R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Dark Patriot

Posted on June 13, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are once more at the Rotten Ink Arena. This “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event is going to be a quick and yet entertaining one as the main event star is the masked wrestler Dark Patriot that was one of the top heels in GWF as well as other indie promotions starting in the early 90’s and would win titles and get mega heat from the fan for his cheating ways. But as quick as Dark Patriot took the world of pro wrestling by storm, he disappeared only to show up at smaller events from time to time over the years. So let’s grab some food and drinks from the snack bar and find our seats as this is going to be a fun one. And I don’t know about you readers, but I am enjoying doing these R.I.W Wrestling Legends updates as they give me a chance to talk about some of my favorite wrestlers as well as chat about ones that are new to me. So as you can hear, the music has started and the house lights are down and that means this event is about to start!

The Dark Patriot would make his in ring debut in 1991 in the GWF and was a masked man who was a hated heel from the moment he appeared as he had a goal to beat up The Patriot who was the company’s most popular Baby Face and as well would go after Eddie Gilbert. During his time in the GWF he would also win the GWF North American Title and would get wins over the likes of The Patriot, Chaz, Terry Garvin and Gary Young. And for a short time he was one of the companies top Heels and would stay in the GWF until 1992 and would then show up in ECW in 1993 and would have a very small run and would wrestle names like Terry Funk, JT Smith, Sandman and Miguel Perez Jr. and would even team with Eddie Gilbert to win the companies Tag Team Titles, but had a falling out with management and this caused him to leave ECW. The Dark Patriot in 1994 would start working small runs in the USWA as well as IWA in Japan and would over the years would show up in the indies to work and he is still doing this to this day. During his short run The Dark Patriot would win titles and be a hated heel in all the promotions he worked for. The man behind the mask was Doug Gilbert, the brother of Eddie Gilbert, who became a pro wrestler in 1986 and was trained by his father Tommy Gilbert, and while he worked as himself most of his career he would also work as Nightmare Freddie, The Enforcer and Wrestling Machine # 1 to name a few, and who knows maybe he will get a update event as himself in the future.

Growing up, I used to watch the GWF and one of my favorite Heels in the promotion was The Dark Patriot who I found to be a skilled brawler who was the perfect opponent to The Patriot, who was one of my favorite wrestlers at the time! I mean would loud his mask with a foreign object and headbutt his opponents to try and get a cheap win, plus I mean his red and black color scheme set him apart and made him the true Anti-Patriot and a true dark heel who was hell bent on causing chaos in the GWF. One thing you have to say about The Dark Patriot is he was a good worker and put on great matches, and I liked his gimmick of being the heel version of the pro American wrestler The Patriot. What is crazy for me to now look back on is just how short of a run The Dark Patriot had because when I was younger he seemed liked he was around for a while and seemed like one of the biggest heels of the early 90’s! I also like how when cutting a promo Dark Patriot would have a southern accent and his voice is not what you would expect, but that also worked so well for him as it made him standout from the heels that were all over the WWF at the time as GWF was very much more of a southern wrestling promotion as they were based out of Texas. I can also remember that Bruce Prichard aka Brother Love from WWF was his manager when he was released and this changed his character slightly. While Dark Patriot is still around from time to time to this day his major run in wrestling was in the 90’s and he was a great worker who was the perfect heel to take on baby faces like The Patriot and Eddie Gilbert in GWF.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Dark Patriot for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Dark Patriot.

Best Of Dark Patriot

Match 1: Dark Patriot vs. The Patriot

The match starts with Dark Patriot punching and kicking The Patriot into the corner and as the referee’s back in turned Bruce Prichard the manager of Dark Patriot takes some cheap shots of The Patriots ribs. But this only fires up The Patriot who ends up ramming the head of Dark Patriot into the corner multiple times and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Outside Dark Patriot has had enough and starts making his way towards the locker room, and Bruce begs him to come back as if Patriot wins he gets to beat up Bruce in the ring for 5 minutes! The Patriot goes out of the ring after him and the two start fighting in the fans who scatter to get out of their way, they then make it to ringside and exchange punches before getting back in the ring where The Patriot hits a suplex and then keeps the momentum on his side with big punches. But it’s short lived as Dark Patriot turns the tide and even allows Bruce to keep getting in cheap shots behind the referees back. Dark Patriot gets him into the corner and keeps hitting big punches, but Patriot fights back and makes a big mistake and charges Dark Patriot who moves and this cause the baby face to fall out of the ring. Once back in Dark Patriot locks Patriot in a chin lock in the middle of the ring, but once out the two once more exchange punches and holds. In the end The Patriot hits Dark Patriot with his Patriot Missile finisher and as he goes for the pin Bruce enters the ring and attacks making The Patriot win by DQ and not pin. This is a great match if you are into the feud between The Patriot and Dark Patriot in GWF as this was a match that had the fans fired up showed just how over The Patriot was and just how good of a cheating heel Dark Patriot was. This match is more of a brawl and has both men trying to hurt each other as they both have nuclear heat with each other and both do a great job of telling a story in the ring as well as making each other look good. The Patriots finisher The Patriot Missile looks impactful, and I love how the Dark Patriot tries to use the foreign object in his mask attack in the match. Over all this is a solid match that I wish had a little less Bruce Prichard interference in it, but still was very entertaining and made me flash back to watching these matches as a kid.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Dark Patriot vs. Chaz

The start of the match Dark Patriot uses his strength to push Chaz around, but the young baby face uses his speed to show that he as well has skills and keeps Dark Patriot on the losing end of exchanges. But Bruce Prichard the manger of Dark Patriot distracts both the referee and Chaz and this allows Dark Patriot to cheap shot Chaz and take the momentum of the match for a moment, but Chaz gets fired up and fights back. But like before both Dark Patriot and Prichard cheat to get the upper hand, Dark Patriot even hits a big side suplex that rocks Chaz. Dark Patriot tries for a top rope diving headbutt and misses and this gives Chaz a chance to fight back even hitting a bulldog. But the Dark Patriot is able to load his mask with a foreign object and headbutt Chaz in the back of the head knocking him to the mat and allowing Dark Patriot to get the win via pin. This was a quick fun match that was pretty competative as Chaz fights hard against Dark Patriot and the fans in attendance really were behind Chaz to win it, and they are not happy when Dark Patriot cheats to win with the help of his manager Bruce Prichard who was in my opinion used to much in the match as at times its like he is trying to steal the heat from his own man. Dark Patriot is great at being the chicken shit heel when he needs to be, but also the sneaky one when the time is right. Plus I am a mark for the loaded mask spot as it works so well for him to cheat to win. Chaz is a solid worker and is fast in the ring, and the fans really did like him. Over all a good match that entertained me and again showcased the skills of being a good indie heel by Dark Patriot.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Dark Patriot vs. Eddie Gilbert

As soon as the bell rings Eddie Gilbert goes right after Dark Patriot and rams his head into the turnbuckle and then starts unloading big punches on the masked man that causes him to stumble around the ring. The two fight outside the ring and Eddie even chases him into the fans in order to beat him up even more. Once back in the ring Dark Patriot cheats with a poke to his eyes and then starts his attack and of course Bruce Prichard even takes a few shots at Eddie who ends up making a comeback hitting Dark Patriot with one of his signature moves called The Hot Shot and is only able to get a one count when Dark Patriot gets his foot in the rope to break the pin. The Dark Patriot is able to use a foreign object behind the referees back in order to rock Eddie and even then hitting a pair of pile drivers but is only able to get a two count on Eddie who kicks out. Dark Patriot goes then for a sleeper hold, Eddie breaks the hold with a jawbreaker and when Dark Patriot tries to fire off a series of punches Eddie is so fired up he does not feel them but Eddie lands some punches that floors Dark Patriot and then tries to remove his mask. But while the referee is not looking Bruce tosses Dark Patriot an object that he puts into his mask and head butts Eddie but is only able to get a two count when Eddie gets his foot on the rope. As the referee argues with Bruce Prichard, Eddie grabs an object and hits Dark Patriot in the head flooring him. As Eddie goes for the pin Bruce enters the ring and kicks the referee and this gives Eddie the win via DQ. This is a really solid match as Eddie Gilbert was such a great worker who had the fans cheering and the punches and moves flying all the while being super entertaining and landing big hits and holds. While some of the time Eddie made Dark Patriot and his moves look week, it just some how worked as it built Eddie up as a loved baby face and played up on the cheating masked heel of Dark Patriot. The two pile drivers from Dark Patriot look great and he does a fantastic job of selling for Eddie throughout the match. The one down side to this match is the ton of Bruce Prichard interference again…its like he is the master of getting the match to end in DQ…even with the bad finish the fans being into this and the big match feel makes it a great one to watch.

Grade: ***

Match 4: Dark Patriot vs. Ben Jordan

As soon as the match starts Dark Patriot pushes Ben into the corner and starts throwing punches and then delivers a massive suplex. Dark Patriot continues the beating with a big body slam and a series of elbow drops the Dark Patriot is not done with this beating as he then rips at the face of Ben who is clearly being destroyed in the ring. Dark Patriot even clotheslines Ben over the top rope and they both tumble to the outside where he continues to beat the hell out of Ben. Once back in the ring Dark Patriot continues his assault and finishes the match with The Patriot Missile the finisher of The Patriot and gets the three count and win via pin. This is a total squash match as Dark Patriot totally beats the hell out of Ben Jordan who maybe throws one punch the whole match as he is totally just beat up and defeated. This is the Dark Patriot that made me a fan as he is brutal, mean and is using Ben Jordan to send a message to The Patriot, who he was feuding with at the time. Dark Patriot was super aggressive in the match and was pretty much just brawling and beating poor Ben to death. Not much to say besides super entertaining match and was lots of fun for a squash.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Dark Patriot vs. JT Smith

