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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 6, 2024 20:41:23 GMT -5
Could somebody please tell me why this guy is so obsessed with ‘casual fans’? x.com/THEVinceRusso/status/1820899748791898469You know, maybe that is where the likes of David Chase were wrong, he shouldn’t have written The Sopranos for loyal viewers, he should have written it for short-attention span morons like Russo and the ‘casual viewer’ who might just wish to check in on Tony Soprano once a season. He uses the term wrong, but he has a point. Some people will never watch pro wrestling; it isn't their thing, they find it beneath them, it's barbaric...whatever. No point in trying to convince them that your product will entertain them. At the other extreme, you have the hardcore fan, who is so in love with wrestling they will tune in, no matter what. You don't have to cater to them, they will always be there. Everyone else falls somewhere in between. They will tune in, buy tickets or a PPV, if you give them a reason. They are casual fans. They can go weeks and miss it and are fine and then they can watch it for weeks and enjoy it. When it is good, they will be there; when it is bad, they will find something else. So, to be successful, you need casual fans ...unless you have such a large faithful audience it doesn't matter. When Russo was in a position of some importance in the wrestling business, the focus was entirely on the Monday night ratings. At least, that was his focus. Others on the creative team, including Vince, knew the tv existed to sell the PPV, get people to buy tickets at the house shows and sell merchandise. Russo never understood that aspect and couldn't think an idea through to a logical conclusion. He wasn't even really writing television, because he couldn't write a basic three act structure. Russo can't see past ratings and doesn't know how to capture an audience. He harps on about "casual fans," because he has heard it from others, especially as their product was failing, like WCW and TNA. His problem was that he not only insulted casual fans, he ticked off the faithful. He doesn't know how to attract an audience, so he sticks with the one criticism he has heard constantly, as he killed off fan bases, to try to sound like he has an answer, to draw attention and get a paying job or sucker enough people to listen to his "bro"-laced ramblings. For your own sanity, I recommend you just avoid talk of Russo, even out of morbid curiosity. He just seems to irritate you and life is too short to fixate on irritations. Putting politics aside, I can't stand Donald Trump, as a human being. He is a spoiled narcissist and always has been. That is why I have always avoided listening to his BS, going back to the 80s when he was conning mugs out of investment dollars and building garish temples to bad taste and manipulating bestseller lists. The political arena just magnifies his worst traits. So, I avoid anything that gives him a voice. It keeps me sane. Same with Russo's "bro"-laced inane chatter. I tuned out WCW after he came over and appeared on camera. I have tuned him out ever since. I highly recommend it. |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 7, 2024 2:03:03 GMT -5
Russo, like Boris Johnson, irks me. I’m fearing a rent increase this year. My friend’s business went bankrupt after 22 years so now he’s working as a packer for Lidl (he loved his business). Yet people like Johnson and Russo continue to be offered gigs and make money. You can be a liar and conman yet you become Prime Minister. You can be sacked from The Times for making up quotes and yet that same newspaper will endorse you as Prime Minister. Johnson, sacked from most jobs he’s had for lying, ended his tenure in disgrace but has had advances on book deals.
Russo has zero talent yet websites (and allegedly the USA Network) pay for his ‘expertise’. I’d love to know who these people are who pay for his Patreon videos. Seems odd to pay for a subscription to hear “bro” continually, and video after video of rants about casual fans, there being too much wrestling on wrestling shows, and his disdain for wrestling.
So, yes, maybe there’s some envy there. People like me and my aforementioned friend are working hard to make every penny last while the likes of Johnson and Russo will just keep raking in the money.
I know you’ve tried to reassure me before, but I’m still convinced (never say never) that Russo will end up back in this business. I’m thinking mission creep: WWE seems to be running out of people to put in its Hall of Fame, so will we see Russo there? And from there, the mission creep of a legends deal and then a creative role on a WWE show?Or will Tony Khan, out of desperation, hire him one day? There’s something “snake oil salesman” about Russo, I really fear some promotion will be stupid enough to hire him.
