BruiserBrody

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/vadershootpart2/ Vader takes us back to his brutal match with Stan Hansen where his eye was knocked right out of it's socket, his thoughts on Bam Bam Bigelow and their tag team successes in Japan, his efforts to get Steve Austin into a top WCW position, Hulk Hogan's politics, the mess that was the WCW power structure, Ric Flair booking himself to beat Vader for the World title, his fake-MMA battles in the UWFI, how Harley Race became his manager, the WCW MINI MOVIES and more!!

Really fun match. Hase surviving multiple powerbombs, severe blood loss and both BIG FAT HEELS splashing him back to back was a bit much though. That's Hogan early Nitro-like Superman powers.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/vadershoot1/ We travel back to 1998 for Big Van Vader's very first shoot interview. We hear about his upbringing in the mean streets of Los Angeles, his gridiron success in college, his Super Bowl experience, what gave him the itch to start wrestling, his training, working with stiff monsters like Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody, AWA payoffs, being courted by Inoki and Baba and more! I added as much relevant video footage as possible to help capture Vader's story.

I FFWD through Raw, but I've never missed an episode of this. I will have to side with Carano on the talent's girlfriends shouldn't matter because at the end of the day the WWE needs to worry about making money. Of course, some people get messed with because the office can be dicks. A good question they won't touch is why is Paige touring if she's hurt. I bet the WWE is wringing their hands that they have to deal with a new show with Paige on it.

Only problem with that example is the shows didn't draw well, especially the jobberiffic first round night. --- They could really get wacky and have Raw WM on the west coast in L.A. or whatever and then SD! in Florida/NY whatever. Maybe dump NXT in Chicago to give it the full Mania 2 flair.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/jim-cornette-wrestling-history-z-part-three/ The final portion of Jim Cornette's journey through history from A-Z sees yet another glimpse of the gems in Corny's personal collection. We are then treated to a in-depth look at Mid-South Wrestling as Jim covers why he had to take a paycut to get into wrestling, the night Danny Hodge broke his neck, a famous heel turn that almost never came to pass. Eddie Gilbert, Gary Hart and others booking skills. Wrestling being exposed in different ways each decade and many more tidbits!

The Stossel slapping incident occurred at this same card.

I am a huge Hogan mark, but I didn't find this to be anything special. Most of the undercard being insomnia inducing may not have helped.

The ref really killed the finish with his incredibly slow cadence. The crowd rightfully shit on him for it.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-day-wwf-meadowlands-12101984/ The Meadowlands plays host to Hulk Hogan defending his WWF title against Big John Studd. Plus Jimmy Snuka butts heads with Bob Orton Jr, and JYD clashes with Mr. Wonderful. Roddy Piper is on hand to provide a race baiting promo. Bobby Heenan wrestles in possibly one of the worst matches of his career. Ken Patera, Johnny Valiant, George Wells and Buddy Rose face off with jabronis and a women's tag match sets the bar for boring...

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/jim-cornette-z-wrestling-history-part-2/ We return to Castle Cornette for round two of "A-Z in Wrestling History". After digging through more wrestling memorabilia, Corny covers the mega business Memphis was doing in the 70's, Nazi gimmicks, the man who tried to blind Jerry Jarrett and stab Jerry Lawler, Robert Fuller's failed booking run, Civil rights in wrestling, how Memphis dealt with a fan who knocked out a top babyface in a fight, the Memphis star who could have been NWA champ had an accident not curtailed his career, the night Lawler fought a boxer to play off the Ali vs Inoki hype, how a gimmick change turned a terrible wrestler into a main event talent, and more!!!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/kevinsullivanoldschool/ Kevin Sullivan sits down to give his take on wrestling history...Topics include the shooters fighting marks at carnivals, Kayfabe being broken on national TV in the 50's, unions in wrestling, stiffing jobbers, his original booking plans for Goldberg and the end of the streak, Nazis in MSG, developing the Satanic gimmick, Pillman's planned stunts as the "Loose Cannon", Sullivan aiding ECW against Bischoff's wishes, using surgical tools for a brutal TV bloodbath in SMW and more!!

The NEWA beat them to the punch 30 years ago.... Some AWA cameos may surprise you.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/cornetteaz1/ Jim Cornette takes us from "A to Z" through history as we join him on a tour of his memorabilia from wrestling, comics and toys before sitting down for a formal interview covering payoffs, JCP business, his early days as a manager, his personal opinion of the Crockett family and their faults, Dusty's business sense and booking compared to his own, Elvis' love of wrestling, how wrestling prepared Johnny Weaver to work in a prison, his dislike of Paul Jones, terrible promos, Baby Doll being injured while wrestling Corny, the subject of the politically incorrect Cornette promo that was edited off of TBS before it could air and more!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/eddiegilbertvol3/ The final installment of the "Best of Eddie Gilbert" collection sees Gilbert in the Mid-South, building a stable with Missy Hyatt while her charge John Tatum finds himself left in the cold. We see Gilbert and company competing with Terry Taylor, The Fantastics, and The Missing Link. We next take a look at Gilbert's attempts to give a portrait of himself to a lucky fan, leading to a goofy blow off. Then comes Gilbert's alliance with Communists, leading to an epic angle with Bill Watts and the Russian flag. Dr. Death, Ted Dibiase and others all play a role. We close with the Freebirds picking a fight with "Cowboy" Bill Watts. I've added as many videos as possible so you can enjoy the journey along the way.

