Hey Scott,
I don't know if you're watching the weekly shows any more, but if you are I'm sure you fast forward through most of it. So my question for you (and the blog) is this. What do you usually end up skipping? Divas matches? Roman Reigns promos? Big Show...anythings? Do you feel bad about skipping stuff, or is it the only way to make it through the slog that is three hours of slapdash booking?
I literally never watch anything but the weekly YouTube recap at this point. I'll watch segments on YouTube if they look interesting, but I lost any desire to sit down and watch the actual show years ago.
I used to watch the whole of Raw on my 1hr train journey to work. Skipping the boring (Sheamus, for example) matches, adverts and ENDLESS FUCKING RECAPS pairs the show down to a much nicer running order without really missing anything.
ReplyDeleteI can't even commit myself to watching the Hulu Plus version any more
ReplyDeleteI actually have genuine concern for Matt Perri's sanity, having to watch the full thing every week AND write about it AND try and make that interesting. Poor bastard never stood a chance.
ReplyDeleteAll of the ones on Raw and Smackdown.
ReplyDeleteWhat Scott said except for the weekly recap, I just watch segments if they sound alright in recaps.
ReplyDeleteLast three hour Raw I watched on record ended up taking me 40 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI always found it a shame that WCW always failed to make the most of Starrcade especially when it came to the main events, in the later years everything just ended with a run in/screwy finish. There was nothing special about Starrcade it just turned out to be like every other show.
ReplyDeleteI tried doing the Hulu version, but kept falling asleep. Who in the right mind can watch Raw for 3.25 hours Monday night? I watch bseball games every day of the season, and I can get through those much easier than the WWE haha superfun happy time program.
ReplyDelete......Im no anatomy expert, but surely its a choice of 5
ReplyDelete"DUS-TY RHODES!"
ReplyDelete-Idiot fan at Starrcade '85
If there was ever a time where I wanted to reach into my TV and choke a fan out, that was it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's how Bischoff wanted it.
ReplyDeleteYep. Starrcade was not Crockett exclusive yet.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
ReplyDeleteBischoff favored first Halloween Havoc as his big show, then moved to the Bash
I've said it a million times, but I watch most of Raw each week and am able to for three reasons: pot, having one of my best friends come over and watch every week, and a DVR. The upside of the three hour Raws is that there's usually two pretty good matches every show, which is just wizardry and inspiring feats of physical wonderment if you smoke enough. (We smoke enough.)
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, there's no way I could get through this shit. Even poorly booked, uninspired PPVs are usually still fun enough to watch on their own merit, though.
And he gets interviewed by "Mary Hart, Closed Alpha Version".
ReplyDeleteThe "Uh-Oh's" weren't coded in yet.
ReplyDeleteoverall presentation
ReplyDelete"What segments do you skip?"
ReplyDeleteUm...all of them.....?
Wrong pronunciation anyway.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows it's "DUTH-TY RHODES!"
The question should be flipped to ask "what segments do you watch?" because there ain't much these days that keeps my attention.
ReplyDeleteSuperbrawl was hyped as a big deal too.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a question like this, I want to run and order the Network.
ReplyDeleteThen I realize that the Network isn't for me.
For NXT, I have Hulu Plus already.
I have zero desire to watch what's current.
And watching old WWF, WCW, and ECW just depresses the hell out of me.
Back a bunch of years ago, TNA had their streaming service (it actually worked pretty damn well). I subscribed for the first year, and loved it. Then it started to depress the hell out of me, because their current product was REALLY bad, and all watching some of the amazing stuff they did was remind me of what they were capable of.
Same with the Network. I can't watch WWE on there, because it reminds me of how good they can be when they want to. And I can't watch WCW or ECW on there because they remind me of what isn't around any more.
Most matches I want to watch I already have from DVDs or whatever, so there's not a lot there for me.
I just like the parts with me in it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Clubberin was banned?
ReplyDeleteYou're right.
ReplyDeleteEspecially 97/98
Bischoff was very all over the place when it came to that.
Either that or he just didn't get the concept of year to year booking culminating in one big blowoff show
He was too busy running the pay windah.
ReplyDeleteI think Jim Herd/Bischoff both intended for Superbrawl to be the post-NWA 'big show".
ReplyDeleteStarrcade was turned into a gimmick show after the WWF forced cable companies to carry the Survivor Series at the exclusion of Starrcade in 1987, permanently forcing it away from its traditional Thanksgiving date. Many of those mid-1990s Starrcades were shown on Tuesday or Wednesday nights too to show how much of a shit they didn't give about them.
