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Post by driver1980 on Nov 24, 2023 6:46:09 GMT -5
Forty years ago today, Starrcade 1983 was broadcast on closed-circuit television, taking place at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex: ![](https://i.imgur.com/SG5sOXu.jpg) When I first saw this event on videotape, the Roddy Piper/Greg Valentine bout was probably the most violent bout I’d seen at that point. It was certainly different from the “cartoony violence” I’d seen in the WWF. And, of course, there was the very believable and emotional main event between Flair and Race. Vince Russo can whine about all sorts of nonsense (he recently asked again about ‘fake fights’). He’s an idiot. The fact is, the likes of Flair and Race made us suspend our disbelief. Mind you, I suppose Russo thinks it’d have worked better if a comedy actor had won the belt in a tag match. At the time of seeing this, I equated the style with some of the stuff I’d seen on World of Sport. I’ll always love the cartoony WWF style, but when I first got to grips with NWA/JCP/WCW, and the like, it was a whole different world. Not better than WWF, not worse, just different. And that’s what I like. And that’s what Russo failed to understand when he turned WCW into WWF Attitude-Lite.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 24, 2023 7:13:01 GMT -5
On this day 35 years ago, Survivor Series 1988 aired on PPV, taking place at the Richfield Coliseum, Ohio: ![](https://i.imgur.com/PqgtUpj.jpg) This is a great PPV. The 10-on-10 tag match was brilliant, and it shows just how far the tag team division fell years later. No way could they have done such a match like that in he 2000s. The ending was a tad confusing, though. Forgive my idiocy, but I thought Mr. Fuji had turned babyface. And then I realised the Powers of Pain had turned heel, but they won the match when Barbarian pinned Uno of The Conquistadors - who were heels. I got it in the end. Team Hacksaw/Jake Roberts vs Team Andre/Dino Bravo was a good mix of talent, and is perhaps my favourite match on the card. Team Warrior/Brutus Beefcake vs Team Outlaw Ron Bass/Team Honky Tonk Man is solid, but I think the most memorable moment is Bad News Brown abandoning his team after teammate Greg Valentine accidentally hit him. As Jesse Ventura stated, “I don’t think this guy can get along with anyone!” Team Hogan/Macho Man vs Team Big Boss Man/Akeem was a good main event, with many memorable moments, such as Slick taunting a handcuffed Hogan by showing him the keys. It all ended on a good note, with the babyface team getting the victory.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 24, 2023 21:42:30 GMT -5
Forty years ago today, Starrcade 1983 was broadcast on closed-circuit television, taking place at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex: ![](https://i.imgur.com/SG5sOXu.jpg) When I first saw this event on videotape, the Roddy Piper/Greg Valentine bout was probably the most violent bout I’d seen at that point. It was certainly different from the “cartoony violence” I’d seen in the WWF. And, of course, there was the very believable and emotional main event between Flair and Race. Vince Russo can whine about all sorts of nonsense (he recently asked again about ‘fake fights’). He’s an idiot. The fact is, the likes of Flair and Race made us suspend our disbelief. Mind you, I suppose Russo thinks it’d have worked better if a comedy actor had won the belt in a tag match. At the time of seeing this, I equated the style with some of the stuff I’d seen on World of Sport. I’ll always love the cartoony WWF style, but when I first got to grips with NWA/JCP/WCW, and the like, it was a whole different world. Not better than WWF, not worse, just different. And that’s what I like. And that’s what Russo failed to understand when he turned WCW into WWF Attitude-Lite. At the time, PWI had a card listing that included Hulk Hogan, though in questioning Mid-Atlantic people on the Wrestling Classics board, it doesn't seem like they ever advertised him as being on the card. He finished up with the AWA in mid-November and then went to Japan for a tour, with Inoki, doing the MSG Tag League Tournament, where he was teamed with Inoki. He couldn't have done the show if he had wanted. Never did know if PWI completely fabricated him on the card or they had talked about trying to book him, then Hogan declined but Apter already had the magazine ready for the printer (it was possible, as there was about a 2-3 month lag between events happening and appearing in the magazine. Piper and Valentine had a violent feud over the US title and they did an angle where Valentine hit him in the side of the head, with the belt and bloodied Piper's ear, and supposedly suffered hearing damage. I have heard mixed things about it being a complete work, with a blade job and that it was a work, but he did have injuries to the ear, from some stiff shit, that caused some actual damage, which was exaggerated. Piper was fantastic, in Mid-Atlantic, in that period. That also featured the culmination of the feud between Steamboat & Youngblood and the Briscos, after they had turned heel. Carlos Colon being on the card seemed a bit out of place, but there had been some talent exchanges there, with Puerto Rico. Dusty was brought in to help book the card and it is kind of the beginning of him booking for Crockett. His hands are all over the next year's, as the main event is him challenging for the title, with Joe Frazier as referee, who stops it when Dusty bleeds. Dusty used to bleed in the ring introductions! To me, in that era, Mid-Atlantic was just about the pinnacle of the wrestling world, in that period, with the possible exception of Mid-South . I didn't see enough Florida to compare and that was about the end, for it, as Dusty took a lot of people with him.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 25, 2023 7:13:02 GMT -5
And here’s the Olympia Stadium: ![](https://i.imgur.com/r6RB6Kh.jpg)
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Post by Rags on Nov 25, 2023 14:04:05 GMT -5
My prediction for Survivor Series
I'm not expecting Randy Orton to turn on Cody but Jey Uso is another story and I suspect Judgement Day might pick up the win to keep them relevant.
