Free Republic

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Pro wrestler Brock Lesnar has settled his lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment, which sought to ban him from performing anywhere in the world until he's past his prime. Lesnar wrestled as "The Next Big Thing." He signed the noncompete contract in 2004 when he left the WWE so he could try out for the Minnesota Vikings. He was cut during preseason in August 2004. The contract restricted 28-year-old Lesnar from working in sports entertainment until 2010 and applied to many areas in which the former NCAA heavyweight champion from Minnesota might make a living, including ultimate fighting.

WASHINGTON — When Nikolai Volkoff made an entrance during the height of his fame years ago, he was greeted by boos. Now he hopes for applause. That's because Volkoff, who as a symbol of the communist Soviet Union in the 1980s was considered one of the most notorious professional wrestlers, is preparing for a run at the House of Delegates in September. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Volkoff, now a Baltimore County code inspector, is a veteran of the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) from the 1980s, when the likes of Hulk Hogan, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and Rowdy Roddy Piper...

osh Stewart-jstewart@longislandpress.com 02/10/2006 11:54 am Newspaper editors rarely ask potential reporters if they’re up on the latest pro wrestling storylines. After a recent story in the Boca Raton News, maybe they should. The paper reported on the alleged misconduct by World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon, who has been accused by a tanning salon employee of groping her and trying to kiss her late last month in Florida. But the final line of the story claimed that McMahon was “reportedly” seeking a divorce from his wife, Linda McMahon, the CEO of WWE. A Press search showed no recent reports about...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2005 – The World Wrestling Entertainment RAW TV show will feature a special "Tribute to the Troops" program tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time on the USA Network. WWE chairman Vince McMahon and WWE RAW superstars recently returned from their "Tribute to the Troops" tour of Afghanistan, where they met with thousands of men and women in the U.S. military carrying the message "America Supports You," according to a WWE news release. "Monday Night RAW: Tribute to the Troops" will feature matches between WWE superstars held at a special RAW taped on Dec. 9 at Bagram Air...

WWE with a tribute to the troops in Afghanistan. Vince McMahon on now ripping the media and commending the troops!!!!

'Raw' turning to Rhodes as GM December 11, 2005 BY BLACKJACK BROWN To nobody's surprise, ''Raw'' GM Eric Bischoff was fired on Monday night, and even less of a surprise was Vince McMahon dropping the ax at the very end of ''Raw'' to generate interest in the following week's show. The WWE has teased many possible replacements, including Shane and Stephanie McMahon, Bret Hart, Mick Foley and Steve Austin, but as of this weekend all indications are that Dusty Rhodes will be given the role as the one to take ''Raw'' into 2006. Dusty held the same role in TNA...

Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan -- It wasn't Bob Hope, but the thousands of U.S. troops craning their necks for a peek at the hulking "superstars" and scantily clad "divas" in the hastily constructed wrestling ring at Bagram Air Base didn't seem to mind. "I'm just here to watch the chicks wearing pretty much nothing," said Spec. Cody Chandler, 28, of Palmdale (Los Angeles County). Apache helicopters and A-10 Warthogs with soldiers perched on top formed the backdrop for the holiday spectacle as the stars of World Wrestling Entertainment's Monday Night RAW descended on the base outside Kabul on Friday in...

Wrestler Ric Flair Accused Of Road Rage POSTED: 5:35 pm EST November 28, 2005 UPDATED: 6:50 pm EST November 28, 2005 CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Pro wrestler Ric Flair faces assault charges after a road rage incident on Interstate 485 in Charlotte. Another driver said Flair attacked him and his car. The driver said he was on I-485 on Wednesday,trying to get out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday and traffic was slow. The driver said he noticed someone behind him flashing their headlights, so he hit his brakes. The driver said the car then pulled along side him, police said....

Sky Sports has been censured by a media watchdog... The character, played by an American, Mark Copani, entered the ring wearing an Arab headdress and surrounded by a phalanx of masked men in combat clothes who were described by the commentators as his "sympathisers". There was also use of emotive language, including the words "martyr", "sacrifice" and "infidel" and footage of a previous clash between him and another wrestler was set to music that sounded like the Muslim call to prayer. After the programme, Sky approached WWE to ensure the character would be withdrawn, and it ended his contract.

Minneapolis — A World Wrestling Entertainment star was found dead in his hotel room Sunday in Minneapolis, where he was scheduled to appear that evening in a WWE show. Eduardo Gory Guerrero, 38, didn't respond to a wake-up call Sunday morning, authorities said. His nephew, fellow WWE wrestler Chavo Guerrero, and hotel security at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center forced their way into the room and found him. There were no apparent signs of foul play, police said. An autopsy was planned to determine how Guerrero died. His nephew said Guerrero was open about past drug and alcohol abuse but...

