Posted on by bdamage1
You demanded it (Well…not really) and I have delivered! (Not quite) Here is yet another fine edition of useless pro wrestling facts for you to stew on. As with every single edition of useless pro wrestling facts, some you may already be well aware of, while others not so much. Just read along and learn something new or not…either way…they are all in fun! Let us learn some facts, shall we?
The WWF planned and actually briefly advertised a mini concert performed by Cyndi Lauper following the inaugural Wrestlemania. Unfortunately for some, the concert was canceled a few weeks before the actual event. There were several factors for the cancellation. The main reason was that Madison Square Garden had a hockey game that evening with the New York Rangers hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. So MSG had to make sure all the wrestling fans were out of the building before setting up for the hockey game.
A 1982 Hulk Hogan Wrestling All Stars trading card sold for $132,000 at an auction. The price tag makes it the most expensive pro wrestling card ever sold.
The 1989 movie ‘No Holds Barred’ was re-written in 2 1/2 days by Vince McMahon with assistance from the star Hulk Hogan. Vince hated the original story and locked himself into a hotel and completely re-wrote the entire film. The duo did not give themselves a writing credit, instead were listed as executive producers. Writer David Hackin who wrote the original screenplay was given full credit for writing it.
In 2007, WWE records came out with a Christmas album called, “A Jingle With Jillian.” The album was meant as a joke and was filled with intentionally bad singing from WWE Diva Jillian Hall. It had such classic tunes as Jingle Bell Rock, Santa Baby and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Some joke though, the album reached #20 on the UK’s Holiday charts and also #120 on Billboards Top 200. Not bad for a joke…
In April of 1989 at a WCW house show in New Haven, Connecticut…the Iron Sheik and Butch Reed defeated Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner for the United States tag team titles. Heel referee Teddy Long helped cause the title change. The decision was eventually reversed and Sheik and Reed were never recognized as US tag team champions.
The tag team of Terry Gordy and Steve Williams were known as ‘The Miracle Violence Connection.’ In actuality, Gordy and Williams were called “Satsujin Gyorai” while wrestling in Japan. Translated into English…it meant The Murder Torpedoes. While wrestling in the United States for WCW, they were referred to by their individual ring names. The name Murder Violence Connection was used just once by Jim Ross during a WCW broadcast. The magazines picked up the name from Ross and it was used as their unofficial team moniker.
In 1972, Antonio Inoki was struggling to start his own wrestling promotion called New Japan Pro Wrestling. To make some much needed money, Inoki joined a children’s show that aired on Fuji TV. His character’s name was ‘Anton’ and he sang and danced.
Sting is the only wrestler to appear in a WCW, WWE, TNA and AEW video game.
Dustin Rhodes was fired by the WWF/WWE a total of six times during his run as the character ‘Goldust.’ The reasons for the firings ranged from creative differences with the gimmick, drug and alcohol abuse and bad attitude.
John Layfield aka JBL portrayed a vampire gimmick in Mexico named ‘Vampiro Americano’ and an Undertaker type gimmick in Japan called ‘Death Mask.’
Dominik Mysterio received his first name from one of his father (Rey Mysterio’s) favorite movies. The 1995 film ‘Heat’ starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Rey and his wife Angie named their son Dominik after a character in that movie. Speaking of Dominik Mysterio, he has several luchador masks tattooed on his fingers to honor some of his favorite luchadors of all time. They include, El Santo, Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, Rayo De Jalisco and his real life godfather…Konnan
The original belt that was meant to be the WCW Cruiserweight title, was used as the WCW World Television title instead. As legend has it, the original TV belt was lost and Eric Bischoff needed a belt to give to TV champion The Renegade at The Bash at the Beach in 1995. He decided to use the newly designed Cruiserweight belt created by Reggie Parks in an emergency. You can see manager Jimmy Hart hold the belt up and it reading ‘Cruiserweight Champion’ while representing Renegade as the Television Champion. Eventually, the belt’s wording was changed to read ‘Television Champion’ and a new Cruiserweight belt was created.
Mandy Rose is the first female Tough Enough contestant to win a title on any WWE brand.
When Rick Martel initially turned heel and became ‘the Model,’ Vince McMahon was not impressed with the suits Martel owned to showcase the character on TV. McMahon had his own personal suits altered to fit Martel and use them to cut promos and photo shoots.
