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Umaga dead at 36 updates :- Former WWE star Umaga 36, was found near death in his Texas home early Friday. His wife found him responsive with blood coming out of his nose. The ex-wrestling star was then rushed to a hospital, where he is reportedly being kept alive via life support.

A rep from the WWE tells TMZ their former superstar wrestler Umaga has died. Umaga, whose real name was Eddie Fatu, was 36 years old. The WWE has released a statement on their website saying, "The WWE would like to express its deepest condolences to Mr. Fatu's family, friends and fans on his tragic passing."

THE Hulkamania promotional press conference at Star City veered violently out of control today as Hulk Hogan and ring rival Ric Flair let their animosity break into what appeared to be a full scale bloody brawl. Sydney Central’s photographer Phil Rogers has his flash broken when Ric Flair threw a table off the stage and into the press gathering before diving on photographers, Sydney Central reports. Media were stunned as the Hulk’s head began bleeding profusely and confusion broke out when the veteran wrestling star was unable to get to his feet. This reporter narrowly missed being struck with the...

Hulk Hogan is returning to the profession -- but not to the organization -- that made him a household name. Hogan is coming out of retirement to join TNA Wrestling (the name sounds dirty, but it actually stands for "Total Nonstop Action"), the outfit behind Spike TV's Thursday night series "TNA Impact." "I'm thrilled to be jumping back into the world of professional wrestling," said Hogan, 56. "My fans have been asking me to return to the business for many years on a full time basis, but the timing or the opportunity has never been right until now." His specific...

THE BOYS GO TO THE WWE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AN ALL NEW “SOUTH PARK” PREMIERING ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT 10:00 P.M. ON COMEDY CENTRAL NEW YORK, October 19, 2009 – After attending a WWE MATCH, the boys ALL WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS in an all-new “South Park” titled, “W.T.F.,” premiering on Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00 p.m. on COMEDY CENTRAL. The boys have found their new calling in life and they hurry to sign up for the wrestling club. They soon find out THE KIND OF WRESTLING THEY TEACH AT SCHOOL IS not the same thing...

Legendary pro wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano died at age 76 this morning.

http://www.examiner.com/x-22249-Columbus-Pro-Wrestling-Examiner~y2009m10d10-Capt-Lou-Albano-admitted-to-hospice-care

What do the Rev. Al Sharpton, John Cena and Triple H have in common? They'll all be at Times Union Center in Albany for the latest installment of World Wrestling Entertainment's "Monday Night Raw." Sharpton? That Sharpton? Yes, the one and only minister and politician who has courted controversy over the years will be the guest host for the night's entertainment. Sharpton at the microphone, of course, is nothing new: He spoke at Michael Jackson's memorial service recently and has his own radio show, which can be heard at http://www.sharptontalk.net/. But wrestling?A publicist for WWE, Kevin Hennessy, says Sharpton's current...

Rev. Al Sharpton Issues Statement Explaining Why He Is Hosting WWE Raw Newsday's Alfonso Castillo recently contacted Rev. Al Sharpton, in regards to his guest host spot on Raw. His spokeswoman responded with the following comment… "In order to raise awareness and actually do something about the devastating achievement gap in education between kids of color and their white peers the viewership of WWE events is precisely the group of people who need to be reached and involved. Reverend Sharpton has stated repeatedly that all of us must take extraordinary steps to reverse the current trend in education and that...

Senate Smackdown: McMahon Running Against Dodd Chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. says she's seeking the Republican nomination to run against Dodd. AP Wednesday, September 16, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1, 2009 – In the Army’s celebratory Year of the Noncommissioned Officer, Dremiel Byers stands out. Byers, who recently joined the ranks of the senior NCOs with his promotion to sergeant first class, will represent the Army on Team USA at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships. Army World Class Athlete Program Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, left, a 2002 world champion, is scheduled to compete for Team USA at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships Sept. 27, 2009, in Herning, Denmark. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Byers is...

Several outlets including NBC are reporting that WWE CEO Linda McMahon is considering running for a Senate seat. If she goes through with it, she'd run as a Republican against Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd in 2010. McMahon has already had some political success this year as she was successfully appointed to the Connecticut State Board Of Education.

Karl Von Hess, who died this morning at the age of 90, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, made his name heading to the ring in a full-scale Nazi guise in the uneasy years after World War II.

