Pro Wrestling 101
Dwain Dickinson
"To the Undiscovered Country...the Future."
-Chancellor Gorkon
Star Trek VI
Welcome class to the first session of the fall semester of Pro Wrestling
101. I hope the summer break was relaxing for you and you are ready to
get back to work. Our subject matter this week is very important and
extremely pertinent to the daily operations of all the wrestling
promotions in business today. It is a dilemma that faces WWF, WCW, ECW
and even the poor, loose shadow that is the NWA.
We look first, as always, to an era I feel represents professional
wrestling's Golden Age. It was a time when the men were heroic, the
women beautiful, and nobody ever really got hurt. There was bloodshed,
revenge, dashing heroes, and evil villains. And yet deep inside we
still knew it was all show. It was the dawning of the age of
Superstars. A young man named McMahon, having zeroed in on the action
figure age group, took ordinary men and molded them into bigger than
life action heroes. A bodybuilder became an icon. Another a super
hero. Some were clowns, some sergeants, and even a model thrown in for
spice. A million dollar man. A Goliath. Wrestling was big and growing
bigger everyday. For some anyway. While the one icon was animated for
Saturday Morning television, another was working in a different arena
each night, earning world titles with shed blood and no small amount of
sweat. And though the case for who is the greater wrestling legend is
no question, the legacy will be written in the history books with the
name Hogan in bold print.
It is a cornerstone of modern thought that history is doomed to repeat
itself. Professional wrestling is living proof. While the name of
Austin and Goldberg define what is great in our sport, the men that earn
their daily bread with blood and sweat are still overlooked and
ultimately forgotten. And whether the man with the pen is named
Bischoff or Heyman or Coraluzzo, or Brody, the ultimate man responsible
will always be McMahon. Why?
Look at the facts. The man with the gimmick still gets the limelight.
Austin is an amazing personality. But his wrestling skills are in
serious decline. Dustin Runnells is without a doubt one of the greatest
ring technicians in the sport, amazingly emulating his father's style to
perfection. But he hasn't the "attitude" to ever become World
Champion. Owen Hart is without argument probably among the top five
true wrestling geniuses in the sport. He will never see the big gold.
His voice is too whiny and he will always be Bret's little brother. Dan
Severn IS the greatest wrestler in the ring today. But his personality
will never let him reach that next level in televised sports
entertainment (As long as the N.W.A. doesn't grace television, he is the
perfect champion). McMahon still does not press "wrestling skill" just
attitude. Even though individuals like Val Venis, and the Rock, and HHH
show some degree of wrestling strength, if they couldn't find their
niche in the WWF Goes Grownup attitude, they wouldn't have a place.
Down south we go. We start at the top. Goldberg. The man doesn't
understand the concept of selling. He can't execute wrestling
maneuvers. He is just a big tough guy with an undefeated record. When
he finally loses, Goldberg is tarnished. He has no skills. He doesn't
even have McMahon's characterizations. He is just another man with a
win loss record. The effective fallout to this? Diamond Dallas Page,
an instructor at the company's wrestling school, shows less technical
skill daily. Bret Hart, like his brother, is a true technical
wrestler. He hasn't "wrestled" but two or three matches since coming to
WCW (See Flair, Benoit, Booker T). I won't mention the man that hangs
out with the boss, but I will mention that the greatest wrestler of all
time is still mired in litigation over contract status. The true
wrestling talent in the organization is delegated to the middle and
bottom of the card. Does anyone argue over the wrestling skills of
Perry Saturn or Kris Kanyon? These two deserve bigger push. Do I need
to plead the cases of Guerrero, or Benoit, or Malenko. These men are
truly to steal a phrase, the excellence of execution.
The moral of the story is this. McMahon and Bischoff should take time
off from hyping the next "big celebrity crossover match" or building the
"latest and greatest superstar" and concentrate on what is on the
marquee. It says WRESTLING. Somebody should point that out.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dwain Dickinson
The Professor
Pro Wrestling 101
David Pittman
real world. While what you say is true, and i would even agree with it,
the fact is that we as fans have a different agenda than the men who own
the companies. Its quite possible that this is the most successful era
in wrestling as far as a money making business goes. While we bemoan
the lack of push deserving wrestlers get, EB and Vince just keep on
raking in the bucks. It may say wrestling on the marquee, but the
bottom line is, and always has been $$$$$$$.
Dave Pittman
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you
sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.-
Albert Einstein
Devastato
anyone in WCW has to break through the training stage. Goldberg has alot of
potential, he's smart and can really motivate a crowd. his no bullshit
attituide is what ppl like.
well, you say he can't execute a wrestling maneuver. bull. i've witnessed many
of goldbergs manuevers that work fine. the man has Sambo training along with
his football background and then all of what he has picked up from being in 132
matches. Sambo is a martial arts/wrestling style that is used by military
officials. so when you say that Goldberg can't wrestle, better think again.
Austin is a sad wrestler, but he gets right to the point on issues and he makes
me laugh when he's trash talking some moron.
theres alot of potential in both WCW and WWF, Konnan, Benoit, Guerreo, and
more. Look at the ones who should of received more "wrestling" training than
everyone else, and i don't mean the Champs, i mean people like Mongo McMicheal,
Dan Severn, and austin. I love wrestling, just as much if not more than some of
you. my first look at wrestling was into the eyes of a hero named hogan. back
when he was battleing king kong bundy and andre the giant. now he is through
his career.
Kanyon is a great wrestler, i love the way he executes moves so fluidly. He
needs a bigger push. same with Booker T and Saturn.
