Ricky Jackson

One of the best near fall kick outs I've seen recently is from Backlund vs Killer Khan, 12/29/80 MSG. During the match (a very good one BTW), Bob kicks out at 2.9 after Khan hits him with a knee off the top rope. A few things made this kick out special. One, for long time WWF fans at the time, the knee off the top would have brought back memories of Bruno losing to Koloff to the same move, and the crowd reflects this, as there is a hush after Khan hits the move and then an audible gasp when Bob kicks out. Second, watching a ton of Bob for Titans, it is no exaggeration to say this was the closest near fall anyone had got on him in at least two years. In fact, Bob would rarely even give up a two count to anyone ever, so it was shocking for Khan to get a 2.9.

I didn't see it until years after it happened, but I really enjoyed Hogan-Michaels as a bizarre spectacle.

After his last date for WWF in 1981 (2/7 in Boston) Larry essentially vanishes for two years. Wrestlingdata.com has the intriguing match of Larry Z and Bobby Heenan vs Tsuruta and Tenryu on 7/4/81, and it looks like he spent the month of July touring All Japan. 1982 has five results for the short-lived Northeast based, and I believe Bruno-backed, IWF promotion (two matches against Dominic...yeah!) and a tour of All Japan in October. By March 83 he is in Georgia (he famously buys the National title from Killer Tim Brooks, see below) and he stays until April 84. By 3/25/84 he is in the AWA.

I dunno, Owens kinda resembles a young Hulk

#1 trend worldwide is Little Johnny

Bray Wyatt is the new early-90s Undertaker

Don't worry folks, Daniel Bryan is still a main eventer

Fantastic

Heyman is incredible

What I want to know is when is the Super 8 footage from the Philly Spectrum going to turn up?

Titans of Wrestling #26. A very special episode celebrating 1980 WWF. Coming Soon. (Eat your heart out James)

I like the new stuff, but my heart is with 60s/70s oldies on the AM station.

Speaking of WCW... RIP Lee Marshall http://www.kfbk.com/articles/kfbk-news-461777/lee-marshall-voice-of-tony-the-12292486/ I didn't know he had been the voice of Tony the Tiger since 1995. He did have a good voice.

Bulldogs were still together in early-89, wrestling in Calgary. They also wrestled the RnR's in KC around this time and worked All Japan too. I think they broke up around May/June in Calgary but continued to team in Japan into 1990. Mania V was April 2, so if the Crockett Cup was the day before the time frame works for Strike Force.

Reality TV is the new pro wrestling in a way. It's a work, but the performers maintain a strict kayfabe. A lot of people who hate it fixate on it being "fake", missing the point that it's just entertainment. Etc. And, like me, there are those who don't like it because it's junk.

Well, at least you got the end of the Streak and Bryan triumphant at the end with both belts part right.

Yeah, Gene and Gorilla were a regular team for MSG shows in 84-85. I always thought he was pretty good.

I see it more like Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. Backlund exits the arena after beating Moondog Rex, starts walking more confidently, lights up a cigarette, peddles some dope to the marks, and then leaves in a car driven by Freddie Blassie.

That's the story I'm going to start pushing on Titans! I now have an image of Bob pushing dope outside the arena in Allentown between matches. Hilarious.

I remember this coming up before. Basically Meltzer gave the match a low rating because he thought the crowd didn't buy the whole Owen trying to convince his parents to throw in the towel aspect, or something like that.

I think that was in 1983, Bob's last year as champ, where he became one of Dave and his readers favorite whipping boys. Many things contributed to it, but basically Bob and WWF in general were looked at as stale and "lame" compared to the more exciting territories of the time, like Mid Atlantic and World Class and wrestlers like Flair, the Japanese stars, etc. 83 was also when Bob became noticeably smaller due to a change in workout routine and adopted the buzz cut and later singlet, making him look pretty uncool, especially compared to someone like Flair. Also, the booking of Bob in 83 was uninspired, with several repeat challengers, like Ivan Koloff, Slaughter, the Samoans, George Steele, Muraco, etc., which did him no favors, and I think Dave also started to push the whole "the crowds turned on Bob and he stopped drawing" talking point at this time. I think a lot of hardcore fans were also clamoring for Snuka as champ, or at least someone different, as Bob had been on top for 5 years. Someone with access to the 83 Observers would be able to explain it better.

Well, Johnny fantasy booked him losing to the Baron during the show. So there was that. Actually, the whole "died in the ring" talk came and went so quick I barely had time to think of anyone. One that could have been mentioned on the show because of the Titans connection was Chick Garibaldi, who died in the ring during a match with a young Bruno Sammartino on February 18, 1961.

PWO hasn't jumped the shark until my Baron Scicluna thread drops.

I didn't buy this only because I'm more of a Weekly World News guy.