Professional Wrestling 1985ish - 1992ish

[dvegas]

Tony Garea circa early 1980s live at Stamford High? Photo by dvegas lol

 

[Deepster]

@August_West , what about boney Tony Garea?

Tony Garea and Rick Martel, great tag team combo.

Another great tag team, not WWF/E but an all timer was The Von Erichs.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Great thread. My favorite heel - perhaps across any era - was The Magnificent Muraco:

The best

I remember that but was a bit too young to get the full context. I'll assume this was an inside joke, or a punishment to Muraco since he was obviously gaining weight at that point and wasn't too concerned about having a rock hard body for show?

Similar to the Adrian Adonis or Playboy Buddy Rose stuff as they got fat?

 

[Chin Diesel]

True story.

My dad and the guys from church used to go to Hartford Civic Center and Springfield Civic Center and eventually I got old enough to tag along (Also possible mom wanted me out of the house for the night). First time I ever smelled weed was in the rafters of Springfield Civic Center. My dad was a steady smoker when I was younger and the all the smoke from the civic center would works it way to the top. i didn't necessarily know it was weed at the time but I knew some people were definitely smoking something different than what my dad smoked.

Also true that I once tried to ride my bike to the Hartford Civic Center to see a wrestling show there. Dad was going to take me if I had been behaving well. Guess my parents and I had different definitions and perspectives of what consitutes behaving well so they said wrestling was out. I got on my bike and took the only route I knew which was the interstate. A while after I left my mom came outside asking all the neighborhood kids where I was and they said I told them I was riding my bike to the civic center. Dad didn't believe but mom knew me well. She picked me on the side of I-84 (Might have been I-86 back then) somewhere near where Bucklands Mall is nowadays. The early 80's were great. A kid somewhere around 10 years old could be on the interstate for a few miles riding with no helmet, no nothing in the breakdown lane and no police, no one pulled over, no nothing. My was equal parts pissed, freaked out and relieved. I got a giant slurpee from 7-11 on the way home. Neighborhood kids were amazed. Life was good before cell phones, internet, 5G and social media.

 

[August_West]

I remember that but was a bit too young to get the full context. I'll assume this was an inside joke, or a punishment to Muraco since he was obviously gaining weight at that point and wasn't too concerned about having a rock hard body for show?

Similar to the Adrian Adonis or Playboy Buddy Rose stuff as they got fat?

It was more about arrogance. When he had his shot going around the horn with Backlund he was doing interviews while eating jelly doughnuts.

 

[August_West]

Tony Garea and Rick Martel, great tag team combo.

And Before that Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko took had a run with the straps.

 

[dvegas]

I recommend checking out "Tales From the Territories" on Vice network. Good stuff!

 

[B1GEast]

True story.

My dad and the guys from church used to go to Hartford Civic Center and Springfield Civic Center and eventually I got old enough to tag along (Also possible mom wanted me out of the house for the night). First time I ever smelled weed was in the rafters of Springfield Civic Center. My dad was a steady smoker when I was younger and the all the smoke from the civic center would works it way to the top. i didn't necessarily know it was weed at the time but I knew some people were definitely smoking something different than what my dad smoked.

Also true that I once tried to ride my bike to the Hartford Civic Center to see a wrestling show there. Dad was going to take me if I had been behaving well. Guess my parents and I had different definitions and perspectives of what consitutes behaving well so they said wrestling was out. I got on my bike and took the only route I knew which was the interstate. A while after I left my mom came outside asking all the neighborhood kids where I was and they said I told them I was riding my bike to the civic center. Dad didn't believe but mom knew me well. She picked me on the side of I-84 (Might have been I-86 back then) somewhere near where Bucklands Mall is nowadays. The early 80's were great. A kid somewhere around 10 years old could be on the interstate for a few miles riding with no helmet, no nothing in the breakdown lane and no police, no one pulled over, no nothing. My was equal parts pissed, freaked out and relieved. I got a giant slurpee from 7-11 on the way home. Neighborhood kids were amazed. Life was good before cell phones, internet, 5G and social media.

So true. Kids today have no idea what 70's and 89's kids went through.

We were so fortunate to have to figure things out on our own.

I would ride my bike everywhere and parents had no clue where we were, who we were with. No phones, no gps and sometimes no money.

I also remember having to type book reports on a manual typewriter, white out, ink ribbons, going to the library to make copies of research,

Strange new world

 

[Dove]

The Bushwhackers were always a great laugh.

Walkabout: The best of The Bushwhackers

Relive the legendary careers of WWE Hall of Famers The Bushwhackers.

www.wwe.com

 

[hardcorehusky]

The Bushwhackers were always a great laugh.

Walkabout: The best of The Bushwhackers

Relive the legendary careers of WWE Hall of Famers The Bushwhackers.

www.wwe.com

Prior to the WWWF, they were the Sheephearders and were known for their bloodbaths!!

 

[B1GEast]

Alright, here's my two cents

I remember Ivan Putski, the Polish Hammer move.
Bruno Sammartino
Chief J Strong Bow
Afa and Sika the Samoan Brothers
Junk Yard Dog
The Iron Sheik
Hawkshaw Jim Duggan

Managers Captain Lou Albano,
The Grand Wizard - pulled pants off
Miss Elizabeth
Pall Bearer

Randy Macho Man Savage gave the best interviews, still classic today on social media

The royal rumbles and cage matches

I remember buying the toy figures for my nephews

Could go on, too much. WWF was always better than the WCW

 

[B1GEast]

 

[B1GEast]

 

[Dove]

Did Mean Gene say "Six midgets in tag team action?"

 

[August_West]

Dove is the Barry Horowitz of the Boneyard

 

[Dove]

Dove is the Barry Horowitz of the Boneyard

You, sir, need a rake to the face.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Dove is the Barry Horowitz of the Boneyard

 

[Chin Diesel]

Tommy Rich helps Ausrin Idol beat Jerry Lawler. Rich spent six hours under the ting on an air mattress and a six pack of beer.

Story behind it is on the FB page link. YouTube has video of match.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02rXUbgjdEZYC2ih8pQqrAFTY9pnTL33kcTiruk8BWRcWNuidqMdzNH76knWqgcPfvl&id=100027725754346&mibextid=ZbWKwL

 

[nwhoopfan]

I can't even remember which channel it was on, but for a while I kept running across a program called "Tales from the Territories." A bunch of the people from the biz from the 70s and early 80s, spinning yarns and recalling the good 'ol days. Probably many of you would enjoy watching some of that if you can find it.

 

[M.S.G.]

Miss Elizabeth was my first love, what an absolute ROCKET she was.

 

[Waquoit]

I can't even remember which channel it was on, but for a while I kept running across a program called "Tales from the Territories." A bunch of the people from the biz from the 70s and early 80s, spinning yarns and recalling the good 'ol days. Probably many of you would enjoy watching some of that if you can find it.

It's on YouTube. It gets pushed to me.

 

[dvegas]

I recommend checking out "Tales From the Territories" on Vice network. Good stuff!

 

[hardcorehusky]

Did anyone mention Canada's greatest athlete: Iron Mike Sharpe?

 

[traitor71]

It was more about arrogance. When he had his shot going around the horn with Backlund he was doing interviews while eating jelly doughnuts.

 

[traitor71]

There is so much good wrestling content from that era to be found on YouTube. So much of it would never fly today, like this promo from Dr D, David Schultz. He was the guy who smacked John Stossel when he asked if wrestling was fake.