WWE's WrestleMania XXVI Extravaganza Overexcites and Underwhelms

Categories: Wrestlemania
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Last night, Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Entertainment crew took their one-ring circus and blew out of the Valley after almost a weeklong stay.

WrestleMania 26 is over with and done, just like the carnivals and circuses from which professional wrestling sprang, the "sports entertainment" giant has packed up its pyro and headed for the next town.

Local WWE fanatics have no doubt gotten their fill of bodyslams, grudge matches, thunderous spectacle, commemorative merchandise after witnessing six straight days of wrestling-related action and events.

I know I have. So much so that I'm probably done watching pro wrestling. As in forever. I really enjoyed WrestleMania 26 and its grand spectacle that took place at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday. But just Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, it's time to move on the greener pastures.

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WWE's CM Punk Talks Straight Edge, Hardcore Kids, Favorite Bands, and More

Categories: Wrestlemania
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Courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE superstar and straight edge icon CM Punk

"I'm harder than any alcohol you can drink. I'm straighter than any line you can snort up your nose. And I certainly can hurt you a lot faster than any pill you can put on your tongue."

CM Punk is one disciplined cat. As his athletic physique indicates, the World Wrestling Entertainment superstar hits the gym with regimented fervor. And as his above quote implies, he's vehemently straight edge. Nary any drugs or alcohol have ever been ingested by the 31-year-old professional wrestler (who's participating in this Sunday's WrestleMania 26 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale).

Like those kids in your high school who listened to Minor Threat and drew "sXe" on their arms with magic marker, CM Punk is a long-time aficionado of punk and hardcore music and a fervent devotee to the straight edge lifestyle. Popularized by such old school punk bands and musicians as State of Alert, Ian MacKaye, and Stalag 13, the practice includes abstaining from drugs, alcohol, smoking, and (depending on who you ask) even sex.

It's become a big trademark of CM Punk's WWE character, since -- as any wrestling fan will tell you -- reality often times makes for awesome soap opera drama. He's been taking it to the extreme over most of the past year, becoming something of a fanatic about being anti-drug, pompously preaching to wrestling fans about their weak wills and becoming the cult-like of the "Straight Edge Society."

CM Punk dropped the pontification for a few minutes, however, to speak with New Times recently about the popularity of straight edge, his favorite bands, and his match with Rey Mysterio this Sunday at WrestleMania 26.

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WWE's Top 10 Themes in Video: Stone Cold, The Rock, Ric Flair, and More

Categories: Wrestlemania
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Courtesy World Wrestling Entertainment
Try imaging the Undertaker making this kinda entrance without his trademark funeral dirge.
In honor of World Wrestling Entertainment's action-packed WrestleMania 26 hitting the Valley this coming weekend, Mike R. Meyer assembled a list of the 10 best entrance themes of all time for this week's issue (which you can read here). It's a roll call of some of the best and biggest rasslers in the business, who's superstar aura was due in part to bombastic anthems that heralded their arrival into whatever arena the WWE had taken over. As a counterpart to Meyer's list, here's a clip-laden look at each of the songs.


10. "Break the Walls Down" (Chris Jericho):

It's kinda fitting that we start counting down this list with a song that begins with a countdown. This Jim Johnston-penned song has been used by Y2J ever since he arrived in the WWE more than 10 years ago and personifies his overwhelming arrogance.

9. "The Time is Now" (John Cena):
Per he's long-running catchphrase, you "can't see" this multi-time WWE championship holder. But by clicking the video below, you can definitely watch and listen to the cat's hip-hop-tastic theme, which tends to get fans cheering whenever they hear the first few notes.

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WWE's Chris Jericho Talks WrestleMania 26, Being A Villain, and More

Categories: Wrestlemania
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Chris Jericho has a busy weekend ahead of him here in Phoenix. Tomorrow night, the World Wrestling Entertainment superstar will rock Club Red in Tempe along with the other members of his heavy metal act Fozzy.

Come Sunday, the Smackdown villain will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Edge during WrestleMania 26 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix.

The contest isn't getting as much hype as the other matches on the card, such as Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart against WWE honcho Vince McMahon. But its participants definitely have the possibility of putting on one of the most memorable performances at the pay-per-view, as both are at the top of their respective games.

It's definitely one of the reasons why you should make a trip out to the West Valley and attend the show. (According to the WWE, tickets are still available for Sunday click here for more info). Need more? New Times spoke with Jericho about how Mania is one of the most thrilling events one can witness, as well as why he digs being a bad guy.

New Times: What's it like competing at WrestleMania?

Chris Jericho: It's huge because its biggest show of the year. All the fans know it, all the performers know it. And if you can go out there and steal the show at WrestleMania like Shawn Michaels and I did at WrestleMania 19, you know you've done something special, because there's only been 25 WrestleManias, and thus only 25 show stealers. If you can be in one of those, it generally cements your spot in history.

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Chris Jericho to Bring Fozzy to Club Red During Wrestlemania Weekend

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WWE Superstar Chris Jericho (second from left) and his vanity hard rock band Fozzy.
Chris Jericho is one prolific mofo.

Besides his day job as a dastardly villain for World Wrestling Entertainment (on its weekly Smackdown TV show), the 40-year-old Canuck is a published author, indie film actor, and one of the many talking heads featured on such VH-1 programs as 100 Most Shocking Music Moments.

Oh, yeah, and he's also a major metalhead who's served as frontman for Fozzy, his vanity hard-rock band, for more than a decade.

The alt-metal band started out in 1999 as Spinal Tap-esque act, and has experienced a fair amount of success due to Jericho's popularity as a wrestler. Fozzy has been featured on WWE programming (natch), played a few major metal festivals, and released five different albums (including this year's Chasing the Grail) that have gotten reasonably good reviews from sites like Allmusic.com.

Jericho's scheduled a gig for Fozzy on Friday, March 26, at Club Red in Tempe, which coincides with his appearance at Wrestlemania XXVI later that weekend at University of Phoenix Stadium. Local rockers Razer will also perform, and the show will also offer local WWE fans a chance to meet Y2J.

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WWE Hall of Fame Tickets On Sale Tomorrow

Categories: Wrestlemania
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Less that three months remain until Vince McMahon brings his ginormous "Super Bowl of Wrestling" (a.k.a. Wrestlemania) to the Valley of the Sun in March, which is gonna be a major deal.

In fact, the entire week before the big event happens at University of Phoenix Stadium will be filled with all manner of shindigs put on by the folks at World Wrestling Entertainment, including the WWE Fan Axxess in downtown Phoenix, a taping of Raw is War at US Airways Center, and more.

That include the WWE's annual Hall of Fame Ceremony, which is being held at Dodge Theatre the night before Wrestlemania on Saturday, March 26.

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Wrestlemania XXVI Tickets Available Friday During Massive Pre-Sale Party at Westgate

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Rasslin' fans from around the Valley and across the nation are gonna descend on the Westgate City Center en masse tomorrow afternoon, as the Glendale shopping/nightlife Mecca is throwing an Andre the Giant-sized outdoor party that's gonna be attended by a few superstars from World Wrestling Entertainment.

The M.O. for the affair is the chance to get first crack at tickets for the WWE's Wrestlemania XXVI, which is taking place at the adjacent University of Phoenix Stadium next March. 

These prized admission passes are scheduled to officially go on sale to the rest of world on Saturday and sometimes sell out within nanoseconds. Those willing to spend a few hours waiting in line at Westgate, however, will get first dibs on 1,000 pre-sale tickets without having to bodyslam any of their fellow WWE entusiasts.

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