NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS ... NOT EVEN WWE

 (Today, we go esoteric on you … with some pro wrestling and bare knuckle fisticuffs … as well as more hockey. (In case it hasn’t been mentioned here previously, yours truly is writing a book about the history of hockey in Richmond … and it has been a blast, talking to the people who made it all possible (starting more than 50 years ago). The plan is to publish within the next year or so. More later.)

Stop the world …The mere mention of good guy (face)

 DWAYNE JOHNSON’s name at WWE venues is drawing 

negative reaction – which is unusual, to say the least. Better 

known in rasslin’ circles as “The Rock,” he apparently pulled \

a bone-headed move by demanding (for real) a match at 

\Wrestlemania 40 with ROMAN REIGNS after a year-plus 

storyline set up face CODY RHODES for a crack at the 

champ … Johnson, who turned his WWE popularity into 

becoming a major movie star, pretty much gets what he wants, 

especially now that he’s a member of the board of TKO, 

WWE’s new collaboration with DANA WHITE’sUltimate 

Fighting Championship … And The Rock, who seldom 

wrestles any more, wanted to meet Reigns at the company’s 

biggest event … after first being offered a match with his 

cousin in Saudi Arabia … Wrestlemania already is a sellout, 

so a Rock/Reigns biggie won’t help a live audience any more 

than Rhodes/Reigns … and Rhodes, son of the late icon

 DUSTY RHODES (Virgil Runnels), apparently had earned 

the right by winning the Royal Rumble match (for the second 

straight year) … Sorry about that, Cody. You’ll just have to 

wait a bit longer … and being the good company man (like he 

had a choice), Rhodes gave Johnson a big -- if unemotional -- 

hug on TV, saying the whole thing was his idea. The fans 

knew otherwise, of course … Thursday, the Rock was a guest 

on Pat McAfee’s ESPN gabfest and played it like the villain 

he was at the outset of his career, referring to Rhodes’ fans as 

“Cody’s Crybabies.” And, they could kiss his “candy (you 

know what).” … Chances are, it will be Rock-vs-Reigns on 

the first of a two-night Wrestlemania … with Rhodes taking 

on the winner (likely Reigns) 24 hours later ... Suddenly, the 

whole thing feels like a work … in other words, scripted to the 

hilt. We should have known.

BRIEFLY TOLD:

---- The New York Rangers blew a two-goal lead against the 

woeful Blackhawks Friday then won 4-3 in overtime. 

Richmond’s ZACHARY JONES was a healthy scratch 

(again) while newcomer ERIC GUSTAFSSON, who 

replaced Jones on the third defensive pairing, was on for two 

Chicago goals, effectively screening his goaltender IGOR 

SHESTERKIN for the second … Rangers got away with one 

when officials refused to give defenseman ADAM FOX a 

deserved penalty for interference, leading directly to the 

winning goal by MIKA ZIBANEJAD … Broadway 

Blueshirts still think they need another center. With trading 

deadline March 8 – and the top two already gone – No. 3

 ADAM HENRIQUE, 33, remains available. Anaheim’s (not 

so mighty) Ducks said to want a first-round draft choice but 

one of the Big Apple’s plethora of experts says a second-

rounder plus Z Jones is more likely … At this point, having 

been a healthy scratch most of the season, the native 

Richmonder should welcome a trade regardless of team, good 

or bad – as long as he gets to play a regular shift. Go 

somewhere he’s appreciated … oh, and burn the Rangers 

whenever he gets a chance.

---- You want to see some nasty stuff … check the Bare 

Knuckles Fight Club. In March of last year, at Norfolk’s 

Scope, BKFC worldbantamweight champion REGGIE 

BARNETT JR., of Chesapeake, took on unbeaten DANIEL 

ALVAREZ from California. In the third of five scheduled 

two-minute rounds, referee ANDREW GLENN put a full 

frontal takedown on Barnett who earlier had been lifted off 

the ground then deposited on his head by the challenger … 

who appeared very upset that he had two points taken away as 

a result … Barnett stayed down for several minutes, not 

moving … then suddenly jumped up and the bout continued. 

In the end, Barnett was declared winner by TKO prior to the 

start of Round 4 … after he noticed Alvarez left hand might 

be broken. The attending physician was called to check and … 

it was … and the fight, a replay of which was available locally 

on MASN, mercifully was over … If ever there was a sporting 

event that should pass on drug testing … The fighters couldn’t 

be on too many drugs to do what they do … and still come 

back for more.

