How can you not love this man with the heat of a thousand suns?
-J (an unbiased Triple-H fan)
Yeah, but don't forget that guys like Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley are also under his watch.
wrestlers
Injury-prone wrestlers
Hi Scott. Big fan of yours since the golden age of the WWE (2000).
I wanted to ask you a question: Who are, in your opinion, the most injury-prone wrestlers in the business? And on the other side of the coin, who are the most injury inducing wrestlers you've seen?
Finally, do you think being injury-prone effects a wrestler's status in the company? It seems like the WWE brass lost faith in Daniel Bryan partially because he was out with a neck injury for 6+ months after giving him a huge push.
Well, Bob Orton was walking around with a broken wrist for like 15 years, so he really has to be up there. How did he keep getting cleared by the medical staff?
How much do wrestlers make
Don't know if anyone's sent this to you yet. Pretty interesting. Figured it'd be good conversation for the blog. Amazing how much the WWE takes advantage of it's talent. I don't believe any other industry works quite like this.
Yeah, and the thing is that this article is based off mostly pre-Network salary structures. So now they're getting boned even worse.
10 MOVIES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF STARRING PRO WRESTLERS
http://www.ifc.com/fix/2013/04/10-movies-youve-never-heard-of-starring-pro-wrestlers
It is an an old list but I found it pretty interesting to find out that film snobs consider these "Movies you've never heard of" seeing as I had heard of all of them except the Trish Stratus one.
I have indeed heard of all those movies, and the WWE ones are only "obscure" in that no one went to see them. They were all very heavily marketed flops for the most part. The Marine remains a "so bad it's good" laugh-fest, the rest are pretty much straight-up terrible as noted in the article.
Lightning Round – Hall Of Fame non wrestlers
Scott, considering how often the WWE HOF gets discussed on here I thought it only fitting to end the old year/start the new year (delete as appropriate) With a quick lightning round on whether you think the following people who were best known in a non wrestler capacity should/will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame?
"Delete as appropriate"?! Do I look like an editor? You guys are lucky I bold and italicize this shit as it is…
(Just kidding.)
Ted Turner
Sure, and he lead the wrestling union while we're in this beautiful dream. Next.
Eric Bischoff
Yeah, and they can cut his induction speech out of that same clip they've been using for 12 years now. Bisch is done with them.
Jim Cornette
See those bridges on fire down by Kentucky? They say no.
Jim Johnston
Unlikely. No one knows him.
Jack Funny
You mean Tunney? Again, bridges burned to the ground. They didn't even attend his FUNERAL.
Todd Pettingill
Only if Stephanie Wiand goes in with him.
Paul Heyman
Should have happened already.
QOTD #7: Terrible Wrestlers You Love
Friday’s here! Hopefully this means you’re gearing down for
the weekend, and ready to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.
the weekend, and ready to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Today’s Question:
Who is the absolute worst
wrestler you can think of … that you secretly love?
Who is the absolute worst
wrestler you can think of … that you secretly love?
We’ll get to your answers tomorrow. If you want to jump
straight to the discussion, please scroll through to the end.
straight to the discussion, please scroll through to the end.
Yesterday, I asked you what your favorite episode of RAW of
all time was. With 1100 episodes to choose from, you had a wide variety of
choices. Here are your answers:
all time was. With 1100 episodes to choose from, you had a wide variety of
choices. Here are your answers:
Garth Holmberg, C.C.:
Tough to choose, what with there being so
many episodes and the memory not being the best. I’m going to go old school,
and say… the January 25th, 1993 episode. Random, I know, but it was the first
episode of Raw I got to watch (and it was only the 3rd), and first time I was
actually allowed to watch a late-night primetime show on a school night.
Perfect vs. Flair was a nail-biter, even to me being 7 years old, and I liked
the opener with Savage against Repo Man. It’s an episode that still stands out
to me more than many other popular options.
Tough to choose, what with there being so
many episodes and the memory not being the best. I’m going to go old school,
and say… the January 25th, 1993 episode. Random, I know, but it was the first
episode of Raw I got to watch (and it was only the 3rd), and first time I was
actually allowed to watch a late-night primetime show on a school night.
Perfect vs. Flair was a nail-biter, even to me being 7 years old, and I liked
the opener with Savage against Repo Man. It’s an episode that still stands out
to me more than many other popular options.
This was the first “major” RAW happening, seeing Ric Flair
turfed back to WCW on the wrong end of a Loser Leaves Town match.
turfed back to WCW on the wrong end of a Loser Leaves Town match.
Andy PG: Best Raw for me? One of the very early ones.
It has Marty entering through the crowd, challenging Shawn, and winning the I-C
title, plus the famous Kid/Ramon upset. Basically, the night Raw became RAW.
It has Marty entering through the crowd, challenging Shawn, and winning the I-C
title, plus the famous Kid/Ramon upset. Basically, the night Raw became RAW.
This is certainly the first episode of RAW that made it
truly stand out from the other shows the WWF was running at the time; and it
was clear from that moment onwards that this was THE show to watch. As long as
it wasn’t taped.
truly stand out from the other shows the WWF was running at the time; and it
was clear from that moment onwards that this was THE show to watch. As long as
it wasn’t taped.
