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WWE: The Best of SmackDown - 10th Anniversary, 1999-2009
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Smackdown! Tenth Anniversary was put together with the Best of SmackDown 1999 – 2009 counts down the 100 greatest moments in the show’s history.
01-03-2012
9h 0m
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Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Directors:
Kevin Dunn, Vince McMahon
Production:
WWE Home Video
Key Crew
Stunts:
Óscar Gutiérrez
Writers' Production:
Vince McMahon
Producer:
Vince McMahon
Executive Producer:
Vince McMahon
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Paul Lévesque
Paul Michael Lévesque is an American professional wrestler, actor and WWE executive, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. As well as wrestling on the Raw brand, Levesque is a Senior Advisor to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, and Head of WWE's talent development department.
Before joining WWE, Levesque began his wrestling career with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994, wrestling under the ring name Terra Ryzing and later as Jean-Paul Lévesque. Levesque joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1995 with the on-screen persona of wealthy sophisticate Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the stable D-Generation X (DX). After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships. As part of a storyline, Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution, and in 2006 and 2009, reformed DX with Shawn Michaels. Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWF/E, including thirteen World Championships, having won the WWF/E Championship a record eight times (tied with John Cena), and the World Heavyweight Championship five times (Triple H is also recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion under WWE's lineage). He has the highest number of world title reigns of all active WWE wrestlers. In addition, Levesque won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside wrestling, Levesque has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965; ht. 6'10"), better known by his ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed under a 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 to World Wrestling Entertainment. The Undertaker is one of the most recognizable figures in the history of professional wrestling. His tenure with WWE (formerly WWF) spans 30 years and is the longest of any wrestler in the company's history. His retirement in 2020 left him as the only remaining active wrestler to appear on the first episode of 𝘞𝘞𝘍 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘙𝘢𝘸 (now 𝘞𝘞𝘌 𝘙𝘢𝘸) in 1993.
He began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He end up in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean" Mark Callous by 1989. When WCW did not renew his contract in 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF later renamed WWE). After debuting as Kane the Undertaker, he shortened it to simply The Undertaker making his television debut at WWF's Thanksgiving themed pay-per-view event the Survivor Series 1990. At the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker would debut alongside The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase as part of DiBiase's team in one of the Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Matches that the annual event is known for. He would eventually go on to be managed by Paul Bearer who would help propel him to the WWF World Title just a year after his debut.
During his time with the WWE, he would go on to hold many championships and accolades most notably a 21-match-long winning streak at WWE's biggest annual event, WrestleMania. Respected amongst fans and peers a like, the Undertaker has one of the most celebrated and long-running careers in all of professional wrestling. We can be sure that for time in memoriam he will be considered one of the greatest of all time.
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied with Ric Flair for the most world championship reigns in professional wrestling history.
Born and raised in West Newbury, Massachusetts, Cena moved to California in 1998 to pursue a career as a bodybuilder. He transitioned to professional wrestling in 1999 when he debuted for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW). He signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 2001, where he was initially assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). He gained fame in the WWE after adopting the persona of a trash-talking rapper. He won his first singles title, the United States Championship, in 2004. The next year, he won the WWE Championship for the first time, and his character subsequently transitioned into a clean-cut "Superman-like" hero. He then led the company as its franchise player, and public face for the next decade.
A joint-record 16-time world champion, Cena has won the WWE Championship thirteen times, a record for the title. He is also a five-time United States Champion, a four-time world tag team champion, a two-time Royal Rumble match winner, a one-time Money in the Bank match winner, and has headlined several major WWE pay-per-view events, including their flagship event, WrestleMania, five times. His professional wrestling career has been met with mixed critical and audience reception, with praise for his character work and promotional skills, but criticism for his supposed over-representation and on-screen placement relative to other wrestlers.
Cena first starred in The Marine (2006), and gained praise for his performances in Trainwreck (2015), Ferdinand (2017), Blockers, and Bumblebee (both 2018). He starred in F9 and portrayed Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad (both 2021) and in the eponymous television series. His debut studio album, You Can't See Me (2005), was certified platinum. Outside his work in entertainment, Cena is known for his involvement in numerous charitable causes, namely with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he has granted the most wishes, at over 650.
Kurt Steven Angle is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
While at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Angle won numerous accolades, including being a two-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion in the heavyweight division. After graduating from college, Angle won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1995 World Wrestling Championships. He then won the freestyle wrestling gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics with a broken neck. He is one of four people to complete an amateur wrestling Grand Slam (Junior Nationals, NCAA, World Championships, and Olympics). In 2006, he was named by USA Wrestling as the greatest shoot wrestler ever and one of the top 15 college wrestlers of all time. He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 for his amateur accomplishments.
Angle made his first appearance at a pro-wrestling event in 1996, and signed with WWE in 1999. Noted for his rapid comprehension of the business, he had his debut match that August within the company's developmental system after mere days of training, and participated in his first televised WWE storyline in March 1999. After months of dark matches, Angle made his televised in-ring debut in November and received his first major push in the company in February 2000, when he held the European and Intercontinental Championships simultaneously. Four months later, he won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament and soon thereafter began pursuing the WWE Championship, which he won in October. This capped off a WWE rookie year which is considered by many to be the greatest in history. Among other accomplishments in the WWE, Angle has held the WWE Championship four times, the WCW Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once. He is the tenth Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. On March 31, 2017, Angle was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
After leaving WWE in 2006, Angle joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where he became the inaugural and record six-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and the second Triple Crown winner in TNA history. Angle is also a two-time King of the Mountain. As part of TNA, he made appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF), holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship once. In 2013, Angle was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame: he is the second wrestler, after Sting, to be inducted into both the WWE and TNA Halls of Fame.
Eduardo Gory "Eddy" Guerrero Llanes was an American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions. In the United States, Guerrero wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and in WWE. Guerrero's gimmick was that of "Latino Heat", a crafty, resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match. His catchphrase became "I Lie! I Cheat! I Steal!," which was used in one of his entrance themes. Guerrero partly used this phrase in his autobiography Cheating Death, Stealing Life. Despite being a villain for most of his career, he got over in and outside the ring being the youngest, yet most popular and successful of the Guerrero brothers. Guerrero was widely regarded as one of the most respected and gifted technical wrestlers in history. Throughout his career, Guerrero encountered various substance abuse problems outside of wrestling, including alcoholism and an addiction to painkillers. His real-life problems were sometimes integrated into his storylineswhich he agreed to. Guerrero won 23 titles during his career, including the WWE Championship.
David Michael Bautista Jr. (born January 18, 1969) is an American actor of Filipino-Greek descent and retired professional wrestler. He had several stints in WWE between 2002 and 2019. In his acting career, he is most widely known for his portrayal of Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), up until leaving the franchise after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), and for his portrayal of Glossu Rabban Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021) and its sequel, Dune: Part Two (2024).
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler, and is often referred to as the archetypal wrestling magnate. McMahon currently serves as the Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the professional wrestling promotion WWE and is the majority shareholder of the company, holding approximately 88% of the total voting power and 59% of the outstanding shares within WWE. Upon acquiring World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), McMahon's WWE became the sole remaining major American professional wrestling promotion until the national expansion of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor.
As an on-camera character, he can appear on all WWE brands (though the majority of the time, he appears on Raw). McMahon plays a character known by the ring name Mr. McMahon, based on himself. In the world of WWE, he is a two-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship and ECW World Championship. He was also the winner of the 1999 Royal Rumble. Vince is the husband of Linda McMahon, with whom he ran WWE from its establishment in 1980 until she resigned as CEO in September 2009.
Michael Sean Coulthard, better known by his stage name, Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, wrestling show host, seldom wrestler, and former news journalist. He is signed to WWE where he served as commentator for SmackDown starting in 1999, before being shifted to the company's flagship program, Raw, where he's been since 2008 to the present. In gimmick, as a catty, antagonistic commentator, Cole is prone to insinuations, harassment, and especially giving guest commentators a hard time. In addition, he's noted for his locutions, such as "Vintage," references to his fans as "Cole Miners," and while speaking on behalf of the anonymous RAW general manager, "Can I have your attention please. And I quote..." When he first started out as a regular WWE commentor in 1999, he was a face. In 2010, however, he transformed into a heel for the first time. By September 2012, he became a face once more. Beyond doing commentary for Raw, Cole performs in several other positions for the WWE: As of October 2012, he has done commentary for WWE Main Event; since December 7, 2012, Cole and former wrestler JBL, both notorious for their mouthy and aggressively opinionated gimmicks, have hosted their very own WWE YouTubeweb series, The JBL and Cole Show.
