Copyright
This document is compilation copyright (c) 1995, 1996 by Dominic Macika and compilation copyright (c) 1993, 1994 by Cal Jewell. It may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety as long as this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated into commercial products without the editor's written permission. [Compilation copyright means that you can freely use individual sections of this document, but any significant collection of sections is subject to the copyright.]
Please read this document before posting to rec.sport.pro-wrestling. If you don't want to see this posting anymore, please add the subject line to your kill file.
Comments, additions, suggestions, and corrections are encouraged. Send them to: macika@emunix.emich.edu
Index
Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling (r.s.p-w or RSPW for short) is a usenet discussion group. The main topic of discussion is pro-wrestling, however, the group is loosely defined by its original charter and often includes related topics, such as other combat sports. For a more in-depth look at what pro-wrestling is, please read the 1.3. Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?
If you know how to FTP, you can get a copy from the following location:
site: rtfm.mit.eduYou can also get a current copy of this FAQ by sending e-mail with a subject of "get FAQ" to macika@emunix.emich.edu
location: /pub/usenet-by-group/rec.sport.pro-wrestling/
filename: [rec.sport.pro-wrestling]_FAQ_(part_0?_02)Note: email requests for the FAQ and regular posting of the FAQ are currently done manually.
2. Other information sources
2.1. Are there any mailing lists related to r.s.p-w?
Yes. There is a public mailing lists known to this editor. It is for discussion of video tapes and video tape trading. For info on that list, send email with a subject of "help" to: majordomo@cc.gatech.edu2.2. Are there any r.s.p-w FTP sites?
Yes. There is one known to the FAQ Editor.2.3. Are there any WWW sites related to r.s.p-w?If you are not familiar with FTP, or if you are new to the net, ask somebody at YOUR SITE for help. Please, don't pester r.s.p-w with "how do I FTP" posts.
Also, please observe the hours listed and do not abuse the resources.
site: piper.swan.ac.uk
hours: 24hrs/day with periodic downtime
admin: j.hussell@swansea.ac.ukIf you're from the U.S. use the following:
username: USGUEST
password: USAIf you're from the U.K. use the following:
username: UKGUEST
password: GBRFrom any other part of the world use the following:
username: WLGUEST
password: WLDIf you want to upload anything to the site, please get confirmation first by mailing J.Hussell@swansea.ac.uk
Yes. There is one site that is considered the "R.S.P-W Homepage". It is maintained by Mark Long. The URL for the site is:http://orion .it.luc.edu/~mlong/wrestling.html
There are many other wrestling related web sites out there, including an ECW site and many sites maintained by individauls.
2.4. What other information is available over the internet?
Herb Kunze makes weekly posts to r.s.p-w under the subject heading "Wrestling Tidbits" which reviews top news stories in the wrestling world over the past week. These posts also contain details on upcoming major events in pro-wrestling.2.5. Are any wrestlers or promoters reachable on via the net?The following people keep -- and occasionally post -- the following lists and information. If you would like a copy of one of these lists, it is strongly suggested that you make the request through e-mail rather than posting a request directly to r.s.p-w.
Also, the following lists are posted to the newsgroup by the FAQ editor along with the FAQ: If you keep track of an "official list" for r.s.p-w, please send e-mail to macika@emunix.emich.edu so I can put you in this list.
- Gary Will (ax760@freenet.carleton.ca) - Listing of deceased wrestlers
- Rick Duggan (duggan@cc.gatech.edu) - Wrestling Relations
- Byron C. Howes (bch@uncecs.edu) - Glossary of wrestling terms
Sure. However, due to a desire for privacy, most keep their email addresses private. A few notable exceptions post to r.s.p-w, including promoters Joe Pedicino, Dennis Coraluzzo and Ed Zohn and wrestlers Johnny B Badd and Brian Pillman. We ask that you respect the privacy of those who do have an email address, but don't actively participate in r.s.p-w.2.6. How can I subscribe to newsletters?
There are a number of newsletters and fanzines (commonly referred to as "Sheets") published regularly about pro-wrestling.Topics include results, info, opinion, memorabilia and history, just to name a few. Like all else, some are good, some are not. For what it's worth, The Wrestling Observer has by far the largest circulation of all wrestling newsletters.
A large (although not nearly complete) listing of sheets is posted as a separate file semi-regularly by the editor.
2.7. Are there any books available on pro-wrestling?
There is a very good book available called Wrestling Title Histories written by Royal Duncan and Gary Will. You can get information about ordering this book by writing Gary at
Wrestling Title Histories
c/o Gary Will
PO Box 40005
Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada N2J 4V1or via email at:
ax760@freenet.carleton.ca3. WWF
3.1. What is the story behind the forming of the WWF?
As NWA champion, Buddy Rogers' bookings were controlled by Toots Mondt, promoter in the Northeast. The other NWA promoters were dissatisfied because Mondt rarely let Rogers defend the belt outside the Northeast. Mondt and Vince McMahon Sr. wanted to keep Rogers and the NWA title, but Rogers didn't want to lose his $25,000 deposit on the belt. So Rogers lost the NWA title to Lou Thesz in Toronto on January 24, 1963.3.2. When did the WWWF become the WWF?Rogers was not recognized as the first WWWF champion right after losing to Thesz. Instead, Rogers was awarded the WWWF title in mid-April 1963, with the explanation that he has won a (fictitious) tournament in Rio de Janeiro. He lost the title to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, 1963. Rogers would have likely had a longer reign as champion, but, he suffered a heart attack shortly before the match with Bruno. This explains both the brevity of the match (47 seconds) with Bruno and the subsequent disappearance of Rogers from the ring. Some reports have Rogers almost had to be wheeled into the ring, due to his weakened condition. Rogers retired after this match, although he did return to the ring in 1967.
The best information available suggests that the name change took place in mid 1979. The change was purely a cosmetic one. Ownership and front office personnel remained unaffected. About this same time, the WWF phased out their North American title and replaced it with what is today known as the Intercontinental title.3.3. Who currently owns and runs the WWF?For the sake of clarity, all WWWF and WWF titles mentioned in this document are referred to as WWF titles.
Since the WWF is a privately held company, we have no way of knowing their exact internal structure. However, reports have Linda McMahon (Vince's wife) as President of Titan Sports (the WWF's parent company) while Vince McMahon Jr. remains CEO and Chairman of the Board of Titan Sports.Vince Jr. was given control of the WWF by his father, Vince Sr. Although Vince McMahon Sr. died in May 1984, he had turned over control of the business to his son sometime around late 1982 or early 1983.
The most widely believed story is that McMahon Sr. divested his Capitol Wrestling Corporation (under which he promoted the W[W]WF) in late 1982/early 1983. McMahon Sr. then incorporated Titan Sports as the WWF's new parent company and gave half of Titan's stock to his son. Vince Sr. also gave 1/6 stock each to Arnold Skoaland, Phil Zacko (who was the promoter in Philadelphia and surrounding regions) and Robert Marella (aka Gorilla Monsoon). Upon receiving their shares of Titan stock, Skoaland, Zacko, and Marella promptly sold them to McMahon Jr. for $100,000 each, primarily out of their uncertainty of Vince Jr's business skills. In return, Vince Jr. gave Skoaland and Marella guaranteed 10-year jobs with Titan. In May 1994, it was confirmed that Vince McMahon owns 100% of Titan.
4. WCW
4.1. When did the NWA become WCW?
In November, 1988, Jim Crockett sold Jim Crockett Promotions to WTBS. Crockett promotions had been the promotion most widely associated with the NWA. In order to distance itself from the NWA, which still existed as a paper organization at the time, WTBS began to change the name of its titles and television programs from NWA to WCW. The change took place in late 1990. By January, 1991, the WCW name was fully in place and the NWA name was all but dropped by the organization.4.2. Who owns and runs WCW?
