1.
Sunset Beach (Oahu)
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Sunset Beach is on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii and known for big wave surfing during the winter season. The original Hawaiian name for this place is Paumalū and it was home to the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational surfing competition until 1985. The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in honor of Eddie Aikau started at Sunset Beach in 1984, today Sunset Beach is home to the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which is part of the World Cup of Surfing. It also holds contests such as the Pipe Masters and a stop on the WSL Championship Tour, like many beaches on Oahus North Shore, Sunset Beach is considered dangerous for inexperienced surfers, due to extensive coral formations near the surface that present the risk of serious injury. Conditions for swimming depending on the particular location and season. Generally speaking, the water is flat as a lake in the summers and has waves in the winters, all the surfing contests take place in the winter around December and January, that being the time of the largest and best waves for surfing. Swimming conditions change from spot to spot along the beach, there is usually a place to swim somewhere, except during stormy weather
2.
Hawaii
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Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America, having received statehood on August 21,1959. Hawaii is the only U. S. state located in Oceania and it is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is the only U. S. state not located in the Americas, the state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles. At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from northwest to southeast, Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and the Island of Hawaiʻi. The last is the largest island in the group, it is called the Big Island or Hawaiʻi Island to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania, Hawaii has over a million permanent residents, along with many visitors and U. S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most densely populated of the fifty U. S. states. It is the state with an Asian plurality. The states coastline is about 750 miles long, the fourth longest in the U. S. after the coastlines of Alaska, Florida, the state of Hawaii derives its name from the name of its largest island, Hawaiʻi. A common Hawaiian explanation of the name of Hawaiʻi is that was named for Hawaiʻiloa and he is said to have discovered the islands when they were first settled. The Hawaiian language word Hawaiʻi is very similar to Proto-Polynesian *Sawaiki, cognates of Hawaiʻi are found in other Polynesian languages, including Māori, Rarotongan and Samoan. According to linguists Pukui and Elbert, lsewhere in Polynesia, Hawaiʻi or a cognate is the name of the underworld or of the home, but in Hawaii. A somewhat divisive political issue arose in 1978 when the Constitution of the State of Hawaii added Hawaiian as an official state language. The title of the constitution is The Constitution of the State of Hawaii. Article XV, Section 1 of the Constitution uses The State of Hawaii, diacritics were not used because the document, drafted in 1949, predates the use of the okina and the kahakō in modern Hawaiian orthography. The exact spelling of the name in the Hawaiian language is Hawaiʻi. In the Hawaii Admission Act that granted Hawaiian statehood, the government recognized Hawaii as the official state name. Official government publications, department and office titles, and the Seal of Hawaii use the spelling with no symbols for glottal stops or vowel length
3.
Honolulu, Hawaii
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Honolulu is the capital and largest city of the U. S. state of Hawaii. It is an part of and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The city is the gateway to Hawaii and a major portal into the United States. The city is also a hub for international business, military defense, as well as famously being host to a diverse variety of east-west and Pacific culture, cuisine. Honolulu is the most remote city of its size in the world and is both the westernmost and the southernmost major U. S. city. For statistical purposes, the U. S. Census Bureau recognizes the area commonly referred to as City of Honolulu as a census county division. Honolulu is a financial center of the islands and of the Pacific Ocean. The population of the city of Honolulu was 337,256 as of the 2010 census, while the Honolulu CCD was 390,738, Honolulu means sheltered harbor or calm port. The old name is said to be Kou, a district encompassing the area from Nuuanu Avenue to Alakea Street. The city has been the capital of the Hawaiian Islands since 1845, as of 2015, Honolulu was ranked high on world livability rankings, and was also ranked as the 2nd safest city in the U. S. It is also the most populated Oceanian city outside Australasia and ranks second to Auckland as the most populous city in Polynesia, evidence of the first settlement of Honolulu by the original Polynesian migrants to the archipelago comes from oral histories and artifacts. These indicate that there was a settlement where Honolulu now stands in the 11th century, however, after Kamehameha I conquered Oʻahu in the Battle of Nuʻuanu at Nuʻuanu Pali, he moved his royal court from the Island of Hawaiʻi to Waikīkī in 1804. His court relocated in 1809 to what is now downtown Honolulu, the capital was moved back to Kailua-Kona in 1812. In 1794, Captain William Brown of Great Britain was the first foreigner to sail into what is now Honolulu Harbor, more foreign ships followed, making the port of Honolulu a focal point for merchant ships traveling between North America and Asia. In 1845, Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom from Lahaina on Maui to Honolulu and he and the kings that followed him transformed Honolulu into a modern capital, erecting buildings such as St. Andrews Cathedral, ʻIolani Palace, and Aliʻiōlani Hale. At the same time, Honolulu became the center of commerce in the islands, an economic and tourism boom following statehood brought rapid economic growth to Honolulu and Hawaiʻi. Modern air travel brings, as of 2007,7.6 million visitors annually to the islands, today, Honolulu is a modern city with numerous high-rise buildings, and Waikīkī is the center of the tourism industry in Hawaiʻi, with thousands of hotel rooms. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has an area of 68.4 square miles
4.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
5.
Professional wrestling
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Professional wrestling is a dramatized athletic performance that portrays a combat sport. Various forms of weaponry are sometimes used, the content – including match outcomes – is scripted and choreographed, and the combative actions and reactions are performed to appear violent without injuring the wrestlers. Before the 1980s, these facts were considered trade secrets, in the mid-90s, the presentation of scripted events as legitimate is known as kayfabe. Although the combative content is staged and communicated between the wrestlers, there are physical hazards involved - including permanent injury and death. While it has declined in Europe, in North America it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, unlike in Europe, show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in North America. In Brazil, there was a popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries, although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from live event ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, personal appearances by performers, branded merchandise, pro wrestling was also instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and formerly Bash at the Beach, Halloween Havoc, home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week. Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, there have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling, the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer and this is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and those who participated felt that it was necessary that spectators should be kept in a constant and complete illusion of a real competition to keep audience interest. For decades, up until the mid-1980s, wrestlers lived their lives as though they were their characters. Wrestlers, bookers and promoters all rigorously enforced the illusion and very few were allowed into the society of professional wrestling to maintain suspension of disbelief. The practice of keeping the illusion, and the methods used to do so, came to be known as kayfabe within wrestling circles. An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders knowledge of what was being said, occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events
6.
Bulldog Bob Brown
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Robert Harold Bob Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bulldog Bob Brown. Brown was born in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, but grew up in the Brooklands area of Winnipeg and he was given the nickname Bulldog in grade school. Brown worked as an officer before becoming a professional wrestler. Having worked as a policeman in Manitoba, Brown also played hockey and he started wrestling in 1962 in Manitoba and eventually worked in New Brunswick and Alberta as a smart alec heel. In interviews he often argued about the events that had happened by turning the facts around, from 1969–1974 Brown wrestled for NWA All Star Wrestling in Vancouver and formed tag teams with Gene Kiniski and John Quinn. In New Brunswick in the mid 1970s he fought Leo Burke and he also made appearances in Kansas City and St. Louis against Harley Race, Bruiser Brody and Marty Jannetty. Brown wrestled for NWA Central States where he won the Central States heavyweight and he often worked as booker for the Central States and several other promotions. Brown wrestled for Stampede Wrestling where he won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship, alongside Kerry Brown, who was billed as Browns son, the pair defeated Chris Benoit and Biff Wellington for the championship on June 9,1989. That same year, Brown began working as the commentator for Stampedes television show. Brown retired from wrestling after a 33-year career in 1996, following a heart attack and he worked briefly for WWF as a referee. Browns brother, Doug is a promoter, and his son David worked as a professional wrestling referee under the name David Puttnam. Brown was the uncle of Kerry Brown, who was a professional wrestler, Brown dated Penny Lee of Des Moines, IA for many years. In 1996, Brown suffered an attack, and was pronounced dead twice before being revived. This caused him to retire from in-ring competition, following his retirement, he worked as a security guard in a casino in Kansas City, Missouri until his death on February 5,1997. Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame biography Online World Of Wrestling profile
7.
Mr. Fuji
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Harry Fujiwara was an American professional wrestler and manager, known professionally by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of fan favorite wrestlers, although he was billed as Japanese, he was a Japanese American born in Hawaii. Fujiwara made his wrestling debut on December 15,1965 in his native Hawaii under the ring name Mr. Fujiwara. He won his first championship, the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship and he shortened his ring name to Mr. Fuji and toured many territories, including Don Owens Portland, Oregon based NWA Pacific Northwest Wrestling where he won many championships. Fuji debuted in Vince McMahon, Sr. s World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1972 as a heel and he formed a tag team with Professor Toru Tanaka and the duo were managed by the Grand Wizard. Tanaka provided his physical strength and Fuji brought his devious ring psychology to the team. Fuji used to salt in his opponents eyes, which earned him victories. They defeated Sonny King and Chief Jay Strongbow on June 27,1972 for their first World Tag Team Championship and they quickly ascended to the main event status, defending the titles against WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Pedro Morales and Bruno Sammartino on several occasions, throughout the year. During the feud, Fuji earned a shot at the WWWF title against Morales on August 22 and they reigned for eleven months, making them the third longest WWWF World Tag Team Champions in history. They would lose the championship to Tony Garea and Haystacks Calhoun on May 30,1973 and they continued to feud with Garea and Calhoun for the titles before defeating them on September 11 in a rematch to win their second WWWF World Tag Team Championship. With their title recapture, their feud with Garea and his new partner Dean Ho continued, on November 14, Fuji and Tanaka lost the titles to Garea and Ho. After failing to recapture the title from Garea and Ho, Fuji, Fuji and Tanaka debuted in Georgia Championship Wrestling in August 1975. On September 19,1975, they participated in a tournament where they defeated former WWWF rivals Tony Garea. They would lose the titles to Bob Backlund and Jerry Brisco a month later, shortly after their title loss, they left GCW and toured other territories and won several titles. Fuji and Tanaka returned to WWWF in 1977 and they took on Freddie Blassie as their manager. On September 27,1977, they defeated Larry Zbyzsko and longtime rival Tony Garea in the finals of a tag team tournament to win their third WWWF World Tag Team Championship and they wrestled in many six-man and eight-man tag team matches during their third reign. They would eventually lose the titles to Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci on the March 14,1978 episode of Championship Wrestling, shortly after, they left WWWF again. Fuji and Tanaka continued to tour the territories in 1979 where they won titles again, later that same year, they stopped teaming and began wrestling individually
8.
