Mr. T to be Inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

In 1982, when Sylvester Stallone, Mr. T, and Hulk Hogan got together for Rocky 3 the friendship that Hogan and Mr. T made would forever change the history of pro wrestling forever. It was until three years later that the first Wrestlemania happened. The main event of the first Wrestlemania was Hulk Hogan and Mr. T taking on Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. That night catapulted WWE into the main stream.

However that would not be Mr. T's last Wrestlemania. He competed in a boxing match against Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 2. There was a lot of real life tension and hatred between Piper and Mr. T which made for great television. After his two Wrestlemania appearances he went on to accompany Kerry Von Erich in WCCW and he appeared several times in WCW during Hogan's initial run in 1994.

Whether it be as Clubber Lang or Sergeant Bosco "B. A." Baracus, Mr. T was a huge pop culture phenomenon in the 80's. He has appeared on Different Strokes, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Saturday Night Live, Spy Hard, The Simpsons, and many others. His trademarks were wearing the gold chains and saying "I pity the fool."  He did however give up his gold in 2005 after he helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It was a life changing experience for him.

There a few celebrities in the WWE Hall of Fame including Bob Uecker, Donald Trump, Drew Carey, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose, and William Perry. All of them had some involvement in WWE but none of them can say they were part of the first Wrestlemania and in the Main Event. Mr. T has built a legacy that goes above and beyond Wrestlemania 1 and 2. He has done a lot for charity and always tried to be a positive role model for kids.

Congratulations to Mr. T on his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2014.

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 7

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania 30 a new match was announced by Hulk Hogan. At Wrestlemania there will be a 30 Man Over the Top Battle Royal in memory of Andre the Giant. This means 30 superstars will have the opportunity put their name in the history books by honoring one of the all time greats. Another person who could be making history at Wrestlemania is Daniel Bryan. He finally got his match with Triple H and the best part of it is if he wins he will be in the WWE World Heavyweight Title match later on in the evening. Other then the tournament at Wrestlemania 4 the only competitors to wrestle more then once at a Wrestlemania are Bret Hart, Yokozuna, and Hulk Hogan. Daniel Bryan's night was not finished. He and the Big show defeated Batista and Randy Orton when Orton got pinned. Also on Raw Bray Wyatt accepted John Cena's challenge for a match at Wrestlemania after some epic promos were exchanged between the two of them. 

On Smackdown Kane took on the Big Show but  it was what happened afterwards that changed the landscape of what WWE could be. After Kane's loss he tried to attack Seth Rollins because The Shield did not help Kane take out the Big Show. It ended with Roman Reigns spearing the crap out of Kane. The tag team division could be heavily featured at Wrestlemania with the likes of The Uso's, Rybaxel, Rhodes Brothers, Los Matadores, and The Real Americans if they don't split. Tag team wrestling is coming back to the forefront and it will be very evident at Wrestlemania 30 like it has been the past few months. Two of the better feuds in WWE right are Christian and Sheamus with the other one being Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler. All four men are looking to play a major role in Wrestlemania 30 so we will have to see what happens with them.

There is three more weeks until Wrestlemania 30 and so far here are the follow matches:

-Randy Orton vs. Batista

-Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan (If Bryan wins he gets put into the WWE Title match)

-Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker 

-Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena 

-Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I am sure there will be a few more matches added this coming week but who will they involve? Keep tuning in to find out where to Road to Wrestlemania will take us.

Carlos Colon Sr. to be Inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

Most people of this generation might not know who Carlos Colon Sr is but to many of us who have studied the rich history of pro wrestling he is the father of wrestling in  Puerto Rico. Carlos Colon's career spanned over 40 years as a wrestler and now has his legacy being continued through his family. His sons have performed in WWE as Carlito and Primo. His nephew also wrestles as Epico or if you want to be politically correct Primo and Epico now wrestle as the Los Matadores.

