In Memoriam 2007

Mourning Those We Lost in 2007








In Order of Pictures: Bam Bam Bigelow, Mike Awesome, Bad News Brown, Ernie Ladd, Arnold Skaaland, Sherri Martel, Nancy Benoit, Chris Benoit, Tor Kamata, Karl Gotch, Bronko Lubich Brian Adams, The Missing Link, Billy Darnell, Enrique Torres, and The Fabulous Moolah.
Others Who Left Us This Year: Flash Barker, Cowboy Lang, Bob Luce, Jim Melby, Tracey Richards, Ray Stern, Black Shadow, Angel Azteca, Cocoa Samoa, Abe Coleman, Sonny Myers, Sandy Barr, El Caballero Rojo, Princess Tona Tomah, Boogie Woogie Brown, Biff Wellington, Lita Marez, Ronnie P. Gossett, Frank Fozo, Frank Butcher, Karloff Lagarde, Isak Rain, El Gran Markus, Dave Sheldon, and Mr. Gillis.
All of those who have passed away this year will be dearly missed and remembered.

Let Down

For nearly a year, WCW had hyped a huge dream match between Hulk Hogan, now a NWO member, against Sting, who had adopted the "crow" character. Sting had pledged a vow of silence , but he was still able to play mind games on Hogan, now a full-fledged baddie. He would fall from the rafters and taunt Hogan and the New World Order; however, the match didn't come until StarrCade, WCW's huge pay-per-view, in 1997. The match had unmeasurable potential. As the match started, fans across the World expected a phenomenon in the ring. The match was average, but the ending didn't go as planned. At this time a war was going on between WCW wrestlers and the NWO. Hogan had rolled-up Sting for the pin when Nick Patrick was supposed to fast count for he was joining the NWO, but the count came across as fairly normal. Bret Hart then came out and said he wasn't going to let the same thing that happened to him happen to Sting (see post: Controversy). So he became the referee. The match ended with Sting winning with a "Scorpion Deathlock". The match could be summed up by fans and critics easily: let down.

A BIG Loss

Today is the one year anniversary of the release of Big Show from World Wrestling Entertainment. It occurred one day after a loss to Bobby Lashley on ECW. His reason for his requested requested release was that he had been wrestling in pain for several months. He said shortly after his release, "I've reached a point in my career right now where I am a little run down and hurt pretty bad physically. I've been wrestling the past three months pretty much in pain every night. I can't compete at the level I want to compete at, and that's the most heartbreaking thing." Although he wasn't officially released until February, he didn't compete from January to February. Show fought Hulk Hogan under his real name Paul Wight at the PMG Clash of Legends in Memphis this April. It signified the 20th anniversary of the infamous meeting between Hogan and Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3. He has yet to return to wrestling and has no announced plans to.

Controversy

Many wrestling moments are never forgotten. One of those moments went down ten years ago at Survivor Series. It all occurred in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The World Wrestling Federation had hyped the match for months. It was a true battle of the titans. With WCW starting to gain power in 1997, WWF World Champion Bret Hart became weary of staying with the WWF after contractual disputes. This would make the match more anticipated for it would be Bret's send-off match for WCW. The fans loved both men at one point, and with Bret in his home country, there was hardly breathing room in the arena. Not all suspected Hart to storm to WCW though because it hadn't been announced yet. Vince McMahon, WWF Owner, hadn't yet put in place an ending for the match; however, he still wanted Bret to drop the title. Hart didn't want to lose the title in Canada though. Moreover, he wanted to lose the title by surrendering at RAW the next night. The both finally came to agreement to a DQ finish. Pat Patterson was put n charge to arrange the finish. When the actual match was winding down, Hebner was supposed to be knocked out, and then Michaels executes a "Sharpshooter" on Bret, but the Hart Foundation would come down and cause the DQ ending. What actually happened made the match controversial. After Earl Hebner was "knocked out", Shawn put Bret in a "Sharpshooter", but Earl immediately got up and said Bret submitted, giving Shawn the title. Earl then stormed out of the ring, out of the building, into a runaway car, and then he was on the next flight out of Montreal. It turned out they were all in it, but the ring leader was Vince McMahon. As soon as the match was over in front of the now chaotic fans, Bret was no longer oblivious so he spat in the face of McMahon. Gerald Brisco ran to the mess in the ring and escorted WWF Champ Shawn out of the arena. The PPV soon ended after that. Bret Hart then continued his tirade by destroying numerous TV monitors. After the Hart Foundation came out to make him settle, Bret fingered WCW out to the crowd. Backstage, Vince was locked in his office. Shawn was then confronted by Bret and told Hart he knew nothing of the mess , and he would gladly forfeit the WWF Title. The locker room wasn't left out of the scrap because they were also mad. The "locker room leader", Undertaker, then demanded Vince to apologize to Bret. When entering Bret's locker room, Vince saw Bret was taking a shower. Bret stated that if McMahon was still there when he was done with his shower, he would be sorry. Vince didn't leave, and after a couple more demand by Bret, who had finished his shower, to leave, he drove Vince to the ground with a stern punch. Shane McMahon, who with others had accompanied Vince to the locker room, lunged at Bret, but he was intercepted by Hart Foundation member Davey Boy Smith. After Vince was drug from the locker room by his posse, the night ended. On RAW the next night, the Hart Foundation and Mick Foley protested the show. Meanwhile on WCW Nitro that night, the NWO came to the ring with a Canadian flag singing "O,Canada!". Also on RAW, against what he had told Bret the night before, Shawn Michaels came out with the WWF Title and made fun of Bret Hart. Not long after the whole thing, Bret would indeed wind up in WCW, but they would never make a huge storyline of what happened in the WWF. The night and its aftermath would go down to be one of the most infamous events in pro wrestling history. It defines controversy in pro wrestling.

