October 5, 1985
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
Tonight, the Tag Team Titles are on the line as Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake defend their titles against the British Bulldogs. Also in action are the Missing Link, Cousin Junior, the Hart Foundation and the team of Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy.
Gino Carabello vs. Cousin Junior w/ Hillbilly Jim & Uncle Elmer
Vince is in all his glory as the Hillbillies dance in the ring before the match. Carabello bounces off of Junior a few times before he gets taken down with a shoulder block. Junior maintains control with some weak looking offense, stopping to take advice from Jim. He works a headlock before catching him with a slam. Junior then hits a mule kick before putting him away with a sitdown splash (2:42). After the match, the Hillbillies dance in the ring.
Thoughts: The crowd gave the Hillbillies a favorable reaction. This was the first of many appearances by the Hillbillies tonight.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. He alerts us that the first ever "Wrestling Classic" sixteen man tournament will take place soon, with the winner receiving a Rolls Royce. A few wrestlers cut promos in front of the car, including Jesse Ventura saying he wont be there as he will be in Hollywood. Hayes then lets us know that this is only available on PPV. This was the major announcement that was promised last week.
Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan vs. S.D. Jones & Jim Powers
Studd works on Jones as the Hillbillies come out to the ring and sit in the front row. Powers tags and drpokicks Studd but fails at a slam attempt and gets hiptossed. Bundy tags and beats on Powers in the corner before putting him away with the Avalanche (2:07). After the match, the heels stare down the Hillbillies.
Thoughts: They are going ahead with the feud between Heenan's guys and the Hillbillies. Bundy is back from Japan and starting to get a push again.
Gene Okerlund is with Captain Lou Albano. They talk about the "Manager of the Year" award and how he was attacked by Heenan. Albano was not his usual wild self, making it a dull interview.
A.J. Petruzzi vs. King Tonga
Tonga backs AJ into the corner. They then completely botch a hiptoss, with Tonga essentially hiptossing the air. Tonga hits a Samoan drop then beats the shit out of Petruzzi for a bit until he finishes him off with a top rope splash (3:03).
Thoughts: The crowd couldnt have caed less about Tonga. He was pretty emotionless in the ring so he didnt exactly make the best babyface but they were trying to recreate Jimmy Snuka anyway they could at this point. Tonga was not the guy for that role.
Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart, who talks about his new additions, the Missing Link and Adrian Adonis, as well as the rest of his stable. He also supports the goal of Bobby Heenan in ridding the WWF of Paul Orndorff and Andre the Giant.
Salvatore Bellomo & Tony Garea vs. Hart Foundation w/Jimmy Hart
Garea and Bellomo both look completely miserable out there. Hart spills out to the floor after Garea ducked a punch. He runs right back in and gets arm-dragged twice before tagging Neidhart. Hart cheapshots Garea from the apron but he dodges an attack from Neidhart and tags Bellomo. Salvatore hits the Harts with dropkicks but Neidhart attacks him from behind and shortly after that, they hit him with the Hart Attack for the win (2:12).
Thoughts: The faces had control of 85% of the match, which was the norm when Garea was involved. The Harts are starting to get a bit more of a push than before and the tag division as a whole is a million times better than it was a year ago.
Piper's Pit with guest Rick Derringer. Piper mocks him for a minute as Derringer plugs the WWF album that he helped worked on and has a plan do to a song with Albano, which has Piper wonder why he doesnt have an opportunity to sing. Piper pleads to do a song and Derringer said he can make a jerk out of himself if he wants, which leads to Piper yelling at him until the segment ends. A harmless plug for the new album.
Mike Saxon vs. Missing Link w/ Jimmy Hart
Link attacks Saxon from behind. He beats on Saxon as Hart speaks to him through the megaphone. Link hits a powerslam as the announcers talk about what happened on "Piper's Pit." Link beats no Saxon some more until he finishes him off with a headbutt from the second rope (2:20).
Thoughts: Link was a lost cause at this point and would be gone fairly shortly. No one in the crowd cared about him.
