Happy New Year to all of you…
As 2011 ends and 2012 begins, it’s time for the 15th annual AS I SEE ITYear-End Review. As usual, I should note that my selections are based on whatI’ve actually seen this year, either live, online, on TV, or via tape/DVD;which primarily means North American wrestling.
Written by Darbie Gatorade
When I am bored I often have to deal with an unsuspecting flow of creative juices. Someone recently challenged me to come up with some fantasy booking ideas and I sometimes get carried away. What started out as a fun little game ended up being a 42-match marathon. When you read down this list of matches, please remember that wrestlers are assumed to be in their prime.
In my mind this is the ultimate wrestling show (which would end up being a full blown weekend of incredible matches). In fact I have split the madness up into three nights, with three strategically booked cards, each with multiple epic main events. I took a lot of time organizing the cards so the shows would flow in a manner that would keep the fans attention. It’s not as easy as it looks, considering I set a rule that I could only use a wrestler once for the entire weekend. This my attempt at fantasy booking.
Look at each match, close your eyes, and imagine how the match would play out in your head. You might find your own creative juices flowing. You’re encouraged to leave comments at the bottom of the page. Please use your imagination when you read this article and enjoy yourself!
Promoting the Promoters
Originally published in August 2004
Written by Darby Gatorade
Vince McMahon Sr. & Jr.: The McMahons are undoubtedly the “cream of the crop” as far as Wrestling Promoters go. Vince Sr. got started in the Northeast with his partner Toots Mondt with a promotion called Capitol Wrestling. Vince Sr. eventually broke off from the NWA in 1963 and formed the World Wide Wrestling Federation; following in the footsteps of the AWA, which broke off in 1960. The New York territory was known as the place to be for American wrestlers, and it was the place to make the most money. Booking Madison Square Garden in a city like New York was beneficial to everyone involved! Of course Vince Sr. sold the WWF to his son, Vince Jr, who took the company to new heights and eventually put just about everyone else out of business. Despite that, Vince Jr. has done a lot for wrestling and single handedly brought it into the homes of a huge percentage of fans around the world. After many accusations of steroid abuses and exposes’, the Mcmahons renamed their organization – from WWF, World Wrestling Federation to WWE – World Wide Entertainment, (WWE).
Written by Shockage via the OWW Genesis Forums
We are all now well aware of the events that lead to the death of AWA. Bad choices in booking and promoting, the inability to follow the changing times, the need for older mat based only wrestlers being on top, and selfish demands on money all helped to destroy AWA. If one was to look at AWA, they had a big name of stars that were still there in AWA, and had the talent and ability to be huge. We will look at 1988; the last year that AWA had a chance to stay afloat had they made different choices.
Originally published on December 3, 2003
Written by OWW columnist Kenneth Coker
Editor’s note: This column is being republished in tribute to the 8th anniversary of the death of Larry Booker (aka Larry Latham or Moondog Spot in the world of professional wrestling) .
Larry passed from this life, on Novemeber 27th, 2003 at a building where he had performed probably thousands of times, The Mid-South Coliseum. He was only 51 years old.
It is certainly a sad day for not only Memphis Wrestling, but wrestling in itself, as one of the greats has left us. There are some things I’d like to point out about Spot, and his impact on my youth, and some accomplishments of his, as well.
Larry never really left his home base of West Tennessee. Despite all the success, he still called the Dyerburg community home, a place which my father and my family is from.
Years ago, when Vince McMahon bought out Stampede Wrestling, the seeds were planted for the future Hart Foundation stable. As part of the agreement for buying Stampede Wrestling, Stu Hart made sure that Vince McMahon also hired Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Davey Boy Smith to work in the WWE.
Almost Didn’t Happen
The stable (and much of wrestling history) would not have happened had Bret Hart followed through on his desire to quit the WWE early on his career. When Jim Neidhart and Bret Hart were first hired into the WWE, they were singles wrestlers. Jim Neidhart was managed by Jimmy Hart, while Bret Hart was given a cowboy gimmick. He hated the gimmick so much that he threatened to leave the WWE. Fortunately for everyone, the writers changed their minds and allowed Bret Hart to turn heel and form a tag team with Jim Neidhart.
With so many wrestlers abusing substances, getting injured, and dying young, one place to point the finger at is the tough road schedule that they endure.
Full Schedule
A lot of fans are unaware how many days their favorite WWE superstars work a week. Some assume that they only work one night a week based on the fact that they only see them once a week on television.
Mark Henry’s rise to the main event has had a very good buildup. However, the fans simply don’t seem to care about him. He does not get the reaction a heel that has been pushed as much as him should be getting, and fans don’t love him either. They simply don’t care.
First of all, the fact that WWE is actually pushing Henry into the main event of Smackdown should be a clear indicator that the company is in a state of transitioning. Vince McMahon no longer has his veteran main event performers to rely on anymore. He must push new talent into the main event, and new stars have to be created in order for the company to survive.
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A drunken clown once told me “WRESTLING…. In Canada, it’s a Tradition… in Mexico, it’s a Religion…. in Japan, it’s a Sport… in America…. It’s a Joke.”
Now he told me he read that on a message board so if I’m ripping somebody off, I humbly apologize, but this is the most genius statement I’ve ever read! Its level of truth is unlimited..
A friend of mine purchased a travel package to go to New York for five days to watch WrestleMania XX and take in all the festivities. Now THAT’S a mark! No, I take that back, THAT’S a WWE-mark! I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I’m glad you enjoy the WWE that much. Vince McMahon’s accountant says you’re not alone. But what I do take offense to is when you call yourself a “Wrestling Fan”……. Uhhhhh, stop the music, no, you are NOT a wrestling fan, you are a WWE fan! A “Wrestling Fan” or “Wrestling Mark” has seen all forms of the sport; Lucha Libre, Puroreso, Independant, and from its purest form back in the early 1900s, until the 1970s, BEFORE it was transformed into “Sports Entertainment”.