An End of an Era

Hayabusa had a bright future in the ring. He was one of Japan's biggest upcoming star until this day in 2001.Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling promotion depended on Hayabusa because he was the very future of their company. He was facing Mammoth Sasaki in Korakuen Hall, a big spot on the wrestling seen. The match was winding down and he was about to attempt a springboard moonsault, one of the moves in his arsenal. While attempting the move, he apparently under estimated the location of his rope and the distance of his opponent from the ropes. His foot slipped and he realized he was going to take a bad bump. He hit his head with great impact on the hard ring canvas. They rushed him to the hospital as quick as they could when the realized he was still conscious, but bad news would soon come. He was paralyzed from the neck down. His career had unfortunately ended. Recently, he has improved even making a few steps on his own power. This story would hit the Japanese wrestling world hard, for a career of a legend was now over.

Eight Times a Charm

Eleven years ago, Ultimo Dragon would come out on top in possibly the biggest match of his career. It would take place in Osaka, Japan. Great Sasuke would be his oppent in the J-Crown's final match. The winner would obatain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight, NWA World Junior Heavyweight, WAR International Junior Heavyweight, British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight, WWF World Light Heavyweight, UWA World Light Heavyweight, WWA World Junior Heavyweight, and NWA World Welterweight titles. Not long after, he would gain the WCW World Cruiserweight Title. Nine titles total would be in his possession. Ultimo Dragon still competes in the independents today after a solid, twenty-year career. He was and is one of few superior in the World's cruiserweight divisions.

Failure.

In wrestling history, there have been many successes and many failures. One recent failure occurred in 1999. It was slated to be a monumental pay-per-view by many wrestling fans. It was Heroes of Wrestling, a PPV that would feature many legends. Many of the matches didn't disappoint, but there were several loses. One was a Too Cold Scorpio and Julio Fantastico (Dinero), who isn't a legend, match that had an awful ending. All the non main event matches weren't completely horrible including a One Man Gang Vs. Abdullah the Butcher bloodbath. After seven matches, it was main event time. The whole thing started with a Jake Roberts promo, he was normally excellent , but tonight he was of his game, slurring words and not arousing desired "DDT" chants. Jake Roberts would square off against Jim Neidhart in main event number one which started with two awful entrances. Roberts and Neidhart would soil the match with botched moves, ignorant poses, and embarrassing gestures. King Kong Bundy came out even though he was supposed to face Yokozuna to end the show, but the current bout turned into a tag match between Roberts and Yokozuna versus Neidhart and Bundy. The match was looking to be a major disappointment . Towards the end, Bundy and Neidhart walked to the back after Bundy's one-time-only manager Little Bundy got a "Somoan drop" by Yokozuna. Then it looked as if Roberts was going to put the snake he brought to the ring in Yokozuna's pants when the screen went black and then it showed Yoko walking to the back when the show ended. What would be the aftermath of the event can be summed up in one word. Failure.

