WWE

February 27, 2009

2009-03-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

SmackDown: The WWE Tag Team...

jeff hardy vs matt hardy - jeff explain why he dont want to fight

WWE Superstar Diva - Beth Phoenix

2007-12-03T05:10:00.000-08:00

After missing more than a year with a broken jaw, Beth Phoenix made her return to Raw on the July 9 broadcast. Moments after Melina pulled out of a tag team match due to injury, she introduced "close friend" Beth Phoenix as her replacement to team with Jillian against Mickie James & Candice Michelle. Phoenix & Jillian were unable to get the win, but teamed with Melina to assault Candice after the bout.

Originally, Beth burst onto the Raw scene in May 2006. Coming through the crowd, she attacked then-Women's Champion Mickie James. James was able to escape Phoenix and yelled "what are you doing here!?" as she left the ramp.

In the days to come, our fans would learn more about Beth Phoenix. Trish Stratus, the former Women's Champion, introduced Beth as an old friend of Mickie James, and insinuated that in the past, James had wronged her. Two weeks after Beth's first appearance Stratus officially introduced her as the newest Raw Diva. Beth then welcomed herself to Raw by once again attacking Mickie James from behind, chasing her through the crowd and out of the arena. The following week, Beth made her in-ring debut, teaming with Torrie Wilson to defeat Candice & Victoria as James looked on from outside the ring.

However, in her first solo match against Victoria, Phoenix suffered the injury that would keep her sidelined for over a year. After suffering a fractured mandible, she had a titanium plate inserted in her jaw the next day.

WWE Superstar Diva - Ashley

2007-12-02T03:49:00.000-08:00

Diva suspended: After accidentally spilling some coffee onto a mid-rampage WWE Chairman, Ashley felt the wrath of a manic Mr. McMahon. Instantly, the scalded Chairman berated the SmackDown Diva and suspended her indefinitely. When will we see Ashley again? Tune into SmackDown each week to find out.

Growing up in Babylon, N.Y., with a father, brother, and uncle who competed in amateur wrestling, Ashley already had the background and competitive edge needed to make it in World Wrestling Entertainment. As a former gymnast, she certainly had the physicality. And her model looks…well, need we say more. (We will, anyway.)

Prior to Ashley's suspension, 2007 was a banner year for the Diva. In April, she raised the bar for Playboy when she graced the magazine's cover. Just one month earlier, she appeared as Athena on the hit TV series Smallville. Also in that short period of time, Ashley brought her love for music to Fuse TV when she took part in a special edition of The Sauce.

In the years leading to Diva Search, she was crowned Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA in 2002, then Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada in 2005. Her multiple swimsuit calendar appearances have made men forget about the 11 other months of the year. And if you’ve seen any newsstands on fire, don’t be surprised if they were caused by her smokin’-hot layouts in the pages of Stuff, FHM, and Maxim, not to mention the covers of FLEX and Femme Fatale. Brawn and beauty—is it any wonder she won the 2005 Raw Diva Search?

To be fair, there is more to this WWE Diva than meets the wandering eye. A State University of New York graduate with a degree in Communications, Ashley’s greatest asset is that she knows how to keep in touch with her fans, whether she’s blogging about music on WWE.com’s “Bangin’ with Ashley,” or talking in front of television cameras. (She had even given fans her phone number while she competed in the Raw Diva Search, though she had to stop for “obvious reasons.”) Many TV execs have also noticed this, judging from the fact she has hosted a special for Entertainment Tonight, the 2006 Raw Diva Search Finale for USA Network, and numerous Wild On shows that air constantly on the E! Channel. Her animated personality even made her a big winner with viewers watching her perform feats of clay on MTV’s Celebrity Death Match.

Ashley makes sure that the United States Armed Forces don’t forget about her, either, and she has spoken proudly about being a WWE representative visiting the troops overseas on CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and MSNBC’s Rita Cosby: Live and Direct. “You’ve got to feel for them,” she says. “They’re putting their lives on the line for us, and if any of us can do anything to pay them back, I think we should.”

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels

2007-12-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

D-Generation X has re-united, and it seems as if they are better than ever. Just three weeks after suffering a knee injury at the hands of the Squad, HBK returned on the June 12 Raw. As Triple H was facing the Squad 5 on 1, Michaels made a surprise return by attacking Mitch. After a brief staredown with Mr. McMahon, HBK charged the ring to help The Game fight off the remaining members of the Squad. When the ring was clear, the two men exchanged a high five and did their signature DX crotch chop in the direction of the WWE Chairman.

DX "officially" reunited the next week, and their fingerprints could be found all over Raw. You can take a full look at the carnage they caused here, and you can check out their special Superstar section for a look back at the history of D-Generation X.

When he’s paired with Triple H, Shawn Michaels is known for his rebel antics outside the ring, and his ferociousness inside of it. While Triple H was out on personal business during the July 24 edition of Raw, HBK felt what it was like to get run over by the Samoan Bulldozer. During his match with Jonathan Coachman — which the Chairman set up — Michaels not only manhandled Coachman, but all five members of the Spirit Squad as well. What he didn’t anticipate was that Umaga, the undefeated Samoan monster, was lurking behind him waiting to attack.

After the beating, Michaels was left in the ring struggling to catch his breath, and he needed assistance getting to the locker room. When he meets Umaga on Raw this week, HBK will want to prove that the Samoan Bulldozer needed to blindside him in order to get one over on the Showstopper.

At Vengeance, the Spirit Squad fell to the powerhouse that is DX in a 5-on-2 Handicap Match, so the McMahon men decided to take things into their own hands the next night on Raw. While it was supposed to be DX vs. The McMahons, DX instead came out and impersonated them with Triple H playing the WWE Chairman and HBK as Shane-o-Mac. Later, after telling the McMahons that they were full of crap, DX had actual human waste dumped on them (and the Spirit Squad as well) as they stood on the entrance stage.

While the odds continually seem stacked against HBK in his war with the McMahons and the Spirit Squad, he has made a career out of overcoming the odds and rising to the top.

Whether you know him as the Showstopper, the Main Event or the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels is one of the most successful Superstars in WWE history. Throughout a nearly 20-year career in WWE, HBK has done it all, from winning the Royal Rumble to being a multiple-time WWE Champion. Never one to back down from a challenge no matter the odds, HBK has shown that he is one of the most dedicated and courageous WWE Superstars to ever grace the ring; he is unanimously considered one of the greatest wrestlers to ever compete and has become one of the cornerstones of Raw.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels Michaels’ track record speaks for itself, as he has accumulated enough hardware to make just about any WWE Superstar jealous. Michaels was the first-ever Grand Slam Champion, capturing the European Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship three times, the Intercontinental Championship three times and the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships a total of four times.

But his success didn’t happen overnight. HBK knew he wanted to be a professional wrestler since he was 12 years old, when he saw his first match. Michaels’ athletic career began at age six when he started playing football, and he eventually became a stand-out linebacker and a captain on his high school team. After graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University, but soon realized that college wasn’t the path he wanted to follow. Michaels thought it was time to begin chasing his dream of becoming a WWE Superstar.

HBK began his training under the tutelage of Jose Lothario. After a few months of training, Lothario felt that his protégé was ready for some in-ring action, and two weeks after his 19th birthday, HBK had his first match with Mid-South Wrestling against Art Cruz. He lost his debut match, but he improved in his second match, wrestling to a time-limit draw, and then won his third match. After a stop in Kansas City, Michaels was headed back to his home state to Texas All-Star Wrestling.

It was there that he teamed up with Paul Diamond to make up the team of American Force. The combination was a successful one, as they were able to capture the Texas All-Star Tag Team Championships twice. After about three months, Michaels headed to the American Wrestling Alliance (AWA) with a friend he had met in Kansas City. That friend was Marty Jannetty, who went on to become HBK’s tag team partner. The duo was dubbed the Midnight Rockers.

They quickly became one of the hottest teams in the AWA, catching the eye of WWE, who invited the Midnight Rockers to a live event for a tryout. WWE officials felt they were a bit too immature at that time, so the Midnight Rockers headed back to the AWA. But WWE hadn’t heard the last of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty.

While back in the AWA, the Midnight Rockers captured the Southern Tag Team Championship twice and won the AWA Tag Team Championship for a second time. All of the hardware the Midnight Rockers had been sporting again caught the eye of those with WWE, and this time Michaels and Jannetty made the most of it. They both signed contracts, dropped the “Midnight” from their name, and The Rockers were born.

Because of their high-flying abilities and boyish good looks, The Rockers became an instant hit with both male and female fans of all ages. They made their pay-per-view debut at the 1988 Survivor Series, as they successfully teamed with The Powers of Pain, The Young Stallions, The Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs. After making their Royal Rumble debut in 1989, the two had a classic encounter with the Twin Towers (Big Boss Man and “The African Dream” Akeem) at WrestleMania V. Their mammoth opponents proved to be just too big to handle, but the high-flyers kept the giants off balance almost the entire match — making all other teams take immediate notice of their potential.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels In 1990, the Rockers earned themselves a Tag Team Championship match against the Hart Foundation. The Rockers came out on top, but during the match, the top rope buckled. Days after the match, it was ruled that since the rope had broken, the match as invalid, and the titles were returned to the Hart Foundation. This was the only time the Rockers would approach tag team gold in WWE.

The Rockers were back in Survivor Series in 1991, teaming up with the Bushwhackers against The Nasty Boys and The Beverly Brothers. After a mistake by Jannetty caused Michaels to be eliminated, HBK walked out on his partner, later explaining his actions by saying that he had been carrying the team and was fed up. A couple months later, the two met on a segment of Brutus Beefcake’s “Barber Shop” to try and iron out their differences. Just when it appeared that the Rockers were back together, Michaels superkicked Jannetty and threw him head-first through one of the Shop’s glass windows. The Rockers were no more.

The breakup of the Rockers was the end of a successful tag team career for Michaels, but it also meant the birth of a singles career that would propel The Showstopper to new heights. Michaels promptly added Sensational Sherri as his manager, and on Oct. 27, 1992, he dethroned the British Bulldog to become Intercontinental Champion. By the time the Royal Rumble rolled around in January 1993, Jannetty was fully recovered and had revenge on his mind. The two squared off at the pay-per-view, and during the match Jannetty was about to smash a mirror over HBK’s head. Instead, Michaels shoved Sherri in front of him, allowing her to take the full brunt of the mirror’s impact. Even though Michaels retained the title, Sherri left him for Jannetty based on the incident.