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, television producer, professional wrestling booker, on-screen personality and occasional wrestler. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later President ofWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later, the General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainment's Raw brand. Bischoff is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) where he serves as Executive Producer of Impact Wrestling. With an amateur background in taekwondo, Bischoff also sporadically performed as an in-ring competitor, and is a former WCW Hardcore Champion.[2] He wrote an autobiography, titled Controversy Creates Cash, that was released in 2006 under WWE Books.
Stephanie McMahon Levesque is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the chief brand officer (CBO)of WWE and appears as an authority figure on the Raw, NXT and SmackDown brands. On May 19, 2022, She announced that she was taking "a leave of absence" from WWE.
She is a fourth-generation wrestling promoter as a member of the McMahon family, she has worked for WWE since she was a young girl (modeling T-shirts and other merchandise for various WWE catalogs) working her way up to receptionist, then in various front office jobs up to and including her current CBO position. She is the great-granddaughter of Roderick "Jess" McMahon, granddaughter of Vincent J. McMahon, daughter of WWE Chairman and CEO Vincent K. McMahon and retired WWE CEO and former Administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon, the younger sister of WWE part-owner/wrestler Shane McMahon, and wife of WWE executive/wrestler Paul "Triple H" Levesque.
McMahon began appearing regularly on-air for WWE (then WWF as the World Wrestling Federation) in 1999 as a part of a storyline with The Undertaker. After a brief on-screen relationship with Test, she was engaged to Triple H — whom she married both on-screen and later in real life — which resulted in The McMahon-Helmsley Faction storyline. She has held the WWF Women's Championship once. In 2001, she was the on-screen owner of Extreme Championship Wrestling during The Invasion. The following year, she was the SmackDown General Manager, but stopped appearing regularly on television after an "I Quit" match with her father Vince McMahon.
After making only sporadic appearances for several years, McMahon began appearing regularly on Raw in 2008 as the Raw brand general manager before disappearing once again. By mid-2013, McMahon returned to regular on-air appearances in the WWE, this time under the gimmick of an unctuous, judgmental, bullying owner along with on-screen chief operating officer, her husband, Triple H. From 2013 to 2016, they acted as a power couple known as The Authority, making what were often shady decrees while claiming only to be concerned for "what's best for business," all the while romanticizing each other in the process with public displays of affection. The Authority later expanded into a stable, co-led by Triple H and herself.
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE and is the reigning WWE Champion in his seventh reign. Regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is the only person to hold the primary heavyweight championships in WWE, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Lesnar competed in amateur wrestling for the University of Minnesota, winning the NCAA Division I national championship in 2000. He soon signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed WWE in 2002), rising to industry prominence in 2002 by winning the WWE Championship at age 25, setting the record for the youngest performer to win the championship. In 2004, Lesnar departed WWE to join the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL), but was cut from the team during pre-season. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2005 while with NJPW, and he re-signed with WWE in 2012; his 504-day reign as Universal Champion is the seventh-longest world championship reign in the promotion's history. He also won the Royal Rumble match twice, the Money in the Bank ladder match, the King of the Ring tournament, and has headlined several pay-per-view events, including WWE's flagship event WrestleMania four times (XIX, 31, 34, and 36); in addition, he also ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania Streak in 2014. Lesnar began an MMA career in 2007, and signed with the UFC in 2008. He quickly won the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but was sidelined with diverticulitis in 2009. On his return in 2010, Lesnar defeated Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin to unify the heavyweight championships, becoming the only undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. After a set of losses and further struggles with diverticulitis, Lesnar retired from MMA in 2011. He returned in 2016 and defeated Mark Hunt; his victory was overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance on UFC's anti-doping policy. Lesnar then retired from MMA for a second time in 2017. A box office sensation, Lesnar competed in some of the bestselling pay-per-view events in promotion history, including headlining UFC 91, UFC 100, UFC 116, and UFC 121.
Paul Donald Wight II is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, AEW Dark: Elevation, under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 to 1999 as The Giant and with WWE from 1999 to 2021 under the ring name Big Show.
Wight began his career in 1994. In 1995 he signed with WCW, where, due to his very large frame, he was known by the ring name The Giant (and was initially introduced as "the son of André the Giant"). In early 1999, he left WCW to join WWE. Between WWE and WCW, he is a seven-time world champion, having held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship twice, WWE's World Heavyweight Championship twice and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once, making him the only wrestler who has won all four titles. He is also an 11-time world tag team champion, holding the World, WWE and WCW World Tag Team Championships multiple times with various partners. Having also won the Intercontinental, United States and Hardcore championships, he is the 24th Triple Crown and 12th Grand Slam winner in WWE history. He also won the 60-man battle royal at World War 3 and the 30-man André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31. He has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WCW and WWF/WWE since 1995, including the 2000 edition of WWE's premier annual event, WrestleMania.
Outside of professional wrestling, Wight has appeared in feature films and television series such as Jingle All the Way, The Waterboy, Star Trek: Enterprise, and two USA Network's comedy-dramas Royal Pains, Psych and the action-drama Burn Notice. He had lead roles in the WWE Studios comedy film Knucklehead and the Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show.
Randal Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time he is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand and is one half of the current Raw Tag Team Champions with Riddle in their second reign. Orton is a third generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, father Bob Orton Jr., and uncle Barry Orton were all wrestlers. Before being signed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he trained in and wrestled for the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association and Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling. He was then signed by the WWF and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he held the OVW Hardcore Championship twice. He became a member of the stable Evolution shortly after his WWE debut, which quickly led to an Intercontinental Championship reign, his first championship with the company. He also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting and then physically attacking WWE Hall of Famers and wrestling veterans. At the age of 24, Orton became the youngest world champion in WWE history after he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With this win, he departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, they held the World Tag Team Championship. After Rated-RKO disbanded in mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night, becoming the second youngest two-time WWE Champion at the age of 27. He formed the group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. in 2008. They disbanded in 2010, and Orton returned to singles competition. From 2013 to 2015, he was aligned with The Authority, who named him the "face of the WWE". In 2016, he joined The Wyatt Family, winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper before turning on them in 2017. He won his first United States Championship in 2018, becoming the 18th overall Grand Slam Champion after already having been the 17th Triple Crown Champion. Orton has held the WWE Championship 10 times and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship four times. He was the final holder of the World Heavyweight Championship, which he unified with the WWE Championship to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in 2013. Orton is recognized by WWE as having the third-most world championship victories in history at 14, behind John Cena and Ric Flair (both 16) and tied with Triple H (also at 14). All totaled, Orton has won 20 championships in WWE. He is also the winner of the 2013 Money in the Bank ladder match, as well as a two time Royal Rumble match winner (2009 and 2017) and has headlined multiple WWE pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania 25 and WrestleMania XXX. Following his match at the 2021 Survivor Series, he broke Kane's record for wrestling the most PPV matches in WWE history.
Matt Hardy is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, and he is one half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions with his brother Jeff Hardy
Along with his real-life brother Jeff, Matt gained notoriety in WWF's tag team division due to the Hardys' participation in tables, ladders, and chairs matches. As a tag team wrestler, he is a 14-time world tag team champion, having held six WWF/World Tag Team Championships, three WWE/Raw Tag Team Championships, one SmackDown Tag Team Championship, one ROH World Tag Team Championship, one WCW Tag Team Championship and two TNA World Tag Team Championships.
