IrishCanadian25
Going on 10 years with WrestleZone
Folks, with the upcoming Wrestlezone tournament so close to us, I want to take a moment to ask you to pay some respect and appreciation to a class of wrestler often overlooked or dismissed in historical perspectives. These men are the Superheavyweights, or "SHW's" for short. I have been proudly carrying the SHW flag on these boards for over a year now, and this year will be no less the case.
They don't do lots of flips or high spots, and they don't win ladder matches. But they do capture and imagination of fans everywhere with their size, their dominance, and their ability to make smaller wrestlers look like absolute Gods. They are the Goliaths to your David. And in essence, they are the greatest thing to happen to professional wrestling.
This year, and you'll please pardon the expression, throw your weight behind these four men.
Big Van Vader
My idolitry of The Mastadon is no secret on these boards. In fact, I recently found it was the stuff of legend. The Vader Campaign HQ the original. A trip to last year's WZ Final Four following victories over Rob Van Dam (round of 32), Ric Flair (round of 16) and a Monster's Ball win over Steve Austin (round of 8).
The Greatest Superheavyweight in wrestling history was errantly dispatched by Randy Savage - by ONE VOTE.
Vader's list of accomplishments is the stuff of legend. A multiple time WCW World Champion. A winning record against Sting. The ability to do moonsaults and top rope splashes effortlessly. His debut in Japan - a wn over Antonio Inoki in moments. His first IWGP title - following four consecutive wins in a tournament. This man has the size and power to take on ANYBODY, the agility of a cruiserweight, the technique of a Hart, the brutality of the Butcher, and the mentorship of Harley Race.
He's the best wrestler over 400 lbs in history.
vs. Shinya Hashimoto (IWGP Tournament Finals)
[youtube]nt5Esq2Ehyw[/youtube]
Andre the Giant
The 8th Wonder of the World almost never lost a match. Long before King Kong Bundy or Paul Wight was doing it, Andre was sent into the ring against 3 men at a time, and manhandled them with little effort. Though best known for being on the receiving end of Hulk Hogan's iconic bodyslam at Wrestlemania 3, Andre was well known as the one man Hogan could not beat (save for that one match), and their August 1980 Shea Stadium match was proof. What a classic.
Andre had a reputation for being slow in the ring, mainly because mainstream fans didn't see him until his immense size had taken such a toll on his body that he could barely move. Many fans don't realize that at the end of his career, Andre was often confined to a wheelchair until it was time to wrestle. He'd go out, perform, and return to the wheelchair.
Furthermore, Andre is a man who, despite being a career Superheavyweight, could go for long periods of time. Andre has two 60-minute draws to his credit - vs. Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.
vs. Hulk Hogan in Japan
[youtube]3gA_U3NIs24[/youtube]
Yokozuna
While Vader was dominating Sting, Simmons, Smith, etc. in WCW, WWF had Yokozuna mowing down the competition. One of the best competitors EVER to pull off the anti-American gimmick, Yoko's weight ranged from 505 - 800+ lbs during his WWF stint, yet didn't stop him from completing high thrust kicks, spinning heel kicks, and a finisher from the second rope.
Yokozuna was so dominant, that announcers started reminding fans that nobody had yet knocked Yoko off of his feet in a one-on-one match. (Randy Savage accomplished it during the Royal Rumble, and then like an idiot tried to PIN Yokozuna. Yoko bench pressed him so hard that Savage vaulted over the top rope to the floor.) Finally Hacksaw Jim Duggan did it, for which he received 4 Banzai Drops - the last one with the US Flag draped over his almost lifeless body.
Yokozuna won the 1993 Royal Rumble and then defeated Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 9. He dropped the belt to Hogan that same night - his first singles loss. A few months later at King of the Ring, Yokozuna kicked out of Hogan's Leg Drop and finally squashed the Hulkster, putting him out of WWF until the weeks before Wrestlemania 18.
Yokozuna's immense size also led to one of the coolest booking events ever - the Bodyslam Challenge on the intrepid. With Yoko's help, Luger slammed Yoko and actually got over with WWF fans. Yoko also feuded with The Undertaker, defeating him in a Casket Match.
vs Hulk Hogan
[youtube]oZUsNFXFtUo[/youtube]
Bam Bam Bigelow
The only man who can rival Vader in SHW agility, Scott "Bam Bam" Bieglow is a former 2-time New Jersey State Wrestling Champion. Bam Bam debuted with WWF in 1987, as managers duked it out for his services. His first breakout, however, was at the innaugural Survivor Series as part of Hulk Hogan's team. After Hogan was eliminated, Bigelow single handedly took out King Kong Bundy AND One Man Gang, before finally falling to Andre the Giant.
After rehabbing a knee injury, Bam Bam and Vader won the IWGP Tag Team Titles as part of the legendary team "Big, Bad, and Dangerous." He returned to WWF in late 1992, and at the 1993 King of the Ring, reached the finals where he lost an epic match to Bret Hart. Despite being a Superheavyweight, you'd never have been able to tell with the way he seemlessly moved around the ring with Bret.
And of course, Bam Bam was a man with so much skill in the ring that the WWF placed him in the co-main event of Wrestlemania 11 with Lawrence Taylor. Imagine the compliment - Taylor, having NEVER wrestled before, is being placed into the Main Event of the biggest show of the year. WWF needs a guy who can work a servicable match with LT and also have the class and business saavy to put him over. That man was Bam Bam Bigelow.
Bigelow is a trye legend in Japan, as well as a former ECW great who held the ECW TV Title as part of The Eliminators, a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, and held a win over Taz. He is a 2-time WCW Tag Team Champion (w/ Kanyon and DDP, "The New Jersey Triad") and has held numerous titles internationally.
vs. Vader in Japan
[youtube]iroh9wHHFrw[/youtube]
There you have it. Folks, join the SUPERHEAVYWEIGHT REVOLUTION in the upcoming Wrestlezone Tournament!!!
