This was released in 2010
The interview was conducted by Sean Oliver
It runs for two hours and four minutes long
JANUARY
Duggan is asked about all of the animal mascots in the company and how miserable the guys who had them would be as they had to handle them on the road. Duggan said that he recalled one of the British Bulldogs yelling at the dog to take a dump while outside in the freezing cold then talks about how the Bulldogs gave the dog beer and also some "downers" when it was barking to loud then talks about how the dog also probably got a few steroid injections from them as well. He then talks about how Jake had a few different snakes play Damien and recalled one night they partied all night at a few strip clubs in Detriot. First, Duggan tells the joke about wrestlers and strippers by saying that strippers are wrestling fans, have good drugs, and a bisexual, which are three things that wrestlers always looked for back then. After a night of partying, they woke up and there was 4-5 inches of snow on the ground and they opened the trunk where Damien was frozen to death as Jake forgot to take him out of the trunk. Duggan also said that a lot of guys disliked Jake and would purposely fuck with his snakes by abusing them.
He is asked about battle royals and Duggan said he enjoyed them. Duggan tells a story about being in one with Curt Hennig, Big Boss Man, and the Ultimate Warrior. Boss Man and Duggan beat on Warrior in the corner while Hennig slides out and ties Warrior's tassles to the top rope. Warrior tries to leave the corner but can't break free so Chief Jay Strongbow came out and had to cut them off with a knife. Duggan then said Boss Man, Hennig, and himself had to go up to see Vince after that. Oliver then asks Duggan about ribs they pulled. Duggan said the guys know travel by themselves and use laptops where as they would travel 4-5 in a car and would split hotel rooms.
When asked about the Royal Rumble and how the concept was created Duggan said that he believes it was Pat Patterson who started it and calls him a genius. He then talks about how he can hang his hat on being the first ever winner of the Rumble and how fans today still talk to him about that. He then discusses the differences between how he cut promos back then and the way it is done today. Duggan said the way they did promos were all different and today it feels homogenized as everything is scripted by the same people.
Duggan is asked about the Dynamite Kid as he had a seizure on January 30th. He said that he was a bully, as was his partner Davey, and hated that. Duggan puts him over as a wrestler. He said that guys like the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage got lost in their characters to the point that they became them outside of the ring.
Oliver asks Duggan about the WWF issuing a fine policy for certain things like throwing your opponent into the guardrail. Duggan said that was true as it was a liability issue because fans were starting to sue as the guardrails moved and could hit fans. He said that they did issue a dress code but that they only had to dress up "a little bit."
FEBRUARY
When asked about Andre the Giant, Duggan said that he met him early in his career while in World Class in 1979. He said that he got along well with him but others didn't and noted how he could be irritable. Duggan tells a story about Andre and how he sometimes had poor hygiene. During their match, Andre told him to come closer and they were about to do a spot where Andre choked him out with the strap of his singlet but instead Andre put the strap around Duggan's mouth and squeezed it as the sweat was going into Duggan's mouth and laughing. Duggan said that he actually vomited after that. He also said that he would sometimes step on your hair then pull you up by the arms and how he did that a lot when he wrestled Jake Roberts.
Duggan is asked about Honky Tonk Man refusing to drop the Intercontinental Title to Randy Savage at "Saturday Night's Main Event." Duggan said that Honky could be tough to do business with and while he didn't need a belt, some guys started to become obsessed with the belt, like Terry Taylor. He then tells a story about Savage and how overprotective he was of Elizabeth, even writing down the mileage on her car when he went out and checking it again when he returned. Anyway, they were in Europe at the airport when a fan wanted a picture. Jerry Sags then walked by and ripped a huge fart as Savage went off on him for doing that in front of his wife then put Elizabeth on a plane back home. Blackjack Lanza, who was an agent, told Vince that Savage sent her back home so Vince then put her on a plane to take her back over to Europe and reportedly told Sags that was the most expensive gas he has ever passed.
When asked about Bruno Sammartino leaving the company, Duggan said that he never understood where Bruno was coming from when he was complaining about the company's direction as if it was not for wrestling he would have probably been working at a steel mill. Duggan said that he made more money wrestling than he would have at anything else before talking about himself and how an investment in a pair of boots and wrestling trunks led to a 31 year career that allowed him to put his kids through school.
Duggan is asked about the Iron Sheik returning and the incident in which they both got arrested together. Duggan tells the arrest story. He just came into the company and the Sheik came up to him and asked for a ride because he forgot his credit card. Duggan agreed and during the drive Sheik had him stop over for beer. Duggan said that he was not a big beer drinker but had a bag that consisted of 3-4 joints and they smoked that then Duggan cracked open a beer and they drove by a state trooper who pulled them over. Duggan said that he was used to living in Louisiana and their almost non-existent open container laws so didn't think anything of it at all. The cop asked if they had anything in the car so Duggan said that he had a few joints, expecting the trooper to take it then give him a ticket or tell him to leave but the trooper ordered him out of the car and frisked him. More cops arrived on the scene as they put Duggan and Sheik in separate cars and took them to the station. When they pulled out the Sheik's wallet, they found cocaine so he went in front of the judge and they let them off and they went back to the car and went to drive to the show. Duggan then called his wife to tell her that he got arrested and didn't think anyone knew about it but the next morning she called him back and said that everyone knows about the arrest. He said that his dad, the Chief of Police in Glens Falls, NY, got a lot of shit from people about his arrest After calling his dad, he called Vince and immediately got through to him. Vince asked "What have you done to us" then told Duggan to turn in his plane tickets and go home as he was fired. He reports that someone told him about Vince telling the talent that he would never work there again as the business was bigger than a "six pack and a blow job." Duggan said that he hung out at home for a few weeks and was going to have a meeting with Dusty Rhodes but Bruce Prichard called him up and told him to hang tight and not sign anywhere and sure enough he got hired back. Duggan talks about all of his success and how that he still believes he has never recovered from the arrest on a professional level.
