Wrestling Respect Inductee #1 Eric Embry

First off let me start off saying I wish I could have come up with a better name then Wrestling Respect. I’m not calling it a hall of fame. First of all there’s no physical hall but whatever. The real reason is that you don’t have to be famous or a superstar to get into Wrestling Respect. Well WWE’s Hall of Fame doesn’t have those requirements either but we care about not BS’ing our readers here at rants of wrestling. All we want is to inform pay respect to those who deserve it.

Is Hulk Hogan going to get in? No. Does Eric Bischoff have a chance? Hell no. What about Vince McMahon? Just because a guy earns a lot of money on the backs of others doesn’t earn my respect. I’m open to someone doing a guest post if I don’t want to induct someone. But let me tell you who I’ll induct before all those guys…

"The Flamboyant One" Eric Embry!

Eric Embry is from a small town in Kentucky. His grandmother was a wrestling fan and he became one as well. He paid several hundred dollars to be trained in wresting and like many to come after him he was screwed. Thankfully Embry had some political pull and was able to get his money back and more. He was able to breakout in wrestling after a phone conversation with Jerry Jarrett's wife.

Early in his career Embry had a fateful encounter with the wife of the legendary Lou Thesz which lead to Embry becoming his protegee and gave him a reputation that would follow him for the rest of his life.

Embry was also a very intelligent businesses man a booker. He took promoted his home town where wrestling have never been before. He was also able to take The NWA Tri State Tag Team Championship and get the money he felt he was screwed out of when leaving for Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Eric Embry had his first taste of the main event spot when Thesz got him booked to wrestle in Mexico. Finding himself unable to work lucha libre he asked a Mexican worker to work the American style with him. Well because Embry had introduced psychology to the Mexican fans he found himself becoming a major heel in the country, where he became UWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.

He traveled to many territories. From Canada to Hawaii. From Memphis to Portland. Embry would find himself being booked in a major program with Tully Blanchard in Southwest Wrestling who had programming on The USA Network. In fact it would be Embry who made the call to Vince McMahon telling him they would never sell their TV slot before financial troubles lead to Vince buying it.

Embry would become a booker for The World Wrestling Council before tiring of pro wrestling and went into retirement.

World Class Championship Wrestling was in dire trouble in 1986 and Bruiser Brody had begged his friend Embey to wrestler in the promotion. It wasn't long before Brody was fired and Gary Hart was made the new booker with Embry as his assistant. While in WCCW Embry had promoted a sell out show and had made a business deal to split the profit with Fritz Von Erich. This had really impressed Von Erich.

Once Jerry Jarrett took over World Class he made Eric Embry the head booker. With Embry was head booker World Class began selling out arenas again and saved the promotion for extinction. Jarrett told Embry that he must book himself at the main star of the promotion. With his great ring psychology and his knowledge of what fans wanted Embry was able to headline sold out shows without a Von Erich on the cards.

After a falling out with Jarrett "The Flamboyant One" left pro wrestling for a second time. Having trouble drawing houses it wasn't long before Jarrett called Embry to book his Memphis territory. Ultimately without Jerry Lawler's cooperation Embry was unable to do what he had done for Jarrett in Dallas. It wouldn't be long after that Embry would be in a car crash. Even though he was able to heal from that injury Embry decided it was best that he left the wrestling business all together to be home with his family. He would not surface again until an RF shoot interview a few years ago.

Eric Embry is known for not having the best body for wrestling. But he was great in the ring and was able to tell great stories in the ring. In was very over with fans before his major push in World Class and The USWA. In fact he gotten very over when he was being beaten. He was a very smart businessman and a great booker, saving World Class Championship Wrestling from demise. He was complimented by both Fritz Von Erich and Jerry Jarrett.

Maybe most wrestling fans won't recognize the name but without a doubt Eric Embry had left a mark on pro wrestling in Dallas, Texas and was a great in ring performer and I'm more then happy to make him the first inductee into The Rants of Wrestling's Wrestling Respect list.

DVD Review: Old School With Eric Embry

I watched Eric Embry's RF Shoot Interview and this High Spots interview was way better. The RF video goes into a whole lot more detail while we get a lot more stories on this interview. Also Steve Corino does a better job of interviewing Embry then the RF guy. Its also a hour longer so we get more fun stories.