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 7, 2024 4:49:45 GMT -5
I watched another classic tape last night:  Firstly, throughout the tape, we’ll see Reverend Slick try to teach Kamala to bowl. Hardly the best segment, but fun enough. Oh, and Invasion of the Bodyslammers is a great name for a tape. Earthquake vs. YokozunaEarthquake is the underdog in this match. It’s short, but a convincing pinfall win by Yoko makes it worthwhile. The Nasty Boys vs. The Beverly BrothersHere we get another Coliseum Video inconclusive ending (double DQ). Shame. This had potential because it was loaded with flavour: street punks from Allentown, Pennsylvania versus spoilt, rich brats from Shaker Heights, Ohio. They deserved better than a double DQ. Razor Ramon vs. The UndertakerRamon and ‘Taker have a solid bout, but it ends with Razor walking away and being counted out. I suppose, logically, you would quit when your offense is failing to put a supernatural opponent away, so Ramon bailing out makes sense. Bam Bam Bigelow vs. TyphoonThis is just about watchable. Bigelow wins via pinfall. Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart vs. Shawn MichaelsThis is the match of the tape despite Michaels winning by count out. Hard for these two to have had a bad match. And a count out win isnt too bad, these two had plenty of bouts with conclusive endings, Doink vs. KamalaI found this to be a reasonably fun cartoon-style bout. Kamala believably pounds on Doink and cleans his clock. Doink tries to give Kamala a gift wrapped box throughout the bout. Kamala gets distracted by the gift and gets counted out. And inside the box is…nothing. That evil clown, eh? The Undertaker vs. Papa ShangoUndertaker gets a convincing pinfall win over Papa Shango. Again, it’s a fun, cartoon-style bout featuring two wrestlers who would have been at home in a He-Man cartoon. These two alwaya appeared to have good chemistry. 16-Man Battle Royal16 participants seemed random. Why not 20? Or 30? Or 40, as had been done before? Last three are El Matador, Tatanka and Razor Ramon - but Giant Gonzalez enters and eliminates the babyfaces, giving Ramon the hollow win. It showed Gonzalez’s dominance, but it had no rhyme or reason. Tatanka vs. Repo ManThere’s nothing particularly memorable about this one, which sees Tatanka win via pinfall. Mr. Perfect vs. Ric FlairThis isn’t their Loser Leaves Town match, but another bout. This is a superb contest which Perfect wins via pinfall. SummaryYour appreciation of this video will depend on your tolerance of the “WWF Cartoon Era”, but a few pretty good bouts make it worth a look. |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 8, 2024 15:12:55 GMT -5
First time I’ve seen this:  I had read that the WWF had approached Warrior in 1998 - prior to his WCW signing - but I had no idea about an approach in 1997. This is hard to digest. I did like Warrior during his heyday, he suited the cartoony nature of the WWF - and he made an impact. The crowds did go crazy for him. But his 1996 run was rather underwhelming, and he did seem more interesting in his other projects than adapting to 1996 WWF. Also, he did feel a little old hat in ‘96. I’ve always considered 1996 as the precursor to Attitude (which I feel began in 1997, although some claim 1998). The world had moved on. What worked from 1987 to 1991, and again in 1992, didn’t work in 1996. Warrior felt like a man out of his time. The WWF was moving away from the likes of profession-based gimmicks and zany promos about destiny and the gods. Warrior was a little out of place in 1996. So I feel he’d have been even less relevant in 1997. In December 1997, Attitude was in full swing, the cartoony era was all but dead, and Austin’s star was rising. Warrior would have been even more out of place in 1997. If that document is true (never presume on social media!), I just don’t know what the WWF would have expected from Warrior in ‘97. |
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Aug 8, 2024 18:03:03 GMT -5
I think keeping him away from WCW at that point (WWF was turning things around in the war, but it wasn't until Mania that they really started making noise) was a significant part of the appeal, and he was still a draw. When he did finally go to WCW he did pop some big ratings early on before the booking, egos and politics (and the horrible match with Hogan) blew it up
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 9, 2024 4:24:51 GMT -5
I think keeping him away from WCW at that point (WWF was turning things around in the war, but it wasn't until Mania that they really started making noise) was a significant part of the appeal, and he was still a draw. When he did finally go to WCW he did pop some big ratings early on before the booking, egos and politics (and the horrible match with Hogan) blew it up That makes sense. More bizarre to me was the claim that McMahon approached Warrior yet again in the summer of 1998 (Warrior discussed this during the Ringside Collectibles shoot interview conducted by Mike Johnson). Now, at this stage, Austin had been made the top star and was already on his second world title run. Attitude was now in full swing. More than in 1996 and 1997, Warrior had, IMO, nothing to offer either the WWF or wrestling. I mean, if Warrior had come back in 1998, what would they have done with him? He’d have been nowhere near the world title picture, so we’d have been left with something like Warrior vs. Kane in a midcard feud or something. Even a layman fan like myself could have told Vince that Austin was the future and Warrior would not move the needle in 1998. Power Slam reported in 1999 (or maybe 2000) that Vince Russo was considering negotiating with Warrior. Now, that is bizarre. Warrior’s 1998 run was atrocious, and even worse than his 1996 WWF run. What value he may have had in 1996 and 1998 would have completely evaporated by 1999/2000. This is only my view, perhaps others here might have seen a future for Warrior in 1998, 1999 or 2000. But I didn’t. I also believe some people can get addicted to nostalgia (I have at times) because there were even some - a small minority - who seemed to think ECW or TNA should have negotiated with Warrior. I did like his 1987-1991 run. His 1992 run was pretty solid, and we got that great match between him and Randy Savage in Wembley Stadium. Other than the high of seeing him squash Triple H at WM XII, his 1996 run was underwhelming. The law of diminishing returns certainly seemed to apply to him with each return, at least from my perspective. |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 9, 2024 7:29:53 GMT -5
RIP to Kevin Sullivan.
