The Thread Killer

Here's another one I saw. Jake Roberts and I never worked together for the title during the 80's because we had no chemistry in the ring. That's right. It had nothing to do with the time he DDT'd Hogan on the Snake Pit, and the fans started chanting "DDT DDT DDT" instead of "Hogan" so loudly that they couldn't even air it.

The entire WMIII story from start to finish is hilarious to hear Hogan tell it. There were almost 1000,000 people there, Andre weighed 700 pounds, he wasn't sure if he was going to put Hogan over until the night of the event, which he did, for the title...and he died shortly afterward.

I will bet you five hundred billion dollars Angle would pass a commission exam. It's Nevada. Stephen Hawking could pass a commission exam. Dana White is actively trying to get Angle into UFC. Meltzer talks to the guy every week, this isn't speculation from him. The Strike Force thing... eh. How long does the deal run, does he have an opt-out, etc. Sweet! I want to see Stephen Hawking vs. Tim Silvia!

Yeah that can't be right. To not have any of the Snuka matches would be madness. I remember that old Coliseum Video Roddy Piper's Greatest Hits was packed with matches from the Snuka feud.

Damn, worse than Katie Vick, or Hunter's "you nappy headed people" speech towards Booker T before WM19?

Nobody should EVER get compared to Dave O'Neill...even as an insult. That has to be the meanest thing you could ever say to a person.

I approve of all of the Iron Mike Sharpe love. The man was Canada's Greatest Athlete, you know. If only that forearm injury hadn't crippled him for all those years.

Meltzer didn't like Monsoon?

There's a really funny story in "Wrestling At The Chase" where Heyman breaks kayfabe in front of a bunch of St. Louis fans, and Bruiser Brody slaps the shit out of him.

I don't watch WWE, I think McMahon is a scumbag, and I am not in any way, shape or form a WWE apologist...however the least I can say is that Eddie's widow must be okay with it on some level, or she wouldn't be involved, and at least she is going to be making some money from it, since she'll be appearing on screen. I had read somewhere that Eddie's death had hit the family quite hard financially, so if this can help her, I guess that's a good thing. I guess?

