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6 Times The WWE Tried (And Failed) To Tackle Serious Issues

 
 
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6 Times The WWE Tried (And Failed) To Tackle Serious Iss...
Vince McMahon apparently believes wrestling is the perfect medium through which to tackle complex societal issues, and here are six examples of him trying to do exa...
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How DID X-Pac get away with doing Blackface, anyway?

​I knew someone would send me this one as soon as I saw it on Cracked this morning.  The funny thing is that WWE played up the Billy and Chuck stuff as this lighthearted and beloved angle on the Jerry Springer deal.  ​

Comments

  1. MaffewOfBotchamaniaMay 9, 2015 at 8:41 AM

    ''Serious Issues'' in title, right next to picture of Papa Shango.

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  2. I assure you voodoo curses are no laughing matter sir.

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  3. I would love to know what the meeting was like where someone pitched the Bossman / Big Show feud.

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  4. "You know what would fucking HILARIOUS...."

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  5. Just ask Ultimate Warrior.

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  6. There is a March 1987 promo with Piper and Hogan (wearing a biker red bandana) looking coked out of their minds. Hogan looks really wierd and out in space.

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  7. Reading stuff like this never fails to remind me how fucking stupid wrestling can be.

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  8. This thing we all enjoy is totally stupid, no two ways about it.


    That being said, I could watch the Bossman crash Big Show's dad's funeral every day.

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  9. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 9:28 AM

    They failed to mention that Eugene was loved by fans at one point.

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  10. Idk, I don't see a problem with any of this.

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  11. People actually believe in Santeria, they just made it cheesy. If he was an actual santero his hat would have been white though. Also referencing Chango put a bad omen on that character from the jump.

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  12. Showing that a developmentally disabled person can compete on an equal playing field was actually very progressive of them, they just overdid it.

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  13. Jesus, what a flawed premise. "(Vince) believes wrestling is the perfect medium through which to tackle complex societal issues." Yeah, not really. If that were actually true, then why would this bit appear later in the same column: "And the thing about wrestling is that it's hard to get a grip on the
    unironic. It's all a weird combination of silliness, stupidity, theater,
    and actual danger being run by people who have proven to be
    legitimately out-of-touch and crazy."

    Can't have it both ways. I think every wrestling fan knows that this isn't where we go to find insightful social commentary. I'm not saying a lot of this stuff wasn't legitimately offensive, but let's not pretend that it was meant to be viewed seriously. This column blew past "comedy" and tumbled right into "preachy as fuck."

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  14. They blew an obvious direction though. He could've been a savant in the ring that was a great technical wrestler.

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  15. It is but part of the charm with wrestling is the stuff that's so bad it's funny.

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  16. Steph's 9/11 trash, so much cringe. And this company is supposed to tackle serious issues, ha.

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  17. Honestly, while wrestling is certainly full of all sorts of horrible bigotry, there are quite a few angles that tackled socially progressive issues properly at first

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  18. "This column blew past "comedy" and tumbled right into "preachy as fuck."



    Much like this comment.

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  19. Sorry, I thought offering opinions is what we did here...and I wasn't going for comedy.

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  20. If the Boss Man interrupting Big Shows' daddy's funeral offends you, then you have a problem. That skit is hilarious.

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  21. You heard my screaming fit all the way over there?

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  22. I cant help but feel that there was an ulterior motive to put on that smackdown show. Have no idea what it is though. I lived in NJ and we didnt even get that SD episode. The TV was still showing news coverage 24 hrs a day on almost every channel even the home shopping channel. My college was still closed. When that happens it's usually a sign that the country isnt ready for pro wrestling yet.

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  23. Are you talking about the 9/11 show? Of course there was ulterior motive, it involved Vince McMahon.

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  24. The NFL and MLB took the week off, so Vince went ahead with Smackdown so they could brag about not letting terror stop Americans from their daily stuff and to be the only sports/entertainment product that didntvstop that week.

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  25. Hearing Vince and company talk about that like Al-Queda was planning to attack them will never not be funny.

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  26. I would like to think that even Vince wouldn't reach that low. I mean that's bottom of the barrel gutter shit right there.

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  27. That was what was reported at the time. Vince even said something to the effect of "this proves the terrorists won't stop us from living our daily lives"

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  28. I like to think Vince cut promos on them

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  29. I heard that Russo was gone by that time too. That blew my mind. I wouldve lost a lot of money if I bet on that.

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  30. Coming soon: 6 Times WWE Tried (And Could Not Succeed At) Tackling Serious Issues by Caliber Winfield

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  31. Nope, they did stoop that low. When they talk about that special now that's exactly what they brag about. "We helped America move on and be strong!"

