Pro Wrestlers You May Not Remember

[BigDGarciaFan]

Oh yeah!

That promotion was on the USA network in the early 80's... Until Vince Jr. bought the air time.

I think the area was originally promoted by Tully Blanchard's father. Bruiser Brody wrestled there a lot (he was from San Antonio).

I don't think the territory was officially linked with either the NWA or the AWA, but retained its independence.

it was, Joe Blanchard was the announcer in the first few years of the promotion. matches were telecast from Municipal Auditorium(now Tobin Center for Performing Arts), then matches were moved to an old boxing gym called The Junction on the 1700 block of Blanco road. Steve Stack was the english announcer years later, and Rapido Rodriguez did the spanish announcing when the show aired weekly on spanish TV. for more info, just look up the shows on youtube typing the keyword Southwest Wrestling SCW.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Bob Sweetan looked like one of those cats that outside the ring you knew was a real tough guy and not a poser. Murdoch, Brody and Race all fit the bill as well as a few others.

 

[trickblue]

I forgot one.....
Anyone remember Pork Chops Cash?

Saw him wrestle in Shreveport...

 

[trickblue]

I grew up in Shreveport in the late 60's early 70's. My dad and I went to the matches every Monday night at the coliseum... Shreveport and the Texas circuit was a real hotbed for wrestling at that time. The coliseum was packed every Monday night. I haven't followed wrestling since that era but I have some really fond memories with my dad. Some of the wrestlers I got to see in person (that I can recall):

The Spoiler (My favorite)
Dusty Rhodes
Bruiser Bob Sweetan
Grizzly Smith
Ivan Putchski
Silento Rodriques
Billy Red Lyons
Dory Funk, Jr
Terry Funk
Cowboy Bill Watts
Grizzly Smith
Dr. X
Bruiser Brody
Stan Hansen
Danny Hodge
Sputnik Monroe
Pork Chops Cash
Harley Race
Ernie Ladd
Blackjack Mulligan
Bruno Sammartino
Killer Kowalski
Guillotine George
Dick Murdoch
Jack Brisco
Wahoo McDaniel
Waldo Von Erich
Skandar Akbar
Ivan Koloff
The Blue Demon
Tom Jones
Ernie Ladd

 

[Risen Star]

Ric Flair says Wahoo McDaniel was the toughest human being he's ever known.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

I grew up in Shreveport in the late 60's early 70's. My dad and I went to the matches every Monday night at the coliseum... Shreveport and the Texas circuit was a real hotbed for wrestling at that time. The coliseum was packed every Monday night. I haven't followed wrestling since that era but I have some really fond memories with my dad. Some of the wrestlers I got to see in person (that I can recall):

The Spoiler (My favorite)
Dusty Rhodes
Bruiser Bob Sweetan
Grizzly Smith
Ivan Putchski
Silento Rodriques
Billy Red Lyons
Dory Funk, Jr
Terry Funk
Cowboy Bill Watts
Grizzly Smith
Dr. X
Bruiser Brody
Stan Hansen
Danny Hodge
Sputnik Monroe
Pork Chops Cash
Harley Race
Ernie Ladd
Blackjack Mulligan
Bruno Sammartino
Killer Kowalski
Guillotine George
Dick Murdoch
Jack Brisco
Wahoo McDaniel
Waldo Von Erich
Skandar Akbar
Ivan Koloff
The Blue Demon
Tom Jones
Ernie Ladd

No one and I mean no one could work the mic as well as Ernie Big Cat Ladd. Egg sucking dog, yuk yuk yuk, you a whiskey drinker jeeesh lol.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I grew up in Shreveport in the late 60's early 70's. My dad and I went to the matches every Monday night at the coliseum... Shreveport and the Texas circuit was a real hotbed for wrestling at that time. The coliseum was packed every Monday night. I haven't followed wrestling since that era but I have some really fond memories with my dad. Some of the wrestlers I got to see in person (that I can recall):

Back in the 60's, 70's and part of the 80's, any just about any city with 100,000+ population was getting a weekly show.

Can you imagine the number of wrestlers across the country needed to do that number of shows per week?


And today Madison Square Garden doesn't even see one show a month.

Sad.

 

[trickblue]

It was really a spectacle back in the day... you had the crossovers that came to the popular venues, such as Shreveport... so we really got to see the legends...

Those guys were hard workers... moved their families around to make a buck... it was hard work...