MARCH
He is asked about the TV angle that kicked off his feud with Andre the Giant. Duggan said that Andre accidentally jabbed his thumb in his lip and busted him open. Duggan said that she still has the scar to this day. He said that elevated him from a midcarder to a main event talent.
When asked about the Jake Roberts/Rick Rude feud and how bringing in your wife or girlfriend never ends up well, Duggan joked that Rude wasn't the only one in the locker room kissing Cheryl then talks about her wife had been on camera a few times and even once beat Sensational Sherri in a match when Sherri was the champ. Velvet McIntyre missed the show due to a blizzard so Lanza asked him if his wife would fill in because she had been in the ring a few times in Mid-South.
Duggan is asked about WrestleMania IV and goes on about how the event has evolved into a whole weekend then talks about how WCW turned him into a janitor but he did not care as he was on TV. Duggan then said that they wanted him out and was surprised that got over so decided to turn him against America to join Team Canada. Nothing at all to do with 1988 WWF.
On interactions with the celebrities at WrestleMania, Duggan said they had little interaction with them but said hi to Donald Trump a few times, who knew the wrestlers but the rest usually sat in their own dressing rooms. He said the celebrities were usually respectable expect for Mickey Rourke at WrestleMania 25. Duggan tells the story of how he was at the hotel the night before the show and went upstairs to check on his daughter and said after a few drinks and without his glasses he saw three guys walking towards him and figured they were all WWE people as the floors were secured and he brushed by them then joked if they had enough room. Well, Rourke got heated and yelled at him so Duggan called him an "asshole" then after that realized it was Rourke. Duggan said he told Rourke to stand up when he talks to him, which is something he claims to say to short people who confront him, but Frank Shamrock and some other UFC guy were there with Rourke and calmed things down. Duggan then said that most of the celebs are respectful, especially the ones who bring their kids to the shows.
APRIL
Duggan is asked about touring overseas. He talks about the plane rides and recalls a trip where Ric Flair said he had a big day and did not want any ribs or anything other pranks being pulled so when everyone woke up, their eyebrows were partially shaved by Brian Knobbs, who shaved off his own to sell the prank. Duggan said they got Knobbs back on a red eye flight where they tied cans to his shoes and painted his fingernails with Steve Keirn writing "I'm a dick" on his forehead with lipstick.
He is asked about wrestling Hercules and Duggan said that he always a troubled soul who got into a lot of fights. He then tells a story while in Europe when a bartender approached him so say that Hercules was hitting on a transvestite and Duggan told him that Hercules probably didn't care.
MAY
On whether or not families were allowed in the locker room back then, Duggan said that they were and how wrestlers generally accepted other people's families.
When asked about Vince's locker room speech on the dangers of steroids, Duggan said that guys were going to do what they wanted to do without testing and how Dr. Zahorian was giving out steroids. Even when asked by the FBI during McMahon's trial, Duggan said that he told them he was young and naive and the doctor was handing them out. Duggan did admit that the steroid use was rampant back then.
Duggan says that now the biggest marks in wrestling are the wrestlers themselves as they believe if you are not going all out with cool moves then you are not doing anything. He said that he could start a few chants and have the whole place cheering.
JUNE
He is asked about Haku being crowned King. Duggan said that he is one of the toughest and how he would grab guys trying to fuck with him by saying he would first kill them then eat them afterwards.
JULY
Hogan returned to team with Savage to face off against Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase. Duggan said that he always got along with Hogan even though they were never very close.
On July 25th Duggan wrestled against Andre the Giant in a Lumberjack Match at Madison Square Garden in the main event. Duggan said that was the pinnacle of his career.
Duggan talks about Curt Hennig, who made his debut at the WWF in July. He said that Hennig took the best bump he ever saw during a hockey game in Minnesota. The crowd booed him and he walked on the ice and slipped then fell as the crowd went nuts.
AUGUST
He is asked about the talk show segments and if they are scripted or done on the fly. Duggan said that you would follow the host's lead most of the time then talks about promo skills are a lost art today.
SEPTEMBER
Duggan talks about Terry Taylor, who made his debut as the Red Rooster. Duggan said that he was talented but always ran his mouth and thinks the gimmick was a rib on him but also said that Taylor half-assed the gimmick and could have gotten it over if he took it over the top.
On the Akeem character, Duggan believes it was created as the One Man Gang wanted to take time off but was going to have a feud with Hogan. Gang went home and came back then Duggan believes that the gimmick was punishment for that but also said that Gang embraced the Akeem gimmick and that is why it got over.
OCTOBER
Duggan is asked about the Jacques Rougeau/Dynamite Kid confrontation. Duggan said that the Bulldogs picked their spots and thought that Dynamite had it coming because he always fucked with people.When asked, Duggan said the Bulldogs never fucked with him then said that they an Outback Jack out of the company.
NOVEMBER
In November, Ted Turner bought out Crockett Promotions and renamed the company "World Championship Wrestling." Duggan said that they were not getting offers right away and he did not get one himself until Hogan signed with them.
DECEMBER
Big John Studd returned to the WWF. Duggan said that he teamed with Studd against Haku & Andre the Giant, who did not like Studd. Duggan said that Studd was leery of Andre and there was a lot of friction there.
Duggan closes by saying a lot of guys are bitter about the business and how people remember the bad stuff from wrestlers but that he is not bitter and wants to be a reminder of how guys like him, Bob Backlund and Tito Santana saved their money and do not hold any resentment.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed the stories that Duggan told here. He is an engaging storyteller who is not bitter at all and has a great sense of humor. And Duggan did go off topic a ton in this interview but luckily he was entertaining a majority of the time. But one complaint I have is that you didnt learn much of anything that took place in 1988. This was one of the earlier timelines and interviewer Sean Oliver was not as polished as he is now so he just let Duggan talk and had little command of the interview. Oliver also seemed to be in awe of Duggan's presence too. They might want to revisit this year in the future.
