As for the outfit, I think they were trying to invoke the Samoan heritage, without any real research or creativity. He dumped that quickly. People forget that he debuted as a babyface (as Rocky Maivia) and was told to smile all the time, like he was having fun. Crowds just booed him out of the ring, with chants of "Rocky sucks," as he was shoved down their throats, never losing and always being put over as the greatest thing since chocolate chip cookies and milk. They finally just went with it and turned him heel, still calling him Rocky Maivia, while Johnson started to refer to himself as "The Rock," until that became his ring name. At first, they were making the connection to being Third Generation, with High Chief Peter Maivia and Rocky Johnson. They kind of did the same with Randy Orton (though they never brought up Uncle Barry). Funny how they tended to ignore that with a lot of second generation guys, like Randy Savage and Lanny Poffo, Curt Hennig, the Rougeau Brothers, Luna Vachon, Barry Windham, and the Funks. Dustin Runnels was turned into a rib on Dusty (his nickname was Stardust; hence, Golddust).

The family....



With Grandma and Grandpa....



and the grandparents, in their younger days...

codystarbuck ... I totally forgot his Samoa heritage, I remember years ago that he explained how this costume came about.

Max Moon........blame Vince mcMahon for that monstrosity.  They hired Konnan, who had been working for EMLL, in mexico and had seen a robot anime in Japan.  He brought up the idea to Vince, ho liked it and they commissioned an effects group to create a suit.  The original design was a cumbersome plastic shell suit, that looked like a robot....



The gauntlets had gimmicks in them to fire confetti and pyro effects; and they spent something like $13,000 developing it;  But, it proved too cumbersome to use in the ring and they scrapped it in favor of the costume you see above, which had a jet pack added, plus hand-held shooters for the confetti and pyro.  Konan made one appearance in the new costume...



He had heat in the office and left the company and was replaced by Paul Diamond, of the tag-team Badd Company (who held the AWA World Tag-Team titles, with Diamond Dallas Paige as their manager).  Diamond made the tv debut as the character, with the jetpack.  it was just a steam jet and he hops up the steps as they try to make it work.  Konnan had envisioned something that would release stronger jets, while he did a standing leap to the ring apron.  Diamond appeared as the comet Kid, which was then changed to Max Moon.



Konnan did wrestle in the WWF under his name, as El Relampago,and  the Latin Fury.  He did a few appearances as the Comet Kid and Max Moon, then quit.  Diamond fit the suit and was given the gimmick.  Not sure if Diamond had long hair or had extensions.  They had to gimmick it, a bit, as Konnan had braids in his hair (which was thinning, leading to him shaving it, eventually). 

The outfit was supposed to look like circuitry and the the rings were supposed to be a joint; but, it looked terrible.  The Japanese would have done it far better.

Battle Kat was Brady Boone, a wrestler from the Portland promotion who had worked as a jobber, in the WWF, under his real name.  He came out of Robbinsdale, MN, and went to the same high school that produced Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Nikita Koloff, Barry Darsow (Smash, of Demolition and Krusher Kruschev, for Crockett), and Tom Zenk.  He had a gymnastics background and they came up with this as a gimmick aimed at kids.  Like most attempts to appeal to kids, it bombed.  Boone was killed in an auto accident, in 1998.

Mantaur was a cousin of Taz, who had worked in Germany, for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association.  They brought him in for this gimmick, which was supposed to be reminiscent of Yukon Moose Cholak, a mainstay of the Chicago wrestling scene (as well as Indianapolis and detroit, and the AWA)...




You want bad ring gear?  How about what Mike Shaw was stuck with, as Bastion Booger?



