Jim Cornette on Randy Savage's Early Days & ICW
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2021
- From Episode 190 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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You can listen to Brian each week on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com. - Фільми й анімація
Cornette is a wrestling encyclopedia. it's tragic he's not in the WWE HOF yet for all his contributions to the business.
it's incredible the oral history he can give of wrestling. we're lucky to have access to his obsessive mind
It's tragic that someone would think a worked "Hall of Fame" actually matters.
No one should care about the WWE Hall of Fame
Jim often clowned the HOF, would be weird for the WWE to put someone inside who wouldn’t even want it
I would care about the payoff
Macho Man Randy Savage was a Blast to watch and his Promos still stand the test of time in My Humble Opinion ... 💯
Whenever he spoke it was impossible not to listen.
Your opinion is humble and accurate.
Absolutely
The cream rises to the top, oh yeah!
Oh yeah! 😉
"Randy and the police dog went 2 out of 3 falls at the Waffle House." 😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣✊
This guy jim cornette is pretty good!
@@tizzleforrizzle youtube 10 people jim cornette hates more and you will see the master at work
😂😂😂
@@tomadjarm3302 😂
I love it when Jim and Brian delve deep into the early stages of a wrestling legends career. Savage is a perfect choice because a lot of people dont know he had about a decade long career before he even got to the WWF. 36 minutes of quality stuff right here.
💯👏🏽
Video with discussions like this are why Jim Cornette and this channel has became one of my favorites on UA-cam right now. I'm sort of addicted to hearing about these historical figures and places but within the context of a person making it interesting rather than just something somebody knows talking matter of factly. Like, Jim Cornette really LIVES this business and you have to respect the amount of time, dedication & research that goes into knowing about your career path and its history so well. Especially one that has been so belittled by the mainstream in the past and, unfortunately, by its current practitioners today.
how A&E didn't use him as a primary source for their pieces is absurd. He is the only qualified expert. he should be the first call anytime someone wants to do a bio on almost anything in the wrestling biz
Absolutely!!
Jim's reviews are basically companions to these bios to fill in the blanks, I don't watch them without 👍
Liz Hulette was a member of the WSIL news team. She would sometimes do interviews with ICW wrestlers.
"Too hot to handle, too cold to hold!" - Macho Man
Oh yea Dig it - Macho Man
"Cream of the crop!"
Pills
They should’ve had Brian on the Biography, talking about his bathroom encounter with Randy and Crush. You Gotta Gooooooooo!
.....what was said??
Agnoostic froont is underrated
"You gotta get the fuck outta here!"
Randy’s jumping over the top rope and landing on the floor neck snap to the opponent he used to do was insane.
In the A&E documentary they had Jimmy Hart calling ICW an outlaw promotion that couldn’t draw. And to illustrate this they showed one clip from one TV studio match. No arena show footage.
Wow, smh
Didn't Jim say the promotion never drew over 1500? So Hart is correct even with the footage they showed?
They used to have shows in Rupp Arena, and never really had large crowds.
How exactly did ICW make money then to survive?
I would love to see more of Randy's old matches from back in the day. Hes one of the best in the business!
2 outta 3 falls with the police dog lmao!
Cornette's impression of Savage was great
33:57
The smaller, lesser-known territories that had to link up with an NWA or an AWA and become just extentions (unless they were, of course, OUTLAWS) were like the pro wrestling equivalent to the dusty, side-of-the-road towns in all those movie westerns where they all had the saloons with the swinging doors.
Randy's staring at the candle promo from ICW is still one of my favorites of all time....
Oh yes!!! That’s a great one! I use his line in my boss a lot when I don’t get something done...”Situations developed, man!”
That's not even the only time he used that. They actually showed another promo in the show where he mentions staring at the candle.
Saw that for the first time about a year ago and it blew my mind haha. Watched it like 20 times in a row and damn near memorized it. It shot straight to the top as the best promo I ever saw haha
My favorite part was the fact that the guy who designed Jimi Hendrix costumes was the same guy who designed macho mans not surprised both were glowing genius and simply spectacular
The “freak out”promo.
