The "Pinball" Bumping Style

[Loss]

I guess I look at the head dropping as popping more for big offense than for big punishment.

 

I do think selling is an important part of Japanese wrestling, but yes, my only point is that the showy bumpers aren't really that big of a part of Japanese wrestling.

[flyonthewall2983]

If you want the best example of this style go and watch one of Shawn Michaels Royal Rumble wins.

That has to be a twist.

[JerryvonKramer]

As I watch more 70s footage, I've noticed that SO many of the older workers, especially in New York, just don't bump. We've discussed it on Titans that, for example, Lou Albano wouldn't take a bump, but he's far from the only one. Denucci wouldn't take a back bump. Scicluna wouldn't bump. Strongbow didn't really bump. So many of them rarely if ever leave their feet and if they do, it's not really bumping as we think of it. Come to think of it Crusher and Bruiser don't really bump either.

 

What I'm wondering about is if this was just because these guys were old and trying to protect their bodies, or whether it was a style thing from the 1960s.

 

There's like a quantum leap between those 60s guys working in the 70s and guys like Harley Race or Terry Funk doing dramatic bumps over the top rope. Other big bumpers from the era include Bobby Heenan, Pat Patterson and Jerry Valiant, but they all seem exceptions to the general rule.

 

I want to know more about the history of bumping.

[Matt D]

I raised it over on DVDVR but one of the more interesting things Morton said yesterday is that you shouldn't take a somersault bump on a shot to the stomach like some guys do, but instead keel over realistically in order to make it seem more realistic and generate heat. I'm not always a proponent of "wrestling should be as realistic as possible," because I think it's symbolic, but this is a guy who made his living on getting support from the crowd saying it.

 

Now, that's just a babyface talking and a lot of these pinball guys are heels.

[El-P]

Now, that's just a babyface talking and a lot of these pinball guys are heels.

 

I think that's the whole difference. Arn Anderson & Ted DiBiase taking the whole summersault bump was a terrific way to give back to the babyface.

[dawho5]

If you're looking for Japanese guys who do that, Marufuji's early years have some good examples of that kind of bumping. He's doing flips off of lariats and flying around like a madman for bigger guys.

 

Also, I always loved how Daisuke Ikeda would kick the shit out of Otsuka or Ishikawa only to take every suplex they ever did on his head and neck just to give something back to the de-facto faces. Ikeda was always a really good heel.

[conker8]

Ray Stevens in his prime

 

 

You don't see bumps a la Curt Hennig but you can see some of the influence he could have on Flair and cie.