khawk20

LOL then I agree! Looking forward to the rest of your list. Thanks

"Brunzell didn’t get too many chances to show off how good he was in the AWA..." Disagree with this, those watching the AWA knew how good he was and he had many many singles matches against a wide variety of opponents that proved that, including Nick Bockwinkel for several stirring one hour draws. ​He was a big loss for the AWA when he jumped because of his versatility as a wrestler and the years he built being a very credible singles wrestler. The Bret list itself is a great read, thanks and looking forward to see where my favourite Bret match of all time finishes.

Finally had a chance to watch the doc tonight. I liked it, nothing really earth shattering for folks like us that have watched him through it all, but very nicely put together. One thing I noted was the ringside camera angle of Flairs winning pin over steamboat to regain the title in 1989. Is that new? My brain is telling me that it was a longer shot of the winning pin in the match that aired live. Haven't watched it in some time so maybe im misremembering that.

Awesome!

It's more about the things they think will sell that they can make a bit of money on. The ideas are still there. I suggested an AWA 1984 recap with Jim Brunzell, for example. Great year in the AWA with so much talent leaving and debuting, tons going on, lots of potential backstories about Brody, Abby, Patera, the LOD and the Fabs, Pro Wrestling USA the established guys moving back in the card a bit. And Brunzell was there through it, albeit hurt for part of it (surgery recovery), and he can tell good stories and would have a good chance to share inside knowledge in a lot of cases. (plus he's way more believable than Greg Gagne is, by far. Jim just tells you what he remembers how he remembers it). That was shot down pretty quickly. They seem to feel the market for AWA things isn't really there anymore. Can't blame them really, they may be right, but I am sure there are a lot of specialty years from many areas like that which will never get done with that mindset. That would be why "Back to the Territories" does smaller areas in whole as opposed to individual years. Too bad. But again, it's the market.

Express-Bulldogs is a good match but would have been much better if there was some context or backstory around it, as opposed to a one-off.

My first exposure to Buddy Rose was when he came into the AWA and became tag champ with Doug Somers. I HATED that such an obese low-rent wrestler was a tag team champ. To me it highlighted the plight of the AWA in terms of the significant downturn of talent in the area. As such, I disliked everything he and Somers did and loathed that they weren't short-term tag champs. Could not wait for the Rockers to beat them and hated them even more when it took six months plus (program overkill, probably out of necessity since the talent was thin but still...) After that Buddy in the WWF did nothing to make me want to watch more of him. Fast forward to collecting and watching footage and reading about Rose here and in other places, and seeing him in Portland and California. Better shape,quick talker, very smooth on offense and defense. Getting a fuller picture of Rose as a wrestler helped me appreciate how good he really was. He isn't my favourite by any stretch, but I have gone from loathing his presence on my screen to paying attention when he is on it.

Yeah, from memory of the AJPW TV show taped that day, which showed at least the tag title change and Bulldogs vs Rock'n'Roll, the matches were super underwhelming. Pretty much sucked to be honest. A few more matches aired like the Mask-Sharpe bout and possibly Tenryu-Irwin. Sparse crowd too which didn't help.

There is a non-title match from Winnipeg that is relatively intact (JIP though), and 35 minutes of a 60 minute draw also from Winnipeg. In the last year the entire 60 minute draw has surfaced which is a huge bonus, so look for that one instead of the clipped version if you can find it.

Greg got this shot by beating Nick on TV in a non-title match in June, FWIW. The image of Wally Karbo holding Bobby Duncum back from helping Nick while Greg put Nick to sleep with the sleeper is one that has always stuck with me and was one of the defining moments of making my interest in the pro graps a lifelong thing.

I'd just start a new one when the 30 for 30 drops. "Ric Flair: 'Sigh', Part 2: The 30 for 30 Thread"

Love love love that mag cover.

One of the ways I try to think of announcers in a comparative light is to imagine one calling matches in other areas outside of their home or most familar territories. Lance Russell is one of the few that would I think enhance a match in any area he was in and making the call. RIP to him and codolences to his family.

Hopefully someone can grab the Bockwinkel matches before they disappear.

It was more of a thing before 1984, yes. Ken Patera, for example, won the IC title in MSG and then two days later won the Missouri title, the "Steppingstone" to the NWA belt. Also Ventura and Adonis were doing shots in the WWF while still in the AWA to set them up as challengers for Backlund. The pair was suspended from the AWA after a TV match in December of 1981. Adonis had his first MSG title shot on January 18th, barely a month later. So it happened, sometimes as a segue into the wrestler's next stop, other times just an agreement to somewhat share the talent (like the Patera case). ...and I have no recollection of Bobby managing Pat at all in the AWA. Not to say it didn't happen when Pat made his shots here and there. I just don't remember it.

If it's on youtube, Bobby vs. Buck Zumhofe in a Weasel Suit challenge in Winnipeg is worth watching to get an idea of how smooth a wrestler Bobby could be on the offensive. The idea was Bobby had to beat Buck before the time limit expired or he would have to wear the suit. As such, Bobby is on offense a lot trying to finish off Buck and avoid the suit. He really was as good a wrestler as anyone, and that's one match that showed it...rare was the Bobby wrestling match where he was given so much offense. But it fit the story perfectly and could be no other way.

Agreed 100 percent. Tough one here...most of the guys I grew up watching have passed now. Guys like Bock, Verne, Vachon, and especially Heenan are a big part of what made me a life long fan. RIP and thanks for the memories.

I've been watching Brick Hithouse's NWA 1985 set. A very fun year. Plus you get those oddball matches that really pique your interest, Like Starship Eagle and Coyote vs. Superstar Graham and The Barbarian, or Highlights of Dusty Rhodes and Dick Slater vs. The Russians. Love little oddities like that.