Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Back by popular demand (or maybe not) are useless professional wrestling facts. Some you may be well aware of, while others you may not know at all. In any case, they are all meant to be fun and perhaps…perhaps…learn something new that you never knew. So let’s learn!
In 2000, the Blue Meanie was approached from video game developers about having a game created based on his character. It would be an Americanized version of the popular Japanese video game Pepsi Man which had a super hero named Pepsi Man who ran obstacles in various game settings. At the time, Meanie was employed by the WWF and they declined his involvement in a game. Two months later, the Blue Meanie was released by the WWF.
Eric Bischoff was promoted to Senior Vice President of World Championship Wrestling in 1994. He signed a contract for three years making 500k a year.
In 1993, Bruce Prichard was very briefly used as a color commentator for WWF’s All American Wrestling program paired with Gorilla Monsoon. Prichard used the moniker of ‘The Wizard,’ but was never shown on camera. Prichard also used other more known aliases such as Brother Love and to a much lesser degree…Reo Rodgers.
John Cena was notified that he would be released from the WWE after a tour of Europe in 2002. While on the tour bus, Cena started freestyle rapping with Rikishi and others. Stephanie McMahon heard his rapping and was impressed. Once the bus arrived at their hotel, Stephanie asked if Cena could freestyle rap about anything. Seeing this as an opportunity to save his job in the company, he said yes. Stephanie asked him to rap about a can of tuna fish and he did. Stephanie was so amazed, she saved his job and created the “white rapper” gimmick that launched John Cena’s career.
Ken Patera’s wife at the time convinced him to demand that Vince McMahon Sr. replace his manager Lou Albano with the Grand Wizard. His then wife felt that Albano was way too charismatic and was legitimately taking the spotlight away from Patera.
Mark Curtis aka Brian Hildebrand worked as a heel referee for ECW back in 1996. He would later join WCW as an official and sadly pass away on September 8, 1999. At his request before his death, Hildebrand asked that his ashes be mixed in with the pyro on WCW’s Monday Nitro telecast so he could be a part of the show one last time. That happened on the September 27, 1999 edition of Nitro in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and family in attendance.
Sataru Sayama is recognized as the first wrestler to don the identity of ‘Tiger Mask’ back in 1981. There have been several incarnations of the gimmick since then including the late, great Mitsuharu Misawa. 10 years prior to Sayama becoming Tiger Mask, another Japanese wrestler competed under the gimmick. His name was Samson Kutsuwada and he wrestled as the Tiger Mask character very briefly in 1971 while touring South Korea for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance. His version of Tiger Mask was unauthorized and not recognized as being the first to wrestle under that gimmick.
The now demolished Pontiac Silverdome was home to the WWF’s Wrestlemania III in 1987. While the attendance figures have been argued over the years between 93k and 78k, it was still a tremendous financial success for he company. In 1989, the NWA held a show at the Silverdome that was booked as ‘Family Appreciation Day.’ Kids tickets were sold for only 5 dollars each. The show which featured such matchups as the Road Warriors vs the Samoan Swat Team and Ricky Steamboat vs the Great Muta had an attendance of 879 paid fans.
Legendary Austrian wrestler Otto Wanz defeated Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA world title in 1982. Wanz paid Verne Gagne $40,000 to become AWA world champion for 41 days.
Allen Coage voluntarily changed his wrestling name from Bad News Allen to Bad News Brown in the WWF, because he wanted to retain his name ‘Bad News Allen’ outside of the company.
Sabu discovered he was released from WCW after calling the WCW hotline. Both Sabu and Rob Van Dam were trained by the Sheik. Neither attended the Sheik’s funeral. Sabu was on a tour of Japan and RVD was overseas with WWE and was not permitted to leave.
When ‘Diamond’ Dallas Page was first starting out as a pro wrestler in WCW, one of his very first finishing moves was called ‘the pancake’ which was a version of ‘the pedigree.’ Ironically, one of Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s first finishers in the WWF was a version of ‘the diamond cutter.’
Tito Santana made his first and only appearance in WCW in 2000. He defeated Jeff Jarrett.
Everybody remembers the WWF ice cream bars, but the promotion also sold cookies in 1990. The oatmeal cookies were shaped like a bvy of WWF superstars including Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Jake the Snake Roberts, Rick Rude, Macho Man Randy Savage, the Honkytonk Man, the Rockers, Andre the Giant and Dusty Rhodes.
Blue Demon Jr. had a very abusive childhood. His mother and her lover were both alcoholics and they mentally and physically abused him. Blue Demon Jr. recalled being placed in a wooden box all night long until it was time to go to school. It wasn’t until he was adopted by the famous luchador Blue Demon and his family, that the young boy was saved from the torment of abuse. He decided to follow in his adoptive father’s footsteps and become a luchador himself.
