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Remembering Macho Man Randy Savage, More Than 'The Slim Jim Guy'

Posted 5/20/11 4:25 pm EST by in Television


By Zachary Swickey

This morning, one of my childhood heroes, Macho Man Randy Savage (born: Randall Mario Poffo), was in a fatal car accident. Savage lost control of his vehicle for "unknown reasons," CNN reports, and collided in to a tree. At 58 years old and only one year into his new marriage, Savage had plenty of life ahead of him that was cut short.

While the star became an icon through his wrestling career, he also made a splash in other forms of media. Not many other stars can boast such a vast array of appearances. "Baywatch," "Mad About You," and "Walker Texas Ranger" all featured the burly star. Savage even got to spar with Spider-Man himself, playing Bone Saw McGraw in the franchise's 2002 film. His distinctive raspy voice landed him some appearances in animated form a few times as well, including "Family Guy," "Space Ghost," "King of the Hill" and, more recently, Disney's "Bolt."

Savage even took a shot at rapping with his 2003 album Be a Man, which was playfully directed at his longtime nemesis, Hulk Hogan. Apparently, the stars had actual beef they were finally squashing, according to a series of tweets from Hogan, who wrote that he was "devastated" by his former rival's passing, as the two had just begun talking for the first time in over 10 years.
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'American Idol' Finalist James Durbin Takes Inspiration From The WWE

Posted 3/9/11 5:30 pm EST by in Music


"American Idol" returns tonight for the first show of the finals, which will pit the 13 remaining contestants against one another. The theme for Wednesday night's (March 9) episode is "Singers You Love," which means that each contestant has the chance to perform song by a singer that he or she particularly adores. Each singer was also paired up with a producer, and that person's influence will likely become known once the episode starts rolling tonight.

There are a number of singers to look out for tonight, as a lot of questions from last week remain unanswered. What will favorite Lauren Alaina do for an encore? Do the country singers have any other styles to offer? And will James Durbin wear another tail?

No matter what Durbin wears, you can bet his performance will be electric. Durbin is one of the most charismatic contestants of season 10, and he's certainly drawing inspiration from the right places.

"As one of my favorite wrestlers would say, 'I'm James Durbin, and I'm awesome!'" Durbin exclaimed to MTV News' Kara Warner during the "American Idol" finalists' party in Los Angeles last week. That, of course, is the catch phrase of current WWE Champion and former "The Real World" contestant the Miz. An avid wrestling fan, Durbin is also excited about the return of the Rock — mostly because he has grown tired of perennial headliner John Cena.

Those are fighting words, but Durbin is a guy who knows what he wants. That kind of confidence should make him a formidable contestant on "American Idol" this season. He should totally adopt the phrase, "Do you smell what James Durbin is cooking?"

Don't miss "Idol Party Live" at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday on MTV.com, following the "American Idol" results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty! In the meantime, get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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The Rock Returns To The WWE After Seven Year Layoff

Posted 2/15/11 8:00 am EST by in Television


In the words of the guest of honor on Monday night's (February 14) episode of "Raw," "Finally, the Rock has come back!" Dwayne Johnson walked away from professional wrestling back in 2004 (his last appearance was at WrestleMania XX) to follow his dream of becoming a movie star (a goal he has accomplished several times over). In the years since his departure, plenty of stars have been made (John Cena, Randy Orton) and plenty of veterans have left and returned (Mick Foley, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin), but fans have been clamoring for the Rock to step back into the wrestling world in some capacity or another. On Monday night, they got their wish.

The show had been hinting at the idea of having a host at WrestleMania XXVII (which will be held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on April 3) for a while, and last week WWE chairman Vince McMahon announced to the audience that said host would in fact be revealed this week. The rumors immediately began to circulate, and while both Bob Barker and Justin Bieber had been batted around the Internet as possibilities, most fans believed that this role belonged to Johnson (who went along with the Internet rumors and teased the reveal on his Facebook page).

In an attempt to throw the audience off one last night, the producers of "Raw" suggested that the host would actually be a woman (they shot footage of what was supposed to be the host's car arriving at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California). But after a complete blackout and a strange video package of a lightning storm, that old familiar music kicked in and the Rock walked into the ring for the first time in seven years.

