Stone Cold Steve Austin

Statistics Ring name(s) Steve Austin The Ringmaster Billed height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) Billed weight 252 lb (115 kg) Born December 18, 1964 (1964-12-18) (age 44) Austin, Texas Billed from Victoria, Texas Trained by Chris Adams
Debut May 11, 1989 Retired 2003

Steve Austin (born Steven Anderson on December 18, 1964, later Steven Williams), better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American film and televisionactor and former professional wrestler, making regular appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment. Austin wrestled for several well-known wrestling promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and most famously, World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. In the late 1990s, Austin gained significant mainstream popularity in the WWF as Stone Cold, a disrespectful, beer-drinking anti-hero who routinely defied his boss, Mr. McMahon.[6] This defiance was often shown by Austin flipping McMahon off and incapacitating him with the Stone Cold Stunner, Austin's finisher. He retired as a regular in-ring performer in 2003 due to neck, ankle and knee injuries sustained throughout his career.[citation needed] He still makes occasional in-ring appearances, often to only perform his finishing move, the Stone Cold Stunner, normally followed by an extended beer drinking session punctuated by his slamming two beer cans together in a distinctive style then pouring the beer over his face. Austin had his first starring film role as Jack Conrad in the 2007 thriller The Condemned. He will next star as "Dan Paine" in "The Expendables" for director/star Sylvester Stallone. The film also stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Forest Whitaker and Mickey Rourke. Austin recently wrapped production on "Damage," a hard-edged, bare-knuckles fight film that focuses on the tough choices people make in times of recession. The film is the first in a multi-picture deal between Austin, Nasser Entertainment, and Caliber Media. Austin also recently inked a television development deal with Original Media and Caliber Media. Austin is a six-time WWF Champion, the 1996 King of the Ring, and winner of the 1997, 1998 and 2001 Royal Rumbles, and is the only man in WWE history to win the Royal Rumble three times. He will also be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009.

Eddie Guerrero

Statistics Ring name(s) Eddie Guerrero Black Tiger II Eddy Guerrero El Caliente Máscara Mágica Gory Guerrero, Jr. Billed height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Billed weight 228 lb (103 kg) Born October 9, 1967(1967-10-09) El Paso, Texas, United States Died November 13, 2005 (aged 38) Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Billed from El Paso, Texas Trained by Chavo Guerrero Hector Guerrero Mando Guerrero Debut 1987

Eduardo Gory Guerrero

(October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005)was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into a Mexican wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan and in several major professional wrestling promotions in the United States He wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Guerrero's gimmick was that of a crafty, resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match. His catch phrase became "Cheat to Win." Despite being a heel for most of his career, he got over in and outside the ring. Another one of his famous slogans was "I Lie! I Cheat! I Steal!," which was used in one of his entrance themes. He partly used this phrase in his autobiography Cheating Death, Stealing Life. Throughout his career, Guerrero encountered various substance abuse problems outside of wrestling, including alcoholism and an addiction to painkillers. His problems outside of the ring were sometimes integrated into his angles. Notwithstanding these issues, he won numerous titles during his career, including the WWE Championship. He was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.

