I can't remember who said it, but some guy once said humans have an implicit need to steal or get away with it. Going 70 in a 65 MPH zone. Buy-one-get-ones at stores. Pasting a webpage from target into a word document and altering the price of the first season of house to 9.99 to force Walmart to price match when you bring in the print out. Using one of those pre-paid Visa cards to ring up a bunch of Redbox Rentals and never return them. Paying ONLY 9.99 a month for a Netflix subscription with thousands of movies and shows and sharing your login with 5 or 6 friends. <redacted due to Google Ad-sense shenanigans, but it rhymes with preening and abhorrent(ing) > Movies and TV shows on premium cable networks we don't have.
I never felt this way about pro-wrestling, ever. I have never said "oh, what a steal!". In 2013 the WWE got roughly 100 dollars of my money and I want it all back. I purchased The Royal Rumble (only to have Rock V. Punk cut out on me), and Wrestlemania only to be wholly disappointed. Dollar signs danced in my head while heckling 'You paid WHAT?!", while visions of video games, gas in my car, and hardcore pornography I could have had instead assaulted the part of your conscience that perks up when you engage in any guilty pleasure (This part of my brain burnt out briefly during the Nicole Bass era).
Looking at that bill sometime in May, I felt ripped off and journeyed down the dark path of dailymotion and other none-too-reputable sites in order to get my premium pro-wrestling fix. "Well, fuck them," I thought, "I gave em 100 bucks I've earned it".
Of course, I hadn't. I was stealing, which is wrong. If the WWE Network is all it's cracked up to be, well suddenly I'm not stealing, but feel like I am.
While dwindling(ish) PPV buy-rates and lower ratings probably have a bit to do with the product - Cena, Orton, Triple H (FUCKING STILL?!), and a lack of a mid-card you can root for, I think more of it has to do with the way we humans consume media these days.
Namely we do it on our own terms for a 'reasonable' fee. While my parents handle the cable, I toss in about 40 bucks a month for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Xbox Live Gold, and Spotify to ensure 'There's nothing on!' is never uttered in the house of a proud TV school graduate. 9.99 a month for lots of content is a lot easier to swallow than a one-time, semi-annual, expectation heavy, 60 dollar payment for a 3 hour wrestling PPV. 60 dollars is 6 months of Netflix. 60 dollars is 6 months of Amazon Instant Watch. 60 dollars is of 6 months of Spotify. 60 dollars is a video game which provides literally quadruple the longevity.
90 percent of the time the shame and frustration spiral of googling <redacted due to Google ad-sense, it rhymes with SHEE PREAM> is so much easier that you almost forget it's wrong. Andy PG made a point to say that for all our bitching about the direction of the company, when they finally do something we like, like push Daniel Bryan, we reward them by pirating their PPVs then bemoaning out-loud that the low buy-rate will result in a depush for our chosen golden calf (goat).
Thus I can't help but feel that this is the WWE's genuine attempt to reach us hardcore fans on a qausi-budget. The people who discuss this stuff with passion and fervor and post reviews of WWE shows from 1984 and posts thousands of comments EVERY SINGLE MONDAY about Raw. I mean for Christ Sake this thing started out as a wrestling blog and now it feels like some sort of community. It all started because we like wrestling (and Scott Keith I presume).
This is the WWE reaching out for a handshake and saying 'Hey guys, meet us half way," as they slowly extend their other hand, slyly reaching into our pockets, hoping we don't notice that they're secretly getting more money from some of us over the course of a year than they ever have before.
We notice. But we don't mind because a handshake that firm has to mean well.
Random Thoughts:
1. This won't be on Xbox One until Summer, after Wrestlemania.
2. I guess Benoit will be featured in content, which is good, with a disclaimer.
3. One thing I'd love to see is an 'Indies Hub' where promotions with quality video work can get featured and seen by a wide audience.
4. It's only 720p. Does anyone know if typical WWE PPVs are shot in 1080p?
Still can't believe you didn't like American Hustle.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm mistaken, actually. I must have misread something somewhere.
ReplyDeleteBut they should offer that. Maybe a $30 price point if you want to try it for WrestleMania month, for example, before committing.
Not the entire time, no. But for a while, yes
ReplyDeleteHonest question...if WWE Network is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week channel with scheduled programming that has an on demand aspect as well, how is it not a "network" in the way they're referring to? The only difference (aside from content, obviously) between HBO (which offers scheduled programming on 24/7 channels and also has an app that has their shows and many movies on demand) is that one is on the Cable and Satellite providers and the other is done via an App.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Valentine got eliminated when he did. He was just getting warmed up!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of this show. The Koko B. Ware-Mountie match is the only bad thing abut it. I loved Piper going nuts on commentary on everything, especially the Slaugher title win, which has arguably the best interference of any WWF title match since Savage just BLINDSIDES the Warrior was he runs after Sherri down the aisle.
