2024 Pro Wrestling Thread

Starting the Bray Wyatt doc on Peacock now. Can't imagine the roller coaster this is going to be.

Perhaps the most amazing thing is that Windham Rotunda was held in such high regard that they got the UNDERTAKER to narrate the film.

 

Yeah, ‘84-early ‘87 is almost its own era in a way. It’s the Hogan/Rock N Wrestling Era, but still more gritty and wrasslin’-like. Hogan doesn’t quite have the “hulk up, boot and leg drop formula patented yet; he wins some matches with roll-ups and DQs.

After WM3, it becomes one slick (no pun intended) production.

 

Also a fun trivia note. There’s an early 80s match between Backlund and heel Hogan at the Spectrum that goes something like 31 minutes. According to available records, it’s the longest recorded singles match of Hogan’s career. Backlund even referenced it in his book (a pretty good read).

 

The Bray doc was absolutely BRILLIANT, but I was fucking GUTTED by them talking about the day he died.

But the very last moment of the doc... *chef's kiss*

 

CM Punk on with Helwani is banana today

 

It really is almost like, not quite pre-historic, but a weird in-between era. Especially that 84-85 period from Hogan winning the belt to the first Wrestlemania. The whole thing changed so much in a short time that the only period that might be comparable for WWE is 1996-98 when they transitioned toward the Attitude Era. I've mentioned it several times over the years, but the 1997 Royal Rumble is a time capsule of the old era (right down to a bunch of soon-to-be megastars not quite at the gimmick that put them over the top) and by the end of that year the entire business had changed completely.

 

Here's another fun one. Hulk Hogan vs. Ted Dibiase at Madison Square Garden — from 1979. It was Hulk's first match at MSG and he was playing the heel. I think Dibiase was winding down a short stint in the WWF, and he was the babyface.
The match is a bit plodding, as you'd expect. More from the era than it is necessarily either of these two guys. It's just weird to watch a straightforward mid-card match between the two of them, considering the epic main event feud they'd have eight or nine years later as completely different, completely over the top characters.

Two other thoughts:
1) Interesting that Hogan uses the leg drop as a mid-match move instead of his finisher, and Dibiase kicks out of it.
2) This might be the last time a bear hug actually won a match for somebody.

 

1. DiBiase was the North American champion during that run before dropping the belt to Pat Patterson (with the help of brass Knicks), who then allegedly beat the South American champion in Rio to become the first Intercontinental champ.

2. Hogan used the over the shoulder back breaker and the beating as his heel finishers and has said that he now regrets having the legdrop as his finisher as his back has been majorly fucked up from doing 300+ leg drops/year for decades.

3. Superstar Graham used the bearhug as his finisher in the 80s, although infamously, in his WWF comeback match in ‘86, he dropped his opponent because his hip went out.

4. Hogan even as early as ‘79 worked matches Andre, Harley Race, and pre-Hitman Bret Hart. Little did fans know back then that years and decades later, those matches would sell out major arenas (such as the Superdome, brother!”)

 

When they were going in Australia for the Chamber, the temperature there was in the 90s. By the time the action ends around in Philly around 10-11 Saturday and Sunday night, the temperature is supposed to be around the mid-40s. Not sure which one I'd go for more.

 

They’re lucky that they’re not getting the storm that’s supposed to come in the middle of the week. It’s supposed to rain in Philly and snow in the upper northeast. Imagine if it snowed during WrestleMania.

 

FUUUUU.....

 

Could've gone with the throwback to the epic WCW/MTV wrestling card in the rain.