Re: [DL] Former Wrestler PC?

["Stryfe Mac.com" <saintstryfe@mac.com>]

On 2002/7/1 06:56 PM, "Nick Zachariasen" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu> wrote:

> Well, back then, wrestling was just that: wrestling. It was actually
> scientific, like amateur wrestling. There were no Undertakers, Doink the
> Clowns, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggans, Brutus "the Barber" Beefcakes, etc. It was
> actual wrestling.

You'd think that - but if you go beyond the "Big names" like George
Hackenshmitt, you find characters and trumped bios and even masks this
early.

> It changed (IIRC) early in the 20th century when people
> started getting bored with matches that lasted 5 hours. This actually
> happened a lot due to the fact that it was still a technical sport instead
> of a show like it is today. Wrestling back during DL time was pretty much
> just shoots (a "shoot" being a match for real instead of staged like they
> came to be). I'd say you'd have to give him Fightin': Wrestling and perhaps
> a point or two in Bluff for faking the opponent out.

Sounds reasonable, but maybe a special Endurance edge to let them do that 5
hour stuff.

> As for the way it was conducted, a promoter would have a small territory in
> which he'd travel around with his stable of wrestlers and have matches.
> There'd be a champion, but there wasn't much credibility to having dozens of
> "world champions" running around, so some promoters started forming
> alliances and having matches between their champions to actually make the
> title mean something, but this didn't really happen until wrestling started
> having predetermined outcomes. If you can get your hands on A&E's excellent
> The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling, do so. It's really very
> interesting. 

It was well produced, but you don't need to go far to see a lot of glairing
omissions - many of them reportedly brought on by pressure by the (then)
World Wrestling Federation. Bruno Sammartino, one of the all time greatest
wrestling champions, was completely ignored if I remember correctly. This
was because Vince McMahon and he had a very poor relationship.

>There MAY be a copy here in Yankton at the video store where I
> work. Let me know if you're interested and I can check. It'd really help you
> get an "accurate" background for this character.

Thank you, but I've seen in more then a few times, so I know where we're
coming from. While it's all accurate, it's a little biased in favor of the
modern product. But another part of my question which I implied, but too
weakly upon rereading is that how would the effects of the Weird West effect
a side show? For that matter, what about P.T. Barnum as a showman? What is
he doing? Helping the Yankees, the CSA, or or doing as he would have done?
He was a major force in early wrestling history, if you go back that far.
Maybe the Goverments have used those "freaks" in some special way? Or
maybe...


S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E

Maybe the Reckoners could have a plan based around all this? It could be a
hook here... ;-)

> Nick Zachariasen
> Editor Emeritus
> Trojan Times

Respect,
Stryfe

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