The Video Creep with Casey C. Corpier: From the Vault: No Holds Barred

I know that it is no secret that I am a wrestling fan. I am not the closet wrestling fan type I am open about the fact that I am a fan. I am going to say that I am the veteran fan and many of the greatest moments in my life revolve around Pro Wrestling and the WWE.

Be it that the first time my friends and I went into Dallas without our parents was to go to a Taping of Raw and my first trip alone was to attend Wrestlemania X7 in Houston at the Astrodome.

I will also admit that I am a Hulkamaniac I admit that I always have been. Now I am not going to say that I am the ultimate Hulkamaniac because I have quite frankly met them and I have nothing on them.

Say what you want but Hulk Hogan is one of the most influential personalities that along with Vince McMahon turned wrestling into what it became in the 1980s.

I am loyal mostly to Hogan however I have to admit that during the Monday Night Wars I was often watching Monday Night Raw on USA instead of Monday Nitro on TNT.

Okay I will admit that I watched Raw and watched the repeat later on that night because I didn’t like the direction that WCW took with many of the wrestlers and I have to admit that I also don’t watch too much of Impact because quite frankly TNA sucks. As a result I can’t say too much that I am a loyal Hulk Hogan Follower.

The same rule applies to Hulk’s movies.

Suburban Commando I was in the Theater for as well as Mr. Nanny, and I was a loyal viewer to Thunder in Paradise and I loved the Shadow Warriors movies.

However I did pass on a couple of films that featured the Hulkster, I was given a pass to a screening of 3 Ninjas High Noon on Mega Mountain. I also passed on the Secret Agent Club and the Ultimate Weapon and I wished that I passed on Santa’s with Muscles.

However I have to give credit to the movie that started it all and that movie is No Holds Barred.

Now Hulk Hogan admitted in his book My life Outside the Ring that he and Vince McMahon wrote the script in one weekend while they were in a hotel room smoking Weed so off the you can’t expect too much with this flick.

Hulk Hogan plays the role of Rip, The World Wrestling Federation Champion who’s popularity has attracted the attention of the World Television Network chairman Mr Brell (Curt Fuller) who wants Rip to wrestle on his network. However after Rip declines Brell has him attacked in his Limo that does not go as planned.

Brell then uses his connections to make life difficult for Rip by sending beautiful corporate spy Samantha Moore (Joan Severance) to seduce him but after Sam develops feelings for Rip Brell has her attacked only for her to be rescued by Rip on his Harley Davidson.

Deciding to make some competition for Rip (and the WWE) Brell then creates his own show called the Battle of the Tough Guys where he offers $100,000 Tax Free to the winner of the challenge.

The challenge is answered by many Bikers and Truckers but it is won by a monster of a man Zeus (Tiny Lister). Zeus remains undefeated when the event is taken to other locations and begins to challenge Rip to a fight.

When Rip’s brother Randy is severely beaten and hospitalized by Zeus, Rip accepts the challenge leading to a match on WTN.

No Holds Barred was a failure at the Box Office but has maintained a cult following over the years and finally received a DVD release in 2012.

What hurt No Holds Barred is mostly the fact that the film depicts wrestling as an actual sport but you have to admit that at that time the WWE was trying to pretend that the show was real.

The movie also featured much over the top action but again look at the movies that were out during that time. Just look at the Stallone move Over the Top.

The flick also features the adult humor that was too before it’s time. Exampling is the sequence that Rip scares a Limo Driver into soiling himself.

The film was not intended for children however that was Hogan’s Fanbase at the time, The Hogan fans all grew up and began to watch the film hence the cult following.

To promote the film the WWE hosted an event where the movie was shown to Pay Per View Audiences and then they saw the event after the film that featured the Main Event with Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs Zeus and Macho Man Randy Savage in a steel cage match.

Zeus appeared in the WWE in 1989 claiming that he should have received top billing in the film over Hulk Hogan and at the time Hogan was feuding with Macho Man Randy Savage so Beefcake was added into the mix and the match was had.

Hogan pinned Zeus after three atomic Leg Drops to get the win.

To continue the promotion of the film Zeus remained in the WWE teaming again with Savage to again face Hogan and Beefcake at that years Summerslam main event and teaming with "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and his Million Dollar Team against Hogan, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Demolition.

In 1996 Lister made an appearance in World Championship Wrestling joining the Alliance to End Hulkamania at the Uncensored Pay Per View in a Doomsday Cage Match against Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.

Lister has gone on to have roles in other films most notably as Deebo in the Friday trilogy of films, as well as the Fifth Element and was featured in a small role in the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight.

The movie is likable for the scenes that follow Rip in his real life. You see two sides of the character in the scenes such as the fancy restaurant where the snooty maître d' discovers that Rip is in fact a regular diner in the restaurant. The Flip Side to the scene is where Rip and Sam are at a less fancy establishment that is soon robbed and the Robbers are quickly dispatched by The Hulkster with Hank Williams Jr’s music in the background.