Old School Questions and Observations in 2025

[strummer]

Meltzer just confirmed that Col. DeBeers (Ed Wiskoski) has passed away.

He just turned 80 a few weeks ago.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Meltzer just confirmed that Col. DeBeers (Ed Wiskoski) has passed away.

He just turned 80 a few weeks ago.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1883645008483655995

Offensive and a botched promo all in one

 

[Valeyard]

This is super fun, but I won't lie and say that I'm shocked six-man tags were a thing in 1956. When was the first one?

 

[BruiserBrody]

This is super fun, but I won't lie and say that I'm shocked six-man tags were a thing in 1956. When was the first one?

Trios: The Rise, Fall and Rise of 6-Man Tag Team Titles

With a rise in 6-Man Tag Team titles globally (NJPW, Ring of Honor, Lucha Underground, AAA, etc.), is it time for the WWE to introduce one as well? A brief look at the history of 6-man titles, and a look at who the WWE would have to offer the division (with a few wishful thinkings).

lastwordonsports.com

The NWA crowned the very first NWA World Six Man Tag Team Champions back in 1955, when future NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O’Connor teamed with Roy McClarity and Yukon Eric to defeat The Crusher, Art Neilsen and Don Leo Jonathan. It was only five years after the first Tag Team Champions crowned in NWA San Francisco, so it’s been a concept and championship held in the United States since wrestling’s Golden Era.

Fun to see Nick Gulas had a six man title for several years. George was 12 time co-champ.

 

[Valeyard]

What about 8 or 10 mans? I never really thought about how old some of these matches are.

 

[JN News]

When The Big Bossman jumped to WCW in 1993, do you guys think that the WWF would still WCW for copyright infringement if they gave him the name of "Officer" Ray Traylor?

 

[Hawk 34]

When The Big Bossman jumped to WCW 1993, do you guys think that the WWF would still WCW for copyright infringement if they gave him the name of "Officer" Ray Traylor?

Yep.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

That's one the WWF arguably would have lost, too, since Ray Traylor was his legal name and he was a legitimate CO prior to wrestling.

I still don't know why they didn't just stick with the return of Big Bubba Rogers, since the older fans would've known him as that anyway.

 

[JN News]

Does anyone know exactly who was the very first man in the history of pro wrestling to ever body slam the late, great Andre the Giant in Andre's entire wrestling career?

 

[alfdogg]

Does anyone know exactly who was the very first man in the history of pro wrestling to ever body slam the late, great Andre the Giant in Andre's entire wrestling career?

 

[JN News]

I take it that Doug Gilbert Sr.'s son in Doug Gilbert Jr. who was in USWA and one of the entrants in the 1996 Royal Rumble match.

I guess my next question is who in the Gilbert wrestling family wrestled and can we list all the names of the wrestlers in that family?

 

[BruiserBrody]

I take it that Doug Gilbert Sr.'s son in Doug Gilbert Jr. who was in USWA and one of the entrants in the 1996 Royal Rumble match.

I guess my next question is who in the Gilbert wrestling family wrestled and can we list all the names of the wrestlers in that family?

Different Gilbert family. Eddie and Doug's dad Tommy worked as a wrassler and ref in the 70s and 80s.

 

[One Epic Winter (OEW)]

Am i imagining a vignette sometime after WM13 where Rocky Johnson apologized to Dwayne for interfering in his match against the Sultan?

 

[BruiserBrody]

Am i imagining a vignette sometime after WM13 where Rocky Johnson apologized to Dwayne for interfering in his match against the Sultan?

March 24 RAW featured footage from before the broadcast of Vince McMahon conducting an empty-arena interview with WWF IC Champion Rocky Maivia and his father Rocky Johnson about what happened at WrestleMania;

 

[alkeiper]

Different Gilbert family. Eddie and Doug's dad Tommy worked as a wrassler and ref in the 70s and 80s.

Yep. Doug "Gashouse" Gilbert wrestled in the '60s and '70s and is not related. He is best known as Dick Steinborn's tag team partnet in a territory era team dubbed Mr. High and Mr. Low. They were among the first AWA World Tag Team champions.