Tom Dawkings: I’ll go the unconventional route and say
that there was a Raw in 96 which I believe was the first PPV-lite Raw they did.
It featured Kid v Hakushi, Dudes With Attitide v Bulldog/Yoko and Bret v Taker.
Kid/Hakushi was the only good match, but I still remember it because it was a
pretty surprising watching a tv show without any jobber matches for the time
period.
that there was a Raw in 96 which I believe was the first PPV-lite Raw they did.
It featured Kid v Hakushi, Dudes With Attitide v Bulldog/Yoko and Bret v Taker.
Kid/Hakushi was the only good match, but I still remember it because it was a
pretty surprising watching a tv show without any jobber matches for the time
period.
This is probably long forgotten because it was on the back
end of a taping cycle, so fans who were smartened up to the Internet were well in
the know of the results ahead of time. Still, this stood out in the gloomy
early part of 1996; and things weren’t about to get any better with Bret Hart’s
hiatus, and half the midcard departing for WCW by the end of the year.
end of a taping cycle, so fans who were smartened up to the Internet were well in
the know of the results ahead of time. Still, this stood out in the gloomy
early part of 1996; and things weren’t about to get any better with Bret Hart’s
hiatus, and half the midcard departing for WCW by the end of the year.
jobber123: The one where Pillman pulls the gun on
Austin really stands out to me, only because I remember seeing that as a kid
and being blown away by what happened.
Austin really stands out to me, only because I remember seeing that as a kid
and being blown away by what happened.
Local police must have been sick to death of pro wrestling
by this point, as this happened just months after the Rey Mysterio lawn dart
incident; with both that show and the Pillman 9mm episode drawing 911 calls
from fans who couldn’t tell what was real anymore, and what wasn’t.
by this point, as this happened just months after the Rey Mysterio lawn dart
incident; with both that show and the Pillman 9mm episode drawing 911 calls
from fans who couldn’t tell what was real anymore, and what wasn’t.
Extant1979: As far as an episode I didn’t see in person,
I would have to say Bret Hart’s tirade against Vince McMahon after he was
screwed out of the WWF Title against Sid in the lead-up to WM13. That, in my
opinion, is the true kick-off of the Attitude Era. Can’t wait to see how they
treat that on the Network.
I would have to say Bret Hart’s tirade against Vince McMahon after he was
screwed out of the WWF Title against Sid in the lead-up to WM13. That, in my
opinion, is the true kick-off of the Attitude Era. Can’t wait to see how they
treat that on the Network.
Granted, it’s the swearing here that people remember, but
Bret’s promo came across as one of the most genuine things I’ve ever seen in
wrestling. Whereas most promos sound tight and scripted, Bret was just ripping
into everyone and everything, but in a way that felt like it was coming
straight from the heart (likely, because he DID feel that way in light of the
lost smile).
Bret’s promo came across as one of the most genuine things I’ve ever seen in
wrestling. Whereas most promos sound tight and scripted, Bret was just ripping
into everyone and everything, but in a way that felt like it was coming
straight from the heart (likely, because he DID feel that way in light of the
lost smile).
LScisco: I’d say the RAW where Austin and Bret led
off with a street fight and Bret was attacked in an ambulance. THAT show, even
to the mark in me at the time who had endured the abuse of friends who thought
WCW was superior, proved to me that the company was becoming different and
would once again regain its position as the #1 wrestling company in North
America.
off with a street fight and Bret was attacked in an ambulance. THAT show, even
to the mark in me at the time who had endured the abuse of friends who thought
WCW was superior, proved to me that the company was becoming different and
would once again regain its position as the #1 wrestling company in North
America.
Owen and Bulldog plotting to kill Steve Austin became one of
my favorite running gags in the subsequent weeks.
my favorite running gags in the subsequent weeks.
Biscuit!: 4/28/97, the ‘Pillman Prays’ episode.
Absolute anarchy culminating with Jim Neidhart’s surprise return, leading to a
wheelchair-bound Bret Hart whacking Austin off the ramp with a crutch.
Absolute anarchy culminating with Jim Neidhart’s surprise return, leading to a
wheelchair-bound Bret Hart whacking Austin off the ramp with a crutch.
This episode was all about the Harts; Owen capturing the IC
title was classic. “LOOK AT ALL THE GOLD! WE’RE RICH!” Pillman’s prayer
sessions were incredible, but then just about everything he did from late 95
until his death were brilliantly crazy and people bought in.
title was classic. “LOOK AT ALL THE GOLD! WE’RE RICH!” Pillman’s prayer
sessions were incredible, but then just about everything he did from late 95
until his death were brilliantly crazy and people bought in.
PrimeTimeTen: 7/21/97 in Halifax, NS.
– The Bret/McMahon
hockey fight
hockey fight
– Shawn turning the
heel up to ten with “And I… will BE… the SPECIAL… referEE!”
heel up to ten with “And I… will BE… the SPECIAL… referEE!”
