R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Crypt Keeper

Posted on August 4, 2025 by bloodlinematt

The Halloween season is almost upon us, and as you can see, we are once more here at the Rotten Ink Arena for a spooky “R.I.W Wrestling Legends” update that is sue to chill your blood as well as gross you out as today’s subject is a hardcore death match wrestler who is truly a horror themed wrestler as his name is The Crypt Keeper (or Crypt The Keeper), and he is based on the Tales From The Crypt host of the same name. He terrorized the federations of Japan, and now he is the main event update for this countdown to Halloween update. So let’s head to the snack bar and grab some witch’s punch to drink and maybe some candy corn to munch on, and then let’s get to our seats as I can hear his sinister laugh echoing all around and that’s the sure sign that this event update is about to start. Try not to get to scare.

Jose Estrada Jr. started his Pro Wrestling career in 1986. Hould work for World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico as Super Medico III and would team with his father Super Medico I as the Super Medicos, and they would even capture the company’s tag team titles. In 1991 he would find his way to Japan and would start working for FMW as Jose Estrada Jr. and would have hardcore street fights against the likes of Atsushi Onita, Tazan Goto and Ricky Fuji. Jose would also go back to working under the Super Medico III for a short time in FMW as well as in WWC where he would be apart of a tag team called Solid Gold. But in 1993 he would become the wresting horror grappler named Crypt Keeper who wore a TV show Crypt Keeper mask as well as a skeleton mask. He would work for WING and became a hardcore wrestler who did death matches and would have battles with Jason The Terrible, Crash The Terminator, Leatherface, The Headhunters as well as Shoji Nakamaki. During this time as well Crypt Keeper would also make small stops in Mexico even working for CMLL. And in 1994 he even would even return to work some matches in Puerto Rico. Crypt Keeper quickly became a heel that fans feared and opponents knew that they would be involved in a brutal match. In 1995 Crypt Keeper would start working for more federations in Japan including IWA and BJW as well as would work small shots in America as well as more matches in Mexico’s CMLL and would wrestle against the likes of El Canek, Arlantis, Dos Caras, El Rayo de Jalisco Jr., El Dandy and Silver King. In 1996 he would head to FMW and become one of the company’s biggest heel stars and was considered a draw and would also start working for them under the ring name Halcon Negro and would start using that name more often from them. In 1997 he would have a house show tryout match for the WWF losing to Miguel Perez, and when working for FMW at the time he once more changed his name to Black Hayabusa. And while he worked under many names and gimmicks, his most well loved in Japan was Crypt Keeper.

Jose Estrada Jr. would then leave Japan and head to WWF to become a member of the Savio Vega lead group Los Boricuas and would feud with The Nation Of Domination as well as The Disciples Of The Apocalypse starting in mid-1997. His run with the WWF would mostly see him teaming with his stable mates Jesus Castillo, Miguel Perez and Savio Vega, and they would have matches against the likes of The Legion Of Doom, The Head Bangers and The New Age Outlaws. And while Jose Estrada Jr. would get some wins, he and his fellow Los Boricuas members found themselves falling down the card and racking up more losses. During his solo matches in WWF he would lose matches against the likes of Goldust, Edge, The Godfather and El Hijo Del Santo (on the short run show WWF Super Astros), and by late 1999 Jose would be out of WWF and find himself retired for a few years. But around 2001 he started working the indies around the world again and would work as The Crypt Keeper again off and on for many hardcore matches. Today while he is pretty much retired, he can from time to time be seen at conventions. Over his years as a wrestler he would capture some gold mostly in Puerto Rico but would be a two time WING World Heavyweight Champion. He is not in the WWF Hall Of Fame, and sadly I do not think he ever will make it in.

I was a big fan of FMW when I was a teenager and one of the wrestlers that stood out to me was Crypt Keeper as he was a brawler who wore a HBO Tales From The Crypt mask (or sometimes just a skeleton one) and would team and even fight the other horror themed wrestlers in the company in matches like barbwire, coffin and death matches. And when Crypt Keeper would cackle and laugh he became even more awesome to me as it added to his creepy, spooky persona. You could see that he was trying to do something a little different with his version of the character and this was also seen in his wrestling attire as it was very baseball themed and made him standout, but I will also say I liked when he would also wear the back suit. And like many masked wrestlers, during his run some knock off wrestlers using the gimmick popped up and worked the indie’s around the world pretending to be him or just straight up stealing the gimmick. While Jose Estrada Jr. was a good worker in the WWF during his run, I have to say I enjoyed his time as Crypt Keeper way more as I found it to be way more interesting. And I know that he was not as hardcore as most of the other horror themed wrestlers of that time, but dang it, he was an entertaining one who seemed to get into scaring the fans as well as being as “hardcore” as he could get in the ring. From the first time I saw Crypt Keeper in the ring, I always thought it would be cool to see him join the WWF and have a run against The Undertaker as it would have been great to have him pop out of a coffin and go after Taker with a barb-wired baseball bat! I mean Crypt Keeper could have fit well into the Attitude Era and could have been a great addition to the Hardcore Division. While the Crypt Keeper gimmick didn’t last all that long in the world of wrestling, it did leave its mark and was the best thing Jose Estrada Jr. did in wrestling in my opinion as I find it very memorable.

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, sadly I only have 3 solo matches of his on my best of DVD. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank Crypt Keeper 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 Crypt Keeper.

Best Of Crypt Keeper

Match 1: Crypt Keeper vs. Keisuke Yamada

As the bell rings, Keeper is the aggressor and starts hammer Yamada with hits in the corner and then hits a clothesline as well as some well places stomps and repeats this attack in another corner until Yamada is able to escape his attack and with a backslide gets a two count and then starts beating up Crypt with hammering hits and knocks him out of the ring and then dives out on him. Once back in the ring Yamada remains in control even locking a step over toe hold on Crypt trying to get him to tap, Crypt gets to the ropes but still takes a beating for a bit by Yamada the two start smacking the hell out of each other until Crypt makes a mistake and finds himself in a arm lock on the mat, and like before once out of the move Yamada keeps up his attack. The fans are clearly behind Keisuke Yamada as they cheer him on as Crypt Keeper rolls out of the ring to shake off the butt kicking he has been getting, and once back in he continues to get beat up on that his until he is able to hit a big boot and a running bulldog, and now Crypt is in control, and goes for many pin attempts. Crypt keeps Yamada on the mat and works over his limbs trying to get him to quit and even trying to get the quick pin. The two once more exchange punches and moves Crypt hits a massive power bomb and it did not keep Yamada down, nor does a top rope fameasser. But after Crypt Keeper hits a power slam he is able to get the win via pin. This is one of those odd matches from Japan that has bursts of hard hitting impactful moments that is then slowed down with rest holds and it makes for a fun and yet some what dragging match. Keisuke Yamada looks good in the match as he is in control for most of the match and even comes of aggressive and his chops are loud and brutal looking. Crypt Keeper hits some really hard hitting moves but does not showcase his more hardcore death match style moves. The two’s chemistry was a little off and at times the match come off a little botchy in spots, but the live fans seem to enjoy it and even with those moments its an average entertaining match.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Crypt Keeper vs. Jason The Terrible

This is a spiked nail death match that pits two horror themed wrestlers against each other! Crypt attacks Jason as he is making his way to the ring and the two fight into the fans and Crypt knocks off Jason’s hockey mask and rams his face into the bed of nails and tries to push the nails deep into the flesh of Jason, and does it again as Jason starts to bleed. Once in the ring Crypt keeps the beating up and tries to knock Jason out of the ring and onto the bed of nails. Jason fights off the attempts and while he is getting beat up he just keeps coming after Crypt who is clearly the more aggressive of the two this far and keeps trying to toss Jason out and onto the nails. When Jason finally gets the upper hand he as well tries to toss Crypt out of the ring and onto the nails and both at this point are using mostly brawling moves to do so and from here the two go back and fourth with taking the momentum and failing to toss the other onto the nails. Jason during this time does hit some big choke slams that get’s the fans to pop. And it’s Jason who is finally able to knock his opponent onto the bed of nails as Crypt lands hard on them after being knocked out of the ring and with that Jason wins the match. This was a very slow paced Spiked Nail Death Match as most of the time is spent with them trying to toss or kick the other out of the ring and onto the nails, and besides a few cool movies like the choke slams from Jason and the fameassers from Crypt the match is pretty much just punches, kicks and stomps and I know that is pretty normal for these types of matches but at times these two seem like they are moving in slow motion. The match also only has Jason bleeding and it’s a shame that the hockey mask is removed right from the start as it takes a little away from this monster vs. monster match. Over all an ok death match that sadly was nothing that special, and it did seem the live fans did enjoy it for the most part.

Grade: **

Match 3: Crypt Keeper vs. Shohji Kakamaki

This is a coffin match where you have to get your opponent into a coffin for a 10 count. As soon as the bell rings Crypt Keeper goes on the attack and rips at the injured head of Shohji and starts kicking him in the head and causes him to bleed. Crypt keeps up a fast paced attack landing a big power slam and then tossing him into the coffin, Shohji escapes and goes after Crypt who takes big head butts that rock him. Shohji takes him outside the ring and beats Crypt up in front of the fans with punches and knees and Crypt fights back with a chair. Once back in the ring Crypt is now in control and with a laugh he pile drives Shohji into the mat and back into the coffin he goes for a nine count, Crypt makes him pay for getting up with a big drop kick. Crypt beats him up some more and back in the coffin Shohji goes for once more a nine count, this angers Crypt even more who turns up the beating and power bombs him onto the coffin lid before tossing him back into the coffin and letting out his trademark laugh. Shohji cannot escape the coffin this time and looses the match given the big win to Crypt Keeper. This was a very entertaining coffin match that for the most part had Crypt Keeper in charge and allowed him to pull off some basic and yet impactful moves like his drop kick, power bomb and pile driver, and while being dominate most of the match he still allowed Shohji to look like a fighter and even sold really well for him. The coffin was made of very cheap pressed wood and from the moment it comes into the match it is falling apart, and this added to the enjoyment of the match. The fans in attendance also seemed to really be into the match and cheered and clapped when needed and my favorite moment of the match is the pile driver due to not only it looking impactful but also the fact that Crypt Keeper is doing his crazy laugh! Over all this is a fun match and while not the best coffin match I have ever seen it is one that entertained me lots.