Aside from all of that Carlos Colon was the face of the World Wrestling Council. He had 64 title reigns in his time in WWC. He faced such men like Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, and Abdullah the Butcher. He has over 70 scars on his body and has said that most of his bloodshed came from Abdullah and all the brutal matches they have had.

Carlos Colon has had a great impact in Puerto Rico when it comes to professional wrestling. He and Carlito continue to run the WWC occasionally and still bring great pro wrestling show to the country. A lot of people have criticized WWE's choice for putting him into the hall of fame but if it weren't for Carlos Colon we would not have some of the great talent we do today. He always made guys better then what they were before they came to Puerto Rico.

Lastly, Carlos was so big in the industry he did win the NWA Heavyweight title at one point defeating Ric Flair for the title. It's never been officially recognized by the NWA but the fact that it happened in his own country proves how legendary and how much of an impact this man has had on pro wrestling in a different country. Congratulations to Carlos Colon Sr. on his upcoming induction into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame.

Steve Smith Is No Distraction

Today has to be one of the saddest days for me as a Carolina Panthers fan. I've been a Panthers fan since they were an expansion team back in 1995. I loved the Panthers in the early days because of Kevin Greene but along the way there were players who played for the Panthers that kept me a fan. In 2001, a young man from California exploded onto the NFL scene. He was a third round pick that the Carolina Panthers had selected. His name is Steve Smith. Steve Smith has been the heart and soul for the Panthers for a long time.

The front office has labeled Steve Smith as distraction and needs to make way for the younger players on the team. The Panthers want their young players to become leaders for the future but what better leader could you have then Steve Smith? I am pretty sure Smith knows he doesn't have much time left in the league but why not let him finish his career out as a Panther and mentor the young guys?

He has eight franchise records, and I am sure some of them will take a long time to be broken. I've come to the conclusion that there is no loyalty in sports anymore. Here is a guy who devoted his time to the team, and to the city of Charlotte and after thirteen years is told he is no longer a member of a team he help build. The Panthers lost will be someone else's gain. Steve Smith still has a lot to offer and can be a great leader for any team he goes to.

As a fan I am disgusted with these turn of events. I have proudly wore a Steve Smith jersey for a long time and no one deserves to wear the number 89 for the Panthers again. Steve Smith is a hall of fame player in my book and I will be a huge supporter of his no matter where he goes. Thank you Steve Smith for all the memories you gave us as a Carolina Panther.

Smarkasses Episode 28: The Yes Movement- 3/11/2014 (WWE, TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 6

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania we saw a lot of build up to what will happen on April 6th. Raw started off with Paul Heyman delivering his own pipe-bomb and teasing the fans with mentioning CM Punk's name. He then brought out Brock Lesnar which ended in Lesnar destroying Mark Henry again. The first match of the night saw the Uso's win the tag team titles against the New Age Outlaws in a terrific contest. Big E Langston wrestled two matches and won them both by DQ because of the ongoing dissension between Cesaro and Swagger.One of the bigger highlights of Raw was watching Seth Rollins walk out on his fellow Shield members during their re-match with The Wyatt Family. Daniel Bryan called out Triple H once again and it led to him being removed from the ring until his match with Batista. The match with Batista went better then I thought it would considering how horrible he has been in the ring since his return. The match ended in DQ when Randy Orton got involved. Bryan did his best to fight everyone off but was left laying after a Batista Bomb and a Pedigree.

Smackdown picked up right where Raw left off. Batista and Daniel Bryan started off Friday Night by attacking each other on the mic. This led to a physical altercation which brought out Kane and the returning Big Show. This led to the main event being made for later on in the night. It was Daniel Bryan and Big Show taking on Batista and Kane. It was a great main event in which Bryan and Show won and celebrating as Smackdown went off the air. The Shield had a hostile confrontation especially between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Roman Reigns was definitely the middle man trying to keep the peace. In the end, after punches were thrown the three members stood together. There also seems to be little feuds going on between Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Christian and Sheamus. The two faces have been having series of matches with the two heels. It makes me wonder if there will be a tag match to combine the feuds at Wrestlemania 30. I guess only time will tell to see if these four men make the big event.