– A molten hot crowd,
cheering the hell out of the Hart Foundation, and not buying Brian Walsh’s
sucking up by carrying a mini Canadian flag.
cheering the hell out of the Hart Foundation, and not buying Brian Walsh’s
sucking up by carrying a mini Canadian flag.
– The flag match main
event with Brian Pillman’s run-in.
event with Brian Pillman’s run-in.
The run of shows in Canada were great that year, because
Bret’s nuclear heat had caused the first real instances of “Bizarro World”. Shawn
Michaels drawing “faggot” chants without offending all of North America (was
this really acceptable that recently?). The McMahon/Hart fight was the usual heel
Bret goodness, who despite HATING the role played it like a champ. When he
jumped the announce table to pound McMahon for naming Shawn the special referee
at SummerSlam, the place exploded. How the Survivor Series WASN’T a total work
is beyond me, because they set that whole story up for an entire year.
Bret’s nuclear heat had caused the first real instances of “Bizarro World”. Shawn
Michaels drawing “faggot” chants without offending all of North America (was
this really acceptable that recently?). The McMahon/Hart fight was the usual heel
Bret goodness, who despite HATING the role played it like a champ. When he
jumped the announce table to pound McMahon for naming Shawn the special referee
at SummerSlam, the place exploded. How the Survivor Series WASN’T a total work
is beyond me, because they set that whole story up for an entire year.
AverageJoeEveryman:
First Raw I went to December 8 1997. Had
the DX strip poker game, Sable in the potato sack (later an incredibly small
bikini), Mero outing Sal Sincere as a jobber, and Stone Cold forfeiting the
belt to The Rock.
First Raw I went to December 8 1997. Had
the DX strip poker game, Sable in the potato sack (later an incredibly small
bikini), Mero outing Sal Sincere as a jobber, and Stone Cold forfeiting the
belt to The Rock.
A lot of posters mentioned being nostalgic for shows they
attended. Sadly, I’ve only been to 1 episode of RAW, which aired in 2001. If
you asked me, gun to my head, what the main event was, I don’t think I’d be able
to come up with an answer.
attended. Sadly, I’ve only been to 1 episode of RAW, which aired in 2001. If
you asked me, gun to my head, what the main event was, I don’t think I’d be able
to come up with an answer.
BeardMoney: The post-Wrestlemania 14 Raw was pretty
amazing. Dan Severn and Kaientai debuted. The Rock turned on Farooq and claimed
leadership of the NOD. X-Pac returned and later the Outlaws joined DX
solidifying the new line-up, and sewing the seeds for Foley’s heel turn. Austin
Stunned McMahon. The show genuinely established a new direction for the
company, and kicked off what was arguably the greatest era in the history of
the WWF/E. Sadly, today’s post-‘Mania Raws just let us know which rematches we
get to look forward to.
amazing. Dan Severn and Kaientai debuted. The Rock turned on Farooq and claimed
leadership of the NOD. X-Pac returned and later the Outlaws joined DX
solidifying the new line-up, and sewing the seeds for Foley’s heel turn. Austin
Stunned McMahon. The show genuinely established a new direction for the
company, and kicked off what was arguably the greatest era in the history of
the WWF/E. Sadly, today’s post-‘Mania Raws just let us know which rematches we
get to look forward to.
Absolutely spot on, this took us into the Attitude era at
100 miles an hour. Within weeks the stupid NWA titles would be phased out, we’d
have a wrestling porn star, NoD turning up our racist meters to full blown, and
DX making a mockery out of everyone and everything. Oh, and some guy named
Steve Austin swearing up a storm and getting drunk at everycorner
turnbuckle.
100 miles an hour. Within weeks the stupid NWA titles would be phased out, we’d
have a wrestling porn star, NoD turning up our racist meters to full blown, and
DX making a mockery out of everyone and everything. Oh, and some guy named
Steve Austin swearing up a storm and getting drunk at every
turnbuckle.
riraho: The RAW where Austin and McMahon were going
to wrestle. From the start where they said they would–through Vince’s training
with the stooges–to the hand behind the back deal–to them brilliantly not
giving it away on free tv. That was prime.
to wrestle. From the start where they said they would–through Vince’s training
with the stooges–to the hand behind the back deal–to them brilliantly not
giving it away on free tv. That was prime.
Not to mention they continued to hold this off for another
year, without it ever feeling dragged out. Very little can come close to this
feud. This is also the RAW that ended WCW’s hold of the ratings lead.
year, without it ever feeling dragged out. Very little can come close to this
feud. This is also the RAW that ended WCW’s hold of the ratings lead.
Jeremy Rinehart: The night after Breakdown.
– Zamboni 3:16
– Vince gets his ankle
broken
broken
– Rock pins Undertaker
This was pretty much the moment that Rock fans knew he was
on the fast track to the World Title. He had just turned face, and having him
pin the Undertaker was a sign the company was fully invested.
on the fast track to the World Title. He had just turned face, and having him
pin the Undertaker was a sign the company was fully invested.