❤️😂
I saw that pile driver of Ricky Morton through a table on a compilation video back in the 80s and couldn’t believe it. This was 10-15 years before anyone ever heard of “hardcore” or ECW.
5:10 - Paducah, KY in the house. I watched ICW as a kid. I know that it aired on WSIL, the ABC affiliate out of Harrisburg, IL (southern IL) up until the end, but I don't have any recollection of it airing on WPSD, the NBC affiliate out of Paducah. But, I do think all were known as serving the "Paducah market".
As much as I like to hear Jim ranting about AEW, i love these segments on old school wrestling. I'm a young fan who barely knew what WCW was until last year, but here I am, reading NWA books, reading about Buddy Rogers and listening to these podcasts and The Arcadian Vanguard Podcast. Thank you so much Jim and Brian for sharing this information with a new generation of fans.
It's great to let the young fans like you and me know that wrestling is not only the WWE bubble. I am re-watching the Hollywood Blonds run in 1993 WCW. Brain Pillman and Stone Cold Steve Austin were so good as a heel tag team.
@@anthonyrivera2306 seeing Austin with hair and doing a California accent sure is something else!
@@arnavbhagwat4232 Definitely
When you get around to Mid South from about 82 to 88 , World Class and Florida for the same period to about 87 and the NWA Crockett years are all equally outstanding.
I been a wrestling fan 40 years...the industry has had SOOOOO many completely different styles an promotions. I dont know it all (theres been literally 500,000) storylines,but i know most of it..what fascinates me is the stories of wrestlers traveling on the road..in hotels...an bars..so many great stories.
Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling. Halifax, Nova Scotia. The big names went through here, amazing. Randy, Andre, Butch Reed, Cuban Assassin, Carpet Beggar, Leo Burke, Bobby Kay, the Beast, Killer Karl Krupp, etc
Yes yes yes. It's about time I see a nova Scotia opinion on here. Killer Karl krupp mad dog Vachon, Cuban assassin just to name a few. Awesome to c your post.
Almost every territory had some big names, on differing scales.
The Great Malumba, No Class Bobby Bass, Big Stephen Petitpas, Rotten Ron Starr...a shame that most of their classic TV footage is lost forever.
@@waywardson1663 I know. Seen Leo Burke nephew couple months here at local wrestling. Yes big names. Hear the theme music to GPW now. 😁😁
@@waywardson1663 so true. I got some old tapes from my dad's collection but not much. I wish I had it all on digital or anything really.
Dang I didn't know Savage was drafted out of HS to play baseball. Never really looked his background up before.
St. Louis Cardinals
He wasn't drafted.
Oh my God, that drawing of Jim wearing Angelo Poffos rather Plan 9 From Outer Space-ish robe collar killed me, as the photograh Angelo in the Biography was memorable to me. Thank you sir lol
s
Lol
I love all the thumbnail cartoons on this channel. This one is especially funny.
Phil Golden's wrestling promotion in 1972 was the first wrestling program I saw on WDXR-TV29 in Paducah, KY. Remember Angelo Poffo so well as a heel in that promotion. That's when I became a fan. Then I was so surprised when I had become friends with the guy who hauled the ring for them in the area told me Angelo was the Miser one night in 1980 at the National Guard Armory in Paducah and that Randy and Lanny were his sons. First time someone started to smart me up about the business.
Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling was in Halifax and run by Duprée.
Though he worked outlaw shows the last part of his career, Angelo Poffo worked as a high end jobber in Florida for Eddie Graham. There is a tv match with him and Harley Race somewhere on UA-cam.
34:26...
TheWay MachoMan "Rolled" His Hands *After* Throwing TheConfetti, was *TheBest!*
😜
ICW came to my town of Carrier Mills IL in about 1980 and performed in the grade school gym. It was packed! I grew up watching them on Friday nights after the late local news, on WPSD 6 out of Paducah KY. I loved the ICW. It blew my mind a few years later when I saw Leaping Lanny and Macho Man sitting in an ICW van side by side and laughing.
