WCW Region, Lexington Subregion, First Round: (6) Mick Foley vs. (27) Bobo Brazil

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the WCW Region, Lexington Subregion. It is a standard one on one match held under WCW Rules. It will be held at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

#6. Mick Foley

Vs.

#27. Bobo Brazil

​

Polls will be open for three days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Dave]

Bobo Brazil is one of the most successful black athletes in the history of wrestling. That's what I know about Bobo Brazil. And although he has to take some of the credit for breaking get down some of the racial stereotypes in wrestling, he's going up against someone that I know a lot more about. And someone who is known for being one of the most unconventional, entertaining and talented wrestlers in the history of wrestling.

Mick Foley is a former World Champion and a legend in the industry. His legacy is far beyond anything that Bobo accomplished but that's not a knock on Brazil, merely a representation of just how good Mick Foley was. I see Foley going very far in this tournament and it all starts with a pretty easy win here.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I love Mick Foley but I feel that the fact that Bobo Brazil was a top regional performer and the holder of the secondary belt in the WWWF for ridiculously long periods of times at a time when the colour of his skin was virtually a handicap trumps Mick's transitional reigns.

 

[Bagpipes]

Not only was Foley over as Mick Foley during his RAW GM days, he got over with three separate gimmicks, all performing at or near the top of whichever promotion he was in at the time. Just think about the magnitude of one person having high levels of success with three characters, mostly during a time when the WWE roster was as deep as it ever had been.

The memorable moments are endless, the comedy gold legendary.

Brazil has an impressive resume of championships and honors, WWF & NWA Hall of Famer among them. Undoubtedly an insanely courageous and proud human being, transcending racial boundaries at a time when societal constraints attempted to prohibit any of the like to become a worldwide superstar is an extremely respectable and admirable feat.

Foley gets my vote because I saw him get broken in half, with God as my witness.

 

[Lowdown]

Mick Foley will win this round, but I'm gonna vote for Bobo Brazil here. Granted, Foley had more mass appeal; there's no denying this notion. But from the stories my mother used to tell as well as what I've read through the years, Bobo was very well respected throughout his career. The downside is, like previously stated, he was more of a regional star, and that will unfortunately be his Achilles heel. Still, Brazil will get my vote.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Brazil has an impressive resume of championships and honors, WWF & NWA Hall of Famer among them. Undoubtedly an insanely courageous and proud human being, transcending racial boundaries at a time when societal constraints attempted to prohibit any of the like to become a worldwide superstar is an extremely respectable and admirable feat.

This is very true, and Bobo deserves huge respect and admiration for doing what he did, as there was hardly anyone else who was capable of doing it. If he wins this it wouldn't be undeserved.

However, I also have huge admiration for Mick Foley. A guy who was also told "you can't do it"- looking like he doesn't have an athletic bone in his body, Foley dragged his battered body around the globe, in some of the most disgusting matches you could ever hope to see, all for the dream of becoming the WWE Champion...and he did it. 3 times. His Championship win is possibly the best "feel good moment" in WWE history.

Foley was incredibly talented, getting 3 totally different characters over in WWE as well as becoming one of the most loved wrestlers in history and helped to make so many stars as well as becoming one himself.

I can understand why Brazil may win this, but personally I'm voting for St Mick.

 

[stingray11214]

Mick Foley was, and remains, an icon in professional wrestling. Whether he came out as Cactus Jack, Mankind, or just plain 'ol Mick Foley, one can rest assured that you will see one hell of a match, if not a war. His books broke him into the mainstream. He popularity was such that when Eric Bischoff opened his pie hole ans said that Foley would win the WWE Strap, the ratings for Monday Nitro fell like a lead balloon instantaneously. Foley is still very much sought after to this very day, even if it is to just stand around and make an appearance (He is currently the PWS on-screen Commissioner). His legacy will last for a long time.

However, this matchup is like pitting Ryne Sandberg against Jackie Robinson. Both had Hall of Fame careers at Second Base. However, as great as his career was, nobody will choose Sandberg over Jackie.

Bobo Brazil came at a time when doors were usually closed. He broke into Pro Wrestling after being trianed by Joe Savoldi in 1951. From there, he was limited to wrestling to wrestling only other African-Amercians. But, fans started clamoring to have him face anybody, anytime, anyplace. So, he would wrestle the like of Killer Kowalski, The Sheik,, Johnny Valentine, and even Bruno Sammartino in a battle of faces. On October 18, 1962, Brazil would make history by defeating Buddy Rogers for the NWA World Strap. But, as it was only in the dawn of the Civil Rights era, Rogers claiming "injury", and the NWA promoters balking at having a black man as its World Champ, the change, to the NWA's eternal shame, would never be recognized. He would win the WWWF US Title a record 7 times, and win top titles everywhere he went.

But, the true testament of greatness is his legacy: Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd, The Junkyard Dog and Sweet Brown Sugar will all tell you the impact Brazil had on them personally. You would not have The Rock, Booker T, or the New Day if Bobo Brazil did not blaze the trail. And, one August night in 1992, in a place called Baltimore, Md. once was the capital of a slave state, Ron Simmons would become the first rcognized African American World Heavyweight Champion, righting a wrong committed long ago. Simmons would not have made history on that summer night, if Brazil did not open the door.

Yes, Foley deserves his place in the pantheon of the greats. And, with the younger crowd around here, he might actually win this. But, you would not have many of your stars that we cheer for today, if Bobo Brazil was not there to open the door. It is Brazil's legacy that will stand the test of time. You want to know who to thank for The Rock, Booker T, The New Day, ACH, Cedric Alexander, and Ron Simmons? Then, go to a cemetery in St. Joseph, Michigan. Look for a gravestone that says "Houston Harris", which was Brazil's real name. Then, get on your knees, and thank that man.

