Historic Championship Match Between Hulk Hogan & Iron Sheik

[classichorrorfan]

[endo]

I really liked that belt. It wasn't well made and had side plates being held on by velcro by the time Hogan got it, but I liked it.
It's funny becuase Hogan's arrival and win over the Iron Sheik for the title really got the WWF/WWE rolling. It's crazy to think Verne Gagne had this guy in the AWA and way underutilized him. Could have put them back on the map and actually saved the promotion, but Gagne didn't realize what he had I guess.
Hogan had been in the WWF before as a heel under Vince Sr., and when Jr. took over he had a vision and brought him back. And, then it took off and Gagne's promotion wasted away. Great business decision.

[classichorrorfan]

Apr 2, 2022 12:35:23 GMT -5 endo said:

I really liked that belt. It wasn't well made and had side plates being held on by velcro by the time Hogan got it, but I liked it.
It's funny becuase Hogan's arrival and win over the Iron Sheik for the title really got the WWF/WWE rolling. It's crazy to think Verne Gagne had this guy in the AWA and way underutilized him. Could have put them back on the map and actually saved the promotion, but Gagne didn't realize what he had I guess.
Hogan had been in the WWF before as a heel under Vince Sr., and when Jr. took over he had a vision and brought him back. And, then it took off and Gagne's promotion wasted away. Great business decision.

True. I still clearly remember when Larry Zybisco returned to the AWA, then shortly lter became the new AWA World Heavyweight Champion, thinking that had to be a joke, then shortly later, the AWA had disappeared, which is too bad. It was great for so many decades straight through, and still was overall at the time, aside of some bad business decisions. It still had the now late Wahoo McDaniel wrestling in there, and he was still a great living legend at the time. The Great Kabuki was also still in there, among plenty other great legends from times past.

[endo]

I grew up on the (WWWF/WWF), so I had to read it in the Apter mags that Zbyszko had won the AWA title. My first thought was man, they'll put the belt on this guy but not Hogan?
Then we got AWA on ESPN when we got cable and they had these matches for the title in what looked like hotel convention rooms, it was just kind of sad.
Vince had stolen any talent he was interested in by then, for the most part. Then the place just died. Sad end to a once great promotion.

As for the match between Hogan and the Iron Sheik, hogan had a pretty good build up prior to it, it was hard not to get pumped when you heard Eye of the Tiger start playing and he was playing the USA angle, so everyone rooted for him. No brainer that he would win, and then it took off. The Sheik was a genuinely good wrestler, why Backlund agreed to drop the belt to him.

[Silent Scream Queen]

Sometimes I think I should at least try to watch wrestling.
I used to wonder why so many wrestlers sadly died young and from drugs. I thought it was the steroids and other stuff they were using to add muscle bulk, but I think it is much deeper than that. I suppose they have put their bodies through so much abuse in the ring that they take medication for the pain, and it spirals from there.

[endo]

I think that's a very big reason for it. Mixing stuff, alcohol and pills to help with pain then pills to go out and perform, becomes a vicious cycle.
I'm not saying that's how they all go, but a lot do. Some get enlarged hearts from the steroid use and end up having heart attacks. It's sad.

I was a huge wrestling fan back in the day, but I don't watch anymore and don't know most of the newer talent out there. It is refreshing to see that, while there still are some huge guys out there, not saying it's from steroid use...some are just big men, but it's nice to see normal sized men in the business now. It seemed to be a requirement back in the 80's and early 90's that guys had to be huge monsters, so there was pressure to live up to that standard.