Grade: ***

The Crypt Keeper was a wrestler that scared the fans as he would cackle with evil laughter as he attacked his opponent with his violent brawling style, and while in America he never did find his place, in Japan he was a feared mid-card heel who could draw. And while WING and FMW were his home federations, I will say it again, it would have been great if they would have brought him in to the WWF as this gimmick and not just a generic henchman for Savia Vega in the team Los Boricuas, as I feel a feud with The Undertaker and or Kane would have been great…or even making him a member of the Ministry Of Darkness back in 1998 as this masked menace could have been great alongside The Brood, Viscera, Acolytes and Mideon as he cackled his way into the feud with The Corporation. But the lights are flickering and the Jack-O-Lanterns are blown out, so that is our cue that this spooky update event is over and it’s time for us to head out of the Rotten Ink Arena, but before we head out into the cold night air I would like to tell you that the next update will take us to the world of cheesy horror films as we will be talking about Sharknado 3! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you next update as the sharks are flying and the chainsaws are revving.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Earthquake

Posted on April 22, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we find ourselves once more here at the Rotten Ink Arena with another “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event that has a true monster heel in the main event and that wrestler is Earthquake, who worked for the WWF as well as companies like WCW, All Japan and CMLL and was a draw for many of them as a top star. The snack bar is packed tonight, and Mr. X has the Old Grave Digger as back up as they are selling some Quakeburgers and I heard they are made out of python meat! So let’s grab a burger and a drink and find our seats as the ground is starting the shake with tremors and the house lights are going down and that must mean the matches are about to start. So let’s grab our snacks and get our seats as this is going to be one heck of an event.

John Tenta started his Pro Wrestling career in 1987 and was trained by Giant Baba, Terry Gordy, Jumbo Tsuruta and Great Kabuki. Due to his past in Sumo Wrestling, he was a Baby Face from the start and for a man his size, he could work quickly around the ring. Tenta would find himself working for All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1987 and would stay with them until 1989 and was a big draw as he was booked strong from the start and would team with names like Giant Baba, Tiger Mask and Great Kabuki and would have matches against names like Tiger Jeet Singh, Jason The Terrible, Brady Boone, The Moondogs and The Road Warriors, to name a few. In 1989 Tenta would sign with the WWF and would become the monster heel known as Earthquake (first called Canadian Earthquake) and would be managed by Jimmy Hart. The Earthquake would also team with Dino Bravo and would quickly rise up the card as one of the company’s monster heels and would have feuds with the likes of Ultimate Warriors, Jake Roberts and Hulk Hogan, even at one point crushing Damien, the snake of Jake Roberts and then cooking it as hamburgers! During this time he would get shots at the WWF Heavyweight Title and would also send many of his opponent’s to the back on stretchers. In 1991 Earthquake would join forces with Typhoon (formerly Tugboat) to become the massive heel tag team called The Natural Disasters that would later turn baby face and would win Tag Team Gold and would have some great matches against teams like The Rockers, Road Warriors and Money Inc. By late 1993 Earthquake would leave WWF for a short time and work briefly for CMLL in Mexico and WAR in Japan before returning again to WWF in 1994 working as a baby face against the likes of Yokozuna, Adam Bomb and Bam Bam Bigelow before leaving once more that year to return to WAR.

Later in 1994 Earthquake would find himself signed to WCW and would go by the named Avalanche and be a member of the heel team The Three Faces Of Fear along with Kevin Sullivan and The Butcher. During this time he would feud with Hulk Hogan, Sting and Randy Savage! He would then become The Shark and be part of the stable called The Dungeon Of Doom whose main goal was to end the career of Hulk Hogan and he would be joined by such names as Kevin Sullivan, Meng, The Zodiac and Kamala to name a few. In 1996, The Shark would be no more and he would go back to work under his real name John Tenta and would become a baby face and would have matches against the likes of The Giant and Big Bubba Rogers. It was clear at this point Tenta’s star was starting to fade as he would find himself sinking lower down the card and losing matches to the companies top and mid-card heels. By 1997, John Tenta would leave WCW and would only wrestle for them one more time in his career in 1999 in a dark match against Lash LeRoux. But in 1998-1999 Tenta would return to the WWF and be the masked wrestler Golga, who was part of the stable called The Oddities that were sideshow performers and would be managed by musicians ICP and he would carry a South Park Eric Cartman plush to ring when the group went from heels to baby faces and would have a feud with the companies heel teams like The Headgbangers. And the reason John Tenta was Golga and not Earthquake during this return is cause he had lost lots of weight. After leaving WWF in 1999, John Tenta would find himself working the indies, and in 2001 he would work two matches for the WWF and would end his in ring career in All Japan Pro Wrestling. During his career he would win some titles and would be a draw as well as a good solid mid-carder as both a baby face and a heel. Plus his star never faded in Japan as all the way up to his retirement he was a main eventer. Sadly John Tenta would pass away on June 7, 2006 at the age of 42 from cancer. And as of this update’s posting John “Earthquake” Tenta is now in the WWE Hall Of Fame class of 2025 and that’s really were he should be.

Earthquake was a great monster heel in the WWF during his first run as his massive size and speed made him seem very dangerous to his opponents that he would squash with his sitting splash. Two things that Earthquake did during his time with the company that stand out is when he crushed Damien who was in a bag and the look of sadness and horror on Jake Roberts face was great story telling. I also remember his feud with Hulk Hogan when he squashed Hogan on the set of the Brother Love show. Oh and let us not also forget when Earthquake attacked Andre The Giant and broke his leg or when he would stomp around his downed opponent and the commentators would call it Tremors…classic stuff! So as you can see, Earthquake was a great heel that was still great when he and Typhoon first started teaming up as the Natural Disasters. I was never a fan of when Earthquake would turn into a baby face as I feel he was just lost in the shuffle of all the big names in the WWF during that time, and let’s be honest his run in WCW as both heel and baby face was a little lacking as I feel they just did not know how to book him right and did not use him to his full potential of being a good heel. In the late 90’s when he would be Golga at first I was wanting to see what they would do with this masked man who was part of a group of misfits, but quickly they turned him into a generic baby face who carried around a doll and was aimed towards kids to cheer as he danced around. I think the WWF also really missed the boat by not having Earthquake feud with The Undertaker as I think it could have been an interesting series of matches, and it would have been cool to see The Dead Man rise after taking an Earthquake Splash. In fact if they had kept The Oddities as heels, it would have also been cool to see them go after The Undertaker as they could become obsessed with him and want him to join them. And I am not the only one that when looking at Earthquake thought he was much older than he was right? When people talk about some of the best Big Men in wrestling names like Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow and Andre The Giant are spoken about, but I feel that Earthquake is often over looked and should be on that list of hard working guys who put asses in the seats and feuded with some of the industry’s top names. I was really bummed when I heard of Earthquake’s passing in 2006, but while he is gone, his matches live on thanks to the WWE Network, Home Media and Grey Market sets.

We are now at the point of this review where we will be taking a look at the DVD set and reviewing 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 Earthquake for his hard work in the world of wrestling. I also want to remind you that I will only be breaking down randomly selected 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 Earthquake.

Best Of Earthquake

Match 1: Earthquake vs. Koji Kitao

At the start of the match the two start to lockup in a test of strength but Earthquake is able to grab Koji into a headlock, once out of the hold the two finally lock up in the test of strength that ends with Earthquake getting Koji into a reverse bear hug and then gets him into a takedown move that makes Koji roll out of the ring and throw a table around. Once back into the ring after locking up Koji starts to work on the wrist of Earthquake who breaks the hold by smacking him in the face, tensions are high as they smack off each others move attempts and then just stare at each other both with anger in their eyes. The two then end up throwing kicks and punches at each other before the referee breaks them apart. Koji tries to poke both or Earthquakes eyes and ends up getting kicked in the leg for his troubles before once more they square up ready to start throwing punches, but then stand and stare at each other while Earthquake yells at his opponent. Koji then kicks the referee hard causing him to fall and ring for the bell as Earthquake wins the match by DQ. This is a match that turns into a shoot as Koji starts stiff kicks and tries to go for the eyes of Earthquake who defends himself with some kicks and slaps. This is pretty much a brawl and is more of a contest that falls apart and has two wrestlers in the ring ready to throw down staring daggers at each other, and oddly it is kind of entertaining as it seems like the tow have mega heat with each other and the fans in attendance seem to be really into it. The DQ ending also is fitting as I am sure neither guy would have wanted to loose this shoot.

Grade: **

Match 2: Earthquake vs. Executioner

When the bell rings Executioner hits the ropes and tries a pair of clotheslines that do nothing, Earthquake then hits a clotheslines and sidewalk slam style move that floors Executioner. Earthquake then tries to take the mask off Executioner then pokes Earthquake in the eyes and quickly climbs to the top rope and is then thrown across the ring by Earthquake who then walks over and hits a belly to belly suplex on Executioner and then hits a leg drop on the downed masked man. Earthquake then hits a power slam, a dropping elbow and then his Earthquake Splash finisher to get the win via pin. This is pretty much a squash match as Earthquake tosses and smashes Executioner in the ring as the fans cheer, and while Executioner tries to fight back, he is just over powered and out skilled by his much bigger opponent. Earthquake for his size is very fast moving and hits some big power moves that end this match fast. Over all a good jobber match that entertained me and the fans in the crowd as this really was the execution of the Executioner.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Earthquake vs. Yokozuna

The two big man size each other up as the bell rings and then a shoving match breaks out as they each are showing that they are a big man. Earthquake takes the momentum at first with some jumping kicks and then a headlock and then hits a series of clotheslines that knock Yokozuna down to one knee, but Yoko changes the tide quickly with a back elbow and a shoulder tackle that takes Earthquake down to the mat and then hits a leg drop. Earthquake is in big trouble as he struggles to get to his feet and when he does he eats some chops and a big splash in the corner and when Earthquake is down on the mat Yokozuna climbs the ropes and hits the Banzai Drop and gets the win via pin. This is the battle of two of the WWF’s biggest men at the time that was a great way to build up Yokozuna as the monster heel that was climbing the card and heading towards World Title shots. And while clearly Earthquake was being used as an enhancement talent in this match, they still allowed him to take the lead of the match early own showing his power and strength, and I feel Earthquake did a great job of selling the beating from Yokozuna who was able to showcase his size and power. The Banzai Drop at the end is a move that could put any superstar away and this was a match to prove that to the fans and his future opponents. Over all this is a good quick match that both guys did a great job of entertaining the fans as well as telling the story of the rising Yokozuna.

