is shawn micheals the best wrestler of all time?

[Montague]

Frankie Williams, Johnny Rodz, Rene Goulet, Iron Mike Sharpe. True legends of the squared circle.

I think the most publicity Frankie Williams ever got was being the first guest on Piper's Pit. Johnny Rodz was also good friends with the Hot Rod.

[Karl Kox]

KK, I had always heard that Watts was kind of a jerk to work for, especially in the WCW, when he was trying to push Eric, nickel and dimed everybody, etc...

Murdoch was one of my all time favorites back in the day.   

ya I had always heard the same thing, I'm just going by what my old man said. 
I do know that he did screw a of of guys around in WCW.

[ATHEIST]

 
 best wrestlers of all time...

   Brett Hart
   Kurt Henning
  

 Michaels is good but Brett was a a lot better. Michaels Super Kick is pretty lame. no one was better in the ring than Brett. i hated him though.

[The Showstoppa]

ya I had always heard the same thing, I'm just going by what my old man said. 
I do know that he did screw a of of guys around in WCW.

Maybe we both were just hearing the whiny "new generation" of wrestlers who all thought they should be pushed to the moon and have guaranteed contracts. 

Who does your dad consider the best all around wrestler he has worked with?

[Karl Kox]

Maybe we both were just hearing the whiny "new generation" of wrestlers who all thought they should be pushed to the moon and have guaranteed contracts. 

Who does your dad consider the best all around wrestler he has worked with?

 I just called the old fart, he said him self, then he had a long laugh.
He said Murdoch was his favorite to work with, but one of the best workers back when he was wrestling he thought was Mark Lewin.  He said any young guy who wanted to get into the wrestling business now days should watch a video of Johnny Valentine.  He was very close to all three of those guys and was with Valentine up till his death in 01.  He said almost anybody back then was better then the guys now .

[Montague]

Kox,
I was fortunate enough to talk with some workers from the old Studio Wrestling Days in the Pittsburgh area like Mike Scicluna, Johnny DeFazio, Hurricane Hunt, etc. Bruno was the most outspoken!

A lot of those guys (and many others from that generation) thought that McMahon Jr. screwed up when he openly admitted that pro wrestling is entertainment mixed with an incredible amount of athleticism.
The opposite side of the argument feels that Vince’s admission attracted a broader audience, as people no longer felt foolish/insulted watching the product.

How did your Dad feel about that?

I know he lived in Baltimore at one point. Did he ever do any work with the McMahon’s in the original WWWF?

[The Showstoppa]

I just called the old fart, he said him self, then he had a long laugh.
He said Murdoch was his favorite to work with, but one of the best workers back when he was wrestling he thought was Mark Lewin.  He said any young guy who wanted to get into the wrestling business now days should watch a video of Johnny Valentine.  He was very close to all three of those guys and was with Valentine up till his death in 01.  He said almost anybody back then was better then the guys now .

"Maniac" Mark Lewin AKA: the Purple Haze.  It's amazing that he was active for a very, very long time.  I remember when I first saw him was when he was doing the "satanic" stuff with Kevin Sullivan in Floridain the 80's, but I had old mags that I found at a flea market where he was a wrestler in the early 70's.  Strong mofo, too.

Johnny Valentine is a legend here in the Carolina's.  I remember reading about how brutal he was to the young guys.  Stories like he would wait until they went to the bathroom while eating and put shit in their food.  I mean literally fecal matter.  They were all so afraid of him that they didn't do anything when they found out about it.

I would love to sit down over a few brews and shoot the bull with your dad.  Did you ever give it a go?

[Karl Kox]

Kox,
I was fortunate enough to talk with some workers from the old Studio Wrestling Days in the Pittsburgh area like Mike Scicluna, Johnny DeFazio, Hurricane Hunt, etc. Bruno was the most outspoken!

A lot of those guys (and many others from that generation) thought that McMahon Jr. screwed up when he openly admitted that pro wrestling is entertainment mixed with an incredible amount of athleticism.
The opposite side of the argument feels that Vince’s admission attracted a broader audience, as people no longer felt foolish/insulted watching the product.

How did your Dad feel about that?

I know he lived in Baltimore at one point. Did he ever do any work with the McMahon’s in the original WWWF?

No he never worked with McMahon Sr. but they were friends.  He always tried to get my dad to come wrestle in New York but my dad was always committed else where.  Toward the end of his career Bruno Samartino tried to get my dad to come up there again but at that time my dad wanted to retire to be at home cause me and my brother had been born, and he missed my two half brothers growing up by being on the road a lot, many times not even out of the Country.
AS for exposing the Business at first he was against it, and may still be but he thinks it was actually better to draw in a bigger audience.  My old man is the kinda guy that would never break Kayfabe.  That is his biggest complaint now days, is that   "theres no kayfabe in the business any more. "

[Karl Kox]

"Maniac" Mark Lewin AKA: the Purple Haze.  It's amazing that he was active for a very, very long time.  I remember when I first saw him was when he was doing the "satanic" stuff with Kevin Sullivan in Floridain the 80's, but I had old mags that I found at a flea market where he was a wrestler in the early 70's.  Strong mofo, too.

