The Rise, Near Fall, And Rise – The WWF in the 90s – 1992

1992 was a year of major transition in the WWF. Unlike the previous couple of years, when Vince McMahon struggled to take the ball completely from Hulk Hogan, he was given no choice when ‘The Hulkster’ left after Wrestlemania, apparently never to return. A past hero came back, but by the time the year was up, he and a number […]

The Rise, Near Fall, And Rise – The WWF in the 90s – 1991

The start of a new decade saw the WWF attempt to move on from Hulkamania, the driving force that had largely made the WWF the undisputed leader in “sports entertainment.” As explained in part one of our on-going series, the first whisperings that ‘The Hulkster’ may be moving on to pursue other endeavours caused Vince McMahon to move up another […]

The Rise, Near Fall, And Rise – The WWF in the 90s – 1990

Vince McMahon knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish when he took over the family business in the middle of 1982. To many, it was a grandiose and over-ambitious plan that would see the young upstart go down in ruin. The plan was to take the already strong North-Eastern promotion national, which meant stepping on plenty of toes. However, with […]

720 Days – Kazuchika Okada’s 4th IWGP Title Reign (NJPW, 2016-2018)

On June 19, 2016 at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Dominion 6.19 event in Osaka-jo Hall Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to capture his fourth IWGP Heavyweight Championship. What followed was a reign that cemented Okada’s position at the top of the company, one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era, both for longevity and match quality. Star ratings […]

Anatomy of a Faction – Dungeon of Doom (WCW)

There’s just been one vital component missing from The Wrestling Roadshow website, and quick as a flash it came to me – not enough Dungeon of Doom! This is an older article I’ve revamped showing a timeline of when every Dungeon member joined the group. Enjoy! As might be expected, the arrival of Hulk Hogan to World Championship Wrestling in […]

Starrcade Shutdown (WCW, December 28, 1997)

It would be the biggest match in WCW’s history, the bout fans had been waiting many months for, during one of the hottest periods in professional wrestling’s history. A match that, despite the epic war on Monday nights, was not rushed or given away for free, but held in place for WCW’s biggest pay-per-view on the calendar – Starrcade 1997. […]

“Black Saturday” (WWF, July 14, 1984)

It will forever be known as one of the darkest days in professional wrestling’s history. A date that sounded alarm bells as the reality for promoters sunk in, that Vince McMahon was serious about taking his company national, and he would do anything to make that happen. While it would become common for McMahon to take syndicated television deals from […]

The Slap Heard Around The World (Continental, July 29, 1982)

Carl Reiner, an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades, said of the late Andy Kaufman: “Nobody can see past the edges, where the character begins and he ends.” Kaufman was a highly eccentric entertainer, who enjoyed coming up with elaborate hoaxes for publicity. His range of characters included Foreign Man – later to be […]

“I’m sorry. I love you” (WWE, March 30, 2008)

“I’m sorry, I love you”. The metaphorical gun was cocked, the trigger pulled. An old dog, finally able to find peace. The gun – a super kick. The shooter – Shawn Michaels. And the old dog – one of the greatest careers in the history of professional wrestling, that of Ric Flair. It cannot be overstated how important Ric Flair […]

The World Famous Korakuen Hall

“間も無く水道橋駅 到着します”, the announcement comes over the speakers. You think you understood, but you’re uncertain. You heard some other stuff but that stood out. “The next station is Suidobashi”, the voice repeats in a more familiar language. You prepare yourself and eye a waypoint to the door through the packed train. You’re concerned about being able to make it to […]