— WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino was born on this day in 1935 as he turns 78-years-old. Also celebrating birthdays on Sunday are Afa Anoaʻi, Jr. (a/k/a Manu, Afa Jr.) and Barry Darsow (a/k/a Smash, Repo Man, The Blacktop Bully, Crusher Darsow, Krusher Khruschev and Pain Stewart).
— Bill Apter caught up with legendary ring announcer Howard Finkel yesterday at the Legends of the Ring convention in Monroe, New Jersey, where the WWE Hall Of Famer offered his predictions on tonight’s WWE Battleground pay-per-view event.
When asked whether Daniel Bryan or Randy Orton will walk out of tonight’s show as WWE Champion, “The Fink” thinks it’s going to be a “yes.”
Finkel said, “If you look at Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, Daniel Bryan has gotten the best of Randy Orton…and that being said, every time Daniel Bryan’s won a championship, he’s had it taken away. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon just don’t think Daniel Bryan is good for business. However, I think Bryan’s going to win. He’ll win it again and he might be the first guy to win the championship in two successive pay-per-view events. I don’t know if that’s part of the record book yet, and if it is, I apologize. But if it isn’t, it will be.”
Meanwhile, the official WWE website has published a Battleground-inspired trivia quiz, courtesy of Finkel. To play “Out-think The Fink,” click here.