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Johnny Detroit has built an impressive winning record: He has been booted or had limits lowered at 9 offshore sports books, has numerous documented Top 5 finishes in both NFL and College Football and his team of handicappers won the 2004-05 Las Vegas...

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Who is your favorite pro wrestler?

by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 11:57 AM

Growing up in the 80's I watched a lot of wrestling. As I became older and wrestling went to being a comic book it lost the allure of being a soap opera for men, but those memories will always be there. Back than wrestling was bigger than it ever was. The 80's were the best time in wrestling history. Had the NWA, AWA and WWF all going strong. The regional's like World Class, Mid-South, Stampede were all top notch. Sure, people will argue how big it is today with the money involved and the TV ratings, but I disagree. From my point of view there is one type of wrestler in my mind that is the reason wrestling was bigger pre-Cable; the "jobber". Back in the day you would watch wrestling on Saturday or Sunday morning with a whole card of big names destroying cats like Steve Lombardi, Rene Goulet and Iron Mike Sharpe. At the end of the card you might get lucky and see a Greg Valentine vs SD Jones (WWF) or a Black Bart vs Sam Houston (NWA), but for the most part they had the eyeballs without having star vs star from top to bottom. Wrestling in the modern form they have to keep pushing it further and further and putting all the big names on the card against each other. Shit, I even remember going to Cobo or the Joe and seeing a live card that would consist of the following:

Mid level star vs jobber for the first few matches
Upper, but not champion, for the middle level matches before and right after the intermission
A women or midget match
A tag team title match or a 6 man tag with big names
The main event would involve a title or two big stars (Tito vs Greg for the IC Belt or Hogan vs Dr. D)

Back in the 80's, there was more luster in waiting to see the big names duke it out. Also, with all the regional areas all packed with great names, it was a big thing to see the Road Warriors from the AWA take on the Koloffs from the NWA. All of the things that made wrestling great are gone now. I love to watch classic wrestling and see Studd and Andre or Flair and Dusty.

But on to my favorite wrestler of all time. The nod from JD would have to go to the man himself:

Ric Flair. It would be years before I would see Ric Flair live on TV. When I was a kid we would get all the wrestling magazines and read about this Flair guy down South, the Von Erich's in Texas or Kevin Sullivan in Florida. This was pre-cable, so depending on the region you live there was no way to ever see any of these guys. I still remember when we first got cable and watching TBS and seeing Flair talking smack and beating everyone down with the Four Horseman. His battles with Magnum TA, Dusty and Nikita Koloff were all classic.

I know we have a good group of older school cats (some like Marco I am sure go back to Bruno and Dick the Bruiser), so who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

read more: NWA, Other Sports, professional wrestling, Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, wwf

