> Hi Scott,
>
> In WWE DVD retrospectives I frequently hear the 34 Territories referenced (particularly by Heyman). What are the 34 territories? Is there a master list somewhere? Any idea what time period they're talking about?
Maybe there's a big map like the beginning of a bad fantasy novel.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kp89t2sxRO4/UsE2jNabP8I/AAAAAAAAAuk/G0E4Nb5MFzc/s1600/Wrestling+Map.JPG
ReplyDeleteBig Map you say?
Sort of random - I'm not a video game guy anymore but if they had a role playing game where you could create a wrestler and have him work his way through various territories - that would be pretty cool
ReplyDelete23. and AWA is on there twice
ReplyDeleteNo Grand Prix or Boesch? Huh.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good primer. There are some from Texas and the Southeast missing that would bring it to about 30.
ReplyDeleteLol at there only being one territory without a promoter's name attached.
ReplyDeleteThere's TOTALLY a market for an old school wrestling game like that and I'd assume that McMahon has rights to enough old stuff to be able to make that happen, with the ultimate goal to main event a WWE show at Madison Square Garden. Each territory would have its own "home arena" and whatnot. 20 or so guys in like 20 territories, roster would be HUGE.
ReplyDeleteNot nearly enough of a market to justify the cost of making it
ReplyDeleteI was watching this movie today too.
ReplyDeleteDynamo's costume is the greatest outfit in the history of outfits
ReplyDeleteVote for me if you want to live!
ReplyDeleteGrand Prix should probably be added.
ReplyDeleteCorrect. So we get the wwe 2k15 one. Start at nxt. Advance by "having a good match" work your way to smack down with the ultimate goal being able to point to the wrestlemania sign.
ReplyDeleteWonder how much it would be to add as a feature to their annual game? Would be cool though right?
ReplyDeleteThat's the kind of thing that you could have had in the 90s with some superfan, hobbyist programmer writing it in Turbo Pascal and supporting it for fun.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's enough of a market for a real game that anyone expects to make money off of.
There was a PS2 game called Legends of Wrestling (I think) that came out in 2002/3ish. I think Acclaim made it. It had lots of neat legends. Then a second version came out starring Hogan (who must have been on the outs with WWE to lend himself to that game, so my timing may have been off).
ReplyDeleteBut it was exactly like that. You went from territory to territory winning belts. I think they only had 8 though.
Throw in Grand Prix,Hawaii,Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic,CMLL,New Japan,All Japan,New Zealand and that should cover it.
ReplyDeleteThey should name a wrestler turbo pascal too.
ReplyDeleteWould use consider New Japan and All Japan territories? I consider them national promotions. NOAH and Michinoku Pro and 4FW and things like that territories.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that WMX7 is the best by such a huge margin that arguing otherwise just feels silly. If they'd let Bryan/Sheamus have a match and just one single thing in the midcard connected, WM28 would be No. 2 on my list. As it is, 20, 3, 19, 26 and 8 would probably be the order I'd go in for the next five best.
ReplyDeletehttp://i.imgur.com/5oBZIek.jpg
ReplyDeleteHere's another one.
I'm surprised no one has just bought the rights to the newest Fire Pro game and made an indy game. It wouldn't cost shit to make.
ReplyDelete19 is my personal favorite WM. I think it has the overall best wrestling from top to bottom, and I really loved the whole wrestling-centric "vibe" that was going on at the time - we were still enjoying the remnants of the "Smackdown Six", and then you throw in Brock, Shawn, Jericho, Rey, and Matt Hardy having matches booked to be as big (or bigger) than what Austin, Rock, Trips, Taker, and Vince were doing... it just felt really different, like a different "type" of performer was being given the spotlight instead of the old guard. It felt like WRESTLING was on the marquee instead of sports-entertainment (not that I have anything against SE, it just felt different for a WM). Probably my favorite set/atmosphere, too.