As soon as the bell rings these two size each other up and both try a few holds to see the style and power the other has, that is until JT hip tosses and then arm drags Dark Patriot to the mat, but Dark Patriot does not take this for very long and gets JT in the corner and makes him eat punches and shoulders. Dark Patriot keeps the heat on JT and lands hits, holds and pin attempts. JT makes a comeback with flying head scissors and a body slam to turn the match tide and gets a two count when he hits a moonsault. The two start exchanging again and even fight outside the ring before returning back inside where the referee is knocked out by accident during their brawl. This of course gives Dark Patriot the time to attack JT once more outside the ring and use dirty and cheating tactics. Dark Patriot even tosses JT off the commentator’s booth that was 20 feet off the ground and then dives off it to cause more damage to JT. The match ends with the Dark Patriot getting back to the ring and JT being counted out. This is a brawl that showcases the darker side of the Dark Patriot who is aggressive when attacking JT and even took a high risk by diving off a booth, and this shows why Dark Patriot could be a very dangerous heel in the ring and the fans loved to boo him! While for a large portion of the match, JT is getting his butt kicked, he still is able to showcase his talent slightly and his style and Dark Patriots mix really well. It was clear that this match was a way to build Dark Patriot coming to ECW as he looks strong and it seems that they were building a feud between he and JT Smith. Over all this is a good match that has some really cool moments and did its job of building Dark Patriot as a top heel.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Dark Patriot vs. Ragin Rebel

As soon as the bell rings Dark Patriot attacks Rebel with some elbows and then gets him into the corner and starts kicking and then flings him out with a hip toss. As Rebel is on the mat Dark Patriot keeps working him over, and keeps the beating up with even a big suplex being hit. Rebel is able to make a comeback after Dark Patriot misses a series of leg drops and fires off some hits and holds and even is able to get a two count on a pin attempt. Dark Patriot comes back with a pair of elbows in the corner and even slams Rebel to the mat, but once more misses a leg drop this time off the ropes that gives Rebel a chance to fight back. Rebel ends up hitting some arm drags then body slams him to set up a rope leg drop that hits perfectly. Dark Patriot then fights cheap and hits a low blow and then gets him in the corner and hits a series of chops, and behind the referees back he once more goes for a low blow. Dark Patriot racks his back and then to mock the crowd dances around the ring with Rebel as the fans are cheering for the baby face. The two end up exchanging back and fourth and it’s Ragin Rebel who gets the win after Dark Patriot taps out from a Crippler Cross Face. First thing I have to say is one of the production crew for this promotion kept standing in front of the hard camera and this causes you to miss much of the action as you look at his back…like man be aware of your surroundings. The match is your average being held in a school as the crowd is small, but they are fired up and the kids all cheer for the baby faces and that is why Ragin Rebel is clearly these fans’ favorite wrestler. Rebel is not a bad worker and hits some good moves that look smooth and sells very well for Dark Patriot and when getting beat up this makes the fans cheer louder. Dark Patriot is solid like always as he does a great job of putting over the younger wrestler and even gets the fans to get mad as he mocks them and his opponent. Not much else to say about this match as it was a pretty fun watch, the worker needs to move away from the camera and it was sad to see Dark Patriot lose due to tap out.

Grade: **

The Dark Patriot was a wrestler who worked the Indies throughout the 90’s and was a great heel that should have gotten his chance in WWF or WCW as he would a great heel who did a great job of cheating, getting heat and help making the baby faces look even better. As a kid watching GWF on ESPN, I really did think he was a great worker and a great gimmick. But as you can see, this update event is coming to an end as the lights are up and the clean up crew is out and that is clearly a sign that we need to make our way to the exit, and as we do so let me take a moment to tell you our next update will be about as we will find ourselves hanging out with that friendly ghost Casper. So until next time read a comic or three, watch a film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. And for those wondering we will be talking about the 1995 film Casper that had an adaptation comic released by Marvel Comics and not Harvey Comics!

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Phantasio

Posted on April 2, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves back at the Rotten Ink Arena as it’s time to start our celebration of WWE WrestleMania that is a major sporting event that takes place every April and is like the NFL Super Bowl and MLB World Series for wrestling fans. The Arena is decorated like a kids magic show and every fan has been given a popper as today’s “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” was the master of the squared circle mystical magic arts (kind of like the Burger King mascot The Magical Burger King from the 70’s) who could shoot streamers from his hands and steal your underwear from under your tights and who vanished with a puff of smoke from the WWF after only a few matches and this curiosity was named Phantasio! So let’s head to the snack bar and grab some punch and popcorn and find our seats as this update event is going to be a fast and fun one.

Phantasio started his pro wrestling career on September 13, 1993 working for United States Wrestling Association under the names Spellbinder and Harry Del Rios (his real name) and would work the company until 1995. He would have matches with such names as The Rock And Roll Phantom, Moondog Spike, Doomsday, Wolfie D, Skull Von Crush and Jeff Gaylord, to name a few. During this time he climbed up the card pretty fast and would find himself even in a few main events. This caused him to get a tryout in the WWF for a very short run (more on that later). Spellbinder would quickly return to the USWA and would find himself working the upper middle card with a few main events and would even win the USWA World Title twice. During this time as well Spellbinder would work a few other indie promotions and would be somewhat of a draw for each of the companies. He would also work under other names like Elijah, Streak, Super Spell and Shock, to name a few. He would also win titles in such companies as NWA Main Event, Power Pro Wrestling, Xcitement Wrestling Federation and Memphis Wrestling. He would retire from wrestling in 2012, and while never a huge superstar, he made his mark in Tennessee wrestling. He also would work with such names as Axel Rotten, Giant Silva, Paul Diamond, Reckless Youth, PG-13, Ducth Mantel and Jerry Lawler. But now let’s talk about his off and on employment with the WWF over the years.

In 1995 Phantasio would make his way to the WWF and would be a magician wrestler who wore mime makeup and would do tricks to entertain his fans as well as distract his opponents. His first match would be against Mike Hollow in a dark match and then would have his first and only televised match against Tony DeVito and would shock and entertain the young fans in the crowd. He would then work another dark match, this time against Rad Radford, before he would find himself let go and having to go back to work for the USWA. But in 1997 they would give Phantasio another chance; this time going by Spellbinder he would work against Aldo Montoya during a Shotgun Saturday Night taping. The match would not be aired. Late in 1997 he would work three days at house shows being defeated by Mark Henry at all three events, and with that his WWF career would come to an end, and he would not work for the promotion again. But to be fair in 2001 at a cross promotion event and while working for PPW, he would be on the same card as some WWF Superstars. Phantasio’s final match would be the last of his in ring career as he would beat Simon Dean at the PWS 5 Year Anniversary Show. And just like that with a poof of smoke, Phantasio was gone from WWF and would never make a big impact like he was hoping for.

Phantasio is one of those wrestlers that I can remember seeing his debut match on TV and was like, this guy is strange and his gimmick of magic made me wonder what heels he would be going up against in the future…and just like many others during this time, he just kind of vanished and was never mentioned again. While he was a name in the Memphis, TN area with his Spellbinder character before and after his WWF run, he is pretty much known for his one match for the world’s biggest wrestling company. Most of the time when Phantasio is brought up it’s on peoples worst WWF Gimmicks Countdowns or is mocked by online wrestling critics and bloggers, but I am not going to do that as I feel that he did have a memorable gimmick that was different for the time and if WWF would have stood behind him, they could have had a solid lower mid-card baby face they could have feuded with many heel wrestlers working at the time. I mean his magic was basic in the ring and would amount to poppers, confetti and even a little fire breathing and his in ring work was solid but not main event level. If Phantasio would have stayed in the WWF, I would have liked to have seen him work matches against the likes of Adam Bomb, Jeff Jarrett, Jean-Pierre Lafitte, Tatanka and Owen Hart. And then I would have liked for him to turn heal and have a Black Magic gimmick and feud with The Undertaker. But it was clear that the powers that be in the WWF just were not a fan of his as only one TV match and only two dark matches show that they had no faith in him. There have been many rumors over the years about why Phantasio did not have a full run in the WWF with some saying his appearances was only done as a favor to Jerry Lawler whose son Brian Christopher was friends with Phantasio. Others claim that during his first TV match his fire trick went wrong and set some of the backstage area ablaze. Another big rumor was going around that The Undertaker was upset over him as he thought it was to close to his own, and lastly it was said that they just did not like his in ring work…are any of these rumors true, who knows. But I for one think Phantasio, Spellbinder or whatever name you know him by was not a terrible worker and the magic gimmick was a cool one that set him apart from others.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs, like always between 4 to 8, with sadly this one being a little shorter as we are only going to cover is one WWF Match. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock that features many great matches of him as Spellbinder and also want to thank Phantasio for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ means a really terrible match, * means a bad match, ** means a below average match, **1/2 means a good average entertaining match, *** means a good match, **** means a great match, ***** means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Phantasio.

Best Of Phantasio

Match 1: Phantasio vs. Tony DeVito

Phantasio starts the match off with a shoulder tackle, knocking Tony to the mat and then after dodge a clothesline is able to shoot streamers at Tony that flusters him. Phantasio then hits some arm drag takedowns three in a row and then poses for the crowd as Tony rolls out of the ring and throws a fit out of frustration. Once back in the ring Tony and Phantasio trade off working over each others arms before Tony is able to land a few punches that backs Phantasio into the corner. But after working the ropes Phantasio hits a big shoulder block that levels Tony and has brought the momentum back on to the magic man’s side who then hits a pair of scoop slams before going for an atomic drop and then removing Tony’s boxer shorts from his tights with his magic and then roles him up for the three count and the win. After the bell rings, Phantasio then pulls a prank on the referee and removes his boxers as well. This was the debut and final match for Phantasio in the WWF, and let’s just say it was a little rough and had no sizzle to the action in the ring. The pacing of the match is slow for such a quick match as many of the moments are set of for spots to showcase the magic of Phantasio who mostly throughout the match did very basic moves likes slams and arm drags, but I will say his shoulder block looked really good and impactful. The ending of the match was super silly with the boxers removal and got a pop for some of the live crowd while the second time he did it to the referee was meet with mostly silence. Phantasio while coming out got somewhat of a reaction from the younger fans was meet with wonder by the older ones who seemed to be slightly amused by his magic tricks, but he was doomed when they gave him no music to come out to and he had no finisher to truly pop the fans as he wins by a rollup. Over all, this was a slightly below average TV match and a strange debut for a character that vanished just as quick as he appeared.

