Matches You Didn't Think Existed

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://youtu.be/SZQS6erPjHo
This is the type of match this thread was built on. Even though they were active at same time, I never would have guessed Inoki wrestled fuggin Tracy Smothers!!!

 

[Valeyard]

You could probably do a Six Degrees Of Tracy Smothers.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://youtu.be/W41fBudwcRc
Wrestling promotions you didn't know existed. It's a post AWA Minnesota indy and opener is Brad Rheingans and Masa Saito Vs Lightning Kid and Jerry Lynn This show also features the debut of Road Warrior Hawk and Kensuke Sasake's tag team.

*hoses down Brody*

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/ovppodcast/status/1213872615049306113

 

[tekcop]

Already got the ankh.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/ovppodcast/status/1214659124027428864
Wrestling commentary teams you didn't know existed.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I saw Mr Perfect and Macho Man vs. Giant Gonzales and Mr. Hughes floating around on youtube.

I should do shots for every bump the babyfaces take while trying to make things watchable.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/Oatgan/status/1214748084950982657
Can a match that hasn't happened yet be included ITT?

 

[Master Thrasher]

https://twitter.com/GrappleClips/status/1223206071969501186

Two of my favorites.

 

[alfdogg]

Ok, so obviously Bret and Taker had several matches with each other, but I wasn't aware they had a singles match prior to Bret's main event run.

https://twitter.com/ovppodcast/status/1223355884308500480

 

[Baby Shoes]

One to proactively seek out, sounds like Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin had a match on Main Event recently. Think they still put these on Hulu and overseas in real time and hit the Network after a month, so I will probably look for this when available.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Ok, so obviously Bret and Taker had several matches with each other, but I wasn't aware they had a singles match prior to Bret's main event run.

I feel like anybody who has any of those taped NESN/MSG Network aired house shows (for the Boston/NY events) have a lot of good gems hidden in them.

 

[JHawk]

One to proactively seek out, sounds like Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin had a match on Main Event recently. Think they still put these on Hulu and overseas in real time and hit the Network after a month, so I will probably look for this when available.

They've had two that I've seen and they're some of the best 6-8 minute matches you'll see

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://youtu.be/7J-StSR4Mm8
I either straight up forgot or didn't know Low Ki was in the wave of early '00s indy guys to appear on Jakked before TNA started.

Also had no idea Essa Rios stuck around until '01. His last WWF match was against Kanyon in August, which also probably qualifies for this thread.

 

[Fall of Epic]

Yeah, Low-Ki had a couple WWE matches during this period. I rememeber one vs Crash.

Essa Rios was a part of one of those WWF/WCW brawls early into the Invasion. That's how I remember he was in the company then.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

11/12 year old me thought Essa Rios was going to be a huge deal when he debuted with Lita and won the Light Heavyweight Title in his first match. Then he had a few mini midcard feuds, dumped Lita, and it was strictly Jakked & Heat territory.

It was not my worst prediction for future star though tbh.

(and 11/12 year old me wouldn't realize until years later that Essa Rios had been on the roster for 3 years, in some shape or form, by the time he "debuted".

 

[Fall of Epic]

It's cool. I thought Simon Diamond was the next big thing in 1999. They all can't be zingers.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

My worst prediction was absolutely firmly believing that Sylvester Terkay was the next Brock Lesnar when I saw him at a Smackdown! house show in the Summer of '06. Then he debuted on WWECW like 4 or 5 months later as a generic bodyguard and I was immediately like "WTH was I thinking, man..."

 

[Baby Shoes]

I can’t defend the Simon Diamond but Terkay got a bunch of hype pre-debut. A lot of people online acted like he was the next big thing. I think it was a couple weeks after debut they reversed roles with Burke as the star of the team.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/GrappleClips/status/1233177950499016705
Somehow Daniels looks younger now as a bald 49 year old than he did as a 28 year old with a scuzzy pony tail.

 

[alkeiper]

Turkay looked like an absolute beast. The shock is that he didn't become a star in Japan.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I've seen a fair share of wrestlers who went on to be huge names before they debuted on TV. Only three that gave off obvious future star vibes were Brock Lesnar (by far the #1), Terkay (who I'd say was #2), and Dean Ambrose.


Cena (who I saw literally night before he debuted) and Orton did NOT give off "Oh yeah. This guy is gonna be a star" vibes to pubescent smark Kamala.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/BlueMeanieBWO/status/1235575470843817991
Tag teams you didn't know existed.

 

[Fall of Epic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeqbziziIJw

10 years ago, the Rainmaker jobbed to BIG STEVIE COOL!

 

[Baby Shoes]

Evolve shared a Velveteen Dream vs Darby Allin match?

https://youtu.be/pwWTDpZx2-8

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/harryaaron/status/1241059883983818753

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://youtu.be/alEExTTu-10
Two things- I didn't know Ross Hart got any ring appearances in WWF but I guess he did some job work in late summer 1990.

Second, I always assumed Sapphire's final appearance was at SummerSlam '90. It's hilarious to see her be a heel manager for some reason.

 

[Brocklock]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMWqrND9lmg

Bobby Eaton might be the best tag team worker of all time, but can he have a good tag team with Ludvig Borga?

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/KVR216/status/1249472039813087232
Original Doink had a Japanese tour!? STRONG STYLE CLOWN!

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/ovppodcast/status/1250446532954001409
I had no idea Hakushi and Kwang had an angle. Amazing!