1.
Tampa, Florida
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Tampa is a major city in, and the county seat of, Hillsborough County, Florida. It is located on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay, near the Gulf of Mexico, the city had a population of 346,037 in 2011. The current location of Tampa was once inhabited by peoples of the Safety Harbor culture. The area was explored by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, resulting in violent conflicts and the introduction of European diseases, which wiped out the original native cultures. In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of todays Tampa Convention Center. The first civilian residents were pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population, today, Tampa is part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. For U. S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, the Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U. S. Census data showed an annual growth of 2.47 percent. A2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes in 2008. Tampa also ranks as the fifth most popular American city, based on where people want to live, a 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper Washington Square News ranked Tampa as a top city for twenty-somethings. Tampa is ranked as a Gamma+ world city by Loughborough University, ranked alongside other world cities such as Phoenix, Charlotte, Rotterdam, and Santo Domingo. The word Tampa may mean sticks of fire in the language of the Calusa and this might be a reference to the many lightning strikes that the area receives during the summer months. Other historians claim the name means the place to gather sticks, toponymist George R. Stewart writes that the name was the result of a miscommunication between the Spanish and the Indians, the Indian word being itimpi, meaning simply near it. The name first appears in the Memoir of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda and he calls it Tanpa and describes it as an important Calusa town. While Tanpa may be the basis for the modern name Tampa, archaeologist Jerald Milanich places the Calusa village of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, the original Bay of Tanpa. A later Spanish expedition did not notice Charlotte Harbor while sailing north along the west coast of Florida, the name was accidentally transferred north. Map makers were using the term Bay or Bahia Tampa as early as 1695, people from Tampa are known as Tampans or Tampanians. Latin Americans from Tampa are known as tampeños, or tampeñas for females and these terms of Spanish origin emerged after 1900 for the immigrant communities in West Tampa and Ybor City
2.
Odessa, Florida
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Odessa is a census-designated place in Pasco County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,173 at the 2000 census and more than doubled to 7,267 in 2010, northwest of Tampa, Odessa had been an area of open spaces, ranching, and horse properties. More recently it has seen many suburban property developments as Tampas population expands, Odessa was founded in the 1880s by Peter Demens, a Russian immigrant who established the community through the Orange Belt Railway. Demens also founded St. Petersburg, Florida and named both communities after places he used to go to in his native country, there was once a large sawmill in the area providing employment. This sawmill replaced some smaller ones and was burned in a fire in 1922, the area is rapidly being developed as Tampa expands. Odessa was home to Tampa Bay Executive Airport until 2004, Odessa is located at 28°11′0″N 82°34′6″W. The mailing area that uses the city of Odessa stretches into Hillsborough County and overlaps parts of Keystone and this apparent overlap is due to USPS ZIP code designation only, the two CDPs do not actually overlap. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,173 people,1,181 households, the population density was 598.9 people per square mile. There were 1,272 housing units at a density of 240. 1/sq mi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95. 93% White,0. 66% African American,0. 57% Native American,0. 72% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 91% from other races, and 1. 17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6. 81% of the population,18. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the family size was 3.04. In the CDP, the population was out with 24. 9% under the age of 18,7. 0% from 18 to 24,32. 1% from 25 to 44,27. 6% from 45 to 64. The median age was 39 years, for every 100 females there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males, the median income for a household in the CDP was $45,864, and the median income for a family was $55,461. Males had an income of $38,992 versus $26,818 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,548, about 3. 7% of families and 6. 7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10. 4% of those under age 18 and 11. 5% of those age 65 or over. Trinity and Odessa Florida Information History of Odessa Parry, Albert
3.
University of Georgia
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Its primary location is a 762-acre campus adjacent to the college town of Athens, Georgia, approximately an hours drive from the global city of Atlanta. The university has been labeled one of the Public Ivies, a publicly funded university considered to provide a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League. The university was founded in 1785 as the United States first state-chartered university and its historic North Campus is on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places as a designated historic district. The contiguous campus areas include rolling hills, gardens, and extensive green space including nature walks, fields, shrubbery, and large and varied arboreta. Close to the campus is the universitys 58-acre Health Sciences Campus that also has an extensive landscaped green space, more than 400 trees. The university offers over 140 degree programs in an array of disciplines. Consisting of thirteen separate libraries, the UGA Libraries rank among the nation’s largest and best research libraries containing 5.7 million volumes, the University of Georgia is one of 126 member institutions that comprise the Association of Research Libraries. The university is organized into seventeen schools and colleges, the university has three primary campuses. The largest one is the campus in Athens that has 460 buildings. The university has two campuses located in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, Georgia. The university operates several service and outreach stations spread across the state, the total acreage of the university in 30 Georgia counties is 41,539 acres. Varsity and intramural student athletics are a part of student life. UGA served as a member of the SEC in 1932. In their 121-year history, the varsity sports teams have won 39 national championships and 130 conference championships. The Georgia Redcoat Marching Band, the marching band of the university, plays at sports. The Senatus Academicus was composed of the Board of Visitors and the Board of Trustees with the Georgia Senate presiding over those two boards, the first meeting of the universitys board of trustees was held in Augusta, Georgia on February 13,1786. The meeting installed its first president, Abraham Baldwin, a native of Connecticut, Baldwin was a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and one of two Georgia delegates to sign the final document. Many features on the University of Georgia campus resemble the campus of Yale, on July 2,1799, the Senatus Academicus met again in Louisville, Georgia and decided that the time was right to open the university
4.
Professional wrestling
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Professional wrestling is a dramatized athletic performance that portrays a combat sport. Various forms of weaponry are sometimes used, the content – including match outcomes – is scripted and choreographed, and the combative actions and reactions are performed to appear violent without injuring the wrestlers. Before the 1980s, these facts were considered trade secrets, in the mid-90s, the presentation of scripted events as legitimate is known as kayfabe. Although the combative content is staged and communicated between the wrestlers, there are physical hazards involved - including permanent injury and death. While it has declined in Europe, in North America it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, unlike in Europe, show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in North America. In Brazil, there was a popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries, although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from live event ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, personal appearances by performers, branded merchandise, pro wrestling was also instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and formerly Bash at the Beach, Halloween Havoc, home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week. Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, there have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling, the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer and this is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and those who participated felt that it was necessary that spectators should be kept in a constant and complete illusion of a real competition to keep audience interest. For decades, up until the mid-1980s, wrestlers lived their lives as though they were their characters. Wrestlers, bookers and promoters all rigorously enforced the illusion and very few were allowed into the society of professional wrestling to maintain suspension of disbelief. The practice of keeping the illusion, and the methods used to do so, came to be known as kayfabe within wrestling circles. An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders knowledge of what was being said, occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events
5.
Griffin, Georgia
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Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County in the U. S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, as of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 23,643. Griffin was founded in 1840 and named for landowner Col. Lewis Lawrence Griffin, several notable people are from Griffin and the city has been filmed for several notable shows and movies. Griffin Technical College was located in Griffin from 1963 and a branch of Southern Crescent Technical College is in Griffin, the Griffin Synodical Female College was established by Presbyterians but closed. The University of Georgia maintains a campus in Griffin. The Macon and Western Railroad was extended to a new station in Griffin in 1842, in 1938, Alma Lovell had been distributing religious Bible tracts as a Jehovahs Witness but was arrested for violating a city ordinance requiring prior permission for distributing literature. In Lovell v. City of Griffin, the U. S. Supreme Court found that the city had violated her First Amendment, the district includes the Griffin Grocery Company Building, now the Griffin Regional Welcome Center. Three of the men transferred to other units, six were discharged for disability, ten were discharged for various reasons. Griffin is located at 33°14′51″N 84°16′15″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.6 square miles, of which 14.5 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 23,451 people,8,876 households, the population density was 1,615.0 people per square mile. There were 9,636 housing units at a density of 663.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 49. 88% African American,46. 98% White,0. 17% Native American,0. 99% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 98% from other races, and 0. 98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2. 22% of the population,27. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the family size was 3.17. In the city, the population was out with 28. 7% under the age of 18,9. 8% from 18 to 24,28. 9% from 25 to 44,18. 8% from 45 to 64. The median age was 33 years, for every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males, the median income for a household in the city was $30,088, and the median income for a family was $33,963. Males had an income of $30,488 versus $21,352 for females
6.
Rick Martel
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Richard Vigneault is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel. He is also known for his 595-day reign as AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Martel is from a family of wrestlers, and made his professional debut at age sixteen when his brother Michel, a wrestler, asked him to replace an injured wrestler. Martel was already an amateur wrestler, and quickly adapted to professional wrestling. Martel wrestled throughout the world, winning titles in Canada, New Zealand and he left PNW on August 16,1980, when he lost a Loser Leaves Town match to Buddy Rose. Martel debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in July 1980 and that fall, he formed a tag team with Tony Garea. On November 8, they defeated The Wild Samoans to capture the WWF Tag Team Championship and they successfully defended the title until dropping the belts to The Moondogs on March 17,1981. They regained the title from The Moondogs on July 21 and their second reign came to an end on October 13, when they lost to Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito. Though they would challenge the champions numerous times, Martel and Garea were unable to recapture the belts, Martel signed with the AWA in 1982 and quickly ascended through the ranks, defeating Jumbo Tsuruta to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on May 13,1984. His reign as champion lasted nearly nineteen months, during which time he wrestled several matches with NWA World Champion Ric Flair, as well as with Jimmy Garvin, Nick Bockwinkel and his finishing move alternated between the slingshot splash and the combination atomic drop/back suplex. On December 29,1985, Martel lost the title to Stan Hansen, in 1986, Martel returned to the WWF, with his tag team partner Tom Zenk. They were billed as The Can-Am Connection, the Can-Am Connection had been formed by Martel in the Montreal-based Lutte Internationale in 1986. Zenk was the boyfriend of Martels sister-in-law, and had introduced to Martel in the AWA by Curt Hennig. The Can-Am Connection with their looks and high energy in-ring performances quickly garnered the affection of fans. They split shortly afterward, Zenk claimed Martel had secretly negotiated a contract worth three times more than his partners contract. In Mad Dogs, Migdets and Screw Jobs, he said, “Ever since I had been fired by Jim Barnett, I decided not to discuss money matters with other wrestlers. I did the thing with Tom, and he put it in his head, or some other people put it in his head. But as far as Vince was concerned, if you were in a tag team, Wrestling is very hard on your body. Tom wasnt mentally or physically hard as I thought he would be, in July 1987, Martel defeated both Haku and Tama in singles competition
7.
