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| Screengrab Credit: 30FPS |
WHAT'CHA GON' DO WHEN RODGERSMANIA RUNS WILD ON YOU, BROTHER?
Yeah, I got nothing else this morning. Happy weekend, and be safe if you're on the East Coast, even if Irene turns out to be a dud.
Showing posts with label Hulk Hogan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hulk Hogan. Show all posts
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Aaron Rodgers' Hulkamania Moustache
WHAT'CHA GON' DO WHEN RODGERSMANIA RUNS WILD ON YOU, BROTHER?
Yeah, I got nothing else this morning. Happy weekend, and be safe if you're on the East Coast, even if Irene turns out to be a dud.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Your Favorite Wrestlers Ever: Jarret Aubry
Now that my own favorites list is out of the way, I posed the question to some of my colleagues in the fan/writer community. Who are your favorite five wrestlers?
Next up is a guy that I've been acquainted with for the last 12 years. He's a good egg, which is Canadian for "a decent fellow". Jarret Aubry is his name, and he's the webmaster at A1-Wrestling, a fine message board, community and collection of Internet degenerates like myself. He also is one of the voices of the A1 Podcast, which is a great listen. Here are his favorite wrestlers.
5. AJ Styles - What's not to like about AJ Styles? A staple and cornerstone of TNA (now Impact) Wrestling in its infancy, Styles helped put the X-Division on the map with his speed, agility, and high-flying ability. One might argue that he isn't great on the mic, but he's shown on several occasions that when he delivers an intense and focused promo, you want to listen, and has been constantly improving on the mic over the years. I still mark out every time I see a Pele kick, and some of the high flying and more acrobatic moves he pulls off are so fun to watch, yet the guy can absolutely go on the mat as well; his series of matches with Christopher Daniels are stuffed with magic. While he's on the small side, Styles is the complete package in the ring and a guy I'd have no problem putting in the upper tier of any fed I'd be running.
4. Bret Hart - The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. A catch phrase that ended up not being too far from the truth. I always enjoyed watching Bret in the ring. His moniker of the "Excellence of Execution" was dead on; Hart moved around the ring and delivered his offense like a wrestling assassin. Measured, deliberate, and deadly, every move was calculated to deliver maximum impact and to set up, or get into position to set up the Sharpshooter. I really liked the way Hart sold as a face; he'd get beaten into within an inch of his life, and he'd really look like it. He really made you believe he was totally getting his ass kicked, and made you even feel for the guy. His ability in the ring is unquestioned, and has one of the best finishers of all time (even if he ripped it off of Sting).
3. "Macho Man" Randy Savage - Like I noted about Bret Hart above, I enjoyed Savage as a good guy. He was the best to me as the underdog fighting the greater odds or the bigger opponent, the guy that would do anything he had to in order to overcome those odds or get by the much bigger opponent. One of the first of his era to specialize coming off the top rope, Savage moved like a cat; the dude was just SO quick, so graceful in the ring. I always loved how he took a strike to the head (whether it was as simple as a punch to face, elbow to the head, or as nasty as a chair), he sold it like he'd been shot. Like Hart, he could make it look like he was getting beaten into within inches of a months-long hospital visit, and he really drew you into that and made you believe it. He brought us the awesome, graceful, yet devastating top rope elbow, and good guy or bad, his promos were *always* entertaining. One half of my favorite wrestling angle of all time, the Savage/Elizabeth/Hogan triangle. Definitely a one-of-a-kind.
1b. The Rock - Really, what has to be said about The Rock? The Rock has entertained and electrified like no other before him. His raw charisma, combined with that ability to draw in, use, and feed off the crowd is the stuff of legends. Rock has delivered more entertaining, hilarious, jaw-dropping, raucous, awesome promos than anyone else in the business, and as he would say, "without a shadow of a doubt", his in-ring work got better and better each and every time he stepped into the ring. His sharpshooter may have sucked, but near the end of his run, he was constantly adding more moves to his arsenal, constantly getting crisper, constantly improving, to the point that I believe if he'd hung around for another couple years in his prime, he would be one of the top candidates for greatest of all time. Yup, I said it.
