kevin Sullivan was the booker and brought in his wife Nancy Sullivan as the character "Woman". Sullivan put himself with a feud with Benoit who stole his wife. Benoit and Nancy spent a lot of time together during the feud, and it wound up Benoit actually did steal Sullivan's wife. Nancy and Sullivan divorced in 1998 and Benoit and Nancy would go on to marry in 1999, and currently have had a kid.
Why did he burn his bridges with the WWF?
Douglas entered the WWF as "Dean Douglas" after his ECW stint. Shane wasn't happy with the gimmick to start off with. The Clique were having thier problems with Douglas as well. Scott Hall's inept ability to ad-lib and the threat of Douglas stealing some political power were more fuel for the fire. When Michaels got into an altercation (see "Buffalo Incident" under Shawn Michaels), Michaels was unable to lose his I-C belt to Douglas. (Douglas thought that Michaels was in good enough condition to job to him.) Douglas was awarded the belt, only to lose it the same night to Hall. (Douglas claims this was a power play by the Clique.) The straw that broke the camel's back, literially, was when Douglas got a back injury. The WWF had him do some non-wrestling gigs, but wound up taking bumps. Douglas quit the WWF with a full release.
Who was "Puke"?
Droz was known throughout the NFL for puking on Monday Night Football, Droz was given the gimmick as his introduction to the WWF. He associated himself with the Legion of Doom until heading out on his own. To see more, watch "Beyond the Mat".
What happened to paralyze him?
During a match with D'lo in late 1999, he was put into a running powerbomb that went a rye.
Are Edge and Christian really brothers?
They are good friends and long time tag team partners, but not brothers.
Is he really married to Val Venus's sister?
Yes.
Why was he able to bring the NWA title belt over to the WWF in 1991?
He owned it. Jim Crockette had given Flair the belt (which was specially made for him) in lieu of payment of bonus money. Technically, Flair was NWA champion coming in, seeing that the NWA didn't strip him of the title. WCW sued for the belt, andit was finally settled. Turner bought back the belt for $23,000 a month after Flair entered the WWF. Flair would use an old I-C and Tag belt from that point on as his real world's title, but the images were disstorted so the audience wouldn't know the difference.
Why did he leave the WWF in 1993?
In a rare occurance, Flair and the WWF mutualy agreed to part ways because both had done with they wanted to do. Flair had become the second man to hold the NWA/WCW and WWF titles, and had a tremedious run in the WWF. The WWF had gained some momentum and felt Flair had gone as far as he could go. So, after a retirement match with Curt Hennig, Flair left the WWF.
What was "A Flair for the Gold"?
Ric Flair had his own interview segment on his return to the WCW in 1993, with Arn Anderson as a sidekick, and his maid, Fifi. It only lasted until the end of the year, when Flair went on to reform the Horsemen.
Who was Terra Rising and Jean Paul Levesque?
HHH's first incarnation in WCW was Terra Rising, his indie wrestling gimmick. He wound up dumping it for Jean Paul Levesque, his other character in the WCW. Jean was somewhat like Steven Regal's snobbish character at the time, only French.
Why did he leave WCW for the WWF?
His contract was up and he had the opprotunity to go to the WWF. The WCW gave him a good offer, including teaming with Steven Regal, an established star. However, the WWF offered a singles career and no guarentees. He took the WWF deal, seeing more benefits than risk, and signed with the WWF. He changed his name to Hunter Herst Helmsley, which wasn't too far from his Jean character.
Are Stephanie and HHH married?
No. But at this posting, they are dating.
What's the deal with Chyna and HHH?
They both trained for Killer Kowalski's school and were friends since. They had been an on and off couple, until late '99.
Did he confront Goldberg?
Yes. HHH had said that Goldberg didn't impress him in an interview. In June 2000, Goldberg confronted him during a licensing fair in New York. HHH (who was with Stephanie McMahon) was very calm, while Goldberg was yelling at him. HHH smirked, and Goldberg went off in a huff. Witnesses say that Goldberg looked like a fool.
What are the "Five Moves of Doom"?
Bret Hart has five moves he utilizes in a match: Side Russian Legsweep, the backbreaker, the second-rope elbow drop, the suplex (regular vertical suplex), and the bulldog. This is to set up the sharpshooter, and it is not apart of the five.
