Running. We’ve all
done it. To a larger degree, we have all
run a race in some form or fashion. What
makes up the race, you ask? The start,
the running itself, and the eventual finish of the race. It is what it is. So why is it that people run races? No matter what happens, everyone runs against
another person for a variety of reason.
Some run to test the other person’s speed. For others, it can be a test of
endurance. Ultimately, we run races to
win.
If you are running a race, it is done with selfish
reasons. You want to cross the finish
line. You want your hand raised. And if you are like me, you wanna talk some
smack afterwards. It’s simply my competitive
nature. That’s one thing I’ll never run
from. All that aside, you can apply the “running
analogy” to pro wrestling. Just like in
a foot race or auto race or whatever race there may be, everyone is trying to
get to the finish line. And as always is
the case in pro wrestling, nothing is ever as it seems. The three elements of running the race are
universal. There is no denying it. Running a race in pro wrestling is not the
same as running one anywhere else because people are ALWAYS watching.
Because even after (or if) you cross the finish line, a new race begins
immediately. But in pro wrestling, which
of these elements are the most important?
I guess the best way to find out is to explore the most celebrated and
familiar race run in all of pro wrestling…..
….the chase for a championship.
In examining these races, four title chases immediately come
to mind. They are the respective runs of
three Hall Of famers and one current star.
While all of these men have been World champion multiple times, I will
look at their initial title reigns and the respective aftermaths.
·
HULK HOGAN:
Hulk Hogan’s race to his initial WWE World title reign happened mostly
in Minneapolis and the old AWA. Hogan
had been feuding with reigning kingpin Nick Bockwinkle in a series of really
entertaining matches. I’d never seen an
AWA crowd more invested in a match except when these two fought. Hogan was coming close but always falling
short in his chase due to some weird technicality. Around this time, WWE had begun its national
expansion. Hogan left the AWA for the
WWE and a much bigger paycheck. Less
than two months after returning, Hogan beat The Iron Sheik to win the World
championship. Hogan’s larger-than-life
image transcended organizations so much so, he had WWE fans onboard with
Hulkamania before he stepped foot into a WWE ring for a second time. And the rest is history…..
·
STING: In
the late 1980’s, the NWA had an influx of amazing young athletes ready to make
a name for themselves. The Steiner
Brothers, Barry Windham, Nikita Koloff, and Lex Luger were slowly becoming the
face for a new generation of NWA wrestler.
Standing out above them all was Sting.
He was an amazing athlete that got people of all ages behind him. His story took several turns over the
years. The 45-minute draw with Ric Flair
in 1988. His induction and dismissal
from the Four Horsemen coupled with winning the Ironman tournament in
1989. His knee injury after being
announced as a challenger for the World championship. All the while, the fans stayed on board. It all culminated in Sting true coming-of-age
match in July 1990 when he finally beat Flair for the championship. With every step of the race, Sting had
captured the fans interest and they ran with him to the finish line. People trying to build a champion should study
his run.
·
STEVE AUSTIN:
Hogan and Sting were game changers and Steve Austin was no
different. Gone were the days of the
magnificent blonde who populated USWA (I swear, I couldn’t tell him and Rod
Price apart sometimes) and WCW. Austin
used his early career misfortunes as the blueprint to reinvent himself. He was the undisputed leader of the WWE
Attitude Era. No matter how vulgar
Austin became, he kept fan interest even when he initially told people to “knock
it off” when they began cheering him during his feud with Bret Hart. Was his run a straight run to the title? Heck no.
Austin had a few bumps in the road.
Between his knees and his neck, he unapologetically jumped those
hurdles. And through it all, the fans’
support never wavered. He’d win the
Royal Rumble and defeat Shawn Michaels to begin his first title reign.
·
So what were the aftermaths of these respective
situations? Hogan became WWE’s poster
boy for the better part of a decade. His
first World title reign lasted over four years and was bookmarked by some of
the greatest moments in WWE history.
Sting’s title reign would last less than six or seven months. He defended the title against Sid Vicious and
came out on the better end of the Black Scorpion debacle only to lose the belt
back to Flair. For all of the great
things Austin did during his career, his championship reigns weren’t one of
them. “Stone Clod’s” first reign was
only 91 days long. Austin gave the sport of wrestling a major
face-lift. However, Hogan’s first reign
nearly triples Austin’s combined days as champion over six reigns. As for Roman, his story is just still being
written. He has a great chance to make
sure history remembers him well and continue the magnificent tradition of his
bloodline. He’s still running.
The slow build still works in wrestling. All you have to do is grab people’s attention
and hold on to it. Sting and Austin are
examples of the race being more fun while it’s being run than when it’s
over. People held on to their strides
and missteps. Fans felt compelled to
jump hurdles and go over obstacles with them.
When the race was finally over, it meant a whole lot more than just
dropping a belt on a guy.
If you run the race the right way, it still does.
Fin.
Comments