R.I.P. Eddie "Umaga" Fatu

This past Friday, the world of professional wrestling suffered another untimely death. Eki "Eddie" Fatu, 36, passed away after suffering a series of massive heart attacks. There's speculation over whether or not the heart attack was brought about by drug use, but nothing has been confirmed. Fatu made his WWE debut in 2002 and has worked several different gimmicks over the seven year span. His most notable career moment was headlining Wrestlemania 23 as Umaga in a match that featured a 'hair vs. hair' stipulation with Vince McMahon and Donald Trump. He was released from World Wrestling Entertainment this past June over what some sources say was a refusal to attend a rehabilitation center. In recent years, the WWE has been under fire for their Wellness Policy and has taken certain steps to clean their name up a bit. Most recently, Fatu worked with Hulk Hogan as a part of the "Hulkamania" tour in Australia, which ended in late November. He is survived by his wife.

I took this picture of Fatu in a match that pitted him against Brian Kendrick during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on January 22, 2008. It was the last time I saw him wrestle live.

Hulk Hogan Returning To Wrestling

This past week, news spread like wildfires that wrestling icon "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan would be returning to the business of professional wrestling. He made the announcement that he has signed on with TNA Wrestling this past Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. The speculation has been that he'd be in charge of the "creative" department in the company, but his status as an in-ring competitor is uncertain. Now this is a big deal because Vince McMahon's WWE promotion has had zero competition since McMahon himself bought rival company WCW in 2001. TNA is a young upstart promotion that has made several acquisitions over the last few years that they feel helps them compete with the top dog. Thus far, even though they've had success as a very solid alternate, they've hardly been able to label themselves as competition to the WWE. Enter: Hulk Hogan. Now the man isn't the draw he was 10-20 years ago - but he is the biggest star in the history of the business. One couldn't help but to be somewhat interested in what he has left, and more importantly, if he can help jump start another boom period in professional wrestling by making TNA a viable competitor.

On a personal level, this guy is my favorite professional wrestler ever. I grew up as a Hulkamaniac and never get tired of seeing him for the nostalgia factor.

Hogan was still at his best as Hollywood Hogan though. nWo 4 Life, bitches!

R.I.P. Captain Lou Albano

I'd like to take a moment to recognize a pro wrestling LEGEND. Today, Captain Lou Albano died at the age of 76. For those who don't know, Albano was an iconic professional wrestler/manager who gained most of his notoriety in the 1980's boom period. He was a top tier manager when managing still meant something in wrestling. Some may also remember him as Cydni Lauper's father in the "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" video. Another notable project he was involved in was starring as Super Mario on the "Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" His fame would go on to subside a bit in the late 90's and 2000's, but he was still a very beloved figure in the wrestling community. Today, I've come across a lot of people who haven't cared much about wrestling in years, but do remember Captain Lou Albano. So I just want to say Rest In Peace to Captain Lou. You were a relevant piece of my childhood, and I'll never forget that.

R.I.P Cap

BTW, check out this feature on MTV.com

Rey Jr. Violates WWE Wellness Policy

WWE fan favorite Rey Mysterio Jr. was suspended for 30 today's after what is being called a violation of the WWE's "Wellness Policy." According to the Wellness Policy, a superstar is suspended 30 days without pay for their first violation. Now anybody who's familiar with this over-jacked midget knows this was inevitable. But of course, that's just me assuming he was suspended for being on that Rashard Lewis. Maybe this little freak was fuckin with (THAT RAW!). Needless to say, I find it amusing that friend and family of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit keep getting nailed on this program. You'd think a couple lessons would have been learned by their untimely and tragic deaths. But at the same time, I guarantee there's a lot of pressure coming from the top to be in peak condition. You can tell that much by the non-talented muscle heads they like to hire these days. Whatever the case, its quite comical watching somebody that the company touts as a role model to children get caught up with this shit. You have to wonder if they'd ever suspend John Cena, The Undertaker, or Triple H for any violations. I can guarantee between the three of them, there have been several overlooked incidents. Ah well. Kick rocks, Rey. I don't like you anyways. Hope you call it a career. Peace.

TNA Fires The Don!

This is my first wrestling-related entry. Dope. Late yesterday, I stumbled across the sad and stunning news that TNA color commentator Don West was being replaced by former ECW champion Taz in the booth. The announcement stunning because of how increasingly entertaining Don had become on he headsets in recent months. For several years, TNA's commentary was a drawback of the show - and people often pointed to West as the reason. In February, he started a transformation into a heel ('bad guy' for you non-wrestling heads) and seemingly had found his niche. Filling broadcasts with crude one-liners and subliminal humor and any quick witted person could appreciate, Don made himself an asset to the product instead of a liability. People may wonder what the big deal is - an announcer gone, you move on. Well, in the world of pro-wrestling, an announcer is almost as important as the performers. Obviously - the actions are pre-determined, therefore, you need a color commentator and play-by-play guy that can really sell the matches as if they weren't. It comes as no surprise to me that TNA's overall product has been better in recent months - coinciding with West's noticeable improvement. He certainly wasn't the main and only reason - but definitely a factor.

Some people may recognize Don West from the sports cards shows on Shop-At-Home in the 90's. He was the 'loud guy' who screamed at the top of his lungs and spit all over the merchandise. Even earning a Saturday Night Love parody based on he and his co-hosts. As a child who was heavily into sports cards, I watched that show religiously. I'll always be a fan of Don West. Whatever he may do from here on out, I wish him the best of luck. And I leave you with one of my favorite quotes of his. "Crackerjack! That's what happens when you snitch." Peace, Don.