Showing posts with label WCW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WCW. Show all posts

The Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying Sabu is one of the most underrated pro-wrestlers. Sabu is a hardcore legend who's forever changed hardcore wrestling. Though he is underrated, he has made a long lasting impact on pro-wrestling. He has wrestled in ECW, WCW, TNA, WWE/WWF, and all around the world against various kinds of opponents. Sabu is a memorable legend for the following:

* He was trained by the Original Sheikh - The Original Sheikh is Sabu's uncle and trainer. The Original Sheikh is one of the pioneers of hardcore wrestling and considered a legend. He was one of pro-wrestling's biggest box office draws and known for using sharp objects such as pencils against his in-ring opponents.

* Sabu is a very athletic high flyer - What separates Sabu from other hardcore legends? Sabu has very acrobatic and high flying signature moves. He's very agile and innovative with his signature moves. He has incredible balance on the ring ropes especially when executing the triple jump moonsault. He also uses the camel clutch and other technical wrestling holds in memory of the Sheikh.

* Sabu's character is original and creative - What i love most about Sabu's gimmick is the fact that he doesn't talk at all. Sabu loves to express himself through actions. The symbolism behind his signature pose via pointing to the skies is used by devout Muslims to signify the oneness of God. Sabu's attire matches well with his middle eastern descent as he was billed from Saudi Arabia. Ultimately, his character is true to who he is as a person.

* Sabu was willing to do the extreme - Sabu's scars are real and a testament that pro-wrestling injuries are real. He has major guts to the point where he would sacrifice his own body for the show. He participated in matches including thumbtacks, fire, tables, ladders, chairs, and even barbed wire. He's suffered some gruesome injuries and lived to tell the story.

* Sabu had memorable matches and feuds - Sabu is widely known for his match with Terry Funk at ECW's Born to be Wired PPV and more such as his feud with Taz. He's also known for wrestling the Sandman.

* Sabu popularized hardcore wrestling - Sabu is known for being the first to creatively using chairs and tables in hardcore wrestling. Sabu is also known for popularizing high flying moves in hardcore or extreme matches.

* Sabu is committed to himself - Sabu sets himself apart from others mainly because he ultimately doesn't care about money which is why he rejected Vince McMahon's offer. He stays true to who he is even if that doesn't get him far in the wrestling business.

Sabu has set a different standard for wrestling and changed the way business is done forever. He will always be remembered and loved by those who knew him as a fearless character who will go beyond the most extreme to reach new heights.
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When i hear fans ask me "are you a WWE fan?" or "are you a TNA fan?" It bothers me because i have never defined myself by any particular promotion. I have always loved pro-wrestling as a child regardless of the promotion.

While i have watched mostly WWE as a kid, i have also watched other promotions such as TNA, WCW, ECW, and ROH. I've never restricted myself to just one promotion or even style of wrestling.

I have always opened up to new ideas and wrestling visions. I believe that every promotion has something to offer with each passing generation. I have kept in mind that new promotions rise and fall which gives me comfort knowing that pro-wrestling as a whole continues to thrive.

A product mark is someone who overzealously watches and defends a major wrestling promotion while ignoring all others that exist. This is the kind of fan that i never want to be. It's sad that fans restrict themselves to one product when there's so many incredible ones out there. Pro-wrestling comes in all shapes and sizes. I can't help but appreciate them all.
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Many fans know Raven for his career at ECW, WCW, and the WWF/WWE but i have heard few fans talk about his time in TNA from 2003 to around 2010. I've enjoyed almost all of his runs but if i had to pick at least one company where he excelled most at, it would have to be TNA for several reasons.


* His character developed - From his promos and backstage segments, his character became more ruthless than ever before. Before, he was depressed and focused more on his traumatic past. In TNA,there was a mix of emotions and qualities - anger, ambition, arrogance, ruthlessness, aggression, sorrow, and so on. He set his sights on becoming the NWA world heavyweight champion and ensured that no one would stand in his way. His gimmick also looked darker and he didn't always wear the same outfit as he did in ECW.




* He invented his own hardcore match types - Raven introduced the Hangman's horror match where you have to hang your opponent from the ropes with a chain around his or her neck until he or she passes out. The other is the Clockwork Orange House of Fun match where weapons hang from a chain link wall for wrestlers to use until one gets pinned in a falls count anywhere rule. They were brutal during his time at TNA and continued to be used in other promotions.


* Hardcore wrestling evolved - During his time at ECW, fans were allowed to participate by tossing in weapons which was innovative especially during Raven's feud with Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman. In TNA however, Raven participated in the most brutal, darkest, and bloodiest hardcore matches of different types. He also used his signature moves far more creatively than ever before such as the drop toehold with a chair.


* The NWA World Heavyweight Championship - While it's true that there is no comparing the ECW Championship to the NWA Championship because of different eras, i thought the "Destiny" storyline was far more interesting than it was in ECW. He had so many obstacles to overcome such as Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Larry Zbyszko, Monty Brown, Vince Russo, the list goes on. The way TNA created the storyline made the title meaningful and worth more. Raven himself has also said that the NWA World Heavyweight title was personally worth more and more important in an interview by SLAM! Wrestling (1).