Grade: **1/2

Match 4: Earthquake vs. Tito Santana

As the match starts Earthquake uses his power and size to throw Tito off him every time he tries to lockup and even after getting Earthquake in a headlock he is just picked up and tossed. Tito is finally able to use his speed and fast punches to land some good hits on his more massive opponent and then starts working over his arm. Tito cannot keep up the pressure as Earthquake takes the momentum with a body slam, but a missed elbow drop gives Tito the chance to fight back and once more goes to work on the big mans arm. But Earthquake quickly shakes it off and continues to beat up on Tito and locks him in a massive bear hug, once free the two exchange hits and holds and Tito even hits his Flying Forearm and only gets a one count. Earthquake slams Tito and then drops and elbow and starts to go for the Earthquake Splash but Tugboat comes from the back to stop it and then Dino Bravo, The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine enter the ring and start beating up on the baby faces that is until Hacksaw Jin Duggan comes out with his 2X4 and chases off all the heels. The match ends in a no contest as the match got so out of hand by the end with run-ins. This for the most part was a very slow paced match with lots of rest holds and moments of sizing each other up and both use pretty basic moves. It was nice to see that the match was not a total squash as it was clear they were building Earthquake as that monster heel as he shrugs off many moves and hits, but they still allowed Tito to seem like a contender, even though his signature move the Flying Forearm barely phased the big man and at no point did it seem like he was going to win the match. The finish was a little silly as before Earthquake could hit his finisher Tugboat comes lumbering out to get the match thrown out, but in reality Earthquake should have won by DQ. Over all an ok match that was entertaining but not the best match these guys could have had and because of the terrible finish I have to Grade this match a little lower.

Grade: **

Match 5: Earthquake vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Right as the bell rings and Jake enters the ring Earthquake goes on the attack and only after a knee to the head is Jake able to get distance between them. Every time Jake goes after the arm of Earthquake the big man breaks the hold with a smashing forearm and as Earthquake poses Jake turns him around and lands many punches to the big man’s face and continues his attack with some knees in the corner, but Earthquake uses his size to knock Jake to the mat and then stomps on him until Jake falls out of the ring. Earthquake goes after Jake’s new snake Lucifer and Jake saves his pet with a knee that rocks Earthquake and he continues his attack on the big man once they get back in the ring unleashing lots of knees, but Earthquake is able to take back over the momentum by going after the knee of Jake and works it over for a bit. Earthquake goes for his finisher sit down splash but Jake rolls out of the ring, Earthquake goes back after Lucifer the snake and before he can splash the animal Jake is able to trip him and it causes Earthquake to crash onto the mat hard. Jake then lets the snake out of the bag and Earthquake leaves the ring and the referee give him the win by DQ. This is a true grudge match as this takes place after the killing of the snake Damien and Jake unleashes lots of punches and knees to his opponent, but do to the size of Earthquake the match goes south for the baby face as the big heel works over his knee and keeps him down and weak on the mat. This is pretty much a brawl and the story told in the ring is good as the fans were really into it as Earthquake kept acting as if he was going to squash the new python. It’s strange as no big moves are thrown and lots of selling and staling takes place, but yet it is an entertaining match and ends with a DQ so that the WWF could keep this feud going and it makes sense as the emotions of Jake Roberts would be out of control.

Grade: **1/2

Match 6: Earthquake vs. Hillbilly Jim

Before the bell rings Earthquake tries to sneak attack Hillbilly Jim who dodges the big man’s charge and lands some hits of his own including ramming his head against the turnbuckles. Earthquake turns the tide when he rakes the eyes of Hillbilly and then lands some punches and shoulders but Hillbilly starts fighting back and this causes Jimmy Hart the manager of Earthquake to distract Hillbilly by trying to steal his lucky horseshoe and this causes Earthquake to be able to hit a big corner splash and then a dropping elbow before hitting the Earthquake Splash and this gives him the win via pin. Even after the match Earthquake keeps hitting splashes and elbows as Jimmy Hart laughs and the referee is powerless to stop the attack, and after the beating stops Hillbilly Jim is taken out on a stretcher. This is a very quick match and does a great job of showcasing Earthquake as a rising heel as he defeats Hillbilly Jim and then after the match destroys him and uses him powerful impact moves. And during the match Hillbilly Jim does not look like a jobber as he takes control of the match throughout its short runtime, and if not for him paying attention to his opponent and being more focused on his horseshoe he was in charge of it’s pace. This is of course more of a brawling match and is by no means a technical masterpiece, but I will say it was a entertaining match that does it’s job of building Earthquake and was one of the final full time matches for Hillbilly Jim.

Grade: **1/2

Match 7: Earthquake vs. Top Gun

The masked man Top Gun rushes Earthquake before the bell rings and hits him with some big forearm smashes, Earthquake shrugs off the attack and makes Top Gun pay for this as Earthquake hits him with an atomic drop, clothesline and then a dropping elbow. Earthquake before he can hit his sit down splash gets distracted for a moment when Big Bubba Rogers and Jimmy Hart try to break his attention from the match, but Earthquake does not take the bait and hits his splash and gets the win after the three count is made. This is a very short squash match that took place in WCW and Earthquake was of course wrestling under his real name John Tenta and hits all his classic moves from the dropping elbow and the sit down splash and he looks like he has gained some weight but is still moving fast. Top Gun does not stand a chance as his forearm smashes are all he is able to fire off and those do no damage and he quickly finds himself counting the lights. This is a short squash match and for some reason I enjoyed as the masked Top Gun is a great jobber and seeing Earthquake being the monster wrestler was cool, so over all this was entertaining for me.

Grade: **1/2

Match 8: Earthquake vs. Ultimate Warrior

Earthquake attacks Warrior before the bell rings and is hitting him in the back with axe handle blows, the Warriors moves around the ring and then tries to run the ropes and clash into Earthquake who does not budge, but after a shoulder tackle Earthquake is taken off his feet and has to roll out of the ring and Warrior follows him as he goes after Jimmy Hart, this gives Earthquake the chance to attack Warrior from behind. Once back in the ring, Earthquake keeps his attack going on Warrior even kicking him in the back and getting him into the corner to choke him as well as knee him and keep him hurt and weakened. Earthquake keeps up the attack and then starts trying to injure the back of Warrior even getting him in a bear hug that he holds for a long time. Earthquake tosses Warrior to the mat and then drops an elbow and then hits his finisher the Earthquake splash and goes for the pin and Warrior kicks out at two and then fires himself up by the cheers of the fans and the power of the warriors. Warrior then hits a series of clotheslines, a shoulder tackle and then body slams Earthquake and is able to get the win via pin after a big splash. This is a standard Ultimate Warrior match that has him getting beat by the heel only to get the power of the warriors to bring him back into the match and this allows him to hit his finishing combo moves the clotheslines, shoulder tackle and splash in order to get the win and while he does a good job of making Earthquake look good he also at the same time ruins the monster heel build of Earthquake as he kicks out of his finisher and then beats him in seconds after doing so. And it was clear at this time that Ultimate Warrior was being built for the top of the card and Earthquake was finding himself as an upper mid-card heel who was slated to help get over Warrior even more. And while this is a paint by numbers Warrior match I for one am a fan and enjoy his matches and while I wish they would have made this match feel a little bigger I still found it entertaining as did the fans in attendance who were 100% behind Warrior and cheered very loudly for him throughout.

Grade: **1/2

Earthquake is one of those wrestlers who really did make his mark on the sport as he had many very high profile matches and feuds and even had a good tag team run with his partner Typhoon and was an icon in Japan. It’s a shame he passed away at such a young age as who knows what he would have gone on to do and where he would have wrestled. And as the house lights come up and the clean up crew are coming out, this marks the end of this update event and also marks the final in our WWE WrestleMania Month. As we make our way out of the arena, I would like to take a few moments to let you know that our next update will take us out of the Squared Circle and into the world of DC Comics as we will be talking about Plastic Man! 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 time for a stretchy silly good time.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Outback Jack

Posted on April 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Thanks for joining me once more at the Rotten Ink Arena as today’s R.I.W Wrestling Legends update is about a Superstar that took WWF in the late 80’s by storm but in a short amount of time fell down the card and his career fizzled away like dust in the Australian wind. And now that we have found our seats right here in the front row, I think our subject is in the opening bout and if you have not guessed it yet, we will be talking about the one and only Outback Jack, a grappler who had action figures, trading cards and shirts released by WWF and once he was let go they never spoke of him again. But I can hear his song playing now so let’s sit back and enjoy our time with this Wrestling Legend.

Outback Jack started his wrestling career in1986 after being trained by Les Thornton and started to work for Stampede Wrestling out of Canada and was quickly brought into the WWF that same year, as Vince McMahon wanted to bring the Australian superstar in to capitalize on the popularity of the film Crocodile Dundee and they quickly started airing vignettes of Outback Jack in the Australian Outback and had him doing all types of things from driving a jeep around to claiming he learned wrestling moves from the Aborigines. They brought him in and the fans seemed to love him as he got the cheers and he would get some big match wins over the likes of Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Iron Mike Sharpe and Barry Horowitz. But while he was popular, he started falling down the card and started to be used a jobber to bigger stars as he would loss to the likes of Ron Bass, Killer Khan, Sika and Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, but all the while Outback Jack would still be getting wins over fellow enhancement talent it was clear that his days for WWF was numbered. The WWF was going to put Outback Jack in a tag team with Hillbilly Jim, and they were going to try and give the pair a major push, but they changed their minds as Outback Jack was let go in 1988 and that as well pretty much ended Outback Jack’s career as he would not have another match until 2019 as there has been a rumor he wrestled in a Tag Team match as a surprise for AWL (Australian Wrestling League).

Outback Jack was a wrestler who was over with the fans who was booked strong at the start but it’s clear the company lost interest and faith in him quick as he was starting to be used as a jobber to their Heel superstars in a pretty quick fashion. One would have to guess that Vince had lost interest in the Australian Outback culture that was made famous by the Crocodile Dundee film or that they just did not see the skill or superstar quality in Outback Jack. As a youngster I always remember being entertained by Outback Jack and remember some of his matches, but let’s be honest we wrestling fans remember his character more then we do his in-ring skill. I as well remember having his trading cards from Topps that was apart of the WWF series. I can also remember always wanting his LJN figure as it was a super cool toy and was always trying to trade with a friend on the playground who had it. One thing that I think works against Outback Jack for being a full Wrestling Legend is that he had a very short career and pretty much lasted only two years before retiring. I also have heard rumors that his time with the WWF was cut short due to the fact that he was not well liked by fellow wrestlers who found his personality to rub them the wrong way. He was also said to have been ribbed all the time by the British Bulldogs with many of the pranks being downright mean! While he might not have been the best in ring worker, Outback Jack was a great character in 80’s WWF that even with a very short run is still remembered and has fans to this day.

