Ricky Jackson

I think I am in minority, but I love Ryback's delivery. He is just so matter of fact. There is no arguing. It is honest, earnest and powerful. I thought it was a little weird for Ryback to be giving the underdog who sacrificed everything promo, but hey Ryback bleeds too, brutha. Oh, I had no problem with the content of the promo. Only that he sounded as if he had the script right in front of him and he was reading it word for word like someone from a porn flick. Also, check your facebook messages Sleeze

https://soundcloud.com/jerryvonkramer/titans-xtra-the-legend-of-bruno-sammartino The last bit from A Very Bruno Christmas is here just as you get ready to take down the tree and drink one last glass of Eggnog. Enjoy!

That match is actually a perfect example of how context can shape an opinion and how removed from that context it may seem not as impressive

This Ryback promo is dreadful

2014 ends with a double dose of Rodz-erific tag team action! Johnny Rodz and "Big" Joe Nova vs The Flying Tigers (Manuel Soto and Pete Sanchez) - 1975, Philadelphia Arena Couldn't nail down an exact date for this one, but almost 100% sure of the year and the place. On first glance this looks like a rare jobber vs jobber match, and a tag one no less. But closer inspection, mainly from (far from perfect but still a pretty good resource) Wrestlingdata.com, reveals that Soto (who we've seen before) and Sanchez (from Titans #6 I believe - and I confuse him with another Pete Sanchez during the bio) were a regular lower-mid card team from 74-77, who routinely challenged the tag champs on smaller shows. So shame on me for chuckling when the ring announcer introduces them as "the popular" Manuel Soto and the "equally as popular" Pete Sanchez. As far as the Flying Tigers name goes, they are never referred to as such during this match, but that is what Wrestlingdata calls them, and I dig it, so the Flying Tigers they shall be. X-Mas themed Fashion Watch here, with JR decked out in full-length red and green tights. Crowd in Philly super hot for the Tigers, Vince is enthusiastic on commentary, and everyone actually works hard and looks good, particularly Sanchez, who has a bit of a Tito Santana vibe to him. As far as Rodz goes, he shows off some pretty good punches and makes the faces look good as always. As a match, while the participants are energetic and the crowd is hot, technically there isn't much to write home about. Sanchez picks up the win for the Flying Tigers with, appropriately, a flying bodypress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NfnlgyOL_Q&list=PLV6RCTo_Cd0CJA6wxD_Y_EpgpVQQEW9Ij&index=12 Johnny Rodz and Frank Rodriguez vs Andre the Giant and Johnny Rivera - 10/18/77, Philadelphia Arena Some classic pre-match stuff here, as GMC announces that Rodz is going to do some "unusual feats of strength". The Unpredictable One is carrying a basketball and his partner, Rodriguez (who regularly jobbed in the territory in the 70s and early 80s, and who is also decked out in some sweet garb, befitting his nickname "Gypsy") is carrying a "steel rod". In another personal career highlight, Rodz comically attempts to burst the basketball by giving it a headlock. When this proves unsuccessful, Rodz moves on to the rod and attempts to bend it over his neck, failing miserably of course At this point, Andre and tiny Rivera (not to be confused with Victor or Mac/Jose Luis, and with a bio also featured on Titans #6) enter the ring and watch in amusement as Rodz struggles. Finally, Andre steps in and easily bends the rod around Rodz's neck like in an old cartoon. And then comes the cherry on top of this sundae and one for the 70s blooper reel, as Andre hilariously attempts to burst the basketball with first a headlock and then by squeezing it with his knee. He fails spectacularly, and the ball rolls out of the ring, unconquered by man. Oh yeah, there was a match. Vince himself flubs, as he starts to refer to Rodriguez as "Jose Estrada" over the course of the match (those job guys all look the same to you, eh Vince). Mishap with the basketball excluded, Andre always looks awesome in these TV settings, towering over everyone and enhanced by the smaller ring they used back then. Rodz bumps around and makes Andre and Rivera look like a million bucks. Andre pins not-Jose Estrada for the win The pre-match feats of strength were gold. With the bloopers and mistakes, coupled with the unglamorous local of the Philadelphia Arena, this is about as far removed from Vince Jr's vision of micro-produced Sports Entertainment as you can find. I love it Next time: The legend of Java Ruuk!