 

[alkeiper]

Also went through Hebert and Leprade's book and the first mention of Andre getting slammed comes from Andre's 1970 tour of Japan, by Strong Kobayashi.

 

[Valeyard]

What is generally considered the most successful west coast-based promotion/territory? It has to be Portland, right?

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Portland or San Francisco. Portland lasted longer, but SF seems like it had a greater overall impact.

 

[alkeiper]

That all is fair. Might be an argument for Los Angeles though considering they had tv in the golden era, had their portion of the Blassie/Rikidozan feud, had Blassie/Tolos which drew big in the early '70s.

 

[One Epic Winter (OEW)]

During the '96 Rumble, Mr. Perfect mentioned that he and Eddie Gilbert were tag partners in the WWE (during Doug Gilbert's entrance). When exactly did this happen?

 

[BruiserBrody]

That all is fair. Might be an argument for Los Angeles though considering they had tv in the golden era, had their portion of the Blassie/Rikidozan feud, had Blassie/Tolos which drew big in the early '70s.

WWA World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BruiserBrody]

During the '96 Rumble, Mr. Perfect mentioned that he and Eddie Gilbert were tag partners in the WWE (during Doug Gilbert's entrance). When exactly did this happen?

11/6/82 – included the Chief Jay & Jules Strongbow vs. WWF Tag Team Champions Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito match from the 11/6/82 Championship Wrestling:
Eddie Gilbert & Curt Hennig defeated Johnny Rodz & Tony Russo
12/4/82 – hosted by Vince McMahon & Pat Patterson; included Don Muraco as a guest of Buddy Rogers’ Corner:
The Wild Samoans (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) defeated Eddie Gilbert & Curt Hennig at 4:07 when Afa pinned Hennig with the Samoan Drop

They wrestled each other at least 5 times too.

WWF @ New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – November 22, 1982 (sell out)
Televised on the MSG Network and USA Network – featured Vince McMahon & Gorilla Monsoon on commentary:
Curt Hennig fought Eddie Gilbert to a 20-minute time-limit draw at 14:22 as Hennig had Gilbert covered following an elbow drop; prior to and after the bout, the two shook hands (Gilbert’s MSG debut) (The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect)

 

[One Epic Winter (OEW)]

TIL Jimmy Jack Funk is Art Barr's brother. That's a new one for me.

 

[BruiserBrody]

TIL Jimmy Jack Funk is Art Barr's brother. That's a new one for me.

Pretty sure even the Apters at the time were just like... Yup the WWF circus changed his name he now claims to be Funk.

Then he kept the gimmick once he was cut.

 

[One Epic Winter (OEW)]

I will say, the "Ric Flair can never hit a top rope move" trope was greatly exaggerated. He hit all kinds of top rope axe handles in 90s WCW and even hit a flying crossbody on Vader!

It wasn't until he got to WWE did they play up him always being slammed off the top for attempting a high risk maneuver. May have started towards the end of WCW's existence too.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I will say, the "Ric Flair can never hit a top rope move" trope was greatly exaggerated. He hit all kinds of top rope axe handles in 90s WCW and even hit a flying crossbody on Vader!

It wasn't until he got to WWE did they play up him always being slammed off the top for attempting a high risk maneuver. May have started towards the end of WCW's existence too.

False. It was a common spot in his World title territorial rotation. Just cause he might of hit a move once in a while doesn't change the fact that he did it constantly.

 

[Valeyard]

But by hitting moves off the top, it means he didn't always get thrown off...

 

[alfdogg]

Still think it’s funny that Flair bashed Bret in his book for repetitive matches but Flair had spots so repetitive that they were turned into running jokes on commentary

 

[Valeyard]

Flair's matches are based on how the opponent react to him vs Bret where it's about how he reacts/sells for the opponent. Total opposite aims that both work. But at this point I can watch Bret all day instead of the handful of Flair matches I love.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

I'm in a similar boat. Bret's matches have aged like a fine wine, but most of Flair's (besides the certified all-timers) are cases where one needed to be there.