Friday, December 31, 2010

トム・ジンク
TOM ZINK


1960年11月30日
ミネソタ州ミネアポリス出身
185cm 100kg
得意技:ドロップキック

高校卒業後、ゴールド・ジムで体を鍛える。E・シャーキーにスカウトされて83年にMSWA地区でデビュー。WWFではリック・マーテルと組んでカンナム・コネクションとして活躍。86年、全日本プロレスの最強タッグ決定リーグ戦にリック・マーテルと組んで参加。抜群のチームワークで活躍。9チーム中6位で敢闘賞。87年の最強タッグにもターミネーターと組んで参加。89年末にZマンとなって、NWAに進出。WCWではジョニー・ガンと組んで活躍。以後、WCWとの関係で新日本プロレスに2回登場。

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Portland update from Fans of Portland Wrestling and WrestlingClassics.com


Portland Wrestling's weekly Saturday night cards and TV tapings were held at the Portland Sports Arena. The building still stands and is part of the Mount Olivet Baptist Church. Its at 8501 North Chautauqua Blvd. Portland, OR 97217. 


Oh and it's was never a studio. It was a converted bowling alley turned wrestling arena/ flea market. At the time of Portland Wrestling,  it was an old building. Not that it was broken down at all, but no effort was ever made to really clean it up. If you went to the Portland Sports Arena, you would smell like Winston's for the next week..... Andyou could always count on cold hot dogs & warm RC. It was a GREAT place for pro wrestling!!!


(Above) Inside of the old sports arena today. The double doors at the end of the hallway are about the only things left from the Sports Arena days. You can't see them, but right next to the Pepsi machines are the steps the wrestlers would take to get to the ring. The steps to the old Crow's Nest interview area were about where the two chairs and table are sitting.



 Dynamite Kid and some of the Klan in the Crows Nest


In the "Crow's Nest" TV interview area, circa 1986 - Billy Jack Haynes, Tom Zenk & Brady Boone confront Rip Oliver, Bobby Jaggers, Mike Miller, while Don Coss holds the mike and the middle ground.


Zenk was at his biggest...

....a melee erupts.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Not Jay Tabb writes ......

Not Jay Tabb is a blog named after the 2007/08 Coventry City player of the year. It is also my attempt to rediscover what I love about pro-wrestling. For while I still watch the WWE and TNA regularly, I don't invest in tapes or seeking out new wrestling anywhere near as much as I used to. Using the collection of tapes I've amassed over the years, Youtube and new purchases, I aim to give an opinion on, and enjoy, as much pro-wrestling as possible. Wish me luck

Saturday, 21 August 2010

Everyday Is Like Tom Zenk: Tom Zenk vs Rob Rechsteiner (AWA 21/08/1985)

One of the things I want to do with this blog is to find out if my taste in wrestling as a kid was worthless or not. There are a selection of wrestlers who I was a big fan of between the ages of 10-18, and I want to see if I still like them now. One of these wrestlers is Tom Zenk, and Youtube threw up this interesting curio, where the Z-Man is fighting a pre-fame Rick Steiner, going under his birth name, in the AWA. Zenk is the veteran here, with Steiner looking a little green in the early stages of the match. There is a nice spot early in the match where Steiner powers Zenk onto the top rope, then foolishly jawing with the crowd, allowing Zenk to hit a crossbody for two. Zenk has some fine fiery babyface offence and Steiner makes a decent attempt at covering for over-early sell of a dropkick by rolling to the outside as if he'd deliberately avoided contact. There is a botched attempt at an airplane spin, seemingly from Steiner leaping too early, but a second attempt sees Zenk pick up the three. Hard to really make a judgement on Zenk from this match, which was essentially a squash and saw Zenk lumbered with a very green Steiner, but there were positive signs in his offence.

Yes! This is exactly the kind of glorious wrestling madness I wanted to rediscover when I undertook this opus. The Can-Am's of Tom Zenk and Rick Martel are a team I've always wanted to see more of, and check out that opposition. In kayfabe terms, that's a sensational mix of monsters. Adding to the lunacy is George Steele on commentary, contributing nothing more than grunts. The big fellas dominate the early stages, but Zenk wriggles free when Kamala tries to splash him against Sika. Martel tags in and Kamala bumps huge over the top rope for a Martel dropkick. With Sika left alone in the ring, Martel uses his quickness to elude the wild Samoan's attacks and ground him with an armdrag. Zenk comes in and continues the assault on Sika's left arm. Sika's strength allows him to take control again, allowing him and Kamala to work over Zenk. The savages work over Zenk with some basic, if fun offence, including a spot where Kamala rams Zenk headfirst into the thick Samoan skull of Sika. The hot tag comes out of nowhere and leads to all four men in the ring. Martel stops Kamala hitting Air Africa on Zenk and then hits a sloppy crossbody on Sika to win. Despite the hot tag literally coming from nowhere, this was good fun, especially with the heels being the kind of larger-than-life monsters that make for enjoyable tag encounters. Zenk kind of got shafted though, barely getting in any offence with Martel clearly positioned as the dominant Can-Am.

