Discuss here.

Surprised OMG wasn't nominated previously. He was a cool worker, good in the ring and with facials. The Akeem run was silly but he made the best of it and Im sure made some good money during the Hogan matches. A top 5 contender for super-heavyweights.

More a guy I would like to vote for, then a guy I feel compelled to have on my ballot, and the space I have for "like to's" is going to be very limited. Big fan of Gang, but he lacks the handful of truly great matches that I ideally want out of a guy who put in his time during the pre-over saturation era. It seems weird to say, but if he had more matches I liked a lot in ECW I think I'd be more inclined to vote for him because I could sort of fake a volume argument for him. All that said, as a guy playing a role he was really good at it. I'd rate him above Bigelow at first thought, though I'd have him behind Yokozuna who is another "like to" guy who probably will fall short.

I could well have Andre, Vader, Yoko, Mark Henry, Gang, Bigelow, Blackwell, Bossman, and Tenta in my 100.

Are you trying to be intentionally whimsical or is there a reason for that?

 

I don't really see it with Gang. Yes, Scott Keith was too harsh on fat guys and yes, it led to guys like Gang being underrated. But ... Top 100 worker of all time?

 

Revision can go too far. Gang has a large amount of disappointing matches in both WWF and WCW even allowing for giving credit to what he does well. The case has to be built out of UWF stuff and ... Bizarre as it may seem, Akeem stuff.

 

It's not a top 100 case in my view.

I might grade him on a curve because of how much I like the glam electrocution style he and Kevin Sullivan had in 1991. Still not sure he'd make a top 100, though.

Parv, I have no confidence that you've revisited WWF Gang matches recently (I've not seen any such write ups) and figure you are instead going off of memory or conventional wisdom.

 

I said he could well make my 100. He could well not too.

Can you give me some lost gems then?

I don't think Gang will make my list, but I think he has plenty of really strong performances against Dibiase, Duggan, Gordy,Kerry, Ice Man, Hulk along with others. I wouldn't discount him. Like I have him above Yokozuna, and Tenta.

vs Bubba, vs Demolition (the three house show matches we have, one even has Ronnie Garvin as a ref), vs Sabu.

 

He's really much more of a great consistent performance sort of guy than a great match one, excellent at projecting character and playing his role. That plays better on my list than some people's.

 

I don't want him to end up on Parv's list. I just don't want Parv to be bitchy about revisionism gone too far if someone does go with him or even say that they might go with him.

I will watch a bunch of these fat guys soon, will be a fun way to break things up. And to make doubly sure I'm not dismissing them too easily. Might as well chuck in Demolition too.

 

Andre, Blackwell and Vader should all make my list comfortably.

Demolition is entirely a variety thing. They work differently against different opponents in a huge way. Everything in the match is earned too. The downside is a lot of loose "symbolic" offense.

It is crazy to me that it took until mid 1987 for Vince to hire Gang & he didn't have a higher profile run. For a guy that big to bump & move as well as Gang was really impressive. Feels more like a top 100 Favorites but if someone voted for him I'd think it was a cool pick. 

Do we have the 12/5/87 match against Hogan from Philly? I know we have the MSG match from September & a Houston match, but Spectrum crowds were the best so I'd like to check that one out if its floating around.