Wrestling in three separate decades, Hardy has managed to keep himself relevant through a variety of different gimmicks, character changes as well as his use of social media. In 2002, Hardy began a solo career in WWE and his subsequent "Version 1" persona was named Best Gimmick by Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Hardy's eccentric "Broken" gimmick, which he debuted in 2016, earned him multiple awards and praise from wrestling critics, including a second Best Gimmick award (in 2017, the character was renamed "Woken" within WWE). As a singles wrestler, Hardy is a three-time world champion, winning two TNA World Heavyweight Championships and one ECW Championship. In 1999, Matt, along with his brother Jeff, appeared as an uncredited wrestler on That '70s Show episode "That Wrestling Show". Matt and Jeff also appeared on Tough Enough in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants. He appeared in the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor competing against five other World Wrestling Federation wrestlers, including his brother. He won $50,000 for the American Cancer Society. Hardy also appeared on the October 13, 2009 episode of Scare Tactics, as a mental patient who threatens to attack the prank's victim.
Hardy's first WWE video game was WWF Wrestlemania 2000 in 1999 on the Nintendo 64 shortly followed by WWF SmackDown! in early 2000 on the PlayStation. He made several appearances later in WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw. He later returned to the series in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, which was his last WWE video game before his departure to TNA. Following his return to WWE in 2017, he was revealed as a DLC character in WWE 2K18 on September 25 that year alongside tag team partner and brother, Jeff Hardy. Hardy was revealed as a playable character in WWE 2K19 on August 30, 2018.
Oscar Gutierrez is a Mexican American professional wrestler with WWE. In WWE, Gutierrez was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio, Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark.
Gutierrez originally worked for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in Mexico, from 1992 to 1995. He wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1996 and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2001, as Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, Jr. but dropped the "Junior" from his name when he began working for WWE in 2002.
Mysterio is known for having a high flying style, which helped kick-start the cruiserweight wrestling revolution in the United States in the late 1990s during his time in WCW. In WCW he won the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times, and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship once with Billy Kidman as part of the Filthy Animals. In WWE, Mysterio is a three-time world champion, having held the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWE Championship once, and is currently listed as the lightest world champion in WWE history. He has also held the WWE Tag Team Championship a record-tying four times, and the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. He also held the WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Championship a record eight times (five times in WCW, three in WWE). All totaled, he has won 21 titles between WWE and WCW. Mysterio was the 21st person to win the WWE Triple Crown Championship, and was the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.
Terry Gene Bollea, known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician best known for his time working for WWE. Hogan enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980s and 90s as the all-American character Hulk Hogan in WWE, and as Hollywood Hogan, the villainous leader of the New World Order, in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2010 until 2013, where he was the on-screen General Manager. He is a 12-time world champion being a six-time WWE Champion, six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a former WWE World Tag Team Champion with Edge. His six combined reigns make him the second longest-reigning WWE Champion of all time (after Bruno Sammartino) and the longest-reigning of the 1980s, having held the title for 1,474 days from 1984-1988. His six combined reigns in WCW make him the longest-reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion of all time as well, with a 469-day reign from 1994-1995. Hogan won the Royal Rumble in 1990 and 1991, making him the first man to win two consecutive Royal Rumbles.
Steven James Anderson, formerly Steven James Williams, better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE. Austin wrestled for several well-known wrestling promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and most famously, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which later became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. Billed as "The Most Popular Superstar in WWE History", he gained significant mainstream popularity in the WWF during the mid-to-late 1990s as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a disrespectful, beer-drinking antihero who routinely defied his boss, Vince McMahon. This defiance was often shown by Austin flipping off McMahon and incapacitating him with the Stone Cold Stunner, his finishing move. McMahon inducted Austin into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Austin held nineteen championships throughout his professional wrestling career, and is recognized by WWE as a six-time world champion, having held the WWF Championship on six occasions, and the fifth Triple Crown Champion. He was also the winner of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, as well as the 1997, 1998 and 2001 Royal Rumbles. He was forced to retire from in ring competition in early 2003 due to a series of knee and neck injuries sustained throughout his career. Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, he was featured as the Co-General Manager and "Sheriff" of Raw. Since 2005, he has continued to make occasional appearances. In 2011, Steve Austin returned to WWE to host the reality series Tough Enough. On August 14, 2002, Austin was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pleaded no contest on November 25, 2002, and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out 80 hours of community service.] Marshall told Fox News that Austin beat her three times and that the 2002 incident was the result of roid rage. She also stated that WWE knew of the abuse, working to conceal the bruises on her face, and kept her from revealing that Austin hit her, as it would cost the company millions of dollars.
During his early years as a wrestler, Austin was a technical wrestler. However, after his neck injury against Owen Hart in 1997, he changed his style from technical to brawler. His most famous finishing move is the Stone Cold Stunner, or simply Stunner. During his time as The Ringmaster he used the Million Dollar Dream as finisher, since it was Ted DiBiase's finisher. During his time in WCW, Austin used the Stun Gun as finisher
One of Austin's taunts during the Attitude Era was to show the middle finger. In August 2001, Austin cut a promo, debuting his catchphrase "What?", which is used today by fans when they want to mock wrestlers during promos
Debra Gale Marshall (formerly McMichael and Williams) is an American actress, and retired professional wrestling valet. Well known by her ring name Debra, she is notable for her appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Queen Debra between 1995 and 1998 and WWE as Debra between 1998 and 2002. She began her career in professional wrestling in 1995, accompanying her husband Steve "Mongo" McMichael to the ring in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
She joined WWE in 1998, where she managed the tag team of Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart, until the evening of Hart's in-ring death in May 1999. She won the WWF Women's Championship from Sable in an Evening Gown match in 1999. She later appeared on-screen with her second husband Stone Cold Steve Austin until 2002, when the duo left the company. During her tenure with the WWF she was known for her distinctive Southern drawl and large enhanced breasts. Marshall has also attended the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York. She graduated from the University of Alabama with honors (Cum Laude) and as of 2013 was pursuing her master's degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama Marshall's marriage to National Football League alumnus and professional wrestler Steve McMichael lasted thirteen years. McMichael's mother, whom Marshall met on an airplane, set up their first meeting as a blind date. They divorced on October 12, 1998. Debra met Steve Williams, known on-screen as Stone Cold Steve Austin, in 1998; they moved in together in 2000.On September 13 of that year, they married at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and she changed her name to Debra Williams. On June 15, 2002, police responded to a call to the couple's residence in San Antonio, Texas, and found Debra with bruises and a bloody nose. On August 14, the authorities arrested Austin and charged him with misdemeanor assault. He pleaded no contest on November 25 and received a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and an order to carry out eighty hours of community service. Austin filed for divorce from Marshall on July 22, 2002, and the divorce was finalized on February 5, 2003 Marshall later auctioned her wedding ring off on eBay for $27,100 and donated a portion of the proceeds to "Safe Place", an organization which assists the victims of domestic abuse.
In June and July 2007, Marshall made several appearances to discuss the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide. She described steroids and drugs as the cause of Austin hitting her in June 2002 and suggested links between such substances and the death of Benoit and his family She also alleged that Austin beat her three times
Adam Joseph Copeland, is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Edge. After making his professional wrestling debut in 1992, Copeland wrestled in various independent promotions, competing in singles and tag team competition, the latter with long-time friend Christian Cage. In 1997, Copeland signed a developmental deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and made his televised debut in 1998 as Edge. After winning his first WWF championship, the WWF Intercontinental Championship, in July 1999, Edge would form a tag team with Christian, and the two went on to win the World Tag Team Championship on seven occasions. During this time, they gained notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. Edge split up with Christian in August 2001 and embarked on a successful solo career. Edge has won the second most championships in WWE history (after R-Truth), with a total of 31, as he has held the World Heavyweight Championship a record seven times, the WWE Championship four times, the Intercontinental Championship five times, the United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship a record twelve times, and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice. He is WWE's 14th Triple Crown Champion and 7th Grand Slam Champion. Edge won the King of the Ring tournament in 2001, was the first Money in the Bank ladder match winner in 2005, and won the 2010 Royal Rumble match, making him the first wrestler in history to achieve all three. Edge retired in 2011 due to several neck injuries, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year. However, he returned to competition in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and subsequently won the 2021 Royal Rumble the following year, becoming the eighth man in history to win the Royal Rumble match twice, the third to win it as the first entrant, as well as the first to win it after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WWE, including WrestleMania XXIV and WrestleMania 37, and is one of the company's most prolific pay-per-view performers. Aside from professional wrestling, Copeland appeared in the fantasy film Highlander: Endgame and WWE Studios' Bending the Rules. He has made guest appearances on television shows such as Weakest Link, Mind of Mencia, Deal or No Deal, MADtv and The Flash. He appeared on the Syfy series Haven in 2015 as recurring character Dwight Hendrickson, and as recurring character Ketill Flatnose in the fifth and sixth seasons of Vikings (2017–2020).
