BruiserBrody

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-august-1985/ August of 1985 sees... - The Heenan Family seriously injure Andre the Giant in a violent sneak attack - The hottest new act in the WWF finds an unlikely manager. - A babyface pulls a knife on Mean Gene. - The WWF uses a prop for an injury angle, leading to JR going on Mid-South TV to expose their phony baloney. - Roddy Piper takes Vince McMahon to his dungeon of doom. - The WWF's Montreal takeover leads to major issues with talent and the local promoters. - An all time great manager is spared a tragic end as he avoids a plane crash. - Plus more news, notes and results from the WWF's takeover of pro wrasslin'!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-wrestlefest-92/ WrestleFest 92! - Bobby Heenan and Mean Gene play tennis in the best part of the whole tape - HBK is tasked with carrying Virgil in an early match from Michaels' heel run. - We are treated to three Bret Hart matches as Hart finally gets a real push as a singles star. - We are punished with three IRS matches as IRS cures insomnia for a nation of VCR owners. - More goofiness as the BERZERKER teaches us how to properly plan a party. - Two tag team champions battle with much different gimmicks than in their primes. - The Road Warriors team with the men had just spent months feuding with - Plus the Macho Man, British Bulldog and other stars take to the squared circle to thrill the crowds.

Fair warning...the first 17 mins this week is basically back to back ads.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrestling-for-a-cure-awa-benefit-show-8-26-1985/ Wrestling for a Cure! - The AWA had a prime time special on Boston TV to benefit MDA. - They allowed Killer Kowalski and local sports radio host Eddie Andelman to do the commentary, leading to perhaps the worst announcing on any "major" show until Art Donovan's infamous King of the Ring 94 performance. - Andelman nearly breaks kayfabe as he questions the nepotism of Verne Gagne's son winning on a show Gagne promoted. He also makes up silly names for moves, calls out how old the talent is, calls some matches "boring", plus many many other faux pas'. - The commentary talks about the wrestlers for using pills, and complain that the AWA is making up rules for BS finishes - Billy Robinson is forced to be seconded by two local DJs, who decide to dress up in costumes that basically mock wrestling gimmicks. - Out of date graphics adds to the charm of the AWA's poor production. - The Road Warriors are caught on camera watching their opponents promo. The interviewer then points them out and the segment goes off the tracks. - Jerry Lewis appears to give a stilted plug for the AWA. - Sgt. Slaughter sings! - A current right wing goof makes a surprise cameo to support the fan favorites. - We end the night with a quasi riot from the fans. - This is either one of the worst shows I have ever seen, or one of the best. I am torn!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-the-crunch-classic/ THE CRUNCH CLASSSSSSIC!!! - Roddy Piper hosts, giving us the best part of the tape as he shows us his battles with the Mountie and Adrian Adonis - We see a test run for Money Inc as IRS and Ted Dibiase partner up before their partnership to face Virgil and the Bossman. - Jimmy Hart takes fruit to bed. - Jim Neidhart finds a new partner to face some old enemies - Zombie Taker tries to bury the Bulldog. - The announcers have a little fun with Kerry Von Erich's disability. - Neidhart and Skinner have THE WORST MATCH YOU WILL SEE THIS WEEK. - Hosses collide in our tag team main event. The match may set the record for most bear hugs since the last Andre/Studd epic.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-european-rampage-92/ - Tatanka shows good psychology in a nothing match. - The LOD collide with a bizarrely random heel tandem. - Sid makes one of his final appearances of 1992 as he clashes with the Undertaker. - The Macho Man and Shawn Michaels give us a taste of what an extended feud between the two could have produced in the ring. - The Bushwackers reveal their fetishes. - The Mountie gets stripped down by his lowly opposition, - Bret Hart tangles with a man who had already taken WWF gold from him. - Hacksaw Jim Duggan becomes a perpetrator in spreading Vince McMahon's love of toilet humor. - IRS drags the show to a painfully dull conclusion as he grapples with the local hero, Davey Boy Smith. - Bobby Heenan does his best to save the show with his tremendous commentary all night long.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wwf-the-maple-leaf-gardens-8-18-1985/ Maple Leaf Gardens August 1985: - Jesse Ventura continues to try and defend Adrian Adonis' ballooning weight. - An influx of Montreal talent shakes up the mid-card a bit. - A top heel is showered with love from the fans just for being so cool. - Andre the Giant is taken out by the Bobby Heenan family in a major injury angle. - A Jobber infringes on a popular babyface's gimmick. - Terry Funk puts on a one man show as he tangles with the JYD. - The Dragon seeks blood and revenge as he battles Don Muraco to end the show.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/pro-wrestling-usa-the-meadowlands-8-16-1985/ Pro Wrestling USA teases us with what kind of potential a true AWA/NWA co-promotion could provide as they invade the New Jersey Meadowlands. - Sgt. Slaughter and Ric Flair try to keep it clean, but the "Dirtiest player in the game" just can't help himself. - Sarge doesn't know how to execute a figure-four. Intentional incompetence to tell a story or a legit error? - Lucha Sarge leads to a botch. - The main event finish sets up a rematch that was never to materialize. - Road Warrior Hawk has an intriguing match within a match with Terry Gordy as they struggle to see who the real head rooster in this hen house is. - The Botch Fairy sprinkles her dust on Animal as well. - We finish with another screwy finish, because even babyface champions can't earn a clear win.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wcws-snowbrawl-on-mtv/ The Internet Wrestling Community recently resurrected this little known (or perhaps just long forgotten) WCW special on MTV - The late 90's music immediately brought me back to High School. Everyone's mileage clearly varies on whether that is a good thing or not. - The Nitro Girls battle frostbite - ROB ZOMBIE calls the action. And he brings firearms. Good lord. - A Member of Howard Stern's Wack Pack bring the festivities down. - Konnan gets an entrance fit for a Yooper. - Our one and only match is a battle royal with (almost) enough star power to headline a Thunder. - Jimmy Hart and Zombie bond over puns. - Konnan's career nearly ends thanks to the crack WCW production team. - We get a rare bump into a snowbank. - A surprise ending sends me down the fantasy booking path to try and salvage what should have happened. - WCW Everybody!

