This Day in Pro Wrestling History

[Sex Machine Gun]

That was when we broke off the Yellow Keith board?

It was still yellow, still TheSmarks.com, we didn't drop that until maybe a month or two later.

 

[Gert]

I feel awful for not saying something before, but the late night of 17 MAR/18 MAR is my 20 year anniversary on this board. Sort of an old school observation. Registered an hour or so after Wrestlemania X8 ended. The time, how it flies.

I was a class of 2002 also, I believe a rookie Chad Johnson was my first avatar…

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yep. I'm class of '02, yellow board. I remember jumping in right around the time that nWo came to WWF/No Way Out '02. I didn't post consistently until like '06ish.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Yep. I'm class of '02, yellow board. I remember jumping in right around the time that nWo came to WWF/No Way Out '02. I didn't post consistently until like '06ish.

So we have a ballpark figure when things went all to hell around here.

 

[Fall of Epic]

Joined in the Fall of '04 but my registration date on the old board might say otherwise. I asked a fellow poster on another board if I can have his account and he said ok so I was moonlighting as him for a few years.

Fun fact: Downhome was a mod on that board and was the reason I found out what TSM was.

 

[strummer]

Joined in summer of 04 but lurked since the beginning.

I think the Smarks started in 99 or so and I can remember reading the articles in the computer lab between classes in college. Venk did the old wrestling reviews iirc which eventually he started doing for the Observer site.

The 03 and 04 MLB postseasons were incredible as all the Cub, Red Sox and Yankee fans were the big posters.

The Nash quad tear Raw sticks out because I clearly recall a poster claiming he could beat Kevin Nash in a real fight.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

The Nash quad tear Raw sticks out because I clearly recall a poster claiming he could beat Kevin Nash in a real fight.

Can't lie, that might very well have been me.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

Probably EHME

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

He sold coke to Chad Kroger, ya know?

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

We're going to need a "Wrestlers You'd Beat in a Fight" thread.

Because my list would be anybody over 60.

And Marko Stunt.

...probably Austin Aries, too.

 

[Valeyard]

Angleplex angrily talking about how out of shape Roman was and how he had a better body is the most recent we had, and it was good stuff.

 

[alkeiper]

We're going to need a "Wrestlers You'd Beat in a Fight" thread.

Because my list would be anybody over 60.

And Marko Stunt.

...probably Austin Aries, too.

My money is still on Black Terry.

I have no pretensions about beating anyone in a fight. But I’m often surprised how I’m bigger than most wrestlers these days.

 

[alkeiper]

Also, it’s a shame Marko Stunt isn’t used much in AEW anymore because he and Adam Cole is a dream match.

 

[Valeyard]

...

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

My money is still on Black Terry.

Can't wait to see Negro Navarro tie my fellow New England MAN up like a pretzel.

 

[Valeyard]

I made Lou Thesz tap last week.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1506338419403853826

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2tOJo4ScQ

A few days after Andre died, I was at my Grandma's watching the 11 am WWF Superstars show with even more gusto than usual as word had spread that the Giant had passed away and I was anxious to see what the WWF would do/say about it. From what I remember with no time to do a proper package, they merely added a brief Andre pic at the end of the show with the born and death dates on it. I was so disappointed.

Watching this now, I was choked up with the simple yet touching tribute, which I certainly remember from 93. Mama bought me the Andre memorial magazine (which is still tucked away at Brody Manor).

 

[strummer]

The first WWE draft was 20 years ago today

 

[alfdogg]

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

35 years ago today!

 

[Valeyard]

I can never argue against that being my favorite overall show ever. It's at least top two.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I'm still an X-7 guy but I totally understand why someone would say III is tops.

 

[Valeyard]

17 is up there. Watching it again was great. 3 is just the epitome of being a kid and loving the spectacle. It's such an easy watch and always just kinda makes me happy and not something I can be overly critical about, which is something hard to do with other shows at this point. Besides no two matches have been as perfectly laid out as Savage/Steamboat and Hogan/Andre, but for very different reasons and purposes.

Some of Gorilla and Jesse's best work, too.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1509881621670940676

One of the stranger ends of an era.


Noticing air date...are we sure Bingo Break wasn’t some abstract April Fools joke?