Joan Marie Laurer was a former American professional wrestler, actress, bodybuilder and pornographic film actress who was under contract to Vivid Entertainment. Chyna first rose to prominence upon debuting in the professional wrestling promotion WWE in 1997, where she performed under the ring name Chyna and was billed as the "Ninth Wonder of the World" (André the Giant was already billed as the eighth). A member of the stable D-Generation X, she held the WWE Intercontinental Championship (the first female wrestler to do so) and WWE Women's Championship, and was the first female wrestler to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events. Since leaving the WWE in 2001, Chyna had wrestled sporadically, most notably with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2011. Laurer had a strained relationship with her family. She last saw her mother at the age of sixteen, and she claimed that her father never got over her decision not to join the FBI. She also alleged that her father took out several student loans in her name and without her knowledge, leaving her with $40,000 in debt. On an episode of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008, Laurer claimed to have a bad relationship with all of her family members, including her siblings. In September 2010, Laurer was hospitalized after overdosing on sleeping medication. As of February 2015, Laurer had reestablished a good relationship with her mother; her father died in May 2014.
Laurer taught English in Japan.
On February 9, 2015, during a WWE Network podcast with Steve Austin, Triple H mentioned that Chyna deserved to be in the WWE Hall of Fame but that problems with children Googling her prohibited it. After being in contact with Vince Russo she claimed in an interview that Triple H had hit her, which he later called a false statement.
Death
On April 20, 2016, Laurer was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, California. She had been taking medication for anxiety and sleep deprivation. An official statement was posted to her Twitter account, saying "It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero ... She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."
Michael "Mick" Foley is a retired American professional wrestler and author, currently signed to WWE under its "Legends" program as an ambassador. Foley worked for several wrestling promotions including WWE, WCW, ECW, TNA, and NWA, as well as in Japan. A key figure of the Attitude Era and regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in history, Foley participated in WrestleMania's main events in 1999 and 2000 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.
Foley wrestled under various personas: Cactus Jack, Mankind, and Dude Love, collectively known as the "Three Faces of Foley." Notably, he entered the 1998 Royal Rumble three times under these different personas. Foley is a four-time world champion and an 11-time world tag team champion. His Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker is remembered as one of the greatest and most controversial matches of all time, cementing his reputation as "The Hardcore Legend" due to his brutal and physical wrestling style.
Roderick George Toombs, better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, comedian and actor.
In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1984 and 2000. Although he was Canadian, because of his Scottish heritage he was billed as coming from Glasgow and was known for his signature kilt and bagpipe entrance music. Piper earned the nicknames "Rowdy" and "Hot Rod" by displaying his trademark "Scottish" short temper, spontaneity, and quick wit. According to The Daily Telegraph, he is "considered by many to be the greatest 'heel' (or villain) wrestler ever".
One of wrestling's most recognizable stars, Piper headlined multiple PPV events, including the WWF and WCW's respective premier annual events, WrestleMania and Starrcade. He accumulated 34 championships and hosted the popular WWF/E interview segment "Piper's Pit", which facilitated numerous feuds. In 2005, Piper was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ric Flair, who dubbed him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".
Outside of wrestling, Piper acted in dozens of films and TV shows, most notably taking the lead role of John Nada in the 1988 cult classic They Live and a recurring role as a deranged professional wrestler called Da' Maniac on the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He is also widely known for his role in Hell Comes to Frogtown as the character Sam Hell.
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Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He belongs to a wrestling family, being the son of Carlos Colón, Sr., who introduced him to wrestling. His mother was born in Canada, which grants him the Canadian citizenship. Colón debuted in his father's promotion, the World Wrestling Council (WWC), becoming a 13-time WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion. During the early years of his career, he made appearances for the X Wrestling Federation and Funking Conservatory, winning his first international championship for the second. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both Carly Colón and Carlito. In 2003, Colón signed a developmental contract with WWE, working for the promotion until 2010. He worked in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) for sixteen months, mostly wrestling in tag team matches while making appearances in WWC. On October 7, 2004, Colón made his debut performing on the main event of SmackDown! as Carlito Caribbean Cool. Colón is a former United States Champion and Intercontinental Champion and has been part of both the Raw and SmackDown brands. He is the only wrestler to win a championship on two separate debuts in WWE and the second Puerto Rican to become Intercontinental Champion after Pedro Morales. At WrestleMania XXV, Colón and his brother, Eddie Colón, became the only tag team to unify the WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship.
American movie actor turned professional wrestler. He tried out for "WWE Tough Enough 4" in 2004 and made it to the finals of the auditions but was cut for lying about his age. Despite this, he received a developmental deal and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling. He was first called "Liar" Marty Wright before being repackaged as the Boogeyman. In Summer 2005, "WWE SmackDown!" started airing vignettes promoting the debut of the Boogeyman. On the October 14th episode, storyline UPN executive Palmer Cannon told "SmackDown!" General Manager Theodore Long about how "The Boogeyman" was going to be a new show on the network until "something happened on the set," but, that they had a "multi-year holding deal" with the intended star and that in Cannon's opinion "he'd be a great addition for 'SmackDown!," leading to the Boogeyman making his first appearance on WWE TV. He made his TV in-ring debut on the December 2nd episode, defeating Simon Dean (Mike Bucci) in 25 seconds. He went on a streak of defeating his opponents very quickly, usually through scaring them before he even entered the ring. He made his PPV debut at "WWE Royal Rumble 2006," defeating former WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Bradshaw Layfield (John Layfield) in 1:45. Lasted with WWE until March 2009 and went on to the independents. On March 14, 2015, he won his first title when he and Bobby Lashley won the AWF (Alabama Wrestling Federation) Tag Team Titles. Continues to compete in the independents.
Peter Senerchia, better known by the ring name Taz (also spelled Tazz) is an American radio personality, color commentator, and retired professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator and manager.
He is known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time World Television Champion, a three-time World Tag Team Champion, a two-time (and the inaugural) FTW Heavyweight Champion, and the fourth ECW Triple Crown Champion.
His WWE career as an in-ring performer came to an early end in 2002 and subsequently saw him transition into a color-commentary role, which he continued to do until his contract with WWE expired in April 2009. Two months later, Senerchia debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling at their Victory Road pay-per-view under his previous Taz ring name and eventually reprised his role as a color commentator for TNA's broadcasts, replacing Don West.
John Charles Layfield is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling commentator/host for WWE, where he performs under the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Outside of his WWE work, Layfield is a financial analyst for Fox News. Within WWE, he was previously known by the ring name Bradshaw, and prior to that, the variations Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw and Blackjack Bradshaw (as half of The New Blackjacks with Blackjack Windham). As JBL, Layfield was WWE Champion for 280 days. Layfield's main gimmick as JBL—a wealthy, gladhanding, big-mouthed, fiery-tempered businessman—was based on Layfield's real-life accomplishments as a stock market investor. Layfield is a guest panelist on Fox News Channel's The Cost of Freedom, has appeared on CNBC, and has written a best-selling book on financial planning called Have More Money Now. Layfield also hosts a weekend talk radio program, syndicated nationally by Talk Radio Network, in which he discusses his conservative political views. Layfield is also employed by Northeast Securities as its Senior Vice President. In WWE, Layfield won 24 total championships including one reign as WWE Champion, one reign as United States Champion, one reign as European Champion, seventeen reigns as Hardcore Champion, one reign as Intercontinental Champion, and three reigns as World Tag Team Champion with Faarooq as part of the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). He is also recognized as the twentieth Triple Crown Champion, and the Sports Illustrated has said that Layfield "has been accused for years of being a locker room bully", while Deadspin wrote that "backstage tales of Layfield's hazing and bullying have long been legend among hardcore wrestling fans."[136] Dayton Daily News described that "YouTube has dozens of interviews where former [WWE] performers discuss harassment, bullying and taking real blows from Layfield while wrestling him in supposedly choreographed matches." Le Journal de Montréal listed Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, René Duprée, Daivari, and Ivory, among others, as wrestlers who in interviews described Layfield as a bully.In 2010, The Miz referenced Layfield in an onscreen promo about hazing he faced in the locker room early in his career. Layfield admitted to hazing Miz and said that he did not regret doing so.
