While WrestleMania has always been the spotlight of the WWE year, it was the third edition in 1987 that put the body slam on its wrestling industry rivals. Veteran writer and historian Keith Elliot Greenberg looks back at how the WWF — as it was known then — won the wrestling war in his new book “Bigger! Better! Badder! WrestleMania III and the Year it All Changed.”

At the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan body-slammed Andre the Giant to victory in a legendary match that remains the most famous in pro wrestling history.

“The fact that they sold out an NFL stadium was something inconceivable to the public, including the wrestling public,” Greenberg said in a phone interview with Off the Bottom Rope.

While the stories of WWF’s ascension to pro wrestling dominance, the Hulk-Andre match, and the myths behind WrestleMania III have been explored by other historians and documentaries, Greenberg talks to several WWF executives who shared the story of not only the event, but the years of buildup. He also talked to heads of rival promotions.

Despite knowing Greenberg, who asked him to participate, former WWF/WWE chairman Vince McMahon declined to be interviewed for the book.

Not long after the success of WrestleMania III, several smaller regional wrestling promotions closed. The company that eventually became World Championship Wrestling survived, but only until  the WWF bought them out in 2001 — officially ending the wrestling war.

A Weeklong Spectacular Comparable to the Super Bowl

Greenberg has covered wrestling for more than 40 years for several publications, including the official WWF Magazine. He’s written several wrestling books and often appears as the historian on WWE documentaries.

WrestleMania used to be just a one-day spectacular. Now, it is a weeklong celebration of all things wrestling, comparable to the Super Bowl. Cities bid and pay a site fee for the spectacular.

Fans will descend from around the world, stay at hotels, attend several official WWE events such as the Hall of Fame, the WWE World exhibit, and other wrestling cards. Even The Undertaker is holding a one-man act.

“It is a true pilgrimage for wrestling fans who come from around the globe. None of that would exist without WrestleMania III. WrestleMania III sent a message that this was something on par with the Super Bowl and the World Cup,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg said he’s attended most WrestleManias, covering for various publications. But, he can’t even receive a media credential this year, writing for UK-based Inside the Ropes. He said the WWE received more than a thousand media credentials.

“People who don’t even follow wrestling week-to-week want to be at WrestleMania because it is a destination to be. That is why there will be celebrities at WrestleMania. They want to be seen there,” Greenberg said.

The Attendance Myth

The WWF claimed that 93,173 fans jammed into the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, shattering the world indoor attendance record. That number has been debated, analyzed and examined ever since. Greenberg dedicates a chapter into whether that number is accurate or WWF myth-making.

“It’s an eternal debate. I interviewed executives who are responsible for making sure those seats were filled. They adhere religiously to 93,173,” Greenberg said. “There are some question marks there.”

More likely, 78,000 paid to attend, but the mythical number also includes anybody in the building — wrestlers, ticket takers, and even those who snuck into the building.

“That’s a lot of people going to professional wrestling, when you consider that up until that point professional wrestling was considered low-brow entertainment,” Greenberg said.

The true number may never be known.

“It doesn’t really matter. The number itself is part of mythology, you could make a biblical analogy; Was every animal really on Noah’s Ark?” Greenberg said.

WrestleMania 41

WrestleMania 41 takes place Saturday and Sunday at Allegiant Stadium near Las Vegas, home of the Raiders. Similar to when Hulk Hogan took on the newly villainous Andre the Giant, this year’s main event features hero Cody Rhodes defending the Universal WWE championship against new bad guy John Cena on Sunday.

A triple threat match highlights Saturday’s card, with the most dominant wrestler in the last decade Roman Reigns facing CM Punk and Seth Rollins.

Ticket reseller StubHub lists $269 as the lowest price for a single ticket Sunday, in the third deck.

Among the other sanctioned WWE events for the week include the regular Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night Raw at the T-Mobile Arena; the Hall of Fame at the Fontainebleau; shows for NXT, the WWE’s development territory; The Undertaker’s show; and even a Sunday morning “The Roast of WrestleMania.”

Several other wrestling promotions use the week to hold dozens of events in and around Las Vegas. And, for those who can’t get a ticket to the stadium, several hotel/casinos are hosting watch parties.

Former NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who is known to dabble in the ring himself, is hosting a pool party, where tickets remain for $89.99.

The post How WrestleMania Came to Rival the Super Bowl and World Cup appeared first on GV Wire.

Billy Gunn — with more than 30 years’ ring experience — won’t be in Fresno, where he first wrestled with the WWF/WWE in 1994.

“I’m taking a hiatus, I think,” Gunn said in a phone call with Off the Top Rope from his home in suburban Atlanta.

One of AEW’s elder statesman, Gunn in recent years associated with a tag team The Acclaimed — Max Caster and Anthony Bowens. The group had a recent falling out, leaving Gunn at home and off TV.

“It seems like that’s always how it goes. You know, once you kind of get a little bit of notoriety, one thinks you’re better than the other,” Gunn said. “I’m always lurking around somewhere.”

Even at the age of 61, Gunn has an immaculate body for a man half, or even a third his age. He says it is about lifestyle and a love of bodybuilding.

“It’s just a state of mind,” Gunn said.

Returning to Fresno

The AEW show is at the Save Mart Center, with a 4:30 p.m. bell time. “AEW Dynamite” will air live on TBS and streaming on Max.

This is AEW’s second time in Fresno. It held a TV taping Jan. 18, 2023.

Gunn first wrestled in in Fresno with the WWF in 1994. The Smoking Gunns defeated the odd team of Tom Prichard & The Barbarian that night at Selland Arena. A year later, the Gunns beat Prichard and his regular partner, Jimmy Del Rey.

He has made several appearances since, the last in 2004.

“Fresno’s a great town, and it’s always been a great wrestling town,” Gunn said.

Gunn wrestled on Monday Night Raw from Selland Arena in 1998, when Steve Austin and Mike Tyson faced off.

“It’s always electric when you have the Baddest Man on the Planet around, doing stuff with you. It doesn’t get much better than Mike Tyson at the time. He was super hot. Wrestling was super hot. So you mix it all together and then you have some magic going on,” Gunn said.

Related Story: Pro Wrestling’s Most Iconic Moment Happened in Fresno 20 Years Ago. And ...

From Orlando to Around the World

Gunn grew up in Orlando, Florida, playing multiple sports in high school. Rodeo led to college at Sam Houston State in Texas.

He discovered wrestling “by accident.” While training at the gym back in Florida, Gunn ran into some childhood friends who were also wrestlers — twins Ron and Don Harris.

