MetaFilter posts tagged with wwe

The Author of Pro Wrestling's Weekly Bible

The Gooch — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:21:14 -0800

Frank Deford, a 50-year veteran of Sports Illustrated, once labeled Meltzer the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism. “You could cover the Vatican or State Department,” Deford said recently, “and not do as good a job as Dave Meltzer does on wrestling.”

For nearly 30 years, Dave Meltzer has published the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, featuring weekly behind the locker room door insight into the business of professional wrestling. How far reaching has Meltzer's impact been? In one famous incident, Hulk Hogan, frustrated by what he perceived as consistently negative coverage in the publication, burned a copy of the newsletter during a live Pay-Per-View event.

How American wrestling is more honest than American politics

MartinWisse — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:06:15 -0800

"Professional wrestling fans, we who are "smart marks" especially, are in many ways more sophisticated than the political junkies who populate political blogs and web sites (what are really fan boy and fan girl mark hangouts) like the Free Republic or The Daily Kos.
They know that professional wrestling is a work and a game.
Do the Obamabots, Tea Party zealots, and true believers on either the Right or the Left realize that politics is much the same thing?"

In Memory of Paul Bearer

uncleozzy — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:59:10 -0800

Bill Moody, best known as professional wrestling manager Paul Bearer, passed away Tuesday at the age of 58. He began his career as a manager in 1979, calling himself Percy Pringle III, and after a brief detour as--oh yes--a funeral director, continued this role, managing future-greats like Rick Rude and, incredibly, Mark Calaway in CWF and WCCW. But Moody's big break came in 1990, when he was introduced to the world as the manager of brand-new WWF phenom The Undertaker. He quickly became a beloved character, both in his capacity as the Undertaker's mouthpiece (and Kane's father), and as host of his "Funeral Parlor" interview segment, known for his creepy, intense promos. Bill is remembered fondly by friend and colleague Jim Ross (and, uh, Evanescence). As Percy himself said, though, "As long as there's fans out there that have enjoyed what we've done through the years, Paul Bearer's never going to die."

Da Cush a Puhson Owl Tee

ShawnStruck — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:56:31 -0800

A complilation of a 2 year old wrestling fan's WWE wrestler impersonations from CM Punk to Kane. (SLYT)

Simulation and Slamulacrum

codacorolla — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:45:26 -0800

"Video Game Character Wrestling is a Twitch channel run by a guy named Bazza. He said earlier how when he first ran it like a month ago, he 'was happy he got 50 viewers, maybe he could get 50 the next time too', and it just fucking exploded, with an average of 2000-3000 viewers in recent matches," (Via this Something Awful thread). Video Game Character Wrestling is an improbable live-action machinima spectacle which pits AI controlled versions of major game characters (and some real-ish personalities) against one another in a brawl for it all. It is ridiculous. And occasionally sublime.

Not pictured: Bastion Booger.

mightygodking — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:48:50 -0800

In response to WWE.com posting a not-really-that-accurate list of the 50 Most Beautiful People In WWE History (warning: awful slideshow), Brandon Stroud of Withleather assembled an all-star cast of beauty/wrestling experts, including Grantland.com's David Shoemaker, Clark Duke of Hot Tub Time Machine and professional Batmanologist Chris Sims, and with science has composed a a more accurate response list.

'Giant Size'

the man of twists and turns — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 02:45:53 -0800

'By most accounts, Bill Walton stands well over seven feet tall. But during his NBA career, Walton always insisted that he was 6'11" because he didn't want to be considered a freak. When I read that fun fact in David Halberstam's The Breaks of the Game, it hit a chord. I've been doing the exact same thing as Walton for my entire adult life. I'm not as tall as Walton. I'm not even one of the less-than-70 seven-footers in my age bracket in the U.S. But I'm close. Another quarter-inch, and I'd pass the seven-foot barrier. But anytime anyone asks my height, I say that I'm 6'11". I don't mention the extra three quarters of an inch. People don't need to know about that. In any case, I'm still pretty fucking tall. And being pretty fucking tall is a weird thing to wrap your head around.' The Grantland article mentioned: The Roy Hibbert Project: 'How the Indiana Pacers' All-Star center avoided becoming a stiff'

The routine was rote and methodical, designed to maintain Hibbert's greatest gift, his large body, while fine-tuning skills that he long struggled to develop. Hibbert has earned his place among the league's best bigs, but he's only done so by overcoming an almost complete lack of natural athleticism and strength. Quite simply, Hibbert is good because he is tall — and because, unlike so many other 7-foot-plus "projects" who populate D-League rosters and NBA benches, Hibbert decided to do whatever it took to become something more than a stiff who never developed.

