The Thread Killer

Agreed. Granted, I haven't gone back and watched it...but at the time I distinctly remember thinking that it was better than the match they had at WM14, much more visually impressive, and wishing they had done that gimmick match at WM instead of the dull, plodding affair they ended up having in Boston.

Yeah, it sounded particularly absurd when Bret was saying that. It was Sam Roberts who was interviewing Hart, and after Hart concludes his diatribe about how Eric Bischoff is a total and loser and a maggot...but a nice enough guy...Roberts actually bursts out laughing. It was so ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure the Conrad interview is with Jim Crockett, not David. I have it on my AFS feed, I just haven't watched it yet. I'm planning on watching it and recapping here some time fairly soon.

That's a great write up. Really gives you a good idea of who is going to do what, and in which division.

I know exactly what you mean. I get the distinct impression that JR would probably have views very similar to those of Jim Cornette (although I have no doubt he wouldn't be quite as vitriolic when expressing them) if it were not for the fact that he is being paid by AEW, he likes Tony Khan as a person and boss (especially after working for Vince) and the fact that some of the AEW locker room apparently treat him like an elder statesman. I think JR is willing to look the other way or bite his tongue to a degree, because he loves still being able to call Pro Wrestling, even if it is a kind he might not otherwise enjoy or appreciate it.

Thanks brother. I'm pretty stoked, I got pretty much the exact roster I wanted...pretty much every single person on my Maple Leaf Wrestling roster worked that territory between 79-83. That's pretty good considering most of the same guys worked in Mid-Atlantic at the exact same time, because Jim Crockett was promoting both territories. The only guys I missed out on were The Masked Superstar, Paul Jones and Scott McGhee...but it's all good because I got really decent substitute picks. I had intended to have Johnny Weaver and McGhee do the whole mentor/student angle, but when you grabbed McGhee I poked around and found out that when he worked in Toronto, Mike Rotundo actually teamed up with Weaver. Nobody had grabbed Rotundo surprisingly, so I was able to draft him instead. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with as well.

