The Unreal Story Of Professional Wrestling

[benoit4hor]

The Unreal Story Of Professional Wrestling will be on A&E tomorrow night.

 

"From George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (yes, they were wrestlers!) to turn-of-the-century legitimate bouts to the theatricality of Gorgeous George and the new breed of unabashed bashers like Iron Claw and Brain Buster, we'll go to the mat for a history of one of America's favorite secret passions in this 2-hour special presentation."

 

 

" It is the favorite entertainment of millions of Americans. Countless others revile it as a cast-off blend of showmanship and sports, built on the worst elements of each. Whatever your opinion, there is no denying that professional wrestling is here to stay.

 

Go behind the scenes and into the ring in this hard-hitting expose of the multi-million dollar industry that is growing more popular every year. How did a sport enjoyed by both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln become transformed into a spectacle dominated by men like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan? THE UNREAL STORY OF PRO WRESTLING interviews performers, promoters, fans and psychologists to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. Extensive footage of matches through the years shows the changing face of the "sport" that is more truly spectacle, where audiences do not care if the outcome is predetermined as long as the match is entertaining."

[Cheech Tremendous]

I caught this a couple of years ago. It's utterly worthless, if not slightly entertaining.

[haws bah gawd]

Is this the documentary where the final shot is from Disco Inferno throwing a kick to the head of La Parka(played in slowmotion), that shows him missing by a mile? That used to get a chuckle out of me.

[Slayer]

Is this the same documentary A&E's been airing for the last decade?

[Wrestlefreak]

I caught this a couple of years ago. It's utterly worthless, if not slightly entertaining.

 

I liked it. There are certain parts that do drag on a bit, but I loved seeing the evolution of wrestling from the carny days to the glamourized soap opera it has become.

 

I have the documentery on DVD.

[Black Lushus]

Is this the documentary where the final shot is from Disco Inferno throwing a kick to the head of La Parka(played in slowmotion), that shows him missing by a mile? That used to get a chuckle out of me.

 

nothing beats the 01 Rumble spot where Matt Hardy drop kicks the air and Jeff Hardy sells it by flying over the ropes to the apron.

[TheInsane]

I think its a great documentary that really takes you through 100 years of pro-wrestling. How it developed from shoot to work and everything in between. Parts drag a bit in the middle but its really informative and well done. I would highly recomend it.

[Black Lushus]

what was the NBC show (I think it was NBC) where they had 10 goofy wrestlers who explained exactly how matches were worked?

[Wrestlefreak]

what was the NBC show (I think it was NBC) where they had 10 goofy wrestlers who explained exactly how matches were worked?

 

I think that was called "wrestling's secrets revealed"

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

WWE refused to allow footage to be used unless Bruno was removed from this IIRC

[DrVenkman PhD]

It has funny factual errors. It's an amusing thing to watch, with soon to be anti-wrestling crusader Steve Allen doing voice over (this was aired in late 97 or early 98).

[Cheech Tremendous]

I think its a great documentary that really takes you through 100 years of pro-wrestling. How it developed from shoot to work and everything in between. Parts drag a bit in the middle but its really informative and well done. I would highly recomend it.

 

The funny thing is, most of the biography is wrong if I remember correctly.

[JJMc]

It'd be funny to watch now, since it was first aired in May '98 right when wrestling started to really boom. If I remember, it was also aired in about 2002 under the name "Ringmasters" or something, but exactly the same show except for maybe a few different clips.

[DrVenkman PhD]

It was funny seeing a piece talking about people going to the Power Plant to be the future of WCW.

[Jericholic82]

It'd be funny to watch now, since it was first aired in May '98 right when wrestling started to really boom. If I remember, it was also aired in about 2002 under the name "Ringmasters" or something, but exactly the same show except for maybe a few different clips.

Yea it was they called it "BodySlam: The History of Pro Wrestling" I taped it then in 02. They changed the opening and removed the song that was originally used.

 

I remember staying up late to watch the original airing in 98 on a sunday night.

 

 

I caught the end of it on a and e yesterday. Decent show, nothing too great but ok to watch.

[Jericholic82]

It was funny seeing a piece talking about people going to the Power Plant to be the future of WCW.

Yea especially that chubby guy with the mullet (more like future Sat Night Jobber at best)

[razazteca]

Moolah and Mae Young training the Dr. in wrestling holds was must see tv.

[TheInsane]

I think its a great documentary that really takes you through 100 years of pro-wrestling. How it developed from shoot to work and everything in between. Parts drag a bit in the middle but its really informative and well done. I would highly recomend it.

 

The funny thing is, most of the biography is wrong if I remember correctly.

 

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

[Cheech Tremendous]

I think its a great documentary that really takes you through 100 years of pro-wrestling. How it developed from shoot to work and everything in between. Parts drag a bit in the middle but its really informative and well done. I would highly recomend it.

 

The funny thing is, most of the biography is wrong if I remember correctly.

 

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

 

If I had a tape, I would watch it again and post the errors. I haven't seen the original in years. I'm sure Meltzer did a write-up on it at one time or another. Maybe someone could pull the old issue and give a quick rundown.

