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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 23, 2024 7:51:19 GMT -5
That’s an interesting one. I’m sure I once read that Andre had some pinfall victories over Warrior prior to that event. Piper was another one, with the WWF claiming he wasn’t pinned until he lost to Bret at WM VIII. My memory is telling me Superfly got a televised pinfall win over him. Makes you think about social media now. No way could they put out a narrative like they did back in the day. Sometimes I do defend the hype, though: the WWF could hardly have promoted Hogan/Andre at WM III with, “Hogan vs. Andre in Michigan! Can Hogan defeat Andre, who has been pinned previously? And can Hogan become the next guy to slam him?” So I get that they pushed Andre as undefeated and having never been slammed. But other times, it felt silly. You're right about Andre and WM III. I'm glad we could enjoy some wrestling before social media and the internet came around to spoil some of this fun. Obviously kayfabe is also impossible in today's day and age. I seem to recall reading about some rather salacious tales involving baseball players that were witnessed by reporters of the time but never reported, as they were travelling with these players an had some discretion as to what to report and what not to. Probably for the best in some cases. Nothing ever goes unreported today, whether it really happened or not.
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 23, 2024 8:14:57 GMT -5
Here’s another UK-specific release: Were these matches selected by fans, or chosen entirely by the WWF? It’s hard to say. I did send postcards to the licensee, Silver Vision, and often had responses back (none of my matches were ever chosen). I can imagine fans requesting, say, Undertaker vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, but would someone really have requested some of the matches listed there?
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 24, 2024 9:05:17 GMT -5
Is there any particular reason why WrestleMania 2 took place on a Monday? Not the most important thing to discuss, but I have always wondered why.
And, on another note, anyone know why Gorilla Monsoon was absent from SummerSlam 1989?
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Mar 24, 2024 9:31:42 GMT -5
I believe several of the early WWF PPVs took place outside of what would become the standard Sunday night slot. Summerslam 1991 was another one that took place on a Monday. It wasn't until the mid 90s that Sunday night was applied to every PPV
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 24, 2024 9:36:17 GMT -5
Worth reading up on again. I know some were on Tuesday. I wonder what the optimum night for a PPV is (possibly none, given people’s lives are different).
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Mar 24, 2024 10:47:11 GMT -5
In recent years, both WWE and AEW have mostly settled on Saturday night, which I think is best, since a lot of fans like to get together and indulge in alcohol and other things while watching a show and not have to worry about getting up early for work on Monday
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Post by commond on Mar 24, 2024 16:50:38 GMT -5
Gorilla stepped aside for Tony Schiavone, but Vince didn't like Tony's work. Vince was always trying to get rid of Gorilla. I think it's because Gorilla was a remnant of his father's promotion and he totally wanted to severe those ties with the past. Fortunately for us fans, Jesse quit and we got the Gorilla/Heenan run.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 24, 2024 19:39:06 GMT -5
In regards to why Monday, my first thought was that Monday was traditionally the night where the WWF had their MSG matches. However, the New York segment was from the Nassau Coliseum, not Madison Square Garden. Wrestlemania 1 came from MSG, on a Sunday., though.
My next though is that it was most likely the best day to run the three separate locations, for PPV. You have to coordinate 3 buildings, in three different cities, in 3 different time zones, plus sync it up to satellite feed, for PPV. So, I'd be willing to bet it was dictated by the logistics of the event. Notice they didn't do that again.
PPV window might have been another reason. Still early days for both the industry and the WWF putting on events via PPV.
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 25, 2024 16:29:16 GMT -5
Great promo:
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Post by Rags on Mar 26, 2024 11:39:10 GMT -5
RAW ended on a high note last night....finally a Rock beatdown on Cody complete with blood and F-Bombs. Not to takeaway from it but Reigns is getting overshadowed in his own title match....all we got from him was some boring banter on Smackdown last Friday.
