recalls a Saturday night sometime in the late 1980s. I cant recall the exact night, but Im thinking during winter because I was home and not out seeing a band. I turned on the television after the 11 p.m. news to watch Saturday Night Live, but it wasnt on this particular night; wrestling was. It was the WWF, staging one of their Saturday Nights Main Event showcases. At that point, I hadnt watched pro-wrestling since my childhood days of seeing the old studio wrestling shows on Pittsburghs WIIC-TV back when Altoona cable used to carry it. I proceeded to watch this nights event. Although I dont recall all of the matches, I remember a few...The first was Brutus The Barber Beefcake taking on The Outlaw Ron Bass, with the winner getting to cut off the losers hair. Beefcake won by rendering Bass unconscious with a sleeper hold, and chopped off Bass hair as he lay unconscious in the ring to the cheers of the crowd. Bass then came to after Beefcake departed, discovered his missing hair and threw a fit. There may have been another match or two following it; I recall that Macho Man Randy Savage (with manager Elizabeth) and The Blue Blazer Owen Hart were in action on this edition. Then a match took place that sealed the deal and hooked me back into being a pro-wrestling fan. Nefarious manager Mr. Fuji brought his newest grappler to the ring, SuperNinja. His opponent, making a frantic and wild entrance into the ring - The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior quickly and systematically took full control of the match from the get-go with his high-energy maneuvers and destroyed his opponent. I was hooked. Not only did I become a fan of the WWF that night, but the Ultimate Warrior instantly became my favorite wrestler. I intently watched WWF for the next several years, well into the 1990s and at least part of the early 2000s. Monday Night Raw became must-see television for me. I always looked forward to seeing the Ultimate Warrior in action while he was with the WWF, and eagerly looked forward to his Wrestlemania VI match with Hulk Hogan, where he won the championship belt. I also saw Warrior then lose the belt against Sgt. Slaughter (at that point a heel who had turned against the U.S. and was in cahoots with the Iron Shiek). Warrior was crazed in the ring, brought the action full force...Dude was heavy metal. I was a fan. I didnt see this years Wrestlemania, and was unaware that Warrior returned and had been inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. But like many pro-wrestling fans, I was surprised to learn of his passing yesterday at age 54. The Ultimate Warrior was one of those personalities that made pro-wrestling (and the WWF in particular) fun and compelling viewing in the late 1980s and 1990s - the glory period when WWF surged in television ratings and became hugely popular. Although I still might watch Monday Night Raw on occasion when I happen to be channel surfing and come across it, I dont follow pro-wrestling nearly as intently now as I did during that magical period when Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and Bret Hart were the dominant names. It was good escapism that took me away from the hassles of the day for a little while. Thanks Warrior for the entertainment and the memories. R.I.P.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:41:53 +0000
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