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WWF RAW: January 13, 1997

Last week: Pete Lothario suffered a crippling injury at the hands of Sid Vicious, and fans were so outraged they called the WWF headquarters to demand to know why Jose Lothario was not taken out with him.

THE HONKY TONK MAN draws announce duties for the second night in a row, paired with the ever excited VINCE MCMAHON for the go-home show before the Rumble.


HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY and JERRY LAWLER vs. GOLDUST and MARC MERO (with Marlena and Sable)

Two weeks ago, Hunter knocked down Marlena, which somehow has resulted in Goldust being named the #1 contender. Goldust goes right for Helmsley, but he breaks away quickly and makes eyes at Marlena. Lawler and Mero pair off, and Mero wipes the floor with the King. Lawler dives to his corner, and clings on to Hunter’s legs for safety like a terrified child. Eventually he sucks it up and decides to get back on the horse, and takes a big left from the boxer. Lawler manages to hold Mero hostage, drawing in Hunter for a cheap shot – but Mero ducks and Lawler eats it in the chops. Man alive, these guys are less coordinated than High Voltage. Helmsley finally takes the tag officially, and gets backdropped across the ring. Goldust gets the tag, and Hunter rushes to the safety of his corner, tagging in Lawler as fast as he can. I’m downright confused by the notion of Triple H showing that much ass against Goldust of all people, I can’t promise my system won’t shut down and go into shock at some point during this match. I’ve spent the last 15 years being led to believe that Hunter was the model from which all future wrestlers would be chiselled; a god I am not permitted to pray to as I am not worthy. All wrestlers tremble before his almighty manhood, but yet, Goldust scares the crap out of him? Of course, I wasn’t able to tell from that angle, but it’s entirely possible Goldust was fully erect; and Triple H needed to make haste to save his heterosexual image. Hunter starts causing a series of distractions with Goldust, and they’re able to double team Mero in the corner. Mero is able to get the hot tag, and Lawler rushes to his corner for the tag… only to see Hunter walking away. Lawler begs him to come back, and manages to rake the eyes to stop the attack. Now Triple H is willing to play ball, and they double team him ‘til Mero is brought back in. Helmsley pulls Mero to the floor, and Lawler gets in a free shot with his Invisible International Object. Because this is never going to end, we’ll need to throw in a commercial break.

Mero is snapping off a rana when we come back, and Goldust begs for the tag. Hunter tries to cut off the ring, but Mero gets to the corner, and Goldust dives on Helmsley with a ground and pound. An uppercut sends Helmsley flying backwards, and he gets tied up in the ropes. Goldust happily advances, and chokes Hunter in the ropes until he draws a DQ at 11:22. Mero gets in Goldust’s face, so Goldust punches HIM. Mero stands there in shock, as Hunter manages to squirm away. This entire match was a totally disjointed with zero flow, and they could have lopped 5 or 6 minutes off and got to the same result without aggravating the piss out of me. *

Earlier today, in the Alamodome (home of the Royal Rumble, this Sunday for the low low price of much more than $9.95), SYCHO SID stands in the empty arena, and whispers about all the pain he’s going to cause Shawn’s mother, Jose Lothario, and all his friends from his hometown. From the highest seat in the roof (in the roof?!?), they’ll see the look that tells them that Sid is the Master and Ruler of the World. I love the fact that Sid, given the week off RAW, decided that he would drive to San Antonio a week in advance of the pay-per-view, and stand around inside an empty arena screaming at absolutely nobody at all. What did he do as soon as the camera turned off? Did he just up and leave and find the nearest Sonic for some lunch? Did he tape Sid shirts under each individual chair so he can do his finest Oprah impression this weekend? “YOU GET A SHIRT – AND YOU GET A SHIRT!” Did he set up the ring? Did he stand in front of the concession stands, wrestling with the emotional choice of corn dog or nachos, before realizing there was nobody there? Honestly, I don’t even care for the rest of the matches tonight, I need to know what Sid is doing.

Meanwhile, LIVE, from San Antonio, SHAWN MICHAELS is partying with his 300 closest friends. Vince replays all the attacks on the Lothario family in recent months, including multiple shots of the powerbomb on Pete. Michaels figures if Sid wants to get cheap, he can be just as dirty, because he’s a Texan. “I’m all man, and at least a yard wide, if you know what I’m talking about.” I’m glad he brought it up; I was worried we’d go another week without a State Of His Penis address. Michaels reminds us that he’s the man, and the leader of the New Generation. “Nobody can work his ass into the ground like me!” Even from atop a cactus?