Paul Bearer

After 15 years in the wrestling business, Percy Pringle was determined to step up to the major leagues of sports-entertainment. Nearly two decades ago, Percy walked into WWE headquarters for an interview that he hoped would help him accomplish that very goal. Little did he know that shortly thereafter he would become Paul Bearer, and was about to embark on a journey that would take him to the top of the wrestling world. As a mortician prior to his life in wrestling, Paul Bearer was a perfect fit for his role as manager of a young, ghoulish looking character known as Undertaker. In the decade and change that followed their union in 1991, the chemistry between Bearer and The Deadman would carry them to unforeseen heights, which included multiple championships and a place in history as one of the most successful duos to grace a WWE arena. While managing Undertaker, Bearer enjoyed some of the most memorable experiences of his career. The urn-carrying manager cites many overseas tours, including a trip to London’s Wembley Stadium in 1992 for SummerSlam, and multiple appearances at WrestleMania as just a few highlights of his lengthy WWE tenure. One of the proudest moments of his career however, came outside of the ring during an early edition of Bearer’s talk show segment, appropriately titled The Funeral Parlor. “I have a picture of it hanging on my wall,” said Bearer. “Ric Flair had just joined the company, and I had both him and Hulk Hogan in The Funeral Parlor at the same time. As I was standing there with these two legends on either side of me, I thought to myself, ‘Where do I go from here? This is the top of the mountain.’ I’ll never forget it.” Over the years, Bearer and Undertaker severed ties on many occasions, only to reunite in grand fashion to the delight of WWE fans. One of the most emotional nights of Bearer’s career took place in Madison Square Garden at WrestleMania XX when, after an extended hiatus, he was once again reunited with Undertaker. As Bearer explained to WWE.com, his dramatic return almost never took place due to a particular issue with his health that threatened not only his career, but also his life. “I weighed 525 pounds,” remembered Bearer. “When I left the road, I had a lot of problems. My wife was sick, I was depressed, and I gained a lot of weight. I was a big man for a lot of the years that I managed Undertaker, but I carried it well. At this point though, I could barely walk around my house.” Bearer continued, detailing the phone call that would change his life forever. “I got a call asking if I wanted to come back,” recalled Bearer. “I told them I would love to, but I didn’t think there was any way I could get back on the road in my condition. They asked what they could do to help me, so I told them about the gastric bypass surgery.” Knowing that Bearer didn’t have the money or insurance to cover the costs of the expensive and risky surgery, WWE made Bearer an offer he couldn’t refuse. “A few days later, I received another call,” said Bearer. “They said that they would really like to have me back, and so, as a signing bonus they offered to pay for the surgery. To make a long story short, I had the surgery and lost 240 pounds. The surgery saved my life, and without it, you wouldn’t be hearing from me today.” Today, several years after his last appearance on WWE TV, Bearer has returned to his original trade in the funeral service industry. Toting a degree in mortuary science and a license he continually renewed during his years on the road, Bearer manages a full service funeral home in his hometown of Mobile, Ala. “I’m the boss,” said Bearer. “I’m the managing funeral director, and I oversee all the operations within our crematory, cemetery and mausoleum. I also am an embalmer, and I offer grief counseling. I handle families from the time the person dies, until we put them in the ground.” Believe it or not, Bearer draws on his experience in the world of sports-entertainment when preparing for a funeral service. “The funeral isn’t for the dead person,” said Bearer. “It’s almost like a show for the living. There’s a distinct parallel between this and a WWE show. When WWE comes to town, they need to coordinate with the arenas and arrange for promotion of the event. When I set up a funeral, I need to coordinate plans with the church, the minister and the families. It’s a very similar procedure.” Outside of the funeral home, Bearer likes to keep a finger on the pulse of the wrestling business. The veteran of the squared circle owns and operates his own promotion down south. Bearer boasts a mission statement to “celebrate tradition and set new standards,” all under the watchful eye of one of sports-entertainment’s most knowledgeable personalities. Through his promotion, Bearer is able to stay close to the fans that cheered for him and Undertaker for so many years. A humble Bearer offers a simple message to those fans that followed his career. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to entertain you.”

Lilian Garcia

From: New York City Career Highlights: Monday Night Raw ring announcer

As the ring announcer on Raw, Lilian Garcia has performed the National Anthem at hundreds of WWE, NBA, New York Jets games and other sporting events. Garcia has been singing since she was a small child in Madrid, Spain. In her early teens -- by then Garcia's family had relocated to Columbia, S.C. -- she was singing with a band at clubs around the area; her mom chaperoned so she could get in. Garcia went on to graduate cum laude from the University of South Carolina. Lilian has made WWE history by becoming the first female to announce WrestleMania, at WrestleMania 22. In November 2001, she sang on WWE's float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Garcia's first single, "Shout," released in 2002, became a hit. Garcia's Spanish language debut album ¡Quiero Vivir! was released in October 2007, which includes 12 tracks and two duets--one featuring Latin recording artist Jon Secada.