I never knew they were brothers and they always battled each other on ICW. That’s the day I realized “There isn’t a Santa Claus.”
Hey Stuart...I was watching and going to shows back then too....I think the show was on WSIL-3 Harrisburg though...I don't think WPSD has ever run a pro wrestling show. It was on late on Friday nights though as it was regular viewing by me and my high school friends as we would all meet up at someone's house after our dates and watch the ICW show
@@TonyRichards you are probably right. WSIL makes more sense. Loved it.
@@jebstuart40 I grew up in Pope County. I remember when this promotion was "it" for Southern Illinois. Those guys were just larger than life and it was so much fun to watch! I also did the 1990 Census in Carrier Mills so there you go...
Randy Savage The Macho Man was my absolute favourite wrestler as a kid! Loved his crazy attitude & he was awesome in the ring! Those were the days!!
I grew up watching Randy and Lanny in ICW and Memphis. Great wrestling!
I first saw the savage and Lanny in the late seventies in Berwick ,Nova Scotia. I think it was for Grand Prix Wrestling at the time.
You are correct and it would have been AGP. (I'm in Halifax area, originally from New Glasgow). I went to a ton of AGP shows in mid to late 80's.
@@TheRealDannAlexander Awesome
Jim Cornette should be making documentaries! I enjoyed this better than the Savage "biography" documentary! This is what I wanted to hear them go into, the past bussiness, the great talents he interacted with, the politics, and Savage's as well as Lenny's evolution. Ugh Jim Cornette is so good as a historian.
Those bios suck. They acted like Austin was in wcw for 2 weeks and tge skipped over 90% of his wcw run. They left out all his road time and hunting trips with Rick rude in wcw . Those bios are trash
@@jasonvoorhees6416 Not really impressed with what I saw. Every show has been produced and edited out of order, stories and events are left out... I'll stick to watching Dark Side of the Ring. These other shows where they go "hunting" for memorability for the WWE building is also stupid. Their idea of hunting "lost" stuff is basically them just going through storage lockers of wrestlers and bothering family and friends and Bill Apter. Won't be watching that crap either.
I truly enjoy Jim Cornette "History Lesson", which is normally "On Point"! I use to watch ICW On Ch. 3 WSIL-TV, before cable TV came to Southern IL, but.......... I MUST add, "Pistol Pez Whatley" started at the very beginning of ICW Days! He had legendary matches against Bob Orton Jr & Hustler Rip Rogers. Ronnie Garvin helped make "ICW" & He should've had a run with the title! Savage kept it to long! ICW should've been a "territory" under AWA! Before I was able to watch GCW/WCW, WCCW, Mid-South....... There was ICW!! 😁👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you JC and The Great Brian Last for filling in the gaps in A&E Bios on Roddy and Macho Man
I go alll the way back when he was a skinny blond kid wrestling in Detroit as Randy Poffo in denim shorts teamed up with the Sheik’s nephew Mike Thomas as the Mod Squad.
Kind of like a reverse-Shawn Michaels....
The Confetti in ThePocket Was *TheBest!*
😜
I remember ICW had tv up here in Green Bay.
Go Pack Go!
I grew up in Campbellsville, KY, and used to watch ICW on Saturday mornings. I remember those days. One that stood out was an interview segment w/Savage on a bridge over the Kentucky River. It was building up to when Savage dropped the ICW title to Paul Christy. Savage has a bunch of trophies around, supposedly all his, and he's talking rather subdued, then suddenly snaps, starts screaming like....well, Macho....and then starts smashing the trophies and throwing the remains into the Kentucky River.
Ahh, the old days....
I remember seeing Leaping Lanny Poffo with Randy Poffo @ the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte in the late 70's around 76-78 VS Paul Jones and Chief Wahoo
I would have loved to seen them some in JCP
As a kid I attended a ICW house show in Cannel City Kentucky at elementary school.