Grade: **

Sadly I think that this match is what truly doomed Phantasio in the WWF as he was not able to showcase his in ring work and the magic tricks. While a cool concept, it just came off odd to many in the crowd and this caused him to have a very mixed response from the fans in attendance. During the match poor Gorilla Mansoon tried his best to put Phantasio over, at one point even calling him comic book character Spider-Man! While the DVD set has many of his matches as Spellbinder on it, I just wanted this update to focus on his mirco run in the WWF as he was one of those wrestlers I remember debuting and always wonder what happened and where he went. I do think he was a good worker and worked better matches before and after his time in WWF. It’s a shame he never got to show his skills while there. So as you can see, this update event is over but WWE WrestleMania month continues as our next update will showcase another WWF Superstar who only lasted a small amount of time with the company supposedly because extreme bullying and I am of course talking about Outback Jack! So let’s make our way to the exit and as we do, as always read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you next update back here at the Rotten Ink Arena for a down under good time.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Uncle Elmer

Posted on April 22, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to the Rotten Ink Arena. As you can tell, this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update has a theme as the bales of hay are being used as seats and the fried pig parts are at the snack bar and all the people in overalls are square dancing. It’s not the Arena’s normal look, but it’s a perfect atmosphere for tonight’s main event star as the one and only Uncle Elmer will be making his way to the ring and will show us all a good old hillbilly good time! So I am not sure about you, but I think I am going to go buy some fried pig parts as well as a Mountain Dew to drink and then will find our seats as this is clearly one of those themed events that you have to take part in as where else can one eat such a great cuisine? The house lights are going down and the music has started, so let’s get to our seats and see what Uncle Elmer has in store for us.

Uncle Elmer started his in ring pro career in 1960 and would mostly work the Southern territories as the Country Plowboy and would be booked strong as he stood over 6’10” and weighed almost 500 pounds! Early on he worked for many NWA promotions and would not only wrestle as Plowboy but would also wear a mask and a stripped uniform and call himself The Convict and would work as a heel. And during this journeyman routine he wrestled many big names like Bobo Brazil, Gentle Ben The Wrestling Bear and The Satan Medics before having a good run as The Convict for NWA Hollywood and tangling with names like Ernie Ladd, Mil Mascaras and Chief White Eagle. He found his next big run in 1976 working for NWA Mid-America where he would team with Jerry Lawler as Plowboy Frazier and would be used by Lawer as a hired muscle. He would first be a heel until he found out he was being used and would turn baby face and feud with Lawler. In 1977 he would start working for CWA still as Plowboy Frazier and would stick around until 1980 before having a run in GCW (Georgia Championship Wrestling) before returning to CWA in 1981. Once in CWA again he would work under many names like Stan Frazier, Plowboy Frazier as well as Kamala II, The Giant Rebel and The Lone Ranger with the latter having him dress as a out of shape mask wearing hero. He would stick around CWA up until 1985 and would have matches against names like Tom Prichard, The Rock N Roll Express, Jerry Lawler, The Phantom, Mr. Onita and Gypsy Joe to name a few. He even got to wrestle in Japan as The Convict character. But being a man of many gimmicks and being over with fans and a big attraction wrestler due to his size and weight, it was only a matter of time before New York came calling. But keep in mind during his run in the NWA territories, he would win many Tag Titles!

Starting in 1985 and now going by Uncle Elmer, he would work in the WWF as a member of the stable called The Hillbillies that included Hillbilly Jim, Cousin Luke and Cousin Junior and he would wrestle the company’s top heels, dance in the ring and even eat from a giant bucket that read “Uncle Elmer’s Fried Pig Parts” and was well loved by fans who could not get enough of this mountain of a man. He would work the house shows at the start and would get wins over names like Tiger Chung Lee, The Spoiler, Moondog Spot and even Big John Studd! He would make it to TV as well and would be featured in matches as well as segments including getting married on “Saturday Night’s Main Event II” that aired in 1985. And during the marriage angle he would be made fun of by Jesse Ventura and as well Roddy Piper and this would find Elmer on the loosing end of many of the matches. He would then go on to have a match against Adrian Adonis at “WrestleMania II” in a losing effort and shortly after he would have his final match for then in early 1986 against King Kong Bundy on “Saturday Night’s Main Event VI”. During his WWF run he would have matches against the likes of Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, Rene Goulet, The Hart Foundation, Iron Sheik, Iron Mike Sharpe and Bon Orton Jr. to name a few. While in the WWF he was a super popular baby face whose good nature and big man brawling style made the fans cheer.

After leaving the WWF in 1986 Uncle Elmer would head back to Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and would change his name to Giant Hillbilly Elmer and team with Jerry Lawler and would even win Tag Titles with him. He would stick around CWA until around 1988. While working in CWA he would be featured in some big matches but was not an upper-card draw as his health was starting to fade. He would however have matches against names like Austin Idol, The Red Demons, Bam Bam Bigelow and The Mod Squad. He would then start working for USWA after CWA and it merged and would stick around until 1989 before fully retiring from wrestling in 1991. And in the end of his career, he also had his own small promotion and would have a hand in training Bob Holly. Uncle Elmer who suffered from lots of health issues due to his weight as well as diabetes and on July 1, 1992 he would pas away from kidney failure at the age of 54. Over his career, Uncle Elmer would win many titles including the CWA World Heavyweight Title twice. He is not as of this updates posting put into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Uncle Elmer is a wrestler I remember as a kid and was never a big fan of as I found him to be boring in the ring as he wrestled a very slow and sloppy big man style and besides Hillbilly Jim I just was not much into the whole mountain folk country boy gimmicks that took place in that time in the WWF. But I should say that I did however enjoy Uncle Elmer and his Hillbilly family’s antics as their simple nature made for cartoonish good times. And while I do still laugh about his Fried Pig Parts bucket of food, I still could never get past just how very below average he was in the ring and yet some how he was booked strong and was beating guys way more talented then him! And I get that his massive sized made him limited in the ring and that he was more of a character then a worker, I just could never imagine why he was a bigger mid-card worker for awhile in companies like the WWF. While I mostly know him as Uncle Elmer his work as Lone Ranger, Kamala II and even one of his many Plowboy names is just as silly and as limited in his move set showing that he never made a effort to try and get better over his many years in the business and never learned how to use his size to his advantage to at least have good matches. There is also lots of bad stories about Elmer that include him selling bootleg products to even treating some different race workers badly, and it was also said that many of his opponents hated working with him because he was to sloppy and hard to work with. And while I was never a fan, Uncle Elmer had his fans and was a memorable Superstar who helped make the 80’s WWF what we all know and love, as I mean come on he got married on TV and the fans ate it up!

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Uncle Elmer for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready lets step into the ring with Uncle Elmer.

Best Of Uncle Elmer

Match 1: Uncle Elmer vs. King Kong Bundy

As soon as the bell rings the two lock up and neither get the advantage and they keep locking up and then breaking apart as Elmer flexes up. Bundy then hits the ropes and tries to shoulder tackle Elmer but it has no effect as he is just to heavy to move like that. Bundy tries again to hit the ropes and shoulder tackle him, but like before Elmer does not move. Bundy then racks the eyes of Elmer and this drops the big man and Bundy then starts pounding on him as well as chokes him…keeping Elmer on the mat. Bundy kicks Elmer in the face and the big country boy is hurt, he does try and make a comeback as he fires off some punches and his butt corner bumps but Bundy cuts it off after Elmer misses a corner splash. Bundy then hits a dropping elbow and gets the win via a three count. This is a hoss fight as Bundy does his best to work with the very massive, limited and slow Uncle Elmer who mostly just throws a few punches and hits his big butt bumps in the corner. Bundy’s elbow drop looks good and packs an impact and really Bundy carries the match and has to even work a slower move set than normal. The fans in attendance are kind of into the match as they pop for Elmer’s silly antics as well as his corner butt bumps, but over all they are not overly loud throughout. The match is what it is and if you like matches that are slow that pit two massive men against one another then this one is for you, for me it was just kind of around and an attraction match that was to showcase the power of Bundy and the size of Elmer.

Grade: **

Match 2: Uncle Elmer vs. A.J. Petruzzi

Before the match Uncle Elmer dances around the ring with Hillbilly Jim and the fans are eating it up, and once the bell rings A.J. hits the ring ropes and runs into Elmer and bounces off him. Elmer and A.J. then lock up and Elmer is able to turn the lock up into a headlock and he keeps the move on and works it. Elmer breaks the hold and bonk’s A.J. on top the head and also rams his head against his belly. Elmer then drops a leg drop and then goes for the pin and gets the three count and the win. This is pretty much a squash match and yet it was kind of entertaining as Elmer even with his limited moves as able to hit some moves that looked impactful like his leg drop and headlock and A.J. does a fantastic job of selling for his massive opponent. The fans seem to be into the match and on the side of Elmer. The bad in the match is Elmer’s hits and belly bump look very off and cartoonish in a cringe way. But while the match is not perfect it still did its job of entertaining me.

Grade: **

Match 3: Uncle Elmer vs. Bigfoot

When Elmer gets into the ring he chases Bigfoot out of it as the bell rings, Bigfoot gets back into the ring and they lock up and Elmer wins and knocks him to the ground. They next do a test of strength and Elmer shows he is the stronger of the two and even pulls Bigfoot into his belly and Foot ends up bumping. Elmer gets Bigfoot then into the corner and lands some big splashes, and Elmer even does a backdrop on Bigfoot. As Bigfoot is down on the mat Elmer drops a leg drop and gets the win via pin. This is another squash match that allows Uncle Elmer to use his power moves and brawling style to make quick work of Bigfoot who by the way is better known as Rip Morgan to wrestling fans. Elmer uses his size to hit moves like splashes, belly bump and leg drop. While Bigfoot gets no time to shine as he throughout the match just gets beat up and beat. This is a silly and goofy match that was used to promote and push Uncle Elmer and the fans really did get behind Elmer throughout it. I really think that they should have had Bigfoot join the Hillbilly Family as he would have fit in! Over all an ok match that is booked well to work around the limitations of Elmer.