Embry talks about entering wrestling and how he became Lou Thesz's protegee. He's got road stories that are fun and interesting. You think of regional stars when you think of old school wrestling but listening to Embry you find out guys did travel and he's been to a lot of different territories. He talks about speed and drug use today a bit and an added bonus he has some good advice for indy wrestlers.

Eric Embry is an honest man and he gives us his opinion on people. He talks about The Von Erichs, Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Tully Blanchard, Mike Graham and so many others. He doesn't pull no punches. My last shoot interview review was Bill Mercer and he was a family friend and there were things he wasn't going to talk about. Eric Embry gives more insight about what was happening in World Class and The USWA and how he was able to book the territory from extinction to drawing sell out shows and out selling The Memphis Territory.

Steve Corino threw a few hardballs and Embry didn't have a problem with answering anything. He talks about why Jerry Jarrett wasn't able to make money in Texas after he kicked Embry off the booking team and why Embry wasn't able to book big crowds in Memphis like he did Texas.

Embry is a extremely smart man but he does tell us a few mistakes he made in this interview.

I do recommend this DVD. It's a whole lot more fun to listen to then Embry's RF shoot interview. If you love good road stories you'll enjoy this. Plus you need to get this if you're a WCCW fan and want to hear about why it became The USWA and why Embry booked himself to the top of the card.

This DVD is available at High Spots
https://www.highspots.com/p/embry-shoot.html

Impact Wrestling/Hardcore Justice 8/22/13 Report

I said years back that TNA should do less pay per views and do more Clash of Champions like shows. Well that's happened and results are mixed. I had it in my head that these shows would be like The Whole F'N Show. Well they're not but that's understandable I guess. I guess the plan was to just have normal Impacts until show attendance got really low so they're bringing back the old pay per view names for free on Spike TV.

The only thing that makes this show different from a normal Impact is the main event and I understand that. The Whole F'N Show was supposed to be a pay per view that ended up on TV. Hardcore Justice '13 was an Impact that was quickly changed to being named after an old pay per view.

I liked what TNA did with Aries and Styles this show. Austin Aries decided to be a lone wolf in The Bound For Glory Series and we get a good story going forward. AJ Styles was a good surprise. Styles had a good lone wolf thing going for Styles but TNA messed it up. I'm just happy he's not in any crap storyline anymore.

Devon again proved to be the biggest surprise from Aces & 8s. Everyone was expecting Knux to take the pin but it was a better idea for Devon to take the fall. It's a surprise because he has done more and an actual name guy for the stable but if you had a real nobody take the fall there would have been little point to be excited about future matches like this from TNA.

Well this show didn't make want to buy a pay per view but I'm interested in what happens next. Aces & 8s seems to be crumbling and Aries has decided to make himself a lone wolf against three other workers.

I'm going to try and not nit pick when it comes with TV shows that you can see for free. This was good for what it was. Bound For Glory is not for another two months so they still have time to try and hype you up for that.

'Restling Rewind: TNA iMPACT 5/18/2006

Welcome back everyone to 'Restling Rewind! So each week I'm going to try and so two episodes of old shows. Right now I'm doing ECW on TNN and since my Mid-South Wrestling DVDs have yet to arrive in the mail I'm going to look back at Impact in 2006. I was going to try and go all the way back to the first episode but it's not on iTunes.

So the show begins with some monologue about how there's no great gain without great sacrifice. It's a cool entrance unless they continue to do this each week.

Of course iMPACT starts off with The NWA World Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage who just retained his title at the Sacrifice pay per view. I guess that's what the introduction was all about.

Cage does something cool and goes into the crowd and says that The NWA World Heavyweight Championship belongs to his peeps as much as it does to him. It would have been awesome if he cut the rest of his promo there but he demanded to see to his opponents that he'll face in the upcoming King of The Mountain match so it made scene that he return to the ring

Real quick Christian talked about how going into The King of The Mountain match every champion has lost the belt. So Cage said screw that tradition he's retaining the title. I just thought it was funny that The NWA World Heavyweight Champion said screw tradition... well at least we didn't see throw the belt.

So we get Monty Brown. Apparently this is him coming back. He tells Christian to prepare for the pounce.

Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Rhino.

Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ron Killings. A lot of you will know him as R-Truth.

Former ECW and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Raven.

The Monster Abyss.

The man Christian beat for The NWA World Heavyweight Title and a man who has never lost a King of The Mountain match Jeff Jarrett. He calls everyone else unworthy.

Former NWA and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting tells Jarrett he's gonna get got or however that gangsta stuff goes. And Stings says Samoa Joe better watch out as well.

