Justtxyank

There is a big disconnect between the Brody memory and the Brody seen on tape. As a non Brody fan I explored this and believe I have the answer. We judge these guys decades later by watching tape (how else would we?) but forget that wrestling for 99.9% of Brody’s life wasn’t meant for the tv audience, let alone tape. It was all about the live gates. The wrestlers who were beloved were the guys who get live crowds to react and spend money. It’s why over the top selling and bumping was so liked by the boys. Sure it looks weak on tv but it looked great in person where the people who didn’t really have great views could be brought into the action. Brody was a live crowd attraction. His wild persona and antics hyped up a crowd and he was a big body. In most ways he was perfect for that era. He looked awesome in photos and he looked awesome in an arena. Sure, you watch tape and go “eh this looks weak” but in the arena you couldn’t see that. It just looked like this big bad dude storming around the ring striking fear. And then he was gone. lastly, there is a constant rumor that Brody was going to work for WWF. In one of his podcasts, Prichard shot this down and said that Vince wasn’t a fan of Brody’s work or his business. Said he had never heard any talk of Brody coming in ever and didn’t think it would ever happen because Vince didn’t like or respect him.

I think Dusty is a good gauge for how you feel about gimmicks and entertainment in the ring. I know a lot people here able to essentially do the old "Turn the announcers off and judge the fight on mute." If you're that type of analyst, obviously Dusty won't rank well. However, I think in the ring, character work is every bit as important as wrestling skill. Not promos (where Dusty was probably #1 all time for me) but playing your character in the ring, engaging the crowd in what you're doing, making stuff matter. I think Dusty did that stuff very well, better than the majority of wrestlers. Would easily put him in a top 100 list. I think he would have been served going to the WWF in the early 80s and being that tier below Hogan guy than going to JCP and being the superstar. That burned him out with the fans and really turned the view of him.

How does Kerry compare to Magnum TA on an all time list.

I have been a lurker and admirer of this group of commentators for years but only posted a few times. I’m curious about the criteria to be able to participate in this project.

I think his WCW work gets shrugged off too easily. He was a heat magnet. Stuff with Eddy was good. His role in the six man against Flair, Piper and Greene was great. His character work was outstanding. It was short due to his neck injury but I'd say that as the reason it doesn't add enough, not that it wasn't good.

I think Regal was better at everything but I don’t think he ever had a truly great environment to do much with his skills. valentine has a lot of great stuff in the 80s. However, he had go away heat for me growing up in the 90s. Every time I saw him on tv he looked genuinely indifferent about existing at all. valentine should rank higher on a list but in another universe I think Regal would have

If you’ve heard the old DiMaggio was built for Fenway and Ted for Yankee Stadium story then you’ll get this… Ive always thought Sting and Bret were in the wrong promotion. Bret in WCW turning out workrate classics with Flair, Hansen, Windham, Luger, Arn, Rude, Zybyszko, Eaton, Vader, etc in early to mid 90s while Sting was being the flamboyant Hogan successor who could work but was mostly about being flashy and charismatic. I know they both did great work where they were and had great careers, but I think they’d both be better flipped.

Bringing up a dead thread because I've rewatched a lot of Mero/Badd stuff and want to throw my hat into the fight on the side of "extremely underrated." The more I've read/listened to about him, I think I've come to a conclusion as to why his peers hated him. 1) He was a Dusty pet project INSTANTLY as a young green nobody and got a push right away. Being seen as Dusty's "teacher's pet" had to hurt him. He wasn't good yet and he was getting a push over guys who were better and he was making more money than them. He was basically pushed up the card consistently from 91-96. Guys who worked hard had to resent not getting that treatment. 2) When he jumped to the WWF he had three big issues: He was now the teacher's pet for Vince which caused resentment He got a big guaranteed contract. He joined a promotion where guys who had resentment towards him from WCW were out to undermine him. But, regardless of why "The boys" didn't like him, the man was a good worker. I've liked basically everything he's done from 94 through the end. Hated his gimmick as Johnny B Badd because I don't like "silly" gimmicks for non-comedy relief guys and the Wildman gimmick didn't land either. That was weird, Vince was in love with Johnny B Badd. That said, I think when he turned into Marvelous Marc Mero he found it. He was a great jerk. His injuries became a problem then though. If Mero had converted from Badd to a serious gimmick in 96 and stayed in WCW I think he could have easily been a top of the mid card guy, maybe headlined a ppv here or there. Dirtbag Mero in the nWo in the black boxing trunks would have worked.

Sorry to dig up an old thread in here but something I’ve always wondered... I love AJPW in the 90s. Some of the most rewatchable stuff for me. that said, I’ve always wondered whether they could have worked elsewhere and gotten over. If Kobashi had worked in the USA as a full timer, would his style have gotten over? Not the way it worked in a smark workrate place where he’s over for being Kobashi, but genuinely gotten over starting as a mid carder. Or would American audiences just never embraced his work because he wasn’t American?

Flair always gets this designation but I think it’s important to point out that Flair was “unselfish” in a way that worked for his character. im going to throw Sting into this discussion. Not only did he put guys over, but he also frequently went down the card and worked with guys lower than him and actively tried to make them look good, similar to Bret Hart. Now he wasn’t as good as Bret at anything but still. He also didn’t complain like Bret did. As a hard to believe point for Sting, during Goldberg’s title reign in 98 the vast majority of the main guys in WCW wouldn’t do a job for him but Sting did it on a Nitro. He and Giant (who may also deserve consideration) were maybe the only two legit former champs who he got to go over?

Since nobody ever answered you on this... It was Moondog Rex as Deadeye Dick

I loved that Bret/Savage match at the time, but I'm also a big fan of Bret in WCW and end of the line Savage before the 99 return. Savage selling the knee was really well done. I think old man Savage in WCW was really great at telling stories in the ring when it mattered.

Meh. That's about how I feel about him as a singles main event worker. His offense always bothered me. I'd rather watch Triple H for sure.

Late to the topic, but I was also a big fan. I liked his team with Hercules. One thing that I always enjoyed was the way he would go over the top rope to follow a guy to the outside. He had a unique way. Instead of stepping over he would often...I don't know, bounce? off of it and slide to the outside?

Justin here. I stumbled on this site somehow, can't really recall how anymore. I'm a huge Stan Hansen fan and have often found myself alone in that in most discussions. Reading through the threads here, including the GWE project and I was floored to find this entire community essentially loves Hansen. I grew up on NWA and WCW and followed other programs mainly through magazines and eventually the internet. I absolutely loved Stan Hansen in his brief stint with WCW and when I got older and saw his stuff from Japan I was hooked. I can't say he's always been my favorite wrestler, but I think him being so underappreciated by most other fans has enhanced his image for me. The Death of WCW was a big blow to my wrestling fandom. I hung on for a few years with the WWF, but now my fandom is limited mostly to old school viewing and then quick watches of what someone else recommends to me of modern stuff. Favorite Wrestlers of all Time: Stan Hansen, Sting, Ricky Steamboat a few others who move in and out of the rotation Favorite Tag Team of All Time: This is harder for me than naming a favorite singles worker. I'm partial to southern style and power bruiser types. I guess my favorite team is the Steiners. Greatest Match Ever: Bret Hart vs Steve Austin Wrestlemania submission match Greatest Wrestler Ever: Ric Flair (but Hansen is close lol) Glad to be aboard! Wish I could have been around for the GWE.