The Wrestling Bard 05.09.09: The Evolution of Sports Entertainment (Cont.)

Posted by Aaron Hubbard on 05.09.2009

Part III: High Flying (with Lyger vs. Owen) and Part IV: Brawling (with Funk vs. Brody).

The Wrestling Bard: The Evolution of Sports Entertainment
Part I: Catch Wrestling, and Part 2: Showmanship

A Brief Summation of This Column
Sports entertainment has evolved over the years. Social mores and current events have led to changes in booking and storylines. Over the years, it seems as though the "sports" aspect has taken a backseat to the "entertainment". Promos and skits take up more time the average RAW or iMPACT than the in-ring action. But it's not just the amount of in-ring action, but the content of the action that has changed. What was once an industry built on worked catch wrestling has evolved to include gymnastics, striking, power lifting, taunts, weapons, and crowd interaction.

This particular column covers Part III: High Flying, and Part IV: Brawling. For Part I: Catch Wrestling, and Part II: Showmanship, you can read last week's column, which is a half decent one up until the alternating blue and white section.

High Flying

Attempting to describe how the "high flying" style became prominent would be a near impossible task. Gymnastics displays in wrestling is often used more to "show off" than to be actually strategic. Prior to its use as an offensive weapon, it was largely used for comedy's sake, in the form of taunts, dropkicks and monkey flips. It's safe to say that its earliest appearance as truly effective offensewas in the art of "flash pins", such as Pat O'Connor's signature waistlock roll. European Chain wrestling was originally a much slower process of counters. Eventually, lighter and faster wrestlers starting integrated rolls and flips into chain wrestling to the point where you can hardly see a wristlock without somebody countering with flips these days.

Another obvious step towards high flying would be ring ropes, which led to such staples as clotheslines and Irish Whips. While these are much more "traditional" moves, wrestlers and fans realizing that the ropes could be used for momentum was a huge step. Wrestlers would eventually start climbing the ropes to add extra momentum for knee drops and stomps. What is perhaps surprising is that these top rope moves were often the devastating finishers of villains, such as Ivan Koloff, and inspired boos rather than cheers. In fact, many of the original high flying stuff can be found in smaller heels that were known to bump around for babyfaces and would often use flash pins out of desperation. Curt Hennig was perhaps the best example of an exceptional athlete that knew how to use his gymnastic talent to help his opponent get cheers instead of the other way around.

One cannot have a comprehensive discussion of high flying without first discussing Antonio Rocca. Rocca was the first big star of Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, and a lot of that had to do with his foot slaps, leaps, dropkicks and headscissors, moves that were unusual and much flashier than the standard fare of the day. His popularity is a huge contributing factor in the style surviving the next few decades with little change. The most significant would be the innovation and later popularizing of the superplex and moonsault, whose most notable users was Bob Orton Jr. and Chavo Guerrero Sr. respectively. High flying tactics would again captivate the New York area some thirty years later, when Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka came in and started hitting people with his signature top rope splash. It would be a pair of splashes off the top of a steel cage that solidified the presence of high risk offense in the WWF and later WWE.

Another significant player in high flying history is the legendary Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Steamboat was a fantastic technician, and had the best armdrag in the history of the business. He was also a career babyface with tremendous athleticism, so it made sense that he would incorporate dropkicks, headscissors, and crossbodies into his arsenal. Dragon's ability to mix these high spots with his chops and wrestling ability and to do it at a fast pace allowed him to be a main event player, and by being a main event player, he insured that his style would continue to be significant in America.

The next big step in high flying for North America came at the hands of two high energy workers who were known collectively as the Midnight Rockers. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were originally deemed as Rock & Roll Express rip-offs, and the gimmick was pretty much the same. What separated them was their use of high flying, lucha inspired offense that captivated audiences around America, first in the AWA and later in the WWF. Shawn would be the breakout superstar from the duo, and became one of the top workers in the company, eventually becoming WWE Champion in 1996.

While Bret Hart paved the way for smaller workers and "workrate" in a main event capacity, even he would concede that Shawn Michaels paved the way for high flyers to succeed in WWE. Shawn was trained by Mexican and Texas legend Jose Lothario. When Shawn proved that he could backflip off the top rope, Jose taught him the lucha style. It gave Shawn an extra tool to use, and allowed him to become a top star. Shawn inspired many wrestlers, such as Chris Jericho, the Hardy Boyz, and Edge and Christian, who continued to use the style in the late nineties and into the next century.

Outside of America, high flying evolved at a much faster pace. In Mexico, Lucha Libre had been doing headscissors, dropkicks, crossbodies, and intricate flash pins for years. Eventually, dives through and over the ropes and to the outside evolved. Perhaps the most significant move evolved in Mexico would be the huracanrana, which has perhaps the most unique origin of any move. For those who don't speak Spanish, a rana translates as frog. The "Huracan" part of the name comes from fictional luchador Huracán Ramírez, from the films of the same name. Daniel Garcia, the second man to play the role, invented the move, and thus it was named the huracanrana. The move is one of the most malleable in all of wrestling, able to be hit from almost position, and can be used either as a flash pin or simply a move to create distance. The man who made this move popular in America would be Scott Steiner, whose top rope version of the move was called the Frankensteiner, and the name has stuck.

