I owned The Wrestling Album. On vinyl. I think I was 8 at the time.

I also watched the first "Slammys" award show on tv. I puked through most of it, due to a problematic Pizza Hut "Meat Lovers Pizza" I had eaten earlier in the day. Probably sowed the seeds for my eventual turn to vegetarianism.

The really sad part is I think I could name every single one of those wrestlers.

To think one of those would be a future governor of a state.

Go figure.

RodneyToady: I owned The Wrestling Album. On vinyl. I think I was 8 at the time.

Me too! I thought I was the only one. And I recorded the video on old VHS tape (well, it was new at the time) and I transcribed the lyrics by pausing and rewinding it over and over again, mostly because I didn't know that JYD was singing, "Do the watusi." In my defense, he did call it the wah-too-say.

My brother and I still play Hulk Hogan's "I am a real American" a few times a year, so we don't forget.

I also watched the first "Slammys" award show on tv.

But did you have the official Sling'em Fling'em Wrestling Ring?

/totally had it
//and MUSCLE figures for days

wil: and I transcribed the lyrics by pausing and rewinding it over and over again, mostly because I didn't know that JYD was singing, "Do the watusi." In my defense, he did call it the wah-too-say.

The funniest thing for me was I didn't know there was an original version of that song for quite a few years. I seriously thought a bunch of wrestlers made it up.

That album was kinda odd to own at 8. I had no idea who Rick Springfield was, which meant Jimmy Hart's song made little sense to me. And I was innocent enough that I didn't get the actual meaning of Roddy Piper's "For Everybody".

wil: But did you have the official Sling'em Fling'em Wrestling Ring?

/totally had it
//and MUSCLE figures for days

My parents wouldn't get it for me, sad but true. Hell, I even had more Go-Bots than Transformers (not by request). I did have the real, non-knockoff version of Voltron though, which balanced the scales a bit.

wil: Me too! I thought I was the only one. And I recorded the video on old VHS tape (well, it was new at the time) and I transcribed the lyrics by pausing and rewinding it over and over again, mostly because I didn't know that JYD was singing, "Do the watusi." In my defense, he did call it the wah-too-say.

Hahaha.. I had it on cassette. I totally remember this and now cringe with embarrassment.

Man, that brought back a lot of memories. I remember watching the WWF on NBC...the 80's started a golden age in that sort of entertainment.

A lot of colorful and fun personalities: There was that in the Cold war.

Before that, most wrestling on TV was local...around a regional circuit. Mine was Wrestling at the Chase out of St. Louis.

Darth_Lukecash: Man, that brought back a lot of memories. I remember watching the WWF on NBC...the 80's started a golden age in that sort of entertainment.

A lot of colorful and fun personalities: There was that in the Cold war.

Before that, most wrestling on TV was local...around a regional circuit. Mine was Wrestling at the Chase out of St. Louis.

For me, wrestling was on independent WWOR, which eventually became UPN. I think it was WWF Superstars. The big events were at Madison Square Garden, and the smaller ones were scattered all over the place. This was all WWF though, I didn't watch NWA/WCW. I also watched Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the appeal of which sadly escaped my pre-pubescent self.

I also watched Saturday Night's Main Event when it was on NBC, which for me meant staying up until 1:00am (I didn't watch SNL at the time). I'd also wind up catching a few minutes of Showtime at the Apollo, which I totally didn't understand as a young white kid.

Pro Wrestling actually has a pretty interesting history, in terms of regional territories versus the national ones that McMahon developed with the WWF.

GregoryD: The really sad part is I think I could name every single one of those wrestlers.

To think one of those would be a future governor of a state.

Go figure.

Same here. I'm so ashamed!

RodneyToady: I owned The Wrestling Album. On vinyl. I think I was 8 at the time.

My aunt gave it to me a few years ago for Christmas. She found it in a crate in her cellar. I have it framed and hanging on my wall as we speak.

RodneyToady: I did have the real, non-knockoff version of Voltron though, which balanced the scales a bit.

Okay, you win.

