Category: wrestling

Mat Quest, Chapter 4: February 1976

Mat Quest, Chapter 4: February 1976

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the wild and woolly archive of pro wrestling. Jump in and follow along with us!

The WWE archive currently is on Peacock and speculation persists as to whether rights to the library will shift elsewhere (my guess is Netflix) once the current deal with Peacock expires in 2026. And then will that leave us? Watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: LIfe on the Street on loop?

Wait… That wouldn’t be bad…

Anyway there is lots of wrestling still to watch. Let’s get to it…

Gorilla Monsoon vs. Ernie Ladd, 1/12/76 – Worth Watching

(Available online) We begin this installment by jumping back to January for a battle of the big men that slipped between the cracks. What ensues feels like more of an angle than a match and serves to establish Ladd as a formidable foe willing to bend and break every rule there is. Ladd gets plenty of mileage out of his dreaded taped thumb and wins by stoppage after Gorilla is turned into a bloody mess.

Gorilla Monsoon gets plenty of red on himself in this battle with Ernie Ladd from January 12, 1976, at Madison Square Garden.

Madison Square Garden, 2/2/76

Kevin Sullivan vs. Spiros Arion – Take It or Leave It

(Available on YouTube) Arion went from challenging Bruno for most of 1975 to, a year later, facing the young upstart Sullivan in an otherwise unannounced match. Sullivan as a clean cut babyface is still jarring but not quite as jarring as busting out a monkey flip! The finish comes abruptly and just as the match appears to be hitting its next gear. Check it out if you want to see Sullivan working very against what he is known for in wrestling.

Dominic DeNucci vs. Ernie Ladd – Worth Watching

Wrestling is like all art forms, in that what is old eventually becomes new again. These Ladd bouts from the mid 1970s serve as a master class for current wrestlers who want to learn heel tactics. He has a tour de force of rulebreaking here: complaining to the referee about his lack of preparation time, then selling every strike from DeNucci in exaggerated anguish. Later he begs off, calls timeout, flashes a peace sign and extends a handshake to his opponent. After using that dreaded taped thumb to gain control, he caps off a masterful performance by blowing kisses to the fans as his hand gets raised.

Ivan Putski vs. Ivan Koloff – Worth Watching 

As far as I have found, this is the only matchup between the two Ivans where the footage has survived here nearly 50 years later. Nothing to write home about in the action but the novelty is there and Putski is remarkably over with the Garden crowd.

WWWF Heavyweight Title-Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Superstar Billy Graham – Great

(Available on YouTube) Lo and behold, the first truly great match yet in our chronological journey has appeared. This is a rematch from a battle between these two from the prior month in the Garden. That bout is available elsewhere online and sees Graham score a controversial countout victory. I have watched that match and the intensity in this rematch is much higher, both between the wrestlers and among the crowd. Bruno and Superstar Graham have fantastic chemistry and it shows here. Bruno also gives Graham much more offense than the other challengers we have watched to date. Even when the champion bloodies Superstar and the match eventually is stopped, Graham is still ready and wants to keep fighting. The entire thing is a spectacle that leaves you wanting to see more.

2/3 Falls: Bobo Brazil & Tony Parisi vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw – Take It or Leave It 

Bobo was one of the first Black stars in pro wrestling. He fills in here with Parisi when the other half of the tag champs, Louis Cerdan, got held up due to travel issues. Bobo has about a quarter-century of experience in the ring by 1976 and the miles are showing in most of his matches I have seen. You might want to check this out for the novelty of the pairings, and the finish isn’t too shabby, either. However, if you are trying to watch quickly this one can easily be skipped. I leave the choice up to you.

All Star Wrestling, 2/28/76 (Available on YouTube)

Bobo Brazil vs. Hans Schroeder – Watch the Post-Match

Bobo is the WWWF U.S. Champ but the title is not on the line for this middling encounter. Things get interesting right after the bell as Captain Lou Albano jumps in from ringside and attacks Bobo in concert with Hans. Midcard heels come in from the locker room and also get involved. It all culminates when Bobo gets his hands on Albano and delivers his Cocoa Butt headbutt, which Captain Lou sells as if he has been electrocuted to the delight of the live audience

Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Bugsy McGraw – Good

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this. The Wizard goes first and does a fine job building up his man. Bugsy gets a turn to talk and brings it home with some delightfully creepy observations about pain and pleasure. I think I prefer this incarnation of Bugsy to the silly babyface midcarder in World Class several years later.