I'm not really into this one but will still watch it.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 25, 2023 14:27:04 GMT -5
My prediction for Survivor Series
I'm not expecting Randy Orton to turn on Cody but Jey Uso is another story and I suspect Judgement Day might pick up the win to keep them relevant.
I'm not really into this one but will still watch it.
I’m not really into it, either. I just think War Games is an overrated concept. You have to wait until all of the participants are actually in the bout until pinfalls and submissions can be attempted. And today, it just feels like a gimmick that WWE wheels out rather than one that is needed. In its prime, it felt like a way to settle grudges ( Fall Brawl 1994 features one of the most underrated War Games ever), but in today’s landscape, it just feels like creative are saying, “Right, it’s that time of year, who can we put against each other?” I wish we could have traditional Survivor matches.
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Post by Rags on Nov 25, 2023 14:43:28 GMT -5
I also need to mention that I always take a tea-break when Pretty Deadly come on. Can't stand them. Their attire is a turn off.
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Post by Rags on Nov 26, 2023 8:46:13 GMT -5
Really, the Undisputed Champion should be at one of the Big Four PPVs. As for Punk, I’ll only believe it when I see it…
Believe it, he's back, he came on at the very end.
Punk and Orton back at the same time should mix it up quite a bit.
I enjoyed Survivor series more than I thought I would...the ladies match was quite good.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 26, 2023 9:26:46 GMT -5
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 26, 2023 20:45:21 GMT -5
The Eatons were really the promoters of the Olympic Auditorium, more than the wrestling itself, until later, and boxing was always bigger than wrestling. The glory days were over by the end of the 60s and they were in bad shape, in the 70s. The Piper vs the Guerreros feud livened it up for a bit, then it really sunk low. They were pretty much just on a Spanish language station, in their latter days, which hurt them a lot. Most of the California guys supplemented their income with gigs in Hollywood, either doing stunts or bit parts. You used to see Jack Armstrong in all kinds of things, plus some of the others. Gene LeBell was doing stunts and bit parts for quite a while, while doing interviews and such for the tv. Mike was the promoter in the 70s and the end and pretty much ran it into the ground, though, without tv, there is only so much you could do. The income from the Olympic was the main thing.
Like it mentions, the Olympic was also home to the LA Thunderbirds Roller Games team (the rival promotion to the older Roller Derby). In the 70s, they were probably drawing bigger crowds than wrestling. Of course, at least 2/3 of the arenas you would see in tv and movies were actually scenes shot in the Olympic.
I used to think it was the Olympic that was featured in Xanadu; but, later learned it was the Pan Pacific Auditorium, where wrestling matches were held, in LA, for a long time, which Gene Kelly refers to, in the film, and provided the iconic art deco entranceway.
You can see the Olympic in these clips from the Bionic Woman, "In This Corner," where Jamie goes undercover as a lady wrestler.
Evil Mr Roper! That's Gene LeBell as the referee, and Norman Fell playing the villain, before Three's Company hit it big. That show premiered the same year; but I don't know which was filmed first.
Some more footage from the opening of Mother, Juggs & Speed (great movie).....
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 26, 2023 20:49:46 GMT -5
Tony Khan is apparently getting an #$$-whooping on his Twitter feed, with Punk's return. Not too many rising to his defense, either. Some excerpts.......
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Post by commond on Nov 27, 2023 7:28:01 GMT -5
We should start a pool on how long it takes CM Punk to get injured or have heat with someone.
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Post by Rags on Nov 27, 2023 17:30:10 GMT -5
We should start a pool on how long it takes CM Punk to get injured or have heat with someone.
Only a matter of time before Punk has a non-scripted problem with someone, it follows him like a cancer....it's why I don't fancy him. And yet the fans genuinely like him, he got a hero's reception at Survivor series.
There were also fan-videos of Seth screaming and middle-fingering Punk when he appeared, that's genuine hate.....RAW will be interesting tonight with both him and Orton (I'm assuming one will go to Smackdown to feud with Reins)....
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Post by Batflunkie on Nov 28, 2023 19:17:41 GMT -5
Well looks like Knight is the new face of Slim Jim
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Post by wildfire2099 on Nov 28, 2023 21:14:19 GMT -5
Marks gonna mark. I honestly can say I don't have any interest in Punk in WWE... what's he could do to there? He's not going to be the one to beat reigns, and no one WWE can work like the guys he was working with in WWE... I think he's going to get exposed pretty quickly.
But then, he might not actually wrestle until the rumble, so maybe I'm wrong there.
AEW has definitely lost some momentum, but having Punk certainly wouldn't be the answer.
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