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Make your plans to join the WWE Superstars, Divas and Legends for one of the most memorable evenings in WWE History as the Class of 2011 is enshrined into the WWE Hall of Fame.
2011 Hall Of Fame Inductees Include:
Shawn Michaels
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
"Bullet" Bob Armstrong
Sunny
Drew Carey
Abdullah the Butcher
Road Warriors & Paul Ellering
Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum recording artist Keri Hilson will perform “America the Beautiful” kicking-off WrestleMania XXVII live on pay-per-view Sunday, April 3 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Hilson joins a renowned list of legendary artists that includes Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Reba McIntyre, John Legend and Ashanti who have opened the annual pop-culture extravaganza.
The chart topping singer and Decatur, GA. native Keri Hilson is no stranger to the belting out hits as she recently performed her number one song “Pretty Girl Rock” (produced by Ne-Yo) on national television shows such as the Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and Lopez Tonight. Coming off her sophomore album “No Boys Allowed,” Hilson’s garnered choice reviews in the New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal to name a few. Her RIAA Gold Certified debut album “In A Perfect World" spawned number one hits including “Turning Me On” featuring Lil’Wayne and “Knock You Down” featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo. The singer has scored critical acclaim winning awards and nominations from The Grammy’s, The American Music Awards, BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, MOBO Awards and Soul Train Awards.
WrestleMania has always proven itself the most electrifying event in entertainment, period. This year, though, the WWE Universe can expect a significant spike in voltage when the most electrifying man in sports entertainment serves as host on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced as host of WrestleMania XXVII. Can you smell what The Rock is cookin'? You will when WrestleMania XXVII kicks off live from Atlanta on April 3. The former WWE Superstar thrilled everyone when he was announced as host of WWE’s biggest event of the year and emerged for an explosive and emotional appearance!
This Sunday, Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson and WWE Tag Team Champions Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel will step onto The Grandest Stage of Them All to take on Big Show, Kane, Vladimir Kozlov & Santino Marella in an earth-shattering Eight-Man Tag Team Match.
Over the past several weeks on SmackDown, the mammoth former tag team partners Kane & Big Show reunited to go head-to-head with The Corre. This culminated in the vicious assault on the two goliaths by the dangerous faction of equals, with The Devil’s Favorite Demon being crushed under the steel steps and The World’s Largest Athlete being sent through the announce table.
Armed with an unquenchable thirst to assert their authority, The Corre shifted their attention toward Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov on Monday Night Raw, mauling both Superstars following a showdown with Gabriel and Slater. But, their latest path of destruction fell short when Kane and Big Show charged to the ring, sending their foes heading for the hills.
One week later on the final Raw before WrestleMania, the animosity between the eight warriors reached its boiling point. After The Moscow Mauler helped his Italian Stallion partner overcome Gabriel in a singles match, the towering forces of Big Show and Kane stood by the former WWE Tag Team Champions' side, defiant against Barrett and his brethren who stood at ringside. Apparently united, Kane, Big Show and their international cohorts aim to dismantle The Corre at WWE's greatest spectacle.
As the WWE Universe braces itself for The Showcase of the Immortals, will Big Show, Kane, Vladimir Kozlov & Santino Marella lay waste to The Corre? Can the combined force of four former tag team champions stop The Corre from spreading their scourge to WrestleMania? Or will Friday night’s most feared faction continue to run wild at WrestleMania?
Break out the pickles, slather on the suntan lotion and get ready to pump those fists, WWE Universe: Jersey Shore’s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is going to WrestleMania. The reality television icon, New York Times best-selling author and Rolling Stone cover girl will join John Morrison & legendary Diva Trish Stratus to battle Dolph Ziggler & Lay-Cool in an explosive Six-Person Tag Team Match.