Stan Hansen (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Johnny Rivera – Worth Watching

Hansen makes his debut for the company here and makes short work of Rivera. He needs less than two minutes — one minute and 47 seconds to be precise — to finish off his foe. This is where the build starts for Hansen to challenge Bruno Sammartino, which is a story I am eager to see unfold.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

Madison Square Garden, 2/2/76

Pete Sanchez vs. Frank Monte
Francisco Flores vs. Louis Cyr
Kevin Sullivan vs. Spiros Arion – Take it or Leave it
Dominic DeNucci vs. Ernie Ladd – Worth Watching
Ivan Putski vs. Ivan Koloff – Worth Watching
2/3 Falls: Little Louie & The Coco Kid vs. Billy the Kid & Little Johnny
WWWF Hvwt Title-Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Superstar Billy Graham – Great
Pat Barrett vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna
2/3 Falls: Bobo Brazil & Tony Parisi vs. Bugsy McGraw & Crusher Blackwell – Take it or Leave it

All Star Wrestling, 2/28/76

Non Title: Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (WWWF Tag Champs) vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna & Cowboy Bob
Non Title: Bobo Brazil (WWWF U.S. Champ) vs. Hans Schroeder – Watch the Post-Match
Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Bugsy McGraw – Good
Stan Hansen (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Johnny Rivera – Worth Watching
Kevin Sullivan & Pat Barrett vs. Billy Coleman & Frank Monte
Dominic DeNucci vs. Louis Cyr

UP NEXT

We march ahead to, well, March of 1976, and more episodes of All Star Wrestling.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

Review the Kraken: Episodes 9-11

Review the Kraken: Episodes 9-11

Welcome back to Review The Kraken. This article will review the second TV taping for Kraken Pro Wrestling, which covers Episodes 9-11 of their show on Youtube.

Still about five months behind the current Kraken product and trying to catch up … Kraken places an emphasis on building long-term stories and these three episodes are more about building that narrative than any major developments. I think the episodes also suffered somewhat from some of my favorite Kraken talents being absent: Trever Aeon, Michael Walker, Lamar Diggs, and Trey Shaw all are nowhere to be seen.

Here are some general observations on these three episodes…

Probably the biggest development for the overall story in Kraken is the reveal of a new general manager, Robert Vien. On-screen authority figures are pretty played out but Vien plays things right down the middle (so far), which is as close as you can come to a fresh take on this trope in the 2020s.

These episodes also include the third edition of the Cash In, Cash Out Scramble. This is a fun concept where wrestlers put money into the pot and the winner takes all. One unique addition is revealed here; the match goes to the time limit, the pot rolls over to the next scramble. This scramble involves Will Huckaby, Jak Myles, and two newcomers to Kraken: Edward Draven and CJ Shine. The previous scrambles had six wrestlers, not four, and the match was much more cohesive with the lesser number. They also timed the finish perfectly with the three count right after time expired.

Kevin Kantrell stood out during the Kraken Classic set of episodes. He returns here to face Charlie Kills, who was called Charlie Anarchy during the initial set of tapings. Kantrell is a top-tier talent on the Kraken roster for me and scores an impressive win, making Charlie — who seems an unstoppable monster at times — tap out in the middle of the ring, clean as a sheet.

With some of the aforementioned names absent from this taping, several new faces make their debuts in Kraken. Two of the newcomers jumped out: the H-Town Hittas, a power tag team consisting of two twin brothers. They win an absolutely one-sided squash match and their opponents, Tyreke Robinson and Luke Stone, deserve credit for making the Hittas look so dominant.

The big highlight from these three episodes is the main event of Episode 11, with Jay 2 Strong facing Brother Azriel for the Kraken Title. Justin Kayse, Jay’s attorney and manager in the The Business stable, technically holds the title and Jay is defending it on his behalf. Azriel steps in after Aeon, the originally scheduled challenger, is mysteriously absent with The Business highly implied as the culprits behind his vanishing act.

Jay has stood out as, arguably, the best wrestler on the Kraken roster at this early stage of the promotion. His Kraken Classic final with Michael Walker remains the best match yet on Kraken TV, but this one comes close to overtaking it. Azriel has a unique look and a fine power game, also displaying much more agility than you would expect from just looking at him. Jay makes Azriel look especially strong in defeat and the home stretch is very good with a bait-and-switch finish that hearkens back to the heyday of territorial wrestling. If the goal is to inspire the fan base to want to see Kayse dethroned as champion, mission accomplished.

You can check out all three episodes here:

Mat Quest, Chapter 3: All Star Wrestling (1975 and January 1976)

Mat Quest, Chapter 3: All Star Wrestling (1975 and January 1976)

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the wild and woolly archive of wrestling Jump in and follow along with us!

Of that portion of the WWE archive available on Peacock, the earliest episodes of teleivision are not from Raw or even Superstars, but from All Star Wrestling, one of two regular weekly programs for the promotion — then known as the WWWF — alongside Championship Wrestling. Both shows began in 1972 and ended in 1986, when they were replaced by Superstars and Wrestling Challenge.