Grade: **

Match 4: Uncle Elmer vs. Jerry Valiant

The Hillbilly Family come down to the ring and all dance around as the fans cheer, as the bell rings Jerry charges in and Elmer catches him and slams him to the mat and then goes for the pin and gets the win! This is 100% the definition of a squash match as Uncle Elmer gets the win in seconds and only hits one move a body slam in order to get the win, the fan in attendance loved this super quick match. The bodyslam while sloppy was effective from Elmer and we see nothing that Jerry brings to the table as he is able to do nothing. The fans love the quick win and the pop for his win making the match effective for the most part. This match did a great job of showing the power of Elmer as well as mask his limited in ring moves. Nothing special here but did its job for sure.

Grade: *1/2

Uncle Elmer was a massive man both in weight and height and because of this it made him very limited in the ring. He was like the second coming of Haystacks Calhoun when it came to his in ring work, but I feel Elmer did not have the personality of Haystacks who I think should have been part of the Hillbilly Family in WWF at the time as he could have been a cousin and the patriarch of the family. And with Uncle Elmer, you knew you were never going to get 3-5 Star matches out of him, but you did know that you would at least be entertained by his matches. Well this R.I.W Wrestling Legend update event is over and this also wraps WWF WrestleMania Month 2024 up so as we make our way to the exit doors, I would like to tell you that our next update will bring us back to the world of Horror Comic Books as well as Silent Horror Cinema as I will be talking about the 1925 film Wolf Blood: A Tale Of The Forest and the Blood Scream Comics adaptation of it! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers! See you next update for a spooky good time with a Canadian Werewolf!

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: The Texas Hangmen

Posted on March 13, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves once more at the Rotten Ink Arena as we have another “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event planned and this one will feature a tag team that mostly made a name for themselves in Puerto Rico but did have a good run in the AWA and while they did not last that long as a team, they did capture some gold and built up a reputation of being a brawling, rough and tough masked menacing team…and this team is The Texas Hangmen and as you can see, they are the main event for this update. So let’s head to the snack bar and grab a drink and some chili to snack on and then find our seats as this will be a quick and hard hitting update event.

The Texas Hangmen was a masked outlaw cowboy team that started working together around 1988 in Windy City Wrestling under the names Hangman # 1 and Hangman # 2 and could not find their groove mostly losing to more established teams before leaving the company and finding their new home in the AWA that they started working for in 1989 and found some more traction and started going under the names Psycho and Killer. They worked matches against the likes of The Guerrero Brothers, The Tokyo Bullets and John Nord and Scott Norton. They were hated heels and fans loved to boo these brawling masked men who would challenge for the AWA Tag Titles but never could win them. The Hangmen would stay in AWA until around 1990 when they went out of business. The Texas Hangmen then traveled to Puerto Rico to work for WWC and would become a big team that feuded with many of the company’s top teams and stars from The Medics, The Invaders and even Carlos Colon. The Texas Hangmen would also capture the WWC Tag Titles twice during this run and would stick around until 1991 before returning to the states to work for USWA. Once in the USWA, they found themselves a top team for the company and would quickly capture the Tag Titles as they beat Jeff Jarrett and Eddie Gilbert (who was filling in for Jerry Lawler). But even being the Tag Team champions, Texas Hangman were being booked very oddly as they ended up losing to many of the companies top stars at the time like Bill Dundee and Steve Keirn. They would stick around USWA for a short time and would break up for a time and would get back together for one last run in WWC in 1997 that would have them win the company’s Tag Title and by the end of the year The Texas Hangmen were no more. While The Texas Hangmen never made it to the big companies like WCW and WWF, they did make their mark in AWA and WWC and would find their marks later when they disbanded. I should say a version of The Texas Hangmen had a small run in WCW as a jobber team.

Frank Vizi was the wrestler behind the mask of Psycho and he was trained by Tom Stone and started his Pro Wrestling career in 1984, and is known as Bull Pain, a wrestler who worked for ECW, WCW and JCW. He would end up retiring in 2012 and was a mid-card heel that fans loved to hate. Mike Morgan was Killer, and he started his Pro career in 1982 and was trained by Jake Milliman and Rocky Stone and would best be known as Mean Mike, a member of the WCW tag team Disorderly Conduct, and part of a similar team called Texas Hangmen that were a jobber team. He would as well retire in 2012. While The Texas Hangmen or even Disorderly Conduct are not household names, and Bull Pain is only with diehard ECW fans, these guys made their mark in the world of Wrestling and over their careers had captured titles as well as did a great job of entertaining fans all over the world. At this point The Texas Hangman are not in the WWE Hall Of Fame, and I doubt if they ever do make it.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Tag Team wrestling was very big and teams like the Road Warriors, Demolition and The Powers Of Pain were the ones that brought fans into arena as they had a look of face paint, flashy gear and a badass wrestling style that made them feel like true tough guys and like they could snap their opponents’ necks. I feel like The Texas Hangmen are a team that traded the face paint for masks, as well traded in the apocalyptic fashion for western gear and used names like Killer and Psycho to show that they meant business. They also would bring out nooses to show that they truly were Hangmen as I can remember them getting a little heat from people when they used the nooses to hang and choke Invader # 1 and this single act is what made them big names in Puerto Rico and made them feared by fans as they came off as true madmen. Growing up I remember The Texas Hangman from the AWA and seeing them on ESPN and wondering why they were not working for WCW as their look and style would have fit right in and they could have had some great matches with the likes of Steiner Brothers, Road Warriors and even Doom. The crazy thing to think about is that as a team they only stayed together for a few years and when disbanding the team the each tried to make their own paths in the business, and while they both did find small amounts of success I would have liked to seen them stick together and try to make runs in WWF, ECW, CMLL, New Japan and WCW. They are also a team that I am pretty sure got their gimmick stolen as Texas Hangmen or teams with similar looks and names would pop up in small indie federations. Another very interesting thing about The Texas Hangmen is that their background as a team is very all over the place with many saying the started in AWA and others saying it was for the smaller indies before landing in AWA, but one thing is for sure they were a entertaining team that I would love to see have a match at Rock Star Pro Wrestling in Dayton, Ohio against a team like The Hooligans or even The Bad Dudes.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. Sadly on a side note I could only review 3 full matches. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank The Texas Hangmen for their hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with The Texas Hangmen.

Best Of The Texas Hangmen

Match 1: Texas Hangmen vs. Carlos Colon & T.N.T

The Texas Hangmen and Carlos and T.N.T start brawling before any of them even get in the ring and the fans are going crazy as they keep throwing punches all around as it’s clear that these teams have a hatred for each other. Carlos even rips one of the Hangman’s mask as he is trying to make the masked man bleed with big punches. T.N.T gets one of the Hangmen into the ring as Carlos rams the others head into a plate as the ring is set up in the middle of a baseball field, once they all get back to the ring the match becomes more of a normal tag match and Carlos and T.N.T take control of the match landing hits, holds and even using what looks like a fork on the heads of The Texas Hangmen. For a short time the Hangmen make a comeback but it quickly turns into both teams brawling and they take it outside the ring again and the match it thrown out as the two teams keep on fighting and even the locker room empties to try and break them up. This match is pretty much mostly a brawl with both team just exchanging punches and kicks in and outside the ring and the fans were really into this match as it was clear that they love Carlos Colon and T.N.T as for most of the match they are in charge. The match also has blood and The Texas Hangmen prove that they are brawlers and can take a beating and dish out a beating and still seem like contenders. The match ending in a brawl and being thrown out was very fitting as it was clear that fans would come back for a rematch between these two teams. Over all, while it’s nothing super special when it comes to moves, the story they tell in the ring as well as the chemistry between the two teams is good and that is what makes this match a great watch.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & T.N.T

As soon as the two teams get into the ring they start brawling, and Invader even takes one of the Hangmen out of the ring and uses a chair on him and is delivering big punches while in the ring T.N.T is beating up on the other Hangmen and these beating continues for a while even at one point T.N.T chokes one with a belt and Invader smashes the other over the head. The teams end up taking the brawl into the ring again and it turns into a normal tag match with each team exchanging holds and mostly punches back and fourth. The referee ends up getting knocked out, and The Texas Hangmen try and use their bull rope to hit Invader # 1 with but T.N.T saves him for a moment, but one of the Hangmen uses the rope to choke Invader who is in deep trouble. The match is thrown out as The Texas Hangmen leave the ring and head to the locker room as T.N.T and Invader # 1 pose for the rabid cheering fans. This is another brawling match that pretty much follows the same formula as the last match that is pretty much the baby face team brawling with the heel team all around the arena as the fans cheer and once they get it back into the ring the match goes back and fourth and in the end a brawl erupts and the match ends with a no contest. No big moves are thrown, the brawling looks great and the hanging spot looks good as his the reversal of the hanging. Over all just another brawl that is entertaining and both teams look good throughout the match. The fans in attendance are really into this match as well, and I am not sure but at one point I think a fan throws a smoke bomb around the ring…a wild match.

Grade: ***

Match 3: Texas Hangmen vs. Invader # 1 & Bronco # 1

The Texas Hangmen are the tag champions, and as they head to the ring, they taunt the fans who really hate these guys. Bronco # 1 has seen and heard enough and goes out after him and gets them both in the ring and Invader # 1 starts dealing out some punches. When the Hangmen roll out of the ring, they return only to taunt the fans some more. And every time the match is about to start and Invader # 1 gets any momentum the Hangmen roll out of the ring. Once the match really starts Invader and Bronco take the momentum and use fast tags to keep the match in their favor, Bronco even works over one of the Hangmen’s arm as the fans cheer, but shortly after The Hangmen take control of the match and use their brawling style to cause pain. The two teams then take turns going back and fourth with momentum and several times Invader # 1 tries to go for the pin but it’s always broken up by the other Hangman. But after a big punch Invader # 1 is finally able to get the win via pin and the fans go wild as they have just won the Tag Titles. This match starts off way to slow and I get that The Texas Hangmen were getting heart from their taunting and slowing down the action, but when watching at home it sadly comes off bland and uninteresting. But while it starts off not great, I think the match speeds up slightly and the tag team chemistry between Invader # 1 and Bronco # 1 was good as they did fast tags and used double team moves to keep their two monster heel opponents down. The Texas Hangmen are doing their normal brawling style, but also use lots of rest holds throughout the match. The finish is a little odd as well as such a simple move ends a title match. At times I also have to point out that when Bronco # 1 would do off the rope moves he seemed very awkward and stiff. But much to say besides it was an ok match between four skilled workers that the fans seemed to be into for the most part, I was entertained but was also slightly bored at times.