In closing I recommend this interview but for those you want to specifically learn about 1988 WWF, you might be disappointed. If you want to be entertained, then by all means watch this interview.
You can purchase the video for $20 by clicking on the link below
http://kayfabecommentaries.com/DVD_TL_1988.html
The interview was conducted by Sean Oliver
It runs for two hours and four minutes long
JANUARY
Duggan is asked about all of the animal mascots in the company and how miserable the guys who had them would be as they had to handle them on the road. Duggan said that he recalled one of the British Bulldogs yelling at the dog to take a dump while outside in the freezing cold then talks about how the Bulldogs gave the dog beer and also some "downers" when it was barking to loud then talks about how the dog also probably got a few steroid injections from them as well. He then talks about how Jake had a few different snakes play Damien and recalled one night they partied all night at a few strip clubs in Detriot. First, Duggan tells the joke about wrestlers and strippers by saying that strippers are wrestling fans, have good drugs, and a bisexual, which are three things that wrestlers always looked for back then. After a night of partying, they woke up and there was 4-5 inches of snow on the ground and they opened the trunk where Damien was frozen to death as Jake forgot to take him out of the trunk. Duggan also said that a lot of guys disliked Jake and would purposely fuck with his snakes by abusing them.
He is asked about battle royals and Duggan said he enjoyed them. Duggan tells a story about being in one with Curt Hennig, Big Boss Man, and the Ultimate Warrior. Boss Man and Duggan beat on Warrior in the corner while Hennig slides out and ties Warrior's tassles to the top rope. Warrior tries to leave the corner but can't break free so Chief Jay Strongbow came out and had to cut them off with a knife. Duggan then said Boss Man, Hennig, and himself had to go up to see Vince after that. Oliver then asks Duggan about ribs they pulled. Duggan said the guys know travel by themselves and use laptops where as they would travel 4-5 in a car and would split hotel rooms.
When asked about the Royal Rumble and how the concept was created Duggan said that he believes it was Pat Patterson who started it and calls him a genius. He then talks about how he can hang his hat on being the first ever winner of the Rumble and how fans today still talk to him about that. He then discusses the differences between how he cut promos back then and the way it is done today. Duggan said the way they did promos were all different and today it feels homogenized as everything is scripted by the same people.
Duggan is asked about the Dynamite Kid as he had a seizure on January 30th. He said that he was a bully, as was his partner Davey, and hated that. Duggan puts him over as a wrestler. He said that guys like the Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage got lost in their characters to the point that they became them outside of the ring.
Oliver asks Duggan about the WWF issuing a fine policy for certain things like throwing your opponent into the guardrail. Duggan said that was true as it was a liability issue because fans were starting to sue as the guardrails moved and could hit fans. He said that they did issue a dress code but that they only had to dress up "a little bit."
FEBRUARY
When asked about Andre the Giant, Duggan said that he met him early in his career while in World Class in 1979. He said that he got along well with him but others didn't and noted how he could be irritable. Duggan tells a story about Andre and how he sometimes had poor hygiene. During their match, Andre told him to come closer and they were about to do a spot where Andre choked him out with the strap of his singlet but instead Andre put the strap around Duggan's mouth and squeezed it as the sweat was going into Duggan's mouth and laughing. Duggan said that he actually vomited after that. He also said that he would sometimes step on your hair then pull you up by the arms and how he did that a lot when he wrestled Jake Roberts.
Duggan is asked about Honky Tonk Man refusing to drop the Intercontinental Title to Randy Savage at "Saturday Night's Main Event." Duggan said that Honky could be tough to do business with and while he didn't need a belt, some guys started to become obsessed with the belt, like Terry Taylor. He then tells a story about Savage and how overprotective he was of Elizabeth, even writing down the mileage on her car when he went out and checking it again when he returned. Anyway, they were in Europe at the airport when a fan wanted a picture. Jerry Sags then walked by and ripped a huge fart as Savage went off on him for doing that in front of his wife then put Elizabeth on a plane back home. Blackjack Lanza, who was an agent, told Vince that Savage sent her back home so Vince then put her on a plane to take her back over to Europe and reportedly told Sags that was the most expensive gas he has ever passed.
When asked about Bruno Sammartino leaving the company, Duggan said that he never understood where Bruno was coming from when he was complaining about the company's direction as if it was not for wrestling he would have probably been working at a steel mill. Duggan said that he made more money wrestling than he would have at anything else before talking about himself and how an investment in a pair of boots and wrestling trunks led to a 31 year career that allowed him to put his kids through school.
Duggan is asked about the Iron Sheik returning and the incident in which they both got arrested together. Duggan tells the arrest story. He just came into the company and the Sheik came up to him and asked for a ride because he forgot his credit card. Duggan agreed and during the drive Sheik had him stop over for beer. Duggan said that he was not a big beer drinker but had a bag that consisted of 3-4 joints and they smoked that then Duggan cracked open a beer and they drove by a state trooper who pulled them over. Duggan said that he was used to living in Louisiana and their almost non-existent open container laws so didn't think anything of it at all. The cop asked if they had anything in the car so Duggan said that he had a few joints, expecting the trooper to take it then give him a ticket or tell him to leave but the trooper ordered him out of the car and frisked him. More cops arrived on the scene as they put Duggan and Sheik in separate cars and took them to the station. When they pulled out the Sheik's wallet, they found cocaine so he went in front of the judge and they let them off and they went back to the car and went to drive to the show. Duggan then called his wife to tell her that he got arrested and didn't think anyone knew about it but the next morning she called him back and said that everyone knows about the arrest. He said that his dad, the Chief of Police in Glens Falls, NY, got a lot of shit from people about his arrest After calling his dad, he called Vince and immediately got through to him. Vince asked "What have you done to us" then told Duggan to turn in his plane tickets and go home as he was fired. He reports that someone told him about Vince telling the talent that he would never work there again as the business was bigger than a "six pack and a blow job." Duggan said that he hung out at home for a few weeks and was going to have a meeting with Dusty Rhodes but Bruce Prichard called him up and told him to hang tight and not sign anywhere and sure enough he got hired back. Duggan talks about all of his success and how that he still believes he has never recovered from the arrest on a professional level.
