So I've let it be known that I liked Billy Gunn, but I can objectively see his faults. Still he was one of my boys and I've always enjoyed his work. Feel the Fameasser is an underrated finisher, though I suppose in today's climate it's far too basic to be effective unless it's an avalanche/top rope variety.

Another one of my boys was Hardcore Holly. The whole Holly clan really, but I think it's pretty common to love Crash and Molly gets a ton of respect so they can't actually be "boys". See the boys gotta have a certain cringe factor where you might run into other fans, most people aren't gonna be big into them on the same level as the bigger stars. I feel to qualify as a boy you can't really reach a certain level of fame. That JTTS/Occasional IYH Title Defense level of guys. Perfect spot for Holly.

I loved the dropkick. Something about white boots in their uncommonness made them stand up. FOR SOME FUCKED UP REASON I was convinced as a kid that he had cool hair, even though it was just a bald (baldcore)ing buzzcut... I thought it was cool for some reason. Like when Christian first cut his hair he had a decent hairstyle... this was not that. Still could not convince me it was cool. Also wanted to wear kneebraces because of wrestling. Nothing wrong with my knees, if you needed a snapshot about how UNCOOL I am.

Back to Holly... his solo music is a guilty pleasure. Ban nanan annan nNUH. He has a bad rep for being stiff, bitter and for basically roughing up Capotelli's who was supposed gonna be a big star (obviously if the cancer didn't exist)... if so he's a POS, but I think that almost played into his later failed ded srs singles runs. Just a bitter old dude that can't hang with new guys, but he'll rough em up. Basically the gatekeeper. Plus that ECW wound always gives him some spotlight there.

The Falcon Arrow, he barely got to utilize it because of his booking though. One of those moves that you only ever see played out in video games or titan trons. Yeah I know Seth has used it in his moveset, but at the time it didn't seem too common. It's hard to make it look good though, but in theory it's a great move. Just loved the whole bitter persona.

Kids in middle school were all about the Hardys, the Rock n Austin... but man I was into Hardcore Holly. Like if that Brock program eventually led to a serious run, I think I'd have been okay with it. A guy like couldn't carry a company, but I'd still be intrigued.

Bob was at his best as the delusional super-heavyweight fighting with Crash. That shit was amazing.

Chalk me up as a Hardcore Holly fan too. Big reason why I was a little upset by the Brock powerbomb botch and also totally OK with a WWE Championship program against Brock as an interlude to the Benoit payoff.

Dropkick was tops, as were his chops/slaps. Loved the Alabama Slam as a finish too. Fit him so perfectly.

I popped the instant I read the thread title. Definitely Baker Approved. "Big Shot" Bob ruled in 99-00 and I always remained a low key fan of his after that. The back gash match with RVD is a cult classic and the super underrated Haas & Holly vs. MNM series should be. He had the best dropkick in the business during his heyday. Also made my Top 100 Favorite Wrestlers list. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if I had Hardcore and your other boy Billy Gunn back to back in the 80s or 90s.

Sept 6, 2021 0:36:12 GMT 🤯 said:

Chalk me up as a Hardcore Holly fan too. Big reason why I was a little upset by the Brock powerbomb botch and also totally OK with a WWE Championship program against Brock as an interlude to the Benoit payoff.

Dropkick was tops, as were his chops/slaps. Loved the Alabama Slam as a finish too. Fit him so perfectly.

Yeah I liked the uniqueness of it. They really wanted Alabama Slama to get over.

I mean Brock breaking his neck (also that Atrain spot ouch lol) and Kurt fucking up his arm, has gotta be more than enough payback for his wrong doings.

He'll break your ass in half, shit-heads!

I'll go a step further than the rest of you. Bob is my favorite Holly and it's not even close.

This was Bob Holly slapping the shit out of the one of the VPs of AEW Lost a lot of respect for Rhodes after this for a while. Think this was Cody saying he's more than Dusty's son and wanted to show the boys backstage he's for real. 