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1510599096100343808

Here's Superstars from the same weekend:

Taped 3/9/88; Winston-Salem, NC
4/2/88 - included Craig DeGeorge conducting an interview with Nikolai Volkoff, Boris Zhukov, & Slick in which the Bolsheviks sang the Russian National Anthem:
Rick Rude (w/ Bobby Heenan) pinned Eric Cooper with the Rude Awakening at 1:52
Don Muraco (w/ Superstar Billy Graham) pinned George Petraski with the tombstone at 1:49
Bad News Brown pinned Phil Newkirk with the Ghetto Blaster at 2:06
Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink) pinned Conquistador #1 with a slingshot splash at 1:26
Andre the Giant fought Brian Costello to a no contest when he tossed his opponent out of the ring before the bout began; after the bout, Jim Duggan came ringside to challenge Andre; Andre began choking Duggan but Duggan fought back by knocking Andre out with his 2x4; moments later, when Andre came to, he attacked both officials and a cameraman in a fit of rage; the incident resulted in Bobby Heenan once again becoming Andre's manager ('Hacksaw' Jim Duggan)

--
And Prime Time:

4/4/88:
- Dino Bravo (w/ Frenchy Martin) pinned Koko B. Ware at 7:47 with the side suplex (3/13/88; Hamilton, Ontario; Copps Coliseum)
- Bad News Brown pinned Brady Boone at 5:57 with the Ghetto Blaster (3/7/88; Nashville, TN: Municipal Auditorium)
- Ron Bass pinned Rick Hunter at 2:31; after the bout, as the Junkyard Dog made his way to the ring, Bass allowed him to pass before attacking him and using Miss Betsy to choke JYD out (Wrestling Challenge - 3/8/88; Bristol, TN; Viking Hall)
- WWF Women's Tag Team Champion Noriyo Tateno (w/ WWF Women's Tag Team Champion Itsuki Yamazaki) pinned Leilani Kai (w/ Jimmy Hart & Judy Martin) at 13:12 after Kai collided with Hart on the ring apron (3/13/88; Hamilton, Ontario; Copps Coliseum)
- Andre the Giant fought Brian Costello to a no contest when he tossed his opponent out of the ring before the bout began; after the bout, Jim Duggan came ringside to challenge Andre; Andre began choking Duggan but Duggan fought back by knocking Andre out with his 2x4; moments later, when Andre came to, he attacked both officials and a cameraman in a fit of rage; the incident resulted in Bobby Heenan once again becoming Andre's manager ('Hacksaw' Jim Duggan) (WWF Superstars - 3/9/88; Winston-Salem, NC; Coliseum)
- George Steele defeated Boris Zhukov (w/ Slick & Nikolai Volkoff) via disqualification at 2:31 when Volkoff interfered; after the bout, Steele escaped a triple team and chased the opposition backstage with a chair (3/8/88; Bristol, TN; Viking Hall)

 

[strummer]

Kurt Angle returned to WWE 5 years ago today.

Sid powerbombed Shawn into a babyface 27 years ago today!

 

[BruiserBrody]

Dusty brings back the Midnight Rider as part of his 3rd or 4th feud with Tully Blanchard since 1984.

It got over so well that they killed the angle off 5 weeks later:

JCP @ Houston, TX - Sam Houston Coliseum - May 13, 1988 (4,800)
NWA US Championship Tournament Quarter Finals: Barry Windham pinned the Midnight Rider (Italian Stallion); after the bout, Dusty Rhodes made the save

 

[strummer]

I would imagine Windham turning heel (which was a last minute decision in a desperate attempt to get heat as business was falling) had at least something to do with the Midnight Rider angle being dropped so quickly. It didn't get over at all but now Dusty needed to be back on tv to feud with Barry.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I would imagine Windham turning heel (which was a last minute decision in a desperate attempt to get heat as business was falling) had at least something to do with the Midnight Rider angle being dropped so quickly. It didn't get over at all but now Dusty needed to be back on tv to feud with Barry.

Dusty was on TV every week, just in a mask. In fact the Houston match listed was probably a bit of dirty booking as the fans likely thought they were getting Windham vs Rhodes and not a glorified squash.
Windham was teasing the Horsemen thing in late 87 already so Dusty sort of knew where he was going, but his booking was a mess until the summer.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1513554215993581577

Is Rougeau a mark for himself for paying Hogan 25K, 50K whatever it was to do a job for him 10 years after it would really pay off for Rougeau?
Maybe he soaked the local promoter?
Hogan supposedly agreed as a "Thank you" for the Rougeaus working so many matches under him in the 80s or whatever.

I don't think I found out about it until 2 months later when the Apter mags caught up with the news cycle.