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
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Following his retirement from wrestling, he made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker and producer in WWEs NXT developmental territory. Billed as the son of a plumber, Rhodes did not have a typical wrestlers physique, his character was that of the Common Man, WWE chairman Vince McMahon remarked that no wrestler personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes. He also won regional championships, and is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling. His sons, Dustin and Cody Runnels, both pursued careers in professional wrestling and performed for WWE, after graduating high school, Rhodes played football for West Texas State. Turning professional, Rhodes tried out for the American Football Leagues Boston Patriots but was cut and he then played for the Hartford Charter Oaks in the Continental Football League until the team folded. In 1967, Rhodes saw an advertisement in the newspaper for Tony Santos’ professional wrestling promotion Big Time Wrestling, based in Boston. Rhodes drove to Boston, and despite not having any wrestling experience, bluffed his way into working for the company by using his real life friendships with Bobby Duncum and the Funk brothers. Billed as Dusty Runnels, one of his first matches was for the BTW World Heavyweight title against champion Frank Scarpa in the Boston Arena, having little money, Rhodes slept in his car and spent Thanksgiving with Rufus R. Jones in a Boston soup kitchen. Rhodes moved on to Fritz Von Erichs Texas territory World Class Championship Wrestling in 1968 and it was in Texas where Rhodes first adopted the ring name Dusty Rhodes. Upon meeting Rhodes, Gary Hart suggested that he change his name to Lonesome Rhodes. Rhodes reportedly replied, Well. I don’t plan on being Lonesome, I think I’ll stick with Dusty. Hart took a liking to Rhodes and convinced Von Erich of the young wrestlers potential. Rhodes became a heel with Hart as his manager, teaming with Don Jardine. Later in 1968, Rhodes left Texas and entered the Kansas City territory, Rhodes did not have a typical wrestlers physique, but he was well known for his personality, charisma and interviews. In 1974, Rhodess character became a hero after tag team partner Pak Song and manager Gary Hart turned on him during a match in Florida against Eddie and Mike Graham. This led him to break out as a wrestler, primarily in Florida, referring to himself as the American Dream, a working class hero. In 1977, Rhodes wrestled for Vince McMahon, Sr. s World Wide Wrestling Federation on, during that time, Rhodes main-evented twice in Madison Square Garden, both times challenging for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against reigning champion Superstar Billy Graham. Rhodes won the first match on September 26 via countout, and lost the second, Graham won after a mid-ring collision, falling on Rhodes for the three count
8.
World Championship Wrestling
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WCW Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion, historically based in Atlanta, Georgia. Immediately after the buyout, the business was renamed the Universal Wrestling Corporation, WCW also developed a popular cruiserweight division. WCW eclipsed the WWF in popularity throughout the United States for much of the latter-1990s, however, numerous financial, Turner owned WCW until 2001, when selected assets were purchased by the WWF. Since 2001, WCW images and video footage have been distributed in WWE-owned media. Two separate subsidiary companies exist as successors to WCW, WCW, Inc. is the WWE subsidiary established in Delaware in late 2000, initially as W. Acquisition Company, which holds the rights to the WCW video library and other intellectual property. The former WCW entity, which retained liabilities not acquired by WWE, was renamed back to the Universal Wrestling Corporation, the name World Championship Wrestling was first used as a brand and television show title in 1982. Jim Barnett came to Atlanta in the 1970s during a struggle over Georgia Championship Wrestling. Barnett ultimately became majority owner of the promotion, and began using his previous name for his new promotions television program in 1982. The promotion was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions. However, it was not until November 2,1988 that an actual, National Wrestling Alliance -affiliated promotion called World Championship Wrestling appeared on the national scene and this entity was under the ownership of media mogul and cable-TV pioneer Ted Turner, based in Atlanta, Georgia. WCW went through changes in business and creative leadership during its existence. Once Bischoff was relieved of his duties in 1999, Vince Russo, the two, however, did not get along well and Bischoff soon resigned from the sinking company. It was only a few months later that Russo would also depart after suffering from a concussion at the hands of Bill Goldberg, following Russos departure, the creative needs of the WCW were handled by a booking committee which included Johnny Ace and Terry Taylor. From 2000 to 2001, Monster Jam had a series of trucks based on wrestlers names. These include nWo, Sting, Nitro Machine, Madusa and Goldberg, the first to go was nWo, which only ran for a season. Next, all but Goldberg, Nitro, and Madusa were retired after the WCW sponsorship was lost, Nitro then became Flashfire, and then was converted into Inferno. Madusa has stayed the same since its creation, because it is driven by former WCW wrestler Debrah Miceli, as for Goldberg, it was changed to Team Meents in 2002, then into Maximum Destruction, which debuted in 2003 and continues to compete in the series. WCW also had a presence in NASCAR from the mid-1990s to 2000, sponsoring the #29 team in the Busch Grand National Series full-time and the #9 Melling Racing team in the Winston Cup Series part-time
9.
WWE
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Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American professional wrestling promotion and the sanctioning body for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Federation. Founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1953, Capitol Wrestling Corporation is the precursor to todays WWE, run by Jess grandson, Jess McMahon was a successful boxing promoter who began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing at the third Madison Square Garden, a few years prior, professional wrestler Toots Mondt had created a new challenge of professional wrestling that he called “Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling”. He convinced wrestler Ed Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow to implement this new solution, after much success, a disagreement over power caused the trio to dissolve and, with it, their promotion. Mondt later formed partnerships with other promoters, including Jack Curley in New York City. Mondt eventually took over the New York wrestling scene, due to the fact Curley was dying, with the aid of several bookers, together, McMahon and Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. which later joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1953. In November 1954, Jess McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondts associates, both men left the company in protest following the incident and formed the WWWF in the process, awarding Rogers the new WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in April of that year. He lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17,1963, after gaining a television program deal and turning preliminary wrestler Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartinos heel opponents, the WWWF was doing sell out business by 1970. Mondt left the company in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon, at the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and WWF employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization. By March 1979, for marketing purposes, the World Wide Wrestling Federation was renamed the World Wrestling Federation and that same year, Vincent J. McMahons son, Vincent K. McMahon, founded Titan Sports, Inc. incorporated on February 21,1980, originally in Massachusetts. In 1982, Titan Sports Inc. acquired Capitols operations, effectively relocating its headquarters to Greenwich, in an attempt to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the world, McMahon began an expansion that fundamentally changed the industry. In the end, the elder McMahon would never live to see his company grow from a promotion to what is now a worldwide organization. He died from cancer at 69 years old on May 24,1984. By 1985, Titan moved to Stamford, Connecticut then establishing a new entity in 1987 in Delaware which later merged with the old company in 1988. Titan later changed its name to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. before finally becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, list of independent wrestling promotions in the United States
10.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
11.
Georgia Bulldogs football
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The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and they play their home games at historic Sanford Stadium on the universitys Athens, Georgia, campus. Georgias inaugural season was in 1892, UGA claims two national championships, the AP and Coaches Polls have each voted the Bulldogs the national champion once. UGA declines to claim four national championships awarded by some selecting organizations and publications. The Bulldogs have won 14 conference championships, including 12 SEC Championships, and have appeared in 52 bowl games, the program has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, four No.1 National Football League draft picks, and many winners of other national awards. The team is known for its history, unique traditions. Georgia was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Georgia participated in the SIAA from its establishment in 1895 until 1921, during its tenure in the SIAA, Georgia was conference co-champion in two years,1896 and 1920. In 1921, the Bulldogs, along with 12 other teams, left the SIAA, during its time in the Southern Conference, the team never won a conference championship. In 1932, the Georgia Bulldogs left the Southern Conference to form and join the SEC, the first mention of Bulldogs in association with Georgia athletics occurred on November 28,1901, at the Georgia-Auburn football game played in Atlanta. Traditionally, the choice of a Bulldog as the UGA mascot was attributed to the alma mater of its founders and first president, Abraham Baldwin, prior to that time, Georgia teams were usually known as the Red and Black. After a 0-0 tie with Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov.6,1920, the name has been used ever since. Uga is the name of a lineage of white Bulldogs which have served as the mascot of the University of Georgia since 1956. The current mascot, Que, officially took the role of Uga X on October 23,2015, shortly before Uga IX, or Russ, deceased Ugas are interred in a mausoleum near the main entrance to Sanford Stadium. Georgia is the school to bury its past mascots inside the football stadium. Glory, Glory is the song for the Georgia Bulldogs and was sung at football games as early as the 1890s. The rally song was arranged in its current form by Georgia professor Hugh Hodgson in 1915, while Glory, Glory is the most commonly played Georgia song, the schools official fight song is Hail To Georgia which is played after field goals. Today, freshmen are no longer required to do the chore, with students, alumni, how bout them Dawgs is a slogan of recent vintage that first surfaced in the late 1970s and has become a battle cry of Bulldog fans
12.