Tag Team Championship Match
British Bulldogs vs. Dream Team (Champions) w/ Johnny Valiant
Bruno predicts that the Bulldogs will win the match. Dynamite takes down Valentine with a shoulder block to start. He then tosses Valentine in the corner as both men tag out. Davey works on the arm of Brutus as the fans are getting into the match. Dynamite tags and targets the arm until Brutus rakes his eyes. Davey tags and slams Brutus with Valentine breaking up the pin. He beats on Davey for a little bit but misses an elbow drop and Davey is able to make the tag. Dynamite runs wild, going full speed the entire time. The match breaks down as Dynamite goes up top but Valiant pushes him off and the ref rings the bell for the DQ (4:12).
Thoughts: Good action and it woke the crowd up, which was tough as it was the last match of the taping. This certainly sets up for a rematch down the road and these two teams seemed to work well together.
Okerlund is with the Hillbillies, who are looking glum. They are unhappy because of the attack from the "Manager of the Year" award. Jim is mad at Heenan for trying to steal the award. Junior and Elmer also are upset that Jim got attacked and warn Studd & Bundy that they dont want to start a feud with them.
Next week, Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo will return. Also, Andre the Giant will be here and we will see photos of Uncle Elmer's wedding.
Final Thoughts: The tag match was really fun but a lot of the show was centered around the Hillbillies. They were in half of the segments that aired. Funny how there was no mention at all of "Saturday Night's Main Event" which took place the night this show aired. That review will be up on Tuesday by the way.
Your hosts are Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahon
Tonight, the Tag Team Titles are on the line as Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake defend their titles against the British Bulldogs. Also in action are the Missing Link, Cousin Junior, the Hart Foundation and the team of Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy.
Gino Carabello vs. Cousin Junior w/ Hillbilly Jim & Uncle Elmer
Vince is in all his glory as the Hillbillies dance in the ring before the match. Carabello bounces off of Junior a few times before he gets taken down with a shoulder block. Junior maintains control with some weak looking offense, stopping to take advice from Jim. He works a headlock before catching him with a slam. Junior then hits a mule kick before putting him away with a sitdown splash (2:42). After the match, the Hillbillies dance in the ring.
Thoughts: The crowd gave the Hillbillies a favorable reaction. This was the first of many appearances by the Hillbillies tonight.
WWF Update with Lord Alfred Hayes. He alerts us that the first ever "Wrestling Classic" sixteen man tournament will take place soon, with the winner receiving a Rolls Royce. A few wrestlers cut promos in front of the car, including Jesse Ventura saying he wont be there as he will be in Hollywood. Hayes then lets us know that this is only available on PPV. This was the major announcement that was promised last week.
Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan vs. S.D. Jones & Jim Powers
Studd works on Jones as the Hillbillies come out to the ring and sit in the front row. Powers tags and drpokicks Studd but fails at a slam attempt and gets hiptossed. Bundy tags and beats on Powers in the corner before putting him away with the Avalanche (2:07). After the match, the heels stare down the Hillbillies.
Thoughts: They are going ahead with the feud between Heenan's guys and the Hillbillies. Bundy is back from Japan and starting to get a push again.
Gene Okerlund is with Captain Lou Albano. They talk about the "Manager of the Year" award and how he was attacked by Heenan. Albano was not his usual wild self, making it a dull interview.
A.J. Petruzzi vs. King Tonga
Tonga backs AJ into the corner. They then completely botch a hiptoss, with Tonga essentially hiptossing the air. Tonga hits a Samoan drop then beats the shit out of Petruzzi for a bit until he finishes him off with a top rope splash (3:03).
Thoughts: The crowd couldnt have caed less about Tonga. He was pretty emotionless in the ring so he didnt exactly make the best babyface but they were trying to recreate Jimmy Snuka anyway they could at this point. Tonga was not the guy for that role.