“They went over to this school and beat me up for a little while, and away we went. It was one of those things where I didn’t think it was what it was. And it turned out to be more than I thought it was,” Gunn said.

Gunn trained with Eddy Mansfield, who may have been best known for appearing on the ABC News program “20/20” spilling some of wrestling’s secrets in 1985.

While learning to be a pro wrestler, Billy met his future WWF partner, Bart Gunn.

“Bart amateur wrestled. I never did any of that. So, at least we had one that knew a little bit. And then we just watched and taught ourselves until some people showed up (at the training school) once in a while,” Billy Gunn said.

Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan discovered Billy & Bart Gunn wrestling the independent circuit around Orlando. He called WWF agent Dave Hebner, leading to a tryout match.

“It was all the weirdest thing because it was all by accident. I guess the stars aligned and it was supposed to be. They invited us up for a tryout and they happened to be looking for a new tag team that they want to do something with. We fit the bill. We were in the right place at the right time and bingo, there it is,” Gunn said.

The WWF was looking for a cowboy tag team. Gunn spent his entire life training horses and riding bulls, thus a perfect fit. The Smoking Gunns won the WWF tag team championship three times.

Gunn re-invented himself during the WWF “Attitude Era,” where the norms of wrestling — and perhaps good taste — changed. He took the nickname “Bad Ass” and later “Mr. Ass” for his fondness of showing his tush.

His work as part of the faction Degeneration X led Billy to the WWE Hall of Fame.

“We had no boundaries of what we could and couldn’t do,” Gunn said. “As we caught fire, there was no doing anything wrong. It was mixing entertainment and characters and good storylines all together to make it what it was. Amazing.”

With wrestling relying more on corporate sponsors, Gunn is not sure the same things can happen today.

His sons, Colten & Austin Gunn, also wrestle on the AEW roster.

“It just doesn’t really get any better than that. It’s amazing,” Gunn said.

Related Story: Fresno to Host Upstart Pro Wrestling Event for National TV Audience

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Foley appeared at a signing event held at The Grand 1401 downtown for retailer Chunkopop — the second straight year Foley came to Fresno to greet his fans. Decked out in Disney gear, the wrestler also known as Cactus Jack, Mankind and Dude Love happily met his fans, ready to sign pictures and even championship belts.

“I love doing these signings. And I was doing a convention in San Jose and I thought instead of going home immediately, I’d spend a couple days in the Sequoia National Forest and then head out and, work my way down the state and  … meet some people and do a few more signings,” Foley told Off the Bottom Rope.

Foley spent a few minutes with Off the Bottom Rope to talk about his health, the 2024 election, and memories of his onetime partner, Kevin Sullivan.

Foley Moving Around Better

Foley is known as the Hardcore Legend for his willingness to use any weapon — especially his own body — to attack his opponent. He moved around decently during his trip in Fresno, although not at full speed as he once could.

“I had my hip and knee replaced, a few years back, and, it’s got me moving around pretty good. (I’m) trying to drop some weight to be healthier. But all in all, I could be worse,” Foley said.

Bumps, and more bumps. Off the top rope, off the ring apron, off Hell in the Cell. Foley certainly earned his frequent flyer miles just from the distance travelled from the top to the bottom.

He has no regrets.

“I could look back and say I should have done a lot of things differently. But if I’d done all those things differently along the way, I would have never gotten to where I did. So, it was just that idea of trying to have the best match I could every night when I was coming up, no matter how small the crowd was. That ended up turning heads,” Foley said.

Foley on 2024 Presidential Election

Foley and former President Donald Trump has something in common — they are both WWE Hall of Famers. But, don’t expect Foley to support Trump in November.

Despite his reluctance to respond, Foley gave his take on the election.

“I haven’t commented on politics in over a year. I saw what I saw on January 6th. Other people saw it. They saw and then were told they didn’t see what they saw. But to me, that represents a real danger to the democracy. You know, people want to differ with me on that.

“I just know what I saw and no one can tell me I didn’t see what I saw, no matter how many months you might have talking heads telling you you didn’t see what you saw. I saw what I saw on January 6th, and it represented a grave danger to democracy,” Foley said.

Foley and Kevin Sullivan

Last month, the wrestling world lost Kevin Sullivan, former wrestler and booker for WCW during the Nitro era.

Foley — when known as Cactus Jack in WCW — was part of Sullivan’s entourage known as The Slaughterhouse in 1990. After years apart, they reunited to win the WCW tag team championship over The Nasty Boys in 1994 in one of the legendary hardcore matches of the era.

“He meant even more to me as a creative mind than he did as a wrestler. He thought so much of me that he came out from behind the broadcast booth and started wrestling again. And we formed a good tag team. But it was really him seeing something in me as a creative mind that made him want to create something. And that was, a big difference to me. It really put me on the national map,” Foley said.

Sullivan died Aug. 9 at the age of 74. He booked — planned storylines, akin to a showrunner for a scripted show — at the peak of WCW between 1996 and 1999.

His long career also included a stint in 1977 with Roy Shire’s northern California promotion, featuring matches at the Cow Palace in the Bay Area, and Fresno’s Selland Arena.

I met Sullivan last year at the WrestleMania in southern California. He told me that his travels to Fresno were brief — in and out the same day. He would return to his home for the time being in Fremont.

Foley in Fresno

Foley did not have too many memories of wrestling in Fresno, but he did main event one pay-per-view held at Selland Arena.

In July 1998, Steve Austin & The Undertaker defeated Foley, wrestling as Mankind, and his partner Kane for the WWF tag team championship.

Foley debuted in Fresno two years earlier, losing to The Undertaker at a house show match July 26, 1996.

His last Fresno match took place Feb. 15, 2000 for the airing of Smackdown! two days later. Foley, wrestling as Cactus Jack, took on X-Pac in a falls county anywhere match. The match spilled out to the back parking lot. X-Pac’s partners, Degeneration X, attacked Jack and stuffed him into the luggage compartment of a bus — this was the Attitude Era, after all.

Steve Austin & The Undertaker vs. Kane & Mankind from WWF Fully Loaded, 7/26/98 at the Selland Arena in Fresno.

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Angle — a 12-time pro wrestling world champion, Olympic wrestling gold medalist, WWE and National Wrestling hall of famer — will be a special guest of the Fresno Grizzlies on Saturday, Aug. 17. With a special ticket package, fans can meet and greet their “hero.” The package includes an autograph, photo, game ticket, and food voucher.

He will even throw out the first pitch.

Happily enjoying retirement, Angle spoke with “Off the Bottom Rope,” reflecting on his career and a one-time only career moment in Fresno.

