The Pro Wrestling Thread

stooge1029 · **Reply #25 on:** March 21, 2011, 09:12:45 AM

I too am only familiar with the Mr. Backlund character from the 90s...I loved it, and he still could throw down with the likes of Bret Hart and have great matches. I miss 90s wrestling....the Hogan/Warrior era of the early 90s, the Bret Hart and HBK mid 90s, and the attitude era of the late 90s. Nowadays wrestlers read scripted lines and have to censor themselves for the PG rating wwe wants, before it was just give The Rock or Foley or Austin the mic and let them go. I think having all that competition between WCW (and NWA) and WWE was great for the business. TNA is a joke and it doesnt feel like WWE tries anymore.

shemps#1 · **Reply #26 on:** March 21, 2011, 04:07:42 PM

I thought the mid-90's or "New Generation" era was awful. With it's terrible, stale characters and champions who could not carry the ball as the flag bearers of the company (Bret, Shawn, Diesel), not to mention shitty pitchmen like morning zoo DJ Todd Pettingill the NG not only allowed WCW to become a legit competitor but eventually overtake and almost destroy the company. If it weren't for the Austins and Rocks of the "Attitude Era" the NG would have killed WWF. That was also when the tag team scene became a joke.

1-2-3 Kid, Men on a Mission, Doink the Clown, the wrestling garbageman, Lex Luger all-american...it sends chills down my spine just thinking about it.

Lefty · **Reply #27 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:19:00 PM

How many wrestlers (or whatever they're referred to now) have you met outside the arena area?

My mother and I met two of them: In 1980, it was Ken Patera on the beach in Atlantic City (we were at the same hotel), a few days before the big event at Shea Stadium, and in 1987, it was Gorilla Monsoon in the Denver airport, as we were taking a common flight back to Philadelphia (I think he took up all of first class). My mother had no idea who either one was, but she thought they might have been wrestlers, and both of them knew her brother (my uncle) from working out in his gym in Vegas.

metaldams · **Reply #28 on:** March 22, 2011, 03:26:05 PM

Quote from: Lefty on March 22, 2011, 03:19:00 PM

How many wrestlers (or whatever they're referred to now) have you met outside the arena area?

My mother and I met two of them: In 1980, it was Ken Patera on the beach in Atlantic City (we were at the same hotel), a few days before the big event at Shea Stadium, and in 1987, it was Gorilla Monsoon in the Denver airport, as we were taking a common flight back to Philadelphia (I think he took up all of first class). My mother had no idea who either one was, but she thought they might have been wrestlers, and both of them knew her brother (my uncle) from working out in his gym in Vegas.

This guy is my second cousin through marriage. The woman he is pictured with is my biological second cousin. I see him every few years and he's a good guy. When I was 14, he brought his belt over my house, which I thought was the coolest thing. He even told me about blading, and this was before the Internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Cairo

I also met the Big Boss Man back when he was feuding with The Mountie. I shook his hand, and at the time, I was up to his waist!

metaldams · **Reply #29 on:** March 22, 2011, 05:50:36 PM

Oh, and my Dad met Freddie Blassie at a hotel in the 80's.

Haystacks Calhoun supposedly ate at a diner my family used to own before I was born.

Boid Brain · **Reply #30 on:** March 23, 2011, 03:37:16 AM

Quote from: metaldams on March 22, 2011, 05:50:36 PM

Oh, and my Dad met Freddie Blassie at a hotel in the 80's.

Haystacks Calhoun supposedly ate at a diner my family used to own before I was born.

Ah...finally a mention of a vintage name! Don't get me wrong, I loved the 80's wrestling, but I was indoctrinated with Bobby Valentine, Duke Kiomuka and Lou Thezth!

I have enjoyed reading about the great Strangler Lewis and men predating even he. For a time the sport was really big. Some of the matches were even real!

