Well they’ve inducted the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame again and I’ll (anon) have a non-timely piece on it. Figures. Anyway, my mom had a stretch in the hospital with pneumonia so I haven’t had any earth-shaking posts for you to salivate over. Until this one.
This post is dedicated to the Hall of Fame. But not that one. Vince McMahon’s WWE has a wrestling Hall of Fame that they have been inducting folks into for a few years, even letting the ordinary hoi polloi vote to determine a spot. So far this year they’ve announced the upcoming inductions of the American Dream, the son of a plumber, Mister Dusty Rhodes as well as one of a number of Kings to call Memphis home (not the Superstar Bill Dundee you oafs), Jerry The King Lawler. Both good selections. Rhodes was so over with kids of my generation he merits the spot and Lawler was always pretty ace in Memphis including his legendary angle with Andy Kaufman. But there’s a gaping hole in the WWE Hall of Fame. It can only belong to one man. The Dean of wrestling announcers, the unsurpassable Gordon Solie. Solie made you interested in what was going on whether it was a boring squash match or an in-depth interview. Gordon lent an intelligent, serious attitude to the announcing that allowed you an insight into what was purportedly going on. Hell, I learned what the carotid artery was well before my heart troubles courtesy of Gordon’s play by play. And the funny thing is, I’ve talked to a number of folks who aren’t exactly wrestling afficionados and even with their limited exposure to Solie they’ve said they realized what a talent he was. My personal fave was his description as Ted Dibiase was finally being helped after receiving multiple piledrivers from the Freebirds : “Don’t move him! He’s hemorrhaging!” So come on Vince, put Gordon Solie in your WWE Hall of Fame. To paraphrase the late Freddie Miller, Gordon should “be therrrrrrrrre!” Below are some samples from Youtube of his Solieness :
(By the way, don’t bother with the book Gordon wrote back in the 1980s. Possibly the most boring wrestling associated book ever that features as much on his family’s holiday pool tournaments as it does in ring stories…..)
Here’s Gordon with JYD (nice angle with the Freebirds)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BidXwPaEyw
Announcing Bruiser Brody vs Wahoo McDaniel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQxv4xGDop4
The best, Ric Flair, vs Barry Windham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lIDJRHVZ6g
Calling Dusty Rhodes vs the Russian Bear, Ivan Koloff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lIDJRHVZ6g
with the immortal Harley Race analyzing his match with Dirty Dick Murdoch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sc-lCxdN2I
trying to control the Fullers & Jimmy Golden as they narrate a Bob Armstrong beatdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqcUVRTjrVM
and trying to honestly put over Tracy Smothers taking on a bear !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25BIVy7g0X8
Â