Okerlund is with Jimmy Hart, who talks about his new additions, the Missing Link and Adrian Adonis, as well as the rest of his stable. He also supports the goal of Bobby Heenan in ridding the WWF of Paul Orndorff and Andre the Giant.
Salvatore Bellomo & Tony Garea vs. Hart Foundation w/Jimmy Hart
Garea and Bellomo both look completely miserable out there. Hart spills out to the floor after Garea ducked a punch. He runs right back in and gets arm-dragged twice before tagging Neidhart. Hart cheapshots Garea from the apron but he dodges an attack from Neidhart and tags Bellomo. Salvatore hits the Harts with dropkicks but Neidhart attacks him from behind and shortly after that, they hit him with the Hart Attack for the win (2:12).
Thoughts: The faces had control of 85% of the match, which was the norm when Garea was involved. The Harts are starting to get a bit more of a push than before and the tag division as a whole is a million times better than it was a year ago.
Piper's Pit with guest Rick Derringer. Piper mocks him for a minute as Derringer plugs the WWF album that he helped worked on and has a plan do to a song with Albano, which has Piper wonder why he doesnt have an opportunity to sing. Piper pleads to do a song and Derringer said he can make a jerk out of himself if he wants, which leads to Piper yelling at him until the segment ends. A harmless plug for the new album.
Mike Saxon vs. Missing Link w/ Jimmy Hart
Link attacks Saxon from behind. He beats on Saxon as Hart speaks to him through the megaphone. Link hits a powerslam as the announcers talk about what happened on "Piper's Pit." Link beats no Saxon some more until he finishes him off with a headbutt from the second rope (2:20).
Thoughts: Link was a lost cause at this point and would be gone fairly shortly. No one in the crowd cared about him.
Tag Team Championship Match
British Bulldogs vs. Dream Team (Champions) w/ Johnny Valiant
Bruno predicts that the Bulldogs will win the match. Dynamite takes down Valentine with a shoulder block to start. He then tosses Valentine in the corner as both men tag out. Davey works on the arm of Brutus as the fans are getting into the match. Dynamite tags and targets the arm until Brutus rakes his eyes. Davey tags and slams Brutus with Valentine breaking up the pin. He beats on Davey for a little bit but misses an elbow drop and Davey is able to make the tag. Dynamite runs wild, going full speed the entire time. The match breaks down as Dynamite goes up top but Valiant pushes him off and the ref rings the bell for the DQ (4:12).
Thoughts: Good action and it woke the crowd up, which was tough as it was the last match of the taping. This certainly sets up for a rematch down the road and these two teams seemed to work well together.
Okerlund is with the Hillbillies, who are looking glum. They are unhappy because of the attack from the "Manager of the Year" award. Jim is mad at Heenan for trying to steal the award. Junior and Elmer also are upset that Jim got attacked and warn Studd & Bundy that they dont want to start a feud with them.
Next week, Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo will return. Also, Andre the Giant will be here and we will see photos of Uncle Elmer's wedding.
Final Thoughts: The tag match was really fun but a lot of the show was centered around the Hillbillies. They were in half of the segments that aired. Funny how there was no mention at all of "Saturday Night's Main Event" which took place the night this show aired. That review will be up on Tuesday by the way.
I'm looking forward to that one, actually. Seeing Brock toss around Big Show should be entertaining if it doesn't go too long.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you there. Really sucked.
ReplyDeleteYou never know, we may look back on the year 2001 in years to come and realise that that was the beginning of the end for pro wrestling.
Would love some machine that could take in as much information as you could give it on the personalities/ideas involved, then spit out a few different previews as to what could realistically have happened.
I'd be feeding it a lot of ECW and WCW...
The 'What If' machine, eh?
I've been waiting years for another company to challenge WWE. The Monday night wars forced both companies to stay fresh. Granted the last year of WCW was terrible, but before that they forced Vince to get creative and innovative.
ReplyDeleteSalvatore bellemo and tony garea might be the worst tag team in history if the I hadn't seen cousin junior and uncle elmer team up. Did you know that wedding was a shoot BTW?