Bischoff did seem to change his mind a lot on what the biggest show was each year -- but I think that was the point and his plan to begin with. If any show can feel like a big one, you'll get your base audience to buy it everytime and they started making way more money on PPV in 1995 with full priced shows, while the WWF was leaving money on the table with the cut rate IYH ppvs.
Well his mentality was also every Nitro was the biggest night in the history of the sport.
ReplyDeleteDo managers count?
ReplyDeleteObviously a short term/long term trade off.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it expanded the business, but he couldnt out expand Vince over the long haul.
I think its a difference from shilling your product.
ReplyDeleteI mean would you be interested in schiavone all monotone doing pbp over a 96 NWO run-in?
Well that leaves you time to....review Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling!
ReplyDeleteUntil Russo joins...
ReplyDeleteAs usual, Dusty didn't feel the need to be in the spotlight and felt it best to give the other guys a chance to shine. #humble
ReplyDeleteOnes where Joe Gomez fails to return finally.
ReplyDeleteA very young Bret had tears in his eyes thinking of that selfless act. Actually, so did I. Thank you for not subjecting us to you, Dream.
ReplyDeleteI actually think it was a move that benefitted wrestling overall (well, financially). It was long theorized that wrestling had a base audience that would buy PPVs no matter what, but there was of course worries about saturating the market and causing buyrates to crash.
ReplyDeleteIt ended up coming out that way though -- the same 0.5 buyrate WCW was doing in 1993, they were also doing in 1995, except now they were getting it almost every month and at $30 instead of $20. In additon to their big shows that did good numbers too of course. The WWF followed soon after.
According to Tony Schiavone, they were all the biggest shows of all time.
ReplyDeletewell he was already 26 so not that young. I always find it funny how old Bret actually was for his run in WWF when he never seemed to age until right before he got the boot.
ReplyDeleteI was just gonna say that..
ReplyDeleteIt helps to participate in the BoD threads, otherwise the shows are intolerable.
ReplyDeleteStephanie McMahon's segments are an instant pass at this point, just because there's no drama in them. She's the villain that never loses and if she does, it isn't for very long.
ReplyDeleteHe may also have been checking to see if THERE'S A LADY! THERE'S A LADY IN THE MENS BATHROOM!
ReplyDeleteI skip the part that starts with "Then Now Forever" and pick it up again with the part that has a shot of the WWE graphic from above
ReplyDeletehi why dusty skip starrcade
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty funny, Ice Train.
ReplyDeleteWith kane and big show still on tv in 2015! It's like the attitude era never left.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they are really factored
ReplyDelete"running"
ReplyDeleteI'd rather watch Dusty jiggle and throw elbows than that Flair-Race snoozefest.
ReplyDelete#2. I'm not even sure you could say he won in convincing fashion since he had already lost that night and it was more Yoko screwing up than Bret beating him with one of his own moves.
ReplyDeletestar cade
ReplyDeleteKudos to your use of "the SummerSlam" just as Bret always referred to it.
ReplyDeleteI just watch the PPVs anymore and even then it's only because of the Network.
ReplyDeleteno sure, jyd
ReplyDeleteHis Big Show, you say?
ReplyDeleteSuperBrawl had bigger main events.
ReplyDeleteFlair-Fujinami
Sting-Luger
Sting-Vader
Flair-Vader
Hogan-Vader
Hogan-Giant
Hogan-Piper
Hogan-Sting
Hogan-Flair
...
The end product usually didn't live up to the hype, but they had some marquee matches for sure
Ronnie Garvin headlining a Starrcade is the NWA version of Miz main eventing a Wrestlemania
ReplyDeleteNot sure how accurate this source is but this page might be what you're looking for? http://web.archive.org/web/20020122051055/http://otherarena.com/
ReplyDeleteHad to make sure it was going to be a success first. If the show tanks, everyone gets the blame but Dusty, since he's not on it.
ReplyDeleteer you have to scroll down the right side and then click on TV ratings Archive to get to the page I meant.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that Flair-Race match really was pretty boring
ReplyDeleteOr maybe this is the direct link in question? http://web.archive.org/web/20020323232154/http://otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/ratingshistory.cgi?nitro,1997,ratings,compare,raw
ReplyDeleteThe only things I ever bother to watch are the PPVs. If I'm watching live, I find other things to do during promos, backstage skits, divas matches, Orton matches, Kane matches, and Cena matches, but I'll give most anything else a chance. If I'm watching on delay, I only watch things that involve Brock or that have been rated at least 4 stars by a few reviewers online.
