Author Topic: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon  (Read 7156 times)

LurkerNoMore

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Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« on: June 29, 2012, 06:15:55 AM »
Just read this while I was in Las Vegas this past week.  Very interesting book about someone trying to break into the biz with no contacts or connections like others have.

Was surprising to learn that back when WCW was doing the Blood Runs Cold storyline to build up Glacier that the following characters had a salary of :

Wraith (had previous wrestling experience) $240,000 per year
Glacier (no wrestling experience Kanyon had to train) $210,000 per year
Ernest Miller (no wrestling experience Kanyon had to train) $250,000
Kanyon - $30,000   

Yes, that is correct.  $30K only.  And this is the dude that came up with the entire match script for the storyline and developed all the finishing moves for them and other stars like DDP (who was getting $900,000 per year).

Was funny to learn how Billy Kidman had a porn addiction and would watch it every chance he got.

littleguns

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2012, 03:43:18 PM »
Sad what happened to him. He came out and it wad down hill from there. He was a good worker, just wasn't good on the mic

funk51

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2012, 04:03:26 PM »
Just read this while I was in Las Vegas this past week.  Very interesting book about someone trying to break into the biz with no contacts or connections like others have.

Was surprising to learn that back when WCW was doing the Blood Runs Cold storyline to build up Glacier that the following characters had a salary of :

Wraith (had previous wrestling experience) $240,000 per year
Glacier (no wrestling experience Kanyon had to train) $210,000 per year
Ernest Miller (no wrestling experience Kanyon had to train) $250,000
Kanyon - $30,000    who's better than kanyon>           no one......
he was mortus during these feuds, glacier was a dud.
Yes, that is correct.  $30K only.  And this is the dude that came up with the entire match script for the storyline and developed all the finishing moves for them and other stars like DDP (who was getting $900,000 per year).

Was funny to learn how Billy Kidman had a porn addiction and would watch it every chance he got.
F

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2012, 06:36:50 AM »
It's no secret that Page was Bischoff's buddy. I never cared for DDP's character or ring work. On a side note, his wife allegedly became a pretentious snob once she was made "captain" of the Nitro Girls.
"The Bisch" was notorious for taking excellent care of his "friends" in WCW, and many guys who were there have mentioned how he loved to hang out with the boys (his boys) as if he was one of those boys; paid companionship/acceptance.

Eric (among others in charge at some point) was very generous with Turner's checkbook. I'm not accusing him of lying, but I have a very difficult time believing that Kanyon only pulled $30k when many/most underneath guys were making salaries comparable to WWF's upper-mid-card workers. Something about that just doesn't seem right, and I'm just wondering if a little bit of creative license was used here.


littleguns

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2012, 04:50:45 AM »
I have to agree..I think your number is off.

gmflex

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2012, 09:27:57 AM »
I had heard kanyon was the same salary range of a benoit; malenko;misterio
at around the $150000 / $200000 range...

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2012, 04:34:36 PM »
I had heard kanyon was the same salary range of a benoit; malenko;misterio
at around the $150000 / $200000 range...


That, to me, sounds more likely.
But, then again, $30,000 might be true for all we know.

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2012, 05:06:36 AM »
Towards the end of the WCW term he was given a salary of 280K annually.
Prior to that it was $450 per match.  He was also a good friend of Eric's and Eric is the one that sent him to Hollywood a few times to consult with movie producers and train other actors who were portraying wrestlers in films.

But his low salary seems on par with what other mid carders were making for doing a lot of jobbing.  Kidman was only getting $275 up until he signed a contract prior to joining the flock.

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2012, 03:44:17 PM »
Towards the end of the WCW term he was given a salary of 280K annually.
Prior to that it was $450 per match.  He was also a good friend of Eric's and Eric is the one that sent him to Hollywood a few times to consult with movie producers and train other actors who were portraying wrestlers in films.

But his low salary seems on par with what other mid carders were making for doing a lot of jobbing.  Kidman was only getting $275 up until he signed a contract prior to joining the flock.


