Pro Wrestling Updates

[rags]

If you have a chance, read the Wikipedia article on Kamala. Sadly, he's not doing well.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Two guys who have been somewhat forgotten...

An argument could be made for Thesz being the greatest professional wrestler of all-time.

He was a legitimate "shooter" meaning he could actually wrestle and hurt someone if things got out of hand.

But he also understood the "politics" part of the business. He could walk the thin line between heel and face and could draw massive crowds especially in the mid-west. I would suggest taking some time and watching some of his matches on youtube.

Ernie Ladd was an incredible athlete before his knees gave out in the late 70's.

He was one of the few guys like Andre and Brody who could draw in any territory based only on their reputations.
Ernie was also the first black "heel" in the business and played the heel role at a high level.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Two guys who have been somewhat forgotten...

An argument could be made for Thesz being the greatest professional wrestler of all-time.

He was a legitimate "shooter" meaning he could actually wrestle and hurt someone if things got out of hand.

But he also understood the "politics" part of the business. He could walk the thin line between heel and face and could draw massive crowds especially in the mid-west. I would suggest taking some time and watching some of his matches on youtube.

Ernie Ladd was an incredible athlete before his knees gave out in the late 70's.

He was one of the few guys like Andre and Brody who could draw in any territory based only on their reputations.
Ernie was also the first black "heel" in the business and played the heel role at a high level.

Thesz was a bit before my time, when I get some free time in the next couple days I will watch some of his stuff on YT.

 

[rags]

Just saw a note that said Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will more than likely be wrestling in Japan for NJPW once their no compete clause expires on July 15th. In between tours of Japan, they will probably wrestle for a company in the US.

 

[rags]

So where's this feud between Bayley and Sasha? They looked pretty tight last night.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Thesz was a bit before my time, when I get some free time in the next couple days I will watch some of his stuff on YT.

You should... Heck there are some matches in the mid 70's where Lou is about 60 years-old.

Even at that age you could tell he could tell he knew what he was doing in the ring.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Courtesy of The History of WWE

From Greensboro Coliseum (3,374) 6-8-80

1) Ron Ritchie defeated the Scorpion

2) Don Kernodle defeated Doug Somers

3) Ray Stevens defeated Pedro Morales

4) Sweet Ebony Diamond defeated Tenryu

5) Rufus R. Jones & Special Delivery Jones defeated Ox Baker & Brute Bernard

6) Blackjack Mulligan & Cousin Luke fought the Superstar & Enforcer Luciano to a double count-out

7) Jimmy Snuka & the Iron Sheik defeated Ric Flair & Greg Valentine (sub. for Wahoo McDaniel) in a steel cage match

Nice card!

This was when Jim Crockett Promotions A.K.A. Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling was really coming into it's own at this point. Not only were they running shows in Virginia and Carolina's they were also sending talent to Frank Tunney's Maple Leaf Wrestling covering Ontario and western New York State.

Sweet Ebony Diamond was "The Rock's" father, Rocky Johnson who wore a mask while in this territory.

Flair would flip-flop between heel & face every year or so... This card? A face obviously. The real interesting one was Valentine who was rarely a face.

Ray Stevens vs. Pedro Morales would have been a top of card match 10 years previously.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Courtesy of The History of WWE

From the Civic Center (4,500 - matinee card) - 6-5-82

1) Johnny Rodz pinned Laurent Soucie

2) Bob Orton Jr. pinned Tony Garea

3) Tony Atlas pinned Greg Valentine

4) Steve Travis fought Swede Hanson to a double disqualification

5) Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow defeated WWF tag champs Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito in a best 2/3 falls match 2-1

6) Intercontinental champ Pedro Morales defeated Blackjack Mulligan by disqualification when Mulligan attacked special referee SD Jones

7) Ivan Putski pinned Adrian Adonis

8) Andre the Giant pinned Jesse Ventura

A good card for the then WWF.

Valentine, Adonis and Ventura were close to leaving the WWF. Atlas would leave soon after.

There was a big improvement in the overall talent of the WWWF/WWF from 70's.