MARCH
He is asked about the TV angle that kicked off his feud with Andre the Giant. Duggan said that Andre accidentally jabbed his thumb in his lip and busted him open. Duggan said that she still has the scar to this day. He said that elevated him from a midcarder to a main event talent.
When asked about the Jake Roberts/Rick Rude feud and how bringing in your wife or girlfriend never ends up well, Duggan joked that Rude wasn't the only one in the locker room kissing Cheryl then talks about her wife had been on camera a few times and even once beat Sensational Sherri in a match when Sherri was the champ. Velvet McIntyre missed the show due to a blizzard so Lanza asked him if his wife would fill in because she had been in the ring a few times in Mid-South.
Duggan is asked about WrestleMania IV and goes on about how the event has evolved into a whole weekend then talks about how WCW turned him into a janitor but he did not care as he was on TV. Duggan then said that they wanted him out and was surprised that got over so decided to turn him against America to join Team Canada. Nothing at all to do with 1988 WWF.
On interactions with the celebrities at WrestleMania, Duggan said they had little interaction with them but said hi to Donald Trump a few times, who knew the wrestlers but the rest usually sat in their own dressing rooms. He said the celebrities were usually respectable expect for Mickey Rourke at WrestleMania 25. Duggan tells the story of how he was at the hotel the night before the show and went upstairs to check on his daughter and said after a few drinks and without his glasses he saw three guys walking towards him and figured they were all WWE people as the floors were secured and he brushed by them then joked if they had enough room. Well, Rourke got heated and yelled at him so Duggan called him an "asshole" then after that realized it was Rourke. Duggan said he told Rourke to stand up when he talks to him, which is something he claims to say to short people who confront him, but Frank Shamrock and some other UFC guy were there with Rourke and calmed things down. Duggan then said that most of the celebs are respectful, especially the ones who bring their kids to the shows.
APRIL
Duggan is asked about touring overseas. He talks about the plane rides and recalls a trip where Ric Flair said he had a big day and did not want any ribs or anything other pranks being pulled so when everyone woke up, their eyebrows were partially shaved by Brian Knobbs, who shaved off his own to sell the prank. Duggan said they got Knobbs back on a red eye flight where they tied cans to his shoes and painted his fingernails with Steve Keirn writing "I'm a dick" on his forehead with lipstick.
He is asked about wrestling Hercules and Duggan said that he always a troubled soul who got into a lot of fights. He then tells a story while in Europe when a bartender approached him so say that Hercules was hitting on a transvestite and Duggan told him that Hercules probably didn't care.
MAY
On whether or not families were allowed in the locker room back then, Duggan said that they were and how wrestlers generally accepted other people's families.
When asked about Vince's locker room speech on the dangers of steroids, Duggan said that guys were going to do what they wanted to do without testing and how Dr. Zahorian was giving out steroids. Even when asked by the FBI during McMahon's trial, Duggan said that he told them he was young and naive and the doctor was handing them out. Duggan did admit that the steroid use was rampant back then.
Duggan says that now the biggest marks in wrestling are the wrestlers themselves as they believe if you are not going all out with cool moves then you are not doing anything. He said that he could start a few chants and have the whole place cheering.
JUNE
He is asked about Haku being crowned King. Duggan said that he is one of the toughest and how he would grab guys trying to fuck with him by saying he would first kill them then eat them afterwards.
JULY
Hogan returned to team with Savage to face off against Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase. Duggan said that he always got along with Hogan even though they were never very close.
On July 25th Duggan wrestled against Andre the Giant in a Lumberjack Match at Madison Square Garden in the main event. Duggan said that was the pinnacle of his career.
Duggan talks about Curt Hennig, who made his debut at the WWF in July. He said that Hennig took the best bump he ever saw during a hockey game in Minnesota. The crowd booed him and he walked on the ice and slipped then fell as the crowd went nuts.
AUGUST
He is asked about the talk show segments and if they are scripted or done on the fly. Duggan said that you would follow the host's lead most of the time then talks about promo skills are a lost art today.
SEPTEMBER
Duggan talks about Terry Taylor, who made his debut as the Red Rooster. Duggan said that he was talented but always ran his mouth and thinks the gimmick was a rib on him but also said that Taylor half-assed the gimmick and could have gotten it over if he took it over the top.
On the Akeem character, Duggan believes it was created as the One Man Gang wanted to take time off but was going to have a feud with Hogan. Gang went home and came back then Duggan believes that the gimmick was punishment for that but also said that Gang embraced the Akeem gimmick and that is why it got over.
OCTOBER
Duggan is asked about the Jacques Rougeau/Dynamite Kid confrontation. Duggan said that the Bulldogs picked their spots and thought that Dynamite had it coming because he always fucked with people.When asked, Duggan said the Bulldogs never fucked with him then said that they an Outback Jack out of the company.
NOVEMBER
In November, Ted Turner bought out Crockett Promotions and renamed the company "World Championship Wrestling." Duggan said that they were not getting offers right away and he did not get one himself until Hogan signed with them.
DECEMBER
Big John Studd returned to the WWF. Duggan said that he teamed with Studd against Haku & Andre the Giant, who did not like Studd. Duggan said that Studd was leery of Andre and there was a lot of friction there.