1a. Hulk Hogan - Like The Rock, what do you say about Hulk Hogan that hasn't already been said? Put whatever backstage politics you believe aside, as a kid, Hogan was the first real star that I latched on to. To me as a kid, Hulk Hogan was a super hero come to life. He was this massive, muscular guy that wanted me to be the best I could be, that believed in me. He took on the biggest enemies, righted the biggest wrongs, and fought for the biggest causes. He was a super hero, but at the same time just a man, and that was endearing at that age. In-ring ability aside (as displayed in North America), Hogan is on a level with such a select few with the ability to work a crowd, and as such was always a great entertainer. Hogan was involved in most of the biggest moments in wrestling since his arrival; the first Wrestlemania, slamming Andre the Giant, really taking wrestling mainstream, the love triangle with Elizabeth and Randy Savage, which to me, was the greatest angle of all time. I really believed that stuff when I was kid. The training, the prayers, and the vitamins, and take 15 years of that and turn it all on its head when Hogan became Hollywood Hulk Hogan, turning heel and forming the nWo... it was shocking. So, for that era, those changing times, all those special moments, that nostalgia when it comes to pro wrestling, Hogan will always have a place in my wrestling heart.
Next up is a guy that I've been acquainted with for the last 12 years. He's a good egg, which is Canadian for "a decent fellow". Jarret Aubry is his name, and he's the webmaster at A1-Wrestling, a fine message board, community and collection of Internet degenerates like myself. He also is one of the voices of the A1 Podcast, which is a great listen. Here are his favorite wrestlers.
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| 1a vs. 1b Photo Credit: WWE.com |
4. Bret Hart - The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. A catch phrase that ended up not being too far from the truth. I always enjoyed watching Bret in the ring. His moniker of the "Excellence of Execution" was dead on; Hart moved around the ring and delivered his offense like a wrestling assassin. Measured, deliberate, and deadly, every move was calculated to deliver maximum impact and to set up, or get into position to set up the Sharpshooter. I really liked the way Hart sold as a face; he'd get beaten into within an inch of his life, and he'd really look like it. He really made you believe he was totally getting his ass kicked, and made you even feel for the guy. His ability in the ring is unquestioned, and has one of the best finishers of all time (even if he ripped it off of Sting).
3. "Macho Man" Randy Savage - Like I noted about Bret Hart above, I enjoyed Savage as a good guy. He was the best to me as the underdog fighting the greater odds or the bigger opponent, the guy that would do anything he had to in order to overcome those odds or get by the much bigger opponent. One of the first of his era to specialize coming off the top rope, Savage moved like a cat; the dude was just SO quick, so graceful in the ring. I always loved how he took a strike to the head (whether it was as simple as a punch to face, elbow to the head, or as nasty as a chair), he sold it like he'd been shot. Like Hart, he could make it look like he was getting beaten into within inches of a months-long hospital visit, and he really drew you into that and made you believe it. He brought us the awesome, graceful, yet devastating top rope elbow, and good guy or bad, his promos were *always* entertaining. One half of my favorite wrestling angle of all time, the Savage/Elizabeth/Hogan triangle. Definitely a one-of-a-kind.
1b. The Rock - Really, what has to be said about The Rock? The Rock has entertained and electrified like no other before him. His raw charisma, combined with that ability to draw in, use, and feed off the crowd is the stuff of legends. Rock has delivered more entertaining, hilarious, jaw-dropping, raucous, awesome promos than anyone else in the business, and as he would say, "without a shadow of a doubt", his in-ring work got better and better each and every time he stepped into the ring. His sharpshooter may have sucked, but near the end of his run, he was constantly adding more moves to his arsenal, constantly getting crisper, constantly improving, to the point that I believe if he'd hung around for another couple years in his prime, he would be one of the top candidates for greatest of all time. Yup, I said it.
