STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2005 A momentous WWE event just got even bigger. World Wrestling Entertainment(R) announced today that movie superstar Sylvester Stallone will be on hand to induct legendary WWE Superstar Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night, April 2, 2005.
Stallone, best known for his portrayals of iconic roles in the series of Rocky and Rambo motion pictures, is currently the co-host of the NBC hit reality series, The Contender (Sunday, 8 p.m. ET) Stallone first met Hogan when he cast him in the memorable role of "Thunderlips" in Rocky III.
The Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles will be the site of the induction ceremony. The WWE Hall of Fame Induction is an official WrestleMania Week Event in Southern California; a capacity crowd from 14 countries and 48 states will be attending WrestleMania 21 on Sunday, April 3, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Although tickets for WrestleMania 21 are no longer available, seats for the WWE Hall of Fame induction are available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232.
Originally posted by Mayhem You just beat me to the punch.
I didn't see that one coming at all. I guess it makes sense, but I'd have much rather seen Vince or Mean Gene do it.
I'd like to see Superstar Billy Graham do it, if only so he could say, "If not for me, this guy wouldn't have a gimmick!"
More Ravishing than Rick Rude could have dreamed of, and I get the kind of women Rick would have loved, Marvelous Matt Mercerbr>LAter God bless Marvelous Matt Mercer www.MattMercer.tk
Are Hogan and Stallone actually close and are friends, or is this just a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" situation where WWE and Hogan get media publicity in getting Stallone there for the induction, and Stallone gets another forum to push his new boxing reality television program.
"This just got a hell of a lot better." - Stifler, American Pie
I don't think they share a sleeping bag, but they did run together for a while in LA in the 80's, and probably just kept in contact. Stallone's show is on network television and is being pushed by millions of corporate advertising, I doubt he sees this a marketing coup and probably is doing it as a favour to Hogan.
Vince doing it would require Vince showing up on TV wheelchair bound, and I don't think anyone wants that. It's nice to get outside stars to do it, instead of just wrestling personalities because it gives it a more important feel. I mean, it's the Hall of Fame, not the RAW Tenth Anniversary Special. And since Hogan epitomized the "going mainstream" tilt of wrestling during that era he more than anyone fits best with an outside personality doing to the induction.
Hot Virgins-The World's Most Steadily Shrinking Commodity
Originally posted by Hogan's My DadI don't think they share a sleeping bag, but they did run together for a while in LA in the 80's, and probably just kept in contact. Stallone's show is on network television and is being pushed by millions of corporate advertising, I doubt he sees this a marketing coup and probably is doing it as a favour to Hogan.
From Wade Keller's "RAW Report" on PWTorch.com:
> An official announcement was made that Sylvester Stallone would be inducting Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame. They gave a full-fledged plug to the boxing reality show Stallone cohosts, certainly part of the deal to get him to be at the induction ceremony. <
"This just got a hell of a lot better." - Stifler, American Pie
Originally posted by Guru ZimAny official news on who is inducting Volkoff?
WWE.com has all the names they're inductng and the inductors in the 'Hall of Fame' section. Here's the list.
HULK HOGAN - Sylvester Stallone RODDY PIPER- Stone Cold Steve Austin NIKOLAI VOLKOFF - Jim Ross JIMMY HART - Jerry "The King" Lawler BOB ORTON JR. - Randy Orton PAUL ORNDORFF - Bobby Heenan THE IRON SHEIK - Sgt. Slaughter
Originally posted by mercerI'd like to see Superstar Billy Graham do it, if only so he could say, "If not for me, this guy wouldn't have a gimmick!"
Yeah, right.
More like: "If not for this guy, nobody would remember I had a gimmick, let alone existed."
"Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from "The Tao of Bobby the Brain Heenan" Uncensored 2000 preview
"As long as the check don't bounce, I guess he's okay with it!" --Former All Pro Giants LB Harry Carson on Bill Parcells joining the hated rival Dallas Cowboys
Originally posted by mercerI'd like to see Superstar Billy Graham do it, if only so he could say, "If not for me, this guy wouldn't have a gimmick!"
Yeah, right.
More like: "If not for this guy, nobody would remember I had a gimmick, let alone existed."
You know, there are LOTS of people who watched wrestling before the 1980s. These people should be respected, not forgotten.
EDIT: Or, if you prefer a different sort of counterargument: Who the hell is "Nick Bockwinkel?"