Mickie James

From: Richmond, Va. Signature Move: Implant DDT Career Highlights: Women's Champion WWE Debut: 2005 When asked to describe Mickie James in three words, the trio of smart, beautiful and talented quickly comes to mind. An honors student who played the violin as a child, it was ironically a failed Trigonometry class in high school that sent Mickie into the wrestling world instead of college. Of course, being the diligent woman that she is, Mickie did go on to get her college education, earning an associate’s degree in business administration and working on her bachelor’s all while traveling the world as a WWE Diva. Still, it was a long road from childhood dream to World Champion. After training in Virginia, Mickie worked the independent circuit for several years, learning everything she could from such Legends as Ricky Steamboat, Ricky Morton and Bobby Eaton along the way. Finally, after nearly a decade of paying her dues, Mickie made it to WWE, where she has stepped into the ring both with and against long-time idols like Trish Stratus on the way to becoming a multiple-time Women’s Champion. There is one thing Mickie likes almost as much as being a WWE Diva, however: horses. Mickie has ridden since age 11, when her grandmother bought her a horse named Rhapsody. She spent hours on her grandmother’s farm with Rhapsody and her other horses even to this day, and when her days of being a Diva wind down, she holds aspirations to own a farm and become an equine trainer. Fortunately for our fans, that goal is far ahead in the distance…as long as Mickie has something to say about it, anyway. “I’m so glad that my path led me to where I am today, because I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Mickie has said in the past. And as long as she can continue to make her dreams come true, there’s no doubt that she can become one of the most recognized and decorated Divas in WWE history.

Triple H

Height: 6 foot 4
Weight: 255 pounds
From: Greenwich, Conn.
Signature Move: Pedigree
Associates: Shawn Michaels
WWE Debut: May 1995
Trained By: Killer Kowalski Career Highlights: WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion, European Champion, King of the Ring (1997), Royal Rumble winner (2002)

For a moment, forget all the monikers and catch phrases. Overlook the seemingly countless championships and tournaments he has won. Ignore the fact that he has spearheaded two of the most important factions in WWE history, and overcome what the pundits considered a career-ending injuries. You need only two words to properly sum up Triple H: The Game Strong words, especially when one considers the King of Kings was once a 135-pound “beanpole” from Nashua, N.H. But when he received a free one-week membership for a small local gym one summer day, the 14-year-old “gangly” teen’s life changed forever. For the next three years, he spent nearly every day in that gym, developing every muscle in his body and transforming himself into a six-foot-four, 210-pound powerhouse. He entered — and won — numerous regional bodybuilding competitions, including the prestigious Teen Mr. New Hampshire title at the age of 19. Yet The Game himself admits, “I never seriously considered becoming a pro bodybuilder…My dream was World Wrestling Entertainment.” Enrolling in Walter “Killer” Kowalski’s Pro Wrestling School in Malden, Mass., the future Cerebral Assassin trained four days a week under Kowalski’s “tough love” tutelage, then divided his weekends between wrestling in the independent circuit and managing a Gold’s Gym in Nashua. Almost inconceivably, he would have to fly himself down to Atlanta in 1993, to convince then-new VP Eric Bischoff that he was “good enough” to join the World Championship Wrestling roster. Fortunately, the unlimited potential he showed at World Championship Wrestling quickly got him noticed at World Wrestling Entertainment; by May 1995, “Hunter Hearst-Helmsley” (a name which soon became more identifiable as Triple H) would make his WWE debut. And the rest, as they say, is history. More than 20 years after entering that small Nashua gym, Triple H maintains the strictest of training regimens, incorporating techniques from world-renowned fitness trainers like Charles Glass. Such dedication has provided him with the fortitude to become a Grand Slam champion; the wisdom to shepherd the “Evolution” of then-newcomers Randy Orton and Batista to WWE Superstardom; the charisma to star in feature films, television shows, and commercials; and the stamina to pull countless sophomoric pranks on Mr. McMahon as a founder of D-Generation X. And it’s precisely what makes him “that damn good.”

