Shadowmancer's Wrestler of the Week: For a Limited Time only

[Shadowmancer]

Thats right the WOTW is being brought back for a small period of time to coincide with me trying to get out of studing for exams and to also educate you on numerous wrestlers that exist out there that you may not know but you should do. They will be from all over the world and there will be comments about each from me about them as well as a basic overview of what they have accomplished within their career as well as a grouping of their matches from YouTube and Daily Motion.

This means comments are wanted about the wrestler in question, whether you enjoy them or whether you don't, whether you think they are the greatest thing since Ben Hur Sliced Bread or whether you think they are the devil themselves comment, it makes this thread so much better.

The First of this limited run of WOTW will be up later on today and will be someone that is relevant today.

 

[Shadowmancer]

The First in this limited Run of Wrestler's of the Week is: Tommy Dreamer

Finishing and signature moves

* DDT, sometimes landing the opponent on the top of their head in a vertical position
* Dreamer Driver (WWF/E)[1] / Spicolli Driver (ECW) (Death Valley driver, sometimes proceeded by spinning the opponent around)
* Piledriver
* Sitout side powerslam
* TommyHawk (Reverse crucifix cutter) – ECW
* Cloverleaf
* Diving splash
* Fallaway slam
* Falling neckbreaker
* Inverted DDT, sometimes proceeded by a scoop lift
* Overhead gutwrench flipped sideways into a cutter
* Pumphandle suplex
* Running low–angle running dropkick to an opponent in the tree of woe position, usually preceded by shouting "ECW"
* Running one–handed bulldog
* Spinning sitout spinebuster

Signature foreign object

* Kendo stick

Managers

* Francine
* George
* Paul Heyman
* Jazz
* Alexis Laree
* Beulah McGillicutty
* Luna Vachon
* Kimona Wanalaya

Nicknames

* "The Innovator of Violence"
* "The Heart and Soul of ECW"
* "The O.G. of Extreme"

Championships and accomplishments

Border City Wrestling

- BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Century Wrestling Alliance

- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling

- ECW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ECW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Johnny Gunn (1), Raven (1) and Masato Tanaka (1)

International World Class Championship Wrestling

- IWCCW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with G.Q. Madison

International Wrestling Association

- IWA Hardcore Championship (1 time)

KYDA Pro Wrestling

- KYDA Pro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

- PWI ranked him #28 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000

Southwest Premier Wrestling

- SPW Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment

- ECW Championship (1 time, current)
- WWF/E Hardcore Championship (14 times)

Promos:

Tommy Dreamer Challenges Jerry Lawler

The Candle Wax promo

Matches:

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Rob Van Dam

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Johnny Nitro

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Brian Lee

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jack Swagger

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Big Daddy V

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jack Swagger pt.1
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jack Swagger pt.2

Tommy Dreamer Vs. The Sandman

Tommy Dreamer & Ivory Vs. Stevie Richards & Victoria

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Vampire Warrior

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Randy Orton

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Louie Spicolli

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Justin Credible pt.1
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Justin Credible pt.2

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jimmy Snuka pt.1
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jimmy Snuka pt.2

Tommy Dreamer Vs. MVP

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Balls Mahoney

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Chris Jericho

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Brian Lee

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven pt.1
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven pt.2

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Brock Lesnar

Tommy Dreamer & Dusty Rhodes Vs. Steve Corino & Jack Victory

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Stevie Richards

Tommy Dreamer Vs. The Big Show

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Big Boss Man

Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jerry Lawler pt.1
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jerry Lawler pt.2
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Jerry Lawler pt.3

Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk Vs. Raven & Cactus Jack pt.1
Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk Vs. Raven & Cactus Jack pt.2

My Thoughts:

I Like Tommy Dreamer, he is the Wrestler that portrays the average Joe Wrestler that wants to prove that he can do it and does it as opposed to The Sandman's Drunk man Saying that he can do that and Mickey Whipwreck's bizzare I can do it if I try really hard attitude. Dreamer has a solid skillset and has been involved in one of the great feuds of the 90s with the feud with Raven. He has a great mind for the business and this just scratches the surface of Dreamer's matches.