ReplyDeleteNJPW World. About $8.XX a month, and worth every penny.
ReplyDeleteI think Starrcade 1989 was the time to finally put Luger over Flair decisively. After coming up short at Bash '88 and Starrcade '88, Luger turned heel and had his dominant US title reign through most of '89. Flair turned and had one of the best years of all time as top face. Starrcade '89 really could have been the culmination of the top heel (Lex) and face (Flair) meeting under reversed circumstances from the previous year. This time, however, Luger is blood-thirsty and underhanded, unlike in '88. He cheats like a motherfucker and takes the belt off Flair then continues his run as top heel to set up Sting as the next big babyface hero. Hold off on the Flair heel turn and wait for Sting-Flair down the road. Sting beating Luger for the world title at GAB '90 gives you a top heel for Sting to dethrone without burning the Flair match right away. Do a Sting-Luger series and save Flair-Sting for maybe Starrcade '90 or SuperBrawl, if you can keep the Flair/Sting buddy angle going that long.
ReplyDeleteUp with hope
ReplyDeleteDown with dope
On the rare occasions I watch Raw anything involving Miz, the divas, or Kane instantly makes me change the channel.
ReplyDeleteMe too
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea indeed! I personally loved Luger '89, as he was never as motivated as then, and if they would gave been able to keep that going for a few extra years... Would have been awesome.
ReplyDeleteBull's eye.
ReplyDeleteBRET NEVER AGED! I won't hear such nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThanks, yeah I guess Raw did beat Nitro in that second hour but from the review the guy wrote it seemed like it was more because of a bad Nitro as opposed to a good Raw.
ReplyDeleteIt was clear from Wrestling with Shadows Bret trusted Vince completely before the talk of how to end the Montreal match started. (Actually, I remember Meltzer writing that even the day of the show, Hart was worried about protecting himself from cheapshots from HBK, but a double-cross never really entered his mind.) So, he probably didn't think too much of it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is right. No way Vince would have put the belt on Bret if he knew he was leaving, so I don't think Vince had thoughts of getting rid of Bret until late August/September. I've always understood that Shawn started the trouble backstage over Bret's contract. I think Shawn's plan all along was to get Bret out of the company because he absolutely wasn't going to lose to him, and he knew that so long as Bret was a permanent part of WWF, then the pressure would be on him to return the job that Bret did for him at Wrestlemania 12. Shawn knew that if he could get Vince to see the necessity of getting rid of Bret, then it would be inevitable that the belt would have to pass from Bret to him.
ReplyDeleteCool idea, I always thought they missed the boat on Luger in 88, but there would've been the same issue as with Sting beating Flair: no other good heels. A heel Luger has more face opponents and it works pretty well.
ReplyDeletePretty much, except Ronnie Garvin was a legit badass whereas the Miz was a reality TV star that's not much bigger than Muggsy Bogues. Theoretically Garvin could beat Flair and actually had a nice run against him a year or two before that, but he was so far in the midcard that his sudden ascension just before Starrcade was a WTF? They were so intent on having Flair lose and regain the belt that everyone knew it and so Garvin was something like 5th pick after most of the top faces. If they'd planned it out it could've worked with a proper rebuild of Garvin though. The Miz headlining Wrestlemania would never work because no one ever took that idiot seriously. Nice midcard act nothing more.
ReplyDeleteThat line always cracked me up. Dusty's best work.
ReplyDeleteThat horrible ref spot at the end just ruins it. I know they wanted a special enforcer type, but man not having Tommy Young in there to do the spot right is a killer.
ReplyDeleteThe commercials are the best part.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised we haven't seen a Miz/Kane team yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this interesting insight on why Dusty Rhodes was not at the first Starrcade...
ReplyDeleteI just watch the PPv's and rely on the F4W radio shows for my Raw info.
ReplyDeleteI can watch Raw in about an hour, 45 minutes if the show is obviously crap.
ReplyDeleteI'll watch the beginning of the opening promo, FFWD through commercials. FFWD through all divas segments. FFWD through obvious low card trash (Fandango, PTP "comedy" segments). Watch the full matches with people who are good or at least interesting. Watch the mid card feuds that actually have my attention (Miz/Mizdow was a decent feud that went 2 months too long but I actually cared about that). FFWD through squashes. The mid show promo is almost always FFWD. FFWD through all the authority segments (usually covered above)
The DVR is the greatest invention in TV, I don't think I can watch stuff like wrestling without it. Yeah I miss the live threads for Raw but I save so much time.