ReplyDeleteThe only real negative is that, while several of the matches were good-to-great, it didn't have the one or two really big matches or moments that some others had, the kind that just live forever. 3 had Hogan/Andre and Savage/Steamboat; 17 had Austin/Rock and TLC2; etc. I don't think Brock/Angle or Shawn/Jericho quite hit those heights.
I know right!
ReplyDeleteI found the first 8 minutes of the McMahon DVD to be the only thing interesting about it. It's probably as deep as they've ever gone into the territory business.
ReplyDelete17 is the second-best Wrestlemania.
ReplyDeleteBecause 10 is the best.
Wrestlemania 3 isn't just about the match quality.
ReplyDeleteActually there is a little more:
ReplyDeleteWM22: Foley/Edge Hardcore Match
WM23: Taker/Batista, Cena/HBK, Hair vs Hair with Vince, Trump, Austin, Lashley, Umanga
WM24: Outdoor WM, my first Wrestling Blu Ray and it was as if I've never seen wrestling before, the quality of the picture is outstanding, and Flair vs HBK and Taker vs Edge
WM25: A very blueish picture, boring HHH vs Orton, Taker vs HBK
WM26. Outdoor again, Bret vs Vince, HBK vs Taker
WM27: Worst WM since 13, The Miz as Champion, wrong winner in Lawler vs Cole
WM28: Outdoor again, Cena/Rock, Taker/HHH HIAC
WM29: Cena/Rock again, Taker/Punk
WM30: Bryan/HHH, Bryan/Orton/Batista
The last Fire Pro was 2012 on 360 and used the Avatars. So, uh, yeah.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, Returns is on PS3 as a PS2 classic and getting saves with all of the edits you'd want is pretty easy.
26 wasn't outdoors.
ReplyDeleteDo you have Antenna TV? It is now airing there.
ReplyDeleteYeah, not my finest moment. It didn't sound as bad in my head. Should have left it there however.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of 34 different TV shows of different promotions is fucking awesome.
ReplyDeleteThey haven't made one in Japan recently?
ReplyDeleteYe..no. But, I mean if I saw it on Netflix or something would it be worth the time to watch it?
ReplyDeleteLet's do this. I'll confess to a bias up front. 3 was the first one I ever saw, and I've been to 8, 17, 23 and 28 live. So...
ReplyDelete1. 17
2. 28
3. 3
4. 30
5. 26
6. 22
7. 5
8. 19
9. 8
10. 12
11. 10
12. 6
13. 21
14. 7
15. 24
16. 23
17. 18
18. 29
19. 27
20. 14
21. 20 (Great show, but soooooo long)
22. 25
23. 11
24. 9
25. 1
26. 13
27. 4
28. 15
29. 16
30. 2
At least I thought the roof was open, because the first matches were in daylight.
ReplyDeleteIt was open for Taker vs Shawn as well.
ReplyDeleteIf both those mains hit ***1/2, I might give it the nod for best Mania ever. It'd be a tough call. The Hogan appearance and Piper's Pit were some really fun sizzle on top of the steak.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Again, just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOh. You weren't joking.
ReplyDeleteOne very good match and one great one are more like 2 ***** matches and that's more than you get from most of the other Wrestlemanias.
ReplyDeleteAnd at this time there was a 3rd promotion in Japan (IWE). Plus Joint Promotions in England, though they were completely outside the NWA or affiliated banner.
ReplyDeleteI found HBK/Cena to be boring. I forgot about Tista/Taker blowing the house down. I guess I just don't like Midget Brian that much. I mean YES should have been saved for the Zodaik.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see the hard camera version for Hogan/Andre - great stuff.
ReplyDeleteSomeone was trying to crowd fund an N64 style wrestling game but never got enough pledges. I think it was plugged on here.
ReplyDelete20 loses points? Yeah, I can see how the Playboy Lingerie Match could suck.
