WWE: The Calgary Sub-Regional

[Steamboat Ricky]

I've been waiting on commenting, for the most part, until more of the bracket shaped out. It looks as if Bret is going to mow through the field. If it gets down to Hart v. Harley Race...you can bet that I'll be campaigning for Race to counteract the Hart-love that's going on throughout. Race is one of the premiere figures in the history of the business, and I really hope he gets the chance that he deserves against the seemingly already crowned King of the Calgary Sub-Regional.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Poor Abyss. He's like a fish outta water, and in Canada he'll be ate alive. Harley Race will definately deserve some credit but I'm still not convinced anyone from yester-year, not named Hogan or Savage, will get a big boost from today's Generation. Some don't know him, and other's won't bother wanting to learn.

Owen Hart deserves more credit than I see people giving him as well. This IS in Canada, and Owen Hart is just like Bret Hart on that stage. The only difference is, Bret is more of Canada's favorite son, whereas Owen is the black-sheep of the Family. But they're both still going to be cheered more than anyone else in this sub-region.

 

[Gelgarin]

The semi-final matches for this sub-region will more than likely be Bret Hart vs. Antonio Inoki and Harley Race vs. Owen Hart. Even though I am not that big of a fan of Bret Hart, I'll still back him over Inoki. In my opinion, the only things that Inoki has going for him are: a) he founded New Japan Pro Wrestling; and b) he fought Muhammad Ali in a mixed martial arts bout. Unfortunately, however, his actual wrestling matches weren't all that great (this guy was the equivalent of Hulk Hogan in Japan, so I am pretty sure many people there will disagree with my assessment).

:sad face:

I was just starting to like you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick your ass for this. I'm assuming you're judging Inoki's later matches without taking into account that he'd really a man from the previous generation in Japan.

Inoki is, without exception, the greatest professional wrestler to come out of the land of the rising sun. He's another who'd go on my list of the greatest in ring technicians of all time. He pioneered the strong style that has dominated Japan to this date.

He then re pioneered the in ring product to help prevent the Japanese industry from getting eaten alive by the sudden MMA infatuation the country experienced.

In terms of mat skills (the area where people seem to be in competition as to how much they can overrate Bret Hart) Inoki is so far ahead of the rest of the bracket that it's not even funny. The only person who could possibly challenge his ground game would be Race (who allegedly picked up a few tricks in the carnivals... I don't know if that's true, but Thesz reported that he was "OK", so I'll acknowledge it).

He's also a better pure striker than almost anybody else in the tournament, with possibly challenges coming from Kenta (on a legit basis), and Taker (on a kayfabe one).

As for the comment comparing him to Hulk Hogan... well for a start it's wrong... and to conclude, "So What?". Hulk Hogan was the biggest character in the history of modern US wrestling... and will be guaranteed a first class trip the the gimmick matches because of that. Inoki was the biggest character in the history of modern Japanese wrestling, and will be utterly ignored for his trouble.

Whether you base your vote upon kayfabe ability, technical prowess or anything other than whatever excuse all those Sting supporters are using to delude themselves, Inoki should be a major player in this thing.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

:sad face:

I was just starting to like you, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick your ass for this. I'm assuming you're judging Inoki's later matches without taking into account that he'd really a man from the previous generation in Japan.

Inoki is, without exception, the greatest professional wrestler to come out of the land of the rising sun. He's another who'd go on my list of the greatest in ring technicians of all time. He pioneered the strong style that has dominated Japan to this date.

He then re pioneered the in ring product to help prevent the Japanese industry from getting eaten alive by the sudden MMA infatuation the country experienced.

In terms of mat skills (the area where people seem to be in competition as to how much they can overrate Bret Hart) Inoki is so far ahead of the rest of the bracket that it's not even funny. The only person who could possibly challenge his ground game would be Race (who allegedly picked up a few tricks in the carnivals... I don't know if that's true, but Thesz reported that he was "OK", so I'll acknowledge it).