BRET HART comes gimping down to ringside following Steve Austin’s attack last night on Superstars. He joins the commentary team, and if he’s in a mood, he should be fun.

THE BRITISH BULLDOG vs. ROCKY MAIVIA

Bret calls Rocky the most promising wrestler he’s ever seen. I’ll give him credit for being a killer judge of character, because between that stupid grin and haircut, I’d have figured he was about 14 months shy of being feature endeavored. Bret’s sick of Steve Austin trying to end his career, and finds that the WWF has turned into a lawless land. As a result, he’s going to start playing by his own rules, and vows to turn Austin’s knees into talcum powder. Rocky hiptosses Bulldog around, while Honky changes the subject from Rocky because he’s sick to death of the verbal fellating. Honky promises to keep a close eye on Bret this weekend, because he’s still looking for a protégé. Bret doesn’t ignore it, because he may need some help in this lawless land. That leads to both guys jumping on Bret, reminding him there’s lots of rules around here. Bret: “You haven’t been watching my matches then.” CLARENCE MASON comes down to ringside to fire up the Bulldog and get him back in this. Bulldog, fully inspired, gets back in the ring so Rocky can continue working over his shoulder. That draws OWEN HART and his Slammy down to ringside, and heads right over to Bret to show off his award. Bret’s irritated with his annoying little brother, since things have been so harmonious at the Hart home over the Christmas holidays and here he is ruining things again. They stare each other down as we head to break.

Back from commercial, Owen’s still burning a hole through Bret. Rocky gets a close 2 off a sunset flip, but Bulldog pops up and hits a clothesline. Rocky hits a crossbody for 2, and Bulldog turns around with a standing vertical suplex for 2. Bret promises to win the Royal Rumble this weekend, bad ankle and all, as Rocky fires himself up with a Flip Flop and Fly. Cactus clothesline sees them both careen to the floor with some series momentum, and now STEVE AUSTIN bumrushes the Bulldog. Bret stands to fight, but Owen’s got his back to the Bulldog and has no idea what’s up – so he just keeps himself in Bret’s way. Bulldog eats a Stunner, and by the time Bret’s able to hop after him, AND Owen spies him, Austin’s already made his way to the back. Bulldog is counted out at 9:13. They ain’t much on the wrestling tonight, are they? *1/2

THE NATION OF DOMINATION are back in the locker room, and Vince asks if it’ll be every man for himself at the Rumble. Faarooq tells him there’s no chance, they’ll be completely unified as one.

A live shot airs of the party in San Antonio, and I’d LOVE to know just how in the hell ROCKY MAIVIA got from New York to Texas in the last 3 minutes.

THE UNDERTAKER vs. KONA CRUSH (with Faarooq, PG-13, and Clarence Mason)

The Undertaker goes right after Crush before PG-13 can even finish their pre-match rap, throwing him face first into the steps. Off the bell, Taker plants him with a DDT, and drops the leg. He heads up for Old School, but Faarooq shakes the ropes and Taker crashes down right on his rosary beads. Crush charges, but Taker backdrops him to the floor, and uses the break to shake off the ball-shot. Crush is pulled back to the apron, but he drops down with a jawbreaker and turns the tide. A spike piledriver gets Faarooq’s nodding approval. They move to the floor, and Taker is gently dropped face first across the guardrail. I’ve seen mothers put their babies to sleep with more aggression than that. VADER shows up at the top of the ramp, staring at Undertaker as we move to a commercial.

Crush works a head vice when we return, and the fans fire up a “JAILBIRD” chant. Vince hypes next week’s show, which will see the winner of the Royal Rumble take on the loser of the WWF Championship match. The fans work to rally Taker as he takes a backbreaker. Crush heads to the second rope, which is probably not where a man of his size belongs. Lo and behold, he misses a fist drop, and Undertaker takes over. A jumping clothesline sets up the Tombstone, but Crush drops off the back and hits a uranage! Crush holds his fist in the air to show off his black power, but Taker sits up and chokeslams him quickly. The Nation has enough, and attacks for the DQ at 8:41. *1/2

With Taker beaten down by the Nation, Vader takes advantage, hitting a pair of Vaderbombs! AHMED JOHNSON rushes down to save, smacking Crush in the back of the head with a 2x4 – but the Nation gangs up and stops that fast. Faarooq smashes it over Ahmed’s back a few times as we head off the air.