R-Truth

Height: 6 foot 2
Weight: 228 pounds From: Charlotte, North Carolina
R-Truth knows all about hard times. Growing up in the rough neighborhoods of Charlotte, N.C., he admits he made some bad decisions in the past. But, R-Truth believes those choices have sculpted him into a much more formidable opponent in the ring. For Truth, his talent is a blessing. He believes he has been given a second chance in life and has no intentions on wasting it. After spending some time in prison, Truth realized that a change was needed from within to get away from a life of crime – a change that has brought him to WWE and a much more positive life. Truth wanted to keep far away from the path he took growing up and WWE turned out to be his light at the end of the tunnel. Truth calls WWE “a new struggle, but a welcome struggle.” He has spent years working on his craft and is ready to open the eyes of the WWE Universe to “the Truth.”

Jeff Hardy

Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 225 pounds
From: Cameron, N.C.
Signature Move: Swanton Bomb, Whisper in the Wind, Twist of Fate
WWE Debut: 1993
Trained By: Dory Funk, Jr., Michael Hayes Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Tag Team Champion; Intercontinental Champion; Hardcore Champion; European Champion; Light Heavyweight Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion

Simply put, Jeff Hardy is an artist. His world revolves around writing “emoetry,” recording music (“alternative, alternative music,” according to his brother Matt), and employing tinfoil and paint to craft intimate, personal, and sometimes bizarre works of art. His house is decorated with toys, artificial plants and life-size Japanese fiberglass sculptures. One of his most cherished creations—a thirty-foot “Aluminummy” statue called Neroameee, from Nero, his middle name—stands tall outside his studio. Still, this artist has always been drawn to another, very different canvas—that of the squared circle. Growing up with Matt in the pinewoods of Cameron, North Carolina, 11-year-old Jeff—influenced by the likes of Ric Flair, the Fabulous Freebirds, and the Rockers—took a ramp he built for his bike and painted it to resemble an entrance stage for his “wrestling ring,” the backyard trampoline. As he grew older, so did his desire to take greater risks, whether it was to feel the rush of executing hundred-foot-high triples on his motorcross bike, or jumping off the roof of his house as a member of the brothers’ “Teenage Wrestling Federation.” It was such fearlessness and desire that would bring the 16-year-old daredevil to World Wrestling Entertainment, and after several years catapult him to worldwide fame and main-event status, first as one-half of WWE’s high-flying “Team Extreme,” The Hardys, then in singles competition. Though many of his paintings are abstract, this free spirit is a Rembrandt inside the ring, signing his name not with the traditional paintbrush or pen, but with wildly unorthodox, high-impact maneuvers off top ropes and 20-foot ladders. His credo is simple: to create, then surpass his creation. Unfortunately, most true artists must sink to their lowest point before attaining their greatest heights. For Jeff, the wear-and-tear of living life on the road would help prompt him to leave WWE in 2003. But after a three-year personal journey of refocusing his passion and energies, he now finds himself “in a positive place…and that’s what motivates me.” Since returning to WWE in August 2006, this reinspired risk-taker has gone back to creating the art he loves most—entertaining WWE fans in arenas around the world. And his most extreme masterpiece awaits. After coming close time after time in his quest to capture his first World Championship - including being forced out of the Survivor Series WWE Championship Triple Threat Match after being found unconscious in a hotel stairwell - Jeff Hardy earned yet another WWE Championship opportunity at Armageddon. After tying Triple H in a Beat the Clock Challenge on SmackDown, Hardy reigned supreme over both Edge and The Game, dropping the Swanton Bomb on the Rated-R Superstar in the culmination of an explosive championship Triple Threat Match.

