Professional Wrestling 1985ish - 1992ish

[TGW93]

Thought you might be interested in this site: The History Of WWE

This was the first event I attended:

WWF @ Southington, CT – High School Gym – November 10, 1982
Tony Garea defeated Fred Marzino (sub. for Eddie Gilbert)
WWF Tag Team Champion Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Charlie Fulton
Ray Stevens defeated WWF Tag Team Champion Jules Strongbow
Ivan Putski defeated Superstar Billy Graham via disqualification
Little Beaver & Sonny Boy Hayes defeated Butch Cassidy & Sky Low Low

 

[huskymedic]

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Just read this.

Saw him wrestle (against Ivan Putski) at Stamford High in 1976. That was the headline match (ended in an early DQ when Putski wouldn't stop arguing with the ref).

I was maybe ten feet from hom when he walked in and it was stunning how big he was and that it was pretty much solid muscle. Putski (who was old at the time and probably the worst shape of his career) looked like a midget in comparison.

Wrestling back then (Andre was only around for a couple of years and he was kept under wraps except when he was wrestling in any given district) had guys who were muscular but weighed maybe 225 (most were a bit shy of 6') and blobs, guys who weighed over 300 lbs (sometimes well over) but were just heavy. Superstar was the first who approached 300 lbs that wasn't a blob (Andre excepted).

I know he had been fighting steroid related health issues for more than 30 years and the last I heard of him ~25 years ago, he had partial amputations of his feet due to circulation issues from diabetes, compounded by a couple decades of steroid use.

May he rest in peace.

 

[Waquoit]

Superstar was an interesting case. When he got the WWWF title, he knew he would have to lose to Bob Backlund in 14 months. But his title run was going so well when it was time to give up the belt it just crushed him emotionally. Wrestling is tough business.

 

[dvegas]

Superstar Graham got a New York Times obituary. Only other two I can remember who got that honor were Andre & Bruno Sammartino Back door access

 

[billythekid]

Superstar Billy Graham wasn't a guy that wrestled on TV very often, so it was always like sighting an exotic bird that you only read about. I remember him participating in the World's Strongest Man competition and thinking how cool that was. Needless to say, this was well before I understood that professional wrestling was all scripted, so seeing one of "our guys" on the screen was extra cool.

 

[Waquoit]

Superstar Billy Graham wasn't a guy that wrestled on TV very often, so it was always like sighting an exotic bird that you only read about.

Like Bruno. The thinking back then was that if you showed them on TV, folks wouldn't pay to watch in person. Now we know that was/is nonsense; if you show them on TV they get even more popular. That's why my wrestling fan buddies and I in college liked the jobbers the best. We watched them every week.

 

[August_West]

Flair and Ricky Steamboat had some epic one hour matches.

Also really liked the Steiner Brothers before Scott got completely 'roided out. Steiners vs. Nasty Boys were some great matches.

The flair steamboat trilogy in 89 where they traded belt back and forth is the peak of pro wrestling.

What Really Is The Best Match In The Ricky Steamboat Vs. Ric Flair Trilogy?

Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat once had a stunning trilogy of matches, but which of the three was their best?

www.thesportster.com

 

[M.S.G.]

There’s a Twitter person that posts “old cards” from ‘84 - ‘94ish, so cool seeing those random house show matchups

 

[August_West]

 

[dvegas]

Seeing that picture reminded me of the stories that Miss Lillian (Jimmy Carter's mother) was a huge pro "rassling" fan, and her son was a big fan of the Allman Brothers.

 

[dvegas]

View attachment 88526

Upon further review, Jerry seems to have regenerated his partially missing digit

 

[John]

Heading to WWE Raw tonight at the XL, not sure what to expect as I don't follow current wrestling.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Waquoit]

A sad day in wrestling history. Thoughts and prayers to all the jabronis out there.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Bob Backlund vs. The Iron Sheik: WWE Championship Match - December 26, 1983

The Iron Sheik challenges Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship at Madison Square Garden on the day after Christmas of 1983 in a bout that would change the course of WWE history.

www.wwe.com

 

[Waquoit]

Bob Backlund vs. The Iron Sheik: WWE Championship Match - December 26, 1983

The Iron Sheik challenges Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship at Madison Square Garden on the day after Christmas of 1983 in a bout that would change the course of WWE history.

www.wwe.com

"Hello, Vince! What's up?"
"Two things, Bob. One, Merry Christmas!"
"You too. The other?"
"You drop the belt tomorrow!"

 

[Hoophound]

I have you buy 10 years so these may pre-date you, but WWF was fantastic in the '80s.

Great personalities like the Macho Man, Jimmy "Super Fly" Snooka Jake the Snake, Paul Orndorf.

Great villains like Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Ric Flair, Adrian Adonis, The Iron Sheik, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.

Even better were the managers. Jimmy Hart, The Grand Wizard, Lou Albano and my favorite was Classy Freddy Blassie.

It was also the golden era of Tag Teams too. Saito and Fuji, Tony Garrea and Rick Martell, the Moon Dogs, British Bulldogs, Strongbow Brothers.

And don't forget the referee Danny Davis, banned for 99 years! LOL!

I learned just last week that Saito and Fuji were only a tag team for like 18 months. I think of them as a mainstay of 80’s wrestling.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Gonna drop this here rather than the movie trailer thread, might be of interest to some. No chance any of the actors got roided up for this, right?

 

[Waquoit]

I learned just last week that Saito and Fuji were only a tag team for like 18 months. I think of them as a mainstay of 80’s wrestling.

That's a sign of their greatness, I believe. I was lucky to see them close up at Stamford High. Great match that ended (by mistake I'm sure) when Rick Martell went through the ropes instead of off them. He was still on the ground when the crowd was leaving.

 

[CL82]

Every time Chief Jay Strongbow would come on, my old man would say "He's no Indian, you know. He's a ginny garbage man from New Jersey."

There was no internet back then. I just assumed somehow he knew something. A few years ago, I was telling that story and checked it out. Sure enough, he's italian and from New Jersey! No idea if he was a garbage man or not, but at this point, I have to believe my old man there! LOL

Dads know things.

(FWIW I read that as "ginny" as in "a drinker of gin."

 

[M.S.G.]

Gonna drop this here rather than the movie trailer thread, might be of interest to some. No chance any of the actors got roided up for this, right?

This actually surprisingly looks very good

 

[Atomicfear]

the goat!!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

My early recollections of wrestling were WWWF on Saturday mornings. Andre the Giant, Baron Miguel Secluna from the Isle of Malta, Haystack Calhoun, Bruno Sammartino. I remember they put a big red X on the TV when Killer Kowalski applied the abdominal claw. Stan the Man Stasiak and the Heart Punch. Tony Garea and either Dean Ho or someone else against Mr Fuji and Professor Toru Tanaka and throwing salt in their opponents eyes. Great stuff.
80's great stuff. In the 90's I was losing interest until I saw this crazy wrestling at 1am. ECW was amazing. Story lines, etc. So many OMG moments. They incorporated tables, lucha style, etc with crazy characters.

You left out Ivan Putski and (billed as his cousin, no idea if they were related) the Mighty Igor.