After losing Sherri, Michaels had a void to fill by his side. Instead of going for an attractive and cunning sidekick, HBK employed the services of Diesel, a man who epitomized brute force. Michaels was forced to give up his Intercontinental Championship because he had not defended it within 30 days, but at WrestleMania X, Michaels returned and faced Razor Ramon in the first-ever pay-per-view Ladder Match for the championship, a match that is still talked about today as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. After brutalizing each other with innovative moves that had never been seen before, Razor Ramon came out on top.But the Showstopper wouldn’t let himself stay down for long. Michaels and Diesel picked off the Headshrinkers for the World Tag Team Championship, Michaels’ first tag team championship reign. However, HBK abandoned the titles at Survivor Series that November after an argument with Diesel, and went back to focusing on his singles career.

And what better way to get back into the WWE Championship hunt than make a big splash at the Royal Rumble. In 1995, Michaels entered the January classic at No. 1. It seemed like he was merely being thrown to the dogs at such a number, as no one had ever won after being the first participant. HBK was out to make history, but the British Bulldog had the same thoughts on his mind. Bulldog entered at No. 2, and just as he and Michaels stood alone in the ring at the beginning of the match, it was the same pair going toe to toe at the end of the match. After gaining the upper hand, the Bulldog clotheslined Michaels over the top rope, but only one of his feet touched the floor. Thinking that the win was his, Bulldog turned his back on Michaels and began his victory celebration. Michaels snuck back into the ring and knocked out the unsuspecting Bulldog to win his first Royal Rumble.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels Michaels went on to WrestleMania to compete for the WWE Championship, but his former bodyguard Diesel was able to retain. After a couple of months at each other’s throats, the pair patched up their differences and moved onward. HBK went on to defeat Jeff Jarrett for his third Intercontinental Championship but was challenged soon after by a familiar foe: Razor Ramon. After their historic battle at WrestleMania X, there was only one way to settle the score: with another Ladder Match. So, the two hooked up for their second Ladder Match at SummerSlam. Learning from his past mistakes, HBK came out on top and retained his title in another classic match that arguably was even more brutal than the first.

Due to injuries, Michaels was forced to vacate the championship once again after not defending within the mandatory 30 days. He would rebound with a vengeance, however, winning the Royal Rumble for a second straight year. The win earned him a WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania XII against the “Excellence of Execution” Bret Hart, and the two met in a 60-minute WWE Iron Man Match that stole the show. The goal was to score the most pinfalls or submissions in the allotted time, but these two WWE Superstars put forth such gutsy performances that neither competitor had notched a win in the entire 60 minutes. Hart had Michaels in the center of the ring trapped in the Sharpshooter with seconds remaining, but HBK was able to suck it up until the bell rang. President Gorilla Monsoon made his way down to ringside and informed the referee to restart the match and continue under sudden death rules. After Hart had worked on HBK’s back, Michaels came from nowhere to hit Sweet Chin Music. Too tired to capitalize, Michaels got up and cued up the band one more time, which was finally enough to win his first-ever WWE Championship.

There was no rest for the weary, however, as Michaels had to start defending his championship right away. HBK proved to be one of the fightingest champions in history, as he defeated the likes of Diesel, British Bulldog, Vader, Mankind and Goldust. Michaels’ reign had to come to an end sometime, and it was another of Shawn’s former bodyguards, Sycho Sid, who dethroned the champ at Survivor Series 1996. With the ref knocked out, Sid commandeered a television camera and hit Michaels over the head with it, then powerbombed him for the win.

Michaels regrouped, though, and again learned from his mistakes. In a rematch at the 1997 Royal Rumble, HBK used a trick from Sid’s playbook, using a television camera to knock down his giant foe. The camera wasn’t enough as Sid kicked out at two, but Michaels laid him out with Sweet Chin Music for the win. The reign only lasted a few weeks, however; just as Michaels had to forfeit his Intercontinental Championship without defeat, he relinquished the WWE Championship after claiming to have “lost his smile.”

After months of searching, HBK returned to WWE and formed an unlikely pairing with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Although the two shared a hatred for each other, they also shared a hatred for the Hart Foundation. They put their differences aside and went out to fight for their common goal, and it led to the Showstopper’s second World Tag Team Championship reign. After their relationship deteriorated, Michaels turned to people he thought he could trust, and what happened next revolutionized WWE.

Michaels paired up with Triple H and Chyna to form D-Generation X, a group that defied authority and marched to the beat of their own drum. They employed the use of vulgarity and obscene gestures and spit in the face of those that tried to stop them. On Sept. 20, 1997, Michaels defeated the British Bulldog for the European Championship, which in turn made him the first-ever winner of the Grand Slam.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels After basically handing the European Championship to Triple H in a farce of a match, Michaels was once again focused on the WWE Championship. Little did Michaels know, though, that to become the No. 1 Contender for Bret Hart’s WWE Championship, he would have to travel to hell and back — Hell in a Cell, that is. HBK faced Undertaker at Bad Blood in the first ever Hell in a Cell Match. Michaels was beaten to a bloody mess, but he tried to stay strong. At one point, he was thrown off the side of the cage into an announce table, and things were not looking very good. Just then, Undertaker’s brother Kane made his WWE debut and obliterated the Deadman. Michaels, barely able to pull himself up, was able to take advantage and make the cover.

That gave HBK the right to go on to Survivor Series to face Bret Hart in “The Montreal Incident” — one of the most controversial matches in WWE history. After another grueling battle with his familiar opponent, Michaels locked in Bret’s finishing move, the Sharpshooter. Earl Hebner, who was officiating the match, inexplicably called for the bell, even though it appeared as though Bret had not given up. A confused Michaels took the belt and quickly exited to the back with his third WWE Championship, while Hart fumed in the ring.

Michaels’ highly successful WWE career was in jeopardy following the 1998 Royal Rumble, where HBK squared off against Undertaker in a Casket Match. During the match, Michaels landed awkwardly on the casket and severely injured his back. Barely able to move and again with the help of Kane, Michaels was able to retain his title. Michaels refused to let the injury take him out, though, and he moved on to WrestleMania XIV where he faced Stone Cold, with “Iron” Mike Tyson as the special enforcer. Michaels, who was visibly in pain the entire match, put forth a gutsy performance, but in the end it wasn’t enough to win. The match was thought to have been his last ever, as he required what many thought was career-ending back surgery.

But nothing can keep the Showstopper down forever. Michaels returned to Raw on June 3, 2002, as the newest member of the nWo. Soon after joining, though, Vince McMahon disbanded the group and Michaels was back on his own. He convinced Triple H to join him on Raw, and when the two got back together, Triple H encouraged Michaels to re-form D-X. However, when Michaels was about to put on an old D-X shirt, Triple H pedigreed his former friend. The following week, Michaels was thrown through a car window by an unknown assailant. Security footage, however, revealed that it was the work of Triple H, who was afraid that Michaels was going to steal the spotlight away from him. This kicked off what has been, arguably, the most vicious rivalry WWE fans have ever seen.

Their first encounter came at SummerSlam in a Street Fight. WWE fans everywhere were wondering if Michaels would be able to go back to his high-flying and daredevil ways, but he would answer those questions rather quickly. Michaels was flying around the ring and even used an elbow smash off of a ladder and a plancha through a table. In the end, he was able to reverse a Pedigree attempt for the pin. After the match, Triple H took out Michaels with a sledgehammer, signifying that the battle had indeed just begun.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels At Survivor Series, Michaels and Triple H participated in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match, with HBK coming out on top to win the World Heavyweight Championship from his sworn enemy.

The rivalry went to another level at Armageddon. The two Superstars went at it in a best two-out-of-three falls match, but there was a catch. The first match was a Street Fight, the second match was a Steel Cage Match and the third was a Ladder Latch — the same match that HBK made famous. Triple H took the first fall in the Street Fight; HBK won the Cage Match, but Triple H was able to beat Michaels at his own game in the Ladder Match to take back the World Heavyweight Championship.

Triple H and Michaels took a break from each other after that, but HBK was brutally attacked by Chris Jericho on an edition of Raw on March 3. The beating led to a classic match at WrestleMania XIX. The two shared similar styles, and while Jericho had youth on his side, Michaels was able pull out the victory. After the match, Jericho gave Michaels a hug, but it was a ploy as he nailed him with a low-blow.

Michaels then turned his trust towards Ric Flair in a Handicap Match against Triple H, but it proved to be a poor judgment. Flair turned on Michaels as Evolution re-formed and beat down Michaels. Flair and Orton followed the beating up with singles victories, but Michaels bounced back with wins over Orton and Batista and then went to a draw with Triple H in a Last Man Standing Match at the Royal Rumble 2004.

Chris Benoit won the Rumble Match that same night, earning him a shot at Triple H’s World Heavyweight Championship. Michaels, however, wanted Triple H all for himself. During Benoit’s contract signing, Michaels knocked Benoit out and signed his own name to the contract. To clear up the controversy, a Triple Threat Match was signed for WrestleMania XX. The match went on to become one of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history, but Benoit came out on top. The three met up again one month later, but the result was the same. The two matches weren’t enough to put their rivalry to rest, though.

Triple H again faced Michaels at Bad Blood in a bloody, 45-minute Hell in a Cell Match. Triple H ultimately managed two Pedigrees in a row for the win. The following night on Raw, Jim Ross tried to get the two to bury the hatchet, but the meeting was unceremoniously interrupted by Kane who brutally attacked Michaels. Kane placed Michaels’ throat in a folding a chair and then stomped on it off the ropes, crushing HBK’s larynx in the process.

Michaels returned Sept. 12 at Unforgiven and won a No-Disqualification Match over Kane, gaining his revenge. One month later, Michaels beat out Edge and Benoit in fan voting at Taboo Tuesday to win a shot at Triple H’s World Heavyweight Championship one more time. Unfortunately, the night before Taboo Tuesday on Raw, Michaels severely injured his knee. Barely able to move, Michaels still made it out for his match at Taboo Tuesday and put forth a valiant effort. Just when Michaels had Triple H lined up for “Sweet Chin Music,” Edge, who was jealous he didn’t receive the opportunity, appeared and speared The Showstopper. Michaels lost, and went in for knee surgery the next day.

Michaels miraculously appeared on the next edition of Raw with a message of appreciation for the WWE fans. Upon his return, he sought out Edge for retribution. After facing Edge at the Royal Rumble, Michaels was attacked by Kurt Angle, kicking off the rivalry that continued throughout 2005.