It will be a couple more years before Championship Wrestling episodes start appearing on Peacock, but the oldest All Star installment is from five decades ago — September 13, 1975, to be precise. Televised wrestling certainly has changed by leaps and bounds since then, as has the entire revenue model. Back then, you used the TV wrestling to entice people to buy tickets to the live events. Today, the TV itself is the cash cow, as evidenced by the massive media rights deals signed by both WWE and All Elite Wrestling.

It also should come as no surprise that these episodes of TV wrestling are structured and produced very differently. To that point, we take a look at three All Star episodes in this entry and, when judged by modern standards, they are a pretty rough watch. Now for the good news; this guide has filtered out all the drudgery and filler leaving you with a selection of what has value.

Not quite all killer, no filler, but a good start.

SEPTEMBER 13, 1975 Episode (Available on YouTube)

VERY GOOD

Superstar Billy Graham interview

The eventual world champ makes one of his first TV appearances for the promotion here. He wrestles in the opener, a forgettable squash, but comes back later in the episode for this ringside interview that is not to be missed. After his manager, The Grand Wizard, speaks, Superstar Graham gets a turn and what follows encapsulates his character while also showing how to establish yourself in a new place in a relatively short amount of time. Graham really jumps off the page, both through his charismatic words and his look — bleached blond, tanned, well-muscled, and unlike anything else in the promotion at that time.

GOOD

Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (w/ Andre the Giant) vs. Bugsy McGraw & Waldo Von Erich (w/ Lou Albano & Freddie Blassie)

An interesting mix of heels here. Bugsy is massive compared to his size when he wrestles for World Class in the 1980s. Waldo and Fritz Von Erich were billed as brothers but any relation did not extend beyond the gimmick. Cerdan and Parisi dislike their odds with two managers in the opposing corner so they head to the locker room and bring out Andre to watch their backs. This does not dissuade either manager from interfering, and each time the interloper(s) get stalked and chased around by Andre. Eventually, things break down into a massive brawl in the ring involving all parties, as Andre finally gets his massive mitts on the two managers, to the delight of the live crowd. Albano and Blassie deserve as much credit as the wrestlers for their contributions to the highly entertaining chaos.

FRESH SQUASH

Non Title: The Blackjacks (WWWF Tag Champs) (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Buddy Porter & Buzz Sawyer

A new category to shout out those matches that excel at making one side look good at the total expense of the opposition. The Blackjacks, Mulligan and Lanza, just won the tag titles but they are a highlight for WWWF throughout the latter half of 1975 — you just cannot see much of it via the Peacock archive. There are some great little moments in this; at one point Albano is choking jobber Buddy Porter on the outside and a quick camera close-up shows Porter almost frothing at the mouth. By the way, this Sawyer is a different wrestler from Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer.

JANUARY 10, 1976 episode

WORTH WATCHING

Kevin Sullivan & Francisco Flores vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw (w/ Freddie Blassie & The Grand Wizard)

This episode is pretty dull but the main event is a unique collection of wrestlers. We also see a very young Kevin Sullivan as, given his eventual legacy in wrestling, the most unlikely of bland lower-card babyfaces. Blackwell and Bugsy give Sullivan a significant portion of offense before momentum shifts. Overall, the action is decent although the finish is wonky.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Ernie Ladd promo and handicap match

This part of 1976 seems to be all about building up new strong challengers for Bruno Sammartino. Graham is one and The Big Cat is another. The former NFL star was known for his bombastic heel interviews. This one loses some of its steam and runs a bit long, but if you are not familiar with Ladd’s work, you might want to check it out. The Big Cat then wrestles a handicap match that is totally forgettable unless you want to see some of the most awkward ring exits I have ever seen from jobber Tito Torres.

JANUARY 17, 1976 episode (Available on YouTube)

WORTH WATCHING

Pete Sanchez vs. Ernie Ladd

The featured bout on this episode is also the only thing that salvages it from being victim to getting skipped altogether. Ladd puts on a textbook example of being a heel. It starts from his entrance where he bullies the poor guy gathering his hat and vest. Ladd almost oversells for Sanchez early, but the live crowd loves it. And, as a proper heel should, Ladd uses his dreaded taped thumb to cheat and gain the advantage, before using more underhanded tactics to eventually win by countout.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Vince McMahon interviews Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi

Cerdan and Parisi are the tag champs at this time and this segment is incredibly awkward. Today, you would never see a wrestler on the microphone left to stumble and bumble through an interview like this. Are we better off, or worse off, now? You watch and decide.

