Message-ID:  

http://www.wwe.com/news/commentary/drtom/1253592

'Hey, did you see Brad's last match?' (I sure hope so!)

by Dr. Tom Prichard
Jan. 22, 2004

Opinions are like noses -- everybody has one. And it seems like
everybody who follows WWE has an opinion on the way things should be.
Fair enough. It was always a hard road leading to WWE, but I
personally feel it has never been tougher competing and being a part
of WWE than it is right now.

I tell people all the time, "This isn't for everyone." The lights,
pyro and screaming fans on TV are only a small part of what takes
place day in and day out. I feel lucky that I was able to go to the
matches every Friday night in Houston. I saw some great cards, and I
saw some not-so-great cards. I witnessed first-hand the magic created
by men who loved and learned their craft on the road. In those days,
there were no guaranteed contracts. If you didn't work, you didn't get
paid. I bought the wrestling magazines, and when stars from other
parts of the country came in with a huge reputation, Texas fans
demanded that they live up to it. Some did and some didn't.

But either way, I got to experience it live. I wish there were weekly
live events in the same city today. If nothing else, it would give
guys the opportunity for more work. The only way to learn this
business is to be in the ring and travel with someone who knows more
than you. We have some capable and knowledgeable veterans on our
roster, but it's not the same. In today's climate, you must be a fast
learner and have instincts like never before. Many years ago, the rule
of thumb was that having at least five years experience of wrestling
six or seven nights a week would constitute having a slight clue. Some
got it quicker than others. But there would be places to go, to learn
and make mistakes. Today, if you want to be in WWE, you need to be
ready to go out and perform in a different city every night. That's
not a bad thing. That's the way it is.

It still amazes me when people call and say they want to be in WWE.
When I explain what they must do (learn the fundamentals, go to the
gym, etc.), I often hear a tone that tells me they don't want to do
"all that." They just want to come on board because they wrestled
their friends growing up and somebody said they should try out for
WWE. It doesn't work that way. And once someone does find his way to
WWE, it may take time, but eventually reality will set in.

Long days, long nights, long roads, good arenas, bad arenas, good
food, bad food, cold, snow, ice, hot, sweaty, miserable, injuries,
pissed off wives, pissed off girlfriends, disappointment, heartache,
redeye flights, one day at home, NO days at home… I enjoyed every
minute of it, good and bad. But it really isn't for everybody, for
obvious reasons.

If you get into wrestling to be a star, cool. But there are plenty of
places where you can be that "star." If you get into wrestling to be a
millionaire, you're better off playing the lottery. The opportunities
are there, but the passion and ambition have to be the driving force.
How great would it be to be able to learn the ins and outs of this
business, train, go to the gym and get paid for it? We have some
tremendous talent doing just that in OVW. The instructors and coaches
in OVW keep driving home the fact that it is a privilege and an honor
to be picked and put under a developmental contract where you get paid
to learn! That was unheard of years ago, and some old timers don't
understand it. The simple fact is, there is nowhere to learn this
business and make a living without doing ridiculous nonsense in the
ring. There are some decent places out there, but more times than not,
someone will run a show and tell the guys to go out and do as many
high-flying moves that they can think of. How many times can you see
somebody go off the top rope and on to the floor in one night? I
counted 12 times up to the fourth match at an independent show a
couple months ago. After that, I stopped counting, and the crowd
stopped caring.

I know what it's like to be a young punk and say, "Right. You're just
hot because you can't do what we do!" Triple H watches tapes from the
60s and 70s because the guys of those eras understood what
professional wrestling/sports entertainment was. Everything meant
something. I'm not knocking the high fliers, either. There will always
be that special spark and bonus of watching someone fly through the
air and make it look like there's nothing to it. But the real pros
understand that there's something to everything done in the ring.
There's an old saying…Less is more.

We can't go back to 60s and 70s, or even 80s and 90s, style. But one
thing in wrestling has stayed consistent. The drama and passion. Not
only from the fans, but the Superstars as well. I can tell when
someone steps in the ring if they are "feeling it." Most fans can too.

As time goes on, the Superstars keep learning what works and what
doesn't. Have we come so far that nothing will shock our audience
anymore? I don't think so.
I wrestled Brad Armstrong, The Bullet, BG James and Johnny Rich in
Dothan, Ala., on Jan. 16. My scheduled partner, Jerry Stubbs, was
unable to make it due to a family emergency. I was paired up with
Blake Richards, Mr. Fantasy and The Assassin. Now, The Assassin has
been around in one form or another in various places over the years.
This wasn't the "original," obviously, but he did a good job standing
in the corner. Blake and Heath (Mr. Fantasy) did a great job holding
up their end of the match too. Both are young, up-and-coming wrestlers
looking for a break. With timing and experience they'll be just fine.
I hesitated about taking this match because I know I'm nowhere near
ring shape, and I didn't want to look like a complete idiot. I don't
mind looking like a regular idiot, but not a complete idiot!

I flew into Atlanta and a friend of mine picked me up. We picked up
another buddy along the way and had a great time going to Dothan. Once
I got there, it seemed like a throwback in time. Southerners are
unique in their own way, but there's no denying their enthusiasm.

When I walked through the curtain, I felt that rush and nervousness
come back. I was in a southern Alabama town in front of about 2,500
screaming and yelling people. The ring was smaller than the 20-by-20
WWE ring and had cables for ropes. When the Armstrongs came out, I
knew this was going to be a night to remember. Bullet Bob danced his
way to the ring with his boys to "Bad to the Bone," and the crowd went
nuts! OK. I get it. I know who the good guys are. Bullet got on the
house mike and called Johnny Rich to come out and be their surprise
partner. From my understanding, Johnny's back had been giving him
trouble for a while, but he didn't miss a beat when his name was
called. He ran down like he stole a wallet from the back! Once the
dust settled and the bell rang, it was clear that the Dothan fans
understood what was going on in the ring. Fans like that will respond
and let you know if you're doing your job or not. I think they were
curious to see what would happen when the elements that meant
something in that part of the world some 15 years ago tried to
recreate the same magic. I got chopped, arm dragged and hip tossed.
The other guys did the brunt of the match.

I could tell everybody in the ring wished we had this environment to
come back to the next week, and the next, and the next. Times don't
really change. We do.

This was history making in that all of the Armstrongs were on a card
at the same time. Bob, Brad, Scott and Steve are legendary in that
neck of the woods, and the fans let them know they haven't forgotten
any of them. BG (Brian) is earning his reputation down south and seems
to be enjoying himself more than ever.

Brad Armstrong was always one of my favorite opponents. This was
supposed to be his retirement match. To be honest, I feel cheated. I
didn't get enough time in the ring to help Brad make the decision to
retire any easier. I would venture to say he even enjoyed and
surprised himself just a little. Once you get the bug, there is no
cure. Brad still has the fire. If there ever comes another time and
place that Brad wants to lace up the boots again, I am ready and
willing. I don't see us doing any "have-a-coronas" or
"toupees" out
there, but I can promise to make Brad think twice about making a
comeback. And don't even get me started on that no-good Johnny Rich!


--- Internet Rex 2.29