I was out of work for almost six months, so as a result, I hadn't bought anything new to read in ages. Now that I have a new job, and money coming in, I caught up on my wishlist. I just finished reading a bunch of wrestling books, some of which were mentioned in this thread, so I figured I'd dig it up again and throw in my two cents. Hardcore History by Scott Williams is actually quite good. It covers the history of ECW from start to finish. I think because the author is a reporter, he has a very good grasp on how to properly structure a story, and conduct interviews which get the information you need to tell the story. He had cooperation from many former ECW stars, and Dave Meltzer as well. The book does not come across as totally buying into Paul Heyman's supposed genius, nor does it do a total hatchet job on him. (That's a surprise since he thanks John D. Williams in the forward.) The book also provides some great insights into Heyman's problems with Stephanie since he joined the WWE. If you were an ECW fan, even casually, I'd get this book. I know there is now a WWE version of ECW history...endorsed by Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer...but I'd skip that and get this. Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling is very similar to the ECW book. Written by a reporter, it gives a fair account of the Hart Family and their legacy left through the Stampede promotion. He gets interviews with many of the key players, Bret Hart, Bruce Hart, Keith Hart, as well as tons of the older stars such as Bad News and Abdullah. The later chapters of this book read like a modern day horror story...I was totally floored as I read of the implosion of the Hart family after Owen's death...and I came out of this having little respect for Martha Hart, and to an even larger extent, Bruce Hart. I actually know a guy who briefly trained under Bruce Hart last year, and he confirms the worst of the stories in this book. Even the so-called "beloved" Ed Whalen doesn't escape close scrutiny, and we see things behind the scenes that Whalen did to both help and hurt Stampede wrestling. I should note, if you are one of the people who loved Dynamite Kid's book, you should read this one. The author interviews Tom Billington's ex-wife, and gets her side on a lot of the things covered in that book. There is at least one chapter devoted to Dynamite Kid, and like Billington's book, it's very interesting and adds even more insight into this amazing performer. My only gripe is this...I myself used to watch Stampede Wrestling in the late 80's. McCoy spends a ton of time on the glory days of Stampede, but then pretty much skips over the era which I was most familiar with. Guys like Benoit barely get a mention, and even worse, some of the top talent from that era like Beef Wellington and Gary Allbright get no mention at all. Still in all, I would highly recomend this book. Wrestling At The Chase: The Inside Story Of Sam Muchnick And The Legends Of Professional Wrestling is a good book...but I have a few problems with it. To say that Larry Matysik looks at St. Louis through "rose colored glasses" would be an understatement. He dishes next to NO dirt on anybody...and in many cases he actually glosses over some obviously unpopular people. Dick Murdoch is referred to in glowing terms...which as a worker, you can't disagree with. As a human being? It's pretty much a documented fact that Murdoch was a total racist jerk, and that gets no mention whatsoever...Murdoch is made out to be a saint. We hear about how Butch Reed got held back in St. Louis and Kansas City, and Matysik actually asks "could it be because of his skin color?" when Matysik was one of the few people who could say for a fact if it was. Same problem with Brody. Larry Matysik pays some lip service to the reputation Brody had, and mentions his no showing events due to money disputes...but then he goes on to dedicate a chapter to what a great guy he was. I was shocked that he admitted that Brody destroyed the evidence of David Von Erich's suicide in Japan...because he shares next to no inside information aside from that incident. Surprisingly, one of the few names that Matysik has less than great things to say about is Harley Race. He dedicates a few paragraphs to talking about how once Race was part of the ownsership of the St. Louis Wrestling Club, he started refusing to do jobs for anybody, except Giant Baba. He especially takes exception to Race losing the Missouri title to David Von Erich via countout. I find that ironic for two reasons, firstly, Matysik seems reluctant to say something bad about ANYBODY, and secondly, in every wrestling book I've read...Mick Foley's, Dynamite Kid's, Billy Graham's, NOBODY has anything bad to say about Harley Race. We find out later in the book that Race and Matysik ended up being business rivals, and that might explain why Race is one of the few people Matysik says anything remotely resembling negative about. Of course...he doesn't mention that Brody went over 6 years without ever jobbing. In fact, he tries to make it sound like Brody put Jumbo over in Japan, when the match he's talking about was a countout...just like Race and Von Erich! Matysik also gives you the impression that every match that ever took place in St. Louis was a five star classic, at one point he brings up the infamous Flair/Brody 60 minute match which caused all the hoopla over at the Wrestling Classics board a while back. Matysik talks about how Brody and Flair didn't keep one hold on for more than a minute, and the match was all action...when there is video tape evidence (which I have seen) that proves otherwise. Matysik does an excellent job of explaining the Muchnick booking philosophy, however he paints it as the "right" way to do things. Obviously, that is up for debate. No managers except for Bobby Heenan...and no manager interference. No ref bumps. Blading should be rarely done, if ever. No brawling outside the ring. He even alludes to people getting disqualified for jumping off the top rope. Matysik goes into how feuds must be logical and not require outlandish reasons for starting...but then tells a story of the Dick The Bruiser/Ric Flair rivalry which was born when The Bruiser stomped on Flair's robe and called him a SISSY! Ooooh. Cutting edge stuff there! Some of the things Muchnick did however, were very logical and should be required reading for anybody wanting to book a fed. His approach to championship titles, and to the fans is admirable. There is a lot of good in this book, no doubt. Here's the thing...I've SEEN Wrestling At The Chase...the actual Television show. It's carried on the Fight Network. It's filmed in a Hotel Ballroom...with one static camera, and a ring which is HUGE...24X24, as opposed to 18X18. Some of it is good...but some of it is boring as a dog's ass and plain old outdated...as are a lot of Matysik's ideas. Many of the things I love about wrestling would never have been allowed back then, and I don't think Matysik truly understands that. The book itself is laid out in a goofy fashion as well, chapters are interupted with wrestler profiles every other, and he actually reprints some of his old St. Lous Wrestling newsletter articles which are about as engrossing as watching paint dry. There can be no doubt whatsoever that Vince Russo should have been forced at gunpoint to read this book. It highlights what is wrong with wrestling today...but maybe that's part of the problem. Rather than telling many interesting stories, Matysik gets caught up in talking about how great things were back in the old days. If you can get a copy of this, it's worth a look, but be prepared to roll your eyes a lot. Superstar Billy Graham: Tangled Ropes is one of the best, if not THE best Wrestling Autobiographies I have ever read. He goes the exact opposite of Matysik, Graham dishes dirt on EVERYBODY...Murdoch was a bigot, Gagne was a doofus, Backlund was a rube...and he himself was a junkie. He tells about how Jimmy Valliant was once so fucked up on drugs he bladed his arm, with a scalpel, while Graham had him in a headlock...because he thought it would be a good time to get juice. He tells a hilarious story about Mad Dog Vachon getting drunk on an airplane, and threatening to jump out the door...and Graham suggests that if he'd been there, he would have pushed him. Graham is just as hard on himself as he is on anybody else in his book...he details his descent into hell with drug abuse, no shows, infidelity, and self pity. He talks candidly about his overdoses and the lies he told. Part of the book can be seen as an attempt to suck up to Vince...but in all honesty he just tells as he remembers it and tells one hell of an interesting story in the process. Graham had one of the most roundabout routes to wrestling stardom I've ever seen. He went from Bodybuilder to Preacher to Bouncer to Football Player to Wrestler, with a bunch of other careers inbetween. Even if you don't like Superstar Billy Graham, it's hard not to enjoy this book. I liked it so much I bought the DVD "20 Years Too Soon" and was impressed by that as well. Highlights are the awesome Graham Promos (which are STILL better than a lot of the stuff we see today) and the Graham vs. Dusty Rhodes feud which sold out Madison Square Garden three times. If you're a wrestling fan...you should read this book, it's that simple.