He hasn't lost a step, either. Over the course of a 15 minute speech, the Rock explained why he came back and issued challenges to both top superstar John Cena and current WWE Champion (and MTV reality show alumnus) the Miz. He also took the time to rip into much-loathed WWE play-by-play man Michael Cole and hit on all of his classic catch phrases. It's uncertain exactly what his hosting of WrestleMania will entail and whether or not he'll actually step into the ring to compete (he certainly still looks in fighting shape), but the fact that the Rock has returned is enough to not only keep current fans thrilled but also to bring back people who loved Johnson the first time around.

What did you think of the Rock's return? What do you think he'll do at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments!

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Aaron Rodgers Wins Super Bowl MVP, Celebrates With Championship Belt

Posted 2/7/11 3:00 pm EST by in Television


All throughout the NFL season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been making a name for himself not only because of his impressive statistics and clear leadership skills, but also because of his signature touchdown celebration. Whenever the 27-year-old Rodgers scored a touchdown, he made a motion with his hands as though they were wrapping around his waste — the sign that boxers, professional wrestlers and MMA fighters use to let the viewing audience know that they want the championship belt.

While some stuffy sports writers got all uppity about Rodgers' celebration (because apparently professional football players should be boring, charisma-free workhorses), but the crew here at MTV News (which includes a handful of hardcore wrestling and MMA fans) totally endorsed Rodgers' celebration. So when Rodgers received the Super Bowl MVP award following his team's 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night (February 6), the moment became just a bit sweeter when linebacker Clay Matthews appeared behind Rodgers and placed the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt on his shoulder.

The belt, introduced into the WWE championship arena in 2002, is a tribute to the old NWA/WCW "big gold belt" that Ric Flair carried around the country for years. Since its inception in WWE, the strap has been worn by the likes of Triple H (who has openly praised Rodgers for his gesture), John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Batista, the Undertaker, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho (though Edge currently holds the strap — his sixth reign overall). It's easily the coolest-looking prize in all of professional wrestling, boxing or MMA, and it's extra cool that Rodgers incorporated it into his Super Bowl celebration.

Rodgers will probably get the chance to continue his heavyweight champ celebration, as the WWE's "Smackdown" show just happens to be in Green Bay this week.

What did you think of Aaron Rodgers' championship belt celebration? Let us know in the comments!

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Leslie Nielsen: A Tribute

Posted 11/29/10 7:40 am EST by in Television


One of the most identifiable comic personalities in film and television is no longer with us, as veteran actor Leslie Nielsen passed away due to complications from pneumonia on Sunday (November 28). Nielsen was 84 years old. Best known as the primary comic foil in the "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun" films, Nielsen was a fantastically talented actor whose ability to play all types of comedy — from subtle word play to slapstick, sometimes in the same scene — made him a huge star and a favorite among comedy aficionados. He will be sorely missed.

For people of a certain age, Nielsen was the comic by which all other actors were judged. His ability to maintain a hard-boiled persona (crafted over years of dramatic acting and cop shows) while still being funny was a brilliant display of virtual plate spinning, and no matter how low-brow his material got, he was always able to sell it and still get out with his dignity in tact.

(Click here for photos from Leslie Nielsen's entire career, including "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun"!)

Such was the case with a particularly inspired performance Nielsen gave during a wrestling pay-per-view show in 1994. Nielsen was a special guest at the '94 edition of WWE's "SummerSlam" show, which aired live from Chicago on August 29 of that year. That summer, the big running story line was the return of the Undertaker, who had been "killed" in a casket match but was really taking time off to let an injury heal. In the lead-up to the show, Ted DiBiase claimed to have found the Undertaker and that he was bringing him back to the organization. But it quickly became obvious that the man DiBiase was trotting around was an impostor, and the real Undertaker would return at SummerSlam to take on the fake one (who became known as Underfaker among wrestling fans). Because of the popularity of the "Naked Gun" films, Nielsen was brought in to play a version of his Frank Drebin character to solve the mystery of the two Undertakers, which was played out in several backstage skits over the course of the show. While WWE comedy writing is often broad, Nielsen once again managed to spin it into gold. The skits between the matches on a pay-per-view are often an unwelcome distraction, but considering the low quality of the show the company put on that year, they ended up being the highlight of the night.

Nielsen should be remembered as a guy who could play anything and still get a laugh, which is something you don't often see these days. He even managed to make the fake Undertaker saga interesting. How could anybody compete with that?

(Click here for photos from Leslie Nielsen's entire career, including "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun"!)

What are your favorite Leslie Nielsen bits? Let us know in the comments!