“I love my fans in California, especially in Fresno. They’ve always been good to me, and I can’t wait to see them,” Angle said.

The Pressure of Olympic Wrestling

Olympic wrestling is underway in Paris. Angle took home the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. As Angle constantly reminded fans during his WWE interviews, he won with a “broken freakin’ neck.”

“It’s the granddaddy of them all. I mean, if you’re going to win anything, the the most difficult tournament to win is the Olympics, in wrestling or any other sport. And, you just have to be prepared, and it’s very nerve wracking. I’m not going to lie to you. I probably didn’t smile for the whole week when I was building up to my matches, my five matches in the Olympics. You know you have to be laser focused,” Angle said.

He does regret being so focused that he didn’t enjoy the moment.

“I didn’t let the good times soak in — the opening ceremonies, staying in the Olympic Village. I was on assignment. I was going to do my job. And that was win an Olympic gold medal. And nothing was going to stop me from doing it,” Angle said. “So I kind of didn’t have as much fun as I should have. But I look back now and I’m like, man, I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more. But, you know, in return, I did win the gold medal, so I’m happy with that.”

Angle said that leading up to the Olympics, he trained up to three times a day, up to 10 hours — Sundays were an “off-day,” only training twice.

“It’s a lot of time and a lot of energy put into the sport,” Angle said. “It’s a busy day. It’s your life. It’s what you do.”

Angle trained with the Foxcatcher team, which subsidized Angle’s training and living expenses.

“I was able to focus just on my training. I didn’t have to get another job. I was able to do this and not have to worry about making money at that particular time. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was enough for me to live on,” Angle said.

John du Pont funded the team, focus of the 2014 “Foxcatcher” movie. Du Pont murdered coach David Schultz — Angle’s trainer. Angle said he’s watched the movie “many times.”

10 Fresno Appearances

Angle appeared in Fresno 10 times, all with the WWE, between 2000 and 2006. He appeared in the main event five times.

He remembers his Aug. 18, 2001, WWF championship main event against Steve Austin for a dubious reason.

“It’s kind of a joke between us because I have a reputation of having incredible conditioning. I never get tired,” Angle said. “The one night in Fresno when I wrestled ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, I got tired. He actually blew me up … he would always, you know, joke with me about that. Hey, I’m the only person to ever blow you up. Stone Cold Steve Austin is the only one that gets you tired. And he was absolutely right. I never blew up before that or after that.”

Easy Transition to WWE

Angle’s enduring legacy is his ease from transitioning from gold medalist to WWE (or WWF as it was known when he debuted in 1999). Within a year of his debut, Angle won the WWE championship and cemented himself as one of the best in the business.

A recent A&E Biography episode featured fellow 1996 Olympian Mark Henry. His path from superstar weightlifter to pro wrestler was not as smooth. Henry documented his hazing and fight for respect among his WWE peers.

Angle said he never had that problem.

“When I came in, people respected me right away. And I think it was because I had this positive attitude. You know, I was very humble. I was friendly, I was kind, I never gave anybody the assumption that I was cocky or arrogant or that I deserved more than they did,” Angle said.

Angle said several wrestlers approached him, thanking him for representing America and winning the gold.

“One of the reasons could be that they feared me. I don’t know, you know, being an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling or if they just respected me because I was a kind, humble guy that won a gold medal in the Olympics,” Angled said with a chuckle.

The Brock Lesnar Rivalry

Brock Lesnar — a former NCAA champion and later an MMA fighter — was one of Angle’s greatest WWE rivals. They main evented WrestleMania XIX in 2003.

Angle challenged a rookie Lesnar, when the latter arrived in the WWE. Word spread in the locker that Lesnar said he could beat Angle.

“I was feeling frisky one day. I went up to Brock and I said, hey, you think you could beat me in wrestling? He said, yeah. I said, well, why? He said, because you’re too small. I said, let’s get in the ring right now,” Angle said.

Lesnar found an excuse not to wrestle that day. Later, Lesnar sparred in private with The Big Show, a massive 500-pound-plus wrestler. Lesnar picked up his opponent with ease. That caused Angle to second think how he would fare, but he made the challenge anyway.

“I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and I said, let’s go. So he didn’t have a choice. So we went and we went about 15 minutes. But, everybody said that I crushed him, and I dominated him and I hurt him,” Angle said.

“That’s not true. I beat him, I took him down a couple times. He didn’t take me down at all. But, it wasn’t a domination. I did beat him, but, you know, I just wanted to show Brock that size doesn’t matter. You know, experience is what matters. And I had that.”

Family Saved Angle From the Throes of Addiction

Angle’s main WWE career ended in 2006. After suffering another broken neck, he became hooked on painkillers. His in-ring performance and reliability deteriorated to the point the WWE and Angle parted.

“The first time I broke my neck in the WWE, I was introduced to painkillers and man, they gave me a really euphoric feeling. I really loved the way they made me feel. And they masked the pain in my neck and everywhere else. So it was being of good use, but I loved them too much,” Angle said.

He body built a tolerance, and soon two pills became four, then eight.

“Before I knew it, I was taking 65 extra-strength Vicodin a day. I was in deep trouble. Not only that, but I was getting injured quite a bit, which didn’t help with the painkiller problem,” Angle said.

Angle also racked up four DUI arrests.

“That’s how far my life spun out of control. I lost my reputation. Everything over I worked for,” Angle said. “I was the lowest point in my life. And I remember calling my wife after my fourth DUI, and she said, listen, I can’t do this anymore. You know, go to rehab or I’m taking the kids and I’m leaving, and I don’t want to lose my wife, my kids. So I went to rehab. It was the best decision I ever made. I’ve been clean and sober for 13 years now, so, I put it all on my family and the incredible recovery program I went to.”

No More Matches

After WWE, Angle wrestled several more years for TNA, a secondary national wrestling company.

He returned to WWE in 2017 for his Hall of Fame induction and a handful of matches from 2017 to 2019.

He lost his farewell match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019 to Baron Corbin.

But that’s it. Angle said he will not wrestle again.

“No, no, I get asked that quite a bit. I had a discussion with Tony Khan of AEW. He wanted me to wrestle one more time.

“Listen, I’m not one of those guys who is going to have a retirement match and then retire and then come back and have another retirement match. I just … I can’t do that. The thing is, when I retired, there was a reason for it. I lost a step. And I didn’t want people to remember me as just washed up old man. I want them to remember me when I was in my prime. So if I can’t wrestle the  way I was in my prime, I won’t wrestle anymore. That’s just how I feel,” Angle said.

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Tito Santana defending the Intercontinental Heavyweight title against “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff headlined the first card on July 3, 1984, at Selland Arena.