Sept 6, 2021 0:45:24 GMT Ed said:

He'll break your ass in half, shit-heads!

I like how he's carrying it like it's a real belt lol. Classic NWA holding a folded belt instead of wearing/over the shoulder. A class act and truly deserving of the name Hardcore for how dedicated he is to it.

So I've let it be known that I liked Billy Gunn, but I can objectively see his faults. Still he was one of my boys and I've always enjoyed his work. Feel the Fameasser is an underrated finisher, though I suppose in today's climate it's far too basic to be effective unless it's an avalanche/top rope variety.

Is that a joke? Today's finishers are some of the worst ever. You have about 4 different people that use The Spear, plus you have The Claymore Kick, Brogue Kick, and Heluva Kick all booked as legit finishers..

The Fameasser would be a top tier finisher in today's WWE

Kilgore bringing up the One Man Gang getting a huge pop for doing the Akeem dance at an ECW house show reminded me of perhaps my favorite random ECW moment- that time the ECW Arena chanted "Hardcore Holly" apropos of nothing. And Re-Enter Sandman is back on Youtube! Enjoy it while you can because it's likely to disappear again real soon. I have it timestamped to the Hardcore Holly chant but the entire show is worth a watch if you have the time.

Dec 24, 2021 4:23:07 GMT Baker said:

Kilgore bringing up the One Man Gang getting a huge pop for doing the Akeem dance at an ECW house show reminded me of perhaps my favorite random ECW moment- that time the ECW Arena chanted "Hardcore Holly" apropos of nothing.

Now that I've finally seen it, my interpretation is they are chanting Hardcore Holly at Chris Candido, like, you suck, just like that guy, you two muscle bound blonde dudes that suck.

There's no way Hardcore Holly ever sucked nearly as much as Chris Candido. Maybe during the Bombastic Bob run. But even then, I'd call them on par with each other.

Dec 24, 2021 13:20:22 GMT 🤯 said:

There's no way Hardcore Holly ever sucked nearly as much as Chris Candido. Maybe during the Bombastic Bob run. But even then, I'd call them on par with each other.

Skip > Thurman Sparky Plug

Dec 24, 2021 23:03:09 GMT Kilgore said:

Dec 24, 2021 13:20:22 GMT 🤯 said:

There's no way Hardcore Holly ever sucked nearly as much as Chris Candido. Maybe during the Bombastic Bob run. But even then, I'd call them on par with each other.

Skip > Thurman Sparky Plug

0% accurate.

Textbook Dropkick.

Also, guaran-damn-T Hardcore Holly would not have played cuck had Sunny been his girl.

Without Crash, Hardcore would stink. With a few fun moments.

Dec 25, 2021 17:28:40 GMT Ed said:

Without Crash, Hardcore would stink. With a few fun moments.

100% inaccurate.

Kudos to 🤯 for defending the honor of Hardcore Holly while I was busy doing other things.

Dec 24, 2021 5:28:14 GMT Kilgore said:

Now that I've finally seen it, my interpretation is they are chanting Hardcore Holly at Chris Candido, like, you suck, just like that guy, you two muscle bound blonde dudes that suck.

Half right. I'll buy it as the ECW Arena crowd heckling Candido, but I have a different take. The Arena faithful were rejecting Candido in favor of the muscle bound 1995 WWF low carder with a blonde crew cut they did want to see- 1999 Most Improved Wrestler and Best Gimmick award winner Hardcore Holly.
The idea of Big Shot Bob in 1999 ECW reminds me of a blurb in a blog I read a few months back. Lemme see if I can find it... Success!

seeing a match like this makes it clear that Bob Holly is the guy that should have been sent to ECW instead of Aldo Montoya. If Holly came into ECW in 1997 with the same attitude he was carrying to 2001 late night syndicated WWF TV matches, he would have been huge. Bob Holly in 1997 ECW would have been like Jon Moxley on AEW TV now.

