HBK, Taker Should Steal Show At Mania

There'll be plenty of world titles on the line at Wrestlemania 25 in three weeks, but the match that is destined to steal the show won't involve an ounce of gold.

A pair of Texans and two of wrestling's greatest stars over the past two decades, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, will collide in a matchup pairing "Mr. Wrestlemania" vs. "The Streak."

Michaels, known as "Mr. Wrestlemania" due to his track record of being "the show-stopper" at major events such as Mania, will attempt to snap The Undertaker's 16-0 winning streak at WWE's biggest annual event. The celebrated string goes all the way back to 1991 when Taker made his Wrestlemania debut at Wrestlemania VII where he made quick work of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.

Michaels (Michael Shawn Hickenbottom) and The Undertaker (Mark Calaway), both 43, share a number of similarities. Both broke into the business in 1984 in Texas, established solid careers and worked their way up several years later to WWE where they have carved out among the most distinguished runs in company history.

With Taker's unique character among the greatest in pro wrestling annals, Michaels' flashy and sometimes controversial persona has been balanced by outstanding ring ability and big-match greatness. Consistently delivering spectacular performances at the Super Bowl of professional wrestling, Michaels has earned his Mania moniker. Although his win-loss record at the extravaganza (6-9) may not stack up favorably against The Undertaker's 16-0 mark, it will mean little when the two mat icons lock horns at Houston's Reliant Stadium on April 5.

And, as Michaels pointed out during a tremendous verbal exchange last week on Raw, Taker's never beaten him.

Both are nearing the end of their legendary careers, and it's going to be mighty hard for anyone on this year's Mania bill to put on a better match than these two undoubtedly will. It's been 12 years since the two competed in WWE's first Hell in a Cell match, a bloodbath regarded as one of the best bouts in company pay-per-view history, but no one doubts that these two will find a way to make this year's blockbuster event one to remember.

- Former pro wrestling star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose latest Disney film "Race to Witch Mountain" was released in more than 3,000 theaters nationwide on Friday, has come under fire for a skit he performed last weekend during his stint as host of "Saturday Night Live."

Hawaiian tourism officials called the sketch "offensive." The skit featured Johnson and cast regular Fred Armisen as bitter Hawaiian dancers and singers who ripped tourists they were performing for.

"While I always appreciate a good laugh, 'Saturday Night Live' went too far in its negative depiction of Hawaii's native people and tourism industry," Hawaii Lt. Governor Duke Aiona told the Honolulu Advertiser. "During these critical economic times, when tourism dollars are scarce, we cannot let such distortions go unchecked."

Aiona added that he would be sending letters of protest to Johnson's agent and SNL executive director Lorne Michaels.

- Bret Hart took some shots at Hulk Hogan in a recent article on the ESPN Web site. The Hulkster, among others, was labeled as "a cartoon character."

If you look at wrestling when I started to get my big break back in 1992, I changed wrestling from the cartoons of Hulk Hogan and Iron Sheik and the matches with the leg drop and the hand behind the ear and the playing to the crowd," said Hart. "They were just cartoon characters if you ask me. Hogan had the same match every night for years and so did Warrior. They didn't tell great stories, to be honest."

Hart, on the other hand, said he helped change the style of wrestling.

"I went out there and had those matches with (Roddy) Piper and Perfect (Curt Hennig) and the match with Davey (Smith) at Wembley (Stadium). I went out there and tried to have great matches all the time, and it wasn't about Bret Hart, it was about these matches. I think I changed the style of wrestling, and even today, there's not another Hulk Hogan out there, it's guys like Edge, and it's all about work rate."

Hart, who said he did "more good for professional wrestling than people realize," also claimed Hogan held him back and refused to pass the torch.

"I earned my money by working hard. Someone like Hulk Hogan, who refused to pass the torch to me, there's something wrong with trying to hold someone back who works that hard."

Hart was given the WWE title in 1992 to help carry the company when WWE started testing for steroids to eliminate the '80s stars. He says Hogan tried to cut him off when he got his first break.