The tag team of American Starship which consisted of Coyote (Scott Hall) and Eagle (Dan Spivey) briefly worked for Jim Crockett and the NWA. They were booked so little and infrequently, Crockett used the two wrestlers to work on the grounds crew of his family’s minor league baseball team.
Paul Orndorff received the nickname ‘Mr. Wonderful’ in 1984 from Roddy Piper in the WWF. Orndorff would use that name for the remainder of his wrestling career which ended in 2000.
The telephone number for WWE’s now cancelled ‘Byte This’ webcast which aired online from 1997 until 2006 is still an active number for the company. It now directs you to WWE security.
Blue Demon Jr was the first Mexican born and first ever masked wrestler to become NWA world heavyweight champion. Dusty Rhodes’ Midnight Rider character won the title previously, but was forced to surrender the championship when he refused to unmask. At the time, NWA rules dictated that no masks were allowed while holding the world title.
Cody Rhodes first match in Ring of Honor was against Jay Lethal. His last ROH match was against Jay Lethal.
Cody’s first match in New Japan was against Juice Robinson. His last New Japan match was against Juice Robinson.
Cody’s debut match on AEW Dynamite was against Sammy Guevara. His last AEW match was against Sammy Guevara.
The WWE faction that consisted of Bobby Lashley, the Street Profits and B-Fab was named internally as ‘The Pride.’
A former nWo Japan member named Daisuke Miura is the current manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team and has recently won the Japan series.
Christian Cage is the first and only wrestler to win titles in the WWE, ECW (WWE’s version), TNA and AEW. Additionally, Christian won the ECW title in WWE, the Impact/TNA titles in AEW and the NWA world title in TNA.
Longtime World Class Championship Wrestling announcer Bill Mercer, covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy locally in the Dallas area.
Dino Bravo is credited for coming up with Tito Santana’s signature catchphrase “Arriba!” with fist pump.
Ricky Steamboat came up with the idea for the Undertaker to place his opponents into a body bag after the matches.
At his wedding, wrestling legend Giant Haystacks stood 6’11 and weighed 700 pounds. His bride Rita stood 5’2 and weighed 98 pounds.
WWE spent over $50,000 on Eric Bischoff’s makeup for the Billy and Chuck wedding segment.
Trish Stratus wrestled the last match in the WWF and the first match for WWE.
Tatsumi Fujinami began his career in 1971…predating both New and All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a WWE hall of Famer and at 70 years old, still competes on a semi-regular basis.
In November of 2011, WWE and the USA network advertised that actor Jonah Hill would be the special guest Raw General Manager. The advertisements ran all the way up to the actual airing, yet Jonah Hill never appeared. Mick Foley and The Road Dogg said that Hill was in no way a wrestling fan and made it known. Many of the wrestlers refused to work with Hill because of his negative attitude. Jonah was heard talking to his agent to “Get him the Fuck Outta Here” before the show was to air. Vince McMahon ultimately made the decision to scrap his appearance and rewrote the entire show right up to airtime.
Before becoming the Tonga Kid, the “cousin” of Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, Sam Fatu debuted as Wild Samoan #4. He would team with Afa, Sika and Samu in the WWF back in 1983.
Gerry and Jack Brisco were chosen by Vince McMahon to defeat Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch for the WWF tag team titles back in 1985. The Brisco brothers turned down the opportunity because that would mean more traveling as the champions. Not long after, the Briscos were at a rental car company trying to find their rental car in the middle of a snow storm. Jack turned to his brother Gerry and told him he was quitting the WWF and returning to his home in Florida.
The Ultimate Warrior’s gym and wrestling school (Warrior University) was located at 10320 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, Arizona. The gym/school has long been closed down and is now a wine store.
The WWF’s Bushwhackers (Luke and Butch) once owned a restaurant together in the mid to late 1990’s. It was located in Tampa, Florida and the duo would often appear at the establishment mixing drinks, leading karaoke and serving food. The restaurant has since closed down and is now a new restaurant called ‘Cali’ under new ownership.
The famous Hart House was built in 1905, housed 12 Hart children and trained countless wrestlers in the basement known as ‘The Dungeon.’ Before Stu Hart bought the house in 1951, it was used as an orphanage and was also used as a hospital in World War I. There were two major fires in the house back in 1979 and 2012. It now stands as an historical landmark in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
