Old school rasslin memories

[RETIREDFAN1]

[Monte1076]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:09 PM, RETIREDFAN1 said:

You probably already know this, but that area just behind the curtain is called "Gorilla Position" in honor of Gorilla Monsoon.

[Monte1076]

Another interesting one...to hear Undertaker tell it, he got booked at WCCW partially because Fritz von Erich thought he looked a lot like David von Erich.

Edited May 8 by Monte1076

[Mr. P]

17 hours ago, Monte1076 said:

Another interesting one...to hear Undertaker tell it, he got booked at WCCW partially because Fritz von Erich thought he looked a lot like David von Erich.

Man...  every time I think of David, I think of what might've been. He had the charisma, the technique, and the promo ability to be as big as Hulk Hogan was in the '80s. He was so young when he died, and hadn't even reached his potential yet. 

Just think about how big Kevin and Kerry were during that time, and multiply it times 100. David was gonna be a massive star. 

[RETIREDFAN1]

[Mr. P]

3 hours ago, RETIREDFAN1 said:

His "Hard Times" promo is probably the greatest in wrestling history. It's pretty much the Gettysburg Address of wrestling promos. 

[DaveTV1]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:09 PM, RETIREDFAN1 said:

I had almost forgotten about when tag team matches were 2 out of 3 falls, but that was back in the 70's.  I suppose in the 80's Mid South changed it to be 1 to have more television time for other matches.  

[Mr. P]

First of all, I would to thank the many, many fans throughout this country that wrote cards and letters to Dusty Rhodes, The American Dream, while I was down. Secondly, I want to thank Jim Crockett promotions for waitin’ and takin’ the time ‘cause I know how important it was, Starrcade ‘85 it is to the wrestling fans, it is to Jim Crockett promotions, and Dusty Rhodes The American Dream. With that wait, I got what I wanted, Ric Flair the World’s Heavyweight Champion. I don’t have to say a whole lot more about the way I feel about Ric Flair; no respect, no honor. There is no honor amongst thieves in the first place.

He put hard times on Dusty Rhodes and his family. You don’t know what hard times are daddy. Hard times are when the textile workers around this country are out of work, they got 4 or 5 kids and can’t pay their wages, can’t buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell ‘em go home. And hard times are when a man has worked at a job for thirty years, thirty years, and they give him a watch, kick him in the butt and say “hey a computer took your place, daddy”, that’s hard times! That’s hard times! And Ric Flair you put hard times on this country by takin’ Dusty Rhodes out, that’s hard times. And we all had hard times together, and I admit, I don’t look like the athlete of the day supposed to look. My belly’s just a lil’ big, my heiny’s a lil’ big, but brother, I am bad. And they know I’m bad.

There were two bad people… One was John Wayne and he’s dead brother, and the other’s right here. Nature Boy Ric Flair, the World’s Heavyweight title belongs to these people. I’mma reach out right now, I want you at home to know my hand is touchin’ your hand for the gathering of the biggest body of people in this country, in this universe, all over the world now, reachin’ out because the love that was given me and this time I will repay you now. Because I will be the next World’s Heavyweight Champion on this hard time blues. Dusty Rhodes tour, ‘85.

And Ric Flair, Nature Boy… Let me leave you with this. One way to hurt Ric Flair, is to take what he cherishes more than anything in the world and that’s the World’s Heavyweight title. I’m gon’ take it, I been there twice. This time when I take it daddy, I’m gon’ take it for you. Let’s gather for it. Don’t let me down now, ‘cause I came back for you, for that man upstairs that died 10-12 years ago and never got the opportunity to see a real World’s Champion. And I’m proud of you, thank god I have you, and I love you. I love you!

[RETIREDFAN1]

Today marks 13 years since we lost an icon. The Macho Man Randy Savage had a heart attack while driving and crashed his truck on May 20th, 2011. One of the few people who you can’t tell the history of professional wrestling without. RIP.

[RETIREDFAN1]

[RETIREDFAN1]

Today we remember a World War 2 hero turned pro wrestler, the late Big K (Stan Kowlaski).

[RETIREDFAN1]

WCCW Parade of Champions 5 card with Kerry Von Erich vs. Iceman King Parsons on top and Freebird Michael Hayes vs Freebird Terry Gordy and much more...
5th Von Erich Memorial
Parade of Champions
May 8, 1988 in Irving, TX
Texas Stadium drawing 7,000 ($53,000)
The Missing Link & Jason Sterling beat Vince Apollo & The Angel of Death when Link pinned Apollo.
WWA Champ Mike George pinned Jeff Raitz.
Steve Casey pinned Eric Embry (0:19).
Black Bart beat Bill Irwin via DQ.
Terry Gordy pinned Michael Hayes in a "triple dome of terror" match.
WCCW Texas Champ Terry Taylor pinned Chris Adams.
Jason Sterling, Steve Casey, & John Tatum won a "triple dome Texas roundup" match. Also in the match were: Angel of Death, Mike George, Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, Iceman King Parsons, Buddy Roberts, Shaun Simpson, Steve Simpson, Jack Victory, and five others.
Bruiser Brody & Kevin Von Erich beat Buddy Roberts and a masked mystery partner (Solomon Grundy) (6:00) when Kevin pinned Roberts.
WCCW Texas Tag Champs John Tatum & Jack Victory beat Terry Gordy & Steve Simpson via countout to win the Wild West Tag Title.
Kerry Von Erich pinned Iceman Parsons in the main event to win the World Class Heavyweight Title

What are your memories of this show, WCCW wrestling and the greats on this card?

