Skip to main content

RF Video Shoot Interview with Ted DiBiase Volume 1

This was filmed in 2000 at DiBiase's home in Jackson, MS

The interview was conducted by Rob Feinstein

It is a two-disc set. Disc One runs at two hours and five minutes long and Disc Two runs at one hour and two minutes long.




Ted is first asked what it was like growing up in a wrestling family. He said that it is similar to an "Army Brat" as you get used to moving a lot. Even though his dad (Iron Mike DiBiase) was really his stepfather, he never called him that. Ted then lists all the places he has lived as a kid as he basically moved every year while he was in elementary school.



He said that he wanted to become a wrestler when he was a kid but how his dad never wanted him to do to that. Ted now talks about how he has three sons and that he does not want his kids to become wrestlers because you pay a price as you have little time for your family and the divorce rates are sky high and you have no life when you are gone 90% of the time as you are all over the country. Ted then talks about all of his friends that have been ruined by drug and alcohol addiction and says how trouble finds you on the road. He does say that he loves getting into the ring and performing.



Ted talks about how for every wrestler that makes it huge, there are 100 others who are just as talented but never get a break. He talks about someone, he forgets their name, but he trained in Japan as a sumo wrestler and had a ton of charisma but the WWF had Yokozuna at the time and when he was on the downside the company was not going to bring in the same type of person and from that goes into how timing is everything.



When asked if he grew bitter towards the business after his father died of a heart attack in the middle of his match. DiBiase said he did not and goes into how his dad had heart disease and they did not know a lot about that in 1969 and that might have been prevented today.



In College, DiBiase played football at West Texas State with John Ayers, Tully Blanchard, and Tito Santana. When asked, he said that it was great. Originally, he was going to play football at Arizona University then saw on TV that the Amarillo territory was coming into town and saw Dory who told him to come back next time to see Terry. Ted was closer to Terry than the others. He spoke to Terry and when that happened he realized that he wanted to become a wrestler and wound up at West Texas State so he could be around the Funk's. He said that Tully was the quarterback and Tito was the Tight End.



He said that the Funk's, especially Terry, mentored him throughout his career. DiBiase talks up Funk and how brilliant he is and claims that when he left college, Terry told him step-by-step how wrestling would reach a National level.



DiBiase goes into on what it takes to become a wrestler. He said you cannot learn to work at a school, only how to learn the mechanics, and stresses you learn on the job and goes back when he was breaking into the business when the veterans told him that he needed to have an "ear" for the business so you know how to react. He said that when he wrestled, it was never choreographed and you only knew the finish as the heel lead the match. DiBiase said that is missing from the business today.



On Harley Race, DiBiase said that he was the one who ran into the ring and performed CPR on his dad the night of his death. He then said that one night, Harley told him that he had "it" then DiBiase talks about how at one point in the early 1980's, he was scheduled to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion as Harley, The Funks, and Bob Geigel all wanted him to be the champ/ He was then told that the belt would be moved around himself, Dusty Rhodes, and Ric Flair and that was going to become the main story for the promotion but Dusty did some politicking and got that switched.



DiBiase then said that he went down to Georgia and worked for Ole Anderson right at the tail end of their hot run. He was told do to go down there and get on TV for more exposure to prepare for the World Title run. He said that Robert Fuller was the booker, someone DiBiase said was not great, and even though he did not know enough at the time on how to book a promotion himself, he knew when it was not good. He was also not part of Fuller's crew but Jim Barnett ordered Fuller to push DiBiase. Fuller ended up aligning DiBiase with himself and that did not get over and at that time the Crockett Territory was really heating up so the talk of him being a champion ended. DiBiase said that he has no regrets then jokes about how he has probably made more World Champions than anyone else. He did like working in Atlanta as the travel was much easier than Mid-South or Amarillo and he got to sleep at home every night.



He talks about how he was brought into the WWWF as the North American Champion in 1979. DiBiase said that Vince Sr. liked his work but that was a big man territory and he was still young and that his belt was actually the belt that was used for the Intercontinental Championship as Pat Patterson beat him then after that, the WWWF used the story of Patterson winning a tournament in Rio De Janeiro.



On wrestling Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden in Hogan's MSG debut, he said that Vince Sr. told him that he knew that he would put over Hogan right (DiBiase was leaving to go to Mid-South) and to do whatever you think is right. DiBiase said he spoke to Hogan and told him what he wanted to do and they went out and had a great match. DiBiase then said that he would love to have that match for his personal library then said that Hogan thanked him very much and that he owed him for his work. DiBiase said that he saw the money in Hogan even back then.



