Father’s Day: Favorite Wrestling Dad

What does your dad think of pro wrestling?

Jack Goodwillie: Not much. Says I need to grow out of it and to “quit with the baby shit.” The truth is I don’t think he hates wrestling, I just don’t think he understands the adult appeal due to the scripted nature of the storylines. He once told me he met Killer Kowalski at a local gym when he was growing up, and back in 2006, he recognized Edge in first class drinking a glass of wine (since at least one of my parents was in the room during Raw through the early years). So it’s always been hard to tell what buttons to push when the subject of pro wrestling comes to light.

Calvin Gibbon: He’s happy I have something that brings me joy. He’s a cool guy. Sometimes I wish I had his temperament.

Chad Gelfand: My dad doesn’t really get the appeal of pro wrestling; he’s more into traditional sports such as football, baseball and basketball.

Devonte Grant: He’s a fan. He doesn’t watch it too actively, but he likes it when he does.

Steven Jackson: My dad doesn’t understand pro wrestling and is a soccer and cricket fan at heart. But he has enjoyed certain matches in passing and has been interested to find out my opinions of what I’m watching.

Anthony Mahalis: My dad is actually a fan of wrestling. He is one of the reasons that I started to watch. He isn’t on the level of fandom that we are, but he still enjoys watching every now and again (mostly the PPVs), and he even has a few T-shirts.

Adam B. Yuro: My dad isn’t a huge fan. He is more into boxing.

John Corrigan: I’ve kept my dad a fan. He watched when he was a kid, and then would order the PPVs for me in school and even took me to my first event: GLOOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Outrageous Wrestling), where Moolah and Mae teamed up in a street fight at the local armory.

David Gibb: One time, I told my dad that I was going to a wrestling show for my birthday. His response: “I suppose that’s like going to the opera for you.”

Evan Cross: The only time I’ve heard my dad mention pro wrestling is when Goldberg was on Jay Leno’s Garage.

If he doesn’t have a favorite already, who would it be?

Goodwillie: Whenever he would comment on what was happening on screen, he would always mention how he likes the heels. Finlay, William Regal and Kurt Angle all come to mind, though I remember him being perpetually annoyed by Mr. Kennedy, who somehow managed to make his entrance even louder and more obnoxious each time he came out.

Gibbon: I’m not sure who is my dad’s favorite, but I remember he loved Jim Ross’ commentary. Boomer Sooner! I do know that we enjoyed watching HBK and The Rock together.

Gelfand: I’m not really sure who my dad’s favorite wrestler would be, but I’m going to guess it’d probably be an old-school guy, so I’m going to say Bruno Sammartino.

Grant: Not really sure. But he did enjoy Charlie Haas a lot.

Jackson: My dad doesn’t currently have a favorite. But, he was, like me, a big fan of Chris Benoit, as well as Kurt Angle.

Mahalis: My dad’s all-time favorite is The Rock. I don’t think there is a close second. I’m not sure if he has a current favorite, but to the chagrin of Corrigan, it would probably be Roman Reigns.

Yuro: He doesn’t have a favorite, but if he did, it would probably be Brock Lesnar because he is an actual “fighter.”

Corrigan: He’s a child of the 60s from the Northeast so he loved Bruno and Chief Jay Strongbow.

Gibb: My dad is old and Welsh, so I assume he would be a big Adrian Street fan. The only wrestler he has ever directly mentioned having awareness of is Gorgeous George, though.

Cross: Batista, because he likes Guardians of the Galaxy. Although maybe now it would be Goldberg.

If you could show him one match to explain why you love it, what match would it be?

Goodwillie: It would need to be a very sport-based match, because while he’s not a wrestling fan, we do share a great mutual interest in pro and college sports. I used the Backlash ’04 triple threat match in our Mother’s Day ‘table, so for this one I would suggest a couple different matches. The first suggestion: Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle at Royal Rumble ’03 was a very real-looking match and a technical masterpiece that most people would be hard pressed to not have respect for. A lot of people might suggest an Okada-Omega or a main event-level New Japan match for the sport-minded fans; I just think they’re a little long if you’re trying to sell someone on the genre. Instead, I would offer AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels from TNA Unbreakable ’05. I’m now also beginning to think a triple threat column could be soon on the way. The wheels are turning…

Gibbon: This is a tough question, but for right now, I’ll point to the match that I would show any non-fan or lapsed fan: Johnny Gargano and Tommasso Ciampa at NXT Takeover: New Orleans.

Gelfand: I would pick a short, but hard-hitting match, and this may come as a surprise to some people, but I’d pick Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns from WrestleMania 31. That was a surprisingly great, hard-hitting match with of course one of the best and most exciting finishes to a match ever with the Seth Rollins cash-in.

