'Good' Pro Wres Streaming Links

[Graymar]

Loved the Thrillseekers (Jericho-Storm) match...have the DVD. As I recall Jericho broke his arm practicing moonsaults into Cornette's pool. Jericho bleeds a TON during this match.

Graymar

[LWPD]

20 Man Battle Royal 7/23/84

tinyurl.com/qh4wn

This was from a WWF house show card at Madison Square Garden shortly after the Hulkamania era had begun. This gives a nice glimpse of the early Expansion Era crew that Vince initially had to work with on his road to hegemony. A long time 'special attraction' this usually served as a harbinger of 'bigger and better things to come' for the winner. Here it serves as a sign of respect for good future business relations. Ever the smart business man Antonio Inoki worked an MSG spot for both publicity and nice pay day. As a relic from the past Vince's father would periodically 'rent out' WWF talent for tours of New Japan in exchange for a hefty sum and complete creative control. The relationship died shortly after the first Wrestlemania as house show business needed a constant stream of bodies and would prove more profitable.

LWPD (battle royal participants Tony Garea, Steve Lombardi, Rene Goulet, Jay Strongbow, Tito Santana, Jose Luis Rivera & Sgt Slaughter would all go on to work for VKM in other capacities in later years)

[LWPD]

One Man Gang vs Hacksaw Duggan 11/9/86

tinyurl.com/pavem

This was from the old Universal Wrestling Federation syndicated show. For years promoter Bill Watts had successfully ran shows throughout the mid south region of the country and was making a bid at going national. The booking style promoted 'tough guy/athlete' types competing in a 'sport setting' ...an alternative to the more cartoonish approach Vince was peddling. Watch how in the course of this show the title was transitioned from heel Champion Terry Gordy to heel challenger One Man Gang...while establishing Hacksaw Duggan as a threat...with pay offs teased for future touring house shows. No one involved came out looking weaker during this creative shake up while new storylines were built...all centered around the title.

LWPD (despite high ratings and being critically acclaimed by many...economic recession in the areas Bill Watts ran wound up devastating his business beyond repair...in one of the biggest 'legal' swindles in pro wres history BW wound up taking Jim Crockett to the cleaners when he 'sold' his near bankrupt promotion for 7 figures...even though there weren't any real tangible assets to be brought...not even video archives or binding contracts for the talent)

[LWPD]

Sabu vs Terry Funk 8/9/97

tinyurl.com/ozg6c

This was from the ECW show 'Born to be Wired'. The ropes were replaced with barbed wire as the match was centered around garbage spots. This is one where the quality of the in ring content clearly benefits from the editing process. Watch for the precariously famous 'entanglement' spot which resulted in a rushed finish due to fear over both mens immediate safety. Unclipped the careful snipping of the barbed wire process took about ten minutes and saw both wrestlers break kayfabe by voicing concern for each other...with Sabu clearly heard speaking in perfect English.

LWPD (looking back TF has remarked how the barbed wire entanglement spot was certainly not the brightest thing he's ever done in his career...I can't see this ever being allowed to happen again with VKM now overseeing the new ECW project)

[LWPD]

Bruiser Brody vs Carlos Colon 2/23/85

tinyurl.com/fa3rf

This 'Chain Match' was from the World Wrestling Council promotion based out of Puerto Rico. The WWC style emphasized fast paced brawling and frequent blade jobs with a mix of native, US and 'exotic' international talent. This match is centered around the Universal Title. As part owner and perennial baby face Champion...CC would attain celebrity status on the island and was a solid draw for years. Here he displays his 'face in peril', brawling, bump taking and showmanship skills against a game and athletic Bruiser Brody...who himself shows he could sell and bump effectively for a smaller man...when and if he wanted to. A good brawl with a really hot crowd that gives a nice feel for what WWC was all about back then.

LWPD (at times the son of Carlos Colon..'Carlito' shows a somewhat similar ability to connect with the WWE audience on an emotional level...but he has a long way to go to reach the renowned status and draw the type of money his father did...let alone for as long as he did)

[BDS]

I've been on this board since just before this thread was started, and I've somehow managed to miss it until now. Shame on me. Thank you for pulling all of this together for us, LWPD.

[LWPD]

Hulk Hogan vs Tom Stone & Mike Richards 4/83

tinyurl.com/hp6xm

This was from Verne Gagne's AWA and represents an era shortly before the Vince led talent raid. Back then the AWA had arguably the strongest roster in all of pro wres. Hulk Hogan was coming off the heels of his Rocky 3 cameo and was developing into his own. Unfortunately for Verne squabbles over money issues, VG demanding a cut of Hogan's lucrative Japan tours, being unwilling to put HH on top and VKM offering him the chance of a life time would all combine to put a bullet in his AWA tenure..