DiBiase said that Bill Watts came up with the loaded glove gimmick. He said that they needed a heel in the territory and at the time, Ernie Ladd was the booker and DiBiase knocked on his door and said that he would be a heel by turning on JYD. DiBiase said he came up with that as he always teased JYD for working 5 minute matches and doing a lot of taunts and dancing yet he made all of the money as he was working his ass of in 30 minute matches. They built up a program and they were facing off in the finals for the North American Championship and would cut babyface promos leading up to the match. The finish was when JYD kicked DiBiase out of the ring and the ref was counting out DiBiase, JYD stopped the ref as he did not want to win like that and rolled DiBiase back in the ring then DiBiase loaded up his glove and won the match that way.



He puts over Bill Watts for having a great mind for the business but that he was a bully and a "slave driver" as the travel was brutal. He even looks into the camera and tells Watts if he was watching that he was a bully.



DiBiase said that Watts did not have the connections that Vince McMahon did in New York and when he realized that it was too late and could not compete with Vince on a National level.



Feinstein asks DiBiase about several workers. He said that Watts paired him up with Steve Williams and that he caught on quick. He also credits Williams for shedding weight as he was really heavy when he started. He tells a story of how he was supposed to blade during a segment with Dick Murdoch. He said that one of the tricks of the trade was before you were going to blade, you took an aspirin and a shot of brandy. DiBiase swiped his forehead and he cut really deep and when his heat would beat, blood shot out. DiBiase said they bandaged up his head and he came back out and tore some of it out as blood would still shoot out and freak out the girls in the front row. He said that he loves Jim Duggan and tells a story of the first time he got into the ring with him. They were at a spot show in Alabama and when they tied up Duggan was so stiff that he tagged out to his partner and let him wrestle Duggan. DiBiase also said that Duggan was "afraid of the blade" and hated when he had to get color. He talks about JYD and said that he would tell you that he was not a great worker but he was a great talker and had a ton of charisma.



On working in Japan, DiBiase said that he loved it over there. He went there when he was 22 years old and even though he was there with all veterans who he had nothing in common with, he learned to love the food and culture. DiBiase said that seniority is important over there and they do not automatically love someone as it takes time. He teamed with Stan Hansen and knew that he was the one who would be doing the selling as Hansen made the hot tag.



DiBiase now talks about how he signed with the WWF. He said Mid South was on fire when Bill Dundee was brought in too book things but that he hot-shotted everything and when that stopped working, it plummeted. He went back to Japan and told Bruce Prichard to put in a word for him in the WWF as he had an interview with them. While in Japan, Watts sold his territory to Crockett. DiBiase said that he had a meeting with Crockett but before that, Prichard called him and said before he signed anything to talk with Vince McMahon first as he wants to bring him into the WWF. DiBiase met with Crockett who asked him what it would take to sign him. DiBiase said that he wanted what Luger was making as he was a better worker and put in more time and that if he is not worth every penny to them as Luger was, then they did not need him. Crockett then agreed to give DiBiase the same deal as Luger and DiBiase even got them to agree to let him work in Japan too. A week went by and still no call from Vince as DiBiase was still mulling over whether or not to sign with Crockett, who had no idea that the WWF was interested. Vince then calls up DiBiase and tells him about an idea he has but wants to discuss it in person. DiBiase flies to see him and Vince tells DiBiase that this idea has never been done before and that he knows he can pull it off but refused to give him the idea until he officially signed because he did not want to give away the idea for free. Vince had to take a call then Pat Patterson came in and told DiBiase that this idea his what Vince would create for himself and ensured him that DiBiase will fully back him and push him with everything he has. DiBiase went home and called Terry Funk, who told him to pack his bags and go with Vince. DiBiase flew up again, this time with his wife, and Vince put him up in a luxury hotel and had a chauffeur drive him around to all of the expensive restaurants and the theatre as he wanted DiBiase to actually be the Million Dollar Man. When asked if the other guys resented him for this, DiBiase said that they might have but he never saw it and in general most guys never got mad at someone for taking a great opportunity.



DiBiase talks about the gimmick and how not only was it a huge break but you got that break in style. He then says that Vince gave him the biggest break and treated him better than any other wrestling promoter and will never forget that. However, that will not stop him from feeling the way he does for the direction Vince is taking the wrestling business and how it is not even wrestling anymore. He talks about wrestling has always been good vs. evil in its simplest form but today they glorify the antihero. From that he talks about how he is an ordained minister and then says he does not want to expose the current raunchy storylines to his children. DiBiase says that when he is asked today, he says that he came from an era when it was wrestling. He then goes into it further about society being entertained by "disgusting" people like Howard Stern and Jerry Springer and talking about school shootings and how it all intertwines with the wrestling product today and tells Vince that he owes some responsibility to have moral conduct and that integrity and character is missing from wrestling and has been replaced by the dollar. This is a very long segment as he most definitely gets preachy here but it is not all that bad to be honest.



