Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Da Wrestling Board. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Comments that don't warrant a thread...
Topic Started: Oct 25 2011, 05:12 PM (68,337 Views)
Erick Von Erich
Member Avatar
I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
[ *  *  * ]
...then throw a run-in from Santa Claus to end it all.
DWS Apparel Store- Buy. Consume. Obey.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
I always turn the show off before that happens.

I never really thought about it, but with Razor and Flair occupied, Shawn was the only option for Bret that night. The heel side of things was weak, and it was too soon to give Bam Bam and Yokozuna the spot. Heck, I don't think Bam Bam officially made his in-ring return at the time of the PPV, but he was being hyped.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
Having wrapped up 1992 and already put together DVD's of 1993 and 1994, I'm working my way through September of 1995.


British Bulldog's heel turn was one of genuine surprise, and considering he was never a heel before that (at least main-stream during his WWF and WCW runs), did a good job generating heat, but went on to headline two of the lousiest drawing PPV's in history (IYH 4 and 5).

Kind of cool to see Louie Spicolli get a semi-push as Grunge Rocker Rad Radford (yeah, great creative name) after spending the better part of 7 years (meaning he was working WWF syndies as an 18 year old) as one of the unsung scrubs/jobbers featured on Superstars and Challenge. (Edit: Correction: 17 years old. His first appearance I can name off the top of my head was Big Boss Man's debut in the Summer of '88.)

Speaking of "finally getting a push", how about that Barry Horowitz? I'm actually surprised how well the crowd's reacted to him, but WWF immediately ruined everything by dressing him up as Louis from Revenge of the Nerds, and giving him racially stereotypical Jewish theme music (a "wuss rock" version of Ava Nagila).


Marty Jannetty is back... AGAIN. You know when Vince McMahon is desperate in the 90's to fill out the roster: he hires back Marty Jannetty or the Iron Sheik.


Seeds are planted for the eventual heel turn of the 1-2-3 Kid, growing jealous of Razor Ramon and trying to prove he's better than him (spoiler: he loses every match they have).

Goldust's introduction vignettes are definitely... something. That gimmick gets a lot of love in hindsight, but honestly, when it started, it sucked, and then dropping workrate for over-the-top homosexual tactics made it worse. I honestly didn't start liking Goldust as a character or worker until his 2002 run with Booker T.


This has nothing to do with the TV product, but always find interesting... (from the 9-25-95 WON)

Quote:
 
What looked to be the biggest show of the past week was 9/15 in Montreal for the Diesel vs. Jean Pierre Lafitte title match in Montreal. It wound up in a major brouhaha because Lafitte refused to do the job. For one thing, the crowd was 5,825 and about $85,000 (which translates into a lot less since Canadian/U.S. exchange rate is so bad these days) which, while great by normal WWF standards of these days, was a major disappointment since people were hoping for well in excess of 10,000 fans for this match. It was far below what Montreal has been doing the past year regularly since aside from New York, it has been the WWF's hottest city with local wrestler Lafitte believed to have been the top draw. Lafitte did a ton of local publicity for the match and when he arrived for the show, was told by Tony Garea it was a jackknife finish and he immediately refused. Garea tried to talk him into it by Lafitte said he thought the finish would not only hurt him, but hurt future crowds in Montreal and said he would walk out and not do the match and cost himself his job rather than do the job. Finally Vince McMahon was called at home and after a 15 minute conversation, McMahon and Pierre agreed to a double count out. Diesel was really mad about this, made worse because Shawn Michaels was riling him up about it saying that Pierre should be fired. There has always been heat between Michaels and Pierre to begin with because Michaels isn't well liked in the WWF dressing room and if people try and defend Michaels by pointing out his workrate, the response usually is that Pierre can do anything Michaels can do (which really isn't the case and even if it was, he doesn't have Michaels' charisma). Pierre said he'd do a job for Diesel anywhere else except his home town (although I don't have the results, I presume he did the next night in Quebec City and in Toronto on Sunday had to put over Fatu) but that didn't quell hostilities and there was a lot of bitterness when they went into the ring although both were professional about it in the ring and actually had a good match. The other surprise is that Diesel was cheered by about 60% of the crowd in French-Canadian Montreal. Pierre did a Liger dive onto Diesel on the floor and both were counted out. After the match Michaels came out backstage and began cussing him out and Pierre responded in kind and Pierre wound up so riled up he went to Diesel's dressing room but no blows took place but it was definitely the talk of the territory.



