El Boricua

I hope Brody is Top 50 because I like seeing people suffer. I've had a suspicion that Brody may be the guy Grimmas keeps saying we wouldn't expect to have gotten a number one vote. We'll see who it is eventually.

Dutch makes 28 from my list that have appeared. Also, Tiger Mask just dropped, which means we're close to finding out who is the lowest ranked wrestler to receive a number one placement on a ballot.

Yep, it looks like since #184 we're starting to reach the tipping point where guys seem to fluctuate between 25-35 ballots. We should be due to reach the point where guys are consistently at 30 or more soon.

Oh, I'm not. That's precisely my point. I'm enjoying the fuck out of the bitching and moaning. I'd be participating more if not for the fact that I set fire to my ballot about 2 days after I submitted it so nothing is really coming as a surprise to me at this point. I know the feeling, this was me the morning after submitting my ballot:

At this point I've had 27 from my ballot already appear. I'm enjoying the suspense of the reveals.

Because bitching and moaning is half the fun. And again, I believe we were brutal about it in 2006. What is weird NJPW bias compared to weird Memphis bias or weird WWE bias ? Or weird Puerto Rico bias? i agree, it's all weird and fun. In the immortal words of that great scholar and philosopher: And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Agree with this, we still haven't yet reached the point where wrestlers are appearing on 30 or more ballots. Where I work, we usually set a limit to only statistically analyze base sizes of 30 or more. Still haven't reached that point yet, so this is still within the grey area where outliers will have a more proportional influence. Don't take the list so far as direct rankings, more as groupings.

You are no Dean, Scarlet-Left or Mando>Eddie for sure! I'm not too far off them, already at 25 names down. The way this has gone I'm expecting either only a couple more to drop between 200 and 100 or more than twenty before hitting the top 100.

Same thing happened to me with Rogers, the tag ballot kind of unintentionally nudged me towards not focusing on people that had largely tag resumes for this list. And I'd say 15 ballots is way more than I had expected for Invader 1 all things considered.

Some background context: To ensure that neither man can run (after Hansen made his escape int he previous match) or that anyone interferes (with Chicky involved it's a likely possibility), Colon and Hansen will face off in a cage match. First one out of the cage wins, but Colon is not looking to win, he's looking to finish Hansen off once and for all. When you watch the match, keep a look out for the number of times Hansen tries to escape the cage vs. the number of time Carlos tries to escape the cage. It becomes clear what each man's intention is during the match. At the end of the match, when Colon has Hansen i the figure four and is showing no signs of letting go, the rudos try to interfere but El Ejercito de la Justicia is there to cut them off. Colon exits the cage for the win and joins the fight outside. The rudos leave Invader a bloody mess on the floor and he is helped out by his comrades. Hansen, ever defiant to the last, tosses a table before hobbling off to the locker room. Carlos grabs the mic and challenges Chicky Starr's Sports Club to a match with El Ejercito de la Justicia. Commissioner Castillo promises that it can't continue like this and that it will end in the ring..

