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Buddy
Rogers: wrestling legend
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HALL
OF FAME: BUDDY ROGERS (2:32)
EVERY
WWE TITLE CHANGE IN HISTORY, PART 1 (multimedia)
BUDDY
ROGERS' CORNER FEATURING BIG JOHN STUDD AND "CLASSY"
FREDDIE BLASSIE: ALL STAR WRESTLING, DECEMBER 4, 1982
(2:26)
Buddy
Rogers' Corner featuring Jimmy "Superfly"
Snuka and Captain Lou Albano: All Star Wrestling,
October 16, 1982
Buddy
Rogers' Corner featuring "Superstar" Billy
Graham and The Grand Wizard
Buddy
Rogers' Corner featuring Chief Jay Strongbow and Jules
Strongbow: Championship Wrestling, November 13, 1982
Buddy
Rogers' Corner featuring Arnold Skaaland: Championship
Wrestling, December 11, 1982
Bio
Buddy
Rogers was never demure in broadcasting his attributes.
So in 1961, when he dethroned Pat O'Connor for the
NWA World Championship in Chicago's Comiskey Park,
the original "Nature Boy" couldn't resist
getting on the microphone and heaping praise on himself.
Said
the smug Rogers, "To a nicer guy, it couldn't
happen."
This
was Rogers' style throughout his sports-entertainment
career, a manner that grated on his fellow Superstars
behind the scenes as much as it did on the spectators.
But the inaugural WWE Champion seemed to care little
about how he was perceived. He legitimately was great,
and even his harshest detractors could do nothing
to change that.
Rogers
was a former Camden, N.J., police officer who began
his career by competing as Herman Rohde in New Jersey
in 1939. When he later moved on to Texas, however,
he transformed into the "Nature Boy," bleaching
his hair and taking his nickname from a popular jazz
song. With his platinum blond locks, rich tan, haughty
strut and signature Figure-Four Leglock, Rogers stood
out.
His
services were sought all over the country, and are
credited with galvanizing businesses in struggling
promotions. His 1961 match with O'Connor set attendance
and gate records that would not be surpassed for two
decades. But Rogers was considered a difficult person
by many peers, and was continuously embroiled in controversy.
In
addition to being NWA World Champion, Rogers competed
in Vincent J. McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corporation
in the 1950s and 1960s, twice winning the United States
Tag Team Championship. In fact, it would be McMahon
who would lead Rogers to a moment that will forever
live in sports-entertainment lore.
In
early 1963, Rogers lost the NWA Championship to Lou
Thesz in Toronto. While most promotions in the United
States recognized the title change, McMahon and partner
Toots Mondt cried foul. They insisted that the NWA
Title could only change hands in a two-out-of-three
falls match, and declared the result of the single-fall
contest invalid. In fact, they claimed that Rogers
had won a tournament to become the titlist of their
new company, WWE.
Rogers
did not wear the crown for long, however. On May 17,
1963, Bruno Sammartino defeated him in 48 seconds
in Madison Square Garden to claim the title. Rogers
claimed he'd suffered a heart attack shortly before
the match, but Sammartino claims the dethroned king
was simply making excuses.
After
the loss, Rogers vanished from sight, turning up briefly
in different promotions but disappearing almost as
quickly. Then, in 1979, he appeared in North Carolina,
heckling and then attacking a new "Nature Boy,"
Ric Flair, in the Mid-Atlantic wrestling territory.
During
his time there, Rogers would manage such Superstars
as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Ken Patera and
Big John Studd, but it was his rivalry with Flair
that is most notable.
The
"Battle of the Nature Boys" was a pivotal
moment in Flair's career. "Slick Ric" admitted
to emulating many of Rogers' mannerisms and ring moves,
and when Flair defeated his idol with a Figure-Four
Leglock in Greensboro, N.C., in 1978, he earned the
right to proclaim that "To be The Man, you have
to beat The Man."
