Ricky Ortiz' Return Revealed, Hogan B-Day Shoutout, Madusa
– It was announced this morning that Ricky Ortiz, who was released by WWE over the weekend, will be competing against "Glamour Boy" Shane Sewell at the WWC's "Summer Madness" event in Puerto Rico this Saturday. In another Ortiz tidbit, his profile was removed from the SmackDown section on WWE.com this afternoon.
– Hulk Hogan received a birthday shout-out during today's "Happy Birthday" segment on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption. The sports television program is often quite positive towards wrestling and today was no different as they mentioned his rise to prominence in the industry and work on Hogan Knows Best. Hogan turned 56 years old yesterday.
– Debra Miceli, known in WCW as Madusa and in WWE as Alundra Blaze, recently spoke to the MiamiHerald.com about her wrestling career, her new career driving monster trucks and more. Despite her extensive in-ring career, she admits that she's best known for firing one of the first shots in the Monday Night War. Back in late 1995, Alundra Blaze was the WWF Women's Champion. Shortly after her WWF contract expired, she showed up on the December 18, 2005 edition WCW Monday Nitro with that title belt and threw it in the trash. Here's what Madusa told the Miami Herald about that incident: “I was under contract and was told to do what I had to do, and if not, you're fired and would have no income coming in,” she said. “Eric Bischoff told me that I had to put the WWE women's title in the trash on television, or that was it. If a guy would have done that on television, you can bet there would be two controversies. Mine was just negative, but if it was a guy, I would feel it would be two different situations and feelings about it. It probably would have been pushed and marketed. That's the way it goes. It was put down as it was totally my fault. However, people don't want to see the other side, and that it was pure entertainment. If I was asked how I felt, and if I would have done it by my own choice, the answer would have been `No.' `I have all the respect for that belt.” Without losing the title, Miceli still thinks there's a chance for a a comeback. She says, "Never say never." “I got a call from WWE, and they asked me to come back this year,” Miceli said. “I couldn't do it because nothing could fit with my schedule with monster trucks and their schedule. We couldn't get it together. I don't know. It was an open door, with room for discussion. I still have the original belt. Nobody beat me for it, and why wouldn't I want to go back there, do a little program and kick some of these new girls' *&^%$ and show them, `Hey, this is the real belt, and this is what the real belt means.' We could get a huge program out of this. I know that, and Vince is a marketing genius. I'm sure that has crossed their minds. It comes down to our schedules. You never know.”