[RETIREDFAN1]

[RETIREDFAN1]

 

 

[RETIREDFAN1]

 

 

[RETIREDFAN1]

The late Ed "Wahoo" McDaniel was born 84 years ago today. McDaniel was one of the more colorful characters on the first Miami Dolphins team in 1966. A full blooded Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American, McDaniel's legend began in his hometown of Midland, TX. He was always a gifted athlete. McDaniel was a catcher on a Pony League baseball team that advanced to the state tournament in San Antonio. The team's coach was George Herbert Walker Bush, who later became President. McDaniel finished second in the state in the shot put and third in the discus in high school. He turned down a football scholarship from Texas A&M, then coached by Bear Bryant to attend the University of Oklahoma coached by Bud Wilkinson. McDaniel was a 3-year letterman at OU and played on powerful Sooner teams that went 27-5 from 1957 to 1959.

McDaniel went on to play 9 seasons of professional football-- all in the American Football League, including a 3-year stint as a linebacker and punter with the Miami Dolphins from 1966 to 1968. McDaniel is still the only player in Dolphins history to have his nickname on the back of his jersey. McDaniel was also known as one of the more unique characters of the game. There wasn't a challenge or bet he would ever turn down. He once drank a quart of motor oil. In another bet, he consumed a gallon of jalapeno peppers just because someone dared him. He was married 5 times to 4 different women.

During the offseason, McDaniel was also a professional wrestler-- a career he would continue long after his football days. According to McDaniel, he wrestled in more than 10,000 matches and had 2,000 to 3,000 stitches. McDaniel's health started to deteriorate in the mid-1990s, which led to his retirement in 1996 from wrestling. He eventually lost both kidneys. He was awaiting a kidney transplant when he died of complications from diabetes and kidney failure on April 18, 2002. Wahoo McDaniel was 63 years old.

[RETIREDFAN1]

 

 

[RETIREDFAN1]

[RETIREDFAN1]

On August 10, 1977, a day before his 24th birthday, a young man named Terry Bollea stepped into the ring at the National Guard Armory in Fort Myers, Florida, for what would become a pivotal moment in professional wrestling history. Wrestling under the moniker "The Super Destroyer," Bollea made his professional debut against Brian Blair in a match for Championship Wrestling From Florida (CWF). Little did the world know that this towering figure, soon to be known as Hulk Hogan, would go on to become one of the most iconic figures in the world of sports entertainment.

Bollea had been preparing for this moment for over a year, training intensively under the guidance of Hiro Matsuda, a respected wrestler and trainer known for his tough regimen. In a twist of fate, just days before his scheduled debut, Jack and Gerald Brisco, wrestling legends in their own right, visited the gym where Bollea was training. They handed him a pair of wrestling boots and informed him that he was set to make his debut against Blair—a moment that would mark the beginning of a storied career.

Initially, Bollea wrestled under his real name but was billed in promotional materials as "The Super Destroyer," a persona with a rich history in wrestling. The character, originally portrayed by Don Jardine and later adopted by other wrestlers, was a masked enigma, a role that Bollea would soon take on himself. Donning the mask and assuming the mysterious identity, Bollea embraced the persona of "The Super Destroyer" for a short time before ultimately moving on from the CWF.

Despite a promising start, Bollea's wrestling career took an unexpected turn as he soon left the CWF. It wasn't until 1978, after meeting Ed Leslie—who would later become famous as Brutus Beefcake—that Bollea returned to the squared circle. The two formed a tag team known as The Boulder Brothers, wrestling together in various promotions. It was during a show for the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) in Memphis that Bollea and Leslie caught the attention of promoter Jerry Jarrett, who offered them a lucrative contract of $800 a week.

Bollea's time in Memphis proved to be transformative, not just for his career but for his identity as a wrestler. During an appearance on a local talk show, Bollea found himself seated next to Lou Ferrigno, the star of the popular television series *The Incredible Hulk.* At 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 295 pounds, with biceps measuring 24 inches around, Bollea dwarfed Ferrigno, a man famous for his imposing physique. The host of the show remarked on how Bollea, with his massive frame, seemed to outsize "The Hulk" himself.

Backstage, Mary Jarrett, the wife of promoter Jerry Jarrett, took notice of Bollea’s size in comparison to Ferrigno. Inspired by this, Bollea began performing as Terry "The Hulk" Boulder, adopting a name that would soon become synonymous with professional wrestling. Occasionally, he wrestled under the name Sterling Golden, but it was the "Hulk" persona that truly resonated with fans.

This early chapter in Terry Bollea's career set the stage for what would become a legacy unlike any other in professional wrestling. As Hulk Hogan, he would go on to capture the imagination of millions, becoming a cultural icon and a household name. But it all began on that summer day in 1977, when a young wrestler stepped into the ring as "The Super Destroyer" and began a journey that would change the world of sports entertainment forever.

[RETIREDFAN1]