Remembering the Midcard - The Warlord

[D-Man]

Welcome to the second installment of "Remembering the Midcard."

Last week, we discussed one of the greats of the late 1980's and throughout the 1990's, "Ravishing" Rick Rude. He was a well-respected worker with a great look, great work-ethic, and very good microphone skills.

Now, since I wanted to create these threads to both praise and make fun of mid-card wrestlers of the past, I figured that my next choice would be someone who wasn't quite nearly as successful as Rick Rude. He was a perfect example of how a superstar with nothing but a large physique can only go so far in the business of professional wrestling. I'm speaking of none other than The Warlord.

Terry Szopinski began his professional wrestling career in 1986, working for Jim Crockett's National Wrestling Alliance. He was discovered by Hawk and Animal of the Road Warriors who encouraged him to become involved in professional wrestling. After over a year of seasoning in and out of other promotions, he was teamed up with another large wrestler named The Barbarian, and together they formed a tag team called The Powers of Pain. They aligned themselves with Ivan Koloff and feuded with Dusty Rhodes and the oad Warriors for a while before they were picked up by Vince McMahon and the WWE.

Upon entering the WWE, the Powers of Pain were managed by The Baron for a while before being picked up by Mr. Fuji. After some unsuccessful feuds with Demolition and the Hart Foundation, the Powers of Pain split in 1990 and the Warlord became managed by Slick. His look changed from facepaint to a metal mask that covered half of his face, but his road to success remained the same... dismal.

The Warlord was mostly remembered for spending the shortest amount of time in a Royal Rumble match (2 seconds in 1989) before being eliminated by Hulk Hogan. This record was held until the 2009 Royal Rumble, when Kane eliminated Santino in 1 second. If I'm not mistaken, his career ended as a result of a car accident that he had with a Pizza Hut delivery guy LOL.

My Take:
So, my take on the Warlord is that he was one of the biggest pieces of garbage that the WWE ever picked up. He wrestled like shit, was stiff in the ring, and his mic skills were atrocious. Vince and company always believed that a big man with a large physique could always be successful in the professional wrestling industry, but were clearly proven wrong by the Warlord. I can remember his ridiculous metal wand and his Phantom of the Opera type metal mask that he wore, and how pale he looked standing next to the blackness of Slick. That pairing was such a mismatch and made Slick's stable of wrestlers look weak and pathetic. Such a shame, since Slick will always be one of my favorite managers of all time.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on the Warlord? The floor is yours...

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Brilliant. The Powers Of Pain were always closer to the Road Warriors than Demolition ever were. They did bigger and better power moves than L.O.D. and looked uglier doing them.

I don't see what was wrong with The Warlord at all. He was never going to be world champion. But he was a brilliant tag wrestler and he did competent big man matches. If it wasn't for The Warlord then The British Bulldog wouldn't have taken off as a singles star.

 

[jrcongine]

I don't see what was wrong with The Warlord at all. He was never going to be world champion. But he was a brilliant tag wrestler and he did competent big man matches. If it wasn't for The Warlord then The British Bulldog wouldn't have taken off as a singles star.[/QUOTE


I remember this was one of the first and few cases were the face (bulldog) was more over, had more potential, but yet the heel (warlord) would cleanly win the majority of the matches. I hated it as a kid, and bulldog fan but really added realism to me.

always a fan of warlord

 

[joop]

if the warlord were to debut now, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that i would hate him and everything he represents. But the fact remains he debuted when i was a child, and children were the target audience, and for that target demographic, he produced. He was large, kinda scary, and at sometimes dominant, which was only believable because of his size.

 

[The Brain]

I liked The Warlord. Just because a guy didn't have huge success does not neccessarly mean he failed. The Warlord had a role and played it well. He did have a good look and served as a good opponent to put a face over. Because of his size and power, a face could benefit from getting a win over him. Not everyone needed great mic skills in those days. That's what managers were for. It's probably true The Warlord wouldn't go very far today, but he fit in well 20 years ago. Like I said, he had a role. I don't think Vince ever had world title plans for The Warlord. Just like in a movie, the main characters need a supporting cast. By the way I thought his match against the Bulldog at WrestleMania VII was pretty good. Funny side note: from a distance he looks like a jacked up Steve Austin.