Paul Wight is known as The Big Show, and you can see how his size affects his wrestling in this compilation of other wrestlers lifting him. (Youtube)

Come over here, Pink Shirt Boy!

Kandarp Von Bontee — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 16:07:01 -0800

WWE vs. UFC (feat. Bas Rutten) [SLYT]

The wrestling stars of tomorrow, today?

mightygodking — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:19:41 -0800

Last night at TNA iMPACT Wrestling's annual Destination X pay-per-view, Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode to win the TNA Heavyweight Title. Meanwhile, in the WWE, CM Punk (previously on the blue) is currently the WWE champion and feuding with Daniel Bryan (seen here wrestling Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Title prior to his feud with Punk). And wrestling news sites today were abuzz with the news that the WWE has offered a developmental contract to Sara Del Rey, the "Queen of Wrestling," who has made a name for herself by wrestling men on equal terms. What do Aries, Punk, Bryan and Del Rey all have in common? They're all alumni of Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor, over the years, has become something of a feeding ground for larger promotions. In recent months the WWE has signed away Seth Rollins (formerly known as Tyler Black in RoH and other indies), Antonio Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli), Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero) and PAC, "the man gravity forgot." Meanwhile, many of TNA's mainstays over the years - such as Christopher Daniels, A.J. Styles, Sonjay Dutt and Samoa Joe - all wrestled contemporaneously for RoH in TNA's early years. How has RoH managed to thrive in an industry where getting television exposure - the lifeblood of independent and regional promoters in eras past - is increasingly difficult? The answer, unsurprisingly, is The Internet: the company's success with internet-based pay-per-views led to an online TV deal with HDNet for two years, and then a syndication deal with the Sinclair Broadcasting Group's fleet of local TV stations. RoH's business model has been taken as gospel by many other small indie wrestling companies, such as Dragon Gate USA or CHIKARA Pro Wrestling, the latter of which features the Colony, which is a team of three wrestlers who believe that they are giant ants.

25 Greatest Matches in Wrestlemania History

Trurl — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:23:17 -0800

25 Greatest Matches in Wrestlemania History 25. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (WM 16) 24. John Cena vs. Triple H (WM 22) 23. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (WM 8) 22. Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (WM 11) 21. Mick Foley vs. Edge Hardcore Match (WM 22) 20. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (WM 19) 19. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (WM 17) 18. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (WM 24) 17. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (WM 19) 16. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit (WM 20) 15. Ultimate Warrior vs. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage (WM 7) 14. Triple H vs. Undertaker (WM 27) 13. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle (WM 21) 12. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (WM 6) 11. The Rock vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (WM 17) 10. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WM 18) 9. Edge/Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz TLC Match (WM 17) 8. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (WM 3) 7. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WM 10) 6. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WM 10) 5. Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage (WM 3) 4. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WM 26) 3. Bret Hart vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (WM 13) 2. Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart Iron Man Match (WM 12) 1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WM 25) This pre-Wrestlemania 28 list will need to be revised in the wake of the Undertaker vs. Triple H Hell in a Cell Match.

The Monday Night Wars

Trurl — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:47:16 -0800

Historians of the war consider it to have been lost in what became known as the Fingerpoke of Doom. WIKIPEDIA:

In WrestleCrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling, RD Reynolds says of the match, "That was that. Fans had been burned one time too many by WCW and the nWo. From that point on in 1999, ratings steadily dropped for the company." ... According to wrestling writers Brian Fritz and Christopher Murray, the event insulted fans, upset viewers, and alerted other wrestlers in the company to problems in the company. They draw a direct link between the title change and the drop in ratings that took place in its aftermath. R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, authors of the book The Death of WCW, also draw this link, stating that the January 4 incident "more than any other, started the ball rolling towards the company's inevitable doom". They believe that the "now-legendary" event made the episode "the single most destructive Nitro in the history of the company" and call it a "disaster of epic proportions". The New York Daily News stated that the match "is widely considered the beginning of the end for WCW".

Pro Wrestler Lance Cade Dead at 29

Tenacious.Me.Tokyo — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:39:46 -0800

Another professional wrestling death. Former WWE wrestler Lance Cade has died at age 29 of apparent heart failure. This brings the number of professional wrestling performers who have died before the age of 50 since 1985 to 77.