Duggan closes by saying a lot of guys are bitter about the business and how people remember the bad stuff from wrestlers but that he is not bitter and wants to be a reminder of how guys like him, Bob Backlund and Tito Santana saved their money and do not hold any resentment.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed the stories that Duggan told here. He is an engaging storyteller who is not bitter at all and has a great sense of humor. And Duggan did go off topic a ton in this interview but luckily he was entertaining a majority of the time. But one complaint I have is that you didnt learn much of anything that took place in 1988. This was one of the earlier timelines and interviewer Sean Oliver was not as polished as he is now so he just let Duggan talk and had little command of the interview. Oliver also seemed to be in awe of Duggan's presence too. They might want to revisit this year in the future.
In closing I recommend this interview but for those you want to specifically learn about 1988 WWF, you might be disappointed. If you want to be entertained, then by all means watch this interview.
You can purchase the video for $20 by clicking on the link below
http://kayfabecommentaries.com/DVD_TL_1988.html
What always amazes me about these 80s stories is how wrestlers would go out partying until the wee hours of the morning, and then get up early to work out. I find getting up early with a hangover period bad enough, but these guys would hit the gym.
ReplyDeleteLol, no better example than Flair doing the stairmaster to try and burn off his hangovers.
ReplyDeleteDuggan seems like a good dude. Didn't really like him at all as a wrestler but my first experience of him was some doofus in WCW trying to take down the nWo (poorly).
ReplyDeleteLike Nash said, when you worked hungover you were at your best because you had to try so hard to focus unlike when you are sober and can get distracted by everything around you
ReplyDeleteI can handle cardio work while hungover, just mindlessly riding an exercise bike or climbing stairs but fuck trying to do something coordinated like wrestle a long match. Especially when you basically have someone else's life in your hands. I don't think I could handle that.
ReplyDeleteI feel Duggan's wrestling peak was during his 1993 mini program with Shawn.
ReplyDeleteHe was pretty damn good in Mid South
ReplyDeleteI will always like Jim Duggan coming out dressed as Uncle Sam at Wrestlemania VII.
ReplyDeleteEnough is enough I've gotta check Mid South out.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you want to do that much coke.
ReplyDeleteEven if I did want to, the financial drain would just be too much!
ReplyDeleteWell, he was a doofus in WWF too.
ReplyDeleteI often feel my pool game improves after a few drinks, specifically for that. You never take a shot for granted!
ReplyDeleteEverything about me improves after a few drinks. It goes down hill quickly after that though.
ReplyDeleteLots of really good brawls in there, plus his feud with the Freebirds and One Man Gang. Got into watching him when the UWF was starting to be televised in Philly. One of my favorites growing up.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Arn Anderson's point in the Four Horsemen DVD. He talked about doing all that plus flying back and forth from Vegas to LA. It was nuts, but that's why they were paid the big $$$.
ReplyDeleteEven as a kid I pitied him. I thought he was retarded. Eugene wasn't far off Duggan's character.
ReplyDeleteThere were sure lots of dumb faces back then. Hacksaw, Bushwackers, the entire clan of hillbilies, Snuka, George Steele...
ReplyDeleteI always thought his feud with Andre was his pinnacle WWF feud. I know the SS match with him and Demolition against the Twin Towers and Andre wasn't "great", but it was fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteI never got the appeal of the Bushwackers, even as a kid. I thought they were terrible and licking people was disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI feel EXACTLY the same way. I was disgusted the time they tormented Brother Love. And I loved seeing Brother Love get beat up.
ReplyDeleteAnd the sardines. Don't forget the sardines.
ReplyDeleteThe 80s were a different time, and they were wacky back then. Looking at them now, yeah, the look bad.
Same here. I couldn't even watch that, I nearly threw up.
ReplyDeletehere is why Jim Duggan and his ilk are hypocrites...I saw a shoot with him once and he was going on and on about how today's wrestlers were not as good (or as tough) or whatever as him since they did not come up through the territories like him and his generation. Yet, guys like him took Vince's big money offers that eventually (at least partially) killed those very territories. Had he stayed in Mid South and not jumped for a bigger offer, maybe it sticks around. Yet he and others are glad to crap all over newer people since they had a chance to come up via that system.
ReplyDeleteTough guy....
The Bushwackers were terrible. Going from hardcore foreign brawlers to wacky smiling doofuses (or doofi?)? Man that wasn't great, even for the 80s. I would've liked to have seen them have wild brawls with Demolition, for example.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was just stating a fact.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate guys like Nash who make no bones about the fact that wrestling is a business and the idea is to make as much money out of it while you have the chance.
ReplyDeleteOne doesn't have much to do with the other, especially since it was Crockett who bought Mid-South/UWF.
ReplyDeleteBesides the other point, wrestlers leaving the territories always happened. They found new guys to push, or other guys came back to hone their craft and make some money in-between feds. The notion that the territories would've survived if guys had stayed with them isn't realistic.
ReplyDeleteWhere territories failed is a multifaceted issue, but the biggest example of a guy leaving (Hulk Hogan) didn't immediately kill the AWA.
https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/4/7329187/terminator-genisys-trailer-video
ReplyDeleteShit, wrong thread.
ReplyDeleteCocaine is a hell of a drug....
ReplyDeleteWow I hope duggan was lying about the stuff with Matilda the bull dog. That is fucked up.
ReplyDeleteSteroid Dog seems like it would be a hilarious plot point on a TV show though.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of amazed we got through one of these without a Fuji story.
ReplyDeleteWhat Big Bossman did to Al Snow's dog was much worse.
ReplyDeleteSeemed like a lot of raging sociopaths (Dynamite Kid) in the locker room at that time.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't believe I've ever heard of anyone more possessive and jealous than Randy Savage. The stuff he did to Elizabeth was unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteWith Styles, Daniels, and JOE in place, he should have just jobbed to a few key guys to get them over, and settled into a creative role.
"He sounds like an insufferable dick with narcissistic issues that doesn't care about others and will never be happy."
