I remember what you did last summer. And the 22 glorious summers before that.

Everyone has a Tendulkar story. A story that inspires, educates and captivates any audience. Putting the Notorious B.I.G’s rhymes into cricket perspective, Sachin Tendulkar was “all that and a dime sack”. From boy wonder to master blaster to wily veteran, Tendulkar adapted to change like no other cricketer in the game’s illustrious history. The great man retired from ODIs a couple of days ago. Ten years later, when your children ask you, “Daddy, who’s Sachin?”, which one of his innings will you make them watch on YouTube? Sometimes, the best moments remain within your memory. No picture or YouTube clip can truly revive the sheer greatness you witnessed at that particular moment.

If you were a 90’s kid, then you were most probably a ‘Sachinist’ (Shakespeare wouldn’t have been so proud of this coinage). Center fresh and Big Fun cards featuring  cricketers were collected and exchanged among one another with great zeal. The Noughties brought forth the arrival of the EPL and slowly a few cricket fans evolved into Manchester United and Arsenal fans. But the nineties were special. Cricket was the order of the decade and by cricket I mean one man. Of course, many of us watched cricket mainly to admire the master wield his willow, but it would be imprudent to think we stopped supporting the country for one curly-haired man. Tendulkar’s passion for his nation was so infectious that it brought fans in multitudes to worship the Men in Blue. All of a sudden, John F. Kennedy’s lavishly used quote made so much sense – “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” How did Sachin become the most worshipped human being in India? Simple, he scored runs. Plenty of them.

Through Tendulkar, we discovered the true meaning of passion. To capture the imagination of millions (and I mean millions) of fans is no small matter. It’s an ordeal worth a lifetime of commitment, courage and dedication. Without doubt, Tendulkar’s a great cricketer, a greater human being and probably the greatest ambassador for the gentleman’s game. He is praised, admired and worshipped from all corners of the world. “Aila, what a champion!”, they all chant.

To mention the Mumbaikar’s long list of accomplishments is too mainstream. But what we should take back from his storied career are the memories. Each ‘Ton’dulkar innings told a story while the straight drives, upper-cuts and backfoot punches made for a grand spectacle. He was known as a master of the game because he took on a disastrous situation in aggressive fashion and changed the entire fortunes of the Indian team. He took the burden of his whole team single-handedly throughout most of his career and succeeded on numerous occasions with effortless ease.

Most of us had dreams of being a cricketer (like Sachin) while growing up. But how many of these dreams have actually materialised? Tuitions, entrance exams and boring lectures crept into our lives and stole our dreams. This was ‘inception’ before Christopher Nolan had even a clue. Cricket became secondary. But Tendulkar had a dream and he lived it. Every ball faced was an entrance exam, and every run scored was a distinction. Sachin is to cricket what Elvis was to music. While the Rockstar inspired thousands of musicians worldwide,  Tendulkar inspired thousands of cricketers to pick up the willow. Their sole reason to represent Team India was because of Sachin Paaji. Ask Yuvraj, Kohli or Raina. They have stories of their own.

As a teary-eyed country facing a plethora of raging issues fiercely awakens from its slumber, one man has decided to move on with his life. The clock strikes twelve, the fairy-tale ends, and the ninth and final life has been taken. It’s time to go home. Tendulkar’s pursuit of greatness closes its final chapter and every single mission has been accomplished including the capture of cricket’s Holy Grail, the World Cup. Typical of the master’s demeanour, the Elvis of cricket  has quietly left the building.

A blockbuster opening game for the ‘Friendship’ series!

Whenever India plays Pakistan, the game takes on a whole new definition. In fact, everything else becomes secondary in nature. Studies, work, household chores, you name it. Daily routines come to a standstill as all eyes are glued to every television set in the country. Simply put, it’s more than just cricket. The passion exhibited by the supporters of both countries is in its truest form. Lovers and haters of the game breathe the same patriotic air. All of a sudden, cricket becomes a way of life.

2004 was a memorable year as far as Indo-Pak cricketing relations were concerned. India’s Prime Minister at that time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s peace initiative brought forth a mouth-watering clash between the two subcontinent rivals. India were touring Pakistan after a gap of nearly 15 years!

Now that “the stage is set”, let’s move on to the action.

Ind vs Pak: Samsung Cup 1st ODI, Karachi

The big and burly captain of Pakistan, Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to field. The prospect of exciting individual contests, namely Tendulkar vs Akhtar, made sure the stands were packed to capacity.

Pakistan’s new ball duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Sami were taken to the cleaners early on as India’s openers cut loose. Virender Sehwag was at his berserk-best while Sachin Tendulkar played one classical shot after another. Tendulkar was given a reprieve early on when he was caught off an Akhtar no ball. In the same over, the Master Blaster hooked the speedster for a sensational six. Sachin played a few lovely cover drives and a trademark straight drive, but was eventually caught at backward-point. The Mumbaikar departed after scoring 28 runs as Akhtar claimed the prize wicket.

Meanwhile, Sehwag was scoring runs at the other end in a way that only he can, while the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly executed the sheet anchor’s role to perfection. At one point, Ganguly could have been excused for catching flies at the non-striker’s end since it was raining boundaries from Sehwag’s blade. As it was always the case with him, Sehwag was one shot away from throwing his wicket away. After scoring 79 entertaining runs, Sehwag felt the need to make room to a disguised slower ball from Rana-ul-Hasan, which ultimately resulted in his dismissal. The dashing opener laid the foundation for India as they reached 142-2 in the 15th over. A dream start to a historic series!

