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Post by Ted Sheckler on Jan 15, 2017 22:25:00 GMT -5
After the big time curtain closes most of our favourite wrestlers will go through the independent circuit and usually end up retiring there. I recently came across the following video which made me ask the question to myself if it is indeed the saddest thing I'd seen from a former star. I've seen Raven wrestle in front of 25 people, I've seen Al Snow work in front of 15 in a small hall and I've seen Honky Tonk Man work in the beer garden of a bar but this Flair video could be the worst:
I figure Flair most likely made a boatload of cash but I wanted to pose the question to you all. What's the saddest sight you've witnessed from a former star?
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Post by "Playboy" Don Douglas on Jan 15, 2017 22:41:06 GMT -5
Several years ago, a local indie put on a card as part of a pop culture convention. In the midst of tons of comic books, toys, collectibles and celebrity guests signing autographs and taking pics, they set up a ring.
They actually started with a decent crowd, but with so much stuff to see and do, by the time the main event of Ricky Morton vs. Bobby Eaton hit the ring, it had almost completely drifted away.
I was standing at ringside while Morton made a few unsuccessful attempts to rally the crowd. He then looked directly at me and said, "If you think it's bad from there, you should try standing up here."
They did a quick match and got the hell out of there.
I've mostly had great experiences in this area, so that's all I have.
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Post by Toilet Paper Roll on Jan 15, 2017 22:55:05 GMT -5
Seems most wrestlers who don't die by 50 are broke and injured beyond repair.
Flair has himself to blame since he needs to get married and divorced a few times a year. But honeslty he was probably in the area for that show and they gave him the entire gate to show up for a couple minutes.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Jan 15, 2017 22:58:12 GMT -5
does jake roberts at Heroes of wrestling count
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Sicho100
Hank Scorpio
Easily Confused.
Posts: 5,993 
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Post by Sicho100 on Jan 15, 2017 23:25:54 GMT -5
Bobby Fulton vs Nikolai Volkoff, with no ring:  |
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The Gallus Mark
Unicron
Watching Icelandic Women’s Soccer Highlights
Posts: 2,589
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Post by The Gallus Mark on Jan 15, 2017 23:48:13 GMT -5
Bobby Fulton vs Nikolai Volkoff, with no ring: This strangely makes me happy, because about a month ago, Bobby ran a show at my high school that drew over 900. Granted, it's in his hometown and Sting made an appearance, but still it's such a massive step forward from something like the picture above that it is really nice to see for him. |
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Post by Mister Pigwell on Jan 15, 2017 23:52:31 GMT -5
I think there's video of Valentine working a literal backyard fed out there.
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Glitch
Grimlock
Not Going To Die; Childs, we're goin' out to give Blair the test. If he tries to make it back here and we're not with him... burn him.
Watching you.
Posts: 12,794
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Post by Glitch on Jan 15, 2017 23:57:24 GMT -5
After the big time curtain closes most of our favourite wrestlers will go through the independent circuit and usually end up retiring there. I recently came across the following video which made me ask the question to myself if it is indeed the saddest thing I'd seen from a former star. I've seen Raven wrestle in front of 25 people, I've seen Al Snow work in front of 15 in a small hall and I've seen Honky Tonk Man work in the beer garden of a bar but this Flair video could be the worst: I figure Flair most likely made a boatload of cash but I wanted to pose the question to you all. What's the saddest sight you've witnessed from a former star? Flair in such a small crowd is big, giant proof that any idiot can become a wrestling promoter. |
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Post by Richard on Jan 16, 2017 0:02:10 GMT -5
Seems most wrestlers who don't die by 50 are broke and injured beyond repair. Flair has himself to blame since he needs to get married and divorced a few times a year. But honeslty he was probably in the area for that show and they gave him the entire gate to show up for a couple minutes. Honestly those are just the ones that we hear about because the rest have moved on or do it only for fun so we don't see much of them. It's kinda of bad luck deal for wrestling since those stories don't get told for the most part leaving us (and the media) to grab on to the stories like Flair who cannot get away by his own doing. I mean, look at someone like Kevin Nash. He is still around and doing stuff with the Kliq or others he likes but it is so rare it doesn't get much attention. There are a lot more under the radar that seem to pop up for the convention circuit at Mania or the Mid-Atlantic stuff just to be around friends. Bobby Fulton vs Nikolai Volkoff, with no ring: Weren't they going to not hold the event but Nikolai pushed to go forward as he didn't want to disappoint the fans? |
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Post by 2coldMack is even more baffled on Jan 16, 2017 0:02:24 GMT -5
A few years ago I went to an indy in the next town over. It was held in an indoor skate park, and the promoter literally didn't have enough chairs for the two dozen or so people who showed up, so most of the crowd was sitting on stacked up gym mats. That show is notable for two things in my head:
1)It was the first time I ever saw the guy who would become Caleb Konley, in the ONLY good match of the night.