ReplyDeleteEh...I'be just never really been into Owen death jokes. Not that I'm overly sensitive or anything. It's just they're rarely funny. Even my own Owen death joke (that the match against the Godfather was scheduled for "one fall") is pretty lame.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense though since AWA had such a big territory
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Hitman marks everywhere, Amen.
ReplyDeleteWWE really is a bad fantasy novel
ReplyDeleteB/c only in the universe they've created is Reigns over
Not so fast. They showed quite a bit of stuff on 24/7 that was quite dreadful. For example,. I question how anyone could have become a fan if all they had was '70's Stampede
ReplyDelete28 is WAY too high.
ReplyDeleteI hated that game because the guys all had their move sets padded with modern moves like the Kryptonite Krunch or the Vertebreaker. Call me a purest, but that really ruined the old school vibe for me.
ReplyDeleteI dig it. That would have been all-time great. The Raw vs. SD tag thing is cool. Have neither championship on the line, just a chance to see which brand's tag champs is better this year, for bragging rights. Maybe make it an annual tradition even. I think Rey vs. Chavo would be good as an opener, yeah. If you HAVE to have everyone on the show, then do a 20-man Raw/SD battle royale as a cool-down after Eddie/Kurt. But getting it down to 9-10 matches is an improvement either way. (Maybe the Battle Royale winner gets to choose which brand he's on after WM or something)
ReplyDeleteThat's just 1 of 34; you have Memphis, you have Amorillo, you have Alabama; something is bound to be good.
ReplyDeleteDetroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, St.Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Mid-South, World Class, L.A., San Francisco, Portland, Montreal, Stampede, WWWF, Mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Florida, AWA.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there are more, but those are the major ones I can think of.
Every bit of this debate depends on how old you are. If you saw the early Manias as a young mark, then your perspective is going to be way different. If you didn't become a fan until the Attitude Era or later, then stuff like WM5 or the WM6 main event just won't have context.
ReplyDeleteBut at the time, you wouldn't. You'd have your local area and that's it.
ReplyDeleteWrestling Spirit on the PC.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio, Houston, El Paso/Ciudad Juarez, Hawaii, and Toronto (or was that with Detroit?) are the ones I can think of.
ReplyDeleteFantasy novels are all bad.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.greydogsoftware.com/ws3/
ReplyDeleteIt's made by the same company that does Total Extreme Wrestling (the REALLY deep booking/promotion management simulator), and has an AWESOME mod set in early 1982.
Houston under Boesch wasn't really a territory, Toronto did have a seperate promotion under the Maple Leaf Wrestling banner, but Sheik's Big Time out of Detroit did go up there, especially when they had Tiger Jeet Singh.
ReplyDeletehttp://basementgeographer.com/professional-wrestling-territories-of-north-america/
ReplyDeleteToronto was its own. Also Maritimes was another
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Is it any good?
ReplyDeleteThere's also a Vancouver promotion I've honestly barely heard about, All-Star Wrestling.
ReplyDeleteWatching WM 30 for the first time since I saw it live tonight. It will be interesting to see how it holds up a year later, (although considering I bought it with target gift cards that I earned at work Triple's H's entrance alone is worth the price)
ReplyDeleteHow does one get a copy of that? I would love to see it.
ReplyDeleteHistory of www video
ReplyDeleteI'd call it solid. At $25, it's deep enough with just the "Cornell-verse" (the fantasy universe in the game, with it's pretty deep roster of wrestlers and promotions) to be a good buy, but the "Death of the Territories" mod adds so much.
ReplyDelete10 worse than 9??????
ReplyDelete2nd best? I'd make a strong case for 21 both from match quality and historical significance, especially as far as elevating Edge, Orton, Cena, and Batista up the card. Would be willing to say the same thing about 30 if the positive vibe I had coming off the show held true a year later.
ReplyDeleteSomething like Nobunaga's Ambition or Defender of the Crown but with wrestling territories?
