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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 6, 2020 23:13:10 GMT -5
Marty Jannetty has said a lot of things that either don't add up, are total BS, or are just him working to get attention (much like Billy Jack Haynes). He did say something in a shoot interview with Sean Oliver, of Kayfabe Commentaries, about being molested as a kid. He's got some serious demons; but also some serious drug and alcohol issues and a very loose relationship with reality and the truth. I have no idea how true this might be; but, he is another boy who cried wolf too often.
I liked Jannetty as a performer, having first seen him in his young days, in Kansas City, as part of their Rock N Roll Express rip-off team, The Uptown Boys, with Tommy Lane (later of the Rock N Roll RPMs, with Mike Davis). Jannetty was a great hand then and the Uptown Boys had a feud going with the Grapplers (Len Denton and Dirty White Boy Tony Anthony), which was one of the few watchable things on the Central States All-Star Wrestling show. The other was a young Shawn Michaels. It wasn't too terribly long before Janetty and Michaels turned up in the AWA, as the Midnight Rockers. People always talk about Shawn; but, Marty was the better all-around worker, as he had the psychology down, which took Michaels longer. he had the physical stuff, in the ring, but wasn't a good promo (neither was Marty), and was a bit heavy on spots. Shawn worked on the personality and promos in the AWA, but still really didn't perfect it until the WWF. Marty was a decent promo, by the time they did the split and his selling made Shawn look like a million bucks.
I seriously doubt any police agency is going to go poking around in a case that old, based on a pro wrestlers social media post, without someone seriously pushing the issue and much more credible evidence. I think it has grabbed more attention due to the fact that wrestling websites live on cheap gossip to get hits, which includes Hannibal (Devon Nicholson) on his Youtube Channel (and he has a shoot interview with Marty). Outside of the Observer (and arguably Pro Wrestling Torch) there isn't a very high standard of journalism at those sites.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2020 9:33:10 GMT -5
How many times was Marty Jannetty fired from the WWF? By my count, at least five.
He always seemed to be let go when his momentum was rising.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 9, 2020 21:24:21 GMT -5
RIP to James Harris, aka Big Jim Harris, aka Sugar Bear Harris, aka Kamala the Ugandan Giant. Harris was born and raised in Mississippi. hs father was killed in the middle of a dice game and Harris worked as a sharecropper to support his family. he left school in the ninth grade and was a habitual burglar. A warning to leave town "or else" led him to go to Florida, where he picked fruit and drove trucks. he relocated to Michigan, where he met wrestler Bobo Brazil, who broke him into the sport. He trained with Tiny Tim Hampton, and debuted as Sugar Bear Harris and wrestled for George Culkin, where he was managed by a young Percy Pringle III (the future Paul Bearer). He worked in Oklahome and in Pensacola as Ugly Bear Harris and Big Jim Harris and Bad News Harris. he did a stint in Europe and the UK, as the Mississippi Mauler, for Joint Promotions. He came back to the US and debuted in Memphis as Kamala, the Ugandan Giant, brought in by manager JJ Dillon, to face Jerry Lawler. From Memphis, Kamala went to Mid-South, where he was part of Skandor Ackbar's Devastation Incorporated heel stable facing Andre the Giant in the New Orleans Superdome, in a heavily promoted show, as well as matches against Junkyard Dog. From there he went to World Class, where he had a tile shot for the NWA World title, against Harley Race, and feuded with the Von Erichs. In 1984, he debuted for the WWF. Challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF title, later in the year. After that run, he left the WWF and worked for a year and a half in Canada, for the AWA, for Jim Crockett, All-Japan, International Wrestling in Montreal, and back to the WWF. He feuded again with Hogan and formed a tag-team with Sika Anoa'i. He left the WWF in a pay dispute and went back to World Class, worked in Japan for All-Japan, W*ING, SWS and worked for CMLL in Mexico, did tours of Germany and went to Memphis. He returned to the WWF in 1992, went into semi-retirement the following year, turned up in WCW in 1995, Memphis again, then the indies and special appearances in the WWF. Harris' youngest sister and stepdaughter were shot and kileld and Harris took in his niece to help raise her. He suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes in later years and had first his left leg, then his right amputated. he was part of a class action suit against the WWF over brain injuries but the suit was dismissed due to lack of evidence. He underwent life-saving surgery in 2018, but passed away, today, at the age of 70. Harris portrayed a stereotyped African savage, but remarked on wrestling podcasts and in his memoir about the treatment and booking of African-American performers, who were often relegated to stereotyped gimmicks and booked as underneath talent, and rarely in main events, though that varied quite a bit across territories and was less true as time went on. As Kamala, he main evented in nearly every promotion he worked, though his need for a manager as a mouthpiece limited his use in angles. health issue were also a factor in his career. His wrestling style was somewhat limited, which further limited what he could do in a feud or match. His debut as Kamala, in Memphis, in a video segment, from the "jungles of Africa" (the estate of promoter Jerry Jarrett)... WWF debut...