WCW is owned by WTBS and Ted Turner. The position in WTBS most widely considered as being in control of the wrestling promotion is the Executive Vice President in charge of Wrestling Operations. This title is currently held by Eric Bischoff. In recent years Jim Herd, K. Allen Frey and Bill Watts have been in that position.4.3. When Ric Flair left WCW in 1991, why did he take the title belt with him?
Flair owned the NWA Heavyweight title belt that had been in use since 1986. When Flair's contract with WCW ran out on July 1, 1991, they were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Jim Herd wanted to cut Flair's salary and reduce his role in the company. When Flair arrived in the WWF in September, 1991, he billed himself as the "Real World's Champion" and used his NWA belt to back it up. The ownership of the belt and the right to be called the "NWA Heavyweight Champion" was taken to court. Flair and WCW eventually settled the matter out of court in spring 1992. The exact terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but WCW bought the belt for a rumored US$28,000.5. NWA
5.1. What was the NWA and how did it get started?
The NWA was and is the National Wrestling Alliance. In 1948, a group of mid-western promoters joined forces as the NWA with the idea of working together instead of working in competition. Orville Brown was named the first NWA champion on July 14, 1948. It should be noted that any attempts to trace the NWA World Heavyweight title back further than this are necessarily fictitious. The organization simply did not exist. Any attempt to trace a contiguous world heavyweight title back further than this is simply a combination of various world champions as recognized by a number of different promoters and commissions. The myth of a NWA title history dating back to 1905 was perpetuated in early NWA programs, which listed just such a title history, in an attempt to build credibility for the title. It should also be noted that this history also omits Orville Brown. The NWA's immediate predecessor as the most widely recognized world title was the National Wrestling Association championship which was held by Lou Thesz at the time of the formation of the NWA. A title unification match was scheduled for November 25, 1949 between Thesz and Brown and it is believed that Brown was scheduled to win that match. However, Brown suffered a career ending injury in a car accident prior to the match. On November 27, 1949, Thesz was awarded the NWA title.5.2. What is the NWA today?
Today, the NWA still exists, but in a very different form. The only relation it bears to the NWA of 1948 to 1985 is on paper. The NWA Board currently consists of Jim Crockett, Dennis Coraluzzo and Steve Rickard, although it has been rumored that Crockett has been served papers expelling him from the organization. Crockett is not currently promoting wrestling. Coraluzzo runs a promotion in New Jersey. Rickard promotes in New Zealand. Also, Howard Brody runs an NWA affiliated group in Florida.5.3. What happened to the NWA?On February 24, 1995, Chris Candido lost the NWA title in Erlanger, KY to Dan Severn. After the split with WCW and two tournaments which intended to crown champions, this was the first time the NWA title changed hands in the ring in nearly two years.
The transformation of the NWA into its current state took place simply because the promoters stopped cooperating. Problems in the NWA can be traced back into the 1970's but the major changes came in 1985. In an attempt to turn into a national promotion, Jim Crockett obtained the WTBS wrestling time slot from the WWF in March, 1985. With this exposure, combined with controlling power over the NWA title, Crockett was able to strong arm the other member promotions into complying with his requests. Many of the other promotions ended up going out of business or being bought up by Crockett. Eventually, however, Crockett too ran into problems and sold his promotion to Ted Turner. The Turner controlled WCW continued, but with the exception of using the NWA name in a co-promotional effort with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the NWA essentially no longer existed except as a paper organization.In 1992 and 1993, a number of promoters applied for membership in the NWA and some were accepted. Among these promoters was Dennis Coraluzzo, who became an NWA board member and began demanding dates with the NWA champion. In the ensuing legal struggle, WCW resigned its membership, but kept the "NWA" title belt, which it had legal ownership of. Meanwhile, Coraluzzo and the remaining NWA promoters were left without any powerful members and without a champion.
6. Other North American Federations
6.1. United States Wrestling Association (USWA)
The Memphis area has been a hot area for wrestling for decades. It has operated out of the Mid-South Coliseum since the 1950s, originally under the operations of Nick Gulas and Roy Welch. It became the USWA in August, 1989 when promoter Jerry Jarrett began copromoting the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The area has thrived since the mid-70s on the performance of one man, Jerry Lawler. Regular stars include Lawler, his son Brian Christopher, Bill Dundee and announcer Lance Russell.6.2. Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)Fred Deaton posts regular USWA TV show reports. Here is his description of the promotion: "A very unique local promotion with local 'stars' and local 'story lines'. Usually involves a Mega Heel-good guy combo persona garnering the attention, half cheers half boos; a time honored feud that never resolves; gimmick matches; a place for new rising or older stars to change their routine; and a 'local' rising young star moving up."
ECW began operating in 1992 as Eastern Championship Wrestling. In August, 1994, the name was changed from Eastern to Extreme. It operates in Philadelphia, with spot shows in the surrounding Pennsylvania area. The wrestling operations are currently handled by Tod Gordon (who also finances the promotion) and Paul Heyman (manager Paul E Dangerously) It is currently available on the Sports Channel America syndication package and on AIN satellite. Current top stars are Shane Douglas, 2 Cold Scorpio and more. ECW does not rely on the traditional face/heel structure. Instead, uses high-impact, fast paced action to get its wrestlers over.6.3. Championship Wrestling USA (CWUSA)Regular ECW reports and updates are posted by Tom Misnik (Mr. ECW), MadDogJMF and Dave Scherer. Ed Zohn, an ECW promoter, is also a member of the net. The fans who attend live shows regularly and participate on the net are too numerous to list.
Additionaly, ECW maintains it's own WWW site at: http://www.gstand.com/ecw/
CWUSA currently operates out of Vancouver, Washington. It formed in late 1992 after the demise of Don Owen's Pacific Northwest Wrestling. It is operated by Sandy Barr, who used to work for Owen. It originally operated out of Portland, OR, but moved across the river to Vancouver after running into trouble with the Oregon Wrestling Commission.6.4. National Wrestling Alliance - New Jersey (NWA)
This NWA, operated by Dennis Coraluzzo, runs irregular shows in New Jersey. It currently has no TV show. Current top star is Dan Severn.6.5. MichiganDave Prazak and Marc Coraluzzo both post occasional NWA updates.
Michigan is currently running several independant promotions, many of which use the same talent. MidWest Championship Wrestling has been around for several years. It is currently promoted by Malcolm Monroe and Scott D'Amore. Great Lakes Wrestling is the wrestler's wrestling promotion, run by the wrestlers who work on the card. It is currently promoted by Mike Machine Gun Kelly. The NWA runs occasionally for benefit shows and are promoted by Dan Severn. Motor City Wrestling, promoted by Coach Kurt Schneider, occasionally runs cards in the area. Across the border in Windsor, Ontario, Scott D'Amore and Chuck Fader promote Border City Wrestling. Two of wrestling biggest and most famous fans, Roddy Hogan and Joey Baggadonuts, are found in Michigan. Roddy Hogan is the famous Hulk Hogan look-a-like at most major WWF/WCW events.6.6. New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA)
The NEWA is based out of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The promotion began in 1992 and has been run by Joseph Dellsandro since 1993. They have a tv show on Dimension cable in RI every Saturday. Of special note is former NEWA Tag Team champion, Liberty, who has long been a member of r.s.p-w under his real name, Matt West. Matt posts occasional reports on NEWA shows and describes the promotion as: "The NEWA is a hybrid of older NWA and WWF... with a new influx of ECW & AAA styles."6.7. Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (MEWF)
The MEWF, promoted by Dennis Wipprecht, has been active in the Baltimore area since 1991. For the past year, the MEWF has run monthly cards at Bingo Bill's at 10 Stemmers Run Rd. in Essex, MD. The MEWF uses a lot of local talent, including Corporal Punishment, Mad Dog O'Malley and Morgus the Maniac, as well as bringing in a few name wrestlers, such as The Raven (Johnny Polo, Scotty Flamingo), Axl Rotten and Road Warrior Hawk.RSPWF regular Jeff Amdur works as timekeeper at MEWF shows and this is what he had to say about the promotion:
The MEWF is the *only* promotion now regularly putting on shows in the Baltimore area, and draws both hard-core and family-type spectators in an area that was solid WWF for many years. It tries to present the type of cards that Baltimoreans were used to seeing before the "big two" sanitized its product beyond recognition.The fact that the MEWF is able to put on exciting matches and draw reasonably well in spite of the restrictions of the Maryland State Athletic Commission (no wrestling outside of the gate surrounding the ring, heavy fines for blading or other intentional blood) attests to its durability and popularity.