2) It featured in the main event one Bobby Eaton, who also did a photo op during intermission. NO ONE was interested except for me and my dad, and seeing him standing in the ring, waiting on a line that never formed.....it actually really sticks with me, and makes me sad when I think about it.
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Post by fortknox on Jan 16, 2017 0:38:28 GMT -5
After the big time curtain closes most of our favourite wrestlers will go through the independent circuit and usually end up retiring there. I recently came across the following video which made me ask the question to myself if it is indeed the saddest thing I'd seen from a former star. I've seen Raven wrestle in front of 25 people, I've seen Al Snow work in front of 15 in a small hall and I've seen Honky Tonk Man work in the beer garden of a bar but this Flair video could be the worst: I figure Flair most likely made a boatload of cash but I wanted to pose the question to you all. What's the saddest sight you've witnessed from a former star? I read that Paul Lee paid Flair a few grand to endorse him. Money well spent. Man Flair must have really been hard up for money to do that. |
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Post by corndog on Jan 16, 2017 1:09:15 GMT -5
After the big time curtain closes most of our favourite wrestlers will go through the independent circuit and usually end up retiring there. I recently came across the following video which made me ask the question to myself if it is indeed the saddest thing I'd seen from a former star. I've seen Raven wrestle in front of 25 people, I've seen Al Snow work in front of 15 in a small hall and I've seen Honky Tonk Man work in the beer garden of a bar but this Flair video could be the worst: I figure Flair most likely made a boatload of cash but I wanted to pose the question to you all. What's the saddest sight you've witnessed from a former star? I read that Paul Lee paid Flair a few grand to endorse him. Money well spent. Man Flair must have really been hard up for money to do that. He got more publicity from fake kneeing a comedian in the balls. |
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Post by ________ has left the building on Jan 16, 2017 5:18:28 GMT -5
Heidenreich vs Alabama Doink.
The Brawl at Golden Corral.
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Post by The 1Watcher Experience on Jan 16, 2017 5:37:27 GMT -5
I went to a show where Sabu got in the ring during intermission and his handler said it would be $10 for a picture with him. The crowd was very small and you could hear people say, "Ten bucks! Pfft! I'd do five not ten!" Other fans could be heard agreeing. You could see Sabu telling his handler to take the $5. The handler said $5 and six people got in the ring after for pictures with him. It was sad, but that's independent wrestling sometimes.
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Dang!
Dennis Stamp
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Post by Dang! on Jan 16, 2017 9:20:35 GMT -5
I just stumbled across THIS on youtube.
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Post by "Playboy" Don Douglas on Jan 16, 2017 9:24:44 GMT -5
Heidenreich vs Alabama Doink. The Brawl at Golden Corral. Alabama Doink needs to be an actual gimmick. |
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Post by MichaelMartini on Jan 16, 2017 18:27:47 GMT -5
I watched that whole video and it doesn't seem that sad to me. Sure there's not a lot of people there but Flair's in a good mood, not doing anything demeaning, just helping a vet out by giving him a little shine. Looked like he was having fun.
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 16, 2017 19:35:11 GMT -5
2) It featured in the main event one Bobby Eaton, who also did a photo op during intermission. NO ONE was interested except for me and my dad, and seeing him standing in the ring, waiting on a line that never formed.....it actually really sticks with me, and makes me sad when I think about it. A few wrestlers do the in ring photo ops and it's not uncommon for the wrestler to have no line or few in line. The photo op or autographs are the way the wrestler really makes the money, not so much from the promoter. In some cases the promoter can't pay the wrestler so they rely on the autographs. That's why some wrestlers appear moody and will almost shoo away fans who just want to chat and not buy merch. The fans don't realize what the wrestler is going through in coming to the show and the promoter not being able to make pay. The wrestler puts their gas money into coming to the show and can really only rely on the merch sales, unless a well known autograph signing promoter is bringing them in for the event promoter. The wrestlers don't realize, though, that the fans may already be budgeted and maxed out. They are most likely a family of four or five and are paying $15-20 per ticket (more if ringside, perhaps) plus concessions and maybe they already bought a shirt or two from their local indy star. By time they get to the legends like Bobby, they have no money left. A guy like Bobby will be cool with it and maybe let them get a free photo with him. I think any indy show for a WWE or WCW etc...legend may be a "sad sight" given the fame they had with the big promotions and the big crowds they wrestled in front of. |
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 16, 2017 19:40:36 GMT -5
Heidenreich vs Alabama Doink. The Brawl at Golden Corral. Alabama Doink needs to be an actual gimmick. Reminds me of the white guy dressed as Kamala but with Donkey Kong's tie, Honkey Kong. |
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Post by froggyfrog on Jan 16, 2017 19:54:26 GMT -5
This thread is bummin me out
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