This was the end of a taping cycle; and they did their best to hype the Rumble with what they had, but man alive are these ever stale by the time we get to them. Thankfully, next week is live, and it’s fantastic. Granted, it won’t feature a 45 minute match during La Femme Nikita, but Bret Hart makes up for it. Stay tuned!

Comments

  1. Vince should exclaim his astonishment at certain maneuvers.

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  2. Foley hhh in 2000. One of the best matches ever at the time. I admit it lost a bit of luster post attitude era and may not hold up but it was pretty great and really solidified hhh as a main eventer.

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  3. Theberzerker Von HUSSingtonJanuary 24, 2015 at 9:18 PM

    About this topic...I was watching Rumble 2004 recently b/c i was there live and realized I had never watched it in any other format. I remember HATING the HBK/HHH Last Man Standing match live, it was so boring and felt like it took forever. But I'm watching it on the Network, and suddenly I love it. Well maybe not LOVE, but I definitely enjoyed it a hell of a lot more than watching it live. That ever happen to anyone else? Or vice versa, loving a match live but watching later televised it wasn't nearly as good?

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  4. Theberzerker Von HUSSingtonJanuary 24, 2015 at 9:19 PM

    Punk/Rock was severely disappointing. Not bad or anything, but a real letdown for sure.

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  5. Angle/Henry was awesome! Especially Taker's part at the end!

    Also, Lesnar v. Holly. Duh.

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  6. I thought it was kind of odd to put Lesnar/Cena (now with Rollins) on this year's Royal Rumble card. Seemed like it might have been a good idea to use Lesnar's appearance on last month's ppv since the Rumble match basically sells itself.

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  7. Agreed and wrote the same above before scrolling down. Forms while that was my favorite wwf match ever but I saw it again a few months ago and while it's still awesome, it didn't quite hold up the way I remembered it. But at the time I was blown away with that match

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  8. Shawn vs. Sid in 97 is pretty sweet, and Bret vs. Razor is not bad.

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  9. UN-BEE-LEEEEAVE-A-BLLLLE

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  10. Adam "Colorado" CurryJanuary 24, 2015 at 10:03 PM

    That's Sid's best match by a mile.

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  11. Adam "Colorado" CurryJanuary 24, 2015 at 10:05 PM

    I've never watched a match on TV that I saw live, now that I think about it, but I've only been to 3 PPVs.

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  12. Thanks for mentioning that UT-Rey match. Just watched it, and it was a friggin' blast.

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  13. Adam "Colorado" CurryJanuary 24, 2015 at 10:08 PM

    I'd call it bad, that match sucked.

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  14. I just watched this for the first time on Friday and I was surprised to see the Nation of Domination was almost all white guys. That's actually kinda funny.

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  15. Rey also worked a great title match with Kane at Summerslam 2010 (I believe)

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  16. That first one is still one of my favorite promos ever. SBG was so far ahead of his time it wasn't even funny.

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  17. Somebody give Adam a tape of Survivor Series 96 STAT!

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  18. ...Did you forget 2 of the greatest matches ever? Cactus vs HHH
    Foley v Rock? 2 vicious amazing brawls.

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  19. I saw it on TV and loved it from the first time. That's so weird to have that dichotomy between seeing a match in person and on TV and how that changes things (I never appreciated Benoit's arm selling during MITB 1 until I got to see it on TV and the announcers put it over; it was easy to miss live like I did). I think the only thing close is that I had fun at Judgment Day 2004 despite it being a fucking awful show, but I think that was just the booze.

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  20. Hardcore Holly is up there as one of the most filler-y #1 contender's in history.


    FUCKING HARDCORE HOLLY

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  21. It's a shit match, but it's a ***** train wreck. HHH is trying to carry this out to 20 minutes and is basically wrestling himself as Steiner spams the overhead suplex like an online SmackDown vs RAW opponent. Steiner gasses out, HHH gigging, Hebner refusing to throw the match, the crowd shitting on both guys, you can't look away.

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  22. And Mark Henry. Before Henry was cool sending people to the Hall of Pain.

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  23. rey-ut was at 2010 rr rey actually faced edge at the 08 show for the world heavyweight title. UT was in the rumble where him and shawn started it 1 and 2 the year after they were the last 2 in it.