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 Outback Jack 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 Outback Jack.

Best Of Outback Jack

Match 1: Outback Jack vs. Rick Rude

After Rick Rude insults the crowd and posses for the ladies in the crowd the bell rings and he starts beating the hell out of Outback with some punches and forearms. Outback makes a small comeback but eats a boot to the face knocking him to the mat, and then Rude drives his face into the mat a few times before Outback tries once more to make a short comeback, but is cut off and Rick Rude gets Outback Jack into a back breaker submission hold and wins the match when Outback taps. This is a total squash match and Outback Jack is used as an enhancement talent jobber as he barely gets any moves in and when he does Rick Rude shrugs them off and continues to beat him up before easily making him tap out in seconds to a backbreaker. And as always Rick Rude is a great heel who gets great heat from the crowd as he is cocky and always has great insults to the fans. Outback Jack has the fans on his side and when he makes his small comebacks they cheer for him, its clear by this match he was not a major star in the WWF’s eyes but in the fans eyes he was a favorite. Over all a good squash match that highlights just how good Rude was in the ring.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Outback Jack vs. Butch Reed

As soon as the bell rings Outback Jack starts paying attention to Butch Reed’s manager Slick and that’s a big mistake as he is attacked from behind with a knee to the back, and then throws him into the ropes and makes him eat a nasty looking elbow, Outback is rocked but makes a small comeback before Butch makes him eat punches again and hits him with some powerful moves, and Outback attempts to fight back but is over powered and finished for the three count after Butch jumps off the top rope and nails him with a clothesline. This is another squash match as Butch Reed destroys Outback Jack and does so in quick fashion. Butch Reed looks like the powerhouse he was and uses big moves and strong looking hits, the fans also hate him and he feeds off that heat. Outback Jack looks like a total jobber as he starts the match paying attention to his opponent’s manager and then gets his butt kicked for the next two minutes before getting pinned. And worse, Outback looks weak as his comebacks are easily shrugged off and he is beaten down for his tiny efforts. A great match for Butch Reed to show his power and a bad one for Outback Jack who looks like a jobber.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Outback Jack vs. Frenchy Martin

As the bell rings they size each other up with each testing the water by pulling off small moves on one another. But as the match gets going its clear that the power of Outback is overwhelming Martin who is on the receiving end of some big moves. But Martin is able to make a comeback after he pokes Outback in the eyes and is able to land some big chops that knocks Outback to the mat and allows him to keep on beating on him. But Outback is able to comeback after reversing a whip into the corner and then is able to use his finishing maneuver the boomerang to get the three count. This is a very typical early on the card match that does a great job of building up the crowd by letting them see a fan favorite like Outback Jack as the fans are clearly on his side and are behind his victory. Outback wrestles a very brawling style in the match and plays off the crowd really well with his moves. Frenchy Martin does a great job of selling for Outback as well as does a great job playing the cheating heel when he is needed to get the heat. Over all a simple yet very entertaining match that proves Outback Jack could have been a really good mid-carder if they would have gotten behind him.

Grade: **1/2

Match 4: Outback Jack vs. Steve Lombardi

Hillbilly Jim makes the introduction for his friend Outback Jack as they two had just started to team up with each other, and when the bell rings Outback Jack overpowers Lombardi who gets frustrated over the power difference and takes his anger out by yelling at the referee, and his anger mounts as Outback Jack even out chain wrestles him! No matter what Lombardi does, he can not get the better of Outback who has a response for every move and hit he tries to pull off, that is until he kicks Outback in the gut and then starts biting him on the head and then uses cheap shots and eye pokes to keep the matching going his way. But after taking a beating for a short time Outback Jack takes back over the match and after some clotheslines and a running bulldog Outback gets the pin and wins the match. This is a match that allowed Outback Jack to look like a solid mid-card face as he was able to beat career jobber Steve Lombardi in a mostly one sided match, and Outback even is able to show off his strength by throwing around and over powering his opponent. And while Outback Jack was very limited in skills, he knew how to play off the crowd and did just enough in this match to be entertaining. And Steve Lombardi while a jobber always could get passable to good matches out of limited wrestlers.

Grade: **1/2

Match 5: Outback Jack vs. Ted DiBiase

Ted attacks Outback before the bell rings and even when it rings he keeps the assault going, but Outback with a massive clothesline turns the table and starts pounding on DiBiase who changes the tide with a boot to the face that rocks Outback. DiBiase then lands a middle rope elbow and then a drop fist to the downed Outback who is clearly in trouble now, as DiBiase drops another fist its clear that Outback is dazed. DiBiase continues to beat up Outback and with the Million Dollar Dream DiBiase gets the win as Outback is put to sleep and after the match gets the money shoved into his mouth. This is another squash match as Ted DiBiase makes short work of Outback Jack and puts him to sleep pretty easy and even makes the downed Aussie eat a hundred dollar bill. DiBiase looks great and hits all his signature moves and even does a good job of making Outback not look like a total jobber. Outback does a great job as the fans love him and by getting his butt kicked he helps get DiBiase even more heat as let’s face it, DiBiase was one of the best wrestling heels in 80’s wrestling. Over all a good match that was entertaining for a squash match.

Grade: **1/2

Outback Jack was a lower mid-carder who was originally brought in with bigger plans but his limited in ring work and the company’s faith in him dropping fast made him a fan favorite who did a great job of putting over the company’s heels, and having one of the companies catchiest songs at the time. But the event is over and I see that Joker and Mr. X, part of the cleanup crew, are coming out to sweep up the spilt popcorn so we should head out before the Rotten Ink Arena doors are locked for the night. But as we make out way out of here, I should tell you that out next update will have us meeting once more here at The Rotten Ink Arena as we will be watching Earthquake in action! So until next time, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. Do you feel that? The tremors have already started!

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: Sara Lee

Posted on February 28, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Surprise! As you can see, we have found ourselves here at the Rotten Ink Arena for a very quick and special “R.W.I Wrestling Legend” bonus update, and as you can see by the match card, our main event star is Sara Lee who won Tough Enough VI and would work for NXT for a very short time. So let’s grab some nachos and a drink and then get to our seats as it’s almost start time to take a look at this short careered WWE Diva. Oh, it looks like the lights are going down and the house music has stopped playing so with that it’s match time!

Sara Lee started her very brief wrestling career in 2015 and was a cast member on the 6^th season of reality TV show Tough Enough and would be trained by Lita, Booker T, Billy Gunn, Sara Del Rey and Team Vision Dojo. Sara Lee was one of the thirteen competitors chosen to compete for a WWE contract as well as prize money, and she had no background in Pro Wrestling. And Sara Lee would find herself on the cutting block many times but fan votes would keep her in the competition. She would make it to the finals where she would have her first official match using the ring name “Hope” she would work against Alicia Fox in a losing effort, but Sara would end up winning the show and the contract once more thanks to fan vote. Sara Lee would start training in NXT, the WWE’s developmental territory in Florida. While in NXT Sara Lee would have mostly tag matches and would face such names as Billie Kay, Liv Morgan, Mandy Rose, Emma, Dana Brooke and Sonya Deville. Sara Lee would win most of her matches, but she would be released from the promotion on September 30, 2016 and would never make it to the main roster and would leave wrestling altogether after this firing. She would end up marrying wrestler Wesley Blake in 2017. Sadly Sara Lee would pass away on October 5, 2022 at the age of 30 by suicide, and while her time in pro wrestling was very short, she still left her mark on the business and it’s sad that she felt that this was her only choice.

I am not going to lie, I was a fan of Sara Lee on that season of Tough Enough and cheered her all the way through until she won the contract, and even got annoyed with Paige as I felt at times she was being a little too harsh on her judgment’s of Sara’s in ring and promo work. Don’t get me wrong, she needed a lot of work in her wrestling and promos but this was just something about her that made me want to cheer her to victory. Plus she was very pretty and if pushed right, she could have been the next Lita in her style. I also feel that if WWE would have kept with her with training, Sara Lee and Paige could have been a good Monday Night Raw match or even a Pre-Show match on a PPV. I think while Sara Lee had the look of a WWE Diva, she just might not of had the personality to become a wrestler, as she just truly seemed like a sweet and nice person. Plus I think that she could have pulled off working as either Sara Lee or Hope. Over all I wish Sara would have made it in wrestling as I would have loved to have seen what she could have done in a WWE ring.

We are now at the point of this review were we will be taking a look at the DVD set and review her one major match. I want to thank B-Videos 101 for having this set in stock and also want to thank Sara Lee for her 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 match 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 lets step into the ring with Sara Lee.

Best Of Sara Lee

Match 1: Sara Lee vs. Alicia Fox

As soon as they lock up, Fox with ease shoves Sara down to the mat, Sara gets back up and grabs Fox into a headlock but is then thrown into the ropes were Sara is able to knock Fox down and then gets her into the corner and lands some kicks and then uses her legs to choke Fox. But momentum switches to Fox when she is able to trip Sara and then starts her assault as she slings Sara across the ring by her hair and then keeps up her attack. As Fox shows out for the fans Sara trues to roll her up and gets a two count, she hits another move and gets another two count as the fans are behind Sara. But as Sara charges Fox who is in the ropes and behind the referees back Fox takes a cheap shot on Sara and then hits a scissor kick and Fox gets the win via pin. Let’s start by saying that this by no mean a great match as Sara Lee was a very green rookie and Alicia Fox while a veteran in the ring might not have been the best choice for her to work against. Alicia Fox does a great job of trying to make Sara Lee look good as she even sells well for the rookie, but is clearly struggles at times when Sara starts to botch. Sara Lee does a pretty good job of pulling off basic moves and sells well for Fox showing that her limited training was panning out, but she did not look like a wrestler as she struggled very much in getting the crowd involved. The match is pretty short and that was very smart as it allowed Sara Lee to not become over whelmed with trying to put on a good match. The best way to sum up this match is that Sara Lee really tried here and for being very new and green she did an ok job.