I remember Savage vs Lawler in cage matches & his tag team days. He was a Southern Heavyweight Champ & a big star back before WWF. I only remember bits & pieces but he was a huge star. Too many people think that he started out in WWF...
I learned that Jerry Lawler still has hard feelings towards Randy Savage.
Nice to hear Jim mention my hometown of Paducah, KY. Always heard about the old days of Savage wrestling at the armory.
I was a fan of ICW and saw a few live shows in Braxton County WV at the armory. I even got to talk to Angelo Poffo. I had no idea he was in charge.
Lol, I loved Jim's Randy Savage impression.
when i was a kid i watched many shows in manchester ky at earnie couchs entertainment center great memories
when cornette passes. it will be a TRUE day of mourning. his wealth of knowledge can probably never be replicated.
This was an awesome background to listen to after watching Randy’s Biography.
The Canadian maritime wrestlng was based in Moncton New Brunswick known as Grand Prix Wrestling. I remember them because I started watching it when I was a kid. Lanny was actually as popular as Randy back then. He was also known as Leaping Lanny.
Im from Paducah , remember watching ICW matches at the National Guard Armory. Dusty Rhodes, Dutch Mantell , Bill Dundee, Kerry Von Erich .. those may not have been ICW events but they were lots of fun for a 12 year old kid
Jim’s imitation of Randy was awesome, and so spot on! Lol!
Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling. Still crazy to me that they spent time up here in my part of the woods. So many amazing memories of going to AGP shows as a kid during the summer in the mid 80's. Leo Burke was one of my favourites ever. It's still amazing to me that Rick Martel worked his first match ever in my hometown of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. (Cannot recall if it was for AGP or if it was for someone else).
ICW is how I was introduced to professional wrestling, on WTVQ Channel 62 in Lexington at some unusual hour (and yes it was low budget). This is why Randy Savage is my favorite wrestler of all time, even though I hated him when I was 7. RIP Macho Man.
I love how they do a follow-up episode because only Jim watched it the first time, and in the follow-up, Jim still does all the talking. Brilliant since I can listen to Jim spout facts and history all night.
I've been watching GCW starting in 1979 I'm up to 1981. It's amazing
I'm glad through all his years of watching macho-man cornette has only managed to memorize some obscure promo for 1979
Macho Man Randy Savages promo have always been classic and the feuds he had in the 80/90s were great
31:58 Great Lanny!
Travis Heckel is brilliant!
Sometimes I am merely entertained. Other times - such as this - I learn stuff.
Thank you, Jim (and Brian)
Angelo worked for Fred Kohler in Chicago On the bottom or at best mid-card when they were going out national in the 50s. He hung around until Bruiser and Bob Luce brought it back much later. He lived in Downers Grove a suburb on the opposite end of the state from Kentucky.
Late 70’s, The Maritime provinces of Canada was Emile Dupree’s Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling based out of Moncton, NB. I believe Halifax was part of the regular rotation of their travelling show. Television tapings were done at the Cocagne Arena about 20 minutes from Moncton.
I grew up in Lexington Ky and remember when Randy Savage was arrested for shoplifting. I've read some people saying that this was a publicity stunt and this podcast is the first time I've heard a confirmation of it. But I still don't get it. ICW was literally admitting to the world that their 'world heavyweight champion' didn't make enough money to eat. It wasn't really publicity since the local newspaper barely mentioned it. I remember it being a one paragraph blurb in the City/State section. But, they were crazy so I guess it's possible somebody there thought this was a good idea. I miss ICW. Since they were a smaller outfit and had smaller crowds, they could push the envelope more and do things that couldn't be done in a large arena. They would plant people in the audience to jump in the ring, they had hired hecklers that would harass the wrestlers, and, of course, things wouldn't always go as planned and a small riot would ensue. Good times.
I remember the Poffos showing up in Mid Atlantic wrestling in the 70's. The brothers had become the Mid Atlantic tag team champions. That was right before the start of I.C.W.