BooBoo1782: The only Raw I really remember as a whole
show after watching on TV is “Raw is Owen.” It’s obviously in a very
different category than everything else, but I remember X-Pac and one of the
Hardys working the enziguiri into their movesets that night as a tribute, Mick
going over Billy Gunn with a nice tribute after, Rock dedicating the People’s
Elbow to Owen in his match with Val Venis, and the Austin beer tribute closing
the show. I wouldn’t call it a favorite, but it’s really the only Raw I
remember as a full show.
show after watching on TV is “Raw is Owen.” It’s obviously in a very
different category than everything else, but I remember X-Pac and one of the
Hardys working the enziguiri into their movesets that night as a tribute, Mick
going over Billy Gunn with a nice tribute after, Rock dedicating the People’s
Elbow to Owen in his match with Val Venis, and the Austin beer tribute closing
the show. I wouldn’t call it a favorite, but it’s really the only Raw I
remember as a full show.
I have tried to watch this one a few times, but I’m still
not able to. Definitely a lot of raw, real emotion here, and memorable top to
bottom under the most unfortunate and tragic of circumstances.
not able to. Definitely a lot of raw, real emotion here, and memorable top to
bottom under the most unfortunate and tragic of circumstances.
Night81: I really liked the Radicals/DX vs.
Rock/Sock/Too Cool RAW. It told a great story throughout the show from the
Radicalz betrayal to Rock stepping up with a great promo to Too Cool running in
to join the fray to nuclear heat throughout the whole match for everyone’s
spots and feuds to Kane’s big return with Paul Bearer. Just an awesome RAW.
Rock/Sock/Too Cool RAW. It told a great story throughout the show from the
Radicalz betrayal to Rock stepping up with a great promo to Too Cool running in
to join the fray to nuclear heat throughout the whole match for everyone’s
spots and feuds to Kane’s big return with Paul Bearer. Just an awesome RAW.
Prior to the Radicalz betrayal, we also got Foley’s HIAC
retirement match booked against Triple H. This was also the legendary “Viscera
slips” show. But yes, the true meat was that main event, which basically served
as a “Fuck You, WCW” – putting over the quartet of newcomers as hard as they
possibly could, against an absolutely loaded opposition.
retirement match booked against Triple H. This was also the legendary “Viscera
slips” show. But yes, the true meat was that main event, which basically served
as a “Fuck You, WCW” – putting over the quartet of newcomers as hard as they
possibly could, against an absolutely loaded opposition.
Peyton_Drinking: Buying WCW comes to mind because I had been
working a lot that weekend and didn’t know about the purchase in advance.
working a lot that weekend and didn’t know about the purchase in advance.
If you didn’t know about this in advance, I can see this
entire show being the most ground-breaking “WTF IS HAPPENING HERE” show in
history. Even then, seeing McMahon talk openly about WCW talent, fire Jeff
Jarrett on national television, and the Shane McMahon “purchase” made for a
strong finish to the Monday Night Wars.
entire show being the most ground-breaking “WTF IS HAPPENING HERE” show in
history. Even then, seeing McMahon talk openly about WCW talent, fire Jeff
Jarrett on national television, and the Shane McMahon “purchase” made for a
strong finish to the Monday Night Wars.
The Bragg Man: I loved the RAW that was Main Evented by
Jericho/Benoit vs HHH/Austin for the Tag Titles. I remember being a little down
on the product at that point after WM X7, and that match brought me back.
Jericho/Benoit vs HHH/Austin for the Tag Titles. I remember being a little down
on the product at that point after WM X7, and that match brought me back.
Triple H hadn’t looked bad in two years at that point;
having him submit clean as a whistle gave the Canadian lads all they needed to
make a run at the main event.
having him submit clean as a whistle gave the Canadian lads all they needed to
make a run at the main event.
CruelConnectionNumber2:
RVD and Dreamer hop the rail and ECW
returns to punk out Jericho and the coffee-fearing monster Kane in 2001.
RVD and Dreamer hop the rail and ECW
returns to punk out Jericho and the coffee-fearing monster Kane in 2001.
That slow burn when you realized the “WWF” was being
represented by the likes of Tazz, Raven, and the Dudleys, with Lance Storm and
Mike Awesome already in the ring was an absolute goosebump moment in time.
represented by the likes of Tazz, Raven, and the Dudleys, with Lance Storm and
Mike Awesome already in the ring was an absolute goosebump moment in time.
YankeesHoganTripleHFan:
I am such a Hogan mark for this one but I
have to go with Raw the nights after WM 18. First off I was pretty baked so
every cool moment was increased tenfold. Second Hogan’s ovation and the Rock
encouraging him to rip off the NWO t-shirt was fucking awesome and then later
Brock debuted and I just remember being like “what the fuck was that?”
Plus I think the stooges did something wacky which caused me to giggle on my
bed for like ten minutes. Did I mention the pot was hydro?
I am such a Hogan mark for this one but I
have to go with Raw the nights after WM 18. First off I was pretty baked so
every cool moment was increased tenfold. Second Hogan’s ovation and the Rock
encouraging him to rip off the NWO t-shirt was fucking awesome and then later
Brock debuted and I just remember being like “what the fuck was that?”
