OK, been wondering for 15 years. Why do you hate them so much? Just because they replaced Buddy and Gordy with Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin? I'm not saying they were great but you seem to have them as least favorite ever…
Basically because they were WAY overpushed and repackaged a bunch of times despite doing the same match over and over and never being particularly good in the ring. They got two World tag titles for some reason, multiple managers and valets, and pretty significant chunks of screen time for almost no return on investment. Meanwhile good teams like the Midnights get jerked around and jobbed out for political reasons.
They did, however, have a badass theme song, I'll give them that.
Seems to be lots of past hatred for the Wild Samoans/Headshrinkers too. I found them pretty good in the WWF at the time.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Garvin was great on his own, but just did not care by the time he was a Freebird. Man Gordy was awesome, though.
ReplyDeleteThe Wild Samoans are Afa and Sika. The Headshrinkers are Samu and Fatu, who were also known as The Samoan Swat Team.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed them well enough as the Samoan Swat Team, but by the time they got to the WWF they were just doing the same act for the third time and it was like "OK, show me something different now", ya know?
ReplyDeleteThe Freebirds (Hayes/Garvin version, obviously) worked some of the laziest matches I've ever seen, and despite their obvious attitude of not giving a shit, were constantly featured heavily on TV and PPV. I don't think there was another tag team that got pushed so much that produced so little. It's a shame, cause Hayes wasn't that bad (but he wasn't "good", either), and Garvin was a solid worker that was more than capable of "punch, chinlock, stall for 10 minutes, finish."
ReplyDeleteI never had a problem with the Headshrinkers/SST, other than the tired "they have hard heads" gimmick. They were easily one of the more under-rated teams of the era.
ReplyDeleteI just rewatched that Steiners match from WM 9 with them a few months ago, and that thing ages extremely well. Off the top of my head, one of my favorite five tag-matches.
ReplyDeleteOops, got the names mixed up. Yep, I meant SST.
ReplyDeleteOf all the older wresting stuff that I have yet to get into, Freebirds are high on the list of the stuff that I just don't care about watching.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hayes/Gordy/Roberts were the top heels in World Class in 1983, hell yeah; when Hayes/Garvin were the worst team in the NWA in 1989, not so much.
ReplyDeleteToo bad that Todd Champion & Firebreaker Chip tag team never really took off.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I still enjoy watching them on the old stuff via the network.
ReplyDeleteFrom the World Class stuff I've seen I found them entertaining as hell.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, off topic but does anybody know if down the line the WWE Network will start playing some Memphis stuff. That would be awesome!
ReplyDeleteIn the early 80's pushing into the mid/late 80's they ROCKED. There is no valid argument to that. Im sorry there just is not.
ReplyDeleteNOW, come 88,89 and onward, they are open to ANY and ALL criticism
Iv been watching since 1991 and I have still yet to figure out exactly what a "Firebreaker" is
ReplyDeleteI started watching in the early-90's, so this was my first impression of them. I didn't get the big deal about them. It was until later that I learned of WCCW, which is odd, because I'm not sure where I learned about them. I didn't get online until 1999,but I know I at least knew of World Class well before then.
ReplyDeleteApparently Lawler is trying to sort out the rights, but they're a mess.
ReplyDeleteI'm inspired to watch lots of Terry Gordy this weekend
ReplyDeleteOne who burns firebreaks?
ReplyDeleteThey added Barbarian!
ReplyDeleteI like Michael Hayes, I like Gordy but I've always hated the Freebirds as a unit. I'm with Scott on this one - lazy matches, stale shtick, overpushed, ugh.
ReplyDeleteSamu actually wrestled as part of both teams.
ReplyDeleteStopped caring about the sst once they stopped using "don't worry be happy" crew checking in
ReplyDeleteMost Underpushed team - Power & Glory!
ReplyDeleteThe Freebirds sort of turned into Demolition circa 1991. Unlike the Demos though they just kept going and going and...
I think it's along the lines of a Torpedo Jones.
ReplyDeleteNobody really knows who owns it and a bunch of different people claim rights to it with no real way of proving it. Since that library is already fractured enough as it it, it makes it very difficult for WWE to purchase much of any of it it with any certainty.
ReplyDeleteI find that crazy, having just rewatched it myself. It's good but it's not great, and I even like Steiners-Beverlys from Rumble '93 better. I couldn't even fathom Steiners-Headshrinkers cracking my top 50, let alone top 5.
ReplyDeleteNice to see someone that likes Steiners-Hradshrinkers from wrestlemania 9. Underappreciated gem IMO.
ReplyDeleteLiar.
ReplyDeleteAdmit it Scott. It was the naked picture of Michael Hayes from the Badstreet album that made you break bad.
Most Overpushed team - Pretty Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of male nudity, I got to see Hugh Jackman's ass in DoFP. Unless it was a body double.
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes they did.
ReplyDeleteDing and Dong would like to have a word with you. (Yeah, they lasted like 2 shows, but still.)
ReplyDeleteYes, Samu as Samoan #3 who was wrestling Bob Backlund on WWF Championship Wrestling when Hogan came back to the WWF to help Backlund at ringside
ReplyDelete