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason for that...
Fair enough, but they all eventually jumped to Vince (or Crockett) and once that amount of main event talent was gone to the 'big leagues' it left all the others with not much. I don't begrudge anyone going someplace else to make more money. But to crap all over people for not coming up through a system that you were, at least in some ways, responsible for killing is hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to check out PWG but yeah, my monthly wrestling budget is staying at 9.99, MAHGGLE! for now. I'll check it out, and maybe give TNA yet another shot when they reboot. I think I'm an episode behind on Lucha, and I have a feeling the presentation of the show is going to lose its luster eventually, even though I'm in love with it now. But the wrestling is really good and I'm a huge mark for both Morrison and Ricochet, so it has my attention for now.
ReplyDeleteI'm really surprised by how angry he is over the wedding day thing. I mean, it's a dick move, but dude, let's get real.
ReplyDeleteYou quit. You just didn't say the words "I quit."
You left your job in the middle of a "shift" after telling your boss you were going home, didn't respond to his attempts to contact you and had little to no communication with them regarding your employment status for months. That's called "job abandonment" in any non-IC scenario and results in the same thing as quitting plus hard feelings on the part of your employer.
You quit. You just didn't say the words "I quit."
And whatever. More power to you, but by your own admission, you had zero intention of returning from the day you left and it hasn't changed, so why get so enraged over being "fired" from a job you quit and had no intention of returning to? Why not smirk (you're good at that!) and just go "hey, check this out; they're just the dicks I thought they were" and get on with the day?
No he couldn't but at least Google has never crashed or had security issues unlike Apple.
ReplyDeleteI believe him as Dynamite seemed like a complete piece of shit who would do something like that.
ReplyDeleteHe signed a 2x4 for me and I couldn't believe how big he was. Guess he looked smaller going up against the Giants they tended to put him with.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've always wondered about that fiasco was: Why didn't ROH just use WWN? Every other indy promotion uses them and have never had any issues.
ReplyDeleteThe Hennig rib on Warrior is hilarious. Very Hennig-esque
ReplyDeleteI'm a drooling invalid, and I turn that shit off.
ReplyDeleteThe angle that Andre and Duggan did on the episode of Wrestling Challenge (or Superstars) to kick the feud off was great. I really marked out when Duggan hit him with the 2x4 as he was going for the headbutt.
ReplyDeleteI think his point was more that the lack of territories (and therefore, the lack of variety) is killing the product. There's no shortage of guys trying to come up - territories allowed them to hone their craft in front of diverse audiences, while giving guys going in between them time to recover.
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda like fast food (sure, it's junk but stay with me): if every joint was like McD's, the industry would collapse. No other places to work on your craft or even enjoy stuff like Taco Hell.
The territories would have been fine - guys were trading talent for years, and guys had been leaving since the 60s - but it was the bigger promotions buying the territories that killed them (and that includes Crockett).
What's even worse is that they're now taking guys off of TV right at the peak of their popularity. Dean Ambrose was getting over big time and they took him off TV for weeks to film a movie. People cared about Orton the most they had in years and they took him off of TV to film a movie. It's one thing when you're throwing Miz or DiBiase or Kennedy or whoever in a movie (or somebody who is recovering from an injury), but now they're taking guys who could conceivably make a difference to their product off TV.
ReplyDeleteSeriously - the whole angle was awesome, from Duggan challenging the bully, to Andre laughing at him and beating the crap out of him, to Duggan celebrating over Andre's carcass. Truly great.
ReplyDeleteIf some of you can, find Duggan's matches against the One Man Gang, especially the cage match at the end of the one UWF broadcast after Gang wins the title. I became a Duggan fan after that match.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that they come up with a great idea for a feud with Cena, and then build the entire character around that feud and only that feud.
ReplyDeleteAfter that, the wrestler is on their own, with a motivation that just doesn't make sense any more.
Trying to corrupt the lily-white here? Gold!
Trying to corrupt a lesser wrestler because you couldn't get the job done with the lily-white hero? Ve are not so golden.
The only way Wyatt makes sense is to build an "army" to try to take Cena down again. But then what after that?
The world would be a duller place without Duggan in it
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Wrestlers sound like terrible versions of people for the most part.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, Dirty Ears Bill!
ReplyDelete(sorry... I just want to do that every time I read one of your comments)
Yeah, Terry Taylor could've taken the Red Rooster gimmick to the top if only he tried harder...I know there's being a good company man, but sheeeeeeit, Jim. lol
ReplyDeleteYou could say the same for an Elvis impersonator and a zombie mortician. I can see Duggan's point.
ReplyDeleteI remember the build to the Magnus-Hardy world title tournament final being one of those things where you're thinking, "If TNA could bottle this and apply it to more of the show, they could be a lucrative No. 2 to WWE."
ReplyDeleteGoing into the final they'd managed to get Hardy and Magnus to a place where you neither was definitely a heel or definitely a babyface, and had even done the same tweener thing with Gunner, who was lurking as the No. 1 contender/briefcase holder. This made the final unpredictable (at least to me) and intriguing.
Had WWE done a similar tournament, you would've had a Cena-Orton final where neither guy has potential to turn, with an obviously heel Seth Rollins as the MITB holder, making it much easier to predict the outcome. I appreciated that TNA was able to create something unpredictable in that regard.
WWE "attempted" to contact Punk 3 times:
ReplyDelete* "Hey pal" text from Vince a week later.
* Text from Vince telling him he was suspended.
* Phone call from HHH the day before they mailed the termination papers.
Communication is a 2-way street, and Punk contacted the company several times attempting to resolve his royalty check issue. It's not as if Punk's job is to show up at Titan Tower, punch a timeclock and ask "what are we doing today?" They have to contact him, tell him what they want him to do, and make arrangements for him to go there. If their attitude was "he's a jerk and won't do anything we ask anyways," well that's on them, not him. They didn't even pretend to make an effort.
