JerryvonKramer Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Who had the greatest "well past their prime" career outside of Funk and Flair? I think Bockwinkel would be in the conversation. Who else? People talk about Thesz and Edouard Carpentier, but were they any good at that age? To give some dates for when key people were 45: Thesz in 1961 Carpentier in 1971 Verne Gagne in 1971 Fritz von Erich in 1974 Bockwinkel in 1979 Sammartino in 1980 Baba in 1983 Inoki in 1988 Hansen in 1994 Tenryu in 1995 Savage in 1997 Hogan in 1998 The number of people who actually wrestled past 45 in major promotions is actually quite small. A lot of guys were younger than you might think when they retired. To give one example, Harley Race was 45 in 1988! Arn Anderson was only 45 in 2003! Wrestlers tend to look older than they are.
Marty Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Finlay always comes to mind with topics like these.
Dylan Waco Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 There are tons of good ones. Black terry was the best wrestler in the world last year. Navarro a strong candidate the year before. How old is Casas?
Mad Dog Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Bockwinkel was probably a better worked at 45 than he was at 30. He was having consistently good matches well into his 50s.
NintendoLogic Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 I think I'd put Tenryu in his fifties over Flair in his forties.
Loss Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Yeah, I'm not even sure Flair should be excluded on the premise that he's just automatically better than anyone else we can think of. Ric Flair 1994-present has some solid stuff, some good stuff and some great interviews, but in the ring, he's not among the best old guys, is he?
El-P Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Yeah, I'm not even sure Flair should be excluded on the premise that he's just automatically better than anyone else we can think of. Ric Flair 1994-present has some solid stuff, some good stuff and some great interviews, but in the ring, he's not among the best old guys, is he? I can't think of any great match Flair had past 1992. Tenryu in his 50's smokes most of these guys.
khawk20 Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Bockwinkel was probably a better worked at 45 than he was at 30. He was having consistently good matches well into his 50s. Bock is my immediate first choice as well. Consider that his 60-minute draw with Curt Hennig in Vegas happened when he was 52. Aside from that, the sheer number of quality matches and opponents he had defending the AWA title for the most part from 79 through 87 is pretty astounding. Verne had his epic series against Robinson in 1974, plus a ton of good matches against Nick Bockwinkel between 73 and 81. He didn't wrestle as often as Nick, and I don't know how much consideration volume of matches should be given here.
KB8 Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Black Terry instantly comes to mind. Tenryu and Navarro were still pretty great at that age (Navarro still is). Fujiwara was over 45 when he had that Murdoch match in '96, wasn't he? And then a bunch of good stuff after that.
khawk20 Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Anyone know what year Billy Robinson crossed the 45 year-old-barrier?
shoe Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Jerry Lawler's name should be in the mix. Blue Panther is another Lucha guy who is pretty good.
Childs Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Gran Hamada. Fujiwara turned 45 in 1994 and was still pretty damn great.
Dylan Waco Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Panther is still a great worker. Bock was tremendous post 45. Makes you wish more of his earlier stuff was available. You could make a case that close to half of the top 30 guys in the world this year are 45 or older.
NintendoLogic Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Anyone know what year Billy Robinson crossed the 45 year-old-barrier? 1984.
khawk20 Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Ah. No go with him then, he was pretty much done by then.
Matt D Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 I feel like Tracy Smothers has to be having amazing matches right now, but I'm just not fortunate enough to see them.
Mad Dog Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Smothers works some local Ohio promotions and he's washed up.
Kostka Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Finlay looked like the best in the world in his match with Callihan. Lawler was already mentioned and is my second choice after Finlay... How about Dundee?
Dylan Waco Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Dundee has been great this year. 5 matches on tape and he has been strong in all of them. Hansen was 44 in 93, so he is on the cusp of being the answer.
JerryvonKramer Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Posted September 2, 2011 Why are people saying Lawler? He was 45 in 1994. What are the great Lawler matches 94-present?
Dylan Waco Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 What are the bad Lawler matches from that time frame? In the last 12 months alone Lawler has had several very good matches. I will drop a laundry list in here later if need be, but 45+ Lawler decimates 45+ Flair
Log Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 I will drop a laundry list in here later if need be DO IT!!!!
jdw Posted September 2, 2011 Report Posted September 2, 2011 Finlay looked like the best in the world in his match with Callihan. He was good against Steen a few weeks ago in PWG. John
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