Grade: *

I truly think that if WWE would have put a little more work into Sara Lee and allowed her to grow in not just her in ring work but also build a character she could have went on to become a bigger superstar. It is also very crazy to think that Sara Lee in her season of Tough Enough would beat such names as Mandy Rose, Chelsea Green, Sonya Deville and Raquel to win the WWE Contract. But as you can see our Surprise Bonus R.W.I. update has came to an end as the Arena lights have been turned on bright and the clean up crew is sweeping up all the spilled nachos and popcorn on the floor, but do not worry we will be back on track for the next update as we will be taking a look at the indie comic series Honor Among Thieves, so until next time read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local Indie Wrestlers. See you next one as I really wonder if there is honor among thieves?

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Waylon Mercy

Posted on October 21, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are once again at the Rotten Ink Arena for another “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update and another in our countdown to Halloween and this one is going to be partly scary as we will be talking about wrestler Dan Spivey but mostly his Waylon Mercy gimmick that had him playing a psychopath who tormented opponents in WWF throughout 1995 and was a great heel. And as you can see, the Rotten Ink Arena is packed to the rafters as everyone wants to see what Waylon Mercy is going to do and also those at ringside want to see if they can get a handshake. So let’s grab something to drink and find our seats as this one is going to be a crazy time as Our Lives Are In The Hands Of Waylon Mercy…well at least our entertainment is.

Dangerous Dan Spivey started his in ring career in 1983. He was trained by Dusty Rhodes and would start working for Championship Wrestling From Florida and would wrestle under the name Eagle as part of the tag team “American Starship” and his partner was Coyote who was really Scott Hall. And this run would be very short as he would leave in 1984 and would find himself working Jim Crockett Promotions and NWA Central States for one year before leaving again this time he would find himself in the WWF and would now be wrestling as Dan Spivey he would take the place of Barry Windham in the tag team The U.S. Express teaming with Mike Rotunda and the two would stay together until 1987. After Rotunda left and the U.S. Express was no more, going under the “Golden Boy” Dan Spivey he would have a short singles run before leaving in 1988 and working All Japan Pro Wrestling that he would off and on until 1995. After his time in WWF he would return to Jim Crocket Promotions who was about to turn into WCW in 1989 and would be apart of The Varsity Club stable along with Steve Williams and Mike Rotunda and later that year he would be in the tag team The Skyscrapers with Sid Vicious and was managed by Teddy Long, the team would stay around for awhile but Sid would get injured and Mean Mark Callous would take his place. During his time in WCW he would also be working matches in All Japan, UWF and a few other NWA territories. Dan would leave WCW in 1992 and would continue working for UWF and would become the companies first and only UWF Americas Champion and he would stay with them until 1995. And during this part of his career he would capture some gold in Tag Team and Single runs.

In 1995 Dan Spivey was starting to show the effects of injuries but returned to WWF as Waylon Mercy, a psycho who would wear Hawaiian shirts, had jet black hair, talked with a calm creepy southern accent, had a dagger tattoo on his forehead was built with vignettes that had him warning the superstars that “Lives Are Gonna Be In Waylon Mercy’s Hands.” And from the start Mercy was fed enhancement talent and fans didn’t know what to make of this demented wrestler who acted like a gentlemen one moment and then would be super sadistic the next. He would use a sleeper hold as his finishing move and would looked wide-eyed and crazy as his opponent would pass out. And after stacking up wins and creeping out fans, he would find himself in bigger matches against the company’s stars and would even have a big match at the In Your House 3 PPV against Savio Vega. As time passed Waylon Mercy was gaining even a fan base as some fans started to cheer this crazed wrestler who would shake hands before the bell rang and acted as if he was a face when he was a total heel. But after a match against then WWF World Heavyweight Champion Diesel and taking two massive Jackknife Power Bombs Waylon Mercy would not be seen on TV again just like that Dan Spivey aka Waylon Mercy would retire from wrestling due to injuries that had built up over his career. But keep in mind that Dan Spivey did wrestle one match in 2015 for !BANG!.

Growing up, I was a fan of Dan Spivey when he was a member of The Skyscrapers as they are a great tag team that WCW should have pushed way more as they could have been a huge heel team that could have been dominating and been in the leagues of The Road Warriors and Demolition. But for me Waylon Mercy was the main gimmick that made me a fan of Spivey as his “Cape Fear” inspired character was crazy and had a Horror theme to it and was a wrestler that you had to like when he would destroy his opponent’s and shake hands of fans, referees and even his opponent all the while creeping out the fans and given the cameras the most crazed of stares and looks. I can remember when his vignettes aired both my brother and I was hooked as we both liked how he would be all gentlemen like and then all of a sudden he would turn sinister even smashing a worm on his arm in one. His catch phrase of “Lives Are Gonna Be In Waylon Mercy’s Hands.” was great and one, and when at school when talking about wrestling I can remember telling friends that I was a fan of Mercy as he was one wrestler that I was hoping would get a match against the likes of The Undertaker, but sadly that match never happened. And to now thinking about it if The Big Boss Man was still in the WWF in 1995 he would have had a great feud with Mercy as well. I also have to say his theme was also great and weird and was a piano piece that had an edge of insanity to the sound. I was so bummed with Waylon Mercy disappeared off TV and was never seen again in the ring as he was a great character that could have been such a great heel that could have had some great matches with many of the top faces in the company. It’s a shame that his injuries were so piled up that made him have to retire from the ring and end his run in the WWF. In more modern times I think WWE has dropped the ball by not having Waylon Mercy be part of the Wyatt Family and it’s clear that the cult leader with the same look and charm Bray Wyatt was a newer version of the character, and Mercy should have been added as part of the family in a manager role, but nope the creative team for WWE is too lazy for any ideas like that. Really looking forward to watching these matches again as all of these I saw when they aired so re-visiting them in modern times will be very interesting. And like so many other wrestlers we have covered on these R.I.W Wrestling Legends update as of this update he is not in the WWE Hall Of Fame and that’s so silly that they have not respected him with that honor.

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 Waylon Mercy 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 Waylon Mercy.

Best Of Waylon Mercy

Match 1: Waylon Mercy vs. Tony Roy

As the bell rings Waylon goes over to shake the hand of Tony and with a cheap shot he clotheslines him hard and they just starts hitting and kicking Tony and really unloads on him in the corner. Waylon then tosses Tony outside the ring and apologizes for doing so to the referee, but Waylon then goes outside the ring and hits Tony with a DDT knocking him out and he wins the by count out. After the match as Tony Roy is knocked out Waylon Mercy leaves the ring and steps on him by “accident” and once more says he is sorry as you can tell he enjoyed dealing the pain. This is 100% a squash match as Tony Roy was a jobber who never even gets one move off and is beating up and knocked out with ease and this match was a great way to build up and show the craziness of Waylon. The fans you can tell are a little creeped out by Waylon who in the match uses mostly kicks, punches, clothesline and a DDT to win the match in quick fashion. I also love that Waylon does some cheap and mean spirited stuff in the match and acts like he is sorry for his actions when you can see the glee in his face as he hurts poor old Tony. Over all this is a good match that did its job of building Waylon as a heel and buried Tony Roy as a jobber for life when it came to WWF matches. And the reason I am giving it this grade is cause I think in a short time it told a good story of who Waylon Mercy was and what fans and his opponents needed to fear from him.

Grade: **1/2

Match 2: Waylon Mercy vs. Jeff Hardy

As the bell rings, Waylon Mercy charges Hardy and pushes him into the corner and starts rocking him with massive punches and knees and then knocks him to the mat and starts kicking Hardy in the gut. Waylon Mercy dominates the match and uses suplexes and other holds like snake-eyes on the top rope to throw Hardy around and cause him pain, all the while Waylon has a smile on his face and fake apologizes on his lips. He then rubs Hardy’s face into the mat and after a side slam Waylon goes for the pin and then decides to not finish the match as he wanted to torture Hardy a little more, and repeats the big move and then go for a pin only to stop it a few times as he is really getting joy of tormenting Hardy. And finally the match ends when Waylon puts Hardy in a sleeper hold and the young wrestler passes out, as Waylon Mercy looks crazed. This is another squash match but is a fun watch as its one of young Jeff Hardy’s early matches in the WWF when he worked as an enhancement talent. Waylon Mercy once more is totally psycho and aggressive in the match and does not allow Hardy to land one move and just torments his opponent the whole time. The brain buster that Waylon hits looks great and his finisher the Sleepy Hold is great when you add his wide crazed eyes as it helps bring out his madness and adds to the fans fear and hatred for him. Hardy does a great job of selling for Waylon and Waylon does a great job of looking like a major threat to any and all faces that could be stepping in the ring with him. A fun and solid squash match that helped build Waylon and also was a great look at the early career of Jeff Hardy.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Waylon Mercy vs. Doink The Clown

At the start of the match Waylon tries to shake the hand of Doink who refuses and when Waylon charges Doink is able to hip toss him to the mat and do so a few times causing Waylon to role out of the ring in frustration, and when he tries to get back in Doink makes sure he knocks him back out and laughs out his psycho opponent. Doink charges to try and keep Waylon outside the ring and he dodges his charge and this causes Doink to fall out of the ring and hit the ground hard. Once back in the ring Doink gets Waylon into the corner and is able to land some kicks and punches before the referee steps in to break up the attack as Waylon is able to get his torso out of the ropes forcing the separation. Waylon is able to land a left hook when Doink was distracted by the referee and then hits a clothesline and takes control of the match making Doink pay for his attack early in the match. And then Waylon is able to lock in the sleeper hold and put Doink to sleep and win the match as many in the crowd cheer for his victory. This match was not a super easy win for Waylon Mercy as Doink The Clown puts up a big fight and also is the first that we have seen that has taken Waylon off his feet and able to land moves on! Doink was a great worker and did a great job in this match being entertaining as well as selling for Mercy and really helped put him over and gave him a bigger win under his belt. Waylon Mercy as well is great in the match and is cold and calculated and is able to beat up Doink all to the delight of the crowd who are on his side as they would rather have this psycho heel win then the goofy clown. Waylon Mercy’s sleeper and crazed eyes is on point again and this makes for a fantastic ending and it was cool to see the fans cheer for him. A great match that had Waylon take some moves, deal some moves out and win a match against a mid-carder that had a name.