Friday, 24 September 2010

Everyday Is Like Tom Zenk: Z-Man vs Cuban Assassin

Gary Michael Capetta announces this is Zenk's NWA debut, so this can't be long after his leaving the WWF due to an alleged pay dispute. Zenk takes an early advantage over the Assassin with some typical fiery babyface offence. Messers Ross and Cornette on commentary give the Z-Man some verbal fellatio, as Zenk keeps the advantage with several armdrags. Assassin gets in a small modicum of offence, but misses a diving headbutt from the second rope. The match is pretty much a showcase squash for Zenk, who looks good throughout- he's got superb dropkicks and he works the end sequence well, reversing Assassin holds and niftily putting on a sleeper for the win. This is the best Zenk has looked in EDILTZ so far, because he was given a role in the match that let him showcase his abilities. A good sign.


Saturday, 18 December 2010

Everyday Is Like Tom Zenk: Zenk & Bagwell vs Taylor & Flamingo

Z Man & Marcus Bagwell vs Terry Taylor & Scotty Flamingo
This comes in the middle of a fued between Bagwell and the Taylor Made Man. Bagwell starts with Flamingo and looks pretty darn good, showing a fiery athleticism that was missing from the Buff Bagwell days. Taylor comes in as the veteran of the match as pointed out by JR, and plays the role of the cocky vet very well, whilst also letting Bagwell look good against him. Zenk also displays some good babyface fire when he comes in, hittng flying headscissors on both heels and busting out a springboard crossbody on Taylor which pops the crowd. Flamingo manages to make a blind tag to Taylor, who gets the advantage on Zenk from behind and starts pumping out some heeling tactics, starting by choking Zenk behind the referee's back. The heels continue to work Zenk over, cutting off the ring and drawing Bagwell in to distract the ref whilst they choke Zenk out. Zenk fires back with a neckbreaker, and makes a pretty abrupt hot tag to Bagwell. All four guys end up in the ring, allowing Zenk to hit a superkick on Taylor for the win. The match could have used another 5 minutes or so to stretch out the heat sequence on Zenk, but it was a perfectly decent wrestling match, with all four bringing a fact tempo to the match.

Zenk & Bagwell vs Taylor & Flamingo


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Prowrestling Net writes (#0 November, 2010) - " Former WWE wrestler Tom Zenk (a/k/a Z-Man in WCW) celebrates his 52nd birthday today. He was born on November 30, 1958. He stirred up a lot of attention with his shoot commentaries and blogs, but it's been a while since I've heard anything about Zenk."


Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleDrive View Post


I have no idea what you are talking about sir... And neither does Tom Zenk!
Yesss.....that is what I remember. Was it still a JCP product at that point, or had WCW bought out WCW by then? I don't remember, I was young, and didn't know any of the backstage shit back then...kayfabe was great...

edit: I guess the WCW sheet in the background of the photo should be a clue...h ah aha


REVIEW ; ZENK ALWAYS IMPRESSES

WCW/NJPW Rumble In The Rising Sun 1991

Segment 2 - NJPW: (Team Shiny Jackets!) Shiro Koshinaka, Kuniaki Kobayashi, and Takayuki Iizuka vs. WCW: (Team Mullet Power!) Tim Horner, Brian Pillman, and Tom Zenk.


Vice: Vice needs to see more Brian Pillman and Z-Man. This much is obvious. Tim Horner and the Japanese folk.. not so much.

Fun opening match. Japan wins. That’s basically it.

Cewsh: MULLETS!

Okay, so this is the 90s. All the Americans have huge, fluffy mullets, and all of the Japanese guys have ridiculously high pants and shiny jackets. Also good to remember, is that this is probably the first time that an American audience was in any way exposed to Japanese wrestlers to this extent, and certainly to the Japanese fanbase. JR has to make a point of telling the audience that the fans aren’t bored, but are instead maintaining a respectful silence. I’m actually blown away, initially, by how amazing Ross and Schiavone are working together as an announcing team. They complement each other incredibly well, and Ross especially is just fantastic to listen to. Seeing this really does drive home how much of a shell of himself he’s become these days. Depressing, really.