Lonnie Mayne
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Ronald Doyle Lonnie Mayne was an American professional wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s who frequently went by the name Moondog Mayne. Mayne wrestled in various NWA territories as well as the WWWF and he died in an automobile accident on August 13,1978. Born in Fairfax, California, Mayne grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, lonnies father Ken was a professional wrestler, and Lonnie chose to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a professional wrestler as well. Lonnie won his first NWA United States Heavyweight Championship by defeating then-champion Pat Patterson on December 29,1973 in San Francisco, at the time, Lonnie was a heel and Patterson was the good guy. Although the two had a long-standing feud- both before and after Lonnie defeated Patterson for the belt, they eventually teamed to win the NWA tag team title. This occurred on August 8,1975 in San Francisco when they defeated The Invaders, during the 1970s, Mayne allied with Oregon wrestler Tough Tony Borne, teaming together in tag team bouts and they also wrestled separately. They were initially bad guys and later become good guys, making two of the most popular wrestlers in the Pacific Northwest. During his time in Oregon, Apache Bull Ramos broke Maynes arm, Mayne died in an automobile crash on August 13,1978 in Southern California. At the time he was the reigning NWA United States Heavyweight Champion for the third time
9.
WWE
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Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American professional wrestling promotion and the sanctioning body for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Federation. Founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1953, Capitol Wrestling Corporation is the precursor to todays WWE, run by Jess grandson, Jess McMahon was a successful boxing promoter who began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing at the third Madison Square Garden, a few years prior, professional wrestler Toots Mondt had created a new challenge of professional wrestling that he called “Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling”. He convinced wrestler Ed Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow to implement this new solution, after much success, a disagreement over power caused the trio to dissolve and, with it, their promotion. Mondt later formed partnerships with other promoters, including Jack Curley in New York City. Mondt eventually took over the New York wrestling scene, due to the fact Curley was dying, with the aid of several bookers, together, McMahon and Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. which later joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1953. In November 1954, Jess McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondts associates, both men left the company in protest following the incident and formed the WWWF in the process, awarding Rogers the new WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in April of that year. He lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17,1963, after gaining a television program deal and turning preliminary wrestler Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartinos heel opponents, the WWWF was doing sell out business by 1970. Mondt left the company in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon, at the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and WWF employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization. By March 1979, for marketing purposes, the World Wide Wrestling Federation was renamed the World Wrestling Federation and that same year, Vincent J. McMahons son, Vincent K. McMahon, founded Titan Sports, Inc. incorporated on February 21,1980, originally in Massachusetts. In 1982, Titan Sports Inc. acquired Capitols operations, effectively relocating its headquarters to Greenwich, in an attempt to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the world, McMahon began an expansion that fundamentally changed the industry. In the end, the elder McMahon would never live to see his company grow from a promotion to what is now a worldwide organization. He died from cancer at 69 years old on May 24,1984. By 1985, Titan moved to Stamford, Connecticut then establishing a new entity in 1987 in Delaware which later merged with the old company in 1988. Titan later changed its name to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. before finally becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, list of independent wrestling promotions in the United States
10.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
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The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand. Along with the United States Championship on the Raw brand, it is one of the two titles of the promotion. The current champion is Dean Ambrose, who is in his second reign and it is the third oldest championship currently active in WWE, behind the WWE Championship and United States Championship. It has been called a stone to the WWE Championship. In November 2001, the then-WCW United States Championship was unified into the Intercontinental Championship, in 2002 after the first brand extension, it became exclusive to Raw and the WWF was renamed to WWE. Later that year, the European and Hardcore championships were unified into the Intercontinental Championship, the following year, however, it was reactivated for Raw, followed by the United States Championships reactivation as a counterpart title on SmackDown. As a result of the 2016 draft, the Intercontinental Championship became exclusive to the SmackDown brand, the term intercontinental in the title originally referred to North and South America. In 1985, the belt design changed, the centerplate now centered on the Atlantic Ocean, in a map including western Africa. On April 10,1989, the championship was first defended outside of North America, by Rick Rude against The Ultimate Warrior in Milan, Italy. On March 30,1991, Mr. Perfect made the first Asian defense against The Texas Tornado at a WWF co-promotion with Super World of Sports in Tokyo, Japan. It first came to Africa on April 6,1997, when champion Rocky Maivia pinned Savio Vega in Durban, shelton Benjamin made the first Australian defense on April 7,2006, pinning Gene Snitsky in Brisbane. WWF North American Heavyweight Champion Pat Patterson became the champion on September 1,1979. Mr. Perfect would then go on to win a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion, on October 17,1999, Chyna became the only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Jeff Jarrett at No Mercy. Then-United States Champion Edge defeated then-Intercontinental Champion Test, in 2002, after the first brand extension had begun and the WWF was renamed to WWE, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff began unifyng his brands singles championships. On August 19,2002, Bischoff made a six-minute gauntlet match for the Hardcore Championship, tommy Dreamer successfully retained his title in that match, but lost to Van Dam in a hardcore match the next week. On September 30,2002, Bischoff scheduled another unification match, the match took place at No Mercy the following month and saw then-World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defeat then-Intercontinental Champion Kane, making him the Raw brands sole male singles champion. Christian won the royal to win the championship and restore a secondary singles title for Raw wrestlers to compete for. The first brand extension would end on August 29,2011, on May 31,2015, the championship was contested for in an Elimination Chamber match for the first time
11.
King of the Ring
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King of the Ring was a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002, the tournament endured a four-year hiatus until its return in 2006 as an exclusive event of the SmackDown brand. The tournament returned as an event for both WWE and Raw in 2008,2010, and 2015. WWE released a best of King of the Ring DVD in late 2011, although the King of the Ring tournament was not made into a pay-per-view event until 1993, the original King of the Ring tournament was held in 1985. This gimmick led to several notable feuds for Race with Junkyard Dog, Hulk Hogan, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Race eventually returned from his injury and briefly feuded with King Haku, but was unable to regain the crown at the 1989 Royal Rumble. King Haku then lost the crown to Hacksaw Jim Duggan in May 1989, King Hacksaw then lost it in September 1989 to Macho Man Randy Savage, who rebranded himself Macho King. Savage abandoned the Macho King gimmick upon his retirement in 1991, following which only wrestlers who had won the tournament, william Regal won the tournament while serving as General Manager of Raw and began displaying King Lear signs of tyranny and delusion. Triple H alluded to his King of the Ring victory as part of his integrated gimmick starting 2006 as the King of Kings, the King of the Ring was an event in which typically sixteen wrestlers wrestled in a one-on-one single elimination bracket. When a wrestler wins a match in the bracket, he advances to take on another wrestler who has also won, the final few matches would then take place at that years King of the Ring event. The winner of the match is officially crowned the King of the Ring. There were also matches that took place at the King of the Ring event since it was a traditional three-hour pay-per-view. After a five-year hiatus, the tournament returned in 2015 on the April 27 episode of Raw, bad News Barrett defeated Neville in the final round. From 1993 through 2002, King of the Ring was produced as a pay-per-view event, in 2006, the tournament finals were featured as part of the Judgment Day pay-per-view. In 2008 and 2010, the tournament was featured as a tournament that aired on Monday Night RAW. In 2015, the tournament was started on Monday Night RAW, the King of the Ring was the only one of the WWEs Big Five pay-per-view events to never be hosted at least once at Madison Square Garden. As of 2017, the King of the Ring will return as a WWE Network pay-per-view event, the tournament was held on July 8,1985 at the Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. ^ Tito Santana fought Jim Brunzell to a draw, Brunzell then won a toss to determine who would continue in the tournament. ^ Rudy Diamond was a substitute for Bob Orton, ^ Mr. X was a substitute for Hercules Hernandez
12.
WWE Hall of Fame
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The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. It was announced on the March 22,1993 episode of Monday Night Raw where André the Giant, the 1994 and 1995 ceremonies were held in conjunction with the annual King of the Ring pay-per-view events. In 1996, the ceremony was held with the Survivor Series event, for the first time in front of an audience as well as the wrestlers, after which. In 2004, WWE relaunched the Hall of Fame to coincide with WrestleMania XX and this ceremony, like its predecessors, was not broadcast on television. However, it was released on DVD on June 1,2004, beginning with the 2005 ceremony, an edited version of the Hall of Fame was broadcast on Spike TV and on the USA Network, these were aired on tape delay. Since 2005, the entire Hall of Fame ceremony has been packaged as part of the annual WrestleMania DVD release, in 2015, historical WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies became available on the WWE Network. Although a building has never built to represent the Hall of Fame. As of 2017, there have been 164 inductees – with 105 wrestlers inducted individually,11 group inductions, nine celebrities, the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame is dedicated to celebrities that have made memorable appearances on WWE programming, and/or have had longtime associations with WWE. The award was created following The Ultimate Warriors death, during his April 2014 Hall of Fame speech shortly before his death, he proposed that there be a special category called the Jimmy Miranda Award for WWEs behind-the-scenes employees. Miranda, who died in 2002, was part of the WWE merchandise department for more than 20 years, traditionally, Dana Warrior will present the award. In 2016, WWE introduced a new category for the Hall of Fame called the Legacy wing, Inductees under this new category feature wrestlers from the early years of professional wrestling, primarily during the early part of the 20th century. All inductees thus far have been inducted posthumously and were recognized with a package at the ceremony. In 2012, The Post and Courier noted that the Hall has garnered criticism due to the inductions of questionable performers, and the omissions of major names within the industry. Bob Backlund declined induction multiple times, and The Ultimate Warrior wrote that he refused the honor in 2010, they were inducted in 2013 and 2014. Randy Savage was recognized as being absent, Chris Jericho said that the Hall achieved a level of legitimacy by inducting him in 2015. Slam Wrestling questioned how Koko B, ware, who primarily wrestled in the undercard, was inducted but former WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff never was before his 2017 death. Bruno Sammartino, the longest reigning WWWF World Heavyweight Champion, was critical of the Hall of Fame. Sammartino disapproved of celebrity inductees such as Pete Rose and William Perry, is it a building I can actually go to
13.