6.8. The National Wrestling League (NWL)
The NWL, is run by Dick Caricofe, out of Hagerstown, MD. Dick runs cards from September to June in western Maryland and adjoining venues in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. There are monthly cards at the livestock auction house in Boonsboro, Md. During the summer Dick runs cards at county and state fairs and other outdoor locations. Talent includes local stars, such as Neil "the Power" Superior and Shane Shadows, and has also included many bigger name stars from the independent circuit. RSPW regular Jeff Amdur has worked as timekeeper at NWL events.6.9. International Wrestling Federation (IWF)
Run by Walter "Killer" Kowalski, whose star pupils include Big John Studd, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and the Eliminators, the IWF runs for the most part on a monthly basis in points around New England. Last year, the Mutants of Boston (MOB) began posting about these shows, and they quickly got noticed by the wrestlers and now have made some connections and have become in a way accepted into their "family". Some of Walter's more promising proteges include Tony Roy (or Antoine Roy), Chris Duffy, Tim McNeany, the Smooth Operator and Brian Walsh, most of which can be see on WWF TV. The IWF has been able to get WWF stars for their main events, with King Kong Bundy, Adam Bomb, Bob Backlund, and Hakushi being among them.6.10. Minnesota
There are a handful of indies running cards in Minnesota all using the same talent. They are all based in Minneapolis but many will tour to the far corners of the state and also neighboring states like Wisconsin. The main promotions are:6.11. United States Championship WrestlingThe area, as described by Otto Heuer: "In addition to being a feeder to the Big Two (1-2-3 Kid and Jerry Lynn sprung out of the PWA) it is also a place for name stars that the Big Two no longer want (Tom Zenk, Road Warrior Hawk, Terry Funk, etc). Current stars include The Kamikaze Kid, The Hater (of The Punishers), Randy "The Judge" Gusto, T-Rex, Dan Jesser, Mr Dynamic, etc). The cards are filmed for two local access cable shows."
- PWA (Pro Wrestling America)
- NPW (Northern Premiere Wrestling)
- IWA (Not sure what the acronym stands for)
- UWC (Not sure what the acronym stands for)
- UWF (Ultimate Wrestling Federation)
- UCW (Ultimate Championship Wrestling/Phoenix Promotions)
The USCW was founded in 1993 by promoter Sal Conte. They run shows in PA,OH and WV. They also run a wrestling school. On their shows they usually import a couple of "big names" (Virgil, Johnny Gunn, Jimmy Snuka) but, usually use mainly local talent. Currently, they have a saturday morning television show on channel 7 in West Virginia.7. Japan
7.1. How did pro wrestling get its start in Japan?
Pro-wrestling in Japan dates back nearly as far as it does in the US. In 1883, former sumo, Shokichi Hamada, left to tour the US as the first Japanese pro-wrestler. In 1887, Hamada brought 20 American wrestlers to Tokyo for a series of shows. The first show sold-out, but subsequent shows failed to draw any crowds.7.2. What is AJPW?Several attempts were made to spark an interest in wrestling in Japan, none of which were successful until the 1950's. Rikidozan, who retired from Sumo in 1950, became Japan's first big name male drawing card. He made his debut in 1951. In 1953, he formed the Japan Wrestling Alliance. He continued to wrestle until his death in December, 1963.
All-Japan Pro Wrestling is Shohei Baba's group in Japan. Baba, a former pro baseball pitcher, joined the JWA in 1960. In October, 1972, he left the JWA and formed his own group, AJPW. His group continues to promote today, with a television show on Nippon TV. The main titles are the Triple Crown (unified United National, International and PWF Heavyweight titles), the World Tag Team title (unified International and PWF tag team titles), the World Junior Heavyweight title and the Asian Tag Team title.7.3. What is NJPW? Is it different from IWGP?
Kanji Inoki, a japanese emigrant to Brazil, was scouted by Rikidozan in 1960, and brought to Japan to join the JWA. He later changed his name to Antonio Inoki. In 1966, Inoki made his first attempt at breaking away from the JWA and forming his own group, Tokyo Pro-Wrestling. In 1967, Inoki suddenly rejoined the JWA and Tokyo Pro folded. In 1971, Inoki was expelled from the JWA when it as discovered that he was planning a coup to take over the promotion. Inoki subsequently formed his second group, New Japan Pro Wrestling and ran his first card in March, 1972. The group has now grown to be the largest and most popular wrestling group in Japan. It currently has a show on TV Asahi.7.4. What other groups are there in Japan?In 1983, New Japan created the International Wrestling Grand Prix titles, which are now the main titles of the group: the IWGP Heavyweight title, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title and the IWGP Tag Team titles.
There are numerous other groups in Japan. In 1994 it was reported that there were in excess of 30 wrestling groups operating in Tokyo alone. The other groups include the IWA, W*ING, Kitao Dojo, Michinoku Pro, Rings, and many more.7.5. What about the Japanese Women's groups?
The first women's shows were held in Japan in 1948. The women's groups caught fire in 1954, when Sankei Shinbun Newspaper promoted a show with Mildred Burke, billed as the first WWWA world champion, and six other American wrestlers and four Japanese wrestlers. They ran three consecutive sellouts at the old Sumo Hall.7.6. What is Shootwrestling?There are currently a number of Japanese Women's groups, including All-Japan Women, LLPW, JWP and Gaea Japan.
Shootwrestling is the idea of making wrestling matches seem as legitimate or "real" as possible. It got its start in 1984 in the original UWF group, with such stars as Akira Maeda, Super Tiger (Satoru Sayama, the original Tiger Mask), Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Kazuo Yamazaki. Also in the group were Nobuhiko Takada and Osamu Kido. The original UWF was popular, but for various reasons did not succeed. The second Japanese UWF formed in 1988 with Maeda, Fujiwara and Takada as top stars. In 1992, this group split into UWF-Fujiwara Gumi (later PWF) RINGS and UWFI. Currently, there are a number of "shoot" groups in Japan, such as Pancrase and Rings. UWFI aired some of its shows in the US on PPV under the Shootwrestling name, but the group folded in 1995.7.7. How do I get to see Japanese wrestling?
There is currently no Japanese wrestling available on North American TV, including satellite. However, if you live in North America and want to see it, you still have a number of options available. Many Japanese bookstores and shops in the US sell or rent tapes of Japanese TV shows. Check any similar shops in your area and ask if they carry it. Or, you can buy/trade for someone else who gets it. Another possibility is to find a friend who lives in Japan who is willing to tape it directly off of tv for you.New Japan is available in Europe on Eurosport. The show is called World Superstars of Wrestling. It airs Thursdays, 8pm UK time, with repeats on Friday at 10pm and Saturday at 11am. The shows are nine months to two years out of date. It occasionally pre-empted or moved in favor of other shows.