As of this writing we do know The Undertaker will face Brock Lesnar and put his 21-0 streak on the line. Randy Orton will also defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Batista in the main event of Wrestlemania 30. Keep tuning in for more news, matches and rumors on the Road to Wrestlemania 30.

For more of Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA, ROH and the world of pro wrestling check out Smarkasses, a wrestling podcast hosted by Hollywood Joe and his co-host Jordan Francisco.

Smarkasses Episode 27: Wrestling on the Rise Again?- 3/5/2014 (WWE, TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Paul Bearer to be Inducted Into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

Tonight it was announced that Paul Bearer would be inducted be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before Wrestlemania 30. Long before he was Paul Bearer he managed under the name Percy Pringle III. He managed stars like Rick Rude, Steve Austin and Lex Luger. He even managed Mark Calaway before he became The Undertaker. The man who in real life was William Moody made a huge name for himself in WCCW. 

At Survivor Series 1990, The Undertaker made his debut but it was with Brother Love. I think people knew Brother Love was not a long term manager of The Undertaker. Shortly after the Royal Rumble in 1991, Brother Love introduced Paul Bearer as The Undertaker's new manager. For the next five years Paul Bearer would be in Undertakers corner for so many memorable moments. There were moments like Undertaker's first WWE Title win, feuds with monsters like Kamala, Yokozuna, King Kong Bundy and Giant Gonzales. 

Many people thought Paul Bearer would always be by Undertakers side but at Summerslam 1996 he did the unthinkable. He turned on The Undertaker and began managing Mankind. For the next two years Mankind and The Undertaker would be embroiled in one of the biggest feuds in WWE history and Paul Bearer was in the middle of it. At Bad Blood 1997, Paul Bearer revealed Undertakers brother Kane. This was a way to evolve Paul Bearer, add a new dimension to The Undertakers character and created a new star. Paul Bearer would be involved with Kane and The Undertaker until 2000. 

Over the next decade Paul Bearer would return periodically for short storylines involving the Brothers of Destruction. Sadly, William Moody passed away on March 5, 2013 but still had an impact for The Undertaker. His death became the focal point for Undertaker's match against CM Punk at Wrestlemania 29. Paul Bearer is very deserving of this honor and I truly believe in my heart that Kane and The Undertaker would have not succeeded if Paul Bearer wouldn't have been in their corner. 

Congrats to William Moody aka Percy Pringle III aka Paul Bearer on being inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame.

For more info on Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA and ROH check out Smarkasses with Hollywood Joe and his co-host Jordan Francisco.

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 5

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania 30, we felt the aftermath of Elimination Chamber. Raw opened up with Hulk Hogan making his return to WWE and announced he is the host of Wrestlemania 30. A lot of things happened on Raw that started the build up for Wrestlemania 30. Daniel Bryan defeated Kane and called out Triple H for a match at Wrestlemania 30. Triple H's buddies also didn't fair to well on Raw. The New Age Outlaws lost in about 60 seconds to the Uso's which makes me think that there will be a tag title match at Wrestlemania 30. At the end of the night Brock Lesnar came out and was offered an open contract instead of a WWE World Title match at Wrestlemania. Brock and his advocate Paul Heyman denied the offer until The Undertaker came out and confronted Lesnar. Lesnar signed the contract which led to Undertaker choke-slamming him through a table. 

On Smackdown, Batista kicked off the show by turning on the fans in a promo. This brought out Dolph Ziggler who challenged Batista a match. The match happened later on in the show and Batista easily defeated Ziggler. The Shield interrupted The Wyatt Family during their promo and said they weren't done with them just yet. This brought out Triple H who made the rematch for Monday. In the main event, Daniel Bryan teamed with The Uso's who went on to defeat Kane and the New Age Outlaws. 

