WWE

PLANS for Riyadh Season 2025 have been formally announced – with WWE and darts events now on the agenda.

As part of the Middle Eastern sporting bonanza which starts this week and runs until early next year, Saudi Arabia will host the Royal Rumble, becoming the first nation outside of North America to take on a marquee WWE event.

4

4

They are also expected to stage Wrestlemania in 2027.

The Kingdom will host the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in January as part of the World Series of Darts.

The PDC has never taken a professional darts event to Saudi before.

Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, announced the plans for Riyadh Season 2025 in a press conference on Sunday.

Alalshikh has previously said he wants to try something “crazy” with darts – but it is not yet clear what he has up his sleeve.

The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship remains on the calendar, along with high-profile events in tennis and boxing.

Six Kings Slam is one of the most lucrative events on the tennis circuit, with Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz all set to feature.

Players are guaranteed £1.1million just for competing, with the winner banking an eye-watering £4.5m.

SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN

Ring IV will feature boxing showdowns including David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde and Brian Norman Jr. vs Devin Haney.

A parade in Boulevard City will kick off Riyadh Season 2025 on October 10.

The entertainment extravaganza will feature 15 global championships as well as 34 exhibitions and festivals.

And Alalshikh estimates that its brand value has reached £2.4BILLION.

Organisers said: “Riyadh Season 2025 will be a defining milestone in the history of global entertainment, emphasising that Riyadh has become the emblem of a new era of creativity, culture, and international entertainment excellence.”

4

4

By day, I immersed myself in the magic of Universal’s parks but by night, I braved the 10 haunted houses at the 34th annual HHN event now that spooky season is well and truly underway

Summer heat clung to the air but inside my hotel at Universal Orlando theme park, shivers were running down my spine. It was late August at the Sapphire Falls Resort, but the vibe was pure Gothic terror.

I was here to mark the opening of Halloween Horror Nights 2025, and though it was not yet autumn, the screams, monsters, and blood-soaked houses made it clear, spooky season had well and truly begun.

By day, I immersed myself in Universal’s parks: Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and even a lazy escape to Volcano Bay. But by night, I braved the 10 haunted houses at the 34th annual HHN event, including the blood-drenched Terrifier, the slasher playground of Jason Universe, and the theatrical nightmares of WWE’s Wyatt Sicks.

READ MORE: UK officially has one of the ‘world’s coolest neighbourhoods’ according to new rankingREAD MORE: ‘I perfected packing when I went to space – this is how I never forget anything’

The trip started at Epic Universe where stepping through its portals felt like stepping on to a movie set. The Dark Universe oozed Halloween energy – haunting villages, shadowy figures, and the looming presence of some of the world’s scariest characters.

Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment saw me flung around on a robotic arm as I came face to face with Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy.

I was whipped into a frenzy on the Curse of the Werewolf roller coaster and watched in awe as The Burning Blade Tavern erupted into flames.

Then I travelled through a Metro- Floo corridor to Harry Potter’s Battle at the Ministry ride, chasing down Dolores Umbridge as she tries to escape her trial. Afterwards came the vibrant chaos of Super Nintendo World, alive with colour, sound, and nostalgia. I couldn’t stop smiling as I raced friends on Mario Kart and leaped over the broken rails of Donkey Kong’s Mine-Cart Madness.

How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk was another highlight, with Viking ships bobbing in the fiery harbour and even a chance to meet Toothless.

Over at Islands of Adventure, I white-knuckled my way through the VelociCoaster and then soared on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, winding through the Forbidden Forest.

Riding the Hogwarts Express between parks gave me chills, especially stepping off at Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, where the cobblestones felt alive with magic.

Midway through the trip, I took a break from screams and thrills with a day at Volcano Bay. From a relaxing cabana, I enjoyed cocktails and a quiet escape between plunging down water slides and floating along the lazy river.

For a few hours, I wasn’t thinking about monsters or roller coasters, just the sun, the welcoming water and the looming Krakatau volcano in the distance.

And then came the night I’ll never forget – Halloween Horror Nights – 10 haunted houses, each more intense than the last and not for the faint-hearted (or under-13s).

Jason Universe merging all the Friday the 13th films was my favourite, despite being scared witless down a never-ending corridor of jump-scare hell (I said witless).

Terrifier was unforgettable in the worst (best) way as grotesque Art the Clown dismembered his victims before inviting guests to take the “dry path” or the “bloodbath” out.

It’s Universal’s first “unrated” house, with 35 bodies, six gallons of blood, and the foulest smells I’ve ever experienced – and I live on a farm.

I nearly lost the contents of my stomach in the bathroom scene where guts spilled from sinks and corpses floated in bathtubs, all while Art danced along to the menacing jingle of the Clown Cafe.