UWFI is shown in the UK on Sky Sport. The show is called Bushido and airs on Saturday at 10pm UK time. The shows are approximately three years behind. It is also occasionally pre-empted.
8. Mexico
8.1. What are the major Mexican groups?
There are two major wrestling groups in Mexico: the EMLL - Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre and AAA - Asestencia Asesoria Administracion.8.2. What is Lucha Libre?EMLL translates loosely to Mexican Wrestling Empire or Mexican Wrestling Company. The EMLL is the oldest existing wrestling promotion, having run its first show on September 21, 1933.
AAA is run by Antonio Pena and owned by Mexican television station Televisa. It was formed in 1992.
Lucha Libre is a phrase that describes the professional wrestling most commonly found in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Lucha Libre is usually used to describe Mexican wrestling, which incorporates high flying, acrobatic wrestling with a sense of live theater. Lucha Libre in Mexico is often characterized by tests of Machismo. The Mexican wrestlers will often apply what appear to be lame slaps to their opponent's chest and face not in an effort to "hurt" their opponent, but more so as an insult to his manhood.8.3. What's with all the masks in Mexico?The phrase "Lucha Libre" is an idiom that best translates to English as "the free fight". Derived from Lucha Libre is the word "Luchadores", which refers to the men that wrestle the Lucha Libre style.
The masks worn by the Luchadores are inspired by ancient Aztec traditions of masked warriors. The mask is considered the most precious thing a Luchador has. When a wrestler loses his mask, he has suffered the ultimate dishonor, the ultimate humiliation. Very few wrestlers will make it through their entire career without losing their mask. Only the true legends get to retire with their anonymity intact.8.4. I don't know Spanish, what does [some_word] mean?El Santo (The Saint) is perhaps the most famous case of a Luchador retiring without ever being unmasked. When he died in 1984, El Santo was buried with his mask on.
Obviously, there isn't room to define every word you'll hear if you watch a Lucha match. However, here are a few words which should help you figure out a little of what's going on:8.5. What's with all the midgets in Lucha Libre?
aficianados (ah-fee-see-ah-nah-dohs): fans.caida (ky-e-da, ky rhymes with tie): fall. Or, as it's known in the U.S., a pin fall.
Primera caida = first fall.castigo (cass-tee-go): punishment. Depending on the announcer, this may be repeated three times, very fast.
Segunda caida = second fall.
Tercera caida = third fall.cuadrilatero (sp?) (kwa-dri-la-te-roh) the wrestling ring, as in the quadrilateral that is the squared circle.
enorme (e-nor-may): terrific.
espaldas planas (ess-pahl-dahss plahn-ahs): literally, shoulders down. A pin.
hurricarana (hurri-ka-rahna): a Frankensteiner when performed by a descendant of Hurricane Ramirez. Otherwise the move is known as a rana. By the way, Scott Steiner did not invent the move, it is generally believed to have originated in Mexico.
malandrin (mawl-ahn-dreen): evil.
pareja (pah-ray-ha): pair, as in tag team.
pareja incredible (pah-ray-ha een-cred-eed-lay): a mixed tag team of a heel and a face.
plancha (plahn-cha, plahn rhymes with lawn): a flying crossbody, generally delivered from the top rope.
rudo (rue-dough): a heel (bad guy). Depending on the announcer, this may be repeated three times, very fast.
senton (sen-ton, sen rhymes with when, ton rhymes with loan): a splash, only the back hits instead of the chest. Sometimes delivered from the top rope.
tecnico (tek-knee-ko): a face (good guy).
tope (toe-pay): literally "butt" or "stopper". In its wrestling sense, normally used to describe a headfirst dive into a standing opponent.
trios (tree-ohs): three-man tag team, as in a trio of wrestlers.
Midgets are very popular in Lucha Libre. Exactly why is unknown, but they usually work harder and have more high spots than their American counterparts.8.6. Lucha Libre confuses me, what are the rules?Also, it's very common to see midgets adopt the gimmicks, wrestling style, face/heel status, and costume as their larger counterparts. Further, midgets also adopt the name of their larger counterpart and transform it to the diminutive; for example the "big guy" is Mascara Sagrada and his midget counterpart is Mascarita Sagrada.
Well, there are many rules, differing with the type of match that is being wrestled (singles, tag, 6-man tag, special stipulations), but here are the basic rules for most Lucha Libre matches:8.7. How do I get to see lucha libre wresting?
This might not make much sense to some non-Lucha fans but that's the way they wrestle Lucha style and they've been doing it this way for decades. Lucha fans don't even think twice about it.
- most matches are trios matches, which are known in the U.S. as 6-man tag matches
- in trios matches, there are usually 2 referees. Generally, one is a heel referee and one is a face referee
- most matches are 2 out of 3 falls
- one member of each team is designated as the captain
- when a wrestler is knocked out of the ring, one of his team members can enter the ring without tagging
- a fall in a trios match is won when the captain submits or is pinned, or when the other two members of the team submit or are pinned. This frequently leads to falls ending when three wrestlers are pinned simultaneously.
If you cable company carries the Spanish language station Galavision, then you get it now. At last report, a combined AAA/EMLL show aired Saturday nights at 6pm (EST). If you live in the southern portion of the United States, then you may be able to pick up the Mexican satellite transmissions. Also, one Los Angeles local spanish language station carries lucha libre. In Canada, the Telelatino network carries lucha libre from 3:45pm to 5:30pm EST on Saturdays.9. Deaths
9.1. Ray "The Crippler" Stevens
Carl Raymond Stevens died May 3, 1996 of a heart attack. He was 60 years old.13.1. Who was/is [x]?Ray Stevens was a headline wrestler almost from the time he debuted in the early 50s until his retirement in the 80s. Stevens headlined the San Francisco area from the time the Shire promotion opened in 1960 until he left in 1971. From there he move to the AWA as a tag team partner of Nick Bockwinkel. Later stints also included NWA tag team title reigns in the early 80s with partners like Greg Valentine, Jimmy Snuka and Ivan Koloff. Hs last big run came in the WWF in 1982, where he gave Jimmy Snuka a piledriver outside the ring at a tv taping which led to Snuka's biggest run as a babyface.
9.2. Other recent wrestling related deaths
Dr. Bernhardt Schwartz, February 22, 1996, age 81. Ringside physician.
Edward Welch (aka Buddy Fuller), January 15, 1996, age 71. Wrestler and promoter. Father of Robert Welch(Robert Fuller, Col. Parker) and Ronald Welch (Ron Fuller).
Humberto Arellano (aka Elegante Blanco), January 13, 1996. Wrestler.
Jerry Arotsky (aka Jerry O, Jerry Allen), December, 1995, age 32. Wrestler.
Eddie Blanks, November 18, 1995. Referee.
Vic Travis aka Vic Christy, October 25, 1995, wrestler and brother of wrestler Ted Travis aka Ted Christy.
Raul Rojas, October 22, 1995, wrestler.
Gene Stevens aka Frank Dalton, October 17, 1995, wrestler 1965-1985.
Jay York, October 7, 1995, age 57, wrestler 1958-1990.
Henry Phillips aka Treach Phillips, September 30, 1995, age 66, wrestler 1951-1972.
Jean Kirkland aka The Black Venus, September 29, 1995, age 47, wrestler.
George "Dutch" Momberg, aka Killer Karl Krupp, August 24, 1995, age 62. Wrestler 1965-1988.
Arturo Arrillo aka Zandokan, July 25, 1995, age 39. Wrestler and brother of wrestler Huichol.
Richard Demonbreun aka Dick Dunn, July 6, 1995. Wrestler 1949- 1970s.
Charles "Popeye" Richards, July, 1995, age 65. Wrestler 1962- 1974 and grandfather of Chris Candido.
