Real Pro Wrestling

[Freeform]

Haven't had a chance to have a good look at this yet, I got the url out of this months Grappling magazine

http://www.realprowrestling.com/

Have a look and tell me what you think.

Col

[shonuff]

Power to them. Don't know how they'll do but it's a good idea.

[Freeform]

Surely it'll just turn into a submission fighting event?

[Adam]

It looks interesting but I don't think it'll ever catch on. People are too used to the fake pro-rasslin and people with interest in serious rasslin watch sub fighting instead. Just my thoughts...

[Old Tiger]

While I am very happy to see wrestling get all the press and restored popularity that it can, I am dismayed to see the statement above regarding "determining the first true champion since Lewis in 1923". Ed "strangler" Lewis was a Catch-as -Catch-Can wrestler. He was undefeated from 1914-1940. If the new "Real Pro Wrestling" does not add submissions to their list of acceptable rules they should not even think of relating themselves to the past glory of warriors like Lewis, Stecher, Pesek, Gotch, Burns and the legendary Lou Thesz, just to name a few. Collegiate and Freestyle wrestling are decendents of Catch-as-Catch-Can wrestling. Presently I am unaware of anyone competing at any level that has anywhere near the skills,experience or conditioning that Lewis or the others had. If the RPW has matches in which anything except eye gouges and biting are legal, in which there are no time limits and the winner is determined by first two "falls" or when one is unable to continue, then you will be getting close to the world of Ed Lewis. I wish the RPW the very best, but please, don't attempt to aggrandize your organization by relating yourselves to the great Catch wrestlers of the past. Please see http://www.ed-lewis.com/ for more info on Ed Lewis.

[Don Davies]

Even in the 1880's about 75% to 80% of wrestling was fake. In 1915 almost all wrestling matches were fake. The real wrestling matches at that time would go 7-10 hours. People couldn't sit and watch those kinds of matches. I have heard storys of people throwing chairs in the ring because it was so long and boreing. I don't think wrestling could ever go back to the early and mid 1800's without having some other rules.

[Don Davies]

Originally Posted by Old Tiger

Prior to that greats such as Farmer Burns, the legendary Frank Gotch and others fought shoots almost exclusively. There is much documentation to this effect. "Toots" Mondt was revolutionary in the "industry" in that he realized that putting on a show would produce greater revenue and please audiences. He organized and produced worked matches with such control that if one of the wrestlers double crossed him and tried to win against his "plan" they would face "Toots" in their next match. Mondt was a capable and vicious Catch wrestler who would punish violaters soundly. His ideas and practices led to what became the WWF etc. There is much documentation on these great wrestlers on the internet as well as numerous books documenting this period in american history.

No doubt all the Gotch/Burns matches were "worked"...with possibly their initial encounter at the at show being a "shoot"...although that's suspect as perhaps pre-arranged as a way to introduce Gotch as Burns' new protege. I'm firmly convinced that most, something like 75-80 % of Gotch's matches were "worked"...definitely the loss to Fred Beell in New Orleans. That's not the conclusion I expected to draw when I began this research a dozen years ago but the evidence seems insurmountable.
An interesting note is that some insiders felt that Burns was always Gotch's master and could have taken him any time.

-mark s hewitt

http://pub11.ezboard.com/fdragonking...art=21&stop=40

Mark Hewitt has been covering the pre 1930's era of pro wrestling for 12 years now and knows what he is talking about.

I think one of the reasons wrestling matches became worked was because there was a lot to gain from the wrestlers betting on who they knew was going to win.

[Freeform]

So do you guys think that RPW is going to work then?

Or has the profilferation of WWE guaranteed it an early grave?

Col

[Don Davies]

I think that if people can understand the submissions it would work great but a lot of people think MMA is boring when it goes to the ground because a lot of them don't understand what is going on. MMA has slowly make progress but there is still a long way to go. I think RPW could work on a small channel but not on a national one right now. In a few years it might work on a national channel when people can (hopefully) understand the submissions.

[Old Tiger]

Originally Posted by Don Davies

No doubt all the Gotch/Burns matches were "worked"...with possibly their initial encounter at the at show being a "shoot"...although that's suspect as perhaps pre-arranged as a way to introduce Gotch as Burns' new protege. I'm firmly convinced that most, something like 75-80 % of Gotch's matches were "worked"...definitely the loss to Fred Beell in New Orleans. That's not the conclusion I expected to draw when I began this research a dozen years ago but the evidence seems insurmountable.
An interesting note is that some insiders felt that Burns was always Gotch's master and could have taken him any time.

-mark s hewitt

http://pub11.ezboard.com/fdragonking...art=21&stop=40

Mark Hewitt has been covering the pre 1930's era of pro wrestling for 12 years now and knows what he is talking about.

I think one of the reasons wrestling matches became worked was because there was a lot to gain from the wrestlers betting on who they knew was going to win.

I know Mark Personally, and I never said that none of the matches were worked. However, Gotch and others that I mentioned were among the LAST ones to engage in real shoots. And of course matches between Burns and Gotch would be prearranged. Gotch was his protege. Mark has written and posted a lot of material regarding the early Catch wrestlers. He is without a doubt the leading historian on the subject with Mr. Hatton being a close second. There were some real battles in the ring and even fatalities recorded. My point was simply that the RPW should not relate themselves in any way to the Catch wrestlers of old because they do not even allow submissions. Check it out. The RPW presently does not allow submissions. Until they do it is simply "post collegiate" wrestling and I don't think it will make it. I hope I am wrong.

[Linguo]

It's all about marketing. I think they have a great product. I looked at the rules a bit and I think it has a a lot of potential. Having short matches is essential to keeping the audience engaged. They are taking their time to build it up, which is a good thing. I think it has a shot at being a real breakthrough, but I think it will be a while before we really see it making it into the mainstream.