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? Weaver was a perfectly fine whitebread babyface for the time. Personal preference, I guess, probably from growing up in Florida in the 60s and 70s. Guys like Weaver, Dominic Denucci, and Cowboy Bob Ellis worked way too light for my taste. I could never buy them as convincing in-ring babyfaces, whatever their merits in the other phases of the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I want to hear more about growing up in Florida in the 60s and 70s, especially pre-Dusty-As-Lead-Babyface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 That clip of Blackwell eating a dozen burgers and giant salad need to be uploaded, like immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I remember an AWA training clip of Blackwell where I think he was like punching with a nail in his hand into a board. Headbutting boards, and then doing the big splash on plywood on like two chairs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP Steve Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I want to hear more about growing up in Florida in the 60s and 70s, especially pre-Dusty-As-Lead-Babyface. In my mind, there were two main eras: Eddie Graham as lead babyface from '62 to about '68, then Jack Brisco as lead babyface from '69 until he won the title. Of course, there were tons of other top babies: Les Welch, Jose Lothario, Nick Kozak, Red Bastein, Don Curtis, Joe Scarpa. My personal favorite was young Wahoo, when the Dolphins picked him up and he started wrestling in Florida, about 1966. Imagine the Wahoo you've seen on '80s video, but in football condition, mobile as hell but still stiff as shit. Great feuds with Boris Malenko and Johnny Valentine, but the best may have been a short, incredibly violent feud with a Japanese guy named Taki Yamaguchi. "Florida in the '60s and '70s" is way too big a topic to cover in one post. I may start a thread where I upload some old Jacksonville programs I have and engage in fuzzy reminiscences, if there's any interest. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 I think Steve might be Matt's favorite poster now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I remember an AWA training clip of Blackwell where I think he was like punching with a nail in his hand into a board. Headbutting boards, and then doing the big splash on plywood on like two chairs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 found it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Deja vu all over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP Steve Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I think Steve might be Matt's favorite poster now I'm new here. Is Old Florida some particular fetish of Matt's? Because I've got bottles of genuine Fountain of Youth water, autographed by Ponce de Leon himself, that I could let go for the right price... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Deja vu all over again. It was so nice, we posted it twice. Jerry also took Dino Bravo from behind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool arrow Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Was Blackwell a graduate of the Terry Garvin School of Self Defense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I think Steve might be Matt's favorite poster now I'm new here. Is Old Florida some particular fetish of Matt's? Because I've got bottles of genuine Fountain of Youth water, autographed by Ponce de Leon himself, that I could let go for the right price... Nothing so grand, I'm afraid. It's just a gap in my knowledge base. It's easy to learn a lot about that era of Mid-Atlantic or Memphis or Portland or St. Louis. There are sites like Kentucky Fried Wrestling or the Mid-Atlantic Gateway and people like Matt Farmer or Larry Matysik out there and I've listened to a ton of shoot interviews, but pre-Dusty-Face-Turn Florida (and even a lot of things up to when Sullivan started his heel run, and footage wise a year or two after that), is a little harder to get at. There are probably a bunch of kayfabe memories posts I haven't read yet, but that's all scattershot. You always hear about Eddie Graham's booking and finishes and how hot the territory was for the longest time, but I, for one, am pretty low on specific knowledge. I think there's a lot of value in someone who grew up watching it (and yes, before a huge chunk of us were even born) and who is willing to reminisce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I want to hear more about growing up in Florida in the 60s and 70s, especially pre-Dusty-As-Lead-Babyface. In my mind, there were two main eras: Eddie Graham as lead babyface from '62 to about '68, then Jack Brisco as lead babyface from '69 until he won the title. Of course, there were tons of other top babies: Les Welch, Jose Lothario, Nick Kozak, Red Bastein, Don Curtis, Joe Scarpa. My personal favorite was young Wahoo, when the Dolphins picked him up and he started wrestling in Florida, about 1966. Imagine the Wahoo you've seen on '80s video, but in football condition, mobile as hell but still stiff as shit. Great feuds with Boris Malenko and Johnny Valentine, but the best may have been a short, incredibly violent feud with a Japanese guy named Taki Yamaguchi. "Florida in the '60s and '70s" is way too big a topic to cover in one post. I may start a thread where I upload some old Jacksonville programs I have and engage in fuzzy reminiscences, if there's any interest. Taki Yamaguchi = Great Kusatsu. And by all means, start that thread. I posted some old Jax posters awhile back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP Steve Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I want to hear more about growing up in Florida in the 60s and 70s, especially pre-Dusty-As-Lead-Babyface. In my mind, there were two main eras: Eddie Graham as lead babyface from '62 to about '68, then Jack Brisco as lead babyface from '69 until he won the title. Of course, there were tons of other top babies: Les Welch, Jose Lothario, Nick Kozak, Red Bastein, Don Curtis, Joe Scarpa. My personal favorite was young Wahoo, when the Dolphins picked him up and he started wrestling in Florida, about 1966. Imagine the Wahoo you've seen on '80s video, but in football condition, mobile as hell but still stiff as shit. Great feuds with Boris Malenko and Johnny Valentine, but the best may have been a short, incredibly violent feud with a Japanese guy named Taki Yamaguchi. "Florida in the '60s and '70s" is way too big a topic to cover in one post. I may start a thread where I upload some old Jacksonville programs I have and engage in fuzzy reminiscences, if there's any interest. Taki Yamaguchi = Great Kusatsu. And by all means, start that thread. I posted some old Jax posters awhile back... That's him, in a match against the Destroyer on YouTube! More filled out than he was in Florida in 1967, but definitely the same guy. I wondered what happened to him, because he was obviously a well-trained worker but seemed to vanish after the Wahoo feud. They brought him in as a young, out of control protege of Hiro Matsuda. Yamaguchi would throw deadly, illegal "karate chops" to the throat right in front of the referee without regard to the automatic disqualification that ensued. (The wily Matsuda would sneak in his karate chops, then smilingly bow to the ref while the opponent spasmed on the mat-- no racial stereotyping in rasslin!) The running theme in the feud was Wahoo's efforts to thwart the karate chops. He eventually came up with the "karate collar," a thick leather dog collar with metal studs, that magically protected his throat and hurt Yamaguchi's fingers. Of course, if the collar came off, end of magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Kusatsu went back to Japan where he was one of the IWE's top stars for the balance of the 70s- even brought the feud with Wahoo there. He died from cancer a few years ago... CANOE had a nice obit for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Web Conn Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I remember on the old board when ESPN Classic started airing old AWA shows Jerry Blackwell became the boards new favorite wrestler for a short time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Holy shit, Heenan's outfit around 2 minutes is outstanding. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewar Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 My dad and grandpa would both take me to the matches at Winnipeg Arena, as long as The Mountain from Stone Mountain was making an appearance. If they weren't on the show, then we weren't going. He was probably both of their favorite wrestlers ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thee Reverend Axl Future Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Right at the start of the Jerry/Adnan split, I saw King Kong Brody wallop JBlackwell with a chair as their match spilled outside the ring, and it made SUCH A HUGE CLUNG!!!!! sound that the whole Rosemont Horizon crowd was struck silent. It's the only time I have ever seen that. Blackwell collapsed and I think was stretchered out, but Brody never missed a beat and kept laying the apre' ski boots on, "huss!"ing all the while. JB did the interviews in the following weeks with a big ol' bandage on his melon. rassling: it's your best entertainment value, RAF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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