Yes, the man in the red tights is wrestling legend Nikolai Volkoff. And yes, besides Volkoff nothing in the picture resembles a pro wrestling show at all. There is no ring, no referee (unless you count the guy in the black pants who looks like Francis from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure), no banners, no signs, nothing. The Wrestling Blog called it "The Saddest Wrestling Show" ever. I agree.
According to one of the people involved's Facebook:
I arrived at the venue around 6pm and as I went in well things werent looking too well. The ring crew got pulled over due to a too heavy load with a ring that was on their way to the venue but were told that they had to turn around in which it made it to where they couldnt bring the ring in. The promoters were on the phones trying there best with others to get a ring to the venue but it wasnt looking too bright. I noticed that everyone became discouraged due to this incident and some wanted to leave. As the fans were coming, they were all told that abt the issue and it didnt seem to bother them one bit because they wanted to see a wrestling show and it motivated the promoters to get the wrestling mats out and put on a show. The boys in the locker room were all still worried due to having no ring. Bobby Fulton took charge and had a meeting in the locker room informing us that the show must go on and that we were here to give fans what they want to see. Bobby then assigned us all to duties to where the locker rooms discouragement lifted up to where everyone became encouraged and did their part to where we all worked together to make this event happen. The end result was the event was an hour and a half and the fans were louder then most shows ive been on in the past. The workers stepped up got out of their fear mindsets and put on one of the most memorable and loudest shows i ever been on. The fans were into it like u wouldnt believe and every fan left with a smile on their face and a wrestling show that they will never forget.
However believable that explanation is, there is one more tidbit that makes this show even more bizarre and separates it from all the other half-attempts at pro wrestling entertainment that go on world-wide on an given day.
This show was supposedly a tribute show for Randy "Macho Man" Savage.
Another tribute to Macho Man gone horribly wrong.
Who can forget the July 2011 "Macho Man Tribute" debacle in New Port Richey, Florida when "promoter" Dino Puglia shafted not only the wrestlers and the band out of pay, but also shorted the charity the show was put on for? As a first-hand spectator, that was by far the worst show I have ever been to. The Tampa Tribune covered most of the problems with the show, but left out a few other embarrassing details such as:
- Puglia's "tribute" to Macho Man was dragging a big screen TV into the ring and showing Macho Man's WrestleMania 3 match against Ricky Steamboat. If members of the crowd were on the backside of the TV, they couldn't see. And there was no volume.
- Wrestling legend Ox Baker openly mocked the promoter's no-bell "moment of silence" for Randy Savage. Usually wrestlers gather around the ring as the bell is rung and all observe a moment of silence. Every time Puglia said "Ding", Ox Baker replied with "Dong". Standing in the crowd, it was extremely difficult for me to not laugh.
- The first match wasn't even a match. It was two fans horsing around in the ring with a referee pulling them apart. It was backyard wrestling in a wrestling ring.
- Puglia nearly got into a shouting match with the band before he left. This interaction happened by the front door of the arena just behind the bleachers where a majority of the crowd was siting. Where everyone could hear. When the band learned they weren't getting paid, they asked Puglia if anyone was getting paid. Puglia tried to hide behind wrestlers, many of whom quickly realized they too weren't getting paid. That left no safe place for Puglia and he bailed.
- The main event didn't even happen as after Puglia skipped out, the show disintegrated. After the ruckus with the band, some wrestlers only went back into the locker room to change back into their civilian attire. After 30 minutes, the ring crew started taking things apart and packing up.
Since the Macho Man died in May of 2011, I have not yet heard of a good tribute show to the former wrestling legend. Maybe it has happened. Maybe it had living legends and local wrestlers opening their hearts to the memory of the Macho Man and putting on the greatest spectacle the squared circle has ever seen. But I am starting to think that maybe the man who wanted no part of wrestling after his retirement is haunting the business. Maybe he figures since he can't get back at Vince McMahon, he will make sure any "tribute" is fumbled and every promoter who tries to capitalize on Macho Madness is made to look bad.
Dig it?