In Japan, high flying was originally not as prominent, due to a desire to be "pure" and realistic. However, it should come as no surprise that the style developed legs in Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling. Inoki gets his first name from Antonio Rocca and is the inventor of the enzugiri kick. Martial arts were the original high flying in Japan, as spinning kicks were much more flasher. Legendary wrestler Tiger Mask was known to add elements of lucha into his martial arts/technical style, making him one of the first hybrid wrestlers. While the "Hybrid" style will receive a little more history later, it is an important part in bringing lucha to North America.

New Japan stars such as the Great Muta and Jushin Liger were brought over by WCW. Muta was known for his martial arts kicks and moonsault, and Liger was simply faster and more innovative than anyone currently in WCW, except perhaps Flyin' Brian Pillman. These led to them acquiring other workhorses such as Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and most importantly for this discussion, Eddie Guerrero. Eddie was, like the other two, a hybrid wrestler. But unlike the other two, he had more lucha influence, and he was able to mix Mexican high flying with American psychology and Japanese intensity. In Mexico, his use of psychology made him unique, but in America, it was his highflying offense that made him stand out.

Eddie's exposure led to other Mexican wrestlers getting national exposure. While some had more success than others (Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Psychosis, and Juventud Guerrera), the most important is Rey Mysterio. Rey is, for my money, the greatest high flyer of all time. Rey had an incredible aptitude for the lucha style, mastering the dives, the rollups, the dropkicks, the headscissors, the ranas, and the flips to such a degree that he was untouchable. He was the human highlight reel of WCW, busting out new offense almost on a weekly basis. While Rey had help from other luchadors, if you say lucha to a typical American fan, they will associate it with Rey Mysterio.

Perhaps the most significant thing Rey learned was how to use his style in a way that showed psychology and strategy instead of just "popping the crowd". Whenever he uses a move, it has a purpose, either to set up for another, more effective move, or an attempt to get a pinfall. Rey knows how to sell an injury, knows how to slow it down when necessary, and most importantly, knows how to tell a story. It's probably not unfair to say that working with greats like Malenko, Benoit, Jericho and especially Guerrero helped him to develop it. But what sets Rey apart from them is that he did not adopt a hybrid style of wrestling, but instead focused on evolving one style, the high-flying one. And while his World Title win and reign are much maligned, when people look at the history, they will see Rey and know that high flying is a success.

The style continues to evolve and change, perhaps faster than any other style in sports entertainment. TNA's X-Division is filled with wrestlers who continue to add new twists to the moves. Mexican sensation Mistico is showing that even Rey's mid-ninties run can be challenged. Japanese promotion Dragon Gate has mixed puroresu and lucha styles so effectively that it is called lucharesu, a style that is possibly the fastest ever. Independent wrestlers such as Jack Evans and PAC continue to add new rotations and flips to simple dives and splashes. And while WWElitists might not want to admit it, the style is slowly making its way to mainstream television. Brian Kendrick and Paul London popularized it on Smackdown!, and Evan Bourne is bringing the next step to it with his innovative high risk offense. Perhaps more than any other style, high flying is the one to watch.

Just for fun, here's a rare match between Jushin "Thunder" Lyger and Owen Hart. Enjoy!


Brawling

If you read last week's column, you'll remember that I said that brawling quickly made its way into wrestling as a means to create heels. Punches, stomps, tackles, biting, scratching, chokes and eye gouges were used by all of the most ruthless villains in the sport. But unlike other styles, the history and evolution of brawling is fairly easy to tell. Significant changes would not happen in for many, many years, but notable editions where the dropping of elbows and knees, and fishhooking.

One of the most important players in the aspects of brawling took place in the WWWF. The promotion was never known for honoring the "purity" of wrestling, and focused more on other aspects, such as showmanship, strength, and brawling. Because these things were exciting to the crowds, babyfaces started to punch and kick. Things like "heart", "grit" and "determination" could be shown by brawling. It was no longer just a cowardly act by people who could not wrestle. Eventually, this phenomenon would spread to the AWA and the NWA.

Perhaps the two most significant figures in babyface brawling are Dusty Rhodes and Bruno Sammartino. Neither man was the best worker, although they had shades of technical ability. But they could trade punches (and elbows in Dusty's case) with the best of them. While this style would have been unanimously booed in a bygone age, the fans got behind both men. If people talk about "great" matches of Rhodes or Sammartino, chances are the match resembled a bar fight more than an Olympic contest.