 

[X]

My Take:
So, my take on the Warlord is that he was one of the biggest pieces of garbage that the WWE ever picked up. He wrestled like shit, was stiff in the ring, and his mic skills were atrocious.

First off no shit he was stiff in the ring, all big men are stiff in the ring. Warlord was still decent in the ring, I mean come on man, actually go back and watch that era of wrestling. Were there really any good in-ring wrestlers in those days? Who'd you have in the WWE, Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage and that was pretty much it?

Mic skills? Mic skills were fucking irrelevent in his era. Promos were rare, rare things in those days, the only people you'd see routinely cutting a promo would be the world champion, and even then you'd get maybe 10 promos in an entire year from the guy. You think Hulk Hogan had good mic skills in the 80s? Fuck no he didn't, those didn't come along until much later for him.

Mic skills in the 80s = one of the most irrelevant skills a wrestler could have in the 1980s. Nobody paid to see people talk back then, they paid to see people wrestle. Big, stiff men.

The Powers of Pain were solid, don't give me this bullshit. So they couldn't do backflips, so what? In-ring ability isn't the only factor in making a good pro wrestler, in fact it's one of the least important. You think Hulk Hogan or Andre Giant were good in-ring workers? Fuck no they weren't, but you don't need to be in order to be a great PRO wrestler.

Powers of Pain had a slew of good matches in their time, don't hate on them just because they didn't have the moveset of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew or the agility of the Rockers.

 

[D-Man]

First off no shit he was stiff in the ring, all big men are stiff in the ring. Warlord was still decent in the ring, I mean come on man, actually go back and watch that era of wrestling. Were there really any good in-ring wrestlers in those days? Who'd you have in the WWE, Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage and that was pretty much it?

Hold on a minute... you're saying during the 1980's the WWE didn't have good wrestlers? Harley Race? Roddy Piper? Bret Hart? British Bulldogs? Dusty Rhodes? Tito Santana? Should I go on??

Mic skills? Mic skills were fucking irrelevent in his era. Promos were rare, rare things in those days, the only people you'd see routinely cutting a promo would be the world champion, and even then you'd get maybe 10 promos in an entire year from the guy. You think Hulk Hogan had good mic skills in the 80s? Fuck no he didn't, those didn't come along until much later for him.

Did you even watch wrestling in the 1980's?!? Every single week on Wrestling Challenge featured star wrestlers facing jobber opponents. During those matches, in a little box on the top left corner of your screen, a promo would be cut by the someone that was feuding with that superstar. Not to mention all the promos that were cut in front of the digitized background with the wrestler's trademark avatar?!?

And you think Hulk's mic skills were bad?? Hogan's promos are still repeated and remembered by fans to this day!

Mic skills in the 80s = one of the most irrelevant skills a wrestler could have in the 1980s. Nobody paid to see people talk back then, they paid to see people wrestle. Big, stiff men.

I agree that people paid to see people actually "wrestle" back in the 1980's. They also paid to see a bunch of big, muscle-headed men play dress up as Vince's favorite superhero or villain. But, it still doesn't take away from the fact that the Warlord was shit in the ring.

The Powers of Pain were solid, don't give me this bullshit. So they couldn't do backflips, so what? In-ring ability isn't the only factor in making a good pro wrestler, in fact it's one of the least important.

So I guess being voted the Wrestling Observer's Worst Tag Team of the Year in 1989 doesn't make the Powers of Pain a bad tag team?

You think Hulk Hogan or Andre Giant were good in-ring workers? Fuck no they weren't, but you don't need to be in order to be a great PRO wrestler.

Agreed. And thanks for proving my point about the Warlord.

Powers of Pain had a slew of good matches in their time, don't hate on them just because they didn't have the moveset of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew or the agility of the Rockers.

I hate on them because they were shit. They only had good matches because their opponents were good. They faced the likes of the British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, LOD, and the Rockers (featuring Marty Jannety and arguably the greatest in-ring perfomer of our generation in Shawn Michaels.)