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Former MTV Star Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin Wins WWE Championship

Posted 11/23/10 11:00 am EST by in Television


About a decade ago, the MTV viewing audience was introduced to a guy from Ohio named Mike Mizanin, who was one of the cast members on the 10th season of "The Real World" (which brought the housemates back to New York for the first time since the show's debut season). He was most certainly the show's breakout star, and during his regular arguments with Coral, Nicole and Malik, a character that Mizanin called "The Miz" emerged as a sort of alter-ego that allowed him some freedom of expression. What viewers didn't know at the time was that Mizanin had been cultivating that personality because he had aspirations in the world of professional wrestling, and he scored his greatest achievement in that business on Monday night's (November 22) episode of the WWE's flagship show "Raw" where he won the WWE Championship from Randy Orton.

Following his stint on "The Real World," Mizanin became a staple on the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," managing to win both "Battle of the Seasons" and "The Inferno 2." He continued to compete on reality shows until he landed a spot on the fourth season of "Tough Enough," the WWE's reality show that sought to give an unknown a contract with the company. Though Mizanin came in second place (he lost to MMA fighter Daniel Puder, who only lasted a brief time with the company), his in-ring ability and skills with a microphone earned him a developmental deal with WWE. After spending some time in their training program, he made his television debut on "Smackdown!" in 2006.

From there, the Miz developed into one of the best villains in WWE, and he has gradually climbed up the ladder. He scored his biggest early success as the tag-team partner of John Morrison (they had a long reign as champions) and later earned the United States Championship as a singles star. A few months ago, Miz won the Money in the Bank briefcase in a ladder match, which allowed him to cash in a title shot at any time.

That's exactly what he did on Monday night. Champion Randy Orton had a main event match with Wade Barrett, and following Orton's victory, Miz crashed the ring and beat up on Orton's already-injured knee. Though Orton fought back, Miz managed to deliver his patented move (called the "Skull-Crushing Finale") and win the title. He's the first member of the MTV family to win said championship, and we salute him.

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Happy Birthday, Chris Jericho!

Posted 11/9/10 11:15 am EST by in Music


If you happen to be hanging out with Chris Jericho today, be sure to wish him a very happy birthday. The show-stopping professional wrestler (who has put time in with multiple organizations over his multi-decade career) and heavy metal frontman (he is the vocalist for eclectic metallers Fozzy) turns 40 years old today, which means you should be sure to save him a big slice of cake and offer him an extra shot on the house.

Jericho's rise in the pro wrestling ranks was not unlike the journey of a touring band. He started off small, performing for local promotions, picked up more skills along the way, eventually picked up some mainstream recognition and ultimately ended up being one of the biggest superstars in WWE over the past decade. Jericho (born Christopher Irvine) was the first undisputed champion (he beat Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock in a single night in December 2001), has headlined multiple high-profile shows and has earned dozens of championships and accolades. Not only has he been rewarded by the promotion, but he has also been recognized as one of the best in the game (he has won a ton of awards from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, including two awards for Wrestler of the Year and a prize for Best Interviews of the Decade).

As he has done in the past, Jericho is currently putting his wrestling career on hold for the sake of his music career. He first got together with Fozzy (fleshed out by the members of Atlanta band Stuck Mojo) in 1999, and they have put out four albums since then (including the recently-released Chasing the Grail, an awesome collection of pounding anthems). Jericho is an old school metal fan (he had a column in Metal Edge magazine for a few years in the '90s), and wears his fandom on his sleeve in Fozzy (there are elements of both Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Halford — among others — in his delivery). So celebrate the greatness of Jericho with "Enemy," a blistering single from the band's 2005 album All That Remains.


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Lady Gaga Scam Victim Jayson 'JTG' Paul Looking To Deliver A Beatdown

Posted 8/13/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


Even though everybody is bemoaning the weakness of the tour season this summer, there's one artist who has bucked the trend: Lady Gaga. Her sold-out-everywhere Monster Ball tour has been one of the hottest tickets in the world since it launched, and the artist continues to deliver night after night after night. As a result, fans of Mother Monster have become victims of ticket-related scams. The latest victim? WWE wrestler Jayson Paul (known on screen as JTG, formerly one half of tag team Cryme Tyme).

A self-proclaimed "Lady Gaga fanatic," JTG answered a post on Craigslist for a pair of tickets to Gaga's Wednesday night (August 11) show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He paid $125 each for the pair of ducats, but when he arrived at the venue to check out the Monster Ball, he was denied entry because his tickets were fake.

