|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 16, 2020 18:12:44 GMT -5
RIP to WWE Ring Announcer (and backstage employee of the company, doing all kinds of things). Howard Finkel. He started working for Vince Sr, in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (as it was then known), in 1975 and became ring announcer in 1977. He was the one who announced the big matches, the title changes, the upcoming Madison Square Garden Card, the local matches, and more. behind the scenes he did everything from screening videos of potential wrestlers (guys working in other territories) to compiling a report of business on the tours and elsewehere. He was the one who came up with the name Wrestlemania, which became the WWF's signature event. Here he is calling the dawn of a new era in pro wrestling.....
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 17, 2020 17:32:14 GMT -5
Jim Cornette on Howard Finkle...
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 18, 2020 20:31:16 GMT -5
Trailer for Tuesday's Dark Side of the Ring episode, on the murder of Dino Bravo...
Kind of ironic to see Jacques Rougeau saying "Everybody's touchable!" The Rougeaus promoted Quebec and were rumored to have connections with Quebec organized crime, which wasn't uncommon fopr many wrestling promoters as the mobs were often involved with the arenas and other services that affected promoting shows.
Gonna be a lot of people who sound like Pat Patterson and Rick Martel, in this one. Hope they talked to Gino Brito (who was arrested in 1992 on extortion and loan sharking charges).
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 21, 2020 10:38:52 GMT -5
The Death Parade continues... RIP to Scott Bowden, host and blogger of the Kentucky Fried Rasslin podcast and blog. Scott grew up in Memphis, and was childhood friends with Jerry Lawler's two sons, Kevin (who refereed as Kevin Christian and wrestled a bit) and Brian (the late Brian Christopher, aka Grandmaster Sexay). They used to do backyard stuff, then broke in in various capacities, in Memphis. Scott started out as a referee, then turned heel and became a manager, claiming he was related to Florida football coach Bobbie Bowden. He was one of their last notable managers. His Kentucky Fried Rasslin blog appeared on Kevin Smith's Movie Poopshoot site (later called Quickstop) and then on its own; plus, he did a KFR podcast. He was a frequent guest of Jim Cornette, as they would relive Memphis glory days. I exchanged some e-mail/posts with him; just a nice, friendly guy who had an "in" in the world of Memphis wrestling. He was only 48. You can see some of his work on Youtube and some clips of him and Cornette on their podcasts. Also passing away, host, interviewer, promoter and first and foremost fan, Joe Pedicino has passed away. Joe was born in New York but grew up in Atlanta, where he was a fan of the Georgia promotion. He graduated from Georgia State and went into broadcast sales, in tv and radio. While working for tv station WATL, he pitched the concept of a bloc of wrestling programming, on Saturday evenings, showcasing different promotions from around the country. The station went with the idea and Pedicino hosted, along with petite blond presenter Bonnie Blackstone. The pair had an antagonistic on-screen relationship, but it was all a work, though on-screen soon matched off-screen, where they became good friends, and, eventually, husband and wife. The program (Superstars of Wrestling) was greatly respected for both serious presentation and a sense of fun, plus efforts to promote local wrestling shows when territories were disappearing. Pedicino co-hosted the syndicated wrestling news show, Pro Wrestling This Week, with legendary announcer Gordon Solie, before Gordon left and was replaced by Paul Heyman. The show would show match highlights from around the country and some international matches, plus had a segment with Bill Apter, editor of pro Wrestling Illustrated. Pedicino was also involved in promoting wrestling in Georgia and then, later started the Global Wrestling Federation, in Dallas, in the wake of the Von Erichs shutting down. They got great initial exposure on ESPN; but, thought they had a money backer who turned out to be a fraud and Pedicino sunk most of his own money into it. He also co-promoted an hosted the Ladies Professional Wrestling Association, one of several women's promotions to emerge after the original GLOW, with stars like Tina Moretti (the former Tina Ferrari, in GLOW and future Ivory, in the WWE), Lelani Kai, Susan Sexton, Terri Power (Tori, in WWE and one of the Tough Enough trainers), Bambi (Selina Majors), Wendy Richter and Hedi Lee Morgan. Both Joe and wife Bonnie worked as interviewers for WCW and the WWF, for short stints, before returning to work in tv and advertising, running their own companies. A lot of people were shocked to find out that Joe and Bonnie were married, as he was older and larger; but, when you saw them together, you knew it was real. Every year, Superstars of Wrestling put on a "wrestlethon," to raise money for a local charity, with a live wrestling event at the center of it. During the time I was in Athens, GA, that year's endeavor was to raise money to buy bullet-proof vests for the police department. Joe and Bonnie also hosted fan conventions and were active with groups like the Cauliflower Alley organization.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 21, 2020 19:21:59 GMT -5
We still don't have NWA Powerrr; but, the NWA has been releasing full footage of past cards and PPVs and just posted what was supposed to be Kamille's first match (in the NWA as she wrestled before becoming Nick Aldis' "insurance policy").