 

[Doomsday Device]

In my opinion guys like the Warlord, Barbarian, Hercules, and Dino Bravo, all fall on the same category. Besides having a million dollar body, they didnt have much else to offer.

They were just, a body.

Besides having the muscular physique fans couldnt find a reason to gain interest in them.

 

[X]

Hold on a minute... you're saying during the 1980's the WWE didn't have good wrestlers? Harley Race? Roddy Piper? Bret Hart? British Bulldogs? Dusty Rhodes? Tito Santana? Should I go on??

...Did you just call Dusty Rhodes a "good in ring-worker"? You're joking me, right? Go back and actually watch some old Dusty matches. They were shit, almost always. The only good matches the man EVER had were against Ric Flair, and Flair carried every one of those matches. Without Ric Flair, nobody gives a shit about Dusty Rhodes.

And Harley Race? One of the greatest wrestlers of all time. But in the WWF he was a jobber. He was there for less than two years with an absurd gimmick and made to feud with the likes of Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Junk Yard Dog. Harley Races WWF Tenure = Drivel.

But none of that means much, because as I said, the majority of wrestlers in the 80s were not good workers. They were stiff, and had movesets of about 20 moves. That's all they needed to have is my point. You didn't have to be a good in-ring worker to be a quality wrestler.

Did you even watch wrestling in the 1980's?!? Every single week on Wrestling Challenge featured star wrestlers facing jobber opponents. During those matches, in a little box on the top left corner of your screen, a promo would be cut by the someone that was feuding with that superstar. Not to mention all the promos that were cut in front of the digitized background with the wrestler's trademark avatar?!?

See, I wasn't aware that pre-taped (AND scripted) 30 second promos were being considered "mic skills" now. Steve McMichael could cut a great pre-taped and scripted promo as well, but we're not exactly going to call him a great promo cutter now are we?

Are you seriously going to tell me that there were more promos in the 80s than now? That's a giant load of bullshit. Love to hear you argue that one.

And you think Hulk's mic skills were bad?? Hogan's promos are still repeated and remembered by fans to this day!

Put away the nostalgia, and listen to those promos again. You seriously consider "Eat your vitamins, say your prayers and drink your milk!" to be "good promos"? Are you huffing gasoline?

I agree that people paid to see people actually "wrestle" back in the 1980's. They also paid to see a bunch of big, muscle-headed men play dress up as Vince's favorite superhero or villain. But, it still doesn't take away from the fact that the Warlord was shit in the ring.

And so was Hogan. But we wouldn't exactly call Hogan a shit wrestler now would we? There's a lot more that makes a great wrestler than in-ring skills.

So I guess being voted the Wrestling Observer's Worst Tag Team of the Year in 1989 doesn't make the Powers of Pain a bad tag team?

Oh great, another person who thinks Meltzer's words are the Gospel. I wasn't aware that Dave Meltzer was the fucking pope of wrestling and we had to follow his decrees.

Powers of Pain were quite enjoyable. Big man tag teams always are.

Agreed. And thanks for proving my point about the Warlord.

How did I prove your point? You mean the part where I said in-ring skills and mic work mean nothing? How does that help your side of the argument in any way? Some of the biggest wrestlers of all time have been shit in the ring. Hogan? Shit. Andre? Shit. Goldberg? Shit.

I hate on them because they were shit. They only had good matches because their opponents were good. They faced the likes of the British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, LOD, and the Rockers (featuring Marty Jannety and arguably the greatest in-ring perfomer of our generation in Shawn Michaels.)

Did you just call Shawn Michaels the greatest in-ring performer of our generation? I've been a huge mark for HBK since I was 6 years old, and even I know that's a crock of shit. I could name a dozen better in-ring workers off the top of my head, fucking Lance Storm was a better in-ring performer than HBK. But, thanks for proving my point that in-ring work isn't the most important factor in the making of a great wrestler, otherwise guys like Storm would be world champions wouldn't they?

I love how your idea of a great pro wrestler is strictly based on in-ring skills. Quite the naive viewpoint, and one that has been proven hopelessly wrong countless times on these forums.