1a. Hulk Hogan - Like The Rock, what do you say about Hulk Hogan that hasn't already been said? Put whatever backstage politics you believe aside, as a kid, Hogan was the first real star that I latched on to. To me as a kid, Hulk Hogan was a super hero come to life. He was this massive, muscular guy that wanted me to be the best I could be, that believed in me. He took on the biggest enemies, righted the biggest wrongs, and fought for the biggest causes. He was a super hero, but at the same time just a man, and that was endearing at that age. In-ring ability aside (as displayed in North America), Hogan is on a level with such a select few with the ability to work a crowd, and as such was always a great entertainer. Hogan was involved in most of the biggest moments in wrestling since his arrival; the first Wrestlemania, slamming Andre the Giant, really taking wrestling mainstream, the love triangle with Elizabeth and Randy Savage, which to me, was the greatest angle of all time. I really believed that stuff when I was kid. The training, the prayers, and the vitamins, and take 15 years of that and turn it all on its head when Hogan became Hollywood Hulk Hogan, turning heel and forming the nWo... it was shocking. So, for that era, those changing times, all those special moments, that nostalgia when it comes to pro wrestling, Hogan will always have a place in my wrestling heart.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Your Favorite Wrestlers Ever: Bryan Douglass
Now that my own favorites list is out of the way, I posed the question to some of my colleagues in the fan/writer community. Who are your favorite five wrestlers?
Today's entry comes to us from Bryan Douglass. He used to be a blogger/editor at a fairly well-known site, but now, he's the content manager for a new social media project called Wayin. He's also a pretty big old-school wrestling fan. Here is his top five as well as some honorable mentions.
When I was a child, growing in the midst of corn and the heathen Methodists on the plains of farmland Illinois, my mother would drag us to church, forcing my sister and I not only into the one-hour service about fictional characters not named Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but also pushing us into an additional hour of bible studies.
I hated it. I hated God, I hated the Bible, and I hated every schedule-making Christian on the planet... and for two hours every Sunday morning, I hated my mother.
Back then, Sunday mornings were THE time for wrestling. There was no wrestling during the week, much less in prime time. Cable didn't exist. For me, there was a set of rabbit ears, one hour starting at 8am on channel 11 out of St. Louis, and the weekly knock-down-drag-out with mom. I didn't want God. I wanted Piper's Pit.
When I was nine, my father finally intervened. One fateful Sunday morning my dad interrupted my mother's yelling about my lack of progress away from channel 11 by stating truth.
"I am sick of this shit. All he cares about is wrestling and he's willing to go to hell to have it. And I'm tired of pretending I care because I don't believe in either one. Let the boy watch wrestling."
He won. That day, college and my Star Wars figures are the three greatest things my father ever did for me... and after I go and as I burn in hell, I'll thank him for it.
So... as a preface, it should be clear I am a proud, card-carrying member of the old school. I don't have nearly as much love for the WWE as I do for the WWF, and while I continue to enjoy the entertainment provided by the ring today, my allegiance is firmly rooted in world of wrestling that was.
That's clearly reflected here. Nothing against The Rock, Cena, Triple H or CM... they're great, but they will never register as favorites with me.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Andre the Giant
An icon involved in some of the most memorable matches ever.
- The Undertaker
If you rooted for the bad guy (as I often did), he was a god.
- KoKo B. Ware
In terms of entertainment, one of the most underrated bangers of all time.
- Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Made me laugh EVERY TIME Mean Gene put the microphone to his mouth. Truly a gifted entertainer.
- Junkyard Dog
Personal bias... I don't want it get into it, but this is where he belongs in my mind.
5. Hulk Hogan - I didn't ruin my shirts ripping them off as an homage to Hogan. That said, anyone discussing this era of wrestling without giving Hogan his due isn't worthy of your ear... because he was the king. He did it all. Even if you weren't a fan, there were times you couldn't help but get caught up in the madness. He worked with the biggest stars on the planet. He was Hot Lips. He made cage matches obsolete, so tacks and chairs and ring bells had to come into the picture.
He was Hulkamania, he was running wild, he is an icon... and he was Public Enemy #1 for my #1, so I have to have him on the short list.
4. Razor Ramon - And you think you know machismo?
I loved this guy. He was such a dick, but he was cool about it... his comfort in being a dick might only be matched by one of the guys below and Jay Cutler. In truth, his prowess in the ring wasn't exactly on par with guys you want to put on this list. It might be fair to say most of the guys on my list fail to rank if you talk about technique and artistic execution of physical presentation, but for me, the entertainment is in the character and the ability to play that character to the point of reaction from the audience. I want to TRULY hate you... and I don't see how you avoid mentioning the Razor when you mention the best at doing that.