"I just thought that somebody preempted my run. For somebody like Hulk Hogan, when he was on his run, nobody preempted it," Hart said. "Everyone was happy to make him. But when I needed some of the bigger guys to make me ... I always felt shortchanged by some of those guys who didn't do anything to help me."

Hart also said the only way he would make another WWE appearance was if they asked him to induct late father Stu or late brother Owen into the Hall of Fame.

- The trial date in the Hulk and Linda Hogan (Bollea) divorce case has been set for Oct. 5-23.

Look for plenty of fireworks, as the sparks already have started flying. Attorneys last week wrangled over how much money should be freed up from the parties' frozen accounts.

Hogan, claiming he needed money after his recent back surgery put him out of work, requested $300,000 per month to pay expenses. According to court documents, he currently has $411,000 in his bank accounts and his current bills are $312,000. Linda's lawyer said last week that Hogan's spending needed to be restricted to $40,000 per month.

A judge on Thursday decided to give Hulk $225,000 a month for the next three months. Linda Bollea was granted $400,000 in December to pay attorneys' fees.

After the hearing, while a press conference was being held outside the Clearwater, Fla., courtroom, Hogan got into a shouting match with Linda's lawyer, Ray Rafool, who loudly asked Hogan, "Are you gonna wrestle me here? Are you gonna come across the cameras? Then be quiet."

"It's a free world," Hogan replied. "No, it's not a free world," Rafool said. "It's called professionalism."

The attorney, who had earlier accepted an autograph from Hogan for his son, then told the Hulkster: "You're an actor. You're acting now."

"I hope your son enjoys the autograph," Hogan replied. "Thank you Hulkamaniac brother."

The two finally separated on their own.

- It has been widely speculated that John Bradshaw Layfield's active ring career may be coming to an end.

The 42-year-old Intercontinental champ has been plagued by back problems that caused him to retire in 2006. He has teased in recent weeks that he would do something "historical" in his home state of Texas at Wrestlemania 25. Speculation is that he could retire with the IC title at the event, and that Monday night's tag-team match on Raw could result in a career-ending feud with Vladimir Kozlov that would culminate at WM 25.

"At Wrestlemania, I plan to make history as only JBL can," he told the WWE Web site last week. "I continue my pledge that I will shock the wrestling world."

His wife, Wall Street guru Meredith Whitney, recently opened her own financial advisory firm. The high-profile banking analyst rose to fame by correctly predicting much of the sector's carnage while the global credit crisis was in its early stages. Fortune magazine in September named Whitney one of the 50 most powerful women in business.

JBL, a successful businessman in his own right, also recently announced that he will sponsor the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. "I am not buying OVW nor any interest in OVW. Layfield Energy is merely taking over as his main sponsor and advertiser," Layfield wrote in a recent blog. "I see an opportunity to advertise our products and grow our distribution in Kentucky."

JBL earlier had said that Danny Davis, who runs the struggling promotion that once served as the developmental territory for WWE, was a good friend who had mortgaged his own home.

"Danny Davis is my good friend and I hate to see anyone lose their dream. Danny has mortgaged his home to make this work; I mortgaged my home for Layfield Energy. I understand passion, I understand love. I believe in the American spirit, I believe that if you want to achieve, you can."

Layfield added that he and Davis planned to do "some really cool things" that would unfold in the upcoming months.

"But for now, I am funding all of OVW, because I believe in what they are doing. One day I will tell all, but for now, I will say that I am doing what is right ... I started in places like OVW; these places have to be protected. These places are sacred, and I don't do this for nostalgia, I do it as a business decision. This is not just my BS plan to give back; I have a plan - believe me."

- Former pro wrestling star and UFC great Ken Shamrock was suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for three different types of illegal steroids.

Shamrock, who recently turned 45, tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol, as well as two Nandrolone-based substances, Norandrosterone and Noretiocholanolone, after a Feb. 13 victory over in California over Ross Clifton. It was Shamrock's first win in nearly four years.

