Heroes of Wrestling

Infobox Wrestling event
name=Heroes of Wrestling


promotion=Heroes of Wrestling
date=October 10 1999cite news|title=Historical Cards|work=2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts|publisher=Kappa Publications|id=2007 Edition|page=160|accessdate=2007-07-11]
venue=Casino Magic
city=Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
attendance=2,300
lastevent=N/A
nextevent=N/A

Heroes of Wrestling was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event that took place on October 10 1999 from the Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Overview

Playing off the recent rise in popularity of pro wrestling at the time, Bill Stone, president of Fosstone Productions organized what was intended to be a series of pay-per-view (PPV) events consisting of wrestling stars from the 1980s and early 1990s. Stone had three subsequent PPV shows (to be broadcast on a quarterly schedule) already in the planning stages if the first one achieved the break-even point of 40,000 PPV buys.cite web|url= http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/sep30_heroes.html|title=Reasonable goal for Heroes of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-05-13] Heroes of Wrestling only did 29,000 PPV buys, so Stone scrapped all future shows. In addition, Stone was furious with the lackluster show itself, and especially the antics of Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The show was heavily criticized and ridiculed by the wrestling press [ [http://www.wrestlecrap.com/oldinductions.html Heroes of Wrestling: The idea of an old timers' night in pro wrestling isn't that bad, but this PPV sure is. Highlight of the show is Jake Roberts facing his personal demons and using Damien as a surrogate penis. One of the five most requested inductions ever.] ] , some going as far as calling it the worst wrestling PPV event ever produced. Heroes of Wrestling was declared a failure by the wrestling mainstream.cite web|url= http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/oct11_her.html|title=Heroes PPV a dissapointment|accessdate=2007-05-13]

Controversy

The most memorable and controversial moment of the show involved the last match of the evening. Jake Roberts cut a rambling, incoherent promo in which he heavily slurred his words (see below).cite web|url=http://www.wrestlecrap.com/induction%20files/heroesofwrestling/jakeinterview.rm|title=Jake interview|accessdate=2007-05-13|format=RealMedia] Minutes later, he staggered toward the ring, apparently drunk, for his scheduled match with Jim Neidhart. However, due to internal chaos backstage (involving Neidhart refusing to go through with the pre-planned finish of a match just moments before he stepped through the curtain), the singles match had to be turned into an impromptu tag team match of Neidhart and King Kong Bundy fighting against Roberts and Yokozuna. As the match proceeded with none of the participants knowing what the new finish was going to be, a mini Bundy lookalike strolled down to ringside and choked Yokozuna while telling him the new finish.Fact|date=May 2007

Roberts, whose judgment was apparently already impaired, was not happy with the change in the planned finish (Jake would now have to take the pin) and proceeded to show just how unhappy the change made him. During the match, when his snake Damien wriggled free from the bag, he waved the snake toward the audience while it was protruding from his crotch, simulating an erect penis. He then stroked Damien, simulating masturbation. He also asked an obliging female fan at ringside to fondle his pectoral muscles.

The show also suffered from changes to the advertised card. The billed Main Event, Bundy vs. Yokozuna, did not occur, and Gordon Solie was advertised as the show's commentator but could not appear due to his failing health.Fact|date=May 2007 Critics panned the performance of Solie's replacement, Randy Rosenbloom.cite web|url= http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/32821/The-SmarK-Retro-Repost---Heroes-Of-Wrestling.htm|title=The SmarK Retro Repost - Heroes Of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-05-13] During one match, Rosenbloom called a dropkick a "flying leg kick."cite web|url=http://www.wrestlecrap.com/induction%20files/heroesofwrestling/flyinglegkick.rm|title=Rosenbloom messes up basic move names|accessdate=2007-05-13|format=RealMedia]

The show was originally going to be called "Legends of Wrestling" but was changed when it was decided that the term 'legend' had negative age connotations. The Honky Tonk Man in particular was offended by the term. He refused to be on the show since he was "too young" to be a legend.Fact|date=February 2007

The infamous Jake Roberts interview

Just before the main event, held at Casino Magic, Jake "The Snake" Roberts was interviewed in a promo where he was supposed to tell the audience how he was going to defeat Neidhart. However, Roberts was heavily under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

"You don't want to play cards with me because I cheat. Okay? I cheat. You wanna play 21? I've got 22. You want to play blackjack? I've got two of those too," Roberts said in the interview.

After the interview, he entered the ring with his snake Damien. He eventually took the snake out and simuated masturbation (with the snake representing his penis) for several seconds before lying on the floor. Eventually, the promoters sent out King Kong Bundy and Yokozuna to try to make something of the proceedings. Bundy pinned Roberts after beating Roberts with a chair. [ [http://www.oowrestling.com/columns/oo/20030724.shtml OO Column: Online Onslaught by Rick Scaia (Pro Wrestling News, Analysis, and Commentary... WWE, WWF, WCW, ECW, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Trish Stratus, Lita, Stacy Keibler, Divas, RAW, SmackDown, WrestleMania ] ]

Results

Other on-air talent

*Randy Rosenbloom (commentator)cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/51983/The-Furious-Flashbacks-–-Heroes-of-Wrestling.htm|title=The Furious Flashbacks - Heroes of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-05-13]
*Dutch Mantel (commentator)

References

External links

* [http://www.oowrestling.com/columns/oo/20030724.shtml So Bad... So Very Bad...]
* [http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/32821/The-SmarK-Retro-Repost---Heroes-Of-Wrestling.htm The SmarK Retro Repost - Heroes Of Wrestling]
* [http://www.lordsofpain.net/reports/ppv/heroesofwrestling10-10-99.html Complete Heroes Of Wrestling PPV Results]
* [http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingArchive/oct11_her.html Review at Slam! Canoe]
* [http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1999102p.htm Complete coverage at DDT Digest]