When Rapping & Wrestling Met In The Worst Possible Way
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By 1986, the marriage between pro wrestling and pop culture was well established thanks to The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection in WWE. Jim Crockett Promotions would also incorporate music and artists into its touring shows during the Great American Bash of 1986.
Ahead Of An AWA Show, Verne Gagne Decided To Record A Rap Song
Meanwhile, in the AWA, things were about to get hip. Verne Gagne decided for an upcoming supershow at the Minneapolis Metrodome that they would attempt something a little different. Now before we dive into all the so bad it’s kinda good that this will be, we should remind ourselves of just who the AWA was. This was at the time the third-largest promotion in the country and had a hand in developing a majority of the decade's biggest stars. So what culturally relevant form of media would this stalwart of the wrestling world choose as its venture into the world of wrestling and music? Rap music.
RELATED: 10 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Competed In The AWA
Rap music would become a common fixture in wrestling years later, with some wrestlers using popular songs for entrances or even dropping a rap album themselves. But this was 1986 and the AWA. What could go wrong?
This wasn’t the first time a major wrestling promotion had ventured into the world of music. Just a few short months earlier, WWE would release The Wrestling Album with such hits as "Grab Them Cakes" and what would become the biggest hit from the album, “Real American” by Derringer.
'The WrestleRock Rumble' Ripped Off The Chicago Bears' 'Super Bowl Shuffle'
Where does one get inspiration to write a rap song about a pro wrestling event? We may not know, but we certainly know where they got the beat from. The Chicago Bears would gain fame beyond the gridiron with their song “SuperBowl Shuffle”. The song would sell over 500,000 copies and reach number 41 on the Hot 100 Billboard charts in February 1986. It would also receive a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1987.
So with their (stolen) beat set, it was time to head into the studio and record this track. Ken Resnick, Nick Bockwinkel, Larry Zbyszko, Jerry Blackwell, and others were given just two bars, which was one fourth what each member of the Bears had for their song. Also, just like the Bears before them, they would end by saying, "WrestleRock Rumble."
Ken Resnick would kick things off with a less than stellar verse about the best wrestlers in the AWA. But it also looked as if he was waiting in line for the bathroom or had too much coffee and couldn’t stand still.
Even Shawn Michaels And Scott Hall Appeared In The Music Video
The Midnight Rockers of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were here to give the song the boost of youth and vibrancy it so desperately needed. You would think that with a name like The Rockers that they'd be more hip to how this should sound, but they sound like they are at a child's birthday party.
Jerry Blackwell, for a man of his size, was quite the in ring competitor, but his skills in the ring didn’t translate well to the recording booth. He seemed just to read his lines as he would speak them. Also, why show Blackwell splashing a board? Is it supposed to be impressive? It just looked awkward.
Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie was up next to talk about his army and his money. It seems, with these short verses, that they were really doing us a favor by not making them as long as they could be.
In between these grapplers laying down their best verses would be random Las Vegas show performers promoting the show. Why would you have people from Vegas promoting the show if it was taking place in Minneapolis?
Greg Gagne ass next on the microphone, and he let you know he’s in a rage and wants Brody in a cage! Other than this coming off like a forced Greg Gagne promo, there isn’t much else to say.
RELATED: 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Greg Gagne
World Tag Team Champions Scott Hall and Curt Hennig walked out of a pool in step with one another and proceed to talk about their opponents, The Long Riders. Curt bumped perfectly to end their verse. Nick Bockwinkel, who at the time was 52, is credited as having the best verse and possibly the only one that made sense. He mentioned his opponent for the upcoming match and would use his trademark vocabulary as well.
A montage of Sgt Slaughter, Kamala, The US Express, and The Fabulous Ones is shown... Could these wrestlers not lay down a verse? How awesome did Mike Rotunda look with that mustache?
Larry Zbyszko and his opponent Scott Ledoux were the next two who let us know about their intentions at the upcoming event. Larry seemed to have a bit of a rhythm like Bockwinkel. Ledoux gave us our one and only swear word of the song when he says he is going to smack the s--t out of Larry.
The last person to spit a few bars was none other than Verne Gagne. The owner and former multiple time AWA champion said he may get back in the ring for one more turn. He also said there are old scores that still give him trouble, probably referring to the probable encounter with Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie.
WrestleRock was 16 matches featuring all the stars of the AWA and a few guests including Giant Baba and Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa). WWE Network offers a version of this event, although it is missing one match on the card which saw The Midnight Rockers taking on Doug Somers and Buddy Rose. Waylon Jennings even put on a concert after the show, because at this point, why not.