And at his very worst, Ramon was the only one who ever made the Intercontinental Championship relevant. Otherwise, it was amateur hour.
3. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - If I'm going to make a pick, as I mentioned before, based on the joy of physical acts of aggression, I want Snuka.
He is to wrestling as Michael Jordan is to the dunk. Not to basketball... please, Snuka was beyond awesome, but there are some places you simply do not go... but to the dunk, to the art of the dunk... THAT is what Snuka did to wrestling.
There were guys before him that went to the top of the ropes, and there were certainly plenty throwing their bodies to the wind. There just weren't any guys that were as pretty doing it. Snuka took a flying slam and made it into a spectacle, something you couldn't believe possible from a man that large. The Splash... it's commonplace now for anyone who takes to the top rope, but Snuka is the benchmark.
Besides, I have to get at least one of the Captain's guys on the list.
2. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - If the truth were told, I would admit to ranking Hacksaw so high because (a) it was SO much fun to be him when we wrestled in the backyard, and (b) I continue to imitate him to this day (yes, there aren't many who get it... more often than not, those in attendance report me to management and suggest drug testing, but I don't care because it's really f*@%in' fun).
He's about as lovable as a wrestler could be for most, but to me, he was an entertaining reminder of how simple wrestling can and should be. Give me a 2x4, let's get the crowd pumped up, and let's beat some ass. His role was simple as well, the perpetually ignorant ape taking on the cocky, elitist prick.
What's not to like about that... unless, of course, you want to cheer for the elitist prick, which brings me to #1.
1. Rowdy Roddy Piper - When it comes to picking my favorite wrestler of all time, there is no delay in response and there never has been. I have always been enamored with the villain and drawn to the guy you love to hate. During my formative years, I was presented with two of the best the world has ever known and I continue to endorse their greatness today - Darth Vader and Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Nothing thrilled me more than seeing Roddy emerge from the tunnel as "Green Hills" pumped through the sound system and Piper marched out to the set of the Pit. Every single episode was monumental occasion for me, and for me, the return of the Pit has formed an exciting reconnection to the WWE today... despite Bill Simmons' transparent attempts to ruin it.
But beyond the Pit, I simply loved watching Roddy wrestle. He was every bit as strong and technically capable as the greats of the game, and he managed to translate character and emotion as well as wrestler on the roster. He was as exciting and dedicated in loss as he was during the Pit, during locker-room interview, and during victory (which never came as often as it should). Tack on the unappreciated career in movies and I'm sold.
And if you still aren't sold, I'd remind Piper was - without question - the most diabolical nemesis Hulk Hogan ever battled, serving as wrestling's most hated man during wrestling's most glorious place in time... at least in my mind.
That's why I rank Roddy as the greatest that ever lived, and that's my take on the historical elite of professional wrestling.
Today's entry comes to us from Bryan Douglass. He used to be a blogger/editor at a fairly well-known site, but now, he's the content manager for a new social media project called Wayin. He's also a pretty big old-school wrestling fan. Here is his top five as well as some honorable mentions.
 |
| Snuka and Piper, pre-coconut crunch Photo Credit: WWE.com |
I hated it. I hated God, I hated the Bible, and I hated every schedule-making Christian on the planet... and for two hours every Sunday morning, I hated my mother.
Back then, Sunday mornings were THE time for wrestling. There was no wrestling during the week, much less in prime time. Cable didn't exist. For me, there was a set of rabbit ears, one hour starting at 8am on channel 11 out of St. Louis, and the weekly knock-down-drag-out with mom. I didn't want God. I wanted Piper's Pit.
When I was nine, my father finally intervened. One fateful Sunday morning my dad interrupted my mother's yelling about my lack of progress away from channel 11 by stating truth.
"I am sick of this shit. All he cares about is wrestling and he's willing to go to hell to have it. And I'm tired of pretending I care because I don't believe in either one. Let the boy watch wrestling."
He won. That day, college and my Star Wars figures are the three greatest things my father ever did for me... and after I go and as I burn in hell, I'll thank him for it.
So... as a preface, it should be clear I am a proud, card-carrying member of the old school. I don't have nearly as much love for the WWE as I do for the WWF, and while I continue to enjoy the entertainment provided by the ring today, my allegiance is firmly rooted in world of wrestling that was.