Grant: I’ll go with Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles at Hard Justice 2008. Another great one would be Naomichi Marufuji vs. Tiger Mask IV at Wrestle Kingdom 4.

Jackson: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness from ROH Driven 2007. The drama, the hard-hitting nature of the match, the crowd, and the conclusion are a sight to behold. Plus, Nigel is British so that may help him feel more invested.

Mahalis: I guess this question doesn’t really apply because he liked wrestling before I did. He watched Hogan slam Andre and Snuka jump off the cage, so he understands the allure.

Yuro: Actually, the men’s Fatal 4-Way this week on Raw would be perfect for that. That match was amazing and shows exactly why I love it.

Corrigan: When I was a kid, I tried showing he and my uncles the Hardcore Title triple threat from WrestleMania X-7. I thought it was so cool that Raven got thrown through a window, but all they cared about was reliving their youth through the Gimmick Battle Royal.

Gibb: True story: I tried to make him watch a Too Cool match in approximately 2000. He was not impressed. I wouldn’t try again.

Cross: Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman, because it’s completely bananas and it would let my dad, who builds sets for community theater in his spare time, have a good look at the Titantron.

What gimmick or storyline would you be most embarrassed to show him?

Goodwillie: Anything to make the business look phonier than he already thinks it is. The Katie Vick angle, Vince McMahon and the exploding limo and “The Old Day,” all come to mind.

Gibbon: The Katie Vick angle. Enough said.

Gelfand: The Katie Vick storyline will continue to be my answer to these types of questions, but if the Sami Zayn and Bobby Lashley feud continues much longer, my feelings may change on the subject.

Grant: Any and everything involving Val Venis.

Jackson: I think a lot of storylines and gimmicks my dad would be embarrassed by. But those same gimmicks and storylines I’m embarrassed by, too. The most embarrassing storyline would have to be “Katie Vick” and the gimmick would probably be WCW’s “Ding Dongs.”

Mahalis: I guess maybe the Triple H/Kane/Katie Vick angle. Nothing like insinuating that one of your wrestlers is a necrophiliac. Great stuff. Everyone should be embarrassed about that storyline.

Yuro: Eugene.

Corrigan: My dad doesn’t get embarrassed easily, but he was irate that Goldberg squashed Lesnar at Survivor Series 2016. As a huge Goldberg fan (even wearing a decades-old Goldberg T-shirt when we play basketball), he was so hype for the match. When my brothers told him it was coming on, he made a quick snack and by the time he came into their room to watch it, it was already over. He thought they tricked him.

Gibb: Brawl for All. It would confirm every bias he has about wrestling.

Cross: Katie Vick.

Who is your favorite wrestling dad?

Goodwillie: My favorite wrestling dad is John Cena Sr. Details from Mr. Cena’s angle with Edge and Lita came to light on the E & C Pod of Awesomeness Brian Gewirtz episode where we learned that John Cena’s dad was a notorious “over actor.” This is why when we got the vignette of Edge breaking into the Cena household, Edge had to narrate over the initial footage, which Vince McMahon called “the worst thing we’ve ever recorded in the history of this business.” Bruce Prichard may have taken the blame, but we did get incredible lines like, “Let me tell ya something, chickie poo,” and “I’m gonna put YOU over the Edge!” Mr. Cena, to my knowledge, began taking indy bookings after that and is a wrestling fanatic in his own right.

Gibbon: Dusty Rhodes, baby. The American Dream was a great father to Cody and Dustin and a great father figure to many up and comers. He gave back to the wrestling business in a big way.

Gelfand: I always got a kick out of Bob Orton always interfering in Randy Orton’s matches back when he was managing Randy in 2005. Chavo Classic was also a great wrestling dad, as him and Chavo Jr. had a lot of fun segments together.

Grant: AJ Styles.

Jackson: My favorite pro wrestling dad is the late, great “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

Mahalis: I have to go with the obvious choice here: Vincent Kennedy McMahon. His children have been involved in WWE storylines for two decades. He is arguably the best heel of all time, so how can he not be the best dad in wrestling!

Yuro: Goldberg. He came back just so his son could see who he was before he was a dad.

Corrigan: While he’ll admit he failed as a father with his first two children, Ric Flair has done everything in his power to right his wrongs with Charlotte. And he did the best he could with his son Reid.

Gibb: Johnny Valentine. He’s an awesome wrestling dad in that his tough, miserable bastard persona went on to help get his son over as a tough, miserable bastard. If that isn’t great wrestling parenting, I don’t know what is.

Cross: Titus O’Neil, who proved that you can kiss your son on the lips without dropping a pass in the Super Bowl.