Dearborn, Mich., Jul 29, 2009 / 06:09 am (CNA).- A federal lawsuit has been filed against a Michigan high school and its Muslim principal, charging that a respected wrestling coach’s contract was not renewed because of anti-Christian bias and his association with another coach who ran a wrestling camp where a young Muslim converted to Christianity.Gerald Marszalek had coached wrestling for 35 years at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan. According to the Thomas More Law Center, which filed the suit, he had achieved a “legendary status” in the wrestling community through his numerous victories and his students’ success in...

Two professional midget wrestlers found dead in a low-rent hotel room may have been drugged by female robbers, according to Mexican authorities. Relatives of twins Alejandro 'Espectrito' and Alberto 'La Parkita' Perez Jimenez pay their last respects. Post mortems are being carried out on La Parkita - or Little Death - who wore a skeleton costume in the ring and Espectrito Jr. The twin brothers, real names Alberto and Alejandro Jimenez, reportedly had been entertaining two prostitutes on the night of their deaths. Police said two women were seen leaving the men's hotel room shortly before the bodies were discovered...

When Les Gutches took up wrestling at age 7, he could not have known where it would take him. Now he does, for this weekend it took him to Stillwater, Okla., where he was enshrined into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. On Friday, Gutches was honored at a ceremony in the Hall of Fame, where a large granite bust in his likeness and a display case and plaque were unveiled. On Saturday, in a formal setting, he took the podium and thanked many of those who helped get him to this point. He then accepted an award...

"The Golden Greek" John Tolos, perhaps one of the finest interviews in the history of wrestling, has been silenced. Tolos, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, died Thursday night in Los Angeles. He was 78.

Seems like nice suits.

Wrestler Paul Perschmann, better known as "Playboy" Buddy Rose, was found dead on his couch Tuesday in Vancouver, Wash.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 1, 2009 – Troops from different service branches and different countries eagerly got into a line that wrapped around the inside of a tent here March 24 to meet four former World Wrestling Entertainment “divas.” Servicemembers wait in line to meet former World Wrestling Entertainment divas at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 24, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Opal Hood  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. For more than two hours, Terry Runnels, Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald, Christy Hemme and Shelly Martinez signed autographs and posed for photos with servicemembers and civilians at the Morale,...

They called it history-making here in Minneapolis. Yesterday, Elissa Reinsma became the first female to compete in the state high school wrestling tournament. It was not a step forward. Some cultures spend a thousand years unlearning the brutality of men toward women.

Here is an interview with Arizona State's Anthony Robles who has been named an NCAA Wresting All-American. Robles was born with one-leg, and this interview video shows him in action. What an amazing young man who is a living testimony to obstacles that can be overcome through dedication, hard work, and a great attitude. . . . . . (Watch Video)

Pap: "You're a wrestler ... so, do you think you have better abs than Barack Obama?" Chris Jericho: "As of right now I have better abs ... but pretty soon he's gonna take 65% of my abs away from me and give 'em to somebody else."

As many of you may know, I dissect many of the social problems that MMA can encounter and create as it intermingles with society. As “The Grumpy Sociologist,” that’s my role in the MMA media. Hey, nobody else really does it. But I love a good story when I see one, and many of you may also know that I am an amateur wrestling enthusiast. While FightTicker.com is predominantly an MMA site, we would be remiss not to take notice that the NCAA Div. 1 National Wrestling Championships began this past Thursday and conclude today. Exemplifying amazing determination over his...

Andrew "Test" Martin, a World Wrestling Entertainment star from earlier this decade, was found dead in his Tampa, Fla., apartment Friday night. He was 33 years old. The cause of death wasn't immediately known, the Tampa Tribune reported. Martin worked for WWE from 1998 to 2004 and 2006 to 2007. Martin was thrust into a prominent position from the onset because of his size and muscularity, with the "Test" nickname being short for "testosterone."

MINNEAPOLIS – During his glory days as a pro wrestler, Verne Gagne shared the spotlight with other burly men in trunks, guys with names like Killer Kowalski, Mad Dog Vachon, The Crusher and Baron Von Raschke. But all of that seemed well in the past until just weeks ago, when authorities say Gagne, 82 and suffering from Alzheimer's disease, apparently body-slammed a 97-year-old fellow patient at the suburban nursing home where they both lived, causing the man's death. Bloomington police are investigating, but not even the victim's widow wants to see the dementia-stricken Gagne prosecuted. "It's been so hard on...

Minnesota wrestling legend Verne Gagne is under investigation in the death of a fellow resident at a Bloomington care facility, a local television station is reporting. Police said Gagne, 82, threw his roommate, Helmut R. Gutmann, 97, to the floor on Jan. 26, breaking his leg and injuring his head, according to KMSP-TV. Gutmann was treated for his injuries, but was later rehospitalized, the station said. He died Saturday.