Yeah.... and Lawler never did make it. He was supposed to give a speech before the statue was unveiled and may have worked a match, depending on who you asked. They are supposedly thinking of doing this annually. I would guess a local indy promoter will take the mantle as the guy running CrusherFest was just a local fan, and was obviously not prepared and/or willing to deal with all this. He would not even reply to our questions on FB the last few months asking about prices and who was appearing. etc. I am still flummoxed that the CrusherFest fund raiser a month or so before the event had so many more stars than the actual event. Ken Patera, Greg Gagne, Jim Brunzell, the Baron, Kenny Jay, and Herman Schather (sp?) all appeared at that event, which I did not find out about until after it happened.

Another largely skippable episode this week. The first 45 mins is ads combined with stories of baby deer, a new a/c and troubles finding food during his latest travels. The rest of the show he reviews NXT Takeover, where he wishes for better angles, better promos, maybe some blood, and better facials. He enjoyed the show, but realizes the flippy guys are what the fans react to now, and they are not really his thing.

My buddy works with one of the indy geeks who worked the CrusherFest wrestling shows last weekend. He told him the promoters were expecting 2000 people for the festival, but around 12,000 came by over the 2 days.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wwf-the-cap-center-8-17-85/ The WWF heads to the Cap Center - A manager and a jobber work a mild hardcore style to nearly steal the show - Hillbilly Jim brings in help that instead seem helpless. - Jesse Ventura does his best to put over his friend Adrian Adonis, despite his massive weight gain - Terry Funk wrestles the proverbial broomstick. - Ricky Steamboat gives us a lesson on playing the irate babyface. - The Macho Man lays waste to a young and pesky wrestler. - The Hulkster works with his best friend, forcing him to tweak his formula a bit.

Larry spent June jobbing to the Fabs and wrestling Curt Hennig and Billy Robinson to draws. He was just a guy on the card.

Milwaukee had a festival this weekend to celebrate a bronze statue of DA CRUSHER being unveiled. It was kind of a sh!tshow. I believe they had no idea how many people would be coming and way under prepared merchandise and such as to not be left sitting on a pile of unsold stuff. The festival is supposed to be 2 days, but they sold out of Crusher shirts within 2 hours. So they probably lost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in sales. They also had beer cups with Da Crusher on it. They too were sold out within hours. We grabbed some from the trash for our own collection. The event was held on a parking lot, and there was absolutely no room to walk as it was pretty much a big L shape series of food carts, beer and other tents. A gazillion people blocked you everywhere. And as a topper, one of the featured guests, Jerry Lawler, did not arrive as he had travel issues. After the statue was unveiled, they announced Crusher's family would get the next 30 mins to pose for pictures before the general public. So since we wanted to go to stores yet, we left without taking selfies with Da Crusher. We will have to hit him up on another trip . Pictures of the event: https://twitter.com/Brody1982/status/1137520931830665216 https://twitter.com/Brody1982/status/1137500831375396865