Johnny Valentine is a legend here in the Carolina's.  I remember reading about how brutal he was to the young guys.  Stories like he would wait until they went to the bathroom while eating and put shit in their food.  I mean literally fecal matter.  They were all so afraid of him that they didn't do anything when they found out about it.

I would love to sit down over a few brews and shoot the bull with your dad.  Did you ever give it a go?

My dad says Mark could get into shape faster then anyone he has ever seen.

And man have I heard some stories about Valentine like that as well many from his own mouth.  Like nailing guys shoes to the floor, shiting in their shoes, tying fire crackers to there toes, and once, he even figured out a way to put some kinda liquid in a wrestlers inhaler ( can't remember who )  but the wrestler was having a asthma attack grabbed his inhaler and the shit came out . Johnny thought it was funny the next night the guy pulled a shot gun on him.

My dad is real good friends with Skandar Akbar, who lives here in Dallas and they get together every couple of weeks and my mom cooks up a bunch of food and they sit around telling stories.  Now there's a guy who has so much knowledge about wrestling and is a great historian.

[The Showstoppa]

My dad says Mark could get into shape faster then anyone he has ever seen.

And man have I heard some stories about Valentine like that as well many from his own mouth.  Like nailing guys shoes to the floor, shiting in their shoes, tying fire crackers to there toes, and he even once figured out a way to put some kinda liquid in a wrestlers inhaler ( can't remember who )  but the wrestler was having a asthma attack grabbed his inhaler and the shit came out . Johnny thought it was funny the next night the guy pulled a shot gun on him.

My dad is real good friends with Slander Akbar, who lives here in Dallas and they get together every couple of weeks and my mom cooks up a bunch of food and the sit around telling stories.  Now theres a guy who has so much knowleg about wrestling and is a great historian.

Damn, you could charge for us to come and hang out and listen to those. I remember Akbar from his days managing in the mid-south and Texas.  Managing The Missing Link.  Can you imagine what kind of heat he would generate today? 

I've heard about that inhaler thing with Valentine.  What was always odd about the guy is that he was incredibly intellingent, great chess player, etc... yet he would do that type of stuff.  I guess the road gets boring.

I know your dad was really active in Australia.  Did you live there, or was that later? 

It was cool going to matches growing up.  Got to see McDaniels, Flair, Greg Valentine, Ivan Koloff, Black Jack Mulligan, etc... in HS gyms with about 500 people in attendance.

[Karl Kox]

Damn, you could charge for us to come and hang out and listen to those. I remember Akbar from his days managing in the mid-south and Texas.  Managing The Missing Link.  Can you imagine what kind of heat he would generate today? 

I've heard about that inhaler thing with Valentine.  What was always odd about the guy is that he was incredibly intellingent, great chess player, etc... yet he would do that type of stuff.  I guess the road gets boring.

I know your dad was really active in Australia.  Did you live there, or was that later? 

It was cool going to matches growing up.  Got to see McDaniels, Flair, Greg Valentine, Ivan Koloff, Black Jack Mulligan, etc... in HS gyms with about 500 people in attendance.

Dude the fucking Missing Link, he realy is nuts.  At an authograph show a few years back he was there and he was in all his make up and stuff. Killer Brooks was signing autographs a few tables down from my dad's and Link was walking by with a chair in his hand and joking around; my dad told Link to hit Brooks with the chair . Link did and Brooks and him starting fighting right there in the exhibit hall.  Brooks won. I was very surprised


Yeah, Akbar was managing a guy right after Sept. 11th at an Indy show and who ever was running told him not to wear his head piece cause it would cause too much heat

[The Showstoppa]

Dude the fucking Missing Link, he realy is nuts.  At an authograph show a few years back he was there and he was in all his make up and stuff. Killer Brooks was signing autographs a few tables down from my dad's and Link was walking by with a chair in his hand and joking around; my dad told Link to hit Brooks with the chair . Link did and Brooks and him starting fighting right there in the exhibit hall.  Brooks won. I was very surprised


Yeah, Akbar was managing a guy right after Sept. 11th at an Indy show and who ever was running told him not to wear his head piece cause it would cause too much heat

I remember Brooks doing some work in the Georgia area.  Most everything else I read about him in mags, etc...
Link was pretty jacked for that time period.  Your dad has to have some Rhodes and Murdock stories.  I think it going away from territories has really hurt.  Guys could leave one and pop up in another one when his heat was down.  Now, I just got tired of the same guys over and over.  I rarely even watch anymore.  Although TNA is trying to put on a decent show.

[Karl Kox]

I remember Brooks doing some work in the Georgia area.  Most everything else I read about him in mags, etc...
Link was pretty jacked for that time period.  Your dad has to have some Rhodes and Murdock stories.  I think it going away from territories has really hurt.  Guys could leave one and pop up in another one when his heat was down.  Now, I just got tired of the same guys over and over.  I rarely even watch anymore.  Although TNA is trying to put on a decent show.

