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IN ONE SECOND Nothing could be more true in the "Sports-Entertainment" world. Easily, in one second, a tag team could crumble, a 9 year title reign could end, a dynasty unravel, a career come to an end. Every so often, something happens that forces every person around to take notice, to understand, to wake up, to "Get It". Sometimes good, others not so great. Weather good or bad, we have no other choice but to accept, and go on. Today is November 8th, 1999. We are fastly approaching the "Millenium". With that, the future. But before we reflect on things to come, let us now reflect on those of past. Thoses moments that forced us to face our mortality, our love, and our dignity, let us reflect on those issue's we thought we'd never have to deal with. Let us laugh together..let us cry..but most importantly, let us remember....... Let us remember the Warrior, storming down the aisle, full of rage and temperment. The 4 horseman, during one of there famous 4 man beat downs. Sting, yelling to his fans. Hogan, dropping the big leg. Let us not forget those who gave there all inside and outside of the ring, who gave not only there blood, sweat and tears, but also there lives. Rick Rude Louie Spicoli Brian Pillman Owen Hart And, unfortunaltly, the names go on. Thankfully, we have there memories. I bring to you the 10 most important days in pro-wrestling during the 90's. 10. November, 22nd, 1990 The birth of the deadman, The Undertaker If there was one man that made me stay loyal to wrestling, continue to watch and be entertained, it was Mark Callaway's creation, for every man has the Undertaker inside of himself somewhere. Everyone wants to be the bad guy once in a while. Callaway has created a persona so scary yet so life like, that it chills even the most realistic of fans. The 6'11, 330 pound big man made his debut in the WWF during the very popular Survivor Series in 1990. No one knew then, that The Undertaker would not only become the "Phenom" of the WWF, but in everyway, he has become the franchise of the World Wrestling Federation. November 22nd, 1990 will go down as the day the baddest of the bad was born, the deadman, THE UNDERTAKER. 9. June 13th, 1993 Hogan loses title to Yokozuna As is the case in every aspect of life, nothing last's forever, and even legends have to fade away. Hulk Hogan is no exception. Hogan was enjoying is 5th WWF world title reign. He was simply put, the man during the past 10 years in the wrestling business. But doubt and boredom began to set in with the booking department of the WWF. Vince McMahon had built his company around Hulk Hogan, but the 90's were progressing and the fans were losing interest in Hogan On June 13th, 1993 Yokozuna became the legend killer, ending Hogan's 5th and final WWF world title reign. Soon after that, Hogan left for greener pasture's...World Championship Wrestling. 8. April 1st, 1990 A world without hero's Title versus Title? Good guy versus good guy? What the hell is going on here? How can this be? It goes against everything that is great in our sport. On April 1st, 1990 in Toronto, Canada something happened that would change the sport forever. Something that is felt to this day. The World Wrestling Federation put there number 1 guy and there number 2 guy against each other at the biggest ppv of the year. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come in the late 90's. Hulk Hogan is thought of as the man who saved pro wrestling. He is to wrestling as Ruth is to Baseball. Long after we're dead, Hulk Hogan will be spoke of as a hero of the day. The Ultamite Warrior came from out of nowhere, and stole the hearts of many a fan. Eventually, he stole the hearts of the Hulkamaniacs. A company is only so big, and business as we all know is business. Warrior the ego and Hogan the ego would eventually have to "work" together. And eventually, they did. And history was made. And after the match had taken place, after both warriors had sold there souls to the wrestling gods, after the masses of people had witnessed excellence in action, did the ego's realize, legends are loved for what they give. Not for who they think they are. I've never been a Hogan fan. I was a mild fan of The Warrior. But on that day, on April 1st, 1990, and no, this isnt a joke, I respected BOTH men. And in the end, isnt that what this whole damn things about? Respect? 7. 1997 Barely Legal ECW Made there PPV debut in the summer of 97'. I'm not very familiar with ECW, but this was the first PPV of the 3rd biggest promotion in the US. For that, I salute there perserverance. For close to 7 years, Extreme Championship Wrestling has given its all. They've sacraficed feeling, fears, and limbs, to bring an alternative to the sport WE love. For that, we can only be thankfull. 6. June 28th, 1998 Hell in the cell This is the match, in all reality, that made Mankind...Mick Foley, the legend that he is. So much has been said about this match, that my words would mean nothing now. All i can say, is that Mick Foley, I salute you for the man you've become. Any man that go's after his dreams like Mr. Foley has, deserves EVERYTHING that he gets. Let us just hope that we have some more time left with Mick and his crazy antics and bone crushing body shots. 5. October 5th, 1997 Brain Pillman; 35 years old, Dead MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Pillman, a professional wrestler and former linebacker with Cincinnati Bengals, was found dead Sunday in a suburban motel, authorities said. He was 35. The Hennepin County medical examiners office said Pillman, of Walton, Ky., was found dead at 1:09 p.m. at the Budgetel Inn in Bloomington. The manner and cause of death were not immediately known, and an autopsy was to be conducted Monday. The office said Pillman was last seen at the motel at 10:45 p.m. Saturday. No other details were released. Pillman, who played collegiately at Miami, Ohio, was signed as a free agent by the Bengals and played with them in the 1984 season. As a professional wrestler, he was known as "Flyin' Brian" and "The Loose Cannon." They say Brian had a diseased heart. He'd been hooked on prescription pills for over 10 years. They say he killed himself. In reality, that is true, but not the way they paint it. He killed himself everynight of the week, regardless if it was Nitro, Raw, PPV or local house show. He was a pro wrestler. He was an entertainer. He was a family man. Everything he did, he did for ALL of us. He killed himself to please us. He is the definition of heroe. A diseased heart? No way....unless love is a disease. 