The WWE Wyatt Sicks house combined theatrical storytelling with scenes that left me clinging on to my squealing friends.

Galkn: Monsters of the North and Dolls: Let’s Play Dead were also disturbing in different ways, and the animatronics at Five Nights at Freddy’s, created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, are not to be missed.

But the horrors weren’t the only indulgence. The twisted show, Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay was a haunting spectacle filled with pyrotechnics, aerialists, and illusions.

The lagoon also burst into life with fountains, light projections and eerie music. And of course, HHN’s themed snacks also added a darkly delicious layer to the night.

I couldn’t resist grabbing myself a giant FNAF’s Mr Cupcake and sinking my teeth into his head.

Between houses, the scare zones bled into the boardwalk, where zombies and gargoyles lurked. By the time I stumbled back towards the hotel, I felt drained, shaking, and absolutely alive.

That’s the beauty of Universal if you go in October – by day, it’s soaring coasters, magical lands, and colourful adventures. By night, monsters and sweat-inducing nightmares.

Universal has always been a place of extremes, but this year, with Epic Universe opening its gates, and Halloween Horror Nights at its ultimate blood-soaked best, I felt like I experienced every side of the park’s soul.

And honestly? I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, though maybe next time I’ll keep a stronger stomach for Art the Clown.

Johnson has starred in the Fast and Furious franchise and Disney blockbuster Moana since leaving WWE, while Cena’s acting career includes a cameo in 2023 hit Barbie.

Maher would not be the first sports star to appear in WWE.

Boxers Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Tyson Fury have all made cameos, while Olympic medallists Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey have been key ongoing characters in the promotion.

Maher, who has been named at outside centre for Friday evening’s World Cup opener against England in Sunderland, says she remains a rugby player first, despite her phenomenal success on social media and clutch of new ventures.

Having won a bronze medal with the US sevens team at Paris 2024, she joined Premiership Women’s Rugby side Bristol Bears on a three-month contract in January to help her acclimatise to the 15-a-side game.

Her debut against Gloucester-Hartpury set a new attendance crowd for the league of 9,240 after the fixture was switched to Ashton Gate to accommodate more spectators, while her team’s social media footprint also grew significantly.

“So many times people forget, but I am a rugby player first,” Maher added.

“I do the social media because I have to because it is not sustainable to be a women’s rugby player – I am not going to make money doing it.

“It does irk me at times when people forget that. One comment once was: ‘Are you going to watch the Instagrammer play?’

“I was like, ‘no, I have won a bronze medal, I’ve been to two Olympics, I am a good rugby player who loves the sport’.

“I am proud to do both but I do want to be known as a rugby player.”

In a major early move under new ownership, Paramount acquired the media rights to UFC’s mixed martial arts events in the U.S., the company said Monday.

Paramount signed a seven-year deal with TKO Group Holdings that will put 13 marquee events and 30 fight nights on streaming platform Paramount+. Some of the matches will air on broadcast TV network CBS.

Paramount is paying an average of $1.1 billion a year, totaling $7.7 billion, more than double the amount under TKO’s current pact with ESPN, which expires at the end of 2025.

The deal is a signal that Paramount intends to be aggressive in its pursuit of properties that will make its streaming platform attractive to consumers as it battles with Netflix, Amazon and other competitors.

David Ellison, who became chief executive of Paramount last week after his company Skydance completed an $8-billion merger with the media company, has been seen at recent UFC fights speaking with President Trump. Ellison had been awaiting regulatory approval of the Paramount-Skydance merger.

The major promotions presented throughout the year by TKO and WWE are seen as powerful tools to keep streaming subscribers signed up.

Under the new pact, UFC will no longer use pay-per-view to distribute its offerings, in a significant shift. All fights will be available with a Paramount + subscription. TKO produces 43 live events a year, providing 350 hours of live programming.

“This is a milestone moment and trademark deal for UFC, solidifying its position as a preeminent sports asset,” said Ari Emanuel, executive chair of TKO.

The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN will remain in business with TKO, having recently signed a new five-year $1.6-billion deal to carry its WWE events. ESPN will offer WWE events such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam to subscribers of its direct-to-consumer platform, which launches later this month.

ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service will be the new home for WWE’s biggest live events including WrestleMania, the companies announced Wedesday.

The Walt Disney Co.’s sports media unit will pay around $1.6 billion in a five year deal with the WWE, which will begin in 2026. The rights fee is nearly double the $180 million a year paid by NBCUniversal, which carried the events on Peacock.

ESPN is launching its new streaming platform on Aug. 21. For $29,99 a month, consumers will get access to ESPN’s channels and other content without a pay TV subscription.