Merry Christmas everyone!

http://placetobenation.com/titans-of-wrestling-40-a-very-bruno-christmas/ Forget about family and friends, come celebrate Christmas Day with the Titans and the Living Legend! Parv, Pete, Johnny and Kelly gather around the figurative Christmas tree and discuss festive days of Bruno's past. *Due to technical difficulties the last part of the show, a look at Sports Legends: Bruno Sammartino, is unavailable, but it will be released later on Titans Xtra* On the docket: 7/12/86 Bruno and Tito Santana vs Randy "Macho Man" Savage and "Adorable" Adrian Adonis, Cage Match MSG 1/18/71 Bruno vs "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, Rocky Raymond commentary MSG 3/7/67 Bruno vs Shohei "Giant" Baba, JWA Also on tonight's show: - Rocky Raymond narrates the Zapruder film - Thoughts on Adrian Adonis as a performer - Parv doesn't have a chip on his shoulder

Man, Slaughter's babyface turn happened around March 84, and his subsequent feud with the Iron Sheik is fucking awesome.

Yes, come celebrate the holidays with 4 wrestling nerds and a lot o' Bruno Look for it on the 23rd. Consider it a gift in your stocking from the Titans

Don't watch Thesz when you're tired. Tired? Hell, I plan on watching Thesz while I'm actually sleeping, with the TV on in the background. I'll absorb it all through osmosis. Figure I can work through all the known footage in a couple nights

If you're up for a Bruno spotlight I'll make the case. I also think Thesz needs a serious look. I've only seen few matches, but there is a decent amount of footage available to evaluate. I've been planning on exploring it for years now

For what it's worth, Hogan vs Sid was apparently Vince's plan for Mania VIII almost as soon as Mania VII was over.

This time, a supplement to a match we looked at on Titans #39 (yeah, I'm lazy today) Johnny Rodz vs Mil Mascaras - 4/7/81, Allentown, PA (checking the results, this match may have actually happened 6/30/81) Rodz is rocking the Kelly Green trunks again, but other than that, a disappointing Fashion Watch this time around - no shirt, cape, jacket, towel, etc. Guess I have to focus on the match. His opponent is Mil "Mr. Fancy Pants" Mascaras, a worker who has a rep for being all flash (and not even good flash) and no substance. He doesn't really do much to dispel that notion here, and he is also surprisingly not over at all to the Allentown crowd. (Mascaras had just returned to the territory after an absence of almost 3 years, so maybe he was seen as yesterday's news) On the other hand, Mascaras also has a rep for not selling much, but he sells for Rodz a fair bit. Does this speak to the respect Rodz commanded from the other wrestlers? I don't know, but I would like to believe that Mil knew better than to pull his no-sell bullshit with Rodz. The two have a nice little matwork spot at the beginning. From what I've seen, Rodz was actually pretty good working the mat. Rodz actually gets a lot in on Mascaras before Mil takes it home with two of his patented flying tackles (the first one barely grazing Rodz) and a lighting-fast three count from the ref. Again, some nice matwork from Rodz here, but the match was too short for anything of real substance http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl78o1_mil-mascaras-vs-johnny-rodz_sport Hell, since I have nothing better to do, why not another look at these two... Johnny Rodz vs Mil Mascaras - 9/23/81, Hamburg, PA Not the most constructive use of five minutes, but whatever. This one is JIP. Back and forth action at the start. Personal favorite Rodz moment in this match, as he escapes from a Mascaras submission hold by biting him in the back. Another super quickie with the same finish as the previous match, complete with a fast count from the ref. I love how they consistently maintained the "ref screws over the bad guy by giving a fast count" motif throughout the Vince Sr years. Things pick up post-match, as Rodz blindsides Mascaras, Mascaras chases Rodz outside the ring, but the Unpredictable One escapes and does the cheeky "point to head, I'm smart" sign with a big smirk on his face. Mascaras stomps around enraged. Nice to see Rodz come away with some heat at least. Some nice moments, but a lot of these TV bouts offer little to really sink ones teeth into. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy81yk_wwf-all-star-wrestling-mil-mascaras-vs-the-unpredictable-johnny-rodz_sport?from_related=related.page.int.gravity-only.b38f304acc069aabe96cacb66f5a57bd141823661 Next time: Johnny Rodz - tag team specialist!

Not sure about Cawthon's book, but If you can grab a copy online, I highly recommend the MSG results history book published by Scott Teal from 1999 or so. It covers results from 1880-1999 and includes neat historical bits like newspaper articles from the 1910's-1950's about MSG shows, articles on the 1957 riot from the time, and Tom Wolfe's 1964 piece on wrestling at MSG, among other stuff. Really great resource.

