New Karl Stern Show at F4W

I'm uploading a new Karl Stern Classic Wrestling Audio Show for members of the Figure Four/Wrestling Observer website.

A new Karl Stern show recorded on new software and computer... will it work? I hope so! Topics for this show include European wrestling books, more on shoot interviews, women's wrestling, wrestling gear, Jimmy Golden, Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud gimmick, Japanese wrestling influence in the 1990's, and much more!

File name is 071909ks.mp3

Karl Von Brauner passes away

Karl Von Brauner of the Von Brauners tag team, arguably the most hated tag team of the 60s, passed away two weeks ago at the age of 78. (reposted from WrestlingObserver.com)

More on the Marty Jannetty story DVD

The Marty Jannetty Story Part 1 and Part 2: An Autobiographical Documentary

Available at www.themartyjannettystory.com


The Rockers, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, were one of the most popular tag teams in wrestling in the late ‘80s through the early ‘90s. The team’s on-screen split
off occurred when Shawn Michaels super-kicked Marty and then hurled him through a plate glass window, forever known as “The Barber Shop Window Angle”.


Shawn Michaels became a singles wrestler thereafter and his career ascended to greatness, as he steadily rose up the ranks of the WWE to become a multi-time champion and major main event attraction. He is widely considered one of the most talented and successful WWE wrestlers of all time.


Whatever happened to “the other Rocker”, Marty Jannetty? His time as Shawn Michaels tag team partner was arguably the highpoint of a career that has continued, like Michaels, for seventeen years after the split. Yet, while Shawn Michaels headlines WrestleManias and remains a favorite to generations of fans, Marty Jannetty has wrestled in obscurity for most of the last decade.


The Marty Jannetty Story Part 1 and 2 are autobiographical documentary DVDs that
chronicle the life of “the other Rocker” from the beginning of his pro wrestling career through present time.


Told by Marty himself, watch and learn the direction his career and personal life took after the end of The Rockers and all the off-camera drama that went with it. Hear Marty tell his version of several stories that have circulated about him for years. The videos also feature
footage of Marty at recent wrestling appearances before, during,and after his matches, as well as footage of him giving a seminar and a training session at a wrestling school.

New Karl Stern show at Figure Four Online

A giant sized edition of the Karl Stern Classic Wrestling Audio show. Topics include: Why the death of WCW changed wrestling forever, the differing styles of the various territories, European wrestling, Billy Jack Haynes, Rocky Johnson, Buddy Landell, Tony Atlas, and more.

You must be a member of http://www.figurefouronline.com to hear this show.

New biographical stuff coming out

Queen of the Ring: The Mildred Burke Story is set to be released on August 5 (my birthday!), 2009. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Mildred Burke is to women's wrestling what Lou Thesz was to men's.

I saw this in the Wrestling Globe Newsletter: Marty Jannetty has released an autobiographical documentary DVD at www.themartyjannettystory.com. There is a blog on the website with transcripts from the DVD. Jannetty recalls some interesting stories about how he and Shawn Michaels used to rib Greg Gagne during their AWA run as The Midnight Rockers. He also believes that the Gagne's used to
stiff the wrestlers on their payoffs: "One day, Greg came to a TV taping with a box supposedly full of ticket stubs. He opened the box real quick, to show ticket stubs on top, but it was impossible to tell what the entire box contained. Most of the contents could have been balled up newspaper pages for all we knew. "Here’s the problem, guys," he said, holding the box in the air. "Somebody was selling fake tickets." It was such a ridiculous explanation. He told us 20,000 fake tickets,
representing two of every three people who had attended, had been circulated. It was another example to me of the disrespect that they showed the wrestlers who went out and worked hard for them."

A lot of great stuff going on at Grey Dog Software including the fantastic game TEW 2005 being released as FREE WARE! That and a new edition of World of Mixed Martial Arts II is now available. I'll have more in the newsletter but you MUST go to http://www.greydogsoftware.com/home.php and check these great games out.

