This is probably the pinnacle of Portland Wrestling's era. Some of the very best independent wrestling in the world at that time. Great wrestling every week.
That was true wrestling greatness! It worked on the mic because Billy gave a little of himself in the interview,you could pickup instantly that he believed what he was saying.That artform is dead forever because the one promoter rhat could have saved the biz chose to put everyone else out of business and quit protecting it to do it. Now great regional areas like this are gone forever,thanks vince.
Now, though, look at what's happening to the once-mighty WWF! Oops! I mean...ha ha ha..WW...E! The then-WWF lost the right to call itself the World Wrestling Federation in Mid-2002, and had to call itself World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)! Then, after garnering 10,000,000+ viewers per week at the height of the Monday Night Wars back in the late 1990s, things began to change, and slowly, but surely, viewership began to drop off, to the point where now, WWE only has between 1,000,000-2,000,000 viewers for Raw per week. Smackdown? That is becoming a major joke! Viewership isn't even as high as it is for Raw now! 2 years ago, the attendance at one venue for a Monday Night Raw was so sparse, that people were only paying $11.00 per ticket! Also, they had to use black tarps to close off the unused part of that particular arena, and the camera angles had to be shot in such a way that you wouldn't see the tarped-off parts! Then, just this year, a new Wrestling Organization appeared...AEW (All Elite Wrestling). They claim that they're not trying to compete with WWE, but this ought to be fun to watch! Their early-on ratings suggest to me that, finally, we have a true Wrestling Organization that poses a very pointed, and a very viable, threat to WWE! This oughta be real interesting! Finally, we just might get to see Vince McMahon's ego and stupid attitude cut so far down, that he never recovers! He drew Wrestlers away from other companies, in order to build his "Sports Entertainment" empire, which resulted in smaller companies going bankrupt, and falling like a line of dominoes. Now, let's see what he does, when the very same treachery that he employed against smaller Wrestling Companies turns on him! Vince McMahon forgot something:What goes around comes around! What'll happen to WWE if Vince passes away, and everything is left to Mr. & Mrs. Paul Levesque (Triple H & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley)?!? Would they try to keep on with the "Whatever's good for business, that's what we'll do"? Let's see what happens next! I'm of the opinion that WWE is the equivalent of an old and nearly blind and deadTyrannosaurus Rex, stumbling it's way right into it's own version of the La Brea Tarpits. We'll see what happens...it oughta be interesting!!!
Harold Plemons and now vince is old aMs running that into the ground! Thank u vince! Lots of great memories and future memories r gone cuz of you...may u rot in hell!
Yes, I remember being there that night. I had to look at the crowd several times for my girl and me along with my friend and his girl...we always sat off to camera left about middle row middle seats....it was off the hook that match...I had a hard time watching the ring and Scotty the Body in the crows nets going crazy. ahhh I would have loved to have taken my sons to the Portland Sports Arena in their youth
I think a lot of times that falls on the creative team or writers that don't know how to use the wrestler in a certain capacity. It's a shame. BJH was huge in the Pacific Northwest region.
Great upload. I remember reading about this in an old wrestling magazine way back when. PWI I think it was. In the article they had a BNW pic showing Billy Jack working over Rip Oliver with the Kendo stick. They made it out to be one of the most brutal beatings ever seen. Now that I've seen the footage, yes it was a brutal beat down for sure. And he seemed genuinely PISSED during the post match interview. Thought he was gonna clock some body for sure. That would have been amazing to see if he just went bat shit and started whaling on random fans at ringside. I mean, who's gonna stop him? No one that's who. Pretty wild stuff happening in Portland at the time. Too bad I missed out on it first time around. Oh, well. At least I get to see clips of it here on you Tube. Keep the classic mayhem comin'
It was a pretty decent time in Portland wrestling.They got a little more modern and brought in good people.Smaller territory small towns but they go every day and one of if not the best promoted and honest promoters longest lasting original NWA promotion. Piper didn't like coming up to Tacoma dome or Portland with Vince cuz he didn't wanna go against.Don Owens and his family etc. I watched Rod walk out against Rude in Tacoma dome and he didn't say a word or look at anyone going in or coming out just stalked in and stalked out. No talk no eye contact orhandshake nothing and he was the good guy against Rude of course.I always felt like not wanting to be there against Don Owens esp at that time around 90-91 when Don was pretty low.And Don was quite an old man by then.Don really made Rod giving him his first real break and helping establish relations for him with triple A in Mexico,Roy Shire in San Francisco and with Crockett.Don never swayed from doing business "the NWA way."He kept good relations with Verne,Ole,Crockett,Roy Shire,Mexico,Stampede and guys like Tim Flowers thru like Kitsap county up into B.C. and Alberta and with Stu Hart of course even after so many started to get desperate and try to cover their own assets,collaborate with some but close others out,try and hire away stars from other promotions all that desperate stuff,&Don true to his character just stayed the course he always had.He was the only person who paid the champion,like Flair for instance,the champions pay plus the champ had 10% of the gate going,but it became something like, A tradition thing & not so much an etched in stone requirement,so most stopped paying it.Don was grateful for a visit from the nwa champ,& true to his character he was the only one that continued to pay Flair the 10% above and beyond.Just everything I've heard and read,great people.Don had a brother Barry Owen who appeared on Portland tv,&his wife I believe was Elice or pronounced Elce Owens,Sandy Barr longtime ref revived it took it across river to Vancouver WA and back to portland,partnered with Oregon Wrestling Fed run by Billy Jack Haynes,Don Voss announcer partnered with others to revive around 02-04 maybe along with Frank Culbertson I believe then it was Portland wrestling uncut now its WCWC West coast wrestling connection executive officer is Len Denton (the Grappler) its on ch 12 kptv now known as PDX tv, as well as on the Fite tv app (I recommend Fite tv app) who carries also Blue Collar wrestling from Portland by Cathy Kemp & husband who were in fact nwa members for the area until Billy took over,they carry a lot of wrestling, WCWC is part of UWN with champ from Hollywood,CWF Arizona,ECCW from east Canada and others,all having local tv, The sanctioning body formed by bill Behrens David Marquez etc after Bruce Tharp took nwa rights briefly.CWF Hollywood is on about 75% of American homes on the CW,a great thing and a big reason perhaps that NWA is using that as somethi g f a home base for now.Enough rambling sorry
Hi - I am the current occupant of this building, and only just realized this was the actual building of Portland Wrestling back in the day, which I loved to watch on TV when I was a kid... These videos are GREAT! Thanks for uploading...