In
the early 1980s, Rogers returned to WWE. Originally
hosting an interview segment called "Rogers'
Corner" on WWE programming, Rogers found himself
soon in the corner of Snuka once again. In an example
of enterprising journalism, Rogers discovered that
Captain Lou Albano had misappropriated funds due to
Snuka; "Superfly" later turned against Albano,
becoming one of the most popular Superstars in WWE
almost overnight. Rogers was firmly in his corner,
even occasionally showing traces of the old "Nature
Boy" when they paired up in tag team bouts. However,
after breaking his hip in a tag team match with Snuka
against Albano & Ray Stevens, Rogers retired for
good.
Amazingly,
Rogers almost returned to the ring one final time
in 1992. The 71-year-old Rogers was set to face off
against another impostor "Nature Boy," Buddy
Landell, in Philadelphia, but the match never happened.
Sadly, later that year, Rogers passed away due to
complications from a heart attack and multiple strokes.
In
1994, Rogers was honored posthumously, inducted into
the WWE Hall of Fame by then-WWE Champion Bret Hart.
It was a fitting tribute for the man who was the first
WWE Champion 30 years earlier, and put a stamp on
his legacy as one of the greatest sports-entertainers
of all-time.
Profiles
Ric
Flair Harley
Race Hulk
Hogan Stone
Cold Steve Austin The
Rock Roddy
Piper
Bruno
Sammartino Ricky
"The Dragon" Steamboat Paul
"Mr Wonderful" Orndorff Randy
Savage
The
Undertaker Shawn
Michaels Terry
Funk Mick
Foley CM
Punk Bret
"Hitman" Hart
Chris
Jericho Brock
Lesnar Jake
"The Snake" Roberts Diamond
Dallas Page Triple
H
Andre
The Giant Sting
News
October
2012
WWE
still interested in Bruno Sammartino
WWE
officials have been trying for years to get Bruno
Sammartino into the WWE Hall of Fame, but it's been
said that Bruno just isn't interested. It's now being
reported that WWE would like to get involved with
the rumored Bruno Sammartino life story film that
has reportedly been in development for a while now
in an attempt to get Bruno more interested in WWE
again.
Lanny
Poffo interview by Wrestling 101 re Randy "Macho
Man" Savage re potential WWE Hall Of Fame induction
When
Randy Savage will be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame:
"Well I would like to see that happen but do
you know what I would really like, somebody from the
WWE to extend me some condolences, nobody has done
that yet except one guy, Howard Finkel.
"People
from all over the world sent their condolences, wrestling
fans, friends, I got phone calls from great people
like Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and The Million Dollar
Man Ted DiBiase. The first guy I called when I found
out the news of Randy's death was The Mouth of the
South Jimmy Hart.
"I
know that there was some rivalry and heat, but since
my daughter is 28-years-old and my mother is still
alive at 85-years-old, I would like to have some condolences
if not flowers how about a nice card. Here we are
a year and a half since Randy died and we're talking
about the Hall of Fame, I'm talking about how I would
like some condolences from the WWE.
"My
Brother didn't want to go into the Hall of Fame unless
his little brother and his father also went in, that's
what he wanted and that's what I'm sticking to."
Sting
inducted into TNA Wrestling Hall Of Fame 2012; TNA
Wrestling Sting profile
Sting
Height: 6'2" Weight: 250 pounds
From; Venice Beach, California
Finishing Moves: The Scorpion Deathdrop, The Scorpion
Deathlock
In
the world of professional wrestling, there are the
stars of today, and then there are legends that surpass
time. The man called Sting falls into both categories
and, in turn, can only be called “The Icon.”
Throughout his unparalleled career in professional
wrestling, Sting has been a multi-time World Champion,
having defeated such stars as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair,
Kurt Angle, and countless others. After a two year
hiatus from the ring, Sting exploded back on to the
scene in 2006 to reignite an unsettled feud with Jeff
Jarrett. Within his first six months in TNA, he captured
his 8th Heavyweight Title at TNA’s most illustrious
event, Bound for Glory. Sting would continue to mark
Bound for Glory as his territory. He captured the
TNA World Heavyweight Title three consecutive years
at Bound for Glory. Each victory would continue to
cement his legacy, as he defeated Jeff Jarrett, Kurt
Angle, and Samoa Joe.
