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Archive for February 26th, 2009

I nearly knocked my TV set off its TV stand when I saw it after RAW on Monday; when Duane Johnson appeared for the first time without the nickname of “The Rock,” granted to him by the WWE where he got his start, and introduced himself as Duane “Uncle Handsome” Johnson, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or REALLY laugh.

Uncle Handsome? Really, Rock?

If Duane Johnson wants to put his pro wrestling career in his taillights, that’s fine and I wish him well; I’ll even continue to patronize most of his movies – on Netflix if not in the theater. But really, Uncle Handsome? That’s creepier than a creeping creep-steak-eating creep from Creep City. Especially considering how many child-stars Duane’s been in movies with of late.

If you want to be taken seriously now as an actor, Duane, perhaps you’d be better off without a nickname at all. But if you feel compelled to use one, try choosing one that doesn’t bring parish priests to mind, will ya? What you need is a nickname that says, “Funny, but harmless.”

How about this: Duane “Uncle Buck” Johnson.

And that’s the bottom line, because I said so.

The WWE Raw broadcast on USA drew one of the strongest ratings in years for the WWE and USA Network; the second hour of the show following the No Way Out PPV event posted a whopping 6.4 Nielsen rating, or nearly three times Raw’s average viewership only a few months ago.

Vince McMahon should be handing out Fossil watches to everyone involved for such stellar performances as has been building in recent weeks. After a couple years of laying the groundwork, it appears the new talent in WWE is coming into its own and reinvigorating interest in the brand.

Raw’s first hour did well enough to place fourth place in all of cable, behind The Closer and Monk, as well as Raw’s second hour.

An altercation between two patients at a nursing home, both suffering from dementia, with one of them dying as a result, wouldn’t normally spark headlines across the nation. But then, normally one of the patients isn’t a pro wrestling legend.

Sadly, this time, one was.

Verne Gagne, 82, was implicated in the death of Helmut R. Gutmann, 97, when Gagne allegedly pushed Gutmann, injuring the man’s hip and banging his head in the resulting fall. Gutmann was initially treated, then released, then readmitted; he passed away on Saturday.

Gutmann was a German Jew who fled Nazi Germany and, in his time in America, became an accomplished cancer researcher and violinist.

Gagne built his American Wrestling Association (AWA) into a Midwest legend with footholds on the West Coast as well. Gagne helped launch the careers of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Shawn Michaels and Curt Hennig, just to name a few. He was an old-school territory promoter, however, and when Vince McMahon launched the WWWF into a nationwide promotion rebranded WWF, and eventually WWE, Gagne was out-promoted, out-spent and out-matched. Gagne kept the AWA clear of some of the weight loss pill-hawking commercialism that worked well for McMahon and WWE.

Gagne retired from the ring in 1981 and by 1991, the AWA was in a shambles and filing for bankruptcy. Son Greg Gagne recently accepted a Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame honor on behalf of Verne prior to a WrestleMania.

Though Verne was staying at Friendship Village at the time of the incident, he has been moved since. Bloomington Police are investigating the death, recently ruled a homicide, but given the medical state of Gagne, it appears unlikely charges will be filed.