Some background context (and this one is a bit long): Due to Carlos Colon winning the bullrope match, Stan Hansen has left Puerto Rico. Chicky Starr, Hansen's manager, has invited Colon on his talk show segment Chicky Starr's Sports Shop. Chicky, hostile over Hansen being gone, has Colon on to basically talk about this fallout. In the Puerto Rico wrestling thread there's a video posted of this segment, but here's a transcript of the video (CS is Chicky, CC is Carlos): CS: Every week we have a special guest on our segment, but this week we'll make an exception since this week we don't have a special guest, what we have is garbage. We have Carlos Colon... CC: Without insults, without insults. If you're going to disrespect me I'm going to get up and leave. CS: I'm not disrespecting you, I'm just calling you what you are. Just sit down. I want to tell you something, you have been going around with your big mouth bragging that you've run Stan Hansen out of wrestling here in Puerto Rico. CC: Well, I got him out of Puerto Rico because I beat him and he had said if he was defeated, if he were to lose a match with Carlos Colon he would leave Puerto Rico. I beat him and I have proof of that, let's look at the tape. CS: What do you... Tape rolls of the end of the bullrope match. CS: Who the hell do you think you are! This is my segment and I'm in charge here! CC: Don't disrespect me again, I will not stand for any more of your insults. CS: No, you're wrong! This is my segment and I'm in charge here! Look, (points at sign) Chicky Starr's Sport Shop, it doesn't say Carlos Colon's Sport Shop! And I'll tell you what I think of you! You're an idiot, a filthy negro, a dirty negro! CC: (standing up and pointing at Chicky) Now just one minute, don't insult me..! Chicky spits on Carlos and Carlos slaps him hard in response. He grabs Chicky by the neck and then out of nowehre Stan Hansen attacks colon from behind in an mabush. Hansens and Chicky proceed to attack Carlos and, in an act of humiliation, Hansen ties up Carlos and starts riding him like a horse. Around the 3:40 mark Chicky starts talking again in Spanish: CS: Now you're getting what you deserve! There you have that garbage, the garbage that is Carlos Colon! There you have that negro on the floor, just as Stan and I wanted him. There you have Carlos Colon, tied up as if he were a calf! There he is! Get up if you can! That's it, we've humiliated you like we wanted to! There you have Carlos Colon! Look at him good! The garbage of here! The following week, there was another Sports Shop segment CS: Week after week the best in wrestling, the number one program, obviously because I'm involved, that's why it's number one in the sport. Every week an important guest and this week we have the great Stan Hansen. Stan starts talking, mentioning how great last week was and gleefully talking about what they did to Carlos, then Chicky translates for the viewers. CS (at the 5:25 mark): There's a VCR tape we want you to see, roll that tape so you can see that filthy Carlos Colon. (This is obviously a dig at Carlos after last week's roll the tape argument). Tape rolls of last week's attack on Colon. CS: Now you've seen it all, this man here is pure joy. You can see it on his face, Carlos Colon get ready, because yours is coming. This is all for this week on your favorite segment, Chicky Starr's Sport Shop. The same week that Hansen and Chicky were bragging and playing the video, Carlos Colon appeared on TV and said he was leaving. He had never been humiliated like this and he couldn't face the people after what was done to him. Hugo Savinovich spent the next couple of weeks trying to track down Carlos to get an interview with him and try to get him to come back. These efforts were fruitless. Meanwhile, Chicky was having a field day replaying the footage over and over during those weeks. Finally, Hugo went to Invader 1 to ask for his help in getting Carlos backa meting was finally held with Carlos and he looked terrible, he was disheveled and unshaven.Carlos was that the commission was about to invoke the 30 day rule and he would be stripped of the Universal title if he did not return. Invader told Carlos that he was not a quitter. Carlos said Invader was right, he's never been a quitter, but he had never been humiliated like that in his life and he just couldn't face the public after that attack. Invader said that they could get it done together, Invader would take care of Chicky and Carlos would take care of Hansen. Carlos said he would think about it. That weekend, the heels were attacking Invader after a match with Chicky (I think it was Chicky) when Carlos made the surprise save. Afterwards, a fired up Carlos said that he wanted Hansen and Chicky, that they were going to pay for humiliating him like they did. A few days before this match (may have even been the day before), Carlos wrestled Chicky in a cage match in Ponce. Carlos won the amcth, but proceeded to continue attacking Chicky with the figure four leglock and jump off the top rope onto his leg. The rest of the tecnicos actually came out and blocked the entrance to the cage so that no help could get to Chicky. As result, Chicky's leg was 'broken'. As all of this is happening, Hansen comes out and stands outside of the cage, bellowing at Carlos and acting as f he was going inside. Carlos would dare him to make a move and Hansen eventually decides to go back to the locker room. But, the message has been sent to Hansen. Chicky was the first one to feel the wrath of Colon, now Colon is coming for Hansen. This mathc takes place at Estadio Hiram Bithorn. This is the first match between them since the Sport Shop hogtie incident. This explains why Colon just assaults Hansen throughout the match and why Colon just leaves Hansen in the figure four for so long. Colon's intentions were to break Hansen's leg just like he did to Chicky. In a way, it puts Hansen over as a tough guy by being in the figure four so long without giving up. Hansen, desperate to get out, hits Carlos with a crutch (likely given to him Chicky). As Hansen makes his escape, Carlos just goes berserk, hitting referees and anything that moves. At the end, a fired up Carlos addresses the fans and swears by his mother that he will end Hansen. And this leads us to the finale.

That ship sailed long ago with my ballot, I am at 24 and counting that have dropped.

Some background context: As a result of the ending from the year-ed show tag match, where Hansen had hanged Colon with his bullrope, Carlos Colon demanded a bullrope match with Hansen. The match was signed for the Three Kings Day show. Hansen would gloat on TV leading up to the match claiming that there was no way Colon could beat him in a bullrope match. In fact, Hansen went as far as too say that in the improbable result that Colon did beat him, he would leave Puerto Rico. this match ius from the Coliseo Roberto Clemente on Three Kings Day. Interesting Fact: This card also a Lights Out No DQ match between Chicky Starr and Huracan Castillo Sr. Hugo puts over how dangerous the match is and mentions that the winner is the first man to touch all four turnbuckles. Anything goes, the only thing that can stop the match is touching all four corners. Once again, Hugo mentions that Hansen was the AWA champ but did not lose that title. He turned that title in and now wants the Universal title. Hugo also mentions that the bullrope has a bell that could be used to cause damage. The match is absolutely fantastic and should be seen by any wrestling fan. As a result of Carlos winning, Hansen is leaving Puerto Rico due to bragging how he would do so if he lost.