The service will carry the 10 marquee events staged annually by WWE, which include Royal Rumble, Survivor Series and SummerSlam.

The deal comes after ESPN’s announcement that the NFL is taking a 10% equity stake in the unit. In return, ESPN takes over the NFL’s media properties, NFL Network and RedZone, giving the company more live games and exclusive content from the league.

While the WWE’s programming is entertainment with predetermined outcomes, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro told the Times that the live events will help broaden the audience for the company’s new streaming service.

“When you look at the WWE audience it is younger than what we typically see across other sports,” Pitaro said. “It’s more diverse and it is about 38% female which is a higher percentage of what we have at the network level.”

Pitaro noted that having major WWE events scheduled throughout the year will help the new streaming service retain subscribers who otherwise might check out when their favorite sports are not in season.

ESPN has aired wrestling programs in the past. The network carried matches from the American Wrestling Assn., a Minneapolis-based outfit, from 1985 to 1990.

ESPN already has strong business relationship with WWE parent TKO Group Holdings, as the network has carried the company’s UFC events.

HULK Hogan has been laid to rest in a private funeral with WWE legends, celebrities, and his family attending.

Mourners appeared to be wearing a touching nod to the wrestling icon as his casket was taken into a Clearwater, Florida, church on Tuesday.

6

6

6

Hogan died on July 24 aged 71 from a heart attack, but medical records showed he had a history of leukaemia.

Wrestling icons like Triple H, Stephanie McMahon attended, while celebrities like singer Kid Rock and comedian Theo Von were also present.

His ex-wife Lina, who he was married to from 1983 to 2009, was the only member of his family seen going in or out of the service.

Photos from the funeral saw pallbearers wearing yellow boutonnieres – the same colour as Hulk’s iconic wrestling outfit.

The private service was held at the same church where Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was baptized in 2023.

The service was heavily patrolled by church security and Largo police officers, including K-9 dogs.

President Donald Trump paid tribute to the wrestler by posting a photo to his social media of the pair arm wrestling.

He said: “They are having the “Hulkster’s” funeral today, and I thought everybody would enjoy seeing this picture.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags flown at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, which he declared Hulk Hogan Day in Florida.

Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history, known for both his larger-than-life personality and his in-ring exploits.

He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.

Hogan had been dealing with significant health issues for months when he went into cardiac arrest at his $11.5 million mansion in Clearwater.

He had a neck surgery in May, and was rushed to the hospital afterwards over complications with his recovery.

In June, he suffered a series of health issues that left him reportedly unable to feel his legs or walk with a cane.

6

6

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including Hogan Knows Best, a reality show about his life on VH1.

Hogan’s body will be cremated.

His daughter Brooke Bollea Oleksy, better known by her stage name Brooke Hogan, memorialized her father in a recent social media post.

“I am so grateful I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens, she wrote on Instagram.”

Just days before his death, Hogan and Brooke shared a short but emotional conversation, per the National Enquirer.

“It was a tearful conversation, albeit a short one,” a source told the outlet.

“Brooke told her dad how much she loved him, how much she missed him. Hulk said he loved her, and he was sorry.”

Instantly recognisable in trademark bandana and shaggy, blond handlebar moustache, Hogan had long been a larger-than-life icon for middle America.

Hogan became such a big star that he was able to transcend wrestling and starred in the movie The Rock III with Sylvester Stallone, as well as securing his own reality TV show, Hogan Knows Best.

Born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, in 1953, his dad was a construction foreman father and his mum was a dance teacher.

At school, he was called a hippy because of his long hair, love of rock music and hatred of American football despite his physique.

6

New docuseries shows what really goes on behind the scenes at WWE

I was a childhood fan of WWE and Netflix have just added the series I always wanted to watch.

While it was still referred to as a federation, I grew up as the wrestling company entered its Attitude Era. I was all about the rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dudley Boyz smashing tables and Triple H’s feuds and that Hell in a Cell match.

However, it lost it’s hook in me. Getting older means understanding the soap opera nature of WWE but for some reason or another I lost interest and couldn’t enjoy it in the same way. I did however, still wonder just how the sauce was made. How did they do it?

It’s a common question to ask just how much of it is real. Now, a new docuseries now streaming on Netflix, WWE Unreal, finally gives me the behind the scenes glimpse I’ve craved. It’s almost enough to reignite the passion for the greatest in sports entertainment.

For the first time ever with Unreal, fans are invited to step into the WWE writer’s room and in areas outside the ring that dictates what goes on with your favourite Superstars. According to the synopsis, the drama can be just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight.