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  24. come on though nothing touches steiner/hhh

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  25. do you think they knew and were waiting to see about the other sample or is that only done in pro sports

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  26. why its a violent sport the omitting of blood has made it cartoonish in many ways especially when they make a fool of themselves trying to stop an accidental cut in middle of the match

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  27. the match was terrible but the moment was great but flairs performance was surreal

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  28. Savage warrior for the crowd heat alons

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  29. I fought Rock vs Foley at 99 while brutal with the chair shots and bumps felt less of a worthwhile match unlike HHH vs Cactus.

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  30. I had forgotten it was a title match :(

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  31. Slaughter v Warrior you mean? Although it was a borderline handicap match :)

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  32. I ordered it as a kid and all the random disappearances was confusing as hell. Even if they held out guys and stuff I don't think that was any reason to do 3 v 3. They seriously had to have other guys there

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  33. Yeah, but Jake was fucking AWESOME on Tuesday in tx.

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  34. I just the PPV on, and I forgot that it literally *starts* with ten minutes of hype for a match that's not even on the card

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  35. They didn't even bother to name the show. This Tuesday in Texas is something my grandma would have called it.

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  36. I think this was the first WWF show I ever saw as a kid. Until this point, the only wrestling I watched, or could watch pre getting Sky was WCW Power Hour or whatever it was on ITV.

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  37. Flair, Mountie, Dibiase and Warlord. Swap Perfect at ringside into the Warlord's place and you have the greatest team in Survivor Series history.

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  38. Aye, it was friends taping stuff for me too. My nan used to tape me wrestling from ITV at 3am or whenever it aired. We FINALLY got Sky in late 93, by Mania X I'd given up on wrestling and stopped watching for years.

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  39. I was a Warlord mark when I was a kid. Because he was massive and strong.

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  40. Edge-Ziggler at 2011, probably Edges last really good match. Agree also about Cena-Umaga and Taker-Mysterio; both awesome.

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  41. Ditto again. I stopped after KOTR 94 and only got back into it around Backlash 2000.

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  42. I jumped back in in the summer of 97. Seeing that show I'd written off as lame 3 years earlier turn into this edgy, adult show was pretty crazy.

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  43. It was Heat on Channel 4 that got me back into it. We never had Sky *sniff*

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  44. 3 v 3 was seriously lame for a Survivor Series match. Thought so at the time and still think it now.

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  45. Angle/HHH was fantastic.

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  46. Oh shit - The Rock is in Philly http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/2015/01/adjust-your-royal-rumble-predictions-because-the-rock-is-in-philadelphia/

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  47. Well Piper may have been asked to lose a match and and we can't have that.

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  48. Watching old 1992 shit, Lord Alfred announces a special ref will be assigned for Hogan/Sid. Who was that going to be?

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  49. We passed on Survivor Series since it didn't fit the budget... and then we found out about Tuesday and ordered it since it cost about half of Survivor Series.

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  50. Off Topic - is the waste of potential for a huge Triple Threat feud/match featuring all the former Shield members the biggest fuck-up in booking that the WWE has made in the last ten years?

    I honestly think it's worse than the shit they pulled with Bryan vs Abeyance, or even the dropping of the ball with Cesaro.

    I'm just so disappointed at how they've treated Ambrose. There's no-one quite like the WWE at the moment for completely dropping the ball on good things. They should have kept all three Shield members apart, and kept them all strong, then as the "Road to Wrestlemania" started, have them begin to clash again and build up to a three-way match (title or not) at WM - even with no gold on the line, the crowds would have been eating it up.

    Instead, they've made Ambrose (who the fans love) look like a chump, Reigns has been over-pushed with ridiculously unsuitable promos that make him sound like an idiot (instead of just being the silent arse-kicker that made him popular in the first place) and only Rollins has been used in a decent manner.

    Honest to fuck - just chucking away the first Rollins v Reigns match on free TV with no fanfare at all was the absolute height of stupidity. Then they wonder why folk aren't clamouring for the PPVs...

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  51. 1993 Razor Ramon was a huge letdown

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  52. especially when one of the 3 heels walks out with the first elimination, so it goes from 3 vs LOD to IRS vs LOD and the show ends up a thud

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  53. and after slapping Elizabeth around he tells Tunney the bag was empty, lol

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  54. And Justin Gabriel has quit!