Larry Zbyszko yells at the kids for waking him up.

Okay really he says there's 8 challengers and he only needs 4. So he makes 4 contender matches and no one knows who they're going to face.

So our first match of the night is a tie breaker in The World X Cup Tournament. Representing Team Canada is Captain Petey Williams.

And representing Team USA is future TNA World Heavyweight Champion Chris Sabin.

Right away we get an announcement that Larry Zbyszko not only wants all the team members outside the ring to leave but will be locked out of The iMPACT Zone.

During the match while Sabin is in the tree of woe Petey takes a step on his groin! I guess you need to strike it to be DQ'ed.

During this match we get sidetracked with LAX refusing to wrestle.

And Kevin Nash gently pushing a security guard to knock him out. Seriously you'll laugh your ass off at how slow this "attack" went.

After a commercial break Chris Sabin enacts his revenge on Petey Williams and applies pressure to his groin! Someone really needs to get DQ'ed for this.

The match ends with Sabin reversing a diving hurricanrana into a cradle piledriver.

Sabin receives a big ol' trophy for winning the tournament for Team USA...

And Kevin Nash attacks him and destroys it because... He's Kevin Nash? He just does this short if stuff. Stupid stupid shit.

Nash gets on the microphone and says size matters before some goofy music plays as Team USA comes to check in on Sabin as Nash and Alex Shelly walk to the back.

After a commercial break Scott Steiner comes out to attack Don West making a huge babyface turn.

But it was a swerve and Big Poppa Pump only destroyed his stuff and left West intact.

Samoa Joe comes out and the two have a stare off.

Afterward Joe beats a Chase Stevens in a squash. Joe attacks Chase post match and his partner Andy Douglass comes out to save him.

And Shane Douglass watches.

Team 3D does a promo on how The James Gang, better known as The New Age Outlaws, attacked them and how they better watch out if they want to take it to the extreme. Also they comment on WWE's upcoming ECW revival and that they can't have ECW there when the heart of it is in TNA.

So our King of The Mountain qualifying match is between Abyss, who is missing his manager James Mitchel.

And Rhino!

Near the end of the match Team Canada members Bobby Roode and Scott D'Amore come out to interfere. Roode finds himself being speared by Rhino and D'Amore get tossed by Rhino. All the interference gives Abyss to hit a Black Hole Slam on Rhino and win the match. Abyss gets into The King of The Mountain match.

iMPACT ends with Scott D'Amore slapping Rhino.

Not a very good episode of iMPACT. There matches and the only good one was The World X Cup tie breaker and the winner was attacked by Kevin Nash after the match. I did like where all the challengers for The World Title came out in the beginning and Scott Steiner is always entertaining. There's nothing that makes me look forward to the pay per view though.

Sports Entertainment vs. Pro Wrestling Part 2

Some fans are having a hard time seeing Randy Orton and Triple H and friends work together after feuding with each other for years. Triple H and Orton hated each others guts for years but they're best friends again. Question is why? Triple H didn't want Daniel Bryan as WWE Champion. Why? Well if anyone from WWE creative see this steal this from me. Not that anyone from WWE is likely to see anything I type but whatever.

Remember the hype to SummerSlam's main event. Daniel Bryan called John Cena a parody of wrestling. What Daniel Bryan was doing was talking down to and taking a poop on sports entertainment. And who is the biggest sports entertainment company out there? That's right WWE. And who is set to take over WWE? That's right Triple H.

Daniel Bryan was talking down to the empire that Triple H was about to take over. Can you imagine The WWE Champion pooping all over the product WWE provides to its fans? You can't have that.

And why did nobody help Daniel Bryan when he was being attacked by The Shield despite several member of the roster standing by were feuding with them? Well The Shield was protecting sports entertainment.In the ring were the owners and champion of sports entertainment.

Over the weeks you can have Triple H talk down to where Daniel Bryan came from. The dirty bingo halls and high school gyms. How dare this bingo hall wrestler talk down to the product WWE provides to its loyal fan base. Triple H has ruled sports entertainment for years and this indy guy comes and trash talks it and goes onto win the biggest title in sports entertainment. So when the opportunity came to put him in his place Triple H did. Triple H will side with The Devil himself, a man who attacked his wife, who punted his step dad, who he hated for years so save his empire from a man who trash talks it.

