Tag Archives: American male professional wrestlers

Randy Orton vs. Batista at the WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans

At WrestleMania 30 on Sunday, April 6, six-time World Champion Batista returns to The Grandest Stage of Them All to challenge The Face of WWE, Randy Orton, for the most prestigious title in all of sports-entertainment, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The championship battle will etch not only a new chapter in The Show of Shows’ already illustrious history, but also the latest development in the years-long competition between The Animal and The Viper, former Evolution cohorts.

Both Superstars have grown by leaps and bounds since their nascent days as mere pupils of The Game and “The Nature Boy.” Despite his hiatus from the ring, Batista — newly empowered by his Jiu-Jitsu studies — has proven in his comeback to be every bit as destructive as he was years ago. Former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio found that out the hard way at Elimination Chamber, when Batista downed him with an explosive Batista Bomb. And even though Orton’s merit to be called The Face of WWE has been called into question, there is no denying The Viper has found ways to hold onto the WWE World Heavyweight Title in even the direst of straits.

With the unification of the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles last December, this year marks the first time in more than a decade that there has been a single World Champion at WrestleMania, adding an even greater air of grandiosity to the proceedings. Will The Viper slither out of New Orleans and continue his historic title reign? Or, will Batista complete his stated goal and stand alone as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion?

Interview with Hulk Hogan host of WrestleMania 30 ,to be held at Mercedes –Benz Superdome New Orleans

One of the greatest, most popular, most hated and charismatic wrestlers of all time, Hulk Hogan is one of the men who helped parlay the circus-like world of professional wrestling from cult following into the forefront of American entertainment. What many people who know about Hogan don’t know is he was in the “sport” for several years in virtual obscurity before hitting the big time. Hogan made his pro debut in 1978 and wrestled as “Sterling Golden” before becoming “Hulk.” Hogan was getting main event matches while wrestling in the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) in the early 1980s before he was cast as Thunderlips in Rocky III (1982). That bit of casting propelled Hogan into the spotlight and he was soon to enter the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1983. At the time, the WWF was just beginning to go from local television (they were based in the Northeast U.S.) to national, and Hogan’s personality (and some well-done marketing and PR, plus the Wrestlemania series) helped to transform not only the WWF, but wrestling into the big show it is today. Hogan won the WWF title numerous times, and was credited with dealing André the Giant his first loss in pro wrestling.

Hogan was soon seen everywhere — television, cartoons, movies, records and lunch boxes — but he was a part of the steroid scandal in the WWF, and quietly left the organization. Hogan laid low in wrestling circles, but continued to act before coming back, this time with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the WWF’s bitter rival. Hogan helped create the New World Order, the main bunch of badmen in WCW, and became more popular than ever. He abandoned his trademark red and yellow colors for black, and even dyed his beard black. He still wrestles as of today, and, like it or not, is probably one of the best entertainers in any form of show business. He always put on a show.