    :(

    He and Kidd should have been pushed like the new Hardy Boys - so much wasted potential for a brilliantly entertaining tag team who could carry broom handles to a good match.

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  55. Savage costing him the title after attacking him with the lighting is what got me hooked on wrestling... what a jerk, was awesome

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  56. What did Sid do that entire week? He went looking for the basement of the Alamo.

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  57. The first thing I would do with guys at NXT is sit them down and make them watch every second of the Jake-Macho feud. Heel Jake was just so amazing ... I would have had him beat Hogan for the belt instead of Undertaker, that would have been incredible. But I've always heard that Hogan never wanted to work with Jake was because he was always afraid that Jake would get more over

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  58. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x47xgu_jake-the-snake-interview-after-he-s_news

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  59. My family passed on both Survivor Series and This Tuesday in Texas. Instead, we ordered Starrcade '91.

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  60. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyJanuary 25, 2015 at 7:15 AM

    1, 2, ANNNNNND!

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  61. I was never a fan of Hardy but I thought they really blew that one. At the very least, let him kick out out of at least 1 finisher. Shit, even HHH did that the next month!

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  62. If you're speaking about just in general, yeah, they really could have done more (and done better) than what was presented.


    If you're speaking about a big "WM" program, though, then I would say that I'm okay with it not happening; sure, it'd be a nice upper-midcard kinda match now, but in a year or two, it could be a legitimate main-event program. I'm cool with them going their separate ways only to eventually going back to feuding after they've had more time and better booking.

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  63. I've always figured the shitty undercard was part of the test. If a show can sell on a Tuesday with a less than stellar card, then it was something worth pursuing. Putting a stacked card up kind of skews the experiment.

    By the way, apparently Justin Gabriel has quit WWE. Do you think he quit because he found out he wasn't going to win the Rumble?

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  64. Sexy Flexy Biff KensingtonJanuary 25, 2015 at 7:36 AM

    The '92 Rumble was a title match, so that should be included as well.

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  65. Ah, one of the most egregious cases of Hogan dickery.

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  66. I just watched the OSW review of both shows. What a political minefield Flair's booking turned out to be.


    This was the time where fans were starting to pretty noticeably boo Hogan; Flair was such a hot heel, however, that if they'd really gotten behind building to Hogan/Flair at WM8, Hogan could have been kept hot longer.

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  67. Did you pause it a bunch of times to try and see yourself? Im always too distracted to find myself In the crowd.

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  68. What was up with the Sheamus/orton match? I remember them being both heels, and normally Im all in a heel vs heel match (hello machoman/jake the snake) but that one was just boring. I mean maybe the match was good, but I just didnt care.

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  69. Im with ya. Blood is fine. A lot of blood is also fine If it adds something. That was just ridiculous. If it had no blood it wouldve had the same impact as a match.

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  70. I guess Justin was tired of waiting for the payoff to The Bunny angle.

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  71. Just curious, for those of you who were old enough to be invested and knew of Flair, what was your reaction when he showed up in '91?

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  72. Flair in the WWF. I shake my head. He gets ZERO offense sold in his first 90 second participation in the Survivor Series match, 90 seconds that includes one falling out of the ring and THREE Flair Flops. Good lord. Flair gets literally 30 seconds of offense in the entire match, he's portrayed as an absolute joke. Even Virgil kicks his ass. Unbelievable.

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  73. K-Kwik must be odds-on favourite for the Rumble. I fully expect him to get rowdy and move some things.

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  74. It was pretty surprising they gave him the belt at all. Watching 1992 WWF in 1994, you just don't get the feeling that Flair was a big deal.

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  75. 91 was when I started watching. Flair was my favourite, but that was solely based on him in the WWF. Rewatching Surivor Series 91, I'm surprised I wasn't more into the Mountie or the Warlord.

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  76. I'm old enough to remember his arrival in 1991. In fact, I saw him wrestle Kerry Von Erich at a house show in London a month after Summerslam 1991. However, my reaction was that I had no idea who he was and was unimpressed because he looked old and a bit saggy. I was only 12.

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  77. And of course now they play Piper's music while Monsoon goes on about how shit and lucky Flair was. Still. Probably not worth getting worked up over, eh?

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  78. It was amazing

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  79. Nice attendance. Did you go to Summerslam 92?

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  80. This other Bob pretty much has it all covered.