John Cena was injured on Monday but no word to what extent. He is refusing to get an MRI but was seen at NXT Arrival limping on the injured leg. Also this week the tension between the Real Americans was starting show. Jack Swagger cost Cesaro his match against Big E and on Smackdown they kept trying to steal each other's momentum in a their tag match against Big E and Mark Henry. 

It was definitely a strong week for the buildup to Wrestlemania 30. This weeks Raw is in Chicago and that means rioting crowds and a lot of CM Punk chants. CM Punk has not been on TV since the Royal Rumble so a lot of people are speculating on if he will be there or not. It's getting crazy on the Road to Wrestlemania 30 and as each week goes by it's going to get crazier.  Keep staying tuned for more on the Road to Wrestlemania 30.

For more of Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA, and ROH tune into Smarkasses with Hollywood Joe and Jordan Francisco. 

Smarkasses Episode 25: Tensions on the Road to Mania- 2/27/2014 (WWE, TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Statement on Not Covering the 2014 Winter Olympics

I just wanted to take the time to explain why I didn't cover the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. I had every intention of covering the Olympics because I love the winter sports. One of my favorite movies, Cool Runnings was based on events that happen at the Winter Olympics. I have always enjoyed watching the Olympics but this year was much different.

During the first couple of days many pictures were flooding social media, showing how poorly the living and lodging conditions were in the town. People were getting stuck in bathrooms, wild animals were roaming hotel room halls, and most of the rooms looked like they have been through a tornado. In my opinion, if your city is hosting the Olympic games you better take the time to invest the money into making your city look great for the athletes and fans. It has nothing to do with politics, and it has nothing to do with it taking place in Russia. It has everything to do with respecting those who come into your country. 

So in closing, I will admit to only watching about five minutes of the Olympics because I was disgusted with what I was seeing through social media. Hopefully in four years the condition in South Korea will be nicer and more accommodating. 

Recap, Review, and Results of 2014 Elimination Chamber

Tonight was the last major stop on the Road to Wrestlemania and it filled with a tension. Let me start by saying this pay-per-view was great until the very end and all the interference and swerves. Here are the results of the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view:

-Randy Orton wins WWE World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match

-Intercontinental Champion Big E def. Jack Swagger

-AJ Lee def. Cameron – Divas Championship Match

-Titus O'Neil def. Darren Young

-WWE Tag Team Champions The New Age Outlaws def. The Usos

-Batista def. Alberto Del Rio

-Cody Rhodes & Goldust def. Ryback & Curtis Axel (Kickoff Match)The Wyatt Family def. The Shield

Things I absolutely hated about this show were the ending. The ending was not the right one. Daniel Bryan deserves to be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and honestly the fans are going to quit watching the product if their man does not win the title. If they would have did this with Austin in the attitude era the WWE would have been out of business. The other match that was a train wreck was Batista and Alberto Del Rio. I think Batista has no business in WWE at this point. He's not same guy he was in his first run. Also the Diva's was absolutely atrocious. They better start improving the division or just get rid of it completely. 

Now as far as the rest of the show goes, it was awesome. The Wyatts vs. The Shield was phenomenal and will be a match of the year candidate. I like how they kept Roman Reigns strong while losing to the Wyatt Family and I am sure more will come out of it. I also enjoyed the Intercontinental Championship match between Big E and Jack Swagger. These two men brought it and brought it in a great way. Also the tag team division is stronger then it's ever been. the pre-show match and the tag title match were both very solid and all the tag teams are looking great right now.

I would have to give to pay-per-view a 7 out of 10 because overall it was really good. The ending really put a damper on it. I thought Cesaro, Reigns, Langston were the three top performer of the night. I really hope WWE does not seriously go through with the Batista vs. Orton main event for Wrestlemania 30. I honestly think it will be a train wreck if it happens. The Road to Wrestlemania 30 continues and we have 6 weeks left to find out what WWE will do. 

For more of Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA, ROH and pro wrestling tune into Smarkasses with he and his partner Jordan Francisco.