29 Comments:

	posted by Marco D'Angelo on 06/27/2008 9:28 AM Yes JD thanks for another shot at my age..lol But before all the glitz and glitter of Pro Wrestling there was only one man and yes that was the legend Bruno Sammartino. I must of gone to dozens of Bruno matches in the Pittsburgh area as I kid.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 9:33 AM My dad still has all of his old magazines from that era. Programs from the Olympia and Cobo Arena. Magazines with people like Bruno, Buddy Rogers and Bobo Brazil.
	posted by Chuck O'Luck on 06/27/2008 9:54 AM Andre the Giant!
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 9:58 AM I remember being a kid watching wrestling at a friends one morning. It was the main event: Big John Studd and Ken Patera vs. Andre and a Mystery Partner. So the whole card we are guessing who it will be? Hogan? Tito? Who???? The match is about to start and Andre's mystery partner comes out. He picks SD Jones! SD! We knew he was in for trouble, lol. That was the match they cut Andre's hair. So here we are, elementary kids watching SD get tossed from the ring and Andre getting beat down. Very traumatic for a little kid!
	posted by oopie on 06/27/2008 10:00 AM Wow! Kevin Sullivan. There's a name from the past! I lost all interest in wrestling after working a few WWE shows as a stagehand. Wierd vibe backstage at one of those shows. And quite a few of those guys were pricks to the crew.
	posted by vegas-runner on 06/27/2008 10:27 AM Great post JD...I was a big-time wrestling fan growing up and would go to a lot of the matches back in the day...and if I had to choose my favorite wrestler of all time, although there were many I liked for periods of time, the guy who always withstood the test of time and is my all time favorite... "NATURE BOY" RIC FLAIR....WHOOOO !!! "Cause that's the Bottom Line"... Just check out some of his old interviews on Youtube...he was one of the best interviews of all time...
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 06/27/2008 10:32 AM Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. I could not watch anymore when Mr. Fuji threw salt in his eyes after their match. Totally uncalled for.
	posted by Bluesters1 on 06/27/2008 10:45 AM Superstar Billy Graham
	posted by Bluesters1 on 06/27/2008 10:46 AM and Ivan Putski
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 10:47 AM Remember when Piper hit Snuka with the coconut? Classic. lol. Ivan "The Polish Power" Putski.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 10:47 AM Remember when Piper hit Snuka with the coconut? Classic. lol. Ivan "The Polish Power" Putski.
	posted by Rocky Atkinson on 06/27/2008 10:51 AM I'm down South so I grew up with the NWA. Also had Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. I use to go to several matches as a kid. I had to wear a brace on my right leg for 2 years when I was 12 and 13 years old and I'd go to where the wrestler's locker rooms were and they would always embrace me and we would talk alot. Ric Flair was definitely one of the best. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood was a great tag team combination back then and just simply the best down to earth wrestlers I talked with way back. Matty, Snuka was one of the better athletes back in the day down south. Really enjoyed watching him come off the top ropes to crush the opponent below. So many other wrestlers like Dusty Rhodes, The Iron Sheik, Paul Jones, Tony Atlas, Rock N Roll Express, Midnight Express, Road Warriors, Big John Studd, Andre the Giant and so many others that I just can't think of right now. I'll try to post some more on here later. That was absolutely the best wrestling ever. If they went back to something like that, I may start watching it again. Rocky
	posted by Tommy Rider on 06/27/2008 11:12 AM Great post. Some of my favorites were Rocky Johnson, Snuka, King Kong Bundy, Kamala, Magnum TA, Billy Jack Haynes, Bruiser Brody "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and the real nWo. But my all-time favorite by far and away is the Magnificent Muraco. I loved the smug look he always had on his face and that tombstone piledriver he used. His son now wrestles for one of those smaller organizations but Don Muraco was the man.
	posted by Tommy Rider on 06/27/2008 11:14 AM Oh, and the Freebirds. Badstreet, USA baby. Does anyone remember the video they made for the song, Badstreet, USA? That was a classic.
	posted by Sweat Hog on 06/27/2008 11:25 AM You all know by now that I'm Proudly Canadian (Canada Day long weekend starts in a couple of hours!!!!), so my favorite is and always will be Rowdy Roddy Piper, from Scarborough Ontario (about 30minutes from where I live). Best interview in the business by far and away, the guy had a real gift when in front of a microphone. Tag-team favs are the British Bulldogs, loved the mutt. Never understood the character George "The Animal" Steel, I just didn't get why this guy was around for so long. Most HATED was Adrian Adonis, fat fuckin' Princess cow.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 12:24 PM TR, I have a a match on old VHS with Muraco and Snuka in a strap match. Blood everywhere. WWE released a video about the old World Class and they have that video on it.
	posted by Tommy Rider on 06/27/2008 12:31 PM I have to find that video. That song was great. "Badstreet, Atlanta, GA. The baddest street in the whole USA. Badstreet, nasty and hot. The further down the street you went the badder it got." I would like to say that I looked that up but I'm such a pear-shaped loser, I actually remember the words. Also, I know Muraco won that strap match because Snuka could never beat him.
	posted by Tommy Rider on 06/27/2008 12:33 PM Wait, I think it's actually, "The further down the block you went the badder it got." I said street but as I replay it in my head I believe it's block. Maybe it's on iTunes. lol
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 06/27/2008 12:39 PM I want to tell you a story About a place you don't wanna be. This ain't no home sweet home, It's a home sweet misery. We knew when we got here They'd try to put us away. But when they seen us walk down The street they ran the other way. Badstreet, Atlanta, GA Baddest street in the whole USA Badstreet nasty and hot The further down the block you went, the badder it got. Street is a jumping, Tonight there'll be a brawl. Old Lady McDuffie she done Give the cops a call. She might as well call the Army or The United States Marines, 'cause can't nobody handle this Badstreet scene. Badstreet, Atlanta, GA Baddest street in the whole USA Badstreet nasty and hot The further down the block you went the badder it got. 17 punks came calling and They thought that they were hot. They thought that they were nasty And could make it down on our block. But I'll never forget hearing that Ambulance driver say, "Someone should have told those Boys 'bout Badstreet USA." So don't you come looking. On this side of town. 'Cause this is where the Freebirds Live and everything's going down. If you don't know by now, We always get our way. That's the way it is down Here on Badstreet USA. Badstreet, Atlanta, GA Baddest street in the whole USA Badstreet nasty and hot The further down the block you went the badder it got. Badstreet, Atlanta, GA Baddest street in the whole USA Badstreet nasty and hot The further down the block you went the badder it got. We live in the last house on the right. Badstreet baby, anytime!
	posted by Harry on 06/28/2008 8:30 AM Dick the Bruiser was the best.
	posted by mrfreeze on 07/03/2008 5:08 AM Captian Insano <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="www.youtube.com/.../PEXSffZgNzs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param">www.youtube.com/.../param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="www.youtube.com/.../PEXSffZgNzs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
	posted by Jeff Scott Sports on 07/03/2008 5:50 AM Some of my favs: Sgt Slaughter, Bob Backlund, Snuka and fav tag team of all time is Tony Garea and Rick Martell.
	posted by Tommy Rider on 07/03/2008 9:46 AM Tony Garea. lol Remember after his career he worked for the WWF and would always be one of the guys who came out to break up a fight? Good stuff.
	posted by strong men on 07/04/2008 6:41 PM Pingback from strong men
	posted by Derren Brown on 07/04/2008 8:37 PM Ultimate Warrior & Hulk Hogan
	posted by CASEYWARD420 on 07/04/2008 11:10 PM "THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR" He was the Man!!!!
	posted by jmoo2k8 on 07/05/2008 11:01 PM I grew up down south and had Mid-South Wrestling every Saturday and tbs. One day, championship wrestling from memphis and world class from dallas starting coming on every week. The 80's was the golden age of wrestling: Dusty Rhodes, the four horseman, Devastation Incorporated with General Akbar, Ted Dibiase, Dick Murdock, Junkyard Dog, the Freebirds, Sting and so many other I could name. My favorite wrestler was Ricky Steamboat. I enjoy watching old wrestling footage on youtube. I also remeber this one jobber the Alabama Jr. Heavyweight Champion Mike Jackson, been champion for 20years I believe.
	posted by i was always strong on 07/10/2008 2:16 AM Pingback from i was always strong
	posted by footballer on 07/10/2008 7:39 AM tojo-yamamoto---Now that'l take you back! JD, not sure PRO applies to wrestling---good acting though.