Crashing the party as special guest star of Monday Night Raw less than three weeks before The Show of Shows, the self-proclaimed “Princess of Poughkeepsie” struck up an immediate rapport with The Prince of Parkour. Although Morrison is an admitted Jersey Shore fanatic, WWE’s resident “cougar” Vickie Guerrero made it clear that she is unimpressed by the pint-sized party girl’s outrageous MTV antics. But as fans of the popular series are already well aware, Snooki doesn’t take trash-talking lightly – especially from a “grenade” like Vickie.
When Vickie confronted Snooki in the locker room area and threatened to slap the reality star, the poof-coiffed powder keg unleashed on Vickie with a hard slap of her own. As they say in Seaside Heights, it was on.
Later that night, Vickie – with the help of Michelle McCool & Layla – defeated a returning Trish Stratus to join her so-called “business associate” Dolph Ziggler on Raw. After Vickie celebrated her questionable victory with Lay-Cool, Snooki emerged from her seat at ringside to acquaint the treacherous trio with her own patented brand of Jersey justice. Trish, a Tough Enough trainer and seven-time Women’s Champion, joined her fellow reality television star in the ensuing brawl, prompting Vickie to issue a bold WrestleMania challenge, proposing that Ziggler & Lay-Cool face Morrison, Trish & Snooki on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Never backing down from a challenge – whether it be a dance contest or a game of flip cup – Snooki spoke for her team and accepted.
Joining the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, Pamela Anderson, Mike Tyson and Donald Trump, Snooki is the latest pop-culture icon hoping to make an impact at The Show of Shows. Will her WrestleMania debut alongside Morrison & Trish – in her first WrestleMania match in five years – prove to be a “shore” thing? Or will Vickie & Lay-Cool send the diminutive Jersey Shore star back to the Garden State?
In a battle of brute force vs. technical tenacity, reigning United States Champion Sheamus defends his title against former titleholder Daniel Bryan at The Showcase of the Immortals, WrestleMania.
Finding himself in a months-long slump following his King of the Ring victory in 2010, an irate Celtic Warrior clinched the U.S. Title in an explosive bout with Bryan on the March 14 edition of Raw. Putting it all on the line, The Celtic Warrior vowed to quit WWE if he lost the match. With a devastating Brogue Kick, Sheamus became the new U.S. Champion, a distinction held by such legendary ring warriors as Bret “Hit Man” Hart, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Dusty Rhodes, Michael “P.S.” Hayes and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.
His fighting spirit bruised but hardly broken by his defeat at Sheamus’ hand (or, more specifically, his boot), Bryan was quick to remind the Irish-born U.S. Champion that America is the land of opportunity, and chose to invoke his rematch clause on The Grandest Stage of Them All in what would be his first WrestleMania match.
With his imposing 6-foot-6 frame, Sheamus enters this bout with a clear size advantage, and his hard-hitting offense has already earned him two WWE Championships in his relatively short in-ring career. However, Bryan’s incredible arsenal of submission maneuvers and precision strikes – honed by a decade of dominance on the indie grappling circuit – makes him a threat to any opponent, big or small.
Will Daniel Bryan secure his second United States Championship with his dreaded LeBell Lock? Or will The Celtic Warrior once again assert his dominance against the submission specialist?
Since 2008, Jerry “The King” Lawler and Michael Cole have called the action from the broadcast booth a few feet away from the ring. At WrestleMania XXVII, however, they'll be on the other side of the table as the individuals embroiled in battle themselves with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin mediating as special referee.
Commentary cohorts turned adversaries, Lawler and Cole will tussle in a WrestleMania-bedecked ring for the first time in both men's very contrasting careers. And while The Texas Rattlesnake will be tasked to sustain order in this unusual bout, The King will need to maintain a vigilant eye on his enemy’s handpicked trainer: Former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger.
In between them all, in the all-important stripes of match official, stands the WWE Hall of Famer known for, ironically, raising hell. As Austin demonstrated when he Stone Cold Stunnered his way into it (at JBL's expense), the multiple-time WWE Champion abides only by his own unique set of rules.
