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David Otunga's WrestleMania Picks: How Did He Do?

Posted 3/29/10 3:10 pm EST by in Television


On Sunday night (March 28), hundreds of thousands of people around the world tuned in to WrestleMania XXVI, which was broadcast live from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. To give us a teaser on what we might see, we talked to David Otunga, pro wrestler (currently seen on "WWE NXT" every Tuesday night on SyFy), reality TV star and fiancé of Jennifer Hudson.

Otunga, a lifelong wrestling fan who also holds a degree from Harvard Law School, sat down with MTV News' Larry Carroll to talk about who he thought would come out on top in the four main events from last night's show. How did he do? Let's take a look.

Match: John Cena vs. Batista
Otunga's Pick: Batista. Otunga thought that the six-foot-six, 290 pound WWE Champion's animal instincts would be too much for Cena.
Actual Winner: John Cena. Though Batista seemed to have Cena beaten with his patented Batista Bomb, Cena reversed the champ into an STF, which forced him to submit. Cena celebrated his ninth world championship by high-fiving a handful of people sitting in the front row wearing "I Hate John Cena" T-shirts.

Match: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels
Otunga's Pick: The Undertaker. The pair had one of the greatest matches of all time at WrestleMania 25, and Otunga thought that even though Michaels' career was on the line, the Undertaker's win streak at the big show wasn't going to be tainted.
Actual Winner: The Undertaker. The two turned in another instant classic, and though Michaels looked like he might have had it in the bag, Undertaker used one last push to snag a second straight WrestleMania victory against the Heartbreak Kid.

Match: Edge vs. Chris Jericho
Otunga's Pick: Jericho. Otunga wasn't sure that Edge would be able to be at 100 percent following his return from an injury, and he gave Jericho credit for being at the top of his game.
Actual Winner: Chris Jericho. It wasn't the most honest victory, but Jericho retained his championship belt against a surging Edge.

Match: Vince McMahon vs. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
Otunga's Pick: Bret Hart. Though he was concerned about Hart's leg injury (which turned out to be fake), Otunga didn't think anything would stand between Hart and revenge.
Actual Winner: Bret Hart. The veteran eviscerated the Chairman of the WWE, knocking him silly and putting him in the sharpshooter for the submission victory.

Otunga managed to pick three out of four, which is pretty impressive. The show itself was one for the ages, with some great matches, some memorable moments and some impressive spectacles. Otunga wasn't on the show, but his future with WWE will be decided soon, as "WWE NXT" will declare a winner soon.

What did you think of WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments!

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Sebastian Ingrosso And Steve Angello Close Out WMC 2010 With Beatport Party

Posted 3/29/10 2:15 pm EST by in Music


By Akshay Bhansali

Following a stellar set by 22-year-old Dutch WMC phenom Afrojack, Swedish House Mafia members Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso unofficially closed out WMC 2010 at the Beatport Beach Party (presented by Beatport, Pioneer and Armani Exchange) at the Gansevoort South in Miami on Sunday (March 28). Sure, other parties lingered on throughout the night, but none that were as explosive.

Swedish House Mafia performed for close to 100,000 people at Ultra Music Festival on Saturday (March 27), but at the Gansevoort — which was free to the public and a much smaller production — it seemed that the gents were really able to let things loose and get grimey. Ingrosso and Angello played many of the hits from the Swedish Mafia's combined catalog, including "Leave the World Behind" and a house mix of the Eurythmics' classic "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Then there was "Sweet Disposition," a remix of a Temper Trap song that literally had the devoted fans in attendance in a rabid frenzy. But the biggest hit was their new as-yet-unnamed single, which had been WMC for its duration. In fact, the crowd demanded they bring it back a second time later.

Toward the end of their set, Ingrosso and Angello thanked the audience before opening two bottles of champagne during the crescendo of one of their songs and spraying it on fans, who seemed eager to drink it all in (literally). After ending their set (with the Supermode hit "Tell Me Why"), Angello told MTV News that he loved the folks who came to WMC and that he hoped to see them again soon. Of course, Ingrosso fell right in line with the sign-off every Swedish House Mafia fan has come to know: "I think I f---ed this party in the p---y!" he said as he waved goodbye.