This appears to be the Bruno-Steele cage match WWWF @ Philadelphia, PA - Arena - July 25, 1970 Joe Turco vs. Sol El Dix Chuck Richards vs. John L Sullivan Johnny Rodz vs. Chief Jay Strongbow Lee Wong vs. the Black Demon Prof. Toru Tanaka & Karl Kovacs vs. Victor Rivera & Jose Rivera WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated George Steele in a steel cage match by escaping through the door at 18:34 after twice ramming the challenger into the ringpost (Bruno Sammartino: Wrestling's Living Legend, George 'The Animal' Steele) Bruno defended the belt all over the territory, but MSG shows were the only major ones consistently taped during his second reign. There is also a few random TV bouts, glorious Rocky Raymond-narrated Boston Garden footage, and the Baltimore loss to Superstar Graham

Tuesday

I'll take it from here, Johnny

This time, a rare look at babyface Rodz. This is also the match I alluded to earlier as one that looked promising due to Rodz's opponent. Johnny Rodz vs Mr. Saito - 5/22/82, Philadelphia Spectrum While he was usually a heel in NYC, Rodz did play face from time to time. Basically, a lot of WWWF/WWF job guys went back and forth between heel and face - Jose Estrada is another who comes to mind - with no rhyme or reason, and often switching from month to month and show to show. Rodz himself wrestled heel the previous month in Philly. In general, it seems Rodz played face more often in Philly than he did at MSG, fitting for a traditionally heel-loving audience, wrestling guys like Tor Kamata, Larry Sharpe, The Baron (only days after teaming with him in a tournament for the vacant tag straps), Frank Savage and the Hangman (from Titans #28). Also, to build upon research from last time, Rodz jerked the curtain 22 times at the Spectrum between 1976 and 1985. That is less jerks than MSG, but he appeared on far less Spectrum shows overall, as the venue didn't host wrestling cards until 1974 (Rodz began wrestling at MSG in 1967), so the ratio is higher. The video starts with an absolutely ancient ring announcer introducing the match. We haven't encountered this man before on Titans, as this is usually Cappetta's turf, but it turns out it is legendary Philadelphia sports public address announcer Dave Zinkoff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Zinkoff This guy is awesome. He gives Joe McHugh a run for his money in the "guys who have been announcing since the Roaring Twenties" department. His voice is great, and he introduces the ever fashionable Rodz as wearing "Kelly Green trunks". The referee is slightly younger than Zinkoff, only being active since the Great Depression. Anyway, Dick and Kal are of course on commentary and have nothing but praise for Rodz. Warning for those easily offended: the Japanese wrestler delivers a "Pearl Harbor" attack on Rodz to start the match. Rodz unloads a fired up comeback with the crowd loving it. He still fights dirty - blatantly pulling Saito's hair - and the match is actually more a battle of heels, with Rodz as de facto face, which makes things more interesting. Rodz does the row-row Backlund-style headlock spot, and both men work the headlock well. I've come to really be a mark for a well-worked headlock spot. Man, I MUST be getting old. Saito sells great for Rodz, making him look like a world beater. Rodz lays in some pretty good punches, and for a brief moment this was looking like a possible contender for Best Rodz Match. Unfortunately, after a hot start, things slow down a bit, and then they rush to the finish, which has no impact. (SPOILER: Saito wins, if there was any doubt) Man, this was kinda frustrating, as the match had promise at first, but then went nowhere. Honestly, I really wanted to discover a hidden gem with this one and have people be like "Hey, you need to check out this Rodz match, man". Oh well. The first few minutes were fun and seeing babyface Rodz is pretty cool, but still nothing to recommend. The search continues...

This listing has it as 9/17/78. Seems right - Flair was champ then, according to Wrestlingdata they wrestled each other that night in Asheville, NC, and Andre was in the territory at the time http://www.coreystapes.com/flair.html

People will eventually look back at the "Thanksgiving Snub" as the first seed in my heel turn

Damn, I should have studied McKigney more closely. The Terrible Ted story would have made for a great bio. His Wiki page is amazing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrible_Ted

Rocky Raymond...Unleashed!!!

Yeah, the way I remember it is that Parv thought the commentary by Vince during the match where Larry turned on Bruno from Best of Vol 1 was done by 1985 Vince. But it wasn't...clearly, to everyone one of us but him.

You know what they really should have done? Instead of getting rid of the "F" they should have brought back the extra "W". Yeah, bring back the WWWF. Re-hire Gary Michael Cappetta, start filming Raw in Allentown, dim the house lights at MSG and bring back its noisy ass ring...that's what we need