Originally Posted by
STANLEY C. TAYLOR
I'm still in the middle of reading "Batista Unleashed" as I'm posting this. I was skimming through Wrestler Two in One mag when I discovered that Chris Jericho has written a book. Of course he is no longer with WWE and hasn't been in some time. Therefore he was the first to have a book that reflected on the late Chris Benoit without getting any static from anyone. During my break from work, I thought I'd pick it up. As I read his earlier life, (The only thing that I knew for certain was that his father was a Hockey player named Ted Irvine.) I found it very interesting the impact wrestling had on his life. While reading, as always, my mind began to experience recurring themes, and I thought about how the (how should I say) sport effected my life.
Bear with me, this is going to take some time. My love began when I was maybe five or six. My dad and brothers would watch a program called "Mid-South Wresting" Of course comparing it to today's events, one would dismiss it as "wrasslin". At any rate, this was back in ye olden days when the territories were around. Such as Mid-Atlantic, AWA (American Wresting Assoication), WWWF (World Wide Wresting Federation), Georgia Championship Wresting, and others. Mid-South was being run by Cowboy Bill Watts, whom some may remember that later became commissioner of WCW that ruled out wrestlers like the late Brian Pillman for diving off the top rope (He and Ole Anderson were old, and set in their way and tried to receate the sport to when they were top dogs and brought in their buddies and their buddies offsprings to the light while everyone else were to "shut their mouths and do what they were told". And don't get me started with his issues with Hank Aaron.) As I was saying, we had only eight channels and there was nothing on. (That's right yung-uns, this is before direct tv, basic cable, the VCR and DVD. scary, huh? There was on internet, 900-numbers exposing dirt on other superstars or organizations either. Everything we knew about wrestling was what we saw on the tube or read about it in the occasional magazine. ) WWE and TNA does today, we had our babyfaces, heels, and people we love to hated, and vice versa. Everyone from the original Big Cat Ernie Ladd, the late Junkyard Dog, Ted Dibase (before he even thought about the Million Dollar Man character), The Wild Samoans, Buck Robley and a host of others that would take to long to mention here, but I might in the long run, anyhow.
Of course the story line were great and worth waiting next week for. JYD was forced to leave Mid-South for 90 days after losing to Ted Dibiase (He used a foreign object, btw), only to return as a masked wrestler named Stagger Lee - a dude who supposedly used to bully JYD and continued to do so until he gave him his milk money.
Ted had a stable called the Rat Pack who consisted of a young "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Matt Borne (who would later be billed as Big Josh and Doink the Clown). Later on they would join forces with the infamous Skandor Akbar.
Another Hacksaw, Butch Reed, would make his mark coming in as a favorite but would later become a heel when he turned his back on JYD due to being betrayed (I forget why).
Another moment was when Jake "the Snake" Roberts had a partner called the Nightmare (I guess that was his name), and was supposed to appear until Skandor Akbar brought in a large man named Lord Humongus who beat Jake to a bloody pulp. Finally the Nightmare showed up and the two towering monsters stared off face to face and the crowd were on their feet cheering, awaiting for them to go at it. Instead, they joined forces to finish off Jake.
One more moment I'll never forget was when Jim Cornette was manager of the Midnight Express, who used the movie theme as their entrance music, and were fueding with the Rock N Roll Express for the tag team titles. A commentator named Boyd Pierce who wore the most outrageous suits each week was about to introduce the contenders and as always Jim Cornette snatch the make and said, "Boyd, you look like an explosion from a fire works plant". My mother who never watch wrestling thought she would die laughing.
I could go on but those were just a few memories that will forever remain locked in me 'ead.
In those days, the question of whether or not wrestling was real of fake was just that, a question. Even though my sibling tried to convience me that it was fake, I didn't care. The mere thought of Leilani Kai punching Wendy Richter in the mouth and not drawing blood was never a concern. Nor did I care why the Four Horseman didn't face criminal charges when they broke Dusty Rhodes arm. Who cares! All we wanted was to wish our heroes a speedy recovery while they recouperate from their injuries and come back to see them exhault revenge on the Ass clown that hurt them so. I couldn't wait to see JYD get his hands on the Fabulous Freebirds for blinding him in one eye with a chemical that I can't recall, even if they were seeking vengenance for breaking Michael Hayes' neck.
While all these memories. I still am a fan, but not as big as I was back then. Sure I still watch WWE and TNA. But to me the feel is not the same. WWE, in my opinion, was at its peak during the attitude era, with Stone Cold, The Rock, D-genernation-X, Chyna, Sable, Team Xtreme, Edge (before his Rated R superstar gimmick) The Undertaker, Kane, the Nation of Domination. Come on, don't act like you never heard of these people. As for WCW, I would have to say the Monday Night Wars. When everyone from Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Sheri, Madusa (billed for some reason as Allundra Blaze though the name was pretty cool) and Lex Luger all got tired of playing with kids and were ready to take on the big boys (and girls). And who can forget the NWO. When they came to existence, you knew you were in for one heck of a show. (notice I'm using puns to express my love for this sport).
I think was hurt wrestling was when the territories died. Vince had bought every one out and since there was no competition he decided to create. (Who in here believe that he has some stock in TNA?) It was fun flipping back and forth to see what they were going to do next. The USA Network, TBS, TNT, The Nashville Network, and even ESPN airing classic AWA matches. (I know I'm out of context but you get the idea)
While I'm on the subject, I want to take this moment to address what I heard about Ric Flair hanging up the tights for good. I use to say that forever was a long time coming, so I guess that Naitch has been in the ring forever. I usually don't talk like this, but to say that it's about time would be an understatement. Don't get me wrong, I love Ric Flair, I hated Ric Flair, I love to hate Ric Flair, and I hated to love Ric Flair. But the Nature Boy has nothing to prove. He is the man, he was the man, and I will always be the man. But when its time to go, it's time to go. Reminds me of something Grace Slick once said: I think old people, in the ring, ruffing up these young lions like their still 25 years old again look pathetic. Hulk Hogan especially. I'll admit, seeing him hulk out after taking a tremendous beating and pointing at his opponent gesturing that they should consider their ass kicked, brings a fire out of me, but even the Hulkster new when to let go. Well... maybe.
"Even when I'm old and gray, and have to sit back and watch the litte hulksters take over. There going to remember me for a long time."
-Hulk Hogan
So many memories, so many stories. Love it or hate it, real or imagined, you can't deny the impact it has on pop culture. Well I've said way way too much. Time to hush now.