 

[scoobyjrg1974]

Remembering the Mid Carders huh,
Wow if you thought the Warlord was good whtat did you think of Barry Horowitz?
Or even the Brookly Brawler Steve Lombardi?
Because they were just as good as he was if not better.

 

[IMarkOutForBarryHorowitz]

Warlord was a stereotypical 80s character wrestler - Big, slow, power guys with little to no mic skills and not that talented in the ring. That was what was popular back then (and unfortunately, Vince McMahon still has that mentality). Warlord didn't need mic skills when he had Slick as his manager.

Great wrester? Hardly. Great character? For his time, yes.

 

[D-Man]

...Did you just call Dusty Rhodes a "good in ring-worker"? You're joking me, right? Go back and actually watch some old Dusty matches. They were shit, almost always. The only good matches the man EVER had were against Ric Flair, and Flair carried every one of those matches. Without Ric Flair, nobody gives a shit about Dusty Rhodes.

As far as I'm concerned, Dusty Rhodes was an anomaly in the wrestling industry. Normally, someone needs more to go on than charisma and mic skills. But his were so superior that they made him a superstar. And for a man of his obesity, he moved like a cruiserweight and was very skilled in the ring. But, you have your opinion and I have mine. Kind of like when I said the Warlord was shit.

And Harley Race? One of the greatest wrestlers of all time. But in the WWF he was a jobber. He was there for less than two years with an absurd gimmick and made to feud with the likes of Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Junk Yard Dog. Harley Races WWF Tenure = Drivel.

It doesn't change the fact that you're wrong... again. However the WWE utilized him was irrelevant. Harley Race was a great wrestler in an era where you said the WWE had no great wrestlers besides Steamboat and Savage.

But none of that means much, because as I said, the majority of wrestlers in the 80s were not good workers. They were stiff, and had movesets of about 20 moves. That's all they needed to have is my point. You didn't have to be a good in-ring worker to be a quality wrestler.

True and also a good point. Perfect example: Batista.

See, I wasn't aware that pre-taped (AND scripted) 30 second promos were being considered "mic skills" now. Steve McMichael could cut a great pre-taped and scripted promo as well, but we're not exactly going to call him a great promo cutter now are we?

Oh, that's right. Because EVERY promo cut on WWE programming is live, right? You think the backstage segments are done live? There are few stars that could pull off those types of promos like Jericho, Trips, or the Rock. Besides them, all other bckstage promos were just as scripted as the ones I mentioned earlier.

Are you seriously going to tell me that there were more promos in the 80s than now? That's a giant load of bullshit. Love to hear you argue that one.

Did I ever say there were more promos in the 1980's than there are now? And where's all the hostility coming from? Smoke another one. It might relax you.

Put away the nostalgia, and listen to those promos again. You seriously consider "Eat your vitamins, say your prayers and drink your milk!" to be "good promos"? Are you huffing gasoline?

No, I'm watching Hogan talk to his audience through a camera and convince the audience that his matchups and feuds are the most important things happening on wrestling programming. Hence, the objection of cutting a promo. That is what they teach you in wrestling school.

And so was Hogan. But we wouldn't exactly call Hogan a shit wrestler now would we? There's a lot more that makes a great wrestler than in-ring skills.

Didn't I already agree with you on this point?

Oh great, another person who thinks Meltzer's words are the Gospel. I wasn't aware that Dave Meltzer was the fucking pope of wrestling and we had to follow his decrees.

It's a well-respected award given by a well-respected wrestling writer. But, I'm guessing you don't respect him much. Hell, I don't respect the Grammy Awards. I guess that means they don't mean jack shit, either.

Powers of Pain were quite enjoyable. Big man tag teams always are.

Thanks for your opinion. I think they were dogshit. I'm glad we cleared that up.

How did I prove your point? You mean the part where I said in-ring skills and mic work mean nothing? How does that help your side of the argument in any way? Some of the biggest wrestlers of all time have been shit in the ring. Hogan? Shit. Andre? Shit. Goldberg? Shit.

For the third time, agreed. But when you bring up stiff wrestlers versus "good in-ring wrestlers", I have to give some kind of argument against it. But, now I see that you're basically insinuating that all wrestlers of the 1980's basically sucked balls. Therefore, I disagree.