Was it lions or vehicles? I knew a kid who had the lions, and it was as awesome as I thought it would be.

Is that Meatloaf on drums? Seriously, is that him?

wil: Okay, you win.

There are always tradeoffs... despite the awesomeness of Voltron, I was always one video game system behind everyone else. I think I got my Atari 2600 in '82, and didn't get a regular Nintendo 8-bit until maybe 1990. This of course is the likely cause of my hard drive filled with MAME roms and Atari emulators (the 5200 still intrigues me... that and the 7800 are almost forgotten systems).

Was it lions or vehicles? I knew a kid who had the lions, and it was as awesome as I thought it would be.

Lions. I vaguely recollect one kid I knew had the vehicles, and said that they never clicked into place well enough to "form Voltron" for very long before falling apart. The lions stayed together pretty well, I have to say.

And as a side-note, it wasn't until recently (ok, earlier tonight) that I found out the Japanese versions of the shows Voltron was based off of were radically more violent than the US versions. The Japanese "Sven" actually dies!

Hey! Mean Gene! Haven't seen him in a long time.

Is that Meatloaf on the drums?

I too could name everyone in that lineup, and do it with pride.

And yes, that was Mr Loaf on the drums.

Fark, I'm old. And a lot of those guys are dead.

/also could name everyone in the video

I too watched it back in the day, and could name all of those characters.

Strangely enough I also watched it on the original Sky channel back in '85. Watching it in Europe in those days meant you were usually about two months behind in the story lines.

What's even stranger is that probably half of these guys are dead by now.

galactus5000: I too could name everyone in that lineup, and do it with pride.

And yes, that was Mr Loaf on the drums.

And Cyndi Lauper on guitar in an afro wig.

Oh man.. saturday nights main event. THE reason to stay up late on a saturday when I was 8 years old.

Man, I miss the good old days. Me and my brothers staying up to watch WWF and WCW, flipping channels furiously to catch the right mix of matches and shaking it all up with a healthy dose of body slams and clothes lines for the youngest of the trio.

That would be me of course.


Actually, now that I think about it...saturday night meant I was getting an ass kicking.

My brothers were jerks.

I am a huge fan of the Iron Sheik. Watching some of his interviews on youtube have confirmed the man has officially lost his mind. According to Mick Foley, the Shiek still tries to pay for drinks with autographed pictures of himself.

This is so surreal.

Gotta love Mr. Wonderful kissing his muscles to the beat.
Also too many dead or might as well be dead guys in that video.

Man. I want to find my 10 year old self and slap him silly for believing any of that was ever real!

Ah, thanx for the memories. Truly, a Golden Age of television entertainment.

AgentOrangeDrink: Is that Meatloaf on drums? Seriously, is that him?

Yes. And it's amazing how many of those guys have died.

I'm still trying to figure out how the hell Cien Caras (the masked guy) snuck onto the shoot for this. I'm willing to bet money he never actually wrestled for Vince.

mr.fisher: Gotta love Mr. Wonderful kissing his muscles to the beat.
Also too many dead or might as well be dead guys in that video.

i have the death count at 9, but it's probably more.

i had this song on vinyl as well.

-m_b

Could also name nearly all of them, but I mean, who was the guy in the back holding his hair like it was a noose?

/Confuzzled

Did any of you also end up with "Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2?" There's a song on that called "Waking Up Alone" by Hillbilly Jim (w/Gertrude of course) that has to be the saddest damn song ever recorded.

RodneyToady: I did have the real, non-knockoff version of Voltron though, which balanced the scales a bit.

I remember trading two six packs of Coke for the original, metal version of Voltron. The lion version of course, with the really cheesy plastic sword.

I loved that toy so much...

SirGnarls: Could also name nearly all of them, but I mean, who was the guy in the back holding his hair like it was a noose?

/Confuzzled

The dude with the green face? The Missing Link, who wrestled for Vince for about 3 months and then left.

this song is totally fake. it's not even real singing!

I'll rap you with my cane, you pencil-neck geek!