They don't do lots of flips or high spots, and they don't win ladder matches. But they do capture and imagination of fans everywhere with their size, their dominance, and their ability to make smaller wrestlers look like absolute Gods. They are the Goliaths to your David. And in essence, they are the greatest thing to happen to professional wrestling.
This year, and you'll please pardon the expression, throw your weight behind these four men.
Big Van Vader
My idolitry of The Mastadon is no secret on these boards. In fact, I recently found it was the stuff of legend. The Vader Campaign HQ the original. A trip to last year's WZ Final Four following victories over Rob Van Dam (round of 32), Ric Flair (round of 16) and a Monster's Ball win over Steve Austin (round of 8).
The Greatest Superheavyweight in wrestling history was errantly dispatched by Randy Savage - by ONE VOTE.
Vader's list of accomplishments is the stuff of legend. A multiple time WCW World Champion. A winning record against Sting. The ability to do moonsaults and top rope splashes effortlessly. His debut in Japan - a wn over Antonio Inoki in moments. His first IWGP title - following four consecutive wins in a tournament. This man has the size and power to take on ANYBODY, the agility of a cruiserweight, the technique of a Hart, the brutality of the Butcher, and the mentorship of Harley Race.
He's the best wrestler over 400 lbs in history.
vs. Shinya Hashimoto (IWGP Tournament Finals)
[youtube]nt5Esq2Ehyw[/youtube]
Andre the Giant
The 8th Wonder of the World almost never lost a match. Long before King Kong Bundy or Paul Wight was doing it, Andre was sent into the ring against 3 men at a time, and manhandled them with little effort. Though best known for being on the receiving end of Hulk Hogan's iconic bodyslam at Wrestlemania 3, Andre was well known as the one man Hogan could not beat (save for that one match), and their August 1980 Shea Stadium match was proof. What a classic.
Andre had a reputation for being slow in the ring, mainly because mainstream fans didn't see him until his immense size had taken such a toll on his body that he could barely move. Many fans don't realize that at the end of his career, Andre was often confined to a wheelchair until it was time to wrestle. He'd go out, perform, and return to the wheelchair.
Furthermore, Andre is a man who, despite being a career Superheavyweight, could go for long periods of time. Andre has two 60-minute draws to his credit - vs. Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.
vs. Hulk Hogan in Japan
[youtube]3gA_U3NIs24[/youtube]
Yokozuna
While Vader was dominating Sting, Simmons, Smith, etc. in WCW, WWF had Yokozuna mowing down the competition. One of the best competitors EVER to pull off the anti-American gimmick, Yoko's weight ranged from 505 - 800+ lbs during his WWF stint, yet didn't stop him from completing high thrust kicks, spinning heel kicks, and a finisher from the second rope.
Yokozuna was so dominant, that announcers started reminding fans that nobody had yet knocked Yoko off of his feet in a one-on-one match. (Randy Savage accomplished it during the Royal Rumble, and then like an idiot tried to PIN Yokozuna. Yoko bench pressed him so hard that Savage vaulted over the top rope to the floor.) Finally Hacksaw Jim Duggan did it, for which he received 4 Banzai Drops - the last one with the US Flag draped over his almost lifeless body.
Yokozuna won the 1993 Royal Rumble and then defeated Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 9. He dropped the belt to Hogan that same night - his first singles loss. A few months later at King of the Ring, Yokozuna kicked out of Hogan's Leg Drop and finally squashed the Hulkster, putting him out of WWF until the weeks before Wrestlemania 18.
Yokozuna's immense size also led to one of the coolest booking events ever - the Bodyslam Challenge on the intrepid. With Yoko's help, Luger slammed Yoko and actually got over with WWF fans. Yoko also feuded with The Undertaker, defeating him in a Casket Match.
vs Hulk Hogan
[youtube]oZUsNFXFtUo[/youtube]
Bam Bam Bigelow
The only man who can rival Vader in SHW agility, Scott "Bam Bam" Bieglow is a former 2-time New Jersey State Wrestling Champion. Bam Bam debuted with WWF in 1987, as managers duked it out for his services. His first breakout, however, was at the innaugural Survivor Series as part of Hulk Hogan's team. After Hogan was eliminated, Bigelow single handedly took out King Kong Bundy AND One Man Gang, before finally falling to Andre the Giant.
After rehabbing a knee injury, Bam Bam and Vader won the IWGP Tag Team Titles as part of the legendary team "Big, Bad, and Dangerous." He returned to WWF in late 1992, and at the 1993 King of the Ring, reached the finals where he lost an epic match to Bret Hart. Despite being a Superheavyweight, you'd never have been able to tell with the way he seemlessly moved around the ring with Bret.
And of course, Bam Bam was a man with so much skill in the ring that the WWF placed him in the co-main event of Wrestlemania 11 with Lawrence Taylor. Imagine the compliment - Taylor, having NEVER wrestled before, is being placed into the Main Event of the biggest show of the year. WWF needs a guy who can work a servicable match with LT and also have the class and business saavy to put him over. That man was Bam Bam Bigelow.
Bigelow is a trye legend in Japan, as well as a former ECW great who held the ECW TV Title as part of The Eliminators, a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, and held a win over Taz. He is a 2-time WCW Tag Team Champion (w/ Kanyon and DDP, "The New Jersey Triad") and has held numerous titles internationally.
vs. Vader in Japan
[youtube]iroh9wHHFrw[/youtube]
There you have it. Folks, join the SUPERHEAVYWEIGHT REVOLUTION in the upcoming Wrestlezone Tournament!!!
