CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan's lawyers have asked a judge to grant the former professional wrestler access to some of his funds that were frozen while his pending divorce is resolved.

Attorneys for Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, filed documents Monday asking that he be given $300,000 from the frozen assets. In December, Linda Bollea was granted $400,000 to pay attorneys' fees.

Hogan claims back surgery he had last month will keep him from working for a time. The motion said he has nearly $411,000 in his bank account and his bills top $312,000.

A hearing is scheduled Thursday on the issue.

Source: USATODAY.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Christian outshined 15 other Superstars in a massive battle royal with a pay-off of even grander proportions – an opportunity to compete at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

Christian wins Tri-Branded Money in the Bank Qualifying Battle Royal
Fans in Jacksonville were treated to a huge main event in the Land of Extreme, featuring Superstars from ECW, Raw and SmackDown*.

Early in the match – knowing the huge threat that The Great Khali posed – the ring full of Superstars worked together by piling their bodies against each other and pushing the Punjabi Giant up and out of the ring. And in a stunning betrayal, Cryme Tyme's JTG eliminated his own partner, Shad.

In the end, though, it came down to a battle between Christian and Chavo Guerrero to determine who would be going to the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. With both Superstars entangled in the ropes – engaged in a struggle for victory – it was Captain Charisma who prevailed, sending Guerrero to the arena floor. Christian now has an opportunity on the Grandest Stage of Them All in Houston, TX.

Tyson Kidd def. DJ Gabriel
Going undefeated in WWE is a tall order. However, Tyson Kidd kept his record intact with a well-targeted springboard elbow to DJ Gabriel from the top ropes. The win brings Kidd's record to 4-0.

WWE Tag Team Champion Primo def. World Tag Team Champion The Miz (Non-title)
The dislike between WWE Tag Team Champion Primo and World Tag Team Champion The Miz was evident from the sound of the opening bell. The disdain was made even clearer as WWE Tag Team Champion Carlito and World Tag Team Champion John Morrison joined the ECW announce team to trade verbal barbs while helping call the match.

But, it was Primo's Backstabber that abruptly stopped all the talking. The Miz's loss was made even more bitter as Primo & Carlito sauntered away from the ring with the beautiful Bella Twins on their arms. This Friday on SmackDown, Miz & Morrison will have a chance at revenge. But, if WWE Team Champions Carlito and Primo can pull off a win, they become Undisputed Tag Team Champions.

* Tri-Branded Money in the Bank Qualifying Battle Royal competitors
Cryme Tyme (Shad & JTG), Vladimir Kozlov, Christian, William Regal, The Great Khali, Chavo Guerrero, Paul Burchill, Ricky Ortiz, Kung Fu Naki, Jimmy Wang Yang, Goldust, Charlie Haas, Dolph Ziggler, Tommy Dreamer and R-Truth.

Source: WWE.com

As reported earlier, Vince McMahon recently issued a company-wide directive to prevent storyline plans from getting out on the internet. They are going as far to plant red herrings in order to keep their creative plans a mystery to the internet wrestling fans, not to mention discover the individuals within the company leaking confidential information to the people behind the wrestling news websites. In an update on the situation, Stephanie McMahon has been feeding false information to members of the creative team she suspects may be leaking stories.

Also, the writers are using company laptops with special software that tracks their emails and which websites they view.

A federal judge has bodyslammed former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers by dismissing a lawsuit that claimed the wrestlers had been denied certain economic benefits because they were misclassified as independent contractors.

Former WWE performers Scott "Raven" Levy, Christopher "Kanyon" Kluscartis and "Above Average" Michael Sanders claimed they should have been treated as employees because the Stamford-based WWE controls their salaries, performance locations, costumes, training regimen and the storylines they follow. Further, the lawsuit alleged, the WWE improperly withheld Social Security and Medicare taxes from the federal government because of the wrestlers' independent contractor status.

The wrestlers' attorney, David Golub of Silver, Golub & Teitell in Stamford, also claimed that the wrestlers' were denied employee benefits such as health care, paid sick time and vacation.

Golub was seeking class action status, but late last week Senior U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey granted WWE's motion to dismiss in federal court in New Haven. He said the wrestlers signed a contract that acknowledged their status as independent contractors.

The issue of workers' classification has been a hot topic since the late 1990s when Microsoft was found to have misclassified some workers as independent contractors and temporary employees. Employers sometimes take such steps to cut benefit and liability insurance costs.

WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, of K&L Gates, in Pittsburgh, said the most recent lawsuit was the first against WWE alleging worker misclassification. The decision "vindicates our position that these are big guys who signed big guy contracts," McDevitt told The American Lawyer. "And that the WWE paid them every dime they promised to pay them."

Golub told the Law Tribune he was "surprised" that his claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) were not addressed in Dorsey's ruling, especially after the case was removed from state court to federal court last summer.

Golub said he plans to file a motion for reconsideration by March 10.

Source: CTLawTribune.com