ReplyDeleteVince vs hhh?
ReplyDeleteTo Whom It
ReplyDeleteMay Concern:
I'm going to use this attachment as a way to formally introduce myself. My name is Paul Meekin, and I would like to work for WWE. While I have been a fan of the business for a long time, the thing I'm most passionate about is working on ateam to put together a quality production. As the WWE continues to branch out into web-content, on-demand round-tables, cartoons, and other endeavors, I find myself fascinated by the number of people who are passionate about the incredible legacy this Sports Entertainment giant continues to build. From campaigning against bullying, to launching the careers of movie stars, and supporting our troops, the WWE’s reach is massive.
And there’s always a camera there to record it. As a production assistant for WWE, I would love to combine my passion for WWE’s current projects with my training in (and equal passion for) the Television production field to contribute to a brand I literally grew up with. Additionally, having worked as a Production Assistant for the nationally televised “Ebert Presents at the Movies”, I have a pretty
good feel for what would be required of someone offered this position within the WWE.
Which is to say it could require practically anything; At “Ebert Presents” my duties ran the gambit from editing scripts, editing video and graphics in Final Cut Pro, burning DVDs, making coffee, answering phones, typing up notes and transcripts, rushing to a video store to rent a DVD of a movie Mr. Ebert wanted to review, recalling off the top of my head old episodes of “Siskel and Ebert” for “Legacy” segments, and a whole bunch of other, completely-different-depending-on-the-day-responsibilities.
I loved every second of it and had the show not be cancelled, I would have been promoted to Producer the next season.
At Ebert Presents, the hard work, the long hours, the research in Roger Ebert’s legacy (I’ve sort of become an expert), frankly, was enthralling. After looking at requirements for this position, I am certain I would be an excellent fit. While a Production Assistant doesn’t always know what to expect, they know to expect the unexpected, and to be prepared. Of the requirements listed for this career opportunity, I have experience with all of them, and I would love to bring that experience to Titan Towers.
Thank You,
Paul Meekin
(508)-208-2116
Were you applying to the Managing Editor position for the magazine division?
ReplyDeleteNah that's my old Production Assistant one from when I applied last year. The position is still up so I figured I'd gussy it up and apply for the thing I have the most experience in. Next is the managing editor one.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine the amount of arguing that Garea did to make sure that Bellomo jobbed over him.
ReplyDeleteYeah and the commentary by Ventura makes it even funnier when you realize that
I imagine Bischoff would go to FOX or NBC for a show as mentioned in his book, or perhaps to USA Network who had a big whole after WWE left them for TNN.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of roster, Bischoff would have most of the WCW roster (minus those like Flair, Sting, Nash and Goldberg who were signed with AOL/TW and not WCW), so I imagine he'd base it around Hogan, Steiner, Booker T, DDP and Storm and perhaps ECW refugees like RVD and Rhino, Even then, the post-AOL/TW roster would be extremely open to talent raids by WWF.
Someone below mentioned the possibility of using Bryan, but there was such a glut of name talent at the time that even given the raw talent of guys like Danielson, Styles, Daniels, Punk and others on the indie scene, given Bischoff's proclivities and the need to book extremely short-term for high ratings I don't see him using them much -- maybe as a cost-saving measure versus WCW mid-carders to fill out the cast, unfortunately.
Rock on, good luck! Let me know if you need a freelancer.
ReplyDeleteHa, I think between the two of us you're likely the more qualified one. My resume is currently a little weak on the actual 'editing' side of things, and very light on the actual 'writing about wrestling' side of things, and lighter still on the 'knows how to manage traffic and flow and digital layouts' side of things.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if *you* need a freelancer! Expertise include: Video games, mobile applications, film, TV, pro wrestling, and Big & Tall style.
I'm going to agree with this only because I'm afraid it would give Vince and company too many ideas.
ReplyDeleteI had all but given up on WCW and wasn't even aware of the Big Bang at the time. I imagine it would have made some noise the first couple weeks before people realized it was the same shit they quit watching two years beforehand.