Defensive end
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Defensive end is a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, early formations, with six- and seven-man lines, used the end as a containment player, whose job was first to prevent an end run around his position, then secondarily to force plays inside. Some teams would use both styles of end play, depending on game situations, some defensive ends play the position due to their size, they close down their gap so the running back has no hole to run through. Other ends play the position due to their speed and agility and these ends can time the snap of the ball in order to get a jump on the rush, and stop the play. Most of the time it is the job of the end to keep outside or contain. The defensive ends are fast for players of their size, often the fastest and smallest players on the defensive line and they must be able to shed blockers to get to the ball. Defensive ends are often used to cover the outside area of the line of scrimmage, to tackle ball carriers running to the far right or left side. Since the creation of zone blitz defenses in the late 1990s, defensive ends have sometimes used in pass coverages. In the 3–4 defense, defensive ends are used primarily as run stoppers and are much larger, often, the position is played by a more agile or slightly undersized defensive tackle. Because of the popularity of the 3–4 defense, the value of a defensive tackle prospect that can possibly be used in this manner has increased. They are used to distract the offensive lineman on pass rushing plays to let the outside linebackers get a sack and they block screen passes and are put outside of the offensive tackles to get a sack. Some say you might as well convert a nose tackle into a 3–4 end
13.
New York Jets
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The New York Jets are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues American Football Conference East division. The team is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, in a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the New York Giants. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, the team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League, later, the franchise joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds, under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise moved to Shea Stadium in 1964 and then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in 1984. Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs 13 times, however, the Jets have never returned to the Super Bowl, making them one of three NFL teams to win their lone Super Bowl appearance, along with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The teams training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park, the first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14,1959. Wismer was granted the franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained. He secured the Titans home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, by 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until seasons end. A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, Werblin renamed the team the New York Jets since the team would play in Shea Stadium near LaGuardia Airport. The new name was intended to reflect the approach of his team. The Jets owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the manager and head coach. The early 1990s saw New York struggling, after firing coach Bruce Coslet, owner Leon Hess hired Pete Carroll who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory, Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach. Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to New York in 1997, Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, the franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the five times. Rex Ryan was hired in January 2009, Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years but the team never made the playoffs again during his tenure
14.
Glossary of professional wrestling terms
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Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable nomenclature throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the nature of the business. In recent years, widespread discussion on the Internet has popularized these terms, many of the terms refer to the financial aspects of professional wrestling in addition to performance-related terms. A-show A wrestling event where a companys biggest draws wrestle, a-team A group of a wrestling promotions top stars who compete at an A-show. Abort To discontinue a feud, angle, or gimmick suddenly, usually without explanation or due to a lack of fan interest, ace A term typically only used in Japanese puroresu for a wrestler designated as the face of the promotion. Not necessarily the same as the top champion, examples of modern aces include Hiroshi Tanahashi in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Suwama in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Agent A management employee, often a former wrestler, who helps set up matches, plans storylines. Often acts as a liaison between wrestlers and higher-level management, referred to as producers by WWE and sometimes by other companies. Sometimes they help train and teach younger active wrestlers and give criticism, Alliance A cooperative relationship developed between two or more wrestlers, whether wrestling as a tag team or in individual matches. Alliances are often formed for the purpose of retaining titles between the members of the alliance, or to counter a specific foe or group of foes. The formation of an alliance can be a storyline of its own, an angle usually begins when one wrestler attacks another, which results in revenge. An angle may be as small as a match or a vendetta that lasts for years. It is not uncommon to see an angle become retconned due to it not getting over with the fans, Apter mag An old-style professional wrestling magazine that sticks to kayfabe articles. The term refers to the magazines at one time connected to journalist Bill Apter, B-show A wrestling event featuring the middle and lower-level talent of a wrestling promotion. Sometimes includes well-known wrestlers making a return or finishing up their career, b-team The group of wrestlers on a B-show. Babyface A wrestler positioned as a hero, who the crowd are typically cheering for in a match, often simply known as a face. Beat down A situation in which a wrestler or other performer is the recipient of a one-sided beating, blading A wrestler intentionally cutting themself to provoke bleeding
15.
Championship Wrestling from Florida
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It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling. When Mike Graham tried a return to promoting, the rights to the name had been acquired by a party, forcing him to use another name. It was worked but Cowboy took a severe beating, Cowboy opened the office in 1949, and Eddie Graham bought into the promotion in 1961 and took over completely in 1971, because of health reasons with Cowboy. CWF became a staple in many Southern households in the 1970s and 1980s, with Dusty Rhodes arguably its most noted headliner, the promotion competed against other syndicated shows on Saturday night like The Lawrence Welk Show and Solid Gold for years. Well known heels, newcomers and babyfaces who turned heel during their tenure with CWF often sought out Rhodes to make their names in the territory, the other remaining owners were Mike Graham, Eddies brother Skip Gossett, Dusty Rhodes and Buddy Colt. The promotion continued losing money and merged with Jim Crockett Promotions in February 1987, most of the stars had gone to Jim Crockett Promotions or the WWF by that point. Arena footage was also used, and full arena show broadcasts began in the early 80s. On March 2,2006, it was announced that the CWF library was purchased by World Wrestling Entertainment for the DVD on Dusty Rhodes, gordon Solie was featured at the end of WWEs FCW TV Show in a tribute to CWF and himself. Howard Brody started NWA Florida in 1990 and he booked for it until 2002, in 2003, Kevin Rhodes started Championship Wrestling from Florida as a member of the NWA. He occasionally has some legends of the 1980s wrestling appear in his promotion, in 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment revived the promotion as a developmental territory under the name Florida Championship Wrestling. In 2012, the promotion began operating under the NXT Wrestling banner, dropping references to FCW
16.
Scott Hall
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In addition, Hall is a two-time world champion, having won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship. He is also notable for being a member of the New World Order. On April 5,2014, Hall was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Hall grew up as an army brat and moved once every year before he was fifteen. Hall began his career in 1984 in the National Wrestling Alliances Florida territory Championship Wrestling from Florida and he and Dan Spivey trained together in Florida. When it was time for the two to debut as a tag team, Rhodes sent them to work in Jim Crocketts Charlotte and they debuted as American Starship, Hall under the ring name Starship Coyote and Spivey under the ring name Starship Eagle. At first, American Starship were booked to wrestle infrequently, so much so that the two were given ground crew jobs for the Charlotte Orioles, when they did get in the ring, it was with little success. The highlight of their stay in Crockets Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling was a challenge to Arn. After leaving Crockett, the duo joined Bob Geigels NWA Central States territory in 1985 and they received a shot at NWA Central States Tag Team Champions Marty Jannetty and Bulldog Bob Brown, but lost the match. Dan Spivey’s stay in the Central States territory was brief and he returned to the Carolinas and Crockett, jobbing in the freshly rebranded Jim Crockett Promotions as American Starship Eagle. Hall, meanwhile, stayed in Central States, receiving a solid push, Hall joined the American Wrestling Association in 1985, where he wrestled as Magnum Scott Hall and, later, Big Scott Hall. He wrestled as a babyface wrestler, verne Gagne, the owner and promoter of the AWA, had wanted to push Hall to the same heights as he had Hulk Hogan, following Hogans departure for Vince McMahons World Wrestling Federation. Gagne had Hall use mannerisms and moves similar to Hogan, Hall formed a tag team with his more experienced friend Curt Hennig, whom he later would credit for cultivating his early professional wrestling career. The team defeated Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal for the AWA World Tag Team Championship on January 18,1986, in a 58-minute match in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The champions defended against such challengers as Buddy Rose and Doug Somers, Nord the Barbarian and Boris Zhukov and they lost the belts to Rose and Somers by countout on May 17, after interference by Colonel DeBeers. After losing the title, Hall and Hennig soon parted ways, Hall then received shots at the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, against Stan Hansen and Rick Martel. Although Gagne wanted to put the belt on Hall, Hall hated the cold weather in the territory, recognized the AWA as a sinking ship, the AWA folded the following year. Hall was brought into the NWAs World Championship Wrestling territory by Jim Ross in 1989, as part of the NWAs initiative to develop new, young stars. His first and only appearance during this time was at The Great American Bash, The Glory Days
17.
Tag team
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Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, in most team matches, only one competitor per team is allowed in the ring at a time. This status as the active or legal wrestler may be transferred by physical contact, the team-based match has been a mainstay of professional wrestling since the mid twentieth century, and most promotions have sanctioned a championship division for tag teams. g. A couple tag-teaming in an argument with another person, in 1901 the first tag team match was held in the United States, in San Francisco. San Francisco promoters introduced tag team wrestling as a way of improving the sport’s entertainment value, while tag team wrestling is now almost traditional in American professional wrestling, the innovation didnt become especially popular outside San Francisco until the 1930s. The first World tag team championship was also crowned in San Francisco in the early 1950s, typically, a tag team championship is awarded to and defended by team of two. In kayfabe, this made it difficult for challengers to prepare for their title fights. This was a gimmick, and is still utilized by other wrestling companies. The stipulation has become known as the freebird rule. A common storyline is former tag team partners turning on each other and this can be used when one member is being called on to develop a new gimmick. The basic tag team match has two teams of two facing off against each other. All standard rules for singles wrestling apply to a team match, however, only one wrestler from each team, called the legal man is allowed in the ring at a time. All other members of the team wait outside the ropes in the teams specified corner, only an active/legal wrestler is allowed to score a fall or have a fall scored against him/her. But any wrestler, legal or outside, may face disqualification for himself or his team for violating rules, once a tag is made, the wrestler tagging out has a grace period to leave the ring before risking disqualification. The wrestler outside the ring must be touching the tag rope tied in the corner, tags are legal as long as the two team members touch. The referee has to see and/or hear the contact between the two wrestlers in order for the tag to be legal. As the ultimate authority over the match, a referee may overlook any of these at his discretion, in some multi-man tag matches in lucha libre, a wrestler can make himself the teams legal man simply by setting foot in the ring, and his partner then leaves. This allows for action to become nearly continuous, two referees, one stationed inside the ring and one on the floor, are employed to maintain order for this type of match
18.