WWE Superstar Shawn Michaels The two former champions met up for the first time ever in a dream match at WrestleMania 21. They performed a clinic that has become a standout WrestleMania moment, with Angle making the Showstopper tap out to the vicious Ankle Lock. Fans thought this classic was a once in a lifetime match; Angle was on SmackDown and Michaels was on Raw, so the odds of them meeting up again were slim to none. However, once Angle was drafted to Raw in the 2005 Draft Lottery, the rematch was inevitable, and the two went at it again at Vengeance. It was thought to be impossible to live up to their classic at WrestleMania, but they defied the odds. In another epic clash, HBK was able to even the score at 1-1 when he knocked Angle out with Sweet Chin Music for the win. With the rivalry tied, a rubber match was sure to be right around the corner.

But first, Shawn Michaels wanted to give back to the fans with another dream match. He shocked everyone with the kick heard ‘round the world when he turned on tag team partner Hulk Hogan, leveling the Hall of Famer with Sweet Chin Music. The fans wanted “one more match” from the Hulkster, so HBK gave Hogan the incentive to give the fans just that. The two met up in an unforgettable showdown at SummerSlam, but no matter what Michaels did, he couldn’t overcome the Immortal one. In the end, a defeated Michaels buried the hatchet with the Hulkster, shaking his hand in the ring.

Weeks later, when Angle was demanding a second shot at John Cena’s WWE Championship, Shawn Michaels took exception and said that he wanted a shot at the gold as well. Mr. McMahon, who was on hand at RAW for a special announcement, said that they could make their cases for a title shot in a 30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match at WWE Homecoming. And once again, the fans were treated to an instant classic. However, as Michaels had Angle pinned following Sweet Chin Music, the time limit expired with both combatants having won two falls apiece. HBK offered to go into sudden death, but Angle refused and simply walked away, leaving the match as a draw.

HBK & Angle would meet again at Taboo Tuesday, as HBK won the fans’ vote to face Angle & John Cena in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship. HBK was unable to walk away with the gold that night, but soon found himself in an even bigger role: captain of Team Raw at Survivor Series. As for his rivalry with Angle, Michaels would eventually win the rubber match with in January before Angle departed for SmackDown.

Following Raw’s loss to SmackDown at Survivor Series, Michaels turned his sights back to the WWE Championship, qualifying for the Elimination Chamber Match at New Year’s Revolution. However, he made what may be the biggest mistake of his career on the night after Christmas 2005, when he told Mr. McMahon to get over the Montreal Incident.

After that, McMahon promised to screw HBK worse than Bret Hart had ever been screwed. After threatening to take him out of the Elimination Chamber and even banning Sweet Chin Music during a match, McMahon got his biggest victory at the Royal Rumble, when Shane McMahon made a shocking return and eliminated HBK from the Royal Rumble Match. That turned out to be only the first salvo in a war that has gone on throughout 2006.

For a detailed look at the bad blood between HBK and the McMahons, check out WWE.com's official timeline of their rivalry here.

During a match against the Spirit Squad on the May 22 Raw, Shawn Michaels suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for a few weeks. That night, Michaels took on all five members of the Spirit Squad in the main event. It seemed like he might overcome the odds once again, but as he tried to nail Nicky with Sweet Chin Music, he instead met a chair right ot the knee. The Squad then viciously went after the knee, with Kenny driving the final spike when he dropped a guillotine legdrop on HBK's leg while it was wedged inside a steel chair. Mr. McMahon even had Triple H on hand that night to finish HBK off with a sledgehammer, but Michaels was spared; when Kenny stole the weapon from The Game to do it himself, Triple H instead attacked the World Tag Team Champions. Unfortunately for HBK, the damage had already been done.

WWE Superstar William Regal

2007-12-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

Normally, William Regal is one of WWE’s most smug and haughty Superstars. A distinguished Englishman, Regal finds most others crass and downright unworthy of his time. While presenting himself as a dignified man away from the ring, Regal is a sadistic mat wrestler inside the squared circle, taking great pleasure in torturing his adversaries with stiff strikes and brutal submission holds.

Learning the ropes as a young teenager, the native of Blackpool, England traveled across the United Kingdom wrestling as part of carnivals. Facing off against challengers from the carnival circuit as well as from the crowd, Regal quickly earned a reputation as a lethal opponent, with fists of iron and dozens of different holds to render his adversaries helpless. Always interested in sharpening his tools as a wrestler, Regal traveled across the world, winning several championships in Europe, the Middle East and Japan before landing in WCW in 1993. There, Regal held the WCW Television Championship on four occasions; he also nearly won the WCW Tag Team Championship on several occasions with Bobby Eaton and Squire David Taylor, and also had a memorable rivalry with Finlay that saw the Irish brawler break Regal’s nose during a match in 1996. Regal came to WWE for a short time in 1998, but headed back to WCW shortly thereafter.

Regal finally hit it big when he returned to WWE in 2000. Less than a month after his return, Regal defeated Al Snow for the European Championship that October. In April 2001, he would defeat Snow again to earn a different title: WWE Commissioner. Regal earned several chances at the Intercontinental Championship that summer; he was unsuccessful, but after enlisting Tajiri as his assistant, Regal became a key figure in WWE’s battle with the ECW/WCW Alliance.

WWE Superstar Val Venis

2007-12-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

Fresh off an adult film career, Val entered WWE in 1998. With his unmistakable call of "Hellllloooo, ladies," Venis excites the female population everywhere he goes. Sporting a towel around his waist and gyrating as part of his pre-match in-ring festivities, WWE’s very own ex-porn star will often flirt with female fans before locking up in the ring.

He immediately made an impact with the revelation that Taka Michinoku’s sister was one of his former co-stars. The news led to a rivalry with Taka and Kaientai. Since the two seemed to have so much in common, Val formed an alliance with the Godfather, and the pair wreaked havoc in WWE later that year.

In 1999, Val volunteered that he starred in a film with then-Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock’s sister Ryan entitled “Shaving Ryan’s Privates.” This time, Val ended up with both the girl and the gold, defeating Shamrock at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre to become Intercontinental Champion. However, he dumped Ryan just days later, and Val soon lost the gold as well. Throughout the year, he found himself embroiled with other ladies such as Debra and Nicole Bass, but rebounded to win the European Championship in December.

In 2000, Val hooked up with Trish Stratus, and under the guidance of the future Women’s Champion, he once again became Intercontinental Champion. However, at SummerSlam that year, Val lost the gold when Trish was pinned in an inter-gender Tag Team Match. Soon after the loss, Val fired Trish, and a new Venis emerged.

Soon after Val joined Steven Richards’ Right to Censor. In a complete turn from his former good-natured, sexual self, Val joined former buddy Godfather and became a moral crusader. However, that didn’t last long, as Val quickly left the RTC and WWE altogether.

After an appearance in the 2002 Royal Rumble and a short stint on SmackDown, Val re-emerged on RAW in late 2002, joining RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff as his Chief of Staff. As Chief Morley, Val became half of the World Tag Team Champions, replacing an injured William Regal as Lance Storm’s partner. The reign lasted only 8 days, and he was fired by Bischoff in May 2003.

WWE Superstar Val Venis Just weeks later “The Big Valbowski” re-emerged, competing in the Battle Royal for the re-instated Intercontinental Championship at Judgment Day. Val would later re-form his alliance with Lance Storm. After flying mostly solo following Lance’s retirement, Val formed a team with a seemingly natural ally, the near 500-pound Viscera, in the summer of 2005.

Together, Val & Vis have been a successful team, scoring several wins on RAW and HEAT and nearly capturing the World Tag Team Championship on multiple occasions. While he may be a lover, Val also showed a different side of himself on Valentine's Day 2006 when he hosted the first-ever Val Venis "Love Stinks" St. Valentine's Day Sucktacular on WWE.com.

On the March 27 RAW, Val suffered an inury that would keep him out of action for nearly three months. That night, Venis teamed with Viscera & Eugene to take on members of the Spirit Squad. As Val was set to hit the Money Shot, he was pushed off of the top rope and landed hard on his right elbow and shoulder. The Spirit Squad continued their attack after getting the victory, with Kenny hitting a top-rope legdrop onto Val, severely injuring his elbow in the process. After the match, Venis was helped from the ring with his arm in a sling. Val had surgery shortly after WrestleMania 22 to remove bone chips from his elbow and fix the damage done by the Spirit Squad.

Whether on his own or by the side of frequent partner Viscera, don’t let The Big Valbowski’s love for the ladies be deceiving; Venis is a formidable foe who will do just about anything to get ahead of the competition.

WWE Superstar Umaga

2007-12-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

Since their debut, Armando Estrada and his protégé Umaga have been a force to be reckoned with. Umaga has lately begun targeting high profile Superstars in his attempt to reach the top of WWE and ultimately become WWE Champion.

Umaga and Armando Estrada burst onto the scene the night after WrestleMania 22, interrupting Ric Flair. As Flair stood in the ring talking about WrestleMania, he was interrupted by Estrada, who introduced himself as a Cuban businessman that had watched Flair as a child growing up in Cuba. He told Flair that his time had passed and that America needed a new hero, and attempted to introduce the man who would change the face of Monday Night RAW.

Flair interrupted Estrada, telling him to bring out his protégé. Estrada then introduced Umaga, who came out to the ring. Flair went to attack Umaga as he entered the ring, but Estrada clipped Flair’s knee from behind. Umaga & Estrada then stomped down and choked out the “Nature Boy,” with Umaga laying out Flair with a modified overhead neckbreaker for good measure. The next week, Umaga made his in-ring debut, destroying his opponent in short order and finishing him off with his Samoan Spike.

WWE Superstar Triple H

2007-12-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

For a moment, forget all the monikers and catch phrases. Overlook the seemingly countless championships and tournaments he has won. Ignore the fact that he has spearheaded two of the most important factions in WWE history, and overcome what the pundits considered a career-ending injury. You need only two words to properly sum up Triple H: The Game

WWE Superstar Triple H Strong words, especially when one considers the King of Kings was once a 135-pound “beanpole” from Nashua, New Hampshire. But when he received a free one-week membership for a small local gym one summer day, the 14-year-old “gangly” teen’s life changed forever. For the next three years, he spent nearly every day in that gym, developing every muscle in his body and transforming himself into a six-foot-four, 210-pound powerhouse. He entered—and won—numerous regional bodybuilding competitions, including the prestigious Teen Mr. New Hampshire title at the age of 19. Yet the Game himself admits, “I never seriously considered becoming a pro bodybuilder…My dream was World Wrestling Entertainment.”

Enrolling in Walter “Killer” Kowalski’s Pro Wrestling School in St. Malden, Massachusetts, the future Cerebral Assassin trained four days a week under Kowalski’s “tough love” tutelage, then divided his weekends between wrestling in the independent circuit and managing a Gold’s Gym in Nashua. Almost inconceivably, he would have to fly himself down to Atlanta in 1993, to convince then-new VP Eric Bischoff that he was “good enough” to join the World Championship Wrestling roster. Fortunately, the unlimited potential he showed at World Championship Wrestling quickly got him noticed at World Wrestling Entertainment; by May 1995, “Hunter Hearst-Helmsley” (a name which soon became more identifiable as Triple H) would make his WWE debut. And the rest, as they say, is history.