Rahul Dravid walked into the mayhem while Ganguly made full use of the crease as he came down the track to maul the spinners and medium pacers alike. After an edgy start, Dravid went on a straight drive rampage. One gorgeous drive after another. By the end of the 25th over, India had already crossed the 200-run mark. Eventually, the Prince of Kolkata departed after top-edging a Rana-ul-Hassan delivery. It was a double break-through for Pakistan as India’s next batsman Yuvraj Singh did not last long when Rana claimed the southpaw’s wicket, caught by Yasir Hameed.

India stood at 220-4 in the 29th over. Mohammed Kaif was the new batsman. Dravid and Kaif needed to consolidate the start provided by the batsmen before them and they did just that. Kaif utilised his strong onside play to full effect while Dravid rotated the strike effectively from the other end. A brilliant 100+ run partnership from the two gritty batsmen helped India reach 338 in the 48th over. Dravid was on 99 when a slower ball from Akthar and an inside-edge resulted in his unfortunate departure from the crease. Castled and deprived of a well-deserved century, Dravid walked off to the pavilion after playing a gem of an innings. At the end of 50 overs, India accumulated a mammoth total of 349/7. Compliments from your not-so-friendly next door neighbours!

Chasing 350 to win, Pakistan had a steep task ahead. The occasion demanded Pakistan to kick-start an early onslaught. Fortunately for the visiting side, Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat were not at their best. After a few hits and misses, India got their first wicket through the perennially gleeful Balaji. An inswinger from the Chennai bowler uprooted Hameed’s off-stump. The very next over, Zaheer Khan claimed Farhat’s wicket, caught behind stumps. Pakistan were staring down the barrel at 32-2 after just 8 overs.

A rescue act was in order and the two men at the crease were two of Pakistan’s best batsmen of all time: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana (now Mohammed Yousuf). What followed was something India could not have expected. With early inroads and 350 on the board to defend, the Men in Blue were probably a bit complacent. Youhana’s calm and composed batting provided the perfect foil for Inzamam to cut loose. Yousuf Youhana with his slow back lift and elegant drives, was simply a treat to watch. Both batsmen treated the Indian spinners (mainly Murali Kartik and Tendulkar) with absolute disdain. Youhana finally fell to Sehwag, caught at long off after compiling a brilliant 135-run partnership with the Pakistan skipper. Having scored 73 runs, laced with 5 fours and 4 massive sixes, Youhana’s innings was one to remember. In reality, his dismissal denoted the calm before the storm. Inzi was determined to ruin the Indian parade. The skipper took the attack to the opposition, marching his way to a breezy hundred, his 9th in the ODIs while Younis Khan rotated the strike with ease.

India needed a wicket urgently and the dismissal of Inzamam was without doubt the turning point of the match. After scoring 122 runs off only 102 balls, Inzi edged a slightly quick delivery from Kartik straight to the keeper – a soft dismissal. At this point, Pakistan needed 72 runs off 48 balls to win. Slowly, wickets began to tumble. Quick cameos from Moin Khan and Abdul Razzaq brought Pakistan close. Really, really close. 49.5 overs, 6 to win. Moin Khan was on strike. Pakistan’s then coach Javed Miandad could be seen in the team balcony, trying to advise Moin to finish the game off in a similar fashion to Miandad’s in 1986 (remember the historic last ball sixer against India at Sharjah?). A full toss from Ashish Nehra which should have been put away in grand style, wasn’t. A top-edge went straight to Zaheer at mid-off. India won by a mere 5 runs. Moin Khan failed to finish the job for Pakistan. There ended the great Pakistani chase.

Inzamam’s stellar innings that brought the Pakistanis ever so close to victory earned him the Man of the Match award. During the presentation ceremony, Rameez Raja asked Inzi to rate his innings. Pakistan’s heavyweight (in all forms of the word) cricketer replied in typical fashion, stating his innings didn’t matter one bit if the team ended up losing. The Karachi match set the tone for the rest of the series. India might have claimed the win, but the match will always be remembered for Inzamam’s valiant effort.

Kudos, Inzi!

Watch the highlights of this epic match here:

It’s the dawn of a new era for Les Blues and Roman Abramovich, Chelsea‘s billionaire owner, is right at the forefront. Not since the Mourinho days have Chelsea been so active in the transfer window. Soft-spoken men are generally shrewd decision-makers and if you’re as rich as Abramovich, you can afford to talk with your money. Chelsea have roped in a string of young talents and none stand out more than the man from Lille, Eden Hazard. The Champions League victory was the impetus they needed to rejuvenate themselves and Chelsea have done so by rebuilding their side during the preseason after the departure of their longstanding servant and icon, Didier Drogba.

Chelsea, quite plainly, underperformed in the Premier League in the previous season. They finished 6th overall, their worst performance in a decade! This can be due to a series of factors – the inability of Andre Villas-Boas to make an impact as their manager stands at the top of the pile. The racist allegations on John Terry did not help matters either. It could be argued that Villas-Boas was not given enough time to execute his plans, but his 4-3-3 formation style of play was simply not working as their high-defensive line was severely exposed with humiliating defeats to Manchester United (3-1), Arsenal (5-3) and Liverpool (twice). Leaving out senior players such as Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole from the starting-lineup  did not augur well for the Portuguese as he was given the boot in March.

Roberto Di Matteo’s promotion to caretaker manager denoted the calm before the storm. Soon, Chelsea were recording a string of good performances and there was a shift of focus towards the Champions League as they found themselves pitted against the mighty Barcelona in the semi-finals. The Blue Army overcame the Catalan giants and progressed towards the final. No mean achievement. Along the way, Chelsea won the FA Cup under Di Matteo, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the final. Di Matteo re-affirmed the faith shown in him by Abramovich by leading Chelsea to their maiden Champions League victory against Bayern Munich, winning an exciting, nerve-wrecking penalty shootout. The image of Drogba celebrating after converting the match-winning penalty will be etched in the memory of every Blues fan.