Former WWE wrestling champion Eddie Guerrero died suddenly at the age of 38--after collapsing the morning before he was due to fight for the world title again.Eddie was also set to perform in front of sellout crowds on a tour of Britain and Europe starting this week. The Latino star, real name Edwardo Guerrero, was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis.He leaves a wife Vickie and three daughters, Shaul, 14, Sherilyn, 9, and Kaylie Marie, 3. Eddie was in Minneapolis to take part in the main event of the WWE's Smackdown television show, where he was due to...

WWE reports Eddie Guerrero found dead By COREY DAVID LACROIX -- SLAM! Wrestling WWE.com is reporting today that Eddie Guerrero was found dead this morning in his hotel room in Minneapolis, MN. No cause of death has been reported, Guerrero is survived by his wife Vickie and two daughters. Guerrero had an absolutely stellar wrestling career, marked by his ability to deliver athletically competent, emotional, and ultimately awe inspiring performances in the ring. At the same time, it seemed he was constantly fending off his own personal demons in the form of alcohol and drug dependency. Those struggles were immortalized...

They were a suburban cross-section, these husky guys judging barbecue for the Hopkins Elks Lodge's annual rib contest: one owned a restaurant, another a landscape business; a retired cop sat across from a motorcycle salesman and the fifth was a semi-retired guy who does a lot of civic work. Oh, and happens to be Saddam Hussein's favorite professional wrestler. Adnan Alkaissy -- the handsome, tan older gentleman habitually fingering his Muslim prayer beads and known in Hopkins for his charity work with the Elks and the Lions club -- once delighted the "Butcher of Baghdad" in matches attended by thousands...

Mick Foley is known in professional wrestling as "The Hardcore Legend," one of the wildest, funniest and most violent men in the history of the business. In the corridors of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, though, Foley is better known for a hard-core commitment to wounded veterans of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Foley has visited troops at the hospitals or made other trips for the United Service Organization (USO) in and around Washington 20 times in a 20-month period. Last night, for example, Foley took 11 injured servicemen to...

WWE's latest batch of writers is said to continue in the trend of having absolutely no wrestling experience. One of the new female writers, who has a history with Nickelodeon, actually asked John Bradshaw Layfield how the wrestlers keep the fake blood flowing from their heads. What's even worse is that WWE has Court Bauer, one of the few writers with extensive knowledge, writing WWE Velocity. Sources blame Stephanie McMahon for moving WWE as far away from "pure wrestling" as possible. She was said to have loved this week's RAW as it had a large quotient of off-beat entertainment. -...

D.C. Watson: WWE’s Hassan character too accurately portrayed to succeed It appears to be a done deal. Mark Copani, who, for World Wrestling Entertainment plays the disgruntled Arab-American wrestler Muhammad Hassan, has tentatively been released by the WWE, and will be reporting to Ohio Valley Wrestling for “repackaging.” So, let’s see if we have this straight. A wrestling character, “Muhammad Hassan”, a Muslim character judging by the name, who during interviews, insults the United States, while also spending time interrupting interviews being conducted with other wrestlers, demanding the “special time that he deserves”, relying on his manager’s constant interference to...

Stamford-AP, July 22, 2005 12:32 PM) _ Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment is going to be limiting one of its made-up wrestling character's because of a clash with real world events. The WWE has agreed to remove an Arab-American character, Muhammad Hassan, from its popular Smackdown show. The issue was raised by the UPN network after the show featuring the character was aired two weeks ago on the day of the London bombings. WWE says it agrees and has not had the character on SmackDown! since then. However, Muhammad Hassan is still scheduled for this Sunday's Pay-Per-View, The Great American Bash.

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2005 – World Wrestling Entertainment will offer its July 24 Pay-Per-View special, "SmackDown! The Great American Bash," free for broadcast on American Forces Network as a way of thanking servicemembers and their families for their service to America. "While our men and women of the Armed Forces are serving throughout the world, we know they are away from their homes and their families, so we are pleased to provide them with a little piece of home as a token of our thanks for all they are doing during this challenging time," said Kevin Dunn, WWE executive vice...

World Wrestling Entertainment and UPN have heard from several concerned viewers following last Thursday's "WWE Smackdown," which depicted a terrorist-like attack involving a group of Arab-Americans and a wrestling opponent.

Professional wrestler Chris Candito (Candido) died today at the age of 33. Candito was primarily known for his work with the WWE as "Bodydonna Skip" and his tumultuous relationship with his longtime girlfriend and fellow WWE employee Tamara "Sunny" Sytch. No cause of death has been listed, but Candito did suffer a badly broken ankle during a match with the TNA promotion this past Sunday on their pay per view wrestling show. The injury was so severe that surgery was required to repair the break. Candito had apparently overcoem a long history of drug abuse and had appeared to be...