Why did Bret Hart defeat Ric Flair for his first WWF title reign?
Ric Flair had an inner ear infection, which caused him to have balance problems. So, he decided to drop the belt in order to heal. There weren't many candidates. Hogan was on vacation, Savage was lightrning up his schedule, the Warrior was in a contract dispute and the Undertaker was a heel. This left Bret Hart, who became champ in Saskatoon, Canada. The match is on "Smack 'Em, Whack 'Em" in it's entirity.
Is he a two time King of the Ring?
Yes, if you include his win at the non-televised King of the Ring in 1991.
Why was he called Nugget?
DX, in an interview after Bret Hart left the company after the Montreal screw job (see under Bret Hart), Owen, the only remaining member of the Hart Foundation, was compared to the piece of crap you couldn't flush in the toliet. (Bret, Davey Boy Smith, and Jim Neidhart were "flushed" when they left for the WCW.) DX persisted in calling him nugget and the name stuck.
Did he really injure Dan Severn with a tombstone at a taping of Raw in 1998?
No, but keeping with his crippling gimmick, he was integrated into the storyline.
What were "The Demandments"?
Hogan's demandments were the rules to live by to be successful in life, as well as wrestling. (Like Kurt Angle's "I's".) There were originally 3, but two were added during the WWF radio show in the 1994. The 5 were the following:
How many times did Hogan get pinned between '83-'93?
Four times. Andre at a Saturday Nights main event in January '84; Ultimate Warrior at WM 6; Undertaker at Survivor's Series '91; and Yokozuna at King of the Ring '93.
Why did he have a black eye before WM 9?
There are three different stories that have been said...
Ted Dibiase sent thugs to beat up Hogan outside the gym. (This was an angle, or cource.) He was in a jet ski accident. This story has some merit, but not as much as the third story. Randy Savage punched him. This is the story that most insiders say is the most reasonible. Savage and Elizabeth had divorced and Savage was taking his aggression out on Hogan. They eventually made up and are friends.
Did he knock out a talk show host?
Yes, but on purpose. Richard Belzer hosted a tv talk show called "Hot Properties" in the mid-'80's and had Hogan and Mr. T as guest to promote WrestleMania. Hogan demonstrated a front facelock on Belzer, and Hogan applied too much pressure on the carotid artery, causing Belzer to pass out and hit his head on the table. The suit that followed was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. There are no hard feelings between the two.
Did he really lose to Jacques Rougeau?
Yes, but it was never televised or mentioned. In 1998, in Montreal, where the Rougeau family is very well known, Hogan, at his bequest, jobbed to Jacques.
What other personas did he use?
MVP, Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz (Both during the early '90's baseball strike.)
How long has he been with the WWF? Has he always been a jobber?
He has been with the WWF since the early '80's, and has been a jobber pretty much all of his time in the WWF. He didn't become "The Brooklyn Brawler" until 1989, when Bobby Heenan, who lost his protege "The Red Rooster" Terry Taylor, and Heenan claimed he could turn anyone into a superstar. Lombardi won a few moatches and feuded with the Rooster, only to go back to jobbing again. He is behind the scenes presently, and fills in whenever a jobber is needed.
Why did he leave the WWF?
He wanted to stay in his home in Florida, but the WWF wanted him to move to Connecticut to save money on transportation.
Did he actually say the "f-word" on the air?
Thanks to Brian Pillman. Clash of the Champions XXXII, on January 23, 1996, Brian Pillman, in his "Loose Cannon" persona, was cursing at ringside and nudges Bobby Heenan, who had a bad neck and didn't like people touching him. Bobby said the f-word and got out of his chair. He paced in front of the announce tables a few times to gain his composure, and went back to his position. He apoligized to the fans and went on commentating like a professional.
Who is Mr. Perfect? What was the streak?
Hennig had come back to the WWF in 1988 and created the persona of Mr. Perfect. Way before Goldberg's streak, Mr. Perfect was undefeated until he lost to Brutis Beefcake at Wrestlemania 6. (Note: Hogan had defeated Perfect on a taping on Saturday Night's Main Event a couple of weeks before Wrestlemania, but it was televised after WM.)
Didn't Hennig smash the old WWF title?
