Randy Savage vs. Jushin Liger: I Never Knew This Happened!

One of the fun things that comes with being a fan of any genre are the undiscovered gems you stumble upon. That wow factor kicks into overdrive because it sounds too good to be true when you find something that you never knew existed.

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger are two of my favorite professional wrestlers. Up until this past weekend, I would’ve called you a liar if you said they actually wrestled each other. Well, they did in fact tango in the squared circle.

Their one and only encounter took place on July 17, 1996, in Sapporo, Japan, during a New Japan Pro Wrestling tour. Savage was one of four wrestlers representing WCW and hurt his leg on a dive the night before in a losing effort to Ric Flair.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a sellout crowd 6,400 fans filled the Makomanai Ice Arena as Savage hobbled to the ring for his showdown with the esteemed junior heavyweight. Liger entered next with his usual flash and energy as an admirer handed him a bouquet.

While the match was only eight minutes and really nothing special, it was a nice novelty to see two of the all-time greats dance one time. It was odd seeing Savage being the bigger of the two wrestlers since he was often the smallest guy in the ring.

Despite winning the match with his patented flying elbow drop, Savage really worked to put Liger over as a serious threat. He played defense most of the time due to his leg injury, sold like a champ for the palm strike, and took a Liger Bomb.

Wrestlers have always been expected to wear their working shoes when traveling to Japan. However, looking at the landscape of superstar American heavyweights at the time, I don’t think that many of them would have gone out of their way to make a wrestler in a weight class below look like credible.

It was fun to see Savage out of his element and with Liger. Again, the match is nothing to write home about, but this one time encounter is worth a gander if you a fan of these colorful titans of the mat. The Madness versus The Thunder, Ooh Yeah!

The Undertaker is One of My All-Time Favorites

The Undertaker is tied with Bret Hart as my all-time favorite wrestler. While his dark side persona has gained him fame the world over, he represented something else to me. The giants of the squared circle often apply dastardly tactics while using their size advantage to steal victories. Taker started the same but quickly became something different, something more. Continue reading “The Undertaker is One of My All-Time Favorites” →

Seth Rollins is a Poor Man’s Randy Orton

I’m going to get some static for this one, but it is my opinion that the WWE world heavyweight championship reign of Seth Rollins, so far, has been flat, dull, and a repetitive loop of the same old song and dance we’ve already seen. Continue reading “Seth Rollins is a Poor Man’s Randy Orton” →

The Ladies Prove Unstoppable in NXT and Hopefully Beyond

“The NXT Women alone are worth more than $9.99.” Lance Storm

Any wrestling fan worth their salt logged on to the WWE Network on Wednesday evening and watched NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable. It was a great night of action and excitement that culminated with the debut of former TNA star Samoa Joe. While Joe’s arrival means a plethora of dream matches for the energetic brand, the women’s championship match featuring Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch stole the show.

In fact, they didn’t just steal show, they flat out hijacked it at point blank range. Continue reading “The Ladies Prove Unstoppable in NXT and Hopefully Beyond” →

The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens

What appeared to be another U.S. open challenge suddenly turned into a much more exciting affair as the guitar riffs of the CFO$ song, “Fight”, coursed through the sound system of the Richmond Coliseum. For some, it was an audible invasion of the unknown. For others, it was familiarity at its finest as Kevin Owens unexpectedly emerged on Monday Night Raw. Continue reading “The WWE Debut of Kevin Owens” →

WWE Network Revives The Elimination Chamber

Break out that big ’ol cage! The Elimination Chamber returns as an exclusive WWE Network offering on May 31. This will be the second pay-per-view this month, and will most likely overshadow this Sunday’s Payback event since the event often produces a fun night of wrestling with some memorable moments.

It was reported by the Wrestling Observer that almost nobody watches the older content (I do), so there is no rush to add more of it. However, the most popular offerings happen to be the newer stuff, such as monthly pay-per-views, network specials, and NXT. Last week, Chris Jericho’s interview with Stephanie McMahon was one of the most watched shows. Continue reading “WWE Network Revives The Elimination Chamber” →

Meeting the Excellence of Execution: Bret Hart

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Bret Hart is my all-time favorite wrestler and he was my inspiration for trying my hand at professional wrestling. The “Hitman” appeared at a pop culture convention last weekend and I was offered press credentials to cover the event.

I really wanted to meet him. So for the sake of professionalism, I declined the offer. I didn’t know when I’d have another chance to rub shoulders with the “excellence of execution” so in the words of Mike Pono “Dude, be a fanboy for once.”

The thing is, I know so much about his career, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have anything to say or ask. On the drive to the convention center, my wife assuredly stated “Its Bret Hart, I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Continue reading “Meeting the Excellence of Execution: Bret Hart” →

WWE Does Right By Hideo Itami

Last week’s episode of NXT flipped the script as Hideo Itami was made to look like a big deal. He won three highly competitive tournament matches at WrestleMania Axxess to earn a spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. As good as that was, the video segment highlighting Itami’s WrestleMania experience was amazing. Continue reading “WWE Does Right By Hideo Itami” →

The Hulkamania Workout Set Explains Everything

I consider myself someone who knows a lot about wrestling and the various forms of merchandise that have been released over the years. However, this gem completely escaped me. It’s the Hulkamania Workout Set made by the LJN toy company.

I’m sad that I missed the opportunity to run around the house and yell “What’chu gonna do” while wearing the Hulkster wristbands and headbands that came with the set. I guess I would have used the workout equipment at some point. Continue reading “The Hulkamania Workout Set Explains Everything” →

The Invasion of Michael Bennett

This past Saturday, at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Invasion Attack, Michael Bennett and Matt Taven defeated Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows to become the IWGP Tag Team Champions. This is the most high-profile moment in both of their careers, particularly for Bennett, whose success has bred some criticism.

For those who aren’t familiar with Michael Bennett, he is a wrestler from the Massachusetts area best known for his work in Ring of Honor. Bennett has also become a well-traveled performer who often finds himself in wrestling rings all around the world. Continue reading “The Invasion of Michael Bennett” →