In April 2017, WWE commentator Mauro Ranallo took an absence from WWE, which Dave Meltzer reported had been triggered by hostilities with Layfield. The allegations coincided with the release of former WWE ring announcer Justin Roberts' autobiography, in which he alleged that Layfield encouraged Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury to steal his passport. Angered WWE fans subsequently called on WWE to fire Layfield. On April 22, Newsweek reported that Ranallo and WWE "mutually agreed to part ways", and Ranallo released a statement in which he said his departure had "nothing to do with JBL" after liking tweets that implied JBL was the main reason. Layfield released a statement of his own, stating: "Admittedly, I took part in locker room pranks that existed within the industry years ago. WWE addressed my behavior and I responded accordingly, yet my past is being brought up because of recent unfounded rumors. I apologize if anything I said playing ‘the bad guy’ on a TV show was misconstrued.
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Billy Gunn and for his appearances in World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment, from 1993 to 2004, as well as in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2005 to 2009. He is currently signed to WWE, working as a trainer in its developmental territory NXT Wrestling. Primarily a tag team wrestler throughout his first tenure with the WWF/E, Gunn formed World Tag Team Championship-winning teams with Bart Gunn as The Smokin' Gunns, Road Dogg as the New Age Outlaws, and Chuck Palumbo as the eponymous Billy and Chuck to a total of ten champion reigns in the WWE. He is also a one time Intercontinental Champion, a two time Hardcore Champion, and the 1999 King of the Ring.
Brian Girard "B.G." James is an American professional wrestler and former United States Marine. He is currently working for WWE as an agent, an occasional wrestler and as a commentator on the web series Are You Serious? James is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as The Roadie from 1994 to 1995 and as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg from 1996 to 2001 and World Wrestling All-Stars. James has held numerous championships over the course of his career, including the WWF Intercontinental Championship once, the WWF Tag Team Championship five times with Billy Gunn as the New Age Outlaws, the WWF Hardcore Championship once, and the NWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Konnan and Ron Killings under the Freebird Rule as the 3Live Kru. He is also a one time world heavyweight champion, having held the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in 2001. WWE has described James as "one of the most popular Superstars of WWE's Attitude Era". James is a second generation wrestler; his father Bob wrestled, as did his brothers Scott, Brad, and Steve.
Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967) is an American politician, actor, and professional wrestler. As a Republican, he is the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works under the ring name Kane.
He began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992, wrestling in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995. Jacobs played various characters until 1997, when he was repackaged as Kane, the younger half-brother of The Undertaker, with whom Jacobs would alternatively feud or team as The Brothers of Destruction.
Following his WWF debut, Kane remained a pivotal component of the company's "Attitude Era" of the late 1990s and early 2000s, defeating the era's "poster boy" Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship in his first pay-per-view (PPV) main event at King of the Ring in June 1998. He continued to headline PPV cards through 2018's Crown Jewel, and has appeared in more of such events than any other performer in WWF/WWE history.
Within WWE, Kane is a three-time world champion (having held the WWF Championship, ECW Championship and World Heavyweight Championship once each) and a 12-time world tag team champion (having held the World Tag Team Championship, WCW Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships with various partners). He is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a Money in the Bank winner, as well as the third man to complete WWE's Grand Slam. The last title Kane won was the 24/7 Championship on September 16, 2019, the only title won under his real name. Veteran wrestler Ric Flair described Kane as "the best in the world", while Big Show dubbed him "the best big man ever". Kane holds the record for the most appearances in a Royal Rumble match at 20 as well as the highest cumulative total eliminations at 46. He headlined the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Outside of professional wrestling, Jacobs has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television, including the lead role in the 2006 WWE Studios production See No Evil and its 2014 sequel. He is also a longtime supporter of libertarian political causes. In March 2017, Jacobs announced that he was running for the mayoral seat of Knox County, Tennessee as a Republican. He went on to win the Republican primary election on May 1, 2018 and the general election on August 2, 2018.
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An American and Canadian actor, producer and semi-retired professional wrestler, signed with WWE. Johnson is half-Black and half-Samoan. His father, Rocky Johnson, is a Black Canadian, from Nova Scotia, and part of the first Black tag team champions in WWE history back when it was known as the WWF along with Tony Atlas. His mother is Samoan and the daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a pro wrestler. Maivia's wife, Lia Maivia, was one of wrestling's few female promoters, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband's death in 1982, until 1988. Through his mother, he is considered a non-blood relative of the Anoa'i wrestling family. On March 29, 2008, The Rock inducted his father and his grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.
As of 2014, Johnson has a home in Southwest Ranches, Florida as well as Los Angeles, California. He also owns a farm in Virginia. In 2009, Johnson gained citizenship in Canada in honor of his father's background. Though Johnson was previously registered as a Republican, he voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 United States presidential elections and is now an independent voter. He stated he did not vote in the 2016 U.S. election.
In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson had the noble title of Seiuli bestowed upon him by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there in July 2004. He received a partial Samoan pe'a tattoo on his left side in 2003,and, in 2017, had the small "Brahma bull" tattoo on his right arm covered with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull's skull.
Johnson married Dany Garcia on May 3, 1997. Their only child together, a daughter named Simone, was born in August 2001. On June 1, 2007, they announced they were splitting up amicably. Johnson then began dating Lauren Hashian, daughter of Boston drummer Sib Hashian. They first met in 2006 while Johnson was filming The Game Plan. Their first child together, a daughter, was born in December 2015. Their second child, another daughter, was born in April 2018.
Johnson attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention as part of WWE's non-partisan "Smackdown Your Vote" campaign, which aimed to influence young people to vote. He also had a speaking role at the 2000 Republican National Convention that same year.
In 2006, Johnson founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, a charity working with at-risk and terminally ill children. On October 2, 2007, he and his ex-wife donated $1 million to the University of Miami to support the renovation of its football facilities; it was noted as the largest donation ever given to the university's athletics department by former students. The University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor. In 2015, Johnson donated $1,500 to a GoFundMe to pay for an abandoned dog's surgery. In 2017, he donated $25,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2018, Johnson donated a gym to a military base in Oahu, Hawaii. After the 2018 Hawaii floods, he worked with Malama Kauai, a nonprofit organization, to help repair damages caused by the floods.
Dawn Marie Psaltis is an American actress, nurse and a retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the SmackDown! brand of WWE under her ring name Dawn Marie.
Before entering the sports entertainment industry, Psaltis made her living in real estate.[4] After deciding to pursue a career in modeling or acting, Psaltis began managing wrestlers on the independent circuit after meeting a wrestling promoter. She signed a deal with ECW after what was supposed to be a three-week stint. She managed The Impact Players and Simon and Swinger until ECW's bankruptcy in 2001.
Psaltis then joined WWE, where her most notable feud involved her marrying Al Wilson, the real-life father of her rival Torrie Wilson.
Allen Ray Sarven is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is currently signed with TNA and is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. Since 2010, Snow has worked as a road agent for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and with its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, as a show producer. He had a cameo as the Nome King in the 2012 feature film Dorothy and the Witches of Oz with Christopher Lloyd, as well as starring in the action film Overtime, and the comedy Agua Caliente. He had an uncredited role in the 1993 film Rudy. Snow also appeared in 2006's They're Just My Friends and co-stars alongside Tiger Chung Lee in 2009's Mountain Mafia. In 2006 he played himself in the independent feature film The Still Life.
Snow can also be seen as the brutal serial killer Grim, also known as "The Reaper's", in Feathered Italian Filmslatest slasher films The Legacyand Hell House.Head also cameos in "The Legacy". He was one of the leads in the 2011 comedy/action/sci-fi movie Overtime by director Matt Niehoff.