Eden Hazard (Lille)- £ 32 million

Oscar (Internacional) –  £ 25 million

Marko Marin (Werder Bremen) - £ 6.5 million

Chelsea took the transfer window by storm when they spent more than £50 million on Hazard and Oscar alone. But with these acquisitions, the Blues have taken a firm step towards the future. The departure of Didier Drogba to Shanghai Shenhua called for an effective attacking player to support Fernando Torres upfront, and Hazard will play an influential role behind the striker or on the wing. One can only assume how much game-time Oscar is likely to get, but the manager seems to have faith in the Brazilian, “Oscar is a very exciting young talent, a creative midfield player who scores goals. He will add a lot of options and solutions for us in midfield.”

 Marko Marin is a smart buy for Chelsea – a direct replacement for Salouman Kalou, and he’ll be one of the key players to watch out for amongst the Chelsea ranks. Jose Bosingwa is another player who bid adieu to the Stamford Bridge faithful, and Chelsea are looking to replace him with César Azpilicueta, the talented Marseille defender. Add to that, the Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is currently on loan to West Brom. Chelsea still have one eye on Porto striker, Hulk, but they are more likely to land Wigan’s Victor Moses.

What can we expect from the Blue Army?

After making waves in the transfer window, the men under the scanner would mainly be the new signings of the summer. Eden Hazard could find himself in a similar situation to that of Torres if he doesn’t live up to his expensive price tag. Oscar too will have to prove his credentials, coming of a successful Olympic campaign with Brazil. As the season progresses, Marin will get more game time and a few decent outings for him will serve as an added bonus for the Blues. Chelsea have also signed Eden Hazard’s brother, Thorgan Hazard, but the younger sibling is most likely to feature in Chelsea’s youth team.

This section might raise a few eyebrows as I’ve decided to include two players as the ‘Talisman’. This writer firmly believes the performance of Fernando Torres will make or break Chelsea’s EPL season. Coming of a successful, golden-boot winning outing for Spain in the Euros, Torres has turned from an over-priced, under-performing villain to a headline-hogging hero of the masses. Chelsea will expect nothing less than a 20-goal season from their star striker. The departure of Drogba will burden him with additional responsibility. This is where Eden Hazard comes into the Chelsea puzzle. His partnership with Torres will be crucial for Chelsea. If Torres is the predator, Hazard will have to be his partner in crime. Juan Mata has done a fabulous job for Chelsea so far, but Hazard has that ‘X’ factor that could see him cement his place in the starting eleven.

Throughout Chelsea’s pre-season tour, Di Matteo has deployed different formations and changes to the starting lineup to figure out the best possible eleven for the side. According to the Italian, “It will be a challenge to make sure we have the right balance within the team so we will have to see how we fit the team together with all the players”.

Chelsea are extremely lucky to have so many players in the squad who can adapt to multiple positions. I’ve decided to include two formations which Di Matteo could use in the coming season. Let’s take a look at the first one – the 4-5-1 formation. Chelsea are likely to have an unchanged back four of Ashley Cole, John Terry, David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic. Cahill could figure in the scheme of things if one of the centre-backs is injured or does not perform to expectations. John Obi Mikel is likely to get the nod ahead of Raul Meireles, however, the latter will be part of Di Matteo’s plans as the season progresses. Frank Lampard is likely to have a less attacking role, along with Ramires, in the heart of the midfield, while Hazard and Mata should feature in the starting eleven to provide support to Torres (lone striker) on the flanks.

The more attacking formation would be the 4-2-3-1. The usual suspects will fit into the roles of lone striker and back four. With Chelsea’s recent acquisitions, this formation will enable them to field their young, attacking talents at the same time. Hazard could play in the hole behind the striker while Chelsea have enough bench-strength to make use of Marin and Oscar on the flanks. However, one of the senior midfielders will have to sit out if Di Matteo employs this formation. If that’s the case, this writer envisions Lampard, who will be in the final year of his contract, to be shown the bench.

Realistically, a third-place finish will be a great achievement for Chelsea. Anything above that should be lauded profusely. Manchester City have pretty much a settled and dominant side while Manchester United, if they land ‘Mr Arsenal’, will be the team to beat.

The question arises why this strong and rebuilt Blues side is not good enough to win the Premier League. This team certainly has the potential to win the league but with so many young players in the squad, they would need to adapt to the aggressive style of play in the Premier League. One can only wonder how long Chelsea will take to do so, but the moment the entire team clicks, every fan with a blue flag flying high, along with BB King, will learn why they sing the Blues… 

No. 4 — The Undertaker

Lights fade. The gong strikes. Eerie music. There’s smoke, there’s fire, it’s everywhere. Gentle screams echo through the building, the mob hold their breath in anticipation. Fear or respect? Maybe a combination of both. The gong strikes again. The stage is set. And finally, the one they’ve been waiting for makes his entrance. Dressed completely in black, with a menacing stare suggestive of the character’s constant tryst with the dark side – make way for the Phenom, the Deadman, the Undertaker!

Born in Houston Texas, Mark Calaway wasn’t like the rest of us. He was no mere mortal. He was destined for greatness. If not, why then would he quit a potentially great career in basketball and move towards wrestling? For a man who stood at 6 foot 10 inches, the guy was built for basketball! However, Calaway had other plans. He must have seen the light. Or in his case, the darkness.

