BruceTharpe

Gino Hernandez - Mark Lewin Double Feature ONLINE NOW! And for those of you who aren't Mark Lewin fans per se - watch him work these matches as a babyface - watch his facial expressions - it was a different style back then - a slower more deliberate style because these guys had to preserve their bodies / they worked every night. Listen to the fans - and that's no canned audio like they use today. The fans are into it. Personally - I'm a HUGE Mark Lewin fan and it's clear throughout this collection that he can get over well as a babyface OR a heel. The first match - September 12, 1980 for the American Title - is possibly Lewin's best performance on the collection. Look at the fire in his babyface comeback in the third fall. Gary Hart and Gino (of course) are also great here. Logical finish. Even though Lewin "lost" it's a textbook example of looking strong / keeping your heat. If the story is compelling enough the people don't even remember who lost! Also compels them to comeback next week to see the rematch. Other things to watch for is Lewin's nice dropkick out of nowhere - and Bronco Lubich nails Hart with a hard right hand! Excellent match. The rematch from October 3, 1980 has Gary Hart in a Straitjacket! Give it to Paul Boesch and Houston Wrestling AGAIN for being innovative. At 5:45 of the first fall - OMG - Lewin spits right in Hart's face - and there isn't a damn thing Hart can about it because he's in a straitjacket! Talk about stiff. Lewin works the headlock for most of the first fall - which I know some of you guys won't like - but look and listen to the crowd. They were into is and it was great psychology / storytelling for the day. Less is more and that's all Mark needed for his babyface shine. Mark Lewin is a huge babyface in Houston in this match. Crowd is really into the action. Amazing third fall comeback by Lewin - Gino as expected - takes some really amazing bumps. Finish is classic Mark Lewin. What impresses me is that the people believed. Watch them as they try to help wask out Mark's eyes after the match. This is what I call crowd involvement where they feel they are literally part of the match. That's why back in the day you'd have to watch out for fans actually hitting the ring. No guardrails was a factor in that too though! Different age - different era.

Not much Cyclone Negro footage out there anymore. He was a big star in Florida and Texas - especially Amarillo where he had some legendary Texas Death Matches against DORY FUNK SR.

Nice mid-card match online now - DON SERRANO vs CYCLONE NEGRO from January 29, 1982!

Online now - from December 18, 1981 - Dory Funk Jr. vs. Tank Patton!

Up next - 1981 Dory Funk Jr. singles match!

Mike Mazurki was a wrestler before he became an actor and was the original founder of the Cauliflower Alley Club. I remember seeing him on a lot of television programs when I was a kid - Gilligan's Island for one. On another sidenote - we heard from Tommy Siegler's son and sent his father free access to the site. We've talked to so many wrestlers who are thrilled to see classic matches of themselves when they were younger: Nick Kozak - JJ Dillon - One Man Gang - Kevin Von Erich - Jim Cornette - Ricky Morton - Robert Gibson - Bobby Eaton . . . the list goes on an on. There's a huge intangible value in paying back some of these guys who literally sacrificed their bodies for wrestling - even if the payback is providing them with a little enjoyment by seeing themselves in action (and showing their families) at an earlier time in life. This a project for the fans - but it's also a tribute to the guys who wrestled in these matches as well. THANK YOU!

I will be on the lookout for that main event! Boesch vs. Hart is online!

Scheduled for release today: 1970 Chicago Street Fight - Paul Boesch vs. Gary Hart.

And Bronko Lubich is dumped over the top rope after the finish? He takes a decent bump!

What an awesome day. First of all we have uploaded a really historic match from the late 70's: KILLER KARL KRUPP (with Gary Hart) vs. SWEET LEROY BROWN (seconded by Dusty Rhodes) - and this is a historic match just to see the way Dusty interacts with the crowd. And talk about being politically incorrect . . . Dusty leads the crowd in a chant of "Honky Hart" while Leroy Brown has the biggest grin I think I've ever seen. This is a match that will just really make you smile. Clearly we are seeing the origins of "sports entertainment" here. Secondly - we heard from Barbara Goodish today - the widow of Bruiser Brody. She was amazed that people "still remembered Frank." I gave her free access to NWAOnDemand and told her that Frank would never be forgotten . . . in the US or Japan. It's days like these that make this effort so much worthwhile.

BRUISER BRODY vs. MARK LEWIN Online Now!

And the uploads continue! Online now: The Mongolian Stomper, managed by Don Carson, vs Cowboy Scott Casey! Two of three falls from July 16, 1982.

The rematch between SLATER and REED for the North American Title from November 29, 1985 is now online!

$50,000 Bounty Match from November 22, 1985.Online Now: Dick Slater vs Butch Reed!

Awesome Match ONLINE NOW from June 20, 1979: "MANIAC" MARK LEWIN vs. TOM JONES!

I am back from Florida guys. HHH is an awesome pesron and he has tremendous respect for wrestling history. We spent much of our meeting talking about Wahoo! New Spoiler match going up either late tonight or early tomorrow.

I am through just the first two falls of the DUSTY - PATERA match and it is awesome. I had no idea that Ken Patera was such a great worker - on the mat with Dusty - facials - etc. And if you weren't sure how legit strong Patera is / was - watch how easy he lifts Dusty up for the bodyslam - and look how long he holds Dusty in mid air during the bear hug. And the second fall finish - WOW.

Dusty - Patera is LIVE!

Has anyone read the chapter in Gary Hart's book where it talks about BRUISER BRODY shooting on BULL CURRY? I can see it happening if Curry hit Brody with a few of those potatoes.

Watching the match now myself!

Malenko - Boesch will be released today.

Wow. One of the most intense 7 minutes of wrestling I've ever seen. Talk about believability. You will see Terry Funk in a different style than you're used to. No comedy. Just 7 minutes of brutal intensity. This was a rematch from the NWA title switch in Toronto.

The Terry Funk - Harley Race "Third Fall Matchup" is online now!

Apparently this Funk - Race match happened in Houston and Nick Kozack was the referee - because in the promo Funk talks about the match being stopped for blood - and asks for a rematch. Hoping we can locate the first two falls - maybe on the next hard drive - and hopefully the rematch as well.

Apparently the Terry Funk - Harley Race match we have is only 7 minutes of the third fall - match finish and promo. The first two falls are another reel we haven't received yet. I will post the footage that we have - then supplement it with the first two falls when we get them. Boesch - Malenko will be next.