Pro Wrestling - WWE, WCW, AEW, NWA, Stampede, Memories

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Lots of history with Mr. Nasty going back to my first wrestling attendance in Winnipeg, around 1967. Seen it on TV as a kid , perhaps from 1962 to ‘65 or somesuch. We’ll talk specific memories and theories down the road. Tonite, a special interview I found with a dumbass kid sycophant interviewing Nick Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel, in his mid to late 60s at the time, carried this kid for the better part of an hour. Like working with a broomstick, so they say. But imbedded within the interview, basically the history of wrestling and some of the great names in the profession. Judge for yourself -

Nick Bockwinkel on the Road Warriors, Superstar Billy Graham & REVENGE on Marty Jannetty

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the ladder matches are my fav

Jeff Hardy Sport GIF by WWE

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Here’s one for you Nate.

The restoration effort on this video/audio is quite superb.

June 30, 1961: Buddy Rogers faces the champion Pat O’Connor for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title at Comiskey Park in Chicago, IL in front of record setting crowd of 38,775 people. Presented here in color for the first time ever!

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vince mcmahon bret hart screwed bret hart GIF by WWE

Mr Wonderful Wwe GIF

bret hart wrestling GIF by WWE

wrestlemania iv wrestling GIF by WWE

wrestlemania iv wrestling GIF by WWE

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I can only speak for Edmonton but the Indy Wrestling scene is thriving. Love Pro, Top Talent, RCW and more.

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Just as I am reading this fine new thread as I wake up early to take a break from sleeping :thinking: , some of you know what I mean, as fate would have it, I turn back to my TV channels and come upon TNA Impact! wrestling on one of the FAST channels, NESN Nation.

“Paolo, what the hell are you talking about?”

Paolo: “What the hell is this? Yes.”

So after recognizing it was destiny already today, I went along with this script by Nasty Nate and others here and just watched at least six guys in the ring taking it out on each other in a fantastic One-Man-Takes-All STEEL CAGE MATCH with great rehearsed slower-motion overacting moves, dives, and falls with a whole lot of close-up camera shots of seemingly “:poop: faces” :thinking: after each move. How can it be that exciting!? Alright, don’t answer just yet anybody, because THERE’S MORE!

“Bear Bronson,” some newcomer, has won. “Welcome to the big leagues!” exclaims the announcer.

He is now giving his victory speech in his interview, now as the #1 contender for the TNA Impact! world championship, apparently a dream he has had for years, to a haplessly stunned nice lady who is simply doing her job to interview him.

Fightful | WWE News, AEW News, Pro Wrestling Backstage News

Bear Bronson has earned a shot at the TNA World Title! #TNAiMPACT

Oooooh scary, right?

Alright, I think I learned already too much for today on New Year’s Eve, 2025. I’m ready for 2026, and I hope you are too.

Folks, having been “enlightened-disenlightened” already today, I cycle through the channels and see there is ALSO an actual “TNA Wrestling” FAST channel and something else that I had never heard of until the summer of 2025 when one of our fine colleagues here, a Bombers fan, was it you @LetsGoBlue ? (welcome aboard here on the other side!) , pointed out to us one of his apparently favourite hobbies: Lucha Libre.

As many recall at the old place, he was a spectator at a pro wrestling exhibition outside the stadium in the pre-game to a Bombers game on Pro Wrestling Night or whatever it was called, and apparently he was recruited to be a participant, as evidenced in a shot of him running and screaming in the back behind the ropes, wearing only white tights up to the waist, readying himself apparently to climb the ropes to perform a dive so as to join the exhibition match.

Anyway, I scroll down to see that THERE IS ALSO A LUCHA PLUS - FAST channel. It took great courage just now to watch this channel for the first time to watch an active match, with the announcing in Spanish, which I can now integrate into my study of Spanish when I can finally get back to it in 2026, as @rufoven knows, for I am understanding about 75% of it.

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!

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I’m going to put this lost ‘80s classic here, as millions like me first heard when watching the Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon, which I do recommend though it has some dark and extra trashy episodes, but stick with it, but then before they finished interviewing him near the end, McMahon was sued for several serious allegations, including also by the federal government, in a sordid twist of the script. I think it was TOO REAL, but I digress.

I mercifully forgot how limited our entertainment choices were back then. Indeed, it was a different time. At least the real musicians, some not shown, were on point.

Thank you for starting this thread @Nasty-Nate and keep this thread going. There were many better memories, such as those previously cited.

But before we get to those, STAND BACK:

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TNA Impact! is also on FAST channel RightNowTV Tuesday nights 9p ET.

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My buddy grew up in Bemidji. He said Baron Von Raschke sometimes was a substitute teacher at his school.

I bet that was one class without discipline problems.

