“He thought he was going to come into our business, beat up a bunch of wrestlers, and go back to The A Team and tell everyone what a bunch of baloney it all is.”
That was a quote from Rowdy Roddy Piper regarding Mr. T and WrestleMania. From the age of seven through 11, my absolute favorite wrestler was the Hot Rod. And the more I learn about the passion and respect he had for pro wrestling, the more I admire him. Watch a shoot interview with him on YouTube. Until his last days, he hated using industry terms or telling us how he worked a match. His reason? “I don’t want to ruin it for you.”
So why was a business that was committed to keeping industry secrets willing to pull back the curtain for celebrities? I understand there’s drawing power to being associated with a movie star or athlete. But it bothered me how the wrestlers almost always lost or looked weak.
In fairness, that wasn’t the case every time. Muhammad Ali was a wrestling fan and even confessed that he learned the value of a good promo from watching Gorgeous George. On June 1, 1976, Ali answered the old question of who would win between a boxer and a wrestler when he took an airplane spin from Gorilla Monsoon before requiring assistance off the mat and out of the ring. Side note: here’s an interesting piece of trivia. Who’s the only person to wrestle Muhammad Ali and box Andre the Giant? Answer: Gorilla Monsoon.
But other than that one instance, I can’t think of a time when a wrestler hasn’t come out looking like a chump against a celebrity. Floyd Mayweather busted up the Big Show’s face at No Way Out before knocking him out at WrestleMania XXIV. Chuck Norris threw a kick into Jeff Jarrett’s ribs at Survivor Series 1994. But at least both of those guys come from fighting and martial arts backgrounds. Lawrence Taylor, with no wrestling experience other than a crash course from then-WWF Champion Diesel, cleanly pinned Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania XI. Then there‘s the WrestleMania I main event mentioned earlier. “Keep the whole thing amateur,” Hot Rod told Mr. Wonderful. “Then let Hogan get the tag.” Thank God for Roddy.
And of course who could forget David Arquette’s World Championship? The Can Crushers had a chance to meet him. Great dude and a wrestling fan. But come on.
In each of these circumstances I don’t think fans truly bought or accepted the outcomes. Take a look at WrestleMania II when fans were chanting, “Roddy! Roddy! Roddy!” in his boxing match against Mr. T. Listen to the venom spewed at Rhonda Rousey after her monumental beatdown at the hands of Charlotte Flair. “You deserve it!” We love our wrestling, and we hate to see outsiders come in and beat our guys. It destroys the very illusion pro wrestling is trying to create. How can Big Show lose to a guy one quarter of his size? How can Bam Bam Bigelow topple King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang and nearly Andre the Giant all in one night at Survivor Series ‘87 but lose to a retired football player? Would Bundy and Gang have stood a prayer against LT?
Wrestlers are great entertainers and athletes. Ernest Miller is an incredible dancer. But for some reason WCW decided to put him in a dance competition against James Brown. I know nothing about judging dancing, but in my opinion, Miller was the better dancer! Or at least it was so close that Brown wasn’t far and away the better dancer! There was a million bucks well-spent, WCW.
Pro wrestling could not have remained underground and survived. Celebrities like Cyndi Lauper helped make it more main stream. But what about one more tip from the Rowdy Scot for some perspective? “Show him the business. But don’t let him walk away with business.”