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Post by wildojinx on Dec 23, 2019 9:22:34 GMT -5
Why is it that back in the 80s, most of the wrestlers who had A Russian gimmick were bald? The Koloffs, Krusher Kruschev, Volkoff, Zukhov, probably others who arent as known. Why was this? Was it some Russian stereotype at the time or something?
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nate5054
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Post by nate5054 on Dec 23, 2019 9:53:48 GMT -5
Was it some Russian stereotype at the time or something? Probably
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Post by Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby on Dec 23, 2019 10:06:36 GMT -5
I think I read or absorbed somewhere that a lot of pop cultural depictions of Russians throughout the Cold War were caricatures of the current premier, and the 80's had Gorbachev, so that would track?
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Post by Milkman Norm on Dec 23, 2019 11:36:06 GMT -5
Lenin was bald and it became the stereotypical look from a western perspective of the evil commie. That and you can shave the head of a western European looking wrestler and imply that they're something they're not whereas there have been very few successful wrestlers who were actually from eastern Europe.
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hassanchop
Grimlock
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Post by hassanchop on Dec 23, 2019 12:38:08 GMT -5
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Wieners=$$$
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Post by Wieners=$$$ on Dec 23, 2019 12:48:57 GMT -5
In pro-wrestling; Russian=heel & Bald=heel
Why do you think Hogan keeps the skullet?
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Post by Hit Girl on Dec 23, 2019 13:48:23 GMT -5
Because hair is bourgeoisie, comrade.
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by XIII on Dec 23, 2019 16:30:01 GMT -5
The movies were different Holy shit! Bennett was a commie!?
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Dec 23, 2019 17:38:14 GMT -5
Lenin stuck in people's minds, also leaders like Khrushchev and Gorbachev were bald.
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Post by Kyle Butler on Dec 23, 2019 18:02:36 GMT -5
Lenin stuck in people's minds, also leaders like Khrushchev and Gorbachev were bald. But Stalin had a tremendous head of hair, especially in his youth
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Dec 23, 2019 18:19:13 GMT -5
Lenin stuck in people's minds, also leaders like Khrushchev and Gorbachev were bald. But Stalin had a tremendous head of hair, especially in his youth Stalin was Hollywood leading man level handsome in his youth, not really a look promoters would want to make the face of America's great enemy represented in the microcosm of wrestling.
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Post by Kyle Butler on Dec 23, 2019 18:28:20 GMT -5
“In Soviet Russia, toupee wears YOU!”
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hassanchop
Grimlock
Who are you to doubt Belldandy?
Posts: 14,770
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Post by hassanchop on Dec 23, 2019 22:19:37 GMT -5
Thanks to that Bollywood movie featuring Fake Taker, Indians think this bruh is a Russian
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Post by Aceorton on Dec 24, 2019 17:11:00 GMT -5
To me, the shaved/bald heads implied some kind of extreme state-sponsored athletic training. Russia was churning out these no-bullshit brutes to conquer the wrestling world.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Dec 24, 2019 18:06:27 GMT -5
To me, the shaved/bald heads implied some kind of extreme state-sponsored athletic training. Russia was churning out these no-bullshit brutes to conquer the wrestling world. Right, very spartan compared to the mullets of the day. They also usually didn't wear very flashy gear, red or black, sometimes with sickles and hammers on it or a red star. I think the reason they didn't tend to be that good is they were often chosen for imposing builds, or the gimmick would be given to someone who was otherwise seen as not particularly suited to do much else. It's the same with iffy chops and nerve holds form people playing savage gimmicks who were not very good.
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Post by bogey316 on Dec 24, 2019 20:02:11 GMT -5
Why is it that back in the 80s, most of the wrestlers who had A Russian gimmick were bald? The Koloffs, Krusher Kruschev, Volkoff, Zukhov, probably others who arent as known. Why was this? Was it some Russian stereotype at the time or something? Volkoff wasn't bald. He had a buzz cut most of the time but he wasn't bald.
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Post by johnnyk9 on Dec 24, 2019 21:20:31 GMT -5
Vladimir wasn’t bald
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 24, 2019 21:25:24 GMT -5
Ivan Koloff - it all really leads back to him. Most every bald Russian wrestler of note is connected to him and took on an similar appearance to him. Alexis Smirnoff, Nikita, Krusher Kruschev, Vladimir Petrov and I think Vladimir Koloff (I dont think I've seen a picture of this "nephew). Ivan was the "Russian" that held World gold - the stereotype was built out of others emulating his look.
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Post by sungod2020 on Dec 24, 2019 23:18:08 GMT -5
Lenin stuck in people's minds, also leaders like Khrushchev and Gorbachev were bald. But Stalin had a tremendous head of hair, especially in his youth Actually Stalin was from Georgia originally. He spent most of his life in Russia though.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Dec 27, 2019 12:42:33 GMT -5
Ivan Koloff - it all really leads back to him. Most every bald Russian wrestler of note is connected to him and took on an similar appearance to him. Alexis Smirnoff, Nikita, Krusher Kruschev, Vladimir Petrov and I think Vladimir Koloff (I dont think I've seen a picture of this "nephew). Ivan was the "Russian" that held World gold - the stereotype was built out of others emulating his look. Right. I think Boris Malenko is one of the only notable Russian gimmicks of the time which didn't seem to be heavily emulating him at the time, but admittedly before my time, obviously, so I could be wrong.
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