In the locker room, DiBiase said that Hogan was always very good to him. He recalls the first time he worked with Hogan when he was the Million Dollar Man, Hogan told him he was going to pay him back for putting him over at MSG several years earlier. He said that Hogan chose to work with him and at the time he was drawing a ton of money on the card then DiBiase talks about Hogan going out of his way to help a lot of other wrestlers. He puts over Hogan for being able to take advantage of his opportunity and could make the most of what he had and utilized that with his opponent and for that he was a great worker.



He is talks about how he misses wrestling when he sees a really good match and guys with a lot of potential. He loves watching Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Eddie Guerrero but admits that he doesnt watch too much at the moment. He does state that when he does watch them he feels that they are working too hard and are wasting moves as there is no realism. He said that drove him nuts in Japan when there would be 30 suplexes in a match and top rope powerbombs yet the match is won with a small package.



DiBiase is asked about how he got paired with Virgil. He thinks it was one of the Wild Samoans who referred Virgil to Vince as they wanted a guy with a good physique to be his bodyguard. DiBiase tells a funny story of how Bobby Heenan was the one who came up with the Virgil name as a rib of Dusty Rhodes then when they were in WCW, Heenan was the one who came up with the decision to call him Vincent.



Feinstein asks DiBiase about the Honky Tonk Man refusing to drop the Intercontinental Title, which led to the WWF giving Randy Savage the Heavyweight Championship that was going to be given to DiBiase because Savage was going to kill Honky and they wanted to pacify him. DiBiase said that is also what he had heard too and that the Million Dollar Belt was created to pacify DiBiase for losing out on the Heavyweight Title. DiBiase confirmed that he was told that at WrestleMania IV he would become the Champion then he was later told that his character would not care about that belt and just create his own. He calls the belt a status symbol and a tool but that the stories and conflicts are what draw the money and the belts are only good for enhancing them. He then talks about not playing politics and letting his work speak for himself.



He said that a lot of guys resented Zeus when he came into the company but he does not resent anyone who takes advantage of an opportunity. He then laughs when he is asked about the Ultimate Warrior and said that he used the wrestling business as a means to the end. He also said that he never had a problem with him and believes that Warrior trusted him but said that he was a bad worker. He then puts over Hogan for his performance at WrestleMania VI then said that  the Warrior was a monster that the WWF created as he witnessed him acting horribly in public by swearing at kids, making flight attendants cry and being nasty in general. When DiBiase told this to Vince, he was told by Vince himself that Warrior was his monster. He then said that at that point, he believed that Vince thought he could make anyone a star.



When asked about Jake Roberts, DiBiase said that he has known Jake when he was a referee and puts over his talent and said he would make a great booker then says that his best WrestleMania match was with Roberts. He then said he has tried to contact Jake but has not heard from him and is saddened by his demise.



On the Undertaker, DiBiase said that he had a great look and at the time of his debut was still raw but loaded with potential. He then said the style he had to work was not an easy one either.




DISC TWO



DiBiase is asked about his feud with Dustin Rhodes and if he recognized his potential. He said that he saw the potential and thought it was fun and wanted to help him out as Dustin was similar to himself in that he grew up in a wrestling family. He gives Kerry Von Erich credit for being able to maintain his physique with a prosthetic foot then talks about the family and how they got into drugs at an early age then puts them over for all being very kind. DiBiase said that the police in Dallas continuously gave Kerry breaks until they finally told him he was going to have to serve time, he was busted for forging prescriptions, and that Kerry ended up committing suicide as a result because he was unable to face prison.



When asked why he left the WWF in 1993, DiBiase said that he got caught up in drugs and women due to being on the road and was confronted by his wife then goes on about how he felt lonely as he was away from his family and filled the void with those two things then said he had to change and decided to turn back to god, who he said helped him cope with the death of his parents. DiBiase said that he had to leave to take care of this problem but decided to go tour Japan first as there was much less pressure there. He did say that Vince was mad that he was leaving This is another long discussion from DiBiase.



He talks about the injury that ended his career. He had an MRI on his neck and told that he should not go back to work but could probably have surgery and go back but there was always a risk that he could get dropped on his head and become paralyzed. DiBiase said that he had a Lloyd's of London insurance policy and was 40 years old and wanted to be with his family and made a commitment to stay with them so he decided to retire.



DiBiase then talks about how Bruce Prichard called him up to see if he wanted to do commentary at the Royal Rumble alongside Vince. After that, they asked him about being an agent and DiBiase said he would if they gave him benefits and paid for his rooms and cars he would but they declined. DiBiase said he said that because at the time, he had no desire to be on the road.