Ideguchi Hajime aka Mr. Chin, June 26, 1995, age 62. Wrestler.
William Dahmer aka Pancho Villa, June 12, 1995. Wrestler 1954- 1971, brother of Chief White Owl.
10. Injuries
10.1. What happened to Cactus Jack's right ear?
It was accidentally ripped off on March 16, 1994 in a wrestling match in Munich, Germany against Vader. During the match, Cactus got his head caught between the top and middle ropes. The tension in the tightened ring ropes was enough to tear his right ear completely off and badly tear his left ear. Part of the right ear was iced and saved. The left required 12 stitches. Cactus continued the match for another two minutes before going to the planned finish. Cactus was in good spirits afterwards with little damage to his hearing and some trouble with his balance. Cactus returned to the ring April 17, 1994. Reports were that Cactus was planning to take a few months time off to have reconstructive surgery on the ear, however, to date, he has yet to take time off and is currently working for both ECW and SMW.11. Where Are They Now?
11.1. What happened to Tully Blanchard?
After getting suspended/fired from the WWF in November 1989, Tully Blanchard spent a few months in the AWA and then retired and became an evangelist. Depending on who you listen to, Tully was fired for failing a drug test (the WWF story), or Tully was tired of the WWF and failed the drug test on purpose, hoping to get released from his contract (Tully's story).11.2. What happened to Rick Rude?Tully returned to wrestling on May 22, 1994 for WCW for one match at Slamboree '94. He has wrestled sporadically since, in Texas, ECW and Japan.
Reverend Tully can be reached at:
Tully Blanchard Ministries
P.O. Box 2724
Matthews, North Carolina 28106
Prior to May 1994, Rude had been working injured (back and knee). Since he wasn't able to fulfill his contract, WCW fired him. Rude has since filed a lawsuit with WCW over the reason for his injuries and royalities.12. Wrestling Groups and Teams
12.1. Who were the Four Horsemen?
Over the years 13 different wrestlers have been part of the Horsemen. They are: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Lex Lugar, Barry Windham, Butch Reed, Kendell Windham, Sting, Sid Vicious, Paul Roma, Brian Pillman and Chris Benoit. JJ Dillon, Ole Anderson and Hiro Matsuda have all served as managers.12.2. Who were in the Midnight Express?The Horsemen name was first used in January, 1986, with the original group being Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson. The current group of Horsemen in WCW consists of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit.
Randy Rose, Dennis Condrey and Norvell Austin formed the Midnight Express in Alabama in 1981. The group moved to Memphis in late 1981 and returned to Alabama in the summer of 1982. During 1983, Midnight Express, Inc. included at one time or another, Rose, Condrey, Austin, the Midnight Stallion, Ron Starr, Rick Harris, and Wayne Ferris.12.3. Who were the Legion of Doom?Condrey left Alabama and joined Mid-South in 1983, where he formed a tag team with Bobby Eaton, managed by Jim Cornette, also called the Midnight Express. The Alabama version disbanded in early 1984, while Condrey, Eaton and Cornette would go on to achieve fame in Mid-South, World Class and finally, the NWA in 1985. In April 1987, Condrey left and was replaced by Stan Lane.
In 1987, Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose joined as the "Original" Midnight Express, managed by Paul E Dangerously. This group came to the NWA to feud with Cornette, Lane and Eaton.
The Legion of Doom was a originally a group of wrestlers managed by "Precious" Paul Ellering in Georgia in 1983. At one time or another, the group included Jake Roberts, the Spoiler, King Kong Bundy and Buzz Sawyer. The headline team of the group was always the Road Warriors. By 1984, the Road Warriors were the sole charges of Paul Ellering. After that, the name Legion of Doom was just used as another nickname for the Warriors.12.4. Who were Power Team USA?When the Road Warriors jumped to the WWF in mid 1990, they called themselves the Legion of Doom, but that was merely a marketing-driven name change from their NWA/WCW personas of the Road Warriors.
Power Team USA was a group of bodybuilders formed by Red Bastien in California in 1985. Bastien intended to train them to be wrestlers, but soon abandoned the plan. Upon disbanding the group, Bastien observed "they have great bodies, but they can't wrestle a lick." The members of the group were Jim "Justice" Hellwig (later the Ultimate Warrior), Steve "Flash" Borden (later Sting), Mark "Commando" Miller and Garland "Glory" Donnoho. Miller never wrestled after the disbanding of the group. Donnoho wrestled briefly in California as "The Myth"13. Miscellaneous questions about wrestlers.
In the current "Who is..." list:13.2. Who is Doink the Clown?
- Leif Cassedy - Al Sarven (aka Al Snow)
- Shinobi - Al Sarven (aka Al Snow)
- Hugh Morrus - Bill DeMott (aka Crash the Terminator)
- Phineas Godwinn - Dennis Knight (aka Tex Slazinger)
- BodyDonna Zip --- Tom Prichard
- Mr J L --- Jerry Lynn
- Dr. I Yankum - Glen Jacobs (aka Unibom in SMW)
- Golddust - Dustin Rhodes (real names Dustin Runnels)
That depends on which Doink the Clown you are talking about. Since Doink the Clown debuted in the WWF, the following wrestlers have appeared at least once as a Doink:13.3. Who is Steve DiSalvo?
The current Doink in the WWF is Ray Lichicelli. Additionally, numerous wrestlers have appeared on independant shows using the gimmick.
- Matt Osborne (aka Big Josh, aka "Maniac" Matt Borne)
- Steve Keirn (aka Skinner)
- Steve Lombardi (aka Brooklyn Brawler, aka Kim Chee)
- Ray Lichicelli (aka Ray Apollo)
- Butch & Luke (the Bushwhackers)
- Mo, Oscar, and Mabel (Men on a Mission)
Steve DiSalvo has wrestled all over the world, including as "Strangler" Steve DiSalvo in Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, as Steve Strong in Montreal, and as the Minotaur in WCW. He really exists.13.4. Did [X] ever played organized football?For a short while Steve DiSalvo was an "in joke" on r.s.p-w. It started in mid 1991 when Sean Ryan mentioned that the WCW's Diamond Studd (really Scott Hall, Razor Ramon) resembled Steve DiSalvo. Not knowing any better, other r.s.p-w'ers took Sean's remark to be the explanation for the different looks of Scott Hall. Shortly thereafter, "The Diamond Studd is not Scott Hall... It's Steve DiSalvo" posts began showing up on r.s.p-w. What began as an honest misunderstanding quickly mutated into r.s.p-w'ers answering "Who is...?" questions with "It's Steve DiSalvo!". The joke ran its course long ago, and is now more annoying than amusing.
The crossover between wrestling and football is high. Many current professional wrestlers played football in college, and perhaps professionally.13.5. Are Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth really married?First a few notes:
The Manny Fernandez who played for the Miami Dolphins in the early 70s is NOT the same person as the wrestler Manny Fernandez. Manny the wrestler was in junior high when Manny the Dolphin was earning Super Bowl rings.
Bronko Nagurski deserves recognition as the only athlete to be a member of the Pro-Football Hall of Fame and hold a World Heavyweight Championship in Wrestling. Nagurski was a tackle at the University of Minnesota, 1927-29 (All-American in 1929) and played Fullback with the Chicago Bears 1930-37 and 1943. He was one of the initial inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. [6'2 216-238] Nagurski held the National Wrestling Association title twice, from June 23, 1939 to March 7, 1940 (defeating Lou Thesz, losing to Ray Steele) and from March 11, 1941 to June 5, 1941 (regaining from Ray Steele and losing to Sandor Szabo.)
Below is a brief list of current wrestlers with football background, clipped from a posting by Gary Will.
