Israeli Pro Wrestling

[Joe Neglia]

Been meaning to post this for a while. For a group of guys that basically had to train themselves and each other, it's pretty damned good. Hats off to Gery Roif for getting the business going in Israel.

Roif, btw, is Rabbi Swissa (the heel rabbi) in this clip. Cool guy.

youtube.com/watch?v=0NaWj_NPFt8

Check out the Russian dance/stomp around 5:30

[thwak is T.hawk]

this is with out a doubt the greatest thing ever!

[Joe Neglia]

I've got to find out what the Rabbi's entrance music is.

[big nasty]

that was pretty cool. they also have some REALLY easy ways to get heel heat, but i should probably refrain from discussing them

oh and rabbi swissa entrance > HHH & undertaker entrances

[biafra]

popogijo said:

that was pretty cool. they also have some REALLY easy ways to get heel heat, but i should probably refrain from discussing them

I thought the same thing.

I wonder how far they "push the button" with their heels?

[Joe Neglia]

I'd have to check with Gery, but I seem to recall they lost some tv deal(s) because of it.

BTW, just found out his opponent in that vid is a longtime member of our board, but I'll leave it to him to make that known should he choose to do so.

[Dolph Zalgo]

biafracorleone said:

I wonder how far they "push the button" with their heels?

JBL and Heidenreich should go there...

[silentrage]

Meh...

[El Pollo Guerrera]

One thing jumps to mind after watching that...

He should have pinned the Rabbi with the Santa Claus statue.

[Honeybear Lyder]

This particular match was a part of a TV series IPWA wrestlers took part in for one of Israeli cable channels, so it was not actually the IPWA event per se, more like the WSX thing. Thus the outrageous characters; the show concept was having various characters that represented the Israeli society stereotypes fight their differences out in the ring. For example there was one guy whose character was that of a student fighting the government official over the state's lack of financial support of the universities. On actual IPWA shows we don't use such outrageous gimmicks though.
As for pushing the envelope, we had a guy who played Palestinian suicide bomber named Quassam Ashrawe; his tights were the color of Palestinian flag, he wore a mask and carried the shachid's belt to the ring. According to the storyline he didn't speak Hebrew so his manager would do the talking for him and would tell the crowd something in the lines of " our people will push all of you Israelis into the the Miditerranean sea".
However over here things like this are not being looked upon as too extreme, and if I remember correctly the show was taken off the air after the first season because the production was too costy for the network.

[DASH 243✅]

He looked like a pissed off Matisyahu.

[They Adam Bradley]

i thought it was lame

[kitsunestar]

I seriously thought that it'd be impossible to get away with a Rabbi gimmick in pro wrestling... O.o

[Original Gansta - Charisma]

That was bad ass, and pretty amazing production value and camera work such a seemingly small event. But that was pretty cool, I'd totally watch more.

That Rabbi was bad ass and the russian stomp rocked. I was entertained. We need a Heel Rabbi in the States

[Samoa Kenny]

I'm going to Israel just to see this.. and you know.. other stuff.. maybe... I don't know if there'll be time

[kitsunestar]

seattleecwfan said:

We need a Heel Rabbi in the States

It'd be awesome, but it'll never happen.

The outcry would be too huge.

[Corporate H]

I thought Israel hated wrestling. Wasn't there some backlash against WWE a year or so ago or am I thinking of another country?

[Joe Neglia]

bencrocker said:

I thought Israel hated wrestling. Wasn't there some backlash against WWE a year or so ago or am I thinking of another country?

You're correct about the backlash; I think it's in that same youtube account...there's a news program with footage of Gery on it defending the business against some lady who was trying to get it banned.