Charlotte, North Carolina
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Charlotte /ˈʃɑːrlət/ is the largest city in the state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Mecklenburg County and the second-largest city in the southeastern United States, just behind Jacksonville, Charlotte is the third-fastest growing major city in the United States. In 2014 the estimated population of Charlotte according to the U. S. Census Bureau was 809,958, the Charlotte metropolitan area ranks 22nd-largest in the U. S. and had a 2014 population of 2,380,314. The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2014 U. S. Census population estimate of 2,537,990, residents of Charlotte are referred to as Charlotteans. It is listed as a global city by the Globalization. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an international hub, and was ranked the 23rd-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic in 2013. Charlotte has a subtropical climate. The city is located several miles east of the Catawba River and southeast of Lake Norman, Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller man-made lakes located near the city. The Catawba Native Americans were the first to settle Mecklenburg County and were first recorded in European records around 1567, by 1759 half the Catawba tribe had been killed by smallpox. At the time of their largest population, Catawba people numbered 10,000, Mecklenburg County was initially part of Bath County of New Hanover Precinct, which became New Hanover County in 1729. The western portion of New Hanover split into Bladen County in 1734, Mecklenburg County formed from Anson County in 1762. Further apportionment was made in 1792, with Cabarrus County formed from Mecklenburg and these areas were all part of one of the original six judicial/military districts of North Carolina known as the Salisbury District. The area that is now Charlotte was settled by people of European descent around 1755, Thomas Polk, who later married Thomas Spratts daughter, built his house by the intersection of two Native American trading paths between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. One path ran north–south and was part of the Great Wagon Road, within decades of Polks settling, the area grew to become Charlotte Town, incorporating in 1768. The crossroads, perched atop the Piedmont landscape, became the heart of Uptown Charlotte, in 1770, surveyors marked the streets in a grid pattern for future development. The east–west trading path became Trade Street, and the Great Wagon Road became Tryon Street, in honor of William Tryon, the intersection of Trade and Tryon—commonly known today as Trade & Tryon, or simply The Square—is more properly called Independence Square. While surveying the boundary between the Carolinas in 1772, William Moultrie stopped in Charlotte Town, whose five or six houses were very ordinary built of logs, local leaders came together in 1775 and signed the Mecklenburg Resolves, more popularly known as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. While not a declaration of independence from British rule, it is among the first such declarations that eventually led to the American Revolution
19.
Jim Crockett Promotions
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Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. was a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1931, the promotion emerged as a cornerstone of the National Wrestling Alliance, by the 1980s, Jim Crockett Promotions was, along with the World Wrestling Federation, one of the two largest promotions in the United States. The Crockett family sold a majority interest in the promotion to Turner Broadcasting System in 1988, Jim Crockett was a promoter of live events including professional wrestling, music concerts, plays, minor league baseball, and ice hockey. In 1931, he founded his own wrestling promotion, Jim Crockett Promotions. Crockett built JCP as a regional promotion centred on the Carolinas, although the business was always called Jim Crockett Promotions, it used a variety of pseudonyms as brand names for specific TV shows, newspaper and radio ads, and even on event tickets, themselves. Crockett joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1952, and his territory covered Virginia, North Carolina, the name Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling became JCPs primary brand name in print, radio, and other advertising. Two years later, JCP introduced the Wide World Wrestling brand name, JCP used the Wide World/World Wide and Mid-Atlantic brands concurrently. The business was incorporated in the 1950s and he left JCP to his family, with his eldest son, Jim Crockett, Jr. taking over as chief executive. In 1981, JCP moved to the WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte, the local shows hosted by announcers like Big Bill Ward and Charlie Harville gave way to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Mid-Atlantic was hosted by Bob Caudle Caudle was joined by a rotation of co-hosts, for a brief period, a secondary show, East Coast Wrestling, was taped at WRAL, it was basically a re-packaged version of Mid-Atlantic, and was announced by Big Bill Ward. In 1975, JCP premiered a new, syndicated B-show, Wide World Wrestling, the original host of this show was former Georgia Championship Wrestling announcer Ed Capral. Subsequent Wide World/World Wide announcers included Les Thatcher, George and Sandy Scott and it was also hosted by the team of Rich Landrum and Johnny Weaver. Rich Landrum and David Crockett appeared on Best Of, doing interviews for local arena shows. JCP gradually began to expand, running shows in eastern Tennessee, parts of West Virginia, in the late-1970s and early-1980s, JCP ran regular shows in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Crockett and Scott also bought minority shares of Frank Tunneys Toronto-based promotion, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling also aired on a Buffalo, New York station, enabling the Tunney/Crockett/Scott enterprise to bring a full slate of shows to Ontario and upstate New York. In the 1980s, Crockett, Jr. began consolidating the Southern franchises of the National Wrestling Alliance, in August 1980, Crockett, Jr. was elected president of the NWA. In 1981, former Georgia Championship Wrestling booker Ole Anderson took over as Mid-Atlantics booker, in 1981, Anderson booked both JCP and GCW simultaneously. In 1982, Crockett partnered with wrestlers Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan to start a company out of Knoxville, Tennessee
20.
Arn Anderson
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Martin Anthony Lunde, better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is an American road agent and retired professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and he currently serves as the senior producer for WWE Raw. On March 31,2012, Anderson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Four Horsemen, Lunde began his career in early 1982, trained by Ted Lipscomb spending much of the year wrestling in various independent wrestling companies across the United States. By the middle of 1983, he made his way to Southeastern Championship Wrestling, taking the name of Super Olympia, Lunde soon became a member of Ron Fullers Stud Stable before the year was out. Lunde saw success in the tag team ranks by winning the NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship three times with Mr. Olympia and once with Pat Rose throughout 1984 and it was also here in this promotion that Lunde met and began what would become a lifelong friendship with Flair. By the end of the year, however, Lunde left the company, Lundes time in Mid South was coming to an end and during a TV taping the Junk Yard Dog mentioned to Bill Watts, the owner of Mid South Wrestling, that Lunde looked like an Anderson. Watts called Jim Crockett and convinced him to book Lunde, Lunde made his way to Jim Crockett, Jr. s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling based in the Virginias and the Carolinas. By this time, the extended its range into Georgia after rival promoter Vince McMahon purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling. There was a physical resemblance between Lunde and Ole Anderson, who had achieved legendary status in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic territories as a tag team wrestler. Ole noticed that Lundes style was a no nonsense approach in the ring, the team quickly became a force in the territory by capturing the NWA National Tag Team Championship in March 1985. Arn and Ole defended the titles throughout the year, with their highest profile match being part of the card for Starrcade 1985 on Thanksgiving night, the Crew successfully defended the titles against Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Jack Haynes. In the latter half of 1985, the Andersons formed a loose alliance with fellow heels Tully Blanchard and Ric Flair. The alliance quickly became a force within the territory, working in feuds against some of the biggest stars in the company like Dusty Rhodes, the Road Warriors and the Rock n Roll Express. Anderson also saw success as a wrestler on January 4,1986 by winning the vacant NWA Television Championship. It was also during this time that the Andersons, Blanchard, Anderson also had a tremendous ability to do interviews to further the storylines he participated in. Anderson continued his reign as NWA Television Champion for most of the year, the first real setback with the Horsemen occurred at Starrcade 1986 after Anderson and Ole lost a Steel Cage match to The Rock n Roll Express, with Ole getting pinned. The subsequent storyline positioned Ole as the link within the team. Oles position with the group was further weakened after he decided to take two months off after Starrcade
21.
Bob Geigel
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Robert Bob Geigel was an American professional wrestling promoter and also a professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was out by Jim Crockett Promotions. He was also president of the National Wrestling Alliance for most of the years 1978 to 1987. Born October 1,1924, in Algona, Iowa, Geigel entered the navy after high school, after the war, he attended the University of Iowa from 1946 to 1950, graduating with a degree in Physical education. Geigel was an amateur wrestler during his college years, coming in third place during the 1948 NCAA Championships in the 191 pounds weight division. Geigel was recruited into wrestling by Alphonse Bisigniano. He debuted in 1950 in Texas, Wrestling primarily in Pinkie Georges Midwest Wrestling Association out of Kansas City, and also in Amarillo, Texas, Geigel generally played the part of the heel or antagonist. He became a professional wrestler in 1952. Though he was introduced as being from Algona, Iowa. He also wrestled as A-Bomber while working under a mask in Amarillo, Geigel had a long-standing feud with former tag team partner Bob Brown in Kansas City. He officially retired from the ring in 1976, but continued to sporadically in the 1980s. Geigel became a promoter in 1963, when he took over management of the Kansas City office, partnering with Gus Karras and Pat OConnor, he renamed the promotion Heart of America Sports Attractions. He then took his place on the board of the National Wrestling Alliance, in that same year, Geigel was cited as a co-defendant in an anti-monopoly case brought against the Central States territory by previous owner Pinkie George. Along with his partners Karras and OConnor, and fellow co-defendant George Simpson, he refuted the charge, in 1978, Geigel became President of the NWA, his first term lasting until 1980. During this term he strongly supported Harley Race, a part-owner of Heart of America, Geigel and Race bought out Sam Muchnicks portion of the St. Louis Wrestling Club, a cornerstone territory of the NWA. Geigel served a second and third term as NWA President from 1982 to 1987 and he retired from promoting wrestling in 1988. Geigel owned a bar in Kansas City called The Tender Trap, Geigel worked security at a racetrack in Kansas City after retiring from wrestling, until suffering a broken hip in early 2014. Geigel met his wife Vera at the University of Iowa, Geigel died on October 30,2014, in a nursing home in Kansas City
22.