Into The Mud They Go

zarq — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:17:17 -0800

Yesterday, the New York Times published an investigative report showing Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) either lied or spoke ambiguously about serving in Vietnam in several past public appearances. Blumenthal is currently the Democratic frontrunner for Senator Chris Dodd's Senate seat, and is expected to face former WWE CEO Linda McMahon (R). Today, McMahon's campaign announced they "fed" the story to the paper and posted the video of Blumenthal's statement to their YouTube channel. More from Politico. This revelation may sink Blumenthal's chances. The Times article also accuses him of failing to issue corrections to various media outlets when they have erroneously reported that he served in Vietnam. Reactions to the news from: * Blumenthal, defending his record. * FoxNews * Daily Caller. * Atlantic * PW Torch * Kevin Rennie, lawyer and former Republican state senator and representative. (Rennie's blog entry is reposted at Linda McMahon's site, here, and his editorial archive at the Hartford Courant is here.) Rennie mentions Bruce Caputo's failed campaign against Patrick Moynihan in 1982, which was torpedoed by similar revelations. From the New Yorker: During Moynihan’s 1982 reëlection campaign, it was {Tim} Russert who pointed out to reporters inconsistencies in the record of a Republican opponent, Bruce Caputo: Caputo had claimed to be a draftee and an Army lieutenant when, in fact, he had taken a civilian job in the Defense Department as a way to avoid the draft. Caputo’s campaign ran to ground, and the phrase “to be Russerted” entered the lexicon of New York politics. “Get me a Russert,” Gary Hart later demanded of his staff. Lawrence Grossman, the president of NBC News, was so taken by Russert’s grasp of practical politics that he hired him as his assistant; eventually, Russert was appointed chief of the Washington bureau.
NPR interviewed the NY Times reporter who wrote the article this morning.

Ring Cycle - Superheroes, Steroids and Suicides

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 06:28:17 -0800

"'It's been a magical evening,' Joel says as the Great Khali hits the Undertaker with a dustbin lid." Jon Ronson (and son) journey into the world of WWE to investigate the death of Chris Benoit.

Wooooooooo! Money!

beaucoupkevin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:34:40 -0800

If you feel like you're in a 20-man Battle Royale when it comes to your financial situation, maybe Ric Flair can help you out. Listen to the Nature Boy! Wooooooo!

Chris Benoit, 1967-2007

docgonzo — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 19:48:15 -0800

Coming weeks after the fake (and illegal?) "death" of WWE supremo Vince McMahon, police have confirmed the deaths of Canadian pro wrestler Chris "Wild Pegasus"/"The Dyname Kid" Benoit, his wife and son. Gone too soon. Relive his greatest hits through the just-posted tributes on YouTube: [1] [2] [3] [4] .

World Wildlife Fund

furiousxgeorge — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:56:54 -0800

Pro fessional wrestl ing. Insanity. Apparently, The world loves this strange tradition.

R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero 1967-2005

MegoSteve — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:18:05 -0800

[WrestleFilter] Eddie Guerrero, a/k/a Latino Heat, was found dead in his hotel room in Minnesota this morning. He was 38. His is the latest in a years-long string of tragic early deaths in professional wrestling.

Avatars

zekinskia — Wed, 16 Jun 2004 08:44:26 -0800

These days, we remember the age of legends by reliving them, virtually. Is it a sign of the fall of civilization when modern leaders are so bland as to be indistinguishable from one another? Oh how I miss the golden years.

Crisis in pro-wrestling?

plenty — Mon, 10 Feb 2003 19:30:05 -0800

RIP Mr Perfect Former WWE star "Mr Perfect" Curt Hennig was found dead yesterday at the age of 44, joining a long list of professional wrestlers to die at an unnaturally young age. It's no secret to participants and fans of the pro-wrestling industry that its performers live unusually stressful lives. With working schedules commonly encompassing upwards of 300 shows a year, their bodies take a constant beating that often leads to alcohol and painkiller dependency. Furthermore, despite the high-profile scandal of the mid-90s that eventually saw Vince McMahon acquitted of trafficking steroids to his employees, the abuse of performance-enhancing chemicals continues to be the rule rather than exception, driven by the endless quest for bigger and freakier physical size and proportions to wow audiences.

XQUZYPHYR — Fri, 13 Sep 2002 14:28:03 -0800

"The fight America has on its hands militarily is one thing. A fight our American intelligence and soldiery will not lose. Drunken, doped-up third world peasants paradise-bent on living as if it is still the stone age challenge us, now let them taste the full, unadulterated wrath of America's force. Let them drown in pools of their own blood." Call it "the ultimate pre-match promo:" the well-thought-out and eloquent political pundrity of The Ultimate Warrior. Yes, that one.

The hitman retires

riley370 — Fri, 27 Oct 2000 23:31:08 -0800

The hitman retires A series of concussions has forced professional wrestler Bret (Hitman) Hart to end his 22-year career today.

The Rock and Dick Cheney

Nyarlathotep — Mon, 31 Jul 2000 07:40:46 -0800

The Rock and Dick Cheney team up to layeth the smacketh down on Al Gore's candy ass!