More than 20 years after entering that small Nashua gym, Triple H maintains the strictest of training regimens, incorporating techniques from world-renowned fitness trainers like Charles Glass. Such dedication has provided him with the fortitude to become a Grand Slam champion; the wisdom to shepherd the “Evolution” of then-newcomers Randy Orton and Batista to WWE Superstardom; the charisma to star in feature films, television shows, and commercials; and the stamina to pull countless sophomoric pranks on Mr. McMahon as a founder of D-Generation X. And it’s precisely what makes him “that damn good.”

WWE Superstar Super Crazy

2007-12-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

At Judgment Day, Super Crazy gave a valiant effort in his challenge for Gregory Helms Cruiserweight Championship. Despite coming up on the short end of the decision, the Mexicool once again proved himself to be among the top Cruiserweights on SmackDown.

WWE Superstar Super Crazy Super Crazy, a former ECW Television Champion has wrestled extensively in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The talented luchadore performed one of the highlight moves at ECW's One Night Stand when he executed a Moonsault off a balcony.Not long after, Super Crazy was signed to a WWE contract.

Along with his partner Psicosis, Super Crazy stormed his way into WWE in June 2005. The duo called themselves the Mexicools, and with their exciting high risk style, they vowed to take SmackDown by storm.

It wasn't long before the SmackDown fans got behind the excitable duo. Their enthusiasm and high-energy in the ring is infectious and has propelled them to several key wins in the tag team division. With a wide array of high-flying maneuvers like Super Crazy's patented top-rope Moonsault, it's only a matter of time before the Mexicools are riding to the ring in their Juan Deere tractors decked in WWE Tag Team Championship gold.

WWE Superstar Snitsky

2007-12-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Snitsky broke into ECW when he attacked ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley on ECW on Sci Fi. Within one minute of first appearing on the show, his scent led him to the gold. A man who knows what he wants, Snitsky is a force to be reckoned with now that he has been drafted to Raw.

WWE Superstar Stone Cold

2007-12-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

SummerSlam. Stone Cold emerged victorious — something Mr. McMahon couldn’t tolerate. So, the boss set up a Triple Threat Match at Breakdown in September. It proved to be more like a Handicap Match in the end, as half-brothers Undertaker and Kane pinned Stone Cold simultaneously.

With no single winner, Mr. McMahon decided to vacate the WWE Championship and award it based on a match between Undertaker and Kane at the next pay-per-view. Since former champion Stone Cold was also involved in the original match, he was made special referee. In typical Stone Cold fashion, he screwed both competitors, hitting Stunners on both and stealing the championship for himself. Feeling he had no other recourse, Mr. McMahon fired The Rattlesnake for his actions.

Mysteriously, Stone Cold re-emerged having inked a brand-new five-year contract. Mr. McMahon was beside himself, and it was all the more aggravating when it was revealed that his son, Shane, was the McMahon to re-sign The Rattlesnake. With Steve back in the fold, there was a Survivor Series tournament to award the vacant WWE Championship. Stone Cold was building momentum toward his second WWE Championship, and in the semifinals against Mankind, he appeared a mere three-count from moving on to the final match. But acting referee Shane refused to count a pin for Stone Cold. Without a way to win, Stone Cold eventually succumbed to Mankind. The Rock would benefit most greatly, winning the tournament to become WWE Champion.

The Rattlesnake’s next definitive chance to exact revenge from Mr. McMahon came during the 1999 Royal Rumble Match. Stone Cold drew entry No. 1, while McMahon drew No. 2. Despite a vicious attack from McMahon’s Corporation, both lasted until the end. The odds proved insurmountable, however. With the assistance of the Corporation, Stone Cold was eliminated — making Mr. McMahon the Royal Rumble Match winner.

On Feb. 14, 1999, at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Stone Cold finally got a one-on-one match against Mr. McMahon — and it came in a Steel Cage. With a world championship opportunity at WrestleMania at stake, Mr. McMahon devised a large surprise. During the match, Big Show made his shocking debut, ripping off the side of the Steel Cage. But Show’s attack propelled Stone Cold to the area floor first, technically making him the victor. Stone Cold made the most of his chance, defeating the Corporation’s The Rock at WrestleMania XV for his third WWE Championship.

WWE then took as ominous turn when Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness and McMahon’s Corporation merged in an effort to overpower Stone Cold. It temporarily worked; Undertaker won the WWE Championship thanks to McMahon’s meddling. But Stone Cold had an equalizer for the Corporate Ministry: power granted by Linda McMahon, who named Stone Cold Steve Austin CEO of WWE. This was an intolerable development for Mr. McMahon, who placed himself and Shane in a Ladder Match against The Rattlesnake with control of the company at stake. Once again, Stone Cold would have won on the merits, but the McMahons had another game plan. When during the match Stone Cold scaled the ladder for the winning briefcase, it was mysteriously raised beyond his reach. This continued until the McMahons secured victory and full control of WWE.

WWE Superstar Stone Cold But Stone Cold wouldn’t stay down for long. In fact, he bounced back in a big way the very next day — winning the WWE Championship by beating Undertaker. By Survivor Series in 1999, the Corporation’s Triple H was champion, and Stone Cold was supposed to get his chance to reclaim gold in a Triple Threat Match. Instead, he was run down by a car in the parking lot. What followed was neck surgery and a nine-month rehabilitation. But Stone Cold Steve Austin would eventually return for payback.

In October 2000, beer-swilling, trash-talking Stone Cold was back to annihilate Rikishi, who admitted to committing the vehicular assault. But in the process of beating him down, Stone Cold learned that it was actually The Cerebral Assassin behind the whole scheme — devised to shield the WWE Championship. So at Survivor Series in 2000, Stone Cold gave Triple H a taste of his own medicine: When The Game tried to flee the arena in his automobile, Stone Cold lifted it with a construction crane, then let it drop 30 feet. Triple H learned the hard way that there’s nothing Stone Cold won’t do.

Stone Cold then won the Royal Rumble Match for an astounding third time in 2001, last eliminating the Big Red Monster Kane. After coming up short against Triple H in a special best-of-three — featuring a traditional match, a Street Fight and a Steel Cage Match — Stone Cold decided to take drastic measures to ensure a stranglehold on WWE.

Appropriately on April Fool’s Day, Stone Cold pulled a fast one on WWE’s fans and The Rock at WrestleMania, aligning with bitter enemy Mr. McMahon. By doing so, he was able to win back the WWE Championship. The next night on RAW, Triple H involved himself in a Steel Cage Match — attacking not Stone Cold but The Rock! This officially marked Stone Cold’s “deal with the devil” and formation of the alliance known as “Power Trip.”

The corporate faction seemed unstoppable. Corporate Steve was WWE Champion; Triple H was Intercontinental Champion; and at Backlash, they together became World Tag Team Champions, as well. They didn’t show vulnerability until May, when Y2J and Chris Benoit won the World Tag Team Championship — in part because Triple H tore his quadriceps muscle completely off the bone during the match. Everything had come full circle for Stone Cold, who just like in 1993 was left without his tag partner because of a serious injury.

Back out on his own defending the WWE Championship, Stone Cold battled both his rivals in a Triple Threat Match against Jericho and Benoit at King of the Ring.

In July, The Rattlesnake had shed the corporate image and was back in full rebellious form, leading Team WWE against the Alliance. But at Invasion, Stone Cold switched allegiances, joining Team WCW/ECW. It marked the beginning of a bitter dispute with Kurt Angle, who stepped up to command Team WWE in Stone Cold’s place. Doing his best to infuriate the Olympic gold medalist, Stone Cold threw Angle’s medals into a river. In a memorable moment of retribution, Angle doused Stone Cold and the Alliance with a blasting milk bath in shades of Stone Cold’s famous beer bath incident. The Alliance was forced to disband as a result of Team WWE’s victory at Survivor Series, but Stone Cold was able to protect his job through his WWE Championship.

On Feb. 17, 2002, Stone Cold was forced into a war with another infamous faction when the nWo interfered during his match for the unified world championship, spray-painting his back. As a result, Stone Cold began his pursuit of the group, culminating with a victory over Scott Hall before more than 67,000 fans at Toronto’s SkyDome.

All throughout, Stone Cold continued to clash with authority. He was constantly at odds with Ric Flair, who held the position of RAW owner at the time. Eventually things got so bad that Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out. He was gone for close to a year.

WWE Superstar Stone Cold He returned at No Way Out in 2003, taking exception to another authority figure — Eric Bischoff. RAW’s General Manager had little patience for The Rattlesnake and considered him a liability, so he fired him the day after WrestleMania on RAW. One month later, Linda McMahon again came to Stone Cold’s aid, making him co-GM alongside Bischoff. It was thought that the two might be forced to work together and co-exist. Instead, they butted heads constantly and Stone Cold continued to raise hell every chance he got. Steve did his best to get under Bischoff’s skin, ordering such events as a “Redneck Triathlon” between himself and his counterpart at Bad Blood.

Feeling he was left with no other recourse, Bischoff devised a Survivor Series Match pitting his team against Stone Cold’s, with the loser out as General Manager. Fortunately for Bischoff, his team came out on top. The Rattlesnake vanished, but Santa Claus did make the SmackDown! brand trip for a very special “Christmas in Iraq.” In the ring and before the troops, Santa unmasked and delivered a Stone Cold Stunner on Mr. McMahon. It was the best present The Rattlesnake could have ever given himself.

Stone Cold then returned as the “Sheriff” of RAW, causing trouble, drinking beer and maintaining his own brand of discipline. He refereed Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg at WrestleMania XX, stealing the spotlight by delivering a Stunner to each of them at the end of the match.

In April 2004, Stone Cold and WWE parted ways, which many thought would be permanent. But Stone Cold and WWE found common ground when the opportunity arose to utilize Stone Cold’s popularity and reputation in starring roles for WWE Films. Additionally, The Rattlesnake made his mark at WrestleMania 21 with two well-placed Stunners on turf of another famous WWE trash-talker — Rowdy Roddy Piper in Piper’s Pit.

WWE Superstar Santino Marella

2007-12-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

When no one took Mr. McMahon's offer for an Intercontinental Championship Match against Umaga on the April 16 Raw in Milan, the Chairman looked to the crowd for someone to face the Samoan Bulldozer.

WWE Superstar Santino Marella Enter Santino Marella.