The WWF shipped all of there overused, soldout "ledgends" to WCW and they
sucked them up like there was No tommarrow. WCW has more potential than WWF,
but they don't use it due to the fact that they want the "icons" of wrestling
to be imbeaded into the minds of viewers the world over. Hogan and wrestling
are like Peanut butter and jelly, they go hand in hand.
if WCW learned how to execute Shows like the WWF does, then they would have no
competition. if they got a few cocky attitudes like the Rock and HHH, and
austin. they would be BIG. and then dump in your talent on them and let it
simmer to boil and *PooF* Instant $
Andy Rose
Danny Petty
Pro Wrestling 101 with Dwain Dickinson:
Underutilized Talent vs. Superstar Building
"To the Undiscovered Country ... the Future."
-- Chancellor Gorkon
Star Trek VI
Welcome, class, to the first session of the fall semester of Pro
Wrestling 101. I hope the summer break was relaxing for you and you are
ready to get back to work. Our subject matter this week is very
important and extremely pertinent to the daily operations of all the
wrestling promotions in business today. It is a dilemma that faces WWF,
WCW, ECW and even the poor, loose shadow that is the NWA.
We look first, as always, to an era I feel represents professional
wrestling's Golden Age: It was a time when the men were heroic, the
women beautiful, and nobody ever really got hurt. There was bloodshed,
revenge, dashing heroes, and evil villains. And yet, deep inside, we
still knew it was all show. It was the dawning of the age of Superstars.
A young man named McMahon, having zeroed in on the action-figure age
group, took ordinary men and molded them into bigger-than-life action
heroes. A bodybuilder became an icon; another, a superhero. Some were
clowns, some sergeants, and even a model thrown in for spice. A million
dollar man. A Goliath. Wrestling was big and growing bigger everyday --
for some anyway. While the one icon was animated for Saturday morning
television, another was working in a different arena each night, earning
world titles with shed blood and no small amount of sweat. And though
the case for who is the greater wrestling legend is no question, the
legacy will be written in the history books with the name Hogan in bold
print.
It is a cornerstone of modern thought that history is doomed to repeat
itself. Professional wrestling is living proof. While the name of Austin
and Goldberg define what is great in our sport, the men that earn their
daily bread with blood and sweat are still overlooked and ultimately
forgotten. And whether the man with the pen is named Bischoff, or
Heyman, or Coraluzzo or Brody, the ultimate man responsible will always
be McMahon. Why?
Look at the facts: The man with the gimmick still gets the limelight.
Austin is an amazing personality. But his wrestling skills are in
serious decline. Dustin Runnels is without a doubt one of the greatest
ring technicians in the sport, amazingly emulating his father's style to
perfection. But he hasn't the "attitude" ever to become world champion.
Owen Hart is without argument probably among the top five true wrestling
geniuses in the sport. He will never see the big gold. His voice is too
whiny and he will always be Bret's little brother. Dan Severn is the
greatest wrestler in the ring today, but his personality will never let
him reach that next level in televised sports entertainment (as long as
the NWA doesn't grace television, he is the perfect champion). McMahon
still does not press "wrestling skill," just attitude. Even though
individuals like Val Venis, and the Rock, and HHH show some degree of
wrestling strength, if they couldn't find their niche in the
WWF-goes-grown-up attitude, they wouldn't have a place.
Down south we go. We start at the top: Goldberg. The man doesn't
understand the concept of selling. He can't execute wrestling maneuvers.
He is just a big tough guy with an undefeated record. When he finally
loses, Goldberg is tarnished. He has no skills. He doesn't even have
McMahon's characterizations. He is just another man with a win-loss
record. The effective fall-out to this? Diamond Dallas Page, an
instructor at the company's wrestling school, shows less technical skill
daily. Bret Hart, like his brother, is a true technical wrestler. He
hasn't "wrestled" but two or three matches since coming to WCW (see
Flair, Benoit, Booker T). I won't mention the man that hangs out with
the boss, but I will mention that the greatest wrestler of all time is
still mired in litigation over contract status. The true wrestling
talent in the organization is delegated to the middle and bottom of the
card. Does anyone argue over the wrestling skills of Perry Saturn or
Chris Kanyon? These two deserve a bigger push. Do I need to pleadthe
cases of Guerrero, or Benoit, or Malenko? These men are truly (to steal
a phrase) "the excellence of execution."
The moral of the story is this: McMahon and Bischoff should take time
off from hyping the next "big celebrity crossover match" or building the
"latest and greatest superstar" and concentrate on what is on the
marquee: It says WRESTLING. Somebody should point that out.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dwain Dickinson
mailto:dwa...@stc.net
The Professor
Pro Wrestling 101
Dwain Dickinson, the Professor, is a lifelong fan of professional
wrestling. Brought up in the heart of the NWA that was Jim Crockett's
Mid-Atlantic and Georgia Championship Wrestling, he grew up in the
shadow of Mr. Wrestling I and II, the Masked Superstar, and Dusty
Rhodes. He tuned out of wrestling in the mid 80's when the spotlight
seemed to focus on individuals such as Hulk Hogan instead of the true
talent of his heroes, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. He
happens to believe that his return to wrestling was a miracle. He
turned on TNT one Monday Night. It just happened to be the same night
that Scott Hall wandered in on a little show called Monday Nitro. The
rest is history. Mr. Dickinson is proud to offer his services to The
Colosseum Record.
COPYRIGHT 1998 by Danny Petty
THE COLOSSEUM RECORD @ http://home.earthlink.net/~galileo5/