2009 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

Like Solie, I hadn't heard much of Lance Russell growing up, but he definitely is one of the legends.

Marc Lowrance was more of a ring announcer than a TV commentator. Still, he was very good in his role. He had a very low-key way of introducing the wrestlers, but it was a good touch. I always liked it when he would introduce the Freebirds as 'The Toast of the Coast', but not really emphasize it.

He's now a minister. I believe he was also a minister when he was ring announcing.

 

*misses with chair shot*

 

Anyone remember who the woman was who used to call matches in the WWF in the early to mid 80's?

I think she might have been around during the WWWF days, but I remember watching old matches and hearing her doing commentary.

 

How could I forget Lance? That voice brings me back to the good old days of watching USWA on Saturday mornings with my grandpa and getting to watch a pretty cool heel by the name of Scott Bowden run amok on TV.

 

Always loved Bobby Heenan just because he was such a smartass. And there's a lot to be said for Joey Styles' groin-rupturing "OH MY GOD!!!!" scream.
And if Kevin Nash wasn't such a prick he'd be a great announcer. The few times he called some stuff for WCW back in the day he seemed knowledgable and damned funny.
But for my money, the best is Jim Ross hands down. It just feels like a big match when he's calling it. He's like the Keith Jackson of wrestling.

 

If you ever lived in the Houston area, don't forget about the late Paul Boesch. He was a junior-heavyweight (195-210 Lbs. in those days) grappler coming out of WWII, a judo expert (used it in the ring), author and poet. When his wrestling career failed to reach a major level, he became the commentator for Morris Sigles promotion in H-Town in the late 1940's-early 1950's, while still making an occasional ring appearance after getting into "arguments" with wrestlers he accused of cheating while interviewing them. The amazing thing is that he would do live commentary on TV from about 10:00-11:00PM and then do radio commentary on the main event from 11:00-about midnight. (Matches started at 8:30 and ran until about midnight every Friday night.
After Sigel died in 1966, Boesch bought out Houston Wrestling and made it one of the most popular of that era, while still doing all the TV commentary. He was affiliated with WCW, Mid South Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation, Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance. Boesch shut down Houston Wrestling after signing with Vince McMahon. an agreement that ended after just four months.
Boesch retired in 1987 and over 12,000 people attended his retirement gala, which included the reading of a congratlatory telegram from V-P George H. W. Bush. Boesch passed away due to a heart attack in 1989.

 

Gorilla had great chemistry with Heenan and Ventura, two excellent color commentators.

I was watching a clip from WM5 where Ravishing Rick Rude beat the Ultimate Warrior for the IC title. Ventura's post-match celebration was priceless...

"YEAH! I told you, Monsoon! They outsmarted the Warrior! YEAH! ALL RIGHT!"

Vince was annoying on PBP, but I can still remember all his signature calls....

"BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK-BODY DROP!"
"WHATAMANEUVER!"
"1 .... 2... He got him! ... Oh wait, no he didn't."

 

Mike McGuirk, or as Heenan would call her, Mike McJerk.

She was mostly a ring announcer, although I remember Bruce Pritchard doing some broadcasts with her.

 

Anybody from the Central States region remember Bill Kersten?

Great guy.

I once saw live in my hometown, Bill Kersten teaming with Jim Brunzell and Mike George against The Interns and manager Dr. Ken Ramey. There's maybe 500 people in the building. Yet, after the match, Kersten was late leaving the ring and was jumped by The Interns, with them making him bleed.

My first and only live blade job and it was a skinny little announcer. And I remember a 9-year-old HandsomeHarley chasing down Brunzell and George and trying to tell them to go back, that Kersten was getting jumped.

Ah, the memories of when the marquee said "wrestling".

 

You knew when Gorilla busted out "WILL you stop!" that Ventura or Heenan was doing his job. Ventura and Heenan were both relentless whenever 'Chico' Santana was involved...guess something about a Latino face fueled their creativity...?

 

And to think, that today, if an announcer called him 'Chico', (or Heenan calling Santana, 'La Bamba') they're would be protests of racism.

Wrestling has changed with the times, somewhat. I don't think you'd see a Heenan referring to Jimmy Snuka as someone swinging from tree to tree, or an early Ric Flair referring to Tiger Conway Jr's mom as a mammy in today's industry.

Some of the old YouTube clips just make me shake my head and wonder how that stuff got tolerated back then.

 

How about all the references to the Terry Garvin School of Self-Defense?