Calaway’s wrestling career began in 1984, with the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). When five years of toil bore no fruit, he joined the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1989. He spent a year with the company portraying a limited character,‘Mean’ Mark Callous. Still no recognition, still no fame. It was time to jump ship. WCW’s ‘monstrous’ loss was the WWE’s (then known as WWF) colossal gain.

When the WWE signed him in 1990, Calaway was not the only one who benefited from the transfer; the entire company was set for two decades of endless entertainment. Twenty two years down the line, there is nothing that Calaway, or his awe-inspiring in-ring character, the Undertaker, has not achieved in the WWE. A living legend in the wrestling world. Eight-time world champion, seven-time World Tag-team champion, six-time WWF Tag-team Champion and the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble. These numbers are simply staggering! But the record that stands out the most vividly is the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at the ‘Big Daddy’ of them all – 20-0 at the grandest stage of sports entertainment, WrestleMania. Take a bow; 20 of them, in fact!

The Undertaker started out by taking on the titans of the wrestling world such as the ageless Hulk Hogan, Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart, Randy Savage and Shawn Michaels, and then went on to stand toe-to-toe with the next generation of cult wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock, Triple H and Kurt Angle in the Attitude Era. Taker even formed a faction known as ‘The Ministry of Darkness’ in 1999. The episode in which he kidnapped the WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon. was a classic one to say the least. Apparently, he had orders from a ‘higher power’. Undertaker was truly the devil’s favourite child (apologies to Kane) and boy did we love him! His alternate ‘American Bad-Ass’ personality was a great hit with the fans as well. Who could forget the sight of a bandana-clad Taker on a Harley Davidson circling outside the ring? Classic stuff!

Even the current generation of wrestlers have not been spared. Taker has been a thorn in the flesh of great, young athletes such as Randy Orton and even John Cena on one highly entertaining occasion. The current crop of wrestlers have nothing but respect for him. Towards the end of the last decade, Taker was the sole, consistent flagship bearer of WWE Smackdown – a show that has slowly gone downhill in recent times without the Undertaker’s enchanting presence.

Many great wrestlers have challenged Taker in a bid to end his illustrious streak at WrestleMania. Each and every one of them failed in their pursuit of glory. In the last four years, Taker faced Shawn Michaels and Triple H twice each. And every single time, he walked out (on one occasion, was carried out) victorious.

The Undertaker is an evergreen wrestler who has effortlessly stood the test of time. If his son was a WWE wrestler, he would probably be wrestling him right now! That says it all. This writer would sell either one of his kidneys to get a chance of witnessing him live (any takers?). Sure, Taker is now showing a few signs of slowing down, but to the huge relief of wrestling fans worldwide, he hasn’t called it a day yet. When that day comes, cherish the sight of the Deadman for one last time, as he stands at the far end of the arena with his back facing the fans and one fist raised high, as if to say, I’ve seen them all, and I’ve beaten them all!

Rest in Peace.

And here’s a video  tribute to the wrestler who will go down as one of the greatest of all time. Take a look!

Here are the other players who have made it so far:

No. 10 – John Cena

No. 9 – Triple H

No. 8 — Andre the Giant

No. 7 — Macho Man Randy Savage

No. 6 – Bret Hart

No. 5 – Shawn Michaels

Read the detailed write-ups on all the players in this list here:

The greatest WWE wrestlers of all time

No. 6 — Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart

“We are never prepared for what we expect.”

Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart could surely not have expected nor prepared for the events that occurred during his tenure with the WWF/E. From creating an undying legacy through his irreplaceable persona to getting infamously robbed of the WWF Championship title by his employer Vince McMahon Jr, the Hitman has seen it all.

Born in a wrestling family, Hart was the son of the great Stu Hart, the founder of the Stampede Wrestling promotion in Canada. He was trained by his father in the family ‘dungeon’ where he was put through painful submission maneuvers in an effort by the senior Hart to toughen his son. Soon the young Canadian began to make a name for himself in Stampede Wrestling where his high profile matches with the Dynamite Kid were the talk of the town.

Hart’s association with the WWF began when the latter acquired Stampede Wrestling in 1984. Very soon he adopted the moniker ‘the Hitman’ and formed a tag-team alongside his brother-in-law, Jim ‘the Anvil’ Neidhart. Hart was known for his ‘Pink and Black’ attire and trademark mirrored sunglasses, but most importantly, it was his wrestling background that elevated him to superstardom in the WWF. Gorilla Monsoon, a former wrestler and commentator during the time, recognized Hart’s superior technical wrestling ability and gave him the moniker – ‘The Excellence of Execution’.

In his 13 years with the WWF, Bret Hart won 5 World Heavyweight Championships, 2 Intercontinental Championships, 5 United States Championship and 2 World Tag-Team Championships. The Hitman had to go through the likes of Ric Flair, Mr Perfect, Roddy Piper, and the Undertaker to achieve these feats. He was also the 1994 Royal Rumble winner (along with Lex Luger) and the only two-time ‘King of the Ring’ in WWF history. Hart is known to have not injured a single wrestler during his entire career and he’s listed as a favoured opponent by the likes of Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Hitman’s finishing move, ‘the Sharpshooter’ , has made many a wrestler tap out to give him the victory.