ReplyDeleteThe WWE job is definitely in second place in terms of the jobs I'm looking at right now (of course, I've actually had interviews at two places, so I should probably wait to include it on a list until I get an interview here).
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for some serious changes in the next few weeks.
Some combination of Orton/HHH/Batista for the heart and soul of the WWE makes more sense to me than an Orton/Batista title match.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great gimmick for the live audience (they would cheer so Jake would know if he was on the right track) but it's no fun to watch at home.
ReplyDeleteNice! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAlso, in addition to the announcers WCW had on staff (Schiavone, Tenay, Heenan), they'd also be able to hire ECW's Styles and Callis, and even possibly Jerry Lawler who quit WWE in 2001.
ReplyDeleteAnd then thinking further backstage, there's also Heyman who didn't g ive up on ECW until after WCW was sold to WWE. So if Bischoff had ECW instead, it's improbable but extremely tantalizing to imagine Bischoff and Heyman coming to terms somehow... but I imagine Heyman would have still gone to WWE.
Sheamus is joining the Wyatts (from Nashville, Ireland?????) perhaps? That or they think Bryan will get a bone if he avenges his 18 second loss?
ReplyDeleteGood post.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard RVD had all but signed just before this deal fell through, and was going to be pushed big time. That would be have VERY interesting.
I'd also heard Goldberg and Hogan were coming back for the Big Bang.
But I think they would have picked up a lot of the ECW guys. They'd already signed Kid Kash and EZ Money, who was getting a good run as Jason Jett before they went under.
Now, how interesting would a Guest Booker with Eric Bischoff be, going from the Big Bang onwards..?
ReplyDeleteAnd I am off to take pictures at a City Councilman's inauguration ceremony. I love walking 10 blocks in the cold when I could be watching old Rumbles to prepare for tonight!
ReplyDeleteThat was my thought too, though you put it more succinctly. WWF was in a downward spiral. Shawn did everything he could to keep the boat afloat despite everything else. He also helped usher in the Austin stuff.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was kind of thinking it through while writing and somehow overlooked those two. I guess every era has had it's king and it's contenders to the throne. Hogan had Macho and Warrior (and if he'd wanted to stick around and fight for it, you might add Piper); Austin had The Rock (who would have assumed the role if he'd remained part time) and HHH; and now we have Cena with the corporate selected back-ups Orton and Batista and the fan selected Punk and Bryan.
ReplyDeleteWhile Punk and Bryan are not yet as iconic as Macho and Warrior (and probably never will be given the realistic weight of their personae vs. the overblown magnitude of their predecessors) but they are easily as popular, within the contemporary framework. The ratio of cheers either gets against Cena is consistent to that which Macho and Warrior received in proportion to Hogan.
It's actually a pretty good analogue. Even without the Elbow Drop tribute, Punk could be called the modern Macho Man, as he plays a character who can fluctuate effortlessly from face to heel and thrives on an air of instability. Bryan, on the other hand, while having played a heel several times already, has found his groove as a pure babyface force of nature, much like the Warrior. The fans have bought the package, the epic music, the trademark gesture, the wrecked bodies he leaves in the ring behind him. Instead of face-paint, he wears a massive beard; instead of overpowering his opponents, he strikes the sense out of them; and instead of sprinting to the ring, he gallops, but somehow he's found the same appeal. The current audience has insisted on Bryan having his spot much like the audience of yore demanded Warrior in the main-event of Wrestlemania VI. Unfortunately, once the fans had what they wanted they began to lose interest in their new toy, whether that be the fault of booking or the man himself, and soon Hogan was back on top. Will the same thing happen if Bryan is finally granted his long-term face reign? Or will they finally book a post-chase to take Bryan to new heights?
Feel free to elaborate on why you think this is "dog shit trolling". What part of it is factually untrue? The "one of the lowest drawing top guys in company history" part? Because the numbers agree with me on that one.
ReplyDeleteLook out everyone! Anti smark gimmck coming through! He's sassy and don't take no guff!