Marella, sitting in the front row, volunteered to face Umaga. Marella got off to a quick start, quick enough for Mr. McMahon to change the match into a No Holds Barred Match. It appeared as if Umaga would destroy Marella under those circumstances, but ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley prevented that. McMahon thought Lashley wasn't in Milan, but he was proven wrong. After the ECW Champion nailed the Samoan Bulldozer with a chair and a vicious spear, he put Marella on top of Umaga. Marella scored the winning pinfall, becoming the Intercontinental Champion in one of the most improbable moments in Raw history.

WWE Superstar Rory McAllister

2007-12-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Collectively known as the Highlanders, Rory McAllister and his cousin Robbie have made quite an impression since coming to Raw. After two consecutive wins, the duo challenged the Spirit Squad for their World Tag Team Championship. Even though the Squad was able to use their strength in numbers to defeat the Scots, Rory and Robbie's tenacity did not go unnoticed. Can the new tag team keep up their eager pace?

The Highlanders have come to America to compete on Raw. Originally hailing from the Scottish Highlands, Robbie & Rory came to the land of opportunity looking for the chance to shine in the WWE spotlight…but their adjustment period wasn't always easy.

Raw fans got a glimpse of the native Scotsmen in the weeks leading up to their debut, thanks to a series of videos shown on Raw. Each week, the Highlanders were in a different situation that they had never encountered.

Whether it was using foam Statue of Liberty crowns as beard warmers, eating out of the trash in New York City, or discovering the adult entertainment on their hotel television, their adventures as they tried to adapt to American life were somewhat comical.

Finally making their Raw debut on July 3, the Highlanders defeated Rob Conway & Matt Striker after nailing Conway with their signature Scot Drop. The following week, Conway once again fell victim to the move, allowing the Highlanders to score their second consecutive victory.

It goes without saying that every team on RAW looks to compete for and capture the World Tag Team Championship. If they can continue to look as impressive as they have in their first weeks on Raw, it's only a matter of time before Robbie & Rory McAllister get the gold.

WWE Superstar Ron Simmons

2007-12-01T07:57:00.001-08:00

Ron Simmons may be a man of few words, but his actions as a sports-entertainment pioneer speak volumes.

WWE Superstar Ron Simmons Among his many accomplishments, Simmons held the World Tag Team Championship three times with JBL as the APA, the WCW World Tag Team Championship with Butch Reed as Doom and WCW United States Tag Team Championship (with Big Josh). But his greatest achievement came on August 2, 1992, when Simmons became the first officially recognized African-American singles World Champion, defeating Big Van Vader for the WCW World Championship. Like “Sailor” Art Thomas, Bobo Brazil, Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson before him, Simmons broke down barriers and became forever etched in history of sports-entertainment that night.

Simmons’ storied career began in his native Perry, Ga., where he excelled on the football field. A defensive nose guard, he earned All-American honors playing at Florida State University, where he played under the legendary Bobby Bowden. His No. 50 jersey was retired by Florida State University, and he was ultimately inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame for his accomplishments at FSU.

Despite his distinguished college football career, Simmons’ professional career on the gridiron was short-lived as he played briefly for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL and then the Tampa Bay Bandits in the United States Football League. Like many other gridiron stars, he sought the challenge of the squared circle. Trained by Hiro Matsuda, he made his professional debut in 1986, ultimately evolving from up-and-coming NWA standout to tag team and World Champion in WCW. In NWA, Simmons also met SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, and the two have been close friends ever since.

WWE Superstar Ron SimmonsAfter a brief stint at ECW, Simmons joined WWE in 1996 under the name Faarooq, and had longstanding, legendary rivalry with Ahmed Johnson. He formed the Nation of Domination and helped mentor members such as D’Lo Brown, The Rock and the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry early in their careers. After a falling out with The Rock, Faarooq was booted from the Nation. He eventually teamed with JBL as the APA under Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness, and the two went on drink beer, smoke cigars and raise a lot of hell, winning the World Tag Team Championship three times between 1999 and 2001.

In recent years, our fans have grown to love Simmons as a quiet, but keen observer. He doesn’t say much, but he packs a wallop with an ever-ready “Damn!” whenever something shocking happens in a WWE locker room or in the ring. One thing is certain: there are not enough words to express Simmons’ place in sports-entertainment history. And that’s the damn truth.

WWE Superstar Robbie McAllister

2007-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Collectively known as the Highlanders, Robbie McAllister and his cousin Rory have made quite an impression since coming to Raw. After two consecutive wins, the duo challenged the Spirit Squad for their World Tag Team Championship. Even though the Squad was able to use their strength in numbers to defeat the Scots, Robbie and Rory's tenacity did not go unnoticed. Can the new tag team keep up their eager pace?

WWE Superstar Robbie McAllister The Highlanders have come to America to compete on Raw. Originally hailing from the Scottish Highlands, Rory & Robbie came to the land of opportunity looking for the chance to shine in the WWE spotlight…but their adjustment period wasn't always easy.

Raw fans got a glimpse of the native Scotsmen in the weeks leading up to their debut, thanks to a series of videos shown on Raw. Each week, the Highlanders were in a different situation that they had never encountered.

Whether it was using foam Statue of Liberty crowns as beard warmers, eating out of the trash in New York City, or discovering the adult entertainment on their hotel television, their adventures as they tried to adapt to American life were somewhat comical.

Finally making their Raw debut on July 3, the Highlanders defeated Rob Conway & Matt Striker after nailing Conway with their signature Scot Drop. The following week, Conway once again fell victim to the move, allowing the Highlanders to score their second consecutive victory.

It goes without saying that every team on Raw looks to compete for and capture the World Tag Team Championship. If they can continue to look as impressive as they have in their first weeks on Raw, it's only a matter of time before Rory & Robbie McAllister get the gold.

WWE Superstar - Randy Orton

2007-12-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Randy Orton doesn’t have many interests. Other than listening to Metallica or Pantera and watching the occasional movie, wrestling is his life…or, as he would tell you, his destiny.

Randy Orton It’s easy to understand why. His father is WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton, his uncle Barry “Barry O” Orton, and his grandfather “The Big O,” the late Bob Orton, Sr. Most kids remember their first ball game or school play; Randy’s childhood memories include sitting in the kitchen of his family’s St. Louis home with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, and repairing a broken banister leaned on by Andre the Giant. He wasn’t even five years old when he watched his father knock out “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in the main event at the inaugural WrestleMania, but he already knew he wanted to be a WWE Superstar.

Randy’s parents tried dissuading him; his father even warned that life in the ring meant a life on the road, away from family. Yet Randy, seeing how his friends perceived his world-traveling dad in “a different light,” recalls only thinking the prospect was “quite appealing, and something I wanted to do.”

Still, he agreed to try other avenues first. After graduating Hazelwood Central High School in 1998 (where he was an accomplished amateur wrestler), Orton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. His plan was to serve a four-year tour of duty, then focus on a wrestling career; his reality was a dishonorable discharge one year later, due to unauthorized absences on two occasions (one for 82 days) and for disobeying a superior officer’s direct order. After spending 38 days in the brig of Camp Pendleton Base, he would resume his civilian life…and to pursuing his destiny.

Back home in St. Louis, Orton accompanied his father backstage at a local WWE live event in late 1999. He left the show with an opportunity to try out in Stamford, which soon resulted in a developmental deal to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. Orton quickly rose through OVW’s ranks, and in April 2002, he officially made his WWE debut as a member of SmackDown. The third-generation Superstar had at last fulfilled his dream, though a long-standing rivalry with Mick Foley (and a brutal Hardcore Match at Backlash in 2004 that Orton remembers as one of his greatest contests) provided him with a new purpose.

WWE Superstar Paul London

2007-12-01T07:47:00.001-08:00

When it comes to exciting, high-flying wrestlers on Raw, Paul London immediately comes to mind. Only in his 20s, London has already acheived stardom in WWE, winning the WWE Tag Team and Cruiserweight Championships since his WWE debut in October 2003.

WWE Superstar Paul London London may be a bizarre personality, but once the bell rings, he's all business. He has impressed fans with innovative moves such as the “Dropsault” (a combination dropkick and moonsault), the “mushroom stomp” and his 450 splash. And his successful tag team combination with Brian Kendrick has only led to more innovation.

In March 2005, London won a Battle Royal on Smackdown to win the Cruiserweight Championship. Chavo Guerrero claimed London never actually defeated Chavo one-on-one, which lead to their match at Judgment Day. There, London retained his championship and successfully defended it until losing to Nunzio in August 2005.

London and Kendrick scored yet another upset victory when they defeated MNM for the sixth straight time at Judgment Day to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship. London & Kendrick would hold those titles for nearly a year before being defeated, making them the longest running WWE Tag Team Champions in history.

WWE Superstar Mr McMahon

2007-12-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

“I love to fight,” admits Mr. McMahon. “I always have.”

He’s not kidding. He was already a 12-year-old hellraiser “majoring in badass” when he met his father, Vincent James McMahon, a reputable boxing and wrestling promoter in charge of the Northeast region. As a teen, he’d spend summers with his dad in Connecticut, amazed by both the business and his idol, Dr. Jerry Graham, the peroxide-dyed, red-garbed ring performer who lit his cigars with hundred-dollar bills. The rest of the time he channeled his ruthless aggression at Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Va., where he’d graduate as the first cadet in the school’s history to be court-martialed. (“Unsuccessfully,” he’s quick to note, citing that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing on his part other than insubordination.)

WWE Superstar Mr McMahon It took a degree in Business
Administration/Marketing at East Carolina University, followed by several unproductive years selling adding machines and ice-cream accessories, before Mr. McMahon convinced his father to bring him into the family business. Strangely enough, he’d spend less than a year learning the ropes as a promoter when the senior McMahon “promoted” him as a match announcer, only moments before a show in Hamburg, Penn. For more than 20 years, Mr. McMahon would remain behind the mic, even after buying the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982 and taking it to unprecedented levels. To this day, many out-of-work regional promoters maintain that he continued doing in-ring play-by-play only to smokescreen what he was accomplishing outside the squared circle.

The truth is, the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment couldn’t make a global multimedia juggernaut without breaking a few companies. So he broke all of them, and took great satisfaction in devouring any wrestling promotion that refused to “join” his brand of sports-entertainment. As Sgt. Slaughter puts it, “He screwed everybody. That was the part of him that wanted to be the best there is.”

Mr. McMahon admits to feeling a tad remorseful after acquiring his last, and greatest, threat—World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the seemingly “unbeatable” organization bankrolled by billionaire Ted Turner—simply because he missed the struggle. So in 2002 he decided to split RAW and SmackDown into separate brands, effectively creating his own competition.

