Ol Dirty Dastard
01-12-2012, 09:17 PM
I'm thinking of doing a weekly post discussing different legends of wrestling and talking about what made them great. It's not going to be super official as I can't be arsed to formalize my writing style on here. But pretty much I'd love for us to talk about the things that make a wrestler great, whether it be subtle nuances or attitude or magnetism. We can talk about behind the scenes stories we've heard of their greatness, we could even get into debates of possible downfalls.
This week I want to start with the Great Dynamite Kid. Been watching a bunch of his work lately, singles and tag, and let's just say all the legend and folklore about what this guy brought to the table is true.
I've watched some of his matches as a teenager, when he's about 150 pounds all the way to the end and it's crazy to see where he started and where he ended. The thing I liked about his matches though was there was always a dedication to making it as real as wrestling possibly could be, as well as (sorry Bret Hart and Gorilla Monsoon), his excellence of execution. Every move this guy would do, particularly in his prime seemed to matter. All had devestating effects. His snap suplexes, his stiff clotheslines, even his arm wringers. He sold like it was real, never over the top, but never too little and every match he was in it seemed like he gave EVERYTHING he had.
He was also SO FAST for his time. You watch his matches with Tigermask from the early 80s and both guys are around 220 pounds, and the way they move for guys their size is ridiculous. He weighed the same as a light heavyweight, and even some could say at a certain point was a legit heavyweight (ah the wonders of PEDs), and could stiill move like he was Juventud Guerrera.
Also, he was a great psychologist, and dedicated himself to whatever role he played. A great heel, whether it be full blown or subtle. There's a match from World of Sport against Marty Jones from about '86 or so, (for those who don't know what that is, as I've only recently discovered it, it's a British wrestling organization from back in the day, really neat stuff for you wrestling history buffs) and he was the heel. But he wasn't your stereotypical heel, it was just little things he did, to stretch the rules and be a vicious prick, but not enough where you're like "this is over the top", and it's such a hotly contested bout that you understand him heeling it up. Just perfect understanding of what he should be doing, in the atmosphere he's in.
There's no doubt he's a fucking asshole, and his fate some would say is deserved, he's done many rotten things and karma gets you every time, but I would say he's one of my favourite wrestlers to look up on youtube.
Anyone feel free to add your 2 cents on Dynamite Kid and what you think make him special. Great matches that stick out and so forth. Let's get a decent level of discourse going!
This week I want to start with the Great Dynamite Kid. Been watching a bunch of his work lately, singles and tag, and let's just say all the legend and folklore about what this guy brought to the table is true.
I've watched some of his matches as a teenager, when he's about 150 pounds all the way to the end and it's crazy to see where he started and where he ended. The thing I liked about his matches though was there was always a dedication to making it as real as wrestling possibly could be, as well as (sorry Bret Hart and Gorilla Monsoon), his excellence of execution. Every move this guy would do, particularly in his prime seemed to matter. All had devestating effects. His snap suplexes, his stiff clotheslines, even his arm wringers. He sold like it was real, never over the top, but never too little and every match he was in it seemed like he gave EVERYTHING he had.
He was also SO FAST for his time. You watch his matches with Tigermask from the early 80s and both guys are around 220 pounds, and the way they move for guys their size is ridiculous. He weighed the same as a light heavyweight, and even some could say at a certain point was a legit heavyweight (ah the wonders of PEDs), and could stiill move like he was Juventud Guerrera.
Also, he was a great psychologist, and dedicated himself to whatever role he played. A great heel, whether it be full blown or subtle. There's a match from World of Sport against Marty Jones from about '86 or so, (for those who don't know what that is, as I've only recently discovered it, it's a British wrestling organization from back in the day, really neat stuff for you wrestling history buffs) and he was the heel. But he wasn't your stereotypical heel, it was just little things he did, to stretch the rules and be a vicious prick, but not enough where you're like "this is over the top", and it's such a hotly contested bout that you understand him heeling it up. Just perfect understanding of what he should be doing, in the atmosphere he's in.
There's no doubt he's a fucking asshole, and his fate some would say is deserved, he's done many rotten things and karma gets you every time, but I would say he's one of my favourite wrestlers to look up on youtube.
Anyone feel free to add your 2 cents on Dynamite Kid and what you think make him special. Great matches that stick out and so forth. Let's get a decent level of discourse going!