Oh how I wish and pray (if i may do both) to have these days back :( Truly the greatest times in my life to be able to turn on the t.v. or go to an old beat up arena and be entertained by the greats in the world of pro wrestling. To have my disbelief suspended. To forget all the troubles that came with growing up as a kid. So many memories. Miss these times and miss these performers. Never will there be a time like this and never will there be larger than life characters like these. Thank you guys. MISS YOU!!
Agree so much, my father took me to lots of house shows in the 80s. He enjoyed wrestling as much as I did! I wouldn't have wanted to have grown up at any other moment in time. The 80s were fantastic for being a kid, everything was larger than life back then.
He was so frigging solid, and he could work tremendously for a man of his size...great promos, loved him and Mr. Fuji together...seems like a really nice dude too...love ya Don "The Rock" Muraco
I use to watch Muraco back in the 70s when he was in San Francisco territory on Big time wrestling, working with guys like Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, Moon Dog Maine, Dean Ho, Mr. Fuji, I can go on and on, those were the good days and even though I rooted against him as a heel, he was always exciting to watch, as well as the people he worked with and against.
My favorite heel, along with Adrian Adonis. I was fortunate enough to meet Don at his gym in Hawaii and how he is in this interview is exactly how he is- a really great guy with a totally engaging and friendly personality. The world should be so down-to-earth as he is!
I lived in Washington, DC up until around 1987. I remember 2 huge blizzards about 4 years apart around 1979 and 1983 in the Backlund era. In the Hogan championship span of years, there was a really entertaining tag-team battle royal as the last match on the card at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD. It was an unusual day because it was an afternoon card. The last 2 teams in the ring were Muraco-Fuji and Hogan-Hillbilly Jim. Muraco and Hillbilly Jim both went over the rope at the same time on one side of the ring, and then Hogan eliminated Fuji. Everybody around our seats all stood up and cheered, and my brother and me couldn't see the ring. After about 30 seconds, we stood up, and saw Muraco up on the second rope with the 'Asian spike' thumb up in the air, and drove it down on Hogan who was laying in the middle of the ring. Apparently, Muraco previously attacked Hogan while the Hulkster was posing for the crowd. Great stuff !
When Don was in Florida and started working the program with Barry Windham it was phenomenal. At first he would come out and totally destroy Windham. Then slowly Windham would get in a punch here or there that would daze Don just a bit. Then eventually Windham beating Don in the middle of the ring. Because of Don, Barry started working the upper cards and became Florida's no.1 babyface. The pacing and psychology was the best I have ever seen.
I remember going to see him wrestle at the Catholic Youth Center in Scranton, PA back in the 80's. I can't remember who he wrestled but we would go in, buy our ticket then go back out, walk around and stand in the alley behind it where the wrestlers would come in. I remember it was early & he needed to go somewhere really quick, I think it was a gas station and he didn't know where any was & he took a random fan in his car so they could show him where one was!
In the late 70s and early 80s, The Magnificent one was one of the best heels there was. His battles with Morales, Backlund and Snuka were amazing. Then in the mid 80s when he completely transformed his body , he was completely mis handled. Such a shame , but he truly was one of the greats. His promos were second to none.
Don was an awesome talent he is still one of my favourite he’s had really good matches one of the greatest great stories him helping King Kong Bundy crushing the hulkster. always be burnt into my brain.
I think Muraco is mixing up WM 3 with WM 1, Aretha Franklin didn't perform God Bless America (actually was America the Beautiful too, not that) at the 1st one. In fact, Gene Okerlund was the one that opened 1, singing the National Anthem (not America the Beautiful, that tradition didn't start till 2 the next year with Ray Charles), because the scheduled performer for that night, didn't show up, forcing them to scramble to replace them.