 

[klunderbunker]

Dreamer certainly is an underrated worker. His feud with Raven is just epic to say the least. They went at it for so long and had so many big moments that it's hard to overlook them. However, Dreamer is the guy that's forgotten in history as Raven is said to be this great wrestler and character but what would he have been without a rival like Dreamer? Him never winning the original ECW Title (practically) was one of the best booking decisions I've ever heard of. Either way, he was amazing to say the least and still is. He's not flashy or anything like that. he just goes out there and wrestles. In soem cases, that's the best thing and in his case it certainly was.

 

[RVDgurl]

Tommy Dreamer will always have a piece of my heart because he really does represent what ECW was all about. Tommy has always been an underdog his whole career and his recent win of the ECW is certainly a testament to his hard work and dedication to the business.

Tommy has made a rather successful career out of making people look good, which is really a lost art. There are very few people out there who are considered to be in the top portion of the talent pool (which he is on ECW) and lose a large majority of their matches.

Over his career, he has been involved in some of the greatest fued in wrestling. Tommy Dreamer v. The Sandman may have single handedly changed the face of the wrestling business as we know it. This fued broke down the walls of kayfabe and blurred the lines between good guys and bad guys.

Tommy Dreamer does not get the credit he deserves for his contributions to the wrestling business. Thanks, Shadow, for picking Tommy for the WOTW!!

 

[jmt225]

Tommy Dreamer is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. As a straight man, I'm not embarrassed in the least bit to say that I love this dude to death.

There's not a person more in the professional wrestling World I respect more as a person than Tommy Dreamer. The guy could've been anything he wanted. He came from a very rich family from what I understand, and he's a very, very intelligent person. But he loved pro wrestling and that's all he wanted to do. Nothing could stop him from accomplishing his dream of becoming a successful professional wrestler, and nothing did. You can't help but respect someone like that.

Then you add in his loyalty to ECW. At anytime in 1996 and above he could've gone to WWE or WCW. But he stayed loyal to Paul Heyman and the ECW fans. No matter how much money they would offer him, no matter what promises they would make... Tommy Dreamer never left ECW. Some might call him a mark for that and or an idiot, but you know what? At the end of the day, it worked out for him. Even with telling WWE to go fuck themselves countless times by rejecting their offers, when ECW went out of business... WWE still wanted him. And while in WWE... he's won championships, main evented Raw at Madison Square Garden, and has secured himself a job basically for life, as either an on-screen talent, or doing something backstage.

And in all this, I'm talking about him as a person... shit, as wrestler, the guy was also awesome. He had some of the most fun matches, angles, and storylines to ever take place in the history of the industry, in my opinion. And he gave it his all every single night to put on the best performance he possibly could, and it paid off because the guy always gave the people their money's worth. That's what being a professional wrestler is all about, and that's why you made the perfect choice Shadow in picking Tommy Dreamer as your first selection for the resurrection of 'Wrestler of the Month'.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Tommy Dreamer is the epitome of a "company man." He did everything ECW and WWE asked him to do with a smile on his face and he never complained about his position with the company. I'm glad to see him as ECW Champion even though it is not the same ECW he made his name in. It's unclear whether he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but if he is it would be a good choice. If he isn't, he will always be remembered by millions of wrestling fans.