I miss Randy Savage
I miss my grandma
Late at night one summer in the mid 80s, I remember seeing ICW here in Southeastern Ohio. Never seen it after that one summer.
i moved to memphis right about when macho man joined memphis wrestling. holy smoke he was compelling in & out of the ring. teamed up with jimmy valiant at least once IIRC. comin to memphis for that point in memphis wrestling was fantastic.
Jim Cornette as "The Miser" Angelo Poffo.
In ICW Ronnie Garvin was dropping "pipe bombs" years before it was "cool".
I remember Randy wrestling for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion as Randy Poffo very very early in his career. I remember an angle where Bulldog Don Kent supposedly broke his leg. He came back as Randy Savage but he didnt stay in Detroit long.
I remember watching ICW wrestling on an UHF station out of Memphis, I believe. Can't remember if it was Channel 24 or 30 or some other channel. This was late 79, early 80s. It was the first wrestling show outside of Memphis Wrestling that I watched.
I watched that documentary on Macho Man and when they showed his early years working in Ky, they mentioned Lexington KY but he also wrestled the main event in my hometown Maysville, Ky in a "loser gets paint dumped on them. Maysville has one of the biggest basketball gyms in the state, so it was a good turnout but anyway, Ronnie Garvin "The Hands if Stone" won the match with Randy and dumped yellow paint all over him and I remember that pretty well. I had an autographed pic with Garvin holding the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Belt made most infamous by Ric Flair and the painted NWO on it but it was that belt. Pretty cool memory and I hate that through the years that picture has been missing for years but anyway I'm not even sure if Randy was Macho Man, I was about 7 then so I remember some things but oh yeah and the Sheik was there too. Pretty cool stuff, I would love to ask Corny if he would've remembered that booking or any record on it. ☮️
Outstanding artwork once again by Travis.
That syringe Jim mentioned was supposed to have contained PCP, causing Garvin to start foaming at the mouth. ICW was being shown very late at night and I caught that show after a night of drinking and thought I might be hallucinating.
Lanny Poffo looking like Charles Bronson in the thumbnail.
I remember Angelo doing sit ups for an entire show one time.
Jimmy Hart did use the term "outlaw" promotion in the Biography.
Jim omitted that Randy started in Detroit for The Sheik's promotion working mostly opening bouts. He was skinny as a toothpick back then.
Im from Big Hill Kentucky Im 33 I saw a lot of different local wrestling on tv as a kid, I wish I could find video of some of that stuff for sale online
As a kid I thought Macho killed Steamboat with that bell, my first experience watching wrestling was that moment. We all watched something special with those 2, both are top 5 in my book
I loved this angle as a kid. It scared the crap out of me but I loved it. I think the part that made it the most real to me was Bruno Sammartino giving the update on Steamboat's condition and getting interrupted by Savage. Savage starts gloating and Bruno loses his shit and throttles Savage.
Randy was a good baseball player. I remember him on a St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcast and he was telling Mike Shannon that one season he hit over .340.
did he use his real voice or Macho Man voice?
@@maxand.1462 His real voice is the macho man voice.
@@maxxdahl6062 ya no it's not
@@chrischar9428 ya ya it is.
He wasn't in character that day.
@Official Jim Cornette. Wwooo Cape Girardeau shout out. We love you in SEMO Jim!!
It's a shame that this guy is being blackballed from every wrestling company because he keeps it 100% real he is truly a legend. It's crazy that his gift of gab is what makes him so popular and talented but it's also what ended up getting him in trouble. THE GIFT OF GAB IS A BLESSING AND A CURSE FOR YOU LEGEND JIM CORNETTE
Jim's not really blackballed. Vince had him up for the Rock n roll hall of fame, Tony Khan wanted to hire him.
Jim just doesn't want, or need, a job.
I imagine it was pretty crazy to be a fan of ICW and watching Randy and others in some dudes backyard to seeing him in the WWF.