Snow had a quick line in the wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. He also participated in the wrestling documentary, Bloodstained Memoirs.
Al Snow also appeared as a coach on WWE Tough Enough (then called WWF Tough Enough) during the show's first three seasons.
On November 10, 2012, Snow, along with several other TNA workers, was featured in an episode of MTV's Made.
Snow completed his work as the "Man in Black" for the independent horror film Lake Eerie on October 23, 2013. The film stars Lance Henriksen, Betsy Baker and was released in Summer 2015. Snow also played "Henchman" in Jessica Sonneborn's horror Alice D.
Steve Blackman is a former American professional wrestler who is best known for his career in WWE. Nicknamed 'The Lethal Weapon', Blackman won the Hardcore Championship six times in his tenure with the company. After the Head Cheese team went their separate ways, Blackman entered WWE's Hardcore Division. At the time, the title was defended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as established by Crash Holly. Because of this, WWE often ran matches wherein the champion was attacked and defeated in locations not typically associated with wrestling matches, such as backstage or in a hotel. With Blackman as champion, however, surprise attacks no longer resulted in title changes: within the matches, Blackman was so dangerous in hand-to-hand combat that surprise attacks were not effective enough to defeat him. During his stint as Hardcore Champion, Blackman's full martial arts talent was utilized. The first time he lost the title for a significant amount of time was against Shane McMahon, largely due to interference from Test, Albert, Edge, and Christian, with Mick Foley suspending the 24/7 rule to make sure McMahon didn't try to get out of facing Blackman in a rematch. At SummerSlam, Blackman fought McMahon for the title. During that match, they both climbed the TitanTron with Blackman able to knock Shane off with a Singapore cane, then performed a diving elbow drop for the pin fall . Blackman would go on to defend the title on several occasions, but he would ultimately lose the title on a more permanent basis to Raven in late 2000. At Unforgiven, he retained the WWE Hardcore Championship against Test, Funaki, Al Snow, Crash Holly, and Perry Saturn. Later, he was ordered by Shane McMahon to come out and speak after he accused Blackman of running over Stone Cold Steve Austin at Survivor Series the previous year. Before he could speak, Austin came down to the ring and stunned both Blackman and McMahon.
Early in 2001, Blackman formed another tag team, this time with Grandmaster Sexay. Blackman again played the straight-faced man: a recurring element was that Grandmaster would always try to convince Blackman to dance with him after their matches. In the summer of 2001, Grandmaster was released from his WWE contract. Blackman was then sidelined due to an injury. He made his last TV appearance on June 25, 2001 episode of Raw with APA and other mid-card superstars planning a fight against The WCW Invasion. Blackman left WWE in October 2002.
Sporadic appearances
Blackman opened a self-defense school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania called "BlackmanMMA" in mid-2003, teaching jujitsu and wrestling. Blackman and MMA fighter (UFC Hall of Famer) and wrestler Ken Shamrock were brought in to help promote a clothing line for professional fighters, called Ground 'n' Pound gear (GnP). As of July 2006, Blackman has re-opened "Steve Blackman's Fighting Systems", which features MMA classes. Blackman has hosted four MMA events in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania starting in 2009 and the most recent being on November 20, 2010, at the Zembo Mosque. The events are part of the Pennsylvania Fighting Championships (PFC).
Jeffrey Nero Hardy is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and a former two-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. He is known for his tenures in WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time as well as one of the most daring high flyers and risktakers throughout his career. Together with his brother Matt Hardy, the tag team The Hardy Boyz are widely regarded as one of the major teams that revived tag team wrestling during the Attitude Era and one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history.
David John "Fit" Finlay, Jr is a Northern Irish semi-retired professional wrestler and road agent from Northern Ireland working for the WWE backstage as Finlay. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Finlay has held over twenty championships around the world throughout his career, including the WCW World Television Championship and the WWE United States Championship.
Hassan Hamin Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is better known by the ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). He is currently signed to WWE and is the manager of Omos. He has also worked with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler known for his work in WWE, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick. He has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Kendrick has wrestled for numerous promotions in his career. While situated in these promotions, he has won various championships, both in tag team and singles competition. He was the last ever MCW Southern Light Heavyweight Champion, a title he held three times, and also won the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship with American Dragon. In addition, Kendrick was the first NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion. During his time in WWE, Kendrick and his tag team partner Paul London became the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions since the title's inception. Together they also held the World Tag Team Championship for a brief period. During his years in TNA, he was a one-time TNA X Division Champion.
Kenneth Anderson is an American professional wrestler and occasional actor. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under the ring names Mr. Anderson and Ken Anderson. Since performing for TNA, he has become a two time World Heavyweight Champion in addition to being a member of Immortal and a current member of Aces & Eights. He wrestled under the ring names Mr. Kennedy and occasionally Ken Kennedy during his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) between 2005 and 2009. Before being promoted to the main WWE roster, Anderson wrestled for numerous promotions in his career. While performing in these promotions, he won various championships, both in tag team and singles competition. Anderson was assigned to WWE's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky in 2005. After signing with WWE, Anderson made his debut on the SmackDown! roster in August 2005. In September 2006, he captured his first and only title with the company, the United States Championship, and would hold onto it for a month. The following year at WrestleMania 23, Anderson won the annual Money in the Bank ladder match, a contract, which guarantees a match for one of WWE's world heavyweight championships. He was released from his WWE contract on May 29, 2009.[10] He returned to the independent circuit before signing a contract with TNA in 2010.
Jacqueline DeLois Moore is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. She is best known for her time in WWE from 1998 to 2004, as well as working for World Championship Wrestling in 1997-98 and later Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a wrestler, manager and road agent.
She began her career in World Class Championship Wrestling, but was well known in the United States Wrestling Association, where she was a fourteen-time USWA Women's Champion. She later moved to World Championship Wrestling, where she briefly managed the team Harlem Heat. In 1998, she joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later World Wrestling Entertainment). She began managing Marc Mero and had her first rivalry with Sable, which culminated in the re-establishment of the WWF Women's Championship, which Moore held twice during her time with the WWF. In 1999, she formed an all-female alliance with Terri Runnels and Ryan Shamrock called the Pretty Mean Sisters. In the early 2000s, Moore worked as both a referee and trainer for the WWF, and she also held the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, which was a title predominantly held by men. She was the third woman to accomplish the feat, but the only woman to do so under the WWE banner (following Madusa and Daffney in WCW). In 2004, she joined TNA, where she worked mostly as a manager and occasional wrestler.
On April 2, 2016, Moore was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Moore grew up in Dallas, Texas.[5] As a young fan of professional wrestling, Moore stated that the Von Erichs were her favorite wrestlers. She has a third degree black belt in taekwondo and also has experience in kickboxing and boxing.
In mid-2001, Moore, along with Tazz, Al Snow, and Tori, became a trainer on the MTV reality TV series Tough Enough.[22] It was her first time training other wrestlers.On the show, she helped train future WWE wrestlers Nidia and Maven. In 2002, Moore competed on a special WWF superstar edition of Fear Factor, coming in second place to Matt Hardy After leaving WWE, Moore began taking acting classes on an action movie set in Los Angeles during the 1970s.
Jacqueline made her video game debut in the PlayStation version of WCW Nitro. She would later appear in nine WWE video games, which include WWF Attitude, WWF WrestleMania 2000, WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF No Mercy, WWE WrestleMania X8, WWE Raw 2, WWE 2K17 (DLC), WWE 2K18 and WWE 2K19.
Jon Heidenreich is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Heidenreich. He is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one time WWE Tag Team Champion with Road Warrior Animal as a part of the new Legion of Doom.
