2017 Pro Wrestling Thread

Well, I see Andre in the middle and it looks like Corporal Kirschner in the lower right. I'm going to guess St. Louis or Minneapolis.

 

Nice try. Negative on both.

Anyone want to take a wild stab at it? I'll give a hint. One wrestler is known legend at this "venue". The match itself in the picture is from 1985.

 

That looks like Ric Flair being press-slammed. If so, it can’t have been 1985.

 

I was on my phone before and unable to zoom into the photo. Now that I can look at it closer, it's not Corporal Kirschner on the lower right. In the upper right, near the post, it looks like Ernie Ladd is biting someone.

But I just noticed something. If you look behind the ring, it looks like the front row of seats is empty. The Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles used to keep the front row of seats empty, for some reason (kayfabe-wise, because Andre would throw wrestlers out into the front row in battle royals and they were empty so fans wouldn't get hurt).

I don't think it's 1985, though. By then, I believe Andre was working for the WWF exclusively, except for some shots in Japan.

I also don't think it's Flair being press slammed. He looks a little pudgier.

 

A reverse Google image search says Baron is right - the L.A. Olympic Auditorium in 1976, during a battle royal won by Johnny Rodz.

And, far as I can tell, that is a young Ric Flair.

 

Good work, guys. Don't trust some Tumblr account', I guess. It said it was Andre at MSG in '85.

Looks like I found a good wrestling community at this place. Lots of knowledgeable wrestling minds.

 

Yeah, maybe it is Flair. I didn't know he worked in L.A. back then. I guess he was still a little heavier before he got in super-good shape.

Andre's facial expression in the photo is great, too.

Also, how strange is it that Johnny Rodz won the battle royal? Very good wrestler, but I'm always used to seeing him in the late 70s-early 80s WWF as a jobber to the stars.

 

Next-up, we have:



No reverse google with this one, @MisterCreosote ;-)

 

Before I look at the next photo, I did a little more googling about that battle royal photo.

Apparently, it was in 1976, not 1975, and Johnny Rodz was known as Jaava Ruuk back then. L.A. used to run a big battle royal every year, and bring in guys from around the country for it (Bruno won it one year). There are Youtube clips of home movies of the 1974 and 1975 battle royals. Andre won the '75. There's a listing for the 1976 one, but some commenters said it was from '74.

The blonde guy getting press-slammed may have been Greg Valentine, or Pat Patterson.

Found the listings on WrestlingClassics.com of the card for that night. The guy who lost the third match kinda enjoyed some success in the business later on:

January 16, 1976 - Los Angeles, CA - Olympic Auditorium
Java Ruuk beat Mickey Doyle
Raul Mata beat Rock Riddle
Tony Rocco beat Roddy Piper
Chavo Guerrero beat Pat Patterson
Andre The Giant beat Inferno I
Pork Chop Cash beat Alaskan
Greg Valentine beat Bob Orton Sr
Ernie Ladd beat Sal Lothario
John Tolos & Mando Lopez beat Black Gordman & Great Goliath
22 Man Battle Royal:
Java Ruuk W

WrestlingClassics.com Message Board: Results: 1976 - Los Angeles Battle Royal Night

 

I cheated and looked it up. I remember reading on the Kayfabe Memories message board about how this was the first ladder match, contraire to what Bret Hart has claimed.

Pretty funny to see how they took some painter's ladder for the match, compared to what they use today.

 

Correct. Dan Kroffat creation.

 

You may recognize the father of a wrestler of the 90's in this picture.