The first nearly 15 minutes is backstory, as Kamille is brought in to aid Aldis in his rematch with Cody Rhodes, for the title, at NWA 70, as Brandi Rhodes got involved at All-In. During the rematch, we see Kamille trake out a ref. We then see her with Aldis on his defenses, including taking a missile dropkick from his opponent (while standing in heels, ringside, which doesn't giver her great footing to take a bump). Then her getting clotheslined by Aldis on the debut of Powerrr and spearing Tim Storm, when Strictly Business ambushed him.
The match itself is mostly Kamille doing power moves and dominating her opponent. We were also told she would speak; but, it wasn't an interview; it was a taped segment of images from her youth sports career and playing in some women's football league (with T&A uniforms) and pro wrestling, while she talks over the footage, in a Southern accent (she's from the Carolinas), talking about how other girls and women have treated her, since she was a star athlete. She says she is there to eliminate all of the other women.
This is an interesting wrinkle to her position and story. before, she was another Chyna, a female bodyguard taking bumps and delivering them. Now, she is a monster out to destroy all of the women wrestlers, out of revenge for being ostracized. That's a good story hook. Now, can they deliver quality matches with that?
Her promo is not top rank; but, the personal nature makes it work. You can kind of see why they haven't had her talk, as she isn't a powerful speaker. The mystery made her more interesting. She is being positioned as a sort of female Goldberg and, like him, I wouldn't have her speak much; just a few choice words. It keeps up the mystique (though she can only get better if she gets experience cutting promos) and makes when she speaks have greater impact.
This was a tease for the show returning in May. They still have footage that was building to the PPV, which they said they would need to re-edit. No word on rescheduling, since things are still uncertain. I suspect they will run the withheld footage and then more, as restrictions are relaxed. Should be interesting.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 21, 2020 23:25:54 GMT -5
Finished the Dino Bravo episode of Dark Side of the Ring. I enjoyed this more, as I only knew bare bones details and they got into Dino's career in Montreal wrestling, before going to the WWF. At least one of the producers is Canadian and I think there was a real enthusiasm to this one. They talk about Montreal, with Dino in a tag-team with Gino Brito, who contributes interviews, as well as Jacques Rougeau, speaking for his family. I have seen a shoot interview with Raymond, which was a bit more interesting, as he seems to be the shrewder brother, who parlayed his wrestling money into real estate and is well off, while Jacques had his ups and downs and seems rather full of himself.
They talk with Bravo's widow and daughter about him, though the wife declined to talk about the night of his murder, as she and the daughter returned home to find him dead, sitting in his recliner, body and head riddled with bullets.
There is input from the Montreal promoter, who was a friend and neighbor, as well as Jimmy Hart, who managed him in the WWF, though not for nearly as long as they make it sound. There is contribution from a writer who has done a history of Montreal wrestling (heard it's very good) and a crime reporter, who spoke of the Montreal crime world, including the Cotroni mafia family, to whom Dino was related. However, his murder does not fit a mafia hit, as he was too connected to the boss (an uncle) and to high profile to kill like that. He was working as a collector for loan sharks, after wrestling, and involved in cigarette smuggling. They play an excerpt from a shoot interview with Rick Martel, from some years back (he declined to be interviewed for this) where he brought up some connections to cocaine traffickers who wanted in on the smuggling routes for the cigarettes and that there was a consignment stored, in a warehouse, with the cigarettes related to Bravo's gang, which was seized by the RCMP. Martel suggested Bravo's death was related to the drug gang. The crime reporter says it fits in with some aspects, but no one really knows.
