1982-83 Wrestling All Stars PSA Graded Cards

[Dpeck100]

I never got to see any of the old action that you did and my introduction to Ivan Putski was on the cover of a WWF VHS at the video store on Curry Ford in Orlando as a kid. He was jacked and shredded and that is all I knew and it wasn't until many years later I learned who that person was. I have watched a little footage of him and from what I can tell his look was his skill.

From what I have read Strongbow was right at the top of the babyfaces and the crowd loved him but obviously he was getting up their in age and his ring work was suspect.

Both of these cards are tough.

[Bored5000]

Putski was so over to the extent that the crowd would explode when he would do something as simple as grabbing the ring mic and yell "Polish Power." It is amazing all the things fans know now because of the Internet and various wrestler books that I had no idea about when I was a kid. I have read multiple places about Putski being notorious for taking liberties with enhancement talent.

I have not seen much of Mighty Igor (and never really looked him up much on YouTube), but I frequently see people online write that they enjoyed Putski's gimmick so much more the first time around -- when Mighty Igor did it.

Bret Hart in particular was not too complimentary about Strongbow in his book. Hart talked about Strongbow being a humorless road agent at the time who would snitch out the wrestlers to Vince McMahon for the smallest of indiscretions. Jim Cornette is also pretty negative about Strongbow when his name comes up -- both as a worker and the Chief outside the ring.

[Dpeck100]

I can't stand Bret Hart. He in my view has a wildly inflated view on his contributions to the business and level of true money drawing stardom.


One of the great things about old wrestling is it isn't politically correct. I bounce around on YouTube from wrestling clip to wrestling clip at times and came across the feud of Strongbow and Ernie Ladd from Georgia Championship Wrestling a few years ago and it is awesome!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlx7ejs6-Rw


I got really fortunate and bought some really nice raw examples and submitted three PSA 9's in one sub. Not one of them but have seven in total.


Edit: I couldn't remember how this cert came to be and I self submitted it August 25th 2010 in a 133 card sub that was shipped September 2nd!

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Dpeck100

I can't stand Bret Hart. He in my view has a wildly inflated view on his contributions to the business and level of true money drawing stardom.


One of the great things about old wrestling is it isn't politically correct. I bounce around on YouTube from wrestling clip to wrestling clip at times and came across the feud of Strongbow and Ernie Ladd from Georgia Championship Wrestling a few years ago and it is awesome!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlx7ejs6-Rw


I got really fortunate and bought some really nice raw examples and submitted three PSA 9's in one sub. Not one of them but have seven in total.


Edit: I couldn't remember how this cert came to be and I self submitted it August 25th 2010 in a 133 card sub that was shipped September 2nd!

Bret was certainly his own biggest fan in his book, but I thought the book was excellent. IMO, it is one of the best books by a wrestler out there. There were were so many revealing stories and insights into many different wrestlers. The absolute worst wrestling books are the ones that don't break kayfabe or insult the reader,

Hart wrote that it struck him many times that so many of the nicest, most decent guys in the locker room were heels in the ring and so many of the people that fans cheered for every night were really a-holes.

Hart wrote that just about the worst thing he ever saw in the business was the Ultimate Warrior blowing off a child from the Make-A-Wish foundation and leaving the arena without even acknowledging the kid. Hart wrote that no matter what other criticisms anyone may have with Hulk Hogan, Hogan was always amazing when it came to meeting a Mark-A-Wish child.

Hart also told some hilarious stories about Dynamite Kid (IIRC) taking a shit in Jerry Lawler's crown. Another story involved germophobe Dick Murdoch. The WWF was touring Mexico at the time and when the wrestlers walked into the locker room, someone had left behind a pair of soiled underwear. When Murdoch went to the ring for match, the other wrestlers took his underwear out of his wrestling bag and replaced it with the soiled pair. Murdoch came back to the locker room and was gagging when he found the pair of soiled underwear with his clothes.

Bret also talked about Rick McGraw doing more steroids than anyone he had ever seen. McGraw was a name from my youth, and he was just absolutely ripped, but he was too small for the time to ever get a meaningful push.

Hart talked about the cycle of drug dependency so many of the wrestlers of his era got into. Many guys were making more money than they could even dream of and were spending that money on cocaine and alcohol. So many of the wrestlers were also mixing cocaine and alcohol with painkillers (since there was so such thing as a disabled list) and sleeping pills.

Hart talked about tearing his rotator cuff, and the doctor telling him needed to take six months off. Vince McMahon told him not to worry about money because he would take care of Hart financially while he was out. Hart wrote the he received a check for (IIRC) either $200 or $300 from the WWF. Hart wrote that a couple hundred bucks didn't do squat when his mortgage at the time was $2,500 a month. So he was back wrestling with a torn rotator cuff in just a couple months.

[Dpeck100]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_McGraw


Looks like McGraw died in 1985. I have seen a few of his matches but now it makes sense why I don't recall any after the mid 80's.

I love when the wrestlers tell the stories but it seems even when they break kayfabe some times it is total BS.

Some of the ribs I have read about over the years are just crazy.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Dpeck100

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_McGraw


Looks like McGraw died in 1985. I have seen a few of his matches but now it makes sense why I don't recall any after the mid 80's.

I love when the wrestlers tell the stories but it seems even when they break kayfabe some times it is total BS.

Some of the ribs I have read about over the years are just crazy.

I had kind of forgotten just how close together McGraw's match with Piper was to McGraw's death. In 1985, I was in sixth grade. I can confirm that the "Piper killed him" speculation was everywhere among fans at the time.

[Dpeck100]

I always liked Ricky Steamboat. Awesome wrestler and had a great physique.

Got to meet him probably six years ago and he was really cool. This card is very tough. I have a single listed on eBay and it is intersting that it has 18 watchers.