The Evil History Of Pro Wrestling: Heroes Of Wrestling
It was a calamity.
Roberts had cut a rambling, inebriated, understandably abysmal promo loosely based on a betting theme - “You wanna play 21, I got 22” - before making a sad spectacle of himself in the arena. In a less sensitive time, the promo became a meme. A struggling Roberts was widely ridiculed online.
The “match” was an ultra-bleak disaster. Roberts convinced a woman in the crowd to fondle him before simulating masturbation with his snake and then sprawling himself over the canvas as he kissed it. At the sight of the snake, a lot of ringside fans cheered. They, obviously, had no idea what to expect. Nor did any of Jake’s dance partners.
A bizarre scramble then unfolded. A production crew member named Michael Henry - who had been dispatched ringside to convince the wrestlers, none of whom were willing to take a pin, to improvise some sort of finish - seemingly told Bundy to splash Roberts. Jake had no clue what was going on, and the match, the show, needed to be put out of its misery. Yokozuna tried to restore Jake’s dignity by urging him to go after Henry and get himself a pop of some description. Jake was too addled. Before the feed was cut, he was in the process of getting naked.
The name of the event was an unintentional insult. These men were not anybody’s heroes, not in 1999.
In 2001, WWE affectionately lampooned its own ‘Golden Age’ at WrestleMania X-Seven with the fabulously naff Gimmick Battle Royale; the presence of Bobby Heenan in particular reminded the teenage fans that wrestling was just as entertaining when it felt more innocent. A year later, in 2002, WrestleMania X8 illustrated - to deafening effect - the power of nostalgia with the Icon Vs. Icon match between The Rock and Hollywood Hogan.
In August 1999, though - two months prior to Heroes Of Wrestling - Hulk Hogan had dusted off the red and yellow attire in a bid to rescue his babyface turn. It did nothing to resuscitate WCW’s cratering business. If Hulk Hogan nostalgia couldn’t get over in 1999, George Steele had less than zero chance.
Moreover, Heroes Of Wrestling was not played for ironic yuks. The viewing audience was meant to take the Iron Sheik seriously.
If you take the few stories surrounding promoter Bill Stone at face value, he can most generously be described as phenomenally naive. Drumming up interest in the show in an interview with Greg Oliver for Slam Wrestling, Stone said he envisaged Heroes of Wrestling as a bonding exercise between parent and child. “It’s about parents sitting down with their kids and showing them their heroes from when they were growing up”.