The five-part series shows how WWE made the transition from traditional broadcasting, to its Netflix debut, leading up to this year’s Wrestlemania event.

When Netflix released the Mr McMahon documentary, it didn’t feel like we were being given the full picture of how the company is run. It felt like there were some corners the cameras were still not allowed to focus on. Although it really attempted to hammer home that it was a family business run by people who apparently cared most about the fans.

That last point seems more poignant than ever with Unreal. From Head of Content Paul Levesque, AKA Triple H, AKA Hunter to ‘face of the company’ Cody Rhodes, a soon to be retired John Cena and team of match producers, all who are experienced former wrestlers. Each one of them speak with so much passion about what they do.

Many of the current performers have wrestling in the blood. From Ric Flair’s daughter to Rikishi’s sons they all have no problem showing what being part of the industry means to them.

It’s tough to dismiss their jobs as just faking it. They are all aware they are putting on a show. They just want it to be one of the best shows you’ve ever seen.

This time around, unlike Mr McMahon, Unreal even allows some warts to show. That includes when their Superstars suffer severe injuries but are promised their comeback will be all the sweeter. There’s a debrief when a move goes wrong and plenty of bitter rivals hugging backstage.

There’s even a tense moment when two performers go off script and allow their verbal altercation to get a bit too personal. A message is quickly sent to their locker rooms that it will not be expected and they must keep their professionalism.

WWE Unreal plays a big risk in showing just how much shown during Raw, Smackdown and its pay-per-view events is manufactured. Yet it still dares viewers, in particular, the lapsed fans like myself, to dive right back in.

WWE Unreal is streaming on Netflix.

Some might know about it but Netflix offers first deep dive into how it works on each WWE show

Netflix have uncovered a hidden WWE area that fans never get to see during shows and revealed exactly what it is for.

New docuseries Unreal, now streaming on the platform is revealing some rarely seen insight into the making of the wrestling company. According to its synopsis, fans are invited for the first time ever, to step into the WWE writer’s room and outside the ring among other places with their favourite WWE Superstars.

Cameras take viewers where the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight across this unique five-part series showing behind the scenes like never before.

One of those areas is a key place where everything is controlled, whether you are watching Raw, Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania. It is known as the Gorilla position.

The most dedicated are probably already well aware of this location, but for those who are unfamiliar – it is affectionately named after former wrestler Robert James Marella, who went by the name Gorilla Monsoon. After Monsoon retired from action in the ring, he worked as one of WWE’s most popular commentators.

He also spent time as a backstage manager. This is where he would be consistently spotted pulling the strings in the small area between backstage, and the entrance. Hence, why it is now referred to as Gorilla position.

It has certainly evolved since those days and even those who know of its existence are perhaps given their first proper look at how it is used for every WWE show.

As WWE’s Head of Content Paul Levesque, otherwise known as Triple H, explains: Years go when TV production started to become a thing, Gorilla Monsoon a very famous wrestler, he was timing things and controlling things from the area right before talent would walk out to go to the ring.

“That became known as Gorilla Position. Gorilla Position in today’s world, it is the epicenter of everything we do. The show is run from there.”

Get Netflix free with Sky

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £15

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

Bruce Prichard, WWE Executive Director adds: “The Gorilla position is probably the most important position in the arena. You basically control the world that night. Your world., the World Wresting Entertainment is controlled from the Gorilla position.

A diagram is shown of the typical layout of Gorilla position, while workers construct the space from scratch for a production of Raw.

Ed Koskey, the SVP of Creative Writing says “The Gorilla positioin is very unique. In every arena, it’s custom built, However, the inside and the workings of it are the same.

There’s primarily three tables set up inside Gorilla position. There’s one table where Triple H and Bruce Prichard are sitting. Another table where Billy Kidman, who is our producer responsible for timing out the show and keeping tabs on times. Next to him will sit the respective match producer.

Despite this simple setup, footage shows at least a dozen additional people standing around the three desks, as the match producer calls through the action.

It is also pointed out that every single producer at WWE is a former talent with extensive experience of performing in the ring themselves. Match producer Chris Park, used to wrestle under as Abyss and explains his role in Gorilla position.

Not only is he making sure viewers at home get the best view and understand what is going on but he is constantly in the ears of the referees.

He says: “So the mechanics during the match for me and the reason I’m wearing a headset is I’m talking to the truck, keeping them about 10 or 15 seconds ahead of what’s going on in the ring so that the cameras capture the story that we’re trying to tell.

“Another thing I’m doing on that headset as well is I’m talking to the referees, the referees can hear me.”

Whatever producers need to tell talent, whether it is to speed up, increase energy or make their mark, the message is delivered via the referees. They are also able to give feedback on the wrestlers’ wellbeing.

