Favorite "Pro" Wrasslers?

[DixieDestroyer]

I didn't know how many pro wrestling fans we have here at CF, but I thought I'd make the inquiry. I was a hardcore wrestling fan/"mark" growing up, but rarely watch these days. I wanted to ask everyone's favorite pro wresters (present, past, etc.)? Here's mine...

- Lou Thesz (a wrestling pioneer, innovator & dangerous catch wrestler/hooker).
- "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (outstanding mic skills & great entertainer)
- Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
- "Bruiser" Brody (RIP) (*Was a legit tough guy with heavy hands)
- Andre the Giant
- Kurt Angle (Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler...could have dominated at MMA).
- Brock Lesnar (showed raw power & athletic ability as a wrestler (pre MMA)).
- Rick Rude (RIP) (One of the best "heels").
- The Road Warrior (in the early, mid 80s...one of the most dominant tag teams of all times).
- Nikita "The Russian Nightmare" Koloff
- "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdock
- Don "The Spoiler" Jardine (was doing the ring-rope walk long before the Undertaker).
- (Big Van) Vader (former NFL OL was very agile for his massive size).
- Chris Jericho (Great mic skills, very athletic)
- Harley Race*

* = Classic clip of Harley Race punkin' out Ron Simmons (complete with Jim Ross' DWF jock sniffing). You couldn't get away with heel stuff like this nowadays!

Harley Race Punks Out Ron Simmons

Edited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[whiteathlete33]

I liked Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. The Bushwackers were pretty cool too.

 

[Kaptain]

Rick Flair - Great interviews. Hilarious. youtube has some great clips of him in his prime. Its all about the interviews.

1:00 mark "black dudes - hershel walker" Edited by: Kaptain Poop

 

[Freethinker]

I was always a fan of Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Their original Degeneration X days were entertaining. The New Age Outlaws were cool too.

Old school: Hulk Hogan and the Road Warriors.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Rick Flair - Great interviews. Hilarious. youtube has some great clips of him in his prime. Its all about the interviews.

1:00 mark "black dudes - hershel walker"

LOL...Ol'Ric was the man on the mic. I loved his in ring antics as well...the eye poke, the delayed face-plant/flop, the flying knee-drop, the "strut", the into+over the turnbuckles "flips". He was one of the greatest ever.

Ric Flair - Master of the Mic

Vintage Flair "Flops"

Vintage Flair "Flips"



Edited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[whiteathlete33]

I still like Hulk Hogan but I have learned he is a terrible person. His son, Nick, was involved in an accident where he was the driver and under the influence of alcohol. His passenger and best friend died. Tapes were released from jail conversations Hulk had with his son where Hulk said that the kid "got what he deserved." I didn't he was that evil.

 

[speedster]

Here are some of my favourites:
Randy Savage
Ricky Steamboat
Bret Hart
Tom Billington the Dynamite Kid
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin

I was into the more athletic in-ring performers as opposed to the stiffs like Hulk Hogan who couldn't work a lick.Having said that going back a number of years there were a number of gimmick type wrestlers who scared the crap out of me when I was a kid like:

the original Sheik Ed Farhat
Abdullah the Butcher
Pampero Firpo
Siegfried Stienke

Hey DD,did you ever get into wrestling newsletters ie..dirtsheets.I found wrestling to be far more enjoyable reading them particularly Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Speedster, yessir...as a former "mark" (as a kid), I used to read Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) quite a bit. However, I don't follow "wrasslin" much these days (except for TNA on Spike once in a blue moon). If I'm flippin' channels, I may watch WWE (for a second) as well.



Edited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[speedster]

Yea,I've lost interest in it as well,had my fill.The product may still be good at times but who cares and like you if I happen to come across it when the tube is on then I might watch it for a bit.Seems as though wrestling has lost that 30 and over demographic and mostly younger guys watch it.With wrestling like everything else I follow it on a historical basis.These days I'm reading up on Roller Derby.Anyone remember that?

