Former WWE superstar Chyna has passed away at the age of 45. She was found dead Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles.
For what it’s worth, Wikipedia has updated her page but WWE.com has nothing on it. You think they’ll acknowledge it?
I’m sure they will eventually, but there might be some legal hurdles to jump first. When she went into porno and badmouthed the company, they didn’t want anything to do with her.
Steph definitely tweeted about it.
It’s also a story in espn.com, which surprises me because I didn’t think Chyna was THAT big of a deal. But shows what I know I guess
There’s been a “link” between ESPN and WWE ever since Jonathan Coachman (“Coach”) started working for ESPN. I think he got his start co-hosting a radio show.
As to whether or not they admit anything on the air, it may depend on how she died. If they don’t have a definite determination before Monday, or find out it was a drug overdose, don’t expect a word about it on the air. IIRC, when Test died, that didn’t get mentioned on the air either, and I think it was because they weren’t 100% convinced that it wasn’t drug-related in time. WWE learned its lesson about tributes to dead wrestlers with Chris Benoit.
its now on wwe.com
Turns out that’s exactly what they did.
You haven’t secretly been booking for WWE all this time, have you?
Yeah, have kinda figured The Ascension was on the chopping block already.
Am figuring when those long-anticipated cuts come, there’s going to be 15 or more people released.
*BAWHANNGGAAAAHHHHH
BAAAANNNHH*
Opening promo: Dario Cueto has Aerostar, Drago and Fenix in his office. He chides them for not advancing in the Trios tournament last year, so he’s not going to have them participate this year. Instead, he says Aerostar and Drago will have a match for an Aztec Medallion piece, and Fenix will team up with Jack Evans and PJ Black in the Trios tournament against Disciples of Death. Good camera work of the luchas’ faces: Drago’s face is mostly shadow, and he has bright green eyes staring back.
Match 1: Aerostar vs Drago
Lots of high-flying action, and impressive how both luchas read each other’s minds well enough to have follow-throughs to follow-throughs. Aerostar triumphs by defying the laws of gravity because he never studied law.
Match 2: Jack Evans, PJ Black and Fenix vs Disciples of Death w/Katrina
Jack Evans decides he’s the star. He shouts to his teammates to watch how he does things. He tells the audience they should be amazed. Fenix and PJ aren’t much in the way of talkers, but they still get in some dazzling offense to keep the DoD swarm from happening. Fenix gets the pin and win.
Afterwards, Catrina berates the Disciples backstage. They must pay for their failure. The middle one (Vespero or something) plunges his hand into the left Disciple’s chest and pulls out his heart. He then does the same to the right Disciple. Now he has their powers. New singles competitor, and the other guys are killed off. Maybe they’ll come back with different masks and names later.
Dario now has Team Dysfunction in his office. He says he’s impressed by how they’ve managed to stay together, despite Angelico being a “perverse pretty boy” and Ivelisse breaking up with Son of Havoc. SoH interjects with “Actually, I dumped her.” Iv tells him to shut up and Angelico says “pretty boy?” He tells them they’re going to be in the Trios tournament. They ask what’s the point? We’re already going to face the winner for the belts. Dario says No, the tournament is FOR the championship, but he is a fair man and Team Havoc is automatically in the finals. Ivi says “No, we’re Team Ivellisse!” SoH says “that’s ridiculous” and Ang says “that’s confusing.” As the three start to squabble, Dario cuts them off and says “Get out.” I like the chemistry of the these three.
Finally, main event time: Monster vs Monster: Mil Muertes (with Catrina) vs Matanza Cueto (with Dario)
For big guys the size of retaining walls, these two can move. Lots of brawling and crashes. Both managers get in their shots and get pummeled. The two behemoths fight to the top of Dario’s office. Muertes flatlines Matanza, and they both crash through the roof. HOLY SHIT cries the audience. Cueto’s office has been wrecked a zillion times by now.
Final promo: the police captain who sent Cortez Castro and Joey Ryan undercover is visited by some councilman who warns her that somebody really powerful is backing Dario Cueto, so she should drop the investigation. On the wall behind her are photos of missing luchas. I caught Alberto El Patron’s and Big Ryck’s pictures. That was clever.
*BAWHANNGGAAAAHHHHH
BAAAANNNHH*
One of the rare times I predicted something right.
I don’t think the Vaudevillains are long for this world either, judging by the tepid response they’ve been getting. It’s one thing when the audience is “in on the joke” like NXT, but another when trying to appeal to the mainstream.
Blue Demon and Hernandez were on there too. I assume that, in-universe, they also got killed and used to build Mil Muertes’ bone throne.
I wonder what the show itself is like in-universe? Obviously the TV show “Lucha Underground” exists in-universe, since there are camera crews everywhere, and Striker and Vampiro are playing fictional versions of themselves who aren’t aware of the backstage vignettes that we the real-world audience get to see. Is it nationally syndicated in their world? Is it just something that airs on KTLA at 1 AM on Saturday morning? Is it a webstream? How hard can it be for the cops to infiltrate an organization that’s publicly visible and has a TV show? And what’s the deal with all those random luchadors wandering the streets of southern CA anyway?
(Great, now here I go overthinking B-movies again.)
Ok, now you make me want to see, in the middle of a vignette, a 10 second or less shot of the inside of a grocery store or something where every single person, male, female, children, babies, store managers, are all wearing lucha gear and masks.
Man…what a time for the dope to go down!
So we have a new NXT champ, that was weird.
Anyone know why? Why the sudden callup?
Someone in a chat room I go to says that Balor hurt his ankle or something. So this is not a call-up. But don’t quote me on that.
pwtorch says Finn was selling an injury, and is scheduled for a tag match later with Nakamura vs Joe and the Drifter. So maybe Finn stays, maybe he doesn’t.
It is definitely difficult to move a gimmick from one promotion to another. The Dudley’s bombed when they first came to WWE also, they had to re-invent the characters. Seems like Vince will never learn that lesson.
Even though I expected it, it’s still a damned shame; I’m a workrate mark, and those guys are damned good wrestlers. But yeah, there’s no chance that gimmick was ever going to get over on the main roster.
I mean, if you accented the “old-style strongman” aspects of their characters you COULD try and make them relevant, but count me in on the group that didn’t think they’d translate.
I think it’s a WWE problem tbh, because I see A LOT of NXT gimmicks that I can’t imagine translating…so I wonder why even have them?
Did anyone see the debut of No Way Jose (formerly Lenny Valenzuela Jr.)? Do they honestly think that that character is going to succeed in WWE? If not, why even have it? They have him already, his name is Fandango, and he does jack shit.
Who is Jose and why is he always being denied?
You forget that if there’s one thing Vince McMahon loves more than 6’6" juiceheads with biceps thicker than his head, it’s comedy dancing wrestlers. (The New Day’s original gimmick, for example.)