WWE News: Scott Hall, Jake Roberts Are Next Rumored Hall of Fame Inductees
As WWE plots its course for who will join Mick Foley on this year’s Hall of Fame slate, two former WWE stars with less-than-stellar pasts are being mentioned as possible inductees.
PWInsider (via WrestleNewz.com) is reporting that Scott Hall and Jake “The Snake” Roberts have been added to the list of names under consideration. The report states that Diamond Dallas Page may have contacted WWE about honoring Hall and Roberts after working with them on his DDP Yoga training regimen.
According to the PWInsider report:
An induction for Hall or Roberts is not confirmed and it’s said that Roberts would be more likely than Hall to go in by himself. At the same time, Hall would have the support of guys like Shawn Michaels and others.
While in WWF, Hall, as Razor Ramon, was a member of the backstage group The Kliq, which also included Michaels, Triple H, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman. The Kliq has been mentioned as potential Hall of Fame inductees this year.
Hall/Ramon achieved some of his greatest success in WWF and WCW. He won four Intercontinental Championships in WWF, and three singles and seven World Tag Team championships in WCW.
But Hall’s longtime problems with drugs and alcohol tainted his time in big-league wrestling. He also faced second-degree murder charges in 1983, but they were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Roberts (real name Aurelian Smith Jr.) had two stints in WWF. Although he never held any championships in the company, he had one of the best-known gimmicks in wrestling by carrying a large snake in a canvas bag and releasing it in the ring.
But like Hall, Roberts also had drug-abuse problems, particular with cocaine and crack cocaine. His drug problems were magnified in the 1999 wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat, where he appeared high.
Recently, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article on how Page and his DDP Yoga training have helped Roberts lose 50 pounds and start to get his life back on track. PWInsider also reported that Page has reached out to Hall to help him through DDP Yoga.
Hall and Roberts are the latest in a growing list of legendary names rumored for Hall of Fame induction this year. That list also includes D-Generation X, King Kong Bundy, Bob Backlund and Kamala.
Follow Bill Atkinson on Twitter at @BAtkinson1963
8 WWE Superstars and Their Attitude Era Counterparts
By
Seth M. Guttenplan
WWE fans, like fans of any other sport, always jump to compare current superstars with those from previous eras, especially the Attitude Era.
For this article, the Attitude Era is defined as March 29, 1998, when Stone Cold Steve Austin became WWF champion, until April 1, 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven, when Austin defeated the Rock to become WWF champion again.
Before I discuss current WWE superstars and Attitude Era superstars they most resemble, in terms of gimmick and character, there are some honorable mentions.
Tensai and A-Train do not make the list based on the fact that they are in fact the same person. Other superstars such as The Rock and Big Show also do not make the list as their careers have lasted through both eras.
Also, Cody Rhodes and Rick Rude do not make the list since the only similarity they share is their moustaches.
With that said, here are eight current WWE superstars and their Attitude Era counterparts.
Dolph Ziggler and Billy Gunn
Mr. Money in the Bank, Dolph Ziggler may remind you of Shawn Michaels, but it is Billy Gunn who Ziggler is more similar to. The Heartbreak Kid was a Grand Slam Champion in WWE, but Ziggler has only had one very brief World Championship thus far in his career.
Billy Gunn was a upper midcard superstar during the Attitude Era who even won the King of the Ring tournament in 1999. Although the King of the Ring tournament doesn’t exist anymore in WWE, the Money in the Bank briefcase is the closest accolade to it.
One may give a superstar an automatic World Title opportunity, but both are or were used to elevate a midcard superstar to the main event.
The King of the Ring win did not necessarily do that for Billy Gunn and it remains to be seen how Dolph Ziggler’s Money in the Bank win helps his career.
From similar finishing moves to their blonde hair, Dolph Ziggler and Billy Gunn are very similar. However, Ziggler should hope to have a more successful tenure in WWE than that of his Attitude Era counterpart.
AJ Lee and Lita
AJ Lee would be thrilled to hear that of all the divas from the Attitude Era, she is most comparable to Lita. This is because AJ admitted to crying when she had the opportunity to meet her idol.
Either way, AJ Lee and Lita are very similar in their characters while in WWE.
AJ has become the most famous diva in WWE today due to her multiple on screen relationships with various WWE superstars such as John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk and now Dolph Ziggler.
Similarly, Lita had multiple relationships while a diva in WWE. Lita spent the Attitude Era with the Hardy Boyz and it wasn’t until the era was over that she began relationships with Kane and Edge.
Lita became a four time WWE Women’s champion, which is an accomplishment AJ has yet to achieve once. Either way, with their punk-style look and similar characters, Lita has to be considered AJ Lee’s Attitude Era counterpart.
Damien Sandow and Triple H
The intellectual savior of the masses, Damien Sandow, is not the Game, Cerebral Assassin or King of Kings.
However, Sandow may remind you of the man who debuted as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H began his WWE career as a proper, classy superstar similar to Sandow.
The similarities are obvious. Both superstars use sophistication and intellectuality as their character’s main gimmick. However it is their differences that make the situation interesting.
Triple H was known for his valets that accompanied him, including the diva who would later be known as Sable. On the other hand, Sandow is known for his promos, using ridiculous amounts of big complicated words that most WWE fans probably never use.
Is Damien Sandow the new and improved Triple H? If Hunter Hearst Helmsley became a 13 time World Champion in WWE, then what does the future hold for Sandow?
CM Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin
The best in the world and WWE Champion may remind you of a number of superstars from the Attitude Era, but it is Stone Cold Steve Austin who CM Punk should be most compared to.
One may think Punk and Austin are very different in terms of their habitual activities. Austin was always associated with his high level of beer drinking, while Punk is known for being straight edge. However, it is their rebellious characters that make them much more similar than you think.
During the Attitude Era, Austin was constantly feuding with his boss, Mr. McMahon in arguably WWE’s biggest and best feud ever.
Nowadays, CM Punk is also feuding with Mr. McMahon, though the chairman is rarely seen on WWE TV. McMahon is now seen as a babyface from who CM Punk demands respect. Punk’s famous pipebomb promo from June 2011 was aimed against WWE and Punk is clearly a rebel against the company he works for.
A potential WrestleMania match between Punk and Austin would be epic, but these two WWE superstars are much more similar than one may have thought.
Brodus Clay and Rikishi
When Brodus Clay debuted as the Funkasaurus, older WWE fans may have been reminded of Flash Funk, the Godfather or Ernest “The Cat” Miller, he most resembles Attitude Era’s Rikishi.
Rikishi originally joined WWE as Fatu as part of the Headshrinkers, but during the Attitude Era he was the big man who loved to dance just like Brodus Clay.
The Godfather’s gimmick had more to do with his ho train and being a pimp, so Rikishi would be a better fit to compare with Brodus Clay. Hopefully we don’t see any stink faces from Brodus Clay anytime soon.
While Rikishi is a former WWE Tag Team Champion and Intercontinental Champion, Clay has been unsuccessful thus far in claiming any gold in WWE. Perhaps a heel turn will help Clay, but then the gimmick similarity with Rikishi would no longer exist.
ConclusionA reincarnation of a gimmick from the Attitude Era may or may not be a good choice by WWE. New and creative characters will generally stand out more than recycled old gimmicks.
However, as wrestling fans have seen over the years, there are many similar gimmicks and characters that show up on WWE TV.
So what do you think? What current WWE superstars resemble those from the Attitude Era? What are your thoughts on my selections?
TV Spot for Michael Bay's "Pain and Gain," with Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg
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Royal Rumble is this coming Sunday ! Who do you all think will win ?