The Big Move P2

Kurt Angle shocked the world last year where he left his safe haven, WWE, and jumped to TNA, a promotion just starting to catch up. On this day, he would make his T.V. debut on TNA Impact. He would attempt to attack the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Samoa Joe. Joe would not succumb to the attack, and security would be forced to enter the ring. Today, Angle is still on top of his game in TNA for he is their World Champion.

Rest in Peace Flyin' Brian

It has been a decade since Brian Pillman has pased. His passing came as a shock to the wrestling world, and it left it in a grieving state. He passed at a young age, 35, due to a suspected heart attack influenced by numerous factors. He is a truly someone to remember, a man that proved to be a great cruiserweight , and a man that defined the term "Loose Cannon". Today, most likely, he would still walk up the steps from time to time still relatively young at 45. His is greatly missed.

Remembering Wilmington

On October 4,1975, Ric Flair's career almost ended before it ever started. On that Saturday evening in 1975, Joseph Michael Farkas was piloting his Cessna 310 aircraft with Ric Flair, Bob Bruggers, Johnny Valentine, "Mr.Wrestling" Tim Woods, and David Crockett aboard. They were on their way to an event in Wilmington. While flying, the passengers, especially Johnny Valentine, noticed something was wrong. Not long after his observation, one of the plane's tow engines went out leaving them in grave trouble. Not long after, the last and final engine stopped humming. They were going down, all the passengers knew they could face their end. The plan then clipped the tops of a group of trees that were placed on a small piece of land near the water. The plan then descended to the ground, just missing the open water. The ambulances arrived while Flair was still conscious , and he overheard them saying that "this one might not make it". He suspected it was himself, but it was actually not. When they arrived at the hospital, Flair had a severely broken back, Crockett and Woods had no major injuries, and Bruggers and Valentine where in serious condition with injuries similar to those of Flair. The pilot tragically died the next day after being listed in critical condition. Flair would be the only wrestler to return to the ring while both promoters, Crockett and Woods, returned to their jobs. Valentine and Bruggers would retire because of back injuries to severe to continue. Later the estate of Farkas would be sued by Flair for a hefty some of money for after an investigation it was proved the pilot had made a fueling error. The day would forever go on to be the day that the infamous legacy of Ric Flair was almost halted from happening. It was the plane crash that forever changed pro wrestling.

Write On

Eight years ago today, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara, two of wrestling most well-known writers, made the decision to jump from the World Wrestling Federation to World Championship Wrestling. After a meeting with WCW executives the two, who were not contracted to the WWF, decided to make the move. On a September 30, 1999, Russo told Vince by phone that the two won't appear for the upcoming week's Monday Night Raw. Not too long after the call was made WWF.com writers posted on their front page, "Effective Sunday, 9:45 p.m. ET, Vince Russo, one of the creative writers, will no longer be with the World Wrestling Federation. Russo abruptly resigned over the phone and will now be working for WCW." This was stated even though Russo had never actually been signed. It was scheduled that the WWF was to unveil their Initial Public Offering into the stock market. This move would come as a shock to WWF, but in the long run they would benefit. For less than two years later, their rival company, WCW, would go bankrupt and officially close down. Russo currently writes for TNA Wrestling, Ferrara is temporarily inactive. Russo was indeed one of the late 1990's biggest factors on the creative end.

The Battle of the Titans

35 years ago today, one of the WWWF's biggest successes was held. It was at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York in front of 20,000 fans. It was the biggest battle of babyfaces to date. It was WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales against the pride of many, Bruno Sammartino. The match would go on endlessly with the two on the mat then on their feet. It seemed as if the grueling pace of the match wasn't wearing them down, even the failed interference of George Steele couldn't make them stop. After 75 minutes the bell rang, the fans were astonished, the match had gone the limit. There was only one thing left to do, the two wrestling legends met in the middle of the ring and shook hands. A pure sign of sportsmanship. The crowd left Flushing that night with their jaws dropped because they knew they had witnessed on of the determining moments in WWWF history, they knew that that match would pave the way for the 35 years plus success of today's WWE.
Also today, two of Japan's biggest spectacles ever made their ring debuts. 47 years ago, Shohei "Giant" Baba, the future All Japan founder, and Antonio Inoki , the future New Japan founder, would lace up their boots for the first time. In Toyko, Baba would score a victory while Inoki would come out short. The two, along with Rikidozan, would go on to give Japan the credibility it deserved in the wrestling field. Baba would sadly pass away in 1999 of cancer after making a comeback to wrestling. Today, Inoki owns the new Inoki Genome Federation that graces some of Japan and the U.S.'s greatest stars. This day in history, September 30th, marks some of the most important matches in the careers of four of pro wrestling's greatest influences.

