So, I recently got a ton of Mid-Atlantic footage (79-81ish) and have been enjoying the poop out of it. Some of these segments are so good that I actually remember them, and I was only 4 or 5 when they first aired. It got me thinking about why I loved wrestling so much more then than now. Obviously, a lot was in the presentation. It was presented as a real sport, real fights, etc. The other thing I thought about was how many of these great performers wouldn't even get a job today.

So here's my idea; Post Old School (pre-1990) guys, and tell what part they'd play in the business today. Here are some that I saw on the Mid-Atlantic tapes:

Jack Brisco
Back Then: NCAA national champion turned multi-time world champ. At the top of the card every where he went. One of the top two mat wrestlers I've ever seen.

Where he'd be today: Jack could get a job today, because of his amateur credentials. His physique and promo style wouldn't be to Vince's liking so he'd never get close to the top of the card. I assume he'd fill a spot something like Charlie Haas.

Jerry Brisco
Back Then: Basically seen as Jack's baby brother. Won a few middle titles, but was most successful (and VERY effective) in a tag-team with Jack.

Where he'd be today: I think he would go over bigger than Jack. He had a great personality for a snotty heel, and had a better look than Jack. He was a bit small, so that would hender him in WWE. He'd go over huge in TNA though.

Dory Funk Jr.
Back Then: Multi-time World Champ, and possibly the only mat wrestler better than Jack Brisco. At the top of the card everywhere he went.

Where he'd be today: Lower indies. He couldn't even get a look in ROH. His style would be perceived as boring, and his look was god-awful according to todays standards.

Terry Funk
Back Then: Multi-time world champ. Top of the card everywhere. Eveyone knows what an influence Terry has been on the business.

Where he'd be today: I'd guess that Terry would be a big hit on the indies for years, probably working upper-midcard on ROH. After more than a decade, he'd get his look together (1989) and get his break in the big-time. He'd go over big for a few years late in his career, something like Eddie Guererro.

Ricky Steamboat
Back Then: Headliner. The most over face in Mid-Atlantic. If you haven't seen Steamboat from Mid-Atlantic, you really should. Some of the best work ever.

Where he'd be today: His look and ability to work would keep him employed by WWE, but his promo-style would keep him from a sustained push. Think Chris Benoit. If he ever had a period out of WWE, he'd be an icon in ROH and Japan.

Jay Youngblood
Back Then: Lower mid-card usually. Most successful as a tag partner for Steamboat, but it was always clear who the star of that team was.

Where he'd be today: He'd be thought of more highly. For one, he was a top-notch worker, and he also had a strong personality and a good look. Too little to go far in WWE, but could be a big star in TNA, and ROH Champion.

That's just a few off the top of my head. Add some of your own, or discuss the ones I've posted. I'll add some more later.

I hate to sound like an old fart here but watching old shows is just sad. None of today's wrestlers hold a candle to the old guys.

For the most part, you are right. It may be interesting to turn it around and see where today's guys would have ranked back in the day.

I know HHH would've been a Television Champion at best in most territories. As much as he loves that style he can't work it worth a damn.

Yeah, HHH would've been big for the era, so I could see him working an "enforcer" gimmick for a stable. His promo style would've gotten him fired.

Shawn Micheals could've probably gotten over as a white-meat babyface. NEVER as heavyweight champ, though.

Michaels actually did work the territory system and did pretty well for himself. He had a lot going for him. Namely being good looking which drew in the ladies with their boyfriends and husbands in tow.

I remember his breif stint with the Midnight Rockers, which got over OK, but was seen as a cheap R & R Express rip-off. I don't know that he actually traveled the territories before signing with WWF.

He worked San Antonio, Central States, WCCW and Mid-South all before ending up in the AWA.

Hmm, cool. Was he tagging with Jannetty during that time?

I believe so.

But I'm definately with MD on this with HBK. Even if he wasn't working his old gimmick he could have totally been the pretty boy chick magnet babyface.

Trips would most likely be shit outta luck besides the enforcer deal that was already mentioned.

Also, I'm old school myself. That era was the golden era or wrestling and I don't think it'll ever be touched again. It's kind of like comparing baseball now to baseball in the 60's.