Angelo Mosca served as a color commentator for the WWF’s All Star Wrestling program from 1984 until 1985. Mosca abruptly quit the broadcasting job to help manage the wrestling career of his son Angelo Mosca Jr.
WWE very briefly experimented with turning Jeff Hardy a heel in 2003. He attacked Rob Van Dam and confronted Shawn Michaels. The trial run as a heel was quickly scrapped due to Hardy’s personal issues outside of the ring and he was released.
Keiji Muto aka The Great Muta has been a multi-champion (Holding 2 or more titles at the same time) a record five times in his career. This includes holding two versions of the world title on two different occasions (The IWGP and NWA World title, The IWGP and All Japan Triple Crown titles) and was also a holder of three major titles at once (All Japan Triple Crown, All Japan tag and IWGP Tag titles)
Bam Bam Bigelow used the instrumental version of Vince McMahon’s song ‘Stand Back’ in the WWF in 1987.
CM Punk’s real Straight Edge lifestyle means he doesn’t smoke, drink booze or take drugs. He incorporated that lifestyle into his wrestling gimmick early in his career on the independent scene. He credits his then girlfriend…a woman named Natalie Slater with convincing him to use Straight Edge into his wrestling persona which he uses to this day.
British model and pop star Samantha Fox was originally booked to be a part of the Junkyard Dog/Harley Race match at Wrestlemania III. Fox was scheduled to crown the winner of the match, but backed out at the last minute. The Fabulous Moolah ended up replacing her.
In addition to Samantha Fox, the WWF originally planned NFL player/actor Brian ‘Boz’ Bosworth to accompany Hulk Hogan to the ring for his match against Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III. He backed out as well.
After leaving the WWF back in 1992, Miss Elizabeth briefly worked in broadcasting motorsports on ESPN.
Evan Marriott is best known for starring in the reality show ‘Joe Millionaire’ in 2003 where Marriott pretended to be a wealthy man looking for love, but was just an ordinary construction worker. Initially, Evan was a pro wrestler trained by Rick Bassman and Samoa Joe in UPW back in 2000. He quit wrestling a year later, after WCW and ECW folded feeling that were very few options other than WWE. In 2003, WWE offered him a contract, but Marriott declined it.
Former wrestler turned WWF manager Frenchy Martin hosted two different talk show segments for the WWF starting in August of 1987. The first was a segment called ‘Le Studio’ where Martin interviewed various wrestlers and translated what they said in French, usually badmouthing the babyfaces in French in front of them. Le Studio only aired on Canadian telecasts of Superstars of Wrestling. The second talk show Frenchy hosted was called ‘Frenchy’s Easel’ and only aired on WWF’s Spanish language telecasts. Frenchy Martin spoke fluent Spanish as well as French and English.
We all know that actor David Arquette won the WCW world title in April of 2000 for 12 days. David’s father Lewis was the voice actor who voiced Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka in Hulk Hogan’s Rock n Wrestling cartoon back in 1985.
When ‘Hot Stuff’ Eddie Gilbert died in 1995, his family requested that he be buried in his favorite pair of wrestling boots and a copy of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Orndorff said that after the ceremony was over, he intentionally left his Hall of Fame plaque in his hotel room. Orndorff said, “The plaque wasn’t worth the 20 bucks it was spent on.”
Famed game show host Bob Eubanks dabbled as a promoter of World Championship Wrestling very briefly in the Summer of 1995.
In 1989, wrestler ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan married Debra Haynes. The couple hired a band to play music at their reception. The lead singer of the band was none other than a relative unknown named Lillian Garcia, who would be hired by the WWF 10 years later and become their ring announcer.
When WWF Sunday Night Heat moved from the USA network to MTV, the show hired model/actress Rebecca Budig and DJ Skribble to be hosts. It was an attempt to make Heat appeal to a younger demographic. The live broadcast would be held at the WWF themed restaurant in New York City. The new concept only lasted 5 episodes, as Rebecca Budig quit the show and DJ Skribble would be let go soon after. Budig made it known that she did not enjoy her time as a WWF host. She wasn’t a wrestling fan, nor was familiar with the product. She also cited that the producers wanted her to do cartwheels in a mini skirt and other stunts she was uncomfortable with. She did say that Mick Foley was a very sweet man and helped her out in her brief time there. Budig would become a successful soap opera actress and made several TV movies. DJ Skribble has worked with musical artists like Big Pun and 50 Cent as well as having a residency DJing in Las Vegas.