Medium: Film
Title: The One and Only
Bio: A wrestler who had gone through more gimmick changes than Ed Leslie, Andy Schmidt finally found his calling as The Lover. Even though he wasn’t built like a wrestler, or even knew how to actually wrestle, he embodied the true essence of professional wrestling: the spectacle of excess.
Signature Move: Making a grand entrance.
Author: James Martinez
Follow on Twitter @cheapopculture.
Frankie the Thumper
Medium: Film
Title: Paradise Alley
Bio: A mobster’s hired muscle by day and a grappler by night, Frankie the Thumper almost picked up his biggest win against Kid Salami had he not been disqualified for continually attacking Salami after the round was over. In his defense, it was the 22nd round and he was probably getting tired of waiting for Salami to finally go down.
Signature Move: Thumping.
Kid Salami
Medium: Film
Title: Paradise Alley
Bio: The slow-witted breakout star of Paradise Alley’s wrestling league easily defeated all comers. However, his win against Frankie the Thumper will forever be tainted due to the ref awarding him the victory on account of Frankie unrelentingly beating the crap out of him after the 22nd round was over.
Signature Move: Doing what his two older brothers tell him to do.
“The Human Crane” Kid Morgan
Medium: Anime
Title: Karate Master
Bio: Despite being able to lift a car, the gigantic Kid Morgan was another in a long list of American wrestlers who fell prey to Ken Asuka in a series of wrestling vs. karate bouts.
Signature Move: Airplane spin.
Red-Headed Killer
Medium: Anime
Title: Karate Master
Bio: Red-Headed Killer was a racist pro wrestler who really disliked Japanese karate masters. He lost his vision to the dreaded eye-poke of doom.
Signature Move: Xenophobia.
“The Red Scorpion” Tam Rice
Medium: Anime
Title: Karate Master
Bio: Tam Rice was a no-nonsense wrestler, who was really more of a boxer. He hated karate and was responsible for ending anime Rikidozan’s U.S. undefeated streak.
Signature Move: The Scorpion Punch.
Karate Master
Karate Master
1973 – 1974
Karate Master was an anime series that aired in Japan about… karate. It also depicted American wrestlers and wrestling fans as xenophobic hate mongers. I have no idea whether or not this was supposed to be aimed at kids or adults at the time it came out, but the adult me definitely appreciated it more than 10-year-old me ever would have.
El Mascarado
Medium: Film
Title: Wrestlemaniac
Bio: Once a famed luchador, El Mascarado became a deranged killer inside and outside the ring. Instead of being sent to prison, he was sent to live in some small remote town in Mexico, free to kill anyone who happened to stop by via wrestling holds.
Signature Move: Murder.
Charmed
“Wrestling with Demons”
Season 3, Episode 12
2/01/2001
Proving why The Undertaker has been so successful for all these years, comes another show dealing with the occult that somehow manages to work in pro wrestling as part of the plot. Side note: “Wrestling with Demons” should’ve been the title of the Jake “The Snake” Roberts documentary.
The Mad Bull
Medium: Film
Title: Mad Bull
Bio: Mad Bull was a heel in an era where everybody treated heels like pieces of shit, both inside and outside the ring. It affected his love life and his relationship with his son. He made it his mission to prove to the world that he was a decent guy, and that the top babyface, Jack Braden, was a dick in real life.
Signature Move: Turning face.
Cheap Pop Culture 