Hey,that's number 666 the number of the beast sacrafice is going on tonight.Iron Maiden-1981Edited by: speedster

 

[Don Wassall]

I never followed "pro" wrestling but will always like Rowdy Roddy Piper for his role in the classic movie "They Live." And Jerry Lawler for slapping Andy Kauffman on the David Letterman show. Even if that one was scripted, Lawler played his part very well.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

"They Live" is one of my favorite movies, and RRP (aka Rod Toombs) always played a good "heel" in wrestling. Fyi, his son, Colt Toombs, is an MMA fighter (with Team Quest). He's 4-0 fighting at Featherweight.

Edited by: DixieDestroyer

 

[Don Wassall]

Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler





[TUBE]11T_-k7ckrg[/TUBE]Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[guest301]

I didn't know how many pro wrestling fans we have here at CF, but I thought I'd make the inquiry. I was a hardcore wrestling fan/"mark" growing up, but rarely watch these days. I wanted to ask everyone's favorite pro wresters (present, past, etc.)? Here's mine...

- Lou Thesz (a wrestling pioneer, innovator & dangerous catch wrestler/hooker).
- "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (outstanding mic skills & great entertainer)
- Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
- "Bruiser" Brody (RIP) (*Was a legit tough guy with heavy hands)
- Andre the Giant
- Kurt Angle (Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler...could have dominated at MMA).
- Brock Lesnar (showed raw power & athletic ability as a wrestler (pre MMA)).
- Rick Rude (RIP) (One of the best "heels").
- The Road Warrior (in the early, mid 80s...one of the most dominant tag teams of all times).
- Nikita "The Russian Nightmare" Koloff
- "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdock
- Don "The Spoiler" Jardine (was doing the ring-rope walk long before the Undertaker).
- (Big Van) Vader (former NFL OL was very agile for his massive size).
- Chris Jericho (Great mic skills, very athletic)
- Harley Race*

* = Classic clip of Harley Race punkin' out Ron Simmons (complete with Jim Ross' DWF jock sniffing). You couldn't get away with heel stuff like this nowadays!

Harley Race Punks Out Ron Simmons

Sting(Steve Borden)- Christian minister outside of wrestling
The Von Erich Family. Kevin and his late brothers David,Kerry, Mike and of course Father Fritz.
HBK(Shawn Michaels)
The Steiner Brothers
Hulk Hogan
Barry Windham
Arn "enforcer" Anderson
Bruiser Brody
The Freebirds(Michael Hayes, Terry "bam bam" Gordy and Buddy Jack Roberts) and their walking around proudly with the Confederate rebel flag.
Rick "nature boy" Flair
Lex Lugar
Rob Van Damn
Jeff Hardy
Chris "gentleman' Adams
Jim "Hacksaw" Duggan
Triple HHH
Kurt Angle
AJ Styles
Jeff Jarrett
and announcers like Jim Ross, Mark Lawrence and Tony Schiavone
Not too many current wrestlers today do I like because of all the anti-hero types.




Edited by: guest301

 

[guest301]

I didn't know how many pro wrestling fans we have here at CF, but I thought I'd make the inquiry. I was a hardcore wrestling fan/"mark" growing up, but rarely watch these days. I wanted to ask everyone's favorite pro wresters (present, past, etc.)? Here's mine...

- Lou Thesz (a wrestling pioneer, innovator & dangerous catch wrestler/hooker).
- "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair (outstanding mic skills & great entertainer)
- Stan "The Lariat" Hansen
- "Bruiser" Brody (RIP) (*Was a legit tough guy with heavy hands)
- Andre the Giant
- Kurt Angle (Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler...could have dominated at MMA).
- Brock Lesnar (showed raw power & athletic ability as a wrestler (pre MMA)).
- Rick Rude (RIP) (One of the best "heels").
- The Road Warrior (in the early, mid 80s...one of the most dominant tag teams of all times).
- Nikita "The Russian Nightmare" Koloff
- "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdock
- Don "The Spoiler" Jardine (was doing the ring-rope walk long before the Undertaker).
- (Big Van) Vader (former NFL OL was very agile for his massive size).
- Chris Jericho (Great mic skills, very athletic)
- Harley Race*

* = Classic clip of Harley Race punkin' out Ron Simmons (complete with Jim Ross' DWF jock sniffing). You couldn't get away with heel stuff like this nowadays!

