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).
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”.
The Top 20 Heels of All-Time
Originally published on April 15, 2004
Written by Darby Gatorade
In my humble opinion, heels are the hardest workers of all in wrestling. Any shmuck can go out as a babyface and get cheered, but in order to get the crowd to REALLY hate you, and have them wishing that the babyface shmuck would tear your head off, you have to understand the ins-and-outs of wrestling and the psychology from start to end. I’m just a fan, but I recognise that it’s not as easy as it looks. The reaction a heel gets is often refered to as “heat” and in many cases, you either have it — or you don’t have it. These are some of the wrestlers and factions that exemplify that definition.
THE BRAWL FOR ALL
Another WWE Black Eye…Literally
Originally published May 23, 2003
Written by Emer Prevost
Anyone remember the Toughman competition? You know, that sport where redneck wannabe boxers step into a cheap ring in a seedy arena and beat the crap out of each other? You may have seen it on the FX Network, and it still sucked. Well, this 24 year old sport is the last thing you would expect the WWE to rip-off of, right? Well, if you thought that, you haven’t been watching the WWE for too long, or you have simply phased out the Brawl For All tournament.
The Top 20 Babyfaces of All-Time
Originally published on March 31, 2004
Written by Darby Gatorade
Note about photo: The von Erich family…. left to right: Kerry, David, Mike, Chris (with belt), Kevin, and Fritz.
The von Erich Family: Fritz von Erich was a major heel in the 60s & 70s as a typical Nazi sympathizer, which was easy heat back then. Once Fritz settled in Texas he and his wife started having kids, a whole crop of boys who would grow up to be the State’s most popular wrestlers. Kevin, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris von Erich were adored by all the fans that came to see them at the famed Sportatorium for events promoted by their father with World Class Championship Wrestling. With every huge babyface, you need a heel (or heels) to go up against them. For the von Erichs, this was the Fabulous Freebirds, who came from Georgia; and you bet your ass they used that to get under the Texas-fans skin.
This was one of the most famous and controversial matches (actually there was two) to ever take place. Ric Flair went into great detail over his matches in the Dominican Republic with local icon Jack Veneno.
The Forgotten Supercard: Starrcade 1987
Originally published on April 5, 2004
Written by Eric James Taylor
Note about Photo: “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin, who had wrestled the NWA World Heavyweight title away from Ric Flair just a few months before, went into the event with the championship, and the much-anticipated rematch!
In this day and age, any pay-per-view is considered by those within the business as a “supercard”. Unfortunately for wrestling fans these days, a supercard is rarely all that super. To enlighten the newer fans as to what the term “supercard” once meant, I will analyze perhaps the greatest supercard of them all, in my opinion, the NWA’s Starrcade ’87: Chi-Town Heat event. On November 26th, 1987, Thanksgiving night, a sell-out crowd in the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, IL saw perhaps what is arguably one of the greatest events of all time. This event certainly made an impact on me, as I still have yet to ever see a match that will rival the pops received in even some of the undercard matches on this event. The buildup to the event itself was almost a year long affair. Falling on the heels of Jim Crockett’s purchase of Bill Watt’s UWF, this event promised many great matches, including a few interpromotional matches.
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