Some background context: After the ending of the previous match, where commissioner Pedro Castillo had DQ'd Hansen for using a loaded elbow pad and Hansen attacked the commissioner, it has led to the following decision: Stan Hansen is suspended from wrestling in Puerto Rico. Chicky Starr, Hansen's manager, is outraged at this turn of events. Between overturning the Universal title win and now suspending Hansen, Chicky is getting pissed at the commissioner. So with Hansen seeming ly out of the picture, Carlos Colon focuses his attention on the challenge of recent arrivals TNT and his manager El Profe. Meanwhile, Chicky and Ron Starr are the reigning North American tag champions and are facing the challenge of young upstart team of second generation wrestlers, Miguelito Perez and Huracan Castillo Jr. (they would be dubbed the Carribean Express). ,This young team challenged the Starr Cousins for the belts but were shot down by the Starr cousins with their reasoning being that they would have to beat them first in a non-title match. The Express managed to goad them into a match and beat them. After several attempts, Perez and Castillo managed to win the titles from the Starr cousins. However, later in the year, Castillo Jr. was hurt during a match (I think it was a fractured arm) and was taken out by Chicky Starr. As a result, Miguelito started teaming up with a wrestler named Big Red. Chicky expected the tag belts to be vacated since Castillo Jr. was injured. Instead, commissioner Pedro Castillo determined that Miguelito and Big Red would continue to defend the belts and declared them the champions. Chicky took exception to this (and along with all of the other decisions he felt had been made against him and his charges), accused the commissioner of playing favorites and attacked Castillo Sr. (leaving him a bloody mess). As a result of this attack, there is no decision for suspension this time. Instead, this will be settled in the ring. Commissioner Pedro Castillo, considered the biggest rudo in Puerto Rico during the 70's, is coming out of retirement to team with Carlos Colon against Chicky Starr and the returning from suspension Stan Hansen. Basically, we are seeing the return of the Pareja Atomica (what they called Colon and Castillo Sr. when they teamed up in earlier years). In an interview on TV the weekend of this match, Colon said that he wants to shut up Chicky Starr, that Hansen's been the only wrestler he hasn't been able to beat 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring, that Hansen insulted his friend the commissioner and that they were ready. Everyone knows that Huracan Castillo Sr. was the biggest rudo there had been in PR and that Colon himself can step up and stand toe to toe with anyone. It won't be a match, it will be a war. Castillo would focus on Chicky and Colon would focus on Hansen. this tag match is fom the Estadio Hiram Bithorn at the year end show. The referee is Victor Quinones. This is a brawl. Huracan Castillo's shirt reads Mr. Encyclopedia, which was his nickname when he wrestled. Colon is basically face-in-peril for the first part. Colon manages to tag out after a foul on Chicky. The match turns into a brawl again, with Colon and Hansen on the outside and Castillo and Chicky in the ring. This has basically turned into a Texas Tornado match. Hansen eventually brings the bullrope into the ring, nails Colon and proceeds to strangle Carlos with it. Hansen launches Colon over the top and hangs him. The ref tries to stop it and gets elbowed by Hansen. Believe it or not, this is what causes the ref to DQ Hansen and Chicky. The faces make the save and Colon is attended by a first aid physician.

Some background context: After our previous match, Stan Hansen appeared to have won the Universal title thanks to loading up his elbow pad with a foreign object handed to him by Al Perez. However, a week or so after the match, a segment aired on commissioner Pedro "Huracan" Castillo overturned the title change due to the illegal object that was used. As a result, Carlos Colon was still the champion, but a rematch would take place. This return match is from the Estadio Hiram Bithorn. To start, Colon turns the tables on Hansen and jumps him to start the match. Hugo mentions that Hansen was not expecting for Carlos to jump him right out of the gate with such ferocity. This match is basically a brawl out of the ring, with Hansen eventually grinding Carlos' face against the fencing. The turning point comes when Hansen tries to lariat Carlos by a metal tube and ends up hitting the tube when Carlos dodges. Colon proceeds to work on the arm. Hugo once again mentions on commentary that Hansen is a former AWA champion, that he didn't lose the title, instead he turned it in to the AWA president and is now here for the Universal title (that's a subtle way to put over your top title / make it seem important). Carlos is on the offensive and at one point starts biting Hansen in the corner. The ref backs Carlos off and Hansen proceeds to load up the elbow pad and catch Colon with a loaded lariat. As the ref counts the pin, Commisioner Pedro Castillo jumps in the ring and stops the count. He calls for the bell and declares Carlos the winner by DQ. Hansen, pissed at this turn of events, proceeds to attack the commissioner. He piledrives Colon and hits a loaded lariat on the commissioner outside of the ring before leaving the ringside area.