Yes. On a episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Hennig (Mr. Perfect) and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo, in the mists of a feud with Hulk Hogan, stole his World title belt. In an interview back stage, Hennig smashed the belt with a hammer. Hogan would recieve a newly design WWF title and the old title wouldn't be seen until 8 years later as the Hardcore title.
Did Curt really injure his back at Summerslam '91?
No, but it was very convincing. Hennig had a chronic back problem for several months and had been missing dates. So, it was decided to have Bret Hart win the match, so Hennig could take time off.
Why did Randy Savage choose Hennig as a tag team partner at the Survivor's Series '92?
It was scheduled to be Savage and the Ultimate Warrior to take on Razor Ramon and Ric Flair, but the Warrior was fired due to missing dates without notice. Hennig, then advisor to Ric Flair, accepted and the match happened.
What was the deal with Andy Kaufman and him?
As some of you know, Kaufman was self proclaimed Inter-gender champion and made his way into Mid-South wrestling. Lawler, the CWA champ at the time, decided to stick his nose into Kaufman's business and trained Foxy Brown to beat Kaufman. Kaufman ended up beating Foxy, only to get slapped by Lawler after he belittled him. Lawler challenged Kaufman to a match, which he accept. Kaufman took two piledrivers in the contest, and spent the night in the hospital. Was it real? Of cource not. Kaufman and Lawler were friends in real life.
Is the Honky Tonk Man his cousin?
Yes, Wayne Ferris is a cousin.
Is Brian "Grand Master Sexy" Christopher his son?
Yes. Brian's full name is Brian Christopher Lawler.
How many titles has he held?
Over 300, the most by any wrestler.
Real name: Amy Dumas
Who trained her?
It's been known that the Hardy's first started to train Lita, but she also got some training in Mexico around the same time.
Who is Miss Miss Congeniality and Angelica?
Lita signed with ECW in 1999, and was the manager for Danny Doring and Roadkill. She went by both names during her tenure there. She didn't do her high flying moves as much during the time.
Did he have a steel plate in his arm?
Yes, but no longer. He was a motorcycle accident in 1992, shattering his arm after signing with the WWF. A plate was surgically put in to help it heel. He was promoting the World Bodybuilding Federation for the WWF, and spent the time to heal enough for ring work. The plate became apart of his gimmick until late 1993, when the plate was removed after serving its purpose. The WWF's story was that he was ordered to remove it.
Who was Mr. J.L.?
Jerry Lynn was introduced in the WCW as a masked wrestler, Mr. J.L. The gimmick was used in Japan originally. Lynn was a glorified jobber for the Cruiserweight division and had a semi-push before he left the company in 1997.
When was his first WWF stint?
In 1997, Lynn was brought into the WWF after his WCW stint to re-launching the light heavyweight division. Before the tournament, they had a series of preliminary matches were made to introduce the division and Lynn had a few matches, even one with eventual winner TAKA. Lynn would be in the tournament bracket, but he never wrestled. Lynn during this time was also in the ECW, who were going to push him heavily. So, he forwent the temporary WWF gig to be a bigger part of ECW.
How did she come up with Madusa?
Being a fan of mythology, she decided to make her name Madusa. The different spell was because the name is also short for "Made in the USA".
Who was Alundra Blayze?
After her WCW stint, Madusa was given a contract to the WWF to help start up their Woman's division. She was given the name Alundra Blayz.
What was the Nitro "WWF Woman's title" situation?
A week or so after defending the WWF Woman's title on WWF ppv, Madusa showed up on Nitro in November '95 and put the WWF Woman's title in the trash. Some look at this incident as the reason for Vince screwing Bret Hart in Montreal.
What was the "Buffalo Incident"?
On October 14, 1995, a day before a In Your House PPV, Michaels, Sean "1-2-3 Kid" Waltman, and Davey Boy Smith were at Club 37 in Buffalo, NY. Outside th club, about two in the morning, they were signing autographs from the fans from their car. A group of men, about 9 or 10, showed up and started verbal assulting the wrestlers. Michaels got out of the car to confront them, but four or five of them started beating on him. The other wrestlers were held back by rest of the pack. After the beating, the wrestlers were driven to their hotel by a fan and an ambulance met them their. Michaels had multiple facial cuts and bruises and possibly mild concussion. Michaels forfeit the I-C title to Douglas the next night, and take some time off to heal. No charges were brought by Michaels to the attckers.