The producers do not bring up Brito's own history as a collector, as he was arrested for loan sharking and threats of violence related to loans.
Next week is about David Schultz and the ABC 20/20 program, with its expose of wrestling, where Schultz slapped John Stossel (who, based on his Fox News stuff, had it coming) when he said he thought wrestling was fake. Schultz has always maintained that Vince McMahon gave him instructions to teach Stossel a lesson. This was before Vince openly admitted the staged nature of pro wrestling to get out from under athletic commissions and taxes, in New Jersey (and elsewhere), to run at the Meadowlands. Vince was still keeping kayfabe, at that time and wrestling was flourishing. Many old timers feel that his going public with too much behind the scenes stuff killed the mystique and made it harder for fans to suspend disbelief. I think there is an element of truth to that, though bad booking, lack of new stars, wrestler deaths and other factors contributed. The demise of alternative promotions helped knock down WWE business, as they were always strongest when up against tough competition, whether it was Crockett and the AWA (and Memphis and Dallas) or WCW, during the Monday Night Wars. Vince needs that threat to buckle down and get creative. When he has no threat, he resorts back to cheap humor and cookie-cutter gimmicks. With their training program, everyone looks the same and wrestles the same. No one gets over as unique, like The Rock or Austin, or Hogan and Piper, or Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 25, 2020 19:56:44 GMT -5
Trailer for the next Dark Side of the Ring: The David Schultz/John Stossel Confrontation
I don't know who Stossel was kidding (probably himself). Wrestling fans knew wrestling wasn't a real competition. The beauty was in how well they could make you forget. As Cornette has said, there were performers who made you doubt what you knew: "I know this isn't real; but, by gawd that guy ain't fake!" You watch Lou Thesz or Verne Gagne go on the mat and you knew they could handle most people who might try them on. You watch Danny Hodge crush apples in his hands or see David Schultz lay ion a punch and you believed, if only for a minute or two. You saw Johnny Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel chopping the hell out of each other and you knew there was no way to fake that; especially, if you saw their chests looking like raw hamburger at the end of the match.
Stossel and 20/20 wanted a story and wanted ratings and wrestling was becoming all the rage. Stossel went out of his ways to provoke something like that to have that moment on the tv screen. McMahon wanted the attention and he knew controversy would get him that and set up Schultz to take the fall and left him twisting in the wind when Stossel filed suit.
|
|
|
Post by Batflunkie on Apr 25, 2020 20:30:48 GMT -5
^Reminds me of Piper on Maher
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 25, 2020 23:24:14 GMT -5
Notice that kind of stuff never happened to David Letterman, when he had a wrestler on. Dave was a fan and knew that it was entertainment; but, he had respect for the entertainers. He grew up in Indiana, a fan of Dick the Bruiser and the WWA.
The stupidity of it today is that "everyone" knows it's "fake" and no one believes it when wrestlers legitimately get hurt. These guys batter each other with unprotected chair shots or do stupid garbage matches, fall off cages and scaffolds and ladders, break their necks and other stupidity and no one believes it; yet, Kevin Sullivan had people believing he was a devil worshiper and Ken Patera had them believing he was an Olympic Gold Medalist (Pan American Games only) or that the Iron Sheik went to the Olympics or that Ron Wright and Whitey Caldwell were bitter enemies and came out and spent their hard-earned money to see the two fight for over 10 years.
Someone needed to show Stossel and Mahar the footage of Vader pushing his eye back into its socket after Stan Hanson knocked it loose during their bout in Japan.