Despite his vast wealth and social status, Mr. McMahon still loves nothing more than knuckling up. And he’ll do it anytime, anywhere—inside the ring (where his longtime rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin still raises hell within the WWE fan base) or from the boardroom. He tells those who don’t like it that they can kiss his ass; in fact, he even founded an elite club for doing precisely that.

RAW announcer Jim Ross is convinced that his boss’ constant need to fight is what fuels his success. “His competitive nature is what he carries with him every waking moment,” he says.

Mr. McMahon agrees, adding that no one better than he understands what it means to be a competitor. “You’ve got to grab your competition by the throat,” he insists, “and squeeze the life out of them.”

WWE Superstar Mr Kennedy

2007-12-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

“Hailing from Green Bay, Wisconsin weighing in at 242 pounds Mr. Kennedy ….. Kennedy!”

Proudly doing the honors of announcing his own ring introductions in quite an unorthodox fashion, Mr. Kennedy has quickly turned heads and made his presence known as one of WWE's most promising, confident and big mouthed Superstars.

Insisting the spotlight be focused strictly on him at all times, Mr. Kennedy made quite the memorable debut on SmackDown, chastising Tony Chimmel’s efforts in making Mr. Kennedy’s ring introduction… a moment most other newcomers would savor and dream of. Instead, Mr. Kennedy took matters into his own hands, demonstrating how he thought the job should be done doing the introductions of not only his opponent, Funaki, but in Mr. Kennedy’s eyes… most importantly… himself! And once the formalities are out of the way, Mr. Kennedy makes sure to keep the spotlight on him, inflicting pain on his opponents and guaranteeing a win.

With confidence and some impressive skills to back up his attitude, there’s no telling what is in store next for Mr. Ken Kennedy on Raw.

WWE Tag Team Champion Lance Cade

2007-12-01T07:35:00.001-08:00

While his looks may be deceiving, Cade is not your typical good ol' boy. The handsome Cade is a smooth talking southerner known for boasting about his intentions and then delivering on the goods.

Together with Trevor Murdoch, Cade came to Raw in September 2005. Almost immediately, the pair became World Tag Team Champions with a victory at Unforgiven. With a successful blend of sweet and sour, the duo seemed unstoppable.

Their harmony didn’t last forever; they split up amicably and remained allies throughout their tenure as singles competitors. Soon enough, their paths crossed again, and the Southern duo once again rejoined Raw’s tag team division.

Murdoch proclaimed that it was just the beginning for the re-formed team, saying that when you make rednecks angry, bad things happen; is this edict a sign of things to come for their future opponents

WWE Superstar King Booker

2007-12-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

Above all else, King Booker is a survivor. Raised only by his mother, then parentless since age 14, the youngest of eight children did what residents from the notorious South Park section of Houston, Texas often do: adapt to life on the streets or become one of its victims. (“I’ve seen people shot and stabbed, who got killed right before my eyes,” he explains. “I didn’t grow up in the best part of town.”) While many students at Jack Yates High School turned to sports, Booker, a natural athlete, preferred entertaining people as a drum major and performing on stage—“telling a story,” as he puts it. To him, it was “a way out” of an otherwise harsh existence.

Unfortunately, one doesn’t become a survivor without making mistakes, then paying for them. Booker’s biggest misstep—committing aggravated armed robbery at several fast-food establishments (including one where he worked at)—cost a particularly steep price: a five-year prison sentence, of which he’d serve 19 months. The experience taught him what he considers today his most valuable lesson: “Breathing fresh air is important. Don’t waste one day being bitter.”

Becoming a single parent himself, Booker took whatever jobs he could to make ends meet, including renting out U-Hauls and holding space in a Houston-based storage facility. When his brother Stevie Ray suggested that they enroll in a new wrestling school opened by WWE Hall of Famer Ivan Putski, he borrowed the $3,000 lesson fee from his boss at the storage facility (to whom he is still grateful). While developing his mat skills under trainer Scott Casey, Booker didn’t see a wrestling career as a golden opportunity to attain some lifelong dream of becoming a Champion of Champions. He just saw it as another—and hopefully better—way to survive.

Since then, King Booker has tasted nothing but success, and settled for nothing less than gold around his waist. He ranks high among World Wrestling Entertainment’s top Superstars, and thinks it’s “pretty cool” that he can share his spotlight in the squared circle with his wife, Queen Sharmell. When he’s not owning opponents inside a Raw ring, he’s training potential future grapplers with his brother at the Booker T & Stevie Ray Wrestling Academy in Houston. “Putting the academy in the vicinity of a place not far from where I grew up means a lot,” he says.

What means most to King Booker, however, is remembering who he is beneath the wealth and fame that accompanies a WWE Superstar of his magnitude. He still sees himself as a survivor, and it’s that sense of self-preservation that makes him so dangerous.

WWE Superstar Jonathan Coachman

2007-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

While Coachman has relinquished his announcing duties on RAW, the man who called himself "The Voice of the People" has certainly taken a step up the career ladder by becoming the Chairman's right hand man.

WWE Superstar Jonathan Coachman In the early part of his WWE career, Coachman was a lovable, enthusiastic young reporter who would often find a way to entertain WWE fans with his antics during interviews with Superstars such as The Rock. Later, in 2002, Coachman took on another duty in addition to his backstage interviews. He became the lead announcer on Sunday Night HEAT, working with such former Superstars as Al Snow, Lita and Tommy Dreamer as his color commentator.

While The Rock would accuse Coachman of some rather lewd activities with farm animals or make him sing in front of millions of viewers, he held his ground firmly and never shied away from an interview.

Coachman's interviewing and broadcasting career took a turn during SummerSlam 2003 when he shocked everybody and sided with then-RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff over Shane McMahon. The move led to a change of attitude for Coachman and he instantly began a crusade against Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

As Bischoff’s and Coachman’s working relationship progressed, they had their fair share of ups and downs. At Taboo Tuesday 2004, after he tried to help Bischoff out of getting his head shaved by Eugene, Mr. McMahon forced him to wear a dress for the remainder of the show. On the bright side, Coachman was rewarded with a spot in the 2005 Royal Rumble Match, where he lasted nearly 30 minutes.

In June 2005, Coachman finally achieved the goal he had been working towards since the beginning: becoming part of the RAW announce team. His earlier 2 week tenure notwithstanding, Coachman became a full-time counterpart of J.R. and The King at Vengeance, and officially became the third man in the RAW booth the next night. Around that time, Coachman slid over into the analyst role on HEAT as well, allowing Todd Grisham to take over as the play-by-play man.

That December, Coachman's years of loyalty to Eric Bischoff earned him another reward. Mr. McMahon held a trial for Eric Bischoff, and Coachman was appointed as his defense attorney. Unfortunately, Coachman's legal skills paled in comparison to his announcing, as Bischoff was fired at the end of the trial anyway.

WWE Superstar Jonathan Coachman Before 2005 ended, Coach got into the ring a few more times. He wrestled Ric Flair for the Intercontinental Championship on RAW's Holiday Tribute to the Troops, then defeated Jerry Lawler in January 2006 to qualify for the 2006 Royal Rumble Match. He was much less successful the second time around, getting eliminated by Big Show within a minute of entering the match.

In April 2006, however, Coachman was attacked by Viscera on the April 17 RAW in London, and announced on WWE.com Unlimited that he was leaving the building. He wasn't seen again for six weeks.

Memorial Day 2006, Coachman returned and was named Mr. McMahon's new Executive Assistant. It was the first time anyone had seen Coachman since his beating at the hands of Viscera. He immediately thrust himself into the new role, making a match between Edge and Big Show to determine the No. 1 Contender for the WWE Championship.

Coachman was left in charge of the June 19 RAW, while Stephanie gave birth to Mr. McMahon’s first granddaughter, but his first big task under Mr. McMahon was a disaster. The reunited D-Generation X ended up humiliating Coachman and the Spirit Squad, with the Executive Assistant getting his head put through a wall. To add insult to injury, DX then pulled down his pants.

In the fall of 2005, Coachman also branched out into the world of sports broadcasting, calling several NCAA football games for College Sports Television. His work was good enough for CSTV to sign him on to call some college basketball games for CSTV during the 2005-06 season as well. Coachman spent several years in sports television prior to entering WWE, making his foray into that world a little bit easier than expected. He also got a new assignment in WWE, hosting a weekly WWE.com audio broadcast called CoachCast that ran from September 2005 to January 2006.

WWE Superstar John Cena

2007-12-01T07:29:00.001-08:00

Let’s be honest: hailing from the rolling hills and broad valleys that constitute West Newbury, Massachusetts, will likely never earn you “street cred”--unless, of course, you’re John Cena. Then again, it didn’t happen overnight for him, either. Long before he became the Dr. of Thuganomics, young Cena had to endure the neighborhood rocker kids’ taunts about his baggy pants and rayon Kwamé shirts. His love for freestyling lyrics about rebellion and individualism just didn’t fit within the small rural community. By the time he turned 15, however, those same kids would stop teasing him, for it became apparent that Cena had been developing another passion: hitting the gym.

WWE Superstar John Cena After applying to more than 60 colleges (and being accepted by 58), Cena attended
Massachusetts’ Springfield
College, where he excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman and team captain for the Pride. But as much as he fondly remembers his college football accomplishments, he’s equally as proud of earning his degree in Exercise Physiology, which he attributes to making him a smarter, more durable performer in the ring today.

Though a huge WWE fan since childhood, rooting for heroes like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels, Cena had honestly never even considered a career in sports-entertainment. Instead, he flew out to California in 2000, to pursue a profession in bodybuilding (a move he now admits to making simply because his father had told him he wouldn’t make it out there). But while working behind the counter of Gold’s Gym in Venice, a discussion with a wrestler-in-training encouraged Cena to enroll in classes at Ultimate Pro Wrestling. He was instantly hooked, and became motivated to learn everything he could about his newfound craft. He obviously proved a quick study; within a year, World Wrestling Entertainment signed Cena to a developmental contract to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. By June 2002, he had joined the SmackDown roster, and less than a year later headlined the first of what has since become countless main-event matches.

That said, Cena has never forgotten his roots. In fact, remembering where he came from has helped him evolve into the man he is today: a well-versed hip-hop artist, a successful movie star, and a blue-collared Chain Gang Soldier who’s always ready to fight. In his jean shorts and Reebok Pumps, he leads his WWE fan-based army into battle with the mission statement he’s been down with since Day One: hustle, loyalty, and respect.

WWE Superstar Jim Ross

2007-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

As the play-by-play man on Monday Night Raw for nearly a decade, Jim Ross certainly has the resume to earn himself serious consideration as one of the greatest sports-entertainment commentators in the history of the business.

