Author Topic: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time  (Read 53134 times)

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Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #45 on: July 09, 2008, 12:11:30 PM »

Offline cdif911

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Canadian Destroyer wow - I should be watching TNA...

my only problem with moves like that are that its obvious the opponent has to help make it work - sort of like when RVD would wrestle, it was hard to believe because his moves would be so easy to avoid if you weren't "in on it" - but regardless, sick unique move there
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Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #46 on: July 09, 2008, 12:13:00 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Canadian Destroyer wow - I should be watching TNA...

my only problem with moves like that are that its obvious the opponent has to help make it work - sort of like when RVD would wrestle, it was hard to believe because his moves would be so easy to avoid if you weren't "in on it" - but regardless, sick unique move there

You mean like every move Jeff Hardy does? 

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #47 on: July 09, 2008, 12:27:38 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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I am an old time wrestling fan and can go way back but without a doubt the greatest wrestler all time is Ric Flair.

If you were able to watch NWA or World Championship Wrestling as it just went national on TBS and got to see the formation of the Four Horsemen and follow that group and storyline out through the years until they broke up and Tully and Arn went to the WWF, you got to witness wrestling at it's most entertaining ever.

The Four Horsemen in the early 80's were superstars the caliber of rock stars and movie stars. Across the southern US the Horsemen coming to town was bigger than Greatful Dead or Lynard Skynyrd. And to watch them just beat the hell out of people was something. Old school stuff, it was awesome.

No one could pump a crowd like Hogan, though for the life of me, now that I look back at old WWF stuff, I don't see why. His matches and stick were all exactly the same. Heck, without a doubt the NWO Hogan was a better entertainer and wrestler and show than anything Hogan did in the WWF before moving south.

McMahon vs Austin may have taken wrestling as we know it to it's pinnacle. Monday Night watching Raw with my three boys and waiting to see how McMahon was going to take it from Stone Cold was, without a doubt, some of the most entertaining moments I have ever had watching TV with the kids.

The Rock has been and always will be the most entertaining of all the modern day wrestlers. He decided not to make a character he just decided to play himself.

I worked for this guy in the mid 90's who was the cousin of the traveling television producer for the WWE. We traveled on business all the time as we were in a service industry. Well, one day he detours off of 95 south in Stamford CT. because we're driving to Jersey and the traffic report for NYC was unreal. He decided to go to say hi to his cousin and give me a tour of the WWE facilities.

Unreal, simply unreal. I spoke with and shook hands with Gorilla Monsoon(hands bigger than any NBA player, simply huge hands) , Alfred Hayes(sweetheart of a guy), the spanish announcing team(I think it's still the same two guys that are doing it today), Lex Luger(complete ass, what a tool), Sable(stunningly gorgeous, as ugly a personality as you could find), and some other lesser guys.

They had one workout area where there were about 4 or five rings set up and all these guys were practicing matches or moves. Computer systems they had there were like nothing I had ever seen. In their television graphics area they had Macs attatched to screens the size of current HDTVs and their interface was futuristic like out of a movie. Then they had this room that was just filled with data storage units holding all their television footage, commercials, anything and everything that may have been televised or film. Each machine was the size of a cigarette or Coca Cola vending machine and cost a half million dollars. They had to have over 200 of them in this one room.

I did get to meet and talk with this behemoth of a dude named Glen. I was having lunch with my boss and his cousin and this guy walks in and sits down, he had to talk to my boss's cousin. So he ends up having lunch with us. Big, nice gentle guy, college graduate trying to break into big time wrestling and was working on this new dentist routine. I laughed, he looked at me. I told him that there wouldn't be a single person out there that would believe he was a dentist. I told him he was a monster of a man it would never work. Both guys smiled at me and said to let the pros handle it.

Glen was a real nice guy. Turns out I was right about the monster part. He now goes by the name Kane.

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #48 on: July 09, 2008, 12:28:45 PM »

Offline cdif911

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Canadian Destroyer wow - I should be watching TNA...

my only problem with moves like that are that its obvious the opponent has to help make it work - sort of like when RVD would wrestle, it was hard to believe because his moves would be so easy to avoid if you weren't "in on it" - but regardless, sick unique move there

You mean like every move Jeff Hardy does? 

just like that - yeah, its weird being a wrestling fan, as you know its not "real" but if you're reminded that by having to supersuspend disbelief it takes away from it
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Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #49 on: July 09, 2008, 12:29:37 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Canadian Destroyer wow - I should be watching TNA...

my only problem with moves like that are that its obvious the opponent has to help make it work - sort of like when RVD would wrestle, it was hard to believe because his moves would be so easy to avoid if you weren't "in on it" - but regardless, sick unique move there

You mean like every move Jeff Hardy does? 

just like that - yeah, its weird being a wrestling fan, as you know its not "real" but if you're reminded that by having to supersuspend disbelief it takes away from it

Action movies are not real either and I still enjoy it. 

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #50 on: July 09, 2008, 12:31:14 PM »

Offline Fox40Kid

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Dr. Isaac Yankem, can't say that worked out well.

I would rather root for Iron Mike Sharp and IRS.
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"Well we made a couple of key trades . . . and we got The Funk."