I was reading HTQ's recap of the Observer, and saw this... You know, I'd hate to think this is actually true...but the sad thing is that it probably is. Unreal. For somebody to work on a creative team in wrestling, and not know who Brody and/or Hansen are? Un-freaking-real.

Harley Race Killer Kowalski Don Leo Jonathan

He got caught with some pot, it's not like he killed somebody. What should they have done to him? According to the statutes in Ohio, he can probably plead out and get a whopping $100 fine. This isn't that big a deal from a legal standpoint, it's impact from a moral standpoint is debatable, and it's impact from a PR standpoint is minimal. I can't see Vince complaining about bad PR from this, when this past week he had simulated oral sex on his show, and last week people getting covered in shit. What's he going to say...that RVD and Sabu sullied the WWE's image?

I'm still betting on Sabu getting suspended at best, or fired at worst, and RVD getting jobbed out (which he already did last night) and then suspended for a while until this thing blows over...or a "firing" where all parties agree that he can come back after things calm down. This has been done in the past, and I bet that's the way they handle it this time. Although, the two X factors are that ECW probably needs those guys, and that Johnny Ace is a big moron...so who knows how those factors will play into how this all works out.

I'm betting they "fire" both of them, with the understanding that if RVD stays out of trouble, he gets hired back in a few months, like Duggan, Eddie, Noble etc. Sabu I would guess is pretty fucked though.

From Puroresu Power: (NOAH) Kensuke Sasaki will replace Kenta Kobashi in the "dream" tag match main event of the 7/16 Nippon Budokan show. It's now Yoshihiro Takayama & Kensuke Sasaki vs. Jun Akiyama & Mitsuharu Misawa. The Takayama/Sasaki vs. Misawa/Akiyama match has many storylines to play off of. First, Sasaki was the guy Takayama fought on 8/8/04 in Osaka in the G-1 and ended up causing Takayama's stroke (with this match taking place a week after Sano and Takayama had a slugfest in the NOAH ring in Nagoya). Second, Sasaki can now be set up (with a win) for a GHC title match against Akiyama to buy time if Kobashi cannot return. As a fill-in, Sasaki was the man who had the epic chop battle last year with Kobashi at the Tokyo Dome. Third, Misawa was the man who sent Takayama to the hospital after a GHC title match (September 23, 2002 at Nippon Budokan). Also added to the 7/16 Budokan card is Takeshi Rikio & Takeshi Morishima vs. Naomichi Marufuji & KENTA.

Dave Ditch from Puroresu Power and Inside Pulse summed it up really well...