Its obvious why Randy Orton would want in on this. Guy's a snake in the grass. They call him The Viper after all. He saw his chance. John Cena was injured and wrestling Daniel Bryan so Cena was going to loose. This guy is talking down to WWE's bread and butter so maybe he talks to Triple H about how Daniel Bryan is such a swine for saying such things and making WWE look bad and they come up with a scheme to take the bet off him and embarrass him.

So why did nobody want to help poor Daniel Bryan. Well he talked down to John Cena. Bryan said Cena was a parody of wrestling. Well Cena defeated Ryback, Mark Henry, Big Show and many of the other guys watching from the ramp. According to Daniel Bryan they got beat by a parody of wrestling so they are beyond a joke!

So why does Rob Van Dam, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler and Mark Henry who didn't care to help out Daniel Bryan end up joining forces with him? Well Rob Van Dam came from a bingo hall promotion so that could play into it. Plus Vince, Stephanie and Hunter are really fired up and are on a crusade to destroy anyone who disagrees with anything they're doing. Not just fire you. Break you so that you won't be able to go back to the bingo halls and high school and talk smack about the greatest promotion to ever exist. The babyfaces will get fed up with their ego trip and say enough's enough and join Daniel Bryan.

I'd love it if WWE took it this direction and I feel that they could make money. If you can fool us into thinking there's some real life heat or that you can suspend our disbelief you'll have us eating out of your hands like we did after CM Punk's pipe bomb.

It could still be great if they do something different of course. I'm just throwing my idea out there. Knowing WWE they're going to mess it up like they did with Punk. I have little faith in them. But who knows I could be wrong. I'm still looking forward to whatever they're going to do with Bryan Danielson. Lets just hope it's for the best.

Super Fun Time With Heath Slater/Raw Rant August 19th, 2013

That's right. Half the crowd was chanting for 3MB. Take that Slater haters.

Alright this is Rants of Wrestling and this is The RAW Rant so let me get something off my chest... Getting through a three hour RAW is a chore. Not only is it a chore at times but I don't like the fact that I have to set aside three hours to watch a wrestling program. Setting aside three to four hours to watch a pay per view like SummerSlam is different. Not only is it a show that's going to have matches worth watching or at least is hopefully worth watching. And a pay per view is something I can invite my friends over to watch and have fun. No one is interested in watching a three hour RAW.

And don't forget about Smackdown, Main Event, Superstars, NXT, Total Divas and hey how about attending a house show!? Don't forget about the 14 pay per views a year! No wonder people can't be bothered with watching TNA or ROH. If you just try and follow everything WWE has to offer you'll already be sick of pro wrestling or rather "sports entertainment." This is something that was just brought up the other day on The XWA forums.

Those who defend three hour RAWs allow me to tell you something. RAW is a commercial. RAW is a commercial for WWE pay per views. Everything that happens on RAW hopefully leads to pay per view matches. You don't ever see Brock Lesnar or The Rock wrestler on the commercial for the pay per view. No you see them on the pay per view. Sometimes its entertaining but even when it is it lengthy and we get a lot of filler.

And I'm not saying RAW was bad. It was alright. You had good stuff on here but you forced me to get through this for three hours. A bad two hour show can piss me off. You really would have seen a rant if this was a bad show.

I'll still want to see if WWE really does make Bryan Danielson a legit super star in pro wrestling. It's not like I'm going to have to deal with RAW much longer anyway. One more then I'll be off to do another month of core drilling.

A Special Thank You To Mark Storey

As I do more and more for this blog I want my friends to able to see it. So I asked a friend of mine and he told another friend of mine about this graphic I wanted. He messaged me with this awesome picture that I'll be using on this blog and in signatures on forums. So let me explain why I choose these wrestlers.

Rob Van Dam because I'm watching ECW on TNN for "Restling Rewind and despite how some feel about him currently I think he's still good in the ring.

Micheal Elgin is my favorite wrestler in Ring of Honor.

Chrtistina Von Eerie is a star in the independents. She has even gone as far as to challenge for The CZW World Heavyweight Championship.

Kazuchika Okada was in the main event of Invasion Attack, the first New Japan Pro Wrestling event I ever watched. I was super impressed and I wish his matches that he's doing for The NWA down in Texas was also in IPPV.

So that's what I asked for and Mark Storey from Dublin, Ireland gave me this! I meet Mark while I was efeding in The Two Worlds Wrestling Federation. He was certainly one of the best. One thing I didn't know is that he does graphics. He was kind enough to make me one and once again I thank him for it.