ReplyDeleteAndre to Cena's Hogan? LOL, if you're implying that he was the second biggest star, then I suppose that's true if you ignore the existence of Batista, HHH, 'Taker, Lesnar and a few others on the roster, all of whom were bigger draws than Shawn.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm the "asshole who doesn't know shit about wrestling and it's history"? Hahaha.
Bischoff was burnt out by 98 creatively, if he could have got a decent booking team, kept himself off TV he might have succeeded at an above TNA level. I honestly don't think he would be prepared to deal with the actual costs without turners bank account.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't see what this has to do with Daniel Bryan.
Do you have an actual response to my question? And despite all the love he's gotten in recent years, Shawn is hardly a king amongst smarks so I don't see why I'd go after him of all people if I was an anti-smark troll. I'd go after Bryan or Jericho or somebody.
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be some kind of wrestling wiki that lists every televised match ever.
ReplyDeleteYou've never watched wrestling in your life. Why post here?
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad WWE was able to rescue WCW from getting purchased and mismanaged from Bischoff. Everything worked out so great for the company.
ReplyDeleteAgain, find an actual, substantial response or go home. You're embarrassing yourself.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no.
ReplyDeleteIs this guy just retarded, or is this a mediocre attempt at trolling? Either way can we please start banning some of these fuckwit 411 trolls?
ReplyDeleteYes my response to your lame trolling post is......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ReplyDeleteGo back to 411, your stupid gimmick is done better by other people
True, in the mid-90s he wasn't a draw, but since then? He absolutely was. From "DX" until his retirement, he was a consistent draw.
ReplyDeleteSo that's a no then. Good for you. You have a real talent for sidestepping facts that make you uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteIf you've never seen a wrestling match or followed the product why post on Scott Keith's blog? Seems like a waste of time. No one is shocked or outraged by your opinion because we all know its a fake response designed to get attention, not a legitimate opinion.
ReplyDeleteStyles and Callis are actually my favourite announce team. I know that's probably a little controversial given how many great teams there have been, but they NAILED it.
ReplyDeleteInstant chemistry, extremely witty, got everyone over (even Callis, despite being the flat out heel).
Seriously, who would have a real response to a fake opinion? And why are these posts still visible. If we are banning trolls, then let's ban trolls. If we're not let better ones post here.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a question of being an "opinion". It's a fact that Shawn wasn't much of a draw over the course of his career. Why that bothers you so much, I don't know. His lack of success as a top guy doesn't take away from his talent and his numerous great matches.
ReplyDeletehttp://wrestlingdata.com/ comes pretty close..
ReplyDeleteI don't think he's being serious Stuart
ReplyDeleteWell you're right that its not an opinion. An opinion is something you might believe, this is a troll, and a poorly executed one at that.
ReplyDeleteIts not the best I can come up, but its all you get.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with all the crowd chanting going throughout much of this match? "Rock-and-roll"? It's like the RnR Express were massively over or something. When was the last time a tag team was this over in WWE?
ReplyDeleteAnd all you've got.
ReplyDeleteI find this hard to believe that the Taker was willing to "end the streak" since there was no mention of a streak until years later assuming this is the WM 14 match because thats the only time it made sense for Kane to end the streak. He may have been offered to beat Taker and said no but I doubt there was any talk of "omgz streaks".
ReplyDeleteActually I'll have the last word here, thank you very much
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome.
ReplyDeleteOK
ReplyDeleteYep.
ReplyDeleteIm gonna go watch some wrestling. You should check it out sometime. Its really entertaining actually. Tons of it on YouTube and it comes on USA every Monday
ReplyDeleteWait you mean the general consensus for best ever didn't suck?
ReplyDeleteIt seems obvious to all other than Vince and Triple H, who always has a chubby for Batista... it's a BAD decision and I hope the crowd respond appropriately. I've seen some bad political decisions over the years but this is worst in the last decade IMO, Daniel Bryan has the formula already there that made guys like Hogan and Austin massive (which were capitalized on), he isn't just liked, he is ADORED by the fans to the point that no matter how much they botched his push and momentum on-screen he just gets more over with each passing head scratching decision.