Native Hawaiians
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Native Hawaiians are the indigenous Austronesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii,140,652 people identified themselves as being Native Hawaiian alone. The majority of Native Hawaiians reside in the State of Hawaiʻi, and the rest are scattered among other states, especially in the American Southwest, another is that a single, extended period of settlement populated the islands. Early historians, such as Fornander and Beckwith, subscribed to this Tahitian invasion theory, king Kalakaua claimed that Paʻao was from Samoa. Some writers claim that other settlers in Hawaiʻi were forced into remote valleys by newer arrivals and they claim that stories about the Menehune, little people who built heiau and fishponds, prove the existence of ancient peoples who settled the islands before the Hawaiians. At the time of Captain Cooks arrival in 1778, the population is estimated to have been between 250,000 and 800,000, over the span of the first century after first contact, the native Hawaiians were nearly wiped out by diseases introduced to the islands. Native Hawaiians had no resistance to influenza, smallpox, measles, or whooping cough, the 1900 U. S. Census identified 37,656 residents of full or partial native Hawaiian ancestry. The 2000 U. S. Census identified 283,430 residents of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ancestry, the Hawaiian language was once the primary language of the native Hawaiian people, today, native Hawaiians predominately speak the English language. A major factor for this change was an 1896 law that required that English be the medium and basis of instruction in all public. This law prevented the Hawaiian language from being taught as a second language, in spite of this, some native Hawaiians have learned ʻŌlelo as a second language. Nowadays ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is the language of the State of Hawaii. The Hawaiian language has been promoted for revival most recently by a program of cultural preservation enacted in 1978. Programs included the opening of Hawaiian language immersion schools, and the establishment of a Hawaiian language department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, as a result, Hawaiian language learning has climbed among all races in Hawaiʻi. In 2006, the University of Hawaii at Hilo established a program in the Hawaiian Language. In fall 2006, they established a program in the Hawaiian Language. In addition to being the first doctoral program for the study of Hawaiian, both the masters and doctoral programs are considered by global scholars as pioneering in the revival of native languages. Hawaiian is still spoken as the language by the residents on the private island of Niʻihau. Alongside ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, some Maoli spoke Hawaiʻi Sign Language, little is known about the language by Western academics and efforts are being made to preserve and revitalize the language
14.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie
15.
Vancouver
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Vancouver is a coastal seaport city in Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2016 census recorded 631,486 people in the city, the Greater Vancouver area had a population of 2,463,431 in 2016, making it the third largest metropolitan area in Canada. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada with over 5,400 people per square kilometre. With over 250,000 residents, Vancouver municipality is the fourth most densely populated city in North America behind New York City, San Francisco, and Mexico City according to the 2011 census. In that census, Vancouver was one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada, Vancouver is classed as a Beta global city. In 2014, following thirty years in California, the annual TED conference made Vancouver its indefinite home, several matches of the 2015 FIFA Womens World Cup were played in Vancouver, including the final at BC Place Stadium. From that first enterprise, other stores and some hotels quickly appeared along the waterfront to the west, Gastown became formally laid out as a registered townsite dubbed Granville, B. I. As of 2014, Port Metro Vancouver is the third largest port by tonnage in the Americas, 27th in the world, the busiest and largest in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, archaeological records indicate the presence of Aboriginal people in the Vancouver area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The city is located in the territories of the Squamish, Musqueam. They had villages in various parts of present-day Vancouver, such as Stanley Park, False Creek, Kitsilano, Point Grey, the city takes its name from George Vancouver, who explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and gave various places British names. The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his became the first known Europeans to set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they travelled from the east down the Fraser River, perhaps as far as Point Grey. The Fraser Gold Rush of 1858 brought over 25,000 men, mainly from California, to nearby New Westminster on the Fraser River, on their way to the Fraser Canyon, a sawmill established at Moodyville in 1863, began the citys long relationship with logging. It was quickly followed by mills owned by Captain Edward Stamp on the shore of the inlet. This mill, known as the Hastings Mill, became the nucleus around which Vancouver formed, the mills central role in the city waned after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. It nevertheless remained important to the economy until it closed in the 1920s. The settlement which came to be called Gastown grew up quickly around the original makeshift tavern established by Gassy Jack Deighton in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property
16.
Portland, Oregon
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Portland is a port and the largest city in the U. S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County. It is in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest, at the confluence of the Willamette, the city covers 145 square miles and had an estimated population of 632,309 in 2015, making it the 26th most populous city in the United States. Approximately 2,389,228 people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area and its Combined Statistical Area ranks 17th with a population of 3,022,178. Roughly 60% of Oregons population resides within the Portland metropolitan area, named after Portland, Maine, the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1830s near the end of the Oregon Trail. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the industry was a major force in the citys early economy. At the turn of the 20th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. After the citys economy experienced a boom during World War II. Beginning in the 1960s, Portland became noted for its liberal political values, and the city has earned a reputation as a bastion of counterculture. According to a 2009 Pew Research Center study, Portland ranks as the eighth most popular American city, the city operates with a commission-based government guided by a mayor and four commissioners as well as Metro, the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States. The city government is notable for its planning and investment in public transportation. Its climate is marked by warm, dry summers and cool and this climate is ideal for growing roses, and Portland has been called the City of Roses for over a century. Keep Portland Weird is a slogan for the city. During the prehistoric period, the land that would become Portland was flooded after the collapse of glacial dams from Lake Missoula and these massive floods occurred during the last ice age and filled the Willamette Valley with 300 to 400 feet of water. The Chinook people occupying the land which would become Portland were first documented by Meriwether Lewis, before its European settlement, the Portland Basin of the lower Columbia River and Willamette River valleys had been one of the most densely populated regions on the Pacific Coast. Large numbers of settlers began arriving in the Willamette Valley in the 1830s via the Oregon Trail. In the early 1840s a new settlement began emerging ten miles from the mouth of the Willamette River and this community was initially referred to as Stumptown and The Clearing because of the many trees cut down to allow for its growth. In 1843 William Overton saw potential in the new settlement but lacked the funds to file a land claim. For 25 cents Overton agreed to half of the 640-acre site with Asa Lovejoy of Boston
17.
Florida
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Florida /ˈflɒrᵻdə/ is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U. S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States, the Miami metropolitan area is Floridas most populous urban area. The city of Tallahassee is the state capital, much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by sedimentary soil. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south, the American alligator, American crocodile, Florida panther, and manatee can be found in the Everglades National Park. It was a location of the Seminole Wars against the Native Americans. Today, Florida is distinctive for its large Cuban expatriate community and high population growth, the states economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also renowned for amusement parks, orange crops, the Kennedy Space Center, Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, by the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major Native American groups included the Apalachee, the Timucua, the Ais, the Tocobaga, the Calusa and the Tequesta. Florida was the first part of the continental United States to be visited and settled by Europeans, the earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. Ponce de León spotted and landed on the peninsula on April 2,1513 and he named the region La Florida. The story that he was searching for the Fountain of Youth is a myth, in May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto skirted the coast of Florida, searching for a deep harbor to land. He described seeing a wall of red mangroves spread mile after mile, some reaching as high as 70 feet. Very soon, many smokes appeared along the whole coast, billowing against the sky, the Spanish introduced Christianity, cattle, horses, sheep, the Spanish language, and more to Florida. Both the Spanish and French established settlements in Florida, with varying degrees of success, in 1559, Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano established a settlement at present-day Pensacola, making it the first attempted settlement in Florida, but it was abandoned by 1561. Spain maintained tenuous control over the region by converting the tribes to Christianity. The area of Spanish Florida diminished with the establishment of English settlements to the north, the English attacked St. Augustine, burning the city and its cathedral to the ground several times. Florida attracted numerous Africans and African-Americans from adjacent British colonies who sought freedom from slavery, in 1738, Governor Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St
18.
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L. A. is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. With a census-estimated 2015 population of 3,971,883, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The citys inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos, historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was founded on September 4,1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence, in 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, the discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, delivering water from Eastern California, nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, and sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles also has an economy in culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine. A global city, it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index, the city is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product of $831 billion, making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and thus become the second city after London to have hosted the Games three times. The Los Angeles area also hosted the 1994 FIFA mens World Cup final match as well as the 1999 FIFA womens World Cup final match, the mens event was watched on television by over 700 million people worldwide. The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva, a Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ, meaning poison oak place. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2,1769, in 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area. The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary, two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small town for decades, but by 1820. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, during Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta Californias regional capital
19.