He said that he did not being a manager because he was on the road. When asked, he said that he loved Steve Austin and when he saw him wrestle, he saw himself in Austin and praised him for not doing a bunch of crazy moves and just going out there and working a match. DiBiase said that agents would tell Austin to do more in the ring and DiBiase would tell him to do what he is doing as it makes you different and that will get you over. He then said that he was glad he left the WWF when he did because he disliked the Austin character and the WWF product as it "mocked Christianity" and goes on again about how the current WWE product and how it lacks morals.



On how he wound up in WCW, DiBiase said that he heard through the grapevine that they were interested in him as they knew DiBiase was unhappy being on the road all the time as a manager. He said that he kept the Million Dollar Man persona but could not actually be called that and was brought in to be the money behind the nWo and when that stopped he managed for a bit and they had no ideas for him and told Bischoff that he would rather sit at home than hold Hogan's belt during the matches and Bischoff told him to sit home until they had an idea for him. After a few months they told him to show up in Detroit for a show and paired him with the Steiners. DiBiase said he liked them but it made no sense. He said that he got paid well for three years doing nothing but would have liked to ended his career doing something better.



They ask DiBiase what he thinks of Vince Russo running WCW and he said it is the blind leading the blind and that Russo can only create smut then talks about Russo running the business into the gutter.



When asked where he sees the business in a few years and uses this as a platform to speak about Christianity for several more minutes before saying that he wants to start the wrestling equivalent of the "Power Team," who are power lifters that go to schools and reach out to kids about the dangers of drugs and would like to replace the feats of strength with wrestling. He then gets to the question and says he wonders where the business can go as they keep pushing the envelope and sooner or later everything is going to bottom out.



He is asked about Eddie Gilbert and calls him a sharp guy then puts over his dad Tommy Gilbert for being a great worker. DiBiase talks about meeting Shawn Michaels for the first time in Mid-South and sad he was the shyest guy but how he went through a bunch of stages and wound up being the totally opposite guy. He remembers telling Shawn that he would get his break and that it just takes time then calls him a tremendous talent and wishes him well.



DiBiase closes by actually acknowledging and joking about how long he can talk for then talks about how you can entertain the fans by using the fast-paced action and removing the smut.




Final Thoughts: Well, DiBiase certainly wanted to make it clear that the loathed the direction of the wrestling business in the year 2000. That was part of his agenda here as he made it a point to talk about that at every opportunity and it practically overtook the entire second disc of the shoot. He really did preach for a majority of that disc. 

When DiBiase was not talking about that, he provided great insight. The first disc was good while the second was not, unfortunately as that was mostly DiBiase preaching. Ironically enough, he went back to work for the WWE as an agent years after this shoot and even did a follow up shoot interview in 2009 I believe. I will give DiBiase credit as what he said about the business being in trouble at this time is basically what happened though. 

As far as a recommendation, I think the first disc is very good actually but the second one was far too much preaching. Depending on your tolerance of DiBiase speaking about his hate of the current (2000) WWE product is how I would proceed in watching this interview. If you do not have the patience to listen to him talk about it, I would not bother with this shoot or maybe just view the first disc.


You can purchase the video at RFVideo.com for $15 by clicking on the link below.

http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithteddibiase.aspx

Comments

  1. Honkytonk being a dick was best for business.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Guess everybody really does have a price, eh, Ted?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stranger in the AlpsOctober 9, 2014 at 10:58 AM

    I always have to respect a guy who comes out of the wrestling business in decent shape mentally and physically. He got out at just the right time, or it could have ended differently for him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The realization that drugs and that wrestling life style might not be the best for you and walking away from it is pretty rare in wrestling it seems.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love how the common thread through these shoots is that they were all promised the NWA title in the late 70's/early 80's but then "politics" or "Dusty" or "Flair" caused them not to get it. Yet none of them seem to realize that they were all being strung along and never were going to get it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Its obvious they were promised this so they wouldnt jump ship to another territory.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mr. Muchnick retiring ensured Crockett control. To be fair it was by far the best territory, but too many guys didn't understand the long term picture.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There was way too much Jesus and too little wrestling in this shoot for my liking.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Stranger in the AlpsOctober 9, 2014 at 11:38 AM

    I remember the one RAW from England where they had that British boxer dude guest host. Now, I'm no boxing fan but even I have heard of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, but this guy was really an unknown to most non-boxing fans from North America. Ricky Hatton? (had to look it up).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Shows like Breaking Bad and True Detective get me thinking... why can't the WWE product be as raw and intense as those shows? TV is so awesome these days it makes no sense how WWE doesn't step their game up to match it

    ReplyDelete
  11. wasnt he writing parts of the show at that point?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Vinnie Jones? To be fair he's been in plenty of big movies (Snatch, Lock Stock, X Men) and made a movie with Austin too, so he's somewhat known in the US too