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 9, 2020 21:31:04 GMT -5
Here is Harris, as the Mississippi Mauler, on World of Sport....
vs Big Daddy, Shirley (that was his name) Crabtree
vs Honeyboy Zimba...
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 9, 2020 21:41:00 GMT -5
And, just because we are there, British wrestling legend Les Kellet, the Clown Prince of the ring...
Kellett liked to clown around, which made him a favorite; but, he was a legit shooter and if he was ticked off, his opponent was in for a world of hurt. Here he is vs Leon Aras, the Man from Paris, better known to movie goers as actor Brian Glover (Gregory's Girl, Alien 3)
and Exotic Adrian Street, before he came to the US, on World of Sport, again Jim Breaks...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2020 7:44:31 GMT -5
I remember being surprised to see Brian Glover wrestling, as my first experience of him was the film AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.
Aww, Kamala, eh? I did like his presence/work ethic. I was always pleased to see him.
I’ll never forget a promo that he, Razor Ramon and Nailz did. They were talking about their upcoming match against Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker and Big Boss Man. Kamala didn’t speak (of course), but he did the usual noises. Ramon looked a bit bewildered by it. Nailz kept talking about the beatings he was going to administer.
I’m not sure that match ever happened. If it did, I am not sure whether it was a TV taping or not. I remember thinking “Strange Bedfellows”. Warrior and Boss Man with a dark force like Undertaker seemed peculiar, but could you get three more different guys than Nailz, Ramon and Kamala?
On a similar note, it was strange bedfellows when Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker teamed against Berzerker and Papa Shango. I could never imagine Berzerker or Shango as being anything other than solo artists who don’t play well with others.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 10, 2020 11:59:03 GMT -5
I remember being surprised to see Brian Glover wrestling, as my first experience of him was the film AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. Aww, Kamala, eh? I did like his presence/work ethic. I was always pleased to see him. I’ll never forget a promo that he, Razor Ramon and Nailz did. They were talking about their upcoming match against Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker and Big Boss Man. Kamala didn’t speak (of course), but he did the usual noises. Ramon looked a bit bewildered by it. Nailz kept talking about the beatings he was going to administer. I’m not sure that match ever happened. If it did, I am not sure whether it was a TV taping or not. I remember thinking “Strange Bedfellows”. Warrior and Boss Man with a dark force like Undertaker seemed peculiar, but could you get three more different guys than Nailz, Ramon and Kamala? On a similar note, it was strange bedfellows when Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker teamed against Berzerker and Papa Shango. I could never imagine Berzerker or Shango as being anything other than solo artists who don’t play well with others. Usually a sign that they were out of booking ideas.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2020 12:32:30 GMT -5
To be fair, I liked the idea, I thought of the Undertaker as being akin to one of those villains that reforms - and starts taking on evil. :-)
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Post by Batflunkie on Aug 10, 2020 13:06:57 GMT -5
On a similar note, it was strange bedfellows when Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker teamed against Berzerker and Papa Shango. I could never imagine Berzerker or Shango as being anything other than solo artists who don’t play well with others. Usually a sign that they were out of booking ideas. What's the weirdest tag-team up ever? I know that Kane and X-Pac gets mentioned a lot
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2020 13:29:49 GMT -5
One-off, I’d go with Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker. Long-term? I’ll make the case for Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin, although their run wasn’t that long. It’s odd seeing an anti-hero loner team with anyone.
