Vince McMahon's list of the top 5 wrestlers of all time...

[MichaelWinicki]

Ok so it's not the WWE?

It just looked kind of cheesy. Like they filmed it in a really small tv studio or something.

Thanks.

That's the way many of the weekly wrestling shows were done in the 70's & 80's. Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South, Mid Atlantic, Championship Wrestling from Florida... All were done in small television studios that could barely hold 100 people.

They were odd confines but kind of quaint also. Generally speaking the fans were so close to the ring (at least on 3 sides) that wrestlers weren't often tossed out of the ring.

What's surprising is how noisy a small crowd like that would be... And of course the noise level would be helped by announcer(s) getting more loud themselves as the level of action picked up.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

That's the way many of the weekly wrestling shows were done in the 70's & 80's. Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South, Mid Atlantic, Championship Wrestling from Florida... All were done in small television studios that could barely hold 100 people.

They were odd confines but kind of quaint also. Generally speaking the fans were so close to the ring (at least on 3 sides) that wrestlers weren't often tossed out of the ring.

What's surprising is how noisy a small crowd like that would be... And of course the noise level would be helped by announcer(s) getting more loud themselves as the level of action picked up.

Interesting. I guess it's cheesy looking to me because WWE has the big dollar production look while that show Thursday did not. And I don't know enough about the wrestlers to say one group was better than the other. I'm guessing some of those guys have been in both companies.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Interesting. I guess it's cheesy looking to me because WWE has the big dollar production look while that show Thursday did not. And I don't know enough about the wrestlers to say one group was better than the other. I'm guessing some of those guys have been in both companies.

Yeah, they were cheesy! LOL!

Even the WWWF's weekly TV show, which was done in the "Fieldhouse" at Hamburg, PA, only held 1,500 people.

The thing about filming the weekly TV show in a "cheesy" environment is how "WOW" it was to see a show in a large arena. I made the trip to Buffalo a few times to see a big show during both the NWA's and WWF's "ownership" of the area and it was slick. Thousands of screaming people. It was a great environment. And going from seeing the weekly TV show in a small studio to this... Well talk about a contrast– and it totally put the big show "over".

Around 1980, our cable system did its first major expansion. We went from 13 channels to like 40. It was great at the time. And a couple of those channels were regional sports channels, so we were able to get some of the large WWF shows from the Boston Garden, and Capital Center in Washington D.C. Again, the small weekly TV production set up the big show perfectly.

Today, the weekly TV show is maxed out. You go to a non-TV show somewhere and you aren't "Wowed" by anything because you've seen it on TV all before.

That was the other thing... The Champion hardly wrestled on TV at all, so when you saw a champion wrestle at a local show it was something special.

Not anymore. The WWE has greatly reduced the aura of the champion by over exposure on TV combined with the way too frequent title changes.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Yeah, they were cheesy! LOL!

Even the WWWF's weekly TV show, which was done in the "Fieldhouse" at Hamburg, PA, only held 1,500 people.

The thing about filming the weekly TV show in a "cheesy" environment is how "WOW" it was to see a show in a large arena. I made the trip to Buffalo a few times to see a big show during both the NWA's and WWF's "ownership" of the area and it was slick. Thousands of screaming people. It was a great environment. And going from seeing the weekly TV show in a small studio to this... Well talk about a contrast– and it totally put the big show "over".

Around 1980, our cable system did its first major expansion. We went from 13 channels to like 40. It was great at the time. And a couple of those channels were regional sports channels, so we were able to get some of the large WWF shows from the Boston Garden, and Capital Center in Washington D.C. Again, the small weekly TV production set up the big show perfectly.

Today, the weekly TV show is maxed out. You go to a non-TV show somewhere and you aren't "Wowed" by anything because you've seen it on TV all before.

That was the other thing... The Champion hardly wrestled on TV at all, so when you saw a champion wrestle at a local show it was something special.

Not anymore. The WWE has greatly reduced the aura of the champion by over exposure on TV combined with the way too frequent title changes.

They do have too many shows on. I know they even have a wrestling girl show on E Channel.

 

[Phoenix]

Ok so it's not the WWE?

It just looked kind of cheesy. Like they filmed it in a really small tv studio or something.

Thanks.

I was being sarcastic towards them (TNA)

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I was being sarcastic towards them (TNA)

I don't know a thing about that company except for the few minutes I watched. I don't know the wrestlers. So I'm a bonehead about the whole thing & any sarcasm would go right over my head. It did.

 

[big dog cowboy]

They do have too many shows on. I know they even have a wrestling girl show on E Channel.

Total Divas. Watch it every week.

 

[HomerSimpson31]

I'd have to put Triple H or Ric Flair in place of The Rock. I used to be a big Rock fan but he shouldn't be ahead of these 2.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Total Divas. Watch it every week.

Is it scripted? I've seen commercials.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Is it scripted? I've seen commercials.

No. It's actually pretty good if you care to know about the people involved. The insight you get from what happens backstage at live events is priceless.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Interesting. I guess it's cheesy looking to me because WWE has the big dollar production look while that show Thursday did not. And I don't know enough about the wrestlers to say one group was better than the other. I'm guessing some of those guys have been in both companies.