Vote for Brazil.

 

[Tastycles]

Mick Foley is and was great, but his popularity stemmed from the fact that he was a fat loser excelling in an endeavour whose fan base is a load of fat losers. Anyone could do what he did, but only he did. This isn't a slight on him - like I said, only he had the balls to do the stuff he did, but ultimately I don't think he was particularly groundbreaking in his approach except that he was likeable enough to be a hardcore wrestler in the WWF title picture.

On the other hand you have Bobo Brazil. It's not difficult to see the contrast between him and the wrestling audience of the 1960s. Brazil was a trailblazer and he is rightly revered for his career.

Ultimately, what I'm saying is this. Both of these men were supremely popular and talented wrestlers, but Bobo did so in the face of a potentially hostile audience, whereas Foley was basically performing to an audience of people like himself in every way.

 

[Big Sexy]

Others have already done a great job talking about BoBo's legacy so I'll bring up another reason to vote for him. The closest thing to a Mick Foley type of legend in the 60s and 70s was The Sheik. The Sheik was hardcore before hardcore even existed. One of his biggest rivals happened to be Bobo Brazil. When it came to there matches, Brazil came out on top the majority of the time.

Both have great legacies but Bobo's is greater. That coupled with the successes he had over The Sheik gives Bobo the edge.

 

[HurriKane]

I had to go with Mick Foley, not just because he's my favorite wrestler, but man he's given so much for the wrestling business. Famous not only here in America, but for his deathmatches in Japan as well. His promos were amazing, you will never find a boring Mick Foley match, and the fact that he would nearly kill himself just to inflict just a small amount of pain in his opponent, is crazy. Also being the most unlikely WWE Champion of all time, is pretty awesome as well. Have to go with Mick Foley, no disrespect to Bobo of course.

 

[Big Sexy]

Other than "I like Mick Foley" or "I don't know about Bobo" can anyone come up with a good argument that Foley should win? And no, "he's hardcore" is not a good argument. I like Mick as much as the next guy but he wouldn't win here.

Foley always put on great performances but he also lost a lot. Even his three WWE title reigns weren't anything to write home about. In fact they lasted a total of just 47 days. Foley always gets overrated and over seeded in this tournament because he's likeable and put his body on the line more than most. All of that is great, but it doesn't win you a lot of matches in a tournament with the best wrestlers in history.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I think Foley's career and accomplishments are overshadowed by the fact that he was in the same pool as the Rock and Austin. And yet, to survive and even thrive in that environment is a testament to the ability, all round ability to entertain at a base level possessed by Foley.

He wasn't the top star when he was at his height, but had it been another time, he would've been. His promo work was in many ways ground-breaking and revolutionary. It followed on from the work of Jake Roberts but put a completely original spin on the deranged character from a perspective of sympathy. If anything, Foley is undervalued for the marks he's left in the business. Even his post-retirement wrestlemania matches are classics to this day.

He was the guy that transcended the ECW hardcore style and knew how to use it mean something a whole lot more than what it could be abused to mean. I don't subscribe to the idea that without Bobo Brazil we wouldn't have x, y and z. I also think you have to assess each person based on their individual merits. You evaluate Mick Foley as a wrestler and Bobo Brazil as a wrestler and Foley comes out on top.

 

[deem]

I just made a mistake. Voted Bobo without backing up some information. I was on board with Foley's win loss being relatively poor, Brazil being underrated and trail blazing, was finally swung by Bobo's supposed dominance over The Sheik. Let me correct that - Sheik actually had the better win/loss of the two. 22 wins to 16. Now i love me some Sheik, really think it's outrageous he's never had a shot in this tournament, but Mrs' Foleys Baby Boy he is not. He's not a multi-time world champion - plus, Foley is someone who would split the crowd against Brazil more than most, as one of the most popular stars of all time.

I fully believe I've incorrectly voted for Bobo, and I urge everyone to correct it and vote Foley.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Foley, and because of the fact that he actually went over despite looking like he did, but with his charisma and crazy antics. There were a million crazy spots in the AE but Foley made a connection with the audience that was organic and stemmed from just admiring a good man who would do anything to entertain the people.

For Bobo you have to listen to some of the stories by Bill Watts about that era. The likes of him and Ernie Ladd had to overcome a LOT of hostility to become what they become (especially Ladd because he played a black HEEL). Brazil was a good mainstay for the WWWF and teamed with a lot of faces to good houses

Close call for me if I'm being honest because both men have credentials that are aplenty but so diverse at the same time. But Foley edges this because he became a bigger star and he was someone not chosen to be a upper carder. He made his way there and even though the F tried to get his rub off on someone else, it just made him shine brighter. He pretty much made the machine back him. Thats something

 

[Big Sexy]

I was on board with Foley's win loss being relatively poor, Brazil being underrated and trail blazing, was finally swung by Bobo's supposed dominance over The Sheik. Let me correct that - Sheik actually had the better win/loss of the two. 22 wins to 16.

Completely untrue. To be honest Bobo and The Sheik likely had hundreds of matches over the years with most of them being in the Detroit territory where Sheik spent most of his time (Bobo was also from Michigan). No website will have 100% accuracy of the records because it's impossible. There are sites with varying numbers of matches between the two and varying records but they certainly had more than 38 singles matches. Most of the Sheik's wins came in the Detroit territory because that was his main territory while Bobo split his time more between Detroit, the WWWF, and other territories. Bobo had some wins in the Detroit territory over Sheik and then won most of the meetings in the other territories.

It's like Jerry Lawler in Memphis and the Von Erich's in Texas. You win against opponents in your own territory that you would lose to in neutral areas.