Dave Batista

Height: 6 foot 6
Weight: 290 pounds
From: Washington, D.C.
Signature Move: Batista Bomb Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; World Tag Team Champion; 2005 Royal Rumble winner Dave Batista has been “The Animal” since childhood, in temper if not in name. Raised in a rough part of southeast Washington, D.C., he describes himself as being “a skinny kid with asthma and a bad size complex”— and a penchant for getting into trouble with authorities. He spent a few years in San Francisco after his parents separated, until his mother sent the troubled teen to live with his father in suburban Virginia. By the time he turned 17, he was estranged from both parents, living on his own, and still getting into trouble. For the better part of 10 years, Batista spent his days training and competing as a bodybuilder, and his nights “bouncing in clubs, floating from here to there.” (He’s still amazed that one club he worked at is less than two blocks from Washington D.C.’s MCI Center, where he defended his World Heavyweight Championship against JBL at SummerSlam in 2005.) His drifting stopped the night he unleashed his explosive temper on two patrons who had attacked his fellow bouncers. “By the time I was finished with them,” he relates, “they were lying on the ground with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads. I was very scared they were going to die.” They didn’t, but the incident did result in Batista’s arrest, a year’s probation, and his decision to make radical changes in his life. Enrolling in Wild Samoan Afa’s wrestling school in Allentown, Pa., Batista admits that at first he saw WWE simply as “a way to make a living”— until he was told at a WCW tryout that he didn’t have the chops to make it as a wrestler. “That lit a fire under my a**. Wrestling became an obsession that I fell in love with. I completely redirected my training and philosophies, redesigned my body and mental outlook. I just really wanted to be an athlete and an entertainer.” Though his personal perseverance brought him to WWE in May 2002, Batista credits former Evolution colleagues Triple H and Ric Flair with developing “a muscleheaded goofball” into a World Heavyweight Champion, one who backs his composed words and demeanor with an explosive fury befitting his nickname. He considers himself neither a leader nor a follower in the locker room (“I’m just a loner, I keep to myself,” he insists), but inside the ring, on the covers of muscle mags like FLEX, and even once against budding Superman Tom Welling on The CW Network series Smallville, “The Animal” is clearly a dominant species. A dominant species who, by the way, has collected more than 50 vintage tin lunchboxes. Our advice: respect this six-foot-six, 290-pound beast and his 1967 Green Hornet sandwich container (sporting Bruce Lee’s face on the front), which he cherishes among his most prized possessions. You’ll live longer.

