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Your Wrestlers RIP Thread


Pete

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4 minutes ago, OSJ said:

For fuck's sake, the dude nailed Jayne Mansfield. I feel sorry for anyone who remembers Paul Jones as the manager of a bunch of second-stringers. He was one of the best wrestlers of his era and so good that you didn't even realize how small he was. An excellent babyface for years, when he went heel he was even better.

RIP #1, we'll miss ya.

Jayne Mansfield/Paul Jones or Gino Hernandez/Farrah Fawcett for best "wrestler punching WAY above his weight" hookup?

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1 minute ago, Pete said:

Jayne Mansfield/Paul Jones or Gino Hernandez/Farrah Fawcett for best "wrestler punching WAY above his weight" hookup?

Well, it's said #1 could make a woman lose her head... 

*rimshot*

Thank you, thank you very much; I'll be here all week; remember to try the waitress and tip the veal!

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This was probably mentioned in the Japan Folder but - Motoko Baba passed away at the age of 78

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Motoko Baba, the wife of Shohei "Giant" Baba and arguably the most important and influential woman in the history of pro wrestling, passed away on April 14th.

She was 78.

The news of her death was kept quiet until today and other details are not available. Her funeral was on Friday.

Motoko Baba and Shohei Baba were together at a young age but for a number of reasons, their relationship was kept secret from the public, as Shohei Baba was one of the most famous sports celebrities in the country and even in recent years was listed as one of the ten most famous athletes in Japanese sports history. The two ran All Japan Pro Wrestling together from its inception in 1972 until Giant Baba's death in 1999. It wasn't until 1982 when their relationship and marriage went public and she was publicly acknowledged as the number two person in the company. It was probably the most successful "mom and pop" pro wrestling company in history.

They had a "good cop" "bad cop" role in the company. Shohei Baba had a tremendously favorable image because all of the bad news fell on her to deliver, to keep his reputation with everyone clean. Because of that, she was often not well liked.

But she, every bit as much as he, ran the business and company in every aspect. The couple had no children, so wrestlers like Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and others became like their kids. The company was very successful on television in the 70s and 80s, and then had their best box office period in the 90s, peaking in he early part of the decade when they sold out more than 200 consecutive events in Tokyo.

After his death from cancer, she became the majority owner of the company, and Misawa became company president and booker. Misawa wanted to change and expand the business but she was much more conservative about it, and it led to a falling out where Misawa and almost all of the top wrestlers with the exception of Toshiaki Kawada, Maunukea Mossman (Taiyo Kea), and Masa Fuchi left the promotion and formed Pro Wrestling NOAH.

The company did remain profitable, working with New Japan, until she sold it to a group backed by Keiji Muto in 2002. The company faded from popularity over the last 16 years, and most considered NOAH as the surviving branch of All Japan. Her name at times was attached to an attempt at reviving the company in recent years.

https://www.f4wonline.com/japan/former-ajpw-owner-motoko-baba-passes-away-78-256306

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Andres Reyes, better known as Universo 2000 of the famed Dinamita Brothers, passed away earlier today at the age of 55.

He had been battling heart problems, as he suffered heart attacks in both 2016 and 2017. It was also reported last week that he was in bad health.

Universo 2000 was the youngest of the original Los Hermanos Dinamita, with older brothers Cien Caras and Mascara Ano 2000. They became the top heel trio in Mexico in the late 80s and were the regular main event opponents during the rise of AAA, working against the top two stars, Konnan and Perro Aguayo. Their jumping to AAA in 1992 was noteworthy because they held the Mexican national trios championship, which was not owned by a promotion, but governed by the athletic commissions. Thus they were able to bring the championship from CMLL to AAA with them and defend it in the rival promotion.

He returned to CMLL with his brothers in 1996, and dominated the CMLL world heavyweight title, with three combined reigns lasting almost exactly seven years, meaning he had more time with a major world heavyweight championship than likely any wrestler of the modern era.

He was a main eventer consistently, but in CMLL, the world heavyweight title was not the biggest belt because the biggest stars were in the lighter weight divisions, plus CMLL had fewer title matches and changed titles less frequently. Still, it remains a noteworthy accomplishment and his total time as champion is the most in the history of that championship.

He had a number of big matches and headlined multiple anniversary shows, including the 2004 show where he lost his mask via DQ in a four-way that included Canek, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. and Dr. Wagner Jr.

https://www.f4wonline.com/mexico/universo-2000-los-hermanos-dinamita-passes-away-55-256861

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What got posted on the WON site

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Prince Neff Maiava, who was the first major pro wrestling star out of Samoa, passed away back on April 21st.

News outlets in Hawaii reported the news earlier this week. Maiava, who was 93, was believed to be the second oldest still living pro wrestler at the time of his death.

Maiava was one of the most famous legends of 50th State wrestling, which was enormously popular in the 1960s in Hawaii, mentioned in the same breath with stars like Gentleman Ed Francis, Lord James Blears, Handsome Johnny Barend, and King Curtis Iaukea. He was a multiple time holder of the Hawaiian heavyweight championship and Ring Magazine gold belt.