Mark LoMonaco is an American professional wrestler. He currently wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Bully Ray, where he is the President of the Aces & Eights stable. LoMonaco wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 under the ring name Buh Buh Ray Dudley and for World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) as Bubba Ray Dudley from 1999 to 2005. He began performing with TNA in 2005 as Brother Ray before adopting his current ring name in 2010. Along with his kayfabe half-brother D-Von/Devon, LoMonaco is one-half of the tag team the Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D). Characterized by their unorthodox ring apparel and usage of tables in their matches, Team 3D are recognized as 23-time world tag team champions. Along with 10 WWE Hardcore Championship reigns, and his TNA World Heavyweight title reign, LoMonaco has held 34 total championships between WWE, ECW, TNA, and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Devon Hughes is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as D-Von Dudley. He is also well known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under he ring name Devon. Along with his tag team partner Bubba Ray Dudley, Hughes is one-half of tag-team The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D). Characterized by their unorthodox ring apparel and usage of tables in their matches, The Dudley Boyz are one of the most successful tag teams in the history of professional wrestling, recognized by TNA as 23-time world tag team champions. Including his two TNA Television Championships, Hughes has held 25 major championships between TNA, WWE, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Stacy Ann-Marie Keibler is an American retired professional wrestler, former cheerleader, actress, dancer, and model. She is specifically known for her work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and WWE.
Keibler began her professional wrestling career as a part of the Nitro Girls in WCW. She quickly moved on to a more prominent role in the company as the manager Miss Hancock. As Miss Hancock, Keibler was known for doing table dances, her relationship with David Flair, and a pregnancy angle. After WCW was purchased by the WWE in 2001, Keibler moved to the new company, using her real name and taking part in the Invasion storyline, also managing The Dudley Boyz. Keibler also managed Test and Scott Steiner. Before her departure from WWE in 2006, she was affiliated with The Hurricane and Rosey and nicknamed "Super Stacy."
Keibler was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars: season two, where she placed third. She has also appeared on other ABC series such as What About Brian, George Lopez, and October Road, as well as the 100th episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother as a bartender and on the USA Network show Psych. Keibler has also modeled, appearing in both Maxim and Stuff magazines.
Keibler is considered to be a sex symbol and is known for her unusually long legs. During Keibler's time on Dancing with the Stars, judge Bruno Tonioli nicknamed her "The Weapon of Mass Seduction."
Robert Alexander Szatkowski, better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (RVD), is an American professional wrestler and actor. Szatkowski has held 20 championships between ECW, WWE, and TNA, as well as several regional titles in various promotions during his career. He is officially recognized by TNA as a three-time world champion having held the WWE Championship, ECW World Heavyweight Championship, TNA World Heavyweight Championship once each. On the independent scene, he has held the AWR World Heavyweight Championship twice, and he is currently the WSW World Heavyweight Championship. He the only man to hold the ECW and WWE Championships simultaneously, the only man to have won the ECW, WWE, and TNA World Heavyweight titles in his career, and the only man to win both WWE and ECW's version of the Triple Crown. He was also the winner of WWE's Money in the Bank ladder match in 2006 as part of WrestleMania 22.
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her time in WWE, under the ring name Vickie Guerrero. She is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the manager of Nyla Rose.
In wrestling, she has appeared as an on-screen authority figure, storyline lover to several WWE wrestlers, occasional professional wrestler in the WWE Divas division, and as a manager for numerous wrestlers. She was best known in her role as General Manager of SmackDown from 2007 to 2011, and of Raw from 2011 to 2013. Since leaving WWE in 2014, she has made sporadic appearances in the company.
She is known for her villainous persona and igniting negative reactions from audiences with her catchphrase, "Excuse me!". She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, which has been occasionally incorporated into WWE storylines.
Solofa Fatu Jr. is a Samoan American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi (which means sumo wrestler in Japanese) with WWE, where he was a one time WWE Intercontinental Champion, two time WWE World Tag Team Champion, and one time WWE Tag Team Champion. Rikishi is a member of the famous Anoaʻi family. He is the twin brother of Sam Fatu (The Tonga Kid/Tama), and both brothers have twins. Sam is the father of twins Marley and Myracle, and Rikishi is the father of twins Jonathan and Joshua Samuel, who currently wrestle in WWE as Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso.
Rikishi is the nephew of Sika Anoaʻi and Afa Anoaʻi, known as the Wild Samoans, and his cousins in wrestling are Rodney Anoaʻi (Yokozuna), Samula Anoaʻi (Headshrinker Samu), Matt Anoaʻi (Rosey), Joe Anoaʻi (Roman Reigns), Reno Anoaʻi (Black Pearl), Afa Anoaʻi Jr. (Manu), Lloyd Anoaʻi (L.A. Smooth) and Dwayne Johnson (The Rock).
Rikishi and his wife Talisua Fuavai-Fatu have five children. Jonathan and Joshua Samuel, Jeremiah Peniata and daughter Thavana Monalisa Fatu and Joseph. He is the older brother of the late Eddie Fatu (Umaga/Jamal), who died on December 4, 2009 from heart attack.
Solofa has a scar on his abdomen from a drive by shooting in 1987. He says he died for 3 minutes in the emergency room Rikishi is a playable DLC character in the Attitude Era-themed video game WWE '13. He also appeared in WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, and WWE 2K19. Outside of the main series, he is featured in WWF No Mercy, WWF Raw, WWE Raw 2, WWE Wrestlemania X8 and WWE Wrestlemania XIX.
Fatu appeared in the Italian comedy film Natale a Miami. He also guest starred on the Nickelodeon show Victorious, as a sumo wrestler in the episode "Brain Squeezers."
Fatu appeared in the Netflix original film Sandy Wexler.
Fatu under his "Rikishi" ring name is the Samoan judge in the "Wall of the World" on the CBS show The World's Best.
Charles Doyle "Charlie" Haas II is an American professional and amateur wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with WWE in the 2000s. Haas was an amateur wrestler in high school, and attended Seton Hall University on a wrestling scholarship, before becoming a stockbroker. He became a professional wrestler in 1996, and teamed regularly with his brother, Russ, with the two winning numerous championships on the independent circuit, including the CZW World Tag Team Championship and the JAPW Tag Team Championship. After signing contracts with WWE, The Haas Brothers were assigned to WWE's developmental territories, where they won the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. After Russ' death in 2001 due to a heart attack, Haas began wrestling in singles competition, winning the HWA Heavyweight Championship once. Haas formed a team with Shelton Benjamin and the two debuted on SmackDown in December 2002. They won the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, and dubbed themselves The World's Greatest Tag Team before they split in 2004. Haas won the WWE Tag Team Championship once more with Rico, and gained Miss Jackie as a valet. Haas then transferred into singles competition before being released from WWE in 2005. After a short stint in Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) and other independent promotions, Haas was re-signed to WWE in April 2006. He formed a short-lived team with Viscera, before reforming the World's Greatest Tag Team with Benjamin. After Benjamin transferred to the ECW brand, Haas began wrestling with a comical luchador persona, before developing a character where he imitated other wrestlers and WWE Hall of Famers. In addition, Haas won the last ever match on WWE Heat when the show ended on May 30, 2008. He was released from WWE in February 2010. He soon returned to the independent circuit, including returning to JAPW and appearing for Ring of Honor. In September 2010, he won the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. On April 1, 2011, Haas and Benjamin won the ROH World Tag Team Championship and held it until December 2011. Haas announced his retirement from professional wrestling in March 2013. Aside from wrestling, Haas and his wife Jackie run a nutritional store, Custom Muscle Nutrition and Smoothie Shop, in Frisco, Texas, which they opened in October 2008.
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. He wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) for two years, and currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted as an assistant coach in amateur wrestling. He first spent time in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he held the Southern Tag Team Championship four times. WWE then moved him to the main roster and put him into an alliance with Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas, known as Team Angle (and later the World's Greatest Tag Team). During his tenure with the company, he won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship once, and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice with Haas.
Yoshihiro Tajiri is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He currently owns and operates Wrestling New Classic in Japan, where he also works as a wrestler, being in his first reign as the WNC Champion.
An American rapper, singer, musician, record producer, record executive, and actor. Busta was born to Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith. He went to Uniondale High School class of '92.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Busta Rhymes, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Americo Sebastiano "Rico" Costantino is an Italian American professional wrestler and wrestling manager. He is best known by his ring names Rico Costantino and Rico in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2001 to 2004. He is currently wrestling for the Future Stars of Wrestling promotion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler working for WWE as a producer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition. He is also known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling in its cruiserweight division under the names Jamie-San and Jamie Knoble and is a one time Cruiserweight Champion. Gibson also wrestled in Ring of Honor as James Gibson and is a one time world champion, having won the ROH World Championship during his time in that organization.