(edited by CRZ on 22.3.05 1338)
My comment was more directed at the mentality that Hogan's a joke and that he "stole" Graham's gimmick. I do respect Graham, and my post was more a defense of Hogan than an attack on Graham. Many of the older wrestlers have contempt for Hogan and the success he attained, Graham included. Nobody's going to confuse Hogan or Graham with Benoit or Misawa in the worker department, but that isn't why these guys were over. I grew up watching wrestling in the 1970's and have a great deal of respect for the guys then, some are my all-time favorites. The level of wrestling in the WWWF/WWF was very low compared to the AWA (Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis), St.Louis, the Carolinas, the Mid-South or San Francisco. I really loved this time with the great promos and long matches with great workers (re-vitalized in the current WWE with Benoit, Angle, Eddie, Brock and yes...HHH). I remember this time and the great wrestlers who made it memorable, especially the AWA guys like Ray Stevens, Nick Bockwinkel, Pat Patterson, Wilbur Snider, Dick the Bruiser, the Crusher and Mad Dog Vachon. Stevens, Bockwinkel, Patterson and Snider were great wrestlers. Bruiser, Crusher and Vachon were super over personalities. Graham definitely falls into this latter category. A strong personality who cut great promos with a phenomenal look. It's no accident that every clip they ever show of Graham is of him posing, not wrestling. This is no attack on him as he was a totaly over hot heel who was limited in the ring.
The body builder gimmick was not exclusively Graham's as it was a long time staple of wrestling going back to the 1930's. He cut great promos and had more charisma than anyone in the the WWF during his run with the exception of Bruno. Graham's influence upon Hogan was undeniable, but to say that "gimmick infringement" is the reason for Hogan's success it ignorant. Hogan had not only ten-fold the charisma of Graham, but also that intangible quality that appeals to non-fans that made him a huge star.
I know that slamming Hogan is the gold standard of "smart fans", and nothing will change that, but he's still going to get the biggest pop at Mania.
As far as Nick Bockwinkel is concerned, the parallels to HHH are pretty similar:
Biggest heel in the company Sneering, condescending promos that everyone hates Great worker Heat machine Always has the belt
The interest in wrestling is the chase for the belt. Once a "face" has the belt, the angle is over. It has nowhere to go. See: the classic Benoit build-up and payoff last year, perfectly done.
I don't like HHH, but he's a heel and I'm not supposed to.
(edited by NickBockwinkelFan on 22.3.05 1625) "Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from "The Tao of Bobby the Brain Heenan" Uncensored 2000 preview
"As long as the check don't bounce, I guess he's okay with it!" --Former All Pro Giants LB Harry Carson on Bill Parcells joining the hated rival Dallas Cowboys
Ross makes no sense. Since they can't use Blassie or Sheik, why not Tor Kamata, Chris Markoff or even Boris Zukhov? Hell, even Duggan or DiBiase would make far more sense than Ross. And, I know they have Austin on Piper's Pit at Mania, but have they actually ever interacted in their wrestling careers? Even when both were in the WWF/E, one was on RAW and the other SD after the brand split had been established. Considering all of the possibilities who had some sort of connection to Piper: Flair/Arn/Steamboat etc., this doesn't make much sense. Hopefully, with Slaughter introducing Sheik, it will focus on the 80's feud between the 2, and not on Sheik joining Slaughter in becoming Iraqis.
Ross makes no sense. Since they can't use Blassie or Sheik...
I thought for sure you'd mention Steve Allen as one of the "unavailable". :)
"Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from "The Tao of Bobby the Brain Heenan" Uncensored 2000 preview
"As long as the check don't bounce, I guess he's okay with it!" --Former All Pro Giants LB Harry Carson on Bill Parcells joining the hated rival Dallas Cowboys
If anybody is in Southern California and wants to go to the HOF ceremony, it's at the Universal Ampitheatre:
Universal Amphitheatre 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 818.622.4440
price : $35.00 - $85.00 * date : Sat, April 02 door : 4:15pm show : 5:15pm genre : Special Event/Rental
age : all
notes :: WWE Superstars being inducted into the Hall of Fame:
Hulk Hogan inducted by Sylvester Stallone Rowdy Roddy Piper inducted by Stone Cold Steve Austin Cowboy Bob Orton inducted by his son Randy Orton Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart inducted by Jerry "The King" Lawler "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff inducted by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan The Iron Sheik inducted by Sgt. Slaughter Nikolai Volkoff inducted by Jim Ross
Stay tuned to WWE programming for additional announcements of inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Make your plans NOW to join us for this memorable, once-in-a-lifetime event, as we honor our WWE Hall of Fame Inductees and celebrate the WrestleMania 21 Week-end.
Originally posted by Hogan's My DadI don't think they share a sleeping bag, but they did run together for a while in LA in the 80's, and probably just kept in contact. Stallone's show is on network television and is being pushed by millions of corporate advertising, I doubt he sees this a marketing coup and probably is doing it as a favour to Hogan.
From Wade Keller's "RAW Report" on PWTorch.com:
> An official announcement was made that Sylvester Stallone would be inducting Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame. They gave a full-fledged plug to the boxing reality show Stallone cohosts, certainly part of the deal to get him to be at the induction ceremony. <
He phrased that as an assumption, so you haven't proven anything. And yes, I'm sure that was part of the deal just not the only reason he's doing it.
Hot Virgins-The World's Most Steadily Shrinking Commodity
Maybe they did it to amuse themselves? I don't think they did it to jerk around any fans who were there, but just as a joke between the three of them. The report that it was a rib came from the website and witnesses who were there, not from Orton et al.