Okay, I get it now.
I wasn't considering the time period; you did specify the pre-Glacier days.
Sorry.
Yeah, I can believe that.

The Showstoppa

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2012, 04:15:29 PM »
Mortis !!!!!   And those Glacier promos were one of the worst gimmicks in wrestling history.

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2012, 06:33:27 PM »
Mortis !!!!!   And those Glacier promos were one of the worst gimmicks in wrestling history.


Hey, let's not get carried away, now...










What a disgrace to the NWA world title.

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2012, 11:39:46 AM »

Okay, I get it now.
I wasn't considering the time period; you did specify the pre-Glacier days.
Sorry.
Yeah, I can believe that.

Yeah, for the period up until he joined the Jersey Triad with Bigelow and Page, he wasn't making squat.  And when he went out to Hollywood as the consultant/studio storyline writer / casting agent (just for the wrestlers and the in ring wrestling filming) he wasn't even paid by WCW.  Instead he was paid by the studios out there.  It wasn't until Eric lost his job and power in the office being replaced by Diane and the other suits that he received a pay increase.  They were clueless about wrestling and had the idea that because he had spent time in Hollywood and created a lot of finishing moves for other wrestlers that he was really important.  They offered him $700,000 per year if he would work 320 shows per year.  He turned it down because no one else in the company at that time was working more than 125 shows per year.

There was a hilarious part where they were trying to teach Miller how to sell moves and the only thing he would do for about half a year was what they called "Swarm of Bees".  Meaning that he would wave his hands around his face like he was shooing bees away.  Hit him and he would chase bees away.  Kick him. Same thing.  Body slam him, here comes the bees again.  Even in a sunset flip he would be laying there fanning bees out of his face.  They kept telling him he need to do something else because it had gotten old, so instead he started chasing the bees away from the part of his body that had the impact.  They used to purposely give him reverse atomic drops just to see him shoo the bees away from his crotch. 

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2012, 02:20:17 PM »
They offered him $700,000 per year if he would work 320 shows per year.  He turned it down because no one else in the company at that time was working more than 125 shows per year.

If that's true, I wonder if he at least made some kind of counter-offer. That deal works out to $5,600/show. Personally, I would have started negotiating by simply asking for the same rate for fewer shows per year. That's fair!


There was a hilarious part where they were trying to teach Miller how to sell moves and the only thing he would do for about half a year was what they called "Swarm of Bees".  Meaning that he would wave his hands around his face like he was shooing bees away.  Hit him and he would chase bees away.  Kick him. Same thing.  Body slam him, here comes the bees again.  Even in a sunset flip he would be laying there fanning bees out of his face.  They kept telling him he need to do something else because it had gotten old, so instead he started chasing the bees away from the part of his body that had the impact.  They used to purposely give him reverse atomic drops just to see him shoo the bees away from his crotch. 

That is FUKKIN' FUNNY...but, also very sad.
It's funny that "The Cat" did that, but it's sad that one of the big two wrestling organazations at the time would give someone like that a spot on their roster.

JBGRAY

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #13 on: July 04, 2012, 07:27:55 PM »
WCW was a complete wreck.  Guys like Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, Austin, HHH(yes, he was there), Malenko all held down in favor of doddering old dinosaurs who would do run-ins during every single main event.  WCW also gave out guaranteed contracts which is something Mcmahon never has or would do. 

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #14 on: July 05, 2012, 02:03:09 AM »
WCW also gave out guaranteed contracts which is something Mcmahon never has or would do. 


That's right. Vince only started offering guaranteed money because of Turner; it was one of the few tactics he could use to compete with WCW, who was "stealing" guys from WWF left & right (how's it feel, Vince?).
For some reason, I want to say that Pillman was the first WWF player to receive that contractual luxury.

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #15 on: July 05, 2012, 06:12:37 AM »


That is FUKKIN' FUNNY...but, also very sad.
It's funny that "The Cat" did that, but it's sad that one of the big two wrestling organazations at the time would give someone like that a spot on their roster.