Jim Duggan: Linebacker at Southern Methodist University. Signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 1977 and spent the season on injured reserve list. Tried out with CFL Toronto Argonauts in 1978 or 1979 and may have played.
Stan Hansen: Linebacker at West Texas State University; 11th round pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1972 but did not make the team.
Lex Luger: Offensive tackle with Pennsylvania State University and the University of Miami. Played for the CFL Montreal Alouettes after being suspended from the Miami team. On the Green Bay Packers' reserves in 1982. Later played for the USFL Memphis Showboats (1983) and Tampa Bay Bandits.
Jim Neidhart: Was on track team at UCLA but did not play football. Dave Scheid remembers him as a back-up nose guard for the Oakland Raiders in late 70s who may also have been with the Houston Oilers; other sources say he never played in the NFL but did attend a Raiders training camp.
Paul Orndorff: Fullback at University of Tampa. Drafted by Kansas City Chiefs in 1973 but didn't make the team. Tried out for New Orleans Saints in 1974 and was again cut. Played for WFL Jacksonville Sharks in 1975.
Brian Pillman: Middle guard for Miami University. Signed as a free agent by Cincinnati Bengals and played there in 1984. Tried out for the CFL Calgary Stampeders in 1986 and may have played there.
Ron Simmons: Nose guard for Florida State University. All-American in 1982. Drafted in the 6th round by the Cleveland Browns in 1983 but did not make the team. Played for the USFL Tampa Bay Bandits.
Big Van Vader: Played at University of Colorado. Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and was on injured reserve for at least one season but never played.
Steve Williams: Offensive guard with University of Oklahoma where he was All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-American in 1981. Signed with USFL New Jersey Generals in 1983, played little and was traded to the Denver Gold before the 1984 season, where he was cut.
COLLEGE ONLY:
Animal (LOD) Morehead State University Defensive Tackle
Tully Blanchard West Texas State University Quarterback
Ted DiBiase West Texas State University
Ric Flair University of Minnesota Offensive Guard
Terry Funk West Texas State University Offensive Guard
Not any more. They were divorced in 1992. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (real name Randy Poffo) and Miss Elizabeth (real name Elizabeth Hewlett) were officially married December 30, 1984 in Frankfort, KY. Their "Match Made in Heaven" was just a gimmick Vince McMahon used as a draw for SummerSlam '91.13.6. Who are the Von Erichs?
To begin with, there are no "real" Von Erichs. The Adkisson family has used the last name "Von Erich" for their wrestling personas for years.13.8. How are all the Samoan wrestlers related?The patriarch of the Adkisson/Von Erich clan is Jack Adkisson. He took the ring name Fritz Von Erich and wrestled in the 50's and 60's with a Nazi German gimmick, complete with goose step and iron claw.
Waldo Von Erich was Bill Sheppard, no relation to the Adkissons. He formed a successful tag team in the 60's with Fritz.
Jack had six sons, five of whom were involved with wrestling. Jack's first son, Jackie, died of electrocution at age 6 in 1959.
Kevin Von Erich began wrestling in the mid-70s. He rarely competed outside of his home state. His few trips out of Texas saw him compete in Japan, and in St. Louis. Kevin is currently wrestling for Jim Crockett's NWA promotion in Dallas. Kevin is the only of Fritz's sons still alive.
David Von Erich (nicknamed "the Yellow Rose of Texas") began wrestling on June 28, 1977. David was the most successful of the Von Erich boys in the late 70s and early 80s, competing in St. Louis, Japan and Florida, as well as his home state of Texas. David was found dead in his hotel room in Japan on February 10, 1984. His dreams of winning the NWA World title were never realized.
Kerry Von Erich achieved the most national fame of the Von Erich boys. His pinnacle came on May 6th, 1984, when he defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World title in Texas Stadium, at a memorial card for David. This event made Fritz and Kerry the only father and son duo to hold World singles titles (Fritz had held the AWA title in 1963) Kerry lost the title back to Flair in Japan on May 24, 1984.
Kerry's entire career was haunted by troubles stemming from drug use. On June 4, 1986, Kerry was involved in an automobile accident in which his right leg was severely damaged. It wasn't until after Kerry's death in 1993 that his family would confirm that he had lost his foot in the accident. He wrestled for the rest of his career with a prosthesis on his leg. He did not return to the ring full time until late 1987. On February 18, 1993, Kerry shot himself in the heart at his home in Sandy Shore, TX. He was 33.
Mike Von Erich debuted in November, 1983. Months later he was thrust in the role of being David's successor, a role he never quite looked comfortable in. In 1985, on a tour of Israel, Mike suffered a shoulder separation on an exceptionally hard ring. During recovery, Mike contracted toxic-shock syndrome. He recovered, but he had lost much weight and strength during his layoff. He returned to the ring in July 1986. Mike died on April 13, 1987, at the age of 23, of an intentional overdose of Placidyl (depressant/muscle relaxant).
Chris Von Erich, the youngest of Fritz's sons, began appearing at ringside for his brothers matches in the mid-80s. He was involved in a few angles. He finally made his wrestling debut in the late 80's. Chris died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on September 12, 1991. Chris was 21.
In 1985, Fritz brought in Kevin William Vaughn, using the ring name Lance Von Erich, and billed as a cousin of the Von Erich boys, a son of Waldo. In reality, he was no relation to either Fritz's family or Waldo. Fritz's plan of creating a new Von Erich eventually backfired, after Lance left Fritz's promotion and Fritz admitted publicly that he actually wasn't related.
Recently in Texas, local wrestler Rick Lerebeus has been wrestling as Mark Von Erich.
The original Samoans, Afa & Sika are brothers, real names Alofa and Sika Anoia. Sika has two sons in wrestling, Rodney Anoia (Yokozuna, Kokina Maximus) and Lloyd Anoia (Tahitian Warrior). Alofa has one son in wrestling, Samula Anoia (Headshrinker Samu).The Tonga Kid (Islander Tama, Samoan Savage, real name Sam Fatu) and Headshrinker Fatu (real name Solofa Fatu) are brothers. It has been reported that the Fatu brothers are either cousins to Samu and Yokozuna, or long-time family friends to the Anoia's. Both families are of Samoan descent and grew up in the San Francisco area.
Headshrinker Sionne (Konga the Barbarian, real name Sionne Vailahi) is not related to either family, although he is of Samoan descent and also grew up in San Fransisco.
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (real name James Reiher) is of Fijian descent and grew up in Hawaii. He has one brother who wrestled as Cocoa Samoa (Sabu the Wildman in Memphis ca. 84, real name John Reiher.)
14. The Law and Pro Wrestling
14.1. Who is Charles Austin?
In December 1990, Austin and The Genius (Lanny Poffo) jobbed for The Rockers (Jannetty & Michaels) at a WWF television taping at the Sun Dome in Tampa FL. Before the finish, Jannetty executed the Rocker Dropper on Austin. Instead of taking the planned face-first bump, Austin attempted a forward roll and wound up landing on his head, breaking his neck. The match then finished when Jannetty rolled a limp Austin over and Michaels came off the top rope with a splash for the pin. At the time of the accident, doctors feared that Austin would be a quadriplegic (paralyzed from the neck down) for life. By mid 1994 Austin had regained some feeling in his arms and legs and can get around with crutches. Austin sued the WWF, Jannetty, and Michaels for US$3.8 million. Michaels was dismissed from the suit by a judge.14.2. Did Vince McMahon get indicted?On April 29, 1994, after a two-week trial and deliberation, a Hillsborough County FL jury awarded Austin US$26.7 million. The jury determined that Titan Sports was 90% responsible (US$23.5 million), that Jannetty was 5% responsible (US$1.3 million), and that Austin was 5% responsible.