Plus I think the stooges did something wacky which caused me to giggle on my
bed for like ten minutes. Did I mention the pot was hydro?
I was watching this with a friend, and I remember we both
thought initially that Brock’s run-in was Sid Vicious for some reason, until
the camera got a better look and the announcers clarified who it was. One of
the strongest rookie debuts ever.
thought initially that Brock’s run-in was Sid Vicious for some reason, until
the camera got a better look and the announcers clarified who it was. One of
the strongest rookie debuts ever.
Brent Garrison: June 2005 in St. Louis. Cena debuts on RAW,
ECW invades to wrap up the show, and on a personal note-The best dark main
event I’ve seen in all of the 86 T.V. tapings I’ve been too-Triple H and
Batista in a 20-minute bloodbath.
ECW invades to wrap up the show, and on a personal note-The best dark main
event I’ve seen in all of the 86 T.V. tapings I’ve been too-Triple H and
Batista in a 20-minute bloodbath.
That’s a lot of TV tapings.
ABeyAnce1: Since they were a week within each other, I
have to choose the 2008 WWE Draft mainly because it was the one draft with the
real shocker factors. By that I mean the guys that switched brands. Hardy, HHH,
Umaga, and Kennedy all going to Smackdown, and then how Rey, Batista, and Punk
went to Raw. It also then lead to later in the night when Vince got
“injured”, causing the next week, and the rest of the summer, to
become total anarchy.
have to choose the 2008 WWE Draft mainly because it was the one draft with the
real shocker factors. By that I mean the guys that switched brands. Hardy, HHH,
Umaga, and Kennedy all going to Smackdown, and then how Rey, Batista, and Punk
went to Raw. It also then lead to later in the night when Vince got
“injured”, causing the next week, and the rest of the summer, to
become total anarchy.
Jim Ross’ reaction to being sent to SmackDown was fabulous; 100%
pissed off curmudgeon, and it was all real. This was also CM Punk’s ascension
to the main roster, as he was drafted over to RAW as a major player holding the
MITB briefcase, from the dying ECW brand. Good forgotten pick!
pissed off curmudgeon, and it was all real. This was also CM Punk’s ascension
to the main roster, as he was drafted over to RAW as a major player holding the
MITB briefcase, from the dying ECW brand. Good forgotten pick!
Stuart_Chartock: I don’t know if I’d rank it #1, but the
episode the night after “WrestleMania 28” was friggin’ fantastic. The
non-stop “Yes!” chants, Rock declaring that he’ll be back for more,
and BROCK FUCKING LESNAR!
episode the night after “WrestleMania 28” was friggin’ fantastic. The
non-stop “Yes!” chants, Rock declaring that he’ll be back for more,
and BROCK FUCKING LESNAR!
The fans turning Del Rio face with the “SI SI SI” chants was
a lot of fun as well. In fact, the only time they shut up all night was during
Albert’s return.
a lot of fun as well. In fact, the only time they shut up all night was during
Albert’s return.
When it comes down to my own choice, I’m going to have to go
with the first ECW invasion … in 1997. This was the type of show that simply
isn’t going to happen in the corporate world of 2014, but anything was possible
with the ratings in the toilet back then. With only a skeleton crew of
wrestlers on hand because the main roster was in Europe, the show was used as
both a selling point for ECW’s Barely Legal, but more importantly for McMahon,
a chance to make some noise and grab some audience share.
with the first ECW invasion … in 1997. This was the type of show that simply
isn’t going to happen in the corporate world of 2014, but anything was possible
with the ratings in the toilet back then. With only a skeleton crew of
wrestlers on hand because the main roster was in Europe, the show was used as
both a selling point for ECW’s Barely Legal, but more importantly for McMahon,
a chance to make some noise and grab some audience share.
Lawler had been antagonizing the ECW base for ages; and ECW
finally grew tired of it and took over Monday Night RAW. We got complete
anarchy. Even as someone who’s not an ECW fan, the idea of another promotion
walking into enemy turf and literally holding the show as one of their own is
just unfathomable. Vince couldn’t even allow this to happen when he OWNED WCW.
The wrestling itself wasn’t great, but this painted the idea that anything and
everything could (and was going to happen). Jerry Lawler was at his absolute
best on this night, and everyone was on their games trying to stand out to the
national crowd. Competition truly does bring out the best in everyone.
finally grew tired of it and took over Monday Night RAW. We got complete
anarchy. Even as someone who’s not an ECW fan, the idea of another promotion
walking into enemy turf and literally holding the show as one of their own is
just unfathomable. Vince couldn’t even allow this to happen when he OWNED WCW.
The wrestling itself wasn’t great, but this painted the idea that anything and
everything could (and was going to happen). Jerry Lawler was at his absolute
best on this night, and everyone was on their games trying to stand out to the
national crowd. Competition truly does bring out the best in everyone.
See you tomorrow!
How wrestlers are paid
As the business has changed over the last 20-30 years, I was wondering what insight you had on a breakdown of how an average wrestler is paid. In the 80's when the NWA was running 350 shows a year, it made sense for Flair to wrestle every night because I assume that 90% of his salary was made from live gate revenue. However, in today's era it seems like there's a slew of factors that are involved, from merchandise to PPV/Network revenue cut, etc, to where the equation isn't simple any more.
