By the end of the 1980s, the WWF were the undisputed kings of professional wrestling in the United States. At the time of the new decade, WCW was barely two years into their existence, and far from serious competition; the AWA was on their last legs. Since the national expansion had been so successful, why not go further afield? In […]
Ever since the debacle that occurred at December 1997’s Starrcade (which we covered in our “Starrcade Shutdown” article), the status of who should be the rightful World Heavyweight champion had been up for debate. More screwiness ensued with no clear-cut result, and then at the January pay-per-view Souled Out, new commissioner Roddy Piper announced the Superbrawl main event to be […]
As might be expected, the arrival of Hulk Hogan to World Championship Wrestling in the middle of 1994 created a bit of a stir. For years, “The Hulkster” had been at the head of Vince McMahon’s national expansion throughout the 1980s; nobody could ever have envisioned him working for another American-based promotion. However, in the early 1990s came the dreaded […]
Wrestling promoters have often used ‘foreigners’ to build heat and tension, which originated from past conflicts. For example, Rikidozan – who despite being Korean was presented as Japanese – built his legacy and the foundation of Japanese pro wrestling by defeating American heels in the 1950s and 1960s. Conversely, in the United States, German and Japanese heels flooded promotions across […]
It would be the biggest match in WCW’s history, the bout fans had been waiting many months for, during one of the hottest periods in professional wrestling’s history. A match that, despite the epic war on Monday nights, was not rushed or given away for free, but held in place for WCW’s biggest pay-per-view on the calendar – Starrcade 1997. […]
The Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling – also known later as the World Class Wrestling Association – began to hit their stride in 1981, with an influx of new, exciting talent. Ushered in by the booking of Gary Hart, the new arrivals included owner Fritz Von Erich’s son’s David, Kevin and Kerry. The Von Erich’s dominated, as all three showcased […]
Born: February 20, 1943 (Kanji Inoki) | Birthplace: Yokohama, JapanDied: October 1, 2022 (Systemic transthyretin amyloidosis)Billed Weight: 224 lbs Other Aliases: Tokyo Tom, Little Tokyo, Mr. Kazimoto Antonio (Kanji) Inoki was born on February 20, 1943 in Yokohama, Japan. From a young age, he excelled at sports and athletics. In the sixth grade, he was taught karate by an older […]
Born: December 12, 1964 (Terry Brunk) | Birthplace: Staten Island, New YorkBilled Hometown: Bombay, Michigan / Saudi Arabia | Billed Weight: 235 lbsOther Aliases: Sabu the Elephant Boy, Terry SR, Terry Brunk, Samu The future Sabu was trained by his uncle The Sheik, one of the most notorious rulebreakers in professional wrestling. After a long process of training and refereeing, […]
By 1985, it was do-or-die time for companies like the American Wrestling Association. Vince McMahon made several big moves throughout 1984, and then on March 31, 1985, produced the first Wrestlemania. It was a commercial success for the company, with its combination of in-ring action and a bevy of celebrity involvement from the likes of pop star Cyndi Lauper and […]
It will forever be known as one of the darkest days in professional wrestling’s history. A date that sounded alarm bells as the reality for promoters sunk in, that Vince McMahon was serious about taking his company national, and he would do anything to make that happen. While it would become common for McMahon to take syndicated television deals from […]
