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Post by dbutler69 on Jan 2, 2024 15:12:22 GMT -5
Wow. I wouldn't even call those action figures. They're just figurines.
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Post by commond on Jan 2, 2024 17:02:49 GMT -5
At least you got WCW tapes in the UK. We got nothing in New Zealand. It wasn't until 1997 that we received WCW commercial tapes. I basically followed WCW through Worldwide and then Pro. We did get some old 88-89 commercial tapes, however.
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 2, 2024 18:10:39 GMT -5
At least you got WCW tapes in the UK. We got nothing in New Zealand. It wasn't until 1997 that we received WCW commercial tapes. I basically followed WCW through Worldwide and then Pro. We did get some old 88-89 commercial tapes, however. Did any World of Sport matches air in New Zealand?
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Post by commond on Jan 2, 2024 18:41:20 GMT -5
At least you got WCW tapes in the UK. We got nothing in New Zealand. It wasn't until 1997 that we received WCW commercial tapes. I basically followed WCW through Worldwide and then Pro. We did get some old 88-89 commercial tapes, however. Did any World of Sport matches air in New Zealand? Not that I'm aware of, though ITV did sell 16mm film prints to overseas broadcasters in the 60s and 70s. New Zealand had its own wrestling TV show called On The Mat, which occasionally aired footage from overseas territories, particularly when it pertained to a big star heading to NZ. My parents used to watch On The Mat and attend live shows when they were dating. It was somewhat similar to ITV wrestling in terms of its set up and presentation, though a bit more amateurish and more of a roughhouse style. There are some shows available on YouTube. Here's an amusing clip:
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 3, 2024 7:41:16 GMT -5
I don’t think this one got a UK release, I hunted for it for years:
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 4, 2024 5:18:31 GMT -5
Twenty five years ago today, the Fingerpoke of Doom took place on Nitro.
One word: pathetic.
There are countless reasons why WCW died, going back to the corporate nonsense post-1988, Russo’s incongruous crap, Jamie Kellner (screw him), etc. It’s hard to point at one thing. If WCW was a hospital patient, then it was killed by countless incompetent doctors who prescribed the wrong medication, gave poor healthcare, etc. And something like the Fingerpoke of Doom didn’t help.
At the time, there was some intrigue for Hogan/Nash. We’d got two factions of the nWo, one led by Hogan, one led by Nash. Goldberg had been defeated at Starrcade 1998. I don’t think Hogan and Nash had had a singles match of any kind at that point (they may have been on opposing tag teams). Many, myself included, were at least interested in the novelty of Hogan/Nash, especially as they led separate factions. And we got…a joke of a ‘match’. Also, you know what else happened on that infamous broadcast.
Goldberg was just a “spare part” here. This was the Hogan ego at work (and Nash). Did Hogan really think this would draw fans? Or lead to any intrigue? Seven years prior to this, people were intrigued to see how Sting/Vader would progress, or what Steamboat/Rude would result in. I am almost certain that no fan in January 1999 said, “Wow, that Fingerpoke of Doom, eh? I must tune in next week. I wonder what the next PPV will be about, too.”
Like I said, pathetic. It pissed off many fans. How many began to drift away in 1999?
I know the roots of this go back years. Goldberg wins the world title in July of 1998, yet plays second fiddle to Hogan’s tag matches (and doesn’t even appear at one PPV). I’d be inclined to believe this Fingerpoke of Doom was Hogan undermining Goldberg. And, of course, the Hogan Ego surfaced again months later when, thinking only of himself, he reverted back to his babyface persona with little fanfare.
If WCW was “flatlining” before this, I believe the Fingerpoke of Doom is the point at which WCW entered a point of no return. For all the criticisms of Vince Russo, WCW was dying long before he came along.
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 6, 2024 6:26:48 GMT -5
Okay, someone online posted an interesting question: was the bout between Thunderlips and Rocky Balboa the first MMA bout?