At
“Slammiversary X,” Sting earned TNA’s
inaugural Hall of Fame distinction for his loyalty
and unmistakable presence in the ring and out. Truly
an “Icon,” Sting continues to stand shoulder
to shoulder with Hulk Hogan as a legendary leader
of the IMPACT stable of superstars. Though he mostly
commands the room with his words these days, don’t
be surprised to see Sting stand up to anyone who thinks
he’s lost a step over the years. (TNA
Wrestling)
News
Wrestling
Legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper In Fancypants
Movie
The
Four Horsemen Including Ric Flair To Be Inducted Into
WWE Hall Of Fame 2012; Jim Ross Tweets - 27th Feb
2012
Dwayne
"The Rock" Johnson Continues His Journey
Towards WrestleMania Match With John Cena
What
the media has said about wrestling over the years
Pro
wrestling legend Randy 'Macho Man' Savage dies in
car accident, by Greg Tingle - 20th May 2011
WWE
Hall of Fame
2009
Profiles
Terry
Funk Dory
Funk Jr. Ricky
"The Dragon" Steamboat "Stone
Cold" Steve Austin
2009
Profiles continued
Von
Erich Family, "Cowboy" Bill Watts, Koko
B. Ware. Howard Finkel "The Fink"
Other
Years
Hulk
Hogan "Rowdy"
Roddy Piper Don
Muraco Bret
"Hitman" Hart Ric
Flair
Jimmy
"Superfly" Snuka Harley
Race Jesse
Ventura Jimmy
Hart Paul
Orndorff
Jerry
"The King" Lawler Gordon
Solie Johnny
Valiant Jimmy
Valiant
Walter
"Killer" Kowalski Andre
The Giant Vince
McMahon
The
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame is
a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained
by WWE. It was officially created on the February
1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's
(WWF), the predecessor of WWE, Monday Night Raw television
program.
On
this episode, the sole induction of WWF alumnus André
the Giant, who had died the previous week (January
27, 1993), was announced; his death was the reason
for the creation of the Hall of Fame.
After
André's induction, the WWF continued the process
of inducting members into the Hall of Fame. For these
inductions, ceremonies were held to formally induct
the candidates from 1994 to 1996; no video footage
has ever been released by WWE of these ceremonies.
After the 1996 ceremony, the WWF stopped the inductions
of wrestling personalities into the Hall of Fame without
a formal announcement.
In 2004, WWE relaunched the Hall of Fame to coincide
with the twentieth anniversary of WrestleMania.
This
ceremony, like its predecessors, was not broadcasted
on television, however, it was released on DVD on
June 1, 2004.
Beginning
with the 2005 ceremony, WWE broadcasted the final
few inductions into the Hall of Fame on Spike TV (2005)
and on the USA Network (2006 - present); these were
aired on tape delay. The first inductions were broadcast
on WWE's official website. The 2008 edition of the
Hall of Fame was broadcasted live on the USA Network.
Since 2005, the Hall of Fame ceremony has been packaged
as part of that year's WrestleMania DVD release. Although
a building has never been built to represent the Hall
of Fame, WWE has sought into constructing a facility
for the Hall of Fame. WWE's Executive Vice President
of Global Media Shane McMahon has stated that the
WWE has been storing wrestling memorabilia in a warehouse
for years, and that all items are categorized and
dated in case a facility is created.
Induction into the Hall of Fame is dependent upon
whether the candidate is on good terms with WWE. Former
WWE employees who often criticize WWE or currently
work with a different promotion have not been inducted.
Others, such as Bruno Sammartino, the longest-reigning
WWE Champion in the title's history, are alienated
from the promotion and refuse to be inducted, despite
having been asked several times.
As of 2008, there have been a total of 68 inductees,
with 60 members inducted individually and four tag
teams inducted. Thirteen of the inductees have been
inducted posthumously. André's sole induction
was the least amount of inductions into the Hall of
Fame in one year, while 2004 had the most, with 11.
(Credit:
Wikipedia).
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For
comprehensive information on the WWE Hall of Fame
visit the official
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