That's clearly reflected here. Nothing against The Rock, Cena, Triple H or CM... they're great, but they will never register as favorites with me.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Andre the Giant
An icon involved in some of the most memorable matches ever.
- The Undertaker
If you rooted for the bad guy (as I often did), he was a god.
- KoKo B. Ware
In terms of entertainment, one of the most underrated bangers of all time.
- Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Made me laugh EVERY TIME Mean Gene put the microphone to his mouth. Truly a gifted entertainer.
- Junkyard Dog
Personal bias... I don't want it get into it, but this is where he belongs in my mind.
5. Hulk Hogan - I didn't ruin my shirts ripping them off as an homage to Hogan. That said, anyone discussing this era of wrestling without giving Hogan his due isn't worthy of your ear... because he was the king. He did it all. Even if you weren't a fan, there were times you couldn't help but get caught up in the madness. He worked with the biggest stars on the planet. He was Hot Lips. He made cage matches obsolete, so tacks and chairs and ring bells had to come into the picture.
He was Hulkamania, he was running wild, he is an icon... and he was Public Enemy #1 for my #1, so I have to have him on the short list.
4. Razor Ramon - And you think you know machismo?
I loved this guy. He was such a dick, but he was cool about it... his comfort in being a dick might only be matched by one of the guys below and Jay Cutler. In truth, his prowess in the ring wasn't exactly on par with guys you want to put on this list. It might be fair to say most of the guys on my list fail to rank if you talk about technique and artistic execution of physical presentation, but for me, the entertainment is in the character and the ability to play that character to the point of reaction from the audience. I want to TRULY hate you... and I don't see how you avoid mentioning the Razor when you mention the best at doing that.
And at his very worst, Ramon was the only one who ever made the Intercontinental Championship relevant. Otherwise, it was amateur hour.
3. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka - If I'm going to make a pick, as I mentioned before, based on the joy of physical acts of aggression, I want Snuka.
He is to wrestling as Michael Jordan is to the dunk. Not to basketball... please, Snuka was beyond awesome, but there are some places you simply do not go... but to the dunk, to the art of the dunk... THAT is what Snuka did to wrestling.
There were guys before him that went to the top of the ropes, and there were certainly plenty throwing their bodies to the wind. There just weren't any guys that were as pretty doing it. Snuka took a flying slam and made it into a spectacle, something you couldn't believe possible from a man that large. The Splash... it's commonplace now for anyone who takes to the top rope, but Snuka is the benchmark.
Besides, I have to get at least one of the Captain's guys on the list.
2. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - If the truth were told, I would admit to ranking Hacksaw so high because (a) it was SO much fun to be him when we wrestled in the backyard, and (b) I continue to imitate him to this day (yes, there aren't many who get it... more often than not, those in attendance report me to management and suggest drug testing, but I don't care because it's really f*@%in' fun).
He's about as lovable as a wrestler could be for most, but to me, he was an entertaining reminder of how simple wrestling can and should be. Give me a 2x4, let's get the crowd pumped up, and let's beat some ass. His role was simple as well, the perpetually ignorant ape taking on the cocky, elitist prick.
What's not to like about that... unless, of course, you want to cheer for the elitist prick, which brings me to #1.
1. Rowdy Roddy Piper - When it comes to picking my favorite wrestler of all time, there is no delay in response and there never has been. I have always been enamored with the villain and drawn to the guy you love to hate. During my formative years, I was presented with two of the best the world has ever known and I continue to endorse their greatness today - Darth Vader and Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Nothing thrilled me more than seeing Roddy emerge from the tunnel as "Green Hills" pumped through the sound system and Piper marched out to the set of the Pit. Every single episode was monumental occasion for me, and for me, the return of the Pit has formed an exciting reconnection to the WWE today... despite Bill Simmons' transparent attempts to ruin it.
But beyond the Pit, I simply loved watching Roddy wrestle. He was every bit as strong and technically capable as the greats of the game, and he managed to translate character and emotion as well as wrestler on the roster. He was as exciting and dedicated in loss as he was during the Pit, during locker-room interview, and during victory (which never came as often as it should). Tack on the unappreciated career in movies and I'm sold.