Did you just call Shawn Michaels the greatest in-ring performer of our generation?

Arguably, yes.

I've been a huge mark for HBK since I was 6 years old, and even I know that's a crock of shit. I could name a dozen better in-ring workers off the top of my head, fucking Lance Storm was a better in-ring performer than HBK. But, thanks for proving my point that in-ring work isn't the most important factor in the making of a great wrestler, otherwise guys like Storm would be world champions wouldn't they?

Now you're talking out of your ass and giving your personal opinions. I'm not even an HBK mark and I can't argue what he's done or what other think of him. This is the reason why I included the word 'arguably' into my statement. But, now that I know that X's opinions are "Gospel" (quoting someone I know) I guess I don't need to argue anymore.

I love how your idea of a great pro wrestler is strictly based on in-ring skills. Quite the naive viewpoint, and one that has been proven hopelessly wrong countless times on these forums.

And I love how you are constantly putting words in my mouth in order to prove your non-existing point. I never said in-ring skills are the only things that make a wrestler better than another. When I bashed the Warlord, I spoke of different factors that have been known to be the makeup of a great wrestler... overall look, in-ring skill, charisma, and promos. He definitely had the look but completely lacked in the other three areas.

 

[D-Man]

Remembering the Mid Carders huh,
Wow if you thought the Warlord was good whtat did you think of Barry Horowitz?
Or even the Brookly Brawler Steve Lombardi?
Because they were just as good as he was if not better.

I figured it was a good weekly thread that a lot of people would enjoy. It's basically a free forum for praising or making fun of all of the guys that never made it very far in the wrestling biz.

As for Barry and Steve, I'll get to them eventually But, let's stick to the Warlord for now.

 

[X]

As far as I'm concerned, Dusty Rhodes was an anomaly in the wrestling industry. Normally, someone needs more to go on than charisma and mic skills. But his were so superior that they made him a superstar. And for a man of his obesity, he moved like a cruiserweight and was very skilled in the ring. But, you have your opinion and I have mine. Kind of like when I said the Warlord was shit.

Very skilled in the ring? Go back, right now, and watch a Dusty Rhodes match from the NWA. He does his little Dusty Rhodes punches, a few bodyslams here and there, maybe a headlock...and thats it. Which again proves my side of this argument that you don't have to be a good in-ring worker to be a good wrestler. Dusty was pure DRIVEL in the ring, doesn't mean he wasn't a good wrestler. See how that works?

It doesn't change the fact that you're wrong... again. However the WWE utilized him was irrelevant. Harley Race was a great wrestler in an era where you said the WWE had no great wrestlers besides Steamboat and Savage.

For someone who clearly loves the 80s product, you seem to remember little of it. Harley Race was a shell of his former self by the time he got to the WWE, the man was a burnt out old man. So no D-Man, he wasn't a good in-ring worker with the WWE.

God forbid I forget every single quality in-ring worker in the WWE. Who gives a fuck how many they had? Does that in any way change my main point that the MAJORITY of the wrestlers at the time (and the majority of the most popular wrestlers in history) were shit in the ring? Andre the Giant was one of the most over men in the wrestling business, and my dead grandmother is better in the ring than he was.

True and also a good point. Perfect example: Batista.

So you agree with me than? So why are you arguing with me?

Oh, that's right. Because EVERY promo cut on WWE programming is live, right? You think the backstage segments are done live? There are few stars that could pull off those types of promos like Jericho, Trips, or the Rock. Besides them, all other bckstage promos were just as scripted as the ones I mentioned earlier.

No not every WWE promo is live, did I say that? No I didn't, so keep your words to yourself and stop shoving them in my mouth.

The best promo men cut their own promos, not scripted ones. Rock, Jericho, Foley? Always their own promos.

But again, this is irrelevant to my main point: you don't need mic skills to be a good pro wrestler. You used poor mic skills as a reason for why the Warlord sucked. And yet in this post, you now backtrack and say that mic skills aren't important because guys like Batista are on top? Well than why are you arguing with me if you've already admitted you're wrong and now agree with me? Why are we debating?

