WCW Los Angeles, Round 1, Match 3: #14 Lou Thesz vs. #51 Disco Inferno
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klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
Disco was not a bad wrestler. People forget that he actually has quite a resume: Cruiserweight Champion, 2 time TV Champion, Tag Champion. A lot of wrestlers would love to have that resume. Also factor in this: his gimmick was one of if not the dumbest of all time. He managed to last six years with the company and was never fired or let go. He left the company because it went out of business, then he had a fairly decent run in TNA for another 5 years. That's 11 years in the business he loved on a gimmick that was just plain ridiculous. Not to mention he has a place in our hearts as how many other former WCW Title holders could you speak to somewhat regularly?
However, this is Lou Thesz. Gilbertti loses in about 3 minutes if he's lucky. Thesz is a god in the ring and this one isn't even close.
However, this is Lou Thesz. Gilbertti loses in about 3 minutes if he's lucky. Thesz is a god in the ring and this one isn't even close.
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
The Great Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion. Being a former world champion or having a truck load full of championships doesn't necessarily mean much.
I will agree that some of Disco's skills are legitimately looked over and undermined by one of the most god awful gimmicks in wrestling history, but we're talking about Lou Thesz here. Arguably the single greatest World Champion in pro wrestling history, longest NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign in history, arguably the most legitimate World Champion in history and spent most of the 50s unifying the various regional "world" titles into a single title. Thesz was the foundation of the National Wrestling Alliance. One of the true and legitimate all time great workers and champions vs. potentially the biggest "never was" in history. Thesz has this blind folded and with both hands tied behind his back.
I will agree that some of Disco's skills are legitimately looked over and undermined by one of the most god awful gimmicks in wrestling history, but we're talking about Lou Thesz here. Arguably the single greatest World Champion in pro wrestling history, longest NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign in history, arguably the most legitimate World Champion in history and spent most of the 50s unifying the various regional "world" titles into a single title. Thesz was the foundation of the National Wrestling Alliance. One of the true and legitimate all time great workers and champions vs. potentially the biggest "never was" in history. Thesz has this blind folded and with both hands tied behind his back.
I decided that my time would be better spent preping for the inevitable Thesz/Sting showdown than in making a lengthy case here.
The most I was prepared to do was to dig out a quote from the great man. In the last documentary Thesz participated in prior to his death, he remarked that;
It's not terribly relevant, but since he's up against Disco I figured I might as well throw it out there.
Thesz was a wrestling god, both inside and outside the ring. Thesz worked in a time before national television, before the birth of the international obsession with celebrity, before [insert factor here]... before all of that, Lou Thesz managed to become an international icon.
People underestimate how charismatic the man could be (if you read his interviews or take a look at his book, you'll find him to be one of the most articulate guys in the business) but I think we can safely say that Lou Thesz didn't become the most over guy the business had ever seen based on his charisma. His match with Rikidozan didn't draw an 87.2 in Television ratings based on the promos he cut before hand. He didn't hold the most prestigious title in wrestling for 10 years based on his interaction with the fans...
To steal a one liner, Thesz accomplished all of the above for one simply reason. He was that damn good.
In both kayfabe and real life he was the most talented wrestler the business had ever seen. He beat everybody from that generation that there was to beat, be it Rickidozan, Harley Race (I think), Buddy Rogers or Bruno Sammartino. Even after his 60th and 70th birthday Thesz could still go with the best of them, putting on matches with Japanese legend Inoki, and future legend and protege Chono.
Thesz invented more holds than alot of wrestler even know (allthough I strongly contest the assertion that he even used the Lou Thesz press) and when compared against a man who required a flip chart to remember how to perform his finisher, I think the difference in technical ability is not something that needs to be talked about.
Goofy charisma aside, there is no aspect of professional wresting where Disco can legitimately be compared to Thesz, and as bag a fan as I am of the man (exclusively for his Wrestlezone work, he was epic) there is simply no way that he wins this match.
I guess I went slightly longer than was planned.
Vote Thesz.