Wow another amazing super great video info and analysis from absolutely the best channel on RU-vid the magnificent one was the best of all time. Everyone must see that match when he was eating a meatball sandwich destroying a jobber at the same time.its a classic. Thank you and keep up the good work
So the Apter mags and the WWF mags were a semi shoot at the time. Whenever Muroco disappeared they would report he flaked out when back to Hawaii to recharge and surf. He's not lying about his three match program with Hogan post mania . All three really good matches ...all three are probably on the network somewhere because all three were put on different taped of Coliseum video.
the comment about his hair never really clicked until he said it. it makes so much sense how the hair (head shaking/begging off, hair flying when getting punched, hair for heels to pull) can really emphasize parts of a match.
Always like Muraco, saw him live in early 80s against Pedro Morales, had front row seats at the local high school. Saw a young Curt Henning, Eddie Gilbert, The Strongbows, Fuji, SD Jones and Big John Studd that night, great memories.
I'll always remember, mes amis, Don being, seemingly, irate at a ringside 'fan' & blowing a stream of snot at the spectator. Looked REAL to me ! Mr. Fuji appeared to believe so, too.
Was one of the best! We were at Westchester County Center White Plains NY for the beginning of the feud with Superfly Snuka. We were hanging out with Muraco and Snuka seemed out of it as he left.
I grew up watching Muraco in Georgia, he came in with a mask as Dr. x, but no where on the internet it has that info, then Piper hit him with a bag of quarters, and unmasked the Dr. x and it was Muraco, they had another incident where Piper hits Muraco with a bag of quarters, but I definitely remember when Muraco was under the mask, if anyone knows about that incident, I would love to hear it, if they saw it.... Muraco was great in technician and great on the mic as well, too bad his match with Orndorff lasted so short at Mania.. but Don Muraco, Tommy Rich, Paul Orndorff, Jerry Lawler, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat were my favorites..
**WSl** I TRULY LOVE YOUR SHOOT INTERVIEWS THE BEST STUFF ON EARTH SPECIALLY THE DON MURACO SHOOT I loved it also it would be awesome if U did a Shoot with THE ONE MAN GANG!!!
So Muraco wasn't worthy of the WM1 card. But Matt Borne and The Executioner were. Ok. You're really telling me they couldn't have fit this guy on either of their slots? Ridiculous.
Muraco and Hogan bouts at MSG we’re great but I doubt that MSG wasn’t sold out the previous 5 years. I have the MSG cards on tape from 84 and 85 and they were all full houses. Plus even prior to that Backlund used to sell out MSG all the time.
The reason evey wrestler in the WWF during the 80's received a paycheck was due to Hulk Hogan. Wasn't anyone tuning into television to watch anyone else.
wrestlers didnt get paid much in the 80s except for hogan. i heard when bob backlund was champion in the late 70 till early 80s he was only making 50,000 a year and he would practically wrestle like 3 times a week all over the northeast
@@robertosso5210 yes I know, plus more. The merchandising and bonuses as well. They were making several hundred thousand each every quarter just on the sales of LJN figures. Not to mention all th other shirts, toys and apparel
The old Guard or 20th/early 21st century will be known for money money money money money. I would like to think of where the "Torch" is passing or going as not thinking as much about money money money money first anymore. Service to others and less "service to self" is where the next generations are headed. Of course my first 45 years of my life are living in this old guard territory of money money and who you know, but can't we change our consciousness to a new future and hopeful adventure of rethinking what humans are about? Why can't we change how amazing humans are? We have been working like a dog and slaving for Eons. Humans are great at making new things. Ingenuity. The Rich people make billions and eventually trillions and zillions if we do not stop this Adventure with these freaks. These people want to keep making zillions while paying us minimum wages while putting their friends or shall I say buying their friends into office so that they get kickbacks while paying us handy people minimum while we keep paying our leaders and making them richer? So bizarre .. I want to have a month off a year and go to Six Flags and possibly have children with my wife. Where we are at? Heck no.. Thank you Bill Gates and Rich Elite.. Thank you very much
😳 I wish you would feature the Greatest Wrestler of all Times and the Most Dangerous Wrestler of all Times! 😳 The most successful person and good friend to many people! Let me introduce to you with out further ado! 😳 Dr David Schultz!