Stomaching months of insufferable disrespect from his immediate left, Lawler challenged his broadcast partner to this heavily personal clash. The WWE Hall of Famer hit his boiling point after Cole's (repeated) involvement in the legend's long awaited WWE Championship opportunities, earned after two decades in WWE. The leader of the so-called “Cole Miners” not only stripped Lawler of a title-bearing trip to the main event of WrestleMania, but the brazen broadcast journalist then continued to stir the emotions of the Hall of Famer with a comment about Lawler’s recently passed mother.
It’s been Michael Cole's intolerable fanhood of WWE Champion The Miz that’s seemed to run parallel with the previously peaceable WWE personality's fall from impartiality. Under the headset, the self-proclaimed "Voice of WWE" devolved from demure ringside storyteller to sourpussed supporter of WWE's most despicable Superstars. Thus, the selection of Swagger as Cole’s coach and corner man is a natural fit.
As if not clear enough by the bejeweled symbol sitting atop his head, Lawler's career has been studded by crowning achievements of all kinds around the country and across the globe. Counting more than 140 championships in his dynasty of accolades, the Memphis-born Hall of Famer surprisingly dances for the very first time on The Grandest Stage of Them All this year against an adversary that the WWE Universe could have never predicted.
The King, of course, needs no training for his long awaited performance at The Show of Shows, but as he discovered while coiled within “The All-American American’s” ankle lock, Lawler’s dream of triumph at WrestleMania is sufficiently jeopardized. Amid all of his championships and victories, none will be sweeter than a pummeling of his longtime announcing associate at The Show of Shows. Conversely, a defeat at the hands of Cole, the quintessential – to quote Freddie Blassie – “pencil-necked geek” would be the greatest disgrace of all.
History will be made at WrestleMania XXVII in this contest – no matter how potentially obscure, depending on the victor. Which voice of Monday Night Raw will emerge the winner at The Greatest Spectacle of Them All – and how will Lawler compete with an obstacle like Swagger?
Can The King manage to keep his hands off the peevish "Voice of WWE" per the orders Raw's General Manager? Just how much hell can "Stone Cold" raise while officiating this unlikely clash?
At WrestleMania XXVII, the inner-turmoil that consumes Cody Rhodes will turn outward, targeting the Superstar he blames for all his recent misfortunes – Rey Mysterio.
In the final moments of a fast-paced match on the Jan. 21 edition of SmackDown, Rey Mysterio delivered to 619 to his handsome adversary. Mysterio’s leg brace – which Rhodes himself had exposed earlier on – struck his opponent’s nose with tremendous force, causing it to break. Though injuries are always a potential hazard in the squared-circle, the results would be catastrophic for the Superstar who prided himself on his extraordinary appearance.
Weeks later, Rhodes would return to SmackDown a completely different Superstar than before the injury. Replacing the sheer confidence that once accompanied his “dashing” persona, Rhodes came forth as a bitter shell of a man; drowning in self-conscious contempt; unable to stand the mere feeling of the WWE Universe staring at him. And, in his warped mind, the sole reason for all that he was experiencing was The Master of the 619.
On the Feb. 25 edition of SmackDown, Rhodes and his WWE Hall of Famer father Dusty Rhodes shocked the WWE Universe when they executed a sinister plan to gain revenge on Mysterio. Luring the masked Superstar into a false sense of security, Cody unleashed a brutal assault on his adversary and ripped off his mask.
Rhodes went on to challenge Mysterio to a fateful match at the Show of Shows one week later, promising to rip his foe’s mask off again and expose him to the WWE Universe (WATCH).
What lengths will the darkly-obsessed Cody Rhodes go to quell his inner-demons at the expense of Rey Mysterio?
Since emerging as the leader of The New Nexus, CM Punk has made plenty of enemies on Raw, but none of his adversaries are quite as dangerous as Randy Orton. With the rivalry between The Viper and The Second City Savior escalating exponentially in recent weeks, it seems there is only one place where their myriad differences can truly be settled: WrestleMania.