"Ken was taking legal over-the-counter products, and based upon our preliminary research, I'm investigating if those products were the result of these findings," Shamrock's manager and attorney, Rod Donohoo. told Sherdog.com on Wednesday. Donohoo said the fighter has adamantly denied the allegations and will appeal the suspension.

Shamrock was scheduled to face another former WWE star, Bobby Lashley, in a headline heavyweight bout for the Roy Jones Jr.-promoted "March Badness" event on March 21 in Pensacola, Fla. Jason Guida, brother of UFC standout lightweight Clay Guida, has been offered the fight with Lashley. The Shamrock-Lashley fight could be moved to Japan later this year, although Lashley says he would only do it with the approval of U.S. athletic commissions.

- Laura Croft, a former Playboy Playmate who appeared in the July 2008 issue, played Randy Orton's wife, Samantha, last week on Raw.

The 26-year-old Jacksonville-based model also has appeared on TV's "The Girls Next Door" with Holly Madison.

- Among those returning for the 25-women battle royal at Wrestlemania are former WWE divas Sunny (Tammy Sytch) and Torrie Wilson. And don't count out the 86-year-young Mae Young.

Amy "Lita" Dumas, meanwhile, has told fans that she won't make any appearances as part of Wrestlemania 25 weekend. She will instead be taking part in a signing at Booker T's Legends of Wrestling Fanfest charity event on April 3.

- TNA is bringing in former child actor and reality star Danny Bonaduce for his first official pro wrestling match at the Lockdown pay-per-view.

There could be a hitch, however, as Bonaduce's contract with Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling contains an exclusivity clause that could prevent him from wrestling on the TNA show.

The 49-year-old former Danny Partridge also has done some celebrity boxing matches, the most recent being against Jose Canseco, and stays in good shape.

TNA has scheduled a contract-signing event March 20 in Philadelphia where Bonaduce is a popular DJ.

- The Hennepin County (Minn.) Attorney's office announced Thursday that no charges will be filed against pro wrestling legend Verne Gagne in the beating death of a 97-year-old man at a Bloomington, Minn., care facility where the two men resided.

Gutmann died Feb. 14 from complications of a broken hip after an what the warrant calls an "unprovoked attack" during which Gutmann was "grabbed, shaken and thrown to the ground" by Gagne on Jan. 26 at the memory-loss unit of Friendship Village. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Gagne, 83, and Gutmann both had dementia and neither could remember the incident afterward.

A warrant stated Gagne had assaulted fellow Friendship Village residents at least twice in five months before the altercation with Gutmann.

- WWE diva Maria said in an interview with The Greek Reporter that she would like to return to Raw after this year's draft.

Maria, whose real name is Maria Kanellis, also talked about her Greek background.

"I am half Greek which comes from my father's side. Both of my grandparents are originally from Sparta, so I have a good fighting background," she said.

Maria said she visited Greece a couple of years ago when she took her parents for their 25th wedding anniversary.

"We were able to see most of the country, including Athens, and I cannot wait to go back," she said.

She added that her parents were supportive of her career in modeling and wrestling.

"My family has always been very supportive of me and Greeks are a very proud people. I'm very proud to be a Greek and I love all of my Greek fans," said the April 2008 Playboy cover.

- The Philadelphia-based Ring of Honor will debut its weekly Saturday night show March 21 on HD-Net.

- Jim Ross continues to push the returning Evan Bourne and hopes the young talent will be drafted to Smackdown. Ross said he wouldn't even mind going to ECW to call Bourne's matches.

"I hope 'Air' gets red hot on ECW and then gets drafted to Friday Night Smackdown," Ross said on his jrsbarbq.com. blog. "Or it could work the other way around and I could get drafted to ECW. That would be a fun assignment too."

Ross added that Bourne has a great attitude outside the ring as well as being a tremendous in-ring talent.

Bourne is returning to the ECW brand after being sidelined for several months with a serious ankle injury.

Mike Mooneyham can be reached by phone at (843) 937-5517 or by e-mail at mooneyham@postandcourier.com. For wrestling updates during the week, call The Post and Courier Info Line at 937-6000, ext. 3090.