2017 Pro Wrestling Thread

Also, it's 1962.

 

Larry "The Ax" Hennig?

 

I was split between Race and Hennig. I figured Race hadn't gotten his tattoos yet.

 

Well done, M.

Last one for the night. The wrestler holding the trophy beat this one time TWWA champion in the 1960s in Japan.

 

Are we sure that’s Maple Leaf Gardens? MLG had a ramp up to the ring, and I don’t see it here. Also I didn’t think the ring at MLG had red/white/ropes. Thought they were black.

 

When Koko does his flying body press, the camera moves slightly and you can see the ramp. At the same time, Frankie raises his wings. I never knew the bird could sell a move.

With the ropes, by the late 80s, the WWF would use their rings at each show for uniformity. In the early to mid-80s, they used the rings each arena had, which would have different ropes. Those rings varied by quality as well.

 

Bruno pictured, beating Giant Baba?

I saw a YouTube match between the two in Japan a few years back and Bruno played a semi-heel. It was quite strange to see.

 

Nope. The wrestler in the back is Lou Thesz.

Bret once again that the person who is holding the trophy is "one of the greatest wrestlers in pro wrestling or amateur wrestling there’s ever been"

 

Billy Robinson?

 

I wasn't sure it was the Gardens until right at the end when you caught a glimpse of the ramp. No sign of ring announcer Norm Kimber though, wonder if the ref was Fred Atkins or George "Scrap Iron" Gadaski.

 

This happened a few weeks ago, but I didn't see any news of it until now. RIP Tom Zenk.

He teamed with Rick Martel as the Can-Am Connection in WWF and they were super popular, but he literally quit the company in the middle of the run. I still remember it was one of the first times that they actually announced a guy was leaving, and the guy actually left. Martel ended up teaming with Tito Santana as Strike Force, and they were very good, but not as popular.

Then he went to WCW in the late 80s, early 90s, and teamed up with Brian Pillman for a while as a very good tag team.

Tom Zenk passes away at 59 years old

 

It wouldn't have been Gadaski, who died in the early 1980s of, I think, cancer.

Gadaski is known for being the opponent in Ric Flair's first match. In the AWA, he did a lot of things, including wrestle as both heel and face, referee, and drive and put up the ring.

Heenan told a great story involving Gadaski in one of his books. He was talking about promoter/announcer Wally Karbo, who was, shall we say, a bit off the wall . Bobby gave some examples of Karbo's nuttiness (he used to walk around wearing one sock because he thought he lost the other, then realized he put them both on the same foot), then tells the Gadaski story.

Gadaski used to constantly go to Verne Gagne to get more money for the plywood for the ring. He kept saying that the wood was breaking because the wrestlers were big guys. Verne would grumble, then give Gadaski the money for the ring plywood.

Years pass, and Gadaski passes away. Verne, Heenan, Karbo and everyone go to his funeral, then go to Gadaski's house for refreshments afterward. They get out of the car and go into the house. All of them, that is, except for Verne, who's lingering outside for some reason.

After a while, the others wonder why Verne is staying outside and thinking that maybe he's taking George's death pretty hard. They go out to get him, and find him, staring at a wooden barn.

Rubbing the wood on the barn. Rubbing the plywood, on the barn.

Then Verne, who had a pretty big temper, yells out, "THAT SON OF A BITCH! HE STOLE MY WOOD!"

The others are wondering what the heck Verne is talking about, so Verne yells out, "George stole my plywood for the ring!"

Karbo replies, "No Verne. George is dead."

Heenan finishes the story: "That was Wally."