Well, historians say wrestling began 15,000 years ago when it was developed by ancient Greeks. In the 19th Century, it was Greco-Roman wrestling that caught on and today is one of the world’s most popular martial arts in the world. Even today, collegiate wrestling is huge here in America and Great Britain. Professional wrestling began big time 70 years ago as Capital Wrestling which has progressed into what is known worldwide today as the WWE or World Wrestling Entertainment.
The roots of it all trace back to the McMahons and to Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the WWE and his wife Linda. As of 2022, it is a 1.2 Billion dollar world-wide enterprise. January 10, 2023, Vince McMahon stepped down and was replaced by his daughter, Stephanie. So, what’s the secret? Why the success? It’s simple.
It’s entertainment and the fans love every pound of it. The marketing of the WWE is astronomical. WWE is on the USA network weekly, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Add to that, supplemental telecasts on the A & E network as well as Pay for View. WWE fans flock to the matches all over the world with attendance figures that again, are astronomical.
Let’s take a look at just a few WWE attendance figures which will knock your socks off!
• WWE’s Wrestlemania 38 – April 2, 2022- 156,352
• WWE’s Smackdown in the parking lot of Miami’s
• Hard Rock Stadium – 200,000
• WWE’s Wrestlemania 32 at AT&T Stadium in
Arlington, Texas – 101,763
• WWE’s typical venues have a seating capacity of 70,000, minimum seating at 40,000.
The WWE matches span worldwide to Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United Kingdom likely for SMACKDOWN which is the Super Bowl of Wrestling. Fans still worship their heroes of the past such as: HULK HOGAN, THE ROCK, HHH, ANDRE THE GIANT, THE
UNDERTAKER AND STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN.
Today, there’s a new generation of wrestlers that have begun their legacies as well.
Success being tremendous, there are the skeptics who would not spend a dime on an evening of the WWE, no matter where it was being held. Those skeptics feel the entire show is absolutely fake and choreographed with the winner already determined. However, those skeptics pale in number compared to those fans who want to be entertained by their favorite wrestler or teams.
Several years ago, my son Joe and I drove to Louisville’s Freedom Hall to catch a huge match that featured THE ROCK vs HHH in a 60 minute “Last Man Standing” Match with no holds barred. 20,000 screaming fans packed Freedom Hall to the rafters. They never shut up, they were standing for the entire evening. Whether or not, anyone in the world thought everything in the ring or out was fake, did not matter.
The fans were being entertained and loving every second of it all, that included us.
So, we know that the WWE is legendary today and will continue to be, but what about small-town USA and the local wrestling heroes? These local heroes jump into the square circle and entertain the local crowds of today across the country.
We must never forget those of yesteryear. Who are they? Make no mistake; every locality is very proud of their own favorites and villains. My good friend and colleague of Kentucky Today, Mark Maynard, wrote an article for our hometown newspaper back in Ashland, July 30, 2013 entitled: “‘Scufflin Hillbilly’ had his own wrestling legacy” The legacy that Mark referred to was that of three local legends that left their indelible mark in the ring both at home and the Big Time.
Two of those three were known as the “Scufflin Hillbillies,” a rugged 60’s Tag Team. The duo, Chuck Conley and Frank “Rip” Collins, teamed up and became instant huge fan favorites where ever they performed. They donned their bib overalls and always carried their jug of moonshine and rifle into the ring. Chuck Conley worked for the City of Ashland and was a Marine Corps veteran who sadly passed away at 75 in 2013. Rip Collins was a Police Officer for Ashland. He and I worked together for several years at APD. Frank sadly passed away in 1993. I can attest that these two fan favorites had so much passion for their roles and performances, it was scary.
I even remember in the mid 70’s calling matches at the Ashland Armory for local cable television when the Hillbillies met Batman and Robin and The Mummy. You’re right, it was tough to keep serious even when a little lady came out of the stands and began thumping the Mummy with her purse .
Mark Maynard also wrote about the Hillbillies when they were part of a card that sold out Madison Square Garden on three consecutive nights in 1962 while working for the WWWF. Their famed “Possum Stomp” did in many opponents every time they jumped into the ring. Today, the legacy that these two fine men earned still thrives today.
The third Ashland Legend is Bobby Blaze. Bobby became a solid wrestling pro in 1988 and retired in 2004. What an incredible career he and his fans enjoyed for 16 solid years. Bobby competed world-wide while winning 12 different championship titles. After becoming friends with Conley and Collins, he knew exactly where he wanted to be. In fact, Chuck Conley was like a mentor to him.
Bobby’s given name is Bob Smedley. He literally grew up at our home back in Ashland. During those early he and I became very close as we talked a lot about life and success. One of Bobby’s Books is his memoir entitled “Pin Me Pay Me.” Today, it’s one of my most treasured items because of Bobby’s signing and his very kind words.
Bobby Blaze was inducted into the Tri-State Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008, and the UWA Hall of Fame in 2013.
Over the many years of watching the WWE etc, I have developed a huge admiration for these men and women who engage in hot battle in the square circle. I admire their athleticism, strength, agility and even their acrobatics But, most of all, I admire their love and passion for the profession.
Sure, it’s solid entertainment when good meets evil and certainly the fans love to cheer for their favorite heroes.
My sincere thanks go to my colleague Mark Maynard for his input and photo for today’s column. You can bet avid fans are familiar with these few holds and they indeed know how they are used: THE CAMEL CLUTCH, CHIN LOCK, FULL NELSON, SLEEPER HOLD, FIGURE FOUR. and CLAWHOLD.
So, if you’re craving to be entertained, here’s an idea: give professional Wrestling a shot. Be prepared to become a fan. It’s contagious. ENJOY THE SHOW.
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.
really nicely done,VERY informative!!
I’ve never been to see WWE in person, but it’s great on TV. And I’d never make the mistake that John Stossel did when he questioned whether it was real or fake, but it’s certainly great entertainment and the folks in the ring are incredible athletes!