Grade: **1/2

The Texas Hangmen was a pretty cool tag team that worked all around the world and clearly was big draws as heels in Puerto Rico as the fans really did seem to hate them. And it really is a shame that they never got a full chance to show their talents in one of the two major companies WWF and WCW as I really do think they could have been a solid mid-card heel team that could have helped put over the companies top baby face teams as well as get win over some of the mid and lower card ones. Teams like The Texas Hangmen are a product of the past as you just don’t see teams like them on TV anymore. But as you can see, the matches are over and the house lights have came up and the cleaning crew are out so that’s our clue to leave and as we make out way to the exit doors I would like to tell you that our next update will take us away from the squared circle and back into the world of Western themed media as we will be talking about the iconic cowboy Red Ryder and his comic books as well as his B.B. Guns! So with that until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. Oh and remember the phrase “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid” as Red Ryder and it go hand and hand.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Kamala

Posted on October 12, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to the Rotten Ink Arena. As you can see, the Halloween decorations are hanging, the arena is packed to the rafters and the snack bar has candy corn, caramel apples and monster punch in stock as this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update will be all about our main event monster heel that was from the jungles of Uganda who gave the likes of Hulk Hogan, Kerry Von Erich, The Undertaker and Andre The Giant a run for their money throughout the 80’s and 90’s. A wrestler who was managed by the likes of Skandor Akbar, Freddie Blassie, Slick, Mr. Fuji, The Wizard and Kim Chee and by know I am sure you figured out that it’s Kamala we are talking about one of the best big men in the business and one heck of a monster heel who terrorized his opponents and fans alike as they were all unsure of what he was capable of! So let’s find our seats as this Halloween Countdown R.I.W event is in full swing, and let’s see what Kamala has in store for us this spooky holiday season.

Kamala started wrestling in 1978 and was trained by Bobo Brazil and Tim Hampton and would originally work under the name Sugar Bear Harris and would work the Southern territories and would also work in Germany and England and worked under names like Ugly Bear Harris, Big Jim Harris and The Mississippi Mauler. And in 1982 he would find himself in Continental Wrestling Association and here is were he would become Kamala a Ugandan headhunter and would be managed by JJ Dillon and would go after Jerry Lawler and his AWA Southern Heavyweight Title that he would win and hold for a small amount of time. Late 1982 he would leave Continental and would sign to Mid-South Wrestling and this time would be managed by Skandor Akbar and would be apart of the Devastation Inc. stable and would have a high profile match against Andre The Giant as well a Junkyard Dog. In Mid-South he would be one of the companies heel draws and would also scare younger fans as they thought he was going to get them as he played the Wildman part well and never broke character in public. In 1983 he would head to World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas and would even get a NWA World Heavyweight title shot against Harley Race and would have a long time feud with the Von Erich’s and would have big profile matches against Kerry, Kevin and David. And would even face The Great Kabuki at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions in 1984. He would stay around in WCCW until 1985. But while a big heel and draw in WCCW he was still also working other territories and one being WWF were he would be built as a monster heel and would beat names like B. Brian Blair, Chief Jay Strongbow and Salvatore Bellomo and then would have a series of matches against Hulk Hogan for the WWF Heavyweight title! And after his run with Hogan he would have a feud with Andre The Giant and after a battle royal in late 1984 he would be done with the WWF for his first run. After WWF he would head to AWA and would be booked like always as a monster heel and would have matches against the likes of Sgt. Slaughter, Jerry Blackwell and Rick Martel. In 1985 Kamala would find himself working for Jim Crockett Promotions and would take on NWA United States Heavyweight Champion Magnum T.A., and from their he would have small runs in All Japan Pro Wrestling and International Wrestling from Canada.

In 1986 Kamala would return to WWF and would be managed by Kim Chee and The Wizard and once more was booked as a major monster heel and would once more go after Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight title, and after not winning the title he would start a feud with Jake “The Snake” Roberts who found out Kamala had a fear of snakes. During 1987 The Wizard would sell Kamala’s contract to Mr. Fuji but shortly after this Kamala would leave the WWF once more. Starting in 1988 Kamala would once more work for WCCW and working with the Von Erich brothers and would stay until 1989 when the company would close for good. He would also head to All Japan again as well as would head to CMLL in Mexico and have big matches against Mil Mascaras, and would also work for other Japanese companies W*ING and Super World Of Sports. In 1990 he would work for USWA and once more would go after Jerry Lawler and this time would challenge him for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight title. Kamala would leave USWA in 1992 and would return to the WWF once more. Kamala would be managed by Kim Chee as well as Harvey Wippleman and would have big matehs against many of the companies top faces including Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart and Texas Tornado Kerry Von Erich. And would have many matches against The Undertaker and would even loose a Coffin Match to the dead man. In 1993 Kamala would turn baby face and would be managed by Reverend Slick who was trying to teach him the ways of the modern world and that kindness was the way. While a face he would have matches against the likes of Bam Bam Bigelow, Mr. Hughes, Kim Chee and Papa Shango. The WWF would start working Kamala mostly on house shows and then would let him go in late 1993. After this WWF run Kamala would go into semi-retirement and become a truck driver and would pick up Indie matches from time to time as well as matches for USWA and would even travel to India to tag with Dusty Wolfe to become the IAW Tag Team champs.

In 1995 Kamala was talked out of retirement and would head to WCW to become a member of the Hulk Hogan hating team “The Dungeon Of Doom” that would be lead by Kevin Sullivan and made up of wrestlers who’s sole purpose was to stop Hulkamania once and for all. Kamala would get wins in WCW over the likes of Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Chris Kanyon and after The Dungeon Of Doom would loose to Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage at Fall Brawl 1995 his small run with the company would be over. After leaving WCW Kamala would find himself back working Indies like USWA, JCW and would even work a few matches back in the WWF as at WWF WrestleMania X-7 in 2001 as apart of the gimmick battle royal and in 2005 on WWF Smackdown Kamala would have a match against Randy Orton. Kamala’s last match would be for JCW as he would team with The Weedman and he would retire from wrestling in 2010. After wrestling Kamala’s health would turn for the worse and he would battle complications from diabetes and would end up loosing his legs. Sadly in 2016 he would be one of many wrestlers on the class action lawsuit over head injuries that was thrown out in 2018 and hurt Kamala into getting into the WWF Hall Of Fame. In 2017 he had to have emergency surgery to clear fluid from around his heart and lungs and was even put on life support at the time, he would recover. Sadly on August 5, 2020 Kamala would pass away from Covid-19 and diabetes at the age of 70.

Kamala The Ugandan Giant is a wrestler that I have been a fan of sense I was a kid as he was a great big man wrestler who played his gimmick well and when he would pat his belly, groan and even made surprise faces he would make me mark out and even laugh at times when he would run away from things that scared him. Plus his matches against The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan always seemed larger then life and came off as big deal matches, and that’s one other thing I liked is when Kamala would face other similar themed wrestlers like Papa Shango, Andre The Giant, The Great Kabuki, Kendo Nagasaki, Bruiser Brody and George “The Animal” Steele to name a few. And one thing that I think people never gave Kamala credit for is the fact he was very agile for a man his size and was also pretty fast and would not tire as easy as many of the wrestling big men at the time. Plus he was a true journeyman of wrestling as he worked all over the world and for almost every big promotion from WWF to WCW and was a top draw and a star every territory he went and while he was a heel most of his career he could even pull off being a loved baby face. When I was younger I can remember classmates of mine who watched wrestling being scared of Kamala and talking about how he was a cannibal and a savage and to me that fear he struck them with showed that he was doing his job and was great at it. Kamala was also a wrestler who won very little titles during his run, but he never needed them in order to be a draw as his matches always seemed like an attraction and a belt around his waist was not needed. One thing that always annoyed me as well as a kid was all the Kamala knock-off wrestlers who would dress, act and even sometimes steal his name, and no matter how hard they tried none of them could hold a candle to the real Kamala. And while Kamala might be on the bad side of the WWF over joining that lawsuit, it’s a shame that they have not inducted him into their Hall Of Fame as he is one name that should have been in years ago. Say what you will, but for me Kamala The Ugandan Giant will always be one of my favorite wrestlers from the 80’s and was one heck of a heel who played his gimmick well and did his job putting butts in the seats and selling the tickets when his name was on the card.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Kamala for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match, ** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready lets step into the ring with Kamala.

Best Of Kamala

Match 1: Kamala vs. El Silenico

As the bell rings Kamala goes after El Silenico and just starts hitting him with massive chops to the top of his masked head. Kamala then body slams him and just stays on him not allowing El Silenico to even try and make a comeback. Kamala knocks Silenico to the mat and delivers a series of big splashes to his back, crushing the masked man. He then goes for the pin and gets it. After the match Kamala goes after the mask of El Silenico and gets it off and takes it almost as if it was a trophy. This was a total squash match as El Silenico was there to get beat up by Kamala and in the end even get damasked. Kamala hits big power moves in the match with his chops and splashes being his trademark moves that seem to almost frighten the fans at ringside. El Silenico is a total jobber who does not even get one move off in the match and just gets beaten up and pinned. Over all a good squash match as it did its job to build Kamala up as a monster heel and a major threat to any baby face.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Kamala vs. King Cobra

As the bell rings Kamala charges Cobra who dodges his attack twice and even is able to land a dropkick that stumbles the big man. King Cobra tries to unload some punches on Kamala and he shakes it off and gets his hands on him and the beating starts. Kamala lands some of his big chops to the top of King Cobra’s skull hurting him and knocks him to the mat and starts choking him. And as Cobra’s on the mat Kamala lands a series of big splashes and goes for the pin and gets the three count and the win. While this is another quick squash match at least King Cobra tries to fight back and is able to land a few dropkicks that staggered Kamala and is even able to land a few punches even if they had no effect. Plus for enhancement talent you could see that King Cobra was a skilled worker even if he was paid to loose. Kamala like always comes off as a great monster heel as he hits big power moves and shrugs off the attack from his opponent. His splashes look like a finishing move and his aggressive in ring work really does make him a big threat. Over all a great quick squash match that helped build Kamala as a big star.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Kamala vs. Hulk Hogan

The start the match off running the ropes and bumping into each other in the middle of the ring and neither man budges, they do this a couple of times and its Kamala who ends up knocking down The Hulkster. The two lock up and Hogan does for a body slam but he is cut off by Kamala who clubs him in the back causing him to drop him and not land the slam and this allows Kamala to use his chops and clubbing hits to keep Hogan down. But Hogan is not down for long as he pops up from the mat and starts landing his big punches on Kamala, but when Hogan is distracted by Kamala’s manager he looses the momentum of the match as Kamala attacks him from behind and get a nerve hold on Hogan that takes him down to the mat. Kamala then breaks the hold and hits a big splash, and Hogan kicks out at one, Kamala keeps on attacking that is until Hogan starts Hulking Up and takes the fight to Kamala and lands a big boot, a body slam and the atomic leg drop! Hogan goes for the pin and gets the three count as well as the win. This is your normal 80’s Hulk Hogan wrestling a big monster heel match that has Hogan selling for the heel only to comeback from the beating and land his finishing move the leg drop and get the victory all the while the fans are loosing their minds as Hulk Hogan was the biggest thing in the world of wrestling. And that’s the thing while Hogan gets the win and at one point when he Hulks Up he no sells for Kamala he still makes the big man look great throughout the match and sells well for him. While the match is very paint by numbers and when I says it’s your normal Hogan match during this time I mean it. Best way to sum this match up is big moves, monster crow pops and Kamala getting a match with the world’s biggest superstar makes this a pretty good entertaining match.