Coining the phrase “business is about to pick up” and sporting his trademark 200X Black Resistol cowboy hat, good Ol’ J.R. has been a WWE staple delivering the goods in the WWE broadcast booth dating back to 1993.

With his colorful southern twang, J.R. calls the action on television to millions of fans worldwide each week as well as on pay-per-views. To put it bluntly, Ross is a WWE institution. A walking wrestling encyclopedia, J.R. takes great pride in knowing all the stats and inside info on WWE Superstars giving fans a wealth of knowledge and passion when calling some of today’s most electrifying encounters. However, J.R. isn’t someone who is afraid of getting knee deep in the action he’s calling. From time to time, J.R. has even gone as far as to knuckle up and throw down in the center of the ring with some of the Raw Superstars.

WWE Superstar Jerry "The King" Lawler

2007-12-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Decorating himself in royal blue and gold attire accompanied by his famous crown, Jerry “The King” Lawler is one of the most accomplished color commentators and Superstars in sports-entertainment history.

Lawler is a favorite among WWE fans for his historic career and weekly contributions on Monday Night RAW with broadcast partner Jim Ross.

A self-proclaimed king, this excitable and outspoken RAW color commentator from Memphis has been dishing it out with the microphone and in the ring dating back 30 years. He got his orginal break back home in the Memphis wrestling circuit. It’s his gift of gab and southern pride that have on occasion led to “The King” lacing up the boots and getting in the ring again.

While "The King" has scored victories over legends such as Terry Funk and Hulk Hogan during his career, he is perhaps best known for his rivalry with entertainer Andy Kaufman. This led to a role alongside Jim Carrey in the hit film, “Man in the Moon.” The Lawler-Kaufman battles raged not only in the ring, but on television as well. Lawler’s incident on “Late Night with David Letterman” where he slapped Kaufman is considered one of the most memorable moments in that show’s history.

Lawler brings a unique brand of commentary to RAW that draws millions of followers around the world each week. The King has become so popular that he even wrote an autobiography. “It’s Good to be the King ... Sometimes,” was released in late 2002 to critical acclaim and is still one of the best sellers in the WWE autobiography series.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy

2007-12-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Simply put, Jeff Hardy is an artist. His world revolves around writing “emoetry,” recording music (“alternative, alternative music,” according to his brother Matt), and employing tinfoil and paint to craft intimate, personal, and sometimes bizarre works of art. His house is decorated with toys, artificial plants, and life-size Japanese fiberglass sculptures. One of his most cherished creations—a thirty-foot “Aluminummy” statue called Neroameee, from Nero, his middle name—stands tall outside his studio.

Still, this artist has always been drawn to another, very different canvas—that of the squared circle. Growing up with Matt in the pinewoods of Cameron, North Carolina, 11-year-old Jeff—influenced by the likes of Ric Flair, the Fabulous Freebirds, and the Rockers—took a ramp he built for his bike and painted it to resemble an entrance stage for their “wrestling ring,” the backyard trampoline. As he grew older, so did his desire to take greater risks, whether it was to feel the rush of executing hundred-foot-high triples on his motorcross bike, or jumping off the roof of his house as a member of the brothers’ “Teenage Wrestling Federation.” It was such fearlessness and desire that would bring the 16-year-old daredevil to World Wrestling Entertainment, and after several years catapult him to worldwide fame and main-event status, first as one-half of WWE’s high-flying “Team Extreme,” The Hardys, then in singles competition.

Though many of his paintings are abstract, this free spirit is a Rembrandt inside the ring, signing his name not with the traditional paintbrush or pen, but with wildly unorthodox, high-impact maneuvers off top ropes and 20-foot ladders. His credo is simple: to create, then surpass his creation.

Unfortunately, most true artists must sink to their lowest point before attaining their greatest heights. For Jeff, frequent drug use and the wear-and-tear of living life on the road would prompt him to leave WWE in 2003. But after a three-year personal journey of refocusing his passion and energies, he now finds himself “in a positive place…and that’s what motivates me.” Returning to WWE in August 2006, this reinspired risk-taker is back to creating the art he loves most—entertaining WWE fans in arenas around the world. And his most extreme masterpiece awaits.

WWE Superstar - Hollywood Hulk Hogan

2007-12-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hulk Hogan is arguably the most famous WWE Superstar of all time. World Wrestling Entertainment was never the same after Hogan replaced an injured Bob Backlund and defeated The Iron Sheik for the WWE Championship on January 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden. A phenomenon was born.

The blonde and muscle-bound Hogan, sporting his trademark 24-inch pythons, urged youngsters to say their prayers and eat their vitamins. His historic championship run would last nearly four years, a reign nobody has even come close to matching in the last two decades. Hogan's success brought unprecedented mainstream attention to wrestling, even landing Hogan in television and movie roles.

He took on all comers and soundly defeated the likes of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and King Kong Bundy. Then at WrestleMania III, in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hogan met his toughest challenge to date. Hogan was forced to defend the WWE Championship against his former friend, the undefeated Andre the Giant. In one of the most memorable moments in professional wrestling history, Hogan lifted the mighty Giant in the air for a body slam before pinning the Hall of Famer for the win.

Hogan would eventually lose the championship to Andre the Giant in 1988 in a controversial match, but would regain it in April 1989 when he defeated another former friend, Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Between 1989 and 1993, Hogan, known for his powerful and often imitated leg drop, would hold the championship four times.

Amazingly, Hogan headlined eight of the first nine WrestleManias, highlighted by his WrestleMania III victory over Andre the Giant at the Pontiac Silverdome before more than 90,000 fans. Hogan, who also had memorable rivalries with Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker and Sgt. Slaughter, also won the Royal Rumble in 1990 and 1991.

He left for WCW in 1994, where he shocked the world and helped form the New World Order with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash two years later. Hogan won the WCW Championship six times between 1994 and 1999.

Hogan returned to WWE in January 2002, eventually facing The Rock at WrestleMania X8 in Toronto. Hogan returned to WWE donning the black and white colors of the nWo, but the fans demanded that he go back to his traditional colors of red and yellow, and Hogan was more than happy to oblige. After returning to the red and yellow, Hogan defeated Triple H to win his sixth WWE Championship, and also teamed with Edge to win his first-ever World Tag Team Championship.

After leaving WWE once again in 2003, Hogan returned to the spotlight when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame prior to WrestleMania 21. At the induction ceremony, the fans chanted for "One More Match," a request that took the Hulkster by surprise. The next night, he gave the fans another memorable WrestleMania moment when he saved Eugene from an attack.

If the fans weren't enough to draw Hogan back to the ring, a plea from another legendary Superstar certainly was. In April 2005, Shawn Michaels needed a tag-team partner to face the same men that Hogan had taken out at WrestleMania. He begged the Hulkster to listen to the fans, and Hogan finally accepted the request. At Backlash, Hogan and HBK teamed up and were victorious.

However, things soon turned sour in their relationship. After another tag-team victory with HBK on RAW in July, Michaels stunned the world by nailing the Hulkster with Sweet Chin Music. HBK later challenged Hogan to a match at SummerSlam, claiming he needed to face him one on one to validate his own legacy. Hogan accepted the challenge, and when Legend and Icon met at SummerSlam, it was the Hulkster who walked away victorious. After the match, HBK and Hogan shared a handshake in a show of respect.

After a brief appearance at Raw Homecoming in October 2005, Hogan would not return again until July 2006. Along with daughter Brooke, the Hulkster appeared on Saturday Night's Main Event. There, the Hogans were accosted by Randy Orton, who eventually RKOed Hogan onto a car and challenged him to a match at SummerSlam. Hogan accepted, and his perfect SummerSlam record stayed intact when he pinned Orton at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

WWE Superstar Hardcore Holly

2007-11-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

Hardcore Holly is a man definitely deserving of his name.

Known as The Alabama Slammer, he is as tough as they come and has been a mainstay in WWE for more than a decade. Brutalizing opponents with his gruff offensive attacks, Hardcore Holly earned his nickname during the era of the hardcore division in WWE. Even to this day, Holly still lives up to his hardcore reputation, punishing opponents with hard fists, hardcore brawling and his trademark Alabama Slam.

Channeling his anger as a tool for success, Holly has enjoyed great success. Just a year after his debut, Holly teamed with 1-2-3 Kid at the 1995 Royal Rumble to win a tournament for the World Tag Team Championship. Four years later, he won the World Tag Team Championship once again with Crash Holly.

He was extremely successful in the hardcore division as well, winning the Hardcore Championship six times during its active era. His toughness and no-nonsense attitude earned a slot as one of the trainers for MTV's Tough Enough 2, where he used his fists to teach several hopeful trainees about respect, hard work and paying your dues.

Though he has been hampered by injuries, Hardcore Holly is showing no signs of slowing down. He gets better each and every year. You don't get any respect unless you've beaten Hardcore Holly first.

WWE Superstar Hacksaw Jim Duggan

2007-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Nearly three decades have passed since the 2x4-lugging tough guy Hacksaw is Jim Duggan first stepped into a ring. Since that time, the Superstar from Glens Falls, N.Y., has seen sports-entertainment evolve from a regional-based business into the global phenomenon it is today. He's also seen hundreds of his colleagues come and go, but somehow, after all this time, Duggan still finds himself a part of the WWE roster.

Hacksaw considers himself a very fortunate man. That word relates to how lucky Duggan is after what he went through in the 90s while he was working with WCW. That's when Duggan was diagnosed with kidney cancer.

Through early detection of the disease, and by the is grace of God and by the skills of the surgeon, Duggan's life and career is was saved. And it wasn't long before he began to ponder the next phase of his life, which included a return to the ring.

The powerful ex-football player was a regular in WWE rings throughout the 80's and early 90's, using his impressive physical stature to overpower opponents with his signature Three-Point Stance Clothesline. Hacksaw has always been a favorite of the WWE fans, carrying his trademark 2x4 and proudly waving the American flag for all to see. For more than two decades, fans have chanted along as Hacksaw bellows out the letters: U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

WWE Superstar Daivari

2007-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Daivari grew up in your typical ideal all-American neighborhood. However, what Daivari has experienced living as an Arab American isn't so ideal. He believes that he has been unjustly targeted with outrageous prejudice, violence and disrespect by the American public to horrifying levels. This treatment, he says, has created a great deal of anger, resentment and rage within him.

Debuting on WWE programming in the fall of 2004, the Farsi-shouting Raw Superstar has made quite an impact thus far in his young career.

WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes

2007-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

As the son of WWE Hall of Famer the is American Dream. Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes grew up admiring his father and watching him capture the imagination of wrestling fans worldwide. Now Cody is ready to carry on his father's legacy while carving out one of his own in WWE.