I grew up watching it starting back in the 70's, looking back it seemed that a lot of great wrestlers got their start there, and others retired there. It was must see tv for me all through the mid 70's until the late 80's.
I loved Bill Apters publications because it was my generations internet from my childhood. These wrestlers from Oregon and Memphis were only seen through photos. I do remember seeing Billy Jack in CWF with Gordon Solie. They went wiith the character from the movie and I liked him.
I love the excitement of the announcer once Billy Jack starts kicking everyones ass with the "Kendo Stick" I need to hire this dude as my own cheering section.
oh my god I remember this like it was yesterday!!! I was sooo pissed BJH was one of my favorites! It is crazy to soo how many the top guys came from Portland!
Brian Adams’ timeline around this time is so confusing. He was in WWF by the summer of 90 in Demolition till late 91. He also returned to the Portland territory using the Demolition gimmick. I just never could figure out the timeline he did it in.
Billiam really? Like spittle while shouting, or actually spitting into crowd?! Or just kidding , and u meant: you’re using announcers thoughts...cuz when he’s yelling he was having spittle fly all over Don Coss?
wow love seeing classic wrestling I grew up watching the mid south territory wrestling and world Class and Georgia Championship wresting cause we had wtbs . wish I could have seen pacific northwest and the other territories .
I remember reading about this in PWI. Damn, this is a gem indeed! Crush in the younger days, Raven as well, and The Equalizer before that stupid Dave Sullivan angle in WCW. I agree if Billy Jerk had made this heel turn years earlier he would've went very far indeed!
Dave "Evad" Sullivan became a College Football Head Coach in Nebraska. Remember that his Storyline Brother Kevin Sullivan in his own JCP days became the "Head Coach" of The Varsity Club.🤔🎤🏈🤼♂️B.W.
Billy Jack Haynes. There was a wrestler that was misused by both the NWA and the WWF/WWE. At least the independent scene at that time took notice of Billy Jack's talent. I knew that bastard Vince McMahon would use him as a midcard grappler than a main event one.
The Juicer was Art Barr. Eddie Guerrero's tag partner, just before Eddie went to WCW. After Art died, Eddie would use the frog splash (Art's finishing move) to honor him. Rey Mysterio Jr. still uses Art's other move as well. He just renamed it The 619.
I love the kenpo sticks and trash cans they used... The trash cans were like aluminum foil! Not sure if anyone ever bought into the idea of those really hurting.
Charles Wilson I think he figured that out, at least as part of the act, but at that point it didn’t matter to him, he was just getting him back from all the crap that he’s done to him over the years! You would come over to my moms house after Friday night house matches, and my mom had to help take care of all those razor cuts on his forehead. Finger still in the blood on our antique couch?
After Rip and Larry Oliver betray the trust of Billy Jack Haynes, they get what's coming. Billy Jack Haynes has had enough, and isn't taking it any more. He also gives his opinion of the people of Oregon. Finally Billy Jack Haynes knows he doesn't need the approval of those people.
My father was the fire chief in OC and he invited me a along to help inspect the building and got to meet BJH. I was starstruck as a kid watching him on tv then getting to meet him. I remember watching this very moment in my bedroom on a Saturday night. I was so glad I got to meet him beforehand, otherwise I would have been really upset at him for turning.
Typically speaking, I agree with you in theory. But in this particular circumstance, I think it was booked so that the "attack" from Oliver was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Whether that's what actually happened or not (even the announcer told Billy Jack immediately that it wasn't Oliver) was irrelevant. Those moments where he thought he had been turned on by Oliver had already awoken the monster sorta speak. There was no going back.
Why didn't Billy Jack Haynes have that look and attitude when he was in WWF? He probably would have had a better run beyond doing the odd match on Superstars or in a 'main event' on Maple Leaf Wrestling on CHCH. - The main event was usually a dark match from Copps Colosseum (Hamilton) or The London Gardens.
