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| RIP Jimmy Snuka | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 15 2017, 09:14 PM (581 Views) | |
| HeenanandMonsoon | Jan 15 2017, 09:14 PM Post #1 |
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dWb Superstar
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Not surprising since he's been sick for awhile. The trial didn't help matters for him health wise either. My condolences to his family. |
Founder of the Humanoid Nation Community on PSN
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| Scrooge McSuck | Jan 15 2017, 10:43 PM Post #2 |
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I'll get you next time, toilet!
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I'm going to pass on commenting on the obvious and just focus on him as an in-ring performer. I cannot comment on his work in the 70's, or even for much of what he did in his pre-Rock n' Wrestling WWF stuff. I've seen a little bit, but not much. He had the memorable leap off the cage, a hot program with Roddy Piper, and even with Hogan on board, could still be used as a headline performer. The Snuka I knew was for his run that spanned the second half of 1989 until the early part of 1992. I never "got" the gimmick of island natives and savages, and it took me years to eventually consider the SST/Head Shrinkers a good team. Snuka was just... meh. His Splash was cool, but he never did much for me, and for the most part, was a low-tier babyface who was more often used to put over a strong mid-card heel. His most memorable moment of that run isn't anything positive for him, it was him being the first victim of the Undertaker at WrestleMania. Then we had the infamous mystery partner reveal at Survivor Series '96. You'd think I'd have a bit more to say considering how long of a career he had, but everything seems to be "came out as a surprise, looks old and broken down", and then I delete it. |
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| Erick Von Erich | Jan 16 2017, 10:14 AM Post #3 |
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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Memorable character. When the WWF wrestling boom hit around 1985, he was one of the names everybody in the 8-12 year old bracket knew. Probably because his name, itself, just sounded so unique (we were too young to get any connections of the word "superfly" from the early 70's). "He's a Superfly?! That's cool! Sounds like a wacky superhero". Yet, I don't think anybody actually saw his matches; they just knew the name or saw him on the cartoon. I remember one friend telling me that he was actually Andre the Giant's little brother; and that they used to be tag team champs. So he was one of the first guys I would've said: "he didn't need a belt to get over" about. He was just a well-known attraction, it seemed. I remember when the AWA came to town in the spring of 1986, they were promoting the hell out of Snuka's appearance. Don't care who he wrestles, or if he wins, we just want to see the Superfly Splash. Saw him face Honky Tonk Man in September 1989 and the place went nuts when he pinned him with the Splash. He appeared at a local (shitty) indy show, circa 2000...threw two punches and hit the Splash to pin some nobody in an actual match. Again, place went nuts. Going back and looking at his work--- his tag team with Terry Gordy was actually pretty good. Other than that, it seemed he got over thanks to other people, not necessarily himself. The whole face turn on "Buddy Rogers' corner" and attack by Ray Stevens, which got him insanely over... no real fault of his. Announcers, Arnold Skaaland and everybody else worked to make it happen. See also: Roddy Piper in 1984. Most of this was due to his bad promo work. "I'll tell you one thing brother: I'm going to get you. When we meet and I'll tell you one thing, you will regret ever having faced me when we get in the cage for all the fans who want to see me do the big leap on you, brother". I'm paraphrasing, but it's fairly truthful. Would've been the WWF's top guy had Hogan not arrived. If you follow the WWF's pattern of the late 70's and early 80's, you can see that he was being slotted as The Guy (tm, Roman Reigns). The Argentino case didn't help, either. |
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| torturedsoulv1 | Jan 16 2017, 11:40 PM Post #4 |
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true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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He was my favorite wrestler when I started watching in '83 Yeah if he really killed his gf, he should've gotten lifetime in jail RIP superfly |
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| Erick Von Erich | Jan 17 2017, 09:09 AM Post #5 |
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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Since you were an avid fan, at the time, and went to the Backlund/Iron Sheik title swap: did you feel that Snuka would be the next one to challenge or take out the Sheik? |
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| torturedsoulv1 | Jan 17 2017, 09:58 PM Post #6 |
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true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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I figured Backlund would get rematches first. Snuka next. Maybe it's because Backlund held the belt 5+ years, but I didn't think Iron Sheik would be a transitional champ. Didn't think of how long of a reign he would have, but certainly didn't think it would just be a month. didn't know Hogan was coming in, so couldn't see that coming |
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| torturedsoulv1 | Jan 17 2017, 10:16 PM Post #7 |
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true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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Yeah he was horrible on the mic the athleticism was what made me a fan And of course the superfly splash |
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12:07 PM Jul 11