    ReplyDelete
  13. Quite sure they'd have looked better in Arsenal gear ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. It is. I only knew Kathie Lee because of South Park.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Ghost Of Meekin's MoobsOctober 9, 2014 at 11:54 AM

    So Duggan didn't like slicing his own forehead open? Sounds fucking sensible to me.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think it has to do with their desire to "have something for everyone." Some of those Raws from 97 where the majority of the show is Austin and the Hart Foundation going to war can't be duplicated when they feel obligated to have the commentators giggle to Hornswoggly in a gator suit or Adam Rose doing product endorsements

    ReplyDelete
  17. Heenan: Hey Gorilla, did you hear that Tito was a Tight End at West Texas State?
    Gorilla: I was aware of that, yes.
    Heenan: Well he was, at least, until he starting backing it onto to many beefy burritos!!
    Gorilla: WILL YOU . . . oh god Brain, that is too much. Holy god Bobby you have really gone too far . . . I'm outta here.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yes. The timing was great. Tyson was the PERFECT celebrity for the attitude era.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dude, when are you gonna start the the lastest shoots like that Hawkins shoot I keep hearing about? I'm not gonna leave you alone about this! At least make it into an option for the poll!

    ReplyDelete
  20. How much did a lobotomy cost?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Rodman moved the needle probably for several reasons.


    1, wrestling was hot at the time, so more people would care


    2, Rodman is most definitely a famous/infamous player in the NBA



    3, Rodman was a key player for the 96-98 Bulls, starring the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan (of course that'll move some needles)


    4, the second time around, it involved another great player, Karl Malone, along with Jay Leno


    All of that being said, picking the right celebrities is incredibly important. Bob Ross probably wouldn't make much sense for WWE. Springer makes some sense. Other athletes make a lot of sense.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeah there's no way Rodman/Malone wasn't worth it, they plugged the shit out of WCW on The Tonight Show like 5 or 6 times in that period, that's crazy huge press.

    ReplyDelete
  23. LeBron James would be a HUGE deal.



    Can you imagine if LeBron back in 11 during the NBA Finals showing up on Raw and WRESTLING?! This was his 1st Finals with the Heat vs. the Mavs (they ended up losing). The storylines would have been INSANE. It'd be front page news for at least 1 day.



    Imagine all of these headlines, and more:


    "King of the wrong Ring"

    "James says it's not a distraction"
    "WWE is more important than NBA?"
    "Big 3 is really a Big 2"
    "LeBron slams WWE"
    "Why LeBron James doesn't get it"
    "Why Jordan is better than LeBron"
    and much much much more.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Yeah. Because Shaq is hilarious and doesn't take himself seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Watts: hey Jim, do you think we could get some color tonight?


    Duggan: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIV! HIV! HIV!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I won't be able to get the newer shoots for a while. I am going on com vacation and probably moving next month

    ReplyDelete
  27. And we got Karl Malone to do a great Diamond Cutter on Hogan. I was shocked how well he hit it.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ricky Hatton used to be Elvy's guy.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Was it better than Kevin Eubanks?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Vinnie Jones was also in the Departed ...

    ReplyDelete
  31. As I recall, yes. Eubanks did a good one too, since Leno has no coordination.

    ReplyDelete
  32. CruelConnectionNumber2October 9, 2014 at 12:33 PM

    I love the change in how wrestlers are recruited today. "Million Dollar Man, Tully Blanchard,Tito Santana, etc played football together and were natural athletes. They went in to meet Terry Funk and became wrestlers." Today: "This guy did some bodybuilding magazines and had the perfect short hair / baby oil look. He went to NXT."

    ReplyDelete
  33. Pretty sure he wasn't, unless there's an inside joke I'm not getting?

    ReplyDelete
  34. CruelConnectionNumber2October 9, 2014 at 12:36 PM

    I was hoping Ted would reveal the answer to the question that has lingered since February 1988. HOW MUCH DID THE PLASTIC SURGERY COST, BROTHER?

    ReplyDelete
  35. 'Less than the blow Hulk was doing'.

    ReplyDelete
  36. He wasn't. Just an actor with Brit/English/Scott/UK accent.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Ah yes Ray Winstone - sick actor

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hey, he fought Mayweather once! It was a big deal here!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Rodman faced Malone in the last 2 NBA finals and they even had a little beef with each other before the match was thought up. That's as relevant as it gets.


    I think the match gets far less historical credit than it should. BATB 98 did double the buyrate of most PPVs then, when WCW was quickly becoming a sinking ship. It's the biggest reason why WCW hung around in the battle until 99 when things got too stupid.

    ReplyDelete
  40. If they keep Jesus out of wrestling who will ever wrestle down in Mexico?