Grade: **1/2

Match 4: Waylon Mercy vs. Diesel

This is the battle of two big men and when the bell rings the two shake hands and Diesel pulls Waylon in so that he can stare him down and as the two break the shake its clear that this is going to be a fight. And when the two lock up its Diesel that shows he is the stronger of the two, but the two exchange some punches just to let the other know that they are here to win as Diesel is the WWE World Champion and has been on a losing streak and Waylon could get this big win under his belt and could be in line for a title shot. And after a few hits Diesel dazes Waylon with a big boot to the face and Diesel throws Waylon from corner to corner and lands punches and knees and is rocking his psycho opponent. And while Diesel has the upper hand he is distracted when British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith comes down the aisle and Big Daddy Cool goes crazy and leaves the ring to brawl with Bulldog and gets himself counted out and gives Waylon the win by count out. After the match Diesel who is in a rage gets back into the ring and Jackknife Power Bombs Waylon and then starts punching his down opponent while WWF officials try and break it up. This was a quick match and while the two big men exchange a few moves and hits nothing really happens that sets the match apart from any other and the count out victory was a major letdown and Waylon Mercy seems like a second thought as the match was a way to showcase Diesel and build his upcoming title match against The British Bulldog. Not much more to say besides it was cool to see Waylon in a bigger profile match even if he didn’t get to showcase his crazed persona nor moves. The match is limited and quick with a lackluster finish and could have been so much better then what we got.

Grade: **

Match 5: Waylon Mercy vs. Bret Hart

As the bell rings Waylon Mercy and Bret Hart shake hands and from the start of the match Waylon has the upper hand and starts beating up on Bret and get him trapped in the corner, and Bret is able to make a comeback when Waylon charges into a corner and Bret moves and starts working over Waylon’s arm. But Mercy regains control and is able to start putting a hurting on Bret even landing a massive body slam, but Bret being a skilled technician in the ring takes back control and keeps working on the arm of Mercy. But once out of the move Mercy is able to through Bret out of the ring to get a breather and able to try and take back control of the match and starts pounding on the Bret once he is back in the ring. Waylon even drives Bret’s face into the mat and lands some axe handle hits to his back, and Bret is in trouble and Waylon even starts clawing at the mouth and jaw of Bret with a crazy look in his eyes. After getting beat up for a little longer Bret is able to make a comeback after a boot to the face and a clothesline from the second rope takes Waylon off his feet and gives Bret the time needed to get his breath and figure out a way to win the match. Bret climbs to the second rope and lands his elbow drop and is able to get a two count on Waylon, but the match ends in a DQ when Jean-Pierre LaFitte makes a run in and attacks Bret Hart coasting Waylon Mercy the victory, but also saved him from possibly being pinned as he was on the ropes. This is a really good match and Bret Hart and Waylon Mercy trade moves back and fourth and the fans are very much invested, as they so want Bret to get the win. Bret as always is great and puts on a top-notch performance and even works around the limitations of the injured Waylon Mercy who also works really hard and puts on a great match. The moves landed in the match look very impactful and the back and fourth of the match momentum is well done. This is a great match and shows that Bret Hart was one of the best workers in wrestling history and that Waylon Mercy could have been a major heel if he could have been well during his 1995 run.

Grade: ***1/2

Waylon Mercy was awesome and one of my favorite heels from WWF in 1995 as he was a psycho southern gentlemen who got pleasure in hurting his opponent and trying to act as if he was sorry for his actions of brutality. I have to once more say that I would have loved to have seen him have matches against The Undertaker as I think the two could have worked a good program together, and I stick by that I think he should be in the WWE Hall Of Fame and that he should have been brought back to be apart of the Wyatt Family. Well as you can see the Rotten Ink Arena cleanup crew have came out and they are sweeping up all the left behind popcorn so that’s our queue to head out so as we make our way out the doors I want to let you all know that our next update will be about the iconic Pennsylvania Horror Host Dr. Shock and this will be a truly fun one for sure to celebrate Halloween with! So until then, make sure to read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you on Halloween for a Spooky Shocking 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: Chief White Owl

Posted on April 12, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Once more we find ourselves at the Rotten Ink Arena for a very special “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update event as our main event star is a true legend of the sport in Ohio and the Great Lake area and was the master of the Tomahawk Chop who war danced his way into the hearts of fans. I am of course talking about Chief White Owl! A part Native American wrestler who became a true icon in the eyes of fans and is long overdue to get his time to shine in the Rotten Ink Arena! So let’s grab some snacks and a drink and then find our seats as this is going to be a quick update that will showcase his talent and his wrestling story. As you can see, the house lights are dimming and that means it’s time for some wrestling action.

Chief White Owl started his pro wrestling career in 1956. While he worked smaller shows before this, around this time is when he started to make a name for himself in the sport. Working in the NWA Territories he mostly stuck around the Great Lakes area and really became a big draw in his home state of Ohio. Booked as a baby face, his war dance, Tomahawk Chop and brawling style made him a draw, as when fans seen his name on a card they attended. During the early days of his career he would wrestle such names as The Terror, The Iron Russians, The Volkoff Brothers and Sputnik Monroe. With in his early matches Chief White Owl found himself on the losing end, but quickly as his popularity with fans grew he found himself moving up the card. Throughout the 50’s he would work for Midwest Wrestling Association and this made him a true superstar in Ohio. But by the early 1960’s he would have a run for Pennsylvania based company Spectator Sports and would have some big matches against such names as The Destroyer, Gorilla Monsoon, Klondike Bill, Johnny Powers, Gypsy Joe and Baron Gattoni, to name a few. In 1965 Chief White Owl had a run in WWF (then WWWF) and would work for them until around late 1965 and would have matches against big names at the time like Waldo Von Erich, Arnold Skaaland, Johnny Rodz, Dr. Jerry Graham and The Golden Terror. After this The Chief would return working the NWA areas around Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania and by the late 60’s would even work matches in Canada. Throughout the early 1970’s Chief White Owl remained a big star on the indies and would also help put over the up and coming wrestlers, and by 1976 we would wind down his career before retiring in the early 80’s. During his wrestling run he would capture tag team gold alongside partner Luis Martinez around six times in the NWF promotion, would team with Wahoo McDaniel, get a win at Madison Square Garden and is another name that proved you could be a big star and a draw for companies and never needed a title belt to achieve his popularity. Sadly Chief White Owl would pass away from neglect from the nursing home he lived in in 2008 at the age of 72, gone and never forgotten as Chief White Owl was an icon of Pro Wrestling in Ohio. It’s also sad that he has not made it into the WWF Hall Of Fame yet, as I feel he should be.

Chief White Owl is a wrestler that I wish I would have gotten to see live, but sadly he was retired by the time I was old enough to go to events as it would have been awesome to watch him wrestle in the now-gone Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. I first found out about Chief White Owl from my friend Theresa who knew someone in his family and who told me the sad tale of his passing, and after reading about his legacy in wrestling and just how amazing of a person he was said to be, I needed to find and see some of his matches…and sadly, not many are around to be viewed. Seeing the matches and footage I can of White Owl made me a bigger fan, as I like his brawling style, his war dance always got a great pop from the fans, his appearance was awesome as his headdress made him standout and his Tomahawk Chop signature move was well done and looked like a proper finisher for that era of wrestling. When reading about Chief White Owl I also found out that Bobby Fulton of the tag team The Fantastic and fellow Ohioan grew up watching his matches and was a fan himself. On a serious note, it’s very sad when you hear the details of how Chief White Owl passed and those at the nursing home should be ashamed of themselves and be held accountable for what they did, and my thoughts are with his family as they still battle for justice and a change in the way America allows their nursing homes to be run. But while his end was heartbreaking, his legacy in wrestling will live on forever and his name will never fade.

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. Sadly I only have one match to cover for this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update. I want to thank HyperDevil for having this set in stock and also want to thank Chief White Owl 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 Chief White Owl.

Best Of Chief White Owl

Match 1: Chief White Owl vs. Steve Stanlee

As the bell rings, Steve is able to land a punch at the top of White Owl’s head dazing him for a second as Steve keeps his attack going landing punches and kicks. After a few moments White Owl lands one big punch that knocks Steve to the mat and White Owl is fired up as he does his war dance and lands a few punches that causes Steve to get out of the ring to stop the attack. Once back in the ring Steve is pushed up against the corner and White Owl hits a big chop, but soon Steve is able to get White Owl in a sleeper hold that is broke when White Owl gets to the ropes but takes a elbow to the back of his neck when Steve lets go. Steve then hits a series of kicks to the stomach of White Owl and then goes for his eyes, but White Owl fights back with a punch to the gut and a standing headlock that backs Steve into the ropes and tangles his arms in them and delivers a chop and even lands another as Steve escapes the ropes. The two exchange hits and holds and battle until the time limit, but the referee decides to give the win to Chief White Owl. This is a classic old school wrestling match filled with brawling punches, basic wrestling moves and signature moments that would pop the fans and while it would be considered bland by todays standards of in ring work this is a very good match for its era. Steve Stanlee does a fantastic job of selling for The Chief and does so many little heel moves that makes the fans just hate him, meanwhile Chief White Owl does his war dance, his tomahawk chops and uses his fired up temper to have the fan eating out of his hands. White Owl’s series of drop kicks look really great and he as well is great seller as he makes Steve as well look good in the ring as its clear the two had good chemistry. The time limit decision win that goes to The Chief was a little confusing, but the live fans seemed to dig it so I guess it worked. The pacing was well done and Steve Stanlee even was able to get in some silly heel comedy moments as well as cheating to help the pace along. Over all this was an entertaining old school match and shows why Chief White Owl was a well loved wrestler.

Grade: ***

The legend of Chief White Owl is still going strong to this day as his family, friends and fans keep his memory alive. And for those wondering, Chief White Owl’s real name was George Dahmer and his mother was part Native American. He was a natural as his gimmick. I really do wish more matches of his would come to the light of day as I would love to see more of his work as I like his fighting spirit as well as his hard hitting brawling style. Well as you can see, the update event is over and the house lights are back up and the cleanup crew is out so that is our cue to head on out of the arena, but before we part I would like to alert you that our next update will have us stay in the world of wrestling as we are still celebrating WWE WrestleMania Month and we will be spending some time with the one and only Uncle Elmer, who was the powerhouse of the Hillbilly Family that took 80’s WWF by storm. So until the next update event, read a comic or three, watch a wrestling match or two and as always support your local wrestlers. See you back here at the Rotten Ink Arena for the next update, and I wonder if the snack bar will have Friend Pig Parts in stock?

