Hi Scott, I just saw this bit for the first time on the Network and it
was pretty intense. I kind of feel like if Dean Ambrose really wants
to portray a loose cannon character he oughta watch some of Pillman's
work around this time. He had almost everybody fooled at the time.
http://youtu.be/gM7U6YZPXFo
Mark
Everybody including himself, unfortunately. Although I don't know that Dean Ambrose should be threatening to whip out his Johnson and piss all over the arena if he wants long term job security.
Wonder how Pillman would do in this PG environment. The hot dog cart bit would have been stupid no matter who was doing it, but then again, Pillman managed to make wrestling a giant pencil entertaining.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty hit or miss. By contrast, Big Show KTFOing Henry in 30 seconds for the first pin had me drawn in immediately, since it was pretty obvious the booking wasn't going to be what we expected.
ReplyDeleteDean Ambrose does well enough within his limitations. Its easy to be edgy when someone like Paul Heyman removes your restrictions. Pillman in today's climate wouldn't last a month. He legit gave zero fucks and would've been out the door over something he said.
ReplyDeleteHow did Pillman fool himself?
ReplyDeleteSuccessfully outmaneuvered and outsmarted both WCW and WWF, but believed his own hype and ended up self-destructing by playing that character.
ReplyDeleteMade it entertaining, yes, but he wouldn't put the pencil over. That's just not being a team player.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose, like every other star, should just focus on finding his own voice and being the best at being himself. But, I guess that's hard to do when when your stuff is scripted for you.
ReplyDeleteAlso thinking he could do 80 in a 25.
ReplyDeleteI think it had way more to do with the car accident than wth him living the gimmick.
ReplyDeleteI'm of the camp of Teddy Long on the Pillman DVD, Bischoff knew nothing about the act and just tells people he was in on it rather than admit Pillman fooled him too.
ReplyDeleteWas reading that "Hardcore History" book and a bit jarred that they brush over Foley and Austin in ECW yet give Pillman his own eight-page chapter when he was really just a blip in the overall history of the company.
ReplyDeleteAnd his drug use for that matter. The craziness with his ex didn't help matters.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite promos ever.
ReplyDeleteI watched this (Uncut and Uncensored) on the Network the other day, took a short video of it and sent it to my buddy with the caption "God Bless the WWE Network!"
Bret Hart once aced aath exam and the pencil he used confided in him, with years in his eyes, that it was an honour to work with him and he deserved to be math champion.
ReplyDeleteKind of torn on what to do with my Network subscription after last night. The overall product is so bad right now, and almost everything the WWE does is so out of touch with their fan base that I can certainly find something better to do with $10 a month. On the other hand, I do like Dolph, and if I cancelled now Vince or HHH would use that as an excuse to say that people are cancelling because they aren't interested in the new guys (Dolph, Ambrose, Rollins, etc).
ReplyDeleteMy take on all the Pillman stuff at the time was that everyone knew he was playing crazy, but that he was also kinda crazy for real, and it took someone extra crazy to pretend to be crazy when you really are crazy.
ReplyDeleteThere hasn't been a legit/spontaneous character or feeling in WWE in almost ten years. Never gonna happen with Dean.
ReplyDeleteGuys need to be themselves, not indulge everyone's yearning for nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteHe was doing lots of recreational stuff WAY before his accident (and some say he was on stuff which cause his accident).
ReplyDeleteWith Sting on board, now we can finally dig Timmy out of that well!!
ReplyDeletePillman no doubt was a very revolutionary character but taking a shit on Joey a Styles parents kitchen floor was a bit much.
ReplyDeleteI had discovered this footage on an Easter egg for ECW s path of destruction DVD. AT the time I thought I had uncovered some kind of code that lead to it rofl. Awesome insane moment nonetheless
ReplyDeleteYea that's exactly what they will say. Guess you gotta keep the network to help Dolph out! His career depends on you, bro
ReplyDeleteWouldn't be the first time!
ReplyDeleteI think that was more about the fact that Pillmans' buddy Kemba Wood would sit down for an interview than anything else. It's tough to write a book using 90% secondary sources and off the record stuff, which is what that book was. Those who would talk on the record got an inordinate amount of attention.
ReplyDelete100% agreed. His story in his own book about it just rings false
ReplyDeleteQuicker pinfalls and a Paige comeback
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I agree about quicker pinfalls. I'm okay with a longer Divas match to establish with the audience how they wrestle and their respective finishers. What I don't want to see is every Diva's hard clothesline (I mean, c'mon, teach another move already). And it's obvious that the lack of work that the Divas get is really hurting them when they get the chance to work a longer match. Emma, who looked like a genius at NXT, clearly showed a serious level of regression last night. She can wrestle a longer, one-on-one match, but you can't just pull that out of your thong.