I sort of wish Martel could've been the last one eliminated by Hogan, but I understand they wanted to do the Earthquake-Hogan blowoff there. I still think he should've finished 3rd. The Bulldog got a huge pop for eliminating him.
Yeah and the match wasn't much to write home about either. Virgil KO'ing DiBiase with the Million Dollar belt gets one of the loudest (and one of the more underappreciated) pops ever.
ReplyDeleteIt was also tough to make someone believe he could really be a threat to the top guys since the story was that he barely knew how to wrestle. I mean, yeah he beat DiBiase, but I gave him no shot at ever beating someone like Bret Hart.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have the pay-per-view version of this show on VHS. I need to make a DVD copy of it at some point.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but they could have built that up over time. He beats DiBiase, gets some wins over other guys, builds up the belief in his ability, he could have been an upper-midcard guy who believably wins matches within a year, I would guess. Although I imagine in the 7 months between Rumble and the SummerSlam, that he lost a lot of bloom off that rose.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, Boss Man and Barbarian REALLY had their working boots on!
ReplyDeleteMy original VHS recording of this was taped together several times from me watching it so much. I had this and WM7 on the same tape. Such an amazing time to become a fan.
ReplyDeleteIf you saw Bossman vs Barbarian on the program in '91, you'd think it would have a hard time getting out of 1/2* territory... but it's very good.
ReplyDeleteI remember that this was one of those times when I learned of a title having changed hands the foliowing Saturday, when Mean Gene would announce it from the studio at the start of Superstars. I was soooo baffled that Slaughter was the champion.
ReplyDeleteThe only times I was more surprised at a new champ were Bret Hart having defeated Flair (both because I hadn't known they'd be wrestling and because I didn't see Bret as world champ material yet) and Diesel's first reign; regarding the latter, when Okerlund (or whoever it was) announced "We have a new champion", I assumed he was talking about Backlund still!
Me neither!
ReplyDeleteI thought Virgil would have been, well, perfect as Perfect fodder, but the timing just wasn't right.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a doctor, but I think that having guys wait until they have recovered to play again will help. Concussion research is still ongoing, but one has to think that it will be better than guys who are concussed going out there and getting knocked around more.
ReplyDeleteWhy does anyone think it's even remotely possible that the WWE would give their competition exposure on their network?
ReplyDeleteYes, obviously, ROH and Chikara aren't going to take Vince out, but they are companies in the same industry offering a similar product. Why would NBC advertise CBS's shows?
A note about the camera work... notice how LONG the shots are. Am I the only one who prefers this to the quick cuts and replays? I actually like that in movies too, big fan of long continuous shots. It really has a way of drawing you in.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised WWE hasn't started burying their announcers more because they've had a few defections to ESPN with Coach and Todd Grisham.
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice piece, but I'm growing a little tired of these generalizations...
ReplyDelete1. "...for all our bitching about the direction of the company, when they
finally do something we like, like push Daniel Bryan, we reward them by
pirating their PPVs then bemoaning out-loud that the low buy-rate will
result in a depush." The PPVs of Fall 2013 are universally regarded as the worst of last year. Worst in build-ups, worst in match lineups, and worst in execution. WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYONE BUY THEM besides folks with huge amounts of disposable income or kiddies bugging their parents? Who wants to support a shite product? In addition, I don't recall anyone on the blog acting hypocritical regarding this--not buying and then complaining about lack of buys. This was a Dougie argument but I can't recall anyone here actually doing what you said.
2. "...hoping we don't notice that they're secretly getting more money from
some of us over the course of a year than they ever have before." I don't know about anyone else, but for me, it's a misconception. The $120 yearly subscription will save me money. Between their PPVs, games, live events, merch, and other dumb WWE licensed stuff (in addition to subscribing to Hulu Plus just for NXT and Superstars), I probably spend between $250 and $450 per year on this company. This notion that so many of us smarks steal a bunch of crap and then complain about it is off-base...at least, in my case.
Yeah, exactly what would you call what the WWE does with its announce team? I think burial may actually work in this instance.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. Especially NFL-wise, it'd be a shame if all the precautions they're taking are just window dressing and they have yet another generation of mush for brains when they're done playing. Even then, if I were a Saints fan and them keeping their CB out ended up costing them the game last week I'd have been pissed.