LINEUP & SUMMARY 

All Star Wrestling, 9/13/75

Superstar Billy Graham (w/ The Grand Wizard) vs. Tom Stanton
Non Title: The Blackjacks (WWWF Tag Champs) (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Buddy Porter & Buzz Sawyer [Jobber] – FRESH SQUASH
Vince McMahon interviews The Grand Wizard & Superstar Billy Graham – VERY GOOD
Baron Mikel Scicluna vs. Manuel Miranda
Francisco Flores vs. Frank Monte
Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi vs. Bugsy McGraw & Waldo Von Erich (w/ Lou Albano & Freddie Blassie) – GOOD 

All Star Wrestling, 1/10/76

Non Title: Bobo Brazil (WWWF U.S. Champ) vs. Davey O’Hannon
Louis Cyr (w/ Freddie Blassie) vs. Pete McKay
Vince McMahon interviews Ernie Ladd ringside – TAKE OR LEAVE
Handicap: Ernie Ladd vs. Tito Torres & Sylvano Sousa
Non Title: Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi (WWWF Champs) vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna & Vincente Pometti
Kevin Sullivan & Francisco Flores vs. Crusher Blackwell & Bugsy McGraw (w/ Freddie Blassie & The Grand Wizard) – WORTH WATCHING

All Star Wrestling, 1/17/76

Superstar Billy Graham (w/ The Grand Wizard) vs. Sylvano Sousa
Ivan Putski vs. Bugsy McGraw (w/ Lou Albano, The Grand Wizard & Ivan Koloff)
Vince McMahon interviews Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi  – TAKE OR LEAVE
Johnny Rivera vs. Louis Cyr (w/ Freddie Blassie)
Ivan Koloff (w/ Lou Albano) vs. Pete McKay 
Pete Sanchez vs. Ernie Ladd – WORTH WATCHING

UP NEXT

We continue our journey through 1976 with another Madison Square Garden event and more All Star Wrestling.

MISS AN ENTRY?

Here is the full index of entries in the Mat Quest viewer guide.

Mat Quest, Chapter 2: 1975, The Garden

Mat Quest, Chapter 2: 1975, The Garden

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the wild and woolly archive of wrestling. Jump in and follow along with us!

We started our journey with a Madison Square Garden card from 1973 and continue that journey, from the same venue, while jumping ahead to 1975.

So, what happened in the WWWF during the interim? The big news is that the world title has changed hands a couple of times. Pedro Morales. who held the title on that 1973 card, dropped it to Stan Stasiak, who quickly lost the belt to the returning Bruno Sammartino in December of that year.

And title defenses by Sammartino serve as the centerpiece, and the biggest highlight, of these two 1975 events from Madison Square Garden.

Let’s get to it…

MARCH 17, 1975

Very Good

Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title against Spiros Arion in a Texas Death Match(Highlights on

Footage of four matches from this card exists and three of them range in watch quality from skippable to watching paint dry, although the last match features a bearded, barrel-chested Ivan Putski that is quite the contrast from the chiseled bodybuilder look he sported for this same promotion in the 1980s. And he chugs a beer in the ring after his match, so there’s that.

Ivan Putski chugs a beer after beating The Wolfman at Madison Square Garden.

The highlight of this March 17 card is the battle between Sammartino and Arion for the title, which you can find online by searching for the two wrestler names and the date. These two met the prior month (sadly not available) and most of the match played out as a sportsmanlike affair until Arion started bending the rules late when he could not fairly get the better of Sammartino. Eventually Bruno snaps, unloading on Arion in fury and eventually getting disqualified.

So, they ran it back for this Texas Death Match, often used as a blowoff match for Sammartino and his challenger du jour. No standing 10 count here… the WWWF Texas Death Match just means that anything goes. The crowd is fully invested and lives in dies with each punch and kick thrown by the champion. Sammartino scores the pin, but Arion gets a foot in the ropes and the referee does not see it. That sets the stage for another match between these two next month.

APRIL 14, 1975

Borderline Great

Bruno Sammartino defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title against Spiros Arion in a Greek Death Match

The aforementioned rematch… this time the only way to win is by submission. Where the match between these two in March was more even, this one sees Sammartino dominate. Modern wrestling fans have come to expect, even in the most heated grudge match, for the flow of the match to go back and forth. Sometimes, though, you just want to see the bad guy get clobbered and that is what the Garden crowd got here. Bruno gets 75-80% of the match before submitting Arion after he whiffs on a knee drop off the top rope. The atmosphere and the tremendous fire that Bruno shows are both top notch.

As with the prior Sammartino-Arion match, you can find this match by searching online.

Good

Edouard Carpentier vs. Joe Nova

Carpentier is quite the story — fighting for the Resistance in France during World War II before embarking on a career in the squared circle. He is a spry 48 years old here and uses his gymnast background to turn Nova into his own personal pommel horse. Carpentier’s style would fit right in modern wrestling, and serves as a reminder for the current curmudgeons who decry “flippy shit” as ruining their beloved business.

