The first match-up in the Cageside Seats (CSS) Pro Wrestling Tournament is officially in the books and, as expected, number one seed Hulk Hogan (231 votes) knocked off number 16 seed Big Show (148 votes) to advance to the round of 32. He'll face the winner of this next match.
We continue our tournament with a match-up pitting eight seed, Buddy Rogers, against nine seed, Owen Hart.
Rogers died in 1992 and many fans of today may not know of his impact on the pro wrestling business. He's widely credited for perfecting the arrogant, cocky heel character who used his natural charisma both in the ring and on the mic, something not seen often in his time. He was "The Nature Boy" before Ric Flair ever came along and became one of the best of all time. He also used a high flying style during a time period when wrestling was mostly done on the mat, and he drew a lot of money with it. In short, he was the total package.
Hart is one of the most widely respected pro wrestlers in history, perhaps even more so after he died in a tragic accident in the ring at Over the Edge in 1999. While he was often overshadowed by his more popular brother Bret, there's an argument to be made that Owen was the better of the two inside the ring. He was also much better on the microphone, with a sort of natural charisma Bret never possessed. If you can find a pro wrestler with a bad word to say about him, you will have found the first. Simply put, he was incredible once the bell rang.
These two never crossed paths, of course, thanks to their having worked in different eras. But now they can have a match against each other right here on CagesideSeats.com.
Cast your vote in this opening round match-up and take a look at the updated tournament bracket after the jump!
Bracket artwork by: June M. Williams