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere George R.R. Martin still writes on a 1980s-era PC using WordStar, so maybe if he tires of Game of Thrones he could switch to a big epic about the struggles of the houses of Dusty, Verne, Flair, and Vince
ReplyDeleteSo I am watching Hogan at WM 30. Everyone remember the Silverdome/Superdome gaff but did anyone pick up on the fact that he welcomed everyone watching on the "WWF/E" network. What do you think the odds are he did that intentionally?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great map--I'm not well-versed enough in the territories' history to critique it too much. I think some of the "border" areas must have been interesting, such as Louisville or Cincy being right on the edge of a couple different zones. WWE should get the rights to *this* map for any future documentaries of how they saved us from the horrible smoke filled bingo-halls of the territory days.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that sounds vaguely familiar. Shame. I'd be all over that or something like it, if it was done well.
ReplyDeleteNot saying it's the second best or anything, but I've always thought 22 deserves to be ranked higher than it usually is. All the significant matches deliver, crap is kept to a minimum and the atmosphere is great.
ReplyDeleteSatilitte dish bro.
ReplyDelete21, though I haven't seen it in a few years so I'm not sure if it still holds up.
ReplyDeleteThat gives me an idea -- I think I'll have to watch 8, 10, 19, 21, and 30 before this year's show to see which one I like most.
Late 05 was when I stopped watching until the Taker/Hunter cell match brought me back, (watching their WM 27 match was like taking a hit of crack, all it needed to bring me back in) but yeah seeing it in retrospect it's a great card. The Foley/Edge match was about the most violent the WWE ever went, it was fun watching Shawn kick the shit out of Vince, and I had a blast wathing HHH vs Cena. The entrances were fun, the crowd elevated the match, and you could tell Hunter loved playing the default face
ReplyDeleteSo if you lived in Nevada or New Mexico or any of the other states that arent colored in that i cant name because im a dullard, would you be able to watch any wrestling on tv or attend any events or were you just shit out of luck? I would think new Mexico would have some luchadore events with a lot of mexicans being there.
ReplyDeleteWatching would depend on your local TV provider, but as far as having events come to you the answer would usually be "no"... I do think the AWA covered Salt Lake City and Vegas, but most of that area was just "dead".
ReplyDeleteI should also point out that I stopped watching in 05 because 1. Batista went to Smackdown. 2. I found other things to do on Monday nights. 3. After Eddie died I had about enough, (little did I know.) Also I have never actually smoked crack.
ReplyDeleteHow about after Wrestlemania 32 we just stick all the shows in brackets and have a tournament?
ReplyDeleteThere's been much said about the number of fans at Wrestlemania III, but not so much about how hot the crowd was. They were just into everything from the opening bell, and I think that's one of the reasons the show went so well.
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder something: in the event that WWE somehow goes under (or at the very least, needs to downsize considerably), do you think we could see a return to territories?
ReplyDeleteNot to say that there's even remotely a chance that WWE will go under. They might be a shit product these days and not making as much money as before, but they're still making a lot of money.
The two WrestleManias that I attended were 17 and 19. Seeing them live was amazing. I would rank both of them near the top for sure, with 17 possibly at the top.
ReplyDeleteOthers I like though are 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20, 21, 24.
I also would put 6 and 7 in there.
That could be glorious!
ReplyDeleteListened to Hogan's interview with Jericho. Part of the reason for the gaffe was that he was rushed into gorilla minutes after an intense press conference about Andre. Still, with Hogan you never know.
ReplyDeleteHunter has a real knack for making a grand entrance at WM, 27's is my personal favorite. If nothing else, I'm sure he'll come up with something suitably over the top this year.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of the National Wrestling Federation. Anyone familiar with that one?
ReplyDeleteIf he can beat the skull king, complete with vestal virgins from last year I would love to see it. I really want to see him beat sting btw
ReplyDeleteAs do I. Unfortunately I doubt that he will.
ReplyDeleteAWA got coverage in Vegas which is why they eventually moved tapings out to a casino in the area. They didn't regularly run shows there though which is why it isn't listed as a part of the territory.