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Haystacks Calhoun

Posted on December 5, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink Arena. The night’s wrestling card looks to be a good one. As you can see, we have a sellout crowd as the main eventer that will be the topic of this “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update is considered by many to be one of the greatest Big Men of wrestling of all time, and when I say Big I mean Big! As tonight’s wrestler will be Haystacks Calhoun, the massive country boy who packed in fans and entertained them for decades. This massive hillbilly would be booked as an attraction and was a household name when active. To this day fans speak of his legacy. So in honor of Haystacks, grab some popcorn, some hot dogs and a double fist some soda and let’s talk about Calhoun!

Haystacks Calhoun started his pro wrestling career in 1955 working for a small indie promotion that was run by Orville Brown in Texas. Haystacks would turn pro in 1956, and he was an attraction out the gate as he stood at 6’4” tall, was a hillbilly weighing around 600 pounds and would travel the territories like Texas, Kansas and Canada and would even at this early part of his career would be featured on the variety TV Show “House Party” and amazed viewers as he could toss full bales of hay high into the loft of barns. Hence why he was called Haystacks almost his whole career. The fans loved Haystacks as the massive lovable hillbilly was always standing up for what was right and was a brawler who entertained them in matches. Promoters at the time would not book Haystacks into title bouts as he was used more as an attraction wrestler who would enter battle royals, fight in handicap matches and would be pitted against other massive wrestlers who was going at the time. While a very large man in weight, and somewhat limited in his skills Haystacks Calhoun worked past his limitations and proved to be one of NWA’s biggest draws at the time. While working for the WWF (then known as WWWF) in the early 1960’s, he would be booked into matches at Madison Square Garden against Happy Humphrey who weighed over 750 pounds and the two big men would put on some real slobber knockers, and over the many matches they had Haystacks would come out the winner of most matches, mostly wins by count out.

Haystack Calhoun would not stay in one territory for very long as he knew that he need to keep on the move in order to become a major attraction and not overstay his welcome with promoters and fans. In the early 1960’s he would have a feud with Nature Boy Buddy Rogers for the NWA United States Heavyweight Title and would try for the belt many times, but could never take it off Rogers. In one match Rogers dropkicked Calhoun into the ropes and the middle rope broke from his weight causing the massive Haystacks to fall out of the ring and be counted out. Also during this time, while he mostly would wrestle in America, he would make trips to Canada as well as Australia in order to compete in matches and entertain the fans. During this time he would also find himself winning some Tag Team Gold with partners like Don Leo Jonathan and Amazing Zuma. In the late 1960’s the WWF was having issues, as they were having a very rough time and the money was not coming in, but thanks to the returning Haystacks Calhoun and a handful of others they helped bring in the business and helped make the WWF one of the biggest and best territories. Haystacks would stick around WWF until 1979 and after leaving we would go back wrestling around the territories before retiring in 1980, and during his career he would win a few belts but was another example of a true icon of the sport that didn’t need a title to draw money and become one of the biggest well loved wrestlers of all time. And I should also note he did have some runs as a heel. Haystacks retired in 1980 due to his health declining bad and his weight was getting out of control, in 1986 he even lost his left leg from diabetes and sadly he would pass away on December 7, 1989 at the age of 55. After his death in 2017 the WWE (WWF) would put him into the Hall Of Fame.

Growing up a wrestling fan I knew the name Haystack Calhoun not just because of the old wrestling magazines and books my brother and I had, but because I remember by dad talking about him! And whenever fans who make lists of top big men of wrestling Haystacks is almost always on them, and help keeping his memory alive as well as making him be apart of my fandom. For me as well Haystacks Calhoun is one of the best Hillbilly characters to step in a WWF ring only rivaled by Hillbilly Jim and I loved that Haystacks would wear a horseshoe on a chain around his neck and Jim would do that same thing later in his career. Haystacks really was a larger then life wrestler who weighed over 600 pounds and was so massive that he was a sight to behold and he was smart as he knew he was limited and his style would wear thin fast if he stayed to long in one area so he made himself an attraction that fans would pay to see in action. Plus promoters and Haystacks was super smart as he would hardly loose matches cleanly and he was protected in order to keep his stock high in wrestling, and this also once more made him seem like a big deal in fans eyes. And during his career he would also only hold Tag Team Titles in the territories, as they never felt he could be the face that runs the place in any territory. One other cool thing about Haystacks was that he played himself in the 1962 film “Requiem For A Heavyweight” that was written by Rod Serling and starred Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali! And that’s one other thing about Haystacks as besides wrestling his appearances on TV Shows, Movies as well as other forms of media made him an even bigger star. While Haystacks might have been very slow, not technical in the ring, a massive human being and a over all a attraction wrestler he hands down is a true legend and icon of the sport and I think all wrestling fans would agree with me on that.

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 Haystack Calhoun 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 Haystack Calhoun.

Best Of Haystacks Calhoun

Match 1: Haystacks Calhoun vs. Buddy Rogers

Before the bell rings Haystacks is upset that Roger’s manager is in the ring and makes the referee kick him out of the ring so the match can start. Once the bell rings Haystacks shows that he has the power, but Rogers shows that he has the skills and even angers Haystacks when he out maneuvers the big man. But once Haystacks gets Rogers into a headlock its hard for him to escape the bigger mans grip, he is finally able to break free once he stops on Haystacks bare foot. And then after some moving around Rogers is able to get Haystacks into a chin lock and tries to wear the big man down buy putting as much pressure as he can. When the referee is not looking Rogers will change the chin lock into fully chocking Haystacks as the crowd works themselves up over the cheating. And even when Haystacks tries to fight out of the lock, Rogers quickly gets the move back on him. Once the hold is broke both Rogers and Haystacks attack each other’s eyes, with Haystacks getting the better of the exchange and almost getting a couple of pin falls that are only broken up thanks to Rogers getting his foot on the ropes. In the end Rogers is able to dropkick Haystacks who falls into the ropes breaking the middle rope and getting counted out. This is a great match as both are very entertaining, and Rogers is able to work around the limitations of Haystacks and is able to make the big man look good as well as himself. This match is one of the most legendary of Haystacks career and while he lumbers around the ring and lands your typical big man moves, he still shows that fans loved him and that he was really an attraction in the ring that you paid to look at and his wrestling ability was secondary to his larger then life appearance. This is a solid match mostly due to the work of Rogers and because Rogers this match will get three stars.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Haystacks Calhoun vs. George Cannon

This is the battle of two big really big men as Gorge Cannon himself weighs almost 400 pounds making this a pure attraction as it becomes a “Big Splash” match and the pair exchange words in the ring and then a coin is tossed to see who splashes first with Haystacks winning the coin toss and as Cannon goes down to the mat for the splash he is attacked by Haystacks to drops a lumbering knee to his neck and then uses his horseshow chain to beat up his opponent. He then delivers two terrible looking splashes to Cannon and leaves the ring as this match is thrown out. This is TERRIBLE as the “match” is more of just a jumping and the moves that Haystacks uses look bad and his splashes are awkward and very poorly done. It’s clear that Haystacks is the heel in this match up and this is so bad that I am done righting about it. Nothing really good to say about this “match” at all besides Cannon is slightly good on the mic. and that Haystacks is clearly way past his prime as he looks bad and his in ring work is even super sloppy.

Grade: ½

Match 3: Haystacks Calhoun vs. Dick Cole

This match starts with Haystacks getting booed by the fans and when the bell rings he gets Cole tied up into the ropes and unloads kicks and punches on him knocking him silly. He then untangles Cole and bounces him off the ropes and hits him with a standing elbow, once Cole hits the mat Haystacks lands a big splash and gets the three count in this 100% one sides squash match. This is another match that clearly Haystacks is way out of shape and is having a very hard time moving around the ring as all of his kicks, punches and even his big splash just look really bad, so bad that at one point the commentator makes a remark that all his moves look like they are being done in slow motion. Dick Cole is clearly just a jobber who does his job well as he gets beat up and pinned. It’s a shame that this match I selected is another bad example of this classic big mans work.

Grade: ½

Match 4: Haystacks Calhoun vs. Bill Steele

Steele tries to start the match off by charging and then body slamming Haystacks and this does not work in his favor as Haystacks just goes off on Steele and starts pummeling him with kicks and punches. Haystacks then knocks Steele to the mat and sits on him causing the much smaller man much pain, and then Haystacks ends the match with his massive big splash for the pin. This is once more a total one sided quick squash match that is ended fast in order to save Haystocks the stress of a longer match as he was clearly not in the best of health and shape. But unlike the last two matches I reviewed he does seem to be getting around better and is able to make his moves and punches look more strong and powerful. I give Bill Steele some credits as he tried to do his best to put on a good TV match with Haystacks that was clearly just a throw away opening contest.

Grade: *1/2

Match 5: Haystacks Calhoun vs. Nicolai Volkoff

Before the bell even rings Volkoff tries to attack Haystacks and this only angers the big man as the bell rings Volkoff who is the faster of the two goes on the attack and the both of them exchange hits and brawler moves. And even though Haystacks is the way bigger man Volkoff is able to hold his own and even able to land some hits that rock the 600-pound hillbilly. But of course during the match Haystacks would use his weight to gain the advantage. In the end Volkoff backs Haystacks into the corner and hits him with punches and kicks to the face, but Haystacks dodges a charging knee strike and as Volkoff falls to the mat Haystacks lands a big splash and gets the three count. This is a pure brawling match that allowed both men to throw massive hits and neither looked super weak in the fight and Volkoff’s style masked the limitations of Haystacks ability. Most of the match is Volkoff working, but Haystacks does what he needs to do in order to draw the fans into the match. Over all while it was just a sloppy brawl it was very entertaining and was a fun watch.

Grade: **1/2

Haystacks Calhoun was a massive man who had a larger then life personality and was a perfect attraction for the Golden Age of wrestling, while he was not super skilled in the ring and by the end of his career was a shell of the superstar of his early day he still was a draw and fans loved to see him in action. He was loved as a baby face and was hated as a heel when he had a brief run as one and while if Haystacks Calhoun was around today he would be booed out of the building for his sloppy and limited move set, he is a great throwback attraction wrestler who was a star in the simpler days of wrestling. But the matches are over and the clean up crew have started their jobs so I think it’s time for us to leave the arena, but before we do I would like to let you know that for the next update we will be travel to the world of Marvel Comics and Tyco Toys and take a look at the super underrated Dino Riders! 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 time as the war machines of dinosaurs will be coming our way as we countdown to Christmas Eve.