Kansas City, Missouri
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Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri and the sixth largest city in the Midwest. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the city had an population of 475,378 in 2015. It is the city of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Kansas City was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port at its confluence with the Kansas River coming in from the west, on June 1,1850 the town of Kansas was incorporated, shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory. Confusion between the two ensued and the name Kansas City was assigned to them soon thereafter. Most of the city lies within Jackson County, but portions spill into Clay, Cass, along with Independence, it serves as one of the two county seats for Jackson County. Major suburbs include the Missouri cities of Independence and Lees Summit and the Kansas cities of Overland Park, Olathe, and Kansas City. The city is composed of neighborhoods, including the River Market District in the north, the 18th and Vine District in the east. Kansas City is also known for its cuisine, its craft breweries, Kansas City, Missouri was officially incorporated as a town on June 1,1850, and as a city on March 28,1853. The territory straddling the border between Missouri and Kansas at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers was considered a place to build settlements. The Antioch Christian Church, Dr. James Compton House, the first documented European visitor to Kansas City was Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont, who was also the first European to explore the lower Missouri River. Criticized for his response to the Native American attack on Fort Détroit, Bourgmont lived with a Native American wife in a village about 90 miles east near Brunswick, Missouri, where he illegally traded furs. In the documents, he describes the junction of the Grande Riv des Cansez and Missouri River, French cartographer Guillaume Delisle used the descriptions to make the areas first reasonably accurate map. The Spanish took over the region in the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the French continued their fur trade under Spanish license. After the 1804 Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark visited the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers, in 1831, a group of Mormons from New York settled in what would become the city. They built the first school within Kansas Citys current boundaries, but were forced out by mob violence in 1833, in 1833 John McCoy established West Port along the Santa Fe Trail,3 miles away from the river. In 1834 McCoy established Westport Landing on a bend in the Missouri to serve as a point for West Port. Soon after, the Kansas Town Company, a group of investors, began to settle the area, in 1850, the landing area was incorporated as the Town of Kansas
23.
NWA Central States Tag Team Championship
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Because the championship is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion. The championship is awarded after the team wins a match to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport. A total of 80 wrestler have combined in 55 different teams have held the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship for a total of 68 reigns, Central States booker Bulldog Bob Brown has held the championship the most times, nine times with seven different partners. The Batten Twins is the team to have held the championship the most times as a team with four reigns to their credit. Bob Browns combined 528 days is the longest combined reigns of any one person, the longest individual reign was the team of Bulldog Bob Brown and Marty Jannetty who held it for 249 days. Due to gaps in documentation it cannot be verified if the reign of Bob Brown. Key Key Key National Wrestling Alliance Central States Wrestling NWA World Tag Team Championship General references Royal Duncan, NWA Central States Tag Team Title history
24.
Marty Jannetty
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While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time Tag Team Champion with the 1-2-3 Kid, and headlined Survivor Series 1989. With Michaels, The Rockers became two time World Tag Team Champions in the American Wrestling Association, Jannetty was an amateur wrestler in the state of Georgia, qualifying for the state championship tournament his last three years of high school. He also boxed while in school, and won many Golden Gloves events. After high school Jannetty went on to wrestle at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Alabama where he was a two time NJCAA qualifier. He then went on to Auburn University where he was going to wrestle, Jannetty then thought about trying football, but was instead coaxed into trying professional wrestling by Jerry Oates who trained him. Jannetty began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance in April 1984. The two teamed as The Midnight Rockers and quickly won the Central States Tag Team Championship from The Batten Twins. In the summer of 1985, he wrestled his first Japanese tour for All Japan Pro Wrestling, Jannetty would also wrestle Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship during his time in Kansas City. In 1986, the duo left the NWA for the American Wrestling Association, in the AWA, Jannetty and Michaels quickly built a reputation as a talented tag team, performing many acrobatic moves in tandem and electrifying crowds with their athleticism. The two won the World Tag Team Championship twice, first defeating Buddy Rose and Doug Somers and then Original Midnight Express for their second and final reign. They also won the Southern Tag Team Championship twice after defeating the Rock n Roll RPMs on two occasions before jumping to the World Wrestling Federation in 1988. Now called simply The Rockers, Jannetty and Michaels popularity carried over from their stint in the AWA and the team was often called tag team specialists by commentator Gorilla Monsoon. They made their WWF debut at a television taping on June 18,1988 and they faced tag teams such as Demolition, The Hart Foundation, despite their previous success, The Rockers never officially won the Tag Team Championship during their three-year run together in the WWF. The match was taped with The Rockers fairly winning the belts, the belts were returned to the Harts a week later, while the change was never broadcast or even acknowledged on television. When news spread, WWF explained that the result was void due to a collapsed turnbuckle in the ring during the bout. During a tag match at the USF Sun Dome in December 1990, Jannetty executed his Rocker Dropper finishing move on jobber Chuck Austin. Austins neck was broken as a result of tucking his head during the move. Austin was paralyzed and sued Jannetty, Michaels, and Titan Sports, when the case finally came to court in early 1994, Austin was awarded $26. 7M
25.
Bulldog Bob Brown
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Robert Harold Bob Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bulldog Bob Brown. Brown was born in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, but grew up in the Brooklands area of Winnipeg and he was given the nickname Bulldog in grade school. Brown worked as an officer before becoming a professional wrestler. Having worked as a policeman in Manitoba, Brown also played hockey and he started wrestling in 1962 in Manitoba and eventually worked in New Brunswick and Alberta as a smart alec heel. In interviews he often argued about the events that had happened by turning the facts around, from 1969–1974 Brown wrestled for NWA All Star Wrestling in Vancouver and formed tag teams with Gene Kiniski and John Quinn. In New Brunswick in the mid 1970s he fought Leo Burke and he also made appearances in Kansas City and St. Louis against Harley Race, Bruiser Brody and Marty Jannetty. Brown wrestled for NWA Central States where he won the Central States heavyweight and he often worked as booker for the Central States and several other promotions. Brown wrestled for Stampede Wrestling where he won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship, alongside Kerry Brown, who was billed as Browns son, the pair defeated Chris Benoit and Biff Wellington for the championship on June 9,1989. That same year, Brown began working as the commentator for Stampedes television show. Brown retired from wrestling after a 33-year career in 1996, following a heart attack and he worked briefly for WWF as a referee. Browns brother, Doug is a promoter, and his son David worked as a professional wrestling referee under the name David Puttnam. Brown was the uncle of Kerry Brown, who was a professional wrestler, Brown dated Penny Lee of Des Moines, IA for many years. In 1996, Brown suffered an attack, and was pronounced dead twice before being revived. This caused him to retire from in-ring competition, following his retirement, he worked as a security guard in a casino in Kansas City, Missouri until his death on February 5,1997. Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame biography Online World Of Wrestling profile
26.
Mike Rotunda
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Lawrence Michael Mike Rotunda is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 1990s under the ring names Mike Rotunda, Irwin R. Schyster and V. K. Over the course of his career, Rotunda held championships including the NWA World Tag Team Championship, NWA World Television Championship, Rotunda attended Newark Valley High School in Newark Valley, New York. He participated in wrestling, becoming a sectional champion in the 215 lb class in 1976. After graduating from school, Rotunda attended Syracuse University. After graduating from Syracuse University, Rotunda traveled to Germany where he trained as a wrestler under The Destroyer. He debuted in 1981, wrestling for promotions including Lutte Internationale, Jim Crockett Promotions, Rotunda and Windham joined the World Wrestling Federation as The U. S. Express in 1984, during which time he would be billed as Mike Rotundo rather than Rotunda and they won the WWF World Tag Team Championship twice, first from Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis in January 1985. The US Express most notable feud was with The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, the US Express regained the belts in June 1985, but lost them two months later to Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine. Windham left the WWF soon after, Rotunda continued to wrestle in singles matches until he left the WWF himself, in early 1986. They were not considered top contenders, Express reunited in the AWA to wrestle at WrestleRock 86 on April 20,1986, defeating The Fabulous Ones. The team did not stay long as Windham left the AWA very shortly after debuting, Rotunda stayed around for a few more months with little success. Rotunda left the WWF in early 1987 and returned to Florida, there, he feuded with Sir Oliver Humperdinks Shock Troops stable. Rotunda began bickering with fellow Varsity Club member Rick Steiner, a graduate of the University of Michigan and this in turn led to the two arguing over which of them was the superior wrestler. Rotunda won the NWA World Television Championship from Nikita Koloff in January 1988 and he then began a feud with Jimmy Garvin, because Sullivan wanted Garvins wife Precious. Steiner left the group and began feuding with Rotunda, the enemies trading the Television Championship before Rotunda lost it to Sting. Dr. Death Steve Williams and Dan Spivey joined the Varsity Club in late 1988, referee Theodore Long turned heel during the match and administered a fast three count, enabling Rotunda and Williams to overcome the champions. Long went on to become a manager following the controversial officiating, in May 1989, Williams and Rotunda were stripped of the title and, shortly after Sullivan and Rotunda concluded a feud with the Steiner Brothers, Rotunda briefly left the NWA
27.