Shawn Michaels

Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 225 pounds
From: San Antonio
Signature Move: Sweet Chin Music
Associates: Triple H
Trained By: Jose Lothario Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; Royal Rumble winner (1995 & 1996); Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; European Champion
Sports-entertainment has seen its share of immortals. There have been icons, some Great Ones, a few Olympians and a whole lot of legends. But there has only been one Showstopper, and he is Shawn Michaels. In an industry where the hyperbole is the norm, there may not be enough ways to describe HBK. He is truly incomparable. Michaels has made a career of stealing the show – competing in matches that are talked about for years. His rivalries over a career spanning more than 20 years are truly the stuff of legends. Michaels first started revolutionizing the sport during his partnership with Marty Jannetty as The Rockers. Their wars with “Playboy” Buddy Rose & Doug Sommers in the AWA and then the subsequent rivalries with The Hart Foundation and The Brain Busters in WWE changed the face of tag team wrestling and captured the imagination of our fans. Arguably, Michaels could have gone down as one of the greats if he had chosen to stay primarily in tag team competition. But HBK knew he could become an all-time great. One superkick to Jannetty during Brutus Beefcake’s Barber Shop closed the door on a popular partnership and opened another to Michaels’ legend. HBK’s career can’t be just measured in titles, even though his trophy case is spilling over. He was WWE’s first-ever Grand slam Champion, holding the European Championship, World Tag Team Championship, the Intercontinental Title and WWE Championship. He, along with Triple H, co-founded one of the greatest factions of all time, D-Generation X, whose popularity and anti-establishment philosophy continue to capture the imagination of our fans today. Perhaps the greatest measure of Michaels’ legacy is his uncanny ability to perform his best on the biggest stages. He has won the Royal Rumble Match twice and has headlined WrestleMania more times than the Immortal Hulk Hogan. HBK didn’t compete in the first Ladder Match, but he put them on the map with his WrestleMania X war against Razor Ramon over the Intercontinental Championship. He didn’t win the match, but at the end of the night, no one was talking about the loss. They were talking about Michaels and the amazing risks he took during the bout. Students of the sports-entertainment game continued to talk about The Showstopper's performances in many WrestleManias that followed – from an unbelievable clash with John Cena for the WWE Championship in 2007 to HBK's emotional confrontation with the "Nature Boy" at WrestleMania XXIV, ultimately Ric Flair's last match. Owning the spotlight has been a common theme throughout Michaels’ life. Even as a little boy growing up in Texas, he wanted to be the star of the show. At age 12, he saw his first wrestling match and knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler. Michaels became a stand-out linebacker and a captain on his high school team. Upon graduating, he attended Southwest Texas State University, but soon realized that college wasn’t the path he wanted to follow. He began chasing his dream to become a WWE Superstar. But success didn’t come overnight. Early in his career, Michaels had doubters, skeptics who said he was too small to become a World Champion. But he, along with his bitter rival Bret “Hit Man” Hart, overcame incredible odds and proved that skilled wrestlers did not need to be giants to succeed in sports-entertainment. Even when WWE struggled early in the Monday Night Wars against WCW in the late 1990s and its Superstars jumped ship to the competition, HBK stayed and carried the company on his shoulders as champion. He helped lay the foundation that eventually enabled WWE – and Superstars such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind – to overcome WCW in the Monday Night Wars. A serious back injury put HBK on the sidelines for four years between 1998 and 2002. During that time Michaels healed and overcame personal demons to find peace in his life. Amazingly, he returned to the ring better than ever, defeating Triple H in a Street Fight at SummerSlam, and then eventually winning the World Heavyweight Championship. The Game and HBK have been the worst of enemies, spilling buckets of blood in one of WWE’s most memorable rivalries. But their wars have only made them the best of friends; it’s difficult to imagine these DX cohorts teaming with anyone else. Triple H, who does not give praise easily, sums up Michaels’ legacy like this: “If you were to ask me who’s the greatest I’ve ever been in the ring with, that’s easy. It’s Shawn.” Though more than 30 years have passed since he saw his first wrestling match, HBK is still a 12-year-old boy at heart, daring to dream. He’s still tuning up the band and delighting audiences with Sweet Chin Music. Even after the show finally ends for good, Michaels will still be the Icon … the Showstopper … the Main Event.