Victor Rivera vs. Bobby Duncum

You might remember Bobby’s son, the late Bobby Duncum, Jr., from the West Texas Rednecks in WCW. These two put on their working shoes for this one and turn in a high-energy battle, especially by the often-plodding standards of mid-1970s WWWF.

Worth Watching

El Olympico vs. Greg Valentine

This is the Madison Square Garden debut for Valentine, who is 23 years old and looks about the same that he does for the next 10 or 15 years.

LINEUP & SUMMARY

March 17, 1975 (Madison Square Garden)

Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Butcher Vachon
WWWF World Title-Texas Death Match: Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Spiros Arion – VERY GOOD
Victor Rivera vs. Killer Kowalski
Ivan Putski vs. The Wolfman

April 14, 1975 (Madison Square Garden)

Mike Paidousis vs. Tony Altimore
El Olympico vs. Greg Valentine – WORTH WATCHING
Non Title, 2/3 Falls: Little Boy Louie & Sonny Boy Hayes vs. Little Tokyo & Lord Littlebrook
WWWF World Title-Greek Death Match: Bruno Sammartino defends vs. Spiros Arion – BORDERLINE GREAT
Edouard Carpentier vs. Joe Nova – GOOD
Victor Rivera vs. Bobby Duncum – GOOD

UP NEXT

We wrap up 1975 and dive into 1976 with a few episodes of All Star Wrestling.

Mat Quest: An Updated Introduction

Mat Quest: An Updated Introduction

*UPDATE 1/30/26*

Well, it happened, didn’t it? As the calendar turned from 2025 to 2026, nearly the entire WWE archive got dropped from Peacock. All that remains is the entire run of SmackDown (which is substantial), NXT TakeOvers and premium events, and a scattering of “Saturday Night’s Main Event” episodes.

WWE moved nearly its entire PPV archive to Netflix. A scattering of episodes of Raw remains there as well, with a full library from the start of 2022 through present day.

WWE has done a decent job posting old content on its vault channels, but most of it is gone.

The entire run of ECW TV. Huge chunks of Mid-South, World Class, and WCW TV.

All locked beyond the virtual gate and key.

The archive might be gone from Peacock, but I enjoyed my foray into wrestling from the 1970s, and as a long-time footage hound, I’ve got access to more wrestling than I ever could watch in my lifetime. So, we’re going to keep going.

I’m setting the same start point of June 30, 1973, which was the date of the WWWF event in Madison Square Garden and the earliest footage on the Peacock archive. Except I’m going to go back and cover good stuff I missed from that date onward that wasn’t part of the Peacock collection.

How will it work?

The basic format remains the same. I will let you know what I consider to be worth watching. If I think it’s skippable, it probably won’t be mentioned. Or maybe I mention something in passing if you are looking to take a deep dive into a particular wrestler or style or title.

As before, these recommendations are based solely off of my opinion. One of the great things about wrestling is that, I believe, there is something out there for everyone.

Second, these articles are meant to be informational. I definitely will go on a rant or a tangent from time to time, but this series will not be the place for in-depth match reviews or lengthy think pieces on how a certain match or segment contributed to the greater wrestling zeitgeist. You probably will find pieces like that on this site at some point, just not here.

Maybe you are a newer wrestling fan who is interested in the older stuff but was unsure where to start. Maybe you are just burnt out on the current wrestling product and are looking for something different to watch. 

No matter the reason, I hope you check out this guide, and find it informative and helpful. 

Click here to check out the full index of past entries.

Mat Quest: 1973

Mat Quest: 1973

Mat Quest is a chronological viewing guide to the wild and woolly archive of pro wrestling footage Jump in and follow along with us!

Welcome! We begin this journey with a historic event. None of the matches or results from this Madison Square Garden card were earth-shattering, but this event stands out because it was the first time the WWWF had one of its events broadcast live on national television. In this instance, HBO aired the broadcast.

As we begin the viewing guide, it is important to note that I am trying to break down the matches into certain tiers, everything ranging from all-time great to matches that are flawed but fun, or worth watching for some historic value or as a plot point. I may also point to certain matches and interviews where I think current wrestlers might want to take a look, to see what they could learn and use today.

We begin with this June 30, 1973, event from the Garden. You can probably find the full broadcast with a little Internet Black Magic, but most of the individual matches are on YouTube.

Very Good

Pedro Morales defends the WWWF Heavyweight Title against George “The Animal” Steele

(Available on YouTube) The best match on the card also has the biggest stakes. For someone who grew up on the Hulkamania Era like me, this is a fascinating look at George Steele, who is incredibly spry and far afield from the beloved turnbuckle-chewing fan favorite. Steele does some sleight of hand with a foreign object and the match becomes a fun brawl, fueled by a crowd that is going wild.

