DEAN Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 He was 64. http://www.wwe.com/inside/iron-mike-sharpe-passes-away?sf19133425=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovchunky Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Can't believe he was only 64. His overhead chops were great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 As someone who grew up on WWF in the 80's on, Iron Mike was a fixtures on shows in the area. He had the gimmick with the loaded armbrace (somehow WWE ran a picture of him without it on) and you always knew when Mike was wrestling because of just how loud he was . From his arms up bellow after introductions to his "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" when the babyfaces had him on the ropes and he was begging off that they not low blow him. Gorilla would often wax about the time Mike got locked in the Boston Garden because he was taking so long in the shower and nobody noticed he was still there (apparently, he didn't sing the at the same volume he yelled in the ring). Via con dios Canada's Greatest Athlete... you're clubbing the angels with your loaded forearm brace in Heaven. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Is there any non-WWF Sharpe out there besides the World Class six man match? James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Lord Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I can't believe this would have made him only mid 30's back in 85. He seemed so much older back then. So is there any footage of the leather brace with what was in it? My father said when I was a kid it was silver dollars. I miss gimmicks like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Is there any non-WWF Sharpe out there besides the World Class six man match? James I think he was in mid south in 81 or 82. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Sugar Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 One of my favorite villains when I was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 In the mid '80's, the WWF fans would call Iron Mike Sharpe "Wimp". The only sign I've ever brought to a wrestling show had the words "WIMP" written on it in all capital letters. Iron Mike Sharpe pointed at me and mumbled something guttural when he spotted it. It was triumphant. I loved that guy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thee Reverend Axl Future Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 IMS was on TNT (9/18/84) and passed the apparently unloaded brace around and spoke in a carefully modulated indoor voice. He was a good worker and excellent talent enhancer and over as heck in the Northeast. I remember seeing him get a teeny tiny push on Georgia TV in early '85, around the same time Barry Horowitz showed up in Florida as Jack Hart, I believe. I remember Mr. Sharpe took then IC Champ Tito Santana to the limit in a '82 main event in Staten Island in a fun match. - RAF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Too bad nobody ever did a shoot interview with him. I'm sure he had some stories to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonial Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Looking through YT last night and came across a Sharpe-Ultimate Warrior match from the Spectrum that aired on PRISM. For whatever reason, the introductions to the match was delayed three-four minutes (the announcers spent this time talking about how nice the wrestlers were backstage, with one complimenting Sharpe). During the delay, Sharpe walks around the ring, raising his arms in disgust, yelling to fans who are heckling him, etc. By the time Sharpe is formally introduced, he is loudly booed by the crowd. And the boos got only louder when Sharpe ordered the announcer to tell the fans he was Canada's Greatest Athlete. Even though he was a JTTS, Sharpe seemed to understand a lost art of modern-day heeling -- making the fans hate you just by doing the basics. By the time Warrior came out, the fans were on their feet, wanting to see him pummel the Canadian because of his bravado. Three other favorite Sharpe moments ... -- There was an MSG match with Sivi Afi in 1986 around the time the WWF was trying to get fans to believe Afi was the new Jimmy Snuka. Afi delivers a dropkick to Sharpe, who tumbles out of the ring, then proceeds to walk backward and tumble over the barricade! I always respected the fact that Sharpe, despite his size, was willing to do whatever it took to get his opponent over. -- Every once in a while on one of the weekend shows, Sharpe would see a fan in the front holding a "Canada's Greatest Athlete" sign. Sharpe would ask for the sign, then show it off with a big smug on his face as he was being introduced. -- I forget the year, but IMS worked a match against Barry Horowitz in Boston that was televised. Sharpe wins the match and gets a nice ovation from the crowd. As they show the replay of the finish, you can clearly hear Sharpe on the mic, saying "thank you" to the fans, who give him an even louder ovation. Not sure why he did that, but I always thought of it as a sign that, despite being the proverbial whipping boy week after week, month after month, the fans respected Sharpe, and Iron Mike responded in kind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 -- I forget the year, but IMS worked a match against Barry Horowitz in Boston that was televised. Sharpe wins the match and gets a nice ovation from the crowd. As they show the replay of the finish, you can clearly hear Sharpe on the mic, saying "thank you" to the fans, who give him an even louder ovation. Not sure why he did that, but I always thought of it as a sign that, despite being the proverbial whipping boy week after week, month after month, the fans respected Sharpe, and Iron Mike responded in kind. I remember that match, yeah. I think it was heel vs heel and the fans cheered Sharpe... a very cool moment. My favorite Sharpe moment was the MSG show where he went into business for himself with Howard Finkel. Fink: "Introducing first, from Hamilton Ontario Canada-" *Sharpe grabs mic* Sharpe: "CANADA'S GREATEST ATHLETE, IRON MIKE SHARPE!!!" *gleefully hands mic back* Fink (visibly perturbed but not missing a beat): "Say no more!" I miss the Fink. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Coaster Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Sad to hear of his passing, glad to see others with fun memories of him. I have one memory that sticks out. He worked an Indy at a local fair in 1990. I forget who he was wrestling but he was the heel and I, in the front row, was probably the only person rooting for him. He was getting the crowd riled up. I forget exactly what I said but I shouted something in favor of him and he yelled back, "yeah, listen to this kid!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Sugar Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Velvet McIntyre shared some funny stories of him on Facebook the other day... my first little story is about toilet paper......we were at an arena and I had to go...and I was having a fit because there was no TP.....yes, I was almost in tears......I was on in like 15minutes and there was NO toilet paper.....I am in an uproar......and Mike says...."Velvet, dont worry....I have toilet paper"....and he opened his samsonite and there was 6 glorious rolls of asswipe all neatly placed......I was so fuckin happy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'm a little surprised Rippa didn't do Sharpe as the WOTD today. Any plans on doing that, or should we post matches and such in here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Sugar Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Too bad nobody ever did a shoot interview with him. I'm sure he had some stories to tell. Apparently he politely refused several. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerjeRUN Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Man, I always thought he was older than that. RIP, IMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I really hate 2016 and it is only 20 days into the new year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonial Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Canadian TV station did a piece on Sharpe's passing this week, which features comments from Ethan Page ... http://www.chch.com/iron-mike-sharpe-dies/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Was Sharpe pushed at all when he first showed up in WWF? I started watching in 86 (around Wrestlemania 2), and by then he was pretty much enhancement talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 He was one of the guys fed to Bob Backlund managed by captain Lou in 83. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Was it a quick thing, or did he at least have a year or two run as more than an enhancement guy? I assume this was the time when people were chanting "Wimp" at him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Cagematch entry for 1983 Iron Mike Sharpe: http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=1261&page=4&s=700 he has a run of squashing jobbers,... including: Iron Mike Sharpe defeats Buckwheat Jackson (3:27) WWF Championship Wrestling @ Agricultural Hall in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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