https://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-november-1984/ November of 1984 sees an exodus of talent from the WWF, plus Snuka returns from hiatus to go after Piper, Andre gets an unplanned haircut, the WWF runs a card with NINETEEN cage matches(!), Bruno returns to MSG, Bruiser Brody and Ric Flair tangle in St Louis, The Omni plays host to a big tag team tournament, The AWA beats the WWF in a head to head battle for the Twin Cities, Wrestlers not showing up to work continue to haunt the AWA, the WWF messes with Pro Wrestling USA's touring plans, Jerry Lawler takes on monster heels, Kerry Von Erich heads to Hollywood, The Von Erich Family finds an unlikely friend, Mid-South heads back to the Superdome, Bill Watts books a major babyface turn, and Starrcade goes down in JCP - plus more news, notes and results!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/roadwarriorsinajpw/ The Road Warriors come to Japan and face the biggest names of the time as Jumbo Tsuruta, Tenryu, Giant Baba, Terry and Dory Funk, Killer Khan, “Animal” Hamaguchi and others match up with the young power houses. Many piledrivers are no sold, and many veterans are smashed along the way.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/eddiegilbertvol2/ A look at some more of Eddie Gilbert's best matches and angles as we dive into Memphis for a bloodbath with Tommy Rich and Jackie Fargo, then we head to Philly for an all over the place brawl with Cactus Jack. Gilbert gets personal in Smoky Mountain Wrestling as he mocks Ricky Morton's family, which leads to the debut of the Unibomb. We return to Memphis for Doug Gilbert's infamous shoot on Jerry Lawler. Dennis Coraluzzo brings in Gilbert for a battle with Road Warrior Hawk - and we close with Gilbert's chicanery from his run in Global wrestling.

Here's one I just came across: New Generation Wrestling July 26, 2002 in Memphis, TN Mid-South Coliseum drawing 500 Tommy Gunn & Ricky Noble beat Derrick King & Allen Steele (9:01). Koko Ware beat Tyler Gates (3:46). Don Bass & George South, Sr. beat The Fabulous Rocker & Bitty Little (7:17). Kid Kash beat Jack Miller (16:50). The Moondogs beat Chuck King & Thunder (1:52). Spellbinder won a "battle royal" (8:58). Leilani Kai beat Stephanie Winners (4:58). Jimmy Valiant beat Buddy Rose, Jr. (6:46). The Rock-n-Roll Express beat Buddy Landel & Jamie Dundee (4:41). Jerry Lawler beat Billy Joe Travis (24:31). Note: This show as promoted by wrestling fan Matt Holder. It was billed as a fundraiser for a local Christian organization, but had a strip club as a sponsor. Also Buddy Rose Jr?

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/kayfabe-lies-alibis-sherri-martel-shoot-interview/ Sherri Martel covers her tumultuous early personal life before entering the sport, how she nearly became a teenage pro wrestler, how a battle royal bump nearly ended her career, low AWA payoffs, how toys made the Rockers better wrestlers, training and working with Moolah, her reaction to being locked in a room by Macho Man while he tried to "protect" Elizabeth, having to train Sweet Saphire for their Wrestlemania match, Randy Savage's massive script for Mania 7, how OJ Simpson screwed up WCW's plans, her drug issues - including passing out while at a meeting in Bischoff's office, the night Curt Hennig hid the AWA title as a rib, how the guys treated her in the locker room and more!!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/best-eddie-gilbert-volume-one/ The Best of Eddie Gilbert - Volume One includes his TV debut in the late 70's, his violent feud with Tommy Rich, the Concession stand brawl, Gilbert's famous WWF angle with the Masked Superstar, Wrestling a fan in Continental, tons of promos, and of course a heavy dose of the never ending Jerry Lawler vs. Gilbert feud that raged in Memphis for 10 years.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/newjackshoot New Jack reveals how Paul Heyman would screw over ECW talent on payoffs and his desires to see someone sodomize Mr. Dangerously. He moves on to tearing into the Dudleys and wishing ill on their family. Plus he comments on the night he tried to kill Vic Grimes. ECW's valets being whores. The Mass Transit Incident. Why Abdullah the Butcher is not really hardcore. The ECW party scene. Missy Hyatt drug stories. In addition to a lot more insults and threats towards various others and more world views as Jack sees it!

Ric Flair®Verified account‏@RicFlairNatrBoy Follow More I'm Sad To Wake Up And Hear of the passing of my very close friend the Russian Bear Ivan Koloff. You will be missed My Friend. Rest In Peace --- One of my favorite pieces in my collection is a 1972ish AWA program with "THE MAN WHO BEAT BRUNO!" featured as they set up a series of Verne vs Koloff matches. I was too young to see him in his prime. His run with the Powers of Pain is my earliest memory.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/todgordonecw/ ECW's founder Tod Gordon covers how he got into the wrestling business, why the booker of ECW's first show was fired right after it finished, Missy Hyatt's locker room sex life, the drug scene, Sandman's party life, the night they ran a show in a strip club, how close Roddy Piper came to signing with ECW, the wrestling legend who passed up a payday to stay home and smoke crack, Jim Crockett and Eddie Gilbert's heat, territorial battles with the NWA, how Heyman screwed Gordon out of a lot of money and more!

The old timers will remember the story (angle) of how Steele chipped his tooth on the arm of Gene Stanlee (boy I hope I am remembering that name correctly) because he tried to bite his bulging biceps.