2018 Pro Wrestling thread

Styles v. Cesaro could be the next smark main event.

 

After years of seeing TNA flounder, it is funny to think that we'll probably end up with a highly-anticipated WWE pay per view main event featuring two of TNA's biggest stars before the end of 2018.

 

FUCK.

This one hurts.

 

I can see this being one of those passings where they bring all the wrestlers out for the 10-bell salute.

They did it for Dusty, Roddy and Warrior, and without Bruno, those three likely wouldn't have become the greats they were.

 

Looks like Bruno with a YOUNG Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith.

Bret Hart (@BretHart) Tweeted:
Forever a champion. Rest In Peace Bret Hart on Twitter

 

They were in the Wrestlemania 2 battle royal with Andre and the football players, and they did some 6-man tag matches with Bruno on one side and Bret, Anvil and Honky Tonk on the other. They may be on YouTube, or the network. It's fun to really see two generations that span about four decades share the same ring.

 

Yeah, this is happening. I'd imagine they'll do one of their video montages too.

 

To many Italian immigrants like my father, he was a star. Everything stopped when Bruno was wrestling.

 

Crazily enough, I had a premonition about this a few days ago. I don't know why, but I did.

He had an unreal life history, where he literally had to hide in the mountains to avoid being killed by the Nazis during World War II. He came to the U.S., trained, because a wrestler, and nearly had his career derailed early with a dispute with Vince Sr. which found him blackballed by most of the U.S. promoters for a couple of years.

To say that he had an incredible career is to be an understatement. In the ring, he wasn't exactly a technical marvel. Usually, he got his butt kicked for most of the match and then would make his big comeback.

As you said, to many Italians, and others, he was a superstar. Seeing the fan reaction in his matches, you see considerable emotion that you may not see as much today. You had fans who felt that wrestling may be "fake," but when Bruno wrestled, he was real to them (dammit).

The cool story about him and fans was when he dropped the strap to Ivan Koloff at MSG. When he lost cleanly (which they did so the fans wouldn't be even more upset than if Koloff cheated) , the place was dead silent. I'd imagine it was kinda like when Lesnar beat Undertaker at WM. Bruno even said in interviews years later that it was so silent, he thought the referee had collapsed from s heart attack or something.

Meanwhile, Koloff is beginning to celebrate, and the ref and ring announcer told him to stop celebrating and to go back to the locker room. Koloff asked about the belt, and they told him to forget it and get the hell out of there before he got killed. Meanwhile, Bruno, when he starts to leave the ring, begins hearing the sounds of a lot of people crying and telling him that they still love him. He said years later that he felt disturbed about the reaction because all he wanted was to finally be able to take some time off with his family after eight years as champion.

His Larry Zbyzsko feud, of course, is tremendous. Larry tells the story of how it Bruno first wasn't sure about doing it, then called him back with the whole plan. But the Vinces at first weren't interested because they didn't see Larry as a star. Then, a few months later, they wanted Bruno to do it, but Bruno demanded $10 grand just to sit down at the table and give them the idea, and got it.

I did watch him during his 80s comeback and he still was a lot of fun to watch. I highly recommend an MSG steel cage match where he teams up with Tito Santana against Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis, which is terrific to watch.

He ended up estranged from the WWE for so ma y years, but it was good to see them resolve their differences. Life is too short.

RIP to a true legend.

 

Interview with Cody is set for tomorrow at 3 p.m.

The ROH PR guy that set it up insisted I ask nothing about the WWE since Cody's answered EVERY question about it already.

I hadn't planned on talking about his time there. I DO want to get his opinion on if these FLorida swings hold a more special place in his heart since this is the territory his father helped build back in the 70-80s.

And of course, I have to ask him if Bullet Club is indeed ... fine.