Camel wrestling contest attracts thousands of spectators    Some 130 wrestling camels from the Aegean and Mediterranean regions competed in the 27th Selçuk-Ephesus Camel Wrestling Festival.  The 27th Selçuk-Ephesus Camel Wrestling Festival, which was held Sunday, drew nearly 20,000 local and foreign spectators. Some 130 wrestling camels from the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions competed in the festival. Fighting camels do no work for nine months of the year, and in the competitive season, they fight only about a dozen times. Their owners pamper them and often become deeply attached to them.Selçuk Mayor Hasan Hakkı Doğan, who delivered a...

CAMP Victory, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2008 – Iraq can seem like a world away to deployed troops -- certainly not the place you would expect to run into someone from back home. But sometimes it is a small world, even in Iraq. Army Sgt. Kenneth Cisson talks with World Wrestling Entertainment diva Kelly Kelly following a WWE Superstars show at Camp Victory, Iraq, Dec. 5, 2008. Cisson and Kelly both are from Jacksonville, Fla. Cisson was a recruiter at Kelly’s high school and tried to get her to enlist following her senior year. U.S. Army photo by by Spc....

[Epaphras] is always wrestling in prayer for you... Colossians 4:12a Paul’s choice of words in Colossians is fitting. Prayer is not easy. Praying consistently for someone is even harder. I think it goes deeper than that. It’s not merely the natural (often supernatural) internal struggle we have about praying for others. Recall the story of Jacob “wrestling with God” in Genesis 32:25-29. God right then and there gave him the name Israel, which means “struggle with God.” In the end, Jacob/Israel got the blessing he so desperately sought. We know that it was an intense struggle but we don’t know...

  World's No1 Exotico ... Cassandro      Meet the Queen of the ring     By SIMON ROTHSTEIN Published: 04 Dec 2008         HE’S a gay Lucha Libre wrestler who enters the ring wearing pantyhose and a woman’s bathing suit. Yet grappling fans everywhere, from his home country of Mexico to right here in the UK, can’t get enough of Cassandro. The self-proclaimed ‘Queen of the ring’ is back in Britain as one of 16 stars who will be performing on Lucha Libre London at the Roundhouse from December 6-9. And he says that while...

SALEM, Ore. (Legal Newsline) -The University of Oregon was within its rights to jettison its men's wrestling program, a state judge ruled Tuesday. Marion County Circuit Judge Lynn Ashcroft upheld the university's decision to scuttle its intercollegiate wrestling program, saying the school can chose what programs it offers.

Special Delivery Jones, one of the regular faces in the World Wrestling Federation heyday of the 1980s, died Sunday in Antigua, following a stroke two days ago. He was 63.

http://wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=17 If there are any pro wrestling fans here, come on by the wrestlingclassics.com political message board.

EVERETT, Mass. -- Pro wrestling pioneer Walter "Killer" Kowalski has died from a heart attack. He was 81. Kowalski died Saturday after being taken off life support at a hospital in Everett, Mass. He had a heart attack on Aug. 8. The death was announced on Kowalski's Web site. Kowalski, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound wrestler, earned his nickname in 1954 by dropping Yukon Eric during a match in Montreal. He became famous for various moves, including a grip called the "Killer Clutch." Kowalski was inducted into several wrestling halls of fame, including the World Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame and the...

Killer Kowalski Passes Away Walter "Killer" Kowalski passed away early this morning. Kowalski had been taken off life support two weeks ago. He suffered a massive heart attack back on August 8th.

It turns out that the Greco-Roman wrestler who was stripped of his bronze medal for dropping it in disgust on the mat had reason for being angry, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

BEIJING–Saeed Azarbayjani is one of Canada's wrestling Olympians and, in his day job, a handyman. But 13 years ago he was a refugee, a son of Iran on the run. Bent on fleeing the country of his birth, he and two friends stole away from their Tehran homes in the wee hours of a dark night. They told their families nothing, said goodbye to no one. Guided by paid human traffickers through the foothills of Mount Ararat, where an escapist named Noah is said to have washed up with his ark, Azarbayjani and his friends didn't always know where they...