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MTV News' Musical March Madness: Panic! Vs. Young Veins, 30 Seconds To Mars Vs. My Chemical Romance

Posted 3/29/10 1:40 pm EST by in Music


It's Musical March Madness! The sprawling bracket — both a parody and a tribute to the NCAA basketball tournament, masterminded by MTV News' James Montgomery — takes the 65 biggest names in rock, splits them up into four regions, assigns them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 65. Over the next few weeks, we will present a series of polls that will allow you to vote for the match-ups presented in MTV News' Band Bracketology. You vote for the winners, we'll keep advancing the seeds and, in the end, we'll have some sort of champion. What will the winner receive? Little more than our esteem (as well as that of the fans) and some Internet bragging rights.

The East bracket of the Sweet 16 is already in play, and now it's time to move on to the West. Any of the bands left in this section of the tournament could win the whole thing, but only one will win the section and advance to the Final Four.

(14) The Young Veins vs. (15) Panic! at the Disco
This was inevitable. The two splintered sides of Panic! at the Disco meet in the Sweet 16, though Ryan Ross' Young Veins had to stage a comeback against Weezer in order to get here. Panic! at the Disco have walked through the first two rounds, but will they be caught off-guard?

(5) My Chemical Romance vs. (9) 30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars dispatched of the last top-seeded group during the second round as they knocked off Blink-182. My Chemical Romance faced a tight race from Pearl Jam, but ultimately overcame the surge from the grunge veterans. Now only one can stand along and advance to the regional finals against the winner of the Panic! at the Disco tilt. Who moves on?

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R. Kelly's 'Echo' Video: Green Screen And Yodeling

Posted 3/29/10 12:25 pm EST by in Music


R. Kelly's Twitter page is a delightful corner of the Internet. While Kells doesn't reveal a whole lot about himself or share his opinions about much of anything, but lately the singer has made up for it with a stream of phenomenal videos. The clips included previews for his new music video and answers to fan questions, all leading up to the premiere of "Echo," his latest clip.

Throughout his career, Kelly has become known for elaborate videos and incredible narratives. After all, this is the guy who brought the world epics like "Down Low" and "Trapped in the Closet." But "Echo" — the latest single from his excellent 2009 album Untitled — is a minimalist gem, featuring little more than Kelly, a pair of sunglasses, some yodeling and a fantastic use of green screen.

"Echo" is a remarkable song, mostly because Kelly yodels in the middle of the chorus. In fact, he apparently got a lot of questions from fans about the yodeling, which is probably why Kelly posted a video explaining why he likes the practice so much. Again, it's an amazing piece of video that features Kelly in all his Kelly-ness, simultaneously hilarious and serious, down-to-earth and utterly otherworldly.

But where does the minimalist "Echo" rank alongside other Kelly video projects? While "Echo" is wonderful in its simplicity, Kelly is usually better when he's got size on his side. Classics like "Feelin' on Yo Booty," "I'm a Flirt" and "Rockstar" are all flashy and highly cinematic. But after the lengthy fiasco that was "Trapped in the Closet," maybe this is Kelly's move to digital DIY. Until anybody suggests otherwise, "Echo" is R. Kelly's "Inland Empire."

What do you think of R. Kelly's "Echo" video? What's your favorite R. Kelly video? Let us know in the comments!

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Miley Cyrus Supports 'The Last Song' In This Week's 'Late Night Lineup'

Posted 3/29/10 11:35 am EST by in Music


It's the final week of March, and though we have a fresh few days on our hands, the late night lineup is looking suspiciously like last week's. It's not surprising, as Miley Cyrus hits the shows hard in support of her new film "The Last Song" (which hits theaters this Wednesday, March 31) and Justin Bieber continues his publicity rounds for My World 2.0 (which is expected to top the Billboard album chart this week).

Bieber visits "The Tonight Show" on Thursday (April 1), wrapping up a music-heavy week for Jay Leno that includes Joss Stone on Monday (March 29) and OneRepublic on Wednesday (March 31). Meanwhile, Cyrus will take her act to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday (March 30) on a show that will also feature a performance by Erykah Badu. (Miley will also drop in on "Ellen" on Wednesday.) Kimmel will also welcome Matisyahu on Wednesday and OK Go on Thursday.

David Letterman has an excellent music lineup this week as well, highlighted by She & Him on Friday (April 2), the Whigs on Wednesday and Usher (celebrating the release of his new album Raymond vs. Raymond) on Monday. But the best music lineup goes (as always) to "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," which will feature sets from Julian Casablancas (Monday), Drive-By Truckers (Wednesday) and Liquid Liquid (Friday).