ReplyDeleteEven then WM19 was lacking that huge clear mega main event match up that 17 had. Also, 17 had an awesome spotfest genre match with the TLC match. No spotfest type match at 19 but it just shows that 17 had a top notch match in more genre's or wrestling. Good technical match, sports entertainment match, spotfest match, around arena brawl, and WWE main event style brawl/match/kick out finishers, etc
ReplyDeleteEvery territory isn't listed here. Western States was pretty big in Arizona, not sure why it wasn't included.
ReplyDeleteOr a half-assed porno
ReplyDeleteI will say this for territories. I was freaked when Eric Embry got put on a stretcher after he was spiked piledrived by bad guys
ReplyDeleteI remember saying by end of TLC match "holy shit have I gotten my moneys worth" and there was still over an hour left in the show. By the end of the night my cable company could have charged me double and I wouldnt have complained
ReplyDeleteIt was basically the original IWA, which I only recall being on ESPN occasionally.
ReplyDeleteI still prefer their summerslam match, but I agree that the WM one dosen't deserve the flack it gets.
ReplyDeleteI'd totally play a game that recreated the territories. It wouldn't even need to have the territories per se -- just the cities or regions. And it would have to reflect the style that region was known for. Crazy brawls in Memphis; mat-wrestling in Minneapolis; New York-style in NYC; 'realistic' style in Calgary, etc.
ReplyDeleteWould Puerto Rico count?
ReplyDeleteChicago had its own territory? I thought AWA ran in IL
ReplyDeleteOne thing I always liked about several WrestleManias were the tag lines used to promote each show...The Ultimate Challenge...The Mega-Powers Explode...even Once In A Lifetime before it became irrelevant a year later. Possible appropriate tag lines for 31, given the epic buildup this year? 15 was The Ragin' Climax...how about The Inevitable Shrugfest?
ReplyDeleteYou were at 8 and 17? Damn - I'm super jealous. Those are THE two Manias of my two biggest periods of fandom. I'm mega insanely jealous!
ReplyDeleteI remember in th 90s my local college station had a different indy at 11 every weeknight. So we gotECW,which was awesome,but we also got Memphis,SMV,and a couple others I forget. Most of it was crap,but it was DIFFERENT crap.
ReplyDeleteEven if they had to reverse engineer their own,it's a 2d game,it wouldn't be that hard to do. One look at the lineup Filsinger Games has in their card/dice games (which I reccomend) shows you it's not that hard to get AJ Styles to sign up for something like this.
ReplyDeleteSeriously this is a question?
ReplyDeleteYeah I love different crap.
ReplyDeleteIts not like Austin was in perfect shape either after the Owen Driver. . .
ReplyDeleteLouisville was interesting during the USWA vs. Smoky Mountain feud, probably the last great angle that Memphis ran.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Angelo Poffo's renegade promotion in KY during the late 70s/early 80s headlined by his sons Randy and Lanny was pretty awesome for it's time, especially when Randy jumped over to Memphis.
Trick question, Lemmy IS God. . . .
ReplyDelete"There's TOTALLY a market for an old school wrestling game like that and I'd assume that McMahon has rights to enough old stuff to be able to make that happen,"
ReplyDeleteWWE doesn't have the right to market any wrestler not currently under contract unless they get written consent (except for showing/selling old footage). That's why WWE can have the Network, yet Mattel and 2K Sports can't just include any wrestler they want in their WWE products.
How did Georgia Championship Wrestling also end up in WV and southern OH, but not the states in between?
ReplyDeleteFire. Pro. Wrestling. Returns.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I heard Dutch Mantell (on SCSA's podcast maybe?) say that USWA ran shows in Evansville, IN (just on the IN side of the river from KY). Like most borders, these are way more porous than maps indicate. You know, someone with some good GIS skills and a database of shows over the decades could do a really sweet map of where shows were actually run by promoters and how the lines shifted year by year. I think I've got a sabbatical project idea for 2019...