While I have no way of knowing when the first foreign object was used (records go back to at least Frank Gotch using oil in his matches so that it would be harder for his opponents to get a firm grip), it was certainly a significant moment in brawling. At one time, the use of brass knuckles, a roll of quarters, or the heel powder of ultimate cheatery almost always signaled the end of a match. However, certain wrestlers were more inventive than others. One of the most notable ones was the Original Sheik. His most outlandish was probably his fireballs, but carving faces with pencils was a much more common occurrence in Sheik matches. And while I'm not sure who the genius that introduced a chair to wrestling is, the man is brilliant for using more overt weapons.

Another major step in the evolution of brawling was the invention of the steel cage match. At times, the match was designed as a wrestling match with a fence around it to keep fans and other wrestlers out (not unlike UFC today). But other times, the cage would be used as a weapon and would almost certainly lead to bloodshed. Cages were usually reserved for only the fiercest of blood feuds, which meant that at some point, fisticuffs were sure to be engaged in. This way of containing brawls also served to encourage them. Later, brawls would be encouraged to go outside the ring.

Certain wrestlers developed persona's made for brawling. The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, Killer Kawalksi and the Mongolian Stomper are obvious ones, but the Blackjacks and Stan Hansen's tough guy cowboy characters were obviously designed to invoke images of saloon fights from old westerns. Two of the best, and arguably the most notable, were Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher. Butcher was known to brawl all over the arena, use a fork to tear his opponents flesh, and he probably bled more than any wrestler alive. He was not a wrestler, he was a fighter, and served as a special attraction that was able to move from territory to territory, never wearing out his welcome.

Brody, on the other hand, was a competent grappler, although Lou Thesz would probably say otherwise. But he was also big, tough and mean. Brody was rarely beat in the ring, as his short temper and willingness to use anything at ringside to pummel his opponents led to numerous disqualifications and count outs. He had an aura of invincibility that few men have enjoyed, and has a reputation as one of the greatest brawlers of all time. Dave Meltzer named him best brawler in 1980, '81, '82, '83, '84, '87 and '88 and later named the award after him.

After Brody's untimely demise, the man who dominated the award was one Mick Foley. He won every award from 1991 until 2000, and deservedly so. Besides the high impact offense he could unleash within the confines of the rules, Mick thrived in environments with no rules. Tables, chairs, thumbtacks, barbwire, and fire were all staples of Mick's wildest matches. But unlike many brawlers, including many who were cheap knockoffs of Mick's most violent persona, Cactus Jack, Foley had an appreciation for storytelling and psychology. Much like Rey Mysterio, Foley was able to take these important aspects and integrate them into his brawling style to make it a true art form. He was able to have success on a national level and became a WWE Champion.

Before he got to the main stage, Foley spent time in ECW and FMW, independent federations that thrived off of over-the-top, gratuitous violence. The brawlers ranged from those who were also competent ring technicians, such as Tommy Dreamer, to the Sandman, a terrible worker who was able to make a name for himself by being tough as Hell, having a cool persona, and doing stupid stunts. Sandman is the stereotypical "garbage wrestler". ECW was known as a safe harbor for "garbage wrestling", but featured other styles, such as technical and high flying, that made it stand out. However, if asked about the most memorable moments in ECW, the brawling and violence far outweighs the more refined aspects of the game. It was around this time that brawling started to be called "hardcore" wrestling.

However, not all ECW stars were content to brawl mindlessly. Two in particular were extremely creative. First was the nephew of the Original Sheik, the "homicidal, suicidal, genocidal" Sabu. Sabu was definitely rugged and violent, but he added highflying aspects to his brawling that made him unique. Sabu would use anything to launch himself off of, and use anything to hurt his opponents. The other man who proved that you could be creative and thoughtful with violence was Raven. For his entire career, Raven has thought of new ways to hurt himself and his opponents. It is his refusal to stop being creative that I admire, and sets him apart from most brawlers in my mind.

The "ECW Style" would eventually find its way to the big stage of WWE, in no small part to Foley's signing. The Attitude era was filled with wild brawls that went all over the building. The poster boy for this style was Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin was a good technician with a killer instinct, but changed his style to something more accessible for the many casual fans the WWF was attracting. Austin's brawls proved to be just as entertaining as his wrestling matches.

Hardcore wrestling has fallen out of favor in WWE, especially now in the PG era, where even blood is avoided. But it still has relevance on the indy scene. Promotion's like IWA Mid-South and CZW specialize in the style. CZW was recently featured in the movie "The Wrestler". All the usual toys are used, but new weapons such as glass, light bulbs and the infamous staple gun have risen to prominence. Indy workers such as Homicide and the Necro Butcher have helped "hardcore" survive long past what should have been its expiration date when ECW folded.

One man that I have left out of the discussion of brawlers is Terry Funk. The main reason is that Funk is a man who I have trouble describing. Funk is one of those guys you just have to see to truly get it. But trust me, the man is as hardcore as anyone, and here's some evidence right here.




Next week, we will take a look at power wrestling in Part V, and martial arts in Part VI.

Wish your mom's a happy Mother's Day tomorrow.