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Cageside Seats recap


I don't know if you read this or not, but I thought it was a really good read and brought up a point that really bothers me with wrestling these days: When a good guy is getting attacked, where are the other good guys to help out?


Off playing WWE 2K15, out on next gen consoles today! 

Comments

  1. Oh please, they blacklisted video games backstage a couple years back, the boys need to watch and learn from each other.


    Distraction roll-ups won't learn themselves ya know.

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  2. I don't know, I think it's just because the shocking MOMENT was in the ring when Hogan suddenly dropped the leg on Savage. Up to that point the storyline was "Hurrah! Here comes Hulk to take out this evil nWo and save Sting and Savage!" By pre-empting the actual turn, it lessened the impact of the actual moment itself.

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  3. But Bobby's not preempting the turn in the first place. Bobby is being Bobby Heenan, AVID Hogan hater since long before either were in WCW. Bobby cheering for Hogan would have been drastically more out of place, and Bobby saying nothing would have been suspicious.

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  4. Heenan being willing to join a group with HULK HOGAN in it is shock enough.

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  5. Agree to disagree, but I think he should have maybe not stayed quiet,
    but at least stuck to “Oh boy, here we go!” or something like that. I accept
    that it was Bobby being Bobby, but this was something huge and unexpected, the “most
    shocking turn in wrestling history”, and the last person on earth who should be
    prediciting the most shocking thing ever to happen is the heel announcer.

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  6. "The announcers have to make it up as they go to cover for inconsistent
    characters, dropped/nonsensical storylines, and other mishaps of napkin
    booking."


    my absolute "favorite" example, because even they couldn't cover it up (or even tried to): Goldberg defeating Sting at Halloween Havoc 1999 for the WCW world championship. Schiavone and Heenan had pointed at several times during it that it wasn't for the title.


    then Goldberg finally wins (Heenan putting over that it is a great accomplishment for Goldberg to beat the current top guy) and is declared the new champ. Schiavone, literally: "I guess he's the world champion". #LOLWCW.

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  7. The new video game has so much stripped out of it that I doubt the guys backstage would be playing it anyway!

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  8. This recap cracked me up. I disagree with his assessment that Triple H's promo at the end of the show was good, but it was still a fun read.

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  9. Those Alex Jones types would have had a field day with WCW/nWo at that time. They're always looking out for New World Order "symbolism" and stuff in the media, and it didn't get much more blatant than that.

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  10. Eh, it's not as stupid as The Avengers not helping out in Thor: TDW, or Iron Man 3, or CA: TWS.

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  11. Exactly!

    I mean, I can buy even the "good guys" not interacting if there's no real thread connecting them (if Ziggler's getting beaten down by The Authority, I expect Zach Ryder to say "Nope, I'm not pissing off the boss" instead of helping him), but these guys ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM, standing united to take down evil!

    Was Cena just sitting in the back going "Sugar, Honey, Iced Tea, I'm sure that Big Show can handle that five-on-one beatdown; I once beat up all seven 'Nexus' members by myself, and he's twice my size! Yup, no need to run down there. Keep doing your thing, Nikki."

    Actually, now that I mention it, that explanation actually makes a lot of sense. Whenever someone doesn't run out to help a friend/teammate, we should just assume that they're "pre-occupied".

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  12. That's the first thing I thought of watching Ziggler get beat down last night:
    "Where the FUCK is John Cena when you need him?!?!?!"

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  13. I feel like WWE ought to hire an adult fan to ask questions the writers must answer during the show. I feel like an adult fan who is paying attention would ask these questions. It's a good way to see if your writing makes sense.

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  14. I literally said the same thing in a recap on another site. It's absolutely mind-boggling that Cena is the team captain and can't rally his troops to stick together and watch each other's back when the villain tells you they're going to pick people off one by one.


    Even the fans tried to call out Cena during the Show and Sheamus beatdown. Maybe that'll teach those 10-year-old kids that Cena isn't all things good.

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  15. 'Dad, when you watched Hulk Hogan HE always came out to help his friends, right?'

    'Uh, sure sweetheart. He always did. Now let's get you that AJ shirt and not talk about how my childhood hero was a jerk'.