Till the eventful year of 1997, the Hitman was the top dog in the WWE. He was arguably the most popular wrestler in the nineties and was worshipped by millions worldwide. But 1997 saw Hart being screwed over by WWE chief Vince McMahon Jr during his last match in the WWF with Shawn Michaels (who also played a part), in an incident which is infamously known as the ‘Montreal Screwjob.’ After Hart lost the match to Michaels through unfair circumstances, he left the WWF and joined their rival company, WCW, under Eric Bischoff, who, according to Hart, did not put him to good use. The death of his younger brother and fellow wrestler Owen Hart in 1999 saddened the Hitman to a great extent. The younger Hart succumbed to death when a dangerous stunt he was about to perform at a WWE event went horribly wrong. Bret Hart, even to this day, is deeply affected by the tragic accident.

“A most solemn day. It’s so hard not to feel the blood thicken in my heart at the memory of Owen’s passing today.” – @BretHart, 2012.

The Hitman had a successful tenure with the WCW, but his career was cut short, in 2000, by a Goldberg mule-kick which gave him a concussion and ultimately led to a career-ending stroke. After 5 painful years of recovery, Bret Hart patched up with Vince McMahon and got associated again with the WWE. With the company’s help, Hart released the DVD containing his greatest wrestling matches – Bret “Hitman” Hart: The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be (a must-watch for any wrestling fan out there). In 2007, the Hitman put his writing skills to the test by authoring the best-selling ‘Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling’, a book that affirms the wrestler’s ability to narrate great stories in great detail. Bret Hart was also deservedly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by his long-time wrestling opponent, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The icing on the cake for every Hitman fan was when Hart made a long-awaited return to the ring in January 2010 to patch things up with Shawn Michaels. When the two wrestlers hugged each other after delivering straight-from-the-heart speeches, it made for yet another iconic moment for the Hitman’s fans. In the next couple of years, the Hitman took part in wrestling matches in whatever little manner he could, despite the stroke he suffered a decade ago which greatly limited his wrestling ability.

To this day, the Hitman is revered by millions of wrestling fans across the globe. Most of his peers have only the deepest respect for the Canadian superstar as the hard work and dedication he put in during his time with the WWF/E made a huge impact on the wrestling business and paved the path for the future generations to follow. Young and aspiring wrestlers go through endless videos of Bret Hart’s matches to learn how to orchestrate a wrestling match to perfection.

Each and every match featuring the Hitman unfolded a story, slowly but in sublime fashion. In the nonchalant nineties, no wrestler in the business had a fan following as huge as Bret Hart’s – not even Hulk Hogan. After all, Bret Hart was the man who made ‘pink’ cool!

The Hitman, throughout his career, truly lived by his last and most memorable moniker – The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be…

Here are the other players who have made it so far:

No. 10 – John Cena

No. 9 – Triple H

No. 8 — Andre the Giant

No. 7 — Macho Man Randy Savage

Read the detailed write-ups on all the players in this list here:

The greatest WWE wrestlers of all time

No.8 — André The Giant

André René Roussimoff, born in a French town called Grenoble, holds the unique distinction of being the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1993. He was WWF Champion as well as a WWF World Tag team champion, and is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers of all time.

Just like any other wrestler, André had to work his way to the top. Right from his childhood André suffered from Acromegaly, a syndrome where the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone. As a result, when André was 12, he stood at over 6 ft! Eventually, the Frenchman went on to reach a (disputed) 7 foot 4 inches, and at one point, weighed more than 500 pounds! But André the Giant was a proud man. He did not let the illness affect his way of life. After having worked on a farm as a wood-worker, the giant slowly entered the world of wrestling, from where he never looked back.

André, with the guidance of Canadian promoter Frank Valois, began to tour various countries such as Germany, England, Africa and Japan and started to make a name for himself. Soon, the giant caught the eye of the McMahon family and their WWF empire (then known as WWWF). In 1973, Vince McMahon Sr hired André and went on to promote him as ‘André the Giant.’ Slowly, he became the most popular wrestler in the company, and due to his gigantic appearance and the respect he commanded from his peers, he was nicknamed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’.

During his time with the WWF, André the Giant took on a host of legendary wrestlers and held a record undefeated streak till Wrestlemania III in 1987, when he was finally defeated by the legendary Hulk Hogan in one of the most defining moments in the history of sports entertainment.

From Killer Khan and Harley Race to King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd, André had faced them all during his tenure at the company. However, he was most known for that epic Wrestlemania moment he shared with Hogan when the 500 pound giant was scoop-slammed onto the mat by Hogan to deafening applause from the 93,000 odd spectators in Pontiac, Michigan. But this wasn’t the first time these two legendary wrestlers faced each other in the ring.

André first met the Hulkster in 1980, when the legend of Hulkamania was unheard of. André was the face (popular) wrestler during that period, and if it weren’t for him, Hulk Hogan would have not been a household name. André commanded so much respect in the wrestling fraternity that he had the power to make or break a wrestler’s career. As Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler put it,

“He’d let you do anything you wanted in a match. Other than beat him… But if he didn’t like you, he’d make you look like crap, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it.”

Of course, it took Hogan a case of fine French wine to please the giant, who was a notorious drinker (notorious is an understatement – I’ll get to that in a moment). André began to realize that Hogan shared the same passion he had for wrestling, and ultimately decided to pass the torch to the Hulkster.

When it comes to drinking, André the Giant was a demi-god – an out and out drunkard! The giant wasn’t known as the ‘Eight wonder of the world’ just for his enormous appearance and wrestling ability; it was also for his incredible capacity for alcohol. He was sometimes called the ‘Mount Everest of Inebriation’. André was known to take in 7000 calories of pure alcohol everyday! He could down 16 bottles of wine and still return to the ring to compete in a 20-man battle royale. His peers, such as the legendary Dusty Rhodes, were witness to the giant’s enormous drinking capacity – it is said that on one occasion, Andre finished 119 bottles of beer in one sitting!