For most of that decade the WWWF roster was a handful of faces against a horde of kick & punch heels, who even if they did know the difference between a wristwatch and wristlock weren't allowed to go that route.

But with then Champ, Bob Backlund's wrestling ability, which was a couple notches above Bruno's and Pedro's, pushed for heels that may have been smaller in stature– could do a lot more in the ring. Guys like Orton, Adonis, Valentine, Muraco and Snuka made for more interesting matches... Vince Sr. even allowed for a few one-hour time limit matches for Backland.

 

[rags]

Does Bayley have an injured right shoulder? If you saw tonight's RAW, she had a black and white bandage on her right shoulder during the triple threat tag match,

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Junkyard Dog with a car he purchased from Bill Watts.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Courtesy of The History of WWE

From Broome County Arena-Binghamton, NY 6-9-82

1) Laurent Soucie defeated Jose Estrada

2) SD Jones defeated J.J. Dillon

3) Johnny Rodz defeated Pete Sanchez

4) Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito via disqualification

5) WWF World Champion Bob Backlund fought Jimmy Snuka to a double disqualification

6) Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas defeated Blackjack Mulligan & Swede Hanson

Typical WWF card for the era.

Anytime you could catch a Backlund & Snuka match it was a good night.

Notice the name "J. J. Dillon"?

Finally Swede Hanson in the WWF was one of those... "Wrestling must be rigged" moments for me.

You see for much of his career Swede toiled in the Mid Atlantic area forming a pretty successful tag-team with Rip Hawk. But that was several years prior to Swede entering the WWF.

Swede ended up getting a title match vs. Bob Backlund in the Garden...

At the same time he was still wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions and was barely a mid-carder.

Anyway at that time we were getting 3 wrestling shows a week... Maple Leaf Wrestling from Canada, Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the WWF.

So while Swede was raising havoc in the WWF getting his title shot, here he's on Mid Atlantic wrestling one week meeting Blackjack Mulligan on a TV match... Which he (Swede) lost in less than 10 minutes.

Even then I knew if you were a guy getting beat on TV in less than 10 minutes... You probably shouldn't be getting a title shot with Backlund.

That's what happens when you started getting multiple TV shows a week!

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Courtesy of The History of WWE

From Broome County Arena-Binghamton, NY 6-9-82

1) Laurent Soucie defeated Jose Estrada

2) SD Jones defeated J.J. Dillon

3) Johnny Rodz defeated Pete Sanchez

4) Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito via disqualification

5) WWF World Champion Bob Backlund fought Jimmy Snuka to a double disqualification

6) Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas defeated Blackjack Mulligan & Swede Hanson

Typical WWF card for the era.

Anytime you could catch a Backlund & Snuka match it was a good night.

Notice the name "J. J. Dillon"?

Finally Swede Hanson in the WWF was one of those... "Wrestling must be rigged" moments for me.

You see for much of his career Swede toiled in the Mid Atlantic area forming a pretty successful tag-team with Rip Hawk. But that was several years prior to Swede entering the WWF.

Swede ended up getting a title match vs. Bob Backlund in the Garden...

At the same time he was still wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions and was barely a mid-carder.

Anyway at that time we were getting 3 wrestling shows a week... Maple Leaf Wrestling from Canada, Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the WWF.

So while Swede was raising havoc in the WWF getting his title shot, here he's on Mid Atlantic wrestling one week meeting Blackjack Mulligan on a TV match... Which he (Swede) lost in less than 10 minutes.

Even then I knew if you were a guy getting beat on TV in less than 10 minutes... You probably shouldn't be getting a title shot with Backlund.

That's what happens when you started getting multiple TV shows a week!

Some great names there, forgot about Bob Backlund.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

 

[rags]

Boyd Pearce (sp?) announced the participants in wrestling bouts in Fort Worth at the North Side Coliseum when I was growing up.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Boyd Pearce (sp?) announced the participants in wrestling bouts in Fort Worth at the North Side Coliseum when I was growing up.

Mid-South had some great announcers. Pierce, Jim Ross and Reisor Bowden were all great.

 

[timb2]

 

[rags]

Mid-South had some great announcers. Pierce, Jim Ross and Reisor Bowden were all great.

Never heard of the last name.