Finally, Snoop Dogg makes another round of talk show appearances this week — he'll be on "Last Call With Carson Daly" on Tuesday and "Lopez Tonight" on Monday.

Whose appearance or performance are you most looking forward to this week? How much do you miss Conan O'Brien? Let us know in the comments!

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MTV News' Musical March Madness: Tokio Hotel Vs. Vampire Weekend, Owl City Vs. MGMT

Posted 3/29/10 10:50 am EST by in Music


It's Musical March Madness! The sprawling bracket — both a parody and a tribute to the NCAA basketball tournament, masterminded by MTV News' James Montgomery — takes the 65 biggest names in rock, splits them up into four regions, assigns them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 65. Over the next few weeks, we will present a series of polls that will allow you to vote for the match-ups presented in MTV News' Band Bracketology. You vote for the winners, we'll keep advancing the seeds and, in the end, we'll have some sort of champion. What will the winner receive? Little more than our esteem (as well as that of the fans) and some Internet bragging rights.

The second round is in the books and the Sweet 16 is set. Round two provided a number of stellar match-ups that went right down to the wire, setting up an intriguing round three. The voting will come fast and furious in the final rounds: The Sweet 16 will be presented today, with voting closing on Tuesday (March 30) evening. Wednesday, we'll present the Elite Eight, with voting closing on Thursday (April 1) evening. Finally, Friday will see the unveiling of the Final Four, setting up a weekend match-up that will deliver a final next Monday (April 5) — the same day as the NCAA basketball finals. Let's get the games underway!

(4) Vampire Weekend vs. (16) Tokio Hotel
The boys in Vampire Weekend eeked out a close victory against Phoenix in round two, while underdog Tokio Hotel steamrolled Radiohead. Could Vampire Weekend be the group that ends this year's biggest Cinderella, or are Tokio Hotel destined to go deeper?

(3) Owl City vs. (7) MGMT
In a heartbreaking, buzzer-beating tilt, Owl City managed to sneak past round two opponents Grizzly Bear in a match-up that saw a number of lead changes (it was the equivalent of this year's Xavier/Kansas State double-overtime romp). Meanwhile, MGMT convincingly topped Animal Collective, and were it not for Tokio Hotel's blitzkrieg, they would be the true Cinderella of this bracket. Can Owl City continue winning, or does its run end with MGMT?

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Justin Bieber Has A Fever For B.o.B.: MTV News' #MusicMonday

Posted 3/29/10 10:00 am EST by in Music


Really, you should be listening to music every day, but thanks to Twitter, Monday has become the best day of the week to discover new songs, show some love to the tune currently dominating your iPod playlist and quietly judge the listening habits of your closest friends. Yes, it's #MusicMonday, one of Twitter's most enduring trending topics. Hence "MTV News' #MusicMonday," a weekly look at the songs your favorite stars are currently crushing on.

This week, teen sensation Justin Bieber shouts out rising rap star B.o.B.'s "Nothin' on You."

For a 16-year-old kid from a small town in Canada, Justin Bieber has developed quite a hip-hop pedigree for himself. He was signed to a record deal by Usher, moved to rap mecca Atlanta (home of the likes of Young Jeezy, Outkast, Gucci Mane and T.I.), shares a manager with Asher Roth (with whom he has supposedly spit a few bars) and has collaborated with Ludacris on his current smash single "Baby." So it's no wonder that when MTV News asked Bieber what he had been listening to lately, he went straight for the sound of the street.

"My favorite song right now is 'Nothin' on You' by B.o.B.," Bieber told MTV News during a sit-down last week. "I like it because it's fun, and it's something that no one has really done before."

Hopefully Bieber caught B.o.B.'s particular brand of innovation during the broadcast of MTV's Spring Break 2010, which featured a live performance of "Nothin' on You." Regardless, if Bieber eventually makes the transition into hip-hop, he certainly has a great base underneath him.

What's your jam on this #MusicMonday? Let us know in the comments or give us a shout on Twitter @mtvnews!