Yes. On Friday, November 19, 1993, the Brooklyn, NY office of the U.S. Department of Justice handed down an indictment against Vince McMahon and Titan Sports Inc. The indictment contained charges of conspiracy, possession and possession with intent to distribute. No wrestlers were indicted.14.3. Were there charges of sexual harassment filed against the WWF in 1992?On July 22, 1994, after deliberating for 16 hours, the jury found McMahon and Titan Sports not guilty of the charges.
No. In 1992, former ring-boy Tom Cole, former referee Rita Chatterson and former TV announcer Murray Hodgekins came forth with allegations of sexual abuse by WWF employees. Specifically named employees included booker Pat Patterson, ring attendant Mel Phillips, booker Terry Garvin and Vince McMahon himself. Patterson, Phillips and Garvin were dismissed by the WWF as a result of the allegations. Patterson subsequently returned to his position.14.4. Who is George Zahorian?
Dr. George Zahorian was a physician appointed by the Pennsylvania state athletic commission to attend WWF shows in Hamburg, PA and Allentown, PA.14.5. Who owns the rights to "Hulkamania", "Hulk Hogan" and "Hulkster"?In 1991, Zahorian was convicted in a Pennsylvania court for selling steroids and other controlled substances to pro wrestlers and to a college strength coach. Zahorian was sentenced to three years in federal prison. During his trial, Zahorian testified that between November 1988 and March 1990, he sold steroids to Vince McMahon and to many professional wrestlers, including two of the WWF's then-top draws: Hulk Hogan and Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Zahorian was released from prison in February, 1995.
Marvel Comics. Marvel came out with their Incredible Hulk comic book character long before Vince McMahon dreamed up Hulk Hogan. When the Hulk Hogan character was created, McMahon gave Hogan the title "The Incredible Hulk Hogan". Marvel objected to the use of their intellectual property. Specifically, Marvel objected to the use of all words derived from their "Incredible Hulk" comic book character.14.6. How come so many wrestlers change names so quickly?So, Titan Sports and Marvel Comics worked out a deal: Titan recognized Marvel as the owner of the Hulk-derived words and Marvel gave Titan an exclusive license to merchandise the Hulk-derived words. When Hogan joined WCW in 1994, WCW obtained a license to produce Hulk Hogan merchandise. Presumably the details were similar to the license the WWF had.
Wrestlers change name, appearance and style quite frequently, and often it is a challenge just to keep up with who is currently wrestling under what name.While many times, name changes stem from attempts to get a better reaction from the audience, there are times when a name change has it's roots in a legal matter. For instance:
- Big Van Vader - When Leon White left New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993, New Japan claimed that it owned the rights to the Big Van Vader gimmick, as well as the name. New Japan won a minor victory, causing WCW to simply bill White as Vader from then on. The courts ruled that due to the popularity of George Lucas' Star Wars movies, New Japan couldn't claim rights on the name Vader alone.
- Demolition - When Demolition first appeared in the WWF in early 1987, the team consisted of Axe (Bill Eadie) and Smash (Randy Culley). Within a month, Culley was replaced by Barry Darsow. A brief legal battle ensued, with Culley claiming that he created the Demolition team and therefore owned the rights to the Demolition name. Culley lost the battle, the WWF retained the tag team name, and Culley was forced to give up the Detroit Demolition name he had been using on independent shows.
- Doink - A story has recently surfaced that the WWF is filing legal action against Matt Osbourne. Osbourne was the first wrestler to play the role of Doink in the WWF, and has since used the same role on many independent shows.
15. Miscellaneous
15.1. Who was the first World's Champion of professional wrestling?
That depends on what you recognize as a "World's" Champion. William Muldoon, who wrestled during the 1870s and 1880s, is widely considered to be professional wrestling's first World Champion. Muldoon retired in late 1891 after having held the Greco-Roman title since 1883. He was followed by George Hackenschmidt, who was first recognized as a "World's" Champion in 1901. Some consider Hackenschmidt to be a European champion and recognize Frank Gotch. Gotch defeated Hackenschmidt on April 3, 1908 in Chicago, IL and held the honors until his retirement in 1913.15.2. How many times has Ric Flair won the World Title?
That's depends on what changes you wish to recognize.15.3. What is a wrestling ring made of?In July 1994, Ric Flair said many times that he was an 11 time world champion. This number was come to by recognizing his 8 undisputed NWA title reigns, 2 WWF title reigns and 1 WCW title reign. Flair has since held the WCW title twice more, bringing the undisputed total to 13. However in addition to this, there have been a number of disputed or not widely recognized reigns, which are listed below.
On March 21, 1984, Flair was defeated by Harley Race in New Zealand for the NWA title. He regained it on March 23, 1984 in Singapore. This switch was never recognized in the US.
On March 21, 1991, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Flair in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese referee for the match counted a pinfall, while the WCW referee for the match DQed Flair for tossing Fujinami over the top rope. Flair defeated Fujinami May 19, 1991 in St. Petersburg, FL to end the dispute.
On April 17, 1994, Ric Flair and Rick Steamboat went to a double pin finish. On April 21, 1994, (aired on TV May 21, 1994) Flair defeated Steamboat to end the dispute. It was never officially announced that the belt was held up, although Flair gave the belt to WCW commissioner Nick Bockwinkel and said he wanted it held up.
There are also stories that Flair did title switches with Jack Venano in the Dominican Republic and Victor Jovica in the Caribbean, similar to the New Zealand/Singapore title switch with Harley Race.
Wrestling rings vary more in composition than they do in size. The ring posts are usually hollow steel, about 8 feet tall, and about 6 inches to a foot wide at the base. Several layers of carpet or plywood are usually placed under the ring posts to protect the floor of the venue.15.4. Where can I get wrestling attire and related products?The ring ropes are usually steel cables or rope covered with a rubbery plastic coating, or colored duct tape, or painted rope, or a painted garden hose.
The ring floor is usually a layered affair: a layer of canvas over layers of padding over plywood, all on some sort of structural support.
Two types of structural support have been reported. One type is a very large and very heavy center piece, usually made out of steel and semi-solid, which usually (but not always) contains a spring of some sort in the center. The other type is similar to a deck with 20ft long 2x10s or 2x12s resting on joists.
All in all, a wrestling ring is very similar to a boxing ring except that in a wrestling ring the ropes are much tighter and that the floor is generally more heavily supported.
Ted Hobgood of r.s.p-w runs New Frontier Wrestling Gear. He makes custom masks and ring outfits. He will work from your design or from your description, and will work within your budget. Ted can be contacted via email at: NewGear@aol.com15.5. What does [X] mean?For a catalog, send an SASE (two stamps please!) to:
New Frontier Wrestling GearFor those interested in championship belts, Joe Marshall (Beltster@ix.netcom.com) runs the following shop:
4600 University Dr. #607
Durham, NC 27707
From the maker of the NWA worlds title and UFC title belt, currently held by Dan Severn, and several of the current WCW belts.And other related shops:
J-Mar Championship Belts
7671 Eastwood Street
Reynoldsburg Ohio 43068-2626
B & A Boot Shop-Bill Ash-owner
37 South Elm St.
Paris AK 72855
(SASE for inquiries)K & H Wrestling Wear
PO Box 447
Johnstown Ohio 43031
(SASE for inquiries)Bizare Bazzar - Exotic Adrian Street - owner
PO Box 6188
Gulf Breeze FL 32561 (zip code uncertain)Baby Doll's Gimmick's - Nikla Roberts (Baby Doll) - owner
PO Box 1763
Lubbock TX 79408
The following is a list of commonly used terms in this newsgroup.15.7. What is Kay Fabe?
- BLADE
- verb. To cut oneself intentionally in a match in order to bleed.
- FACE
- noun. & adj. [Babyface] A good guy.
