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Post by driver1980 on Aug 23, 2024 13:20:53 GMT -5
I'm trying to think if those are the matchups I'd actually want to see. I think I'd go with: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair Road Warriors vs. Demolition Randy Savage vs. Sting Strike Force vs. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson The Rockers vs. Rock 'n' Roll Express Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Rude Jake Roberts vs Ronnie Garvin Ted DiBiase vs. Barry Windham That leaves a ton of wrestlers off the card, which makes me wonder if they'd have a battle royal. I like that. I came up with a card, based on 1994 rosters. Bret Hart vs. Rick Rude Razor Ramon vs. Stunning Steve Austin Lex Luger vs. Big Van Vader Diesel & Shawn Michaels vs. The Nasty Boys Hakushi vs. Ricky Steamboat Marty Jannetty & The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Arn Anderson & Lord Steven Regal |
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Post by dbutler69 on Aug 25, 2024 7:36:40 GMT -5
There was an episode of Raw where Triple H forced Jim Ross to have a match with him (no doubt more of Vince McMahon having fun at Ross’ expense). Again, at the time, I thought, ‘What matchmaking powers does Triple H have?’ By that logic, the lowest-ranked wrestler could have appeared on the ramp and said, “Triple H, I want a shot at your world championship next week!” A little logic matters. I know some fans were clamouring for a Hogan/Warrior rematch after WM VI, but Jack Tunney refused to sanction such a rematch because of concerns that both men might end up hurting each other due to their intensity and past conflict. It may sound silly, but it made sense. However, given later WWE logic, Warrior should just have shown up on WWF Superstars and demanded a match. Agreed on the Tunney WM VI rematch. Also, talking of that Triple H thing, another thing Gorilla would do was mention a competition committee who was supposedly ranking the wrestlers and tag teams and deciding who had earned a shot at the title. I'm sure such a committee was fictional, but again, it was a nice touch that added that veneer of authenticity. For that matter, WCW used to actually show rankings. I remember a few times on WCW Saturday Night they'd show the top 10 rankings. That was really cool and the rankings actually sort of made sense, from what I remember. |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 26, 2024 4:37:01 GMT -5
Ah yes, championship committees. All that helps, eh? And it doesn’t even have to be complex.
I mean, Tunney refusing to sanction Hogan-Warrior II could be picked apart as illogical or nonsensical (by some), but at least there was an explanation. Even a bizarre explanation is better than no explanation at all. And explanations help, so when a mid-card (or lower-card) wrestler is getting a world title shot, the “open contract” explanation simply helps us understand why perhaps Repo Man is getting a world title shot at Randy Savage!
It is sad that unaffiliated publications like the PWI family of mags put more thought into rankings and logic than the WWF itself.
I think presenting the WWF as a “real sport” made a difference. I remember Jack Tunney being quoted (okay, it was probably a staff writer) in WWF Magazine, saying how he’d waive the 60-minute time limit in PPV main events if he felt it warranted it. True, there wasn’t really PPV overruns, but at least it showed they were treating it seriously.
I think once the WWF let Tunney go (in late 1995), they gave up all pretence of what we’ve been discussing. Tunney was sacked by the WWF in July of 1995, and I believe that was the point when they left behind presidential decrees, championship committees, logic, etc. Future presidents and on-screen leaders were simply figureheads (like Gorilla Monsoon) or biased officials who battled the likes of Steve Austin. I like how Tunney was presented as neutral, even stripping Hogan of the WWF Championship in late 1991 due to the nature of his win over The Undertaker. A neutral figurehead is better than wild-eyed on-screen managers like Ric Flair.
I don’t think Jesse Ventura would have fitted into later WWF because I could imagine him calling things out, e.g. saying, “How can Triple H sanction a match with Jim Ross, he has no match-making authority!”