Waldo Von Erich dead at age 76

Wrestling Observer and Slam Wrestling are reporting Wally Seiber, who wrestled under the name Waldo Von Erich, passed away last night at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, ONT, at the age of 76.

WWE Randy Savage DVD review: Disk 2

This article is slated to appear in the next issue of the DragonKing Press Newsletter (Vol. II) available at WrestlingObserver.com and on Kindle later this month.

After the marathon that was disk one here we go with disk two. Disk one was so unbearably long I could not even stand to view the extra's which was the Savage-Elizabeth wedding from SummerSlam 1991.

Disk two starts out with a Randy Savage highlights package. I have no idea why since I've already bought the set. Matt Striker and Maria continue as hosts. They were horrible on disk one and I have no great hope they will be any better on this disk. Disk two starts off setting up the Mega Powers storyline. Maria can NOT read cue cards, she is wooden, robotic, and devoid of reading skills. I'm five minutes in and I'm already uncertain if I can continue simply because of Maria.

Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase (guest referee Jesse Ventura): SummerSlam: August 29, 1988: Madison Square Gardens, NY.

The bad news is since Jesse is special referee Gorilla Monsoon is joined by Superstar Billy Graham on commentary. Bobby Heenan leads "The Mega Bucks" Andre and DiBiase to the ring. Hogan & Savage come in next with Elizabeth.

The babyfaces are all dressed in red and yellow just so we know who the real star is. In fact, Savage and Hogan have matching outfits with "Mega Powers" written on the trunks. Ventura didn't bother to find a referee shirt. He is wearing what appears to be a frilled tuxedo shirt, black jeans, and a doo rag.

Ventura decides to move the tag ropes to different corners. I have no idea why. Savage is considerably larger than he was in disk one. Andre starts off against Savage but quickly tags out to Ted. Ted wants Hogan so Savage tags out. Finally, the match gets under way with DiBiase and Hogan. The Mega Powers are in total control early on.

I realized since last disk there is another wrestler who moves a lot like Savage: Brad Armstrong. Seriously, watch how both men lead around like cats, do a lot of crouching, and their leaps to the ropes are almost exactly the same.

Andre tags in and takes control on Hogan. They keep the heat on for several minutes mainly on Hogan saving Savage for the eventual hot tag. So far, Ventura has played a neutral referee.

Hogan finally makes the hot tag but it didn't get the pop you would have thought. Savage is all over DiBiase then hits the flying axe handle. Jesse continues to be a fair referee. DiBiase manages to tag in Andre and things turn again so now Hogan is standing on the outside waiting for the hot tag. DiBiase comes back in and works over Savage.

Hogan gets the hot tag which also, surprisingly, gets a small pop. Hogan runs wild on DiBiase and in comes Hogan. Hogan threatens to body slam Andre but doesn't. Savage tries to jump off the rope on Andre and eats a boot. Andre headbutts Hogan from behind. Jesse is counting out the Mega Powers as both men are out on the floor.

This brings Elizabeth up to the apron for the big SPOT. Heenan is on the apron and Jesse doesn't know what to do. Elizabeth strips off her skirt revealing the least sexy swimsuit bottom you have ever seen. This gives the Mega Powers a chance to run in on the heels and beat them down. Hogan slams DiBiase and Savage hits the elbow followed by the big leg drop. Jesse doesn't want to hit the three count but does.

Eh... not great by any means. Not horrible.

Savage teases being pissed that Hogan is hugging Elizabeth. Nothing obvious but a hint of displeasure. That part was well done. The match ends with a double posed down.

I'm really one to talk but the Madison Square Garden police officers need a better fitness program.

Back to Matt Striker and his mannequin side kick. They run down the building tension between Hogan and Savage leading to THE MEGA POWERS EXPLODES. They don't show the Saturday Night Main Event match where Elizabeth takes a big bump from Savage getting thrown out of the ring but they do show clips of the angle and it looks like the best thing they have done so far. Elizabeth takes a really good bump and Savage is great in going insane.

Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania: April 2, 1989: Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ)

The Mega Powers Explode. The champion is introduced first. Gorilla says that Elizabeth will be there to help both men. Thankfully, Jesse Ventura is back on color commentary. Elizabeth comes out while Savage's music is still playing. Hogan is out next. Jesse is pissed because they sent the champion out first. I love the little (and usually correct) digs that Ventura takes at Hogan.

Savage has a heavily wrapped right elbow. This is one year after Savage won the WWF title in the WrestleMania IV borefest tournament. The first few minutes are back and forth with a lot of stalling.

Several minutes in the match has been about 60-40 Savage. Savage is doing some minor heel cheating like pulling the hair but nothing major. Sadly, Elizabeth looks to have aged a lot since disk one which is about four years of real time. I'm sure we all know how that sad story ended. (In May of 2003 in an overdose death at the Atlanta home of Lex Luger)

Hogan is busted open above the eye. I didn't catch the spot where it opened up but it looks like it was hard way as there was not a big spot leading to it and the WWF wasn't doing much blood at this point. Match is probably 70-30 Savage now.

Savage slaps Hogan in the face which leads to Hogan doing an instant Hulk up and beating on Savage. Hogan throws Savage over the top rope to the floor and Elizabeth runs over to help Savage. Savage threatens to back hand her. Both men now are fighting on the floor.

Elizabeth blocks Hogan from posting Savage but as soon as Elizabeth moves Savage reverses and posts Hogan. A good little spot. Savage is kind of manhandling Elizabeth which leads to Elizabeth going back to the dressing room. This has turned into a really good match.

Savage hits the flying elbow but Hogan kicks out and Hulks up. Big boot and leg drop by Hogan and he wins the title. A really good match. Thus ends Savage first WWF title reign.

Next we get Striker and Maria trying to explain the whole Macho King & Queen Sherri (Sensational Sherri Martel) angle. Maria loves her make up. We get some clips of Sherri in the AWA as women's champion and manager of Buddy Rose and Doug Sommers. They never explained how Savage became the "King". Maria had a great line explaining why Buster Douglas is in the next match. "Because he knocked out boxing's own- Mike Tyson." Boxing's own? You don't say?

Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan (February 23, 1990: The Main Event: Detroit, MI)

Macho King and Queen Sherri enter the ring first. Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are on commentary. Vince was a very under rated announcer. Yes, he was bombastic and cartoony but he also got across everything that needed to be. Mean Gene interviews Buster Douglas, the guest referee. Douglas actually does a half way decent interview. Actually on par with today's wrestlers. Heavily scripted but delivered fairly well. Also, he says he won the boxing world title for "his country and his mama". How can you argue with that?

Douglas is next in the ring and gets a decent pop. OK, Dave Hebner is actually the referee, Buster Douglas is the "outside enforcer".

Douglas blocks Savage from doing the axe handle from the post to the floor. Quickly, Savage nails Sherri with a knee by accident. They are really rushing this match but it's acceptably good. Hogan hits the AXE BOMBER! Buster Douglas ejects Sherri.

Savage hits Hogan with the axe handle to the floor and this time Douglas doesn't block it. Savage tries it a third time and this time it is blocked. Savage sets up for the flying elbow and hits it but... as you know the routine by now Hogan kicks out. Hulks up. Waves finger. Shakes head. Punch, punch, punch, boot... but Savage rolls out and they brawl on the floor. Savage is back in but as Hogan comes in the referee takes a bump and Buster rolls in and counts Hogan for the win. Good finish. We all know Savage is about to get knocked out.

Savage disputes the pin. Savage starts acting like he is going to box Douglas. Savage is hilarious in his mocking boxing. Savage slaps Douglas. Well, the punch was botched as Savage no-sold the first one but sells the second one.

I'll review the rest of the disk in a few days. I'm going to break these up instead of doing an endurance test.