Triple H concludes: “Our business is telling stories and the epicentre of making that happen in real time, live, is Gorilla position.”

WWE Unreal is streaming on Netflix.

Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday at 71, was a star in pro wrestling, perhaps the star, through its two biggest popularity booms in the mid 1980s and the late 1990s. But after being the biggest star in, there was a lot of controversy along the way and his career ended in a hail of boos.

Hogan burst onto the scene in the 1982 movie “Rocky III,” where he played a pro wrestler called Thunderlips, who was taking on Rocky Balboa in a match for charity. He appeared on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” and caught the eye of Vince McMahon, who was planning on buying the then-World Wrestling Federation from his father and taking it nationwide, He was looking for a star to build the promotion around. Hogan was wrestling for the American Wrestling Assn. and was growing frustrated that they never gave him the promotion’s championship, which usually led to making more money.

McMahon bought the WWF and started poaching talent from around the country. Hogan signed in late 1983, breaking his AWA contract and no-showing several dates. McMahon quickly put the championship on Hogan, who came into the ring to the song “Real American,” tore off his T-shirt, told his fans to “train, say your prayers and take your vitamins,” and vowed to defeat the heel of the month because “Whatcha gonna do, King Kong Bundy or Paul Orndorff or Kamala or Roddy Piper, when Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania run wild on you.”

It was a formula for success for many years, lifting pro wrestling to the mainstream with appearances on MTV and NBC, where WWF filled in for “Saturday Night Live” every six weeks and drew better ratings, all with Hogan headlining.

In 1989, Hogan tried to branch off into movies, produced by McMahon. They all flopped. “No Holds Barred.” “Suburban Commando.” “Mr. Nanny.” The persona that worked so well in the ring did not translate onto the big screen like it later did for wrestling stars such as Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista.

In 1991, Dr. George Zahorian III was convicted of illegally supplying anabolic steroids. Zahorian also served as the ringside doctor for WWF matches in Pennsylvania. At his trial, it was revealed that Zahorian had supplied steroids to the WWF and its wrestlers. Hogan, hoping to end discussion that he was on steroids, appeared on “Arsenio Hall” in 1992 and said that he has only used steroids on three occasions, all under doctor’s care to rehabilitate muscle injuries.

The outcry was immediate, with wrestlers coming out to says Hogan was lying. Fans, who could see how well-built these stars were, were disillusioned that Hogan would lie. His popularity began to wane and he began to get booed at some appearances. Hogan took a leave of absence from the company.

A much-smaller Hogan returned in 1993 to team with his friend Brutus Beefcake to take on Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster at WrestleMania in Las Vegas. Little did fans know that the plan was for Hogan to end the show as champion once again. When Hogan came out to aid Bret Hart, who had just lost his title to Yokozuna due to having salt thrown in his eyes, Yokozuna’s manager, Mr. Fuji, made an impromptu challenge to Hogan to wrestle him for the title “right now.” Hogan won the title in about one minute.

However, Hogan and McMahon has miscalculated the public’s desire to see Hogan again, especially in the top spot. The reaction was lukewarm at best and Hogan made sporadic appearances until losing the title to Yokozuna that summer. Hogan left WWF and started wrestling in Japan.

In 1994, Hogan signed with the now-World Wrestling Entertainment’s main rival, World Championship Wrestling. He lifted the profile of the company and drew several strong pay-per-view buy rates, but at live shows, fans seemed to be tiring of the trademark red and yellow gear and Hulkamania. WCW’s popularity was on the decline again when it was time for something no one thought they would ever see.

Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, two of WWE’s biggest stars, had signed with WCW and presented themselves as “invaders from a big wrestling company up north.” Fans had been dying to see a feud between WWE and WCW, and Nash and Hall, under the guidance of booker Eric Bischoff, were hinting that that was happening. They promised to unveil a mystery third man at the July 1996 “Bash at the Beach” show.

Nash and Hall came to the ring without the third man at that event, promising their ally would be along soon. They started wrestling Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage and cheated to get the upper hand, knocking Luger out and injuring Sting. They were about to destroy Savage, when Hogan walked out in the red and yellow gear. Here to save the day again.

Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman were briefly aligned after Hogan turned heel and started the New World Order.

(Paula Illingworth / Associated Press)

The crowd was shocked when Hogan turned on Savage and announced himself as the third man. He told the fans they could go to hell. Fans began pelting the ring with garbage as Hogan announced the formation of the New World Order.

The next week, Hogan, now wearing black and white, got pelted with garbage again. But the heel turn worked. WCW began beating WWE in the ratings for the first time. Pro wrestling was on another hot streak, being watched by more people each week (around 13 million) than at any time in history.

