Some thoughts on some of the Stampede

[Resident Evil]

I thought it's be fun to write a tiny bit about some of the Stampede workers I'd seen. This is something I'm not too fond of doing becuase I tend to keep a lot of my negative thoughts to myself and something like this can lead you into saying negative stuff. This will be mostly positive.

 

 

Owen Hart -- Overall the most spectacular of the workers after DK left. RVD and Rey Mysterio in the WWE are two of the wrestlers who capture a newbie's eyes right away. Owen Hart had that same factor. I don't think he was the best worker of the bunch though. However, he definitely was a good choice for the #1 star of the company when he was there.

 

Hiro Hase aka one of the Viet Cong Express members -- Hase was a workhouse in the Viet Cong Express vs Owen Hart/Basserb matches. Very motivated and definitely one of the best workers at the time.

 

Phil Lafleur aka Dan Kroffat -- Haven't seen enough of him but what I did see looked promising.

 

Cuban Assasin -- Assasin probably takes a little bit of a bad rap for that match he had against Yamada that a lot of people have seen. However, he has had better matches against other opponents and had some very good matches against Benoit. He is better as a tag team wrestlter when aligned with his partner Jerry Morrow who collectively form the Cuban Commandoes.

 

Jerry Morrow -- Overall Morrow was pretty good in the ring. I know Lance Storm and others are a big fan of what he's taught them in the ring. He had an ability to put together some intricate wrestling sequences in the ring.

 

Great Gama -- Knew what he was doing in the ring. I think being a little bit more lifelike in his body mannerisms would've made him better in the ring. He kinded of reminded me of Arn Anderson in that he was your solid wrestler always capable of putting on a solid match and sometimes a great match like he did against Benoit.

 

Johnny Smith -- Probably the 2nd best heel in Stampede counting the era from the Dynamite Kid upwards. Some might think he was the first. One of the best heels I've seen from anywhere Smith never did anything besides obviously having talent that would make you cheer for him. What I liked about his heel charactor is that he was a cowardly heel but he knew how not to cross the line and turn himself into a comical, nonbelievable heel which I personally have always detested.

He already had the ability to put together great wrestling sequences and had a very nice ability to transistion in a match by heel tatics combined with wrestling moves.

 

Biff Wellington -- Wellington gets frowned upon unfairly at times because it was him and not Owen Hart who was in the NWA tag team tourney back in 92. If we had the internet back in the day people would be arguing on who was better. Benoit, Owen or Wellington. Wellington was your obiviously talented superstar who like many others in the territory was a muscled junior heavyweight like Basserb, Benoit or the Dynamite Kid.

In wrestling it can be nice to have a talented superstar who jobs to your wannabe stars making them look good by beating an obviously talented guy but Stampede took it way too far with Wellington treating him almost like a complete loser at a times. Wellington also had a beautiful knack for coming up with something new and making you scream out, "he can do that?"

Not quite as consistent as Benoit but on his best night he was right there with him.

 

Jason -- Jason was a masked wrestler dressed like the movie charactor whose charactor worked so well that they turned him face after awhile. A big guy who could who knows how far he could've gone if it wasn't for that car accident he had. The effort was there and the passion to produce a quality match was strong inside him. When a guy his size does the upside down DK flip into the turnbuckle you know he wants it.

 

Ben Basserb -- Basserb was very lifelike in the ring as evident in the Owen/Basserb vs Viet Cong Express matches and in that sense I'd put him ahead of many of the other juniors in the Stampede ring. I never thought he did reach his potential and he was yet another very capable junior wrestler who went full out.

 

Rip Rogers -- Looking back, I can't believe how much double entrende his interviews used to have. Real good wrestler who is in the upper echelon as far as charisma goes.

 

Makahn Singh -- Probably gave too much to his opponentsthough that may have been due to the Stampede style at the time. Makahn was hilarious in his interviews and a super commentator on the microphone.

 

Volkahn Singh -- Had not reached his potential yet but already had an awesome suplex in his reportoire

 

Steve Blackman -- Really good in the ring. Better than he was in the WWF or WWE.

 

Brian Pillman -- Pillman was always hurt so he missed a lot of ring time. He was good at times but watching him you thought more of his potential. Could definitely hold his own in the athletic appartment

 

Mach Hayato -- Was in Stampede around 82 and was mostly used to enhance other wrestlers. Really good in the ring and was like the Dynamite Kid in that he was an innovator for the crowd watching the shows except his moves and wrestling sequences had more of a Mexican flavour to him. I'll never forget watching him dive through the ropes and into the crowd years before ECW was even thought of.

 

Dynamite Kid -- I can't say enough. Innovative, the most insane bumper ever, believable offence, cool wrestling sequences, a true natural heel( #1 Stampede heel in my opinion) and the ability to pull matches out of guys that nobody else could've. Yes, he wasn't perfect in the ring at times but he was the man and than some.

 

Davey Boy -- Very energetic in his youth he had the ability to astound you in the ring at times.

 

Chris Benoit -- One month into his career you can already see him becoming more confident with himself in the ring than when he started. He may have been the best in the territory after it restarted.

 

Lance Idol -- Was in the territory briefly teaming with Benoit in a high profile feud with the Commandoes . I really liked his work and the energy he brought to the ring. He had a flying clothesline very similar to Barry Whindam's flying clothesline.

[Loss]

Next up, I'll be watching the Stampede discs you sent me so I can contribute to this.

[Resident Evil]

Looking forward to it.