6Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 14 November 2019, 20:00
WWF, 1992 “There’s never been a more aptly named team than The Ultimate Maniacs.” – Vince Verhei, F4WOnline.com About a week ago, I visited beautiful Bothell, Washington for the first time. It was long overdue. I sometimes kinda marvel at the fact that Bryan Alvarez and myself, who wrote the best-selling and award winning Death of WCW, have so rarely been Continue Reading...
17Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 07 November 2019, 22:12
TV show, 1952 This week’s induction dates back to the early days of television, when The Adventures of Superman featured an episode entitled, “No Holds Barred”. The year was MCMLII – 1952, IV those of you who don’t know how II read Roman numerals – and George Reeves was fighting for truth, justice, and the American way*. Not only did Continue Reading...
25Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 31 October 2019, 20:00
WWF, 1994 Induction night this year falls on Halloween? Awesome! I mean, sure, it’s had to have happened more than once with a site that’s been around for nearly twenty years, but still, that’s kinda dope. What better way to celebrate the holiday than to go in depth, face to face if you will, with the most ghoulish grappler to Continue Reading...
27Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 24 October 2019, 23:47
Universal Wrestling Federation, 1994 Blackjack Brawl was the second supercard ever put on by the Universal Wrestling Federation. Herb Abrams’s Universal Wrestling Federation, I should specify, as a trademark oversight allowed the rookie wrestling promoter to scoop up the name once used by Mid-South Wrestling. Blackjack Brawl was so named because it emanated from Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Arena, a Continue Reading...
20Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 17 October 2019, 20:00
WWE, 2014 It’s kinda embarrassing to admit this, but one of my favorite annual rituals every October is diving into pro wrestling’s past and finding ridiculous Halloween matches. While long-time Crappers will yearn for the days of Abdullah the Butcher being “electrocuted” in a chair of torture or Barry Windham dressing up as a 6’6″ Sting (both available in the Continue Reading...
24Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 10 October 2019, 21:20
WWF, 1995-1996 Talk about a step down: In the first half of 1995, the newly-arrived Japanese wrestler Hakushi was wrestling Bret Hart on pay-per-view. In the second half, he was regularly teaming with Brett Hart. Hey, you might be thinking, teaming with Bret Hart sounds pretty good. But I didn’t say he was teaming with Bret Hart. I said he Continue Reading...
23Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 03 October 2019, 20:00
WWECW, 2007-2008 As I write this, we are hours away from the kick off of the so-called Wednesday Nigh Wars, pitting upstart AEW against WWE’s super indy fed disguised as a developmental territory, NXT. I’ve become hesitant over the years to timestamp inductions in a manner such as this, as it instantly dates it for anyone reading, but this evening Continue Reading...
16Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 26 September 2019, 20:10
Dallas wrestling, 1954 For this week’s induction, we take you back to the 1950s. World War II had ended, the economy was surging, and a new sensation was sweeping the United States, brought back by American GIs stationed abroad. That, of course, was pizza. But Japanese martial arts like judo and karate were also a major fascination. For decades to Continue Reading...
20Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 19 September 2019, 20:00
WWF, 1994 The decline in viewership to Monday Night Raw over the past few years has been blamed on many things. Take your pick: the lack of a true number one draw, storylines that are started and dropped seemingly at random, and in-ring action that simply isn’t as good as what one can find elsewhere in the world. With all that Continue Reading...
15Submitted by Art0Donnell on Mon, 16 September 2019, 20:00
TNA, 2009 For years, TNA/Impact Wrestling has been considered by many (especially on this site) to be the spiritual successor to WCW. Granted, much of that reputation has more to do with TNA’s mismanagement than with any commitment to Southern-style wrestling. Still, many former WCW stars did end up plying their trade in TNA, such as co-founder Jeff Jarrett and Continue Reading...
81Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 05 September 2019, 20:00
WCW, 1995 Pretty sure I’ve written this before, but over the years, the perception I have of wrestlers I used to mock has changed. Generally that’s due to the fact that I find something admirable or at least comical about folks that I ripped to shred in the past. For instance, once upon a time I had no use for Continue Reading...
16Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 29 August 2019, 20:00
WWF, 2001-2002 This week’s induction is a long time in the making. And I mean long. Don’t believe me? Check out this screenshot from the old black-and-rainbow Wrestlecrap site. DDP’s self-help gimmick was indeed a story for another day, and that day is today. The story begins during the unfortunate Invasion angle. DDP had been written off TV following a Continue Reading...
4Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 22 August 2019, 20:30
It’s WrestleCrap Live! Check out this line up – Brian Zane from Wrestling with Wregret! Maffew from Botchamania! The Blue Meanie! Bill Apter! And yes, RD, Blade, and Jordan too! Recorded live in Las Vegas! Join Brian Zane of Wrestling with Wregret as he goes in-depth with the WrestleCrap Live team discussing WWE’s Eugene! Next we have Maffew from Botchamania Continue Reading...
20Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 15 August 2019, 20:00
Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, 1986 Viewers of the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling knew pretty much what to expect from the show after watching the first eight episodes: cornball humor, wacky characters, and barely passable wresting action. And while the show’s cast typically wore skimpy leotards and was hardly politically correct (Palestina the terrorist comes to mind), it was always Continue Reading...
2Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 08 August 2019, 19:28
It’s a video induction special! Join WrestleCrap’s RD Reynolds, Blade Braxton, Jordan Mishkin, as well as Botchamania’s Maffew, Wrestling with Wregret’s Brian Zane, and the legendary Bill Apter and Blue Meanie as they look at the Apter Mags, the Black Scorpion, and Abe “Knuckleball” Schwartz. Join us in two weeks when we do this again with another trio of WrestleCraptacular Continue Reading...
23Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 01 August 2019, 20:00
WXO Wrestling launched (and folded) in early 2000 as an old-school, fan-friendly alternative to the Big Three promotions of the time. The organization treated itself like a big deal, with the announcers claiming that top wrestlers from around the world were trying to get in on the action. Phones were ringing off the hook at WXO headquarters, we were told. Continue Reading...
14Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 25 July 2019, 20:00
With the arrival of AEW on TNT starting this October, it should come as no surprise that WWE is looking to counter program and put a kibosh on any potential competition. While there’s been no discussion of moving Raw or Smackdown to start a war, sources have told this reporter that Vince & Co. have asked about the availability of Continue Reading...
32Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 18 July 2019, 20:00
WCW, 1995 This past Sunday was WWE’s fifteenth annual pay-per-view dedicated to anything-goes hardcore wrestling. Originally called One Night Stand, it was officially renamed in 2009 to “Extreme Rules”, which better conveyed the event’s theme while also sounding really dumb. In practice, Extreme Rules is just like any other pay-per-view but with a few more gimmick matches than usual – Continue Reading...
16Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 11 July 2019, 20:00
“How is this not like number four or five in WrestleCrap’s worst moments in the history of World Championship Wrestling? Does nobody remember this?” – Bryan Alvarez, Bryan and Vinny Show July 2nd 2019 One of my favorite days is Wednesday, as that is when I get my favorite weekly podcast fix, the weekly show where Bryan, Vinny, and the Continue Reading...
16Submitted by Art0Donnell on Tue, 02 July 2019, 20:00
WWF, 1998 Do you realize that there are now five different tag team titles across WWE’s various brands? You might also be surprised to learn that even before the company split its roster into separate brands, there were a multitude of tag team titles in the promotion. Prior to 2002, there had been such now-defunct championships as the original Women’s Continue Reading...
12Submitted by RD Reynolds on Sat, 29 June 2019, 19:09
Hey hey Fellow Crappers! As some of you have noticed, we’ve had a few delays in inductions. We apologize for that. The truth is, sometimes life just gets in the way of our fun. Right now, Art is moving to a new house and I am prepping for VBS at my church, thus it’s created a bit of a challenge Continue Reading...
29Submitted by RD Reynolds on Wed, 19 June 2019, 20:03
Movie, 2018 There are few things in life I find more relaxing than firing up Pluto and watching either the MST3K or Rifftrax streams. If you don’t have Pluto, let me just say that no app on my Roku gets more milage. Not Netflix, not YouTube, not even WWE Network. Let’s face it – when you can just kick back Continue Reading...
32Submitted by Art0Donnell on Thu, 13 June 2019, 22:24
WWE, 2017 It seems, even twenty years later, WWE still can’t resist lifting old ideas straight from the Attitude Era whenever it wants to pop a rating. Most recently, WWE has been promoting Crash Holly’s old Hardcore Title once more, albeit with a new and completely on-the-nose name. And WWE will always try to recreate 1999’s The Rock: This Is Continue Reading...
39Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 30 May 2019, 20:00
TNA Impact, 2007 I went to AEW Double or Nothing Saturday night. I say that not to make you jealous, but because believe it or not it actually ties into tonight’s induction. No no – I am not inducting AEW’s first ever PPV. No way, no how. It may have been the best show I have ever been to in Continue Reading...
18Submitted by Art0Donnell on Mon, 27 May 2019, 20:00
1995, WWF A few weeks ago, I chronicled the poorly-received run of Slam Master J, son of Terry Gordy turned hip-hop aficionado. Terry Gordy, Jr. wasn’t the only son of a Memphis wrestling legend to reinvent himself in such a way, though. Of course there was Brian Christopher, son of Jerry Lawler, who re-christened himself, “Grandmaster Sexay” as part of Continue Reading...
17Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 16 May 2019, 19:45
WWE, 2014 In case you’ve not heard, WWE’s ratings are currently are in something of a slump, with some of their key demographics down as much as 25% in the last twelve months alone. While the company loves to point out viewership across the board for television is in a decline, there are other popular shows that are bucking the Continue Reading...
12Submitted by Art0Donnell on Mon, 13 May 2019, 21:30
Tip of the hat to the Our Vantage Point podcast for finding this forgotten chapter of TV history. Local television, 1994 Loyal ‘Crappers, I’d like you all to be the first to know that after six and a half years on this site, it’s time that I take a break. A Bingo Break, that is! And what does bingo have Continue Reading...
29Submitted by RD Reynolds on Thu, 02 May 2019, 20:00
WWE, 2010 I don’t think one could understate just how huge Mike Tyson was in his prime, nor how pivotal his role was in helping the WWF turn the tide on the Monday Night Wars. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in many ways became a household name thanks in large part to Tyson. Don’t misunderstand me – Austin still would have Continue Reading...
20Submitted by Art0Donnell on Fri, 26 April 2019, 21:32
WWE, 2009 Fans who watched WWE between 2007 and 2009 – why, I have no idea – may remember the country-fried tag team of Jesse and Festus. Most fans would recognize big Festus as Luke Gallows of the Bullet Club or the Good Brothers. What fans might not know is that his partner Jesse, like Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Continue Reading...