The hot streak lasted until 1998, when fans grew tied of the NWO. Hogan left WCW in 2000. He returned to WWE briefly and had a memorable WrestleMania match with The Rock, before leaving again in a money dispute.

Hogan made appearances with other wrestling companies after that, and even returned to WWE to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2005 and had what turned out to be his final match for WWE in 2007. He was signed by the TNA promotion after that to put them on the map, but never really gained any traction there.

In July 2015, many media outlets ran excerpt of racial slurs made by Hogan on a leaked sex tape recorded in 2007. In the recording, he is heard expressing disgust if his daughter ever dated a Black man, hoping that he would at least be a basketball player worth millions, dropped a racial slur toward Black people repeatedly and said he was “a racist, to a point.”

Once the recordings went public, the outrage was immediate. Hogan apologized, saying he used “language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.” WWE removed him from its Hall of Fame and terminated the legends contract with him, though Hogan always maintained he resigned. Mattel stopped production of all toys featuring Hogan. His public appearances were few and far between and not well-received. Hogan gave an interview on ABC in which he asked for forgiveness, saying his racism was learned from his neighborhood while growing up in Tampa, Fla., and that racial slurs were commonly used there. Not many believed him.

Three years later, Hogan appeared backstage at a WWE event to give an apology to the wrestlers for his remarks. Afterward, several wrestlers expressed disappointment with Hogan, saying he didn’t apologize for the remarks but warned them instead to be careful what they say because someone could be taping them without their knowledge. The WWE reinstated him to the Hall of Fame.

Hogan began appearing on WWE shows again, but there were almost always pretaped appearances. He hosted WrestleMania 37 in 2021, and was booed. His final live appearance was Jan. 6 this year, when he appeared on the first “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix. It was at the Inuit Dome, and when Hogan came out, he was booed strongly by the crowd. Hogan seemed caught off guard, and after plugging his new beer, went backstage. He blamed the booing on his support for Donald Trump, even though others on the show who also support Trump weren’t booed when they appeared.

It was a sad ending for a man who make pro wrestling what it is today. What will Hulk Hogan be remembered for 50 years from now? It would be interesting to hop in a time machine and find out.

When Terry Bollea, more commonly known as Hulk Hogan, showed up in an evening slot at the 2024 Republican National Convention, reactions were mixed.

Then-candidate President Trump and his supporters, both in and outside the hall, were clearly delighted, especially when Hogan, in a signature move, ripped off his T-shirt to display a Trump/Vance tank. Others reacted with disgust, decrying the “cheap” theatrics of a stunt in which Trump courted fans of professional wrestling and Hogan tried to regain national relevance.

In either case, it was mutual benediction. Trump won by leveraging a popular culture that Hogan, who died Thursday at 71, played a significant role in shaping. From the popularity of scripted reality television to the celebration of “real Americans,” Hogan’s career catalyzed and mirrored the shifting zeitgeist.

Forty years ago, he began leveraging an in-your-face patriotism (complete with “Real American” as his theme song) and a naked demand for dominance to become a self-spun celebrity who helped turn pro wrestling from a niche form of entertainment into an international billion-dollar industry.

He created the template for reality-star brand management when Kim Kardashian was still in diapers; he amassed millions of devoted followers by speaking to them directly, and in all caps long before social media was invented. He was canceled (for racist language), only to be uncanceled after a successful apology tour.

He not only survived the release of a sex tape, he sued (with the help of billionaire Peter Thiel) the media site Gawker for publishing it and won, putting Gawker out of business and striking fear into the heart of the free press. He thwarted unions, starred in movies, had a restaurant chain and co-owned his own brand of beer.

Tap any portion of modern celebrity culture — good, bad and ugly — and there’s Hulk Hogan, all handle-bar mustache and “Let me tell you something, brother.” The take-no-prisoners combative style that made him stand out in the 1980s has become just as mainstream as professional wrestling.

Even those who would rather eat glass than watch pro wrestling know who he was; he was a pioneer of personality as profession.

Six foot eight and built like a tank, Terry Bollea became a professional wrestler in 1977 and cultivated the kind of self-aggrandizing personality that had made Gorgeous George (George Raymond Wagner) a star decades earlier. But Hulk Hogan cast himself as a hero, unleashed to lay the bad guys flat. He spoke directly to his audience, including children, and soon gained national, and then international, fame, for himself and the World Wrestling Federation.

Hulk Hogan cast himself as a hero, helping to popularize pro wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, which would later become World Wrestling Entertainment.