Blockbuster Announcement from Maple Leaf Wrestling regarding Tag Team Championships! Promoter Frank Tunney announced today during an interview with The Toronto Sun that the NWA International Tag Team Championship Titles (formerly known as the NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship) have been declared Vacant, effective immediately. The former champions (Hartford and Reginald Love) have left Maple Leaf Wrestling and have subsequently been officially stripped of their Championships. Mr. Tunney announced that the Opening Round of an All Star tournament to decide new NWA International Tag Team Champions will be held at the next Maple Leaf Wrestling show at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens on Sunday, February 22, 1981. An impressive field of 16 Tag Teams have already been signed and Mr. Tunney has finalized the brackets for this exciting event. The participants for the tournament, and the Opening Round match-ups are as follows: Opening Round: Match #1 The Great Hossein Arab (with Manager Abdullah Farouk) & Mr. Fuji vs. Angelo “King Kong” Mosca & Dewey Robertson Opening Round: Match #2 Big John Studd (with Manager “Pretty Boy” Floyd Creatchman) & “Huge” Tom Lintz vs. Dino Bravo & Pat Patterson Opening Round: Match #3 Billy Robinson & The Destroyer vs. Blackjack Mulligan & Bullwhip Johnson Opening Round: Match #4 Abdullah The Butcher & The Sheik (with Manager Abdullah Farouk) vs. Kelly Kiniski & Whipper Watson Jr. Opening Round: Match #5 Iron Mike Sharpe & Goldie Rogers vs. Dominic DeNucci & Tony "Cannonball" Parisi Opening Round: Match #6 Rocky & Bob Della Serra vs. Sweet Ebony Diamond & George Wells Opening Round Match #7 “The Family” (Doug Vines and Jeff Sword) vs. Johnny Weaver & Mike Rotundo Opening Round Match #7 The Kelly Twins (Pat and Mike) vs. Sweet Daddy Siki & Cocoa Samoa * * * * * “We are very excited to bring such a star studded event to the great fans of Maple Leaf Wrestling.” claimed Mr. Tunney. “Rocky Della Serra has been having great success in the All Star Wrestling promotion in Vancouver, and Bob “UFO” Della Serra has had some thrilling matches in the International Wrestling Organization in Montreal. We are happy to reunite these brothers and bring them together in Toronto.” Mr. Tunney further expanded on some of the other fresh talent which are being introduced or teamed up for the first time in this tournament. “We think our fans will really enjoy seeing the sons of two Maple Leaf Wrestling legends teaming up for this first time. Kelly Kiniski, the son of former NWA Champion Gene Kiniski will be teaming up with Whipper Watson Jr., whose father is still considered legendary for his reign as the NWA British Empire Champion. I think this second generation team will make their namesakes proud.” I had a chance to ask Mr. Tunney about a couple of the other new or returning teams in the tournament. “The Kelly Twins have experienced great success in Maple Leaf Wrestling in the past, including a lengthy reign as Tag Team Champions. We are glad to welcome them back to Toronto after their time in St. Louis. And we are also interested in seeing the young and dynamic Doug Vines and Jeff Sword who were known as “The Family” or “The Devil’s Duo” making their debut for Maple Leaf Wrestling." I asked Mr. Tunney if “The Family” would be accompanied by their notorious manager Izzy Slapawitz. “There are no plans for Mr. Slapawitz to appear with his former clients, however this could change in time.” This opening round will also be notable as it will be the first appearance in Toronto by Abdullah The Butcher and The Sheik in quite some time. Both of these men have been making waves and creating chaos overseas both as a team and individually, but this will be the first time they have appeared in Toronto as a team. I asked Mr. Tunney about both men and their well earned reputation for mayhem and violence. “I am well aware of the dubious history of both Abdullah and The Sheik, and we have all witnessed their exploits here in Maple Leaf Wrestling, many times. I have informed their representative Mr. Farouk that while we are happy to have both men return to Toronto, we intend to run a fair, cleanly contested tournament and that no cheating or shenanigans outside or inside the ring will be tolerated!” * * * * * Other news and notes: - Mr. Tunney informed me during the interview that the Marcus Brothers, Bob and Joe are being designated as official alternates for the tournament, should any of the teams in the Opening Round brackets be unable to advance to the Quarterfinals. After the Quarterfinals, it is my understanding that the bye system will be in effect and no further substitutions would be permitted. - With the newly popular Angelo Mosca teaming with the perennially popular Ontario native Dewey Robertson, can there be any doubt that these two men will be the clear crowd favourites in this tournament? Then again...the rough, brawling Mosca and then clean cut, athletic Robertson seem to be the definition of “clashing styles.” It remains to be seen how well the two most popular men in Maple Leaf Wrestling will fare as a team...especially against an established team with experience working together like Hossein and Fuji. - Speaking of a clash in styles...considering the fact that Iron Mike Sharpe has won Tag Team Championships with both Moose Morowski and Savatore Bellomo in other parts of Canada, I was somewhat surprised to see him team up with Goldie Rogers for this tournament. While Rogers is certainly more flamboyant than Iron Mike’s former partners, it remains to be seen if they will be able to work together as well as Sharpe & Morowski or Sharpe & Bellomo have in the past. Both Morowski and Bellomo are reportedly available, which makes Sharpe and Rogers choosing to team up all the more curious. - Although this is the first time they will have teamed up in Maple Leaf Wrestling, Billy Robertson and The Destroyer have experience participating in Tag Team Tournaments overseas, and should not be overlooked as potential contenders in this tournament. - We have similarly seen Sweet Ebony Diamond and George Wells work together previously in Maple Leaf Wrestling, as well as the mentor/student combination of Johnny “Buzzsaw” Weaver and the exciting young collegiate Mike Rotundo. The same can be said for Dominic DeNucci and Tony Parisi, who have extensive experience working together. It remains to be seen if previous experience as a team will work to any of these teams advantage. - The opposite can be said for the teaming of Dino Bravo and Pat Patterson. Both men have worked together here in Maple Leaf Wrestling before and yes...both men are accomplished Pro Wrestlers, but isn't it a bit odd to even think about seeing Pat Patterson working in Maple Leaf Gardens without his usual partner Ray Stevens? Bravo is a sensation and nobody has a better reputation in Tag Team matches than Patterson, but that doesn't guarantee that their team will automatically gel. - I know as a reporter, I am expected to be objective...and I wish all of the participants well. But is there any true Pro Wrestling fan who doesn't salivate just a little at the potential match-up of Abdullah The Butcher and The Sheik against Blackjack Mulligan and Danny "Bullwhip" Johnson? Depending on who wins and loses in the opening round...that could be a potential brawl for the ages. If any team has the physical ability to stand up to the barely contained chaos that Abdullah and The Sheik will doubtless bring, it can only be the two big cowboys. - The 8 opening round matches will make up the entirety of the next big show at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 22, 1981. It is my understanding that the Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will take place over the following weeks when Maple Leaf Wrestling presents their weekly Television program, and the Finals will be taking place as the Main Event of a future event at Maple Leaf Gardens in the coming months.