- HEAT
- noun. Enthusiasm, a sustained crowd response. The WWF uses a heat machine. The response can be positive (cheering) or negative (booing). See Pop.
- HEEL
- noun. A bad guy.
- INTERNATIONAL OBJECT
- noun. Foreign object, something not allowed in the ring. Derived from an order not to use the word "foreign" by the Turner Broadcasting Companies.
- JOB
- noun. A staged loss. A clean job is a staged loss by legal pinfall or submission without resort to illegalities.
v.i. To lose a match. Sometimes combined with a descriptive adjective (stretcher job, rope job, tights job.)
- JOBBER
- noun. An unpushed wrestler who loses regularly for pushed wrestlers.
- JUICE
- noun. Blood.
v.i. to bleed, usually as a result of blading. To juice hard way is to bleed unintentionally.
noun. Steroids. (Juicer - a steroid user).
- MARK
- noun. *Note this definition is the topic of much debate, what follows are the most popular meanings*
- any fan who spends money on wrestling, whether they know it is a work or not. This leads to some people adding adjectives describing what promotions people are marks for. Ex: someone who refers to himself as a WWF mark is someone who is willing to spend money on the WWF product.
- a fan who believes that wrestling is legitimate, ie. not a work.
- OUTLAW PROMOTION
- A promotion that would try to run against another established promotion in its home area. Referred to as an outlaw because it was attempting to "steal" fans.
- POP
- noun. A loud fan reaction to a wrestler. Pop is used to describe a more individual reaction, while heat tends to refer to a sustained reaction (Ex: A crowd will pop for a good move, while an entire match will be described as having good heat or no heat)
- PUSH
- verb. to give a wrestler a series of matches that will improve his standing in the fans eyes.
- SCREW-JOB
- noun. adj. A match or ending which is not clean (definite) due to factors outside the "rules" of wrestling.
- SELL
- v. t. To make an opponent's move look legitimate.
- SHOOT
- noun. The real thing, i.e. a match where one or more participants are really attempting to hurt one another, or the participants stop working cooperatively. A legitimate match. Opposite of a work.
- STIFF
- noun. A jobber.
adj. Connecting harder with blows and moves to make the match look more legitimate.
noun. A wrestler who doesn't move well.
- WORK
- noun. an event with a predetermined outcome. (Ex: The match was a work.)
v. t. to participate in a wrestling related event (Ex: to work an interview or match or show)
- WORKRATE
- noun. The approximate ratio of action to non-action in a wrestling match
The term Kay Fabe comes from ancient carnival talk, appropriate as professional wrestling has it's origins in the carnivals. Kay Fabe practices were old tricks, from three card monte to cure all elixirs and, of course, magic acts. A kay fabe violator exposed the secrets behind these practices. In wrestling, the term has come to mean not exposing that the business is worked. In the 80s, Satoru Sayama, the original Tiger Mask, wrote a book entitled Kay Fabe, exposing many secrets of the business.15.8. What are some examples of shoots?
Listed are some well-known shoots in pro-wrestling:15.9. How do I contact my favorite wrestlers or promotion?
- 25/04/15 - Stanislaus Zybysko defeated World Champion Wayne Munn.
- 36/03/02 - Dick Shikat defeated World Champion Danno O' Mahoney
- 85/04/27 - Road Warriors vs. Larry Hennig & Jerry Blackwell. Hennig and Blackwell rough up the young Road Warriors, who, until that time, refused to sell moves for their opponents.
- 85/09/02 - Akira Maeda and Super Tiger (Satoru Sayama) wrestled to a Double DQ in 18:57. The ref stopped the match because he felt both Sayama and Maeda were getting out of hand.
- 86/04/29 - Andre the Giant vs Akira Maeda (New Japan) Andre refuses to cooperate with Maeda and Maeda takes him down with several vicious kicks to the legs.
- 87/01 - Bruiser Brody vs. Lex Lugar (Florida) Brody stops cooperating with Lugar, who gets himself DQed.
- 87/11/19 - Riki Chosyu, Masa Saito & Hiro Saito def. Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada & Osamu Kido. (New Japan) Maeda delivers a hard kick to Chosyu's face, which breaks 3 bones in his cheek.
- 91/04/01 - John Tenta vs. Koji Kitao (SWS/WWF) Tenta and Kitao, two former sumo wrestlers, stop cooperating but never come to blows.
Since most wrestlers would prefer not having their home addresses published, you can attempt to contact them through the promotion they currently work for. Listed below are addresses for some promotions. If you have any additions or corrections, feel free to send them along to the FAQ editor.15.10. How do I rate a match?
WCW WWF 1 CNN Center 1241 E. Main St. Atlanta GA 30348 Stamford CT 06902 Phone: 404 885-7174 Phone: 203 352-8600 Press Info: 203 353-2891 FAX: 203-352-8699 Smoky Mountain Wrestling ECW P.O. Box 1279 101 S. 10th Street Morristown TN 37816-1279 Philadelphia PA 19107 [Though the promotion no ticket info: 610-544-0421 longer exists, merchandise offices: 215-928-9772 is still available at the address.] Midwest Territorial Wrestling Motor City Wrestling P.O. Box 4428 PO Box 1483 Dearborn MI 48126 Warren, MI 48090-1483 American Commonwealth Wrestling P.O. Box 549 New England Wrestling Alliance Dauphin PA 17018 PO Box 20592 [Inactive] Cranston, RI 02920 Phone: 401-943-2534 United States Championship Wrestling Phone: (412)222-8058
When rating a match, or reading match ratings, it is important to consider what exactly is being rated. Some people prefer to rate matches based on how much they enjoyed the match, others rate matches based on the workrate involved in the match.The most popular way of rating matches is through the 5-star system, originated by Norm Dooley and Jim Cornette. It was originally designed to rate the workrate of a match. Here's how Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, has described the 5-star rating system
***** Match of the year candidate ****1/2 An almost-perfect match **** Excellent ***1/2 Extremely good *** Good **1/2 Better than average but nothing special ** Average *1/2 Below average but not atrocious * Pretty bad, but at least some action 1/2* Terrible, but at least a high spot in there somewhere DUD Of no value -stars Not only terrible, but completely offensive to the ticket-buying publicIn the end, any form of match ratings is *always* a matter of personal opinion. One person's match of the year is another person's snoozer.Contributors
Thanks to all who have contributed, (listed in alphabetical order):Peter Akers, Bryan Alvarez, Jeff Amdur, Ideen Barimani, Chris Bertholf, Crystal Bollinger, Caroline Bunce, Jason Campbell, Mark Carlton, William Comer, Chris Corridan, Dark Cheetah, Fred Deaton, Curtis Desjardins, Mark Duell, Ray Duffy, Rick Duggan, Ted Edwards, Bryant Farley, Maurice Forrester, Charlie Gavinelli, Greg Gershowitz, Sheldon Goldberg, Paul Herzog, Otto Heuer, Christopher Hilker, Steve Hooper, Rob Hoffmann, James Hussell, Rodney Hutchings, Cal Jewell, Ron Knight, Herb Kunze, Dominic Macika, Joe Marshall, Andy McDonel, Robert McMullen, Tom Misnik, Jeremy Nelson, Dave Prazak, Andy Patrizio, Stephen Patterson, Oliver Postlethwaite, Bob Rusbasan, Sean Ryan, Dave Scheid, Dave Scherer, Theo Seiz, Anthony Shubert, Nick Simicich, David Sipila, Jeremy Soria, Chris Stamper, Jason Steeves, Hisaharu Tanabe, Scott Teal, Timothy Walker, Mike Wallace, Matt West, Gary Will, David Worrell, Christopher Robin Zimmerman
My apologies if I inadvertently omitted your name from the list.