(Universal History Archive/ Universal Archive / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

So much so that, in 1993, the World Wildlife Fund sued the organization over its initials, forcing it to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment — WWE. The name change made perfect sense — pro wrestling has always been more about entertainment than sport. Yes, the participants are super-fit and strong and their bodies endure all manner of injury, but their brawls are not true competitions.

The matches are carefully choreographed, with winners chosen beforehand (though the outcomes are kept from the audience). With its reliance on over-the-top personas categorized as “faces” (good guys) and “heels” (villains), pro wrestling, like many modern reality programs, was all about audience preference.

In many ways, Hulk Hogan was the first reality TV star, a champion not because he was a better wrestler (or at least not in the nonprofessional sense) but because he was a better performer, pushing back against the rise of the new, gentler, feminist man of the 1980s with his physicality and bravado.

Not that he was above modifying his persona for increased popularity — in his early years, he was a “face” before becoming a “heel,” a growling villain renamed Hollywood Hogan. “I did it to upset the fans,” he told The Times in 2019. “But it didn’t really work. They still loved me.”

By the late 1980s, “Hulkamania” was everywhere, feeding off Hogan’s signature colors (yellow and red), moves (the leg-drop) and catchphrases (“Whatcha gonna do when the Hulkamania runs wild on you, brother?”). Not even an admission that he used steroids, after years of claiming otherwise, derailed his popularity.

Everyone wanted a piece of him, and Hogan began showing up in film and television. In 1982, he played Thunderlips, a version of himself, in “Rocky III,” taking on Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in an exhibition match.

Hogan would also show up on the small screen in “The Love Boat,” “The A-Team,” “The All New Mickey Mouse Club” and, more recently, “The Goldbergs”; he made some terrible movies, including “Suburban Commando” and “Mr. Nanny,” did voice-work for video games and appeared, of course, in countless WWE productions. He set the stage for other pro wrestlers to become actors, including the Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista.

In 2005, he went full-bore reality, starring in “Hogan Knows Best” which focused on his family life with wife Linda, son Nick and daughter Brooke. (Hogan agreed in part to support Brooke’s burgeoning singing career.) As with many celebrity family-based series, it ended after four seasons, when actual reality, including the couple’s divorce and Nick’s involvement in a car crash for which he was charged with reckless driving (and later sentenced to prison), made it impossible to continue.

Despite his many wrestling titles and iconic matches, Hogan’s most famous battle occurred in a courtroom. In 2012, Gawker published portions of a sex tape in which he appeared. Hogan sued. Or rather Terry Bollea sued (with the financial support of Thiel, who had his own ax to grind with Gawker for outing him years earlier). He claimed that while Hulk Hogan was a public figure who often spoke of his sexual prowess, Bollea was not, and therefore publishing the tape, which had been made without his consent, violated his privacy.

In 2016, the jury found for Bollea and awarded him $115 million; Gawker folded a few months later and Hogan found himself in the middle of a debate about the 1st Amendment and the decreasing popularity, and profitability, of the press.

More damaging, however, were leaked portions of that tape in which Hogan used racist slurs, including the N-word, when discussing his daughter’s boyfriend. In 2015, the WWE terminated Hogan’s contract and removed all mention of him from his website. Hogan’s subsequent apology tour led to him being reinstated in 2018.

These were not the only scandals in which Hogan was involved — in the late 1980s, he was instrumental in preventing an attempt by other wrestlers to unionize; his divorce from Linda was messy, and he and his daughter were estranged for years. His appearance at the RNC convention last year divided his fans. In January, he was booed by members of the crowd gathered for the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “WWE Raw,” which many, including Hogan, saw as a condemnation of his support for Trump.

Not that he seemed too concerned. In a culture where hate-watching is courted and toxic conversation applauded, the only real enemy is silence. As Hulk Hogan taught us, for better and worse, a face is as good as a heel and a boo is as good as a cheer, just as long as the crowd continues to make some noise.

MMA icon Ben Askren is “unresponsive” in hospital after being struck down by severe pneumonia.

The former MMA and wrestling star infamously came out of retirement to face Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2021.

4

4

4

4

Askren, a former Olympian, was active in MMA for over a decade.

News of his hospitalisation broke during UFC 316 in New Jersey on Saturday night.

Funky has not been active in the squared circle since his exhibition with Paul almost four years ago.

But he is fondly remembered in wrestling circles as one of the greatest grapplers of all time.

Askren, 40, is currently battling “a sudden and severe onset of pneumonia”.

His wife Amy penned a heartfelt update on her husband’s condition.

She wrote on Facebook: “You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something.

“He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

“He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.

“We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace.

“We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully, so please refrain from discussing it with them for now.”

