Dino Bravo bench press (Royal Rumble '88)

[The Warlord]

Thanks to the WWE network I'm on a Saturday Nights Main Event marathon...so awesome! But before that I watched the first ever Royal Rumble in 1988. Midway through the event....they had a segment with Dino Bravo and Jesse Venture with Mean Gene hosting on stage. This is what created the "Worlds Strongest Man" gimmick for Dino Bravo as he was attempting to break the bench press record on national TV.

Was this kayfabe or not? You know McMahon would have been over the moon to have one of his guys break the record in front of a national audience. But as most know, when he attempted the 715lb lift Jesse was there spotting him and helped him pull the bar up when he started to struggle. Mean Gene declared a new world record while McMahon stating that Jesse helped him. Vince might have called that on the spot and didn't plan for it...but since it was so obvious maybe he felt like he had to make that call.

To be honest...this is the first time I've watched this so I don't know the history nor have I done research on the internet. Just wanted your take on the it.

It's funny how Vince was so into bodybuilding and weight lifting in those days...as the very next year at the Rumble they had the posedown between Rude and Warrior.

Not the best Rumble...but glad I watched it. Jesse Ventura is awesome...and Dino was built like a brick shithouse!

 

[TheLittleOne]

btw a good spotter keeps his hands on the barbell the whole time not to help but to be there instantly if help is needed and to keep the bar & ur alignment of it straight.

i wish wwe would do more wild out of the ring segments that enhance the talent's character.. like Ted Dibiase buying dinner for the whole restaurant... more recently having Mark Henry pull the massive trucks.. awesome.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I've never heard it confirmed, but I would seriously doubt that any of the weights Bravo attempted during that angle were legit.

The entire atmosphere of the event screamed work, with Gene riling up the crowd by asking for quiet; Bravo constantly getting up and pacing around annoyed; the lack of any real oversight over what would have been an official world record otherwise. Jesse's all business demeanor the entire time was what sold it as potentially being a legit event. It was a departure from how he would normally act.

I've heard that Bravo could probably legit bench 500 lbs, but I wouldn't be surprised if they used a lot less real weight, and compensated with dummy plates to give the appearance of a higher weight on the bar. They wouldn't want to put the real weight at his max and run into a chance that he might not have been able to handle it on that particular day... especially during the warm ups where he was supposed to succeed on his own.

 

[ajdb]

From what I gather, it was a legitimate attempt, but because Bravo obviously fails on the last weight (it really would've made him the record holder).

If you watch closely, the bar bends which makes me think this was legit. I get the feeling though that either Vince didn't think he'd make the record or was disappointed he didn't.

Vince probably would've shouted it from the mountains had he actually gotten it, but since he didn't it's almost completely forgotten about.

Interestingly, 2 people who appeared on WWF programming also once held the world bench press record. Bruno and Ted Arcidi who appeared at WrestleMania 2. Infact, Bravo (if it was legit) was trying to break Arcidi's record.

 

[The Warlord]

Yeah I believe the weights were legit too. Of course Bravo was playing to the audience...he had to continue and build his heel persona. It definitely would have been a legendary moment had he broken that record.

I also agree with what the other poster said about the WWE bringing back segments like this to further enhance the characters. Nothing like 1980s WWF lol

 

[rmp0012002]

While it would have been great for WWF TV it wasn't a sanctioned event so it wouldn't have been a record if he did do it. I would say it was not real because at that weight multiple spotters would be needed to get the weight off Bravo if he failed.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

From what I gather, it was a legitimate attempt, but because Bravo obviously fails on the last weight (it really would've made him the record holder).

If you watch closely, the bar bends which makes me think this was legit. I get the feeling though that either Vince didn't think he'd make the record or was disappointed he didn't.

Vince probably would've shouted it from the mountains had he actually gotten it, but since he didn't it's almost completely forgotten about.

