Technico Support Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Damn. I'll always remember him as being one of the top guys in the mix in the WWF when I first started watching wrestling. I saw so much of him of those early WWF PPVs and Coliseum Video tapes. Always an awesome worker. RIP and thanks, Mr. Wonderful. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 i guess to show how important he was in the mid 80's WWF, he was the backup plan for the main event of WrestleMania 3 against Hogan if Andre couldn't or wouldn't do the main event. That feud was white hot in the beginning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofuture Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 I want to say my earliest wrestling/WWF memory is when Orndorff turned on Hogan. RIP Mr Wonderful. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf&Subs Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 RIP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 5 minutes ago, hammerva said: i guess to show how important he was in the mid 80's WWF, he was the backup plan for the main event of WrestleMania 3 against Hogan if Andre couldn't or wouldn't do the main event. That feud was white hot in the beginning. Also Valentine himself says that Orndorff was the first choice to take the IC belt off Tito instead of him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 My first live wrestling show was main evented by Hogan/Orndorff. The ring was pelted with trash the whole time. It was so chaotic and it hooked me on wrestling. RIP Mr. Wonderful. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 The other thing to cement his legacy; can you think of another pro wrestler whose name is a verb in wrestling circle? I mean everyone at least once has asked someone to Orndorff another guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
For Great Justice Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Paul's elbow is the best version of the People's Elbow / Worm / Five Knuckle Shuffle / whatever 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 52 minutes ago, hammerva said: i guess to show how important he was in the mid 80's WWF, he was the backup plan for the main event of WrestleMania 3 against Hogan if Andre couldn't or wouldn't do the main event. That feud was white hot in the beginning. That's my absolute favorite unsubstantiated rumor ever in wrestling! Word was if Andre couldn't go, the belt would have been held up as a result of the tie in the cage match on SNME, and awarded to the winner of a Mania 3 rematch. At first, I wondered if Hogan/Orndorff would have drawn 93,173 at the Silverdome with a vacant title angle. Then I remember that 1) Hogan/Andre didn't draw that either and 2) Hogan/Orndorff drew a legit 61,000+ in Toronto the previous August. So they could have fudged the numbers and still "broke the record." Man, what does the timeline look like if Hogan/Orndorff is this legendary match that WWF builds its mythology around? Crazy, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 19 minutes ago, hammerva said: The other thing to cement his legacy; can you think of another pro wrestler whose name is a verb in wrestling circle? I mean everyone at least once has asked someone to Orndorff another guy In that context, I'm assuming to "Orndorff" is to mercilessly pummel a dude while wearing flip flops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReiseReise Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 R. I. P. Mr. Wonderful. This one really sucks. Wherever the afterlife maybe, they are chanting Paula. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 5 minutes ago, Technico Support said: In that context, I'm assuming to "Orndorff" is to mercilessly pummel a dude while wearing flip flops? It would have been better that way but I consider "to Orndorff someone" is to turn heel by attacking your partner/friend while you are shaking their hand or more precisely raise their hand in victory Usually when I look for that it is because the person getting turned on frankly deserves it. Like Hogan did 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyld Samurai Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) I was a big fan of Mr Wonderful in the 90's. I thought he was a legit badass in my pre-internet days. He even made me like Paul Roma! His whole look was excellent. His robe was on par with Valentine & Flair's. He would have made a badass Horseman. Edited July 12, 2021 by Wyld Samurai 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 When I did my re-watch of the Manias, I wanted to see things from matches I hadn't seen/noticed before. So, to that end, I'd never realized Paul Orndorff is the MVP of the Mania 1 main event. He has to walk a literal first-timer through a heat segment, sell for everyone, do the job, AND do a post-match angle that would eventually lead to his face turn -- all amid the absolute chaos that was that match. Oh, right, and the company's entire future depended on this match. You can see how good a professional he was, because you never doubted any of it for a second. I think that's about as good a tribute as I can say for the man. RIP Mr. #1derful. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonial Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Paul Orndorff was arguably the first wrestler to be the focal point in school for me back in the day. His turning on Hulk Hogan was the talk of the sixth grade for at least two days. Simply great at what he did, both as a heel and babyface. Part of me wished he had some sort of title run in the WWF (either World or IC), but he didn't need it. He was that over. Dolfan makes a great point about Orndorff being the MVP of the WM1 main event. He's the forgotten man in some sorts (and, depending on who you hear it from, may not have been in the match in the first place if David Schulz wasn't fired), but he was the glue that kept the match together and did a great job carrying Mr. T (who, to his credit, was not a slouch) into an acceptable match. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubbymark Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 RIP to the real Mr. Wonderful. I refuse to acknowledge that Shark Tank poser as Mr. Wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidNatural Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Everything he did was so believable and done with such energy. One of my low key favorite matches was him and Steve Williams in Abrams UWF. He and Sting are two examples of not being wrestling fans doesn't mean you can't excel at it. RIP Mr. Orndorff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, For Great Justice said: Paul's elbow is the best version of the People's Elbow / Worm / Five Knuckle Shuffle / whatever Yo, I was just watching the Nitro where he starts his aborted face turn and feud with the Horsemen that is maybe top five on my all-time "I wish we got to see this angle play out" list, and the match prior to it is against Disco (starts at the move in question): I hit replay on this elbow about ten times, no lie, and then once the match/angle was over, sadly thought about how sick Orndorff looked when his son posted some video a couple weeks back. Man, all I can say is that in tribute to Orndorff's awesomeness, I will post this elbow for others to enjoy and probably talk about how much I enjoyed this man's career in the Nitro update that I post. Edited July 12, 2021 by SirSmellingtonofCascadia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Ray Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 1 hour ago, SirSmellingtonofCascadia said: Yo, I was just watching the Nitro where he starts his aborted face turn and feud with the Horsemen that is maybe top five on my all-time "I wish we got to see this angle play out" list, and the match prior to it is against Disco (starts at the move in question): I hit replay on this elbow about ten times, no lie, and then once the match/angle was over, sadly thought about how sick Orndorff looked when his son posted some video a couple weeks back. Man, all I can say is that in tribute to Orndorff's awesomeness, I will post this elbow for others to enjoy and probably talk about how much I enjoyed this man's career in the Nitro update that I post. There is a different Paul/disco match with Paul doing the mirror gimmick, disco starts fixing his hair over Paul's shoulder, Paul figures it out and starts beating his ass. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf&Subs Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 1 hour ago, odessasteps said: Did Gene party too hard the night before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 Death Taxes "WWE is saddened" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jimbo_Tsuruta Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 RIP Mr Wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 I wonder if he was on good enough terms with the company to get a package on RAW tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Sugar Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 My "(Just Another) Mad Dog Monday" show was dedicated to Orndorff today... https://fb.watch/v/2MMyXvWIj/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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