Daily Dirt: Sweet memories of those flying elbow drops and stomach claws

Any day with a little rasslin’ talk is a good day. Welcome to Vol. 102 of the Daily Dirt and the customary three thoughts.

1. Since I was a wee lad — relatively speaking, that is — I have had a love affair with pro wrestling.

That love affair with the squared circle dates to the 1960s and lasted through the early 2000s. That’s when pro wrestling started a take a rather dark turn where there was rarely any good or bad differentiating the combatants, just some blurred middle ground. But that’s a another opinion for another day.

Today we’re looking back at some of what made pro rasslin’ great entertainment, and what I hope will do do so again some day. From the days of Bruno Sammartino through the Hulk Hogan era and beyond, part of the appeal to this marvelous form of entertainment was the famous finishing moves provided by our heroes in tights.Such as:

Gold medal: Randy “Macho Man” Savage’s “Flying Elbow Drop”: Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the most spectacular finishing maneuver was not Hulk Hogan’s atomic leg drop, Ric Flair’s figure-four leglock or Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ DDT, it was the Macho Man flying from the top rope to apply the his punishing elbow drop.

“Yes, long before every other superstars were attempting their own aerial assaults, Savage was turning the high-flying act into an art form … (and) it was usually just a matter of time before the three-count. Ooooh yeah!!,” remembers Michael Burdick, a longtime WWE spokesman.

Silver medal: Killer Kowalski’s “Stomach Claw”: The move made Kowalski a star attraction. “With his massive hands, Kowalski worked like a surgeon, pinpointing his opponent’s stomach muscles with precision … Killer applied vicious, relentless pressure, squeezing an opponent’s intestines until submission was achieved,” legendary pro wrestling announcer Howard Finkel once explained.

Bronze medal: Goldberg’s “Sharpshooter”: Before Roman Reigns, Batista and Edge made the spear a signature weapon, the forceful tackle was brought to prominence 173 times during 1997-98. Goldberg decimated everyone in his path during what was that impressive and memorable winning streak.

Honorable mention: Bret “The Hit Man” Hart’s “Sharpshooter”: “As iconic as the pink and black tights donned by the WWE Hall of Famer himself, the sharpshooter is often imitated, never equaled and, arguably, the best there is, the best there was and the best there will be,” according to pro wrestling writer Alex Giannini.

2. Time for a little more overrated, underrated …

Overrated: “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” will soon end its two-year run, which is probably a good thing. None of the young cast members proved nearly as appealing as those in the two flagship franchises, “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead.” At times, “The World Beyond” can be so lame I find myself rooting for the zombies.

Underrated: Of all the personalities that have found their way to “The Walking Dead” universe, I have to think Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) has never received the credit he deserves. If I ever find myself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, I want Daryl on my side with that high-falutin’ bow-and-arrow contraption he always has with him.

Overrated: Digital notebooks, digital notes, digital everything. Of course, our cellphones are vital in today’s world, but there are still days I purposely leave mine at home. Some days it’s just good to not be “connected.”

(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The Publisher/GM will remember this the next time Dr. Dirt swings by wanting to go to lunch and Dr. Dirt can pick up the tab. JRG)

Underrated: Calendars. Old-fashioned calendars. I still feel they are a vital to daily life, just as much as the cellphones mentioned in the preceding comment. I love calendars for all the hand-written, personalized notes I leave on them and I love to see them hanging on walls. 

3. Earlier this fall, the website 247sports.com compiled its list of the 40 most-hated players in recent NFL history, using an earlier compilation by The Sporting News as a starting point.

Players convicted of murder (Rae Carruth, Aaron Hernandez), plus O.J. Simpson (whose crimes came after his playing career ended), were not included. The list includes players who were disliked while they were active in the NFL. Here’s the top 10 in countdown fashion:

10. Adam “Pacman” Jones.

9. Ben Roethlisberger.

8. Bill Romanowski.

7. Colin Kapaernick.

6. Ray Lewis.

5. Tom Brady.

4. Greg Hardy.

3. Ndamukong Suh.

2. Terrell Owens.

1.  Michael Vick. 

Steve Fact O’ The Day Steve, sitting at ringside covering a 1980s pro wrestling extravaganza in Canton, Ohio, had a pizza thrown on him by Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. Strange, but very true.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Bet the farm that Steve still ate the pizza that was thrown at him.