Grade: ***

Match 4: Kamala vs. Yokozunna

This is a battle of two big men and when the bell rings the two charge and crash into each other with neither man moving, but Yoko is a little rocked as Kamala watches the big sumo wrestler rock on his feet, the two crash again and Yoko once more gets rocked and when he tries to hit Kamala he is able to dodge and kick Yoko in the gut. Kamala then uses his chops to attack Yoko who is still feeling the effects of the kick, but Yoko turns the tide when he uses a cheap shot to the throat of Kamala and then starts dealing out his own punishment and even knocks Kamala off his feet. Kamala is able to make a small comeback using his chops to Yoko’s head, but Yoko takes back over with a big splash in the corner and then lands the Banzai Drop and gets the pin and the win. This is a good match that was really just an enhancement match as Kamala was feed to Yokozuna who was the companies biggest heel at the time and it made sense to have him win the match as he was about to have a big match against Hulk Hogan and at this point Kamala was not being pushed at a big superstar. The match is pretty much just big man moves with both men selling for each other and making each other look good, and the fans are behind Kamala who was a baby face at the time. Yokozuna you can tell had respect for Kamala and he does a good job of not making this look like a squash match. And the Banzai Drop looks painful and Kamala sells the effects really good after the match. While the match is nothing special it does have a good pace and was a almost passing of the torch of monster heels. Also it was cool to see Mr. Fuji around as he was the manager of Yokozuna at this time and in the 80’s he managed Kamala.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Kamala vs. The Undertaker

As the bell rings Kamala rushes The Undertaker and it was a big mistake as Taker starts landing big shots on him causing him to fall back into the corner and starts choking him. The Undertaker then walks the rope “Old School” and works on the arm of Kamala and keeps up his attack, and at this point Kamala has not be able to get the match momentum going his way that is until he knocks Taker off the top rope. Kamala then starts landing some chops and punches of his own and knocks Undertaker out of the ring, Taker then goes after Kamala’s managers and this causes him to have to exit the ring to save them and Kamala starts beating up Taker around the ringside. Once back in the ring The Undertaker hits Kamala with a choke slam and a flying clothesline and just as he is about to get Kamala in the Tombstone Piledriver one of his managers Kim Chee jumps into the ring and strikes The Undertaker causing the match to be thrown out and The Undertaker wins by DQ. After the match Kamala attacks The Undertaker and hits him with big splashes and when The Undertaker sits up after the attack Kamala gets scared and runs away. This is a great match that features two of the WWF’s best monster style gimmicks against each other in a match that is big man paced and showcases the classic slow moving Undertaker style. And while the match is short under four minutes neither guy looks weak with both having moments to shine and each are able to hit some of their trademark moves. And the stuff after the match that has Kamala beating down The Undertaker and then being scared when the Dead Man sits up is classic Kamala stuff as he gets scared and runs away. While the matches end is a let down as it was a DQ I do understand why as they seen more life in the feud and wanted both men to come out with neither having a pin loss to the other. Great stuff if you are a fan of classic Undertaker matches and if you like the style of Kamala at this stage of his career, and keep in mind this match is not for everyone as it is very slow paced and is a typical big man match from the early 90’s, but I for one enjoyed it.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Kamala vs. Tito Santana

Kamala charges Tito as the bell rings but cannot catch him, as he is much faster and is able to dodge his attack, and even when Kamala is able to get his hands on him he is able to use his speed to get away. Tito is able to get Kamala in an arm bar and when the big man gets out of it Tito is able to land some big punches to his head and rocks him for a few moments and allows Tito to get the arm bar back on. Kamala breaks free and misses a big splash and this gives Tito a chance to once more lock in the arm bar. But Kamala is able to take the momentum of the match and starts using his chops to break down Tito and even locks in a massive bear hug that crushes the life out of Tito. Once out of the bear hug Tito tries to make a comeback but it is cut off by Kamala who uses a kick to the face to knock Tito down and then as he is going to big splash for the win he sees The Undertakers manager Paul Bearer wheel down a casket and this causes him to run away from the ring and get counted out, giving Tito the win. This match is filled with lots of rest holds as arm bars and a over long held bear hug brings down the pace of the match and it’s a shame as both super stars are way more skilled then what they show in this match. And the ending of Kamala getting counted out by running into the crowd to escape the casket also does not help the match that was already not that great due to all the rest holds. Kamala does well in the match but does not shine like he normally does, and while Tito Santana starts off with quick moves he quickly falls into using the arm bar for way to long multiple times. Not much to really say about this one besides it was kind of a letdown as I am a big fan of both superstars and they just did not have a good match, and more the most part the crowd as well seemed really dead for this one.

Grade: **

Match 7: Kamala vs. Great Kabuki

As the bell rings Kabuki spits the green mist into the air and Kamala looks unsure of what he has just seen, and as the two lock up its Kamala that gets the upper hand and starts hitting him with big chops. Kamala then grabs Kabuki by his neck and lifts him in the air chocking him and causes Kabuki to spew the green mist and this makes Kamala let him go. But Kamala stays on the attack but Kabuki is able to fight back with a spinning kick to his gut and then to the chin knocking the big man down. The two end up locking up in a test of strength that Kamala wins and turns it into a bear hug on Kabuki and holds the move on tight, and Kanuki is only able to escape when he chops the ears of Kamala at the same time. The two end up trading blows until Kamala once more goes for a nerve hold that takes Kabuki down to the mat. Kabuki is able to use his speed and kicks to escape and land some movies on Kamala hurting the big man. The two once more trade punches back and fourth and Kabuki is able to land a good kick to Kamala’s face rocking him and just then both wrestlers managers (Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) enter the ring and the match is a double DQ. This was a really good match between two great “monster heel” wrestlers one who uses power moves and one who uses quickness and martial arts and their styles worked well together. Kamala uses his power to try and ground Kabuki and does a great job at keeping his kicks and green mist at bay. While Kabuki uses his kicks to rock and hurt his bigger opponent, and his quick kicks to Kamala’s face are awesome and look good. The crowd is clearly on the side of Kabuki for the match as they pop for some of his moves and in the end when he gets the last shot in the match. The downside is that the match does not have a winner as the managers entering the ring cause it to be thrown out and that stinks, as is the fact they have Gary Hart get a few kicks off on Kamala. A good match for sure that is ruined by a bad finish.

Grade: ***

Match 8: Kamala vs. Andre The Giant

Kamala attacks Andre right as he is entering the ring and is landing big chops to the giant’s skull, and Andre starts fighting back with big chops of his own across the chest of Kamala. Andre then hits a big headbutt that dazes Kamala who exits the ring and does not want to get back in with the angry giant, and when he finally gets back in the ring he second guesses himself and gets right back out. Kamala finally gets the courage and gets back in the ring only to be choked by Andre as well as clubbed on with his massive fists. Kamala once more flees the ring in pain, and when back in the ring Andre continues to beat up on Kamala even landing a big boot to his face. But Kamala is able to make a comeback when he starts landing his chops to the top of Andre’s skull once more knocking the giant into the ropes and causing him to get his arms tangled and this allows Kamala to really unload on him. Once free Andre uses the ropes to choke Kamala and give himself a moment to catch his breath. Andre once more starts beating up on Kamala who once more gets out of the ring and has to be forced back into the ring by his managers. Andre beats Kamala in a test of strength and then steeps on his toes with all his weight, Andre then gets Kamala into the corner and crushes him with his size and weight. Kamala is in trouble and his managers know it so they enter the ring and attack Andre and get Kamala disqualified and this gives Andre The Giant the win. This is a true battle of the Big Men and Andre being the biggest as he even makes Kamala look small! The match is your normal big man fight with no technical moves used and it was all big man brawling power moves that the two threw at each other. Both men look great in the match with Andre of course coming off the stronger of the two and he was being showcased as the man who made Kamala even afraid due to his massive size and power. Andre is slow moving in the match as Kamala is the one who does lots of the bumps and work in the match, and what is really surprising while they took lots of breaks in the Kamala out of the ring bits they did not over use rest holds. And while Andre is clearly the one being pushed in the match they do a great job of still making Kamala look strong and this is a time when a DQ finish is needed so neither man has to take a pin or submission loss. Over all a slow brawl that has two giant going to war with each other and is a good entertaining match that Kamala really does shine in by making Andre look even better in the ring.