[TNABaddboi]

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

 

I just saw a few minutes of this the other day (I watched it when it aired in 98 too), but one error that caught my attention was saying that Andre jobbed the belt to Hogan at WM3. I'm almost 100% positive that Hogan was champ going into that match (though I didn't become a regular fan until WM6).

[Nightfall]

You can buy the DVD pretty cheap at DeepDiscountDvd.com, I got my copy there on the last 20% off sale they had. I still pop it in every month or so, I always enjoyed it.

[TheInsane]

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

 

I just saw a few minutes of this the other day (I watched it when it aired in 98 too), but one error that caught my attention was saying that Andre jobbed the belt to Hogan at WM3. I'm almost 100% positive that Hogan was champ going into that match (though I didn't become a regular fan until WM6).

 

Well yeah and Hogan claimed Andre died shortly after that match (if by shortly you mean several years ). I assumed that was the only things that were really wrong with it. Hogan revisionist history.

[EdwardKnoxII]

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

 

I just saw a few minutes of this the other day (I watched it when it aired in 98 too), but one error that caught my attention was saying that Andre jobbed the belt to Hogan at WM3. I'm almost 100% positive that Hogan was champ going into that match (though I didn't become a regular fan until WM6).

 

Well yeah and Hogan claimed Andre died shortly after that match (if by shortly you mean several years ). I assumed that was the only things that were really wrong with it. Hogan revisionist history.

 

And don't forget Andre weighted about 700 to 800lbs when Hogan slamed him. Or so he says.

[JimmyHendricks]

Yeah? I didnt know that. What were the factual errors?

 

I just saw a few minutes of this the other day (I watched it when it aired in 98 too), but one error that caught my attention was saying that Andre jobbed the belt to Hogan at WM3. I'm almost 100% positive that Hogan was champ going into that match (though I didn't become a regular fan until WM6).

 

Well yeah and Hogan claimed Andre died shortly after that match (if by shortly you mean several years ). I assumed that was the only things that were really wrong with it. Hogan revisionist history.

 

 

The quote Steve Allen said was something like, "For 20 years, Andre was the top man in pro wrestling. No man could beat him, so he could win or lose a title as he pleased. Aware that his career was coming to an end, Andre agreed to lose the title to the younger, healthier Hogan that night."

 

I think it was just written wrong, or they wanted to make WM III more important by saying ANDRE was losing the title and not Hogan. Or perhaps they wanted to make ANDRE seem like the champion because they had just said he was THE MAN in wrestling, and for him not to be champion (because he could win it anytime he wanted, you know) would be odd. I don't know. The bottom line was that they were trying to say Andre was losing to Hogan, passing the torch, blah blah blah.

 

Yeah, and Hogan DID say Andre died SHORTY after that match, something like "Andre was really hurting that night, he needed back surgery, the clock was winding down and he died shortly after that. I knew he was in a lot of pain, but I didn't realize his life was close to being over."

 

I guess Hogan thinks SIX YEARS is a short time. They added a little epilogue at the end of that segment saying that Andre died in 1993, so the non-wrestling fan wouldn't think he died in the locker room that night or something.

[TheInsane]

So anyway beside the Hogan part of the documentary (which we all expect to be wrong ons everal accounts) what other info is wrong in there?

[razazteca]

For 20 years, Andre was the top man in pro wrestling. No man could beat him, so he could win or lose a title as he pleased

Was'nt this line used for Ed "the Strangler" Lewis, Lou Theaz, Verne Gagne?

[Dobbs 3K]

The whole Hogan/Andre thing always pisses me off. Yeah, it was a big match for the time, but it's been turned into the greatest match in the history of pro-wrestling by the WWE and Hulk Hogan's revisionist history.

 

Hogan was already the man at that point. He'd held the title for, what, four years by that point? The whole "Andre passed the torch that night" is a bunch of crap. Add in WWF inflating the attendance rate, and Hogan's storytelling about ripping his back apart bodyslamming Andre, and the story about people not knowing if Andre would do the job, etc. It's all pretty ridiculous.

 

It is also stupid for Hogan to outright lie and make it sound like it was one of Andre's last matches. Andre probably wrestled in hundreds of matches after WM3, in WWF, Japan, and Mexico.

[Si82]

It is also stupid for Hogan to outright lie and make it sound like it was one of Andre's last matches. Andre probably wrestled in hundreds of matches after WM3, in WWF, Japan, and Mexico.

I think Hogan is at a point where he honestly believes the lies he tells because he's told them for so long.

[Vampiro69]

Si82, you are so true with that statement.

[cabbageboy]

I think what that meant is that Andre had the title of "The Man" or whatever that means. In reality though Hogan had been the WWF champ since Jan. 1984 and was most certainly already the man.

 

Speaking of that angle there was some great stuff on a 1986 Prime Time episode on 24/7. It was a show where Jack Tunney revealed that Andre had been reinstated and then Monsoon grilled Heenan about whether he had gotten Andre reinstated. This would of course lead to Heenan revealing he HAD in fact gotten Andre reinstated and that Andre was now in his stable, thus Andre's heel turn.