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  81. Sadly not. The house show I went to had, in hindsight, a few "wow" matches. Not least, Roddy Piper vs The Undertaker!

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  82. Some idiot at 411Mania did a Top 7 Rumble matches list. His list includes both 1995;and 1999. Oy

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  83. To be fair, Flair wasn't really ever a big offense guy.

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  84. Not too shabby! Never saw that on TV. I went to a house show in Sheffield in 93 that had Hogan vs Yokozuna on it. It was the last night of the tour and Hogan's last WWF match until 2002. I just looked up the rest of the card and it's pretty awful. Half the roster must have been on another tour.

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  85. In fairness to Monsoon, he really put Flair over at the '92 Rumble.

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  86. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

    But his opinion is ridiculous

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  87. Love that match.

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  88. With the exception of the Rumble, I really enjoyed the event itself.

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  89. Oh, 411Mania. Never change.

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  90. My reaction was, 'Hogan is going to kill him.'

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  91. "Because big man, I just burst that bubble you've been living in, and I'm here on YOUR doorstep with the REAL world championship belt." Fucking tremendous. Probably the greatest episode of Paul Bearer's shitty talk show there ever was.

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  92. He got'em! He got'em! No he didn't, no he didn't.

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  93. Yeah it was big but speaking as a wwf fan bc that's all I was really exposed to in the ny/nj area - flair represented the nwa, which we were conditioned to think was bush league and basically run out if someone's garage.

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  94. I made a similar point a few months back and someone brought up a good point - we still remember this tues in Texas all there years later whereas we can't remember much of the product over the past ten years because nothing really stands out

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  95. Well, as much as I'd like to see Brock working more non big four ppvs, with mania just around the corner, I'd rather have Brock at the rumble to get us all hyped for mania. Ideally he would be at both but that's not gonna happen.

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  96. The only thing that stands out about the show is the title change. That's only b/c the title very rarely changed hands. I don't even think the most hardcore of fans can name every match on the card through memory.

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  97. There can't be one person who believed Holly was leaving with the title that night.

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  98. Oh man, I forgot all about that but I do remember being very grossed out by it at the time. Those two sure loved to bleed back then.

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  99. Nope I just remember the name and the hogan ut match. I just meant that we remember the name of it bc it was unique

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  100. With Lucha Underground, NXT et NJPW on ASX TNA is just totally irrelevant at this point, the shitty copy of a shitty WWE show.

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  101. Yeah impact is pretty bad, your reviews are ok

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  102. And a very nice pop for the 3 count. Times they were a-changin.

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  103. Entertainment Weekly's website also has an article ranking the Rumbles but has such an douchebag Cena picture on the home page. He's so smirky and annoying-looking I want to burn an effigy of him.

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  104. Sexy Flexy Biff KensingtonJanuary 25, 2015 at 9:12 AM

    He's not actively bad like he used to be, just nondescript-kind of how I describe Reigns at this point in his career.

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  105. Consider that the ppv was during the week; the name served as a reminder of a significant difference. And, I don't care if they called it "we're gonna see if we can rape your wallets a little more, marks." Jake's advanced level of heeling - ring work and promos - were fucking genius.

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  106. Did Shawn really have the flu for that show? Or was it to just make him seem like more of an underdog and get sympathy?

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  107. Flair's promo after Hogan loses the title is outstanding. Still wish he'd been put over stronger in the opener.

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  108. That was the planned lineup they were building towards at WM 8 but then the heat from the steroid investigation was getting to be too much so Hogan needed to take time off and they switched up the card as a result. We never got that big Savage/Jake blowoff moment to their feud as a result. They just fizzled it at and jumped right into the she was mine before yours stuff. Its a shame

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  109. It was huge... but I was 7. I remember thinking, "he'd need to beat a lot of guys to get to Hulk Hogan."

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  110. Looked like a roided up Steve Austin.

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  111. They've always done stuff like that. It's called Monday Night RAW, and Friday Night Smackdown for a reason. Gotta hammer that home.

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  112. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 25, 2015 at 9:40 AM

    I was at the Cactus/Hunter match in the Garden. At one point they are brawling in the entrance way and someone yells DROP THE CAR ON HIM!!!....I miss the attitude era.

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  113. MikeyMike, JuggernautJanuary 25, 2015 at 9:54 AM

    I don't get how people hate Jeff Hardy.