KANE

Height: 7 foot
Weight: 323 pounds
Signature Move: Chokeslam Career Highlights: WWE Champion; ECW Champion; Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion; Hardcore Champion At 7-feet tall and more than 300 pounds, the Big Red Monster has been tormenting opponents since his debut, and even that was huge. Following months of speculation, Kane made his first appearance on Oct. 5, 1997, at Bad Blood. There, he ripped the cage door off during the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match between Shawn Michaels and Undertaker. Kane and Undertaker then stood toe to toe during a chilling stare-down. The Big Red Monster wore a mask, and he hid his body in attire designed to conceal hideous burns from a fire supposedly started by his half-brother Undertaker. Then, Kane kicked the Deadman in the stomach and Tombstoned him — allowing a bloody Michaels to pin Undertaker for the victory. Despite the unprovoked attack, Undertaker vowed he would not wage war against his own flesh and blood in front of a national audience. But Kane’s assaults continued, and when he set Undertaker ablaze inside a casket at the 1998 Royal Rumble, the Phenom was left with no choice. At WrestleMania XIV, the half-brothers met for the first time in singles competition, but it was only the beginning. After the brutal WrestleMania matchup, Kane continued to climb the ranks by beating down the opposition. At King of the Ring 1998, Stone Cold and Kane clashed in a First Blood Match for the WWE Championship. As an added stipulation, Kane promised that if he lost, he’d set himself on fire. The match, a brainchild of Mr. McMahon, gave Kane a distinct advantage since his face and body were covered, making it nearly impossible to confirm if he was bleeding. During the match, the referee was knocked out, and Undertaker ran to the ring with a steel chair to interfere. He swung at Kane but nailed Stone Cold, busting his head wide open. When the referee regained consciousness, he saw the blood and awarded the match to the Big Red Monster. Undertaker later revealed that he intended to bust open Stone Cold so that his half-brother wouldn’t set himself on fire. This punctuated a theme in the difficult sibling relationship, as they’d battle often but align at times to achieve great success as well. They’d also innovate during their heated rivalry, inventing such contests as the Inferno Match. The night following the First Blood victory, Mr. McMahon decorated the ring with a red canvas and crowned Kane the new WWE Champion. The reign lasted only one night, but it was still an amazing accomplishment considering his debut was only eight months prior. Kane did pin the WWE Champion on one other occasion, but he did so simultaneously with the Undertaker. The event was Breakdown 1998, and because the half-brothers both covered Stone Cold, neither was declared champion. Instead, the WWE Championship was vacated. While Kane hasn’t recaptured the WWE Championship, he’s experienced enormous success. He’s a two-time Intercontinental Champion and nine-time World Tag Team Champion. He has also reigned as ECW Champion. He’s shown near-unprecedented versatility in the tag team ranks, winning championships with brawlers such as Stone Cold and Mankind, as well as smaller, quicker partners such as The Hurricane and X-Pac. He’s also twice won the World Tag Team Championship with his half-brother, including a reign during the Alliance Invasion when they simultaneously held the World Tag Team Championship and WCW Tag Team Championship. But it was during his time teaming with Rob Van Dam that Kane experienced one of the most emotional nights of his career. After being egged on for weeks about becoming “soft,” Kane agreed to a “Mask vs. Championship” Match against Triple H. Despite a valiant effort, Kane lost, and as RAW came to a close, the 7-footer unmasked and revealed his face to the world. Once the mask was removed, Kane went on a hell-bent trail of destruction. He chokeslammed RVD, Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold. Then, he set RAW announcer Jim Ross on fire. But the action that could not be tolerated was hitting WWE CEO Linda McMahon with a Tombstone. That forced Shane McMahon to return to the ring in defense of his family, but even the risk-taking Shane-O-Mac couldn’t stop the Big Red Monster’s rage. At Survivor Series in 2003, Kane attacked Undertaker once again and buried him alive with a bulldozer. For the following months, the Deadman haunted his younger sibling before announcing that at WrestleMania XX, the two would meet one more time. After that, Kane began randomly attacking anyone who crossed his path. He viciously assaulted Shawn Michaels, putting him out of action. He then began to make life miserable for Lita, with whom he seemed obsessed. Thanks to victory in a “’Till Death Do Us Part” Match against Matt Hardy, Kane got what he wanted. He married an unwilling Lita, who was carrying Kane's child. But an in-ring incident on Raw injured Lita, causing her to lose the couple's unborn son and leaving Kane an emotional and angry mess. He swore vengeance on Gene Snitsky, who he held responsible. At Taboo Tuesday, Kane faced Snitsky in a “Weapon of Choice” match. Wielding a steel chain, Kane delivered a brutal beating. But Snitsky eventually gained the upper hand, crushing Kane's throat with a steel chair. After recuperating, Kane haunted Snitsky until he exacted some measure of revenge. Then he began tormenting Trish Stratus — Lita’s nemesis — and through doing so is seemingly finally gaining his wife’s favor. In a shocking moment the April 11, 2005 edition of Raw, Kane and Lita kissed. It was the first time both parties had done so willingly and passionately. After aligning briefly with Kane, Lita has changed her allegiances now to Edge in an act of ruthless betrayal. Kane had a hard time dealing with Lita's betrayal. Lita took it even further and continually made out with Edge in front of Kane and even flushed her wedding ring down the toilet. Edge and Lita even had their own wedding ceremony, but Kane would not allow it to go down quietly. Kane came up through the altar and chased off the couple. Kane and Edge then fought in a series of brutal matches including a Steel Cage Match and a Stretcher Match. Lita was the one who ended up needing the stretcher, though, as Kane Tombstoned her on the stage. After a brief hiatus, Kane returned just prior to Taboo Tuesday. Because he lost out in the voting for the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels, he was paired up with Big Show to face World Tag Team Champions Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade. Big Show & Kane proved to be just too much size and strength to overcome for the young tag team, and Kane won his ninth World Tag Team Championship. Kane and his tag team partner also played a huge role in the RAW vs. SmackDown rivalry that was brewing. They were key players on RAW's team at Survivor Series, but could not lead their brand to a victory. But at Armageddon they challenged SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Champions, Rey Mysterio & Batista, to a match. Even though it was a SmackDown pay-per-view, Kane & Big Show reigned victorious in the rare Champions vs. Champions Match. The Big Red Monster and Big Show turned back the challenge of Carlito & Chris Masters at WrestleMania 22. But just one night later, on Raw, they faced Kenny and Mikey of the Spirit Squad. If it was just a two-on-two match, the tag champs surely would have retained the gold. But the other three members of the Spirit Squad - Mitch, Nickey and Johnny - all got involved. The numbers proved to be too much to overcome, and Big Show was pinned. That’s when things started going horribly wrong for the Big Red Monster. Kane thought that the madness and the voices would stop once May 19 came and went. Leading up to that day, the same day that Kane's adopted parents died in a fire, the Big Red Monster was hearing voices that drove him to the brink of insanity. But it didn't stop after May 19. Things only got stranger for Kane. On the May 29 edition of Raw, Kane came face to face with what appeared to be a mirror image of himself. The mysterious being was dressed like the Kane of old, complete with his old ring attire and mask. After a stare-down, the unknown man chokeslammed Kane. Kane continued to be attacked by his “clone” until they finally met in a match at Vengeance where he found himself on the receiving end of all of his own moves. Bringing new meaning to “being your own worst enemy,” the imposter Kane defeated the real Kane with a thunderous chokeslam. Just one day later, though, Kane chokeslammed the imposter on the stage at Raw and then threw him out of the arena. Now that he is back on Monday Night Raw, the Big Red Monster is intent on showing the entire WWE Universe that he is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