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  32. Russo left in October 1999. The funeral angle was shown on the Smackdown before Survivor Series

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  33. So that means in Vinces mind schools, businesses, tv,travel,and a shit ton of other things im forgetting let the terrorists win? I do remember that being somewhat of a meme back then. I think the onion had an article about "letting the terrorista win" shortly afterward.

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  34. Stephanie's promo really helped America move on

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  35. I absolutely despised the Eugene character, but he was very over during his entire 1st run. And then they really should have ended it.

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  36. I expect nothing but things a 5 year old would say when it comes to Vince.

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  37. MAH DAH-DEE, WAAAH, MAH DAH-DEE...Boss Man showed personality like never before in that ridiculousness.

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  38. I had just finished BMT, the Air Force's version of boor camp. I was watching in a dorm with about 20 other guys. Even the non wrestling fans were into it. It was a welcomed distraction.

    But booo wwe i guess.

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  39. Boss Mans feuds with Al Snow and Big Show made me a fan of his for life.

    The dinner scene was fantastic. My buddies and I loved it

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  40. DDG, you gotta relax when I try to make a joke at your expense online, bro. It's only the internet!

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  41. Of course there was an ulterior motive.

    They had to prove that the US gov't couldn't go around indicting VKM

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  42. That's how the Eugene character actually started. He was mentally challenged but actually a good wrestler. If you can find them, take a look at the vignettes they did of Regal being forced to train Eugene. That was the direction they were going down but then it just devolved into Eugene doing the moves of his favorite wrestlers.

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  43. The gif of the nerdy white kid with coke bottle glasses doing the black power salute...ohhhhh, my sides.

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  44. I don't practice santeria

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  45. I wonder whatever happened to the Chuck/Billy gravy boat they got from GLAAD or whoever it was

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  46. "Wa-Alaikum-Salaam, my brothers."

    I believe that kid was the son of Will's teacher from The Fresh Prince

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  47. "Last known photo" of the Rock, lol

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  48. I ain't got no crystal ball

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  49. He's havin' fun, Maggle! Good ol' fashioned militantism!

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  50. The linked article to the last entry, Bauer confirms Vince insisted "bestiality sex" was correct during the Kurt Angle: Sex Offender angle no matter how much he was told the right word was "bestial." Of course, lol.

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  51. Gotta get that demographic

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  52. HULK BACKSTROKE GIF~

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  53. They should talk about the angles and storylines that WERE successful in touching upon serious issues...

    Such as Bret reuniting with Owen and Bulldog in a touching moment on RAW and reforming the Hart Foundation

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  54. #1 involved Burt's favorite

    \_0__/

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  55. That legitimately pissed me off when HHH basically squashed him

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  56. Zeus is in the music video!

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  57. The ulterior motive was exactly what WWE has bragged about ever since - getting to be the first "large-scale public gathering" since 9/11. The FIRST sign that Murica was getting back to normal, lol.

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  58. Bossman kinda reminded me of Eddie during that feud in that he played such an awesome sleezeball that you can't help but love him

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  59. Man was Steph hot in 02

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  60. Yeeeah but Jay Leno and Jon Stewart gave even better speeches that were infinitely more sincere

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  61. Yeah, of course. This is just how Vince's mind works.

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  62. bunch of politically correct wussies....it's not like any of these angles involved ice cream abuse.

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  63. Since there's no daily thread up yet, MCU star ratings thus far:

    Iron Man: ****1/2
    Hulk: ***3/4
    Iron Man 2: ***1/2
    Thor: ****

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  64. So apparently Dixie doesn't want TNA wrestlers under contract to work for GWF on their off dates.

    ...which amounts to approximately 350 days of the year they won't be allowed to work for GWF

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  65. I like when Vince does a take on serious issues if only for the fact he actually thinks people sit around wonder what Vince Mcmahon's opinion on the issue is.

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  66. I think you're being generous, Iron Man 2 was nothing but filler before Avengers came out.

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  67. Agreed. Touching and pointed out the fractious relationship between Canada and its inferior neighbour!!! Pretty gripping stuff

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  68. "hey Mrs Show- now that your husbands dead do you want to go out with a man like me?!?"

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  69. That's way too high on Thor

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  70. Most of the article sections end with "and then the fans cheered this!!?"

    I think that probably backs up that Vince knew his audience (for good and bad) better than the article author.

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  71. Numbers 1-6: Divas... false pregnancy... somethingsomething... women are bitches, amiright guyzzz?

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  72. I hated when HHH beat the crap out of Regal during that angle. The promo that Regal cut on him before that match was awesome.