Wahoo McDaniel is interesting.

Back then, he was a regional draw. He was the Mid-Atlantic champ for a while, but I don't think he ever branced out much outside of the South. Great brawler, and great character.

Today, I think he could get a job with WWE because of his size, and his background in pro-football. Not sure how far he could go, probably a mid-card tag-teamer.


Harley Race would be filling William Regal's spot right now.

Actually I think Wahoo could go far. So far infact that he could be a world champion in today's professional wrestling.

Imagine this.

A farily successful NFL football player quits and becomes a full time wrestler. Not only is he more than a serviceable worker, but he has charisma and the fans connect with him. That my friends equates to big money in the WWE these days.

I'll probably get alot of flack for this, but watching the old WWF stuff, I think Corporal Kirschner would do well in today's circuit. Probably be best to lose the military gimmick, though. He had a good build, intensity in his promos and about five moves. He'd do okay.

To pick an opposite, I don't think One Man Gang --a guy who main evented in several territories-- would do much of anything today. He'd be like Sal E. Graziano, the worthless slug from late 90's ECW who did nothing. Big guys who club and set up for the Big Splash don't work, today.

Oh--and I think Michaels and Jannetty didn't team up until right before they went to the AWA. Maybe in Mid-South or Memphis. Jannetty had been going solo for a bit, after a tag run with Tommy Rogers in St. Louis.

He did in Central States. I'm not sure about WCCW but I know he was a singles wrestler for his time in San Antonio and Mid-South.

Warning. The following thread is going to bash HHH heavily.

Here's why HHH would've never worked in the old school era.

1. He's not a good enough worker to be a heel. His offense is too basic to call a match so you're stuck with him being a babyface which leads into the next problem.

2. HHH doesn't have the charisma to be a babyface.

3. HHH would've been best served as the hot tag guy in a babyface tag team. He's very limited so this is where he might've had a lot of success there. But I've never really seen the right kind of fire from him to properly pull this role off on a nightly basis. He certainly doesn't sell well enough to be the Morton.

4. His promo style sucks. He says the same thing everytime out and takes too long to say it.

Just a funny little side note but McDaniel is the favorite wrestler of former President Bush.

I think HHH would've done well early in his career, but his politicking would end up bringing down a territory. After that, he'd get somewhat blacklisted

I've never been a HHH hater, but I've never been a firm supporter either. He is hit and miss with me, more hit though. However, there has been many times where I have said "He should have lossed to (insert wrestler)."

I actually think someone like Kane could've worked well in the old territory system. He's a good big man and he's got charisma. He would've been great as a monster you bring in to put the top face over. I think Bill Watts especially would've made him a big deal. Just think of a Kane vs. Junkyard Dog feud in Mid-South.

That's because Wahoo McDaniel was George Bush's baseball coach when he was a kid.

You've got that mixed up Bush was McDaniel's baseball coach.

Modern guys that could make it "back then" :

MNM (Mercury, Nitro, and Melina)

- Imagine, two more than serviceable workers in the form of Nitro and Mercury able to work with teams like R&RE, and The Midnight Express. They're solid workers, play great heels and have a pretty hot manager. They'd get over huge as heels in a more Southern territory playing their kind of "Hollywood" pretty boy characters.

Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade

- These two guys are practically cut from the same old-school Southern cloth as the folks that worked back then. They're decent enough workers, and seem like they'd fit in well as a couple of big bully heels working with a younger upstart babyface team.

Chris Benoit

- Picture this; a hard-nosed, hard-working, athletic, and fantastic technical wrestler who's great at playing a babyface or a heel. That's Chris Benoit in a nutshell. He'd be a huge star in an appropriate old-school territory, working against either a plucky babyface as the nasty, killer heel or as a take-charge babyface against an asshole heel who people want to see Benoit rip apart with the Crossface.

I could see Benoit as a staple U.S., Television and tag team champion. Going rarely without a belt of some sort. I have a hard time seeing a promotion built around him though. Maybe a transitional guy.

MNM would've been hit and miss I think. I think they would've been hot in Mid-South, Memphis and Mid-Atlantic. They would've flopped in the AWA and WWF.