    ReplyDelete
  41. Well, actually, we don't talk about that anymore

    ReplyDelete
  42. Somebody has to do a sitdown with him and in a totally straight face ask him that. When DiBiase comes back with his laugh you just keep looking at him waiting for an answer. Keep doing so until he comes up with a dollar figure or gets creeped out and leaves.

    ReplyDelete
  43. They spanked Liverpool hard in the first ever Divas Football Super Cup or whatever it was. Great addition to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet, along with the International American Global Mega Cup we won in the States over the summer.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I was at that PPV. Jackie got topless. I was 15. It was an amazing moment for me.

    ReplyDelete
  45. 3) Doesn't draw in new viewers.


    But yeah, besides those three things it works out great!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Well you may as well be winning fictional trophies because it doesn't look like you'll be winning anything else any time soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. He's like the anti Tommy Dreamer/Michael hayes

    ReplyDelete
  48. I wouldn't say WCW was becoming a sinking ship around BATB 98. I don't think that really happened until the fallout of Nash vs. Goldberg at Starrcade. Certainly there were other awful segments throughout the year (most notably including Hogan/Warrior), but WCW '98 saw the rise of Goldberg, which was the real reason WCW hung around until 99.


    But on the point about Rodman vs. Malone, I agree completely. It was a compelling, relevant match-up with real life drama.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Not to mention the departed sucked, whereas snatch and lock stock were awesome

    ReplyDelete
  50. July - December 1998 WCW is collectively one of the worst botches in
    wrestling history. They have the ultra hot Goldberg win the WCW title in
    mid-July and then have him headline exactly two PPVs as champion: one
    against DDP and the other against Nash (where he loses the belt). Instead the focus is on Hogan vs. Leno, Hogan vs. Warrior II, Hogan's fake run for president. Goldberg doesn't even wrestle on two of the PPVs (Fall Brawl and World War 3). They do a Goldberg vs. Sting match on NITRO instead of PPV.


    Imagine Austin winning the title at Mania 14 and then not being the main focus of the shows for three out of the next five months.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Imagine Brock Lesnar winning the title and not appearing again until the Royal Rumble. Imagine WWE today putting on awful Monday Nigh Raws week after week. All of this is happening, but I wouldn't call WWE a sinking ship. I won't argue that WCW was at its peak creatively, but I wouldn't classify it as a sinking ship.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Agree completely, and great point on the Austin comparison.

    ReplyDelete
  53. So Brock, basically, that's what I'm imagining.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Well, business is declining, year by year, very slowly but surely. Which means it's a very slowly sinking ship.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Huh? I never said WWE today doesn't have its own problems. I'd rather watch late 1998 WCW than current day WWE at this point.

    I didn't say anything about ships or sinks.

    ReplyDelete
  56. He was fine as guest host, but it comes down to the most important question: Did his appearance do anything to actually make money for WWE?

    In 95% of the celebrity guest star cases, the answer appears to be no.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Sorry--was conflating your argument with someone else's remarks about WCW as a sinking ship. I agree completely that WCW missed the boat on Goldberg as champion. They also missed the boat on DDP. They built him up huge with the Leno and Rodman stuff--he and Goldberg were really the most over workers in the company. Saving Page vs. Goldberg for the Starrcade main event (with Page potentially winning the title) would have been great.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Actually, it does make money for the WWE. These appearances are pretty much paid advertisements for whomever shows up to promote their movie/tv show/etc. You don't actually think the WWE lets these people on for free.

    ReplyDelete
  59. What's curious though is when WCW finally pulled the trigger on Page in April 1999, ratings immediately dropped under 4.0 and stayed there for good. Then when Nash got the belt back in May 1999 they nosedived to the low 3.0s and more or less stayed there until the bitter end.

    DDP was ultra-hot in late 1998, but by April 1999 WCW fans must've been tired or either him or WCW in general.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I think immediately turning him heel, then turning Nash face, and Savage back and forth, killed that whole period. Page as the underdog champion who finally won the big one might have worked, but whatever the fuck it was they were going for couldn't possibly.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I'm with you on that. I don't think they add anything to the product by and large. Aaron Paul just happens to be one of the few times where the celeb is appropriate for a wrestling show and well-liked by a wrestling audience. From a company that has given us Kathy Lee and Hoda, Al Sharpton, a Kardashian, and (next week) Chrissly, it is definitely a win.

    ReplyDelete
  62. hit the nail on the head. he was red-hot in 98, went down with an injury. Came back as a heel, ice cold in 99. Though his heel character improved that summer with Triad!

    ReplyDelete
  63. I know that. But is that $100k or whatever that the Real Housewife people are paying WWE to get NeNe on TV really worth it? It draws no new viewers and probably causes fans to switch channels

    And not all of them are paid. The Today Show certainly didn't pay to have their hostesses put on TV.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Agreed. But I don't think the few good ones (even Kevin Federline was surprisingly awesome) don't justify having guest stars as often as they do.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Of course $100k is worth it. That immediately helps pay for production cost for the show.