The match itself was hard to get used to at first, because we as wrestling fans have gotten used to some truly incredibly displays of high flying, and exciting opening match wrestling in the past 18 years, and to see this, I wasn’t even conscious, at first, that that’s what they were going for. As the match unfolded, though, it became more clear, and I actually found myself impressed, not with Pillman or the Japanese guys, and certainly not with Horner, but instead with Tom Zenk. What the shit happened to Tom Zenk? The guy had an amazing look for the early 90s, and his offense was actually really fun to watch. To say nothing of how fluid a team he and Pillman were. I was really getting into the guy, and it’s a good thing, because I just finished watching the match twelve seconds ago, and I couldn’t tell you anything about the Japanese guys, aside from the old one with the Harley Race sideburns. They were basically just there, and seemed like complete cannon fodder for the Americans.

Which, of course, made it even weirder when the young one (Kobayashi I think?) ran in and hit a Dragon Suplex on Horner to get the win. Seemed completely contrary to the match altogether, but it was probably booked by arrangement between the two companies anyway, so I guess I can see how it would work out that way.

Interesting opener. Not great. Not bad. Interesting.

65 out of 100.

 ---------------------

BALTIMORE SUN
The leader of NXT should be someone with legitimate long time heat on Vince and the WWE -- a former wrestler who left on less than ideal terms and has remained estranged from the company.
Bruno Sammartino isn't too hot on the mike, and the Bret Hart story now appears over, so how about former Can Am Connection member Tom Zenk?

--------------
FLASHBACK -  Ever wonder why you didn't see much of Tom Zenk in 1988 - well .... Wrestling Observer, Jan 18th, 1988 reported.....

"-- Tom Zenk's legal problems with the WWF were also settled out of court, as the WWF sued Zenk for $70,000 for breach of contract. He'll have to give Titan a percentage of his earnings in 1988, but it will be a much smaller percentage than the WWF originally wanted. The whole deal was that the WWF wanted to make an example out of him.
"

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Favorite match ever

Midnight Express vs Pilman/Zenk - Capital Combat 90 which is along the same lines as the Cowboys match from GAB 90 but which I prefer just for the crazy pace and telepathic spots everyone pulls off. God I love that match so much. (Forums Deathvalley Driver)




Mat classics images 




Friday, February 19, 2010

Would Tom Zenk have been a better world champ than......

 Would Tom Zenk have been a better world champ than: 1) Lex Luger 2) Sid Vicious 3) Sting 4) Scott Steiner 5) Booker T 

join the discussion at Wrestling Classics

I think Zenk would have been better than Dusty. Remember I am not saying 'was he better than...' or 'did he have a better career'? I am asking, knowing what you know of the guys I picked and their title reigns, could Zenk, if pushed right have been a better draw and a better NWA/WCW World Champion?

****
Zenk could work his butt off and he could do the humble face or the smartaleck heel. What's the deal huh? Most sports would love to have a young good looking guy who was a great athlete and who had the build. What up? I guess it is more important to protect your spot than to do what's right for the business. Right?

join the discussion at Wrestling Classics

Friday, February 5, 2010

Prize for the most frequently asked question is .........

Join Date: Feb 2010

kideternity is looking to come up from OCW...
Tom Zenk - when I look back at old tapes I just don't know why he didn't go any further, great look, great talent! What happened?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Shooting the Messenger ...

Wrestlers who speak out against WWE and drugs sitation labelled 'bitter' says UK Sun

"Some people do say it but it is dismissed as sour grapes. They are written off as jealous or guys who never made it. But they are the ones with their eyes open" says Jim Cornette

UK Sun newspaper
Wednesday 20 January, 2010

By SIMON ROTHSTEIN

JIM CORNETTE has blasted WWE owner Vince McMahon over the large number of grapplers who have died young.

Cornette says that wrestlers he either befriended, managed or trained during his time working for the WWE between 1993 and 2005 are now dead - including the recent tragic passings of Eddie 'Umaga' Fatu and Tony 'Ludvig Borga' Halme and previous deaths including Eddie Gurrero, Davey Boy Smith and Andrew 'Test' Martin.

He told us: "It is never easy when a friend dies.

"But at first it was 'oh my gosh', then it was 'oh no', then it was 'not again' and finally you're not surprised anymore.

"It is never good, but it isn't shocking. That's the sad thing.