<p>The 33-year-old immediately announced his decision to retire from wrestling....</p> <p>Abrahamian, who won silver at Athens four years ago, had high hopes of winning the gold in the 84kg competition...but was beaten in the semi-final by the eventual winner Andrea Minguzzi of Italy.</p>

"Abrahamian threw down his 84kg greco-roman bronze in disgust after his shot at gold was ended by a decision denounced by the Swedish coach as "politics". Abrahamian took the medal from around his neck during the medal ceremony, stepped from the podium and dropped it in the middle of the mat before storming off. The Swedish wrestler had to be restrained by team-mates earlier as a row erupted with judges over the decision in a semi-final bout with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who went on to the take gold. Abrhamian, who won silver at the Athens 2004 Games, shouted at...

<p>BEIJING (AP)—Manuchar Kvirkelia knew how big this day was for him. He could only guess what it meant for his native Georgia, a country badly in need of any glimmer of happiness during the grimmest of times.</p> <p>Kvirkelia turned two strong moves into a quick victory over China’s Chang Yongxiang in the Greco-Roman 74-kilogram finals Wednesday, giving Georgia its first Olympic wrestling gold medal.</p>

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon wrestlers have gone to court to save their program from being eliminated so the university can restore its baseball team. "We don't want to see this program go away," said Ron Finley a former Oregon wrestling coach and now director of the Save Oregon Wrestling Foundation. The foundation is one of the main supporters of a lawsuit filed last Friday in Marion County Circuit Court in Salem by Equity in Athletics Inc., a nonprofit coalition of athletes, coaches, parents, alumni and fans. The complaint seeks a preliminary injunction to maintain the wrestling program while hearings...

"A high school wrestling coach in a Michigan city known for its large Arab community says he’s being forced out of his job of 35 years on trumped up allegations he allowed his assistant, a local clergyman, to try converting students to Christianity." "Dearborn Schools' spokesman David Mustonen confirmed that principal Imad Fadlallah decided not to renew Marszalek’s contract but said it has nothing to do with Hancock." “Jerry Marszalek is a non-union employee…If we have a union member, a teacher that’s part of the union, they are given priority to people from the outside when it comes to coaching...

It has been a long and slow devolution from the Federalist Papers to Monday Night Raw. ... Monday night, in a state of utter disbelief, I witnessed the intersection of surrealism that may portend the downfall of America. Osama bin Laden could not have devised a more fiendish way of eradicating American self respect, or of amplifying inanity to near-atomic destructive levels. Our presidential candidates appeared and talked smack on a professional wrestling television program. ... When I caught wind that McCain, Clinton and Obama would make appearances on a wrestling telecast, I had an overwhelming urge to crack open...

SEATTLE – One day before they duke it out in the important Pennsylvania Democratic primary, presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are being invited to bring their fight to the ring. World Wrestling Entertainment is inviting the two senators to compete in a match on Monday Night Raw on April 21. "Forget about who's better prepared when the phone rings at 3 a.m. and find out who's better when the bell rings," says an ad on WWE's Web site. There's no immediate word on whether either side will accept the invitation.

Super Mojado — Super Wetback, if you translate the Spanish slur — is a new Mexican wrestler making his debut Saturday in Van Nuys, Calif., to help raise money for some of the more than 100 undocumented workers busted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month. "We decided to make a hero that would be for all the people that don't have papers," said Joseph Medina, a wrestling promoter.... When Super Mojado takes to the ring for an immigration smackdown against a fellow countryman and an American who wants him out, it won't be just a night of entertainment....

In front of the camera, Gary Hart, who died Sunday, was one of the most vile and hated managers of all time; behind the scenes, he had one of the greatest minds for professional wrestling...

Right off the bat, Don Curtis faced the best. As an amateur wrestler at the University of Buffalo in 1951, Curtis -- then known as Don Beitelman -- tangled on the mat with multi-time world champion Lou Thesz. It was a bout both would always remember...

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan has been rocked by another bombshell as he recovers from his shock marriage split - he has been romantically linked to his teenage daughter Brooke's former assistant. (Advertisement) A new U.S. tabloid report claims Hogan had an affair with 33year-old Christiane Plante, while he was married to now-estranged wife Linda. The National Enquirer claims the wrestling great started romancing Plante 12 months before his 24-year marriage fell apart in 2007. Plante tells the publication, "I will never be able to fully forgive myself for this. I have lost an amazing friend." Hogan, who is hoping for...

For those of you who haven’t heard I had my first surgery last week. I had both of my knees scoped last Thursday to trim and remove bits of torn cartilage from my knees. There wasn’t a specific injury that necessitated my surgery it was just a long-term build up of wear and tear from a 16-year pro-wrestling career. The problems first started in my right knee and then later developed in my left, quite probably from putting added pressure on it while trying to favour the injured right. Thanks to an incredibly slow medical system the whole process from...