RIPPA Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I am contining to be inspired by "guys who worked Andre". Of course this took forever to post because I was just watching Andre clips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Jerry Blackwell is awesome. I don't even know where to begin. He's just this crazy bumping, versatile, great promo, insanely credible looking offense, charismatic machine. He might be the most overlooked guy in wrestling history, relative to his importance and talent. I mean I get why someone might overlook Chris Colt, but Blackwell's on a different level. This should have made the AWA set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxHTRLmOiYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNd88IMNG6Q I can't find the Mid-Atlantic year In review episode from 78 where they show Blackwell vs Mulligan which is one of the better Mulligan matches on tape. The face turn is awesome: This match isn't great but it does show you more of Blackwell's versatility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBbRRxxymxk My #3 AWA ballot match http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xz08or_king-tonga-the-masked-superstar-sheik-adnan-al-kaissey-vs-sgt-slaughter-crusher-blackwell-awa_sport?search_algo=2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 We need more guys in wrestling like Jerry. 400 pound dudes who could go up for slams light as feather and throw a dropkick right on your chin. Shame his look wouldn't get him through Vince's door today... figuratively and quite possibly literally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 The PWO board upgrade killed the readability of Dylan's annoyingly detailed research, but for anyone who doesn't know much about Blackwell, it's all a pretty compelling argument. I've also somehow never seen this match, but within 3 seconds you can sort of see how awesome Blackwell was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 The Blackwell turn and the Brody/Blackwell feud was some of my earliest wrestling memories. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyox9x_bruiser-brody-vs-crusher-blackwell-awa_sport?search_algo=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Basically, Blackwell in a cage match is sort of an instant win: I swear I've never seen this one either: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xv62ct_giant-baba-jumbo-tsuruta-vs-stan-hansen-jerry-blackwell_sport?search_algo=2 The full Blackwell vs Mad Dog Vachon Death match isn't online as best as I can tell, but that's a hell of a match too. I don't see the Shieks vs Rock'n'Roll either, but I do see this from Memphis: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAN Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Starts 32 minutes in- Blackwell vs Hansen. So fucking awesome. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17lw23_awa-championship-wrestling-june-24-1986_sport 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Tried to find one of Blackwell's matches against Brad Rheingans, and this was the best I could do. Apologies to anyone offended by the presence of Buck Zumhofe. (At least this match was before he started fucking his own daughter.) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14pcv8_jerry-blackwell-vs-brad-rheinghans-and-buck-zumhofe_sport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Of all of the truly great "fat guys" in wrestling, Jerry Blackwell is my absolute favorite. He's a perfect example of "don't judge a book by it's cover." The dude could GO in the ring with damn near anyone and was equally great as a face or a heel. I absolutely agree about how tragically underrated he really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 And that Blackwell/Hansen match is one of my favorite brawls ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 It might be somehow cathartic to post the destruction of Steve O and Buck by the Shieks, but I'm not going to do that. Different styles of babyface "hulk ups" always interest me. You get Piper's punch drunk version for instance, or Lawler dropping the strap. Blackwell's was surreal. He did this thing where he would just start to freeze and absorb blows, like a giant marshmallow man or something. Just dead eyes and a crowd that knew he was about to potato some poor bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAN Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 And that Blackwell/Hansen match is one of my favorite brawls ever. I love how Blackwell just leans into Hansen kneeing him directly in the temple. The toughest motherfuckers in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 I am a little surprised Dean went with the Hansen match since ya know... Dick Murdoch was right there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I wish we had more of these matches: This is just pretty good but it's still one of the Roadies' best AWA outings, if it's the one I'm thinking of: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tystates Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Blackwell was a good one, no doubt. Here's a disk of him in Japan that I made. Khawk's big set on Blackwell in the AWA is really good. "CRUSHER" JERRY BLACKWELL IN ALL JAPANRunning Time: 2:01 9/3/84 Blackwell, Bruiser Brody vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu (AJ/NWA Int'l Tag Title Tournament Final)11/84 Blackwell, Jimmy Garvin vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu (clipped)11/84 Blackwell eats a dozen hamburgers and a gigantic bowl of salad at a restaurant6/29/85 Blackwell, Stan Hansen vs. Giant Baba, Takashi Ishikawa7/6/85 Blackwell vs. Killer Khan7/13/85 Blackwell, Stan Hansen vs. Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta7/20/85 Blackwell, Texas Red vs. Giant Baba, Masa Fuchi7/27/85 Blackwell, Stan Hansen, Texas Red vs. Riki Choshu, Killer Khan, Yoshiaki Yatsu8/10/85 Blackwell, Harley Race vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Motoshi Okuma3/13/86 Blackwell, Harley Race vs. Tiger Jeet Singh, One Man Gang8/17/85 Blackwell, Destroyer vs. Giant Baba, Takashi Ishikawa11/19/88 Blackwell, Phil Hickerson vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Yoshiaki Yatsu (Real World Tag League) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 9/3/84 Blackwell, Bruiser Brody vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu (AJ/NWA Int'l Tag Title Tournament Final) Blackwell worked this match topless. Enjoy that visual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Kevin Kelly's change from the poor man's Austin Idol to Nailz within 5 years is pretty amazing. Like David Sammartino in reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 And that Blackwell/Hansen match is one of my favorite brawls ever. I love how Blackwell just leans into Hansen kneeing him directly in the temple. The toughest motherfuckers in the world. And he gives as good as he gets, too. Stan ate more than one "Idaho baker" in that opening exchange. Because I'm from Idaho, the land that wrestling forgot, I'm trying to somehow imprint my state on the fake fighting that I love. Please, won't someone help me turn a stiff punch that lands from "potato" to "Idaho baker?" Please... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 11/19/88 Blackwell, Phil Hickerson vs. Jumbo Tsuruta, Yoshiaki Yatsu (Real World Tag League What a great fat guy Southern team 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstout Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I had no idea about this until I read his Wikipedia page. I was just wondering why Blackwell never made it in the WWF and One Man Gang, who started in the IWF as a complete Blackwell clone, did. I never cared for Gang in WWF because I felt he ripped off Ronnie Garvin's longtime nickname and Garvin deserved better. Unfortunately, he got saddled with "The Man With the Hands of Stone." Anyway: Blackwell considered joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the promotion's expansion in 1984. Before being signed, wrestlers were required to record promos, but the large number of wrestlers wanting to join the WWF made for a long lineup on a day while the interviews were being recorded. Blackwell got so frustrated with standing in line that he left, claiming that he was a wrestler and did not want to feel like he was punching a time clock for a corporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Let's not forget that Blackwell was the same age as Flair, and when Blackwell died, Gene Okerlund did a tease for his 1-900 hotline about "a 45-year-old former heavyweight champion" dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP Steve Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 The PWO board upgrade killed the readability of Dylan's annoyingly detailed research, but for anyone who doesn't know much about Blackwell, it's all a pretty compelling argument. I've also somehow never seen this match, but within 3 seconds you can sort of see how awesome Blackwell was. Blackwell and Cyclone Negro is an amazing combination. It's really too bad there isn't more Negro footage out there, because he ruled hard, as a face or a heel. And was there ever a lamer top babyface than Johnny Weaver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Giggled the first time I saw Blackwell. My wee mark self was amused by this absurdly doughy dude who was as wide as he was tall, and, as a face, had such a serene smile. He looked as intimidating as a mall Santa and bigger than one, too My derision melted as soon as he threw his first dropkick. How could nature produce a such a mutant? That was followed by his brawling and general magnificence. I was hooked I miss Jerry Blackwell. Rasslin' misses odd-looking cats like him 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 The PWO board upgrade killed the readability of Dylan's annoyingly detailed research, but for anyone who doesn't know much about Blackwell, it's all a pretty compelling argument. I've also somehow never seen this match, but within 3 seconds you can sort of see how awesome Blackwell was. Blackwell and Cyclone Negro is an amazing combination. It's really too bad there isn't more Negro footage out there, because he ruled hard, as a face or a heel. And was there ever a lamer top babyface than Johnny Weaver? Weaver was a perfectly fine whitebread babyface for the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Holy shit, the only reason to watch AWA back in the day was for the Jerry Blackwell vs. the Al Kassie army matches. Verne knew that Greg did not have the charisma to lead wolves to raw meat so he'd stick Greg in tags with Sgt. Slaughter and Jerry so that he could try to get over by proximity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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