Listerine (And Other Adventures in Old Mets Photos)

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: In a boxer-wrestler matchup 42 years ago at Shea, Andre the Giant bounces Chuck Wepner from the ring, and then fucks with his foot for good measure.

I remember Chuck Wepner as the "Bayonne Bleeder" from his boxing days.
Didn't know he wrestled, too.

Later

[Edgy MD]

He only sorta wrestled. Occasionally, in grand events like The Showdown at Shea II, wrestling would try and express it's credibility by having a top wrestler take on a top boxer. Usually the "top" boxer was well known only because he was a willing punching bag for real top boxers to fight on their way up or as a warmup to a more high-profile matchup ... like Wepner.

Willing to take a check for pain, he'd be the boxer set up as a patsy, as if it would be fair to send a rule-bound somebody with padded gloves into the ring against a free-styiing brawler. But they'd get the script. Wrestler chases boxer, boxer turns and lands a few, boxer chases wrestler, wrestler gets angry and tosses the daytripper out of the ring. Check cashed.

Here's the whole card for The Showdown at Shea II:

1) Ivan Putski defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna
Singles match 07:58

2) José Gonzáles and Kevin Sullivan fought to a time-limit draw
Singles match
20:00
(Who the hell wants to see a draw in pro wrestling?)

3) Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf © defeated The Executioners (#1 and #2)
Two out of three falls tag team match for the WWWF World Tag Team Championship

4) André the Giant defeated Chuck Wepner by countout
Boxer vs. wrestler match
01:17 of round 3

5) Bruno Sammartino © defeated Stan Hansen by countout
Singles match for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship
10:19

6) Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali fought to a draw
Boxer vs. wrestler match; shown to the stadium crowd via closed-circuit television from Tokyo, Japan

[MFS62]

Some big names on that card.
Thanks.
Later

[Edgy MD]

Family Day with Bernie Millan eschewing the old man's trademark batting grip.

[fimg=600]https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/bernie-millan-threeyear-old-son-of-the-mets-2nd-baseman-is-about-to-picture-id926243838[/fimg]

Bernie played five years in the minors, mostly with the Mets organization. He certainly had his father's power stroke, clubbing three homers in 475 minor league games.

Not a lot of doubles or triples either. Or even stolen bases. Got his share of sacrifice bunts in, though.

[Edgy MD]

WtF did they do to my scoreboard?!

[Edgy MD]

Check out the giant Hostess cupcakes Mr. and Lady Met were dealing out.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Why is Lady Met wearing a mask? Does she really think people won't be able to crack that disguise?

[Edgy MD]

I don't think there's a mask there. I think you're looking at her hair flip.

[Lefty Specialist]

I looked at that picture thinking Mr Met might be saying, "So Billy, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?"