But I damn sure liked watching my kids enjoy the Junkyard dog, Iron Sheik, Macho man (my fave) to name a very few.......hey? Does anyone remember the 2 barbaric Aussie tag teamers? Their name escapes me.

shemps#1 · **Reply #31 on:** March 23, 2011, 05:06:28 AM

The Sheepherders/Bushwhackers? They were from New Zealand.

Boid Brain · **Reply #32 on:** March 23, 2011, 06:42:12 AM

Quote from: shemps#1 on March 23, 2011, 05:06:28 AM

The Sheepherders/Bushwhackers? They were from New Zealand.

Yes! The Bushwhackers. LOL

metaldams · **Reply #33 on:** March 23, 2011, 11:22:57 AM

I wonder if those kids whose heads The Bushwackers licked were plants, because that would freak me out!

Anyway, here's your entertainment for the day. I wonder if Flair had anything else besides his reflection on his mirror that morning?

[youtube=425,350]b5DIjKEAnXQ[/youtube]

shemps#1 · **Reply #34 on:** March 24, 2011, 06:47:42 AM

I have to say I could not stand the Bushwhackers. Maybe if they came to the WWF and hit it big a couple years earlier I would have dug them but I was 11-12 when they showed up and couldn't stand them. The stupid skits and licking people...I detested them.

curlys#1 · **Reply #35 on:** March 24, 2011, 11:09:39 AM

http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1300975552 Bret's awesome drawing of the Hulkster.

metaldams · **Reply #36 on:** March 24, 2011, 12:50:27 PM

Quote from: curlys#1 on March 24, 2011, 11:09:39 AM

http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1300975552 Bret's awesome drawing of the Hulkster.

That's great! The sad thing is very few wrestlers know when to hang up the boots, Hogan and Flair included.

I actually just watched Bret's WWE documentary last night. I was reminded that that great USA Vs. Canada angle where he was a good guy in Canada and a bad guy in the US. They also showed footage from the Raw I was at in '97. Brian Pillman flipped me off that night, and he was dead 5 months later. That's karma for you. All kidding aside though, it's sad to think that 3 of those 5 Hart Foundation members were dead within 5 years of that angle.

metaldams · **Reply #37 on:** March 24, 2011, 01:16:58 PM

By the way, this would be the appropriate thread to bring this up - has anybody seen THE WRESTLER?

I think it's a brilliant movie. I love the little character touches they give Randy "The Ram" to show he's stuck in the 80's like talking on pay phones, playing old schoool Nintendo instead of modern games, and listening to 80's metal in his car on cassette.

A really awesome movie, and I wish more modern movies were this character driven and heartfelt. I recommend it to everyone, wrestling fan or not.

Mike Lipincranz · **Reply #38 on:** March 24, 2011, 01:59:43 PM

I agree. It was an interesting movie with Mickey Rourke as "Ram". Reminded me a little of Hogan and Flair. Ram didn't know when to quit or couldn't because wrestling is all he knew

..... In the end he flew off the top rope after getting chest pains after a rehab from a massive heart attack and that's where the movie ended...........(sorry to ruin the ending) but it just shows that some of these "entertainers" will do anything for the money, glory, whatever you may call it, even kill themselves.........

shemps#1 · **Reply #39 on:** March 25, 2011, 12:43:55 AM

The Wrestler is one hell of a movie, absolutely fabulous. The director (Aronofsky) is building himself quite a profile with The Wrestler and Black Swan. I have actually seen a lot of modern movies that are great but I think this year's Oscar for Best Picture went to the wrong movie: King's Speech was good but definitely not the best. I thought Inception should have won.

Steering back to the topic, I downloaded the demo for WWE All-Stars for my PS3 and it looks great. You can only pick a 1 on 1 match between Ultimate Warrior and Rey Misterio but it is lots of fun so far. Of course I always pick the man from Parts Unknown to beat up the Mexican Jumping Bean.