ReplyDeleteNo, 3 is the best, which makes 17 second best. 3 will always be the best for the historical significance and imagery of it all.
ReplyDelete1. Mania III
2. Mania XVII
3. Mania XX
4. Mania XIX
5. Mania X
6. Mania VIII
7. Mania XXI
8. Mania VII
9. Mania XVI
10. Mania XVIII
At least that's my top ten.
Your FACE is a question.
ReplyDeleteOh, tag!
I don't think argue otherwise is silly at all.
ReplyDeleteThe body count of territory-era professional wrestling is to high even for GRRM.
ReplyDeleteand they should have been. At home my friend and I were into every match. They all mattered. I was most interested in Piper/Adonis, closely followed by the main event and Savage/Steamboat, but I also cared about Hercules/Haynes, the opening tag (not often remembered but they had been having a mini fued leading up to the show), Jake/Honky, etc. Every match just seemed to MATTER. Compare that to now. A six man IC match with a champ who constantly jobs. A battle royale designed just to get guys a WM payday. Three matches featuring guys who are never or rarely on TV.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure people had fond memories of watching "World Wrestling Entertainment" at MSG back in the day.
ReplyDeleteLousy Wildlife settlement.....
Grand Prix. That was what they had on the local tv when I was a kid, and you'd see the posters in town for the wrestlers and listing their feuds.
ReplyDeleteThere did seem to be more local Maritimes wrestling on TV than the Maple Leaf Wrestling (WWWF?) until the writing was on the wall for the territory system. As a kid though, it was so powerful to be able to see this stuff happen on tv - and know they'd soon be running a show to resolve this issue in your local hockey rink (and every other town on the circuit!)
Y'know, you might actually be right about that. I'm drunk, or I'd look it up myself.
ReplyDeleteIIRC, WV and southern OH had high viewership of Georgia wrestling on TBS so they tried to make some money there.
ReplyDeleteRandy and Lanny jumped when the promotion shut down.
ReplyDeleteOddly, ICW was shown in my area (central Illinois) but Memphis wasn't so I didn't see all the anti-Memphis promos when I watched.
21 was awesome. Shawn v Angle, the culmination of the Hunter Batista stuff Cena rising to the top. MITB. Rey Eddie. Orton v Taker where the weight of the legend killer idea vs the streak weighs heavily.
ReplyDeleteI never got the love for 21. Shawn/Angle and MITB1 were really good, but the two main matches were terrible.
ReplyDelete13: "Heat "
ReplyDelete14 "D-x raided" (or rated)
Odd subtitles for this stretch. Especially when you dont need any
22 was weird - some good matches, but it really seemed more like a B-level show. The best they could do with Shawn was Vince, and the best they could do with Taker was Henry?
ReplyDelete"Heat" was such a horrible sub-title.
ReplyDeleteI would usually say 20, but aside from it's beautiful ending shot being a bit murky, upon rewatch that show was incredibly overstuffed. We like to complain at how WWE likes to stuff it's undercard into multiman matches nowadays at WM but 20 had TWO(!!) 4 team tag matches and a multiman cruiserweight bout, neither of them were any good, two matches involving divas (one being a lingerie/pillow fight match of some kind), we like to fondly remember goldberg/lesnar as being a glorious excercise in hostile crowds but it's still a black mark on the show (in a huge embarassing way) sure you've got the amazing main event, and great christian/jericho, angle/eddie, rockandsock vs evolution matches...but theres a lot of bullshit weighing it down.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd actually choose 21 or 23 for second place. The more I watch 30, the more it goes up in my eyes, it's essentially a 2 match show, but the booking and story they told throughout the entire event was excellent,
Apparently the original plan was for Shawn vs Eddie and when that didn't happen for obvious reasons I guess Vince was the best they could do. I actually think shawn-vince is tremendous fun, but you're right that it was a bit of a waste of HBK.