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'The Celebrity Apprentice' Recap: Darryl Strawberry Fires Himself

Posted 3/29/10 9:00 am EST by in Television


Back when the cast members were revealed, the stars participating in "The Celebrity Apprentice" seemed custom-built for easy story lines. It was obvious that eventually Bret Michaels (he of hair metal fame) would eventually go toe-to-toe with Sharon Osbourne (she of real metal fame). And why wouldn't former wrestling star Goldberg challenge former WWE vixen Maria Kanellis?

Still, it took the show three episodes before we got a pair of people from the same universe, as Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson took the reins for RockSolid while Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders got behind the wheel for Tenacity. Each have gold medals in their respective trophy cases, but which one was able to spearhead a better advertorial campaign for the identity theft protection systems Norton and LifeLock?

Though the women had issues with their presentation (Sanders apparently doesn't use Powerpoint very often), the suits in charge of deciding the winner handed the duke to the ladies. That meant a second straight trip to the boardroom for the men, who clashed over content choices and Rod Blagojevich's inability to use a computer (if this show has proven anything, it's that there is nothing that Blago can't fail at). Though Johnson seemed destined to get the chop, Darryl Strawberry stepped up and quit, which robbed the viewing audience of Donald Trump's catchphrase for a week.

Tenacity remains in tact but no less embattled, as Cyndi Lauper continues to be a divisive presence (the women seem to be split evenly between people who love Lauper and those who think she is a nuisance). Meanwhile, the guys have kept the drama to a relative minimum (for a supposed group of high-powered alpha males, they're a pretty passive bunch). Next week's episode will somehow involve "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Studios. Perhaps somebody will cast a spell to make the show shorter?

Who would have been fired from "The Celebrity Apprentice" had Darryl Strawberry not quit? Let us know in the comments!

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WrestleMania III Breaks Attendance Record: Wake-Up Video

Posted 3/29/10 8:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


On Sunday night (March 28), over 72,000 people gathered at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to witness WrestleMania XXVI. That's a tremendous audience, but still short of the WrestleMania record. On this day in 1987, WrestleMania III came to the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, where Andre the Giant challenged Hulk Hogan for the heavyweight championship. Total attendance on that day? A reported 93,173, a figure that has been disputed over time but still stands as the record for largest indoor attendance for a live sporting event in North America.

WrestleMania III represented the pinnacle of the wrestling boom in the 1980s. Hogan was one of the most recognizable stars in the world, but a number of members of the World Wrestling Federation roster had claims to mainstream fame, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Randy "Macho Man" Savage and the Iron Sheik. Though the show in 1987 featured appearances by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Alice Cooper, the real stars were in the main event. The match between Hogan and Andre was storytelling at its most pure. It centered around one question: Could the Hulkster pick up and slam his 525 pound opponent? Hogan went for the slam early in the match but fell backwards under Andre's weight. The Giant kept the advantage for most of the rest of the match, until Hogan managed to stage a comeback and get Andre off his feet. It's a remarkable moment — watch as everybody in the background jump up to their feet when Andre gets up. It'll give you goosebumps. You know what will also give you goosebumps? Mastodon's "Sleeping Giant," this morning's ode to the late Andre.

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Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson To Attend WrestleMania

Posted 3/28/10 10:46 pm EST by in Music


Some "American Idol" alums are in Arizona right now to take part in Vince McMahon's annual Super Bowl of professional wrestling, WrestleMania.

Jennifer Hudson will be at the event to support her fiancé, David Otunga. Otunga is an up-and-coming grappler currently mentored by superstar R-Truth. Fantasia has a heavier role in the event. She'll sing "America the Beautiful." The star of music and stage sent an e-mail to MTV News this week expressing her excitement.

"It is an honor to perform on the grandest stage of all at WrestleMania XXVI following in [the] footsteps of such incredible talent over the last 25 years," she wrote. "I look forward to continuing this tradition and being part of this global event."

WrestleMania kicks off Sunday night at 7 p.m. EST at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Some of the highlights include Bret "The Hitman" Hart in a No Holds Barred match against McMahon. WWE Champion Batista will defend his title against John Cena, and Shawn Michaels is putting his career on the line against the Undertaker and his 17-0 undefeated WrestleMania record. The other main events include Edge going against World Heavyweight Champ Chris Jericho and Otunga's boy, R-Truth, trying to win the Unified Tag Team belts. Truth and his partner John Morrison take on the Big Show and former "Real World" cast member the Miz.

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