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  16. Two of the weaker films in the Marvel Ouevre. Though, to be fair to CA, he DID have Black Widow, and Falcon and the movie was based on the fact that he was in hiding and in covert ops, so that one made sense.

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  17. This article was a very good read and it sums up in a nutshell why I'm skipping the show this Sunday.

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  18. For some unknown reason, last week I was thinking about the brief period that Hogan was going around bashing people with his Hulk Rules fist helmet. And yet Gorilla/Vince thought it was a babyface approved thing to do. I can't remember what made him start wearing it though.

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  19. Extant1979 - Mr. Cable AccessNovember 18, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    I swear to God, I remember the helmet but, despite watching religiously when he debuted it, I can't remember WHY he had it. Was there ever an actual explanation for that damned thing, and where can I buy one? I'd like to headbutt a few people at work while wearing it.

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  20. You remember when the Undertaker shocked people by joining the All Americans in 1993? Erick Rowan was not that.

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  21. Oh yeah, Heenan was great praising Goldberg, yelling "DA MAN!" and such when he got going and selling him as a force of nature.

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  22. I remember WCW Magazine had a column by Heenan and the first post-Bash one was him just going "I've been warning you people for years what Hogan was like, did you listen to me? Noooooooo."

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  23. Heenan had good stuff in WCW now and then like laughing through an entire match when Tony calls Hacksaw Dugan an intelligent guy. Plus, he really sold Goldberg well, screaming out "DA MAN IS LOOSE!" when he'd explode on opponents and build him for fans as this unstoppable monster.
    Plus, adored him and Dusty taking it to Tony at Starrcade '95 when he calls a move by Masa Chono "a mafia kick."
    "Where do you get this from? He kicked him with a size ten and a half boot, it's got nothing to do with the mafia!"
    "Tony, he kicked the man in the head! That's all, he kicked him in the head!"
    Luger hits an elbow.
    "There, got him with the Scilian Elbow!"
    "Follow it up with the Yugoslavian neckbreaker!"

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  24. Extant1979 - Mr. Cable AccessNovember 18, 2014 at 11:47 AM

    OK, I just watched the end of the show and read the recap and I'm getting on board with the "end-of-show angle was stupid" train. Because if you spend a couple weeks eliminating people from Cena's team in run-ins and backstage beatdowns, you do what you can to finish the job, damn it!


    Roll call: Triple H, Kane, Mark Henry, Luke Harper, Seth Rollins, Rusev, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury, Lana and Stephanie all in the ring opposite John Cena? Beat him down, for fuck's sake. Injure him so eliminating him on Sunday is easier. AND THEN you can reveal the full team as they come down to help the guy who clearly gave zero shits about them before (except Erik Rowan, who the fuck knows where THAT idea came from).


    Christ. Just a semblance of common fucking sense, that's all I ask.

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  25. He seemed genuinely excited to have something fresh to talk about. He did such a great job with it, I used to wonder if the two of them were friends off camera or something.

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  26. It is so interesting that Larry Zybsko did it already.

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  27. I lloved Jessie. I remember something from when he was going to referee Summerslam 88, he was interviewed by Brother Love and when asked if he was afraid of Hogan and Savage (or anybody, I don't exactly remember) he stated 'I could step back in the ring tomorrow.... And become the WWF champion....' You were supposed to hare him, but he was cool. His interaction with the NWO could have been great. We al know how much he likes Hogan.....

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  28. For all the crap we often give WWE (Usually deservedly so, I should add.) about being too overly produced, and not giving their announcers and wrestlers more freedom in what they say on air, I can't think of anything like that ever happening on Vince's watch. (I may be missing something.) Granted, there's a happy medium somewhere, but WWE's position is at least understandable when you compare it to the scenario you mentioned, or one of any number of incidents.


    Put it this way: I can't imagine, "But whose side is he on?" would ever happen in WWE.

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  29. Virgil's Gimmick TableNovember 18, 2014 at 12:36 PM

    WWE's outlook is "fuck those marks. Who cares what paying customers say?"

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  30. I think he started wearing it around his Bad News Brown feud. I agree about the work people although in my case, several RKOs will suffice.

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  31. This should have just been a 3-4 week version of the Dallas Raw in 2000. Instead it's just an illogical mess.

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  32. On more than one Nitro Heenan said he liked the nWo but didn't like Hogan, which was true to his character.

