Ol Dirty Dastard
11-24-2014, 04:37 PM
The one thing that's taken me years to wrap my head around is the "science" (for lack of a better term) of what makes a good "wrassler". I'm not talking about story telling, and facials, which I think are definite intangibles and the complete package, but as far as being a wrassling "work rate purest" what are the big things, and the little things that go into a wrestler, living, breathing and MOVING like a wrestler, not just a guy playing wrestling and being a performer.
As an example I was watching Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko vs Barry Windham and Curt Hennig from I think Starrcade '99 which was a great match. Malenko landed a suplex of some sort and was perpendicular to Windham or Hennig, and very subtley exploded into a lateral press from that position. A lot of guys just would stand up, but Malenko being a true "wrassler" made it seem legit, and instead of the wasted/fake movement of standing up, catching his breath and flopping down for a pin attempt, he swiftly, smoothly and slickly transitioned into a lateral press.
Barry Windham cooincidentally is another great example of a natural talent when it comes to this stuff. The one thing everyone talks about is how mobile he was for a big man, and honestly this is stuff the can be argued as irrelevant because it's not like workrate= drawing power, but as a lover of wrestling it is great. The one thing people talk about with Windham is how he entered the ring at 6'7" 270, in pretty much one single bound. Not like Kevin Nash (whom I love for despite all of his "faults") , who would SLOWLY climb on the apron, and then even more SLOWLY lift the one leg over... which albeit pretty fucking cool and impressive, it's more the showmanship that made it cool, definitely not the raw athleticism.
Windham could also transition from a suplex into a lateral press like a fucking gymnast. Again, these aren't things I'd ever notice if they weren't brought to my attention, but it definitely is something interesting to talk about and maybe although you don't immediately notice it, helps with the overall presentation of the product. You may not notice it, but it's there and completes the package.
What are other little examples of guys doing these little things that really help with the legitimacy of wrestling as a "sport". What are awesome ways guys subtly move like wrestlers? The same way football players move like football players and boxers move like boxers?
As an example I was watching Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko vs Barry Windham and Curt Hennig from I think Starrcade '99 which was a great match. Malenko landed a suplex of some sort and was perpendicular to Windham or Hennig, and very subtley exploded into a lateral press from that position. A lot of guys just would stand up, but Malenko being a true "wrassler" made it seem legit, and instead of the wasted/fake movement of standing up, catching his breath and flopping down for a pin attempt, he swiftly, smoothly and slickly transitioned into a lateral press.
Barry Windham cooincidentally is another great example of a natural talent when it comes to this stuff. The one thing everyone talks about is how mobile he was for a big man, and honestly this is stuff the can be argued as irrelevant because it's not like workrate= drawing power, but as a lover of wrestling it is great. The one thing people talk about with Windham is how he entered the ring at 6'7" 270, in pretty much one single bound. Not like Kevin Nash (whom I love for despite all of his "faults") , who would SLOWLY climb on the apron, and then even more SLOWLY lift the one leg over... which albeit pretty fucking cool and impressive, it's more the showmanship that made it cool, definitely not the raw athleticism.
Windham could also transition from a suplex into a lateral press like a fucking gymnast. Again, these aren't things I'd ever notice if they weren't brought to my attention, but it definitely is something interesting to talk about and maybe although you don't immediately notice it, helps with the overall presentation of the product. You may not notice it, but it's there and completes the package.
What are other little examples of guys doing these little things that really help with the legitimacy of wrestling as a "sport". What are awesome ways guys subtly move like wrestlers? The same way football players move like football players and boxers move like boxers?