Verne Gagne
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Laverne Clarence Verne Gagne was an American professional wrestler, football player, wrestling trainer, and wrestling promoter. He was the owner and promoter of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association and he remained in this position until 1991, when the company folded. He holds the record for the longest combined reign as a champion and is third for the longest single world title reign. He is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW. Gagne was born in Corcoran, Minnesota and grew up on a farm in Robbinsdale and he left home at the age of 14 after his mother died. In 1943, he was recruited to play football at the University of Minnesota, after one year of college, Gagne enlisted with the Navy Underwater Demolition Team. He chose to return to the University of Minnesota, where, as an amateur wrestler and he was also an alternate for the U. Gagne joined the National Football League soon after being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 16th round of the 1947 NFL Draft, Bears owner George Halas prevented Gagne from pursuing both football and wrestling, and forced Gagne to make a choice. In a 2006 interview for WWE, Gagnes son Greg mentioned that wrestling was a better paying job at the time than playing football. In 1949, Gagne decided to wrestle professionally, starting his career in Texas, in his debut, he defeated Abe Kashey, with former World Heavyweight boxing Champion Jack Dempsey as the referee. On November 13,1950, Gagne captured the National Wrestling Alliance Junior Heavyweight title in a tournament for the vacant championship, in September 1953, Gagne won the Chicago version of the NWA United States Championship. Gagne became one of the most well-known stars in wrestling during the age of television, thanks to his exposure on the Dumont Network. He was rumored to be one of the highest paid wrestlers during the 1950s, on June 14,1957, Edouard Carpentier defeated NWA Champion Lou Thesz in Chicago. The NWA later overruled the decision of the referee in Chicago, however, certain wrestling territories of the NWA including Nebraska refused to go along with the decision and continued to recognize Carpentier. By early 1960, the highly wealthy Gagne rarely wrestled and turned his focus towards building a wrestling promotion of his own, in 1960, Gagne formed his own promotion, the American Wrestling Association, instantly becoming its top star. That same year, Gagne was awarded the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, after Pat OConnor failed to defend the title against the number one contender, Gagne would go on to become a nine-time AWA World Champion, a record for the promotion. This reign was the third longest world title reign in history, as well as being the companys owner, Gagne would also train wrestlers from his farm in Chanhassen as well. Some of Gagnes biggest feuds were against Gene Kiniski, Dr. Bill Miller, Fritz Von Erich, Dr. X, The Crusher, Ray Stevens, Mad Dog Vachon, Larry Hennig and he always wrestled as a face, and utilized the sleeper hold as his finisher
20.
American Wrestling Association
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The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo, the territory was originally part of the National Wrestling Alliance, becoming an independent territory in the late 1950s. Anton Stecher was a member of the NWA in 1948 and had promoted wrestling in Minneapolis since 1933 through his Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club. In 1952, he sold a one third interest in the promotion to his son Dennis, Stecher died on October 9,1954 and control of the promotion passed to Karbo and Dennis. Verne Gagne, an amateur wrestling champion, had become a well known. He aspired to become NWA World Champion, but for reasons to do with politics inside the NWA. In 1959, Dennis Stecher sold his majority stake in the Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club to Karbo and they became co-owners of the promotion from that point onward. In 1960, after unsuccessfully lobbying the NWA for a match between Gagne and the NWA World Champion Pat OConnor, Gagne and Karbo led certain territories out of the NWA forming the AWA. The AWA unilaterally recognized NWA World Champion Pat OConnor as AWA World Champion, OConnor was stripped of the AWA title and it was awarded to Gagne on August 16,1960. While OConnor was considered the first AWA Champion, he never wrestled in the AWA until later in the 1960s, starting in the 1970s, Gagne trained his newcomer wrestlers from his farm in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Relationships were also developed with existing promotions in Houston, Memphis, after Gagnes retirement in 1981, he focused the promotion on Nick Bockwinkel, a loyal employee of several years who was a mat-wrestling technician like Gagne had been. Starting in 1982 and accelerated by a role in the hit film Rocky III, Hogan rapidly caught on as a babyface with AWA fans, and became the AWAs top draw. But even as his popularity grew to unprecedented levels, Gagne refused to him the AWA World Heavyweight Champion. He recognized Hogans showmanship and charisma and was aware of his potential drawing power. On two occasions, Gagne went so far as to tease AWA title wins for Hogan, only to return the title to Bockwinkel via technicalities, the first was on April 18,1982. Hogan defeated Bockwinkel with the help of an object that Bockwinkels manager Bobby Heenan had interjected into the match. After the three count the belt was awarded to Hogan and he was announced as the new champion, Heenan informed the referee of the object and the ref questioned Hogan about this, but the blood on Hogans face was evidence that the object had also been used on him. The ref stood by his decision and Hogan left the arena as the new AWA World champion, six days later on AWA television, AWA President Stanley Blackburn stripped Hogan of the title and returned it to Bockwinkel
21.
Face (professional wrestling)
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In professional wrestling, a face is a heroic or a good guy wrestler, booked by the promotion with the aim of being cheered by fans. Faces, traditionally, wrestle within the rules and avoid cheating while behaving positively towards the referee, such characters are also referred to as blue-eyes in British wrestling, and técnicos in lucha libre. The face character is portrayed as a relative to the heel wrestlers. Not everything a face wrestler does must be heroic, faces need only to be cheered by the audience to be effective characters, the vast majority of wrestling storylines involving faces place a face against a heel, although more elaborate set-ups often happen as well. While many modern faces still fit this model, other versions of the character are now also common. A good example would be Stone Cold Steve Austin who despite playing an early on in his career would start to be seen more of an anti-hero because of his popularity with the fans. While clearly not championing rule following, nor submission to authority, during this time, wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Sting used tactics traditionally associated with heels, but remained popular with the fans. Conversely, Kurt Angle was introduced to the then-WWF with an American hero gimmick based on his medal win at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He presented himself as a model, and stressed the need to work hard to realize ones dreams. Angles character served as a meta-reference to how wrestling had changed, unusually, Angle did not use any of these heroic mannerisms when playing a face character, instead acting as somewhat of an antihero with a few elements of the lovable loser character archetype. Fans sometimes dislike face wrestlers, despite the way they are promoted, some reasons for this include repetitive in-ring antics, a limited moveset, a lengthy title reign, lack of selling his or her opponents moves, or an uninteresting character. This often results in wrestlers who are supposed to be cheered receiving a negative or no reaction from the fans. Some face wrestlers would often give high fives or give out merchandise to fans entering the ring before their match, such as T-shirts, sunglasses, hats. Bret Hart was one of the first superstars to make this popular, rey Mysterio, who has been a face in WWE since his debut, would go to any fan wearing a replica of his mask, and touch their head with his head for good luck before wrestling. Alberto Del Rio, after turning face, would give his scarf to a fan before entering the ring. Big Show would give his hat to a fan when he was a face, the majority of the time, faces who are low-carders, or lesser known, are used as jobbers. These wrestlers usually lose matches against established wrestlers, some faces, such as Ricky Steamboat and Hulk Hogan, promoted an image as a family man and supported their persona by appearing with their family members before and after matches. These actions often relate to wrestlers promoting charity work or other actions outside of the ring, blurring the lines between scripted wrestling and their personal lives, glossary of professional wrestling terms Heel Foley, Mick
22.
Tag team
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Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, in most team matches, only one competitor per team is allowed in the ring at a time. This status as the active or legal wrestler may be transferred by physical contact, the team-based match has been a mainstay of professional wrestling since the mid twentieth century, and most promotions have sanctioned a championship division for tag teams. g. A couple tag-teaming in an argument with another person, in 1901 the first tag team match was held in the United States, in San Francisco. San Francisco promoters introduced tag team wrestling as a way of improving the sport’s entertainment value, while tag team wrestling is now almost traditional in American professional wrestling, the innovation didnt become especially popular outside San Francisco until the 1930s. The first World tag team championship was also crowned in San Francisco in the early 1950s, typically, a tag team championship is awarded to and defended by team of two. In kayfabe, this made it difficult for challengers to prepare for their title fights. This was a gimmick, and is still utilized by other wrestling companies. The stipulation has become known as the freebird rule. A common storyline is former tag team partners turning on each other and this can be used when one member is being called on to develop a new gimmick. The basic tag team match has two teams of two facing off against each other. All standard rules for singles wrestling apply to a team match, however, only one wrestler from each team, called the legal man is allowed in the ring at a time. All other members of the team wait outside the ropes in the teams specified corner, only an active/legal wrestler is allowed to score a fall or have a fall scored against him/her. But any wrestler, legal or outside, may face disqualification for himself or his team for violating rules, once a tag is made, the wrestler tagging out has a grace period to leave the ring before risking disqualification. The wrestler outside the ring must be touching the tag rope tied in the corner, tags are legal as long as the two team members touch. The referee has to see and/or hear the contact between the two wrestlers in order for the tag to be legal. As the ultimate authority over the match, a referee may overlook any of these at his discretion, in some multi-man tag matches in lucha libre, a wrestler can make himself the teams legal man simply by setting foot in the ring, and his partner then leaves. This allows for action to become nearly continuous, two referees, one stationed inside the ring and one on the floor, are employed to maintain order for this type of match
23.
Jimmy Snuka
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James Reiher Snuka, better known by the ring name Jimmy Superfly Snuka, was a Fijian professional wrestler and actor. Snuka wrestled for promotions from the 1970s to 2010s. He was best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation in the early to mid-1980s and was credited with introducing the style of wrestling to the WWF. He was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1996, Snuka was the inaugural ECW Heavyweight Champion in Eastern Championship Wrestling. His children, Jimmy Reiher, Jr. and Tamina Snuka, are also wrestlers, in the decades before the criminal charges, Argentinos suspected homicide was a cold case in which Snuka was the only suspect. Snuka pleaded not guilty, but was found unfit to stand trial in June 2016 due to being diagnosed with dementia. His health further declined, and in December 2016 his legal representative announced he had six months left to live due to his terminal illness, the charges were dismissed on January 3,2017, when Snuka was deemed unfit to stand trial. Snuka was born in Fiji on May 18,1943 to Louisa Smith, Thomas was married to another woman, and Smith was engaged to Bernard Reiher. Before Snuka was born, his mother married Reiher, as a child, Snuka moved with his family to the Marshall Islands and then to Hawaii. Snuka was active in amateur bodybuilding in Hawaii in the 1960s and he also enjoyed some success as a professional bodybuilder, earning the titles of Mr. Hawaii, Mr. Waikiki and Mr. North Shore. Snuka opted to go into the more lucrative career of professional wrestling due to the uncertainty of his making a living in bodybuilding. While working at Dean Hos gym in Hawaii, Snuka met many of the wrestlers who worked in the South Pacific region, Snuka made his debut as Jimmy Kealoha fighting Maxwell Bunny Butler in Hawaii in 1970. He later moved to the mainland and wrestled for Don Owen’s NWA Pacific Northwest territory where he held the belt as Heavyweight Champion six times and he first won the title by pinning Bull Ramos on November 16,1973. It was in territory that Reiher transformed himself into Jimmy Snuka. Snuka also held the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship six times with partner Dutch Savage, Snuka also had a two-year feud with another rookie, Jesse The Body Ventura. Snuka also wrestled in several other National Wrestling Alliance regions, including Texas, in 1977, he won both the Texas Heavyweight and Tag Team titles. Snuka then left for the Mid-Atlantic where he formed a tag team with Paul Orndorff, in their first television match they defeated the NWA World Tag Team Champions Jack and Jerry Brisco in a non-title bout. Orndorff and Snuka defeated Baron von Raschke and Greg Valentine to become the tag team title holders in 1979, on September 1,1979, Snuka defeated Ricky Steamboat to hold the United States title
24.