I have to say, Pierre was probably completely in the wrong for refusing to lay down, but Shawn Michaels being a dickhead was nothing new for the time, either. Nash probably comes out looking the best, just doing what he's instructed to do.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
I wish WWF tv was better. I've been watching Superstars and Wrestling Challenge and it can be such a tedious experience at times.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
Scrooge,

How essential do you think Primetime is to the WWF television experience? I just started in 1986 when Superstars and Wrestling Challenge began and have been skipping Primetime. Would you get and watch that too.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
Angle development doesn't take place on Prime Time, so if you skip them, you're not missing the experience. It's nice to break up the dredge of non-stop scrub matches and Gorilla and Heenan's chemistry is always fun, but it's definitely not essential.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
I've watched most of 1987 and I just know that the matches can be absolutely brutal at times. Like when they played Brutus Beefcake vs. Johnny V over and over again.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
A Lanny Poffo/Kamala feud starting on Superstars. That's going to end well for Poffo.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Erick Von Erich
Member Avatar
I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
[ *  *  * ]
Prime Time in 1988 is fairly brutal, as well, and completely skippable (unless you like Sam Houston). Only things of notice are the Bushwhackers' TV debut in December and the mini-run of "The Headbangers" in late July/early August.

I don't think Prime Time becomes essential until 1989. And then only slowly.

Heenan's character becomes more of a focus and is used to advance some storylines. Before, he was still the Brain, but it could have been any heel commentator in his seat. I think both he and the WWF became more comfortable with using his role on PTW.

It starts with the Brooklyn Brawler/Red Rooster incident in February, then the big Roddy Piper vs. Heenan (Rick Rude) angle in the summer. He'll also flesh out some of the details for other heels, too. Like Zeus and Ted DiBiase.

Prime Time was probably the best WWF show to watch on a weekly basis in 1989. It included the big angles or incidents from both "Challenge" and "Superstars".... then you got Gorilla and the Brain, plus 2 or 3 "feature matches".

It cools off in late 1989 then kinda' stagnates in 1990. They use it to start the Heenan/Bossman angle, but that's about it. "Superstars" regains its hold as the #1 show in 1990. PTW picks up when they change the format in 1991; in both exclusive matches and "live" interviews.
DWS Apparel Store- Buy. Consume. Obey.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
I might have to pick it up whenever I get to 1989.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
Dick Slater is one of those weird "why the hell did they hire him" guys in 1986. He just sticks out like a sore thumb and they don't seem to have any idea on how to use him. It also seemed like a really weird choice to push the Confederate thing in the Northeast.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
Yeah, that Dick Slater run made zero sense considering the WWF was still heavily featured in the North-East. It's also one of those runs that I can't believe lasted nearly a year, despite doing jack shit.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
The weird thing is he was in JCP before this, the Confederate thing was really downplayed and he had this great fucking intense feud with JJ Dillion and all these different guys he brought in to take out Slater. Then he's in the WWF a year later with a Confederate flag cape instead of wearing jeans and cowboy boots like he was in JCP. Just a real contrast.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mad Dog
Member Avatar
ho ho who the hell are you?
[ *  *  * ]
I've mentioned this before but I fucking hate when they team a mid-carder up with a jobber on tv. What's the fucking point? You know exactly how it's going down. They love doing this with Billy Jack Haynes.

Though the last episode of Wrestling Challenge had the ultimate jobber team of S.D. Jones, Lanny Poffo and Corp. Kirchner.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
[ *  *  * ]
I mentioned this a while back, but they brought that formula back in the Summer of 1990 in place of actual feature matches. I don't mind the JTTS Dream Teams of guys like Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi, but teaming Hercules with a Random Ham 'n' Egger is just poops.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create your own social network with a free forum.
Learn More · Register for Free
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · General Wrestling · Next Topic »
Add Reply