And if you still aren't sold, I'd remind Piper was - without question - the most diabolical nemesis Hulk Hogan ever battled, serving as wrestling's most hated man during wrestling's most glorious place in time... at least in my mind.
That's why I rank Roddy as the greatest that ever lived, and that's my take on the historical elite of professional wrestling.
Monday, July 25, 2011
My Favorite Wrestlers Ever: #5
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| Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Hulk Hogan
Three Favorite Matches: vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III, vs. Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania VII and vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-8
Three Favorite Moments: Bodyslamming Andre the Giant, Vanquishing Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, Joining the nWo at Bash at the Beach 1996
Prayers, vitamins, Hulkamania. These were staples for any wrestling fan in the Northeast or anywhere in the country outside of NWA/WCW country in the 1980s. It's true, I was a Hulkamaniac growing up, and in many ways I am. The wild spirit of that larger-than-life, statuesque blond bomber is the one that I try to remember now, because for all his faults, for all the backstage machinations and the overblown interviews and the blaming of the fans for WCW and the hobbling around past his prime in Impact, he still had one of the biggest hands in making me the wrestling fan that I am today.
Yeah, he wasn't a great worker in the sense that I look for today. That was Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect and all those guys. Hogan could work in the way that he could hold the audience in the palm of his hand1. That's what he was called upon to do. He was meant to fight the bad guys, be they foreign or just dicks. He was supposed to take a beating, shrug it off as he hulked up, threw up the big boot and dropped the leg. And you know what? I ate that shit up.
And that's how I choose to remember Hulk Hogan, at least the good Hulk Hogan. It's hard to like the Hogan who rages on Twitter or bumbles through segments on Impact. Very hard. But the thing is, that embarrassment doesn't do anything to take away my enjoyment of watching his classic clips. That's the sign of someone who's had that much of an effect on you.
1 - Hogan actually was a good worker in technical terms too. Look up some of his Japanese stuff.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Happy Anniversary, New World Order
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| A moment that will live in infamy Screen Grab Credit: Mike Bridenstine |
Of course, Bischoff couldn't follow up on this moment in the long term, which is why WCW no longer exists as an independent entity today. Since I write about those transgressions a lot, I'm going to pass now and instead focus on the influence of this singular moment in time. Within the wrestling industry, you could argue that this was perhaps the most influential moment ever. There were so many elements at play here that have been attempted to be aped by any wrestling company. You have the top draw in wrestling history to that point turning against the fans. It was a ballsy move, even if Hogan's welcome in WCW was wearing thin by that time.
It was also the moment where WCW truly went national. Like Gargiulo wrote in his recap, until 1994, WCW was really only national in name only, as it was still more or less a "Southern" promotion. When they went out and got Hogan, Savage, Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund and recouped Ric Flair and Luger, the company really put the full court press on trying to expand its reach. It wasn't until BatB '96 when they had their huge moment. It was at a perfect time too, as the WWF was at a crossroads. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart had taken them as far as they could, and while the wheels were turning on Steve Austin, who had just won King of the Ring, it'd be a few months before his run would get started in earnest.
I think the most influential part of this event though was Hogan's promo at the end. It really was one of the first legit teases of breaking the fourth wall that I can remember happening at that level. Obviously, ECW had guys potshotting WWF and WCW, but they were still in the underground. The newly minted invaders had a national stage. Hogan was liberally referring to the company "up North" and talking about money and other things that guys didn't talk about back then on pay-per-view or nationally-broadcast cable TV.
The event even has had mainstream implications. Any time there's a betrayal or anything that the media likes to purport as betrayal, someone, somewhere is comparing it to Hogan's turn. The most recent example was last year, when LeBron James made the hideously misinformed decision to announce his intentions of signing with the Heat on ESPN. No sooner did he say "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" then did the comparisons to Hogan dropping the leg on Savage begin. They were a propos too, but only if you consider the fans of Cleveland to be WCW and not the Cavs organization. However, that's a whole other blog for a whole other blogger to tackle.
However, I think the lasting implication, at least for today and for future anniversaries, is that damn, it's been 15 years already? Fuck, I feel old. Seriously, while it does feel like it has taken place a long time ago (unlike 2000-01 WWF, which I feel is still fresh in my mind for whatever reason), it still is staggering to think that babies born on today's date in 1996 are in the middle of high school. And to see Hogan staggering around the Impact Zone, a shell of his former self, only hammers that point home harder. (And that's not even putting into context how the other players are faring from that night...)