Loss, if you are interested in checking out the ROH Pure Title Tournament, you'll be looking for Ring of Honor's weekly TV show beginning with episode #469 and ending with #478, I believe. That tournament almost served as a promotional "reboot" for a couple of reasons. Firstly, ROH hadn't produced any new content for TV in a while, because they pretty much shut down due to the pandemic. Secondly, Marty Scurll had been assuming a bigger role in the creative aspect of ROH prior to the pandemic, but by the time the Pure Title tournament started he was pretty much out of the picture due to the allegations levied at him as part of the "#SpeakingOut" movement. I found personally that watching Ring of Honor from that point onward was pretty much like a fresh start. They did an excellent job doing "sports like" introductory interviews and packages prior to the matches, so even if you were unfamiliar with the talent, it didn't matter. Prior to this tournament, I had pretty much given up on watching any current Pro Wrestling for a couple of reasons. I had been a huge fan of NXT after they debuted on the USA Network but I found there had been a steady decline in the quality of that show. In my mind NXT used to be distinguishable from the so-called "Main Roster" WWE shows but I found in time that was becoming less and less the case. I was becoming increasingly disillusioned with AEW because I just wasn't enjoying the style of the in-ring product and especially the creative. There was a lot of good in there, to be sure. But there was also a lot of stuff I didn't enjoy, so I pretty much tuned out. The "nail in the coffin" for me was the pandemic and the lack of live crowds. I had honestly never realized how integral fans were to my enjoyment of watching Pro Wrestling. (Which is ironic because the fans are the reason I won't attend live shows any more.) I didn't have a problem watching Baseball, Hockey or even MMA with no fans in the crowd...but to me Pro Wrestling was just way too weird without the crowd reactions...and the piped in fake cheers and chants sure didn't make up for it. I will say that of everything I saw, AEW did far and away the best job at adapting to the lack of crowds. The ROH Pure Tournament was the first new product I watched. It definitely took some getting used to, watching Pro Wrestling with no fans in attendance. But ROH did a great job adapting their presentation to make it work. The announcing was particularly good, and the quality of the mat based actual wrestling was really enjoyable, in my opinion. To a degree, it almost reminded me of early Pancrase or even U-Style. Maybe because the crowds there were totally silent, and by the end of U-Style I know they had a couple of shows where there were less than 100 fans in attendance. I have one old U-Style show on VHS where I swear it looked like there wasn't anybody there except the crew. But for whatever reason, that didn't distract from my enjoyment of the actual wrestling...just like with the ROH Pure Tournament. If you check it out, I hope you enjoy it.

Did you see the recent ROH Pure Title Tournament? I thought it was outstanding.

