The Unreal Story Of Professional Wrestling. A&E (1998)

[fortknox]

[fg]

I remember this. This aired AFTER WM14. Some interesting tidbits.

You can tell that when A& E interviews the then-current stars that at least some of the interviews were done long before 1998. Here’s proof.

- Despite the fact that it was 1998 and pro wrestling was getting raunchier, Hulk Hogan says to fans, “Bring your grandpa” or something like that. He tried to insinuate that wrestling is family oriented.

-Steve Austin says he doesn’t cater to the fans.

- Shawn Michaels paints his character as a good guy.

I wonder what Dave Meltzer thought of this.

[bob]

I remember watching this years ago

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

I thought it was a lot of fun. I was taping almost everything I watched that was wrestling related at the time. But I watched this at my dad’s house where his VCR recording function didn’t work, so I never taped stuff there.

I remember having so much fun watching it I was tempted to ask my mom to get the tape. Back in those days A & E and some similar channels would air a short advert saying something like, “If you’re interested in ordering a tape of the program you just watched send $24.95 to this address.”

Even as a kid I knew it was a ripoff to send so much to watch something you could just watch on a cable. So I didn’t ask my mom.

But yeah I haven’t seen it in years, but it was fun at the time.

[XIII]

There was so many wrestling shows on back then, I remember there was one with Homicide and Monsta Mack showing training at JAPW(?) and they followed some dudes into the Power Plant that looked like the biggest jobbers ever who then quit because it was too hard and said that they’d be back, pretty sure they never came back. lol

I must have watched the Unreal story like 20 times. lol

[Display Name]

Still have my tape somewhere. I watched it so many times.

[msc]

Always mixed this up with the Pro-Wrestling Secrets show where a masked booker who absolutely was not Harley Race (but sounded and looked like Harley Race in a mask trying to disguise his voice) where I discovered the truth of the Stunt Granny and other "obvious tropes" err...

Loosely based on The Masked Magician. I remember his last appearance was trailed heavily as "the Masked Magician unmasks" and then he did. "I am Valentino" he said, and I turned to my school friend I was watching it with and we both said "Who the f*** is Valentino?"

[tafkaga]

I have this on DVD. Most of it has aged really well.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jul 23, 2022 14:38:52 GMT -5 msc said:

Always mixed this up with the Pro-Wrestling Secrets show where a masked booker who absolutely was not Harley Race (but sounded and looked like Harley Race in a mask trying to disguise his voice) where I discovered the truth of the Stunt Granny and other "obvious tropes" err...

Loosely based on The Masked Magician. I remember his last appearance was trailed heavily as "the Masked Magician unmasks" and then he did. "I am Valentino" he said, and I turned to my school friend I was watching it with and we both said "Who the f*** is Valentino?"

I forget where they were exactly, but Valentino was busy trying to impress some women. He approached Penn Jillette and says “Penn, would you tell these ladies I am Valentino?” Penn says “Madonna, David Letterman, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed. People know who they are because they don’t wear a f***ing bag over their head. I have no idea who this asshole is”

[agent817]

Man, I have not watched this in years. I must revisit this.

[johnnyk9]

You could see How skinny Gorilla Monsoon was starting to get in this due to his health

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Jul 23, 2022 14:01:31 GMT -5 Display Name said:

Still have my tape somewhere. I watched it so many times.

Yup, I have a taped copy of this and some A&E wrestling biographies out in my garage. Used to watch this special all the time, absolutely loved it

[PrimeTyme]

I remember watching this when it first aired and wishing I could have recorded it (our VCR recording feature didn’t work for years). A&E would randomly show this again for years after, along with Wrestling with Shadows, Andre the Giant Biography and a few others too. I always looked forward to those random airings and would stop whatever I was doing to watch it.

Late last year I was purchasing some VHS from someone and noticed they were also selling a copy of this that A&E sold. Needless to say, it now sits proudly on my movie shelf.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I know what he means, but imagine watching this not knowing and Lou Thez tells a story of paying a guy to hurt someone and calls that guy a great hooker.

You'd really wonder what wrestling looked like in the old days....

[bluebeach25]

I remember that Lou Thesz and Gorrila Moonson ripped Hogan's in Ring work on that documentary. Both also died not very long after that i remember Moonson looking very old and unhealthy because of his illness.

[ben:friendship frog]

I've never seen this but just started watching. So far I'm finding it amusing that people in the 90s are saying "I used to watch it but it's so fake now" when it'd arguably been for about a century before haha

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

Jul 26, 2022 8:03:46 GMT -5 bluebeach25 said:

I remember that Lou Thesz and Gorrila Moonson ripped Hogan's in Ring work on that documentary. Both also died not very long after that i remember Moonson looking very old and unhealthy because of his illness.

To be fair, Lou passed away at the age of 86 in 2002. That’s a nice long run, especially for a guy who had a pretty bruising lifestyle. And he actually did give Hogan for marketing/playing a character but “a 1 or a 0” for in-ring skill.

I also remember Lou describing how a cauliflower ear is formed.

[bluebeach25]

Jul 26, 2022 19:36:02 GMT -5 Citizen Snips Has Left said:

Jul 26, 2022 8:03:46 GMT -5 bluebeach25 said:

I remember that Lou Thesz and Gorrila Moonson ripped Hogan's in Ring work on that documentary. Both also died not very long after that i remember Moonson looking very old and unhealthy because of his illness.

To be fair, Lou passed away at the age of 86 in 2002. That’s a nice long run, especially for a guy who had a pretty bruising lifestyle. And he actually did give Hogan for marketing/playing a character but “a 1 or a 0” for in-ring skill.

I also remember Lou describing how a cauliflower ear is formed.

Honestly i never knew who Lou Thesz even was before i watched that documentary. Idk if it was a bit of jealousy towards Hogan or not, yes Hogan wasn't a really good in-ring worker but he was not bad either. Hogan's in ring-work in Japan looked really good actually.

[jimmyjames]

Great show back when A&E was still a respected network. I would still recommended it to anyone who just got into wrestling or someone who wants an introductory course about the history of professional wrestling, especially pre 1970s.

[GodzillaIsMyMonster]

Jul 27, 2022 3:23:10 GMT -5 bluebeach25 said:

Jul 26, 2022 19:36:02 GMT -5 Citizen Snips Has Left said:

To be fair, Lou passed away at the age of 86 in 2002. That’s a nice long run, especially for a guy who had a pretty bruising lifestyle. And he actually did give Hogan for marketing/playing a character but “a 1 or a 0” for in-ring skill.

I also remember Lou describing how a cauliflower ear is formed.

Honestly i never knew who Lou Thesz even was before i watched that documentary. Idk if it was a bit of jealousy towards Hogan or not, yes Hogan wasn't a really good in-ring worker but he was not bad either. Hogan's in ring-work in Japan looked really good actually.

In ring work is the least important part of being a successful wrestler.