    True not all of them are paid. The Today Show thing is because of WWE's partnership with NBC. Cena gets to be on the Today Show and vice versa.

    ReplyDelete
  66. I just picked the $100k number out of the air -- I have no idea how much it is. It better be something in that neighborhood to make it worthwhile. If WWE is putting these idiots on the show for anything less than $50k a shot it can't possibly be worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Well, that's just all "Because WCW." July - December 1998 was just an awful setup for an even worse 1999.

    ReplyDelete
  68. and they resisted the temptation to over do it. I remember people being really scared that Austin would actually wrestle Tysons when Michaels got hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  69. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©October 9, 2014 at 1:39 PM

    I thought Pete Rose was fine as a host.

    ReplyDelete
  70. "Yep Mode" ABeyAnce1©October 9, 2014 at 1:42 PM

    I enjoyed Seth Green as well, he was also a big fan who was having fun.

    ReplyDelete
  71. You'd think with a three-hour show they could do the whole circus: hour 1 for the kiddies, hour two for the workrate geeks and hour three for a JCP revival, brawls and cussin' and everything more serious stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  72. David Mitchell sitting in on commentary ranting about the stupidity that he's watching would be the greatest thing ever. And Jack Whitehall's a wrestling fan, and trained to take bumps to boot--I'm sure he'd be up for something.

    ReplyDelete
  73. LT was a huge boost for TV ratings--Raw was doing its best numbers ever to that point, but yeah, it didn't translate into buys.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Give The Departed another try man - it's an awesome movie. First time I watched it though I didn't have a clue what was going on (was probably too baked)

    ReplyDelete
  75. Yeah, it's one thing to have Lennox Lewis come out with British Bulldog, he was a big name, but that guy? Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
  76. If you thought Departed was good you should try Infernal Affairs.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I know people hate the fourth Indy movie (I don't), but Ray Winstone was a lot of fun in that movie.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Fair point, sucked was kind of harsh. I enjoyed it well enough, but it was like an overbooked match. Didn't need to be as quirky as it was and it would've been cool.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Yeah, the first Wrestlemania alone had Ali as the ref and Liberace dancing with the Rockettes. But it didn't feel out of place like it does in today's product.

    ReplyDelete
  80. "Don't worry, Bobby Heenan doesn't have vocal chords anymore either."

    ReplyDelete
  81. I wish they'd not only rotate announcers each hour, but not let Cole, JBL, and Lawler anywhere near each other

    ReplyDelete
  82. Three guys calling an entire three-hour show every week is too much. Rotating the crews would also be nice. One crew ought to have Renee, for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Has anyone ever explained why Dusty's world title reigns were so short? It seems like a guy with his star power would have held onto the belt for at least a few months.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Um, pretty sure they still covet natural athletes. Especially with Hunter now in charge of that.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Hulk Hogan didn't do blow. He's a role model!

    ReplyDelete
  86. No excuse!

    Where's the dedication?!

    ReplyDelete
  87. Moving the needle is important, but don't underestimate the value of (1) keeping the needle where it is, and (2) building and maintaining good PR relationships.
    Hoda and Kathie Lee probably didn't create a bump in ratings for RAW, but ... they may draw in some new viewers next week who watched Hoda and Kathie Lee talk about their appearance on RAW the next morning. Or by them co-signing WWE, may have just paved the way for some on-the-fence parents who watch their show to allow their kids to start watching WWE.
    And if Hoda and Kathie Lee have a good working relationship with WWE and like whoever they're working with there (Stephanie, Cena, Adam Rose, whoever), they're more likely to mention WWE on TV and less likely to bash WWE whenever some pro wrestling or violent item surfaces on their news radar.

    ReplyDelete
  88. i really liked that angle

    ReplyDelete
  89. GODDAMMIT HE -


    eh, I can't work up the energy to dislike the guy. It's like hating Conway Twitty because Family Guy beat him into the ground.

    ReplyDelete
  90. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 9, 2014 at 4:35 PM

    Spot on. That's the basic level of success they're looking for; WWE was just a toxic organization in the public eye in 06-07 with the SI steroid investigation and the Benoit incident that the media pounced on painting the company as a bloody, misogynistic, foul-mouthed carny show with a decade's worth of crass segments to fuel that story (the Trish barking segment got a lot of retroactive coverage). We may complain about the TVPG direction in terms of impacting the product, but it has undoubtably repaired their reputation in the mainstream and with sponsors, especially since they've doubled down on the charity work. Now Hoda and KLG can talk about their appearance and people will see the company in a positive light, just like when Make a Wish puts out pressers for Cena's endless charity or Maria Menononononous can hype a WM appearance on Extra and people won't freak because it's a repulsive show. Less about needle moving, more about that the show and the organization's intentions are of the positive, vitamins/prayers vein.