He was a colorful and charismatic wrestler, known for his long hair, playing the ukulele, and performing Polynesian dances and stunts like walking on beds of nails to show his toughness.

He started wrestling in 1952. He was born in Samoa but raised in Laie, Hawaii. His 1961 match with Iaukea is credited with kicking off the Hawaiian wrestling boom. Maiava was Hawaiian champion and lost his title when he head-butted the ring post after Iaukea moved, and was counted out. There was a major riot at the old Honolulu Civic Auditorium which made front page news.

Maiava, who also worked as a tree trimmer, was a local institution and major star on the island until his retirement in 1974. He was also a star on the mainland in almost every territory he worked, which was almost all of them.

He also wrote several children's books published in Hawaii. His grandchildren Kaluka and Kai were college football stars at USC and UCLA respectively, and Kaluka was part of the 2008 USC linebacking unit that included Clay Matthews, Rey Mauluga and Brian Cushing that was considered one of the best linebacking units in college football history. He later played from 2009 to 2014 with the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.

The name Peter Maivia, the grandfather of Dwayne Johnson, came from Maiava. Peter Maivia, also born in Samoa, was born Pita Fanene Anderson. While wrestling in the United Kingdom, the promotion felt that Peter Anderson was not a good wrestling name for a Samoan, and the only Samoan name they knew was Maiava, from Neff, who was a huge star at the time. So, they misspelled Maiava and it became Maivia, the name Peter and his family used from that point forward.

In 1968, Peter Maivia went to Hawaii and met Neff Maiava and they became not only an obvious tag team, but became like brothers. It was almost as if they had a unique ESP with each other and would finish each other's sentences when they would talk. The families remain close to this day.

Later, when it comes to histories and results, many matches and programs attributed to Peter, who became a big star throughout the United States, were actually Neff since people and historians often confused the two of them.

 

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Sad news guys,

 

Big Bully Busick just passed away.  I was fortunate to be a part of his last ever match with Josef Von Schmitt.  Nick was an amazing man and kept in touch with me after that night. I am fortunate to have been able to pick his brain a little and get to know him, Branko, and his wife. I will miss him greatly.

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Very sad news about Big Bully Busick. Thanks to his look, he quickly became one of my favorites when he debuted in the WWF. I was happy to see him show up in GWF after he left the WWF. He was actually nice enough to accept me as a facebook friend. Yes, I know it's facebook, but it still meant a lot to me. Since then, I had a few conversations with him in the past couple years. I won't claim to know Big Bully Busick and he could have just shrugged me off as another mark, but for whatever reason, he liked things I wrote enough to take the time to write back. I'm always going to remember that.

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9 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Very sad news about Big Bully Busick. Thanks to his look, he quickly became one of my favorites when he debuted in the WWF. I was happy to see him show up in GWF after he left the WWF. He was actually nice enough to accept me a facebook friend. Yes, I know it's facebook, but it still meant a lot to me. Since then, I had a few conversations with him in the past couple years. I won't claim to know Big Bully Busick and he could have just shrugged me off as another mark, but for whatever reason, he liked things I wrote enough to take the time to write back. I'm always going to remember that.

after his last match I sat with him and chatted while he was getting his things together. He loved talking about wrestling. He gave me his cell and we kept in touch. He worked as a bouncer part time at a local Dave and Busters type venue and was also promoting MMA for his son.  Your post is dead on man to the Bully I know.  He never shrugged anyone off and always made time to chat.  I loved seeing him beat people with the heart punch in GWF. 

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1 minute ago, paintedbynumbers said:

after his last match I sat with him and chatted while he was getting his things together. He loved talking about wrestling. He gave me his cell and we kept in touch. He worked as a bouncer part time at a local Dave and Busters type venue and was also promoting MMA for his son.  Your post is dead on man to the Bully I know.  He never shrugged anyone off and always made time to chat.  I loved seeing him beat people with the heart punch in GWF. 

I think Rusev would be perfect to adopt the stump puller and heart punch.

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Man, what happened with his WWF run? That's literally all I know him from. I remember my dad popping at a WWF magazine feature when they brought him and Wippleman in, then he started a feud with Anvil, got subbed out of Survivor Series 91 and that's it

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23 minutes ago, paintedbynumbers said:

The cause of death is "Spinal fluid cancer"   Sounds awful

That sounds like a horrific and yet completely metal way to go out.

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12 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Very sad news about Big Bully Busick. Thanks to his look, he quickly became one of my favorites when he debuted in the WWF. I was happy to see him show up in GWF after he left the WWF. He was actually nice enough to accept me a facebook friend. Yes, I know it's facebook, but it still meant a lot to me. Since then, I had a few conversations with him in the past couple years. I won't claim to know Big Bully Busick and he could have just shrugged me off as another mark, but for whatever reason, he liked things I wrote enough to take the time to write back. I'm always going to remember that.

 

 

 

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