WWE's Top Stories, Rumors and Buzz for Week of March 12

Associated Press

After things were relatively quiet on the wrestling news front the previous week, WWE made plenty of headlines over the past seven days.

Hulk Hogan ^[1]'s lawsuit against Gawker dominated the news cycle, but there was more going on than just a former wrestler trying to get back some of his dignity. Let's take a look at some of the biggest stories from the past week.

Terry Bollea vs. Gawker Trial Begins

We may as well start with the story everyone is talking about: Terry Bollea's lawsuit against Gawker kicked off on Monday.

Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, is suing the gossip site for publishing a portion of a taped sexual encounter between the WWE legend and Heather Clem, who was the wife of radio personality and friend of Hogan Bubba the Love Sponge at the time.

Bollea is suing the company for $100 million. The amount might sound outrageous, but it's not out of the realms of possibility. Erin Andrews was recently awarded ^[4] $55 million in a similar case.

Some of the statements made by Bollea while on the stand have garnered a lot of media attention.

Even if Hogan settles for half of what he is seeking, he would end up with a hefty sum. This trial is already turning into a circus, so expect a lot more soundbites in the coming weeks.

Linda Hogan Calls Hulk a Liar, Says He Ruined Their Marriage

Linda Hogan, the ex-wife of Hulk Hogan, has also made headlines this week. She appeared on Inside Edition ^[7] to discuss Hulk's trial and how it's affecting their family.

Linda cried while reading an open letter to her former husband, saying he ruined their marriage and their kids' lives. She also said she wants a real apology from The Hulkster for all the damage he has done.

But there's more. Linda also made some serious accusations through her reps to Radar Online ^[8], claiming Hogan lied on the stand about their time filming Hogan Knows Best:

We as a family decided to do the show; no one made anyone do anything, and certainly by then Hulk cared more about himself than my happiness.

His testimony is false—Hulk has a tendency to say whatever he thinks he needs to say in his many different lawsuits [and often different depending on the lawsuit and who is asking the questions] if he thinks that will win the day.

We'll have to wait and see whether Gawker's attorneys attempt to use Linda's comments against Hulk during the trial.

Titus O'Neil Done With Wrestling After WWE Contract Expires

I did something better! I called @TitusONeilWWE and told him to ask to be released. #onelife https://t.co/ileACzeB8j ^[9]^[10]^[11]
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) February 11, 2016 ^[12]

Titus O'Neil's suspension following an incident with Vince McMahon during the Raw episode when Daniel Bryan announced retirement in February was a big story, and the Prime Time Player has finally opened up about the situation in an interview with Justin Sarachik of Rapzilla ^[13].

According to the interview, O'Neil is likely done with wrestling after his WWE deal expires. His good friend Batista told him ^[14] to quit the company, but O'Neil said he has never quit anything in his life and doesn't intend to start now.

People who probably weren't interested in me as a WWE superstar, are now interested in me as a man and a father. ... I'll just take this punishment just like everything else, take a lemon and make lemonade.

I can go and coach, I can do a lot of stuff, but at the end of the day, I've never quit on anything in my entire life.

This whole situation is unfortunate, especially since O'Neil has been a great ambassador for WWE. He has taken groups of homeless people for meals, done tons of charity work and won ^[15] the Celebrity Dad of the Year Award from everythingfordads.com.

Congrats @TitusONeilWWE on being nominated Celebrity Dad of The Year. Vote now and help Titus win the honor: http://t.co/ZniUjX6ILr #DadExpo ^[16]^[17]^[18]
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) May 12, 2015 ^[19]

I Honestly can't put how Blessed I feel Right Now! #Fatherhood is something that I never experienced as a Kid #GOD https://t.co/w4dVklm3Sl ^[20]^[21]^[22]
— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) May 15, 2015 ^[23]

People have been critical of WWE management for how the situation was handled, and it looks like it may lead to the company losing a great asset.