JOHN CENA

Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 240 pounds
From: West Newbury, Mass.
Signature Move: Attitude Adjustment, STF Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion; WWE Champion; U.S. Champion; World Tag Team Champion, 2008 Royal Rumble Winner Let’s be honest: hailing from the rolling hills and broad valleys that constitute West Newbury, Mass., will likely never earn you “street cred”--unless, of course, you’re John Cena. Then again, it didn’t happen overnight for him, either. Long before he became the Dr. of Thuganomics, young Cena had to endure the neighborhood rocker kids’ taunts about his baggy pants and rayon Kwamé shirts. His love for freestyling lyrics about rebellion and individualism just didn’t fit within the small rural community. By the time he turned 15, however, those same kids would stop teasing him, for it became apparent that Cena had been developing another passion: hitting the gym.

After applying to more than 60 colleges (and being accepted by 58), Cena attended Massachusetts’ Springfield College, where he excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman and team captain for the Pride. But as much as he fondly remembers his college football accomplishments, he’s equally as proud of earning his degree in Exercise Physiology, which he attributes to making him a smarter, more durable performer in the ring today.

Though a huge WWE fan since childhood, rooting for heroes like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels, Cena had honestly never even considered a career in WWE. Instead, he flew out to California in 2000, to pursue a profession in bodybuilding (a move he now admits to making simply because his father had told him he wouldn’t make it out there). But while working behind the counter of Gold’s Gym in Venice, a discussion with a wrestler-in-training encouraged Cena to enroll in classes at Ultimate Pro Wrestling. He was instantly hooked, and became motivated to learn everything he could about his newfound craft. He obviously proved a quick study; within a year, World Wrestling Entertainment signed Cena to a developmental contract to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. By June 2002, he had joined the SmackDown roster, and less than a year later headlined the first of what has since become countless main-event matches.

That said, Cena has never forgotten his roots. In fact, remembering where he came from has helped him evolve into the man he is today: a well-versed hip-hop artist, a successful movie star and a blue-collared Chain Gang Soldier who’s always ready to fight. In his jean shorts and Under Armour Proto Power sneakers, he leads his WWE fan-based army into battle with the mission statement he’s been down with since Day One: hustle, loyalty and respect.