October 2011

Don Owen & Pacific Northwest Wrestling

IFOWrestling • October 30, 2011
Jimmy Snuka and Ed Francis | Illegal Foreign Object

Before Vince McMahon began his national push with the WWF, effectively killing the Territory System, the Don Owen led Portland Territory was the hottest thing going on the West Coast throughout the 70’s and early 80’s. Loaded with deep, talented rosters, Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) was the hightest rated local television weekly broadcast in the Portland area, running for 38 years.PNW was started in 1925 by former Australian world middleweight and world light-heavyweight wrestling champion Ted Thye, who named Don Owen’s father, Herb as his assistant. While Thye was back in Australia, Owen used some creative legal wrangling to have the promotion placed exclusively in his name, wrestling away ownership of the territory from the former champ. With Owen at the helm, the promotion started out by focusing on boxing, even bringing in the legendary Jack Dempsey.

Don’t Sleep on the Mid-Carders

IFOWrestling • October 23, 2011
Tully Blanchard | Illegal Foreign Object

I guess I’ve always been a mid-card wrestling junkie. I cut my teeth on mid-80’s WWF, WCCW, Mid-South & NWA wrestling, but was never really a mark for Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich, or Dusty Rhodes. Certainly I enjoyed their appearances, especially Hogan, who seemed 10 feet tall all those years he stood next to “Mean” Gene Okerlund, cutting his promos against the likes of other top tier guys like Andre the Giant & Randy Savage. But even then, the mid-carders always had my heart. Maybe part of it was the fact that I didn’t get to see guys like Hogan wrestle that often. As World Champion, the WWF didn’t put Hulk in the ring for many regular television broadcasts, preferring to save him for the PPVs and Saturday Night Main Event shows. Instead, they would showcase guys like Hillbilly Jim, Greg Valentine, etc. on their weekly broadcasts, something I was perfectly fine with especially considering my love for the aforementioned mid-carders.

O Hunter, Why Art Thou?

IFOWrestling • October 16, 2011
HHH | Illegal Foreign Object

I have always stood up for Paul Levesque aka Triple H. For the better part of the last 13 years, the man has received what I’ve felt is unjust criticism, fueled largely by his relationship with Stephanie McMahon. To some, Hunter has made his whole career off knowing the right asses to kiss. Many believe his nickname, ‘The Game’ to be more appropriate to how he works behind the scene, as opposed to in the ring. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed his in-ring work, and when he’s kept his promos to 2 minutes or less, have thought him a decent guy on the mic as well. Do I view him as one of the all-time greats? No, not really, but to say his whole career has been built upon sucking up and manipulation is silly. The guy is and has always been a legitimate talent.HHH came into the WWE as a bit of an unknown quantity.

An Open Letter to Bruce Prichard

IFOWrestling • October 9, 2011
James Storm & Bobby Roode, Beer Money | Illegal Foreign Object

Dear Bruce,

First and foremost, congratulations on being named Head Writer/Vice President of Talent Relations for IMPACT Wrestling. You certainly have plenty of skins on the wall, plenty of experience, and I think I speak for most TNA fans when I say changes in the positions you now hold were most definitely needed. Having been in TNA for just over a year, I’m sure you’re well aware of the talent you will now have at your disposal. Quite simply, you have the best young talent in the business. I know that I personally would like to see a bit more of said talent on television and in major angles, and I’d like to think you’ll facilitate such a move. Bruce, TNA seems to almostget it right so often that it becomes very frustrating for fans, who want so badly for this thing to take off, when we see silly, obvious mistakes being made with the product.

The Death of the Russian Gimmick

IFOWrestling • October 2, 2011
Nikita Koloff | Illegal Foreign Object

For the better part of the 70’s and 80’s, pro wrestling used Cold War tension between the United States and Russia to create ready made heel performers, several of whom got over huge with millions of wrestling fans across America. Our ‘war’ on Communism fueled some of the most heated wrestling rivalries of that era, as the personal nature of the subject matter made it all the more realistic to those of us watching each week on television. If you turned on the nightly news in the mid-to-late 80’s, you heard all about Russia’s desire to start a nuclear war with the United States, to take our country, our freedom, our rights. History has since shown us this was mostly false, as Russia had far greater concerns than waging war with the U.S., most importantly, trying to find a way to feed their massive population.

@IFOWrestling on Twitter

  • Helluva 6-man tag match. This is becoming commonplace for The Shield. #Smackdown — 23 hours 19 min ago
  • @purofan6155 I 'd be fine with an Orton heel turn, but it doesn't look like it'll happen anytime soon. He's Smackdown's Cena. — 23 hours 22 min ago
  • Damn, Reigns looks like he rolled the hell out his ankle there. #Smackdown — 23 hours 25 min ago
  • @purofan6155 Right there with ya. Guess it gets HHH off TV for awhile without losing face. — 23 hours 35 min ago
  • Here comes Teddy Long to book a tag match. #Smackdown — 23 hours 39 min ago
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