Grade: ***

Kamala really was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up and was one that I knew I had to cover on one of these “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” updates as I had to share is story and matches with you readers and friends. As you can see, he was a wrestler who could work his gimmick and have some good to great matches with many of the times top wrestlers. But as you can see, the lights are going out and the clean up crew is coming out here at the Rotten Ink Arena and the staff knows that I could talk Kamala for many more paragraphs, but I won’t as I am sure they are wanting to leave and you guys as well have things to do, so as we make our way to the exit I would like to take a few moments to let you know that the next update will be another spooky themed one as our Countdown to Halloween continues with a look at a Horror Host that made his home in the basement of the Grand Ole Opry House and I am talking about Sir Cecil Creape! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. So you next time for a spooky good time.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Papa Shango

Posted on October 21, 2022 by bloodlinematt

The Rotten Ink Arena doors are open and as you can see, it’s really spooky in here as fog is all over and Halloween decorations are hanging all around as this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update is about a wrestler who had the power of voodoo on his side and who could put curses on his opponents and make fans look on in fear! And I am of course talking about Papa Shango who terrorized the WWF as well as a few indies in the early 90’s and who is going to be coming down this aisle with his smoking skull and will shock, scare and entertaining this packed house. And while he grab some candy corn and spooky punch from the snack bar and find our seats I am also here to say that from time to time in the month of October we will have some “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” updates about these spooky themed wrestlers. But as you can see, the house lights are going down and the smoke is pouring in so that mush mean Papa Shango is on his way to the ring and our update is about to start.

Charles Wright started his pro wrestling career in 1989 and was trained by Larry Sharpe and came from background of working for bars and would first start working for Jerry Lawler in the USWA and go under the name The Soultaker and would even capture the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship title his rookie year and held it for two weeks. While working for USWA he would also get chances to work a few matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling and this helped him learn more moves and skill sets. The Soultaker would also start working other smaller indie feds during this time and by 1991 he would get the call to come work for the WWF. And when first working for the WWF in Dark Matches and House Shows as Sir Charles and was not a character with a future. But in 1992 Sir Charles would become Papa Shango a voodoo master who would chant curses, wear face paint to make him look like a skull, would carry a skull that would smoke and he even could control the arena lights. Kids in the crowd was scared of this creepy guy as he would be pushed fast from the start and would get wins over name mid-carders and would also be pushed in big stories as he would feud with Ultimate Warrior that had him curse the Warrior and cause him to bleed and vomit black goo. He would also get a WWF World Heavyweight Title shot against Bret Hart at Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXI and even entered the 1993 Royal Rumble. But while he started out being a big heel for the company he quickly found himself falling down the card and loosing matches against names like Tito Santana and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. And by mid 1993 Papa Shango would be faded away from TV and the WWF. But he would be sent back to USWA by WWF as the two companies worked together and Papa Shango would win the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship title for a second time. And would even in 1994 wrestle for the German company Catch Wrestling Association as Papa Shongo would go for the company’s world title but would loose. Papa Shango would fade away due to Pat Patterson not being a fan of the spooky character. But during his short run he would have some big matches against some big names like The Undertaker, The Road Warriors, Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Big Boss Man, British Bulldog, Kamala and Bob Backlund to name a few. Papa Shango really did scare the kids in the crowd and even some adults was spooked by his voodoo ways but his time to scare was short.

In 1994 Papa Shango would be no more and in 1995 Kama “The Supreme Fighting Machine “ would appear and be a shoot fighter who loved to fight and would feud with The Undertaker and even steal the Dead Mans urn and turns it into a gold necklace and would join the Million Dollar Corporation a stable of heels lead by Ted DiBiase. And Kama was a short-lived character that would be gone by 1996 after entering that years Royal Rumble. Kama Mustafa would return to WWF in 1997 and would no longer have the nickname The Supreme Fighting Machine and would be apart of the Nation Of Domination stable that was lead by Ron Simmons and would have fellow members over the years like The Rock, Mark Henry, D’Lo Brown, Owen Hart and PG-13. And after a good run with the stable he in 1998 would become The Godfather a pimp who would have hos come to the ring with him and the fans would love him and his larger then life persona. The Godfather would be a very popular mid-carder who would be in the WWF Intercontinental title picture from all the way up to 2000 and would even capture the title once. In mid 2000 The Godfather would become The Goodfather and would stop his sleazy ways and join the stable known as Right To Censor and would capture WWE Tag Team Gold along with partner Bull Buchanan. In 2002 he would return to The Godfather character with his ladies and all. But by the end of 2002 he would be let go from the company. From 2005 on The Godfather would make special appearance off and on for the WWF via Royal Rumble matches and even backstage segments. And even in 2007 Charles Wright would start working the Indies as well as doing conventions and at many would be both Papa Shango and The Godfather. In 2016 The Godfather was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame and still remains a beloved semi retired wrestler.

Papa Shango almost made two big returns to the WWF over the years but the plans just never seemed to work out. Like in 1994 a plan was in place that would have Papa Shango be the one who put a voodoo spell on Bob Backlund to explain his crazed heel turn, but they decided to bring Charles back as Kama The Supreme Fighting Machine. And in 1997 they had plans to bring back Papa Shango and even update his look and character and once more he was instead Kama on his return. I am not going to lie as I would have loved to have seen either of these returns happen as I feel that the WWF did not fully do Papa Shango justice as the character was really cool and was a favorite of mine in the early 90’s and his feud with The Ultimate Warrior was one I enjoyed. And on a side note I still think WWF could bring back Papa Shango even now and have him involved in a story with The Fiend, and he could even have a none wrestling role and it still would work. But check out the first two pictures below to see what Papa Shango would have looked like in 1997 if he had returned.

Growing up a wrestling fan I have always liked the creepy and horror themed wrestlers and Papa Shango was one of my favorites as how can you go wrong with a wrestler who looked creepy and would put voodoo curses on his opponents and scare the hell out of the kids in the crowd. I mean he would make black goo pour from peoples heads, make them get sick and puke up that same black goo, he would mess with the arena lights and even set peoples feet on fire! He even once put the black goo curse on Mean Gene Okerlund and caused his arm to have pain and drop the microphone as the goo ran down his arm. And I always marked out for his matches against the likes of The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior and Kamala. And I even had his Hasbro figure and would play him in the video games on the Sega Genesis. And in these modern times it seems that Papa Shango is finally getting some respect and love as the character was loved by many and hated by many when he first appeared, and now it seems like more people have discovered just how awesome the character was and how much potential he had as they really could have used him as a monster heel and could have had him in the World Title picture. If you can see Charles Wright at a convention at times you can get photo ops and he will dress as Papa Shango complete with smoking skill prop! I should also note that when Papa Shango disappeared off WWF TV I was pretty bummed and when he showed back up as Kama I was disappointed as while I like Kama and The Godfather the best gimmick in my eyes for Charles hands down was Shango. While he is none active for the most part from in ring action I for one hope that he does return at some point to the WWF as I think they could do some cool stuff with him in the over all story arch of The Fiend.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review some of the matches on the discs like always between 4 to 8. I want to thank Coliseum Of Wrestling & Boxing for having this set in stock and also want to thank Papa Shango for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly select matches from this set and will be breaking down the match and will be rating the matches on a 5 Star rating system. I also only choose from Single matches, as I want to break down his matches that showcase his style. Here is what the stars mean ½ Means a really terrible match, * Means a bad match,** Means a below average match, **1/2 Means a good average entertaining match, *** Means a good match, **** Means a great match, ***** Means an epic match. So if you are ready, let’s step into the ring with Papa Shango.

Best Of Papa Shango

Match 1: Papa Shango vs. Tatanka

Shango jumps Tatanka from behind just as the bell rings and unloads some punches and throws Tatanka into the ropes but misses a dropkick, given Tatanka a chance to fight back with some massive chops. Papa Shango takes the chops for a short time but once more takes control of the match and even delivers a big jumping head butt that knocks Tatanka down, and allows Shango to keep up his assault and even choke the Native American superstar on the ropes. Shango then gets Tatanka in a nerve hold trying to make him submit and he really digs it in with all his size and power, but as the fans start cheering Tatanka starts to war dance and use his elbows to Shango’s gut in order to break the hold and take the momentum of the match. Tatanka climbs to the top rope and drops a chop to the head of Shango, and is able to get a two count. Shango goes outside the ring and grabs his voodoo stick and tries to hit Tatanka with it as sparks shoot out of the top of it and the referee has seen enough and disqualifies Papa Shango and gives the match to Tatanka. This was a good solid match that was sadly a very lame ending as both guys were being pushed at the time so they just did a DQ ending so neither had to take a pin. The match for the most part is all brawling styles mixed with some moves and a dash of rest holds. While the styles of Tatanka and Papa Shango did not blend all that well they both did a great job to make the best of the match that the fans at the arena seemed to enjoy as they popped for Tatanka throughout. It was also nice to see Papa Shango try and pull off a dropkick and Tatanka’s top rope head chop looked good. And also the commentators did a good job of putting both men over in skill as well as Shango’s gimmick. Over all a good upper mid-card match that had Shango trying to use his voodoo to win and it backfiring and causing him to loose by DQ.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Papa Shango vs. Kamala

Before the bell rings Papa Shango shows Kamala the smoking skull, and as Kamala stares at it and the bell rings Shango makes the skull shoot fire from the top and this scares Kamala who tries to leave the ring and is only being stopped by his manager Slick. Shango then attacks Kamala from behind and even starts biting him, and splashes him into the corner. When Shango whips Kamala into another corner and tries for a splash again Kamala is able to move and makes a comeback complete with a chop to the top of Shango’s head. Kamala misses a big splash and Shango is able to once more take control of the match and attacks the eyes of Kamala and then starts choking him on the ropes. Shango keeps up the attack on Kamala and tosses him out of the ring, and then starts to attack his manager Slick. Kamala sees the attack on his manager and gets back into the ring and is able to save him and then the two go outside the ring and get counted out. First thing I have to say is that Kamala’s selling of looking at and being freaked out by the smoking skull is fantastic! Kamala is such an under rated wrestler and his comedy aspects are great when he wants to be funny. This match is pretty much a brawl as Shango and Kamala throw punches and hit basic movies like body slams and yet for some reason it really works as both guys have gimmicks that mesh well and they play off each other so well. In fact when selecting the matches for this update, this was the one I was most looking forward to. Neither men throw out any moves that standout or are that impressive, but the comedy between the two is what makes this match work so well. I was a little disappointed in the count out ending though. To sum it up, I would have liked for this match to go a little longer and would have had one of them winning the match. And Shango is the prefect heel in the match as he uses dirty moves and trues his best to scare his opponent silly.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Papa Shango vs. Mr. Perfect Curt Henning

Papa Shango jumps Curt Henning as the bell rings and lays in some big punches, and then tosses Henning out of the ring. Shango even rolls out of the ring and attacks Henning before he can even get back into the ring and even once he is able to get back into the ring. Henning makes a comeback and dropkicks Shango out of the ring and then goes out after him even ramming him into the post. Once back in the ring Henning and Shango exchange hits and moves each trying to cut the other off from getting to much momentum. Shango ends up getting Henning in a headlock and cheats to get leverage by putting his feet on the ropes and almost puts Henning asleep with the hold. But Henning is able to get out of the hold and land some big clotheslines, and after a missed move Shango is put into the Perfect Plex and Henning gets the win. This is a good match as Curt Henning was one of the all time best and he was able to work well with the style of Papa Shango who throughout the match looked like a major threat. Henning also really sells for Shango well and makes him look like the monster heel they were building him up to be. The ending was great and having Henning quickly hit the Perfect Plex was a great way to give Henning the win and also not damage Shango in the process. Over all this was a really good match and again have to stress just how good Henning was at this time in making everyone in the ring with him look like a true superstar.