High Expectations

In 1985, the American Wrestling Association decided to join forces with the National Wrestling Alliance to answer the growing popularity of the WWF after Wrestlemania by holding SuperClash. Two more companies, World Class Championship Wrestling and All Japan Wrestling even joined. The show turned out somewhat of a success when 21,000 fans filled Comiskey Park in Chicago. In some featured bouts, Sherri Martel won the AWA Women's Title, WCCW Champion Kerry Von Erich defeated Jimmy Garvin, and The Road Warriors def. the Freebirds by DQ to retain the AWA Tag Titles. The AWA's main events were Greg Gagne, Curt Henning, and Scott Hall def. Nick Bockwinklel, Ray Stevens, and Larry Zbysko, and the World Title bout between Stan Hansen and Rick Martel ended in a double count out. The NWA main evented with Ric Flair def. Magnum T.A. to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The first SuperClash was considered a success , but SuperClash III would result in the eventual death of AWA when half the superstars on the show, including Champion Jerry Lawler, didn't even recieve a night's pay. The AWA would go on to be the first major company to be swallowed up by the WWF. After 40+ years, the AWA ended in 1991. To this day, Verne still holds a "personal grudge" on VInce McMahon. Several wrestlers who wrestled for the AWA today say they were contractually mistreated and didn't get the attention they deserved. Even though for years the AWA seemed great to the fans, there was always a troubled locker room scene.

The MSG Dream Match

In the mid to late seventies several stars were starting to make a name for themselves. Two of those were "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes and "Superstar" Billy Graham. Then, the once promoting geniuses of the then World Wide Wrestling Federation came up with an idea of making two of the country's biggest upcoming stars, Rhodes and Graham. At the time Dusty did not work for the WWWF, he was playing a big role in Championship Wrestling from Florida. On the other hand, Graham had just burst on the scene and was the reigning WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. The two would collide in Madison Square Garden to a sold out crowd. Also, not to far from M.S.G., the Felt Forum was packed full because of the showing of the match on closed circuit television. The match would end in awe as Graham walked out and lost via count out. The match was considered a huge success and would go on to be one of the most memorable matches in company history.
Also today is what is said to be the one hundred and twenty second anniversary of the first wrestling match to be seen publicly in Australia. The match was a win by William Miller over Clarence Royal. This only proves that the world has loved and followed wrestling for over a full century.

The Big Move

Exactly one year ago, Kurt Angle made his biggest career decision to date. He would jump from sports entertainment tycoon to the fresh establishment of TNA Wrestling. There he would prove to be one of the top contenders of the business while staying healthy for the longest period of time in quite some time. He is the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and TNA claims the upcoming Sting Vs. Angle match-up at their biggest annual pay- per-view, Bound for Glory, is the largest in the company's five year history. It is fully possible that "Our Olympic Hero" will prove to be an even bigger factor in the growth of TNA than he was a superstar in the WWE.
A commonly over looked legends is Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. One of the glory hog type characters of the 1980s, his success was virtually limited to certain regions until 1984 when he defeated Tito Santana in Ontario to win the prestigious WWF Intercontinental Championship. Coming in to the bout, Santana had a lame leg from a previous match. Valentine used every way possible to weaken the leg even more which would lead to his victory. He digressed though hitting "The Hammer" with a flying forearm. He would score a pinfall, but before Santana knew it the referee had reversed the decision due to Valentine having his leg outside the ring. Following that, Valentine blindsided Tito with a blow to the vulnerable leg. He would then secure the win and come away with the title. In a post match attack, Greg put the ailing former champion in a figure-four leglock and further injuring the leg. The feud would rage on for nearly a full year proving that Valentine was one of the most well-polished heels in his era.