Things are starting to become a little clearer for me now. You're a fan of Karl Gotch, aren't you? Yes, I am referring mainly to Inoki's more recent stuff throughout the 80s. If you want to recommend some of his earlier stuff to me, I'm all ears.

He's also a better pure striker than almost anybody else in the tournament, with possibly challenges coming from Kenta (on a legit basis), and Taker (on a kayfabe one).

As for the comment comparing him to Hulk Hogan... well for a start it's wrong... and to conclude, "So What?". Hulk Hogan was the biggest character in the history of modern US wrestling... and will be guaranteed a first class trip the the gimmick matches because of that. Inoki was the biggest character in the history of modern Japanese wrestling, and will be utterly ignored for his trouble.

How is this wrong? If you recommend some of his earlier stuff to me, then I will qualify my statement to exclude his earlier matches. In terms of popularity, he was the equivalent of Hogan in Japan. Furthermore, his stuff from the 80s really had me scratching my head as to why people loved this guy so much (at least he wasn't as bad as Baba was in his later years). But, that is what these tournaments are for, so I await you recommendations.

 

[NSL]

Honky Tonk Man drew the right company, but not the right bracket. He should fare better than the second round, but I don't think he'll beat Owen, especially if voters are true to themselves. Even if he manages an upset, he won't get past Umaga.

Yes, I said it. Umaga. Race is very under-rated among the current generation, but I don't know what he can do to get a win there. Owen v. Umaga would be a very good match, but I don't know if Owen's talent is enough to overcome the sheer force that is Umaga.

Like Will said, poor Abyss. If he had landed in TNA, or ECW, he'd get through a few rounds, but he's looking at a major upset here. Even if he wins the first match, he's done against Bret. His size will help, but it won't be enough. The gimmick matches wouldn't even be a help for him here.

 

[Miko]

This is one of the tougher rounds I can think of, Inoki, Race, Hart and Hart all put in really strong arguments as to who can win it. I believe that I am going to have to do some more research before I can vote to avoid a guilty feeling of sending down the better wrestler.

As it stands now though, I'd side with either Race or Hart, which one will take some convincing. Race has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve but Bret is the excellence of execution, I might lean toward Race if this wasnt Canada. Umaga is a strong choice not to be overlooked and certainly has the edge over someone like Abyss, still he is that guy who jobs to the big names and up against Hart he has lost.

 

[NSL]

Super Crazy is, by far, the weakest link in this bracket. He was on my list, and I love watching him in the ring, but he won't even get 20% in the opening match.

Owen is just too good for him, and will walk right on to face either HTM, or whoever he loses to in the first round.

Had Super Crazy landed in a TNA bracket, he might have had a better shot at making it out of the gate, but TNA is looking pretty god itself. He never had a chance in this year's tournament.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Umaga is the underdog of this bracket, if he faces Owen Hart he should win. But the fact he's still alive could play against him. In fact I'd even vote for Honky Tonk over Owen, at least he had an important IC reign.

 

[Christian Battlez]

I could reall see Hart vs Hart being the final of this one. Bret will squeak past Antonio Inoki. Owen could get past Race giving his popularity and the fact that like it or not he will get more votes because he is dead. I'm not saying thats fair or the reason just an added assist Hart will have that Race won't. Owen vs Bret would be huge. But Bret is god to Canada. They love Owen too but Bret is Canada's favorite son. He is the biggest thing next to Gretzky. He will beat his brother. But not after a fight resembling their showdown at WM 10.

 

[Blade]

Poor Supercrazy, looks like he's gonna get his ass handed to him a little bit...

 

[NSL]

I can't figure out if it's a good or bad thing that this bracket is taking forever to get any match-ups announced. There's big names being places elsewhere, so eventually, Bret won't have a lot of big names left to fill this out.

the Owen v. Super Crazy match would at least be fun to watch, but we all know who is going to win. Bret seems to have enough support to get him to the bracket's finals, but it'd be nice to see what competition he'll face, outside of Inoki, Owen, and Race.