4. July 14th, 1996 nWo is born MG: Hulk Hogan, excuse me, excuse me, what in the world are you thinking? HH: Mean Gene, the first thing you need to do is to tell this people to SHUT UP if you wanna hear what I got to say! MG: I have been with you for so many years...for you to join up with these two men absolutely makes me sick! And I think that these people here and a lot of other people around the world have had just about enough of this man here [Hall] and this man here [Nash] and you want to put yourself with this group? You've gotta be...kidding me. HH: First thing you gotta realize, brother, is this right here is the future of wrestling. You can call this the New World Order of wrestling, brother! These two men here came from a great big organziation up north, and everybody was wondering who the third man was, well who knows more about that organization than me, brother? MG: I've been there, I've done that...and you have made the wrong decision, in my opinion. HH: Well lemme tell you something...I made that organization a monster...I made the people rich up there...and when it all came to pass, the name Hulk Hogan, the man Hulk Hogan, got bigger than the whole organization, brother. And then Billionaire Ted, he wanted to talk turkey with Hulk Hogan, amigo. Well, you know, Ted promised me movies, brother, Billionaire Ted promised me millions of dollars, Billionaire Ted promised me world calibar matches! Well, as far as Billionaire Ted goes, Eric Bischoff and the whole WCW goes, I'm bored, brother. That's why these two guys here, the so called Outsiders, these are the men that I want as my friends, they're the new blood of professional wrestling, and not only are we gonna take over the wretling business with Hulk Hogan and new blood, the monsters with me, we wil destroy everything in our path, Mean Gene. MG: Look at all the crap in this ring! That's whats in the future for you if you want to hang around with this man Hall and this man Nash. HH: As far as I'm concerned, all this crap in the ring represents these fans out here. For two years, brother, for two years I held my head high, I did everything for the charities, I did everything for the kids, and the reception I got when I came out here, you fans can STICK IT, brother, because if it wasn't for Hulk Hogan you people wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff would still be selling meat from a truck in Minneapolis. If it wasn't for Hulk Hogan, all thse Johnny come lately's you see wrestling wouldn't be here. I was selling the world, brother, while they were bumming gas to put in their car to get to high school. So the way it is, with Hulk Hogan and the New World Organization of wrestling, brother, and the new blood by my side, whatcha gonna do when the New World Organization runs wild on you? WHATCHA GONNA DO? Nothing? With that said, please enter: Kevin Nash. Scott Hall. Hulk Hogan. Yes, Hogan got his 2cents in on this, easily the angle of the decade. Yet, somehow, Nash and Hall found a way to save the angle anyways, and create what World Championship Wrestling would ride to the top of the ratings for 80+ weeks. Members would come and go, but the core was always the same: Nash/Hall/Hogan. Eventually, they rode the wave too long, and the fans turned the dial. But during the peak, NO ONE can say that the nWo wasnt the most intense, popular, creative, and innovative angle of the 90's. 3. June 23rd, 1996 Oh Hell Yeah! 3:16 is born. Stunning Steve knew he had to change. He knew the World Championship Wrestling was no longer the answer. ECW taught him the inner beauties of Hardcore. It was time for the change. It was time......... "The first thing I want to be done, is to get that piece of crap out of my ring. Don't just get him [Jake Roberts] out of the ring, get him out of the WWF, because I proved, son, without a shadow of a doubt, you ain't got what it takes anymore. You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it doesn't get you anywhere. Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16, Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass. All he's gotta do is go buy him a cheap bottle of Thunderbird, and try to get back some of that courage he had in his prime. As the King of the Ring, I'm serving notice to every one of the WWF superstars, I don't give a damn what they are, they're all on the list, and that's Stone Cold's list, and I'm fixing to start running through all of them. As far as this championship match is considered, son, I don't give a damn whether it's Shawn Michaels or Davey Boy Smith. Steve Austin's time has come, and when I get the shot, you're looking at the next WWF champion, and that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so." And thus, pro wrestling was changed. For the better? Sure. Austin was the 90's answer to Hogan. He had charsima. He had talent. He could talk. He had a streak of commeness that made him "One of the boys". 2. November 9th, 1997; Sabotage! or Work? Bret Hart vs. Shawn Micheals. So much is said of this match. This is the day of Kayfabe being cut up into small tiny pieces and burned. The hatred between Hart and Micheals is very well known. If you've seen the movie "Wrestling with shadows" you'll know there was alot involved. But, do we know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Hell no. Wrestling is a work. Everything around and about wrestling is a work. What seems real at first, is nothing more then a swerve, a work , a fabrication of reality. Thats why we love it. Will we ever know the truth, the whole truth? Nope. Because, not even those involved in the story above know the WHOLE truth. 1. May 23rd, 1999; Innocents is lost, Owen is Dead 33 years old. A casultie of love. Ignorance an ingrediant of all things dumb, Owen didnt die 50 feet in the air, but inside a ring, where he grew up, where he was born, where he was raised, where he was the happiest. Everyone feels pity for Bret Hart and the Hart family. I dont. Owen might have died for the wrong reasons. Maybe he shouldnt have been up in the rafters. But he was, and he did die. He died during a PPV. But he didnt die in our hearts. We can complain about how he died. But, instead, why not look at WHY he died. He died doing something alot of us wish we had a chance to do, wrestle in a WWF ppv. He died doing something he loved to do, and that was being in the spotlight. I'm not saying his death wasn't tragic. It was. But, isnt life tragic? There's not a happy ending all the time. I'm just glad, that i was given the oppurtunity to watch Owen grow inside the ring, and become a great wrestler. And from what i've heard, he'd become a great man. We're all measured by the people we run with, and the person we become. I think that tells the whole story for Owen Hart. Dennis Dubay My Wrestling Zone Mail the Author Visit MWZ |
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