Embracing the fun in Wrestling
Monday’s announcement of All Elite Wrestling teaming up with the Owen Hart Foundation opened the door to the name and likeness of Owen Hart being used in more than twenty years. The agreement coincided with AEW proclaiming that they will hold a tournament to crown the first Owen Hart Memorial Cup Champion. Owen Hart was long viewed as one …
“I’m excited for people to see the American Dragon because it’s a little bit different than what they’re used to. There’s a man who kind of walks beside me, and it’s the person I used to be. But that’s not who the American Dragon is. He’s more vicious. He’s more violent. He’s going to kick some heads in, and …
What fan hasn’t fantasy booked their favorite promotion? Like film or comics, wrestling can inspire fans to open their imaginations to fashion what they would like to see play out in arenas and on television screens. Sometimes it’s a healthy hobby. Other times it can color a fan’s perceptions because often, reality fails to live up to what we’ve …
This column is inspired by the most recent episode of the Between The Sheets podcast. In the mid-80s, the rest of the professional wrestling fought to catch up to Vince McMahon’s WWF promotional machine. McMahon had already amassed a syndicated television network that stretched across the country. To keep up, many promoters followed McMahon into a National Wrestling War …
2021 has been a particularly tough year for deaths in professional wrestling. Unfortunately, Beautiful Bobby Eaton joined those ranks last week, passing away at the age of 62. Eaton passed just over a month after the death of his wife, Donna, the daughter of Superstar Bill Dundee. Eaton was an exceptional in-ring talent with a work style more than …
Last week, Travis Orndorff, the son of the legendary Paul Orndorff, announced that his father had passed away after a bout with dementia. Orndorff was a major headlining act in the territories from 1977 to 1987. He defeated Jerry Lawler for the Southern title in Memphis, won the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Jimmy Snuka in Mid-Atlantic, and …
“The greatest thing the Devil ever did was make you people believe he didn’t exist. I am the Devil himself! And you stupid, mindless people fell for it!…and I’m not mad at you. I just feel sorry for you.” Upon finally winning the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship in what CM Punk promised was his final match, the …
This is part 1 of a 2 part series on CM Punk. You can find part 2 here. “Just like this microphone in the hands of any of the boys in the back is just a microphone. You put it in the hands of a dangerous man like myself, and it becomes a pipe bomb.” Those familiar words were …
In part one of this series, we looked at the origins of WCW’s greatest mistake. Jim Herd was the first and possibly the most controversial executive to run WCW. After pushing perennial champion Ric Flair from the promotion and going to war with booker Dusty Rhodes, Herd was forced to resign as Executive Vice President of WCW on January …
“We want Flair!” “We want Flair!” The Baltimore crowd made their feelings abundantly clear at the Great American Bash 1991. WCW Executive Vice President Jim Herd had been in charge of World Championship Wrestling for over two and a half years. Though he kept open communication with media and fans, he became public enemy number one. Herd’s ascension to …