"It is more shocking if a professional wrestler from the 1980s is actually found in good health and living a nice life with no problems.

"When I was a kid watching wrestling in the 1970s, every couple of years you would hear of a few wrestlers dying in a car wreck.

"Now a month doesn't go by that you don't hear some about wrestler dying at an early age, because of drugs or by-products of drugs which are by-products of the unfortunate work environment that they found themselves in."

Look at Vince himself....he is 64-years-old and on the cover of Muscle and Fitness.

Cornette blames the epidemic on a number of things, including the trend to headline shows with wrestlers who had bodybuilder style physiques.

He singles out 1980s and 1990s world champions such as Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior and current main event star Triple H as examples, although all proved very popular with fans.

He told us: "It is no secret that in WWE a guy of average ability with a great physique will always get a bunch more chances in WWE than a guy with great ability and less impressive physique.

"That is what Vince has always tried to book and always tried to push.

"And look at Vince himself. OK yes, he has great genetics and trains vigorously, but c'mon he is 64-years-old and on the cover of Muscle and Fitness. That is the example he is setting.

"When I was working for rival firm NWA in the 1980s, we used to joke that half of the guys in our main events weren't big enough to open the show for Vince McMahon.

"A lot of the guys in the 1980s got on this s*** and it creates a dependence, a mental if not a physical one.

"Of course no one ever told you that you had to take steroids to get a job and there wasn't a bunch of 10 boys in the locker room sticking needles in their asses out in the open.

"But just look at the hiring practices. Who got the pushes and who didn't.

"Then when heat got on the WWE in the early 1990s about it, things changed and it was the smaller guys like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart who were featured on top.

"But as soon as the heat was off of the steroids issue, the big guys started creeping back in.

"And even if it is not as prevalent recently as it was in the 1980s it was still obviously there, up until the past few years when the heat got back on again after Benoit.

"So, that's the steroid problem."

Talking about other issues, Jim continues: "The style of pro wrestling has got so much harder with bigger bumps, so painkillers come into it.

"In the old days, the fans thought we were hurting each other but we really weren't.

"Now, the guys are really hurting each other and the fans don't believe anything because they were told it's phoney.

"There are also guys who lose their push and need surgery, but put it off and off because they have the mentality that, not only does the show need to go on, but also somebody else might take their spot and they might not get it back.

"Then you take into account that wrestlers' careers are so much shorter because there is no territory system and they're on national television every week. Many more get burnt out.

"Guys get depressed when all of a sudden, after being stars for three or four years, they can't get a job because there is no place else to work.

"That then leads to a drug problem.

"So it's all of these things - fewer places to work, change in the style and Vince's hiring practices and who he pushes.

"All of those have lead to early deaths from heart attacks and drug and steroid related problems."

"Some people do say it but it is dismissed as sour grapes. They are written off as jealous or guys who never made it. But they are the ones with their eyes open."

Cornette does concede that the WWE are trying to tackle the problem.

The company have imposed a strict Wellness Policy on their talent - suspending and even firing those who fail drugs test.

They also offer to pay for any current of former star to get rehab, an offer that four per cent have taken up.

However Cornette believes these moves may be down to the company wanting avoid the bad publicity that came in the wake of the Chris Benoit murder/suicides.

While there is no evidence that WWE have anything but the best intentions, Jim claims: "The WWE are doing a lot but that's probably because of the bad publicity.

"They're a publically traded entertainment company and a bunch of their employees or former employees are dying at an early age.

"And let me just say this - top guys with a lot of money to spend can always get the good stuff if they want it to beat the test.

"Although for the guys who don't make much money, then they have to get clean now they are doing legitimate testing."

Although Jim, who currently works for indie group Ring Of Honor, is the one of the only people currently in the wrestling industry prepared to speak out - many former stars have.

However those grapplers, including Marc Mero, Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham, have been labelled as bitter.

Is Jim worried that the same accusations may be levelled at him?

He says: "People may say I'm biased because the WWE screwed me out of a business deal here in Louisville with Ohio Valley Wrestling, and yes I am biased.

"But at the same time, look at it!

"A lot of people won't say what I am because they still want a job.

"Some people do say it but it is dismissed as sour grapes. They are written off as jealous or guys who never made it. But they are the ones with their eyes open.

"Nobody can dispute the facts. They just try to shoot the messenger.

"So I don't care what they think of me and I'm sure they don't care what I think of them.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/2815458/Jim-Cornette-blasts-WWE-over-number-of-grapplers-who-have-died-young.html#ixzz0dBcKTYr3