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IMHO
Greatest wrestler ever!

:ticats:

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And then after all that, as I remember here, Angelo Mosca went on Dr. Phil, who discussed with him the topic of “having a gruhdge, Angelow” with him in front of his audience!

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hahha Lucha Libre yes!! In Venezuela it was very very popular in the 60-70’s Then interest waned in the 80s, but there was a revival in the 90s with WWE. I remember Undertaker vs. Yokozuna was a great match!

if you need any help just let me know!!!

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The premise about pro wrestling is “Entertainment Always Works” . . . . . when provided in a unique and interesting manner. Wrestling at its best is almost always entertaining - but obviously not for everyone, especially when you crack the code and realize its a frantic ballet of fake-fighting. Guys spend years honing their craft, developing associations and building communities. Most markets have a smattering of decent home-town heroes (performers, ring announcers, interviewers, community club bookers, etc.) but the majority of a big card (event) are comprised of touring wrestlers, ring-hands, announcers & show directors.

Andre the Giant, perhaps the greatest touring performer in wrestling history. Billed as 7’4” and 500+ pounds (he was actually a tad under 7 feet, but his weight varied between 375lbs (when he first started out as a fresh-faced rookie) and ballooned to well over 525lbs. when his health began declining.

You might think Andre was unbeatable - and for the most part he was. But promoters and bookers figured out ways to get their “Hometown Guys” over on Andre. A perfect example is when Stan ‘The Man’ Stasiak (a giant in his own right at 6’3”, 245lbs - billed 6’6”, 300lbs.) went up against Andre in 1980. Andre emerged victorious in 2 straight falls (as expected) but Stasiak managed to emerge with his heat intact & go down as a bit of a folk hero. How’s that?

Well, the first part of the match went back ‘n forth, Andre mostly dominating but Stasiak allowed to get in his licks. At some point Stasiak unleashed his “lethal” HEART PUNCH to Andre. Andre went down in a massive heap, could barely move or breathe (part of the work). However, due to the mysterious heart punch being banned by ‘authorities’ (shouldn’t they ban scissors and knives, too) Andre was awarded the first fall by DQ. After barely making the count (2 minutes) to begin a 2nd fall, Stasiak unleashed a massive attack on a weary and helpless Andre . . . until missing a move, allowing Andre to squash Stasiak and take the decisive second fall.

Andre continued to sell the beating Stasiak inflicted him. Even though the record shows Andre beating Stasiak in 2 straight falls; Stan the Man got out of the thing with his dignity and the visual image of beating the virtual bejeebers out of one of wrestling’s greatest attractions. And that my friends, is why Andre the Giant was one of the world’s top attractions - so called 8th wonder of the world.

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I also think they were able to get away with billing him as taller because at his size, he had the very uncommon “double ‘fro,” which of course added height in perception, plus of course it was a different time before social media and AI, but even now they could fool the audience but then even if they found out, they would be heartily pleased and go to tell their friends so as to amaze them too.

The Princess Bride Disney Plus GIF by Disney+

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A couple of decades ago i would get bored and answer the Nigerian Scam emails - I would send them a photoshopped fake ID but the photo was of Andre the Giant - I had a couple of fake checks I would send them and the phone number i would use was a local Walmart.

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this was unreal - the mongolian stretcher match against killer kahn

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The next two Fridays have live wrestling events, Top Talent at Midway tomorrow, Love Pro at The Rec Room next week. Good times in Edmonton!

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I totally didn’t realize there’s this whole secret menu in pro wrestling. Like, not every match is “on TV” the way normal people think about it. There are different types of matches, and a bunch of them happen in the shadows - and me being a systems guy — that whole side of the industry just fascinates me. A lot of this stuff never hits the broadcast — but the diehards track it anyway like it’s pure baseball stats.

House shows (aka live events):
These are non-televised shows in arenas where the company makes gate money and keeps talent working.

Dark matches:
Matches that happen before or after the TV taping but aren’t broadcast. Sometimes it’s to keep big stars working without burning TV storylines.

Taped matches / Main Event-style shows:
Sometimes companies film extra matches for secondary shows or streaming. More like content inventory and a place to keep mid-carders active.

“Worked” house show angles:
Even at house shows, they’ll sometimes run a mini-feud or a little “incident” to test a reaction.

House Show Loops:
Running the exact same match 4 nights in a row to “program” the wrestlers’ muscle memory.

B-Shows (Main Event):
Fulfilling international TV contracts (like Hulu or overseas networks) using “surplus” talent.

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Every year when we are in Mazatlan we go to see the luchadors. It’s a fun way to spend an evening. Sometimes the fans are wilder than the wrestlers.:laughing:

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Bomber News and Discussion 2026