ReplyDelete...no, I have no humanity.
Barbarian could fucking work! I say this over and over again. And Bossman from 1990-1993 was one of the better athletic big men you'll find. He was working his ass off, should have gotten the I-C strap at Wrestlemania VII
ReplyDelete1. I mean if you look at the buy-rate for Summerslam I think it was pretty poor overall, despite Bryan being 'the guy' or what not.
ReplyDelete2. Yeah I think it probably depends on your frame of reference. I don't spend a lot of money on WWE Stuff, about a hundo a year (ish), but follow it intensely, much like baseball where i don't watch a lot of games, but love the analysis.
It's going to be interesting what happens with football in the next 30-40 years. There seems to be fewer kids playing the sport as parents don't want their kids to get hit and worry about concussions. I think football has gotten the most attention on the concussion issue, but we've seen that concussions are possible in all sports. For example, Ryan Freel of the Reds had evidence of CTE, which may explain his suicide.
ReplyDeleteEvery sport has its risks as far as health goes, but it will be interesting to see if fewer kids playing = less talent and hurts the quality of the product down the road. I still think people are going to play the sport, especially kids that just like contact, but its participation may decline.
Imagine this... the only reason Bossman didn't get the championship in March, is because they were saving it for Bret in AUGUST!
ReplyDeleteIf that same scenario happened this year, Bossman wins the title at WM, loses it the next night to Mr. Perfect on RAW, Mr. Perfect jobs to everyone for the next 5 months but keeps his title, so he can job it to Bret at SummerSlam. Bret would then job the next night on RAW to Virgil (non title) and Perfect would be moved up the card with the office wondering why he's not over.
I spent about $500 alone by going to WrestleMania 29 last year. Between going to the live events that came here, getting my son and I shirts, and ordering 4 other PPV I certainly spent close to a grand on WWE in 2013. I welcome the network with open arms.
ReplyDeleteA Fallout Boy reference? Its 2005! MY TIME MACHINE WORKS!
ReplyDeleteThey missed the last part of Lawler's 1997 elimination that made it so funny when he went back to the commentary table and said "to know a king!" which finished his statement before he got in the ring. It was also funny when McMahon chided him for not realizing he had just been in the match and been eliminated. I think McMahon-Lawler is an underrated duo. They aren't on the level of the Monsoon-Ventura or Monsoon-Heenan and even Ross-Lawler duos, but they had their fun moments.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that Hurricane elimination should be #1. It's the funniest Rumble elimination that I've ever seen, with Austin and Triple H doing an awesome job with their facial expressions after the Hurricane tries a double chokeslam.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, not sure if you've noticed the same but there's an undercurrent of disgust with my fellow hardcore football fans. On the one hand, I don't want to see people like Earl Cambell nearly crippled or Harry Carson's concussion damage, but I don't really care for the style of product as it's evolving. I'd take a great defensive game over Chiefs/Colts any day.
ReplyDelete40 years in the future, maybe we're in some weird robot/Madden hybrid with no real humans playing football in the NFL.
I've seen a lot of hate for the '99 Rumble around here. Do people just hate the Rumble match itself or the whole PPV?
ReplyDeleteThey blame Russo for the story rumble as opposed to it being a match
ReplyDeleteThe whole pay-per-view is pretty boring IIRC and the Rumble is just terribly booked. Mabel getting to eliminate a bunch of guys like its 1995 and then getting abducted by the Ministry? Kane getting chased off by orderlies? Austin and McMahon starting as #1 and #2 and then disappearing for about 70%+ of the match?
ReplyDeleteAs I've said before, it made more sense to have Austin get "punished" by McMahon to start as #1. He already had the $10,000 bounty (or was it $100k?) on his head, so you could've had him fight off guys the whole bout and there was a storyline for why guys would not team up to eliminate him in the sense that they wanted the bounty for themselves and did not want to share it. McMahon could come out as #30, slide into the ring, and then slide back out and sit down to do commentary like he did originally. Then, Austin goes through the entire field like he did anyway and McMahon freaks since he's the only one left and Austin beats his ass to send the crowd into a frenzy. You could still have McMahon win anyway.
It just made no sense to make Austin and McMahon #1 and #2. I guess they thought that would get people to buy the pay-per-view because they would be guaranteed an Austin-McMahon matchup, but it was just terribly booked. I did enjoy the hilarious McMahon training videos leading into the show, though.