 

[Shadowmancer]

This weeks Wrestler of the Week is: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Finishing and signature moves

* Bridging dragon suplex
* Cloverleaf
* Dragon sleeper, sometimes with a hammerlock
* High Fly Flow (Frog splash)
* Kinkasan Suplex (Bridging high–angle German suplex)
* Sling Blade (Standing or a running sleeper slam, sometimes from the top rope)
* Bridging / Release underhook suplex
* Dragon screw
* Enzuigiri
* Lightning Speed Cradle (Running inside cradle or an Irish whip followed into an inside cradle)
* Rolling German suplexes
* Shining wizard
* Snap swinging neckbreaker to a rope hung opponent
* Suicide dive
* Swinging falling reverse DDT

Championships and accomplishments

New Japan Pro Wrestling

- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Yutaka Yoshie (1) and Shinsuke Nakamura (1)
- IWGP U-30 Championship (2 times)
- G1 Climax (2007)
- New Japan Cup (2005, 2008)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

- PWI ranked him #20 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008

Pro Wrestling Noah

- GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Yuji Nagata

Matches:

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Yuji Nagata

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Hirooki Goto pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Hirooki Goto pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Hirooki Goto pt.3

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura pt.3
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura pt.4
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura pt.5

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.3

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Harry Smith

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Keiji Mutoh pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Keiji Mutoh pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Keiji Mutoh pt.3
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Keiji Mutoh pt.4

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.3

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Giant Bernard pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Giant Bernard pt.2

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Roderick Strong

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.2

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Manabu Nakanishi pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Manubu Nakanishi pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Manubu Nakanishi pt.3

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kurt Angle pt.2
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.3
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Kurt Angle pt.4

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.1
Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. AJ Styles pt.2

My Thoughts:

While I don't know much about Hiroshi Tanahashi this is a way of me learning about him, I will be watching the matches that are put up after my exams and I will give proper thoughts on him, but from what I have seen of him he is solid and has a look that anyone would want as face of their company. Randy Orton-esque in terms of my initial feelings about him, I will look into him with great interest, recommendations would be welcomed as well.

 

[jmt225]

I am a HUGE fan Hiroshi Tanahashi. He is by far my favorite wrestler in Japan currently, and has been for quite sometime.

I actually first saw him on TNA against AJ Styles back in like 2005 or 2006, and after seeing that... I sought out more stuff from him and I'm glad I did because the guy is simply awesome. I've always dug guys like Kobashi, Misawa, Kawada, and Muta, Tajiri, and Jushin Liger... but really, by the time I found Tanahashi, I wasn't following the current state of Japanese pro wrestling like I had tried in the nineties. I mostly just stuck with the old stuff, but when I saw more of Tanahashi's work against guys like Manabu Nakanishi, Nakamura, Nagata, and others... my passion for Japanese pro wrestling was rejuvenated. Also, when I read his story about being stabbed by his girlfriend, who was a news reporter of all things, and then made a return to the sport not to long after... my respect for him just kept rising and rising.

The guy is a true icon in Japan and will hopefully get more recognition on these boards thanks to you Shadow.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

The current face of New Japan, and arguably the man with the brightest future in Japan (I'd say Go Shiozaki is a close second, though). I'm not very enthusaistic about him, but, I will give him three things: a) he has a great look; b) he has loads of charisma (a and b together make me think that McMahon would be very interested in bringing Tanahashi over to wrestle for him); c) when against the right opponent, he can have stiff and brutal matches that remind me why I love Japanese professional wrestling so much.

Tanahashi's still relatively young (he'll be turning 33 this year), and he's just now around the age where Japanese wrestlers enter their primes. I think the jury's still out on him; he hasn't done anything that makes me anxiously await every match that he's in, but what he's done so far bodes very well for the near future.