Good

El Olympico vs. Toru Tanaka (w/ The Grand Wizard)

(Available on YouTube) I think that what people — and by people, I guess I mean wrestling fans who are online — define as a good match, or even a great match, has changed. The first thing I ask myself about every match is, did it hold my interest? And this one does. This is a few minutes of harmless fun with an abrupt ending thanks to one extremely effective strike from The Professor.

Worth Watching

Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Mr. Fuji

If Seinfeld was a show about nothing, this is a match about nothing. Fuji and Strongbow go about 15 minutes, and I estimate a good 80-90% of what happens bell to bell is schtick. Fuji spends what feels like a good five minutes applying a Double Pectoral Claw to Strongbow. And that crowd I mentioned earlier? They are watching Fuji grab the tits of this faux-Native-American-but-actually-an-Italian and loving every second of it. Be sure to catch the culturally insensitive war whoops from the crowd each time Strongbow teases powering out of the hold. I remain torn on whether this match is terrible because of the giant dollop of nothingness that it is, or brilliant because it captivates the crowd despite its nothingness. If nothing else, it is an excellent example of how easy it was to entertain wrestling crowds in the Northeast in the mid-1970s. This one takes some work to track down now, but it’s worth watching so you can judge for yourself…

Haystacks Calhoun vs. Moondog Mayne

(Available on YouTube) This is pretty passable if not for the performance of Mayne, who hurls himself around the ring with reckless abandon to make Haystacks look like a powerhouse. Mayne, who died far too young in a car crash in 1978, would have fit right in in ECW. He never met a bloody brawl he did not like and even chewed glass during promo interviews. We’ve uncovered some great footage of Mayne in our From the Crow’s Nest series on Portland Wrestling.

Take it or leave it

Gorilla Monsoon vs. Captain Lou Albano

(Available on YouTube) In the Hulkamania days, these two saw plenty of screen time as a commentator and manager, respectively. This is a rare look at both in the ring, and that rarity is really the only thing that makes it watchable.

LINEUP & SUMMARY

June 30, 1973, Madison Square Garden

Lee Wong vs. Blackjack Lanza
El Olympico vs. Toru Tanaka (w/ The Grand Wizard) – GOOD
Gorilla Monsoon vs. Lou Albano – TAKE OR LEAVE
Victor Rivera vs. Black Gordman
2/3 Falls: Jan Sheridan & Joyce Grable vs. Dotti Downs & Peggy Patterson
WWWF World Title-Pedro Morales defends vs. George Steele – VERY GOOD
Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Mr. Fuji – WORTH WATCHING
Haystacks Calhoun vs. Moondog Mayne – WORTH WATCHING

UP NEXT

We jump ahead to 1975, and another card from Madison Square Garden.

Mat Quest: The Master Index

Mat Quest: The Master Index

A chronological viewing guide to the archive of wrestling content out there on the Internet:

Introduction (How the project will work and why it is being done)

1973 — A prologue installment

Madison Square Garden (3/17/75 & 4/14/75)

All Star Wrestling (9/13/75, 1/10/76, & 1/17/76)

February, 1976 (MSG, 2/2 & All Star Wrestling, 2/28)

Spring, 1976 (All Star Wrestling 3/6 & 3/20; Andre the Giant vs. Ernie Ladd from MSG on 4/26)

Wrapping Up 1976 (MSG, 8/7/76 & 10/25/76; Bobo Brazil vs. Bruiser Brody from MSG on 11/22)

Review the Kraken: The Kraken Classic

Review the Kraken: The Kraken Classic

Pro wrestling is more accessible than ever. Between streaming services, in-house online broadcasts, and good old-fashioned TV deals (a few still exist), fans have more ways to watch more wrestling from around the world than at any point. 

Imagine telling the you from two decades ago – even the you from 10 years ago – “some day there will be so much wrestling available to watch that you will never be able to keep up with it all.” And yet, today, WWE puts out six hours of content per week – and that doesn’t count the feeder shows like Main Event and Level Up. AEW cranks out five hours of TV wrestling each week — and that does not include the weekly Ring of Honor episodes. If there is a pay-per-view / premium live event that week, tack on another three hours. Full shows are available from a host of international promotions, especially in Japan, but those are usually three hours or more, requiring a real investment of time if you intend to watch the whole thing. 

And so, the approach that Kraken Pro Wrestling has chosen feels fresh in its convenience. This neophyte promotion located in southern Georgia breaks down its live events into snack-sized installments of TV for its YouTube channel. Each episode lasts 30 minutes, at most. A couple of episodes clock in closer to the 10-minute mark. 