I enjoyed his work. He was so convincing, and really immersed himself in everything and anything, he was probably the only really good thing about the Dungeon of Doom, if you ask me.
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 9, 2024 11:33:30 GMT -5
Conrad asked Lex about whether he was paid during his bus tour in 1993: x.com/HeyHeyItsConrad/status/1821202149394559330I shouldn’t be surprised by Lex’s answer: no. As he wasn’t working in the ring, he didn’t get paid. I feel they should have given him the world championship in ‘93, especially after all the hype, momentum and goodwill of that bus tour. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 9, 2024 12:02:17 GMT -5
You can read Greg Oliver's obituary, on Slam Wrestling, here..........I go way back to 1982, with Sullivan, via the Apter mags. He was really getting heat with the Satanic cult angle, The Army of Darkness, with Mark Lewin having just emerged from the ocean, as The Purple Haze. The whole batch just got weirder and weirder: Bob Roop as Maha Singh, King Curtis Iaukea, Nancy as The Fallen Angel, Luna Vachon, Winona Littleheart as The Lock, Mike Davis hypnotized to believe he is Dusty Rhodes..........just amazing creativity and the battles with Dusty Rhodes and the other babyfaces lit up Florida arenas. Here, Sullivan is supposed to be losing his mind and can't recall who he is facing, during a promo, but starts cracking up, because of how silly it is.... Mike Davis hypnotized into believing he is Dusty Rhodes..... Sullivan soon followed Dusty north, to Crockett Country and the highlight of it was the Varsity Club, for me, with Mike Rotunda, Rick Steiner, Steve Williams and Sullivan, emphasizing amateur credentials, while working heel, with the side angle of Rotunda bullying the simple, but loveable Steiner and then the Robin Green Angle, with Nancy, leading to her revelation as Woman, managing Doom. Of course, he spent endless weeks putting Hulk Hogan over, with the Dungeon of Doom, a pale shadow of the Army of Darkness. Yetis couldn't compete with Abudda Deen and the Tree of Woe. Sullivan was a long time stabilizing element of WCW's weird and contradictory booking, regardless of what internet fans like to claim. He "booked his own divorce," which ignores the fact that he and Nancy were already separated, and he had her get close to Benoit, for an angle, which turned into a real relationship, then turned to tragedy, at Benoit's hands....yet crazy internet fans tried to pin blame on Sullivan, because they believed his gimmick. Nancy's sister, on Dark Side of the Ring, tried to paint Sullivan as abusive, but Sullivan refused to take part in the episode, out of respect for Nancy's parents (his words) but did eventually do Jim Cornette's podcast, where they discussed things not brought up in the show, like the fact that Sullivan, at one point, had to take out a restraining order on Nancy. Their relationship and Nancy were very complicated things and not the simplistic picture presented by Vice TV. Sullivan and Benoit had real heat, at the end of his tie in WCW, though I suspect it was more Benoit's frustration with WCW, with Sullivan as a surrogate for the bad booking decisions, than it was personal animosity. As would ultimately be revealed, Chris' mental state was up for question, long before the tragedy. Who knows what the truth is in all of that bizarre mess? The only certain truth is that three people died over a weekend, one of whom was just barely starting life. Sullivan was a master politician and was able to work well within Dusty's booking philosophy, the Turner revolving door of executives, the Hogan era of self-serving booking changes, the NWO, the madness that followed, up to the end. He knew how to defend his position in interviews and throw up logical counter arguments to things like him holding Benoit down, out of spite. As he said, if he was holding him down, why did he always job to him, in their feud and move him up the card? The Sullivan-Benoit feud did a lot to elevate Chris in WCW, especially since Benoit wasn't strong on promos. The problem was, Sullivan couldn't convince Hogan and the others in the NWO that Benoit should be in the main event mix, based on his size. Both Sullivan and Benoit could believably work with anybody, regardless of size, due to their intensity and their instincts. Watching the Who Killed WCW show, there was a moment in the first episode, where Sullivan rather shakily, puts on his glasses. He looked thin and weaker. I was wondering if he was having health issues. Then, he had the recent episode and nearly died, with the GoFund Me to help with his medical bills. Now, he is gone. The Prince of Darkness has returned to the mists and the shadows, to sit at the right hand of Abudda Deen, secure in the knowledge, that Dusty Rhodes went first!  Only one thing to say, for an Irish lad from Boston..... Go Raibh Suaimhneas Siorai Air.......Eternal Rest be Upon Him. |
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Aug 9, 2024 13:53:25 GMT -5
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 9, 2024 13:54:23 GMT -5
Well done, my friend. I’m going to take a look now. |
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Post by commond on Aug 9, 2024 16:18:01 GMT -5
Even before the Satanic stuff, Sullivan was an awesome heel in his feud against Steve Keirn.
