Cody Rhodes interview: Here’s the extended cut of my interview with The Essence of Mustachioed Magnificence

The Rhodes wrestling family has spilled a lot of blood in rings around the world, including Kansas City. Patriarch "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes was a champion in the 1960s, '70s and '80s (holding the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship in '68, and dropping the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Ric Flair in September 1981 at Memorial Hall).

Cody Rhodes was destined to follow his father and his half-brother, Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes, into the business. As a teenager, he refereed matches for his dad's now-defunct independent promotion and sneaked into mini matches when he thought his dad wasn't looking. "I never imagined doing anything else," Rhodes says.

The second-generation star is keeping his family tradition alive in the world's biggest wrestling company. On May 20, Rhodes is one of the featured grapplers on Monday Night Raw, broadcasting live from the Sprint Center on the USA Network. After a lengthy tour of the United Kingdom, Rhodes called The Pitch from his home in Johns Creek, Georgia, to talk about his memories of Kansas City, his mustache and his challenge to Morgan Freeman.

Dolph Ziggler cashes in the Money in the Bank briefcase, wins the World Heavyweight Championship

Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Raw.

The crowd was begging for Ziggler to come out, chanting his name throughout Alberto Del Rio's match against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter. Del Rio played up an ankle injury after Swagger locked on an ankle lock, which he somehow escaped and turned into his armbar submission for the win.

The Rock loses the WWE Championship to John Cena, won't appear on Raw due to injury

The Rock won't be on Raw tonight after suffering an injury during his WWE Championship loss to John Cena at WrestleMania.

The Rock tweeted: "In the middle of last nights Wrestlemania match I tore my abdomen & adductor muscles off the bone. Just part of the job. But as we know it's all about #JustBringIt. WWE Universe THANK YOU for all the love & well wishes. Means everything to me. #LeaveItAllInTheRing."

The Wrestling Observer reported that WWE's writers were in a panic after Dwayne Johnson no-showed and left to re-write Monday's show, which was supposed to include an angle between Rock and Brock Lesnar to tease their potential WrestleMania 30 main event match.

X-Pac tore his anus on a missed Bronco Buster ... for the second time

X-Pac (Sean Waltman) needs to retire the Bronco Buster. This past weekend, Waltman wrestled Jerry Lynn, who was wrestling his last match, and decided he'd try a Bronco Buster. But he missed, going ass and balls first into the turnbuckle. And something very, very bad happened.

Know the Schedule March 25-31: Knicks, Wolves own the best schedules

The best remaining schedules still belong to the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks.  They each play four-game slates in the next three weeks.

This is also the last four-game week for the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Atlanta, Boston, Memphis, Orlando, Utah and Washington play four-game slates the next two weeks.

See the full break down after the jump.

Arnold Schwarzenegger to induct Bruno Sammartino into WWE Hall of Fame

It's official: Arnold Schwarzenegger will induct "Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE made the announcement Monday morning.

“It is an honor to induct ‘The Living Legend’ Bruno Sammartino into the WWE Hall of Fame,’” said Arnold Schwarzenegger in a press release. “It will be a historic night as he headlines Madison Square Garden again.”

“I am humbled that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be inducting me into the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Bruno Sammartino. “The kindness and support that Arnold has shown me over the years is truly overwhelming.”

Read the full press release after the jump.

Arron Afflalo out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury

Arron Afflalo's season is over. The Orlando Magic shooting guard injured his right hamstring Friday night, and he'll miss the team's last 12 games of the season, according to beat writer Josh Robbins.

Afflalo will be treated with rest and physical therapy. In 64 games, Afflalo averaged 16.5 points (shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 85.7 from the line), 1.13 3-pointers, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, .6 steals and .2 blocks while playing 36 minutes.

Paul Bearer died from a heart attack

The death of Paul Bearer (real name, William Moody) was due to a heart attack. Bearer, who was also known as Percival Pringle III, was 58.

Michael Moody, Bearer's son, told TMZ that his father's death could have been prevented. Bearer was suffering from supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) -- a dangerously high heart rate. If treated, SVT usually isn't deadly but symptoms are similar to anxiety and heartburn so it's often ignored, TMZ reported.

Chris Masters uproots a tree to save his mom from a house fire

WWE should hire Chris Masters right now. The ex-WWE superstar uprooted a tree with his bare hands, used it as a battering ram and saved his mom from a house fire allegedly set by a neighbor who had barricaded himself in her home. 

TMZ broke the story, and Masters told the gossip site that his uncle called him to his mother's Los Angeles home after the neighbor barricaded himself in. Masters arrived on the scene, and the neighbor yelled that he'd set the house on fire if anyone tried to enter. Masters couldn't talk the guy out of the house, so he did what a reasonable person might: He called the cops.

WWE's Jim Ross calls LeBron James' dunk on Jason Terry (video)

Jim Ross' famed call of The Undertaker throwing Mankind off the Hell in a Cell cage seems to be the new thing to put over vicious NBA dunks (see Jordan, DeAndre). So it's no surprise that someone put good ol' JR's call over LeBron James' throw down on Jason Terry last night in the Heat's 23rd straight win. And yes, King, Jet was broken in half!

H/T: Deadspin.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania; Triple H's career at stake (video)

Brock Lesnar is an uncontrollable beast and a legit scary one at that. Dude came out bashing a steel chair on the entrance ramp like a maniac and not one to be incited. But Triple H keeps poking the monster, attacking Lesnar's manager, Paul Heyman (at his smarmy best), during the contract signing for their WrestleMania match.

Sure, Heyman made a sexist remark about Mr. H's wife, Stephanie (c'mon, Paul E., women are not property to be won or lost in wrestling matches in the year 2013), but Triple H took it too far, pummeling a guy that's not a fighter and giving him a pink belly. Trips did manage to control himself enough not to sign the contract with Heyman's blood (it is a PG show, after all). So good on you for the restraint, H.

Booker T is the newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame (video)

Booker T is going into the WWE Hall of Fame. The five time -- five time! -- world champion joins a stacked class that includes Bruno Sammartino, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus and Bob Backlund. Really, this may be too stacked of a class -- if there is such a thing.

Book's induction video is so much awesome crammed into about four minutes. There are a) GWF references; b) spinaroonies; c) King Booker; d) a run down of Booker's title history; and e) Harlem Heat, including the infamous (but edited here) video of Booker telling Hulk Hogan, "We coming for you, n----!" Thumbs up, WWE video team.