Some background context for anyone who wants to watch this (some of it taken from my Colon vs. Hansen run through in the Puerto Rico wrestling thread): This match is taking place a few weeks after Carlos Colon won the universal title tournament at Aniversario 86. The title had been vacant for a few months after Colon had been blinded by Abdullah the Butcher with ammonia. Chicky Starr, who was Abdullah's manager at that time, took a lot of glee in gloating about what had happened and Carlos had gone after both Abdullah and Chicky in the lead up to the tournament. With Carlos Colon's victory (going through Boris Zhukov, Abdullah and Terry Funk), it only led to Chicky setting out again to see Carlos lose the title and be put out of wrestling. Carlos' first defense of his recently won Universal title was one week before this match against Dory Funk Jr. It was during this time that Chicky dropped the news that he was bringing in Stan Hansen to take the title from Carlos. Stan Hansen was no stranger to Puerto Rico. He had shown up in 1984 and proceeded to team up with Bruiser Brody. They went on a rampage of destruction, taking out a few wrestlers including Carlos Colon. Faced with such a destructive duo, Carlos did the only thing he could do and that was look for a partner up to the task of handling Brody and Hansen. That led to the first ever team up of hated rivals Carlos Colon and Abdullah the Butcher to tak on the destructive force of nature team of Hansen and Brody. The teams as a three match series that ended in a supercage match. It6 had been two years, but the fans remembered the havoc Stan Hansen had caused. And now, he as coming back, brought in by Chicky. This match takes place at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente and your commentator is Hugo Savinovich. Hugo mentions on commentary that Hansen has come back more deranged than ever and that Carlos has to be careful. This is a man that did not lose the AWA title, instead he turned in the belt to the AWA president. Hansen nails ref Tomas Marin "El Martillo" and Hugo starts saying that it looks like Hansen is out for revenge. Remember that Hansen was one of the men that put Carlos in the hospital a couple of years ago. What we are seeing is not a match, Hansen appears to be trying to end Carlos. This is a brutal attack we are seeing by Hansen. Hansen finally gets in the ring not letting up and we have no ref, we are not sure if the match has officially started. Now a second ref, Ricky Vargas, shows up and the match is a go with Carlos already in bad shape. The ref is trying to establish order and is letting the match go on. Hugo continues narrating the events of the match. Hugo mentions that you have to beware of that elbow pad, Hansen is known to sometimes load it up with objects. Colon makes his comeback and Hugo starts putting over Carlos' bravery and fortitude. When Colon bites Hansen, Hugo starts exclaiming "Blood in the ring, blood on the champ, blood on the challenger!" The reverse mule kick is referred to as Carlos' secret weapon which has got him out of some jams before. Now Colon inadvertently knocks out the second ref with an errant elbow. Out comes "El Rockero" Al Perez (who had turned heel a bit before this and joined up with Chicky Starr) and hides from the ref's view. Perez proceeds to hand an object to Hansen, who uses it to load up his elbow pad. Hansen wallops Carlos with the loaded elbow as the ref comes to. Hansen gets the three count and wins the Universal title. At least it appears that way.

Kind of fitting that I'm the high vote on Abdullah the Butcher.

I'm amazed at the level of back and forth over the difference of someone ranking Kobashi 18 and Bret Hart 5. In the grand scheme of things that's about 20 some points for the final tally, nothing really substantial with 151 ballots.

The breakout I'd be more interested in would be when did the voter first start watching wrestling.

Two more from my list appear (making 22 now) with Ernie Ladd and Koko B. Ware. I'm surprised that, outside of the ones where I was the lone vote, I have not been the high vote for anyone yet.

Eric Embry is the twentieth person to appear from my list.

I'm someone who thinks that the whole tag portion of the process really got short changed and would have no issues accepting more ballots. I agree with goc in that those that submitted theirs already should be allowed the option of editing their ballots if they feel like evaluating things further during the additional time. But the final rescission rests with the organizers.

I was expecting Super Astro's picture to be with his giant torta.

Hopefully when you saw the ranking you didn't accidentally only see the pic and think it was Lawler being ranked at that spot.

Adrian Street is the 16th person from my ballot to drop. not sure how many will still be left when we hit the top 200. At this rate, it appears Dean and I might have good ballot similarity scores (don't know what to make of that). All glory to the HypnoSheik.