He spoke to TMZ about the incident. Though he is upset, he also approached the scenario practically. "Game recognize game, so I gotta respect his hustle," JTG said. "But when I catch him, I hope he can respect my Brooklyn-style beatdown." Calls to the seller have gone unanswered, but don't count JTG out (he's known for his in-ring tenacity).

Remember fans: Try to get your sports and concert tickets from legitimate sources, and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. And if you're out there selling fake tickets to people: Stop it, lest JTG find you and deliver his finishing move (it's called "Da Shout Out") on you with extreme prejudice.

Have you ever been the victim of ticket fraud? Tell your story in the comments!

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Happy Birthday, Bret 'Hitman' Hart: Wake-Up Video

Posted 7/2/10 9:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


Festive birthday greetings to professional wrestling legend Bret "Hitman" Hart, who turns 53 years old today. The native of Calgary remains one of the greatest performers to ever step into the squared circle not only because he had excellent technique (hence his nickname "The Excellence of Execution") but also because of his ability to tell a story, his incredible knack for cutting promos and his incredible relationship with fans around the world.

Though already a star in his native Canada by the time he arrived in the WWF in the early '80s, Hart first established himself as a star as one half of the Hart Foundation, a tag-team he formed with Jim Neidhart. They held multiple championships throughout the end of the '80s into the '90s, when Bret became a singles star who captured the Intercontinental Championship two different times. In the wake of Hulk Hogan's exit from the company in the early '90s, Hart became the federation's top babyface (the industry term for a good guy character). During that time, he was involved in some of the greatest feuds and matches in the history of professional wrestling (his tilt with brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith at Wembley Stadium in 1992 was a huge historical event).

Of course, Hart will go down in history for his feud with Shawn Michaels, both in the ring and outside of the arena. They put together some absolutely classic matches (even the legendary "Montreal Screw Job," in which Hart lost the championship to Michaels because chairman Vince McMahon ended it without Hart submitting, is a pretty interesting encounter up until the strange finish), the best being their 60-minute "Iron Man Match" that headlined WrestleMania XII.

When he was a part of the Hart Foundation, Hart had one of the coolest tag-team finishers this side of the Doomsday Device. It was called the Hart Attack, so enjoy Low vs. Diamond's "Heart Attack."

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Rob Zombie Brings His 'Twisted' Personality To 'WWE Raw'

Posted 6/29/10 10:00 am EST by in Music


Over the past year, "WWE Raw" — the premiere weekly professional wrestling television show — has been inviting stars from the film, television, sports and music worlds into the squared circle to play "guest host" on the show. Sometimes the special guest takes a proactive approach (Bob Barker turned the entire two hour program into an extended episode of "The Price is Right") while others just sort of fade into the background (like that odd Wayne Brady episode). On Monday night's (June 28) episode, extreme film director and metal icon Rob Zombie took the microphone to run the show.

Zombie has a bit of history with professional wrestling, as he is pals with former champion Edge and his song "Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)" acted as Edge's entrance music a few years back. Zombie actually had an exchange with Edge during the show, as the wrestling star appeared to confront the singer about dropping "Never Gonna Stop" as his official song (a sentiment that Zombie batted down, saying that he actually took the song back because he couldn't stand Edge once he became a bad guy). Zombie's role was mostly relegated to announcing the main event of the organization's upcoming "Money in the Bank" show (which will air on pay-per-view on July 18). The rocker announced to the crowd that he was a fan of "the sick and twisted things that take place in this ring," and then let everybody know the participants in the eight-man ladder match at the show (including the aforementioned Edge, Randy Orton, Evan Bourne, former "The Real World" star the Miz, Ted DiBiase, R-Truth, Chris Jericho and John Morrison).

Zombie, who was decked out in a Lou reed T-shirt (probably the first and only time that will be happening on WWE programming), did a fine job psyching up the crowd, and his natural charisma came across even as he was just reading names. Considering a big part of his persona comes from a sort of demented ringmaster concept, he was a natural in the ring. And the "Money in the Bank" match was an appropriate one for Zombie to announce, as not only will it feature a healthy amount of violence (something the director of "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects" is familiar with) but also a bunch of participants with connections to the music world (Jericho is the frontman of metal band Fozzy, R-Truth uses a hip-hop gimmick and John Morrison's character is a take-off on late Doors frontman Jim Morrison).

What did you think of Rob Zombie on "WWE Raw"? Who will win the "Money in the Bank" match? Let us know in the comments!

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