"Was it really that good?" Yes.
#PWHS #Article #HoustonWrestling,#FridayNightAtTheColiseum #Kayfabe #WasItReallyThatGood
When discussing the pros and cons of professional wrestling, the lines are usually generationally drawn. People who grew up in the 1980's Hulkamania, or NWA Crockett era tend to prefer that style. Those who only know the term, "Sports Entertainment" prefer that style.
For people of my generation (baby boomers born roughly between 1946 and 1964), the choice is always the territories, and the days of kayfabe. Often when discussing wrestling with younger people, I get the question of "just how good was it really?" "People didn't really think that it was competitive...did they?"
My answer invariably is yes-it was that good, and no-most people realized what they were seeing was not 100% competitive...but it didn't matter because we were into it. And that is the key factor. Watch any crowd today of a major wrestling company and what you often see are people doing everything but paying attention to what is happening in the ring. Whether that inattention is due to a lack of attention span, or a subpar presentation is not something to be determined here. But what can be shown here is why it worked, and maybe why the results are different today.
Photo 1: The Houston Coliseum, before the doors are opened to admit the public.
Take a close look at the photo, and notice the things that you don't see. There are no video screens; no pyrotechnics; no sound systems. There are no barriers that separate the ringside area from the seats. Also notice just how many ringside seats are available. Also consider this: On most Friday nights, that entire Coliseum was filled. That is every, single week-not twice a year.
The point? In the territorial era, the attention was focused solely on the ring. Television cameras were relatively stationary and were also placed unobtrusively. Again, the entire philosophy was that the fan place their attention on what was happening in the ring and nowhere else. For the younger fan, imagine being able to sit very close to the ring and the only light that existed during a match was located squarely above the ring. The rest of the arena was dark.
Whatever happened in that ring had the undivided attention of the fans. As such, if the matches were not captivating (and that meant from the opening bout through the main event), then the promotion would fail. All eyes were on the ring.
Photos 2 and 3: Fans trying to obtain autographs before the start of the match.
Take a close look at the photo, and notice the things that you don't see. There are no video screens; no pyrotechnics; no sound systems. There are no barriers that separate the ringside area from the seats. Also notice just how many ringside seats are available. Also consider this: On most Friday nights, that entire Coliseum was filled. That is every, single week-not twice a year.
The point? In the territorial era, the attention was focused solely on the ring. Television cameras were relatively stationary and were also placed unobtrusively. Again, the entire philosophy was that the fan place their attention on what was happening in the ring and nowhere else. For the younger fan, imagine being able to sit very close to the ring and the only light that existed during a match was located squarely above the ring. The rest of the arena was dark.
Whatever happened in that ring had the undivided attention of the fans. As such, if the matches were not captivating (and that meant from the opening bout through the main event), then the promotion would fail. All eyes were on the ring.
Photos 2 and 3: Fans trying to obtain autographs before the start of the match.
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Yes, you could actually walk up to the ring and interact with your favorite wrestler! No photo ops where you stand in line for the privilege of dropping $20-$50 for a quick photo with a Superstar, and paying even more if you want that photo autographed. You simply walked to ringside, and stuck out paper and pen. If you were lucky, you received an autograph. While at ringside, you could slap the mat like the referee and see just how hard that mat really was. You could grab the ring ropes and determine once and for all if they were rope, metal, or rubber like your stupid Uncle maintained.
When wrestling went "bigtime" all of that personal interaction was eliminated. Anyone who would attempt to approach ringside now for an autograph would be gang tackled by security and thrown out of the arena. Wrestlers have always been seen as larger than life. Imagine, if you can, being able to reach out and be recognized by one of these giants. As a child, one of my fondest memories is the time when Ivan Putski (the babyface) snubbed all of us, and his heel opponent for the night Superstar Billy Graham, stopped and spent about 5-10 minutes speaking and joking with us. To a ten-year-old kid, that interaction was priceless.
Photo 4: Fans during a match.
This is probably the most telling and important photo for this essay. Look at their faces. All of them-even the security policeman-are focusing 100% on what is happening in the ring. No one is looking for a camera to wave to their friends. No one is holding an obnoxious sign. No one is completely ignoring the match and having a conversation on Heaven knows what.
Wrestling in the territorial era, when done correctly, made you pay attention. It gripped your emotions and took you on a roller coaster ride with each match. It didn't matter whether you knew that the match endings were pre-determined. It didn't matter if you suspected that wrestlers like George "The Animal" Steele, or Farkus the Wolfman, probably didn't act like that at home. What mattered was what was happening in the ring-and that was enough to make you want to come back week-after-week.
What can modern wrestling promotions learn from the past? Fans matter. Sometimes, if you only hit a city twice a year, it is easy to forget that the people who you are trying to entertain live there EVERY day. All of the standards of the territorial era have been replaced by the "go home happy" match at the end of the card. Sometimes, the wrestlers even interact with the fans-but not nearly in as personal a way as in the past. My opinions? Kill the lights; confiscate the signs; and give the fans a reason to keep their attention on the ring. All I know is that I received a ton more return on my $10 ringside seat in 1975, than I ever have on a $45 nosebleed seat in a gigantic arena today. Look at those photos again. They illustrate everything that made wrestling successful in my era.
This is probably the most telling and important photo for this essay. Look at their faces. All of them-even the security policeman-are focusing 100% on what is happening in the ring. No one is looking for a camera to wave to their friends. No one is holding an obnoxious sign. No one is completely ignoring the match and having a conversation on Heaven knows what.
Wrestling in the territorial era, when done correctly, made you pay attention. It gripped your emotions and took you on a roller coaster ride with each match. It didn't matter whether you knew that the match endings were pre-determined. It didn't matter if you suspected that wrestlers like George "The Animal" Steele, or Farkus the Wolfman, probably didn't act like that at home. What mattered was what was happening in the ring-and that was enough to make you want to come back week-after-week.
What can modern wrestling promotions learn from the past? Fans matter. Sometimes, if you only hit a city twice a year, it is easy to forget that the people who you are trying to entertain live there EVERY day. All of the standards of the territorial era have been replaced by the "go home happy" match at the end of the card. Sometimes, the wrestlers even interact with the fans-but not nearly in as personal a way as in the past. My opinions? Kill the lights; confiscate the signs; and give the fans a reason to keep their attention on the ring. All I know is that I received a ton more return on my $10 ringside seat in 1975, than I ever have on a $45 nosebleed seat in a gigantic arena today. Look at those photos again. They illustrate everything that made wrestling successful in my era.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
"Was it really that good?" Yes.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: February 15, 2020.
Article: #233.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
"Was it really that good?" Yes.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: February 15, 2020.
Article: #233.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Harry can be Read Here.