Linda Marie McMahon is an American political executive, former Trump administration official, and former professional wrestling executive and performer. She served as the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019.
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Crash Holly (or simply Crash), in WWE. Lockwood wrestled on the independent circuit, briefly for Extreme Championship Wrestling, before signing a contract with the World Wrestling Federation in 1999. He debuted as Hardcore Holly's storyline cousin, Crash Holly. He found his greatest success in WWE's Hardcore Division, winning the WWE Hardcore Championship 22 times and earning the nickname "The Houdini of Hardcore" for his ability to escape tricky situations with his championship intact. In June 2003, he was released from WWE and joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Mad Mikey, a perpetually angry character. He remained with TNA until he died four months later. As well as a WWE Hardcore Champion, he was a one-time WWE European Champion, a one-time WWE Light Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, with Hardcore Holly (The Holly Cousins).
Patricia Anne Stratigeas (born December 18, 1975) better known by the ring name Trish Stratus, is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and yoga instructor. She is currently signed to WWE. Often regarded as one of the greatest Women's Performers of all time, she was also one of the most popular wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). She is considered one of the icons of the Attitude Era.
After beginning her career as a fitness model, Stratigeas began working for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which was later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Early in her career, she was mostly involved in sexually themed storylines, such as managing the team T & A, and a kayfabe affair with Vince McMahon's Mr. McMahon character. As Stratus spent more time in the ring, her perceived wrestling skills strengthened and her popularity increased. Because of this, she was made a one-time WWE Hardcore Champion, three-time "WWE Babe of the Year" and was proclaimed "Diva of the Decade". After nearly seven years in the business, Stratus retired from professional wrestling on a full-time basis at WWE Unforgiven on September 17, 2006, after winning her record-setting seventh WWE Women's Championship.
Following her full-time performing, she would make occasional appearances and wrestle part-time in WWE. In 2011, Stratus was a trainer for WWE Tough Enough. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2018, she returned to WWE, participating in the 2018 Women's Royal Rumble and later competing at the all-female Evolution event in October of that year. She had her latest match against Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam 2019. The following year she became the first woman to receive the Lou Thesz Award from the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2021, WWE named Stratus as the greatest female superstar of all time.
Aside from professional wrestling, Stratus has appeared on a number of magazine covers and has been involved in charity work. She has also hosted several award and television shows and formerly owned a yoga studio. Stratus will be a judge on the second season of Canada's Got Talent, which aired in 2022.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Trish Stratus, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Arnold Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American actor, film producer, businessman, former bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California (2003-2011). As of 2022, he is the most recent Republican governor of California. Time magazine named Schwarzenegger one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007. He also served as Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (1990-1993).
He began weight training at 15. He was awarded the title of Mr. Universe at age 20 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest a total of seven times. He appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron (1977). The Arnold Sports Festival, considered the second-most important bodybuilding event after Mr. Olympia, is named after him. He has remained a prominent presence in the sport of bodybuilding and has written several books and numerous articles on the sport.
He wanted to move from bodybuilding into acting, finally achieving it when he played the title role in Hercules in New York (1970). Credited under the stage name "Arnold Strong", his accent in the film was so thick that his lines were dubbed after production. His second film role was as a mob hitman in The Long Goodbye (1973), followed by a more significant part in the film Stay Hungry (1976), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor.
In 1977, he appeared in an episode of the ABC sitcom The San Pedro Beach Bums and the ABC police procedural The Streets of San Francisco. He auditioned for the title role of The Incredible Hulk, but did not win the role because of his height. He appeared in the 1979 comedy The Villain. In 1980, he starred in a biographical film of the 1950s actress Jayne Mansfield as her husband, Mickey Hargitay.
He gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action star with his breakthrough starring role in the epic Conan the Barbarian (1982) and its sequel in 1984. After playing the title role in the sci-fi action film The Terminator (1984), he starred in its' sequels Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine's (2003), Terminator Genisys (2015), and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). His other action films include Commando (1985), The Running Man (1987), Predator (1987), Red Heat (1988), Total Recall (1990), and True Lies (1994). His comedy films include Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Junior (1994), and Jingle All the Way (1996).
After leaving the governor's office, he resumed his acting career. He starred in The Expendables 2 (2012), The Last Stand (2013), his first leading role in 10 years, Escape Plan (2013), Sabotage (2014) and returned as Trench Mauser in The Expendables 3 (2014). He then starred in the Terminator sequels Terminator Genisys (2015) and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). He was slated to reprise his role as Conan in The Legend of Conan, later renamed Conan the Conqueror; however, in April 2017, producer Chris Morgan stated that Universal had dropped the project, although there was a possibility of a TV show.
He was nicknamed the "Austrian Oak" and the "Styrian Oak" in his bodybuilding days, "Arnie" and "Schwarz" during his acting career and the "Governator" (a portmanteau of "Governor" and "Terminator"). He is the founder of the film production company Oak Productions.
Booker Tio Huffman, Jr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and commentator currently signed with WWE. He is better known by his ring names Booker T and King Booker. Booker is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), holding 35 championships between those organizations. Regarded as one of the greatest stars in WCW's history, he is also the most decorated wrestler in that company's history, having held 21 titles including a record six WCW World Television Championships, and a record ten WCW World Tag Team Championships as one half of Harlem Heat with his brother, Lash "Stevie Ray" Huffman and an eleventh reign in the WWF with Test. Booker headlined many pay-per-view events in WCW, the WWF/E and TNA from the early 1990s to the late 2000s and is a six-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship five times (four in WCW and once in the WWF) and a World Heavyweight Championship in WWE. He has also gained notable success as a tag team wrestler, being a fifteen-time World Tag Team Champion between WCW (eleven times), WWE (three times), and TNA (once). Additionally, he was the winner of the WWE King of the Ring tournament in 2006, the sixteenth WWE Triple Crown Champion and the tenth WWE Grand Slam Champion. As the ninth (and final) WCW Triple Crown Champion, Booker is the most recent of four men in history to achieve both the WWE and WCW Triple Crown Championships. Booker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2013, by his brother, Lash Huffman, better known by his ring name Stevie Ray.
Christopher Keith Irvine, better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the stable known as Jericho Appreciation Society. Noted for his over-the-top rock star persona, he has been named by journalists and industry colleagues as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
During the 1990s, Jericho performed for American organizations Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), as well as for promotions in countries such as Canada, Japan, and Mexico. At the end of 1999, he made his debut in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 2001, he became the first Undisputed WWF Champion, and thus the final holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (then referred to as the World Championship), having won and unified the WWF and World titles by defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock on the same night. Jericho headlined multiple pay-per-view (PPV) events during his time with the WWF/WWE, including WrestleMania X8 and the inaugural TLC and the Elimination Chamber matches and the shows itself. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2010.
Within the WWF/WWE, Jericho is a six-time world champion, having won the Undisputed WWF Championship once, the WCW/World Championship twice and the World Heavyweight Championship three times. He has also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship a record nine times and was the ninth Triple Crown Champion, as well as the fourth Grand Slam Champion in history. In addition, he was the 2008 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner and (along with Big Show as Jeri-Show) won the 2009 Tag Team of the Year Slammy Award—making him the only winner of both Superstar and Tag Team of the Year.
After his departure from WWE in 2018, Jericho signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he became a one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and becoming the first man to have held both the WWE and IWGP Intercontinental Championships. Jericho joined AEW in January 2019 and became the inaugural holder of the AEW World Championship in August of that year. All totalled, between ECW, WCW, WWE, NJPW and AEW, Jericho has held 36 championships (including seven World Championships, and 10 Intercontinental Championships).
In 1999, Jericho became lead vocalist of heavy metal band Fozzy, who released their eponymous debut album the following year. The group's early work is composed largely of cover versions, although they have focused primarily on original material from their third album, All That Remains (2005), onward. Jericho has also appeared on numerous television shows over the years, including the 2011 season of Dancing With the Stars. He hosted the ABC game show Downfall, the 2011 edition of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, and the UK's Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in 2012 and 2017.