After The Viper and his Legacy cohorts cost Punk the World Heavyweight Championship in September 2008, the unforgiving Straight Edge Superstar launched a long-gestating premeditated attack against Orton at Royal Rumble, preventing WWE’s Apex Predator from attaining The Miz’s WWE Title.
In the weeks that followed, it became increasingly clear that the strife between these two Superstars extended beyond the pursuit of championship gold – especially after Orton punted The New Nexus’ portly powerhouse Husky Harris in the skull and took him out of action indefinitely. Realizing that the back-and-forth attacks would only worsen, The Second City Saint warned Orton to keep his distance. But as the WWE Universe can attest, Orton only listens to the voices in his head, all of which were seemingly telling him to continue dismantling The New Nexus – Punk, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga and Mason Ryan – until it was no more.
Seeking some form of resolution to this conflict, Raw’s anonymous General Manager decreed that Orton and Punk would battle on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania XXVII. Additionally, the GM scheduled Orton in a series of singles matches against members of The New Nexus leading up to The Showcase of the Immortals. If The Viper emerged victorious, that New Nexus member would be barred from ringside at The Show of Shows. However, any member that managed to defeat Orton would be in Punk’s corner on April 3 at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. In the interest of fairness, if any New Nexus members interfered in this series of bouts, Raw’s GM would personally disband The New Nexus on the spot.
Since Orton had already punted Harris into oblivion, The Viper was tasked with facing Punk’s remaining disciples one-on-one, first annhilating McGillicutty with an RKO. Like Harris, McGillicutty was further punished with a boot to the side of the skull after the match.
Will Orton finally humble the sanctimonious and power-hungry New Nexus leader? Or will Punk continue to tighten his vise-like grip on Monday Night Raw with a WrestleMania victory over The Viper?
The time has arrived. After weeks of high anticipation comes an epic battle years in the making. A resurrected Triple H will face off against The Undertaker in a clash of WWE titans at WrestleMania XXVII.
Weeks of a campaign filled with ominous “2.21.11” imagery finally culminated on February 21st when the two Superstars met in the ring on Raw after each had spent months recuperating from injury. Although no words were spoken, the men reached a tacit agreement to compete against one another at The Show of Shows.
Precisely 10 years ago, the two respected and feared Superstars squared off on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania X-Seven. During that contest, the action spilled outside the ring in a memorable display of power and determination. In the end, The Demon of Death Valley prevailed by pinfall.
Despite their legendary status, each man goes into the match with something to prove, having suffered major setbacks in 2010. The Game had been sidelined for 10 months after King Sheamus ambushed him at Extreme Rules while The Demon of Death Valley was waylaid by his brother Kane during a Buried Alive Match at WWE Bragging Rights.
In order for The Cerebral Assassin to overcome The Deadman, he’ll first need to negate the psychological advantage of his opponent. After all, The Undertaker’s famous win streak at WrestleMania hit 18-0 last year, and the list of his fallen foes remains littered with renowned Superstars, including Randy Orton, Edge and more recently, Shawn Michaels.
Not only did The Phenom defeat HBK two WrestleMania’s in a row, he ended the man’s career. A fact certainly not lost on Michaels’ close friend, Triple H, who may well use the misfortune as a motivator.
For his part, The Game also possesses a list of enviable accomplishments. Not only is he a former King of the Ring, Triple H has also reigned an incredible five times as World Heavyweight Champion and eight times as WWE Champion. Despite all the accolades, though, he has never beaten The Undertaker at WrestleMania, a feat only a Superstar of Triple H’s caliber could achieve.
With both powerhouses eager to prove to the world that they are now running on all cylinders, the match will prove to be both a test of wills as well as strength. Can The Undertaker possibly continue his extraordinary record of victory at WrestleMania? Or will his formidable foe finally put an end to “The Streak”?