You know when I read that, I had forgotten all about how he did that when he first came out.  I thought it was some fukked up way he was channeling his karate chi and regrouping himself.  The other thing he did later on that I noticed was the "splutter"  Like where a drowning man comes up to the top of the water for the third name and is spitting/spluttering water out of his mouth.  He would do the same thing once he got hit or took a bump.

Though I will admit he did make improvements and towards the end his "Call my  mama" gimmick where he was going to whup anyone from the back that came to ring schickt was pulled off real well and hilarious to watch.

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #16 on: July 05, 2012, 05:07:31 PM »
You know when I read that, I had forgotten all about how he did that when he first came out.  I thought it was some fukked up way he was channeling his karate chi and regrouping himself.  The other thing he did later on that I noticed was the "splutter"  Like where a drowning man comes up to the top of the water for the third name and is spitting/spluttering water out of his mouth.  He would do the same thing once he got hit or took a bump.

Though I will admit he did make improvements and towards the end his "Call my  mama" gimmick where he was going to whup anyone from the back that came to ring schickt was pulled off real well and hilarious to watch.


You know, it makes you realize how clueless he was. Honestly, it's not rocket science; you can learn how to work simply by attentively watching a few matches. And, even if you've never watched a professional wrestling match in your life, if someone told you to pretend you've been kicked or punched making it look as real as possible, who would be stupid enough to pull the "bee" maneuver?

The Showstoppa

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2012, 05:44:07 AM »

You know, it makes you realize how clueless he was. Honestly, it's not rocket science; you can learn how to work simply by attentively watching a few matches. And, even if you've never watched a professional wrestling match in your life, if someone told you to pretend you've been kicked or punched making it look as real as possible, who would be stupid enough to pull the "bee" maneuver?

"I'm gonna give you 5 seconds......."  ;D

Montague

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #18 on: July 06, 2012, 02:57:03 PM »
"I'm gonna give you 5 seconds......."  ;D


I know I still have my notebook somewhere; the one I started in my early 20's as a young trainee hopeful with stars in his eyes of making big money by sweating on canvas with other grown men wearing spandex.
In it, I kept a collection of random ideas for characters, gimmicks, angles, and other brainstorms. It actually contained some half-way decent ideas. I'll never use it for anything. I ought to just mail the damn thing to the WWF's Stamford office with a note that reads, "To whom it may concern, HERE!!! Please use this...a lot!!"

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2012, 07:26:50 AM »
What is really sad is that if a few of us on this board got hired by WWE to write the storylines and character development for them, the product would improve vastly.  Yet, they have "experts" (some who were wrestlers themselves) and it sucks balls all day long.

The fuck is Arn Anderson doing as a road agent?  That man knew ring psychology like none other (except maybe Flair and Jake Roberts).  They need him writing the story lines and feuds.

Krankenstein

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2012, 11:28:36 AM »
What is really sad is that if a few of us on this board got hired by WWE to write the storylines and character development for them, the product would improve vastly.  Yet, they have "experts" (some who were wrestlers themselves) and it sucks balls all day long.

The fuck is Arn Anderson doing as a road agent?  That man knew ring psychology like none other (except maybe Flair and Jake Roberts).  They need him writing the story lines and feuds.

One thing I have realized....its all well and good to have people say "I have a great story line".....its another to have the involved wrestler 'sell it'...along with the surrounding cast of people. 

PERFECT example....I can't tell anymore if Michael Cole is a face or heel type of announcer. 

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Wrestling Reality by Chris Kanyon
« Reply #21 on: July 09, 2012, 12:29:40 PM »
Some of the story lines just suck no matter who is involved.  See the AJ saga for example.  Or the HHH/Kane/Katie gig.  I will say that Eddie Guerrero could pull off some great storylines that no one else could.  Same way with Jericho.  (His feud with Malenko and him starting to call himself the man of 1004 holds was hilarious).

Then again, there are some great angles and story lines that are easy to work and get over and Vince just kills them right out of the gate.  The WCW invasion, the NXT take over, etc..