Vince McMahon knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish when he took over the family business in the middle of 1982. To many, it was a grandiose and over-ambitious plan that would see the young upstart go down in ruin. The plan was to take the already strong North-Eastern promotion national, which meant stepping on plenty of toes. However, with […]
On June 19, 2016 at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Dominion 6.19 event in Osaka-jo Hall Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to capture his fourth IWGP Heavyweight Championship. What followed was a reign that cemented Okada’s position at the top of the company, one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era, both for longevity and match quality. Star ratings […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Carl Reiner, an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades, said of the late Andy Kaufman, “nobody can see past the edges, where the character begins and he ends.” Kaufman was a very eccentric entertainer, who enjoyed coming up with elaborate hoaxes for publicity. His range of characters included “Foreign Man” – later to be […]
“I’m sorry, I love you”. The metaphorical gun was cocked, the trigger pulled. An old dog, finally able to find peace. The gun – a super kick. The shooter – Shawn Michaels. And the old dog – one of the greatest careers in the history of professional wrestling, that of Ric Flair. It cannot be overstated how important Ric Flair […]
“間も無く水道橋駅 到着します”, the announcement comes over the speakers. You think you understood, but you’re uncertain. You heard some other stuff but that stood out. “The next station is Suidobashi”, the voice repeats in a more familiar language. You prepare yourself and eye a waypoint to the door through the packed train. You’re concerned about being able to make it to […]
As Hulk Hogan was to the WWF, Ric Flair was to Jim Crockett Promotions (later World Championship Wrestling) The penultimate NWA/WCW World Heavyweight champion, “The Nature Boy” was the glue that held the promotion together. But that wasn’t the opinion of a certain Jim Herd, who took over as Executive Vice President in January, 1989. In his infinite wisdom, Herd […]
The year 1992 kicked off in sensational fashion in the World Wrestling Federation when tag team specialists The Rockers – Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty – split up on The Barber Shop. In the lead up to the Barber Shop segment – taped December 2, 1991 and aired January 12, 1992 – there had been clear dissension after a series […]