Shaw started out in Al Tmko's Vancouver promotion, as Klondike Mike, before working for Stu Hart's Stampede promotion, under his real name.  he then alligned with heel Gamma Singh, as Makhan Singh, in a tag-team, known as Karachi Vice.  Gary Albright (a later star in All-Japan) joined as Vokhan Singh.  he worked for WCW as Norman the Lunatic and actually got over with crowds, despite the stupid gimmick.  he was turned face and wrestled as Trucker Norm, as he was supposed to be a simpleton who had been manipulated by manager Teddy Long.  He went to the WWF, first as the Friar and Friar Ferguson, then was given the gross-out gimmick of Bastion booger, because Vince thought Shaw was a slob and it privately amused him.

Shaw as Makhan Singh (in the middle, with Gama Singh, on the right)


as Norman the Lunatic...


as Friar Ferguson...


The Friar bit was dropped after a complaint from the Catholic Diocese of new York and he was saddled with the BB gimmick.

He died in 2010, of a pulmonary embolism.  As Makhan Singh and Norman, he was a pretty agile big man.  His weight had ballooned by the time he was in the WWF. 
 

Konnan is so popular in Mexico ... I have visited Mazatlan, Acapulco, Monterrey, and couple other cities and poster of him is adorned in bars, taverns, and sporting events places. He is everywhere.




This what I saw.

Here's Konnan in AAA, after losing his mask, against cien Caras, his biggest rival (apart from Perro Aguayo) Carras defeated Konnan for the CMLL World title, then in AA for the IWC World title. He interfered in Konnan's match with Aguayo, at When Worlds Collide, to further their feud. Caras started in 1974 and his brothers also wrestled, as Universo 2000 Mascara Ano 2000, where their trios team was known as Los Hermanos Dinamita (The Dynamite Brothers).


With Konnan is Art Barr, who, along with Eddie Guerrero, formed Los Gringos Locos, the most hated heels in Mexico (as Americans who looked down on Mexico).  Konnan had been a face and turned heel, aligning himself with Los Gringos Loco (which also included Louie Spicolli, as "Madonna's Boyfriend").  This is before When World's Collide, as Barr died soon after.  Barr had worked in the Pacific Northwest promotion of Don Owens (where his father, Sandy Barr, was a referee and co-promoter), under his own name and Beetlejuice, then worked in WCW, as the Juicer.  He was probably in line to work either ECW or WCW, after When Worlds Collide, when he died of a heart attack.  His brother was Jesse Barr, who wrestled in the WWF as Jimmy Jack Funk, as well as his own name, in Memphis and Portland.  Barr was also involved in the infamous match for the Pacific Northwest tag-titles, where Tonya Harding acted as their manager, after being banned from skating, in the wake of the nancy Kerrigan attack.  Ironically, she turned down a $3 million offer by All Japan Women to become a wrestler and she was a fan. 

Thoughts on Survivor Series 1988? Naturally, spoilers will follow (for anyone who may look in on the topic):






With 50 wrestlers on the card, you can't go wrong. Not a bad match to be found (there were only four matches, any card with more may have a bad match).

The 10-on-10 tag team elimination match is not only a superlative contest, but that double turn came out of nowhere. Perhaps Cody will know if a double turn had been done prior to this? I liked it. Seeing Demolition and Powers of Pain turn at the end was a shocker.

The Ultimate Warrior and Brutus Beefcake co-captained a team against Honky Tonk Man and, erm, I can't recall who the co-captain was. Bad News Brown, in a rather amusing moment, abandoned his team after Greg Valentine accidentally hit him. As he grumpily walked back to the locker room, Jesse Ventura, commentating with Gorilla Monsoon, said, "I don't think this guy can get along with anybody!"

I think maybe Jake Roberts and Tito Santana were co-captains against a team led by co-captains Andre the Giant and, erm, I've forgotten. It's hard to keep track of co-captains. Perhaps Andre the Giant and Dino Bravo. Pretty solid match.

And the main event saw The Mega Powers lead a team led by DiBiase (did DiBiase have a co-captain?). Lots of flavour in this match. Most amusing moment is when Hogan is handcuffed to the ring post and Slick keeps dangling the keys in front of him.

An entertaining card, all things said!