The most I was prepared to do was to dig out a quote from the great man. In the last documentary Thesz participated in prior to his death, he remarked that;
It's not terribly relevant, but since he's up against Disco I figured I might as well throw it out there.
Thesz was a wrestling god, both inside and outside the ring. Thesz worked in a time before national television, before the birth of the international obsession with celebrity, before [insert factor here]... before all of that, Lou Thesz managed to become an international icon.
People underestimate how charismatic the man could be (if you read his interviews or take a look at his book, you'll find him to be one of the most articulate guys in the business) but I think we can safely say that Lou Thesz didn't become the most over guy the business had ever seen based on his charisma. His match with Rikidozan didn't draw an 87.2 in Television ratings based on the promos he cut before hand. He didn't hold the most prestigious title in wrestling for 10 years based on his interaction with the fans...
To steal a one liner, Thesz accomplished all of the above for one simply reason. He was that damn good.
In both kayfabe and real life he was the most talented wrestler the business had ever seen. He beat everybody from that generation that there was to beat, be it Rickidozan, Harley Race (I think), Buddy Rogers or Bruno Sammartino. Even after his 60th and 70th birthday Thesz could still go with the best of them, putting on matches with Japanese legend Inoki, and future legend and protege Chono.
Thesz invented more holds than alot of wrestler even know (allthough I strongly contest the assertion that he even used the Lou Thesz press) and when compared against a man who required a flip chart to remember how to perform his finisher, I think the difference in technical ability is not something that needs to be talked about.
Goofy charisma aside, there is no aspect of professional wresting where Disco can legitimately be compared to Thesz, and as bag a fan as I am of the man (exclusively for his Wrestlezone work, he was epic) there is simply no way that he wins this match.
I guess I went slightly longer than was planned.
Vote Thesz.
Gelgarin could put it far better than I could, but I really cannot emphasise enough that Lou Thesz would win this easily. Disco Inferno was quite entertainig in WCW and quite an interesting wrestler, he also was quite successful. But anything he did pales into insignificance in this match, and if he still posts here and sees this, I'm sure there'd be no shame in going out to one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Yeah... the only way Lou Thesz loses here is if he falls asleep during Disco's long, drawn-out ridiculous entrance. But, Thesz is too intense to let that happen.
Anyway, I don't think Disco is as bad as a lot of people make him out to be, but at the same time, his 'defenders' make him seem better then he actually was, as well. The truth is, the only thing Disco was ever really good at was taking bumps, which is why I like this match-up to begin with. It doesn't matter if he's facing Thesz in his prime, or Thesz when he was 64, Disco would make the guy look great with his bumps, and that's all his job would've been that night: Bump for one of the greatest to ever step foot in a pro wrestling ring. Thesz easily picks up the win here.
Anyway, I don't think Disco is as bad as a lot of people make him out to be, but at the same time, his 'defenders' make him seem better then he actually was, as well. The truth is, the only thing Disco was ever really good at was taking bumps, which is why I like this match-up to begin with. It doesn't matter if he's facing Thesz in his prime, or Thesz when he was 64, Disco would make the guy look great with his bumps, and that's all his job would've been that night: Bump for one of the greatest to ever step foot in a pro wrestling ring. Thesz easily picks up the win here.
Wow, no one really cares about this match,a nd i can't say I blame them. I was waiting for Sly to come in here and give us a reason on why the Disco Dancing Fool would beat Lou Thesz, but alas my hopes have gone unanswered.
In short, Lou Thesz is considered a wrestling god. He's pretty mucht he man that launched the NWA, and it was the #1 entity in American wrestling for the better part of 4 Decades. While the NWA maybe a former shadow of it's once illustrious self, it still exist, which is more then what a lot of companies that have come and gone over the last half century, and it was built on the credibility of Thesz as champion. Disco Sucks.
In short, Lou Thesz is considered a wrestling god. He's pretty mucht he man that launched the NWA, and it was the #1 entity in American wrestling for the better part of 4 Decades. While the NWA maybe a former shadow of it's once illustrious self, it still exist, which is more then what a lot of companies that have come and gone over the last half century, and it was built on the credibility of Thesz as champion. Disco Sucks.
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