Break It Down

In 1997, the WWF held a pay-per-view with the moniker of "One Night Only". In the main event, Shawn Michaels was slated to face Davey Boy Smith for Smith's European Championship. The match resulted in Shawn walking away champion but why. After interference by Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude, he was able to put Smith in a Figure 4 Leg Lock that made Davey Boy lose consciousness. Not long after the match, it was recognized that one of the sport's most influential factions ever, Degeneration X, had formed and would go on to become an irreplaceable part of the Attitude Era.
This day in 1985 would also mark the last time "Classy" Freddie Blassie would step in the ring with his wrestling boots on. For on this day, Blassie would come out the loser in a cage match against Capt. Lou Albano at Nassau Coliseum. Even though he would retire from the ring, he would continue to add to his success as a manager while shouting, "Listen here, you pencil neck geeks!" He passed away in 2003 and left behind an untouchable legacy.

Baron Mikel Scicluna, Who?

Not many people are familiar with this name, Baron Mikel Scicluna. He hailed from the Isle of Malta, just south of Sicily. His frame was larger than life itself. Those facts aren't particularly expected to be known, but his accomplishements, which are plentiful, shouldn't be overlooked. He started out his three-decade career in Canada under his legal name Mike Valentino. Before long, he wound up in the Northeast under the reign of promoting giant Vince McMahon Sr. The light blue cape he draped over his shoulder to signify Maltese ancestry. He was a villain, therefore, he carried an illegal object to the ring. His perfered choice for a weapon was a roll of coins which he bashed his opponents over the head with. His first Championship claim was with Smasher Sloan when they executed a victory to gain the WWWF United States Championships. They held the titles for just a little over two months before dropping them. The them of Scicluna and Curtis Iaukea went on to a achieved a bigger goal by gaining the World Tag Team Championships. In just over a month, they lost the titles to the acclaimed team of Professor Tanaka and Mr. Fuji. In Australia, Scicluna also had instant success by winning a Australian World Title. also from time to time, he would attempt to de-throne the WWWF World Champion. Maybe his most memorable moment was in 1976 when he was pitted up against Gorilla Monsoon. He left the ring after being dominated and suffered a countout loss. Muhammad Ali then jumped in the ring and attempted to attack Monsoon who gave an airplane spin to the esteemed boxer. The confontation led to a match between Japanese wrestling pioneer Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali. The next eight years of his career were relatively quiet until his 1984 retirement. The most overlooked fact of this common unknown is taht in 1996 he was inducted into WWF's Hall of Fame and was proudly welcomed. Several years after fame, he can now be found residing in Philadelphia. Scicluna is only one of several overlooked legends that never get recognition. Hopefully someday he will be remembered for his successes in the business that he loved.

Simply Fabulous

When you want to think of women's wrestling pioneers there is one name that 99% of the time will pop up. That name is no other than Fabulous Moolah. She had the longest Women's World Championship reign in women's wrestling history. In 1956 in Baltimore, she won a prestigious tournament last defeating Judy Grable. When current champion June Byers retired, she claimed the title. Even though in a complete lineage of champions she held the title four times instead of one, the WWE lneage suggests thst she held the title for an estimated 27 years. Even though she may have not have really endured that incredible reign. Moolah proved to be one of the toughest women in the sport's esteemed history. If she had been given the choice, she probably would have stomped them in minutes. For years, she has been making sporadic appearances in the WWE. The legends that come out of her area proved to be why there is a women's division today. Her accomplishments, fighting style, and wrestling savvy still remains as some of the best in the business ever.

The Man

This post is going to be very short. Why? Because the point is simple. This day in 1981, Ric Flair def. Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City to become a World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. This would go on to be known as one of the matches that made Ric Flair the legend that he is today. "To be the man, you've got to beat the man." -A.Y.