ReplyDeleteWith three-hour RAWs and WWE network slots, there should be plenty of opportunities for longer Divas matches, and the women are talented enough as a group that something good has to happen out of that. (For one thing, Summer Rae looks really promising as a wrestler, and I think Naomi's butt-butt finisher could really pop with the audience.)
What you didn't feel the excitement of Dean Ambrose climbing a ladder and posing? You never know where that maniac might stand!
ReplyDeleteFYI, that isn't Pillman's first ECW appearance. He wrestled at the arena in 1994 with Douglas against Simmons and Scorpio while employed with WCW.
ReplyDeleteThe Ron Simmons promo to set that match up is amazing.
ReplyDeleteSLIME!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhatchoo talkin' 'bout Chris?
ReplyDeleteI admit I found Dean bursting from one of Hogan's gifts to beat up Rollins funny.
ReplyDeleteAgree with most of your sentiments, definitely felt like a middle leaning down show to me, too.
ReplyDelete- Caught a bit of the pre-show. Call me crazy, but the original Fandango was in my Fav 5, but hard to care about the new Fandango with this bland look, uncatchy song, and Rosa who seems lost.
- Tag match was pretty solid, love Miz/Mizdow. Do remember one timing issue where Goldust and a Matadore were up on the corner, waiting for the Tower of Doom for what seemed like forever.
- Although the Divas tag was a bit of a mess, I thought Nattie and Naomi came off looking good and hope they get a couple serious one-on-one matches in the future.
- While it was a good match, didn't like Ambrose introducing the ladder at the end if he wasn't going to jump off it or use it as a weapon like the crowd was anticipating. Awkward last minutes.
- Surprisingly didn't mind the quick diva title match since it seems to be leading to an interesting story and hopefully one of the gimmick matches at TLC.
- Hated Ryback being eliminated first from Team Cena after all that build-up of being the difference maker. Big Show turn #55, ehh . . felt more like a swerve for the sake of a swerve. Nice to see Dolph get the big push, hopefully that leads to more top card matches.
- Great debut for Sting. Do wish he had the Crow theme and a bat. Would've had him leave the bat in the middle of the ring like he used to do, and have Dolph and Seth scramble for it and ultimately making Seth still look strong for only losing because of a foreign object. Otherwise found it hard to suspend my disbelief that a Zig Zag would knock Seth out long enough to be pinned over 5 minutes later. (Not to be outdone by Steph, who took a simple bump and was knocked out for longer than her entire SummerSlam match. :P)
Maybe it's because I have only had the network for several months but having all the old PPV's and on occasion a new raw and nitro are all I want out of it. Seeing the one match at every new ppv I actually care about is bonus. I'm pretty sure VMac would love for it to be the other way.
ReplyDeleteArn Anderson summed it up best on the Loose Cannon DVD: "He was either the smartest crazy man I ever met or the craziest smart man I ever met, it's a thin line."
ReplyDeletePlease. Styles still has the turd. It was an honor.
ReplyDeleteDean's current prop comic gimmick is not only original, but it is pure AMBROSE.
ReplyDelete^This.
ReplyDeleteYou need make a spread sheet of the times, who, where, when and why. That would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteHaha. If i had the ebook it'd be so easy and I would!
ReplyDeleteNa, the Pope could never work a match like Bret.
ReplyDeleteYou know I didn't even realize it but was the AJ/Nikki finish a callback to the 18 seconds? Or am I giving them way too much credit?
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the name of the guy who wrote the e-mail is "Mark."
ReplyDeletepretty surreal moment seeing sting whoop hhh but i think this will only cement the legacy of HHH in the long run and man did sting need have his wwe moment a long time ago.. his optics aren't not so good... poor sting
ReplyDeleteBut is he a smart Mark?
ReplyDeletebeautiful bobby eaton
ReplyDeleteAt least the Pope gave up his spot and didn't argue with the Vatican about who would be next.
ReplyDeletebravo. I've missed this.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but the Pope only had a religious following to consider; Bret had an entire country, damn it.
ReplyDeleteCommentators mentioned it as soon as she lost it
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
ReplyDeleteMan I am better at tuning them out than I thought.
ReplyDeleteIt was a cool moment but you gotta love four years of speculation on Sting vs. Undertaker leading to Sting vs. HHH. No possible HHH shenanigans in there.
ReplyDeleteBaseball bat - not PG
ReplyDeleteLesbian kiss - PG
Have we covered the "only Cena can bring the Authority back" comment from Cole as Ziggler staggered up the aisle? Can't be bothered checking through loads of posts, but presume this anvil was discussed at length.
ReplyDeleteScott - I've usually enjoyed your work but your comment "See ya, AJ" - makes you sound totally ill informed. There is no reliable source that stated AJ was done after losing a wrestling match. Calm down.
ReplyDeleteHow about those security guards huh? Came right over from the local gay biker bar? Haha
ReplyDelete...yup.
ReplyDeleteSting vs. Undertaker was internet speculation. Nothing got "changed", as Sting-Taker was never actually happening.
ReplyDelete