Still, even for as much as the wrestling industry has changed in 15 years, it's still cool to look back on the dates that mattered. July 7, 1996 may have been the date that mattered most, regardless of how badly Bischoff and his cronies paid it off (or in a sense never paid it off).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The One Where TH and Jason Mann Lament the Slow Death of the Abdominal Stretch
Via Wrestlespective Radio
The latest edition of Wrestlespective Radio has dropped, and surprise surprise, it features me! Yep, Jason Mann and I talk about the main event to SummerSlam 1988, the Mega Bucks team of Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase (seconded by Virgil and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) taking on the Mega Powers of Hulk Hogan and yes, "Macho Man" Randy Savage (seconded by Miss Elizabeth). We break the match down, as well as veer off into side discussions like why heels don't do subtle illegal submissions anymore and how much Ted DiBiase, Jr. works like his father. It's good listen, so listen!
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
The latest edition of Wrestlespective Radio has dropped, and surprise surprise, it features me! Yep, Jason Mann and I talk about the main event to SummerSlam 1988, the Mega Bucks team of Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase (seconded by Virgil and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) taking on the Mega Powers of Hulk Hogan and yes, "Macho Man" Randy Savage (seconded by Miss Elizabeth). We break the match down, as well as veer off into side discussions like why heels don't do subtle illegal submissions anymore and how much Ted DiBiase, Jr. works like his father. It's good listen, so listen!
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
From the Archives, Macho Week: Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks, SummerSlam '88
I watched this match today in preparation for my upcoming appearance on Wrestlespective Radio (PLUG PLUG), and it was a nice tag team main event. If you're looking for dazzling moves or something landmark, well, you'll find the latter although not in the way you'd think. Hint, it involves Elizabeth.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Part 1:
Part 2:
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wrestling Six Packs, Macho Week: Macho Man's Greatest Rivals
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| Two natural rivals going at it. Photo Credit: WWE.com |
1. Jerry "The King" Lawler
When Savage left his father's ICW and went to work in Memphis, you could argue he really came of age. It's natural, as Lawler's run in Memphis may have been the most important singular draw to one region, and working with him would be seasoning enough for anyone. It was here that Macho got prepared for the big time. This list really isn't in any order, but you could make the argument that Lawler may have been Savage's most important rival.
2. Ric Flair
...then again, when you feud with perhaps the most decorated and important wrestler of all-time over the WWF World Championship at WrestleMania, that counts for a lot more than going at it in a regional promotion. The first clash between Macho and Naitch was so heated, so edgy for the time. Flair claimed to have racy pictures of Elizabeth, something actually right out of the Memphis playbook actually. The interplay between the two felt so natural, so right. It was an iron they'd strike several more times in WCW, and even though they really didn't go up against each other at all until the '90s, it felt like they were rivals throughout eternity.
3. Hulk Hogan
Yes, the feud was one-sided for the most part. Yes, Savage was always portrayed as Hogan's bitch. However, Hogan and Savage were both inexorably linked if only for the Mega Powers angle and the watershed WrestleMania V match. It was a feud that lasted both in and out of character for a long time, eliciting the infamous Be a Man rap album from Macho that was somewhat of a nadir for him, but hey, no one's perfect.
4. George "The Animal" Steele
ON the total opposite end of the "importance" scale is Steele, who was more of an ancillary feud, an annoyance than a legitimate feud. I mean, he was a big doddering, slobbery beast, and he basically lusted after Liz like King Kong did after Fay Wray. But in a way, he was the perfect foil for Savage and Liz as a couple. What better way to accentuate the fact that Macho really didn't deserve Liz than having this slovenly old man, a slovenly old man who was a super fan favorite, creeping after her?
5. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
This is a no-brainer. I think Bill Simmons hit the nail on the head in his excellent Savage tribute column today. Wrestling's peak kinda began with Savage crushing Steamboat across the larynx, and their match at WrestleMania III was THE first ever WM marquee match. Seriously, Shawn Michaels as Mr. WrestleMania? Austin and Hart? Taker and Trips this past year? Hart vs. Hart? It was a tradition begotten with this match. It arguably made the Intercontinental Championship, and thus it's a rivalry that belongs on this list.