San Francisco-based Roy Shire booked talent in Fresno during the 1960s and 1970s. He gave way in 1979 to local promoter Pat DiFuria, who booked talent from Los Angeles for a few years.

But, in the early 1980s, Fresno became a wrestling ghost town —save for an irregular independent or Lucha Libre show —until the WWF arrived.

The WWE (the name changed from the WWF in 2002) featured eight Hall of Famers on that first card. And, Fresno has been one of the group’s better stops over the last 40 years. The most recent card on Feb. 18 of this year, headlined by Rhodes, drew more than 9,200 fans to the Save Mart Center.

The debut got off to a rough start. Three matches advertised in the Fresno Bee didn’t take place — Jimmy Snuka vs. Paul Orndorff; Tito Santana vs. Big John Studd; and Sgt. Slaughter vs. Dick Murdoch.

Snuka, Slaughter, and Murdoch no-showed, causing a reshuffling of the card. The results, according to The History of WWE:

• Jesse Ventura defeated Tony Garea;
• The Iron Sheik defeated Terry Daniels;
• The Moondogs: Spot & Rex defeated Billy Anderson & Steve Pardee;
• Big John Studd defeated Alexis Smirnoff;
• The Wild Samoans: Afa & Sika defeated Mr. Fuji & Tiger Chung Lee;
• Adrian Adonis defeated B. Brian Blair;
• WWF Intercontinental champion Tito Santana defeated Paul Orndorff.

Ventura once claimed that the city named Ventura Street — recently renamed Cesar Chavez Boulevard — after him.

The card can best be described as a “B-Show” because it did not have the WWE’s biggest draw at the time, Hulk Hogan. “Hulkamania” ran wild in Los Angeles and Oakland that week, but not Fresno, Sacramento, or San Bernardino.

Selland Arena was one of WWE’s head honcho Vince McMahon’s top five arenas, according to local wrestling promoter and executive Lance Cardoza. The arena hosted two pay-per-views, several TV tapings, and the infamous Steve Austin-Mike Tyson confrontation in 1998.

“It was the perfect size for television. Acoustics were great for television. It was really sort of built for professional wrestling and boxing, the way it was laid out. (McMahon) always liked that building,” said Cardoza, promoter of Fresno-based Lucha Xtreme.

Santana vs. Orndorff in the Main Event

Unfortunately, only eight of the 18 wrestlers on that card are still with us — Samoan Sika passed away last week. GV Wire could not verify the status of Daniels.

Santana told Off the Bottom Rope he didn’t have any specific memory of the Fresno card. That is understandable, considering that in-demand wrestlers work a seemingly nonstop schedule, performing in a different town every night.

Bob Jenkins started working at KAIL-53 TV, which aired WWF matches, shortly after the first 1984 event. He later served as ring announcer for local cards. He recalled the drawing power of Santana.

Related Story: As WWE Returns to Fresno, Former Ring Voice Shares Tales of the Macho Man and ...

“Tito Santana was very popular in the Central Valley, and he had a long run as the IC. In those early days, WWF only did house shows (non-TV taping) in Fresno, so you didn’t have the sellout crowds. Maybe 4,000 people came to the show. But when Tito was on the card, it felt like there were a lot more fans in attendance,” Jenkins said.

Video from two other 1984 Santana vs. Orndorff matches remain on video:

B. Brian Blair on Fresno: A Big Deal

Blair well remembers that Fresno debut,  he said in a phone interview from his home in Tampa.

He wrestled in Fresno several times since, later as one-half of the Killer Bees tag team, with partner Jim Brunzell. The team would don black and yellow striped tights, and sometimes masks to confuse opponents.

“Going to Fresno, to the West Coast, was a really big deal for us,” Blair said.

Other promotions, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling airing on WTBS on cable, and the Minneapolis-based AWA started promoting beyond their traditional territories. But, the WWEF hit Fresno first.

Blair praised the enthusiasm of Fresno’s fans, calling it a hot crowd (and hot outside too, at 107 degrees).

“(The fans) were just popping on everything. And, you know, there’s some crowds where you’ve got to start chopping meat and get out the tables and chairs or whatever to get them going. Other crowds will react with a nice, beautiful arm drag and dropkick, the heel bails out the ring and they’re standing up. And Fresno was like that, that first time we were there. They were just enamored by the whole thing. As the wrestlers, we were all excited about being there as well,” Blair said.

Blair called his opponent Adonis “a great guy to work with.”

Although billed from New York City, Adonis settled in Bakersfield.

Anderson Has Fond Fresno Memories

Anderson was not a regular WWF wrestler. He helped fill-in spots for mainly West Coast cards.

“We were the local talent, and that saved (the WWE) some airfare,” Anderson said by phone from his Phoenix home.

He may have appreciated wrestling more than some of the regulars.

“All the shows that I did for WWFE … were big to me,” Anderson said. “Selland Arena was a is a beautiful arena.”

He remembered staying at the hotel across the street, now a Double Tree.

“You’d just walk across. That was a great benefit of that town,” Anderson said.

It was not the first time he wrestled in town. He wrestled in Fresno for the occasional Lucha Libre show at the Wilson Theatre.

When not wrestling, Anderson filled other duties in that era — ring announcing (when Jenkins was not available), and even setting up the ring truck.

Tough Travel

The Independence Day-eve card finished a five-day, five-city California swing for the WWF. The next day, the WWF held two cards in small, Pennsylvania cities.

Blair wrestled in Stroudsburg, nearly two hours north of Philadelphia.

“It was always planes, trains and automobiles, you know, that kind of thing. It’s is a combination of flying into the biggest city, getting to rent a car and then driving. And that’s what we did,” Blair said.

Snuka, arguably one of the most popular stars at the time, missed some of those California shows. He had well-known substance abuse problems at the time, and no-showed often. He would be out of the WWF less than a year later.

“Jimmy had been going through some problems, as most of us know. And, so that was Jimmy’s deal,” Blair recalled.

Life After Wrestling

After wrestling, Blair was a Hillsborough County commissioner — similar to a county supervisor — from 2004 to 2008.

“It’s a full contact sport. I don’t care if you are loved by everybody. And the minute you put an ‘R’ or ‘D’ after your name and you start running for politics, you alienate a lot of those people just because of your political affiliation,” Blair said.

His politics could play well in Fresno County.

“I’d rather say save the taxpayers money if we could still be an efficient and effective. That’s kind of like taboo for the other side, the other camp. They want big government and government can do all for everyone. And I just don’t believe that,” Blair said.

Blair currently serves as president and CEO of the Cauliflower Alley Club, an alumni association of former wrestlers.

The club has its annual reunion in Las Vegas, August 19-21, open to members, which anyone can join. This year, honorees include Kurt Angle — who will be at the Fresno Grizzlies Pro Wrestling Night on Aug. 17 — The Dudley Boys, Jim Ross, Negro Casas, and actor Todd Bridges of “Diff’rent Strokes” fame.

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“The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of WrestleMania” by Brad Balukjian compares a wrestling hero’s persona against the real life person.

The story about Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka going nuts on an international flight could be a main event anywhere in the country.

Balukjian used a similar concept for his prior book, “The Wax Pack : On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife,” (available at the Fresno County library). In that book, Balukjian opened up a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards and found as many of those players as he could.

“The common theme in these books is … just wanting to understand at a deep level who my childhood heroes are (as) real adults in a real life, sort of the real person behind the athlete or the persona,” Balukjian said in a phone call while on the road in West Virginia.

Like the baseball book, “The Six Pack” is as much about Balukjian trying to find the wrestlers, as it is about the wrestlers themselves. Instead of opening a pack of wrestling cards, Balukjian sought to find wrestlers appearing on WWF cards at Madison Square Garden in December 1983 and January 1984.

Those dates are significant. The Iron Sheik — Balukjian’s childhood favorite — won the WWF Heavyweight title only to lose it a month later to Hulk Hogan.

Balukjian didn’t want to repeat the exact format of “The Wax Pack,” saying it would be too similar.

“There’s a lot of stuff (on) the extent to which these guys became (their) characters and that line between fact and fiction and how that affected their families and their loved ones,” Balukjian said.

Related Story: AEW’s Tony Khan Explains What Pro Wrestling Is All About

No McMahon? No Problem.

Some personalities fell beyond Balukjian’s reach. Then-WWE chairman Vince McMahon no-showed. So, the author did the next best thing — talk to some of the more obscure, but interesting behind-the-scenes company executives.

In an effort to earn extra income, McMahon booked tours of the Middle East, specifically Kuwait. Snuka, the ever-popular but volatile superstar, took out a perceived slight on referee/office employee Mike Breen (not the NBA broadcaster, FYI). Snuka’s behavior nearly caused an international incident.

Another executive on one of the Middle East tours was locked up for two months in a Kuwaiti jail over a pay dispute with a prince.

Balukjian did find the likes of Tito Santana, Demolition Ax, and Tony Atlas.

“First you got to find the guys, then you got to convince them to talk to you. And that’s not easy,” Balukjian said.

Balukjian tracked down Santana, who became a New Jersey Spanish teacher after leaving the ring. At times, the interview gets real personal, with Balukjian asking about Santana raising his own children.

The chapters are more than just wrestler’s biographies. Traveling to Santana’s hometown of Mission, Texas, Balukjian interviewed Santana’s cousin, learning about Tito’s upbringing.

Using interviews with insiders and pouring through court records, Balukjian details facts and figures never disclosed in a book before. The author discovered Hulk Hogan’s first WrestleMania payoff, and busted the myth of who really came up with the “WrestleMania” name.

Related Story: Fresno Wrestling Promoter Fondly Remembers the Late Terry Funk

From Journalist to Professor to Wrestling Author

After graduating from Duke, the Providence, Rhode Island-raised Balukjian traveled cross-country to work at Islands Magazine in Carpinteria. A wrestling fan growing up, Balukjian left his job as a fact-checker to pursue a biography of his childhood favorite wrestler, The Iron Sheik.

“I’ve managed to make a career out of all the things I loved when I was about six years old. So it’s been kind of neat to hold on to those passions and figure out how to continue to make them work. So I never grew out of baseball or wrestling or insects,” Balukjian said.

Unfortunately, the Sheik bio never worked out, a story told in the book.

Balukjian returned to the West Coast, earning his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. Just finishing his last semester, Balukjian taught biology and environmental science at Merritt College in Oakland.

Balukjian also freelanced writing science articles.

Now Balukjian is on the road promoting his book. He wants to write again, with a topic to be determined.

He does call Fresno one of his favorite cities for an admittedly silly reason: his favorite childhood letter was “f.”

“I used to scan the box scores of the local paper for college football scores and when I saw the name Fresno I loved it because of the F. Later on when I moved to California after college, I wanted to check out the city for myself, and ended up having a great time on multiple visits, to see Grizzlies games, saw Tool in concert there, had some outstanding food, and explored the Tower District. A lot to do and friendly people!” Balukjian said.

Jim Ross Back With Another Memoir

Another book to check out is “Business is About to Pickup!” the third memoir from Hall of Fame wrestling broadcaster Jim Ross.

In his first book, Ross wrote broadly about his career. His second book focused more on his relationship with McMahon, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

His latest effort is divided into 50 chapters, to commemorate his 50 years in wrestling. Ross started in the business in 1974, helping market the local promotion in Oklahoma. He eventually cracked the mic, and established himself as the one of the greatest ever.

His longtime partnership with Jerry Lawler, calling matches on WWE’s “Monday Night Raw,” is among the greatest pairings in sports broadcasting, not just wrestling.

Ross picks 50 memorable moments, from his most famous — “As G-d as my witness, he’s broken in half,” to describe Mick Foley’s 1998 Hell in a Cell fall — to a more obscure call of a Butch Reed vs. Dutch Mantell match from 1985 Mid-South Wrestling.

The chapters are rather short and simplistic. Maybe too simple for the discerning wrestling fan.

The post Summer Pro Wrestling Book List: ‘Six Pack’ and Jim Ross Bio appeared first on GV Wire.

■“Macho Man” Randy Savage was a wrestling legend and pop culture icon.

■Sports author Jon Finkel writes a new book about the “Macho Man.”

■Exploring the myths and reality of Randy Poffo/Savage.

What made Randy Savage the iconic pro wrestling star the “Macho Man”?

Was it his innovative athletic and high-flying style?

His gravelly voice and trademark “Oh Yeah!” catchphrase?

Was his character-oriented paranoia and jealousy a show? Or was that real life?

Author Jon Finkel explores Randy Poffo and his alter ego in a new biography “Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage.” The book is available next month.

“He touches upon a variety of different things that we kind of value in sports entertainment — charisma, talent, uniqueness of personality,” Finkel said in an interview with Off the Bottom Rope.

Savage remains relevant in pop culture today, thanks to his Slim Jim commercials, and his role in the Spider Man movie (as Bonesaw McGraw). He died in a car accident caused by a heart attack in 2011 at the age of 58.

“You’ve got the millions and millions and millions of us who grew up in his actual prime wrestling heyday in the ’80s and early ’90s, who followed him. And all of the things that have kept him commercially viable for so long, have allowed him to be visible to this day,” Finkel said.

Finkel has written several sports books: about basketball, the athletic abilities of U.S. presidents, and a “Mean” Joe Greene biography.

From Minor League to Hall of Fame Wrestler

Poffo’s father Angelo was a wrestling star in the 1950s. But, he didn’t immediately follow in his dad’s footsteps.

A talented athlete, Poffo signed to play professional baseball. Although undrafted, he wowed the St. Louis Cardinals in an open tryout. He played four seasons, 1971 to 1974, in the minors, never making it above Single-A.

A catcher, Poffo severely injured his right throwing arm in a collision at the plate, knocking him out for the rest of the season. When he returned, Poffo came back as a lefty. Finkel popped one of many myths about Poffo/Savage — he never was a left-handed catcher (a rarity), although he tried. He instead played outfield and first base.

“He was not going to wash out of baseball because of his arm. In his mind, which is a total macho thing, he had two arms, so why not learn to throw at the other one?” Finkel said.

With his baseball dreams dashed, Poffo joined his father and brother, “Leaping” Lanny Poffo, into the ring. He toiled in the territory system, wrestling in several areas in the Midwest and South.

Poffo soon became “Randy Savage,” because of his aggressive style. He also adopted moves rarely used, such as coming off the top rope onto the floor to nail an opponent.

Finkel detailed the Poffos breaking away and forming their own promotion, ICW, based in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Angelo at one point was sitting there realizing he had all he needed to start his own promotion. He had two thoroughbreds (his sons),” Finkel said.

The promotion eventually folded, but it led to a rivalry with Memphis wrestling king Jerry Lawler.

By 1985, the WWF came calling. Savage quickly excelled in the national spotlight, adding the lovely Elizabeth to his act. His wife by the time, she portrayed a damsel in distress — no one could understand why she stuck around such a brutish man.

Savage became Intercontinental champion, WWF Heavyweight champion, a main eventer, and Hall of Famer.

Separating Fact from Myth

Any story about a pro wrestling figure is full of hyperbole and exaggeration. Finkel tries to distinguish between the myth of Randy Savage and life as it really unfolded.

“Some of the stories he told … made no sense,” Finkel said.

The author approached writing the book like a “movie director” he said, especially when there are multiple stories about the Macho Man evolution.

How did Randy Savage get his “Macho Man” nickname? Was it given to him in his baseball days, or did his mom read it in “Reader’s Digest” about the “Village People” song?

When in doubt, Finkel presented multiple sides, using hard evidence to back up accounts if available.

“(A wrestler’s) day job is storytelling, entertainment. So over time, one version of the story gets a better reaction and that becomes the version. And then you add a little twist to it to make it even better. And before you know it, 20 years passed and the truth is gone. And this is now the myth. And so my job was to kind of sift through all that and find the truth, but also tell the versions that have survived over the years,” Finkel said.

Did Savage really lock up Elizabeth in the arena when he was taking care of business?

Finkel said probably not, although that was the prevailing wisdom. More likely, Elizabeth was the only woman on the show and needed her own dressing room.

Was Savage’s trademark voice for real?

Not originally, Finkel said.

“He invented the voice, but eventually he stretched out his vocal cords enough that there was no other voice,” Finkel said.

Was Randy Poffo really paranoid, or was that just a “Macho Man” thing?

“He was obsessive-compulsive. And I think that informed his paranoia. He wasn’t paranoid about everything. He was a perfectionist. And, I think, he at certain points in his career, thought everything was at stake, so he blew things way out of proportion all the time,” Finkel said.

The post New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man appeared first on GV Wire.

Hall of Famer and legit wrestling legend Sting joined All Elite Wrestling in 2021, and teamed with the young Allin — a daredevil in the ring.

The two will team for one last time this Sunday, at AEW’s Revolution pay per view. Sting vows to retire after the match after a nearly 40-year career.

Allin, speaking to Off the Bottom Rope during Super Bowl week in Las Vegas, realizes how special he is teaming with a legend.

“It’s been awesome, dude. Like he’s the most humble, chill guy outside of the ring. I’m so grateful to be paired up with him. Because to me, the most important part of the story is the end,” Allin said. “Dude, there’s no better way to end this story Than we are doing right now.”

Allin and Sting defend their AEW tag team championship for a final time against The Young Bucks, brothers Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. The event has sold out the Greensboro Coliseum.

“The biggest thing that I’ve learned from him so far is his humbleness outside of the ring. He’s literally done it all in wrestling. On paper, somebody like that could have the biggest ego. But he’s so chill, he’s so cool. And it teaches me to stay grounded as much as possible,” Allin said.

Daredevil Darby Allin Doesn’t Care

Allin is a wrestler who puts his body on the line in the ring or for the sake of his other art.

The Seattle native — he now lives in Atlanta — takes risks with his body, which some critics say may shorten his career. His finishing move is the “Coffin Drop,” where Allin comes off the top rope and lends on his opponent, back of the neck first.

Allin also acts as his own stuntman in videos to promote his matches. Stunts with skateboards and cars look dangerous because it is dangerous.

Why does Allin do this?

“Because life is too short. So let’s make it shorter,” he said.

During the interview, Allin almost became incensed over criticisms over his style. People have been telling him all his life to play it safe.

“I listened to them and what did that get me? I was working as a 99 Cent store clerk. I was working as the dishwasher. I was like, screw this, dude. I came from nothing, so I have nothing to lose. Professional wrestling — everybody tells me, slow down … Dude, no, I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for me,” he said.

“I don’t care,” Allin said defiantly. “If you’re willing to risk everything, you get the most out of life. And I’ve lived more in the last year than most people have in 20 years of their lives.”

Pain? That is part of wrestling, Allin said.

“I’m straight edge. I don’t take any pain pills. I have such a crazy physical recovery regimen that I do. People think I’m just reckless out there, but what they don’t see is what I do outside of the ring to maintain this because I want to be as crazy as possible. For as long as,” Allin said.

The veteran Sting encourages Allin’s in-ring style.

“He’s a wild man. He teaches me to probably push the limits and there’s no age to stop being crazy. Because he’s 64 years old jumping off balconies. That guy, he’s truly special,” Allin said.

Related Story:

Watch Darby Allin Interview

Plans to Climb Mt. Everest

Allin plans to climb Mt. Everest, even though he is at the peak of his wrestling career.

“The training has been insane. (It is) so physically demanding, but also mentally demanding. You’re sitting in a hut for three days at a time, staring at the wall. It’s so taxing, but it’s awesome,” Allin said. “I love pushing myself to the absolute limit. And, to be the first ever professional wrestler to climb Mount Everest. To me, I want to get out of this wrestling bubble of, like, what a wrestler should be. Or so it’s like to like, I’m here to push the boundaries. So, like, I feel like, Mount Everest is just the next logical step.”

Sting’s Finale

Sting, who debuted in 1985, says March 3 is the last of his career. Billed from Venice Beach, Sting is a multi-time world champion, long-time main eventer, and icon to fans and wrestlers alike.

If Hulk Hogan was the comic book character coming to life, Sting was the cool big brother who always had your back. And the fans always had Sting’s back.

Sting remained loyal and true to his fans, and his promotion. He wrestled as a good guy for WCW and its predecessors from 1987 until the bitter end in 2001.

A bodybuilder by trade, Sting drastically improved in his in-ring artwork, and matched with his endless charisma became one of the greatest babyfaces of the era. The legend started with taking Ric Flair to a 45-minute draw in 1988 at the first Clash of the Champions — a TBS special that went head-to-head with WrestleMania IV.

While many superstars — like Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Randy Savage — switched sides between WCW and WWE, Sting stayed loyal.

He did finally arrive in WWE in 2014, wrestling for less than a year. He has had a late-career resurgence with AEW since 2021.

Sting’s only appearance in Fresno was last year, accompanying Allin to the ring during the live airing of AEW’s “Dynamite” at the Save Mart Center.

The post Safety? Wrestler Darby Allin Doesn’t Care. He is Partner in Sting’s Finale. appeared first on GV Wire.

■Tony Khan is the CEO, general manager, and booker for All Elite Wrestling.

■He talks about what metrics determine success and praises the Fresno market.

■A review of Cody Rhodes in Fresno last Sunday.

Tony Khan is the proverbial hype man.

He should be, considering he is the owner of All Elite Wrestling, the number-two American wrestling promotion. Give him the mic, and he will talk nonstop about where AEW is going and where it has been.

“Off the Bottom Rope” recently met up with Khan at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Khan was there for a live TV show, “Collision,” one of three that air on TNT or TBS.

Khan, 41, grew up a fan, known as a tape trader, in his youth.

“I love pro wrestling so much. It’s my favorite medium. I grew up loving it, and it’s clicked with me. I love that it’s a sport that has so much behind it. Character, story, and personalities that are merit-based. And, the biggest stars in wrestling are the people that clicked with the fans. There’s nothing like a big wrestling match and a big wrestling rivalry. So I love it, and I’ve just been drawn to it for so much of my life,” Khan said.

Khan’s father, Shahid, is an immigrant from Pakistan who became a billionaire manufacturing vehicle bumpers. Shahid owns the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, Fulham F.C. of the Premiere League, and half of AEW.

With the Jaguars, Tony Khan is in charge of analytics.

Fans: The Ultimate Metric

There are several ways to determine the health of a wrestling promotion. Ratings and attendance are the two easiest to measure.

“The most important metrics are keeping our TV networks happy and, the fans, because the fans, most of all, their opinion is what matters. The fans are the ultimate compass in pro wrestling,” Khan said.

AEW’s flagship show, “Dynamite” airs Wednesdays on TBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show averages more than 800,000 viewers a week.

Khan says it often outdraws the NBA.

“The NBA is a very established league and ESPN is a very established network. So AEW, a league that’s been around for less than five years and beat the NBA straight up several weeks in a row, is pretty powerful. Our ratings are really strong,” Khan said.

Khan remains proud of the 80,000-plus fans AEW drew last year to an event at Wembley Stadium in London. Depending on what number you are willing to accept, it claims to be the highest-attended show in wrestling history.

WWE has claimed a six-figure attendance for WrestleMania — and for a long time 93,000 fans for WrestleMania III (Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant) in 1987. Both those numbers were deemed semi-fictional.

Khan not only heads up the business end of AEW but also the creative end. He is known as the “booker” or storyline writer.

“The fans (are the biggest influence),” Khan said. (I) try to listen to feedback and … what’s working and what they want to see more of.”

He said he’s changed the storylines many times because of fan feedback.

Khan Wants to Return to Fresno

Khan wants to return to Fresno, although no return date is set.

“Fresno that’s been a market where we’ve had great shows. And I want to come back to Fresno. We had a great event there earlier, brought Dynamite and Rampage there, and I want to come back. It’s a great city,” Khan said.

AEW drew about 5,000 fans, according to WrestleTix, to the Save Mart Center for a Jan. 18, 2023, TV taping.

The arena was set up for just about 5,000 fans, even though capacity at the arena is more than triple. AEW often books bigger arenas in cities, even though smaller arenas are available — such as Selland Arena in Fresno.

“It depends on the market and the time. A lot of times those arenas have a lot of big advantages like email lists and marketing, and they’re like, a destination venue for shows,” Khan said.

Media Rights Update

WWE made big news last month, signing a 10-year, $5 billion rights deal with Netflix for its flagship “Raw” program.

AEW’s deal with Warner Brothers Discovery expires at the end of the year. Khan said his company is in a “very good position.”

“It’s a really exciting time for the wrestling business. And with a company like AEW that’s done the kind of ratings we have, we’re going to be in great position.”

While the WWE has been doing great business as of late — it drew more than 9,000 fans for a show last Sunday in Fresno— it’s battling negative publicity.

A civil lawsuit filed by a former employee accused WWE head Vince McMahon of sexual harassment and trafficking. McMahon resigned as executive chairman of the board of TKO — the new parent company of WWE after McMahon sold a majority of the company.

“I can’t comment on the terrible allegations against WWE,” Khan said.

Cody Rhodes: Ultimate Babyface

The WWE came to Fresno last Sunday, and drew more than 9,000 fans according to WrestleTix. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer says it is the largest non-Madison Square Garden house show (non-televised) crowd since 2001.

I’ve been to several WWE shows and several in Fresno. This was the largest arena crowd and loudest I’ve ever been to.

The fans came to see Cody Rhodes, the main event babyface who headlines WrestleMania LX against Roman Reigns.

After the match, Rhodes addressed the crowd. First, he urged the fans to drive home safely in the rain. He spotted a fan holding up a sign that said “Blindness Can’t Stop Me from Seeing Cody Rhodes.”

Cody then entered the crowd to take a picture with the fan.

Cody stuck around at least 20 minutes — probably more, I left before he did — to take pictures with all the fans at ringside. At one point in wrestling history, top babyfaces could charge $10 a pop for Polaroid pictures. Cody gave his time and image for free.