Larry Hennig
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Larry The Axe Hennig is an American retired professional wrestler. Hennig was also known for his neck which, to this day. Before pursuing a career in wrestling, Hennig became the Minnesota State High School Heavyweight Champion from Robbinsdale. He was awarded a scholarship from the University of Minnesota to wrestle and play football but had to due to the priorities of family. In 1963, Hennig entered the AWA under the tutelage of Verne Gagne and he eventually found some main event success and shared a brief Tag Team Championship reign with Duke Hoffman. But in frequently losing to rougher, more experienced wrestlers, he began questioning the scientific style instilled into him by Gagne, during the summer of 1963, Hennig left the AWA for a stint in the Texas territories. While touring Texas, Hennig adopted a more style and won the Texas Heavyweight Title. He also crossed paths with Harley Race, the two young wrestlers struck up a friendship and following their mutual commitment in Amarillo, a new tag team broke out into the Minneapolis wrestling scene. Race and Hennig branded themselves as Handsome Harley Race and Pretty Boy Larry Hennig, Race and Hennig continued to feud with the Bruiser and Crusher and other top teams for the next several years, amassing three title reigns. Verne Gagne, in particular, was a rival of the team. Gagne and Crusher would win the titles from six months after Race and Hennigs first reign. The team would retain the titles until May 1966 where they lost to Bruiser and Crusher and they would then embark on a tour through New Zealand, Japan, and Australia where they became the first Tag Team Champions of the World Championship Wrestling in June. Just before leaving to Japan, they would drop the titles to Mark Lewin, Race and Hennig returned to the US in fall of 1966, starting back at the bottom of the competition. As they climbed the ranks all over again, they received a title shot on January 6,1967 and defeated Bruiser and Crusher in Chicago. This would prove to be their final reign at AWA Tag Team Champions, a rather infamous knee injury would contribute to Hennigs retirement from wrestling. On November 1,1967, during a tag match in Winnipeg. As he dropped Powers to the mat, Hennig found that his knee had bent inward, despite severe damage to the cartilage and tendons, he refused to go to the local hospital and instead had Race drive him 500 miles home to Minneapolis. The injury ended their last title run, the AWA allowed Harley Race to select another partner to defend the championship
25.
Ivan Koloff
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Ivan Koloff was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for once holding the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. He was known as The Russian Bear, Perras was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and raised on a dairy farm in rural Ontario along with his six brothers and three sisters. Since first watching professional wrestling on TV at the age of eight, he wanted to become a wrestler, at age 18, he left high school and joined Jack Wentworths wrestling school in Hamilton, Ontario, where he would lift weights and learn wrestling holds. He stood 57 1/2 tall, and weighed approximately 270 pounds, towards the end of his career, he dropped a considerable amount of weight and was tipping the scale at 205 pounds. Perras debuted as an Irish rogue villain character named Red McNulty, billed from Dublin, Ireland, for the next three years, he wrestled around the Toronto area, eventually quitting his regular job to wrestle in the north-western area of Canada. There, Perras acquired much wrestling experience, and from there he made his first trip to Japan, in 1967, Perras became The Russian Bear Ivan Koloff, a bearded villainous character billed from Ukraine, and debuted with the International Wrestling Association in Montreal, Québec. He defeated Johnny Rougeau for the IWA International Heavyweight Championship the following year, Koloff debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in late 1969, managed by Captain Lou Albano. He soon started a rivalry with then-WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, Koloff lost the championship 21 days later to Pedro Morales, essentially being used as a transitional champion, much like Stan Stasiak and The Iron Sheik would be in later years. After the loss, Koloff remained a contender for the title but never reclaimed it, Koloff would also be the first opponent to ever challenge for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match in a rematch loss against Sammartino. He fought in the WWWF from 1975–1976, 1978–1979 and 1983, during the 1970s and 1980s, Koloff found success in the National Wrestling Alliance, winning many regional tag team and singles titles in the Georgia, Florida, and Mid-Atlantic territories. In February 1981, he teamed with Ray Stevens to defeat Paul Jones and this would be the first of his four reigns as NWA World Tag Team Champion, later winning the belts with Don Kernodle and twice with his nephew, Nikita Koloff as The Russians. After Nikita turned on Ivan to join their enemy Dusty Rhodes in 1986, koloffs biggest NWA feuds were against Rhodes, The Road Warriors, The Rock n Roll Express and Magnum T. A. In 1988, Koloff spent time in Paul Jones faction, The Paul Jones Army and he later split with Jones, reunited with Nikita, and feuded with Jones team, The Russian Assassins, before leaving Jim Crockett Promotions in January 1989. He also spent time in Eastern Championship Wrestling, appearing on the very first ECW card in 1992, in 1992, Koloff also wrestled in the first television main event of Jim Cornettes Smoky Mountain Wrestling, beating Bobby Fulton. Perras wrote a book titled Is That Wrestling Fake and he became a born again Christian in 1995 and traveled to churches to share his testimony as an ordained minister. Koloff spoke openly and candidly of his conversion to Christianity and struggles with alcohol and drugs and he was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who is involved in several other lawsuits involving former WWE wrestlers. Koloff died in Winterville, North Carolina, on February 18,2017 from liver cancer, Koloff is featured as a playable character in the video games Legends of Wrestling, Legends of Wrestling II and Showdown, Legends of Wrestling. IvanKoloff. com Ivan Koloff on WWE. com Is That Wrestling Fake, the Bear Facts by Ivan Koloff and Scott Teal
26.
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
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Following his retirement from wrestling, he made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker and producer in WWEs NXT developmental territory. Billed as the son of a plumber, Rhodes did not have a typical wrestlers physique, his character was that of the Common Man, WWE chairman Vince McMahon remarked that no wrestler personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes. He also won regional championships, and is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling. His sons, Dustin and Cody Runnels, both pursued careers in professional wrestling and performed for WWE, after graduating high school, Rhodes played football for West Texas State. Turning professional, Rhodes tried out for the American Football Leagues Boston Patriots but was cut and he then played for the Hartford Charter Oaks in the Continental Football League until the team folded. In 1967, Rhodes saw an advertisement in the newspaper for Tony Santos’ professional wrestling promotion Big Time Wrestling, based in Boston. Rhodes drove to Boston, and despite not having any wrestling experience, bluffed his way into working for the company by using his real life friendships with Bobby Duncum and the Funk brothers. Billed as Dusty Runnels, one of his first matches was for the BTW World Heavyweight title against champion Frank Scarpa in the Boston Arena, having little money, Rhodes slept in his car and spent Thanksgiving with Rufus R. Jones in a Boston soup kitchen. Rhodes moved on to Fritz Von Erichs Texas territory World Class Championship Wrestling in 1968 and it was in Texas where Rhodes first adopted the ring name Dusty Rhodes. Upon meeting Rhodes, Gary Hart suggested that he change his name to Lonesome Rhodes. Rhodes reportedly replied, Well. I don’t plan on being Lonesome, I think I’ll stick with Dusty. Hart took a liking to Rhodes and convinced Von Erich of the young wrestlers potential. Rhodes became a heel with Hart as his manager, teaming with Don Jardine. Later in 1968, Rhodes left Texas and entered the Kansas City territory, Rhodes did not have a typical wrestlers physique, but he was well known for his personality, charisma and interviews. In 1974, Rhodess character became a hero after tag team partner Pak Song and manager Gary Hart turned on him during a match in Florida against Eddie and Mike Graham. This led him to break out as a wrestler, primarily in Florida, referring to himself as the American Dream, a working class hero. In 1977, Rhodes wrestled for Vince McMahon, Sr. s World Wide Wrestling Federation on, during that time, Rhodes main-evented twice in Madison Square Garden, both times challenging for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against reigning champion Superstar Billy Graham. Rhodes won the first match on September 26 via countout, and lost the second, Graham won after a mid-ring collision, falling on Rhodes for the three count
27.