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 6, 2024 6:44:03 GMT -5
Incredible stuff:
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 6, 2024 7:08:45 GMT -5
Some online are saying Roman Reigns’ title defences are meaningless because you know he’ll retain, so that the Cody story can presumably finish.
I do feel there is an oddness about such comments, which ignores the history of wrestling. When Hogan defended the WWF Championship against One Man Gang, or Sgt. Slaughter at London Arena, did people really think Hogan was losing? When Ultimate Warrior defended the WWF Championship against Mr. Perfect in a televised bout, did people really think Warrior was losing?
Surprises are good. Suspension of disbelief is fine, but you have to immerse yourself in the moment, I feel. But deep down, we know when things will happen. Not always (I really expected Luger to win the world title at SummerSlam ‘93), but most of the time, you know what is happening. During Roman Reigns’ reign, I knew he wasn’t losing to Cesaro or LA Knight. Just as I knew back in the day, that One Man Gang wasn’t walking out of the building with the WWF Championship.
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 6, 2024 8:24:58 GMT -5
Look at this:
Well, you clearly give a crap, Russo, given you’re commenting on it. Some people do probably find Meltzer’s ratings useful (I don’t really take notice). I doubt anyone found you winning the world title to be useful.
I wish the man had never been in the wrestling business. Why, oh, why, did the WWF have to give him a freelance writing job?
But, hey, he doesn’t give a crap. He’d only give a crap if it was a 90-second pole match featuring Ed Ferrara and which appealed to the casual fans…
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Post by dbutler69 on Jan 6, 2024 8:56:03 GMT -5
Okay, someone online posted an interesting question: was the bout between Thunderlips and Rocky Balboa the first MMA bout? I haven't watched that movie in decades, but back in the 80's, I happened to have it on VHS (I must have recorded it off of HBO) and I watched it so many times one summer that I had all of the dialogue memorized. So, teenage me would probably give it at least 4 stars, but I don't know how adult me would grade it.
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 7, 2024 5:53:43 GMT -5
Saw mention of the WWE World Championship belt from 1963. Hmmm, how peculiar, there was no WWE in 1963. I think they mean WWWF.
Can we get a federal law that WWE can only be used for mention of 2002 and onwards? It’s even more stupid when you see the old WWF logo on screen and a voiceover mentions WWE…
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 7, 2024 8:26:05 GMT -5
Look at this: Well, you clearly give a crap, Russo, given you’re commenting on it. Some people do probably find Meltzer’s ratings useful (I don’t really take notice). I doubt anyone found you winning the world title to be useful. I wish the man had never been in the wrestling business. Why, oh, why, did the WWF have to give him a freelance writing job? But, hey, he doesn’t give a crap. He’d only give a crap if it was a 90-second pole match featuring Ed Ferrara and which appealed to the casual fans… I don't love Metzler either... I feel like he is actually bad for wrestling at this point, but russo is certainly much worse. Also, I have not idea what the ratings scale is but not sure how it could be better than Danielson finishing the match with a broken arm...
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Post by driver1980 on Jan 7, 2024 9:15:20 GMT -5
Why do you believe Meltzer is bad for wrestling at this point? I’d be interested in your thoughts, wildfire2099.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jan 7, 2024 12:52:36 GMT -5
Why do you believe Meltzer is bad for wrestling at this point? I’d be interested in your thoughts, wildfire2099 . He seems to feel obligated to write about everything, even when he has no knowledge of it, which makes people not trust the dirt sheets in general (partially because they all do the same thing) I have a friend that described them as the new kayfabe...which I think is pretty valid. you get a rumor out there, everyone jumps on it, then you do something else. Look at the Adam Cole injury... it took a month for people to believe it was legit. Or Sasha Banks/Mercedes Mone... she's been going to everywhere for a year and still isn't signed anywhere. His ratings are silly too... you can have more than stars on a star scale, that's not how ratings work. He also has massive biases, which annoy people and divides fans I feel.
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