WWE Network Special in the United Kingdom

BREAKING: @WWE will return to @TheO2 Arena London on September 7th for a special, one-night only event. pic.twitter.com/s5IcmPuto1 ^[24]^[25]^[26]
— WWE UK (@WWEUK) March 11, 2016 ^[27]

A live WWE Network special will be filmed in the United Kingdom in September at England's O2 Arena, according to one of the company's official Twitter ^[28] accounts.

This is great news for WWE fans across the pond. Though the company tours other countries every year, it has been a long time since a pay-per-view was filmed anywhere in Europe.

The time difference means fans in the United States will have to watch the special in the afternoon if they wish to see it live, but thanks to WWE's streaming service, it can also be viewed after the event takes place.

This is still several months away, so there's no way to know who will be headlining the show, but it's a safe bet WWE will use one of Brock Lesnar's limited dates for the event.

WrestleMania 33 Venue Revealed

Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about @WrestleMania 33 coming to Orlando's @CitrusBowl on April 2, 2017!https://t.co/nfzFOc9Isw ^[29]^[30]^[31]
— WWE (@WWE) March 10, 2016 ^[32]

Every year, different cities place bids to host major events, and one of the most sought after is WrestleMania.

This year's Mania hasn't even happened yet, but we already know next year's show will take place in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl, according to the Orlando Sentinel (via WWE.com ^[33]).

Orlando doesn't have to ask @WWE "What are you waiting for?" #WrestleMania33 pic.twitter.com/GkGUPprC67 ^[34]^[35]^[36]
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) March 9, 2016 ^[37]

This won't be the first time the Sunshine State has hosted the event, as WrestleMania 24 and 28 were both held in Florida.

WWE's Performance Center is located in Orlando, and NXT is filmed in the same city at Full Sail University, so the company's relationship with the state runs deep.

It may be more than a year away, but it's never too early to start speculating. What matches would you like to see take place at WrestleMania 33?

Big Boss Man to Be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

Ray Traylor, known to WWE fans as The Big Boss Man, was revealed as the next inductee into the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class during Monday's Raw.

Traylor died from a heart attack in 2004, so unfortunately it will be a posthumous induction. Despite dying at the young age of 41 years old, he had a long and storied career in pro wrestling.

He first entered the colorful world of spandex and suplexes in 1986. Because of his look and experience working in the correctional system, giving him the gimmick of a prison guard made perfect sense.

If you watched wrestling in the '90s, you were probably a fan of The Big Boss Man. Many of the writers here at Bleacher Report took to Twitter to share their love for Traylor's work, and a certain B/R writer even suggested ^[40] he should've been inducted back in 2013. That guy must be a handsome genius.

Big Boss Man was one of my guys growing up. So very happy to see him take his place among the greats in the #WWEHOF https://t.co/vTM9W6Cwye ^[41]^[42]
— Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston) March 7, 2016 ^[43]

WHAT?! NOW I'M HEARING BIG BOSS MAN IS GOING INTO THE #WWEHOF?! AMAZING NEWS! TODAY IS ALREADY THE BEST DAY EVER pic.twitter.com/Md9n8vQ43n ^[44]^[45]
— Graham Matthews (@WrestleRant) March 7, 2016 ^[46]

Big Boss Man was one of the 1st villains I pulled for as a kid. Was in awe of his power, scared of his nightstick. pic.twitter.com/qF1227pU8a ^[47]
— Ryan Dilbert (@ryandilbert) March 7, 2016 ^[48]

#BigBossMan was an iconic character & 1 of my favorite people. It's our honor to posthumously induct him to #WWEHOF https://t.co/R1GoUse2Ug ^[49]^[50]^[51]
— Triple H (@TripleH) March 7, 2016 ^[52]

While he never quite reached the main event level, Boss Man had many memorable moments throughout his career, including a bout with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 15. And who could forget his famous feud with The Mountie?

He may have only held a handful of titles during his 18 years in the business, but he left his mark by being consistently entertaining and a truly intimidating presence.

Take a moment and share your favorite memory of The Big Boss Man in the comments section. Also, make sure to check out Bleacher Report's coverage of WWE Roadblock before, during and after the event.

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter: @BR_Doctor ^[53].