So what is the breakdown (estimated of course) for an average wrestler in terms of percentages from house shows, TV, PPV, merchandise and any other factors I didn't list, and is there still a downside guarantee for them to be paid no matter what (I assume Yoshi Tatsu doesn't work for bits of string).
Dude, even the WRESTLERS don't know how they're getting paid anymore. That's why CM Punk left! Basically they get a downside guarantee and a cut of merch, but the rest is entirely at the whim of Vince McMahon and bears no relation to position on the card or drawing power or anything like that.
Interviewing two stars from Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies.
Hey everyone, I’ll be interviewing “The Franchise” Shane Douglas and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan about Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies, and obviously about their careers. If there’s anything you might be curious to ask them, leave it below in the comments.
Why can wrestlers just “go home”?
If you stopped coming to your job because you didn't like your position in the company, I'm pretty sure they'd fire you.
But in the wacky world of wrestling, wrestlers can just decide to go home and they keep getting paid and remain under contract despite not actually doing the job they agreed to do when they signed a contract with the company.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
That is a bit of a ridiculous oversimplification. WWE wrestlers are not employees, they're independent contractors. They sign a deal for (x) years and (x) shows, and when that contract is done they are free to go elsewhere or re-sign. In the case of Punk, he had already fulfilled his end of the contract, so he was absolutely under no further obligation to wrestle any more for them or do anything else. Was it the ideal way for him to deal with his frustration? Probably not, but from a legal standpoint he was 100% in the right to leave when he did.
Over/Under Wrestlers Salaries
Counting everything (DVDs, shirts, PPV bonuses, ect) your best guess on if they make more or less.1. John Cena- $5 Million2. Randy Orton- $3 Million3. C.M. Punk- $3 Million4. Undertaker- $500,0005. Kofi Kingston- $300,0006. A. J. Lee- $80,000
Well, most of these are known anyway.
Cena is low. With merchandise and PPV payoffs he’s gotta be pulling in 8-10 million.
Orton has a base of 1 million per year, so with extras 3 sounds reasonable.
Punk would be the same, although with higher merch numbers and more savings because he’s such a cheap motherfucker.
Taker makes a million per year. He also makes a ton off royalties and WM payoff.
Kofi sounds right.
Base diva salary is around 100k so AJ is way low. She would clean up on merchandise.
10 Wealthiest Pro Wrestlers
I'm kind of shocked no one sent this to me, since people ask about this stuff all the time. No surprise who #1 and #2 are, although I thought HHH would actually be higher on the list than he is. And how the hell did Kurt Angle make so much money?! And there's no way Brock isn't somewhere on here given the millions he made off UFC alone and his caveman lifestyle.
Still, interesting stuff.
TNA: Half the Wrestlers on Food Stamps
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> According to Larry Zbyszko: "Half the guys wrestling there are on food stamps I was shocked when I heard that one" this can't be right can it? Thoughts?
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As usual , Larry is full of hot air.
Classic Belts, New Wrestlers
WWE.com upped yet another feature, this time with current superstars posing with Classic Belts. And it's pretty awesome.
Granted, this draws painful attention to the superiority of previous belt designs to pretty much every title they have now. But it's worth it for the nostalgia boner. Anyhow, keep doing what you're doing, friend.
-Cabs
I wish they would have expanded it to stuff like the Hogan 86 belt and Attitude Era Gold Eagle, but this was pretty cool. Cesaro with the European title needs to happen, though.
Daniel Bryan with the classic winged eagle? MEANT TO BE.
Cucch’s Book Review: “The 50 Greatest Professional Wrestlers of All Time: The Definitive Shoot” by Larry Matysik.
A little bit of a departure for me from the normal wrestling biographies. This book is a response from a long time industry insider who took umbrage to WWE’s 2010 list of top 50 “Superstars of All Time.” To the shock of EVERYONE, he derides WWE’s list as, GASP, promotional propaganda!!! Those are fighting words friends. So does the book live up to the author’s advance billing? Read on!!!
Larry Matysik is a uniquely positioned individual to write on the sport we love so much, professional wrestling. Larry is an insider who can offer many unreal insights to the denizens who follow our favorite pastime. For those who are not aware, Matysik was an announcer for Sam Muschnick’s St. Louis territory in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, and was also an announcer for KLPR’s “Wrestling at the Chase” emanating from the same municipality. Once Muschnick retired in the early 80’s, Matysik carried the torch and tried to carry the St. Louis territory into the mid 80’s, but, as we all know, Vince McMahon happened. Larry’s territory was one of the first absorbed, and Matysik ended up working for the man himself, Vinnie McMahon, who he refers to as VKM (as per Mr. McMahon’s preference) throughout the book.
In 2010, the WWE put out a list, and subsequent DVD, on the 50 greatest “Sports Entertainers” in history. Mr. Matysik took umbrage to the list, to say the least, and for a couple of years formulated his version of the history of wrestling; the best 50 who have ever done it. For those not familiar with the WWE list, well, let me list it for you.