After winning the biggest Royal Rumble Match in history, Alberto Del Rio challenged World Heavyweight Champion Edge for his coveted title at WrestleMania XXVII.
Edge is an 11-time World Champion at the top of his game and a Master Manipulator known for attacking both the mind and body of any impending adversary. In the squared circle, he is extremely dangerous, wielding an incredible array of maneuvers – most prominent of which is the bone-shattering Spear. He has headlined the past three WrestleManias, standing toe-to-toe with the likes of The Undertaker, John Cena, Big Show and Chris Jericho. The future WWE Hall of Famer undeniably knows what it takes to shine in The Showcase of the Immortals.
Alberto Del Rio will make his first appearance on The Grandest Stage of Them All. But, in the short time he has been in WWE, he has stepped head-and-shoulders above the rest. His infamous list of accomplishments includes a conquest over two-time World Champion Rey Mysterio on his first night as a SmackDown Superstar and ruthlessly putting both The Master of the 619 and Christian out of commission. That all paled in comparison, however, to the moment he overcame 39 other combatants to triumph in the 2011 Royal Rumble Match, catapulting himself into the main event at WrestleMania.
One day later, after choosing to make himself the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title, the aristocratic Superstar put the exclamation point on his declaration by smashing The Rated-R Superstar with a guitar and locking him in his excruciating cross armbreaker.
Although the match between Edge and Del Rio is sure to be a classic, it almost did not happen. Thanks to the actions of Dolph Ziggler and then-"acting" SmackDown GM Vickie Guerrero, The Master Manipulator was stripped of his World Title and fired for using an illegal Spear. But, once the true GM Theodore Long returned, Edge was immediately reinstated and won his title back.
Then, just days before WrestleMania, it was announced that Christian would be in Edge’s corner, and big Brodus Clay would be in Del Rio’s. What will these potent reinforcements mean for the future of the World Title?
For John Cena, the Road to WrestleMania has become a familiar path, one he’s ridden many times with great success. For WWE Champion The Miz, however, the Road to WrestleMania is a road less traveled. And perhaps that will make all the difference when the two meet in Atlanta at their WWE Title Match, an encounter that will no doubt be closely observed by WrestleMania XXVII Host Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a ring icon both Superstars have crossed paths with in recent weeks.
Although The Miz would argue he’s paid his dues in WWE and deserves his celebrated status, the fact is, he’s employed some underhanded tactics during his ascent. He cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on a battered Randy Orton to seize the championship. And during a title defense against Jerry “The King” Lawler, The Awesome One would likely have lost were it not for interference from sycophant Michael Cole. Even though his methods remain questionable, there’s no arguing that Miz continues finding ways to retain WWE’s most prized possession.
For his part, John Cena enjoys the experience that comes with having earned the WWE Championship an impressive seven times. In order to main-event WrestleMania, the Cenation Commander-in-Chief had to plow through five formidable Superstars inside the Elimination Chamber – Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth, King Sheamus and CM Punk – before pivoting to his current target: WWE Champion The Miz.
However, both Superstars’ Road to WrestleMania hit a sharp turn when they shared the ring with The Rock on Raw, just six days before battling for the WWE Title on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Insulting The Great One to his face, the most “must-see” WWE Champion in history soon felt the brunt of the The Rock’s signature People’s Elbow, while Cena – after weeks of warring with The Brahma Bull from a distance – finally got his hands on “the most electrifying man in all of entertainment,” hitting him with the Attitude Adjustment. The WrestleMania XXVII Host heads to Atlanta with that attack still fresh in his mind.
When Cena and The Miz enter the ring on April 3, the contest will be between a young, resourceful and headstrong champion willing to do just about anything to stay on top and a strong, experienced veteran with uncanny determination and a storied list of accomplishments. Can the ever-impressive Cena notch his eighth WWE Championship? Or will the wily Miz somehow find a way – yet again – to remain king of the mountain?
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