ReplyDeleteAs a performer? Absolutely not. As a draw? Sort of.
ReplyDeleteI'll be sure to, jobber. Thank you for the witty reply.
ReplyDeleteIn reality were getting Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan at WM30 if we like it or not, I got a feeling Sheamus may return as part of the Wyatts, he's been brainwashed since his injury.. I can imagine him with a rougher rugged look. Outside the Wyatt angle I can't see how they'd set this match up with anything interesting going into it?
ReplyDeleteOk, I'd start with the mid 80's and work my way up if I was a guy like you who had never actually seen any wrestling. Its a good jump off point.
ReplyDeleteLol. "Sassy"
ReplyDeleteThat'd be AWESOME.
ReplyDeleteTeam Hell No
ReplyDeleteHow involved was he creatively? I always thought he was more of just the head guy running the whole operation, but the majority of the booking/creative stuff was done by folks like Kevin Sullivan or Kevin Nash.
ReplyDeleteAlso improbable because Heyman showed up at Raw on March 5th and WWF didn't buy WCW until a couple of weeks after that.
ReplyDeleteI could see Don Callis going to WCW. I don't think Joey would have.
I really do appreciate the advice. Again, thanks so much.
ReplyDelete"now we have Cena with the corporate selected back-ups Orton and Batista and the fan selected Punk and Bryan."
ReplyDeletePunk and Bryan are corporate-selected back-ups as well.
No problem. I think you will really enjoy it. There's a tag team that pops up around 1988 called the rockers. You'll love them, the blonde guy goes on to great things.
ReplyDeleteHe came up with the NWO then had nothing to follow it in once Austin took off for Vince.
ReplyDeleteYes. Except when it comes to making money, or so I've heard!
ReplyDeleteWell, i've tweeted the idea to Kayfabe Commentaries. I'm sure they've probably already approached Bisch before. I think it'd be money issues that'd get in the way of this idea.
ReplyDeleteRight, but what I'm saying is, I don't think he was really a big creative influence in the segment by segment aspect of the TV show. I'm under the assumption (and it might be false), that he was less involved in creative than Vince McMahon.
ReplyDeleteI'm not actually sure they would have taken Callis.
ReplyDeleteApparently the guy was a heat magnet due to having a very intense germ phobia. He didn't even like shaking hands with anyone without wearing a rubber glove.
Some of you may remember he used a rubbed glove when shaking Styles' hand on a PPV...
That's the impression I got.
ReplyDeleteLOL, that's tremendous if that's true.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who that is.
ReplyDeleteI want to relieve the weekends I had as a kid when my grandparents had cable but my family didn't yet so I'd be parked for a two-hour block of NWA Wrestling on TBS and then later reruns of Prime Time from USA.
ReplyDeleteThis is early in the Austin/Pillman run (don't think they even had the Blondes name yet) and they still had the act down pat, perfectly gelling of partners, still can't believe WCW dropped the ball with them the way they did.
ReplyDeleteIt was just for the run-up to Superbrawl in February. Kind of an invasion thing, though just with Cornette saying how his stuff was better than WCW. Bischoff wanted to kill it, but Cornette had made the deal with Bill Watts, who was turfed shortly before this, so they just rode it out to Superbrawl, where R'nR & Heavenly Bodies had a good match.
ReplyDeleteThe Bodies & R'nR also had a match on Survivor Series later that year. Hard to imagine two teams not working in a promotion having featured matches on a company's PPV these days, much less two in the same year. The 90s were fun.
AOL/Time Warner accepted Bischoff/Fusient's offer to buy WCW back in 2000, before hemming and hawing on it. So at the time, Heyman wasn't with WWE and in need of some work.
ReplyDeleteI could see Styles doing WCW; remember, after ECW folded in 2001 Styles couldn't find work in wrestling and was out of the game for three years, even running a wrestling news site at one time.