Grade: ***

Match 4: Papa Shango vs. Repo Man

Before the match its clear that Repo Man is a little scared of Papa Shango as is many of the young kids in the crowd. As soon as the bell rings Papa Shango is all over Repo Man and throws and batters him around the ring before getting an arm bar and working over the wrist joint of his opponent. But Repo Man is able to make a comeback and after a few bit punches he uses a clothesline to take Shango off his feet. Repo Man then gets an arm bar of his own and starts working over the arm of Shango who gets out of the hold by picking him up and body slamming him hard to the mat, and locks in a chin lock on Repo Man who is clearly in lots of pain. Shango breaks the hold and pushes Repo Man into the corner and starts biting him as the referee yells at him. Repo Man tries to make a small comeback but is cut off and after a double clothesline Shango gets mad and grabs his voodoo stick and shoots sparks into the face of Repo Man who in turn grabs his rope and hook and the referee disqualifies both me and neither get the victory. What a strange match for the WWF to have as both men are heels and the fans have no idea who they should cheer as they both work a brawling style with each throwing big punches and hitting your most basic wrestling moves. And because they wrestle a semi same style the action in the ring was solid and it was clear that Shango is who was being pushed and he is in control for most of the match. And Repo Man does a great job of selling as well as acting scared of Shango, and on the other side Shango does a good job of selling for Repo man when he makes his comebacks. But like before the finish is a little of a letdown as once more is a DQ as both men grab weapons and the referee has seen enough and throws it out, it should have had a clear winner of the match. This is a weird booked match but at least a very entertaining one.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Papa Shango vs. Marty Jannetty

From the start of the match Papa Shango out powers Marty and gets him into the corner and starts throwing punches and even works over Marty’s eyes. Shango makes a mistake and tries to axe handle hit Marty who is able to jump kick Shango in the face. Shango then challenges Marty to a test of strength, but Marty is to smart for him and just as they are about to lock up he gets Shango in an arm bar, Shango gets out of the hold and they pull off a chain of moves against each other and Marty ends up back to having the arm bar locked in on Shango. Marty ends up knocking Shango out of the ring and goes out after him, but Marty misses a move and hits the guard railing and this gives Shango the chance to stomp on Marty outside the ring, and then tosses him back into the ring and drops an elbow and stomps on his face and then tosses Marty back out of the ring. Marty gets back in and rolls up Shango for a pin, Shango kicks out and hits Marty with a massive clothesline and is only able to get a two count on the Rocker. Shango starts arguing with the referee and Marty roles him up for a one count. Shango then starts punching Marty who bounces off the ropes and rolls up Shango again and this time gets the three count. What a good match that had to solid mid-card draws entertaining the fans as Marty of course worked a fast pace as Shango brought the brawling style. The two really worked well together and the quick surprise pin was a great finish for the match as if gave Marty a win and also didn’t make Shango look weak in defeat. The crowd was behind Marty and he does a great job of playing the crowd and getting them involved in the match. And the fans do not like Shango as they boo for his moves. Over all really a good quick match and both guys look great and both guys work well together and made for an entertaining match.

Grade: ***

Match 6: Papa Shango vs. The Undertaker

The bell rings and The Undertaker and Papa Shango stand in the middle of the ring face to face and stare each other down and the electricity is filling the arena and Shango makes the first move and grabs Taker by the throat and backs him into the corner. But Taker then grabs Shango by the throat and backs him into the corner. Once the choke is broke Taker starts landing good hits on Shango and even walks the top rope and clubs the arm of Shango who tries to make a comeback but is body slammed for his attempt, but taker misses a dropping elbow and Shango is able to knock Taker out of the ring who lands on his own feet, but Shango will not let him into the ring. Once Taker gets back in the ring and behind the referee’s back Shango uses his voodoo stick to shoot sparks into the eyes of Taker who falls out of the ring blinded and Shango goes out after him and starts pounding on him and hits him with a chair and even throws him into the steel steps. And once back in the ring Shango continues to beat up on Taker who keeps sitting up and after a serious if big elbow drops Shango waits to see if he rises, and as the manager of The Undertaker Paul Bearer lifts the urn he carries into the air The Undertaker sits back up and hits Shango with a leaping clothesline and then choke slams him and gets the three count and the win. This is a match that features two of the best wrestling gimmicks that were in the WWF at the time as both had horror themes and these two should have had a much bigger feud than they did. I mean imagine a story that had Papa Shango using voodoo to control The Undertaker and turning him into a heel, and Paul Bearer having to figure out a way to get Taker back, but that for another topic. The match is slow passed as both work a brawling style but their styles cause very similar mix very well and The Undertaker does a great job of selling for Shango even when sitting up like Michael Myers from the Halloween movie series. While Shango does great selling and watching The Undertaker as you could tell he wanted to bring him down. The Undertaker walking the top rope in a movie that is now called Old School is great and got a pop from the crowd. In fact the crowd was really into this match and it was clear they wanted The Undertaker to win. The stare down between the two at the start of the match was great and really set the mood for the match and when Shango landed all those elbows and watched to see if Undertaker would sit back up was great creepy heel stuff. A great entertaining match as I enjoyed the story telling in the ring as well as the slow moving brawling action, really do wish these two got a longer and more flushed out feud.

Grade: ***

Match 7: Papa Shango vs. Bret Hart

This is match is for the WWF World Heavyweight Title. As the bell rings Papa Shango starts landing clubbing blows to the back of Bret and takes control for a moment, but then Bret is able to pull off a monkey flip and hits some big punches and goes for the pin after a flying body press, but only gets a one count and with the kickout Bret is thrown to the outside, Bret slides back in and hits Shango with an atomic drop and then clotheslines Shango over the top rope as the fans go crazy, as Bret dives out and lands a big punch to the downed Shango. Once back in the ring Shango is able to take control of the match when he whips Bret chest first into the turnbuckle, and then start beating up Bret with punches and moves and even gets Bret into a massive bear hug, Bret escapes the move by biting Shango on top of his head, but Shango keeps the momentum in his favor and shows just how powerful he is, and then goes for a never hold on Bret. And anytime Bret tries to make a comeback Shango uses his power to cut it off and stop it. Shango misses a top rope elbow drop and Bret takes over the momentum of the match and keeps hitting Shango with moves and going for the pin only for the Voodoo Man to kick out. But Bret is able to get Shango in the Sharpshooter and Shango gives up and this gives Bret the win. This was a great WWF title match and like always Bret Hart gets a great match out of his opponent with this one being Papa Shango. Bret does a great job of not only flawlessly pulling off his moves, but also makes Shango look like a top heel contender for his title and like the true superstar he is gets the fans really into the match. Shango as well does a great job of hitting massive moves and stays on Bret making it look like the title is in jeopardy of switching hands. And even in loosing Shango still looked strong throughout the match. A really good match and shows that Papa Shango could work with every style of wrestler on the WWF roster at the time as he could work jobbers as well as top of the federation like Hart and have good matches with them all.

Grade: ***1/2

Match 8: Papa Shango vs. Bob Backlund

From the start of the bell Backlund is able to use his speed and technical style to trip up, out maneuver and take down the much bigger Papa Shango who ends up talking the momentum when he beats Backlund in a test of strength. Bob is able to gain control again and this time shows Shango that he as well has power. But Shango is able to land a massive backbreaker and take Backlund down, and then the two battle outside the ring with Shango being the one in control and rams Backlund’s back into the apron, and even back in the ring Shango keeps up the attack keeping Backlund down with a headlock. Even when Backlund is able to use an arm drag to get out of the headlock Shango keeps up his attack not giving him a moment to catch his breath, and after pounding on him locks in another headlock and cheats to get leverage by putting his feet on the ropes. Shango lets go of the hold and starts to torture Backlund a little more, but the veteran out smarts Shango and is able to roll him up with a small package and get the win via pinfall. This was a good match that was for the most part very one sided as Papa Shango was in control for most of the match and just beat the heck out of Bob Backlund and event used submission moves to try and wear the old veteran down, and Shango looked like a beast doing so and really got the fans worked up as they were on the side of Backlund. And speaking of Backlund he does a good job of selling for Shango, getting the crowd to cheer and his for his age at the time showed that he had speed. Bob Backlund was super skilled in the match and while he and Shango have very different in ring style the match comes off very good and both come out looking like the superstars they are. Also should note this was a match of the past meeting the then generation of WWF wrestling.

Grade: **1/2

Papa Shango was one of my favorite heels in the WWF in the early 90’s and is truly one that I wished would have stuck around as he could have had good matches and feuds with many of the wrestlers at the time and the years after he was gone. I mean I would have loved a full feud with The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and later Mankind and Vader. While Papa Shango might not be the most skilled wrestler of all time his gimmick, look and skills made him a stand out for me and he was one of the best horror themed wrestlers at the time only behind the likes of The Undertaker. But as you can see the ghosts, goblins and vampires have started to fill the Rotten Ink Arena for the after midnight monster bash so I think that’s our cue to leave, but before we do I would like to tell you that our next update will have us hanging out with Horror Host Icon Sammy Terry as we celebrate Halloween! So until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local indie wrestlers. I wonder if the Great Pumpkin will show up for the next update?