Incidentally, I remember reading reports that Jean-Paul Lévesque and Lord Steven Regal were going to be a tag team. I’m curious what name would have been given to a duo consisting of an Englishman and Frenchman.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 10, 2020 14:08:15 GMT -5
Big Show and Rey Mysterio was an odd one; smallest guy and biggest guy paired.
Mick Foley and Steve Austin was another, with Foley as Dude Love. Adrian Street and anyone was usually pretty bizarre.
Dynamite Kid was Big Daddy's partner, before he went off to Canada and Davey Boy Smith took over.
Here's Young David & Big Daddy. Note that Dynamite has yet to introduce Davey Boy to steroids.
A seriously odd one that occurred in Georgia, before the Crocketts took over, was Kareem Muhamad (Ray Candy) and Scott "Hawg" Irwin. The Irwin Brothers, Scott "Hawg" and "Wild" Bill had been a tag team in Georgia (and were the Longriders, in the AWA and the Super destroyers, under masks, in MId-South) and Kareem Muhammad had been part of the Zambuie Express, with Elijah Akeem (Bad Leroy Brown), in Florida and elsewhere. The Irwin's had played at being racist heels, in fighting Thunderbolt Patterson and partner (Ole Anderson, if memory serves). Bill was gone, for whatever reason, and Muhammad comes out to offer to be Scott Irwin's partner, because he wanted Patterson. Patterson, in response, outs Muhammad as Ray Candy, though he was well known to Georgia fans, as he had worked there extensively, under that name.
Scott Irwin had worked in Georgia before, as the masked Super Destroyer, often partnering with The Masked Superstar (Bill "Demolition Axe" Eadie). Brother Bill had passed through, under his own name, with his cowboy routine, complete with bullwhip. In Mid-South, Scott was working as Super destroyer and Bill was put under a mask as Super Destroyer II. They were unmasked after losing a match, to reveal the Irwin brothers and then remained unmasked as the Longriders, doing a biker gimmick. Bill worked a lot in Texas, both for the Von Erichs and in Ken Mantell's breakaway promotion, Wild West Wrestling. He later turned up in the WWF, as The Goon, a supposed ex-hockey player (Irwin had played hockey, though not professionally), complete with boot coverings to make it look like he was wearing hockey skates.
Irwin was another from Minnesota, along with Flair, Curt Hennig, the Road Warriors, Barry Darsow, Nikita Koloff, Tom Zenk, Nord the Barbarian (aka the Beserker), and Rick Rude.
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Post by Batflunkie on Aug 10, 2020 14:32:21 GMT -5
Booker T and Goldust was another, but it was mostly played for laughs
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2020 15:04:04 GMT -5
Bad News Brown and...anyone. I mean, he abandoned his teammates at two consecutive SURVIVOR SERIES events.
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 10, 2020 18:07:25 GMT -5
Bad News Brown and...anyone. I mean, he abandoned his teammates at two consecutive SURVIVOR SERIES events. That's because Bad News Allen was too good for the s#$% he was stuck with; just ask anyone who worked Calgary or New Japan with him. This is a guy who stared down Andre, over a racist comment. Vince had no idea what he had.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2020 19:20:15 GMT -5
Dream match: Davey Boy Smith & Matilda vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts & Damian.
(Ignore me, I’ve had an alcoholic drink, very rare for me).
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