thee Reverend Axl Future

The typeface really makes it. DR, you are one cool cat. Two things I miss: the always festive cover pages, and your daughter's spot on take/illustrations of the rasslings. - RAF

I read it as a Bowie reference. The Naz indeed, RAF

I always assumed that this was Mr. McMahon "yessing" MF to keep him happy but an exploding ring match would have been a 'Plan C' at best. It may have intrigued VKM for a moment but he sobered up about it quickly. - Onita as special ref?, RAF

Сейчас слушает! -RAF

I have always heard that Mr. McMahon asked BBacklund to turn heel (and dye his hair black) and BB refused. I figure that was VKM's plan all along. - RAF

I concur. Upon reflection, why didn't he wear Drax green? - RAF

But Cole turned all carny when challenged on the fact that his bottle of brain cancer water was full - "oh, this is my second one; you guys have to catch up to me". Very slick, Michael. - RAF

If you aren't super-thrilled by eikerir's mega genius post on page 1, then check your soul because it must be dead. wow, RAF

About the Stossel/Dr. D incident: My view of it is that Mr. McMahon made a spontaneous decision ("Blast him") to an old school guy who he knew would follow through. It's Schultz, fer cryin' out loud. In the territory days they could have gotten away with it, in the sense that the "bad" publicity fallout would have boosted interest and attendance and legitimacy. It was the last olde tyme thing VKM would do. Afterwards, he hung the good Doctor out to dry, which was no big deal to his vision - Schultz was a loose cannon, too independent and anti-authoritarian. He made Hogan nervous too. Mr. McMahon realized it was a big world, media wise, nation-wide in fact and kay fabe could be sacrificed for more revenue in the long run. If he and his company could become dominant enough, he would not have to answer to the traditional ways of The Business, nor the veteran wrestlers still around, nor to the appearance of "realness". He could create what he wanted, and he would only have to placate the media to get his share of thee Cultural Moneypie. Later, after much success, he realized he had to play within the rules of Big Business, and that has proved much harder. I still have my transcript of that 20/20 episode that I sent away for ($5.95, please allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery).That whole early Hogan WWF expansion time period is truly fascinating. VKM played by a different (more modern, media savvy, corporate mentality) set of rules and totally took over while the traditional territory owners and promoters were completely flummoxed and out-gunned. Obviously the WWF has made more correct choices than bad ones, but they really were operating with a purpose but in uncharted landscapes. There was much throwing stuff out there and seeing what stuck. Aaah, the 80s... If Meltzer is your only source and you haven't learned how to "read" him, that's kinda silly, but to discount his ability, past influence and current pertinence is out and out dumb. At the very least, he has provided the most reliable record of the most tumultuous era of pro wrestling. It is impossible to ever get the whole story of any wrestling news event, past or present (and that's beautiful), but his input/reading/opinion was and is important. Do you have to read the WON in this day and age? No, but it's still entertaining. Mr. McMahon and HHH have learned that the worlds of corporate and rassling kay fabe are not too different. It's as far as you can get away with. - RAF

I saw Orange Cassidy at the Masked Republic lucha show at the ECW arena a couple weeks ago (great great show) and he could do this gimmick right out of the chute. He was over. - RAF

"Pee"? Damn, son: if Johnny Valentine was still around, there would be a rat and a couple turds rolled up in there with Marty Walleye like a big ol' carny burrito. no lie, RAF

In the spirit of IMrL festivities in Chicago this weekend, it is nice that the leather lesbians make nice with the bear daddies. aawww, RAF

As Frankenstein (sic) vs. The Wolfman: Or vs. Sherlock Holmes: movie magic!, RAF

That was wonderfully horrific. -RAF

Have we discussed the Manchurian Giant, Gorilla Monsoon (401 lbs)? -RAF

This is true. However, when the crowd does react directly to the happenings in the ring it certainly is impressive. I have seen it on better indy shows and of course, a couple times on big cards - this year's WM w/Undertaker, for one. It now takes even more set-up in the booking as well as skill as a worker to do it. The crowds are conditioned to be hyper-aware of their status as consumers and observers and to be "cool" (in both the McLuhan and Fonzarelli senses of the word). An emotional connection with pro wrestling is hard to come by. The gut reactions of children, Cena fans and "marks" are mocked. These days it's OK to sit on your hands, report/record on your phone and/or react ironically and then later get emotional online about the bad booking. Your apocryphal hillbillies, kids and LOLs who go berserk at the show and laugh it off later (the opposite of your post-mod consumer) are looked down on, and that is wrong. You got more things right as a child than you realize. BRING BACK THE EMOTION! React: laugh, cry, cheer, boo, let it all out! It's OK, we won't judge. Watch what is happening at the moment and live in that moment. Cool folks, put down your phones. You have nothing to lose but your cynicism. This is all dependent on WWE putting out quality stuff, of course. Support your local indies. - RAF

Holy hairhoppers! That's not a hairdo on Mr. DDP - that's a hairMUST!! That would give Hugo Savinovitch and Nikki Sixx a run for their follicles. I am agog. bang indeed, RAF

Wait: Foley is supposed to be an expert? Anyway, I did like that video. - RAF

I really enjoy the identification of many of pro wrestling's key moments in this thread more so than I like the fantasy extrapolation of what-might-have-happened. It's impressive to realize how many possible turning points there have been (and there are) which could have brought us a different landscape than the current one. - multiverse, RAF

Blue Meanie's gimmick was based on his chubbiness. I insist that Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis are up for consideration. The Wild Samoans! Haystacks Calhoun!!! In my top five are KKBundy and Jerry Blackwell and Super Porky and Vader and one of the BBW Japanese grapplers. no vids, RAF

I thought Sandow's Hot Topic hoodie was fine for the gimmick - any more elaborate and it would have implied that he was "into" comic books and not using Hugh Jackman's pop culture fame against him. The sound effect was a nice touch. Also, notice that HJ used the British pronunciation of "magneto", alternate to the accepted Marvel pronunciation of "Magneto". I apologize for overly defending a B-level WWE celebrity skit. I am not on the payroll. sorry, RAF

I heard this story from Ed Sharkey, and that's essentially it. ES was simultaneously disgusted and admiring during the telling of it. - RAF

I have been pondering this a bit, but the thought I wanna lay down is this: my prime example of a worker whose ring smarts more than compensate for his physical age is Super Porky. The man can orchestrate a crowd like a long-haired Austrian conductor. I saw him work a small lucha show in the Chicago suburbs and he pulled out all the stops. He must have figured that no one had ever seen him live before, so he did stuff very different than one would do for a taping (obviously the sign of a vet). SP did basic lucha crowd pleasing looney tunes (that I blatantly stole to use in front of insular WI gabachos), signature spots (he flirted with every abuela at ringside), big dives and kooky submissions and he got color (it wasn't even the main!). The ref had spots, but I can't even remember his opponent (Perro Aguayo Jr. maybe?). I have seen many lucha shows but that is the only one that people threw money into the ring afterwards. The man has charisma and deep knowledge. He was in control the whole time. - and his daughter is hot, RAF

Arn Anderson and DDP always gave me my moneys worth, no matter where they were placed on the card. Arn was almost more fun in an opener rather than the main (where he deserved to be). - RAF