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 10, 2024 3:52:27 GMT -5
This tape was a gift back in the day, so I thought I’d revisit it last night:  Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect vs. Davey Boy SmithFrom the summer of 1991, we see the Bulldog challenge for the IC Championship. Both men were firing on all cylinders, and this is yet another bout that proves power man vs. technical guy who can bump will always make for an interesting bout. It would have been nice to see a pinfall ending (although Bulldog wasn’t gonna be given the IC Championship in ‘91), so we do end with the “obligatory Coliseum Video DQ ending”. Coach got involved, Bret Hart came out to assist Bulldog, things went south, and Perfect wins via DQ. The Texas Tornado vs. The WarlordThis is a reasonable bout, and I do remember WWF Magazine hyping this rather well. Sadly, it ends with a double count-out. I will say, a bout like this shows how larger-than-life wrestlers can put on a believable bout in a way that the wrestler who looks like you can’t. Animal vs. Paul RomaIt was peculiar (but not unwelcome) how tag teams used to have occasional singles bouts. Here, well most of us would probably rather have seen LOD vs. Power & Glory. Suffice to say, Animal and Roma do put on a hell of a bout here. Naturally, Hercules interferes, but Animal beats Roma via pinfall. (Did Roma have a single televised win in singles competition in 1990/91?) (Mean Gene tries to teach Bobby Heenan how to play golf; like most of these Coliseum segments, it’s fun) The Big Boss Man & The Rockers vs. The Mountie & Nasty BoysThis one is loaded with flavour. Six-man tags rarely disappoint. Lots of action here - and heels you love to hate. Jannetty gets the win for his team by pinning Knobbs. (Oh, and shouldn’t a law enforcement officer have been arresting thugs like the Nasty Boys, why was he allied with them?) Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. SmashIt was odd seeing Smash as a singles wrestler after nearly four years of Demolition. Here we have another good big man vs. small man bout, a nice contrast between power and speed/science. Steamboat gets the win. And we’ve got our third consecutive pinfall victory, so maybe Coliseum is doing better! Jake “The Snake” Roberts VS The BarbarianThis was a heavy-hitting bout (both had good ring psychology), and it’s bouts like this that should be discussed more in the context or suspension of disbelief. Barbarian looks like he’s out to kill Jake. Jake is wrestling as if his life depends on it. It’s all good, but we don’t get a pinfall victory here; Earthquake interfereres, Jake chases him off with Lucifer, and Barbarian wins via count out. Greg Valentine vs. HakuThis was previously shown on the UK Rampage tape - why is a UK bout being shown on a tape called US Rampage? That’s a WCW-level style of silliness. Anyway, this is a solid bout - yet another convincing match from wrestlers who made it look so easy - and we get a win for Valentine via pinfall. Power & Glory vs. Orient ExpressHeel vs. heel bouts are intriguing (who do you root for, if anyone?). I like them. This one is no different. Fuji and Slick get into an argument after Fuji trips Roma with the cane. I guess Herc and Roma are the de facto babyfaces here. It ends with a double count-out, but this is my match of the tape! (Paul Bearer shows us a tour of his home - and you can probably imagine what a mortician’s home is like, with dead bodies everywhere; perhaps law enforcement - the Big Boss Man, perhaps? - should have been asking why Bearer had dead bodies at home) Ultimate Warrior vs. UndertakerWe end with a battle between good and evil, so it’s easy to know who to root for here. Warrior and Taker have good chemistry. I really would take a bout like this over some of the spotfests we see today. Both men take each other to the limit. Warrior wins via DQ after Taker tries to hit him with the urn following Warrior kicking out a pinfall following the Tombstone Piledriver. I believe Warrior did get pinfall victories over Undertaker at house shows, shame we couldn’t have seen that here. SummaryYou’d have to like 1991 WWF, and the cartoony nature of the era, to appreciate this. I like variety, everything from the technical encounters we saw in WCW during 1991 to the cartoony stuff here. Variety is the spice of life. There isn’t a bad match on this tape, and it was fun to revisit. Definitely one of my favourite Coliseum tapes. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Aug 10, 2024 11:31:03 GMT -5