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-july-1985-part-2/ The second part of July 1985 sees: - The Freebirds head to Memphis. But will they be a friend or foe of the King? - Jarrett brings in one of the worst wrestlers ever - An old friend of the Von Erichs comes back to aide in their feud with the Dynamic Duo - A legendary wildman tries to return to the promoting scene in the middle of the new wrasslin' boom. - Spurned by ESPN, Ron Fuller moves to go national anyway - A locker room fight changes Florida booking plans. - A huge underdog wins a once heralded title. - Mid South puts on a big show under the hot Tulsa sun. - JCP hits a home run with a massive stadium show featuring Ric Flair defending his title and America against the Russian Nightmare, plus the AWA and NWA World tag champs collide! - Tag team legends debut and win the World titles their first night in. - A champion quits over payoffs. - Flair sets an arena record for a match against his doppelganger - Bill Watts makes a rare appearance outside of his home promotion - Plus more news, notes and results!

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-invasion-92/ INVASION '92 - Hulk Hogan works a match that is very much formulaic and phoned in. Appropriately, it feels very much tacked onto a tape where the paradigm shift is evident as Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Bret Hart are suddenly feature match talents. - Ric Flair cuts a promo from deep space. - The Hitman tangles with the Nature Boy in what should be a dream match, but proves to be something less. - Shawn Michaels, while still a Rocker, gets his chance to shine as he grapples with Flair. - We get too much of a good thing as the normally fantastic Sherri Martel is overexposed with a manager cam gimmick. - The Nasty Boys commit murder on camera. - The sad last days of Hercules. Okay, the boring last days of Hercules. - Randy Savage steals the show while moonlighting as a ref. - We close with an awesome sounding tag match on paper that suffers from brevity and a bit of house show-itis.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-july-1985/ July 1985 sees - One of the most famous cage match finishes ever leads to the end of a long feud. - Ricky Steamboat kicks off a new blood feud after being attacked on TV - The Mystery of the missing Giant - A heel's antics almost gets the WWF banned from a NY arena. - The first King of the Ring features some bizarre booking choices. - Philly fans are treated to a loaded JCP card as they attempt to gain a beach head. - The AWA headed to New Jersey with the Road Warriors and Freebirds to crack into Vince's backyard. - The Midnight Express can't compete with the awesome force of Bob Brown. - Dear God, RAMBO GREG GAGNE has arrived! - An all-time great tag team partners for the last time. - The WWF makes a business deal that gives them control of Montreal. - The Rougeaus draw big in another bloodbath revenge match with the Garvins. - Plus more results, news and notes.

Andre was in the middle of a New Japan tour, so probably false advertising.

The World league matches with Frank Hill as his partner are on DVD in comp piles.

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-supertape-92/ - A fast paced 8-man battle kicks the tape off in the right way. - Bret Hart provides a fine example of how he would dog it in non-TV bouts - A highlight reel showcases a botched finisher - Undertaker finds an opponent who can match his speed. - A legend is mauled and it's AWESOME! - The whole This Tuesday in Texas is then shown: - Skinner's finest hour - Randy Savage and Jake the Snake provide a half hour of amazing promos, character work and how to do an extreme angle. - Virgil's flirtation with relevancy ends. - Hulk Hogan teaches us Texas slang

The NBC movie on Jesse Ventura aired the same night. I was watching when the local news break mentioned a wrestler died during a stunt on tonight's PPV.

http://www.rodluckonline.com/video_pro_wresling.html Rod Luck does some "training", then actually tangles in a full arena with Billy Robinson.

One thing that surprised me while doing my deep drives month by month is how little Richter worked after getting the Lauper rub. A Richter match against lady worker A,B,C, seems like it would have been an easy special attraction for a company running a gazillion shows a month. I think it got as low as like 2 shots during one month. I wonder if Moolah convinced Vince to pull back the push even months before the "screw job"?

I am a little over an hour in and yeah, really not much here compared to last week's soul bearing. Jim has the sniffles, to give the audio "snobs" fits.