R.I.W Wrestling Legend: Hillbilly Jim

Posted on November 15, 2023 by bloodlinematt

The doors to the Rotten Ink Arena are open, and today’s “R.I.W Wrestling Legend” update is going to be a great one as our main event features a good old country boy who wore a horseshoe on a chain around his neck, would dance around the ring, was great friends with Hulk Hogan and Little Beaver, brought his family into wrestling, would promote the WWF Ice Cream bars, would sing his own iconic theme song and would also become a manager for a pair of hog farmers. And of course, I am talking about the one and only Hillbilly Jim, a true classic wrestler from the 1980’s WWF! So as you can see, they are serving some good old Kentucky Bar-Be-Que sandwiches and coleslaw at the snack bar so go grab yourself some as the matches are about to start.

Hillbilly Jim was trained by Bob Orton and started his pro career in 1975 and would work for Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) as a biker gimmick and went by Harley Davidson and teamed with Dirty Rhodes. He would stay with CWA as well as work for a few other NWA territories until around late 1984 when he would head to WWF and be Big Jim, a fan in the crowd who was a fan of champion Hulk Hogan, and decided that he wanted to be a wrestler and would be “trained” by the Hulkster after he turned down Roddy Piper who offered. And this is when Big Jim would become Hillybilly Jim, a goofy man from Mud Lick, Kentucky who was loved from the start by fans and would even have several tag team matches teaming with Hogan against the companies biggest heels. But Hillbilly Jim would get injured in early 1985 and this would cause him to bring in his family Uncle Elmer, Cousin Luke and Cousin Junior and become their manager while he heeled his messed up knee. Once he returned to in-ring action, he would team with his family members and sometimes Andre The Giant and have matches against the likes of Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy. His big feud at this time was with Mr. Fuji and while a major fan favorite, WWF would keep him out of the title shots as well as would not give him any serious storylines. His Family would seen also disappear from WWF, and he would find himself in a few big matches with one being Wrestlemania II and the other Survivor Series ’88, and while more of a comedy spot wrestler at this time, his fanbase kept growing as young and young at heart loved this dancing Hillbilly. By 1990 Hillbilly Jim’s push in WWF was coming to an end and even he lost a squash match to Earthquake at a Saturday Night’s Main Event, and by mid 1990, he would retire from full time in ring work. During his main WWF run he would have some big matches with names like Iron Sheik, Jesse Ventura, Roddy Piper, Adrian Adonis, Randy Savage and Dino Bravo to name a few. He also was part of the short lived cartoon “Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” as well as did a ton of commercials for stuff like Chevy trucks.

While no longer wrestling, Hillbilly Jim would stick around and would even be a host on the show “WWF Prime Time Wrestling” until the show was cancelled in 1993. He would be gone for a while and would return in 1995 as a special guest referee and then would also become the manager of The Godwinns (Henry O. and Phineas I.) and that was until 1997 when the teamed turned heel and they fired Hillbilly Jim from being their manager. He would then show up in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven as he was in the Gimmick Battle Royal, and he lost. From here he would travel around the WWF Axxess and public appearances. And from here Hillbilly Jim would only show up from time to time and was even a cast member of the reality show “WWE Legend’s House” and was put into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2018.

Growing up I can remember being a fan of Hillbilly Jim as were many of the kids at school as almost every kid I knew had the LJN figure of Hillbilly Jim. Being Hulk Hogan’s good friend, he was just a ready to cheer superstar who also was played off as a good hearted person and this made him a draw who never needed to win a title to become a legend and one of the most loved and remembered WWE Superstars. I can always remember that Hillbilly Jim was never an overly flashy wrestler nor did he have a look that set him apart from all the other Hillbilly gimmicks of the 80’s wrestling world, but what made him stand out from the pack was his massive size and just his over all character and attitude as he was always getting fans invested into his matches no matter how limited they were in spots. I also think its great that clearly Vince McMahon loved Hillbilly themed wrestlers as over the years he has created and booked so many, and I am wondering if that love came from the legend Haystacks Calhoun who his father use to book back in the Golden Age. It’s also clear that Hillbilly Jim would wear the horseshoe to pay respects to Haystacks, and as a kid I can always remember him kissing it for good luck. One thing that is crazy to think is that Hillbilly Jim’s career was not that long and that his WWF main run as a wrestler only lasted around six years and that he never even one a single belt during this time. And let’s be honest, out of the Hillbilly stable that was working in WWF in the 1980’s, Jim was the only one that had the talent and persona to pull it off and be remembered. To sum it up, growing up I liked Hillbilly Jim and even in these modern times and long removed from the ring he is remembered and well loved by fans, as he is generally a great person to his fans when they meet him in person.

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 Hillbilly Jim 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 chose 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 Hillbilly Jim.

Best Of Hillbilly Jim

Match 1: Hillbilly Jim vs. Jim Neidhart

As the bell rings, Hillbilly gets the crowd cheering and even tries to shake Neidhart’s hand, that the he rejects of course. And Neidhart soon learns that Hillbilly is just as strong as he is, and that these two are going to be evenly matched. And it’s a chop to the head that gets the crowd roaring and gets Hillbilly Jim in charge of the match for a second that is until Neidhart takes a cheap shot and the two powerhouses exchange hits and holds. Neidhart shows his power and drops Hillbilly throat first onto the ropes and this takes the breath out of him and allows Neidhart to beat up on him for a bit and even cheats and starts biting him on the face. Hillbilly Jim is able to make a comeback when he is able to big boot the face of Neidhart and then is able to even drop a powerful elbow on him and get a two count from it. Neidhart snaps and starts beating up Hillbilly Jim and also gets rough with the referee that gets him disqualified and gives the win to Hillbilly. After the bell rings Neidhart and Hillbilly keep fighting as the crowd erupts for the action. This is a great hoss fight that has two powerhouses beating the hell out of each other and telling a great story in the ring. Both men do not look weak in the match and both are shown to be super strong and their styles mesh well as both have a brawling mixed with classic style. I also like that both of these guys play off the fans and get them invested into the match and even add a dash of comedy to the match. Big Moves, Big Brawlers make for a fun match that is highly entertaining.

Grade: ***

Match 2: Hillbilly Jim vs. Boris Zhukov

Boris attacks Hillbilly Jim from behind and once for doing so Boris gets mule kicked and rolls out of the ring as Hillbilly gets the fans to cheer USA! The two trade punches and are trying to show that they are not going to go down as both want this win. Throughout the match Hillbilly keeps pulling off classic moves on Boris and the Russian is getting more and more frustrated and even when Boris goes on the attack Hillbilly is able to shrug it off and then starts working on Boris’s leg. And after a big boot to the face Hillbilly Jim is able to get the pin and the win. This match is entertaining and has Hillbilly Jim not only do some power moves but also does so classic movies in order to spice things up, he also adds a touch of comedy to the match and that helps bring the fans alive who really do love him and made him a big Superstar of his time. Boris Zhukov is a pure brawler heel in the match and does a great job off playing off the antics of Jim and while he looses the match and most of the time he is getting thrown around he don’t come off as a complete jobber. Over all the two have pretty good chemistry in the match and while it’s clearly an enhancement match it feels a little bigger then that.

Grade: **1/2

Match 3: Hillbilly Jim vs. One Man Gang

Before the bell rings, Hillbilly Jim has little person wrestler Little Beaver in his corner and they still One Man Gang’s manager Slick’s hat and once the bell rings Gang shows Hillbilly that he is the stronger of the two, but he also comes back to show that he is strong as well! And One Man Gang then goes for a massive headlock and his able to have the hold on for a while as every time Hillbilly is about to escape Gang pulls his hair and back into the lock. Finally Little Beaver has seen enough and comes in and punches Gang and the hold is broken, but this only buys Hillbilly a moment of rest as Gang is back on him with a test of strength that is draining his energy even more. And like before Little Beaver comes in and helps break up the move, Hillbilly makes a small comeback but soon is once more getting beaten up by Gang who is angered over the antics of Little Beaver. As the referee is distracted Slick as well now is cheating and landing cheap shots on the downed Hillbilly Jim. And after a few avalanche splashes and a falling elbow drop Gang goes for the pin, and once more Little Beaver enters the ring and breaks up the pin. Both men find themselves outside the ring fighting and with the help of Little Beaver One Man Gang is counted out and looses the match. After the match Gang beats up Hillbilly and then even big slashes Little Beaver. While this is a fun big man fight it’s also a very slow one as it has many long moments of rest holds and not a lot of even basic wrestling holds. While One Man Gang is shown to be the big threat and has Hillbilly Jim beaten down almost the whole match, it’s the comedy aspect of Little Beaver who keeps entering the ring and cheating right in front of the referee that will annoy almost an wrestling fan, in other words the over use Little Beaver in this already way to long match. While Gang looks good Hillbilly doesn’t, as he needs outside help to stay alive throughout the match. Over all a sluggish match with way to much interference from Little Beaver that brings the star rating down, but I do like in the end when Gang gets his revenge and crushes Little Beaver with a splash.

Grade: **

Match 4: Hillbilly Jim vs. Fuller Stevens

From the start Fuller Stevens tries to tackle Hillbilly Jim and learns that running into him is like hitting a brick wall as he crashes to the mat from the impact. Fuller then tries to body slam Hillbilly and cant, but Hillbilly slams him with ease. And from here on Hillbilly Jim toys with and beats up on Fuller Stevens who is angry that he looks like a total jobber. And after a big boot to the face Fuller falls to the mat and is pinned and this was a easy win for Hillbilly Jim! This is a total squash match as Fuller Stevens can not pull off one move and looks like a total jobber as he is thrown around, booted in the fast and then pinned without Jim even breaking a sweat. Not much to say besides Hillbilly Jim comes off looking great and strong as his opponent Fuller looks like a goof. And yes this match like most of Hillbilly Jim’s matches has a touch of humor.

Grade: **1/2

Hillbilly Jim was a perfect wrestler for the 80’s as he was a great sidekick to Hulk Hogan and was a wrestler that kids loved as he was a jolly mountain of a man who would dance around and do funny spots in his match. And while many of his matches was the same formula and even featured the same spots Hillbilly Jim is a true legend in and out of the sport. But as you can see the Rotten Ink Arena is closing down for the update so it’s our cue to head on out, but before we leave I would like to tell you that our next update will be our big Thanksgiving one and we will be having turkey with that B-Movie icon The Giant Gila Monster! 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 time for some Hot Rods and Big Creatures!