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.