It was alright, but the whole "Vince is old and out of touch" thing seems like a kind of lazy blame game type thing. I mean none of us really know how he is, and I agree with Scott in that I think the problem is more than likely that Vince doesn't have as much control as he used to, so the product seems schizophrenic. All these things that people are blaming on Vince as a "he's out of touch now" thing don't ring true to me. People cite the whole Caesaro thing as an example, but Vince has had that attitude for years. He initially didn't see anything in Foley, but eventually did after he proved himself. Even during the Austin podcast, he said that initially he didn't see anything in Austin, but Austin stepped up and proved himself. Vince, to me, sounds like he's always been, it's just the machine around him has changed and he can't affect the product like he used to.
ReplyDeleteIf Taylor went all out crazy while strutting to the ring it could have been very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThere's differences to be sure. The Elvis impersonator's face run failed just as hard as the Red Rooster before he got a second shot as a gratingly insincere heel, the zombie mortician was booked as a no selling monster who beat everybody. Strutting around like a chicken as some happy-go-lucky face wasn't working in any universe.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I love my DVR. I can watch 3.5 hours in about 30 minutes.
ReplyDeleteWhen cracked started it seemed like a harmless time waster.
ReplyDeleteThe imitators are actively dragging shared information down to a banal level.
You could make a two hour shoot of wrestlers telling rib stories on Hennig. Same applies for Owen Hart, Mr. Fuji, and stories of guys recalling how much of a bad ass Haku was.
ReplyDeleteI could see a Borne Again version of the Red Rooster working. Then again, I would've liked to have seen more of Borne Again.
ReplyDeleteYeah it's true the company going public has fucked them because they're limited in what they can do. Still, even within those limits, they should still be doing better. There's no real excuse for the stories not making sense/abandoning stories without explanation etc
ReplyDeleteThey were awesome as viloent heels in Stampede and Mid-South, but whoever gave them the Bushwhackers gimmick made sure they wouldn't be awesome as doofy faces in the WWF. They had a bad match with Anderson and Blanchard; I didn't think that was possible!
ReplyDeleteThey basically acted like they were big shots that were super-awesome, despite being bad workers (well, Grunge definitely was. Rock was just a spotfest guy). So they were probably completely normal, but rubbed all the he-men and bros the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteBryan is definitely more over whenever he comes out, unless you count Cena's heel reactions as part of being "over".
ReplyDeleteThe craziest thing about watching that at the time was that Andre was about to wrestle a jobber on TV. That never, EVER happened.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the POV shot of Andre beating up the cameraman after waking up. And the slomo replay of Andre trying to stomp an EMT's head in.
ReplyDeleteI did like one of his promos against Mr Perfect, where he said he would climb up the pecking order, and Perfect would end up with egg on his face.
ReplyDelete2 hour shoot on wrestling ribs? 100 of those 120 minutes would involve shit, I am sure.
ReplyDeleteBrian Costello got robbed of his big moment!
ReplyDeleteIf they gave that gimmick to a raging cokehead, we would have seen a shitload of memorably insane promos.
ReplyDeleteNow THATS a jobber.
ReplyDeleteYou could fill a two-disc set with ones involving shit then another two non-shit discs with Hennig and Owen rib stories.
ReplyDeleteBorne Again was ahead of its time
ReplyDeleteTrue. The "RKO OUT OF NOWHERE!" thing became popular and then a week later Orton was off filming The Condemned 2.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that WWE didn't do ANYTHING with that RKO meme is mindboggling. The moment the Fandango thing was minutely popular they were all over that.
Didn't most of Hennig's involved that though?
ReplyDeleteThe original evil Doink was ahead of its time
ReplyDeleteWWE went public in 1999, and they were still bloody and raunchy for several more years. Going public had nothing to do with limiting their content. Plenty of public entertainment companies produce mature material.
ReplyDeleteBeing PG -- which, let's be honest, is mainly for PR reasons -- is what limits them. But being PG doesn't mean they can't tell great stories.
That's the rumor. But considering how much is embellished in wrestling, who knows for sure.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, now, if Duggan had said THAT, "if Terry had just been riding partners with me and Sheiky Baby, we could've shared our stash and REALLY made that gimmick fly," that I would've agreed with.
ReplyDeleteThe key would've been for Taylor to play it over-the-top was he was still a heel. Remember, he wasn't brought in as a face.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but wasn't it clear Heenan was mistreating him the whole time? I think I remember that.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't his job. It was something that, as an independent contractor, he was tasked with doing or not doing. He chose not to do it.
ReplyDeleteApparently, that's how the courts saw it as well.
If Vince wants his wrestlers to be loyal like employees, he can choose to make them employees. But the status quo is better for him, because less than five percent of the wrestlers choose to exercise their rights as independent contractors.
Oh right, I thought they had to turn to a PG product because they went public. Agreed being PG limits them, but yeah it's no excuse for bad TV
ReplyDeleteThe last one wasn't even a phone call. It was a text asking to make a phone call.
ReplyDeleteYup, that's true. And who knows if it ever would've worked anyway. But if Taylor had played it a little more unhinged, I could see it going in a more successful direction. Maybe he turns the tables on Heenan a bit and it makes Heenan nervous to manage him, since the guy is a lunatic who thinks he's a friggin' rooster. Seeing Heenan on edge around one of his own guys would've been entertaining, especially considering the number of giants he'd managed without fear.
ReplyDeleteHennig liked pranks that involved tying up people and the stuff or putting padlocks on things
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. You are now persona non grata at every WWE event for life!