50. Killer Kowalski
49. Batista
48. “Ravishing” Rick Rude
47. Bob Backlund
46. Dory Funk Jr.
45. Jeff Hardy
44. Nick Bockwinkel
43. Kane
42. Sgt. Slaughter
41. Jack Brisco
40. Big Show
39. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
38. “Superstar” Billy Graham
37. Junkyard Dog
36. Gorilla Monsoon
35. “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers
34. Kurt Angle
33. Mick Foley
32. Jimmy Snuka
31. Iron Sheik
30. Pat Patterson
29. Randy Orton
28. “Classy” Freddie Blassie
27. Fabulous Moolah
26. Ted DiBiase
25. Chris Jericho
24. Bruno Sammartino (!!!)
23. Hulk Hogan (!!!!!!!!!!!)
22. Terry Funk (!)
21. Lou Thesz (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
20. Jerry Lawler (WTF!)
19. Edge
T-17. Dusty Rhodes
T-17. Ric Flair (!!?!?!?!?!)
16. John Cena
15. Curt Hennig
14. Macho Man Randy Savage
13. Gorgeous George
12. Triple H
11. Eddie Guerrero
10. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
9. Rey Mysterio (!>**!^!%!??)
8. Andre the Giant
7. Ricky Steamboat
6. Harley Race
5. The Rock
4. Bret Hart
3. Stone Cold Steve Austin
2. Undertaker
1. Shawn Michaels
Well then. Can anyone, in good conscious, say that is a good list that is totally representative of the entire history of the genre of wrestling? I hope not. That list looks like a hunk of shit to this fan. Shawn Michaels at the top of the list is like listing Mama’s Family the greatest sitcom of all time, Party of Five the greatest drama of all time, Gangs of New York the greatest movie of all time. It is straight up, unadulterated hogwash perpetuated by the WWE propaganda machine. It smacks of bad politics, bad ideas, bad feelings, and is just plain BAD.
Well, Matysik decided to try and write an objective list of the top 50 of all time. Now, before we get to that, I want to state this: there is really no clear cut list of guidelines to follow when deeming the top 50 wrestlers of all time. For example, baseball has always had its counting stats: average, home runs, runs batted in, et al. Most sports have them. Matysik spends almost 100 pages explaining his criteria. Money drawn, working ability, toughness, charisma, mic skills, all of those wonderful factors. And he does just a fantastic job at it. What makes a book like this so great is that there are just SO many working arguments AGAINST what the author might state as his opinion, yet just as many to bolster his point. Listen, I HATE HATE HATE going to the WWE website (and many others) and subjecting myself to the whims of either the author or the company telling me why so and so deserves this spot while so and so other deserves to be left out. Its all completely subjective. That said, I WILL recommend this book for these reasons: 1. The Author is a total insider, Sam Muschnick’s (did you know Irv is his nephew?) right hand man. 2. He did his homework here. I am not going to list all 50. I figure I will list half. Here is Matysik’s top 25:
25. Randy Savage
24. Andre The Giant
23. Edouard Carpentier
22. Dick The Bruiser
21. Bret Hart
20. The Rock
19. Jack Brisco
18. Nick Bockwinkel
17. “Wild Bill” Longson
16. Johnny Valentine
15. Shawn Michaels
13(T). Terry and Dory (Jr.) Funk
12. Harley Race
11. Verne Gagne
10. Frank Gotch
9. Gene Kiniski
8. Buddy Rogers
7. Jim Londos
6. Stone Cold Steve Austin
5. Bruno Sammartino
4. Hulk Hogan
3. Ed “Strangler” Lewis
2. Ric Flair
1. Lou Thesz
Doesn’t that list seem a little more palatable to true fans of the industry? I mean, WWE had Hogan and Flair (TNA fodder) in the 20’s. That is straight horseshit. Flair and Hogan are the two main catalysts of wrestling in the 80’s. Strangler Lewis is the man who bridged the gap between pure shoot and work. Austin was the biggest draw ever in a single year. Londos is right there, the Golden Greek. Buddy Rogers was Flair before Flair. Bruno goes without saying, especially since WWE now acknowledges him again. Harley is universally loved, Gotch turned over the 1900’s and is generally considered one of the best, if last, pure shooting wrestlers of all time. We all know Verne’s amateur and pro credentials (He falls because the author realizes he owned the promotion). The Funks….amazing. And the author gives detailed explanations of his picks, both from a fans perspective and from an insider perspective.
Now, while I have listed the best of the author’s breed, I have left out a section he writes. Matysik actually writes about those he left off his list. Wrestlers like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Sting, and others. The first 100 pages basically deal with this subject, and, to be honest, I do not agree. I feel a guy like Chris Jericho should be on this list. Not to ruin anything for the reader, Randy Orton is ranked at 50. I feel Jericho should have been 50, what with all his championship reigns, being in WWE at the peak of their powers, and being, lets be honest, a better wrestler and (allegedly) a better human being.