Did I ever say there were more promos in the 1980's than there are now?

You certainly insinuated it.

And where's all the hostility coming from? Smoke another one. It might relax you.

Clearly you've never seen me debate before if you think this is hostility. And I don't appreciate the smoke another one comment. That's right, because I smoke pot that must mean anything I say is wrong right? Like the Marijuana argument you were completely owned in?

Didn't I already agree with you on this point?

Again, if you agree with me, than WHY ARE YOU ARGUING WITH ME?

It's a well-respected award given by a well-respected wrestling writer. But, I'm guessing you don't respect him much. Hell, I don't respect the Grammy Awards. I guess that means they don't mean jack shit, either.

Well I agree the Grammys don't mean shit, but how can you compare the opinion of ONE man to the Grammys, an award show taken from over SIX THOUSAND people.

6000 People's Opinions > 1 Man's Opinion

Just because one critic says something is great/shit, doesn't make it true. Meltzer is all right, but his idea of a good pro wrestler is someone who knows 3000 different holds, which is just crap.

For the third time, agreed. But when you bring up stiff wrestlers versus "good in-ring wrestlers", I have to give some kind of argument against it. But, now I see that you're basically insinuating that all wrestlers of the 1980's basically sucked balls. Therefore, I disagree.

That's right, just keep shoving words into my mouth that I didn't say. I didn't realize that saying 3 of the biggest wrestlers (one of whom never even wrestled in the 80s) of all time were shit in the ring was the same thing as saying everyone from the 80s sucked. Where exactly are you getting this from?

Now you're talking out of your ass and giving your personal opinions. I'm not even an HBK mark and I can't argue what he's done or what other think of him. This is the reason why I included the word 'arguably' into my statement. But, now that I know that X's opinions are "Gospel" (quoting someone I know) I guess I don't need to argue anymore.

It's not a personal opinion, it's pretty much a fact. Oh sure, "technically" it's just an opinion. Technically saying Kurt Angle is a better technical wrestler than The Great Khali is just an "opinion" too isn't it? Doesn't mean it isn't true. Lance Storm's in-ring work puts HBK to absolute shame, and if you don't believe me I can cite you a dozen matches supporting that claim.

But that's right, I'm the one declaring my opinion is the gospel. Not like some people who start entire thread series declaring certain wrestlers shit without giving even a moderately intelligent explanation for why he was shit. I don't consider "he was shit in the ring and on the mic" to be a very good explanation.

And I love how you are constantly putting words in my mouth in order to prove your non-existing point. I never said in-ring skills are the only things that make a wrestler better than another. When I bashed the Warlord, I spoke of different factors that have been known to be the makeup of a great wrestler... overall look, in-ring skill, charisma, and promos. He definitely had the look but completely lacked in the other three areas.

I'M the one putting words in your mouth? You serious? You just said a minute ago that I had said that every wrestler in the 80s "sucked balls". Love to see where I said that. But right, I'm the one putting words in peoples mouths, got ya.

The Warlord and the Powers of Pain did exactly what they were meant to do: they made their opponents look great. THAT is what pro wrestling is about, not how many moves you know or whether you can do a fucking shooting star press or whether you can even speak English. And Charisma? Big men don't need charisma, Kane would be a perfect example of that. Didn't say one word and he was still one of the most over men on the entire roster.

Is the Warlord a great wrestler? No, and I never once claimed he was. But he played his role perfectly. Pro wrestling is a job, and he did his duties in that job perfectly fine.

 

[D-Man]

Ok, instead of citing every single entry I'm just going to backtrack and try to make some peace here.

First of all, this thread creation was supposed to be a FUN way for people to state their opinions on specific wrestlers that mid-carded throughout most of their careers. It was not meant to be one of those threads where you pick a post and shit all over it. State your opinion, I'll state mine and we'll be done with it at the end of the day.