Interestingly, 2 people who appeared on WWF programming also once held the world bench press record. Bruno and Ted Arcidi who appeared at WrestleMania 2. Infact, Bravo (if it was legit) was trying to break Arcidi's record.

There is a slight bend in the bar, but nothing that would indicate that much weight.

Look at this video

[YOUTUBE]aX-YuvQkSRE?t=1m35s[/YOUTUBE]

See the bend on that bar? This was a legit attempt at a legit weight. Bravo's bar didn't have close to the bend Allen's does here.

Like I said. I've heard that Bravo could legit press 500, which is ridiculously impressive, but a far cry from 715. If I had to guess, for this angle they probably topped out around 450 lbs to add legitimacy, but also ensure that the entire thing worked.

And yeah, the angle was to have Bravo beat Arcidi's real World record, and start his strongest man in the world gimmick. They'd have never done it if Arcidi hadn't actually worked for them briefly and they'd made a big deal about hyping the fact that he was the record holder. Such a big deal in fact, that fans still remembered it a couple years later when this took place, despite the fact that Arcidi didn't work there too long, and never really got out of the prelims.

Stuff like this is what I loved about kayfabe though. They could do such a good job with an angle that even though you were 'pretty sure' it wasn't real, there was always that bit of doubt. Obviously they did a great job with this one if years later, there's still people convinced it was all real.

 

[The Warlord]

There is a slight bend in the bar, but nothing that would indicate that much weight.

Look at this video

[YOUTUBE]aX-YuvQkSRE?t=1m35s[/YOUTUBE]

See the bend on that bar? This was a legit attempt at a legit weight. Bravo's bar didn't have close to the bend Allen's does here.

Like I said. I've heard that Bravo could legit press 500, which is ridiculously impressive, but a far cry from 715. If I had to guess, for this angle they probably topped out around 450 lbs to add legitimacy, but also ensure that the entire thing worked.

And yeah, the angle was to have Bravo beat Arcidi's real World record, and start his strongest man in the world gimmick. They'd have never done it if Arcidi hadn't actually worked for them briefly and they'd made a big deal about hyping the fact that he was the record holder. Such a big deal in fact, that fans still remembered it a couple years later when this took place, despite the fact that Arcidi didn't work there too long, and never really got out of the prelims.

Stuff like this is what I loved about kayfabe though. They could do such a good job with an angle that even though you were 'pretty sure' it wasn't real, there was always that bit of doubt. Obviously they did a great job with this one if years later, there's still people convinced it was all real.

Lol well they definitely got me and Ive been watching since '89.

Ive done a little research and on a bodybuilding forum everyone was pretty much laughing about this saying the outsides plates were legit but the inside ones werent. Plus the bar would have bent alot more, much like what you said.

You're right about kayfabe though..,it was so much better back then. They gave 100% effort in to making an angle look real...just like the faces and heels traveling in different vehicles. Good ol days..

 

[MrTDG]

The questions have already been answered regarding the legitimacy of the event. But what I will say is this, of course it was worked, but the fact is you could watch it and "believe" in it. There is very little to believe in now. Little, simple segments like that go a loooong way in getting a character over and I wish we could see more of it.

 

[The Brain]

I love late 80s WWF but what a boring segment. I like the idea but this just went way too long. I understand having Bravo work his way up to the intended weight but this segment probably been cut in half and accomplished the same goal. Anyway, I always assumed this was a complete work simply because it was on WWF television. Remember Bravo was a heel so it would fit a heel character to take credit for an accomplishment he didn't truly achieve. For pretty much the rest of the year the face announcers argued Bravo had help while the heel announcers always denied it. Seemed like everything went according to plan.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

I remember on Prime Time Monday Night Wrestling with Monsoon and Heenan ( not sure if that was the name of the taped show, but something like that ) they had the massive Warlord on the show. He gets on the bench press and presses 500 pounds ten times...or twenty times. I can't remember exactly the numbers but I'll never forget how he did it, he didn't grab the bar.. he pressed the bar with his palms only. It was very impressive.