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #51 on: July 09, 2008, 12:33:16 PM »

Offline cdif911

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I did get to meet and talk with this behemoth of a dude named Glen. I was having lunch with my boss and his cousin and this guy walks in and sits down, he had to talk to my boss's cousin. So he ends up having lunch with us. Big, nice gentle guy, college graduate trying to break into big time wrestling and was working on this new dentist routine. I laughed, he looked at me. I told him that there wouldn't be a single person out there that would believe he was a dentist. I told him he was a monster of a man it would never work. Both guys smiled at me and said to let the pros handle it.

Glen was a real nice guy. Turns out I was right about the monster part. He now goes by the name Kane.

cool story!  I've had the opportunity to meet a few guys, Crash Holly, The Rock, Bob Backlund, some locals too and one of my buddies was on tough enough so I got a little bit of an insider look from his stories

if anyone is looking to read good wrestling books, I think Pure Dynamite is one of the best out there - its the autobiography of the Dynamite Kid and just shows how wrestling has affected his life - the WWE produced books are generally good too - Mick Foley's first one was great, but I feel there's a bit of censorship in them...
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Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #52 on: July 09, 2008, 12:34:23 PM »

Offline cdif911

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Action movies are not real either and I still enjoy it. 

and again, when they make it look realistic its awesome, but I'm sure you've seen a cheesy action movie or two where you're like this is so unrealistic I can't believe it, therefore it stinks (or is so bad its funny)
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Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #53 on: July 09, 2008, 12:37:18 PM »

Offline wdleehi

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Dr. Isaac Yankem, can't say that worked out well.

I would rather root for Iron Mike Sharp and IRS.


Sure it did.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjo9VNPBvCA

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #54 on: July 09, 2008, 12:41:32 PM »

Offline nickagneta

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When it first was done stateside and made it on television the move that always impressed the hell out of me was the Frankenstiener. Watching a man Scott Steiners size leap onto a guy's shoulders from a standing position and then flipp him over backwards using his own momentum and Steiner's leverage was breathtaking. Guys that size and with that amount of muscle on them should not have been able to jump that high or be that flexiable. Unreal.

Also the height on Macho Man's flying elbow was stunning. People say its fake but there was nothing fake about Poffo's athleticism. He could jump through the roof and was as fast as fast gets. Sure steroids later made him a farce but when he first came on in the WWF and Mid South he was an athletic freak of nature. Had seats to watch in the old garden once that were loge right next to the center of the ring, mat high. Savage, jumped to deliver his elbow and that night he had to be 16 feet in the air above the mat at one point.

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #55 on: July 09, 2008, 12:41:44 PM »

Offline RonJohn

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Rowdy Roddy Piper for Smashing the Coconut on Jimmy Snuka's Head!

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #56 on: July 09, 2008, 12:43:29 PM »

Offline PistolPete

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1) Dusty Rhodes
2) Ric Flair
3) Jimmy Superfly Snuka
4) Andy Kaufman

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #57 on: July 09, 2008, 12:47:54 PM »

Offline celts55

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I'm old school.

Andre the giant- mostly because he was great in "The Princess Bride"

BoBo Brazil- in honer of the coco butt

Haystack Calhon- loved the overalls

Can't remember any of their names but I always liked when they had like 5 midgets go agains't I big guy. and of course the ladies, back before they dressed like Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.s.

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #58 on: July 09, 2008, 12:51:21 PM »

Offline Fox40Kid

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Kane works, just not Kane the dentist.

I feel like after his whole feud with the Undertaker he was always the guy you had to fight before you got a title shot.  I feel like it was every week that McMahon would come out and tell someone that if they wanted to fight for the title they had to first beat . . . . .KANE!  And they always did.

I can't say enough about the Macho Man, but what about Leeping Lanny Poffo.  I loved when he would read the poem and throw the Frisbees into the crowd.
"Coach you were 24 and 58 last year, why the playoff talk?"
"Well we made a couple of key trades . . . and we got The Funk."

Re: Favorite Pro Wrestler of all-time
« Reply #59 on: July 09, 2008, 12:52:53 PM »

Offline iowa plowboy

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1) Baron Von Raschke  - a schoolteacher from Omaha.  Hysterical interview.
2) Chief Jay Strongbow - great dancer and great performer
3) George Steele - The funniest performer ever
4) Bruno Sammartino - Nobody made professional wrestling look more real.  The smoothest performer I've ever seen.
5) Ole Anderson - Great interview.
6) Haystacks Calhoun (Nice guy who would stick around and shoot the breeze with a bunch of us young kids..)
7) Mr Fuji  (Greatest sadistic laugh and smirk in wrestling history)
8) Iron Mike Sharpe (The villian chump is the hardest role to play in pro wrestling)
9) Moondog Spot (anybody who eats lightbulbs during an interview should be on the list.)  
10)Mad Dog Vachon (nicest guy you'll ever meet.)  

Honorable mention:  Abdullah the Butcher -
Kamala - Jerry Lawler created the character and has a hysterical account of how he did it in his book.
Lord Steven Regal - The original disdainful appalled look and snobbery was absolutely hilarious.
Fabulous Moolah - Classic villian

Favorite finishing maneuver:
Camel clutch
Heart punch
Claw
Flying hammerlock
Sleeperhold  ;D
Flying Burrito
Bobo Brazil Coco Butt
Jim Brunzell dropkick.  (white guys aren't supposed to get that high in the air.)