Superstar Sleeze Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 Slowly making my way through RAW and I have to say I was quite saddened that they finally phased out the Big Gold Belt. The last vestige of my beloved WCW is finally expunged from live TV. Sad day for WCW fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eduardo James Posted August 20, 2014 Report Share Posted August 20, 2014 I don't know how old this is, but I don't care: Behold: WWE Superstars...Transformed Santino as Scorpion from Mortal Kombat Kofi Kingston wearing the results of fusing Rey Mysterio and a zebra together Brock Lesnar as a proud member of the Gay Steel Workers of America. WWE.com can be pretty fucking bizarre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pol Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 The recent discussion that I can't find now about the 'smartness' of fans back in the day has me thinking - if we accept that people always knew that wrestling wasn't on the level, when did the perception change from wrestling being a fake/rigged sport to being a show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted August 21, 2014 Report Share Posted August 21, 2014 I'd wager in the 80s when the WWF started the Rock n' Wrestling stuff. While it was great for business it also kind of ended any pretense that it was anything but a show. That was also when I first recall Vince dropping a few "sports entertainment" bombs in his commentary (lest anyone think that's a new invention). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artDDP Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 I'd wager in the 80s when the WWF started the Rock n' Wrestling stuff. While it was great for business it also kind of ended any pretense that it was anything but a show. That was also when I first recall Vince dropping a few "sports entertainment" bombs in his commentary (lest anyone think that's a new invention). I think by WrestleMania II they were billing it as "sports-entertainment." PWI shit all over that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 Just drawing attention to this thread in the Match Discussion Archive here: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/28469-crowd-sourcing-favorite-moments-in-1990/ Also, feel free to tweet your moments using #90Moments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherwagner Posted August 22, 2014 Report Share Posted August 22, 2014 How well known was back in the day that Kerry Von Erich was wrestling with one foot missing? During a Legends of Wrestling roundtable (maybe the one about Families) Okerlund mentioned that people knew because of the AWA boot incident. However JJ Dillon apparently didn't know as Kerry would show up in wrestling gear and leave without showering, and that people just figured that was just Kerry being weird and coked up. The guy moved remarkably well and without actually knowing it would be hard to be sure of it, but I can't see how other wrestlers wouldn't know unless most figured it was just a crazy wrestling rumour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm about 5 years out of the loop on lucha and was wanting to get back into it. Which product is better now? Are those Best of CMLL 2014 DVDs worth grabbing off IVP for the $1.39 a shot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pol Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm wanting to start watching Memphis' weekly TVs, what date would make the best entry point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 They told me 1979 when I asked that question recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 That's when I started, plus it seems about impossible to find anything earlier, at least on youtube, except for one or two shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKWildcat Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm wanting to start watching Memphis' weekly TVs, what date would make the best entry point? As a Memphis guy that started watching in 81, if you can watch anything before that, especially when Jarrett took over in 77. But like Steenalized stated , it's just not out there. You really start seeing consistent stuff around 1980. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 Yeah, even 1979 is like 40% of the year for weekly TV, presuming it aired every week. It's enough to get a good feel but there are notable gaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 I'm about 5 years out of the loop on lucha and was wanting to get back into it. Which product is better now? Are those Best of CMLL 2014 DVDs worth grabbing off IVP for the $1.39 a shot? CMLL is the best promotion in Mexico (if not the world). There was a lot of great stuff already this year, especially the tournament. So, I would say those are worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Liska Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 I'm wanting to start watching Memphis' weekly TVs, what date would make the best entry point? As a Memphis guy that started watching in 81, if you can watch anything before that, especially when Jarrett took over in 77. But like Steenalized stated , it's just not out there. You really start seeing consistent stuff around 1980. You've got to start with the TV that's available in the summer of 79 because that covers the Dundee/Lawler-Farris/Latham feud and the Tupelo Concession Brawl, one of the more famous programs in the history of the territory. You also get Hogan coming in to defend Brutus (14 years before they built a WM off that), an awesome Gilberts-Waynes family feud, the Freebirds randomly coming in and having a 20 minute TV match with Lawler and Dundee, and then Lawler as a heel having TV matches with Ricky Morton and Steve Regal and torturing Jerry Jarrett. It's fantastic. Don't skip that stuff, especially since 1980 is kind of a down year with Lawler out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKWildcat Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 I'm wanting to start watching Memphis' weekly TVs, what date would make the best entry point? As a Memphis guy that started watching in 81, if you can watch anything before that, especially when Jarrett took over in 77. But like Steenalized stated , it's just not out there. You really start seeing consistent stuff around 1980. You've got to start with the TV that's available in the summer of 79 because that covers the Dundee/Lawler-Farris/Latham feud and the Tupelo Concession Brawl, one of the more famous programs in the history of the territory. You also get Hogan coming in to defend Brutus (14 years before they built a WM off that), an awesome Gilberts-Waynes family feud, the Freebirds randomly coming in and having a 20 minute TV match with Lawler and Dundee, and then Lawler as a heel having TV matches with Ricky Morton and Steve Regal and torturing Jerry Jarrett. It's fantastic. Don't skip that stuff, especially since 1980 is kind of a down year with Lawler out. You forgot to mention Lawler sporting a ridiculous Bruno perm, lol You're actually spot on with everything, it's just basically various, but fantastic, clips from that time. If only Jarrett could have saved his tapes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKWildcat Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Ok, had to get a screen cap of the perm. Bruno, eat your heart out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Lawler's beautiful locks are reason alone to watch old Memphis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 The start of his heel run is so great. Then he got injured for the stupidest reason ever in 80. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Was that when he broke his leg in a softball game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKWildcat Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Was that when he broke his leg in a softball game? It was. Here's the clip In actuality, Jarrett took a HUGE gamble and basically made Hart the lead in his promotion until Lawler returned...a gambles that paid off for the next 4 plus years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Thanks to Bix's What Culture article on wrestlers' talk show appearances, I was watching the Andy Kaufman and Lawler appearance on Letterman. Letterman's a wrestling fan and Kaufman was a national celebrity at that point, but how well known was Lawler? Of course people from the Memphis territory would know him, but would someone from Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or most importantly New York know a lot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKWildcat Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Thanks to Bix's What Culture article on wrestlers' talk show appearances, I was watching the Andy Kaufman and Lawler appearance on Letterman. Letterman's a wrestling fan and Kaufman was a national celebrity at that point, but how well known was Lawler? Of course people from the Memphis territory would know him, but would someone from Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or most importantly New York know a lot? Good question. This is just my opinion, but among mainstream, I really don't think he was known at all at the time. I think among wrestling fans, he was well known because he was basically an "attention whore" in that he'd always pitch ideas to Apter to get him featured in magazines. Well, I'm guessing it depended how many fans read the magazines. I'm pretty sure Letterman didnt know him before the show, although he did work for Dick the Bruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Liska Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 Lance Russell just announced that he and Dave Brown will be ringside for a Memphis show on 9/18 that's going to be a tribute to Lawler. I don't know how many more times this is going to happen with Lance being 88, so I'm planning on getting down there from Chicago somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantastic Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLwsc6eWJJQ John Cena goes Benching with former UPW wrestler Mark Bell. Cena seems to have gotten bigger too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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