Just feeding out of this afternoon's chat...
Which wrestlers were big on detailed planning before a bout?
The two I was able to name were Randy Savage and, ouf ours, only Kendo Nagasaki.
Detailed planning had to be a good thing for the fans; and you can see the results in the exciting bouts of the two mentioned.
But many were happy with just minimal detail, famously the eavesdropping on Rocky Wall and Maike Marino planning a draw. Imagine if they'd heard Nagasaki!
Do you know of any other detailed planners?
I agree, Hack.
Partially. ☺
Examples:
When seventies McManus was wrestling anyone new, he had to tell them "I take three cross-ring throws in the bout, don't do any more."
Nagasaki surely had to show each opponent first time how to pull the mask up to the nostrils. And negotiate they they should stand still while he came down with the sword.
Street and Barnes would have specified which part of their kit could be roughed up.
I mean, these guys spent hours and hours in the dressing rooms together. They must have enthusiastically had ideas of "Let's do this, let's do that."
Sure, when it was Wall v Marino, or Colbeck v McManus, they didn't need to say a word. But when there was a disparity in fame or experience, planning needed to be more thorough. Kellett didn't always face Sharron and Graham, sometimes there were other opponents - they were central to selling his tricks.
Didn't we see a poster recently of Paul Mitchell facing Mick McManus? I don't think you two locked up very often. Was a lot discussed beforehand, Paul?
Wasn't it the improvisation allowed to reach the desired result the thing which made it so authentic.
Most of the stories I have read or heard were mainly that the wrestlers were given the result, in the dressing room, before they walked out, and they pretty much decided everything else themselves, "...you can get me with fall in round 3, I'll get a submission in round 6...", sort of stuff.
Despite his arrogant demeanour, in the dressing room , Haggetty seemed to be totally selfless. He had the attitude that he was working for me and there to do what he was asked.
On the other hand, I recall trying to share with Bob Bell and Dave Crosse (Ragnor the Viking) some ideas I had for their bout. Bell said, "Do you wrestle?" I said, "No, I promote," and he replied, "Right then, you do the promoting and leave the wrestling to us."
For a short while, after Ignatious Borg retired from wrestling, Tony continued working with a variety of partners. I had the idea of teaming him with a villainous Ian Wilson at The Town Hall, Sandbach, (now a venue for Jack Cotterill's jazz concerts), and was laying out my ideas for the disintegration of the pairing ending up with them fighting each other. Tony was unimpressed with my ideas but backed down when "Romeo" Joe Critchley (on the bill versus Melvyn Riss), gently tapped Tony on the shoulder and said, "It's the lad's show. He's paying us."
Promoter opponent ego Hall history
My memory was planning a draw, Main Mask. But never mind. The point being they hardly planned anything. Just the result.,
Wasn't the Plan for the MARINO/WALL Fight to be a 1-0 Win for ALBERT from
Memory ANGLO?/
MAIN MASK