Stop the world II … now I really want to get off. You can get 

8-1 odds that TRAVIS KELCE will ask TAYLOR SWIFT 

to marry him after Sunday’s Super Bowl … Better yet, what 

are the odds Swift already is writing a song about Kelce … 

which she has done on some of her (many) previous 

boyfriends after breaking up with them?

Until next time ...

(Today, we go esoteric on you … with some pro wrestling and bare knuckle fisticuffs … as well as more hockey. (In case it hasn’t been mentioned here previously, yours truly is writing a book about the history of hockey in Richmond … and it has been a blast, talking to the people who made it all possible (starting more than 50 years ago). The plan is to publish within the next year or so. More later.)

Stop the world …The mere mention of good guy (face) DWAYNE JOHNSON’s name at WWE venues is drawing negative reaction – which is unusual, to say the least. Better known in rasslin’ circles as “The Rock,” he apparently pulled a bone-headed move by demanding (for real) a match at Wrestlemania 40 with ROMAN REIGNS after a year-plus storyline set up face CODY RHODES for a crack at the champ … Johnson, who turned his WWE popularity into becoming a major movie star, pretty much gets what he wants, especially now that he’s a member of the board of TKO, WWE’s new collaboration with DANA WHITE’sUltimate Fighting Championship … And The Rock, who seldom wrestles any more, wanted to meet Reigns at the company’s biggest event … after first being offered a match with his cousin in Saudi Arabia … Wrestlemania already is a sellout, so a Rock/Reigns biggie won’t help a live audience any more than Rhodes/Reigns … and Rhodes, son of the late icon DUSTY RHODES (Virgil Runnels), apparently had earned the right by winning the Royal Rumble match (for the second straight year) … Sorry about that, Cody. You’ll just have to wait a bit longer … and being the good company man (like he had a choice), Rhodes gave Johnson a big -- if unemotional -- hug on TV, saying the whole thing was his idea. The fans knew otherwise, of course … Thursday, the Rock was a guest on Pat McAfee’s ESPN gabfest and played it like the villain he was at the outset of his career, referring to Rhodes’ fans as “Cody’s Crybabies.” And, they could kiss his “candy (you know what).” … Chances are, it will be Rock-vs-Reigns on the first of a two-night Wrestlemania … with Rhodes taking on the winner (likely Reigns) 24 hours later ... Suddenly, the whole thing feels like a work … in other words, scripted to the hilt. We should have known.

BRIEFLY TOLD:

---- The New York Rangers blew a two-goal lead against the woeful Blackhawks Friday then won 4-3 in overtime. Richmond’s ZACHARY JONES was a healthy scratch (again) while newcomer ERIC GUSTAFSSON, who replaced Jones on the third defensive pairing, was on for two Chicago goals, effectively screening his goaltender IGOR SHESTERKIN for the second … Rangers got away with one when officials refused to give defenseman ADAM FOX a deserved penalty for interference, leading directly to the winning goal by MIKA ZIBANEJAD … Broadway Blueshirts still think they need another center. With trading deadline March 8 – and the top two already gone – No. 3 ADAM HENRIQUE, 33, remains available. Anaheim’s (not so mighty) Ducks said to want a first-round draft choice but one of the Big Apple’s plethora of experts says a second-rounder plus Z Jones is more likely … At this point, having been a healthy scratch most of the season, the native Richmonder should welcome a trade regardless of team, good or bad – as long as he gets to play a regular shift. Go somewhere he’s appreciated … oh, and burn the Rangers whenever he gets a chance.

---- You want to see some nasty stuff … check the Bare Knuckles Fight Club. In March of last year, at Norfolk’s Scope, BKFC worldbantamweight champion REGGIE BARNETT JR., of Chesapeake, took on unbeaten DANIEL ALVAREZ from California. In the third of five scheduled two-minute rounds, referee ANDREW GLENN put a full frontal takedown on Barnett who earlier had been lifted off the ground then deposited on his head by the challenger … who appeared very upset that he had two points taken away as a result … Barnett stayed down for several minutes, not moving … then suddenly jumped up and the bout continued. In the end, Barnett was declared winner by TKO prior to the start of Round 4 … after he noticed Alvarez left hand might be broken. The attending physician was called to check and … it was … and the fight, a replay of which was available locally on MASN, mercifully was over … If ever there was a sporting event that should pass on drug testing … The fighters couldn’t be on too many drugs to do what they do … and still come back for more.

Stop the world II … now I really want to get off. You can get 8-1 odds that TRAVIS KELCE will ask TAYLOR SWIFT to marry him after Sunday’s Super Bowl … Better yet, what are the odds Swift already is writing a song about Kelce … which she has done on some of her (many) previous boyfriends after breaking up with them?

Until next time ...