Although he acted in a few Hollywood movies, André dedicated his entire life to wrestling. And one of the more commendable aspects of his career is his popularity, both among the spectators and his peers. It’s almost impossible to find a wrestler who disliked the talented giant – he was that well-respected.

Towards his last few years in wrestling, Andre’s illness began to take a toll on him. In 1993, the giant succumbed to heart failure and died in his sleep.

André the Giant did not win a lot of titles in his magnificent career, but what stood out was his undying passion towards his craft and the willingness to let a new generation of wrestlers steal the limelight. What was good for the business was good for Andre! There will never be another wrestler like him. André the Giant was truly, one of a kind!

Here’s a look at a rare video of a special boxing match featuring André the Giant and his opponent Gorilla Monsoon. Enjoy!

Here are the other players who have made it so far:

No. 10 – John Cena

No. 9 – Triple H

Read the detailed write-ups on all the players in this list here:

The greatest WWE wrestlers of all time

In this series, we aim to pick the ten greatest WWE wrestlers of all time in the McMahon Jr era, and what better way to start the edition than with the current torch-bearer of the company, John Cena.

No. 10 – John Cena

Hailing from Boston Massachusetts, the road towards the top of the WWE ladder wasn’t an easy one for John Cena. Before stepping into pro-wrestling, Cena was mostly into football and body-building, even working as a limousine driver for a brief period! Cena also had a short stint with Ohio Valley Wrestling, a developmental territory of the WWE, where he wrestled as ‘The Prototype’.

But all that hard work paid off when the ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ made his debut in the WWE against the Olympic Champion Kurt Angle in a match where he came up with an eye-catching performance.

Cena got his big break at Wrestlemania XX in 2004 when he defeated the Big Show for the United States Championship. Soon the top officials of the WWE began to notice Cena’s potential to be the main draw and booked him for a WWE Championship match against John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) at Wrestlemania in 2005. As expected Cena beat JBL to become the ‘Champ’ and the rest as they say became history.

From that moment on, John Cena became the most recognized face of the company, taking on every single superstar in the WWE roster.

The majority of Cena’s peers were of the view that he was the most hard-working man in the WWE.

“He’s noted as being one of the most hard-working people in entertainment, and he is. If you want his job, you have to work as hard as he does. And it is much easier said than done.”   – WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes on Cena.

John Cena’s list of achievements in the WWE include a staggering 13 WWE titles, 3 United States Championships and 4 Tag-team Championships. He’s also the winner of the 2008 Royal Rumble and 2-time Superstar of the Year at the WWE Slammy Awards.

When the WWE runs a commercial with the message, ‘Don’t try this at home’, they mean it. All the glory and accolades that Cena won in his illustrious career, came at a price. The Leader of Cenation had his fair share of injuries. He tore his pectoral muscle in a match against Mr Kennedy. It took him 7 months to recover, but the Champ came back in style to win the 2008 Royal Rumble.

In another match, against Rey Mysterio, Cena suffered a herniated disk which required surgery. Through all this, Cena fought with a typical ‘never say die’ attitude because he believed that his success was equivalent to the success of the WWE. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect. Enough said.

Cena reached the pinnacle of the wrestling industry when he took on one of the WWE’s most decorated and charismatic superstars, the Rock. After a year long feud, the two superstars faced each other in this year’s Wrestlemania at the Rock’s hometown of Miami in a ‘Never before, never again’ clash. It was truly the clash of the titans and probably the biggest and most anticipated match in the history of the WWE, but Cena ended up on the losing side.

So how does John Cena get to feature in the top ten greatest wrestlers list? Is he truly a great wrestler? Don’t most of the WWE Universe boo him nowadays?

John Cena might not be one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. He is no Shawn Michaels. Most of his fans might be teenagers, but he’s respected as the most hard-working and headline breaking wrestler in the WWE today, by his peers and critics alike. He has been the torch-bearer of the WWE industry for the past decade. While it remains to be seen if he can carry on doing so, it can’t be denied that Cena has had a major impact in the wrestling world today. To quote the man himself,

“Love or hate but you cannot debate that I am in the centre of sports entertainment and I am surrounded by all of you!“

So anti-Cena fans, it’s time that you ‘Rise Above Hate.’

Check out all the players in this list here:

The greatest WWE wrestlers of all time

The game of cricket, just like Darwin’s theory of evolution, is in crisis. Evolution is a fairly natural phenomenon, similar to a corrupt politician, it’s omnipresent.

Darwin’s theory elaborates on ‘beneficial mutations’ passed on from one generation to another that eventually aid the formation of an entirely new organism. T20 cricket is one such mutation. Whether it’s beneficial or not can be disputed. However, one cannot take away the rise in interest among non-followers of the game, adding to the overall popularity of the sport.

The advent of T20 cricket, with particular emphasis on the IPL, has brought in a whole new range of audience. Most of them are not well-versed with the intricacies of the game. Some watch it to admire famous personalities whilst others for the pure satisfation of seeing the ball clear the fence – a process that has been ludicrously renamed ‘DLF Maximum.’

The IPL has grabbed the headlines like no other. In the twenty-first century, time is of the essence for one and all. As each decade passes by, the pace at which life moves arounds us increases at an alarming rate. Such is the case with cricket. The reason why people label Test cricket as a ‘dying sport’ is not due to a lack of interest shown by viewers. There are enough people in the world who realise that this version is the epitome of our sport. But when we are part of a generation stitched with a dog-eat-dog mentality, specially among job circles, cricket or be it any sport, has no other choice but to take a backseat.