Turns out he's even higher on Big Shot Bob than I am! Holly would have been heckled mercilessly in the beginning, but I think he'd have won most of those fans over. Put the back gash match with RVD in proper ECW and he instantly becomes a hardcore hero. Big Balls Bob as a heel with no filter talking smack to everybody wasn't that much different than the stuff Corino was doing in 99-00 ECW in a "this guy may be a delusional idiot with a death wish, but you have to admire the chutzpah of a guy who will tell Taz/Tommy/Show/Kane/Etc. they suck right to their face." 

Dec 25, 2021 2:03:39 GMT 🤯 said:

Dec 24, 2021 23:03:09 GMT Kilgore said:

Skip > Thurman Sparky Plug

0% accurate.

I instinctively liked this post, but upon further review I'll throw Kilgore a bone here if we're talking just Skip vs. Sparky Plug. Skip was slightly more effective. You had the Horowitz feud, Hakushi's face turn, and introducing mainstream audiences to Sunny. Sparky Plug (or Bodacious Bob) was an interchangeable low carder who did nothing Aldo Montoya or one of your lesser Armstrongs couldn't have done. So I'll concede Skip > Sparky in a 2/10 > 1/10 sort of way.

But Holly smokes Candido overall. 99-00 Hardcore Holly is better than anything Candido ever did. My favorite Candido run was his comeback stint as a grizzled young veteran in 2005 TNA. But even there he's left in the dust by Hardcore Holly's run as a Proper grizzled veteran in 2000s WWE. 

Dec 25, 2021 17:28:40 GMT Ed said:

Without Crash, Hardcore would stink. With a few fun moments.

Another strong disagree. Crash was a 200 pound sack of luggage Hardcore dragged to relevance. Crash wouldn't even have existed if Hardcore hadn't been over enough to warrant his own spinoff character. Crash was the Kane to Hardcore's Undertaker. 

Dec 25, 2021 2:11:53 GMT @ness said:

Textbook Dropkick.

Quoted for truth.



How do you like him now?

Dec 28, 2021 3:31:08 GMT Baker said:

Crash wouldn't even have existed if Hardcore hadn't been over enough to warrant his own spinoff character. Crash was the Kane to Hardcore's Undertaker.

Fucking LOVE these two lines. Perhaps the greatest two lines ever committed to an online pro wrestling message board.

Hardcore Holly is a cunt.

Dec 28, 2021 5:37:17 GMT KITN said:

Hardcore Holly is a cunt.

He was just trying to preemptively beat the brain tumor out of Matt Cappotelli.

Bob Holly was the Brian Lee to the real star of the Holly family, Molly.

Dec 28, 2021 14:07:35 GMT Big Pete said:

Bob Holly was the Brian Lee to the real star of the Holly family, Molly.

Are you implying Hardcore was the fake Mighty Molly?

Dec 28, 2021 14:17:28 GMT 🤯 said:

Dec 28, 2021 14:07:35 GMT Big Pete said:

Bob Holly was the Brian Lee to the real star of the Holly family, Molly.

Are you implying Hardcore was the fake Mighty Molly?

Bob wishes he was half as hardcore as Molly - the real Hardcore of the Holleys.

Just like Brian Lee when you compare his career to the Undertaker, Bob just doesn't stack up against Molly.

Crash Holly was more over than Hardcore after they split up.

Dec 28, 2021 18:32:01 GMT Ed said:

Crash Holly was more over than Hardcore after they split up.

Proof?

Dec 28, 2021 20:43:16 GMT 🤯 said:

Dec 28, 2021 18:32:01 GMT Ed said:

Crash Holly was more over than Hardcore after they split up.

Proof?

Best 24/7 Hardcore champion ever baby!

As a kid Crash was best Holly.

In hindsight I now see he's the worst.

Everything that made Crash great, only exists because of Hardcore.

Hardcore is Best Holly.