WrestleMania 2
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WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on Monday, April 7,1986, making it the only WrestleMania that was not held on the customary Sunday, as with the first WrestleMania, the matches were shown on closed-circuit television across North America. The event was also the first WrestleMania to air on the national pay-per-view market, the ring announcers were Howard Finkel, Chet Coppock, and Lee Marshall. Each venue had its own card, the respective final matches were a boxing match pitting Mr. The professional wrestling matches at WrestleMania 2 featured professional wrestlers performing as characters in scripted events pre-determined by the hosting promotion, storylines between the characters played out on WWFs primary television programs, Championship Wrestling, All-Star Wrestling, Saturday Nights Main Event and Prime Time Wrestling. Hogan and André won the match, on March 1, Hogan defended his WWF title against The Magnificent Muraco. Just as Hogan was about to pin Muraco, Bundy ran into the ring and—with Muracos help—initiated a 2-on-1 assault on Hogan, Hogan had a very serious injury, while Bundy challenged Hogan for the title. With revenge on his mind, Hogan decided not to heed his doctors advice and accepted the challenge, the second feud heading into the event was between Mr. T and Rowdy Roddy Piper. T feud restarted in 1986 after their real-life hatred for each other became known, Piper and others disliked Mr. T because he was an actor and was unskilled wrestling-wise. In response, Mr. T became a special WWF boxer, on the March 1 Saturday Nights Main Event, Mr. T defeated Orton in a boxing match. After the match, Piper distracted Mr. T, allowing Orton to attack from behind, Mr. T then demanded revenge, leading to his boxing match against Piper. The third main feud heading into WrestleMania was between The Dream Team and The British Bulldogs over the WWF Tag Team Championship, on August 24,1985, Beefcake and Valentine won the tag titles from The U. S. Express. Immediately after their win, they were challenged by British Bulldogs for the titles. They retained their titles against Bulldogs at a show on September 11 by getting disqualified. They defended the titles against Bulldogs again on Saturday Nights Main Event, after Bulldogs failed in winning the titles twice, Dream Team agreed to defend their titles against Bulldogs for a final time with a title match set at WrestleMania. The other major feud heading into WrestleMania 2 was Randy Macho Man Savage and George the Animal Steele and its genesis came after Steele, who used a Neanderthal, missing link-type gimmick, became smitten with Savages manager, the beautiful Miss Elizabeth. Along with former champion Tito Santana Steele became one of Savages top challengers for the title, in the first match of the show and the New York arena, Paul Orndorff faced The Magnificent Muraco. Both men fought to a double countout, next was a WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship match between Macho Man Randy Savage and George The Animal Steele
28.
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
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In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner. Typical battle royals begin with a number of participants in the ring, created by World Championship Wrestling in 1995, the World War 3 battle royal involved a three-ring setup and 60 competitors. 20 wrestlers started in each of the 3 rings in which they would wrestle under regular battle royal rules, once there were only 30 competitors left, all competitors would enter the central and continue in that ring under regular rules until 1 man was left standing. In 1988 the NWA named a pay-per-view after the Bunkhouse Stampede, gauntlet for the Gold is a variation on the battle royal used by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. In this version two wrestlers begin in the ring, with wrestlers entering on a set time period. Wrestlers are eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and to the floor until two wrestlers are left, at point a standard singles match begins. A Last Blood battle royal is essentially a multi-competitor First Blood match, the winner is the last wrestler in the match not bleeding. Generally used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, a battle royal begins with wrestlers surrounding the ring instead of inside it. At the start of the match they battle for half of them to get into the ring, a diva battle royal is one which features female competitors. However, in this variant divas can be thrown through or under the ropes as well as over the top rope, a WWE diva battle royal with the addition of fetish outfits, such as french maid, nurse, schoolgirl, etc. Often the type of outfit is chosen by an audience poll, match will begin as the multi-women over-the-top elimination battle royal. They are eliminated from the match if they being thrown over the top ropes, the final two competitors will face each other in a ladder match, where the winner will receive a TNA Knockout Championship match, while the runner-up will have her head and hair shaved. WWEs Royal Rumble is a battle royal begins with two wrestlers in the ring, with the remaining participants introduced one by one at a set time period. Elimination occurs in the way with the last person standing as the winner, after all participants have entered the ring. As a result, the winner qualifies for a World Championship shot at Wrestlemania. A two-ring variation on a royal, the wrestlers start in one ring and try to throw wrestlers into the second ring. This was held by World Championship Wrestling at the 1991 Starrcade event, a variation of Battlebowl involves 100 wrestlers splits into 50 in two rings. The only way to be eliminated is to be thrown over the ropes, no matter how and where you hit, whether its apron, floor or barricade you are also eliminated
29.
The Iron Sheik
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Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri is an Iranian American former professional wrestler, amateur wrestler and actor better known by his ring name The Iron Sheik. Vaziri is a world champion, having won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1983. Coming off the Iranian hostage crisis, The Iron Sheik, an Iranian citizen who praised his home country and his villainous character peaked during the 1980s WWF wrestling boom and his rivalry with Hulk Hogan turned Hogan into one of the greatest television heroes of the decade. He would later form a tag team with Nikolai Volkoff, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event, in 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Khosrow was born in Tehran, Iran, and grew up in a family which had little money. Khosrow competed for a spot on Irans Greco-Roman wrestling team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and he then moved to the United States and became the assistant coach of two U. S. Olympic squads in the 1970s. In 1971, he was the Amateur Athletic Union Greco-Roman wrestling champion and he was assistant coach to the USA team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. In 1972, Khosrow was invited to become a wrestler by promoter Verne Gagne. Khosrow trained at Gagnes wrestling camp under trainer Billy Robinson and then wrestled for Gagnes American Wrestling Association and he also worked as a trainer, teaching Ricky Steamboat, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell. Khosrow first wrestled as a face in preliminary matches before a promoter suggested that he adopt a gimmick similar to that of the notorious Sheik. Khosrow obliged and adopted what came to be his signature look, he shaved his head bald, grew a traditional buffo style mustache and he also introduced the Persian clubs, a sport in his native Iran, and challenged wrestlers to do as many swings as him. His Iranian gimmick received attention due the events of the Iranian revolution, taking the name The Great Hossein Arab, he won his first title, the Canadian Tag Team Championship, with partner the Texas Outlaw. He caught the eye of the World Wrestling Federation where he made his debut in 1979 and won the first-ever Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden and this earned him a title shot at then-champion Bob Backlund, who pinned him later that night in a 30-minute battle. He later feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino before leaving in 1980, Khosrow resurfaced as The Iron Sheik in the NWA territories. There, he had matches with Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, and Tommy Rich. The Iron Sheik returned to the WWF in 1983 and challenged Bob Backlund for WWF World Heavyweight Championship again, Backlund accepted, and on the December 24 episode of All- American Wrestling, also accepted Sheiks weekly Persian club challenge. He was successful in his attempt to swing the clubs. In the December 26 title bout at Madison Square Garden, Backlund attempted to roll Sheik into a bridge pin, Sheik capitalized by applying his Camel Clutch chinlock finisher
30.
The Moondogs (professional wrestling)
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The Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation and in two Memphis promotions, the Continental Wrestling Association and the United States Wrestling Association. Moondog Rex and Moondog King joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1981, after winning the title, Moondog King was replaced by Moondog Spot after King—a Canadian—was denied entry into the United States. Rex and Spots gimmick consisted of them carrying chewed up bones to the ring and wearing blue jeans. While in the WWF, the Moondogs feuded with Tony Garea, Rick Martel, Bob Backlund, Ivan Putski, Pat Patterson, in 1984, on an episode of Maple Leaf Wrestling, Moondog Rex earned a WWF Championship title shot against Hulk Hogan. In 1987, Rex was repackaged as Smash of Demolition, along with Ax, however, fans easily recognized him and gave him chants of Moondog, leading to him being quickly replaced by Barry Darsow. Rex and Spot then teamed together until 1990 in various promotions and their feud with Jarrett and Lawler was later voted the 1992 PWI Feud of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. In the latter part of 2003, the Moondogs began working in Memphis Wrestling, on November 29,2003, Moondog Spot died in the ring during a battle royale in Memphis. Moondog Cujo appeared at the Clash of the Legends show in Memphis on April 29,2007, the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, The Tag Teams
31.
