Post Tagged with: "WWE Encyclopedia"

The first promo/commercial for the new WWE Encyclopedia aired tonight on SmackDown. Check it out below … then, of course, pick up your copy here: WWE Encyclopedia

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with Big Show for a few hours regarding his career. Much of his comments could be found in my WWE CHAMPIONSHIP BOOK, if you care, which I obviously appreciate. But some of it remains in a notebook for future projects. I just dug up some of his comments about Brock Lesnar. Enjoy:

What are your memories of beating Brock for the WWE Title?
I remember going into it the week before, Brock had double legged me into the stairs and busted my arm up really bad. At first, they thought I might have broken it because it punctured the skin and there was a big knot there. My arm was torn up and throbbing that night. Brock was a monster at the time; nobody beat Brock. I have a lot of respect for Brock because he actually helped get my career back in line again. The fact that Brock stepped up and agreed to work with me really got my career back in line. I’ve been able to do a lot of great things since then. The opinion of me wasn’t really high, nor did it deserve to be at that time. I had a lot to prove. There was a lot on the line and Brock gave me the chance. That was probably my most memorable championship because that was the start of me getting the whole picture and becoming a real WWE Superstar.

What are your thoughts of Brock leaving WWE after they put so much into him?

Three hours later, I’m impressed with how well Raw flowed this week. I worried that it would be too long, but on this night, everything worked well. Let’s hope I feel the same after episode 1,001. Also, keep in mind that the new WWE Encyclopedia is just weeks away. Order it now! Finally, without any more hesitation, it’s this week’s WTF (Weekly Top Five):

5. THAT WAS DIFFERENT
Too often, Raw’s top moments occur at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, allowing those “in the know” to tune in and out of the show as they like, just as long as they are back in time for the top of each hour. Not tonight, though.

Having The Rock come out at 9:20 p.m. was a nice change of pace that will hopefully keep viewers on their toes moving forward. I just hope it happens like this more often; in the long run, it will be better for Raw’s overall ratings, in my opinion.

4. MAE YOUNG’S HAND
No words … I have no words.

Order the new WWE Encyclopedia. It’s good.

3. DX
Like seemingly everybody else, I hoped to see Road Dogg, X-Pac and Billy Gunn tonight during DX’s reunion. But to be honest, I feared we would simply get Triple H and HBK. Of course, their reunions are entertaining, as well. But we’ve seen it many times before, which is why this mega-reunion will be remembered for a long time to come.

For me, the best part was Billy Gunn and HBK battling over their lines. Damien Sandow’s participation was well done, too. It was important that they tied in a current Superstar, otherwise it would’ve been a vanity segment, which ends up getting a laugh, but nothing else. Hopefully, Sandow can rebound from the beatdown, though.

2. BROCK-HEYMAN-TRIPLE H-STEPHANIE
I said it before, but it’s true: When Paul Heyman speaks, I believe the words that come out of his mouth. I think it’s because he probably believes every word he is saying. Only a select few can get themselves into that mode before stepping into the ring. Heyman is one of those few.

When the segment started, I was worried that Brock Lesnar would simply accept Triple H’s challenge, which would’ve made no sense. He said “no” before, why would he say “yes” now? Nothing happened in between then and now that would’ve made sense for Lesnar to accept. But Stephanie changed everything in a BIG way.

There’s a very sincere feeling to this rivalry, which started with Heyman talking about The Game’s wife a few weeks ago. But the whole thing was shot to the moon this week when Stephanie accused Heyman of masking his ECW failures.

For me (and I assume the entire WWE Universe), Heyman’s angered and potentially careless response was not only believable, but exactly what anybody would expect. Stephanie knew all the right buttons to press and she pressed them. It was very well done.

Order the new WWE Encyclopedia. I’d buy it if you wrote it.

1. ‘CM PUNK HAS TURNED ON THE WWE UNIVERSE’
The match itself was what it was. It was designed with a certain goal in mind, and boy, was that goal accomplished. As Jerry Lawler said, “CM Punk has turned on the WWE Universe.”

That one phrase alone leaves little question that Punk is now a heel. And to be honest, I couldn’t be happier for him … neither could Twitter. Minutes after Punk dropped Rock, I turned to Twitter to find a timeline filled with fans ecstatic to see that “Punk’s back!” For me, it feels a lot like Stone Cold from the “Attitude Era,” but not a copy-cat version … just a no-nonsense heel version. Perhaps that’s why we didn’t get Austin tonight. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite tweets:

The CM Punk I know and enjoyed is back! #wwe #Raw1000

— Ryan Shell (@DAsharpshooters) July 24, 2012

Yes! Heel turn by @CMPunk. “The Devil’s greatest trick was making the world believe he did not exist.”

— Michael Walters (@WildWest21) July 24, 2012

I waited for CM Punk to turn heel again for a year and it was worth it too #RAW1000

— Nestor Ventura(@Punked_Enigma) July 24, 2012

Plus, The Rock sold the GTS like he got run over by a truck. You don’t see that type of selling every day. Thanks for reading; see you next week.

My good friends at WWE.com uncovered the ENTIRE cover of the upcoming WWE Encyclopedia (click the image for a larger image). They did an amazing job and I couldn’t be any more excited about getting this book into the hands of the WWE Universe. For those who can’t wait, you should pre-order the book now, while it’s still available. Thanks again for you support.