ReplyDeleteif someone didn't live through WM9 or 11, they can't fully appreciate the awfulness
ReplyDeleteWM3 is the best wrestling event ever... period
ReplyDeletei'd watch that if it's out there
ReplyDeletemy grip with 10 is the quebecers wasted... they needed to take an ass kicking to pay off their heel run
ReplyDelete30, 24, 23, 21, 26, 28, 22, 25, 29, 27
ReplyDeleteIf you could somehow shift HHH/Batista from Backlash and the JBL/Cena I Quit match onto the Mania card in the place of their actual title matches, that's probably the best WM in history
ReplyDeleteThe Beast vs. The Bust
ReplyDeleteThere's quite a few maps out there - for example:
ReplyDeletehttp://basementgeographer.com/professional-wrestling-territories-of-north-america/
There is even a map included in the WWE DVDs (I'm sure its in the one the History of the *** Title releases.
But clearly the number has to be arbitary since territories came and went - for example do you include or exclude Jerry Jarrett's promotion in Memphis?
Sorry - just noticed someone has already posted this map down the thread :(
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Joint Promotions could be considered a territory anyway. It was more of a cartel of smaller individual promotions who worked together. The promotions were largely, but not exclusively, focused on different parts of the UK (in the south it was mainly Dale Martin, but a few buildings ran other promotions).
ReplyDeleteIn these ways it was similar to the NWA, but effectively it had the only national TV deal (with ITV - at that time the sole free to air channel apart from the BBC). The number of promotions changed over the years - some got taken over by the others or by outsiders but by the then it was pretty well the Crabtrees running the show.
By all accounts most wrestlers worked exclusively for it - although I think this was an "informal" arrangement - you work for someone else and you'll never get booked again. A few big name attractions had enough box-office clout to also be able to take bookings from independents or Brian Dixon's outfit (laterly All-Star - but it went by lots of names over the years).
There should be a RISK-style game where you start with one territory, and have to destroy the others, McMahon-style.
ReplyDeleteBefore the USWA days they always ran Louisville and Evansville. I think Foley even mentions working Evansville in his first book, and that was before the World Class merger with Memphis that formed the USWA.
ReplyDelete"Forced Fed Fail"
ReplyDelete"The Bankruptcy of 21-1"
"Highway to Crickets"
"Pissing Away Easy Money"
This year could be: "No Heat"
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but we missed their awesome theme music because their entrance wasn't shown. Instead, there was a backstage HBK/Burt Reynolds/Rhonda Sheare segement.
ReplyDelete9 is a bad show but not completely atrocious like some people say. If that Steiners/Headshrinkers match happened today, people would be eating that shit up compared to the crap we have today. 11 on the other hand.. I cannot defend. Title match was good though.
ReplyDeleteThere was a great essay I read a while back about "when winning mattered" which cuts to the heart of the issue. In the 80s it really seemed to matter which guy won, whereas today it's forgotten by the next week. I'm sure some people could point out exceptions to the rule, but when it there was a big event, winning or losing usually charted the trajectory of a wrestler's future.
ReplyDeleteIt's currently on Daily Motion. I sadly can't copy and paste the link - my iphone won't let me.
ReplyDeleteNothing looks more out of place than the mustache-less Rick Rude from early 93.
ReplyDeleteTitle match was good at WM11, PWI match of the year, but Shawn's an asshole and intentionally turned himself sympathetic and absorbed what little face heat the company had tried to put on Diesel... the crowd reaction on the later near falls proves that and Bret's book talks about the entire locker room watching being pissed at Shawn going into business for himself
ReplyDeleteThen the next night he faked a back injury from Sids power bombs to take off and avoid giving the heat back in a rematch
WM11 and Shawn sucked... history rewritten by Shawn's friend HHH also sucks
Undertaker giving the rub of his streak to Brock, the only person in wrestling that didn't need a credibility rub, let alone the biggest in the history of wrestling, will go down as a brutal business decision in retrospect
ReplyDeleteI liked Batista vs Trips. And say what you will about JBL, but he really put Cena over the right way that night.
ReplyDelete