I grew up in the 1980's and have been following the wrestling product very closely since Hulk Hogan won his first championship. I do not claim to be an expert, and if you read many of my other posts I've made that abundantly clear. However, I have wrestling experience both in a ring and from going to school to learn the craft. One specific factor does not make someone a superstar. Fact is that if you are "over" with a crowd, you are a good professional wrestler. Whether it was done by your mic skills, in-ring skills, charisma, what color tights you wear, who your father is, what your dog looks like... it's all irrelevant. If the crowd responds to you and pays to see you, you've done your job as a professional wrestler.

All of this debating and arguing is a waste of my time and yours, X. This debate comes down to nothing but opinions on both of our ends. You think the Warlord was worth remembering... I disagree. I think Dusty Rhodes was great in the ring... you disagree.

I think you're very solid on the forums and we've done 'battle' before. But my intention in creating this thread was not to use it as another battlefield. It's supposed to be fun, interactive and informative. So let's keep it that way, ok?

 

[Kane666]

I remember reading somewhere that Warlord was going to get a run with the IC title before he was in that accident.Anyways i always enjoyed his matches and i hoped that he and Barbarian would've gotten a run with the tag titles.no his mic skills were not great but i always loved the big men that could destroy their opponets.

 

[Fleisch]

Good thread. My opinions differ from yours though on the Warlord as I liked the character. Yeah he was stiff in ring but the guy scared me as a kid. He was big, mean and looked like he could kill anyone at any given stage. I'm not saying your wrong in what you say.

To me the era of ignorance was bliss in wrestling. This is actually the only wrestling site I come to anymore as alot of sites just find solace in completely ripping people apart and the members aren't open to anyone elses opinions, just their own narrowminded bullshit. Heaven forbid you don't agree with them!

But back on topic, I liked Warlord with Barbarian, especially their feud and double turn with Demolition (who along with Hart Foundation I loved back then). I guess when you're a kid you like the characters more than the wrestling itself.

 

[Tenta]

Ah.... The Warlord.... D-Man, this is terrific, and I think it's only fair to say I'm going upon an analysis of two different periods. There should be something said for being a mid card tag team, as opposed to a mid card singles wrestler.

As a tag team, The Powers of Pain were awesome. Sure, they were lumbering big men... But they were intimidating. To some extent, and I may get shat upon for this one, I find the Powers of Pain to be more intimidating than The Road Warriors. These were gargantuans that brought fury and anger in every blow they gave. Plus, the addition of Mr. Fuji was outstanding for the team. He fit so well as a master of torture, inflicting punishment on the PoP's opponents, and calling for his wrestlers to inflict more pain to their opponents. Plus, it gave them some sense of a mouth piece.... Yeah, I know, that may seem laughable, but Mr. Fuji was actually a pretty good listen sometimes. I don't know, I just liked his voice, to be honest. The only problem was, well, it had been done. The fact that The Road Warriors and Demolition were running around kind of killed any momentum this team could have had.

As for the Warlord himself... His biggest downfall was a lack of charisma. The guy seemed to have absolutely no personality to speak of whatsoever, and it showed in his matches. Some will say he's a big stiff.... And quite frankly, that's all he ever really had to be. The problem with The Warlord was not that he couldn't wrestle... He just couldn't get a crowd reaction worth a lick. Fans were neither frightened nor enthusiastic of the guy... He was just there. But he filled his role perfectly, and provided all that he was good for.

D-Man, I hope you continue this thread. It's good stuff. You have so many names to go about with Mid Card... Not to mention WCW, ECW.... D-Man, keep this up... please?

 

[dead_man]

Or should i say the war load as chris jericho called him in his book. i don't really remember alot about the warlord's career. i was very young when he showed up, the only matches i really remember him in were with barbarian as p.o.p. they were an ok tag team, but didn't have shit on the harts, rockers, and my favorite tag team of all time, THE MOTHER FUCKIN DEMOLITION .

I remember a couple of his single matches, at ss 90 when he basically squashed tito santanna with the power slam, i remember when that was his finisher, did they make him switch to the full nelson because bulldog started using the powerslam?

and i remember seeing bulldog carry him to a somewhat watchable match at wm 7.

damn i went off on that one, anyway, i think he was a shitty wrestler with an imposing physique. thats probably why vince signed him, as he gets off on those type of guys. he should've went to wcw before he got hurt, they probably would've made him the shock master. lmfao...