 

[BigDGarciaFan]

Back in the 60's, 70's and part of the 80's, any just about any city with 100,000+ population was getting a weekly show.

Can you imagine the number of wrestlers across the country needed to do that number of shows per week?


And today Madison Square Garden doesn't even see one show a month.

Sad.

Msg has one wwe house show but that ain't enough. I'm realty losing faith in wrestling.....again

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Msg has one wwe house show but that ain't enough. I'm realty losing faith in wrestling.....again

There needs to be another organization– and it can't copy (or try to like the TNA folks do) the WWE.

 

[BigDFan5]

Not my favorite wrestler but my favorite jobber all time was Mike Boyette wrestled in the UWF (Bill Watts) back in the mid 80s

Credited as a 5 time rookie of the year (By Jim Ross) because he was a 5 year vet being portrayed as a rookie

Always a jobber never won a single match there, they even had some great video packages showing all of his losses and he would interview "this week was gonna be different"

 

[BigDGarciaFan]

i remember the days when wrestling was truly and seriously "Big Time" but these days, all people mostly talk about is WWE this, WWE that!

AWA is gone, NWA is nothing but an independent minor league type promotion.

with Madison Square Garden not having that many televised WWE matches since 2012(last tv card was an episode of RAW back in Dec 2012),
wrestling is truly dead. unless MSGs next card(which is this February) is televised.

heres a list of recent WWE cards held at the garden
http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/10smsg.htm

not only that but Memphis' mid south coliseum(a popular venue for big time wrestling matches in that area) is this close to being demolished..........unless someone can prevent it some happening....... and it looks like it can still be saved
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis...ition-of-historical-arena/Content?oid=3803611

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Not my favorite wrestler but my favorite jobber all time was Mike Boyette wrestled in the UWF (Bill Watts) back in the mid 80s

Credited as a 5 time rookie of the year (By Jim Ross) because he was a 5 year vet being portrayed as a rookie

Always a jobber never won a single match there, they even had some great video packages showing all of his losses and he would interview "this week was gonna be different"

I saw him wrestle at the OKC fairgrounds, had to be around 1980 or so and he went by the name Mike Bowyer. Me and a friend got to the arena several hours early and I actually got his autograph and eventually we were ran/scared off by Killer Karl Krup.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

i remember the days when wrestling was truly and seriously "Big Time" but these days, all people mostly talk about is WWE this, WWE that!

AWA is gone, NWA is nothing but an independent minor league type promotion.

with Madison Square Garden not having that many televised WWE matches since 2012(last tv card was an episode of RAW back in Dec 2012),
wrestling is truly dead. unless MSGs next card(which is this February) is televised.

heres a list of recent WWE cards held at the garden
http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/10smsg.htm

not only that but Memphis' mid south coliseum(a popular venue for big time wrestling matches in that area) is this close to being demolished..........unless someone can prevent it some happening....... and it looks like it can still be saved
http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis...ition-of-historical-arena/Content?oid=3803611

Thanks for the link to the Madison Square Garden results...

I lived to far away to visit the Garden for wrestling and before PPV the only time I got to see a match held at the Garden was if they showed a segment during the weekly TV show on WOR.

And yeah, wrestling is kind of dead right now.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Great match between Bruiser Brody and Kamala, the Ugandan Giant...



Some things you don't see nowadays...

-It's "lumberjack" match (do they even do these anymore?)
-Kamala has both a manager and a handler
-Lot's of blood

 

[big dog cowboy]

Great match between Bruiser Brody and Kamala, the Ugandan Giant...
Some things you don't see nowadays...

-It's "lumberjack" match (do they even do these anymore?)

I still remember the WCW promos for Kamala. Good times. My brother actually named his fantasy football team Devastation Inc. for a few years.

Sure they still have Lumberjack matches. This one was just 3 weeks ago:

http://www.wwe.com/videos/john-cena-vs-seth-rollins-lumberjack-match-raw-january-12-2015-27009511

 

[mmohican29]

Does anyone know who the Masked Superstar was? I always thought his finisher was one of the best of his generation.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Does anyone know who the Masked Superstar was? I always thought his finisher was one of the best of his generation.

Is this him?

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

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Is this him?

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

Great wrestler.

I never knew he was "Bolo Mongol".

He reminded me somewhat of Stan Hansen, another of these 300lb guys who was always moving– presented a very aggressive character.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Is this him?

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

good find....