Minneapolis
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Minneapolis is the county seat of Hennepin County, and the larger of the Twin Cities, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. As of 2015, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Saint Paul anchor the second-largest economic center in the Midwest, after Chicago. Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul. It was once the worlds flour milling capital and a hub for timber, the city and surrounding region is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle, with Minneapolis proper containing Americas fifth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. As an integral link to the economy, Minneapolis is categorized as a global city. Noted for its music and performing arts scenes, Minneapolis is home to both the award-winning Guthrie Theater and the historic First Avenue nightclub. The name Minneapolis is attributed to Charles Hoag, the citys first schoolteacher, who combined mni, a Dakota Sioux word for water, and polis, Dakota Sioux had long been the regions sole residents when French explorers arrived around 1680. For a time relations were based on fur trading, gradually more European-American settlers arrived, competing for game and other resources with the Dakota. In the early 19th century, the United States acquired this territory from France, fort Snelling was built in 1819 by the United States Army, and it attracted traders, settlers and merchants, spurring growth in the area. The United States government pressed the Mdewakanton band of the Dakota to sell their land, the Minnesota Territorial Legislature authorized present-day Minneapolis as a town in 1856 on the Mississippis west bank. Minneapolis incorporated as a city in 1867, the rail service began between Minneapolis and Chicago. It later joined with the city of St. Anthony in 1872. Minneapolis developed around Saint Anthony Falls, the highest waterfall on the Mississippi River, forests in northern Minnesota were a valuable resource for the lumber industry, which operated seventeen sawmills on power from the waterfall. By 1871, the west river bank had twenty-three businesses, including mills, woolen mills, iron works, a railroad machine shop, and mills for cotton, paper, sashes. Due to the hazards of milling, six local sources of artificial limbs were competing in the prosthetics business by the 1890s. The farmers of the Great Plains grew grain that was shipped by rail to the citys thirty-four flour mills, a father of modern milling in America and founder of what became General Mills, Cadwallader C. Some ideas were developed by William Dixon Gray and some acquired through industrial espionage from the Hungarians by William de la Barre, pillsbury Company across the river were barely a step behind, hiring Washburn employees to immediately use the new methods. The hard red spring wheat that grows in Minnesota became valuable, not until later did consumers discover the value in the bran that Minneapolis
28.
San Francisco
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San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California. It is the birthplace of the United Nations, the California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856, after three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. In World War II, San Francisco was a port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater. Politically, the city votes strongly along liberal Democratic Party lines, San Francisco is also the headquarters of five major banking institutions and various other companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. Dolby, Airbnb, Weebly, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Yelp, Pinterest, Twitter, Uber, Lyft, Mozilla, Wikimedia Foundation, as of 2016, San Francisco is ranked high on world liveability rankings. The earliest archaeological evidence of habitation of the territory of the city of San Francisco dates to 3000 BC. Upon independence from Spain in 1821, the became part of Mexico. Under Mexican rule, the system gradually ended, and its lands became privatized. In 1835, Englishman William Richardson erected the first independent homestead, together with Alcalde Francisco de Haro, he laid out a street plan for the expanded settlement, and the town, named Yerba Buena, began to attract American settlers. Commodore John D. Sloat claimed California for the United States on July 7,1846, during the Mexican–American War, montgomery arrived to claim Yerba Buena two days later. Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco on January 30 of the next year, despite its attractive location as a port and naval base, San Francisco was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography. The California Gold Rush brought a flood of treasure seekers, with their sourdough bread in tow, prospectors accumulated in San Francisco over rival Benicia, raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849. The promise of fabulous riches was so strong that crews on arriving vessels deserted and rushed off to the gold fields, leaving behind a forest of masts in San Francisco harbor. Some of these approximately 500 abandoned ships were used at times as storeships, saloons and hotels, many were left to rot, by 1851 the harbor was extended out into the bay by wharves while buildings were erected on piles among the ships. By 1870 Yerba Buena Cove had been filled to create new land, buried ships are occasionally exposed when foundations are dug for new buildings. California was quickly granted statehood in 1850 and the U. S. military built Fort Point at the Golden Gate, silver discoveries, including the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859, further drove rapid population growth. With hordes of fortune seekers streaming through the city, lawlessness was common, and the Barbary Coast section of town gained notoriety as a haven for criminals, prostitution, entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on the wealth generated by the Gold Rush
29.
National Wrestling Alliance
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The National Wrestling Alliance is a professional wrestling governing body which has historically been the largest league of independent wrestling promotions in the world. The organization sanctions various NWA championship bouts within its member promotions, the NWA has been in operation since 1948. Prior to the 1960s, it acted as the governing body for most of professional wrestling, operating as a talent. Before the NWA was founded in 1948, there existed many regional professional wrestling promotions across North America, none of them, however, had backing or recognition outside of their own respective geographic base-areas. The concept of the NWA was to consolidate the championships of these companies into one true world championship of pro wrestling. In 1948, Paul Pinkie George, a promoter from the Midwest and this newly formed NWA Board of Directors wanted Brown to be the first-ever NWA World champion. This legitimized the NWAs claim that its title was a world title. The NWA members divided up North America, as well as Japan, into territories that each promoter would own, having a territory meant that no other NWA member could promote wrestling in that area unless special arrangements were made between the promoters involved. If non-NWA promoters tried to promote their show in an NWA territory, reportedly, threats of violence or physical retaliation were used against any promoters who disregarded the territory system. If any member territory broke the NWAs rules, it faced expulsion, for most promoters under the NWA umbrella, the benefits of membership were well worth the dues. Usually, the NWA Presidents territory was the territory of the entire alliance. Beyond the benefit of having other promotions to draw on in case of an intruder, the champion did not have a home territory as such, but instead traveled from territory to territory, defending the title against the top stars of each territory. It was not just the champion that would travel the territories, often, wrestlers from a different area would come into a territory, and run an angle or two with its top local faces. Also, if the local fans ever got tired of a wrestler, he could go to a new area and perform the same act for new audiences. This storyline was often advanced in the area from which the competitor was departing as resulting from the outcome of a highly promoted loser leaves town match. Upon becoming the booker for Lou Thesz in 1950, Muchnick, in the mid-1950s, serious disputes broke out within the NWA. There were antitrust problems with the government and there were a number of competing factions who wanted to replace Thesz as champion with different wrestlers, the antitrust case led to the infamous NWA Consent Decree of 1956 in U. S. v. National Wrestling Alliance. There were also disputes over the number of dates wrestled by the champion in various parts of the country, the first break within the organization occurred in 1957, when Montreal promoter Eddie Quinn walked out of the August NWA meeting in St. Louis
30.
Championship Wrestling from Florida
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It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling. When Mike Graham tried a return to promoting, the rights to the name had been acquired by a party, forcing him to use another name. It was worked but Cowboy took a severe beating, Cowboy opened the office in 1949, and Eddie Graham bought into the promotion in 1961 and took over completely in 1971, because of health reasons with Cowboy. CWF became a staple in many Southern households in the 1970s and 1980s, with Dusty Rhodes arguably its most noted headliner, the promotion competed against other syndicated shows on Saturday night like The Lawrence Welk Show and Solid Gold for years. Well known heels, newcomers and babyfaces who turned heel during their tenure with CWF often sought out Rhodes to make their names in the territory, the other remaining owners were Mike Graham, Eddies brother Skip Gossett, Dusty Rhodes and Buddy Colt. The promotion continued losing money and merged with Jim Crockett Promotions in February 1987, most of the stars had gone to Jim Crockett Promotions or the WWF by that point. Arena footage was also used, and full arena show broadcasts began in the early 80s. On March 2,2006, it was announced that the CWF library was purchased by World Wrestling Entertainment for the DVD on Dusty Rhodes, gordon Solie was featured at the end of WWEs FCW TV Show in a tribute to CWF and himself. Howard Brody started NWA Florida in 1990 and he booked for it until 2002, in 2003, Kevin Rhodes started Championship Wrestling from Florida as a member of the NWA. He occasionally has some legends of the 1980s wrestling appear in his promotion, in 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment revived the promotion as a developmental territory under the name Florida Championship Wrestling. In 2012, the promotion began operating under the NXT Wrestling banner, dropping references to FCW
31.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
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The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship and this effectively makes it the oldest surviving wrestling championship in the world. With many territorial promotions appearing across the United States, the NWA was formed in 1948 as an overall governing wrestling body, like franchises, these territories had the option of NWA membership. The promotion owners had to recognize the NWA heavyweight, junior heavyweight, Ric Flair holds the record for the most reigns with nine. Every year, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion would travel to each territory, the purpose of the world champion was to make the top contender look good and still hold the title. The NWA board of directors, composed mostly of territory owners, by the late 1950s, however, the system began to break down. As Lou Thesz continued to hold the title, other wrestlers such as Verne Gagne became frustrated over the lack of change. There were also disputes over the number of appearances the champion would make in different regions, on June 14,1957 in Chicago, Lou Thesz defended the world title against Canadian wrestler Édouard Carpentier in a two out of three falls match. Thesz and Carpentier split the first two falls, in the third fall, Thesz was disqualified by referee Ed Whalen who raised Carpentiers hand in victory. The NWA later voided the change based on the disqualification. Thesz defeated Carpentier by disqualification in a Montreal rematch on July 24, Carpentier would also be able to make appearances in the US as champion while Thesz was on an overseas tour. However, as a result of disputes within the NWA, Carpentiers manager, wrestling promoter Eddie Quinn. The organization dealt with the situation by announcing 71 days after Carpentiers win in Chicago that it did not recognize Carpentiers win and had never recognized it, Quinn started promoting Carpentier as the true NWA world champion based on the match with Thesz. In 1958, Quinn started shopping Carpentier around to promoters interested in leaving the NWA, a victory over Carpentier could give a local champion a credible claim to the world championship of wrestling. Verne Gagne, who had been trying to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion for some time, defeated Carpentier in Omaha and this was recognized as a title change by those NWA affiliate promotions that would later evolve into the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This disputed version of the NWA World Heavyweight Title was later known as the World Heavyweight Championship, the title was unified with the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on September 7,1963. The AWA title continued to exist until the AWA ceased operations in 1991, the Boston NWA affiliate known as the Atlantic Athletic Commission arranged a match between Killer Kowalski and Carpentier in 1958. Kowalskis victory created what was known as the ACC World Heavyweight Title and later the Big Time Wrestling World title which was active until 1975
32.