Back in those days it was against the law to have infomercials on TV. So TV stations had to look for ways to generate ad revenue. Wrestling was usually a good way to grab ratings so the TV stations could generate good ad revenue. So the TV stations would work with the wrestling companies to have studio wrestling since it kept that costs down. Eventually, the law changed and then another law required that TV stations provide at least 1-hour of children’s programming each week…during hours that children could watch TV. So that eliminated the Saturday morning wrestling shows as Saturday morning was a popular time slot for wrestling.


The talent back then was often as good, if not better than anything the WWF could produce. You had wrestlers that got to wrestle 4-5 times a week and then move from territory to territory and pick up new things to make them even better.





YR

 

[BoysFan4ever]

No. It's actually pretty good if you care to know about the people involved. The insight you get from what happens backstage at live events is priceless.

Just the few times I have watched I didn't like the girls. They just seem to be on there in their tight shorts for the guys to ogle. And that one that is married to the champion is a horrible actress! I saw him saying he had to have surgery. Is that true or for the story ?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'd have to put Triple H or Ric Flair in place of The Rock. I used to be a big Rock fan but he shouldn't be ahead of these 2.

The Rock is a terrific wrestler, but he like Steve Austin and the Ultimate Warrior just weren't in the industry long enough to be ahead of Flair or for that matter Hogan. Triple H... Well I'd put him behind Austin, because Austin helped save the WWWE and had more impact on history of wrestling than what HHH has.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Back in those days it was against the law to have infomercials on TV. So TV stations had to look for ways to generate ad revenue. Wrestling was usually a good way to grab ratings so the TV stations could generate good ad revenue. So the TV stations would work with the wrestling companies to have studio wrestling since it kept that costs down. Eventually, the law changed and then another law required that TV stations provide at least 1-hour of children’s programming each week…during hours that children could watch TV. So that eliminated the Saturday morning wrestling shows as Saturday morning was a popular time slot for wrestling.


The talent back then was often as good, if not better than anything the WWF could produce. You had wrestlers that got to wrestle 4-5 times a week and then move from territory to territory and pick up new things to make them even better.





YR

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to educate me. You guys sure know your stuff.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Back in those days it was against the law to have infomercials on TV. So TV stations had to look for ways to generate ad revenue. Wrestling was usually a good way to grab ratings so the TV stations could generate good ad revenue. So the TV stations would work with the wrestling companies to have studio wrestling since it kept that costs down. Eventually, the law changed and then another law required that TV stations provide at least 1-hour of children’s programming each week…during hours that children could watch TV. So that eliminated the Saturday morning wrestling shows as Saturday morning was a popular time slot for wrestling.


The talent back then was often as good, if not better than anything the WWF could produce. You had wrestlers that got to wrestle 4-5 times a week and then move from territory to territory and pick up new things to make them even better.





YR

Yep. It's hard for many to understand how popular wrestling was in the late 50's and early 60's.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Just the few times I have watched I didn't like the girls. They just seem to be on there in their tight shorts for the guys to ogle. And that one that is married to the champion is a horrible actress! I saw him saying he had to have surgery. Is that true or for the story ?

The girls - what can I say. The WWE tries to play them off as serious professionals but treats them like crap. Honestly I'm not sure why they even have a Diva's division. Brie Bella is married to Daniel Bryan. That isn't an act on her part and yes he needs minor surgery and looks to be out 6-8 weeks.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...letter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=wwe

 

[BoysFan4ever]

The girls - what can I say. The WWE tries to play them off as serious professionals but treats them like crap. Honestly I'm not sure why they even have a Diva's division. Brie Bella is married to Daniel Bryan. That isn't an act on her part and yes he needs minor surgery and looks to be out 6-8 weeks.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...letter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=wwe

She is still a horrible actress married or not. How do you have a champion out 2 months without taking his belt off him?

It would seem to make other matches inconsequential if everyone is fighting to be champion & he's not even there.

I kind of laughed at the item that said he had a "minor" broken neck.

That would retire my butt from doing that. Uh sorry dude but your neck is broken. Come back in 2 months & do the same thing that broke your neck in the first place.

 

[big dog cowboy]

How do you have a champion out 2 months without taking his belt off him?

I kind of laughed at the item that said he had a "minor" broken neck.

Two months isn't that long. They will let Bryan keep his belt because his merchandise sales is up to #2 I believe.

Minor broken neck. What's next, kind of preggers?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Two months isn't that long. They will let Bryan keep his belt because his merchandise sales is up to #2 I believe.

Minor broken neck. What's next, kind of preggers?

And really, the WWE championship is less meaningful (by choice and actions of the WWE management team) than any championship... maybe ever. The championship reigns are kept short and no champion gets to build up enough "Wow! The WWE Champ is coming to town" kind of aura.

 

[HomerSimpson31]

The Rock is a terrific wrestler, but he like Steve Austin and the Ultimate Warrior just weren't in the industry long enough to be ahead of Flair or for that matter Hogan. Triple H... Well I'd put him behind Austin, because Austin helped save the WWWE and had more impact on history of wrestling than what HHH has.

As for Hogan, he was the first one that crossed my mind and to most would be a clear cut number one best wrestler of all time. I personally skipped him because I think overall he is overrated because all he really has is a big boot and leg drop for a finisher lol. But he did basically mke the WWF fun and draw in millions of fans so he was very electric but as a wrestler I just think he was overrated,but that's me being biased and overlooking the fact that that was the basic style of wrestling back then.