From Zach Arnold @ Puroresu Power: (NOAH) A shocking announcement was made today by NOAH President Mitsuharu Misawa, as Misawa announced that Kenta Kobashi would undergo medical treatment to remove a renal tumor (kidney cancer). The tumor was discovered during a medical check-up. Medical consultation is currently taking place. There is some concern that the tumor could be malignant. His participation in the "dream" tag match (he was going to partner with Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Jun Akiyama & Misawa on 7/16 at Nippon Budokan) is now canceled. Misawa noted that Kobashi was maintaining his strength both physically and mentally. Tamon Honda also commented on the situation, given that he and Kobashi are the GHC tag champions. The hope is that due to the early detection of the tumor, Kobashi will be able to get it removed and continue his wrestling career. Let's hope for a speedy recovery. From Green Destiny: Kobashi Undergoes Operation to Remove Tumor NOAH President Mitsuharu Misawa announced today that during a routine medical checkup on the 19th, a CAT Scan found that Kenta Kobashi had a 4-5cm tumor in his right kidney. It is unclear at this stage, pre-extraction, whether the tumor is malignant. The course of treatment is still to be decided, with Kobashi recuperating at home. Due to this condition, Kobashi has been forced to cancel all upcoming bookings he is scheduled for, including his part in Takayama's dream return tag match. Kobashi made a statement, apologizing to both the man he was going to stand beside after a 2 year hiatus from the ring, Yoshihiro Takayama, and all the fans that were looking forward to the match. Kobashi said that it was the encouragement of the fans that he has continually received that will help him rally through his current condition, and that he was grateful for the continued support of the fans and hoped the fans would continue to support Pro Wrestling NOAH in his absence. Misawa made one final footnote to Kobashi's statement, stating that Kobashi's first concern upon learning of his condition was for the effect it would have on his wrestling matches, rather than his own body. Typical words for a man who has given so much for the sport of Professional Wrestling. It's terrible whenever anybody gets cancer, no matter who it is...but this is stunning news. I'm hoping for good news about this situation.

The Kikuchi/Morton comparison is interesting...I had actually never though of that before, but you can't argue that Kikuchi didn't have the whole face in peril act down to a science in AJPW. Hell, a couple of weeks ago I saw Kobashi/Kikuchi vs. KENTA and Marifuji and I was still entertained by Kikuchi, and he's basically held together by bandages at this point. I was saddened when Kobashi went with Honda as his partner to go after (and win) the GHC Tag Titles over Kikuchi. I guess they wanted Kobashi and Honda to be "Team We Can't Walk" or "Team Huge Kneepads"

I wish they'd hurry the hell up and work out a Canadian TV deal. It's a pain in the ass having to get one of my friends to download the show and burn it on a DVD...and by the time I get it, the spoilers are going to be all over the net. Vince is being a dick. The Fight Network wanted the ECW show on their schedule, but he won't make a deal with them because they show so many other feds as well. According to Dave Meltzer, Vince "wants the Fight Network to fail." I highly doubt it will, because they show a lot of stuff, boxing and MMA, and fighting movies on top of just wrestling, it appeals to more than just wrestling fans. Vince needs to accept that it's a good way to get his show out there and stop being a jackass. His not supporting the channel isn't going to break it. TSN already has RAW, Sportsnet has Smackdown, and in the meantime, we get no ECW dammit. And I agree that people online need to: a) Stop expecting the new ECW to be exactly like the old ECW and Stop Predicting doom and gloom right away. We're two episodes into the new show, and the ratings for the first one were above expectations. Even the XFL took an entire season to tank...and it's ratings pretty much sucked from day one. This is SO much like the fucking idiots who hate on TNA and bitch non-stop about how the company is going to go under any day now. FOUR FUCKING YEARS LATER they're still bitching. GAH! Sometimes I hate "smarks."

There are two other ways of looking at that. 1) When you take steroids, you get injured a lot. (See: Batista.) 2) Karma's a bitch.

They are totally repeating the same mistakes, which is insane. The other thing that is driving me bonko, is that they are not treating ECW as a seperate brand. The next WWE PPV has a bunch of ECW guys on it. Gah! On the plus side...Sabu's attack on Cena had me marking out like mad. Damn I love Sabu when he's on.

Hey TC, I don't know if you ever used to hear about those independant shows that Ricky Johnson (Rocky Johnson's brother) used to run down at the CNE in Toronto...but I got to see Sabu fight there a bunch of times. I saw him fight Scott D'Amore before he was a big fat load, Scorpio, and Funk even. One of the guys who worked there told me that Sabu stays in character 24/7 unless he's around his friends or family. They had to pay him a ton to get him to do some autographs. I actually have a piece of smashed table autographed by Sabu, and the guy who worked for the CNE who sold it to me told me that Sabu scared the shit out of all the guys who worked there.