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 26, 2024 4:52:57 GMT -5
Last night’s viewing, a 60-minute tape, one of the ones my mother bought me in the early 90s (on two occasions during the tape, there’s a montage of wrestling clips):  WWF Intercontinental Champion Texas Tornado vs. Mr. PerfectThis is a heartbreaking match, which sees Perfect regain his IC Championship. It’s painful. You see, Ted DiBiase “pays off” Howard Finkel and takes his place as ring announcer. I’m sure it’s all innocent…not. Tornado and Perfect then put on a brilliant display - perhaps the best on they had - but after a ref bump, DiBiase nails Tornado with the belt, allowing a recovering Earl Hebner to record the pin. This was deflating to me as a youngster, akin to seeing Luthor get one over on Superman. It did at least lead to a Tornado/DiBiase feud. Marty Jannetty vs. The Model Rick MartelFrom the Survivor Series Showdown, we have Marty and Martel, who would be on opposing teams a week later at Survivor Series ‘90. It feels a tad overlong and features a lot of rest holds, but it’s believable enough, and we get a conclusive win (Martel wins via pinfall). Hulk Hogan & Tugboat vs. Rhythm & BluesFrom a late 1990 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, this follows the usual hero vs. villain cartoon formula (that’s not a criticism, not everything is about workrate). It’s certainly very heated, but, perhaps predictably, it ends inconclusively as Earthquake and Dino Bravo come out to interfere. It ends on a fun note, I guess, as the babyfaces get a DQ win - and Tugboat gets to use Honky Tonk Man’s guitar against the dastardly heels. A fun bout. Big Boss Man vs. BarbarianThese two always had good chemistry. It’s easy for workrate-obsessed ‘journalists’ to mock this era, but these men are far more convincing than *some* of the gymnasts we see today. A punch or a kick means something here! It looks convincing. You can believe both guys hate each other. Big Boss Man gets the win via pinfall, but sadly, Haku comes out afterwards and he and Barbarian deliver a beating to the lawman. WWF Champion Ultimate Warrior vs. Ted DiBiaseEarlier in 1990, Warrior pinned DiBiase in a glorified squash match (in Japan). Here, they have a more competitive match, and both men work well together, with Warrior having to pull out some technical moves to try and stop DiBiase. DiBiase is maniacal in this match, and the competitive nature of the bout left me wondering back in the day whether DiBiase might become world champion. Sadly, we do not get a conclusive ending as Macho King interferes and helps DiBiase beat down Warrior, although Warrior eventually recovers and holds aloft his world belt. Great bout, but this isn’t the tape for those of us who got heartbroken at babyfaces losing or being beaten down (all part of the fun, I suppose). SummaryThere isn’t a bad match on the tape, even the Jannetty/Martel bout is solid. There’s a good mix here, and this is one tape I’ll be keeping. |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 26, 2024 5:02:21 GMT -5
Incidentally, I have mentioned before how Silver Vision were the official licensee for videotapes in the UK. Here’s their intro, found on some of their 1991 tapes:
And one for Survivor Series 1991:
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 26, 2024 9:31:18 GMT -5
So many great clips on YouTube (crappy ads aside):
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Post by Batflunkie on Aug 26, 2024 14:22:35 GMT -5
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Aug 26, 2024 14:54:16 GMT -5
RIP Sid
Hard not to love the guy with all his wacky promos and fun squashes, even if he rarely ever had anything resembling a great match
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 26, 2024 16:24:51 GMT -5
God rest his soul. I did enjoy his time in wrestling, particularly 1996-97.
And let me put my kayfabe head on for a moment: Hogan had NO RIGHT to whine during the 1992 Royal Rumble. It was every man for himself, and Sid was entitled to eliminate Hogan from behind, just as Hogan had done to numerous allies in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Every man for himself, Hogan! Was Sid supposed to graciously step aside? Kayfabe aside, they should have booked that differently because Hogan came across as a sore loser.
Perhaps my favourite Sid match is the one he had with Shawn Michaels at the 1997 Royal Rumble.
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Aug 26, 2024 18:19:27 GMT -5
Yeah, Sid was super over as a babyface (the fans always wanted to cheer him throughout his career but bookers seemed to only ever want him as a heel) going into that Rumble, but the match with Hogan was set in stone, so damn what the fans think. Hogan vs Sid was a dream match on paper, but the way they got there relied too much on simply falling back to the Hogan Betrayed formula, which was played out by 1992. In the hands of a different promoter we may have got a Hogan heel turn then, I think the fans were definitely ready to boo him
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 26, 2024 20:46:18 GMT -5
Never enjoyed him in the ring, except in the Skyscrapes, with Spivey and Calloway. However, I loved his time as Lord Humongous, in Continental Wrestling Federation, when Eddie Gilbert and Paul Heyman were booking. They set up an angle where Shane Douglas was his childhood friend (misunderstood misfit, hid his face with the hockey mask, etc) and Shane helped turn him babyface. I saw a tv angle where the heels attacked Humungous, without the mask (but face covered), and Shane ran to ringside and tossed the hockey mask to him, he slipped it on and cleaned house. They did similar things in Mid-South and Continental with Jerry Stubbs, as a babface, with his Mr Olympia mask.
Cancer sucks; but, I suspect the chemical enhancement didn't help.
Hope he packed his squeegee.....I'm sure he has his softball glove and bat.
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Post by commond on Aug 27, 2024 5:08:52 GMT -5
Sid was the butt of every joke when I first got online thanks to the likes of rspw wrestling and Scott Keith. I like the fact that a younger generation of fans came along and flipped the narrative on Sid.
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 27, 2024 13:17:39 GMT -5
I have zero time for pretentious ‘journalists’ who can’t see the value and fun that monster heavyweights provided. Sid had an intensity and believability that some (not all) modern wrestlers could learn from, especially those who don’t sell and rely on gymnastics.
I wish they hadn’t turned him heel in 1992. I liked the ethnical nature of his character, the way he talked about midwestern values, the way he fought for the honour of Randy Savage after Jake Roberts crashed the wedding of Savage/Elizabeth, etc. It’s a shame there couldn’t have been a more believable way to turn him heel. Eliminating a whiny babyface in a match where it’s every man for himself was not the way to begin that transition.
One of my favourite moments:
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 27, 2024 16:50:44 GMT -5
Everyone here knows what happened thirty years ago today:
I certainly did not see it coming!
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Post by Batflunkie on Aug 27, 2024 19:52:32 GMT -5
Everyone here knows what happened thirty years ago today: I certainly did not see it coming! Without ECW, I might not have ever gotten back into wrestling in my 20's and I mean that as sincerely as humanly possible. 2010/2011 WWE was absolute crap and there really were no alternatives (TNA was already starting to absolutely nosedive). I grew up with Ruthless Aggression Era Smackdown and 90's ECW totally felt like the fore-father of that |
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