Dory Funk pretty much booked the first Starrcade. Dusty had been in Florida before Starrcade '83. Basically, Dusty used the first Starrcade to hype his match with Flair at the second Starrcade.
ReplyDeleteI would have went with Flair vs. Muta, title vs. undefeated streak, Luger vs. Sting for the U.S. title and Steiners vs. Warriors for the tag titles.
ReplyDeletePeople forget the first show was considered a success but due to a snow storm, the closed circuit attendance wasn't what they were hoping for.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it might be the most overrated match ever
ReplyDeleteWhat about the idiot that wouldn't stop wooooooooing during Flair/Rhodes at Starrcade '85?
ReplyDeleteYeah, he was great during that heel run. Beating up Steamboat, Pillman, et al would have been even better against Flair and Sting
ReplyDeleteYeah, problem for Sting was that Flair was pretty much the top of the mountain in terms of heels. He won his first title from Flair and there was nothing much beyond fighting through Sid and Windham. A heel Luger would have been preferable over the "Black Scorpion" in 1990 too
ReplyDeleteFrom 1983-1990, Starrcade was the biggest event of the year. In 1993 it was clearly the biggest event. From 1996-1998, it was #1.
ReplyDeleteI dig that too. Luger could have either dropped the US title to Sting and moved on to Flair as a heel challenger, or Lex could have retained in the first meeting with Sting only to do a series of matches with him where Sting wins in the end
ReplyDeleteSting wins the U.S. title, Luger challenges Flair at Wrestle War.
ReplyDeletePerfect. Butterfly effect, but if Sting doesn't blow out his knee in this scenario, he could have had a nice US title reign until it was time to put him over Flair or Luger. Keeping Flair/Luger feuding over the World title gives you the choice of which to put Sting over too.
ReplyDeleteDusty became JCP's booker in 1984.
ReplyDeleteIf Flair doesn't turn, then there's no reason for Sting to climb that cage.
ReplyDeleteLugers wins via countout at WrestleWar, Luger wins the title at Capital Combat.
Off the top of my head.
ReplyDelete89- Flair (Great promos, great ringwork, overall his best year)
90- ????
91- Hogan (helped prop business up after the Warrior dip.. cant think of anyone else)
92- ????
93- Vader/Manami Toyota (just based on the classics they were having in 93. Business overall in wrestling too a dip and I cant think of a promo in 93 that resonated with me from anyone.)
94- Shane Douglas (took ECW from nothing, great mic, killed the NWA)
I'm usually not a fan of matches pre-85(rough estimate) but I really like Flair/Race.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Bischoff era, you could point to Bash being bigger
ReplyDeleteHogan/Flair
Hogan/Vader in a cage
NWO/Sting/Savage/Luger
Hogan/Rodman vs Luger Giant
Hogan/ROdman vs DDP/Malone
Its really all over the board.
What is troubling is that Starrcade was right there. during Christmas break. Kids are home. THats easy money if you booked everything to blowoff there.
For years the only thing I would ask for was Starrcade for xmas cuz we was poor growing up and the ppvs were 24.95 at the time.
Anything to help you make an informed decision.
ReplyDeleteI like Steamboat/Blanchard from 1984
ReplyDeleteThat's one match I figured I would love but I didn't think it rose above good.
ReplyDeleteKane is THE WORST. Everybody was raving about his promo Monday, but all I could do was facepalm.
ReplyDeleteI watch for her tight outfits.
ReplyDeleteI use DVR as well. Sadly I'm such a wrestling addict that I watch even the shitty stuff most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anyone who gets the El Rey network.
ReplyDeleteneed know star rm pic
ReplyDeleteHow do I watch Lucha underground?
ReplyDeleteI watch the Smackdown before the PPV and the PPVs. Smackdown recaps Raw and you usually get a few decent matches without all the excess shit.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to fast forward through crappy Hardy Boyz matches in 1998.
ReplyDeleteDaily motion for the full shows or their own YouTube channel where you can watch the best fight of each week.
ReplyDeleteEasier to list what I watch when I download Raw/SD: All women's matches, because they're just my thing even if they're mostly terrible. All Rusev/Lana stuff. Any matches that don't feel like filler, this can change depending on the mood. Basically, any midcard or better that aren't slapped together tags or boring rematches. Most promos, but that's become less lately because I will not watch Authority pointless crap.
ReplyDeleteIt's wierd that Bret wins the title at summerslam in hindsight, but he was still the guy in 1997.