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  114. MikeyMike, JuggernautJanuary 25, 2015 at 9:59 AM

    Justin Gabriel makes Shelton Benjamin look like Ric Flair in the charisma department.

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  115. His character and his fanbase are probably the reason for the hatred. I like Hardy myself, but I can understand why others wouldn't.

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  116. I think he was just hungover.

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  117. Yes, sorry for the brain fart. Not sure what I was thinking. Yes, warrior vs slaughter match wasn't good but the crowd was going crazy

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  118. In his book, Holly said that they were supposed to get 15-20 minutes but HBK/HHH went long. They had to cut the actual match down to 8 min which killed a lot of the stuff they were trying to build up to.

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  119. What they could have done, then, and I realize this wasn't their booking style, but have Flair go over Hogan at Wrestlemania 8 clean, showing that a skilled wrestler can beat even a strongman like Hulk. Perfect way to clear out some of the bigger steroid cases and start emphasizing smaller guys like Bret and Shawn. Then you can transition Flair into a feud with Savage, move the belt at Summer Slam, blow off Savage-Jake at Survivor Series, and then you've still got the rise of Bret Hart, who wins the 93 Rumble and gets his first title at Wrestlemania 9, rather then some random Saskatoon house show.

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  120. That's the scariest part. It's such a monumentally huge fuck-up, but one that was so SO easy to avoid. The whole thing wrote itself. Reigns being out with the hernia op even would have HELPED, as it gave a good reason for keeping the three apart short-term with there then being the scope for a big return moment.

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  121. True, granted, but that's why I say keep him in a good tag team.

    Kidd could carry the majority of the talking, and in the ring they both have charisma and ability to spare. (IMO of course)

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  122. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 25, 2015 at 10:41 AM

    I loved me some Tuesday in Texas. Even though I knew it was a work I really thought that eventually either Jake, Savage, or Liz were going to end up dead.

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  123. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 25, 2015 at 10:42 AM

    That shit was fucked up.

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  124. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJanuary 25, 2015 at 10:43 AM

    Was that Million Dollar Belt Virgil or Barber Pole Virgil...There's a difference you know

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  125. God, that's a top-10 Flair promo in my book. For once, he really looked like the "outsider" he should have been booked as, creating all kinds of chaos and upheaval.

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  126. The one and only time he ever did.

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  127. I was biased in favor of the WWF guys and thought they were all better than the "minor leagues" (the big exception being the Road Warriors, who I knew were better than any WWF team)--but I still felt Hogan *had* to beat Flair to truly cement his legacy. I was 10 so the exact words "cement a legacy" didn't enter my mind, but that was my thought process.

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  128. Supposedly was going to be Lou Ferrigno or a WBF guy.

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  129. Raw and Smackdown are actual names though. They just have the night of the week in them. Take out the Tuesday part and it's just Texas. Would you order a ppv called "Texas"

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  130. Jake was doing awesome stuff, but at the time us marks were trained to pay attention to certain shows. Saying hey, watch this show this Tuesday was not a great indicator that I needed to pay attention. If they couldn't be bothered then why would anyone else?

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  131. The name was just part of it. The matches were another.

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  132. yeeaaah like hhh-hbk savage-hogan lots of other examples over the years please add something more intelligent next time there daniel

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  133. I was pretty scared he'd screw with all of my fave faces. I thought of him as a guy that cheated like crazy and usually came out on top, so I hated his guts instantly. A showdown with Hogan seemed inevitable of course, but I was a huge Macho Man mark at that point and when he didn't win the Rumble nor get the nod by Jack Tunney, I was pretty over Hogan/Flair. When they changed the main event I of course freaked out and talked my parents into ordering the PPV.

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  134. I was equally an NWA/WCW and WWF fan at the time, so this was a HUGE deal to me. For years I had read the PWI magazines speculating about who would win a Flair-Hogan match, and now it was happening. Too bad they WWF'd it up.

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  135. I'm shocked Vince Russo didn't have a special In Your House in like Houston so that the subtitle could be T.I.T., though I guess he blew that load with the Terri Invitational Tournament.

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  136. I'm sure there was some of that, although I think it's the exception rather than the rule.. Increasing or decreasing the price of PPV tends to have lititle impact on buyrates at least when the product is not cold -- they are primarily impulse purchases.

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  137. Easy, big guy. Hogan-Taker was the announced main event. Let's get you cup of Sanka.