Piper's Pit

In 1986, Roddy Piper was a huge influence on the WWF crowds and, he was proving to be a major factor in the company. He had been feuding with Adrian Adonis. They both had talk shows. Roddy was the host of Piper's Pit, an evolutionary idea thought up by Hot Rod himself. Adrian, who often wore makeup, had the Flower Shop. On the set, he graced himself as a garden and bad-mouthed Roddy and various others. On this day twenty-one years ago at a Baltimore TV Taping, both shows were being filmed simultaneously. "Magnificent" Don Muraco was Piper's guest at the time when Adonis and ally "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. ran over and destroyed the Pit and its host with the help of Muraco. Later in the taping, even though it was aired differently from the Pit's end, Piper showed up with a Louisville Slugger at the Flower Shop set. He took the bat to Adrian's home, and ultimately gained revenge. Not long after Piper's Pit was destroyed, a new set was revealed. The Flower Shop would never be reproduced. In its original three year run from 1984 to 1987, Piper's Pit would go on to be one of the most influential segments in WWF history.
Piper's Pit produced several other memorable moments in its brief history. Here is a list of major events excluding the Adonis encounter. In an early edition, it looked as if Piper and his guest Jimmy Snuka were getting along until Piper started to insult Snuka's heritage. After a round of jokes, Piper turned around and belted Snuka in the head with a coconut. That would go on to be the defining moment of the Pit. Following that moment in 1986, Piper and Orton Jr., then allies, kidnapped the Haiti Kid and shaved his head. Another edition involved Andre the Giant. Piper said it was amazing that Andre had a "big body and a teeny, weeny brain". After Andre pushed Piper around, Piper shouted "Andre, do you want to fight? You don't throw rocks at a man whose got a machine gun." In 1985 , an ongoing staple was insulting Mr.T which would led to Orndorff turning on his friend Piper after they lost to Hogan and T. One of the first guests was jobber Frankie Williams whom Piper attacked a shouted ,"Just when they think they've got the answers, I change the questions!" Andre actually turned on good friend Hogan with the persuasion of Bobby Heenan on a 1987 episode of Piper's Pit. At Wrestlemania V after many attempts to stop Morton Downey Jr. from smoking, Piper sprayed him with a fire extinguisher. In 2003, Sean O'Haire smashed a coconut over Rikishi's head on the Pit set. The most recent edition was in June'06 when The Great Khali was the guest. The Pit will probably continue to make sporadic appearances over the years. The basic fact is that without The Pit, Roddy Piper would have never been the man that he was and the performer that created hilarious skits. "The Hot Rod" added something more than wrestling ability to the sport, he added comedy. Therefore, he will always be remembered as the trouble making comedian that he was.

Anniversary of the New Sting

On this day in 1996 at WCW's Fall Brawl, Sting's character would begin to take an unexpected turn. The main event of the night was the War Games match between the faces (Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Ric Flair, and the "real" Sting against the NWO (Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and NWO Sting). Going into the show, the faces believed Sting had betrayed them by being in a limo with the NWO, the person that was actually in the limo would turn out to be NWO Sting. Then when the match began, Sting came out and destroyed the other team. The advantage turned to the faces until Sting left on his counterparts strictly because their suspicion of betrayal. The NWO regained power and won the macth when NWO Sting submitted Luger. Randy Savage, who had lost to The Giant earlier because of Hogan, ran out and attacked Hulk. Savage was stopped while he and Elizabeth had the NWO spray painted on their backs as the group usually did. As a result of all this, the new version of Sting, "the Crow" character, was born. The following night, Sting would uttered his final words until January 1998 by declaring his "free agency". This turn would lead to the infamous match between rivals Hulk Hogan and Sting at Starrcade '97. The whole feud between good and bad that was going on in WCW would go on to be one of the greatest storylines in wrestling history. -A.Y.