WWE Superstar Cody RhodesBesides being the son of is the son of a plumber, Cody seems like he was destined for the squared circle. He had a stellar high school wrestling career, winning major tournaments before signing a deal with Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory. While training for his debut on the big stage, Cody was honored when his father asked him to help induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. It was highly emotional night for father and son, who are extremely close.

He and I, we're like best friends, we're really close, Cody told WWE.com at the time. So for us to be together is if ultimately he were to say, I don't want anything further to do with pro wrestling, this would be a wonderful way to cap it off.

Now, with his father watching on, Cody Rhodes is thrilled to have an opportunity in WWE and show our fans that the legacy of the Dream lives on. Unlike another multi-generational Superstar, Randy Orton, Cody has respect for his father, legends who paved the way for him, and the business. While some have crumbled under the weight of the legacies of famous parents or siblings, Cody Rhodes is up to the task and eager to make his own mark in sports-entertainment

WWE Tag Team Superstar Charlie Haas

2007-11-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Haas was a two-time Big East Champion at Seton Hall University, but after graduation, Haas ventured into the workforce and became a stockbroker with Goldman-Sachs. There was a time when it appeared the wrestling career of Haas would end after he graduated college. Still, the drive to wrestle was always there.

Haas pursued his dream and began to hit the independent circuit, and along with his brother Russ, they established themselves as a talented tag team. Russ met an untimely death in November 2001, but this did not deter Charlie from the dream he shared with his brother.

After debuting the day after Christmas in 2002, Haas began to team with Shelton Benjamin. The duo developed into one of SmackDown's top tag teams. Twice they captured the WWE Tag Team Championship before disbanding.

In December 2006, Haas and Benjamin once against reunited as the World's Greatest Tag Team. Their goal now is to recapture the successes they once held, but to once again climb atop the peak of WWE's tag team division.

WWE Superstar Carlito

2007-11-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

Carlito spits in the face of people who don't want to be cool, and apparently, many WWE Superstars fall into the category. Exceptionally opinionated and full of himself, Carlito projects quite the smooth demeanor. Armed with an apple in hand, Carlito isn't afraid to unload a mouthful of apple and spit it into your face after labeling you not cool. Of course, this has led to a great deal of trouble for Carlito as WWE Superstars haven't taken his attitude well.

Debuting with a big impact, Carlito defeated reigning United States Champion John Cena in his first WWE match in October 2004. Quickly making a lot of enemies, Carlito found himself in need of some back-up. Always scheming, Carlito introduced his Puerto Rican muscle - Jesus. It was around this time in November 2004 that tragedy struck, as John Cena was stabbed in a Boston nightclub following a SmackDown event. An investigation was launched, but a culprit was never found. However, Carlito and his associate were both rumored to being connected to the hideous attack on Cena.

With Carlito's cockiness and buzz growing, his momentum hit a bump in the road; he suffered a shoulder injury in late 2004, which sidelined him through the spring of 2005. Carlito's ego insists on that worldwide spotlight which is WWE, so he began hosting a talk show segment on SmackDown called Carlito's Cabana. Irritating and disrespecting countless SmackDown Superstars during the Cabana, Carlito maintained his spot as one of the most loathed Superstars on SmackDown despite being out of the ring for nearly five months.

After recovering from injury, Carlito and the Big Show butted heads and went at it for several months on SmackDown, with Carlito adding the stuttering Matt Morgan as his muscle to combat the near 500 pound giant. In June of 2005, Carlito was drafted to Raw in the 2005 Draft Lottery; once again he made history in his debut, defeating Shelton Benjamin to claim the Intercontinental Championship. Carlito held onto the gold through several rematches, but his luck ran out at Unforgiven when he was defeated by Ric Flair.

Heading into Survivor Series, Carlito asked then-General Manager Eric Bischoff for a spot on Team Raw. He promised that he would focus on wrestling, and said there would be no more Carlito's Cabana. Bischoff granted him his chance, and he defeated Shelton Benjamin on an edition of RAW to earn his spot.

After Survivor Series, Carlito moved his focus to the ultimate prize: the WWE Championship. Carlito won a spot in the Elimination Chamber Match at New Year's Revolution, forming a tenuous alliance with Chris Masters in an attempt to get the gold around the waist of some new blood. It nearly worked, as Masters, Carlito and then-champion John Cena were the final three men in the match. However, after Carlito turned against Masters to eliminate him, Cena rolled up the distracted Caribbean to claim the victory.

Heading into the Royal Rumble, Carlito ran into issues with Kane. He angered the Big Red Monster with some comments on RAW, and on the RAW prior to the Royal Rumble, attacked Kane with a chair during their match. However, Kane sat up after taking the chair shot, sending Carlito scurrying from the ring.

In February 2006, Carlito said that he had an idea for WrestleMania 22 that was "money in the bank." On the Feb. 20 RAW, he announced that his idea was approved by Mr. McMahon, and the second Money in the Bank Ladder Match was sanctioned for WrestleMania. Unfortunately for Carlito, he was defeated by Rob Van Dam the next week, failing to qualify for the match.

However, on the March 6 Raw, Carlito was still rewarded with a great WrestleMania opportunity, as it was announced that Carlito & Chris Masters would face Big Show & Kane for the World Tag Team Championship. Masters & Carlito attacked the champions that night, and for the next month, the challengers did everything they could to throw the champions off their game. It didn't work, and when the rivalry culminated at WrestleMania, Masters accidentally clobbered Carlito, allowing Big Show & Kane to defeat them and retain the World Tag Team Championship.

The night after on RAW, Carlito came out after Masters' victory, spitting apple in the face of The Masterpiece's opponent. All seemed well between the two, but when Masters turned his back, Carlito dropped him with a back cracker, then spit in his face for good measure. The following week, Carlito came out to gloat, but was interrupted by Masters. Carlito challenged Masters to an impromptu Master Lock Challenge; Carlito threw his apple before it began, however, and when Masters stopped to catch it, Carlito used that opportunity to hit him in the head with a chair. Following the confrontation, their match at Backlash was announced. On the final RAW before Backlash, Masters was able to get the Master Lock on Carlito, but Carlito's team was able to defeat Masters' in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. It wasn't enough, as Carlito beat his former partner at Backlash, then once again in a tag team match the next night on RAW.

At WWE vs. ECW Head to Head, Carlito represented WWE in a 20-Man ECW vs. WWE Battle Royal. It appeared as if team WWE won the Battle Royal when Randy Orton eliminated Kurt Angle, but Big Show ripped off his shirt to reveal that he had defected to ECW. Show then chokeslammed Orton and tossed him over the top rope to claim victory for ECW.

Carlito then set his sights on the Intercontinental Championship, picking up a big win over then-Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match on the June 5 RAW. Benjamin returned the favor the next week, helping Nitro get a cheap victory over Carlito. That night, Carlito took on Nitro. Benjamin got involved, holding Nitro while. Later, it was announced that the three men would meet at Vengeance in a Triple Threat Match.

At Vengeance, Nitro stole Carlito's pinfall on Shelton Benjamin to win the Intercontinental Championship. Carlito nailed Benjamin with the back cracker, but the opportunistic Nitro pulled him out of the ring and pinned the champion.

The next night, Nitro and Melina tried to attack Trish, but Carlito came out to run them off. Later, Trish thanked Carlito and the two have been close ever since. Trish and Carlito took turns watching each other's backs against the double-teaming duo or Nitro and Melina. At Saturday Night's Main Event, Trish and Carlito showed they made a good pair when they beat Nitro and Melina in a Mixed Tag Team Match.

The relationship with Trish didn't last long due to her retirement from sports-entertainment. However, Carlito didn't waste much time. Since Trish left, he's been barking up another Raw Diva's tree: Torrie Wilson. Will his romantic endeavor with Torrie pan out? Only time will tell for the Caribbean Superstar.

WWE Tag Team Superstar Brian Kendrick

2007-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Brian Kendrick is one of the more unusual and eccentric young Superstars on Raw. Along with Paul London, the duo is among the most exciting and unpredictable in WWE.

Kendrick has been working to make it in wrestling since he enrolled in the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy in the summer of 1999.

Since Kendrick was the smallest trainee at HBK's school, he tried to catch on with a company in Mexico or Japan, where size isn't necessarily as important as it is in the U.S. He also didn't have the standout amateur background that WWE officials covet. But Shawn Michaels. himself known for overcoming the odds, saw potential. With Michaels as a teacher (and unlimited amounts of fortitude and hard work), Kendrick gained momentum.

In 2004 he put his WWE dreams on hold to hone his skills. By doing so, he ensured that when he returned to competition he would be stronger, quicker and more fierce than before.

He again began to perfect his craft by travelling all over the world. By learning the strict Japenese wrestling dojos he continued to gain more experience.

Now, Kendrick will use that same determination to distinguish himself from Raw's other high-flying Superstars.

With Raw's tag team division becoming more heated and competitive, London & Kendrick's feel they deserve to be listed among WWE's elite.

WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley

2007-11-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

The focused, driven Bobby Lashley has always been clear about his ultimate goal. He's wrestled his entire life, all with the purpose of one day entering sports-entertainment. The Dominator is a three-time wrestling national champion and a four-time wrestling All-American.

He's also a two-time Armed Forces Champion and took home the silver medal in the 2002 CISM World Championships. competing against the best of the rest of the world's military.

Yet, for Lashley, all that was a precursor to training for WWE. This mixed martial arts expert is already a renowned champion at the amateur level, and now Lashley ranks among WWE's elite Superstars.

Before arriving on Raw, Bobby Lashley's dramatic arrival in ECW shook the Land of the Extreme at its foundation, as he speared his way through the dominant Big Show to sign the contract to be the final participant in the Extreme Elimination Chamber.

Ultimately, Lashley would seize the moment within the first-ever weapons-filled Chamber by outlasting five competitors to become the ECW World Champion on Dec. 3, 2006, dominating the competition.

Lashley was victorious in the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23 against McMahon's representative Umaga, and was chiefly responsible for the evil Chairman being shaved bald. But Lashley's fearlessness may have been his undoing. Mr. McMahon took the ECW World Championship away from him at Backlash in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match that also included his son Shane and the Samoan Bulldozer.

For weeks, the Chairman humiliated and demoralized Lashley as he attempted to regain his cherished title. Lashley finally got revenge when he defeated Mr. McMahon in a Street Fight at One Night Stand and regained the ECW World Title, despite interference from Umaga and Shane McMahon.

Now, Bobby Lashley brings his dominant style and power to Raw. Whether he holds a title or not, our fans know that Bobby Lashley always has the heart of a champion.