Actually, Wrestling Observer reported in 2001 that Callis & Styles had a verbal deal to come to WCW when the Fusient regime took over.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
ReplyDeleteStyles & Callis had a verbal deal to goto WCW in 2001 if Bischoff bought it. RVD was rumored to be in a similiar deal to come in, and has talked openly about negotiating with WCW for years. Sabu was in talks to go to WCW in 2000.
ReplyDeleteHeyman might have, especially if he'd been given the book and salvaged ECW somehow.
I believe this was from the Feb. 9, 1993 tapings in Gainesville, Ga. (Source: thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw93.htm)
ReplyDeleteThis will be better than anything on tonight's show.
"Hills covered with rednecks" is my new favorite phrase.
ReplyDeleteHe got the NWO idea from a NJPW Tokyo Dome show in April 1996. Nash claimed to have come up with the name, and the concept was fleshed out by then-head booker Terry Taylor, his assistants, and veteran WCW director Craig Leathers.
ReplyDeleteEric is a big picture/ideas man, but he needs the right people under him to dream up the ideas and execute them. Kind of like a GM in football.
Anyone who names themselves after an obscure Grant Morrison comic character was already halfway off to begin with, I think.
ReplyDeleteFrom what is out on the net, it was HHH that convinced Vince to ditch the Bryan/Wyatt thing early so I think HHH shouldnt be getting any blame for this particular thing...
ReplyDeleteMan Jessee really let loose during this one. The Blondes did not look right with separate gear with Pillman especially, in his tiger stripes. And whats with all the Smokey Mountain talk? I didn't ever remember this Heavenly Body team in WCW at any point either....when & what was all this? This whole match is just all randomness.
ReplyDeleteIf Bryan's not in the title-match, I'd actually be perfectly happy with Bryan/Sheamus as "next best" - I think having Bryan win that match, on that stage, would actually be pretty cathartic for fans.
ReplyDeleteWell yes but not in the same vein as Batista and Orton, who were groomed for the spot. In Evolution, those two were presented to the fans as the next big thing and neither went through the gauntlet of stop-start pushes and resets before breaking through. You can't say that Batista/Orton and Bryan/Punk have been shown equal faith by corporate.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that. It seems to me that Punk's been shown more faith by Creative than Orton, though justifiably so.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree - Orton is higher up the card, but seems much more "controlled" by the script, while Punk is lower, but (seemingly) given more freedom to do what he wants.
ReplyDeleteHow is it obvious to everyone when Batista's return was the biggest fucking drawing Raw of the past YEAR! I think its obvious to everyone not emotionally invested in Daniel Bryan for the last 14 years that he's not the guy you think he is. People like to throw their hands up and chant yes. He has shown no evidence of drawing television ratings or pay per view buys. But thats not his fault dammit! Triple H is holding him down!!!
ReplyDeleteI think the problem was that Vince was looking for another Hogan and he was booking events as if he had one.
ReplyDeleteWas Shawn as big a draw as Hogan or Austin? No. Was a big draw? Yes. He could pack house shows and main evented
Was he and Bret big enough draws by themselves to support a non existant undercard? No.
Were they big draws? Yes.
Did Shawn Main event the second best selling Wrestlemania in History? (At the time of the event.) Yes.
So I'd put him below Austin, Hogan, even Cena.
I'd put him above Sting, Luger, Sid, etc.
I'd put him right around Savage.
Sorry if i'm getting things a bit muddled here, but did they agree to that while they were still with ECW?
ReplyDeleteShit like this will MAKE the WWE Network worth it. (Trying to figure the timeline here. Lane was still wrestling, no Jimmy Del Rey, it looked like Steamboat had 2 belts, I assume Eaton was injured or something.....)
ReplyDeleteVery early 1993. Possibly taped in December 1992.
ReplyDeleteThe clip reads an airdate of 2/27 or 2/28/93. Speculated to have been taped in early Feb.
ReplyDelete