* TNA gave him the freedom to use ring psychology - Raven is a hardcore legend because he is a master of ring psychology. Sadly, he didn't get the chance to use it to it's fullest potential as he did in TNA. This is what he said in an interview with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast:


Raven: "What ECW did was show clips so you didn't see the whole thing. You didn't get all the over the top or the too much or lack of psychology because you didn't see it. Even a lot of the mat wrestling in ECW had really piss-poor psychology but Paul E. hid it. In the WWE you see everything because Vince doesn't show clips, he shows full matches. With that being said a lot of guys were over doing it but they never pushed it either. How can anything get over if it's not pushed. No matter how well it's performed if it's not pushed it is not getting over." (2)



Neither WCW or WWF/WWE pushed Raven to a higher card no matter how well he performed. TNA was the only company aside from ECW in my eyes that pushed Raven to a higher card in main events as he used ring psychology.


* Raven engaged in many quality feuds at TNA - While no one can deny that the storyline feuds with Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman were very memorable, he had the chance to feud with both old school wrestlers and the newer generation of wrestlers. For the first time in history, Sabu and Raven wrestled each other at TNA whereas before the idea never came up. He also feuded with Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, DDP, Abyss, James Mitchell, the list goes on while keeping some ECW overtones.

* Raven expressed his sense of accomplishment in the company - In an interview with SLAM! Wrestling, Raven had this to say after he won the NWA title:



Raven: "I have been in this business so long I am jaded and cynical, and this is validation that the company has that kind of belief and faith in me...I think if I am not wearing the belt it needs to be on Jeff or AJ Styles. I don't think anyone has stepped up to the plate to be the kind of performer that will be in the main event picture. I think someday Monty Brown will. Just because you feel like you deserve something doesn't mean you will get it. I and a lot of people felt I was misused in WWF but that doesn’t negate the fact that I never proved that I was as good as I thought I was. This is a validation..."Honestly, I am probably happiest in TNA because I am happiest with me as a person. I have faced most of my demons, financially I am making more money then I ever was, I am happier as a person and my life is more together."

* Tag team stables - Raven formed his own tag team stables, the most notable one was "the Gathering" consisting of Julio Dinero and CM Punk.

Overall, Raven is a very underrated pro-wrestler but the only company that saw potential in him and pushed him as one of the top heels of their company was TNA.


1. http://www.theraveneffect.com/site/info/interviews/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1247009877&archive=&start_from=&ucat=10&


2. http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2016/0617/612751/raven-talks-about-psychology-in-hardcore-wrestling/
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Raven begins a promo by presumably exposing DDP for a lack of honesty on how he began his career. Suddenly, a fan climbs over the railings and grabs Raven by the hair then pulls him through the ropes. Raven gets up as security guards rush in to subdue the fan and Raven goes back to giving his promo. The mic seems to malfunction due to the attack as he continued to talk until he is handed a new one. A link can be provided on the page below. 

While it was unfortunate that a "fan" attacked a pro-wrestler, i thought it looked good on camera and probably drew attention from casual spectators changing channels on a T.V. Raven was a true genius because of this incident. If you noticed, he never broke character. Most pro-wrestlers would either attack the fan or fear for their safety. Raven remained calm and reacted as his character would. He didn't even need to attack the fan in self defense much less prove he's "hardcore." Raven simply looked down with pity on him basically saying with his body language "Your not worth my time...your nothing compared to my brilliance..." then arrogantly brushed the dust off of his jacket and got back in the ring. This is how every pro-wrestler ought to react but sadly it doesn't have the same effect because Kayfabe is no longer a secret. Raven is one of the few pro-wrestlers who rather than do what was best for himself, did what was best for the pro-wrestling business. 

While this fan may never enter another wrestling show again (a total good thing), this incident will always be a memorable example of Kayfabe in the face of danger. Had the microphone functioned properly, it would have been a perfect promo.  
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Vampiro is notoriously known for his feud with Sting at WCW but other than that, he wasn't given much of a push for stardom. In fact, he stated he was mistreated in WCW. He also tried applying for WWE but was turned down.









Before his career, he worked setting up rings and training with wrestlers. He was trained by Abdullah the Butcher and at age 16, became a pro-wrestler. The inspiration behind his character was based on the character "Dracula" who was misunderstood by all and alternative music.

He began his early career as a jobber at CMLL but the promotion didn't take him seriously due to his look. Surprisingly, he became popular among fans despite his limited moves. He soon participated in hair vs. hair matches.

Realizing his popularity would not last long unless his ring performance improved, he combined his martial arts with Lucha Libre style wrestling.

At WCW, he was known for his memorable feud with Sting, the Great Muta, Konnan, the Demon, and Eddie Guerrero. Due to WCW going out of business, Vampiro returned to CMLL then traveled to many other promotions worldwide.

Why did Vampiro need a major push in american promotions like WCW and WWE? Because of his ring performance, mic skills, unique appearance, and charisma. He has excellent balance and his maneuvers are impressive. Vampiro may have looked skinny but he was just as strong as any other wrestler like Hulk Hogan. He also had unpredictability and played mind games like Sting.

More importantly, he participated in many hardcore matches namely in AAA. He was one of the few pro-wrestlers willing to take pro-wrestling to the extreme. He had his back hit with fluorescent lamps and was legitimately set on fire.

Most recently, he's been successful in a new wrestling promotion: Lucha Underground when he was booked to face Pentagon Jr. in place of another wrestler who backed out. He also serves as a color commentator for both the English and Spanish airings of Lucha Underground.

Vampiro could have been a major legend in mainstream american promotions like WWE and TNA if they booked him properly. In my opinion, he wasn't pushed because of his "scrawny" and unprofessional appearance compared to other "professional" wrestlers. For whatever the reason was, we cannot deny his uniqueness as a talented pro-wrestler. Despite the opportunities lost, my hope is that new ones will arise during his time in Lucha Underground.
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