That it’s "barbarity” may indeed be a valid point. While there’s no denying blood added to an old-school match because the mostly mark fans believed and reacted accordingly, taking a blade across one’s forehead and drawing blood certainly wouldn’t fit most job descriptions. In the film 350 Days, in which he stars, and in other interviews, he speaks out against blading. However, there’s a big difference between Graham and many of the exponents of blading in this piece. It must have been a similar audience reaction to gladiator fights in the Roman Coliseum. Arch rivals, the heat was off the charts, and inevitably one or both would bleed, evoking a primal roar from the crowd. Whenever Billy Graham and Bruno Sammartino met, it was like Superman and Lex Luthor or Batman and the Joker colliding. What do you expect from someone who was not only trained by The Sheik but was a blood relative? [Photo: Sabu versus Terry Funk were also some great bloodbath brawls, especially during their barbed wire bouts, which were off the charts brutal.Īs far as bleeding goes, look at his head and body. Sabu wearing a crimson mask at TNA Turning Point 2005. To truly appreciate Sabu, you would need to see tapes from Japan or his old pre-WWF Al Snow bouts on the small-time circuit when they were both young and hungry. However, they have embraced him as a beloved legend and appreciate his extreme sacrifices. He has to be one of the all-time great bleeders and one of the most suicidal grapplers ever, giving his all for a crowd that is generally fickle at best. A bloodied Mick Foley (competing as Cactus Jack) competing in the finals of Japan’s IWA Kawasaki Dream “King of the Deathmatch” tournament on August 20th, 1995.įans are glad to see he made good money, saved it, and got out before he became a vegetable. Losing an ear and having a tooth shoved up into his nose, he left it all in the ring. Mick Foley may have a real S/M streak, as his matches show.
Whether it was the wild outfits, the bleached blonde hair, or the stream-of-consciousness outlandish promos, they were a total package in and out of the ring.Īnd blood was a big part of what they were selling. With that “show must go on” old-school mentality, Johnny got through the match and unbelievably wrestled the next night, still blinded in one eye, before finally getting to a doctor. In fact, in one match gone awry, Handsome Jimmy Valiant had his blade out and accidentally nicked partner Luscious Johnny in the eye, blinding him. Then, you had to be 14 years old to get into Madison Square Garden, for this gorefest was no kiddie show. Nor were they shy about leaving a pool of blood in the ring, mostly their own. “Captain Lou and the Valiants, too! Woooo!” manager Lou Albano would shriek maniacally.Īnd wild they were, the number one tag team in the world for several years in the ’70s. Warning: inevitably, the photos in this article depict blood. Special thanks also go to Eric Lupaczyk for his contributions to the honorable mention section below.
To honor him, we are publishing this article by Dale in electronic format for the very first time.Ī big thank you to Evan Ginzburg for transcribing the following write-up by Dale Pierce and for his valuable additions to this article. The following article was handwritten on a pad of paper by Dale Pierce and submitted to Evan Ginzburg for future use in his “Wrestling- Then & Now” newsletter. The original handwritten copy of “The Super Bleeders” by Dale Pierce. This is a list acknowledging thirteen of the best old-school bleeders. Bleeding (or “getting color”) has been used to shock audiences for years as it creates such a frightening and empathetic visual.
#CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO MANAGER PROFESSIONAL#
Blood has always been a big draw in professional wrestling.
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