Customer Reviews

Glory Days of Wrestling [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Glory Days Of Wrestling consists of two outstanding sport history DVDs: "Legends of the Mat" and "Weird, Bizarre & Wild Matches". Showcases the Golden Age of professional wrestling, "Legends of the Mat" features classic match-ups between Gorgeous George vs. Jessie James (23:50); Killer Kowalski vs Ed Carpentier (15:30); Buddy Rogers vs. Pat O'Connnor (31:30); and wrestling vignettes with Antonio Rocca vs Primo Canera (2:00); Antonio Rocca vs Don Jonathan (3:25); Antonio Rocca vs Johnny Valentine (3:20); Killer Kowalski vs Verne Gagne (2:20); Killer Kowalski vs Gene Stanley (3:30); and A Six Man Tag Team Match (3:30). "Weird, Bizarre & Wild Matches" features Jerry Lawler vs Randy Savage (14:05); Detroit Battle Royal (8:00); Princess Little Dove vs. Diamond Lil (5:35); Haystacks Calhoun vs Killer Brooks (10:15); A Six Man Tag Team Match (18:35); along with such extra features as 'Wrestling: It's a Laugh (8:05); Tony Goalto vs Natie Brown (1:35); The Great Togo vs Bobby Mannagoff (1:05); Gloria Baratini vs Nell Stewart (1:20); Masked Marvel vs. Gorgeous George (1:25); and 'Football Game: Wrestlers vs Pro Team (1:05). With a total running time of more than two and a half hours, no true and dedicated professional wrestling fan will want to be without their own personal copy of The Glory Days Of Wrestling!

Well-done video presentation. If you are a wrestling fan from "'way back," you will absolutely love this DVD, especially when it starts describing pro wrestling from the 1940's up to the present.

The Glory Days of Wrestling is an odd mixture of matches, movie shorts, and other oddities that wrestling offers from years gone by. It's certainly fun to see how things were done 40 years ago, and this DVD collection has all kinds of stars from yesteryear (Haystacks Calhoun, Gorgeous George, Verne Gagne, etc...). Plus, you really haven't lived until you see a 1970s midget woman's wrestling match.

Having said that, this is not going to appeal to everybody. The matches themselves are all old school, and will probably not be enjoyed by modern day WWE/TNA fans (low production values, the women are not walking barbie dolls, and little high flying action). However, if you are a die hard wrestling nut (or a person who remembers these guys fighting) - check it out.

By the way, I'm not sure what the one review was talking about when it describes a documentary - there is nothing like that on here.

Hate cliches, but "back in the day", Professional Wrestling was fun...and interesting. Whether or not you believed the matches were for the most part scripted, the combatants looked like normal people, and so when Bruno Sammartino lifted in the air, then threw over the ropes (at the Teaneck Armory in 1964 - I was there) 357 pound Gorilla Monsoon, it was something beyond crazy acrobatics.
Well, Bruno and Monsoon are not included here, but the archival footage of their predecessors is what is highlighted here. We have Georgeous George versus Jesse James; Antonino Rocca vs. Johnny Valentine; Rocco, Miquel Perez and Rick Starr vs. The Fabulous Kangaroos and Dr. Jerry Graham; 'Killer' Kowalski vs. Edward Carpentier; Hystacks Calhoun vs. 'Killer' Brooks; and Buddy 'Nature Boy' Rogers vs. Pat O'Connor.
For a fan under, say, 30, the Black & White matches are a little hard to adjust to: the pace is slow, the audience not well-miked. The Rogers vs. O'Connor match from 1958 is a Classic, though comparatively slow and quiet, as forestated.
Georgeous George is in a sense the Original, well ahead of his time, with a uniformed attendant, who acts as Valet and Environmental Advisor: he applies a sweet-smelling atomizer so as to purge the air of the noxious fumes left by the prior battlers, obviously much less refined than George. As George removes his outer garment, with help from the kneeling attendant, the mocking screams could kill. The Georgeous one turns and says "Oh, shut up". This has to be appreciated as a element of The Little Richard Show, from perhaps a decade later. Interesting that another Georgia show business exponent James Brown, apparently borrowed the cape idea from G.G.
Yes, George was the man; he figured heavily in the evolution of early TV. There was no "The View". Just kidding.
It's tough to critize a package of such historical and entertainment value, but clips of The Fabulous Moolah or Mildred Burke would ensured immortality for this offer.
A great time was and is had by all, thanks to a very inexpensive, double-cassette package. Go back to when 13 year old boys would idolize and their 40 year old Moms would get the shivers over Hans Mortier; and Dad would say "C'mon, it's fake!"...then sneak a peek at the Women's Tag Team match.

This video include great classic wrestling from the 60s and 70s. It focuses mainly on the midwestern territories. If you're a fan of the newer, high flying brawling style, this tape isn't for you. However, if you like classic mat wrestling, this is a cheap great buy. I reccomend it.

if you are a wrestling fan of old, this is a great 2 dvd set! great matches, great quality, and tons of fun stuff! i grew up watching awa wrestling in the midwest and seen killer kowalski, verne gagne (of course), the crusher, bruiser, and bobby heenan. the gorgeous george matches are fantastic. one can see where nature boy rick flair got his schtick. but gorgeous george was clearly ahead of his time... tons of matches on these 2 dvds: midget women wrestling, tag team matches, a guy wrestling himself, and other fun extras. i highly recommend this set if you like the olden days of wrestling and miss those saturday evening bouts. a great idea would be to invite some friends over for some popcorn and saturday night matches!