    ReplyDelete
  91. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 9, 2014 at 4:37 PM

    Different demographics. 8 yr old Cena probably aren't watching BB or TD for obvious reasons.

    ReplyDelete
  92. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 9, 2014 at 4:39 PM

    No wonder that team is cursed now. The Bellas ruined them

    ReplyDelete
  93. I think that they could offer the nuance and continuity of a BB or TD, just not the adult situations

    ReplyDelete
  94. so how bad will Ne Ne get crapped on?

    ReplyDelete
  95. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryOctober 9, 2014 at 4:57 PM

    With how many writers they have on a single RAW, doubt they could have the focus. Too many cooks in the kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
  96. That's the thing, under 18s aren't even their biggest demographic, in fact it's their smallest. They're pushing to appeal to younger audiences whereas they could make some serious money also catering more so adult audiences. I just think they don't have the balls to try because the alternative is the safer option

    ReplyDelete
  97. Kevin kelly had a suggestion for the stale long raw format, although he said Dunn would never do it. Have each hour be it's own unique show. They can light it differently, different ropes, set, announcers. Just so when u turn on the tv, you get a distinct feeling of something happening differently. Right now, with 3 hours of the same look over 3 years, it all looks and feels the same.

    ReplyDelete
  98. The Love-Matic Grampa!October 9, 2014 at 5:01 PM

    I can't argue with any of this, I just wish the appearances are planned out better and positioned for maximum effectiveness. I mean, they had to know that KLG and Hoda were going to get booed out of the building, right? So just do a pre-tape.

    ReplyDelete
  99. The Love-Matic Grampa!October 9, 2014 at 5:13 PM

    Actually, Ne Ne might end up being one of those who actually "gets it". I mean, didn't we all expect Snooki to be a complete disaster?

    ReplyDelete
  100. I don't know, a weekend at Bernie's Gimmick with Bob Ross's skeleton may generate some interest.

    ReplyDelete
  101. you could be right but she's still getting booed regardless

    ReplyDelete
  102. They have to be in Atlanta next week, right? That's the only reason I can think of then bringing in Ne Ne.

    ReplyDelete
  103. They knew. That's why they never stopped playing Rose's music, so the boos would be drowned out a bit. And they kept the segment short.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Yeah, it's Atlanta.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Great job as always Bayless. For some reason I find the idea of the Ultimate Warrior swearing around children to be really funny. "FUCKING SPEAK TO ME YOU LITTLE BITCH ASS WARRIORS!"

    ReplyDelete
  106. Rodman was one of the rare few celebrities that "got" wrestling. His in ring work wasnt great but they were passable and he worked as a special attraction.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Am I the only one who remembers when Obama said "if you smell what Barack is cookin'" in a taped segment on RAW before the election? Did that actually happen? Am I losing it?!

    ReplyDelete
  108. The NWA was typically built around "the chase" so he couldn't really hold it for too long. And with the world champion traveling from territory to territory, it makes more sense to have a heel champ for the local babyface to challenge so the fans have someone to get behind and a reason to show up. The other way around, fans are less likely to flock to see a local heel go for the title.

    ReplyDelete
  109. All the more odd it was a thought coming from Duggan.

    ReplyDelete
  110. If only you had suggested this Monday. I saw Ted in Atlanta's airport. I totally wouldn't have done it, but no one else I could've told would've cared that I saw Ted DiBiase at the airport.

    ReplyDelete
  111. WrestleMania XI wouldn't have done the number it did if it hadn't been for the presence of Lawrence Taylor, but the problem was more that the number wasn't big enough in relation to the amount of money they paid him. In fact, a proposed SummerSlam main event with Taylor & Bam Bam Bigelow as a team was scrapped because of that.

    ReplyDelete
  112. I only wish it would of been post-Nikki boob job. But you're still on-point regardless, also Eve was apart of that team as well.


    *high-five MUFC bro*

    ReplyDelete
  113. High five! Sorely under-represented on the BOD, Manchester United. Raw's in Liverpool next month, I hope they don't give the bin dippers their win back.

    ReplyDelete
  114. It happened. I think it was "Finally. BARACK~! has come back to (where ever they were that night).

    ReplyDelete
  115. The Ghost of Faffner HallOctober 10, 2014 at 10:35 PM

    Exactly the problem with DiBiase's first book.

    ReplyDelete
  116. The Ghost of Faffner HallOctober 10, 2014 at 10:37 PM

    "He then said he has tried to contact Jake but has not heard from him and is saddened by his demise."
    Give Jake credit, he looks good for a guy who apparently died sometime before 2000.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment