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Originally Posted by MrOnizuka
Ok, but the business has changed so much over the years and even mid-carders now might have more "national exposure" than the guys at the top in the 70s and early 80s. They certainly move more "merch".
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that until Vince bought everyone out that wrestling was pretty much only popular in the South and some parts of the East Coast.
If you say that a dude is "as popular" now as he was then, does that mean that he draws the same number of fans that it took to sell out places in the South in the 70s? Or are you saying that he's going to be exactly proportionate and that he gets the same number of national/internationl PPV buys and sells out the places like Safeco Field like the top stars of the 90's did?
I think you're greatly underestimating how well known and popular wrestlers used to be. For example, I don't think anyone here would claim that Ric Flair would have any trouble with popularity, yet look at how wrestling perspective compares him to a few older guys:
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Mainstream Status: Mention Ric Flair to a non-wrestling fan you know. Then mention UNDRAFTED. Case closed. Comedians of the time such as Bob Hope and Jack Benny always had a UNDRAFTED joke or two in their monologue; the last time I heard a Ric Flair joke was never.
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BUDDY ROGERS
Mainstream Status: Featured in many magazine articles and appeared on quite a few television shows. Even made the pages of Mad Magazine in 1964, in a parody entitled “Angry Magazine.” Buddy shares a round-table forum with boxer Sonny Liston, labor leader Walter Reuther, and U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater. Highlight was a drawing of Rogers trapped in a leglock by Goldwater.
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RIC FLAIR
Mainstream Status: Practically none outside the Southeast. May run for governor or senator in North Carolina. We’ll see.
I'll admit that no older wrestler is on the level of Hogan/Andre/Rock/Austin when it comes to mainstream popularity, but I think that they were just as popular as a number of other 1st rounders and since they're being taken in the later rounds I think its incredible value.