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Post by jimsteel on Jan 2, 2013 12:16:11 GMT -5
FROM LORDS OF PAIN
Former WWE superstar and UFC Hall of Famer Dan "The Beast" Severn announced over the weekend that he has officially retired as an active pro wrestler. Severn, a former NWA World Champion, will continue to make appearances at wrestling shows and conventions, but his days in the ring are over. He feuded with Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock during WWE's Attitude Era.
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Post by LWPD on Jan 2, 2013 19:35:49 GMT -5
Dan also stepped down from MMA competition. When viewed in the context of his time, The Beast was a ferocious competitor who was instrumental in opening doors for future wrestlers and helped to put Greco-Roman on the MMA map. Best wishes going forward!  |
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Post by pikemojo on Jan 2, 2013 19:44:04 GMT -5
Dan Severn was the man. I loved watching him fight.
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Post by Mr. Jimmyface on Jan 2, 2013 22:36:34 GMT -5
Personality-wise, a poor fit for today's storyline and sound bite product. But in the ring or the octagon, he was head and shoulders above the pack. He is that rare breed of wrestler that made you believe it could get very real in a matter of seconds.
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Post by marktaggart on Jan 2, 2013 22:52:04 GMT -5
Dan also stepped down from MMA competition. When viewed in the context of his time, The Beast was a ferocious competitor... I would say his ferocity transcends time or categorizing. He simply was a fierce competitor. He was not the complete package like the current crop of MMA fighters, as he had no serious striking ability, but his wrestling ability and tenacity were unquestionable. UNFORTUNATELY, that intensity did not follow him into pro wrestling. Even though he was given the NWA title at one point, I would call him one of the---least polished of the high level amateur champions to step foot in the ring. He was definitely a step above guys like Chris Taylor (hampered by poor health, granted) and "Great Wojo" Greg Wojciechowski (who was a member of the ill-fated 1980 Olympics; and an alternate in '84 and '88, as I believe was Severn), but he was nowhere near guys like Angle and Lesnar as far as "getting" being a pro wrestler. At any rate, I enjoyed watching him throughout his career and I'm glad he got to have a long and relatively healthy one. |
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Post by Shon Maxx on Jan 3, 2013 5:20:52 GMT -5
I loved watching Severn wrestle, even if it wasn't often. Shamrock would sceam and roar, while Severn would enter the ring stoically and proceed to dismantle his opponent without any emotion.
I recently up bringing his card back to my fed, though I tend to use the Beast Choker as his finisher instead of the Wakigatame.
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Post by Bazzy on Jan 3, 2013 10:09:39 GMT -5
No surprise he is 54
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Post by LWPD on Jan 3, 2013 19:43:45 GMT -5
One of Dan's most famous fights was from UFC V, against Oleg Taktarov. Video footage of the knees Severn landed to the side of Taktarov's head were long used in cases made against sanctioning the sport before various state athletic commissions. Today knees to the head of a grounded opponent are banned in the U.S., but remain legal in several MMA promotions overseas. Dan Severn vs Oleg Taktarov 4/7/95 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2013 20:22:41 GMT -5
Severn would enter the ring stoically and proceed to dismantle his opponent without any emotion. Which on paper is great, except Severn wasn't really good at it. Shamrock played his role well and could have good matches, although only really with The Rock. Severn, on the other hand, wasn't really entertaining at all IMO. I'm a huge fan of the guy, I pushed the hell out of him in LOW, but man I have no idea how he wasn't a better pro wrestler than he ended up being. |
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Post by chewey on Jan 3, 2013 22:05:43 GMT -5
I remember being all excited when Dan Severn first came to the WWF... a legit Greco-Roman wrestler, UFC V Champion, and NWA champion. And then he came down to the ring and rendered Jim Cornette unconscious with an arm bar (Chris Jericho: ARMMM BARRRR!!) and continued to use the arm bar as his finisher. I can't even remember now if this was before or after Chris Jericho's list of 1004 holds, but either way it made Severn's "finisher" seem pretty silly.
And I'll always remember Mick Foley's first book where he asks Owen Hart how it is working with Dan Severn, and Owen just keeps repeating "He's a nice guy!" and refusing to say more, an inside joke Foley had already let us in on as a subtle way of expressing a low opinion of a fellow worker.
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