I think McMahon was more suited for 80s WWF. Once real moves and tweeners came along he seemed out of his element and his obvious baby face gushing came off lame. He helped ruin hbk's first turn as well as diesels.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had an original VHS of WM7 too, but it got eaten up by a VCR. Luckily, I was able to get a burned DVD copy from another guy that had it. It's much better to have the full version of that show because the Coliseum Video release clips the career match!
ReplyDeleteMcMahon was #2 so that, simply put, Austin could get his hands on him, and the fans knew that was guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteIt was possible, but I think Virgil was one of those guys that was built for one feud (DiBiase) and then they just didn't know how else to use him so he just reverted to jobber status. He did have a fun tag team with Tito Santana for a while, though, so maybe they should've kept that going.
ReplyDeleteI remember coming across a Virgil squash match a couple months ago on YouTube and it was really interesting. Sort of surreal to see Virgil squash someone.
Don't forget then being booked to face the Undertaker or Sergeant Slaughter in non-title matches and losing to them so they can be built up to face Hogan later!
ReplyDelete"I mean for Christ Sake this thing started out as a wrestling blog and
ReplyDeletenow it feels like some sort of community. It all started because we like
wrestling (and Scott Keith I presume)."
And now it's all about upvotes. Or, when slagging TNA, downvotes.
WHERE DID WE GO WRONG, PEOPLE?!
Did the same with Backlund, too. Think those are tied for #11.
ReplyDeleteHHH OBVIOUSLY had Savage getting thrown out by Yokozuna added to the list to send a message to Steph.
ReplyDeleteThe Rumble sucks and the rest of the show is terrible. Billy Gunn and Ken Shamrock for 15 minutes. The Boss Man and Road Dog for 15 minutes. Rock and Mankind before Rock was good. Gangrel in a singles match. It's ALL BAD.
ReplyDeleteHe did book the match, didin't he?
ReplyDeleteEspecially since most quick cuts are combined with extremely close shots so you have no idea what's going on. If two similar-looking people get into a fight, you pretty much hafta wait until it's over to know who won.
ReplyDeleteLawler even continued the bit on commentary saying, "I'm thinking about getting in there, McMahon!" long after he'd been eliminated.
ReplyDeleteWhaaaaaat? Meekin! What the hell is wrong with you??
ReplyDeleteIf/when either of those companies folds, I can see them buying the tape libraries for Punk/Cesaro/Bryan completists and more content on the library.
ReplyDeleteTo quote what I said on Mr. Keith's wall -
ReplyDeleteIt felt like it was very desperately trying to be like Casino or
Goodfellas, which is good. The PROBLEM is that both those movies are
based on books which go into such intricate detail about the process of
the job
that there's an appeal to living that life - here you know how the cons
work, kinda, but they never really go super in-depth. What happens
after they get those 5k checks from people who want loans and they're
denied? Why aren't they mad? What about the fake art? Where's that come
from?
Instead
it kind of focused on the wrong things, to me, just a bit. It really
just made me want to see Casino and Wolf of Wallstreet, which I'm
certain contain more of what I'm looking for.
I
guess it's the difference between Mad Men and The West Wing - Mad Men
is about people who work in advertising, so there's just enough there to
'get it' whereas The West Wing is so focused on politics and the way it
works you become enthralled in the characters who do that work, because
the work is so awesome.
I want to commend Mr. Meekin on a fine article, but also...thanks for the Redbox pointers. Why didn't I think of that? Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
ReplyDeleteOnly lunatics pay for porn in this day and age dude! Good article though, totally agree with everything else
ReplyDeleteUpvote for your argument. No respect points lost. *smh* for still not liking it.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping someone would bring up the no one pays for porn thing.
ReplyDeleteJobber does... he is like a porn industry activist.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your last question: 1080p doesn't exist for cable or satellite the last time I checked. Stations broadcast in either 720p or 1080i, which are, for all intents and purposes, the same thing. So, technically, you're not losing anything with the streaming version being offered by WWE.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'm highly skeptical the product we receive will actually be in true 720p. Here's an example of issues that Netflix is having trying to get on board with the 1080p thing:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/getting-hd-netflix/
I can only imagine WWE's brand new network will feature some growing pains, and we'll see those in reduced streaming quality. And this doesn't even touch on the limitations of your personal device, or your home wifi network (plug in if you can!). But, almost certainly, it will still look better than the 480i versions that some of us have been watching on youtube, so that's something.