EDIT: I haven't seen anything from K.E.N.T.A., but I don't think I'll need to do much research to see that Race should roll past him. If he's any good, he'll probably get a few votes, but no way Race loses to him, if there's talk of him facing Bret in the end.

 

[Mr. Serotonin]

Honky Tonk Man has got this one in the bag, although there will be stiff competition from Bret, Owen and Inoki, the longest reigning Intercontinental Championwill reign supreme with the Acoustic Equaliser/El-Kabong

I see a Honky Tonk vs Bret Hart/ Antonio Inoki final

 

[Hyorinmaru]

I see a Honky Tonk vs Bret Hart/ Antonio Inoki final

The thing with these Tournaments is that foriegn wrestlers never last very long. I'm hoping with the Legends Tournament some people will know more about Inoki than they did before and vote for him but it all depends on who he is facing because unless it's a jobber or someone that sucks in just about every way I don't see him lasting long.

 

[NSL]

32. "The Monster" Abyss
33. Haku

If people vote on Haku, based solely on his prime, as King Haku, then Abyss should win here. He's too big and powerful for Haku to overcome, and isn't a bad wrestler. It'd be a close match, but Abyss should get the win. If people vote on Haku based on his time in WCW, as Meng, then he should get the win. He made a living there as an unstoppable powerhouse, and the Tongan Deathgrip could bring down anyone. He also added on some pounds of muscle, so he isn't as likely to get overpowered as he was earlier in his career. I'll have to watch some more matches before making a final decision.

Neither man beats Bret though.

24. The Honky Tonk Man
41. Barry "Smash" Darsow

Smash could get the win here, but Honky is a lot smarter in the ring. He'll have some sort of underhanded trick to get the edge over Smash, and should pull off the win. Smash has the size and strength advantage, but isn't nearly as good a wrestler as HTM.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

In a moral and decent world Haku would get to the semis. But this is WZ, where the little boys fondle the big boys testicles. Or something like that. I'm going to be ignorant and say that Haku is Samoan, even though Shadowmancer once pointed out that he wasn't, and he'd likely rip my eye out if I said it to him. The one thing we don't know about Haku is if he likes falling on tacs. But wait, Abyss can't use them. Bummer for him. Haku wins.

 

[Father:_Polley]

Haku and Abyss is an interesting tie. Both big guys, both found fame in hardcore environments. The problem is that neither guy can use that route, and that lends the advantage to Haku. He won't over come Bret in the next round, but at least he'll go out fighting.

Inoki and Pillman will make up the other leg... possibly with Inoki vs Bret as the semi as Pillman doesn't really have the legacy.

Other side of the draw, Harley will get through Kenta, Smash and Owen will get by comfortably. Konnan vs Umaga is more interesting, as while I could see Umaga destroying the idiot and would enjoy it, he was actually reasonable in the ring. Umaga will get by in my book though.

An Owen vs Bret final will always be the mouth-watering prospect, even if Race vs Owen is an equally interesting semi though.

 

[Tastycles]

I think there is only two matches that are not complete forgone conclusions in this section. In the first instance, you have Haku vs. Abyss. At first glance, you think with curent popularity Abyss will probably get the job done. However, if people actually look into Haku, they will see that he was quite a succesful character in the late 80s, and debuted by bodyslamming Big John Studd, something that took Andre the Giant months to acheive. He then went on to form two legendary tag teams, The Islanders and the colosal connection. So that one could be tight.

The only other one that I see going close is Tajiri and Brian Pillman. Pillman is so easily remembered for the flaws in his character and the whole "Pillman's got a gun" debacle that people forget he was a talented wrestler. He finds himself against Tajiri, who is one of the only Japanese wrestlers to truly break into the American market. This is the first round match up I am anticipating most in this region.

 

[Shocky]

If you don't want to look too far ahead, come in here to discuss everything concerning the Calgary Sub-Regional.

1. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
64. Mikey Whipwreck

32. "The Monster" Abyss
33. Haku

16. "The Loose Cannon" Brian Pillman
49. "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri

17. Antonio Inoki
48. "The Z Man" Tom Zenk



8. Harley Race
57. K.E.N.T.A.

25. "The Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga
40. "Wrestlezone's Own" Konnan

9. "The King of Harts" Owen Hart
56. Super Crazy

24. The Honky Tonk Man
41. Barry "Smash" Darsow

Looking at this, I'll only try to break down the first three rounds.

This region is certainly Bret Hart's to lose at this point. Bret should have no problem with Mikey Whipwreck. Haku and Abyss is going to be a battle and a half, but if it were up to me, Haku gets the nod. Regardless, Bret Hart will beat either Haku or Abyss in the second round.

Pillman vs. Tajiri is an interesting matchup. I love Pillman, but I aslo feel that Tajiri is one of those under rated guys. Both are exceptional light heavyweights, and I suspect that the Japanese Buzzsaw is going to get th enod. Antonio Inoki should go over the Z-Man, despite anything that Sly could conjure up to try to get Zenk over him. That being said, Inoki will go over the winner of Pillman Tajiri no problem, and subsequently lose in round 3 to Bret Hart.

The Bottom Half becomes more interesting. Harley Race vs. KENTA is an interesting matchup of hardcore Old Schooler vs. uber cool multi move puroso wrestling. In my world, Harley Race bitch slaps KENTA back to the circus. Umaga vs. Konnan is a fist fight ready to happen. I respect Konnan for what he was, and I'll try to keep his ignorance out of my voting process. However, Umaga goes over Konnan setting up a hellacious battle in round two with Race. If it's Race vs. Umaga, I go Race every day of the week.

Owen Hart vs. Super Crazy could be an entertaining matchup, but Super Crazy is completely out matched by Calgary's black sheep. Owen should have no problem going over the winner of Smash vs. the Honky Tonk Man, which is essentially a toss up. So in round three you're looking at Race vs. Owen Hart. I'll pick Harley Race, but I doubt he'll win that matchup.

So Shocky's pick for the fourth Round, Bret Hart vs. Harley Race.

 

[Smark Henry]

If you don't want to look too far ahead, come in here to discuss everything concerning the Calgary Sub-Regional.

1. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
64. Mikey Whipwreck

32. "The Monster" Abyss
33. Haku

16. "The Loose Cannon" Brian Pillman
49. "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri

17. Antonio Inoki
48. "The Z Man" Tom Zenk



8. Harley Race
57. K.E.N.T.A.

25. "The Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga
40. "Wrestlezone's Own" Konnan

9. "The King of Harts" Owen Hart
56. Super Crazy

24. The Honky Tonk Man
41. Barry "Smash" Darsow

Bret Hart squashes Whipwreck and makes him tap to the sharpshooter.

Abyss and Haku is a battle of badass monsters. I'll give Haku the edge because its not a gimmick match.

Pillman vs Tajiri is a nice matchup.I'll go with Pillman he is a little bigger and could outmuscle Tajiri if neccessary. If it took to the air they'd be evenly matched so I'll go with Pillman.

Inoki is one of the top 5 greatest wrestlers of all time according to PWI magazine. The Z man was a tag team wrestler. I'll take Inoki hands down.

Harley Race over Kenta. Race was just so big and important to the wrestling industry and the NWA.

Umaga over Konnan. Umaga is one of the most agile big men I've ever seen I expect him to go far.

Owen Hart's technical ability makes him too much for Crazy who is a spot monkey.

Honkeytonk man whacks his trademark guitar over smash's head. Shake Rattle Roll baby. Honky advances.

 

[Shocky]

The first round for the Calgary SubRegion is closed, and here are our results.

1. Bret Hart vs. Mikey Whipwreck. In true beat down fashion, the Hitman scores with 63 votes, knocking off Whipwreck who somehow managed to receive 4 votes.

2. Abyss vs. Haku: In a statistical upset, Haku manages to take down the Monster Abyss 41-18.

3. Brian Pillman vs. Tajiri: Pillman gets the upperhand over the Buzzsaw 37-20.

4. Antonio Inoki vs. Tom Zenk: Well, the first of many Sly jokes in this tournament gets his ass kicked. Inoki dominates 39-4, which means 4 jackasses probably voted for both Zenk and Whipwreck.

5. Harley Race vs. Kenta: 43-3 beat down for the King. Kenta gets love, but he is outmatched with Race here.

6. Umaga vs. Konnan. The theme of the number 4 continues. The samoan plows onto round 2 58-4.

7. Owen Hart vs. Super Crazy. Damn #4 again. Owen cruises 56-4, time to look names up.

8. Honky Tonk Man vs. Darsow. 39-11 for the longest reigning IC champion of all time.

Round 2 Sets up to be.

#1 Bret Hart vs. #33 Haku
#16. Brian Pillman vs. #17 Antonio Inoki

#8. Harley Race vs. #25. Umaga
#9. Owen Hart vs. #24. The Honky Tonk Man.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

The only interesting match of the next round will be Harley Race vs Umaga. I appreciate Race's greatness and understand that he was a very, very good wrestler in his time, but I don't see how he will overcome the power and speed of Umaga.

 

[NSL]

I think we can all see the final four being the Harts, Race, and Inoki. It's just a matter of how close the rest can keep it.

Hart squashes Haku, but it should be a close match.

Inoki goes over Pillman, but Pillman's no pushover. It'll be a damn good match, but Inoki gets his hand raised.

Owen absolutely beats the tar out of Honky Tonk Man. It'll be laughable.

Race wins a squeaker with Umaga. Umaga is fast, and has so much raw power, but he'll charge right in to a high knee, and Race works on him from there.

I still think it's Bret v. Harley in the finals.

 

[Shocky]

I'm looking at these second round matches, and I truly expect them to go the way that they should.

Bret Hart should have no trouble at all with Haku, and Owen Hart should stomp the Honky Tonk Man.

The two questionable matches are Inoki vs. Pillman. If you haven't seen Canadian Stampede, and heard the pop that Pillman gets in Calgary, then you are missing a true gem. Plus, I respect Pillman for what he did for Light Heavyweight wrestling, and I'm leaning with a vote for him,a nd might push that said vote.


Harley Race should beat Umaga, but I have my doubts. If someone like Race loses this early, it would be a shame.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Haku will probably give Hart a couple of stiff shots that'll rattle his teeth. As long as the Hitman plays his game and doesn't try to match strength with Haku or try to brawl with him, he'll wrap this up pretty quick.

Pillman might be big in Calgary, but Inoki is one of the godfathers of pro wrestling in Japan. He along with Giant Baba and Rikidozan practically brought wrestling to Japan. He's been a huge draw, has had feuds with some of the biggest in the history of the business and has a respectable MMA record. Inoki beat Andre the Giant in a shoot fight for God's sake. Pillman might be more popular in Calgary, but Inoki is way out of his league.

I don't think Race stands much of a chance against Umaga. I know Race is a legend, I know he's an 8 time NWA World Champion, but he's physically outmatched in this one. While Race kept himself in good condition, Umaga is a good 100 pounds heavier and yet he's just as fast and agile as Race, maybe more so when you think about it. Race's belly to belly suplex and diving headbutt off the second rope aren't even going to slow Umaga down.

 

[Shocky]

Round 2 Results:

Bret Hart vs. Haku: 37-3. This match went as expected. The Hitman is damn good. While the final number probably doesn't indicate what the match probably would have been like, it was safe to say that Hart was in no danger of losing here.

Pillman vs. Inoki: 12-26. The Dungeon trained Pillman was simply no match for the Japanese Legend that is Inoki. Inoki rolls pretty impressively.

Race vs. Umaga: 26-24. In undoubtedly the closest match of this round in this region, the former NWA champion struggles with the big Samoan, but moves on.

Owen vs. Honky Tonk: 28-8. The Black Hart comes home, and wins once again. The Honky Tonk Man stood no chance of upsetting the Nugget in his hometown.


Round 3 Matches;

1. Bret Hart
17. Antonio Inoki

8. Harley Race
9. Owen Hart