True Legends of Wrestling: Modern Era

The is part two of the True Legends of Wrestling post. It starts in the early evolution of wrestling in the 1950s to present day 2007.
Gorgeous George almost single-handedly started the new era. Emerging out of this era was gimmicks, detested heels, exsposure, and industrialization. He was indeed a "glamour boy" who flaunted blonde hair and every ingredient it took to become hated. From strutting to flipping bobby pins straight from his platinum locks, he had it all. He appeared on talk shows, the news, and easily become a household name. He put built the foundation that heels like Ric Flair and Roddy Piper stand on today. During his carrer, he lost his hair twice, once in his last match against the Destroyer. In 1962, he was forced to retire because of severe aging from extensive alchohol abuse. After losing nearly everything to his addiction, he passed away due to a heart attack in 1963.
In the NWA in the early 60s, the company sported champions such as Gene Kiniski and Dory Funk Jr. Also Buddy Rogers was champion, but in 1963 he would make a decision that would greatly influence his career. He, Toots Mondt, and Vince McMahon Sr. would found the W.W.W.F. which is the largest wrestling conglomorate. The early carriers of the W.W.W.F. World Title were Rogers and Bruno Sammertino. Sammartino would go on to be the biggest name in the pro wrestling for 15 years. He was the pioneer for what the WWE is today. He was always the fan favorite and always the go to guy for McMahon.
In the 70s, some of the best champions would be produced. One is Harley Race whose aggressive arsenal would be sampled by wrestlers over the years and even today. In the W.W.W.F., "Superstar" Billy Graham would emerge as champion and would become one of the greatest heels ever until his demise after the abuse of steroids. Then the W.W.W.F. was renamed the World Wrestling Federation and Bob Backlund would hold their title three times for six years.
Then in the 1980s, possibly the greatest wrestlers came into the picture, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. They had some of the most appealing fueds in history. They brought to the table quality matches, unbeatable promos, and an ultimate power struggle. Between the detestment of the Four Horsemen and the country's love for Rhodes, they was a recipe for success. Ric Flair become the modern day version of Gorgeous George and his namesake "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. Ric became so hated, he eventually became loved by virtually everybody out of pure respect. He is considered to be one of the greatest performers in the history of the business.
Throughout the rest of the 80s "the fan favorite always wins" card was played when Hulk Hogan and Sting became champions. The largest feud of the 1980s in the WWF was the spectacular feud between friends turned foes Andre theGiant and Hulk Hogan. Then the credibility of champions became more and more obscure when champions such as Ultimate Warrior being crowned. Then a new version of the N.W.A. emerged, W.C.W. They would challenge the WWF's champs (Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, The Rock, Steve Austin, and Undertaker) with their own such as Sting, Scott Steiner, Booker T, Scott Hall, Goldberg, and others through the 90s.
Those champions were followed up by champs of the 2000s such as Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jerhico. Some champions not embelished above are Verne Gagne, Nick Bockwinkel, Pedro Morales, Enrique Torres, Ivan Koloff, Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat, and many, many more.
A real list of true legends would stretch on virtually forever. The previous was just a sample of who should be consider. Remember the sport will continue to produce legends forever, and these wrestles will forever define the very aura of the sport that is professional wrestling. -A.Y.

True Legends of Wrestling: Beginnings through Lou Thesz Era

There are select groups of wrestlers that have defined wrestling. Here is my opinion of the members of these groups. This blog is in two parts.

The first group contains the pioneers of wrestling and early adventurers. The first one is William Muldoon who added theatrics to wrestling and innovated the way people viewed the sport in the mid to late 1800s. George Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch are the next two who produced the largest match in pro wrestling in the early 1900s. They are followed by their close predecessors Joe Stecher, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, Earl Caddock, and Stanislaus Zbysko who ruled wrestling and captivated crowds for two decades by trading the title back and forth. The 30s/40s group that follow them consists of Danno O Mahoney, Dick Shikat, Ali Baba, Bronko Nagurski, and Jim Londos who was champion for eight years in a row.

The next group was founded after the forming of the N.W.A. The first member of the group is Orville Brown who was awarded the inaugural World title of the N.W.A. Then there was the man who made the World title more relevant and important than it ever had been. This man is none other than Lou Thesz who was the top wrestler in the world for twenty plus years. Wrestling was changed by him simply because it was no longer a spectacle, it was truly a lifestyle. From the time Thesz was 16 in 1932 until 1979 when he was 63 years old he was active. He wrestled his last match in 1990 against his protege, modern day Japanese legend Masahiro Chono. He passed away in 2002, and still his accomplishments are a large part of the wrestling community. He will never be forgotten and neither will his accomplishments.

The post is continued with the Modern Era through present day.

The History of Professional Wrestling

Professional Wrestling has endured hardship, booms, and tragedy. The wrestlers and the administrators have drudged on through thick and thin. For over a century, the sport has entertained millions of roaring fans who continue to pack the arenas to see their favorites in action. From William Muldoon to Lou Thesz to Ric Flair, the wrestlers have stepped into the squared circle week after week. There have been feuds and partnerships. There has been rough times and times of joy. From the Mid Atlantic with the Crocketts and Flair to the Midwest with the Gagnes and Bockwinkel, the sport has prospered. Then there is pro wrestling's tycoon company World Wrestling Entertainment run in the Northeast by the McMahons. These companies entertained fans for years and years, even though some were swallowed up the the shark that is WWE. There was the WCW who beat WWE, then WWF, in the ratings 84 weeks straight, and now there is TNA Wrestling which is gaining steam in Florida. The wrestlers and companies come and go by the abundance. There are more memorable ones such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Andre the Giant,and less famous ones such as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel. Before the Civil War, even Honest Abe himself tried his hand at the sport at local fairs and carnivals. There is really only one thing to say about pro wrestling considering its rich history and all the memories it has produced. Professional Wrestling is a pastime that many have and will enjoy over the years. -A.Y.