That's really the key point, right there. I find myself becoming quite tired of the bickering back and forth between fans of "traditional" or "old school" Pro Wrestling and fans of the more modern product. The presentation is totally different, so judging both types of Pro Wrestling against each other is almost pointless. It really has become like comparing applies to oranges at this point. It is an argument that can't be won, and it has become totally circular. There is no provable case to be made that one particular style is "better." It all boils down to which style you prefer. A lot of the older Pro Wrestling that I enjoy was produced at a time that the participants were still making a concerted effort to convince the audience that what they were seeing was a legitimate athletic contest. Clearly, in some (but not all) aspects of the modern product, that premise has been abandoned which has resulted in the more cinematic style made popular by Matt Hardy, Lucha Underground, Impact, certain segments of AEW, and now the WWE with their own cinematic stuff. When I watch a classic movie, like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...I know Clint Eastwood isn't really a cowboy. I know it's pretend, but I like to get caught up in the suspension of disbelief. If he was to turn to the camera and wink during one of the most important scenes, or if lazer beams were to come shooting out of one of his pistols during a story that is supposed to be taking place during the Civil War, I wouldn't like it. It would take me out of the movie, much like a lot of the things that go on during modern Pro Wrestling take me out of the match. The breakneck speed, the repeated spots, the lack of selling...I can understand these things and even appreciate them on some level, but that doesn't mean I have to like them. I was debating this with a good friend of mine who was basically berating me because I had the audacity to say that I didn't enjoy that match in AEW that took place on the Football Field. (I can't remember what the actual name of the match was.) He asked me what I thought of the match, and I told him that I had turned it off during the match because I didn't enjoy it. He was horrified and gave me a prolonged lecture about the evolution of the product and how I needed to accept the fact that Pro Wrestling had "evolved." My only response was to ask him: "Okay, fine. But why should I watch something I don't enjoy?" He ended up laughing and admitting that he had no argument for that...and he's right because there isn't an argument to be made. Fans really need to stop trying to convince each other that their preferred style is the superior style and that if you don't agree then there is clearly something wrong with you. I can accept that is what modern Pro Wrestling has become, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. It also doesn't mean there is anything wrong with me because I don't enjoy it. I use pop music as an example. The #1 song on the Billboard Pop chart in July 1955 was "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and The Comets. The #1 song on the Billboard Pop chart in July 2020 was "Rockstar" by DaBaby. Both are #1 songs on the Billboard Pop chart and both contain the word "Rock" in the title. They are both songs. But clearly that doesn't mean there isn't an obvious world of difference between the two songs. They share pretty much as many differences as they do similarities. If I say that I don't like modern pop music, it doesn't mean I'm wrong or refusing to get with the times...it just means that pop music has evolved into something I don't particularly care for. I don't think fans of traditional Pro Wrestling should berate fans of the modern product, but I also find lectures about how we must all evolve and embrace how wonderful the modern product is now, and how much better it is now, to be quite tiresome. It's not better. It's different. I myself personally still enjoy slower paced, technical style matches which focus on mat based "psychology." My friend finds that stuff boring. He could no more sit through Jumbo vs. Billy Robertson in the 70's any easier than I could sit through one of the Omega/Okada matches. I get that. Hell, I have shown him some vintage 90's All Japan and he didn't like it. I was somewhat surprised, but after thinking about it I came to understand that we just have wildly divergent opinions in what we are looking for in Pro Wrestling. I'm okay with that.

What's the procedure if we want to sign a free agent or claim the Referees, Announcers etc. for our assigned territories?

In Maple Leaf Wrestling the main championship will be the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship. The Champion at the time of my first show will be Big John Studd. Maple Leaf Wrestling will also recognize the NWA International Tag Team Championship. These titles will be vacant, with a tournament scheduled to fill the belts. Maple Leaf Wrestling will also have the NWA Canadian Television Championship. The Champion as of the first show is Dino Bravo.

What the hell do you mean by that? You trying to start something with me?

Quick question for everybody who has been reading these recaps... I still intend to finish transcribing the first episode of "Eric Fires Back." I also want to transcribe the segment from one of the later episodes, with The Honky Tonk Man, for Good Brother @Blehschmidt, because he asked about it, and as I recall the clip is quite hilarious. However, the next episode of "Conversations with Conrad" is due to be released this weekend. That is the podcast where he interviewed Jim Herd on the first episode. The new episode this weekend will feature another in depth interview...this time with Jim Crockett. So my question is, is there any interest in reading a recap of the Jim Crockett interview...or would people rather just see me continue with the other stuff on the list?

Nice. That works even better.

Thanks for all your hard work on this.

If we can't get the admins here to give us a subforum for this, should we maybe look at starting a board of our own? There must be a ton of free ones out there, I know the guys who ran that GME poll did something like that.

Maple Leaf Wrestling selects: Moose Morowski and Salvatore Bellomo

I'm all for other people joining this project, but I think it's only fair to warn you that no matter what anybody says or does, I am not willing to let Iron Mike Sharpe go.

Good stuff. I didn't know they were making this new show free to everybody, I thought it was an Ad Free Shows exclusive for only paid members. I am glad everybody can hear it for free. Good recap too, thanks!

Maple Leaf Wrestling selects Bob and Joe Marcus.

Maple Leaf Wrestling selects Manager Floyd Creatchman and wrestler Tim Gerrard.

Maple Leaf Wrestling selects: Goldie Rogers and Manager: The Grand Wizard (Abdullah Farouk)

Our managers, announcers and referees all have to be included as part of our draft picks, right? I ask because by my count, I have 8 picks left in total, so I guess I'd better start picking those names soon.

Maple Leaf Wrestling selects the Kelly Twins, Pat and Mike.