6. Diamond Dallas Page
This was his signature WCW-only feud, but man, what an intense and critically acclaimed one it was. These two went at it, and it really did a lot to make DDP, much in the way that feuds with Steamer and Hogan made Savage in the '80s. You really got the feeling that both guys were looking to kill each other. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were both probably somewhat legitimately crazy, but hey, that always adds to a great feud.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
The Impact Wrestling Commercials Offend Me
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| This segment disproves the notion that wrestling matters at Impact Wrestling Photo Credit: TNAWrestling.com |
If you watched RAW last night, then odds are, you probably saw a commercial for the newly rebranded Impact Wrestling. I'm not sure if it was locally-purchased or whether the folks at TNA grew balls and bought national advertising on USA, but my guess is that no matter what they did, they did it on a wide scale. I can commend that kind of advertising attack, although that's the extent of the praise that I'll deliver for it. I've been trying to find an embeddable video of said commercial as more of a reference for why I hated it, but I can't. For those who didn't see, it was basically Hulk Hogan, AJ Styles and Robert Roode talking about how wrestling mattered and how if they wanted to watch "entertainment", they'd rent a movie.
ON a deeply personal level as a wrestling fan, every second of that commercial offended me to the core. It wasn't because they made slurs or because they did something "insensitive". They insulted my intelligence, really. I mean, I watched Impact both weeks since they rolled out this "wrestling matters" campaign, and judging from what I've seen, it's nothing more than lip service.
I mean, it's one thing to try and brand yourself with a new identity, but that rebranding isn't going to work if the same people are in charge who were part of the prior identity. It's shown throughout the last two weeks. Two shows ago, there was barely any focus on the kind of things that would mark a "wrestling" show rather than an "entertainment" show until Mick Foley made the announcement halfway through. This past week didn't have a different feeling than your garden variety Impact since the Bischoff/Hogan regime took over either. There was still a massive focus on Immortal fighting a battle with a face NPC authority figure. There was still Eric Bischoff getting into ring gear and being an active competitor even though he's not a "wrestler". The angle where Winter is using voodoo magic to control Angelina Love.
And the most galling thing to me? A big segment of the show was surrounded around Robert Roode and Ric Flair acting out a scene that would better fit on a reality TV show about the back workings of a wrestling fed rather than a wrestling angle. Yes, there was a ham-handed attempt at saving towards the end to turn it back into a wrestling angle, but in no way, shape or form should anyone go out there and call out another wrestler for using a wrestling hold to win a wrestling match because of a non-kayfabed injury. I'm sorry. If wrestling mattered, then the backstage stuff wouldn't and shouldn't peer out into the on-camera world.
The opposition to my viewpoint is that I should give them time to change the game. I say feh to that, a feh indeed, because since the Hogan/Bischoff regime took over, they have proven nothing to me that they deserve the benefit of the doubt. As a wrestling fan, I am NOT obligated to give everything a chance to play out. Promoters, bookers, wrestlers, announcers, whatever, they have with me and should have with everyone a limited line of credit when it comes to what they want to sell us, and with each entity, they have a credit score. If NWA Hollywood or Chikara came to me with a questionable gimmick, I'd give them a lot of time for them to win me over. Why? They have good credit scores when it comes to the intellectual capital known as "the benefit of the doubt". The WWE has considerably less capital in that regard, and dragging up the rear is any promotion that Bischoff or Vince Russo has a hand in creative. If they've given me NOTHING to hang my hat on as a fan in the last 18 months (or really, 10 years to be honest), then why should I give this iteration time to develop without criticizing it?
That being said, if they deliver (even a blind squirrel finds a nut), then yeah, I'll praise them. But for now, what they're telling me is so patently offensive that I actually get angry when I see those spots on TV. I don't like being lied to, and I don't like having my intelligence insulted. For Hulk Hogan to tell me wrestling matters when he's the head of a company where they've yet to prove it in the last 2+ years that I've followed it closely is a slap in my face, and it makes me not want to tune in on Thursdays or record it to watch at my leisure.
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
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