I'll also be interested to see if they offer HD sound. I "cut the cable" a couple years ago and that's what I miss most; as near as I can tell, very few or no streaming services are set up to send DTS or any other true HD sound. Browsers are even worse with very few browser-integrated streaming apps sending even 5.1 (many technical/logistical reasons for this). I guess the number of people who notice or care about this stuff is small, and that's too bad because a kick ass audio track is half the glory of HD.
But, yeah, this is why I haven't abandoned physical media, and probably won't in the near future. Nothing beats watching ID4 or a similar movie in 1080p with a master HD audio track.
The "I fucked up big time" look on Hurricane's face is great too.
ReplyDeleteEdge nonchalantly eliminating Gillberg is one of my favorites too. One of the few highlights of the '99 Rumble.
ReplyDeleteThe getting more money from us reference is for the fan like me. I haven't bought a ppv since 2001 and I always buy DVDs when they are on sale being that I am already looking at my monthly budget and finding room for 9.99 a month that I never spent before says a lot and I know I'm not the only one like this.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the exact same boat. I might go to a PPV if it's in the area, but I'm not going to spend more than like $50 on seats, and I'm not even thinking about buying any merch or PPVs via TV. But I'll probably take the plunge on the network.
ReplyDeleteThey`d roughly break even on me. I usually buy the Rumble and WM each year and that`s the sum total of the money they get out of me.
ReplyDeleteSince they had the Warlord and Santino, I'm surprised they didn't have Mo's two second elimination from the 1995 Royal Rumble on there. I guess that was too forgettable.
ReplyDeleteWith the WWE Network, it would be fairly easy for a bunch of us to start a classic event at the same time. Watch it together and do a Live thread for it could be fun. Esspecially for really WrestleCrap-tastic shows.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would have laughed uproariously if they actually included A-Ry's shoot accidental elimination where Miz said minutes later "Oh look at how smart Riley is being."
ReplyDeleteI'm legit shocked Taker was listed at all.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can see that for sure. But while they're still active? That's insane.
ReplyDeleteWas Macho Man supposed to try to pin Yokozuna, or did he just forget he was in a royal rumble? Anyone know anything about that stupid incident?
ReplyDeleteThe Savage one ('93) still annoys me. Makes him look retarded...there's no way he just forgot. More should have been done to enforce the idea that he was exhausted and running on fumes to explain that sudden disorientation.
ReplyDeleteSo they booked him to look like a moron then? What the fuck was the point of that?
ReplyDelete"WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYONE BUY THEM"
ReplyDeleteBecause it's literally the only way to truly show Vince what you think.
Website polls are useless because the results can be dismissed as some sort of internet fuckery.
Surveys are useless because it costs me nothing to say I'd buy PPV X, but it costs me $45 to actually do it.
If Vince had a pile of cash from Extreme Rules on his desk and a taller pile of cash next to it from Battleground or HIAC, there's no way to argue with that or dismiss it.
Whatever happened to those other two guys in the Brood? They all but disappeared after the Brood broke up!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I believe this Rumble and the 94 version were the only Rumbles that took place on a Saturday. Probably because there was no open week between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl, but a nice change from the usual. Now that the NFL has moved the SB to the first Sunday in February (and there's always an open week between games regardless), that's no longer an issue for the Rumble.
ReplyDeleteAlso, one thing that stuck out to me was how much the crowd was behind the Desert Storm troops. Of course, WWF was in full exploitation mode pre-WM VII, but a lot of the patriotism seemed genuine (this was also a week before the famous Whitney Houston's pre-Super Bowl national anthem, IIRC). Kinda different from today--not that people don't support the troops anymore, just that we're numb to the armed forces being in combat overseas. Kind of a neat little time capsule of current events of the time. (Note: Youtube also has an awesome video of an opera tenor singing the SSB before the NHL All-Star game in CHicago Stadium that January. Those Chicago crowds really like them some national anthem!)
wwe network?
ReplyDeletehuh?
did i miss an heavily hyped announcement or a little bit of blog discussion or something?
you wouldnt download gianna michaels, would you?
ReplyDelete"you might be able to put steph away, but not yoko"
ReplyDeleteIf?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see here.
ReplyDeleteNever try to make sense of this period in WWF history. Ever!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember, did they address it while he was on commentary on Raw? He just started in the booth Monday nights when the 93 Rumble happened. Would they have made a joke about it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cordial reply to a slightly cranky post of mine. Appreciate it. Good point on Summerslam, though, as it was a good card with a tremendous build-up.
ReplyDeleteWait, does that mean you HAVEN'T seen Casino as well?