    Not gonna lie though, had Heenan been in the Bischoff role and managed Hogan it would have been something to see. The promos of Hogan posing in the background while Heenan runs off with his shtick could have been pretty amusing. But he couldn't take bumps anymore so I understand.

    Sucks that he's having so many health incidents. Talking about the guy makes me a little sad because everyone seemed to love him and he was a genuinely good guy.

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  33. That was hilarious. There were so many times where shit like that happened and you could tell Tony just didn't give a shit. He'd say things like you mentioned above or after something like a blatant nutshot or chairshot in a match that's clearly not a No DQ match, he'd say "well, I guess the rules are relaxed"

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  34. Heenan calling the shots during the reformed Horsemen beatdown of Macho and Kevin Green at GAB 96 just felt so damn right. It's a shame that he couldn't bump and didn't want to manage b/c pairing him up with the Horsemen after that would've been awesome.

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  35. I still think the great lost opportunity of the nWo storyline would have been Heenan leading the WCW team, telling them that he knows how to get to Hogan, that he had told everyone for years how Hogan wasn't what he claimed to be. Ric Flair could have vouched for Heenan, Arn could have vouched for him ("Brainbusters!"), and Heenan gives WCW a backbone and an identity that they didn't have in the run-up to Sting/Hogan at Starcade.


    Hell, if you really wanted to blur the lines, have Heenan beg off doing it. "I really want to lead the charge against the nWo. I've been trying to get away from Hogan for years. I leave up north, he follows me here. I try to make a nice living for myself with those bozos (points to Tony and Steve), I do commentary, I tried to make it fun for the fans...and what happens? The nWo. Rey Mysterio's a lawn dart, there's spray paint everywhere. But I can't...I can't. I had very serious back surgery from all the fights I've been in. I'm in pain all the time. I just...I want SO BAD to take on Hogan. It's killing me. I nearly had him so MANY times..." And then Ric comes out and rallies him into it.


    And now it can't happen. Goddamn, I am so mad at the universe for giving Heenan jaw cancer. Fucking cancer.


    Ah, WCW would have had Heenan do a heel turn and ruined Starcade anyway...but still...

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  36. And the messed up thing is why Zigglypuff himself isn't asking that.


    I'd love it if Cena's team won and Cena was like. Thanks guys, well bye!. And then Ziggler asking for help at some point, Cena says no causing Ziggler rightly pointed out, "Dude, I joined your team, was targeted by my boss, lost my title because of it and got beaten down for you. And now you won't even run down to the ring when I'm getting attacked three on one? The hell, man?"


    But they won't because that would make Cena look bad.

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  37. Only if they are OUTTA NOWHERE

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  38. And an unfilmed scene had Hawkeye coming after him, missing on purpose, to let him know that he was being tracked.

    And at least they addressed it in IM3, with Rhodey saying the government didn't want to look weak by having the supers take care of everything. Although after Tony "died", his buddies should have at least called Pepper.

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  39. I'm pretty sure he did it more than Cena does.

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  40. That moment when he opens the cost to reveal the American flag inside. Phenomenal!

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  41. Only if Ms. Elizabeth dragged him out to help.

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  42. All it would have taken would be a line if dialogue at the beginning saying, "and if Cena interferes tonight, he's suspended."

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  43. If I'm not mistaken, someone once mentioned the nWo during a call on Jones' show and he insisted it just showed how nefarious the actual NWO was, getting everyone comfortable with the name and making them look like cool guys.

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  44. Oh the Hawkeye thing would have been cool. IM3 was just a mess of a film. From Pepper now being a super powered killer to "Gee, Iron Man...you mean, you need MY help? to them doing the EXACT same thing later, except with a production intern to...of course...nerfing one of the better villains in comics.


    A villain, who I might add, brought something different to the table. IM1. A guy in a giant armor suit. (Great!) IM2. Army of drones and Whiplash in a mech suit. (Also Great! Even though a lot disagree with me.) IM3. Could have just been a crazed human but NO! We gotsta straight up steal major plot points from Batman Forever and have IM take out like 50 somewhat sympathetic enemies in the form of formerly maimed soldiers who a corporation was essentially blackmailing through fear of exploding.

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  45. Solid point. For all the faults of the current product, it's still nowhere near as bad as WCW got.