The Hart Foundation
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The Hart Foundation referred to several tag teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation, usually composed of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada. The original Hart Foundation consisted of brothers-in-law Jim The Anvil Neidhart and Bret The Hitman Hart, in 1991, after the team was disbanded, Neidhart teamed briefly with Brets younger brother Owen Hart as The New Foundation. They were later moved to the WWE main roster and renamed The Hart Dynasty where they won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE has consistently ranked the original Hart Foundation as one of the top three greatest tag teams in wrestling history. The original Hart Foundation began in 1985, when Jim The Anvil Neidhart, already managed by Jimmy Hart, joined his brother-in-law Bret Hitman Hart to form a villainous tag team. According to Bret, the tag team originated after he turned down the Cowboy Bret Hart gimmick he was given and he then suggested to WWF management that he would much prefer to be teamed up with Neidhart. The name Hart Foundation was already used to refer to the stable of wrestlers managed by Jimmy Hart, and in early matches the Neidhart/Hart team would be introduced as members of the Hart Foundation. With the success of the new tag team, however, The Hart Foundation came to be associated solely with the Neidhart/Hart team and their manager, the Hart Foundation made its pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania 2 in 1986 as participants of a 20-man battle royal which also included NFL stars. The duo were the two men whom André the Giant eliminated to win the battle royal. The Harts gained their status as a team when feuding with The Killer Bees. At Saturday Nights Main Event, the Foundation faced the Bees in a tag team match, the Hart Foundation continued to feud with the Killer Bees for the better part of 1986. The Hart Foundation then began a feud with Tag Team Champions The British Bulldogs in early 1987 over the title, Santana began to feud with Davis as a result of this action and at this point, he joined the British Bulldogs in their feud with the Hart Foundation. The rivalry culminated in a tag team match at WrestleMania III where the Foundation teamed with Davis against the British Bulldogs. Davis hit Davey Boy Smith with Jimmy Harts megaphone and pinned him to get the victory for the Hart Foundation, on the May 2 edition of Saturday Nights Main Event, the Foundation defended their tag title against the British Bulldogs in a Two out of three falls match. In the first fall, they got disqualified because of illegal double-teaming, however, the Hart Foundation retained the title due to the disqualification result. On the October 27 edition of Superstars, the Hart Foundation dropped their title to Strike Force after Neidhart submitted to a Boston crab applied by Martel, soon after, the Hart Foundation began making claims that Neidhart had never submitted and that they were robbed on national television. The two teams faced each other at Survivor Series in a 10-team Survivor Series elimination match, Strike Force captained a team of fan favorites while the Hart Foundation captained a team of villains. Strike Force was eliminated by the Hart Foundation, but the Hart Foundation also got eliminated and in the end, the fan favorite team won the match. The feud culminated in a match for the WWF Tag Team Championship on the February 5 edition of The Main Event, as the Hart Foundation challenged Strike Force for the title, Bret Hart started a slow face turn at WrestleMania IV in spring 1988
32.
Hulk Hogan
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Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, entrepreneur and rock bassist. Hogan is regarded by many as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, according to IGN, he is the most recognized wrestling star worldwide, aside from those promotions, he has notably performed for the American Wrestling Association, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Hogan is a world champion, a six-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion/WWF Champion. He was the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumbles, in 1990 and 1991 respectively, Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Hogan was born Terry Eugene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia in 1953, the son of construction foreman Pietro Peter Bollea and he has Italian, French, Scottish, and Panamanian heritage. When he was one and a years old, his family moved to Port Tampa. As a boy, he was a pitcher in Little League Baseball and he attracted scouts from the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds, but an injury ended his baseball career. He began watching wrestling at 16 years old. While in high school, he revered Dusty Rhodes, and he regularly attended cards at the Tampa Sportatorium, Hogan was also a musician, spending ten years playing fretless bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands. He went on to study at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida, after music gigs began to get in the way of his time in college, Hogan decided to drop out of the University of South Florida before receiving a degree. Eventually, Hogan and two local musicians formed a band called Ruckus in 1976, the band soon became popular in the Tampa Bay region. During his spare time, Hogan worked out at Hectors Gym in the Tampa Bay area, many of the wrestlers who were competing in the Florida region visited the bars where Ruckus was performing. Among those attending his performances were Jack and Gerald Brisco, two brothers who wrestled together as a tag team in the Florida region. Impressed by Hogans physical stature, the Brisco brothers asked Hiro Matsuda – the man who trained wrestlers working for Championship Wrestling from Florida – to make him a potential trainee, in 1976, the two brothers asked Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a fan since childhood, Hogan eventually agreed. At first, however, Mike Graham, the son of CWF promoter Eddie Graham, refused to put Hogan in the ring, according to Hogan, he met Graham while in high school and the two did not get along. However, after Hogan quit Ruckus and started telling people in town that he was going to be a wrestler, in mid-1977, after training for more than a year with Matsuda, the Brisco brothers dropped by Matsudas gym to see Hogan. During this visit, Jack Brisco handed Hogan a pair of wrestling boots, in his professional wrestling debut, Eddie Graham booked him against Brian Blair in Fort Myers, Florida on August 10,1977 in CWF
33.
WWE Championship
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The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand. It is one of two titles in the WWE, alongside the WWE Universal Championship that was created for the Raw brand as a result of the 2016 WWE draft. The title is held by Randy Orton, who is in his ninth reign. The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers, since its inception, the title has undergone many name changes due to company name changes and title unifications. From its inception until 2001, it was promoted as WWEs sole primary championship, an additional world title, the WCW Championship, was added after the then-World Wrestling Federations purchase of World Championship Wrestling in early 2001. The titles were unified as the Undisputed Championship. After the first brand extension in 2002 and the promotion becoming the WWE, the championship exclusive to SmackDown. ECW became a brand in 2006, adding the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Over the course of the first brand extension, the WWE Championship switched between brands, usually as a result of the annual draft, the ECW Championship was deactivated in 2010, and the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship in 2013. The championship was again the world title of WWE until the reintroduction of the brand extension in 2016. The title was introduced in 1963 with Buddy Rogers becoming the first champion, however, its origin is attributed to events that began in the National Wrestling Alliance, which had various territorial member promotions. In the 1950s, Capitol Wrestling Corporation was a member of the NWA and by 1963, during this time, Buddy Rogers held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship until January 24, when Lou Thesz defeated Rogers for the championship in a one fall match. After several years, the WWWF became affiliated with the NWA once again, although the full name appeared on the championship belts until 1998, the name was often abbreviated to WWF Championship, which became its official name in 1998. In 1991, World Championship Wrestling, a member of the NWA, in 1993, WCW seceded from the NWA and grew to become a rival promotion to the WWF. Both organizations grew into prominence and were eventually involved in a television ratings war. Near the end of the war, WCW began a financial decline. As a result of the purchase, the WWF acquired, among other assets, thus, there were two world titles in the WWF, the original WWF Championship and the WCW Championship, which was eventually renamed to the World Championship. In December 2001, the two championships were unified at Vengeance, at the event, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kurt Angle to retain the WWF Championship, while Chris Jericho defeated The Rock for the World Championship
34.
Nikolai Volkoff
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Although the Volkoff on-screen character was often portrayed as a villainous Russian, Peruzović actually originates from Croatia and has a mixed background. He is known for teaming with The Iron Sheik, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship at the inaugural WrestleMania event, Peruzović grew up in the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which was then part of Yugoslavia. His mother is Ukrainian and his father was Croatian and he was on the Yugoslavian weightlifting team until 1967, when he emigrated to Canada after a weightlifting tournament in Vienna, Austria. He received training in Calgary from Stu Hart, followed by his arrival in the United States in 1970, as soon as he arrived, he began wrestling in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Wrestling as Bepo Mongol, managed by Captain Lou Albano and partnered with Geto Mongol, he captured the WWWF International Tag Team Titles from Tony Marino and Victor Rivera on June 15,1970. In 1974, Volkoff returned to the company and appeared in a match at a sold out Madison Square Garden and wrestled one of the sports most famous champions. Volkoff chased the WWWF title for the majority of his career and was always given a considerable number of title shots from whoever was the current WWWF champion. He had a tenure from 1976–1980 as Nikolai Volkoff billed from Mongolia and he would feud with WWWF champions Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund. Late in 1974, Volkoff moved to the AWA where he wrestled under the name of Boris Breznikoff, managed by Bobby The Brain Heenan and he reverted to the Volkoff name in his WWWF return in 1976. During this time in the WWWF, Volkoff was announced as being from Mongolia and he enjoyed a very successful feud with Bruno Sammartino. The feud started when Volkoff attacked Sammartino during an interview segment and they sold out arenas all throughout the Northeast. Also during this tenure, Volkoff began a gimmick where he would crush a fresh apple with one hand as a sign of what he would do to his opponents. In the early 1980s, Volkoff wrestled for Cowboy Bill Watts in the Mid-South region, in 1984, Volkoff returned to the now WWF and teamed with the Iron Sheik with the pair being managed by the Hollywood fashion plate Classy Freddie Blassie. The new team of Volkoff and the Iron Sheik captured the coveted WWF Tag Team Championship from The U. S, express at the first ever WrestleMania, on March 31,1985 after the Sheik had knocked out Windham with Fred Blassies cane. Volkoff also feuded with former 82nd Airborne paratrooper Corporal Kirchner throughout 1985 and 1986 and their feud ended when Kirchner used Blassies cane to defeat Volkoff at WrestleMania 2 in another flag match during the Chicago portion of the event. In the fall of 1986, Volkoffs manager Classy Freddy Blassie sold half interest in his stable of superstars to the Doctor of Style, giving Slick co-managerial rights to Nikolai Volkoff, Classy Freddy Blassie also shared the contracts of the Iron Sheik and Hercules. This was a storyline aimed at reducing the aging Blassies active role, in late 1987, Volkoff was teamed with Boris Zukhov, another alleged Russian, to form The Bolsheviks. As they lost the eye due to many losses, they eventually lost their manager Slick and were eventually used as a comic relief team losing many matches to The Bushwhackers
35.
Lanny Poffo
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Lanny Mark Poffo, better known by his ring names Leaping Lanny and The Genius is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, actor and credit councilor. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy and he is also the real-life younger brother of Macho Man Randy Savage. Poffo grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois and currently makes his residence in Largo, Florida and he began wrestling in the NWA territories in the 1970s before becoming a star in his fathers promotion, International Championship Wrestling, where he held the promotions title. Over the course of his career, Poffo both tag teamed and feuded with older brother Randy. Upon the ICWs folding in 1984, he joined Randy in the CWA before traveling with him again to the World Wrestling Federation in June 1985, the brother angle was never worked in the WWF and the relationship was never mentioned on-air. While Lanny was not a headlining WWF star like his brother, he built a niche for himself wrestling as a babyface. In his first role as Leaping Lanny Poffo, he would bring frisbees to the ring, read a poem written on one of them that he himself had penned. Each poem typically ridiculed the heel that he was about to wrestle against, during his early career in the WWF, he was not a main-eventer and wrestled primarily as enhancement talent on television shows. However, rather than being squashed like most jobbers at the time, he was allowed a greater amount of offense in his matches. He found great success on house shows, where he defeated other undercard wrestlers. Poffo performed an agile, high-flying style at a time when big and he was one of the first wrestlers in North America to use moves like the Senton Bomb, and particularly the moonsault, though the announcers of the time referred to the latter as a leaping backflip. He attained some infamy in late 1986 and early 1987 by competing in a series of Bunkhouse Battle Royals in full knights armor. André, in his first televised match as a heel, had accidentally caught Poffo on the bridge of the nose with his headbutt, on March 18,1989, still known as Leaping Lanny, Poffo turned heel. He berated the local Boston sports teams, insulting them in his poetry, Poffo was subsequently re-introduced as The Genius, a highly intelligent, arrogant heel who wore an academic cap and gown to the ring. His poems now ridiculed the face wrestlers, and he adopted an exaggerated effeminate, during his matches, the Genius would often write a mathematical equation on a clipboard that would tilt the balance of the match in his favor. In addition, the Genius also served as consultant for Mr. Perfect. Several minutes into the match, Mr. Perfect appeared at ringside where he goaded Hogan, later in the show, Mr. Perfect and Poffo destroyed the stolen belt with a hammer. Shortly after WrestleMania VI, Bobby Heenan became Mr. Perfects manager, Poffo then wrestled in the undercard until the fall of 1991 when he became the manager of the Beverly Brothers
36.
Anabolic steroid
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They are anabolic and increase protein within cells, especially in skeletal muscles. The word anabolic, referring to anabolism, comes from the Greek ἀναβολή anabole and they are one of three types of sex hormone agonists, the others being estrogens like estradiol and progestogens like progesterone. Health risks can be produced by long-term use or excessive doses of AAS and these effects include harmful changes in cholesterol levels, acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, and dangerous changes in the structure of the left ventricle of the heart. Conditions pertaining to hormonal imbalances such as gynecomastia and testicular size reduction may also be caused by AAS and their use is referred to as doping and banned by most major sporting bodies. For many years, AAS have been by far the most detected doping substances in IOC-accredited laboratories, in countries where AAS are controlled substances, there is often a black market in which smuggled, clandestinely manufactured or even counterfeit drugs are sold to users. AAS have largely replaced in this setting by synthetic protein hormones that selectively stimulate growth of blood cell precursors. Growth stimulation, AAS can be used by pediatric endocrinologists to treat children with growth failure, however, the availability of synthetic growth hormone, which has fewer side effects, makes this a secondary treatment. Stimulation of appetite and preservation and increase of mass, AAS have been given to people with chronic wasting conditions such as cancer. Induction of male puberty, Androgens are given to many boys distressed about extreme delay of puberty, Testosterone is now nearly the only androgen used for this purpose and has been shown to increase height, weight, and fat-free mass in boys with delayed puberty. Male contraception, in the form of testosterone enanthate, potential for use in the near-future as a safe, reliable, stimulation of lean body mass and prevention of bone loss in elderly men, as some studies indicate. Hormone replacement for men with low levels of testosterone, also effective in improving libido for elderly males, most steroid users are not athletes. Between 1 million and 3 million people are thought to have misused AAS in the United States, another study found that non-medical use of AAS among college students was at or less than 1%. According to a recent survey,78, the same study found that individuals using AAS for non-medical purposes had a higher employment rate and a higher household income than the general population. AAS users tend to be disillusioned by the portrayal of AAS as deadly in the media, according to one study, AAS users also distrust their physicians and in the sample 56% had not disclosed their AAS use to their physicians. A recent study has shown that long term AAS users were more likely to have symptoms of muscle dysmorphia. A recent study in the Journal of Health Psychology showed that many believed that steroids used in moderation were safe. AAS have been used by men and women in different kinds of professional sports to attain a competitive edge or to assist in recovery from injury. These sports include bodybuilding, weightlifting, shot put and other track and field, cycling, baseball, wrestling, mixed martial arts, boxing, football, such use is prohibited by the rules of the governing bodies of most sports
37.
Genichiro Tenryu
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Genichiro Shimada, better known as Genichiro Tenryu is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, as a sumo wrestler, Tenryu was ranked as a sekitori for 27 tournaments,16 of them in the top makuuchi division. His highest rank was maegashira 1 and he finished one more tournament, and even though his career still showed promise, he decided to leave the sumo world at the young age of 26 in September 1976. Scouted by Giant Baba, the All Japan Pro Wrestling owner, Tenryu was sent to Amarillo, Texas to be trained by Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, and debuted in Texas in 1976, against Ted DiBiase. After returning to Japan, he stayed in the undercard until about 1982 when he began to get a push in that years Champion Carnival tournament. 1984 saw Tenryu winning the NWA United National title, now part of the Triple Crown. Tenryu and Hara feuded with Tsuruta and his new partner Yatsu over the PWF tag team titles and later with their replacement, the World Tag Team Championship. Hara was kicked out of the promotion in late 1988, and Tenryu replaced him with Stan Hansen, Tsuruta became the first Triple Crown champion on April 18 of that year, and just two days later Tenryu became his first challenger. The Tsuruta-Tenryu series that ensued set the standard for all Triple Crown matches, when Tenryu won the belts on June 5, the match was so spectacular it was deemed Match of the Year by major Japanese publications. The same year saw him finally pin his mentor Baba, albeit in a tag match -, only Mitsuharu Misawa would follow him to that. Tenryus most high-profile North American match was for the World Wrestling Federation in 1991 at WrestleMania VII, where he teamed with Koji Kitao to defeat Demolition. He also appeared in both the 1993 Royal Rumble and 1994 Royal Rumble, in the latter he made it to the final five but was eliminated by eventual co-winners Lex Luger and Bret Hart. An angle had he and The Great Kabuki hired as mercenaries by Yokozunas manager, Mr. Fuji, to attack Luger, in April 1990, Tenryu left All Japan to form SWS. After its collapse in June 1992, Tenryu, aided by Masatomo Takei formed WAR and he also traded victories with Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki, thus becoming the only Japanese wrestler to defeat both Inoki and Baba by pinfall. In 1998, as WAR went into decline, Tenryu began an earnest comeback and he first joined Heisei Ishingun, allied with its leader Shiro Koshinaka, and they won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Team Wolf, Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. In December 1999, Tenryu made history as the first native to win the top two distinctions of professional wrestling in Japan by beating Mutoh for the IWGP title, Tenryu beat Kawada in the subsequent tournament for the vacant Triple Crown, winning the belts for a second time. In his second stay in All Japan, he would capture the belts a third time, in 2003, he joined Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling for a few matches, but as it declined rapidly, he switched back and forth aimlessly between New Japan and All Japan. Tenryu has also been with the HUSTLE promotion and was a part of the heel group led by Generalissimo Takada
38.
John Laurinaitis
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John Hodger Laurinaitis, also known as Johnny Ace, is an American senior producer and retired professional wrestler, currently employed by WWE. He has wrestled for promotions as World Championship Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is the brother of Joe and Marcus, and is also the uncle of James Laurinaitis, in WWE, Laurinaitis worked in the talent relations office for eight years, and as occasional wrestler from 2011 until 2012. After his on screen firing, he stepped down from his backstage role to being a producer. Prior to joining WWE, Laurinaitis worked as an executive for WCW, John Laurinaitis started wrestling in 1986 as Johnny Ace. At first, while wrestling in Florida Championship Wrestling, Ace frequently teamed with his brother The Terminator, later, when he wrestled for NWAs Jim Crockett Promotions he formed a tag team with Shane Douglas called The Dynamic Dudes. They were managed by Jim Cornette until Cornette turned on them for Bobby Eaton, prior to entering the competition as one of The Dynamic Dudes at the NWA, he appeared as a flagbearer for the team of The Sheepherders. In his last televised WCW match, Ace lost to Mean Mark Callous, later known as The Undertaker, as All Japan Pro Wrestling was cutting its ties with the NWA in 1990, Laurinaitis chose to stay in it, thus becoming a permanent foreign fixture on the roster. In AJPW, he found a lot of success, teaming with Kenta Kobashi, Dr. Death Steve Williams and Bart Gunn. He won two 5 Star Match awards and one Match of the Year award from the Wrestling Observer, on February 28,1998, Laurinaitis would reach the highest point of his singles career as he challenged Mitsuharu Misawa for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. It would be Laurinaitis only shot at those three prestigious belts, following his retirement in 2000, he was placed #203 in PWIs top 500 all time rankings. Laurinaitis retired from the ring in 2000 after the split between All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah and he soon returned to World Championship Wrestling where he replaced Vince Russo as head booker. Laurinaitis was responsible for booking the highly acclaimed one-night single elimination tournament held for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship that was won by the debuting Lance Storm. Laurinaitis was hired in as an agent after WWEs acquisition of certain assets of WCW in March 2001 and in June on the same year. In June 2004, Laurinaitis replaced Jim Ross as Vice President of Talent Relations, then being promoted to Senior Vice President in February 2007, eventually WWE would end their relationship with OVW. Following his tenure as a performer in 2012, Laurinaitis was relieved of his backstage executive duties. Having operated for 5 years behind the scenes, Laurinaitis received his first mention on WWE programming during 2005 when Matt Hardy called him out during a worked shoot backstage scuffle with Edge and his second mention was during 2006 when D-Generation X jokingly imitated his voice to The Spirit Squad. This was the last time for 5 years he was mentioned on TV, Laurinaitis subsequently made an appearance alongside McMahon as a corporate stooge during the main event of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view the following month
