Bret Hart interview from NZPWI.co.nz
QUOTE
Oh really? What was bad about the WCW ring?
Well it’s not a real ring with ropes like the WWE ring, WWF ring. My dad’s ring was a big ring, my dad’s ring was a 20 foot ring, and it had real ropes. Like when you run into the ropes, the ropes… like the TNA ring, and the WCW ring, they weren’t real ropes, they were just props, they were just pretend, they were steel cables covered up with big huge thick hose. So when you ran into the ropes, there was no give, like you couldn’t actually bounce off the ropes. Actually when you ran into the ropes, you stopped all your momentum and had to start running again. Be like running into a wall. I just hated it, and the ropes were really low, I can remember, if you hit the ropes funny, you could flip over the top rope and land on the floor. And I wasn’t the biggest guy, but I don’t know how guys like Hulk and some of these giants that they had in WCW, could even use those ropes. They looked great to step over top, Kevin Nash used to climb over the top rope like he was stepping over the bottom rope. But it looks good, and I think Rey Mysterio could probably climb up them, climb right up to the top of those kinds of rings, dive all the way, run across the top like walking a tight rope. But there’s no rope. It’s just a big steel cable.
For me, that really loved – when I got thrown into the ropes, I started running so fast. I got where I was hitting those ropes so fast, and with such excitement and action, I mean you ran into the ropes and you ducked the clothesline, and you hit the other ropes and you came off, it was a lot of movement of using the ropes to propel yourself, a really important part of my matches, and I hate the rings that kill the speed and kill the excitement of a match, and that’s what the TNA ring does, that’s what the WCW ring was. Small criticisms, but for a guy that was an artist it was important.
http://www.nzpwi.co.nz/home/index.php?opti...1&Itemid=88Watching an old WCW match and I noticed Savage dropping the elbow he was really jumping out a couple feet and going straight down. He wasn't getting much height or distance. Then I was watching Lex Luger do his running elbow, Hogan doing his leg drop, all of them were looking very very lackluster compared to how they did them in a WWF ring.
After more research I've learned, that WCW was using just steel cables as ropes, and then the top rope is lower answered all my questions. Thats why Hogans leg drop in WCW he wasn't using the ropes, why he wasn't getting much speed and height. Thats why Lugers running forearm lacked momentum. Thats why Savages top rope elbow drop wasn't getting much height and distance.
QUOTE
Generally, steel cables are used to support the rope structure of the rings, with both WCW and ECW using a padded steel cable. This allowed for greater top rope balance and spring-board, which is why you saw more high-flying and death-defying maneuvers being performed in these promotions. Meanwhile, in WWE, they use an elastic rope. The elasticity of the rope offers far more comfort when running the ropes, as well as receiving moves on the ropes, but at a decrease in top rope stability.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling_ring most other sources from discussions I've found are no longer in use, but do agree with wiki's figures.
Then I researched the actual ring sizes for WCW and everything I've read says they used a 18 x 18 foot ring while, I've seen various reports that the WWE's was 20 x 20 with the top rope being 5 feet high. Can you imagine the extra room, and the extra 8 square feet can give a wrestler in distance to hit the ropes harder, more room to execute moves, or work in a hot tag in the corner with the right distance.
I think this shows perfectly how much the size of the ring, and the elastic type rope over the cable can change the style of a match.
Is interesting to know that WWF in 1998 had their ring redesigned so that it isn't as stiff as they once were.
Jul 17 2009, 08:26 PM