Cricket used to be hailed as a gentleman’s game. There used to be a time when the game was played in the right spirit without the need for lamentable acts such as handing out ‘Spirit of the game’ awards. Most importantly, there used to be a time when the umpire’s decision wasn’t questioned and the batsmen walked back to the pavilion when they knew they were dismissed, with smiles on their faces. From a gentleman’s game, cricket has transformed into a mental man’s game. The brutal pace at which it is played now while technology plays ‘Big Brother’ on the sidelines and the absurd range of shot-selection on offer, although entertaining, has turned our game into an entirely new sport. Truly, evolution at its finest.

The writer is by no means against the growing popularity of the IPL and T20 cricket in general. This version brings much needed revenue into the game while the fan club increases by the dozen. A format where young players exceed expections and seniors learn their limits, and vice versa, T20 cricket effortlessly attracts people from all walks of life. Having said that, cricket is going through a crisis period as far as the scheduling of each format is concerned. A cricket calender must never look cluttered. As soon as the governors of the game get it right, we’ll hopefully see a reduction in the number of injuries among players and a fine balance of all three versions on exhibition. T20 cricket is without question a format for the future, yet one hopes that its older siblings overcome adversity and stand the test of time.

One cannot question evolution, one simply moves on. All said and done, the power lies with the masses. It’s the people who dictate what type of cricket they want to witness. What is cricket without an audience? As the wise Peter Roebuck wrote,

“Without greatness, a game shrivels. Without an audience, it dies.”

You might also like to read…

http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/09/the-revenue-generation-and-distribution-model-of-ipl/

http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/08/the-knights-armoury-the-beginning/

“Anyone who is different or is slightly out of the norm, is considered crazy.” - Eric Cantona.

Call him crazy, but Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is one of the greatest players ever to grace the game of football.

Dubbed as ‘King Eric by his fans, Cantona is most known for his footballing career at Manchester United where he won four Premier league titles, two FA Cup & three Charity Shield titles.

King Eric, in his No:7 jersey, played a vital role in the Red Devils’ dominance during the 90′s in English football.

A living legend with a short fuse, Cantona’s famous for the Kungfu-kick that rattled Crystal Palace fan, Matthew Simmons.

“My best moment? I have alot of good moments but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.”

Leaving aside the Frenchman’s poor disciplinary record, Cantona scored an impressive 20 goals in 45 matches for his country in an international career spanning eight years.

For Manchester United, Cantona’s role was that of a play-maker, which enabled him to score 82 goals from 185 matches.

The football wizard’s most important achievement was putting Manchester United back on the European map.

Cantona might have retired in 1997, however, it was largely due to the positive change that he brought to the United team that helped them regain the Champions League trophy after a gap of 31 years.

Long live the King!

Manchester United fans, here’s a special package for all of you.

King Eric, as we know him — Enjoy!

He’s big. He’s strong. He’s Shaquille O’Neal!

One of the most recognizable faces in the history of basketball, Shaq’s a four-time NBA champion who’s best known for his tenure as a Center position player for the L.A. Lakers. Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, Shaq used his size and strength to dominate his opponents while on the way to record many memorable dunks.

The big, bad baller ranks 6th all time in points scored and has won the coveted MVP award in 1999-2000, while playing for the Lakers.

The Shaq Attack  in simple terms is – In you face!

So here’s a look at the top ten facial dunks scored by one of NBA’s very best. Enjoy!

Vicente del Bosque: "It pains me to leave you out, but it has to be done."

Del Bosque: "You keep missing the target. The best sport for you, El Nino, is bull-fighting. I have a feeling you'll excel in it!

El Nino – "Football has given me only pain…it's time to be a Matador!"

Sadly, El Nino was 'bull-shit' at bull-fighting too. The bull tore him apart!

Finally, after going through hell, El Nino was on fire…

Q.  What is the difference between Bill Clinton and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres?

A.  Clinton can score.

Q.  Which new TV drama is John Terry lined up to star in?

A.   It’s called ‘Other’ Footballers’ Wives!

         Wayne Bridge wasn’t available for comment.  Meanwhile, QPR defender & anti-racism activist, Anton Ferdinand released a new brand of  T-shirts that made record sales in all the London stores –

A Harvard university graduate of Taiwanese descent with enviable basketball skills that dazzle millions world-wide, Jeremy Lin is unique in so many ways.

At Harvard, Lin ended his career as the first player in the history of the Ivy League to record at least 1,450 points (1,483), 450 rebounds (487), 400 assists (406) and 200 steals (225). 

Not to be outdone on the academic front, Lin graduated in 2010 with a degree in Economics combined with a 3.1 grade-point average.

Lin played for a year with the Golden State Warriors after-which he signed for the New York Knicks.

It has only been around a month of playing  for the Knicks, but Lin is quite the headline-maker!

Lin lead the Knicks to an impressive victory over the L.A. Lakers, 92-85, with a career high 38 points and seven assists.

“Players playing that well don’t usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed.”  - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers.

After the retirement of Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin is probably the most famous Asian-American basketball player today!

Many players get affected by pressure, but not Jeremy Lin.

“I’ve surrendered that to God. I’m not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore.”

The writer would like to highlight, with video evidence, one of Lin’s most impressive achievements till date. A last-second 3-pointer that enabled his side to narrowly beat the Toronto Raptors 90-87. Lin finished with 27 points and a career high 11 assists.

Enjoy!

Former heavyweight champion ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of fame in March, this year. The WWE on Monday announced that Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in ceremonies that will take place at American Airlines Arena in Miami on March 31 — one night before WrestleMania XXVIII.

“I am honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,” Tyson said. “I was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but the most fun I ever had in the ring was with WWE.”