ReplyDeleteThis. I'll still watch Bray, mindless BS or not. And Bryan; other than that it's mostly shit that either makes me change the channel (Orton, Kane/Show) or stuff that I'll just leave playing in the background while I listen to podcasts or catch up on Sunday night tv
ReplyDeleteDid Bruno and Backlund ever face each other? Bruno wrestled Pedro once, so face vs face matchup weren't unheard of back then.
ReplyDeleteWhen my buddy who I almost always watch with can't make it, I barely watch.
ReplyDeletejust reverse it.
ReplyDeletePlus NXT.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to explain this too me.
ReplyDeleteBest back hair
ReplyDeleteBruno or Albert?
I skip the Captain New Japan & Nakanishi stuff, that's about it though.
ReplyDeleteI feel he's right though on this.
ReplyDeleteThere's a strong sentiment of the south thinking the civil war still goes on.
On the list.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that after the infamous lockerroom fight between Bret and Shawn, Shawn gave Vince the "him or me" speech and Vince chose Shawn but by then the USA/Canada angle was so hot they had to pay it off with Bret getting the title.
ReplyDeletePlus, if I remember the Observer account after everything didn't Vince have a couple "about face's" on letting Bret walk? One day Bret's contract was bankrupting the company and the next he wanted Bret to stay. To me, I bet Vince thought he could manipulate the both of them to get what wanted which was out paying Bret Hart $1.5 million per year and at the same time getting Bret to put over Shawn on his way out. What should have happened is that Bret should have dropped the title back to The Undertaker and Kane's debut at Bad Blood should have cost The Undertaker the title in the Cell match against Shawn.
I used to watch and text with one of my buddies through the whole show, which made even the bad episodes bearable since someone was sharing my pain. Now, I barely watch at all. I just don't enjoy the show. I still dvr but I basically just watch the Cena open challenge and if cesaro and kidd have a match.
ReplyDeleteWith New Japan, I watch all the guys I know from pwg (Bucks, Romero, Omega, etc...) and any Nakamura or Ibushi matches.
Wasn't that also the pilot hour for "NWO Nitro" that was so terrible and bombed so badly it killed the idea of an exclusive NWO show and thus made Thunder redundant.
ReplyDeleteAh the days when Gorilla would call face vs face a scientific match up...
ReplyDeleteHow did you react?
ReplyDeleteYeah, the angle could start with Bruno riding a cart in the local Target and bumping into one of the endcaps that Douglas set up.
ReplyDelete"Hey Living Legend, you just knocked over my Charmin display, prepare to be FRANCHISED!!"
Sheiky Baby says "Fuck the WhiteGoodman..."
ReplyDeleteThat superfun happy time joke reminds me of the weird restaurant manager that always wanted his employees to put on a happy face in "Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead".
ReplyDeleteBesides the ascension one they did I actually like the PTP comedy stuff. I hope they get a good run this year.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised each time he spoke because I forgot he was even there, basically.
ReplyDeleteSuperstars, PPVs, NXT. Until Brock gets back or something else Happens.
ReplyDeletepot is for losers. those that try to let as many people as possible know that they use pot thinking they'll be seen as 'cool' are even bigger losers
ReplyDeleteSummerslam was aug 3 and the raw at msg vince told bret he wanted out of the deal was sept 22, so there was a decent gap in between for things to happen
ReplyDeleteIf in aug 97 the plan is to build to a hart/austin main event at WM 14, and taker/kane is already in motion, then who are the planning to pair with Michaels at mania 14?
ReplyDeleteBruno was doing commentary to get his mo ey that vince Sr and Jr owed him they screwed him on payouts and he was wrestling in the northeast because they weren't selling out
ReplyDeleteBruno drew in Canada and I think he drew in l.a also.
ReplyDeleteI heard it was a bet that vince Sr and Eddie graham had.that Backlund would draw. Bob had stacked undercards so idk if he was a Bruno or austin
ReplyDeleteGuys back then look older it's weird hulk at 35 looked way older than cena or bret at 35
ReplyDeleteExactly I heard the same
ReplyDeleteI think when steve got hurt and dx took off vince changed his mind.steve getting hurt left bret to fued with the patriot.when shawn is having classics with undertaker.and wwe was getting edgier and Bret wasn't comfortable with the direction so vince let him go
ReplyDeleteDx was over people at my school were all over them .they weren't austin over but they were over
ReplyDeleteIt was a snowball of bret in early 97 austin and dx all of it helped
ReplyDeleteI hated shawn at the time
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure they were going to do HBK/HHH to put Hunter over as a main event guy. DX was never supposed to be a long-term deal, only a platform to give Triple H a push.
ReplyDelete