    That said, the only thing I ever ask of any endeavor of art or entertainment is that it play by its own rules. I'm ok with WWE guys I don't like getting pushed, guys I like not getting any tv time, etc., but whatever stories you tell, just keep them true to character and let them make fucking sense.

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  46. That is EXACTLY what I thought he'd say.

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  47. my favorite "era" is Ventura/Rude WCW... Ventura should of gotten a chance to run the company instead of Bischoff


    nWo cutting off Heenan managing the Horsemen was tragic

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  48. just about the first thing Jesse did when he started doing color on WCW WorldWide was start ripping on how bad Big Josh smelled... amazing

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  49. A quality control team to go over the scripts is a long-overdue necessity. But, as Meltzer says on his podcasts, when things don't make sense, the writing team just poo-poos it off by saying, "it doesn't matter, it's just wrestling." So, we're the fools who watch this garbage.

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  50. I thought after all the shows, instead of partying and drinking, the boys just went to their hotel rooms or tour buses to play video games?

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  51. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 18, 2014 at 4:49 PM

    Can we get his guy to recap Raw here? Much better review, plus it wasn't 20,000 words long.

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  52. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 18, 2014 at 4:52 PM

    Methinks Sheamus was legit hurt on that nasty bump to the outside and Rowan was a last minute replacement.


    I gotta admit though, Cesaro coming up only to join with HHH was fucking hilarious.

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  53. \____(`.`)__/

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  54. I couldn't finish Thor 2, so drab and boring compared to the first one. and was the "girlfriend of hero gets inexplicable glowing lava blood explosion powers" thing intentionally in both Iron Man 3 and Thor 2? I guess if i finished Thor 2 i'd know. I'M3 was either too much oor not enough, it felt like aa plot held together with clothespins.

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  55. I loved that Brain was so clearly a mark for Goldberg, it really made Goldberg seem special.

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  56. And I'm getting really sick and tired of the music cuing up every time a babyface actually does run down to make a save. That is just so contrived and premeditated looking that it just defeats the purpose. I brought this up yesterday in the Open Mic...give me back my old school run-ins where Dusty was getting assaulted by the Horsemen and the crowd builds into a fever pitch until half the face roster comes running out to clear the ring to an enormous pop. It worked EVERY TIME. Not where each guy comes running out one by one so we can hear their stupid entrance music. That was only necessary with one guy..."Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

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  57. Oh, they'd do it. They'd just paint Ziggler as a whiny baby.

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  58. That sucks b/c someone like Jericho would be able to justify the heel turn and run with it.


    I'm glad it was Harper that won the title. I'm shocked that they didn't have Kane win it.

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  59. Oh, I agree. Harper winning the title is aces. And they way he won it was great too. Heel cheats, Face soldiers on, but didn't quite get it done because heel cheated so bad. But it's not really a loss for him because in a fair and honorable fight, he looks like he would have won. Which means both people win. Everyone gets over, blah blah blah.

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  60. I was lost the moment they were like. "We've fought wars on 9 worlds. and now we'll finish this one."


    But they were in a field with like...fifty guys? That's less than most LARPing conventions.

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  61. The plan was Nitro would be the NWO show and Thunder would be WCW's show as far as (storyline-wise) the powers that be above Bischoff creating Thunder to spite Bischoff after his victory.



    I sometimes wonder how the hell they would have pulled off NWO Nitro/splitting WCW and NWO onto their own shows. Would it have triggered an NWO split earlier with Savage/Nash vs Hall/Hogan? Would Raven and the Flock turn face with Raven's contract (which said he could do as he pleases) as the out to allow the Flock to become the NWO's arch enemy and Bischoff helpless to fight them? Would Bischoff himself turn face, going back to "benevolent boss" form now that he had to run Nitro to keep the undercard from deserting to Thunder as well as to attract new talent to Nitro?

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  62. Yeah this definitely happened!

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  63. But Larry Zybsko isn't Jesse Ventura...

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  64. As has already been noted, Alex Jones et al have actually commented on the 'NWO' concept, and that was his/their exact position. If I'm not mistaken, there are some loony tunes vids on YouTube talking about the significance of wrestling to the 'Illuminati' or whoever.

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  65. Get the fuck out of town.

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