Cody Rhodes, the ultimate babyface. #WWEFresno pic.twitter.com/PGP86s5ppI

— David Taub (@TaubGVWire) February 19, 2024

Post-match, @CodyRhodes hugs a blind fan. #WWEFresno pic.twitter.com/bX9kIvysoe

— David Taub (@TaubGVWire) February 19, 2024

The post AEW’s Tony Khan Explains What Pro Wrestling Is All About appeared first on GV Wire.

■The WWE returns to the Save Mart Center in Fresno on Sunday at 7 p.m.

■Record-breaking IC champ Gunther defends the title against Chad Gable.

■Gunther talks about the sacrifice to be a WWE superstar.

The life of a pro wrestling icon means sacrifice.

A WWE star can be on the road most of the week, traveling coast-to-coast and internationally, all while keeping up with training and avoiding injuries.

For Intercontinental champion Gunther, a career training in Europe is finally paying off. Although the wrestling world talks about Roman Reign’s WWE world title reign  —  more than 1,200 days and counting — it is Gunther who has the longevity record.

When Gunther defends the Intercontinental belt in Fresno on Sunday, it will be his record 618th day as champion. The reign long eclipsed the Honky Tonk Man’s 453-day run from 1987 to 1988.

“That’s a great accomplishment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. But as of right now, I’m still a champion, and I need to be focused on that. And I think once it’s all said and done, I can fully enjoy it,” Gunther said in an interview with Off the Bottom Rope.

The WWE returns to Fresno on Sunday evening at the Save Mart Center, opening bell at 7 p.m. Gunther defends in the semi-main event against Chad Gable.

Gunther, an Austrian native, guarantees the best match of the night.

“Every time I get in the ring with Chad, it’s a very special occasion. He’s a former Olympian (competing as Chad Betts), maybe one of the best athletes,” Gunther said. “It’s hard to catch up with him when it comes to speed and pace, and it’s always a challenge.”

Gunther finds time for workouts and brings his own food, while traveling on the road with his in-ring partner Ludvig Kaiser.

The main event in Fresno is Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a street fight.

Watch Interview with Gunther

Life on the Road

The life of a WWE wrestler means being in a different city each night.

Gunther will leave his U.S.-based home in Orlando on Saturday morning to hit the road.

Saturday, the crew is in Oakland for a live show, before hitting Fresno, then a live “Monday Night Raw” in Anaheim on the USA Network. The crew heads next weekend for a “premier live event” (the fancy new term for pay-per-view) in Perth, Australia.

“We fly over and then arrive, go to the gym, go to the venue, do my match, and then get in the car again. And then we’re actually going to drive to Fresno and stay in a hotel there, and then wake up in the morning and repeat. That’s basically what it is. It’s a very tight schedule. But it’s the life of a wrestler. And that’s what I always wanted to do,” Gunther said.

Gunther recently became a father to a baby boy in December with his wife — former wrestler Jinny Sandhu. He said it is tough to be away from his family.

“That is the downside. And it’s just the price to pay, a little bit. But it’s also the things like my wife, Jinny, she used to wrestle before, so she knows the business. And I got a great backup there. And it’s always hard leaving a little one behind because I don’t want to miss anything. But on the other hand, I’m out there providing a great life for my family and, to sacrifice that you do now and then, the idea is that later on, you can live a life that nobody is able to live after you put the work in,” Gunther said.

Gunther on His Style

Gunther is known as “The Ring General,” with more of a ground-and-pound offense.

“It’s very down to earth, I would say, and very logical and very efficient,” Gunther said of his ring style. “I was never worried about what could I do to that is spectacular.”

While his style is mostly ground-based, Gunther will utilize a top-rope splash but will leave his feet for little else.

“I’m using a big splash off the top rope because I think it makes sense for me and I’m a heavy guy. But besides from that, I just always focused on doing the stuff that’s efficient and makes sense for me,” Gunther said.

Chops are a big part of a Gunther match. His chest and that of his opponent will quickly turn red, then black and blue. Gunther humbly said he has the best chops in wrestling, but credited Dominik Mysterio for throwing a tough chop as well.

Injuries are inevitable in a sport like wrestling. Gunther has torn his meniscus in the past. His pre-match routine includes plenty of calisthenics.

“I always used a lot of bodyweight movements, like regular pushups or body bodyweight squats, different pushup variations and stuff like that stretch your body as well. That keeps your body mobile. That’s something I but I trained in Japan early in my career,” Gunther said.

Gunther is the leader of the Imperium faction, which includes Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. The European trio storms to the ring with a no-nonsense style. But, Gunther rejects the notion there is a Cold War tinge to the heel group.

“When Kaiser and I started the character I have now, is the same I did back in Germany. It was more influenced by those old-school wrestlers back in Germany during tournament times,” Gunther said.

Gunther honed his skills in Germany and England before joining WWE in 2022. He remembers the days when a Vienna promoter limited ring wear to black trunks and black boots.

“Especially in a time where everybody tries to be flashy, tries to stand out with their outfits as with their in-ring style. I always thought it is a breath of fresh air to be the opposite,” Gunther said.

A WrestleMania Dream Deferred

WrestleMania XL is around the corner — April 6 and 7 in Philadelphia. WWE has not announced an opponent for Gunther yet, although recent TV storylines indicate it could be Jey Uso.

“People want to challenge me for the championship. And that’s just the mindset I have when it comes to that right now. I’m not really stressed about who am I going to face at WrestleMania,” Gunther said.

But, his WrestleMania dream match may never come to fruition.

“I always was vocal about my dream match in the past, but that fell through now. I don’t know if we’ll see Brock again if that’s ever going to happen. But I’m wide open when it comes to that as of now,” Gunther said.

That is Brock, as in Brock Lesnar, multiple-time WWE champ, ring dominator, and a major draw. However, Lesnar was indirectly implicated in a recent bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit against now-former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. The WWE swiftly cut ties with McMahon and Lesnar.

A Note About Reigns Reign

Technically, Reigns’ reign as WWE Universal champion — one of three “world” titles recognized by WWE — began in 2020. He is a dual champion, holding the WWE Championship — with a lineage dating to 1963 — since 2022. Seth Rollins is the other “world” title holder, awarded the newly-established World Heavyweight title last year.

A report earlier this week from WrestleTix indicated a near sellout of 7,300 tickets distributed (out of 8,182). The last trip to Fresno on Sept. 24, 2023, at the Save Mart Center, drew a reported 8,200 fans.

The post The Sacrifice of Being Record-Breaking WWE Superstar Gunther appeared first on GV Wire.