Jim/Bryan/Travis - I also remember an ICW angle with Pez. He had to wear a wig because of some match stipulation. Wearing the wig made his headbutt less effective. Disclaimer - me remembering it doesn't mean that it actually happened. I think this did though. What happened here? What was the angle and how did he ever get rid of the wig?
A headbutt softening enforced wig is surely too weak to be a real angle, outlaws or no!
I remember Garvin putting Pez in a box dressed as a woman. Something about a girl contest....
Close. it was a mop head.
Atlantic Grand Prix, covered Nova Scotia,New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
33:57 there's only one Macho Man impersonator, and that's Bruce Prichard
I watched it today
All I want is to re find the Puerto Rico promo where savage says seeexxxxxxx yeeaaahhh sssseexxxx
Crusher lived at my uncles apartment complex in lexington, randy and lanny used to come over and gang at the pool,it was when randy was stil farilyl early in the creation on macho man but he was allway over the top, i was 14 or 15 and he got me interested in weight training,it was just that one summer but macho man gave me some pretty solid advice on how to bulk up and carry a attitude,.IM 57 now and still in good shape from his. Advice . Lol R.I.P. MACHO MAN
That must be the same Waffle House story Dutch tells when Randy got in a knife fight with the cook using a butter knife.
Was the cook Butterbean?
Kingsport! Cornette name dropped my hometown. Pretty crazy to hear 😆
ICW was the only consistently broadcast wrestling we got in my area, in Central Illinois, from 1981-1984, at the end. We'd briefly get Bruiser's WWA, from Indianapolis; but, only for a few weeks, when they'd promote Springfield,. ICW was low rent visuals, but so was the WWA, as they didn't have the same talent anymore, when we got their shows. They had a few veterans, like co-promoter Wilber Snyder, who were good, and sons-in-law Spike Huber & Steve "Mr Electricity" Regal; but a lot of guys like Dr Jerry Graham Jr and such. The Poffo ICW was way more exciting to watch.1981 they were still strong; but, it starts slipping by 1982 (when the Sheik and some of the detroit guys come in) and it gets worse by 1983 and, by 1984, the poffos are pretty much working Memphis, Paul Christy is champion, and some Memphis undercard guys (Ron Sextion, Wilhoit & Batten) are working there.
Corny pretty well sums it up, especially about what a dead zone it was from Cape Girardaeu, Mo, to West Virginia. Once cable came along, we could see better wrestling, like the WWF just before Hogan gets the belt, and WCW, when it was the Georgia show.
Ohh yeah..Freak Out 🎉🎉
Great Video Corny! 2 out of 3 falls with the police dog at the Waffle House 💀😂😂😂😂
Man im from Lexington , Its a shame i was born in 78 and missed that !
Tell me about it. I was born in 95, and never got to see it except some footage on youtube. I was excited when I found out Lexington at one point had its own promotion, because Lexington doesn't have a lot of wrestling
@@AlexPlaysGaming i know right ! That would have been awesome ! If i ever win the lottery ill hit you up an we start one in Lex lol !
@@Brando-Lee3725 lol hell yeah! ive always wanted to start my own promotion in lexington, and just make it big in the state. as big as the wildcats basketball team
What I love about these stories is that they flesh out all those 80s Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazines when I didnt know who these guys were before they went to WWF. I still remember seeing the standings in the magazines with all these guys ranked. Lol This was better than the Macho Man biography for damn sure.
Oh YEAH dig IT!
How does Cornette know all this stuff? He's like a real life walking encicoplitia of wrestling
ICW ran Knoxville a couple of months. Maybe 10 12 shows. Was pretty good shows but no tv killed it. Can't sell tickets if no one knows your wrestling no matter who you books. Funny you mention Manchester. Went to show there to see buddy work. It was held about a mile from federal prison in a chicken fighting barn! Actually a huge nice metal building with bigger fence then the prison. Nice concession stand actually cooking. You could tell what it was for by ring being set up in a pit! Prob nicest building in whole damn town!
Wow, Travis. Good Lanny.
I thought a&e explained ICW well. I understood the basic concept of what it was.