 

[Shadowmancer]

This Weeks Wrestler of the Week is: The Iron Sheik

Finishing and signature moves

* Camel clutch
* Boston crab, sometimes while lifting and swinging the opponent back and forth
* Hip toss
* Multiple suplex variations

* Belly to back
* Belly to belly
* Gutwrench

* Short–arm clothesline

Managers

* The Grand Wizard
* Sonny King
* Freddie Blassie
* Slick

Championships and accomplishments

Georgia Championship Wrestling

- NWA National Television Championship (1 time)

International Association of Wrestling

- IAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Brian Costello

Maple Leaf Wrestling

- NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (2 times)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA All-Star Wrestling

-NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with The Texas Outlaw

NWA New Zealand

- NWA New Zealand British Commonwealth Championship (1 time)

NWA 2000

- NWA 2000 American Heritage Championship (1 time)

Pacific Northwest Wrestling

- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bull Ramos

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

- PWI ranked him #134 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him #96 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with the Nikolai Volkoff in 2003

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment

- WWF Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Nikolai Volkoff
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

- Most Underrated Wrestler (1980)

Promos:

Iron Sheik Shoot Interview

Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff & Freddie Blassie on Piper's pit

Matches:

Iron Sheik Vs. Hulk Hogan pt.1
Iron Sheik Vs. Hulk Hogan pt.2

Iron Sheik Vs. Bob Backlund

Iron Sheik vs. Pistol Pez Whatley

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Koloff Vs. The Killer Bees

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff Vs. Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo

Iron Sheik Vs. Hulk Hogan

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff Vs. Tito Santana & Pedro Morales

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff Vs. The British Bulldogs

Col. Mustafa Vs. Sid Justice

Iron Sheik Vs. Tito Santana pt.1
Iron Sheik Vs. Tito Santana pt.2

Iron Sheik Vs. Butch Reed

My Thoughts:

Well I have done current, I have done Japanese, I may as well go Old School with this week. Iron sheik is One of the most colourful wrestlers out there to say the least with more videos devoted to his rants of making someone humble by anal raping them while at the same time calling them ******s. He has been a part of the two most important events of the 80s in Wrestling, the Arnold Skaaland Towel throw in against Bob Backlund and the match against Hulk Hogan.

 

[BooCocky]

I was never a fan of the Iron Sheik but I guess I really wasn't able to see him while he was active. The Sheik I got to see was basically a shadow of his former self. His stick work is pretty good and he is a very colorful man. His heel work though was top notch. He was the definition of a heel, he just had that natural ability to get you to despise him. I wonder if the wars had anything to do with it? Also, it's a shame, most people nowadays are going to remember him by his rants on the Howard Stern Show, but from what I saw he was a good wrestler, in his own right...

 

[IrishCanadian25]

It can be argued that Iron Sheik essentially INVENTED the transitional champion. So when Edge wakes up every morning, he can look back at The Iron Sheik for inspiration.

In classic heel fashion, Sheik defeated uber-babyface Bob Backlund utilizing a submission hold without Backlund ever actually submitting. Bob had an 8-year run as WWF Champion, and was truly WWF's best option for a champion who could draw until Vince found Hulk Hogan. But since, at the time, it was truly unheard of for a top babyface to go over another top babyface for the title (WM 6 may have been a first), Hogan needed to give himself babyface cred by defeating a hated heel.

Who better than Sheik?

In essence, Sheik helped to set the tone for Hulkamania. Remember, only a year prior, Hogan was a heel managed by Fred Blassie. He feuded with top babyface Andre the Giant. WWF had to find a way to undo all of that, make Hogan a credible face, and get him over as champion.

What they gave Hogan was a chance to also embrace the country. Sheik was one of the best anti-American heels of mainstream wrestling, along with Nikoli Volkoff, the Bolsheviks, and the Original Sheik. Hogan going over Sheik for the title in the heart of Madison Square Garden helped turn Hogan into the American hero that would shape him for decades.

Often overlooked was Sheik's work as Col. Mustafa. Not as a wrestler, but as a character. Can anyone truly picture any other situation where Sgt. Slaughter would be WWF Champion? Surely no. But with Sheik playing the Mustafa role, Slaughter seemed enhanced. Somehow even MORE evil. And who was there to clean up the peices and take Sheik out again? That's right, Hogan was.

Sheik is inexorably linked with Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, and Howard Stern. For a transitional champion, that's not bad company to keep.