Harley Race Punks Out Ron Simmons

Dixie, I watched that link and no way would anybody say that stuff nowadays. Simmons cleaned house though. While I was at that link I watched some old Sting vs. NWO links such as the "Sting Army" and "Stings cleans house " clips and that was good stuff as well. I loved it back in the mid 90's when the Monday night wars were going on between WCW and WWE. The Sting character remake as the late Brandon Lee(son of Bruce Lee) with the white face brooding "crow" turned Sting into a living legend and icon to this day and my favorite wrestler of all time along with the Von Erich family.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Lots of greats have been mentioned already, but I'll stick to my favorites of those I watched on Memphis Wrestling as a kid.

Jerry "The King" Lawler-being able to work a crowd like few others
"The Fabulous One" Jackie Fargo-often imitated but never duplicated
Bill "Superstar" Dundee-shorter man like myself who was involved in many great feuds
"Dirty" Dutch Mantell
Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis-good tag team
The Moondogs
Austin Idol
Rock and Roll Express-Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson
Midnight Rockers-Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels
"Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert

Token blacks:
Brickhouse Brown used to say "momma said it bees dat way sometimes" alot
Rough and Ready-ultimate tag team jobbers-never won a match that I remember, except for 1 fall out of a best of 3 falls match

Announcers: Lance "Banana Nose/Baxter Suit" Russell and Dave Brown-greatest announcing duo ever in wrestling, and Dave is still the weatherman for Channel 5

Managers: "Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, Jim Cornette

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Col.Reb, I liked the Memphis "wrasslin" too (back in the day). Big Sid Vicious got his start up there (pre WCW & WWF/E). I used to love Sid's maniacal aggression & his (self-appointed) title..."Ruler of the World".

Russell was a good announcer, but my favorite was the late Gordon Solie (RIP). I loved the GA (NWA/Crockett) wrestling in the early-mid 80s with Dusty Rhodes (main booker), Flair & the 4 Horsemen, the Road Warriors, (a young Rick Rude), Dick Murdoch, Nikita & Ivan Koloff, etc.

 

[Bear Backer]

I never followed "pro" wrestling but will always like Rowdy Roddy Piper for his role in the classic movie "They Live."  And Jerry Lawler for slapping Andy Kauffman on the David Letterman show.  Even if that one was scripted, Lawler played his part very well. 

Like Don said, that movie was great. "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum".

Like Don, I never watched much wrestling. I got to watch it once in a while as a young kid, when my mother wasn't on my case about it and by the time I was a teenager I had grown out of it. Then during the 90's I watched a bit more in college because my two roommates were heavy into wrestling. By that time I had been out of it for so long that I didn't know who most of the wrestlers were, so I wasn't as interested.

When I was a kid, my favorites were definitely the Von Erich brothers. I also liked Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams even though they were bad guys. General Skandor Akbar was also fun to hate. I dressed up for him as Halloween one year. It was actually one of my first Halloween costumes that I picked out and made almost completely by myself. I had the whole getup. One of those arab head raggy things I made myself out my mothers old sheets, a striped bath robe with the belt tied around my head, black sunglasses, a fake beard and one of those fake plastic cigars they used to make. I won most creative prize at school. I am not even sure they knew who I was supposed to be. They thought I was just some Sheik or something. I probably couldn't get away with that now, would probably be culturally insensitive or some other P.C. bunk. The fake cigar alone would probably get me detention today.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Dixie, I agree that Gordon Solie was awesome, but I never got to see him on TV back then. We didn't have cable and Memphis Wrestling and WCCW and later on the WCW (for a very short time) were the only shows I was able to catch. I have watched a lot of youtube clips of Solie in the last couple of years. I can't stand all the new announcers who basically scream into the mic while "calling the action." Now that Vince McMouth has a near monopoly on the industry, its a complete joke, not to mention trash filled. It would be nice if pro wrestling was like the 80s again, but I know that's a pipe dream.

The Von Erichs were probably my favorites to watch on WCCW.

Speaking of Sid Vicious, I remember his introduction into that territory very well. Like a lot of Jerry Lawler's opponents at the time, Sid was billed as an unstoppable monster who couldn't be hurt, let alone pinned. I wish I had tapes of his first matches against Lawler. The naive kid I was, I was amazed that he couldn't be hurt by "The King."