ReplyDeletethat Duggan v Andre Lumberjack match at MSG in July 88 is a great match
ReplyDeletealso great is Andre v Studd from may 89 (i believe) at Boston Garden where Andre just beats the crap out of Studd who quit the company a few days/weeks later
Honky Tonk Man was designed to fail as a face, that was the idea
ReplyDeleteat SummerSlam 89 match with Perfect could have saved Taylor's WWF career by possibly stealing the show but Taylor blows his knee out two minutes in
ReplyDeleteRooster had a couple good matches on the way out in 90 losing to Martel at MSG and Dibiase at a tv taping in really high quality matches... but Taylor's promos skills were some of the worst
"All wrestling needs is one thing: comfortable footwear." - Cliff Clavin
ReplyDeletewho is to say Elizabeth didn't like it though?
ReplyDeleteDid Kenny_Chill ever pass the bar exam?
ReplyDeleteTheres a clear difference between living your life for money (as a lot of wrestlers do) they go back for one more bite of the apple and drag their half dead carcasses around just to keep their 2nd houses, their ex wifes alimony, their third car, their spoilt children happy. That's what I think he meant, he lives a somewhat simple and humble life in regards to that, but when it comes to being paid what you are worth, that's no laughing matter, if the guy was getting underpaid and overworked and his injuries were being ignored so they could continue to underpay him and overwork him, then he has every right to be angry and you have no right to tell him otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that would've been a good idea, make him a possibly dangerous guy who went way too far with Heenan's "he's just a little red rooster" comment rather than nice guy who for some reason insisted he was the Red Rooster when Heenan dumped him.
ReplyDeleteSorry, not buying this one. When Honky came in, they tried selling him as a friend of Hogan, even having them team up a bunch on the house show circuit. It was only after it started to become apparent that it was failing did Honky turn up the obnoxiousness in advance of the heel turn.
ReplyDeleteI give them a pass on that. Anything they wouldve done would have ruined it anyway like cole teaching us how to fandango. So it was best that they didnt do anything.
ReplyDeleteWhite Power Bill has dirty ears!
ReplyDeleteHe's made it, he's in TWO of the most A list franchises you can think of, the guy can only go up. Heck not even Dwayne managed to get cast in something like a Bond movie. Batista really REALLY doesn't need to waste anymore time in WWE, get his body banged up, to people that don't really like him for less money? Yeah no thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fair point and well put...the way these older guys usually explain it is that these young guys did not have to go through what we did, therefore they suck. There is a shoot with Steve Williams that is especially bad at that. Even claims that Stone Cold did not 'earn' his nickname, so therefore should not have it.
ReplyDeleteGuess I'll have to wear one of those pairs of glasses with the fake nose and mustache when I go to Wrestlemania.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It might've still fallen on its face, but it would've been more entertaining and certainly would've helped TT save some face. The only reason guys like Doink and Goldust were successful was because of how much the guys poured themselves into the characters. I dunno, maybe that was beyond Taylor's depth.
ReplyDeleteThat endorsement stuff really hurts, baffles me to no end how big companies go in with actual large sums of money with sponsorships and promises of bringing new mainstream eyes to the product (something vince is well aware of and constantly hunts down) and how he genuinely turns that down due to pettiness. Wrestlers are coming in with ideas and options that will make vince billions and he's turning it down people he didn't come up with it....
ReplyDeleteWell, she left him, so I'd say it didn't go over too well with her.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh yeaaaah.
ReplyDeleteRoyalty check issue, not related to his employment at that time. Two different things.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to go down this road with you. What he did was quit the only way an IC can.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, the PG direction had less to do with going public and more to do with Linda's political ambitions.
ReplyDeleteUgh, not the "Verne refused to put the belt on Hogan" myth again. For the record, Verne offered Hogan the title. He turned it down.
ReplyDeleteSOURCES
ReplyDeleteHogan turned it down because Gagne wanted a bigger cut of Hogan's merch money AND something like 25% of whatever he earned whenever he went to Japan.
ReplyDeleteIf Gagne really wanted to put the belt on him, he wouldn't have made such ridiculous demands.
The AWA had a talent sharing agreement with All Japan. Hogan came in with his own deal with New Japan. To become AWA champion, Hogan would have had to switch over, which he didn't want to do because New Japan was the more popular promotion and thus more lucrative to work for. And yes, there was the issue of Verne's booking fee.
ReplyDeleteIn any event, Hogan was gone once Vince came calling regardless of what Verne did. As bad as Hogan leaving was for them, him leaving while world champion would have been even worse.
to be fair, "Dead Man Down" is an okay movie that lost them millions.
ReplyDeleteIt got worse when sites started splitting each number into its own page. Then some sites made you look at a page with just the picture, THEN the picture and a description of what the pic was about. That's the nadir of the thing.
ReplyDeleteGiven how the AWA ended up and how the WWF blew the fuck up, that was the smartest decision Hogan ever made.
ReplyDeleteI wanna see Hogan and Cena vs. Tom Hardy's Bane now.
ReplyDeleteI remember in his review of the AWA DVD, Scott actually says "this is one time I have to agree with Hogan on something. Gagne was printing money off Hogan's back, any little concessions would have been made up by Hogan as champ."
ReplyDeleteSay whatever else you will about him, Hogan may well be the most savvy backstage politician the business has ever known.
ReplyDeleteKevin Nash is the only other guy that should even be in the conversation. Well, HBK too, I guess.
ReplyDeleteWonders if Brooke vs. The Cyclists will be a handicap match in the 1st episode of 2015 #TeamBro #TAR #AmazingRace
ReplyDeleteActually, funny thing -- I just got a spare copy of Threemendous 3 (AWESOME show) that you can just HAVE. (I did their 5 for $40 DVD sale (actually, 15 for $120, but who's counting), and they accidentally sent me a second copy of Threemendous 3 instead of Threemendous 2 -- now they're sending me 2, and told me I can just keep the mistake)
ReplyDeleteWe need to figure out a way to do the address thing if you want it. I never realized that Disqus doesn't have a PM option.
WCW might still be in business right now.
ReplyDeleteOr they would've been dead by 1997.
ReplyDelete