Ya Link was Jacked at the Autograph show still.  He just turned 65.   Must still be on the Juice.  Ya I agree about the territories a guy could be reborn some place if he was done another place.  Ya my dad a Rhodes are pretty close too.  When I was a young kid we would go to his house in Austin every so offten.  That was the time of the yellow polkadots.

[bmacsys]

I think the most publicity Frankie Williams ever got was being the first guest on Piper's Pit. Johnny Rodz was also good friends with the Hot Rod.

 That was a classic moment in Pipers Pit! I remember working out as a kid. All the wrestlers would be working out. This was the early 80's. Frankie Wlliams came to the gym just to bullshit. Same with Mr. Fuji.

[Montague]

I was surprised to learn that Piper is battling cancer.
He and Bobby Heenan are the only cancer combatants I can recall in recent times.

I'm NOT being funny, but I wonder if the reason you don't hear of more wrestlers getting cancer is because something else often gets them first.

Brian Pillman
Davey Boy Smith
Curt Hennig
Rick Rude
Hercules Hernandez
Road Warrior Hawk
...to name a few, all suffered drug related deaths.


But other causes have claimed plenty of others.
Adrian Adonis
Kerry Von Erich
Junk Yard Dog
Owen Hart
Rick McGraw
Dino Bravo
Chris Candido/"Skip"
Big Boss Man

But the one thing they ALL share in common is that they happened at young ages.
That's a frightening trend.

[The Showstoppa]

I was surprised to learn that Piper is battling cancer.
He and Bobby Heenan are the only cancer combatants I can recall in recent times.

I'm NOT being funny, but I wonder if the reason you don't hear of more wrestlers getting cancer is because something else often gets them first.

Brian Pillman
Davey Boy Smith
Curt Hennig
Rick Rude
Hercules Hernandez
Road Warrior Hawk
...to name a few, all suffered drug related deaths.


But other causes have claimed plenty of others.
Adrian Adonis
Kerry Von Erich
Junk Yard Dog
Owen Hart
Rick McGraw
Dino Bravo
Chris Candido/"Skip"
Big Boss Man

But the one thing they ALL share in common is that they happened at young ages.
That's a frightening trend.

Thats only a small fraction.

[Montague]

Thats only a small fraction.

Very sadly, you're right.

Candido’s passing shocked me.
I met Tammy and him several times backstage at indy shows. They were always very nice to us trainees, and treated us with respect!
All of those old ECW guys did.
And I don’t think it was only because some of our trainers had worked for that company. They were just good, respectable people.
 
But back to Chris & Sunny…
The wild stories about their “party” days had some truth, but they had both cleaned up their acts, and you could tell that from their appearance and behavior.

Tammy had stopped tanning and put on, at most, a few pounds and still looked amazingly beautiful. Chris had gotten back in ring shape and was well conditioned. This was shortly before his return to “mainstream” with TNA.
These two were back on track and had a new lease on life.

While I only met them a handful of times, I was legitimately sad to learn that Chris had died from complications of a travelling blood clot resulting from ankle surgery.
Of all f*cking things…

[chaos]

Brett Hart
Chris Benoit..sucks on the mic but can go in the ring

[Earl1972]

Tammy had stopped tanning and put on, at most, a few pounds and still looked amazingly beautiful.

and now?

[Montague]

I haven’t seen her in over two years.
Still…
I prefer her current look to that of a 95 lb. anemic heroin addict.

Just remember 2 things:
1.) Inner beauty also counts.
2.) Mother Nature and Father Time will one day team up to kick all our
     asses. It’s coming…

[Karl Kox]

I haven’t seen her in over two years.
Still…
I prefer her current look to that of a 95 lb. anemic heroin addict.

Just remember 2 things:
1.) Inner beauty also counts.
2.) Mother Nature and Father Time will one day team up to kick all our
     asses. It’s coming…

My dad did a autograph show with Her and Chris about two days before he died.  It was the second time I met them.   Very nice people the both of them.  It was so said when Chris died and kinda weird because we were just with them.  I hope she is doing well.

[Montague]

I hope she is doing well.

As do I.

[Montague]

She and Chris had a lot of friends in the business.

I had already been out of it for over a year at the time, but one of my old trainers shot me a text message with the news when it happened.

From what I heard, Balls and Shane took it really hard.
Well Mahoney and Chris grew up together.

I don’t know if anybody talked to Bam Bam or not.
He was close with them as well and used to come through our way from time to time, but not as much.
I believe he moved to Florida some time back.

[Jr. Franco]

that razor ramon match is a classic and he still provides the goods even to this day. hes in pretty good shape too. discuss

Damn right great match, If ramone wasnt such a drunk he'd be the best hahaha.

[Montague]

Undertaker's finisher: "The Last Ride"

Ramon/Scott Hall's finisher: "The Last Call"