From what I've heard, it's Cody vs Rock at Summer Slam.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 27, 2024 22:40:08 GMT -5
The documentary Memphis Heat is available (for the time being) on Youtube, for free viewing.
A bit of a history of Memphis wrestling, but mostly centering around Jerry Jarrett, as promoter, rather than the Gulas/Welch days or earlier (other than as background). Doesn't get into their really hot 80s material, apart from Andy Kauffman, as much, like The Fabulous Ones; but there is some footage here and there. Cornette gets shown in a photo, with Jimmy Hart, but isn't interviewed. This was from 2011. Those interviewed included:
Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Hart Jimmy Valiant, Referee Jerry Calhoun, Bill Dundee, Rocky Johnson, Sputnik Monroe, Jackie Fargo, Len Rossi, Billy Wicks, and Buddy Wayne. No Corny, no Fabs, no Austin idol or Dutch Mantell, no George Gulas, no Bobby Eaton or Koko B Ware, and no Dave Brown. Most conspicuous by his absence, but featured and discussed, is Lance Russell, who was alive and in good health, still, at that stage. Guy Coffey, the building promoter for Memphis was interviewed and died before the film was finished. It kind of ends with Jimmy Hart leaving for the WWF, then mostly covers it continuing into the 90s, via on screen text, over footage. No mention of the USWA era or the sale.
Still, some good interviews and footage, though Jackie Fargo is the only one who doesn't break kayfabe, acting like his matches were real fights. Even Sputnik Monroe, Len Rossi and Buddy Wicks talk about how angles were booked, including Wicks talking about how Sputnik was booked to win a Cadillac and then Gulas & Welch changed their minds and had Wicks go over and win the car.....
...and a $5000 promissory note that he had to pay off, to keep it.
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 28, 2024 6:56:31 GMT -5
Sounds interesting, but shame the USWA didn’t get mentioned. Some USWA tapes were released in the UK. I can only remember four, but it was always good to see stuff outside the Big Two. Here’s one of them:
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 28, 2024 7:02:34 GMT -5
Saw a question posed elsewhere, so I’ll put it to people here.
My two cents: Attitude had a limited shelf life, and Austin’s brief run at the top was a memorable one, but by 2001, he’d probably peaked. That’s no reflection on him, but the pace of the Attitude Era meant Austin had done all he could have done within that brief window, so would fans really have had more enthusiasm for more Austin vs. McMahon, or Austin vs. Flair (with Flair in a corrupt promoter role), etc?
Dream bouts like Austin vs. Brock Lesnar might have been fun, but sometimes I think less is more. When there were fewer PPVs, and world champion appearances were limited to SNME and PPVs, time seemed to move slowly, and some of us didn’t get as tired; however, during Austin’s Era, he was on TV and PPV regularly, so by 2001, many fans were probably ready for other things. Maybe.
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 28, 2024 15:11:13 GMT -5
On this day 25 years ago, WrestleMania XV aired on PPV, taking place at the First Union Center in Philadelphia: This isn’t one of my favourite WM events. Stone Cold Steve Austin defeating The Rock for the WWF Championship is pretty much the only reason to revisit this for me, and I don’t even think it’s the best match that they had. I’m really not sure why Big Boss Man vs. Undertaker had to be a Hell in a Cell match. I know the Corporation and Ministry were feuding, but I just can’t see a compelling reason for this to have been a Hell in a Cell match. The rest of the card is solid, I guess, but I find it hard to state that there’s anything here that really stands out. The whole thing left me feeling unfulfilled. Wasn’t this the first WWF event released on DVD?
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Post by driver1980 on Mar 29, 2024 13:22:09 GMT -5
Thirty years ago today, Men on a Mission won the WWF Tag Team Titles from The Quebecers at a post- WrestleMania house show in London, England. Sadly, the reign lasted only 2 days, as The Quebecers regained the belts two days later in Sheffield. I’m gonna presume the reign occurred to give those in attendance in London something to be happy about.
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