1001 MATCHES – Rest in Peace

Posted on August 9, 2018 1:43 PM by Phil

(by PHIL RIPPA)

After Vader passed and I did that piece, I thought about how many guys have died recently (which, sadly for wrestling, isn’t a new phenomenon) and that morphed into thinking about folks who died in 2018. So that is what this turned into – a tiny little tribute to those who passed during the first seven months of this year.

For the most part I tended to focus on folks who might not have been represented at all

811) JOHNNY & JIMMY VALIANT vs. DOMINIC DENUCCI/WILBUR SNYDER – WWA (1978???)

Johnny Valiant – April 4

This may be from March 3 when Snyder and DeNucci win the WWA World Tag Titles. I mean you wouldn’t know from the presentation or the announcing but based on how butt cised Snyder/DeNucci and the Indy crowd are after they win. I am firmly riding the fence.

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812) BRUNO SAMMARTINO vs. NIKOLAI VOLKOFF – WWWF (10/25/76 – WWWF Heavyweight Title)

Bruno Sammartino – April 18

Nikolai Volkoff – July 29

I don’t think most folks are familiar with Volkoff’s work pre-Iron Shiek tag team. Not surprisingly he made a perfect big hulking monster Bruno got to sell MSG out with. Wacky to think these guys had a singles match with each other over a decade later.

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813) MICK MCMICHAEL vs. VIC FAULKNER – WORLD OF SPORT (03/22/80)

Mick McMichael – March

One of the legends of World of Sport. And you can never go wrong watching more World of Sport.

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814) MR. FLORIDA (PAUL JONES) vs. SUPER DESTROYER (SCOTT IRWIN) – CWF (04/25/80???)

Paul Jones – April 18

Famous angle where Paul Jones… wait you didn’t know Jones was Mr. Florida?… stuns Super Destroyer (in this case Scott Irwin) and pays for it by taking a cigar to the eye.

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815) MR. (MASA) SAITO vs. RICK MARTEL – AWA (04/25/85 – AWA World Heavyweight Title)

Masa Saito – July 14

Saito did actually wrestle other matches besides being stuck on an island with Inoki. He also did other things besides brawl with the cops. Stupid only things everyone always talks about.

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816) MT FIJI vs. MATILDA THE HUN – GLOW (1986 – Loser Leaves Town Match)

Mt. Fiji – January 2

Try not to furiously masturbate during the few minutes this is on. Obviously, the “match” is terrible but you should really know what to expect at this point with GLOW. I do like the concept of making the wrestlers bring their bags to the ring so that the loser has to leave immediately. I haven’t decided if I like the concept of Matilda losing because she got counted out because she was too busy rummage through Fiji’s bag.

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817) UNIVERSO 2000 vs. BRAZO DE PLATA – CMLL (12/16/97 – CMLL World Heavyweight Championship)

Universo 2000 – May 1

Watch more Universo 2000. Watch more Super Porky. Watch more lucha.

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818) BRIAN CHRISTOPHER vs. TAKA MICHINOKU – WWF “D-GENERATION X: IN YOUR HOUSE” (12/07/97 – WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals)

Brian Christopher – July 29

The Finals of the Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament to crown the first ever champ (basically Vince’s panic reaction to all the cruisers in WCW). Probably Christopher’s highest profile WWF singles match.

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819) BRICKHOUSE BROWN/CHRIS ADAMS vs. BEAUTY & THE BEAST (TERRY GARVIN SIMMS/MARK GULLIEN) – WCCW (03/89?)

Brickhouse Brown – July 29

Terry Garvin Simms – April 7

So much going on which is pretty much the perfect summary of World Class and there aren’t even any Von Erichs around. I mean when Buddy Roberts as manager of Beauty & The Beast might only be the 5th thing you scratch your head about, there is a lot going on.

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820) SCOTTY MCKEEVER/CUBAN ASSASSIN vs. BRAD & BART BATTEN – MOUNTAIN STATE WRESTLING (2004)

Scotty McKeever – April 1

Pro wrestling at its core. Performing in front of like 27 people in a high school gym. An early 90s jobber still kicking around a decade later. A random Cuban Assassin. Identical twins. Working a headlock for 20 minutes.

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821) MATT CAPPOTELLI vs. JOHNNY JETER – OHIO VALLEY WRESTLING (10/29/05 – OVW Title)

Matt Cappotelli – June 29

This could be said many a time during this piece but Fuck Cancer

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822) VIRGIL FLYNN vs. KUSHIDA – GLOBAL FORCE WRESTLING (06/24/15 (Taped))

Virgil Flynn – July 18

During the first tapings of Jeff Jarrett’s bizarre gold scamming wrestling federation – KUSHIDA happened to be in the states and he had the show stealing match of the tapings with Virgil Flynn – a guy that really should have been a bigger deal. God dammit – people should not be dying of fucking strokes at 33.

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823) ALABAMA DOINK vs. HEIDENREICH – ALABAMA WRESTLING FEDERATION (05/21/16 – Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight)

Alabama Doink – June 19

Alabama Doink vs. Heidenreich in a wrestling show held in Golden Corral parking lot. If this isn’t pro fucking wrestling, I don’t know what is.

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