LWPD (a young Hulk looked to be in the best shape of his life back then...if only the world of pro wres could find someone else with his combo of size, charisma, personal discipline and depth of understanding of how the business actually functions to help carry it once again)

[gwffantrav]

Could you imagine the landscape if Hogan was given the AWA Title. We may see old Verne making out on screen with Candace Michelle

[LWPD]

Ultimate Warrior & Legion of Doom vs Demolition 10/13/90

tinyurl.com/l7av7

This was a six man tag from Saturday Nights Main Event and served as a teaser for the upcoming Survivor Series PPV. Demolition was comprised of Ax, Smash & Crush and after a lengthy run (Ax and Smash held the tag belts for roughly 2 years of time over a 3 year period)...the Demolition concept was on it's way to being phased out completely. Smash would be repackaged as the Repo Man, Crush as a singles star and Ax would retire. Hawk and Animal were new arrivals who quickly shot up the tag ranks. They would make short work of their rivals in a lop sided squash program which signaled the end of a WWF Tag Dynasty.

LWPD (Vince totally jobbed out Demolition to Hawk and Animal from start to finish...an anti-climatic end to what could have been an extended dream program had it been booked more evenly contested)

[gwffantrav]

I remember seeing the Survivor Series team of Ultimate Warrior, Kerry von Erich and The LOD...thought it was the greatest SS of all time...back then.

Shame Demo broke that image of the Warriors and really got over on their own, only to see it flushed down when the LOD arrived.

[LWPD]

1-2-3 Kid vs Yokozuna 9/28/94

tinyurl.com/z77gm

This was a Coliseum Home Video 'exclusive' from the WWF. Yokozuna was played by Rodney Anoa'i...a former WWF World Champion who at this point was positioned as a solid semi-main event player. The 1-2-3 Kid was played by Sean Waltman who for years worked as a solid hand who could make anyone look good. A good short taste of the early 90's WWF pre-Attitude era in ring style.

LWPD (Yoko was very athletic for a man his size and had respectable run in the WWF from 92-6...his downfall would be his weight gain which continued to balloon throughout his tenure and eventually led to him losing his wrestling license after failing a physical run by the NYSAC...sadly he would pass way a few years later due to heart failure)

[LWPD]

Ric Flair vs Kerry Von Erich 5/6/84

tinyurl.com/j2su7

This was from the World Class promotion in front of a 'reported' 43,000 fans in Texas Stadium. Good luck to any non-WWE pro wres venture being able to pull off numbers anywhere near that in the US today. The storyline was that Kerry's brother David had passed away and KVE was trying to win the belt in tribute to him. Not their best match together by any means...but it was historic due to the title change...plus the atmosphere and emotion make this a 'must see' for any fan.

LWPD (I'll always remember this program because my sister was born on the same day that Flair won the belt back in Japan...for those interested in seeing Kerry at his best I'd highly recommend KVE/Jumbo Tsuruta 2 out of 3 Falls NWA World Title Defense from Japan...along with Flair/KVE 2 out of 3 TV match and the X Mas Night Cage Match that created the Freebird/Von Erich feud...both from 1982)

[gwffantrav]

I watched this a while back. If I'm not mistaken, Flair had commented he had to give Kerry a simple finish so he could remember the finish.

[LWPD]

WWF Battle Royal 4/27/91

tinyurl.com/zqreh

This was from the WWF in a Saturday Night's Main Event shortly after Wrestlemania 7. After failing at the box office the first time...the goal was to successfully position then IC Champion Mr. Perfect into the upper echelon of the roster. Unfortunately a few months later CH would suffer a back injury that would kill his momentum. Curt would find himself out of action for a year right after 'putting over' Bret Hart for the IC belt at that year's Summerslam in a classic match...that is made even more impressive when one realizes the amount of pain he was in at the time. The BR itself features a slick finish that could have easily gone wrong if not for the athleticism and ring awareness of Mr. P

LWPD (seeing stars like Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect, Earthquake, Greg Valentine, Kerry Von Erich, Brutus Beefcake, Hacksaw Duggan and Jake Roberts all in the same ring is a reminder of not only how 'stacked' the WWF talent roster was back then...but also how the average age and experience level of the roster was much higher than what you'll find on Raw and Smackdown today)

[LWPD]

British Bulldogs vs Rock n Roll Express 2/89

tinyurl.com/fzrus

This was from a joint promotional card in Kansas City called International Bash. Here we see a rare 'dream match' between two of the biggest face teams of the 80's. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid had recently ended their stint in the WWF...while Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were in a state of limbo after contract negotiations failed with WCW. These two teams of 'equal status' put on a half hour tag classic sans the promotional politics of their respective organizations. Former NWA World Champion Pat O'Connor serves as the special referee.