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  73. MaffewOfBotchamaniaMay 9, 2015 at 11:46 AM

    Terminator 2 suckkkkkkkkkkked

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  74. That was the only one I had a problem with. It ignored how well they handled Eugene in the beginning. He wasn't just a "funny retard joke." He was originally portrayed as a savant. But once HHH got involved... well, that usually explains itself.

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  75. For a rich girl, she oddly gravitated towards trashy-hot. I don't think there's an ounce of class or refinement in that entire family. It's like Vince's carny blood is so pure and concentrated it doesn't dilute even in successive generations.

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  76. I have the toes I have...lets just leave it at that

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  77. It was a joke with friends and I for a while even.

    Ask a girl out "And if you say no then the terrorists will have won".

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  78. Well when I think of serious issues in wrestling, one that comes to mind right away is the Pritchard/Dirty White Boy angle from Continental. Looks so cheesy today, but very ahead of it's time back then.

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  79. WCW did a much better job with real issues...like Scott Hall's drinking problem....dealing with mouthy killer toy dolls...hatred towards ducks

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  80. Not anymore!

    *slice*

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  81. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 12:22 PM

    I just watched that Chucky promo for the second time last night.

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  82. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 12:24 PM

    Well, Vince did come from the poor mean streets.

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  83. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Yeah, obviously they didn't see his segment with the Rock.

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  84. I take it you've never read Cracked before? AKA ill written clickbait?

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  85. Did Lex Luger ever pin Ric Flair.

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  86. Sucks for them but she's well within her rights if there's no compete language.

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  87. I think Shane-o had the latent sense and got out while the getting was good.

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  88. Necromancy is pretty serious.

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  89. Worked pretty well for Dre.

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  90. Why lex didn't arm punch.

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  91. I DON'T KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!

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  92. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 12:52 PM

    :facepalm:
    Oh Steph
    http://youtu.be/wzz2n9xC8ps

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  93. Bobby Roode fears Maniac Mike Davis.

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  94. None of the Iron Man sequels held up to the original.

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  95. Would have been funnier if she compared Randy Savage to the terrorists.

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  96. Never not funny

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  97. Like I said it'd be funnier if she likened Randy Savage to the terrorists

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  98. The third was doing fine until the last act...

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  99. If we're doing territories, the Von Erichs alone could fill a top 10, sadly. Also, JYD getting blinded in Mid South and "couldn't see his grandkid's birth"

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  100. Well Vince was basically white trash growing up. IIRC, he didn't move out of rural NC until he was in his teens and started living with his dad.

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  101. For a while.

    People STILL say this

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  102. Dare I say, oooooooh yeah?

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  103. What about Bad News and Stomper?

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  104. We need to start a Vince Russo fallacy list. Like
    1) Vince Russo did not write Bossman invading the funeral.
    2) Russo did not write Mae Young giving birth to a hand.
    3) Russo was a GOOD writer ;-)

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  105. 3 was good it just wasted Mandarin completely.

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  106. I thought the whole point of The Nation was they used high ideals to mask the fact they were just arseholes?

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  107. I'm old. I guess I remember the print version better, which was like a poor man's Mad Magazine. Shit, now that I consider it, is the site even affiliated with the old magazine?

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  108. Uncooperative horses...

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  109. Shane seems like a fairly decent fellow. Plus he was smart enough to marry into another big-money family in case he wanted to get out of the wrestling business.

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  110. The stuff they did in 1992 for their house show matches against like...Flair and Sid or something....were very special.

    It's clear that they when they did promos together no fucks were given.

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  111. True, they are definitely not a fat-guy moonsault.

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  112. I know the McMahon ego defies logic, but how did nobody think that comparing Vince's trial to 9/11 days after 9/11 was a bad idea?


    At least they did America the favor of bringing the country back from 9/11.

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  113. The replacement of human workers with machines that do the same job, specifically the practice as it spreads to law enforcement.

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  114. "Yep Mode" Abeyance Brown ©May 9, 2015 at 2:58 PM

    The crowd cheering at the end makes it even better.

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  115. While I'm not defending some of these angles this article portrays them more negatively than they actually were. I don't remember people cheering heels for beating Eugene for instance... and Eugene got pretty damned over at the time.

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  116. Ugh. That guy makes me look like Gloria Steinem when it comes to sexism.

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  117. "My vagina was London and his penis bombed it."

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  118. No, it was JYD was blind and couldn't see his newborn daughter.

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  119. Yeah, the only time I distinctly remember Eugene getting booed was against Triple at Summerslam.