Jack Brisco
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Freddie Joe Jack Brisco was an American professional wrestler. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance, becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Brisco is considered one of the top wrestlers of his era, in 2005, Don Leo Jonathan called him probably the greatest champion of the 20th century. In the late 1970s, the Brisco brothers discovered Terry Bollea, the wrestling legend best known as Hulk Hogan. Brisco was raised in Blackwell, Oklahoma with five siblings, in 1965, he became the first Native American to win an NCAA Wrestling National Championship. He won it during his year, and wasnt taken down once during the entire season. Briscos first documented professional wrestling championship reign began on October 16,1965 and he held the belt for less than a month, and regained it in November by defeating Kent again. Around this time, Brisco also wrestled for NWA Tri-State, while there, he won a couple of state titles. He also won his first tag title in this promotion. He later held the title again, as he teamed with Gorgeous George, Brisco then moved to the Florida area, where he wrestled for Championship Wrestling from Florida for several years. His first title there was the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship and he dropped the title to the Mauler and regained it on July 8. Two weeks later, he won the first of an eventual ten NWA Florida Tag Team Championships, with Ciclon Negro. Although he and Negro dropped the tag team belts the following month, Brisco held the Southern Heavyweight Title until November 1969, when Brisco returned to Florida, he began teaming with his brother, who he had trained in professional wrestling. He also continued competing as a wrestler, winning the NWA Florida Television Championship on November 27,1970. On February 16,1971, the Briscos teamed up to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship and they dropped the belts the next month to Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk and regained them from the Funks in April. That month, Brisco also beat Terry Funk in a match to win the NWA Florida Television Championship again. Briscos next major success was regaining the Southern Heavyweight Championship from Dick Murdoch on June 8,1971, the title was later held up after a controversial rematch with Murdoch. Brisco then took a break from Florida wrestling to work for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. While there, he won the NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship twice by defeating The Missouri Mauler, upon his return to Florida, he quickly won the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Championship from Paul Jones on June 13,1972, and vacated it the same day
33.
Professional wrestling holds
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Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use these holds as their finishing maneuvers, often nicknaming them to reflect their character or persona, moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. An element borrowed from professional wrestlings catch wrestling origins, stretches are techniques in which a wrestler holds another in a position that puts stress on the opponents body. Stretches are usually employed to weaken an opponent or to them to submit, either vocally or by tapping out, slapping the mat. Many of these holds, when applied vigorously, stretch the opponents muscles or twist their joints uncomfortably, chokes, although not in general stress positions like the other stretches, are usually grouped with stretches as they serve the same tactical purposes. In public performance, for sake, stretches are usually not performed to the point where the opponent must submit or risk injury. Likewise, chokes are usually not applied to the point where they cut off the supply to the opponents brain. The wrestler begins the hold by standing over a face-down opponent, a camel clutch can also refer simply to a rear chinlock while seated on the back of an opponent, without placing the arms on the thighs. The move was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico, where it was called la de a caballo, but got its common name from Ed Farhat. Rusev performs a variation he calls The Accolade, where he stomps on his opponents back before applying the hold. A standing variation of the clutch is also used, with this variation popularized by Scott Steiner in the late 1990s as he used it as his finisher dubbed the Steiner Recliner. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, another version of the move is similar to a wheelbarrow facebuster but instead illegally pulls the hair of the opponent while leaning back to pull up the opponents head and neck. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, the wrestler then reaches forwards and applies a chinlock as in a standard camel clutch, leaning backwards to apply pressure to the upper back and arm. The attacker then either pulls straight back on the chin or wrenches it to the side and this move sees the attacker kneel behind a sitting opponent and wrap around one arm under the opponents chin and lock their hands. As with a hold, this move can also be performed from a standing position. This can be transitioned into a clawhold STO, there is also double-handed version sometimes known as a head vise, the wrestler performing the hold approaches their opponent from behind and grip their head with both hands. While in the vise, the wrestler can control their opponent by squeezing the temples and it was innovated and used by Baron von Raschke as well as many members of the Von Erich family
34.
Texas
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Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
35.
Georgia (U.S. state)
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Georgia is a state in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1733, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies, named after King George II of Great Britain, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2,1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 19,1861 and it was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15,1870. Georgia is the 24th largest and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States, from 2007 to 2008,14 of Georgias counties ranked among the nations 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South, Atlanta is the states capital, its most populous city and has been named a global city. Georgia is bordered to the south by Florida, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina, to the west by Alabama, the states northern part is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains system. Georgias highest point is Brasstown Bald at 4,784 feet above sea level, Georgia is the largest state entirely east of the Mississippi River in land area. Before settlement by Europeans, Georgia was inhabited by the mound building cultures, the British colony of Georgia was founded by James Oglethorpe on February 12,1733. The colony was administered by the Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America under a charter issued by King George II. The Trustees implemented a plan for the colonys settlement, known as the Oglethorpe Plan. In 1742 the colony was invaded by the Spanish during the War of Jenkins Ear, in 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown. Georgia became a colony, with a governor appointed by the king. The Province of Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence, the State of Georgias first constitution was ratified in February 1777. Georgia was the 10th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation on July 24,1778, in 1829, gold was discovered in the North Georgia mountains, which led to the Georgia Gold Rush and an established federal mint in Dahlonega, which continued its operation until 1861. The subsequent influx of white settlers put pressure on the government to land from the Cherokee Nation. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law, sending many eastern Native American nations to reservations in present-day Oklahoma, including all of Georgias tribes. Despite the Supreme Courts ruling in Worcester v. Georgia that ruled U. S. states were not permitted to redraw the Indian boundaries, President Jackson and the state of Georgia ignored the ruling. In 1838, his successor, Martin Van Buren, dispatched troops to gather the Cherokee
36.
Glossary of professional wrestling terms
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Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable nomenclature throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the nature of the business. In recent years, widespread discussion on the Internet has popularized these terms, many of the terms refer to the financial aspects of professional wrestling in addition to performance-related terms. A-show A wrestling event where a companys biggest draws wrestle, a-team A group of a wrestling promotions top stars who compete at an A-show. Abort To discontinue a feud, angle, or gimmick suddenly, usually without explanation or due to a lack of fan interest, ace A term typically only used in Japanese puroresu for a wrestler designated as the face of the promotion. Not necessarily the same as the top champion, examples of modern aces include Hiroshi Tanahashi in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Suwama in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Agent A management employee, often a former wrestler, who helps set up matches, plans storylines. Often acts as a liaison between wrestlers and higher-level management, referred to as producers by WWE and sometimes by other companies. Sometimes they help train and teach younger active wrestlers and give criticism, Alliance A cooperative relationship developed between two or more wrestlers, whether wrestling as a tag team or in individual matches. Alliances are often formed for the purpose of retaining titles between the members of the alliance, or to counter a specific foe or group of foes. The formation of an alliance can be a storyline of its own, an angle usually begins when one wrestler attacks another, which results in revenge. An angle may be as small as a match or a vendetta that lasts for years. It is not uncommon to see an angle become retconned due to it not getting over with the fans, Apter mag An old-style professional wrestling magazine that sticks to kayfabe articles. The term refers to the magazines at one time connected to journalist Bill Apter, B-show A wrestling event featuring the middle and lower-level talent of a wrestling promotion. Sometimes includes well-known wrestlers making a return or finishing up their career, b-team The group of wrestlers on a B-show. Babyface A wrestler positioned as a hero, who the crowd are typically cheering for in a match, often simply known as a face. Beat down A situation in which a wrestler or other performer is the recipient of a one-sided beating, blading A wrestler intentionally cutting themself to provoke bleeding
37.
Piledriver (professional wrestling)
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The technique is said to have been innovated by Wild Bill Longson. The act of performing a piledriver is called piledriving, someone who has recently been the victim of a piledriver is said to have been piledriven. The piledriver is often seen as one of the most dangerous moves in wrestling, due to this, the move is banned in the WWE with the exception of Kane and The Undertaker due to their experience and size. The piledriver is generally considered a dangerous maneuver in wrestling because of the impact on the head. The proper way to execute the move, in most cases, is for the performing the move to tuck the opponents head between his legs before falling to the mat. If done in this manner, the receiving the move will land with little or no contact made with the mat at all. Perhaps the most famous example of an injury from an improperly performed piledriver came at the 1997 WWF SummerSlam event, as Austin had feared, Hart botched the move and dropped Austin on top of his head. The impact jammed Austins neck and left him temporarily paralyzed and he continued and finished the match, but stayed away from the ring for two months to recover from the injury. The physical demands of Austins standing as one of the top stars in the WWF did not allow much downtime for him to rest and take care of the injury and as his career progressed, Austin underwent surgery on the neck in 1999, but it never fully healed. By 2002, Austins doctors told him that he risked permanent disability if he did not retire, the piledriver was banned in WWE in 2000, unless the wrestler has special permission to use the move. In a discussion in 2007, Stephanie McMahon said that only two wrestlers were allowed to use the move, two of the guys, Undertaker and Kane. In fact, The Undertakers tombstone piledriver continues to be his finishing move, the piledriver is also banned in many other promotions and certain cities. It is also considered an automatic disqualification in professional wrestling matches held in Tennessee, in some promotions in the United Kingdom, the move can result in not only a disqualification, but a fine. In Mexico, the piledriver is an automatic disqualification, because of the dangers of the piledriver, it is classed as a foul and is illegal in mixed martial arts under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Any double-team move in which one wrestler help another to perform a piledriver on an opponent by pushing down on the foot for more impact. In a variation of the move, the wrestler jumps off the turnbuckle while pushing the opponent’s feet downward for even more damage. The move is executed from an Argentine backbreaker rack position, the wrestler pushes the opponent forward while holding the opponents leg with one arm, and the head with the other arm, and then sits down, driving the opponent head first down to the floor. The wrestler bends forward or crouches in front of their opponent, grabs hold of the opponent around the legs and stands up, the wrestler then either sits down or drops on to his knees, driving the opponents head down to the mat
38.