LWPD (both the British Bulldogs and Rock n Roll Express were among the best US based tag teams of their era...today the tag team genre itself has comparatively become a much neglected aspect of pro wres)

[LWPD]

Hulk Hogan vs Nick Bockwinkel 4/18/82 & 4/20/83

tinyurl.com/l3wm8

This is a double shot of the Hogan/Bockwinkel series from Verne Gagne's AWA. The program is shown booked a year apart....with the first match representing a sold out house show with a 'Dusty Finish'...while the second stands as the main event of a Super Card called Super Sunday. SS reportedly did 30k combined at the St. Paul Civic Center/Closed Circuit which were very impressive numbers for the time. Not only did a young Hogan have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands with his showmanship skills...but he was willing to do more 'stuff' inside the ring than the Hulkamania era formula he would later develop in the WWF. Bockwinkel shows great ring generalship along with bumping and stooging skills that cement the matches together while Bobby Heenan gives a five star performance outside the ring as the 'weasel'. Verne had something big...but would lose it and wind up paying the price!

LWPD (the AWA crowd was hungry for a change and were obviously willing to pay to see it happen...unfortunately Verne Gagne just wasn't willing to give it to them....looking back the screw job finishes he used in this program really weren't very wise business decisions as it ended up damaging attendance once Hogan left for good)

[LWPD]

Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu 6/5/89

tinyurl.com/jvze4

This was from All Japan and is widely considered to be one of the greatest matches of the decade. Very stiff with great psychology, timing, pacing and among the hottest pro wres crowds one will ever find. Tenryu the junior challenges the ace of the promotion in his former mentor Jumbo Tsuruta. While they have had other matches with-in the course of their program...this stands as their magnum opus.

LWPD (even with the passage of time this still stands as among my favorite matches...looking back 1989 was a great year for pro wres on a world wide level...and a strong argument can be made that there hasn't been a better overall year since)

[LWPD]

Los Gringos Locos vs El Octagon & El Hijo Del Santo 11/6/94

Part 1
Part 2

This was from the IWC/AAA joint promoted When Worlds Collide PPV from Los Angeles Sports Arena. WCW helped to sponsor the event...which is why Chris Cruise & Mike Tenay appear on commentary. This was a 2 out of 3 Falls Double Hair vs Double Mask match as the heels put up their hair while the faces put up their masks (and thus their very Lucha identifies). Heels Eddie Guerrero (playing a 'sell out to the US') and Love Machine Art Bar did a phenomenal job working the ring and using 'ethnic tensions' to rile up the crowd. Both El Hijo Del Santo & El Octagon play the role of textbook baby faces...defending the pride, honor and dignity of their heritage and Mexican culture against the arrogant 'gringos' from America. One of the best all around worked tag matches I've ever seen.

LWPD (both Art Barr and Eddie Guerrero were masters at playing the role of heel...and both passed away well before their time...RIP)

"A tremendous victory in this double hair vs double mask match as good has triumphed over evil!"

-Chris Cruise...PPV Commentator

[gwffantrav]

lwpd said:

British Bulldogs vs Rock n Roll Express 2/89

tinyurl.com/fzrus

This was from a joint promotional card in Kansas City called International Bash. Here we see a rare 'dream match' between two of the biggest face teams of the 80's. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid had recently ended their stint in the WWF...while Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were in a state of limbo after contract negotiations failed with WCW. These two teams of 'equal status' put on a half hour tag classic sans the promotional politics of their respective organizations. Former NWA World Champion Pat O'Connor serves as the special referee.

LWPD (both the British Bulldogs and Rock n Roll Express were among the best US based tag teams of their era...today the tag team genre itself has comparatively become a much neglected aspect of pro wres)

Very nice post there LWPD. Thanks for that.

[LWPD]

gwffantrav said:

lwpd said:

British Bulldogs vs Rock n Roll Express 2/89

tinyurl.com/fzrus

This was from a joint promotional card in Kansas City called International Bash. Here we see a rare 'dream match' between two of the biggest face teams of the 80's. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid had recently ended their stint in the WWF...while Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were in a state of limbo after contract negotiations failed with WCW. These two teams of 'equal status' put on a half hour tag classic sans the promotional politics of their respective organizations. Former NWA World Champion Pat O'Connor serves as the special referee.

LWPD (both the British Bulldogs and Rock n Roll Express were among the best US based tag teams of their era...today the tag team genre itself has comparatively become a much neglected aspect of pro wres)

Very nice post there LWPD. Thanks for that.

That was one of those rare classics that normally would have never come about the way it did...but all the players just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Morton and Gibson would end up back in WCW but never really got back on their stride. This was the tail end of their peak as The Steiners got their spot. DBS and DK would soon part ways...and Billington's back would be gone beyond repair only a few years later.

LWPD (I'm glad this dream match came about...it's a 'lost classic' most fans will probably never see or even know exists)