Boid Brain · **Reply #40 on:** March 25, 2011, 11:53:51 AM

Shemps: I liked the Bushwhackers I think from my love of the absurd. (a prerequisite for a Stooge fan) More than they I liked the Hacksaw guy and his 2 by 4....George the Animal Steel may have been the most bizarre of all. When he would try to bite off an opponents nose (like Moe) I cracked up.

Later I saw an interview about 15 years after he retired. Quite an intelligent fellow.

On the "Wrestler". I'm afraid that all the buildup for the film spoiled it for me. Rourk's plastic surgery made him look more like Joan Rivers than Rick Flair. I give the film a C-

I'll tell you about a wrestler that I NEVER saw, even tho' he was the champ for years: Bruno Samartino. He was on the cover of Ring magazine all the time and I was stunned at the size and awesome strength of the guy. He looked like a jumbo sized Rocky Marciano!

Anyone ever see him wrestle?

metaldams · **Reply #41 on:** March 25, 2011, 12:34:37 PM

Quote from: Boid Brain on March 25, 2011, 11:53:51 AM

George the Animal Steel may have been the most bizarre of all. When he would try to bite off an opponents nose (like Moe) I cracked up.

Later I saw an interview about 15 years after he retired. Quite an intelligent fellow.

Yeah, it's funny with George "The Animal" Steele. He played such an imbecile, but in real life interviews I've seen, he really does come off as an intelligent guy. He played Tor Johnson in ED WOOD very well.

For you 80's wrestling fans, go to youtube and check out any shoot interview with Billy Jack Haynes, the guy's insane! His theory on the Chris Benoit incident is priceless. I'll post a youtube link tonight.

metaldams · **Reply #42 on:** March 26, 2011, 01:26:59 AM

[youtube=425,350]D90VXsyPy7g[/youtube]

Billy Jack Haynes and his Chris Benoit theory. I would shit my pants if I was the guy holding the camera.

Not G rated, so if you're easily offended, don't click.

The bombshell starts at about 3:20, but the whole clip's insane.

metaldams · **Reply #43 on:** March 26, 2011, 01:46:05 AM

Another crazy one, on so many levels. I realize this is only for the hardcore fan, but worth sharing.

[youtube=425,350]SVknr3u1t6o[/youtube]

shemps#1 · **Reply #44 on:** March 26, 2011, 06:49:57 AM

I loved George Steele. He was actually a full-time high school teacher in the Detroit area through most of his career, wrestling part time during summers and holidays mainly for Vince Sr. It was only once he retired as a teacher, during the big Hulkamania wrestling boom in the mid 80's that he wrested full time.

I was going to ask you your reasoning for giving The Wrestler a C-, but then I remembered this is the guy who thought the real life team that Hoosiers was based on was from Illinois. I thought casting Mickey Rourke, a broken-down actor, as a broken-down wrestler was pure genius. I've even watched the movie with people who are most definitely not wrestling fans and they loved it.

Seeing Billy Jack Haynes I want to shave that stupid fuckin' mullet of his.

Boid Brain · **Reply #45 on:** March 27, 2011, 04:42:01 PM

Shemps....you seem to forget the whole purpose of the Hoosiers thread: just HOW could a school that small take State. I found out how Hebron did it....I don't know yet how Milan did it.

Boid Brain · **Reply #46 on:** March 30, 2011, 06:06:41 PM

5 foot 10, 270 lbs.

metaldams · **Reply #47 on:** April 04, 2011, 12:53:16 PM

OK, I'm checking out Wrestlemania results, and the guy who is champion and main eventing, "The Miz," I have never even heard of. I am officially out of the loop!

Boid Brain · **Reply #48 on:** April 04, 2011, 02:29:48 PM

Nobody beats the Miz.

Mike Lipincranz · **Reply #49 on:** April 05, 2011, 07:19:09 AM

I'm the MIZ................and I am.......................A W E S O M E !!!!!! What a tool!