This tape was a gift back in the day, so I thought I’d revisit it last night: Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect vs. Davey Boy SmithFrom the summer of 1991, we see the Bulldog challenge for the IC Championship. Both men were firing on all cylinders, and this is yet another bout that proves power man vs. technical guy who can bump will always make for an interesting bout. It would have been nice to see a pinfall ending (although Bulldog wasn’t gonna be given the IC Championship in ‘91), so we do end with the “obligatory Coliseum Video DQ ending”. Coach got involved, Bret Hart came out to assist Bulldog, things went south, and Perfect wins via DQ. The Texas Tornado vs. The WarlordThis is a reasonable bout, and I do remember WWF Magazine hyping this rather well. Sadly, it ends with a double count-out. I will say, a bout like this shows how larger-than-life wrestlers can put on a believable bout in a way that the wrestler who looks like you can’t. Animal vs. Paul RomaIt was peculiar (but not unwelcome) how tag teams used to have occasional singles bouts. Here, well most of us would probably rather have seen LOD vs. Power & Glory. Suffice to say, Animal and Roma do put on a hell of a bout here. Naturally, Hercules interferes, but Animal beats Roma via pinfall. (Did Roma have a single televised win in singles competition in 1990/91?) (Mean Gene tries to teach Bobby Heenan how to play golf; like most of these Coliseum segments, it’s fun) The Big Boss Man & The Rockers vs. The Mountie & Nasty BoysThis one is loaded with flavour. Six-man tags rarely disappoint. Lots of action here - and heels you love to hate. Jannetty gets the win for his team by pinning Knobbs. (Oh, and shouldn’t a law enforcement officer have been arresting thugs like the Nasty Boys, why was he allied with them?) Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. SmashIt was odd seeing Smash as a singles wrestler after nearly four years of Demolition. Here we have another good big man vs. small man bout, a nice contrast between power and speed/science. Steamboat gets the win. And we’ve got our third consecutive pinfall victory, so maybe Coliseum is doing better! Jake “The Snake” Roberts VS The BarbarianThis was a heavy-hitting bout (both had good ring psychology), and it’s bouts like this that should be discussed more in the context or suspension of disbelief. Barbarian looks like he’s out to kill Jake. Jake is wrestling as if his life depends on it. It’s all good, but we don’t get a pinfall victory here; Earthquake interfereres, Jake chases him off with Lucifer, and Barbarian wins via count out. Greg Valentine vs. HakuThis was previously shown on the UK Rampage tape - why is a UK bout being shown on a tape called US Rampage? That’s a WCW-level style of silliness. Anyway, this is a solid bout - yet another convincing match from wrestlers who made it look so easy - and we get a win for Valentine via pinfall. Power & Glory vs. Orient ExpressHeel vs. heel bouts are intriguing (who do you root for, if anyone?). I like them. This one is no different. Fuji and Slick get into an argument after Fuji trips Roma with the cane. I guess Herc and Roma are the de facto babyfaces here. It ends with a double count-out, but this is my match of the tape! (Paul Bearer shows us a tour of his home - and you can probably imagine what a mortician’s home is like, with dead bodies everywhere; perhaps law enforcement - the Big Boss Man, perhaps? - should have been asking why Bearer had dead bodies at home) Ultimate Warrior vs. UndertakerWe end with a battle between good and evil, so it’s easy to know who to root for here. Warrior and Taker have good chemistry. I really would take a bout like this over some of the spotfests we see today. Both men take each other to the limit. Warrior wins via DQ after Taker tries to hit him with the urn following Warrior kicking out a pinfall following the Tombstone Piledriver. I believe Warrior did get pinfall victories over Undertaker at house shows, shame we couldn’t have seen that here. SummaryYou’d have to like 1991 WWF, and the cartoony nature of the era, to appreciate this. I like variety, everything from the technical encounters we saw in WCW during 1991 to the cartoony stuff here. Variety is the spice of life. There isn’t a bad match on this tape, and it was fun to revisit. Definitely one of my favourite Coliseum tapes. Rampaging across two continents! |
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Post by driver1980 on Aug 10, 2024 15:30:08 GMT -5
I don’t think this figure did justice to Kevin Sullivan:  |
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