ReplyDeleteThey just wanted a spot to make Yoko seem impressive.
ReplyDeleteWith Jake making a cameo.
ReplyDeleteNo I have!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget Sherri AWESOME Promo with the Warrior.Man I love this PPV. That Virgil face turn was amazing. Randy Savage was brilliant also. Bit strange Brian Knobs was in the final 3 thou....
ReplyDeleteThey should have had Savage knock Yokozuna down with a running crossbody, and then have Yokozuna toss him. At least then it would kind of make sense why they were in lateral press position.
ReplyDeleteI hope your joking. All of the members except for the leader had good careers.
ReplyDeleteOf the Rumble competitors in 91, who was most useless, roided out of his mind Dino Bravo, or coked out of his mind Superfly Snuka?
ReplyDeleteThat Sherri promo did things to a 6 year old Patrick that were not quite understood.
ReplyDeleteNope...1989 was on a Saturday too.
ReplyDeleteI put it at ****, easily. One of my favorite power matches ever. It was way ahead of its time, what with the whole kicking out of finishers bit.
ReplyDeleteAgree with everything except Piper...I *hated* his commentary in general, and this was near the bottom for me.
ReplyDeleteThis was the high point of Bossman's WWE run as he was systematically destroying every member of the Heenan family after Rick Rude insulted his mother (Rude left the company before they could have that blow-off) and was saving Perfect for last at Mania.
ReplyDeleteI love when everyone enters the Rumble, Monsoon and Piper realize that Savage was the missing #18, Piper confused as Savage was a favorite but Monsoon immediately suggests Savage fled the building to escape the Warrior. Great stuff to instantly answer fan questions and helped the brilliant build to the Warrior/Savage Mania bout. Seriously, when RANDY SAVAGE is terrified of a guy being insane, you know it's gonna be a good payoff.
ReplyDeleteYou have to wonder how many times Perfect and Heenan practiced the "over the shoulder towel toss and catch" move to make it look so seamless here.
ReplyDeleteAfter rewatching Warrior/Slaughter, good for Slaughter for winning the title. Sure he was a place holder and a lame-duck champion, but back in this era is meant something to get the title, so bully for him. There are many, MANY more less deserving than Slaughter that have won the WWE title.
ReplyDeleteOdd thought: Could a balding wrestler like Hogan or Earthquake even come close to getting over today or even SNIFF television?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, I would use a tie breaker for shady characters away from the ring, but it's still a hard option. Call it a tie?
ReplyDeleteThey'd be shaved clean, but sure. Cesaro, Tensai, Daniels among others are bald.
ReplyDelete"...and Santana goes right for Martel!"
ReplyDeleteto be later replaced by...
"...and Jannety goes right for Michaels!"
Which is why I said balding and not a wrestler with a shaved head
ReplyDeleteShawn Michaels?
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Roma worked in that dropkick.
ReplyDeleteAs a heel, sure.
ReplyDeleteThe WWF title was a meaningful thing to have held, the WWE title on the other hand is a meaningless prop....
ReplyDeleteFink should be on hand to announce all future title changes... that would help.
ReplyDeleteFink is so much better than all the others....
ReplyDeleteThe Vince Voiceover is not talked about enough, its all kinds of coked out awesome...
ReplyDeleteCesaro is pretty clearly balding for real, since he keeps the stubble there. It's not a bad look for him, though. The era of the Skullet is long-past, however- I'm pretty sure Hogan would have to shave his head in modern times.
ReplyDeleteI always like to joke that Tito just couldn't let the breakup of Strike Force go. For the rest of his WWF career he went right after Martel if they were in a battle royal.
ReplyDeleteSlaughter cut an awesome promo against "The Ultimate Puke" on this show too.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as a kid I was like "oh man, the Warrior is going to DESTROY Savage!" It was helpful that Monsoon brought that up. Little things like that are missing from today's product.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid watching this show on video (which is the first wrestling video I ever rented since I wanted to see a live Rumble after playing the SNES video game) I wondered what the hell was wrong with Dino Bravo. The guy moved at like 1 mph and he moved so awkwardly.
ReplyDeleteHAAAAAKKKKKKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd he kept the Strike Force tights forever too iirc...
ReplyDeleteLike, just keep him on hand next to Justin Roberts or Lillian or whoever... just in the event of a title change.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing is if we see Fink sitting there, we know title is changing hands...
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean is... he's ALWAYS there just in case. After months of using this practice they could even use it as a false finish/screwjob ending!
ReplyDelete