Ernie Roth
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Irwin J. Ernie Roth, known by the ring names the Grand Wizard of Wrestling and Abdullah Farouk, was a professional wrestling manager of many infamous heels. Not a wrestler himself due to his stature, he was noted for his flamboyant outfit of sequined jackets, wraparound sunglasses. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995, Ernie Roth got his start in the entertainment business as a disc jockey, and became involved in professional wrestling as a manager in the 1960s in Detroit-based territories. Sporting a turban, Farouk took great pains in trying to control his madman protégé, but he also carved a niche for himself as a deceitful, underhanded character who insulted US fans whenever he had a chance, laying a template for heels for years to come. Farouk was a pioneer of manager interference, as he physically would attempt to alter a matchs outcome in the Sheiks favor whenever he could. Roth, who was Jewish, reportedly took the name The Grand Wizard as a snub to the white supremacy organization the Ku Klux Klan, the Grand Wizard of Wrestling, playing the heel manager role to the absolute hilt, had an instant impact in the WWF. In fact, the Wizard guided a second protégé, the flamboyant and chiseled Superstar Billy Graham, to the very same Championship on April 30,1977, when Graham overcame Sammartino in Baltimore. Graham is now seen as the prototype for later Superstars like Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura and Scott Steiner. Graham and the Wizard were arguably the first performers to be cheered without requiring a push as a babyface, once again laying a template for superstars to come. On February 20,1978, former amateur wrestling standout Bob Backlund took on Superstar Billy Graham for the WWF Championship at Madison Square Garden, and managed to dethrone the champion. The Wizard made it his duty to gain revenge on Backlund, sending charges such as Don Muraco, Ken Patera and Greg Valentine after the champion. The Wizard never managed a world champion again, however he did manage the very first Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, other protégés of the Wizard included Beautiful Bobby Harmon, Killer Kowalski, Crazy Luke Graham, Sgt. Slaughter, Big Cat Ernie Ladd, Ox Baker, and Cowboy Bob Orton, a Boston radio program, The Sports Huddle, would feature in-character interviews with Roth portraying him as a hero. The programs hosts, Eddie Andelman, Jim McCarthy and Mark Witkin, the host dictated the message, Tell him to bring home a loaf of bread and a quart of milk. An example of his Farouk characters interview style is provided by the sing-song given prior to a bout between the Sheik and Haystacks Calhoun. Roth looked into the camera and said, Ashes to ashes, if the camel clutch doesnt get you, Calhoun, the fire must, alluding to The Sheiks ability to toss fireballs. Roth was revealed to be homosexual after his death, although some claim they were aware of his sexual orientation during his lifetime and he was the godfather of protégé Don Muracos daughter. His parents were Evrum Roth and Rizel Stern, on October 12,1983, Roth died of a heart attack
39.
Pedro Morales
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Pedro A. Morales is a Puerto Rican retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with Worldwide Wrestling Associates, debuting in 1959, Morales originally came to prominence with Worldwide Wrestling Associates in the 1960s, where he held the WWA World Heavyweight Championship and WWA World Tag Team Championship. In the 1970s, he joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation, winning the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship, Morales retired from professional wrestling in 1987. A popular champion, Morales enjoyed particular appeal with his native Puerto Ricans, the first Latino to hold a world heavyweight championship, Morales combined reign as WWWF Heavyweight Champion remains among the longest in history. He also holds the record for most days as Intercontinental Champion, Morales was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum two decades later. The following two years, he made campaign in Virginia and North Carolina, particularly in the towns of Petersburg, after a similar result in a short program with Hard Boiled Haggerty, he had two draws against Allan Garfield, before defeating him on July 16,1962. In August, Morales traveled to Texas and was involved in a series of matches with Jack and Jim Dalton, facing them along multiple tag team partners. It was here where he first teamed with Miguel Pérez, Sr. and Argentina Apollo, later in the year, he formed a recurrent tag team with Perez and feuded with Pedro Rodriguez. In June, Morales joined Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil, Perez and Apollo to once again enter a storyline with Johnny Barend, who was now joined by Diamond Jack. After this, Vittorio Apollo became his main stay tag team partner, along whom he challenged The Fabulous Kangaroos, Johnny Barend, Morales finished the year by teaming with Pérez, earning three victories over the Fabulous Kangaroos. The team opened 1964 by feuding with Chris and John Tolos, individually, Morales defeated Chuck Martoni, Arnold Skaaland and Prince Nero on several occasions. The tag team next entered a feud with Jerry Graham and Luke Graham, the team also exchanged results against Hans & Max Mortier. Morales then entered a feud against Pedro Rodriguez and Gene Kiniski, dominating Rodriguez. Along Pérez, he retook their feud with the Grahams, picking a second victory, in the final months of 1964, Morales also gained wins over Robert Duranton and Steve Stanlee. On March 12,1965, Morales defeated The Destroyer Dick Beyer to win the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in a three-fall match and he became involved in a feud against The Assassins and The Butcher, steadily gaining the upper hands both individually and in tag matches. Morales moved on from these angles and defeated Rod Orell, Billy Klutzer and The Mummy, Morales responded by defeating Graham in a three-fall chain match less than a month later, in the process winning a Brass Knuckles Championship. Meanwhile, his team with Hernandez won three matches against The Assassins by disqualification. Hernandez was eventually replaced by Adalberto Torres as Moraless tag team partner, along whom he also faced Gorilla Monsoon, on October 17,1965, he defeated Graham to regain the WWA World Heavyweight Championship
40.
WWE Championship
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The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand. It is one of two titles in the WWE, alongside the WWE Universal Championship that was created for the Raw brand as a result of the 2016 WWE draft. The title is held by Randy Orton, who is in his ninth reign. The inaugural champion was Buddy Rogers, since its inception, the title has undergone many name changes due to company name changes and title unifications. From its inception until 2001, it was promoted as WWEs sole primary championship, an additional world title, the WCW Championship, was added after the then-World Wrestling Federations purchase of World Championship Wrestling in early 2001. The titles were unified as the Undisputed Championship. After the first brand extension in 2002 and the promotion becoming the WWE, the championship exclusive to SmackDown. ECW became a brand in 2006, adding the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Over the course of the first brand extension, the WWE Championship switched between brands, usually as a result of the annual draft, the ECW Championship was deactivated in 2010, and the World Heavyweight Championship was unified with the WWE Championship in 2013. The championship was again the world title of WWE until the reintroduction of the brand extension in 2016. The title was introduced in 1963 with Buddy Rogers becoming the first champion, however, its origin is attributed to events that began in the National Wrestling Alliance, which had various territorial member promotions. In the 1950s, Capitol Wrestling Corporation was a member of the NWA and by 1963, during this time, Buddy Rogers held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship until January 24, when Lou Thesz defeated Rogers for the championship in a one fall match. After several years, the WWWF became affiliated with the NWA once again, although the full name appeared on the championship belts until 1998, the name was often abbreviated to WWF Championship, which became its official name in 1998. In 1991, World Championship Wrestling, a member of the NWA, in 1993, WCW seceded from the NWA and grew to become a rival promotion to the WWF. Both organizations grew into prominence and were eventually involved in a television ratings war. Near the end of the war, WCW began a financial decline. As a result of the purchase, the WWF acquired, among other assets, thus, there were two world titles in the WWF, the original WWF Championship and the WCW Championship, which was eventually renamed to the World Championship. In December 2001, the two championships were unified at Vengeance, at the event, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kurt Angle to retain the WWF Championship, while Chris Jericho defeated The Rock for the World Championship
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Bob Backlund
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Backlund was also an accomplished amateur wrestler for the North Dakota State University Bison from the late 1960s to early 1970s. He continues to work in the wrestling business in various capacities. In 2000, Backlund unsuccessfully ran for a Connecticut seat in Congress on a Republican ticket, Backlund was born in Princeton, Minnesota iIn 1949. During his freshman year, Backlund was an All-American in both football and wrestling while at Waldorf Junior College in Forest City, Iowa, during his sophomore campaign, Backlund focused on wrestling and once again earned All American Honors. Backlund was a wrestler at North Dakota State University, winning the Division II NCAA Championship at 190 pounds in 1971. In 1972 Backlund moved up to the Heavyweight class and finished 5th at the NCAA DII Nationals and he is a graduate of Princeton High School, where he was a state finalist in wrestling. He graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in physical education, Backlund was trained for professional wrestling by renowned trainer Eddie Sharkey and made his debut for the American Wrestling Association in 1973. Backlunds clean cut look and technical approach made him a natural face, after leaving the AWA, Backlund traveled the United States, working for the National Wrestling Alliance in its various territories. In 1974, Backlund wrestled in Texas, for Dory Funk, Jr. in March, he defeated Terry Funk for the NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship. Backlund held it for two months, before losing it to Karl Von Steiger in May, in mid-1975, Backlund started working for Georgia Championship Wrestling. He teamed with Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship from Toru Tanaka and they held the championship belts for two months before losing to Les Thornton and Tony Charles. In 1976, Backlund left Georgia for Championship Wrestling from Florida, here he teamed with Steve Keirn to defeat Bob Orton, Jr. and Bob Roop for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship. Backlund and Keirn lost the title to The Hollywood Blonds in October 1976, while working for NWA Florida, Backlund also wrestled in St. Louis, Missouri, for Sam Muchnicks St. Louis Wrestling Club. He defeated Harley Race to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship on April 23,1976, in early 1977, Backlund joined Vincent J. McMahons World Wide Wrestling Federation. He was managed by The Golden Boy Arnold Skaaland, less than four months into his WWWF run, Backlund received his first shot at the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Superstar Billy Graham, but he lost by countout. On February 20,1978, at Madison Square Garden, Backlund finally scored a victory over Graham and won the title. He also won a series of rematches against Graham, including an April 1978 steel cage match at Madison Square Garden, three days after winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship, Backlund clashed with the NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race in a rare WWWF vs. NWA title match. Both titles were on the line, but neither changed hands as the two fought to a 60-minute time limit draw, defending against other champions became a recurring theme in Backlunds run with the title
