In Memphis, Jerry Lawler was the king. Later, when he went to the WWF and was cast as a loud-mouth jerk heel, the people of Memphis still looked at Lawler as their hero. While he was a heel everywhere else, when The King ventured back to Memphis for the USWA, he was the “king of wrestling” in their book. It […]
If Bill Watts had remained in World Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling would have been for WCW what ECW would be for the World Wrestling Federation. After Jim Cornette and Stan Lane quit WCW in late-1991, they formed a new promotion called Smoky Mountain Wrestling. With the backing of famed music producer Rick Rubin, SMW was based out of Knoxville, […]
There are a number of factors to consider when evaluating the reasons why Vince McMahon achieved his goal of taking the World Wrestling Federation national in the 1980s. While the Rock N Wrestling Connection represented a relatively short period of time, it provides one of the major reasons for the success of the WWF in their early expansion years, and […]
The fans cheered in unison in the Palace, as red, white and blue balloons cascaded from the sky like a summer rain. The American hero Lex Luger smiled triumphantly atop the burly shoulders of Rick and Scott Steiner, as his opponent, the WWF champion Yokozuna, lay flat on his back on the outside of the ring. It was a joyous […]
WCW had many wrestlers on their roster at one time or another. Apart from Nitro, Thunder and pay-per-views, some wrestlers may have only appeared on programmes like Pro or Prime, that were not as widely seen. Or, it was a case of “before they were stars,” wrestlers who worked as enhancement talent, before finding more opportunities down the track. It […]
Before they were ever called “extreme,” ECW was NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling. It was little different to most other independent promotions in the 1990s, showcasing a range of local talent, with a few big names thrown in. ECW founder Tod Gordon had learned his lessons well; prior to starting ECW, he had been a silent partner of Joel Goodhart’s Tri-State […]
After failing to win the WWF title at the previous year’s Summerslam, Lex Luger was looking to get another title shot by winning the Royal Rumble. The wily Jim Cornette had inserted a clause in the Summerslam contract that Luger had only one opportunity to beat Yokozuna for the gold. As a result, Luger needed to win the Rumble to […]
WCW had many wrestlers on their roster at one time or another. Apart from Nitro, Thunder and pay-per-views, some wrestlers may have only appeared on programmes like Pro or Prime, that were not as widely seen. Or, it was a case of “before they were stars,” wrestlers who worked as enhancement talent, before finding more opportunities down the track. It […]
As Jeff Jarrett once said, you can make a lot of acquaintances in professional wrestling, but very few friends. The foundations of the business is built on egos and alpha personalities, and there are many shady incidents that occur behind-the-scenes. However, there have been times when wrestling companies have mutually agreed to work together, and on occasion, it can be […]
There’s no doubting the legacy of the National Wrestling Alliance in the hearts and minds of long-time grapple fans. It was the vast organisation that dominated professional wrestling for decades in North America, with affiliated promotions in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Opponents of the Alliance were usually cut down to size, so much so, that in 1956, […]