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  138. He did then too -- he tried to hardball up his percentage of the PPV revenue split with the PPV companies in 1990 by threatening that he wouldn't let the Rumble or WM6 appear on their networks. It did not work.

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  139. Zero chance Hogan jobs to flair at that mania. Not even an option at the time for many reasons.

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  140. I enjoyed the Bret Hart vs. Skinner match.

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  141. Wasn't it rumored that Sgt. Slaughter might fill that role too after they had their fallout with Ferrigno?

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  142. And Hogan basically won the title back in that match too - if the German match says

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  143. I think the Rumble's decent, actually. The one minute intervals thing was obviously shitty and stupid, but the show overall is so good that it works in context.

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  144. Oh, yeah, I know...that's just me fantasy booking what I would have done if I were in charge. No chance at all it would actually happen. No chance Hogan lays down for Flair, no chance they put a heel over in the main event (something they should have remembered at Wrestlemania 2000, IMO...I don't care that HHH-Rock did great business at Backlash, I still think it was the wrong finish).

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  145. Beats me. I don't think they mentioned the guest-ref for more than a week.

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  146. I almost feel like a feud like that would be considered "too intense" for todays' shows (I mean really... what were the last real "blood feuds" in the WWE? the kind of programs where you felt like those involved didn't just want to win but to HURT the other guy?).

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  147. what? if there is one thing that stands out about Tuesday in Texas, it's the Savage/Robert post-match angle.


    (I mean, just look at how often it's mentioned and praised in this thread)

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  148. you're not sure how old you were in November of 1991? Strange.

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  149. I absolutely LOVE OSW Review.

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  150. Given what Vince did to former NWA greats like Rhodes and Race, Flair is lucky the WWF didn't run with "Spartacus"

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  151. Yeah. But in those days it was unthinkable for the WWF to send a crowd home with a heel winning the championship. Until two months later lol

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  152. That's why, IMO, what actually did go down early in '92 was for the better. Hogan wouldn't have jobbed cleanly to Flair, if Flair did walk out of WM8 as champ it would've been a contrived overbooked clusterfuck somehow, and if Hogan was put over Flair it would have just been more of the same old same old. As a 11-year old mark I was sick to DEATH of Hogan by then, and his absence made '92 a fun year.

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  153. We were in the same boat. I was a total Warrior mark as a kid, and my heart was ripped out both when he lost the title to Slaughter and when he failed to get it back from Savage at SS 92. I hated Hogan because of it.

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  154. Bret vs Austin

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  155. Monsoon would always get himself really worked up over Flair, which was his way of putting him over... I'm a big Monsoon guy

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  156. it was great, but everyone wanted heel Undertaker to be champion

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  157. Kingston, Ontario Canada July 1992; Ted Dibiase vs The Undertaker!

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  158. I still love putting Starrcade 91 on in the background... the locker room cameras were hilarious

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  159. "Impact - More often than not considered the worst wrestling show on television"

    Probably because the people who consider that don't actually watch it. It's been great for over a year now.

    The problem with your reviews is that it's very easy to tell that you love NXT and hate TNA from the tone of your writing. You're basically trying to be the cool smark by jumping on both bandwagons, but it'd be much more refreshing if you tried to be objective. Since last year, I've noticed among online rasslin fans, that, for those who watch, they all admit that Impact has vastly improved and it's a good show these days. If you are one of those wrestling fans that refuses to give TNA credit when they deserve it, and pretend they are some kind of heroes of wrestling tier show, then you really shouldn't be reviewing it. Face it, if Kong and Havok were in NXT, you would be creaming your pants over the prospect of a match. The fact that you could hear the fans in the arena getting hyped for them, shows you are out of touch. Sorry to be so blunt, but it would be nice to see you develop a more journalistic tone to your reviews.

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  160. I'm not trying to be anything. I like NXT a lot better than Impact because NXT does things logically and builds them over time rather than just rushing through everything without letting it build up.

    As for Kong and Havok, I'd like them better in NXT because they would be better used and we wouldn't be getting to a battle of the titans when one titan has only been around for a few months.

    I treat the shows differently because i see them differently. I agree Impact has gotten better since Aces and 8's finally went away, but it's still far from a perfect show. I watch the shows and say what I see, and when I watch NXT I see a much better written and laid out show that doesn't rush through everything and keep going back to the same ideas that a lot of the fans seem burnt out on.

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