Eddie Guerrero is also left off the list, and I am dismayed by that. I am sorry, Eddy was one of the greatest performers the industry has ever seen, PLUS he DREW from 2002-2005. That is a solid period of time, as he was probably, outside of Austin or Rock, the best draw the company had simply because of the Latin American demographic. To put Orton on this list and not Eddie (Eddy) seems almost sacrilegious.
Make no mistake about it though, if you are a wrestling fan, a TRUE fan, read Larry Matysik’s “Top 50 Professional Wrestlers of All Time.” If you don’t, you are doing yourself a disservice. Is Matysik always correct, always spot on? HELL NO. But that is the beauty of lists like this….they are completely subjective, completely there for feedback or criticism. But you know what else? Books like this one educate you. You want to read about Joe Stetcher, Thesz, Strangler Lewis, and many others of his age? How about Fritz Von Erich, Killer Kowalski? There are detailed four to five page bios on everyone here, so this book gets my highest recommendation, especially to those not well versed in the rich history of our richest sport.
Most American Wrestlers Countdown
Hey Scott,
In honor of U.S.A.'s Independence Day, I compiled a countdown of the most red, white, and blue style wrasslers in history. Sorry I missed out on July 1…
You have the Patriot at #10 in a list of patriotic wrestlers? He's THE PATRIOT. It's right there in his name! I kid, I kid.
TNA paying wrestlers late
From Lords Of Pain
So they're starting to release seldom-used talent to save money because it's costing them more money to be on the road, and they're also paying wrestlers up to two months late.
Is TNA in worse shape than we knew? What good is having ratings that Spike loves if they're going to have to cut talent down to the bone to be able to successfully tour and they can't even run regular monthly Pay-Per-Views?
Hogan and Bischoff don't come cheap. I wouldn't call it much of a surprise, given that we've known for a while that TNA was late paying talent and creditors and yet there was still this bizarre urban legend about them being profitable. TNA exists only by the grace of Panda Energy and Spike TV, and it's been that way for years now.
Wrestlers being undiplomatic
Hey Scott,
Other than the 1984 David Schultz interview in which he slapped the reporter who insisted wrestling was fake, are there any other instances where a pro wrestler has lost his cool during a press interview? The only other examples I can find are Vader in Kuwait and Randy Orton in Mexico. Maybe the BODers can help? Thanks
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Vince McMahon lost his shit on Bob Costas during the XFL era and that's worth a look on YouTube.
Early design sketches of WWE wrestlers
Wow, some of these designs are horrible, and others are kind of interesting.
Goldust and Adam Bomb had quite the character design progression there. IRS looked like a male stripper. I hope they post more of these, they're awesome and the kind of stuff that fans never get a chance to see and always go crazy for.
Wrestlers associated with a company they didn’t spend much time in
Hi Scott,
Something for the blog if you'd like and/or think it will get some discussion:
Something for the blog if you'd like and/or think it will get some discussion:
In the "midcard mailbag" thread, someone mentioned Angle, and it got me thinking about how excluding his time in WWE developmental, Angle has now been in TNA for the same amount of time he was in WWE. But when people think of Angle, will they think of him as a TNA guy or a WWE guy? It kind of brings to mind the weird phenomenon of how some guys can be associated strongly with one company despite not having been there very long.
A perfect example is Rick Rude. Even with the few months in DX, Rude was only with WWF for three years or so. And while I'm betting most people will always think of Rude from his WWF days, the fact is he really was an NWA/WCW guy through and through. Another example might be any given ECW guy, say RVD: he really was only visibly with ECW for about 4 years or so (got on TV in early '96, and then was gone in mid 2000 through the last PPV in '01), He surpassed that with his time in WWE, and is on his way this year into next doing that with TNA. But he'll always be an ECW guy.
Can you think of any other notable examples where someone was very much associated with a given company despite only being there for a fraction of his career? The simple explanation for it all is probably just exposure/how someone is used, but I still thought it might make for some interesting debate.
Magnum TA was only in JCP for a relatively brief period of time, but because he blew up there and then ended his career at the same time, he got forever associated with it. And I think RVD was an "ECW guy" because his career was essentially defined by his time there.
Good Looking wrestlers
Hey Scott,
Is it just me or did you notice the WWE is hiring a lot more good looking people? There are tumblr sites dedicated to how hot Roman Reigns and Bo Dallas are. And Brad Maddox looks like he could be a model. Eric Bischoff's Matrats promotion was 10 years ahead of its time.
What the fuck happened to Bo Dallas, anyway? One week he's engaged in a feud with Wade Barrett and the next he's wiped from existence. For that matter, what happened to the Wade-Sheamus feud? They were fighting over movie trailers for weeks and then POOF, dropped out of nowhere.
Anyway, it's not just you. WWE is absolutely hiring people who look like male models and trying to train them as wrestlers, and it's a practice that has been going on for years now. Frankly I'm shocked that Dolph Ziggler, someone who is both a wrestling nerd and a legitimate athlete, got past their strenuous screening process in the first place. Honestly, for as cosmetically centered as the 80s were with the steroids and steroids and steroids and stuff, this most recent era, The Botox Era if you will, has been very focused on guys with The Look.