Fans were quick to send their well wishes to the Askren family.

Former UFC champ Henry Cejudo wrote on X: “Pray for Ben Askren.”

One fan wrote: “You got this Ben, keep fighting.”

While another commented: “Wishing the best for Ben Askren and his family. Ben was an innovative and creative wrestler in his prime and now he builds up some of the best wrestlers America has ever seen. The wrestling world owes a debt of gratitude to a man like him.”

He’s currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time.

Amy Askren

Askren began wrestling at the age of just 6.

He competed for the Missouri Tigers in college, twice becoming a D1 national champion.

Askren was a member of the 2008 US Olympics wrestling team, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Cuba’s Ivan Fundora on points.

Following his Olympic adventure, the Iowa-native transitioned into MMA.

He boasted 19 wins from 22 MMA pro fights, with his first loss coming in an infamous flying kick KO by Jorge Masvidal five seconds into their bout at UFC 239.

Askren’s highly publicised boxing bout with YouTuber Paul saw 500,000 PPV buys.

Paul, then aged 24, won the bout via TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the first round.

A STAMFORD BRIDGE pitch invader was “speared” as a steward was compared to a WWE legend.

Chelsea and Manchester United players looked on bemused as a fan got right out into the middle in the Prem clash – before being fiercely tackled by staff.

1

Viewers were quick to praise the smart – and amazingly quick – work.

One posted: The best thing about this game is the pitch invader being speared by the steward. Proper prime Goldberg spear.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..

The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.

Terry Brunk, the professional wrestling pioneer known to fans as Sabu, has died at age 60, World Wrestling Entertainment announced Sunday.

No cause of death has been given.

The nephew of WWE Hall of Famer Ed “The Sheik” Farhat, Brunk wrestled on several circuits, including a handful of appearances with WWE (then known as World Wrestling Federation, or WWF) in 1993. He then rose to fame with Extreme Championship Wrestling, for which he was a two-time champion.

Known as an originator of hardcore wrestling, Sabu often leapt from chairs and threw his opponents through tables and barbed wire. He signed with WWE in 2006 as part of the company’s ECW revival and competed against Rey Mysterio for the world heavyweight championship and against John Cena for the WWE championship.

He and his fellow ECW Originals (The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam) defeated the ECW’s New Breed (Elijah Burke, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker) at WrestleMania 23 in Brunk’s hometown of Detroit.

Sabu left WWE in 2007 and continued to wrestle in various leagues, including All Elite Wrestling in 2023 and Game Changer Wrestling, for which he wrestled his final match last month.

“AEW and the wrestling world mourns the passing of Sabu,” AEW wrote on X. “From barbed wire battles to unforgettable high-risk moments, Sabu gave everything to professional wrestling. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.”

GCW posted a tribute video to Sabu on YouTube.

“He was an outlaw and a gamechanger,” the organization wrote in the caption. “He inspired so many that stepped inside a GCW ring and he will continue to inspire for generations to come. His legacy will last forever and he will never be forgotten.”

Van Dam also posted a tribute to his longtime friend on X.

“Sabu was as irreplaceable in my life as he was in the industry,” the WWE Hall of Famer wrote. “You all know how important he was to my career, and you know how much he meant to me personally. He’s been a tremendous influence since I was 18 years old , when I met him.

“Learning to be an adult, while you’re in the crazy environment of this business can go several different ways. I’m proud to have been able to carry on so many of Sheik and Sabu’s values, both in and out of the ring. Sabu helped make me the wrestler I am, the person I am, and I’ll always be proud of that and grateful.”

Many others from professional wrestling paid their respects on social media. WWE star Sami Zayn wrote that Sabu belongs in the organization’s hall of fame, calling him a “one of a kind, absolute legend and a true game changer for professional wrestling.”

Longtime wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone called Sabu “an incredible talent that will obviously put someone through a table in the afterlife.”

Mysterio posted on Instagram: “Feel truly honored to have shared the same ring with you many times and even more to have called you my friend. Always had me on my toes. … You will be missed.”

Retired WWE wrestler Marc Mero wrote that Sabu “was not only a remarkable performer but also a gracious and engaging person.”

“Sabu’s wrestling style was fearless and relentless,” Mero wrote. “From his intense barbed wire battles that tested the limits of both his body and spirit, to his high-risk maneuvers that left audiences in awe, often deafening in their excitement. He truly gave it all every time he stepped into the ring. His dedication, courage, and passion for wrestling have left an indelible mark on the sport and its fans.”

Fellow retired WWE wrestler Jake “the Snake” Roberts wrote: “He was a pioneer in our business, a talented performer, and most importantly, a good man.”