2020 Pro Wrestling Thread

Hypothetically if Vince sells to Disney and then either retires/dies/gets forced out by Disney Trips could end up there without a divorce. Would take a hell of a lot of very unlikely things happening but.....it is the rasslin business

 

The David Arquette wrestling doc just moved to Hulu and I've started watching it. The early part of his road back is sad as hell -- getting beat up in some shithole backyard fed.

 

This made me chuckle. It pretty much sums up this entire year.

 

Re: AEW signings

I still wonder what the longterm plan is for the company. Is it to team up with Impact, ROH, AAA, NJPW to recreate the territory system? Do they want to go heads up with WWE or be home of 5-star Metzler matches and cursing during promos?

 

i dont know if they know, which honestly is a good thing. Kahn wants, it seem to me, to stay on TV and eventually make a profit. Thats the best goal for a rasslin company....TNA sunk itself trying to compete with WWE and ROH sunk itself trying not to.

i will say Jericho getting slammed on NBA twitter last night probably wasnt good for their growth. With a lead in like that, I wouldve opened with something new, fresh, cool (Darby Allin?) to grab some new eyes, not something old and easily panned.....

 

I've always thought that with them, the goal was long-term steady growth. Like, they've gotten some good luck like having access to some good former WWE talent (Jericho, Moxley) right off the bat, but they haven't done TNA-level mistakes like breathlessly claiming that each latest signing was the death knell for the "old man up north." Pairing up with the other promotions strikes me as smart, as long as they're willing to put non-AEW guys over somewhat. That's pretty much why the NWO worked, and why every time the WWE tries an invasion angle, it ends up sucking.

 

I am a big AEW fan even if there some of their more recent shows have been all over the place. I have been a Jericoholic forever and while it's true he has lost a step or two in the ring it's a step most guys never had to begin with. He is still great on the mic and really brings it on commentary and when he is in the ring he still puts the young guys over.

 

RIP Danny Hodge, a legend in both amateur and pro wrestling. One of the legitimately toughest men in both industries. He could squeeze apples with his hands, while in his 80s.

Danny Hodge dead at age 88 - Pro Wrestling Dot Net

Jim Ross told a fun story about how one time, Hodge was facing Bruiser Brody, who, when he didn’t feel like it, would no-sell for his opponent. Brody didn’t want to sell for Hodge because Hodge was much smaller than him. Everyone told Brody to sell, but Brody got in the ring and started no-selling. Hodge then started shooting on him and stretched him. Brody learned his lesson.

 

Thirty-seven years ago today, one era of wrestling ended and another began.
That's actually an interesting debate -- what are the most significant championship changes in wrestling history? I think my short list would probably look like this:
1) Hogan beats the Iron Sheik - The dawn of Hulkamania, a four-year title reign, and the start of the biggest boom in wrestling history
2) HBK beats Bret Hart in Montreal - The official end of the kayfabe era, where the curtain was pulled back on the inner workings of the industry. Also the start of the modern era of wrestling in a dozen different ways
3) The Fingerpoke of Doom - Basically the night WCW died

 

Pretty good top 3. I would add these to the list:

* Bruno beating Rogers for the title at MSG. It gave the WWWF their standard bearer.

* Rikidōzan beating Masahiko Kimura. It was for Japan’s first title, was one of their first huge bouts, and supposed to go to a draw, but Rikidōzan shot on Kimura, knocked him out and helped himself to the belt.

* Flair beating Harley Race at the first Starrcade in ‘83. It was Flair’s second title reign, but it was the one that made him officially the NWA’s top guy. Also showed that huge matches could be done on PPV/closed circuit TV and be a draw. And also a symbol of the start of the NWA’s decline.

* Kerry Von Erich beating Flair at the David Von Erich Parade of Champions. Mostly as a symbol for how huge the Von Erichs were in Texas and how far a family could fall.

* Mick Foley beating The Rock. Another huge symbolic factor in the Monday Night Wars.

* Wendi Richter beating Moolah at MTV’s Brawl to End It All, which gained the WWF and Vince mainstream attention.

* Shane Douglas winning the NWA title, then throwing it down to announce that Eastern Championship Wrestling was going to change its name to Extreme Championship Wrestling, whose influence is still being felt today.

 

Flair-Race is a good one. That was really the first big PPV, wasn't it?

Foley-Rock as well. Didn't realize until reading a bit after my initial post that that was the same night as the Finger Poke of Doom. So rarely has one company done more in one night to destroy itself than WCW did on Jan. 4, 1999.