MovieChat Forums > Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) Discussion > Strange that the Mountain was so averse ...

Strange that the Mountain was so averse to doing pro wrestling...

posted 12 years ago by Bishop_of_Battle
10 replies | jump to latest

...when guys like Ali, Chuck Wepner, Leon Spinks, Tyson, Holyfield, and Floyd Mayweather all took part in exhibitions/events with wrestlers. IIRC, Ali was also a bit of a wrestling fan and a staunch admirer of guys like Gorgeous George. I also remember reading somewhere that Primo Carnera turned to wrestling after retiring broke from boxing and ended up headlining wrestling shows for the next 15 years(he was one of pro wrestling's biggest box office attractions during this period).

I can understand Mountain's resentment for the sport AFTER his manager intoxicated him into missing out on the camp counseling gig. Makes sense that he'd hate the wrestling job, at that point, since he was forced into it by a person he thought had his best interests at heart. But he was dead-set against wrestling from the beginning, even when he had no options. Yeah, sure, pride is important but that didn't seem to hinder the boxers I mentioned aboves(guys who rank among the best in the sport).

Still, a fantastic film and probably my favorite boxing movie besides the original Rocky.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nedhorn 11 years ago

Pro wrestling was considered little more than a carnival act freak show back then.

[–] EJF 10 years ago

That's correct. Wrestling in the late '50s and early '60s was very different from today's wrestling.

[–] rtw416 9 years ago

The money wrestlers made in the 50's and 60's wasn't the millions of the late 70's to today-it was the bottom of the bottom

[–] willjohn 8 years ago

It's still a carnival freak show.

When a boxer becomes a wrestler he knows he has sold out.

[–] coldnaps 9 years ago

It still is

[–] movieghoul 9 years ago

I also remember reading somewhere that Primo Carnera turned to wrestling after retiring broke from boxing and ended up headlining wrestling shows for the next 15 years

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I saw Carnera "wrestle" in the early 60s. Totally embarassing. He was promoted as a headliner based on his name value only but lacked the most rudimentary skills.

[–] willjohn 8 years ago

Carnera was a wrestler and circus strong man before becoming a boxer.

[–] willjohn 8 years ago

Poor old Joe Louis became a wrestler when the IRS went after him for unpaid taxes on money he donated to the war effort during WWII.

[–] movieghoul 8 years ago

In the Muhammad Ali obituaries, it was noted that the low point of his career was his incredibly bad boxer vs wrestler match with ANtonio Inoki.