Wrestling bears~!

Wrestling formerly being a weekly attraction in most towns within the Unites States, often called on some more unusual gimmicks to get people through the gates. Often they would be things like "Death matches" or "Cage matches", or lady wrestlers and midgets wrestlers. One staple of the olden times however was the Wrestling BEAR.

I have to say that one of the worst matches I ever saw involved a bear, but it did draw the crowds, so what can I say.
Anyway, here are some matches of man and bear....


Gordon Solie: "550 pounds of supple muscle..."


The Destroyer commentates his own bout against Viktor the wrestling bear.


Terrible Ted, probably the most famous wrestling bear. Terry Funk once famously painted Ted white after the athletic commission said "you can't bring Terrible Ted to the building", so Frosty the Polar Bear turned up as a substitute.


Promo involving Ginger the Bear, sadly no, the bear does not talk.


Some old footage of the Bear taking on ALL COMERS.

The won't let me embed the worst one i've seen, but this might be it here. (No disrespect intended to the late Mr Hart)
BEAR IN A CAGE

I am disappointed I could not locate any footage of Gentleman Ben, perhaps the best named of all the bears.

Wrestling music videos and intros

These days, the music video or hype video is essential to building up a big match on pa-per-view. Or the weekly tv show. Or a DVD release. Or a video game release. Or... well, you get the drift. They do so many now, they tend to lose their impact. I think the UFC still does them well, and they have to, because building up fights is the name of the game.

Anyway, before I digress into a curmudgeonly state, I wanted to go back. Back to when the music video was a new phenomenon.
And pro wrestling was quick to realise that the format made for a great way to package the company's overall product, or highlight a particular wrestler or team of wrestlers. Here are some of the more memorable ones from days gone by....


World Class Championship Wrestling



Pro Wrestling Illustrated - Lords of the Ring


Memphis Wrestling - Jerry Lawler "Glory Days"


Memphis Wrestling - The Fabulous Ones


The Road Warriors (doing their own singing!)


Memphis Wrestling - Rock 'n Roll Express


One of the greatest.....Memphis Wrestling - The "New" Fabulous ones (actually the Bruise Brothers.... just keep watching)

AND JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT, OLD SCHOOL INTROS


WWF Coliseum Home Video Intro


WWF Coliseum Home Video Intro (2nd version)


WWF - Saturday Night's Main Event intro (original)


WWF - Saturday Night's Main Event intro (2nd version)


WWF- Superstars of Wrestling (special nostalgia for those of us from New Zealand)


This was the 2nd Superstars of Wrestling theme, shortly before the show was taken off the air in NZ.


World Class Championship Wrestling - Championship Sports intro


Georgia Championship Wrestling intro (the original GCW)


AWA All Star Wrestling intro ("....Japan.....Australia....."


NWA JCP - World Wide Wrestling


NWA New Zealand - On The Mat (Here's a REAL piece of Kiwi nostalgia)


Southwest championship Wrestling intro


....and a newer one, WWE's "Desire"

Special shout out to the crew at IPW New Zealand, their intro for their TV show "IPW Ignition" is bang on the money.