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  120. ... and to be even more fair, I think that was the debut of Bizaro World.

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  121. The Billy & Chuck thing is way off... if you watch that segment, the crowd popped fucking huge for them. They were into it.

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  122. Also, can we talk about Bischoff's makeup for that segment? That's some of the best they've ever done. NO-ONE knew it was him or even suspected.

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  123. My jaw was on the floor when he suddenly said, "Did I say three minutes?"

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  124. Eh, agree with some of this, but some is way off. The Hardy/Punk angle was one of the best things in the last 10 or so years in WWE. Hardy wasn't the good guy because he was an addict. He was the good guy because he was a flawed person trying to be better and inspire people. Punk wasn't the bad guy because he was straight edge. He was the bad guy because he was a sanctimonious prick with a God complex.

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  125. He was over when he first came in, but the crowd turned on him pretty quick.

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  126. James M. FabianoMay 9, 2015 at 4:59 PM

    Not really.

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  127. the funniest unintentional thing was Big Show clinging to his old mans casket while Bossman was peeling out dragging it from an old caprice hahahaha.

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  128. ehh they ripped off Lenny Lane and Lodi in WCW who I thought did the angle way better. The funniest part is at one point in the match they would always somehow in up in the 69 position. They did however deface the cruiser weight title by putting pink pom poms on it though lol.

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  129. biggest ego driven horse shit I ever saw in my life when she did that live after 9-11. It was soo self serving it made me laugh and take my mind off 9-11, so I guesss it served its purpose in some weird fucked up way lol.

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  130. he went to East Carolina University which is a joke of a college that has a 90 percent acceptance rate haha.

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  131. yea he was raised by a step father right?? His old man was too busy running the hustle which pro wrestling really was in the 50's and those early days when kayfabe was law to raise his kid.

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  132. You're a NASTY BASTARD for saying that...

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  133. that old caprice he was driving was hauling ass and fucking up that make shift grace yard haha.

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  134. alot has changed since they went pg, but they were still a publically traded company and making more money when they were peddling smut instead of wholesome family entertainment. So I guess his ego is he doesnt want to be viewed as carney folk but legit businessman.

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  135. Then...wasn't it good booking?

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  136. Cracked is actually one of the bastions of good writing on the internet.


    I'm not saying they don't make mistakes, but their track record is pretty fucking good.

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  137. No they didn't.

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  138. The dumb thing is Billy and Chuck were getting over as babyfaces! The act had just enough seriousness to go with the more over the top stuff to make it believeable.

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  139. I'd still cheer a clean-cut sanctimonious jerk like CM Punk's character over a drugged out freak like Jeff Hardy any day. Unless Punk was/is a hypocrite, in which case I'd hope the match goes to a no contest with someone else shows up to beat the shit out of both of them.

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  140. Eugene was quite over from his original run until hurting his knee at whatever PPV in 2004. Then, they brought him back against Angle, and the crowd did cheer Kurt beating the shit out of him. It was over then.

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  141. He was booed the year before against HHH.

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  142. I like 2 better than 1. It has much more interesting villains who are played by actors who are trying harder.

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  143. I find that many so-called smarks purposely ignore stuff like that. It's the same reason people asked why we were supposed to boo Rusev just because he loves his country; umm, it's because he was a dick about it (and also kicked people in the balls).

    Not that the jingoistic faces were any better, but still.

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  144. Would you kindly explain this to me?

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  145. I'll do one better

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9XZ-eEW8Fo


    From the description

    Considered by many to be the wrestling angle of the year in 1988. Ultra
    violent in it's day and still pretty hardcore by today's standards.

    This got Continental in trouble with the local TV station.

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  146. Man I had never seen that Stephanie 9/11 interview. It really reinforces how stupid she is.

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  147. Billy and Chuck in retrospect was Billy Gunn's most heterosexual gimmick.

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  148. Completely agree. It'll remind me of a feud where the heel goes out of his way to make the face's life miserable for months on end, and then at the end of the feud the face will do something like beat the heel with a chair, and people will be like, "And why are we supposed to root for him?" Yes, it was a brutal and traditionally "heelish" tactic, but it completely ignores the context of the action and all of the things that the heel had done leading up to it.

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  149. No. . . . . I enjoy the site as much as the next guy, but "pretty fucking good" goes in the overstatement hall of fame. I want to know where you go if you think their writing is good. . .

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  150. Dying at this line lol:

    "No one should start their 9/11 speech with, "You might know me as the
    guy who hit a woman with a chair to cheat my way to the Intercontinental
    Title. And tonight I'm here to help put a national tragedy into
    perspective."

    ReplyDelete

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