But, with so many wrestling promotions out there, is Kraken worth watching? I think it is. And hence, welcome to my efforts to Review The Kraken! We kick off this endeavor by looking at the first eight episodes of TV, where the first Kraken champion was crowned in an eight-man tournament called the Kraken Classic. 

These shows happened back over the summer and so given that fact, I won’t attempt to bore you with a match-by-match or segment-by-segment breakdown. Instead, I wanted to take a look at some of the standout wrestlers on these early Kraken shows. They all have one commonality – each left me wanting to see more of them, whether it be here or elsewhere.

Big Business – This three-man faction comprises the top heel act in Kraken. The manager, Justin Kayse, actually came out of the tournament holding the title, as Jay 2 Strong won the Kraken Classic only to see Kayse declare himself as the champion. Jay was incredibly solid in his three tournament matches and the final against Michael Walker is the best match of the tournament. Lamar Diggs is the enforcer of the group and has the physical presence and requisite menace to fill that role. You could plug him right into the middle of the Mid-South territory in its heyday and he would fit right in with those sluggers. I like the concept of a heel manager holding the title everyone is chasing but, through these first eight episodes, I found Kayse somewhat lacking both as a talker and during interference spots sometimes self-sabotaged by poor timing. We will see how Kayse rises to the occasion in future installments.

Michael Walker – Probably the purest babyface on the roster through these first eight episodes. He acquitted himself well in all three tournament matches, all against opponents of different styles, including both wrestlers in Big Business. His match with Diggs was a fine example of one of my favorite tropes, pitting a smaller, speedy wrestler against a powerhouse. Even with the loss in the finals, Walker emerged from the Classic portrayed as a fine never-say-die underdog who you wanted to root for.

Trever Aeon – I have seen Aeon in person a couple of times and followed his work online in recent years. He is one of the more underrated wrestlers on the Southeast scene to me and stands out through his look, his versatility, and the explosion he demonstrates in some of his offense. 

Trey Shaw – I knew nothing about Shaw before his first-round match in the Classic (found in episode 4 of Kraken), but immediately was impressed. Again, these are short episodes, but in the span of about 15 minutes, he stood out with his combination of look, size, promo ability, and snug offense. 

All Star Special – Will Huckaby and Hold My Beer Hanson are one of the more popular teams in Georgia and probably the merch champions of the independent scene in that state. Hanson is also the promoter of Kraken, something that is readily acknowledged on commentary. While this is hard to deny when Hanson is doing local TV spots to promote Kraken using his real name, I emerged from these eight episodes unsure if this was a little too much “behind the curtain” for me. A tip of the cap to Hanson and Huckaby (who is the booker) and not following in the footsteps of so many of their predecessors and making themselves the focal point of the shows.

Kevin Kantrell – Kantrell is not part of the Kraken Classic but he stands out with a rugged, intense style. In his one match in the first eight episodes, he carries a green opponent to a solid effort and then, after the result does not go his way, beats down the referee like the official handed him a light envelope at the end of the night. I came away wanting to see more of him, for sure.

Kody Madden – Having done wrestling commentary in the past, I know how difficult the job is. Kody is the lead broadcaster for Kraken and does a good job with the juggling act of calling the action, telling a greater story, and directing traffic in a three-man booth – although the other two members of that booth are both heels and have similar-sounding voices.

One of the most common, widespread — and often deserved — criticisms of professional wrestling as we sit almost halfway through the 2020s is the sameness of it all. Matches up and down the card, regardless of whether the promotion is located on the globe, see everyone working a similar style. Hanson and Huckaby have done a solid job assembling a roster of different characters with different styles. I will keep watching through their archive of episodes and came away from these first eight shows wanting to see what happens next, and really, isn’t that the first goal for any wrestling promotion?

Imperial Pro April 22 Preview

Imperial Pro April 22 Preview

Every spring, approximately 1.5 million Peeps get eaten.

Tomorrow night, in Bristol, it’s payback time. At least, that’s the inspiration for the show name for the next Imperial Pro Wrestling event, “Attack of the Peeps”. It happens Saturday, April 23, as Imperial Pro returns to its “home” venue, the community center of Realife Church, located at 1317 Weaver Pike in Bristol, TN.

Front row tickets are sold out, but general admission tickets remain available for $12 apiece. Kids 12 and under get in free.

Here is the current announced lineup:

Axton Ray defends the Imperial Championship against Hunter Drake. Axton is a local favorite who just returned from his first tour of the United Kingdom.

Kenzie Paige Henry defends the Imperial Women’s Title against Alice Crowley. Kenzie recently announced she had signed a contract with the National Wrestling Alliance.

Greg Rocker defends the Hickory Tree Hardcore Title against CJ Knight, Big Al and Toby Farley.