Tyson will be inducted along with Edge, The Four Horsemen and Mil Mascaras, among others to follow.

In 1998, after getting suspended from boxing after the brutal ear-biting incident with Evander Holyfield, Tyson made a special appearance on ‘Monday Night Raw’  to go one on one with the ‘Texas Rattlesnake’ Stone Cold Steve Austin, which turned into an all-out brawl!

After creating a name for himself in the WWE, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ was named special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania XIV between Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. When Tyson declared Austin the winner, Michaels took a cheap shot at Tyson, and the latter delivered a knockout punch to the ‘Heart-break Kid’.

Twelve years later, Tyson returned to the WWE as a guest star on ‘RAW’ in January 2010, teaming with Chris Jericho in a tag-team match against Michaels and Triple H. This time, Tyson turned on Jericho and knocked him out as well, allowing Michaels to pin Jericho for the victory.

For the new generation who missed out on the truly iconic moment when Iron Mike came face to face with the Texas Rattlesnake, here’s a video to add to your favourite WWE classics!

National-Award winning actor Dhanush, of  ’Kolaveri Di’ fame, has joined hands with music director Aniruddh once again to release a new music video, ‘Sachin Anthem’, to pay tribute to the Master Blaster.

The song titled ‘Master Blaster you are our Boost’, is an initiative from the makers of Boost to celebrate Tendulkar’s association with the health drink since 1989.

More than 400 people worked on the song, which was shot on a railway station set in Ramoji Film City, near Hyderabad.

Sung in a Tamil accent, with Maharashtrian beats, the song has every chance of going viral on Youtube!

“It’s a great honour to sing for a legend like Sachin Tendulkar. I am happy that I have been chosen to do this. He is the pride of our nation. When I was offered to do the song I didn’t think twice and just knew that I had to do it. I have really worked hard on the song and I hope people enjoy it,” said Dhanush, who happens to be the son-in-law of Tamil superstar Rajnikant.

The music video has started to trend on twitter as well! Already, the likes of cricketer Ishant Sharma, and former cricketer and commentator, Navjot Singh Sidhu have tweeted the link on Twitter.

Did you check out the exclusive preview of Sachin Anthem by Dhanush! @Sidhuisms

FC Barcelona, the current Spanish & European champions, are the world’s second richest football club after Real Madrid. Founded in 1899, the Catalan club is unique from all other clubs because the supporters are the actual owners & operators. Add to that, Barcelona’s home-ground, ‘Camp Nou’ has a capacity of over 99,000!

The year 2009 remains the most prolific one for Barca. Not only did they manage to win the treble (Champions league, La Liga & Copa del Rey), they also became the first club to complete the sextuple – consisting of the treble, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup!

FC Barcelona are such a successful & famous club because of the numerous great players associated with it. The writer decided to compile a list of 5 great modern-day players,(in no particular order), who dazzled football lovers all over the world with skills, touches and goals while playing for the Catalan side.

LIONEL MESSI (2004-   )

Appearances -305

Goals – 271

Assists – 91

SAMUEL ETO’O (2004- 2009)

Appearances – 200

Goals – 130

Assists – 35

RONALDINHO  GAUCHO (2003- 2008)

Appearances – 254

Goals – 107

Assists – 80

XAVI HERNANDEZ  (1998 – )

Appearances – 608

 Goals – 67

 Assists – Too many to count!!!

ANDRES INIESTA  (2002- )

Appearances – 385

Goals -37

Assists – Like team-mate Xavi, the Spanish player has produced too many remarkable assists to count!!

Hail Barca, currently the best football team on the planet!

Yes, it’s true.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Phenom has risen from the Ashes! After an enthralling, jaw-dropping match against the Game, Triple H at Wrestlemania last year, the Undertaker, after a hard-fought win, was carried out of the arena on a stretcher. After 7 long months, the Deadman finally arrived on Monday Night Raw to come face to face with his Wrestlemania opponent

A few weeks ago, Triple H had taunted the Undertaker, and now, the Phenom from Death Valley has answered his taunts in convincing fashion. Have a look at the video below to see the Undertaker and Triple H in the same ring after their epic 5-star match at Wrestlemania, last year!

It’s official. John Terry has been sacked as England captain and will not lead the side in the Euro 2012. The FA chairman David Bernstein, after careful consideration with the organisation’s 12-member board, spoke to Terry on Friday morning and informed him of the FA’s decision.

Chelsea‘s star defender had been accused of racially abusing Queen Park Ranger’s Anton Ferdinand and there were calls from various prominent sections demanding Terry to be stripped of the national arm-band, with the allegation proving too strong a case for Terry to lead England into the European Championship.

It is interesting to note that Terry had already captained the England outfit after the alleged incident took place, in a friendly against Sweden in October last year.

It’s now anyone’s guess whether national coach Capello will select the 31-year-old in his 23-man squad for Euro 2012, with England set to kick-start their campaign for glory against France on 11th June.

The FA took a fair amount of time to decide as they did not want to pre-judge the case, however they had to make a quick decision since the court case will take place only after the Euros.

“Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, The Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved,” taken from a statement released on the FA’s official website.

“This decision has been taken due to the higher profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch, and the additional demands and requirements expected of the captain leading into and during a tournament.

However, the FA made it clear that the England Manager, Fabio Capello, is free to choose Terry in England’s forthcoming games, including the fixture against Holland on 29th February.

“The FA Board can confirm that he has not been excluded from the squad and that Fabio Capello is free to select him for the Holland fixture on 29 February and the European Championship.

This decision in no way infers any suggestion of guilt in relation to the charge made against John Terry. The FA will be not be making any further comment on this matter.”