|
|
|
Post by chadwilliam on Apr 26, 2020 20:46:17 GMT -5
^Reminds me of Piper on Maher I haven't been able to stand Maher since he said that most crime is perpetrated by women. When pointed out that if someone's breaking into your house in the middle of the night that person is almost certainly going to be a man, Maher responded something along the lines of "because he's being forced by a woman to get her something she's demanding of him". Always great seeing this smarmy bastard being put in his place.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 27, 2020 12:05:50 GMT -5
^Reminds me of Piper on Maher I haven't been able to stand Maher since he said that most crime is perpetrated by women. When pointed out that if someone's breaking into your house in the middle of the night that person is almost certainly going to be a man, Maher responded something along the lines of "because he's being forced by a woman to get her something she's demanding of him". Always great seeing this smarmy bastard being put in his place. Back in the Comedy Central days, he had on Kevin Smith (promoting Mall Rats, I think) who hadn't added much to a conversation that was perpetuating Gen X Slacker stereotypes and Maher turns to Smith and tells him to defend his generation. Smith muggs a wide-eyed face for a second then launches into a criticism of the media labeling an entire generation of people with simplistic characteristics for marketing purposes and pretty much shut Maher up completely. That made me a fan of Smith.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Apr 28, 2020 11:11:25 GMT -5
Jim Cornette talked to Dr D David Schultz this past week, about his career and the Stossel incident, as well as his bounty hunting. People tend to either forget or be completely unaware that Schultz was around long before his WWE stint. He was trained by Herb Welch, of the Welch/Fuller family (which is probably bigger than the Anoia'i fanily of the Samoans). He wrestled in Memphis and Knoxville, as well as for Stampede, in Calgary, the Maritimes, and was in main events against Hulk Hogan, in the AWA. He was part of the talent that Vince stole from the AWA and was one of the WWF's chief heels, when they began the national expansion. Then, Vince told him to "blastZ" Stossel and he slapped him when he said it was fake. He said he heard it as "I think you are fake" rather than "I think it's fake."
Schultz admits he misheard; but, Stossel was being disrespectful to his profession. He says Stossel cut off other interviews with people because he wasn't getting what he wanted. He swears he didn't touch Stossel's ear and the doctor he presented claiming he had an ear injury was related to Stossel and Stossel later admitted it on one of his Fox programs about fakes. He has a book out, Don't Call Me Fake, about his time in wrestling and bounty hunting.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 2, 2020 18:41:29 GMT -5
Tuesday's Dark Side of the Ring: Herb Abrams and the UWF...
For those who missed this in the 90s, Herb Abrams was a guy with no wrestling experience, in promotion, booking, wrestling, announcing....anything. He conned Sportschannel America out of $1 million to create a show, offered money to some name guys, and created a brief trainwreck of a promotion, with bounced checks everywhere, a story about trying to get one of his wrestlers beaten to a pulp for sleeping with his wife or girlfriend, then was arrested after he was found naked, covered in baby oil and cocaine, smashing furniture with a baseball bat, while trying to find "listening devices." He was taken into custody and then keeled over of a massive heart attack (think cocaine was a factor?) and died. Makes Vince McMahon sound like an altar boy.
This should be good!
Mick Foley did a couple of shows for them and is interviewed (he was involved in a couple of episodes in Season 1). Too Bad Dr Death Steve Williams is gone; he was supposedly the guy paid to beat up wrestler "Wild Thing" Steve Ray. General consensus is that story is an urban legend with nothing to back it up. They had a stiff match; but, Williams always worked stiff.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2020 10:24:03 GMT -5
I was thinking back to the good old days of WWE....the worst surprise I ever had was when one of my top favourites killed his family...Chris Benoit. Up until that moment I really like 'toothless agression.' I also miss Chris Jericho...the reason I started to watch RAW....I thought he was HOT when I first laid my teenage eyes on him and he had the best intro...10...9...8...7...
These days, RAW just sucks arse in comparison. There will never be another Attitude era...current stars are too far and wide. I like KO but he's not in the same league as any of the upper tier guys from 20 years ago. They have to keep bringing back old blood like Edge to get it going where the new stars just can't cut it.
I'll still watch it tonight with the hubby.
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on May 4, 2020 10:52:02 GMT -5
Cornette has ranted about it. They have set up a system that trains people to perform matches the way that Vince (and only Vince) likes: Lots of facials, lots of pausing for response, lots of big moves. Promos are completely scripted and they are all trained to read them in the same fashion. Everyone looks the same, everyone talks the same, everyone wrestles the same match. Vince got what he wanted: the WWE is the star of the show, not the wrestlers. That way, no one person is the key to making money and he can pay them less accordingly. Meanwhile he has an assembly line churning out replacement wrestlers.
|
|