Jason Kincaid vs. AJ Cazana

Judi-Rae Hendrix vs. Michelle Green

The Golden Egg Battle Royal

Follow Imperial Pro on your social media platform of choice: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

365 Wrestling, Day 29: Serial Thrillaz vs. Hardy Boyz (OMEGA, 1/29/99)

365 Wrestling, Day 29: Serial Thrillaz vs. Hardy Boyz (OMEGA, 1/29/99)

365 match reviews, one for each date on the yearly calendar? Challenge accepted. Welcome to 365 Wrestling.

How many wrestlers who step through the ropes today grew up watching Matt and Jeff Hardy? They rank as one of the most beloved duos in the history of tag team wrestling. While each has spent some time on the Dark Side as an individual (Matt more than Jeff), the Hardys as a team were consistently fan favorites … but not always. In this installment of 365 Wrestling, the Hardys take to the ring as heels, in this match from OMEGA (the promotion the Hardys helped start themselves) on January 29, 1999 against Shane Helms and Mike Maverick.

This match is available in two parts on YouTube, and embedded below:

The Match

You know three of the players in this match. ECW diehards may recognize Maverick as Jack Dupp.

For all the details on this match, I went straight to the source: Thomas Simpson, one of the co-founders of the OMEGA promotion, and someone I did commentary for on some independent shows in South Carolina a few years ago. The Hardys had been OMEGA champs for about six months, winning the titles off of Helms and Venom (aka Joey Abs from the Mean Street Posse in the heyday of the WWF Attitude Era). Simpson noted Venom was substituting in that match for Maverick, who had broken his arm when he fell off a roof while working a construction job.

This match takes place at East Wake High School in Wendell, NC, also the alma mater of Helms and Maverick. The challengers are out first and greeted as conquering heroes. Meanwhile, the Hardys already are a known presence on WWF TV but they get booed mightily. Matt stirs them up even more, stating that he and his brother will be “winning on Sunday Night Heat” after beating Helms and Maverick.

This match is filmed on a handheld camera and, once it’s under way, you can hear someone in the crowd say, “They’ve gotta win the belts or the crowd’s gonna riot.” That’s a good summary of the raucous atmosphere for this match. The crowd at East Wake High helps elevate what’s happening in the ring — and the match itself already is quite good.

Maverick and Helms work with a big man/little man dynamic that I’ve always enjoyed in tag teams, and they do it well. Twice, Maverick flings his partner into the air to do damage to their foes: a gorilla press that turns into a splash for a close two count, or launching him out of the ring to land on both Hardys. Such power already has been established through some early interactions with Jeff: delivering a brutal-looking spear and then catching him in midair to disrupt the Hardys’ now-well-known Poetry In Motion double team.

Helms plays a spectacular face in peril and is the engine that keeps this match going. He spends more time in the ring than anyone else, and the fans bite on every bit of offense he musters up. When he gets cut off, it just builds the anticipation. Helms continues to sell but never completely fades, showing enough fight to keep the already-rabid crowd engaged.

Jeff Hardy is in splendid form here. This is 1999 and well before many of the catastrophic landings and injuries that Jeff has accumulated through the years, so he is still at his physical peak. At one point, Jeff busts out a springboard swanton off the top rope, chains it directly into a quebrada and makes it all look effortless. In front of a different crowd, it might have earned a golf clap of appreciation or even outright applause. Here, Jeff culminates the high-flying combination by hugging his brother, only further enraging the crowd.

As the match progresses, Matt ensnares Helms in a sleeper and many of the fans start clapping and stomping, to the point that the camera filming literally starts to shake. We’re 15 minutes into the match at this point and it feels half as long — if that.

There is creativity on display here. These four twist the standard tag formula, first during their control of Helms. Then Helms makes the “hot tag” to Maverick, who promptly gets cut off. A ref bump leads to a visual pin by the Hardys, not the fan favorites, as is usually the case. When a replacement referee finally scurries to the ring and makes a count that ends in a long two, Matt responds as a true heel would: first by powerbombing referee #2, then hooking Helms by the arms while Jeff brings a chair into the ring.

By now, you can see what’s coming from a mile away, and so does the crowd, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying. Helms moves, Jeff pulverizes his brother and gets knocked to the outside. Helms and Maverick both scale the nearest corner, with Helms leaping off of his partner’s shoulders with a splash to score the win and take the titles to the delight of the packed crowd.

Final Rating: 8.7

These four combine to create a love letter to Southern tag wrestling with a modern adaptation through the moves used. The crowd is red-hot throughout and shows no signs of tiring out or losing interest. The end result is fantastic, and a must-watch, especially if you’re a Hardys fan.

Here’s the complete, ongoing list of matches in this project.

Up Next

We take a look at another wrestler who embodies excellence over the long haul.

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