Ricky Jackson

It's funny I was just talking with some American friends (shoutout @Superstar Sleeze, @Bigelow34) about how when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s i couldn't see Prime Time Wrestling or MSG shows on TV because they didn't air in Canada. Now everything WWE here is on Netflix. Everything. Be jealous Yanks (of course I have Netflix, but outside of the Rumble, I haven't watched anything. 10 year old me would be very confused lol)

Yeah, definitely one of the best comics I've read in the last 5 plus years. A masterpiece

Not that I watch a lot of Cornette videos, but i always found that art style obnoxious so no big loss

I think the 2036 vote (if such a thing happens) will see Ric back in the mix for a top spot, but 2026 feels like a "he finished 1st last time, so not too enthusiastic about pimping him this time" year (plus I think too much Nature Boy Behaving Badly in the media over the last decade has dented his reputation a bit)

He passed away on July 28. Probably a name most are unfamiliar with. He was originally from Martinique but wrestled a ton in Western Canada, eventually becoming a citizen, and he died in Calgary. When I started watching Stampede in 1986 he was there as a babyface, and had been a fixture in the territory since the 70s. He turned heel in early 1987, shocking 9 year old me. As a heel he became "Champagne" Gerry Morrow, and his promos, if you can find them, are hilarious, as he brags about his lavish lifestyle filled with money and, of course, plenty of champagne

I really soured on the human in recent years, to the point I had pretty much zero interest in watching any of his classic stuff, but at his peak the whole Hogan Wrestling Experience was a real fun ride

This Thursday, Piper vs Buzz Sawyer in a dog collar match!

Thanks for the thoughtful response @The Thread Killer!

It's an amazing match, but it was originally on a CHV tape and has been on YT in the past

That's very true, and is one of the main reasons I've often been baffled about this new boom period. You cant just give a quick shorthand explanation, like "because Hogan" or "because Austin and the Rock"

Yeah, "legitimacy" is a key part of it. I guess the whole process unfolded very slowly and subtly since around, say, 2010 or so? Millennials who were kids during the Attitude era didn't have the same negative beliefs about pro wrestling as a whole like previous generations, and those in positions of power in the media treated it like any other beloved pop culture enjoyment, or something

This is something I've pondered for years now, looking on from a distance, with Royal Rumble '25 being the only WWE show I've seen in the last 5 years. To me, the popularity of this era seems more difficult to pin down than the 80s boom or the Attitude era. But a big part of my ignorance is probably because I haven't been watching religiously like I did back then. WrestleMania 2022 (not even sure of the numbering off the top of my head anymore) seems to me like a turning point. Cody returned that weekend, arguably the most important star of this era, and there was a very noticeable buzz coming out of it that hadn't been heard in WWE since, I dunno, Bryan's peak or maybe the peak of the Women's Revolution. WWE getting on Peacock in the US seems like another significant moment. I may be way off, but I think this development, making it easier to consume the product, did create new fans and brought back lapsed ones. Vince being finally removed from power? I think this also brought back lapsed fans, those that still loved wrestling, but had embraced alternatives in previous years, originally driven away by the downright crappy last decades of omnipotent Vince booking. But then again, Vince oversaw the turnaround and the years leading up to it, led by... The Bloodline storyline. Perhaps this was the real beginning of the renaissance. This started during the darkest days of Covid, and, afaik, is still kinda sorta going on. This storyline definitely, after years and years of trying, finally solidified Roman Reigns as an all-time, major star. And giving him an era defining rival in Cody was maybe the final piece of the puzzle. Which speaks to the fact that, with Vince gone, babyfaces have finally been allowed to flourish in a way they hadn't in years. Who would've thought fans actually wanted to cheer for heroes overcoming dastardly villians? Thank you...ugh...HHH. Anyway, I'm interested in what folks who have stuck through it all have to say. Seems like the peak of the era has passed since Mania? (And of course, the company has somehow become even more reprehensible without Vince, part of a soulless corporate Empire, increasingly intertwined with Trump and all that shit)

Wouldn't be surprised if WWE proposed something and Bruno declined

I love Arby's so much I splurged for a personal bottle of Arby's sauce about a month ago. Yummy