Papacita

So does anyone actually follow this? I try to catch the episodes online when I can. I was really skeptical when I first heard about this, but the show has been pretty good. I don't hear too many people talking about it, but can see this series being superior to the 90's version (and I LOVED the 90's version) in the long run.

I liked Aztec Jarrett. It was a shame when they made him go back to the country music gimmick after having him run it down on his debut they way they did. Made him look really bad. Remember when Road Dogg was supposed to be coming out with a country music album?

I remember watching Wrestlemania XVI/2000 and being 100% sure Wrestlemania XVII was going to be in Atlanta as the final middle finger to Turner and WCW. I thought WCW had some sort of exclusive deal with the Georgia Dome at the time, but I'm not sure. WWE and WCW often locked up their "home arenas" so that the other couldn't run shows there. Examples are WWE exclusively using MSG in New York and Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. WWE's been running Georgia Dome shows since 99, though, so whatever deal WCW had was pretty much done by the time they went under.

I have nothing to add to this thread other than to note how scary it is to think that Wrestlemania 8 was damn near TWENTY years ago.

How about the Kliq tag from Action Zone?

116 on the IC...34 on the WWE. For the latter, I forgot Forget exactly who I missed on the IC, but I definitely forgot that was IC Champ...which is funny because now that I think about it, I kept forgetting he was Champion while he was actually holding it.

Yeah, that's the same with me. I popped it in a few months back to see Orton and Foley, completely forgetting that Nancy and Daniel were in attendance. They had this one camera shot of them that was kinda depressing, but other than that, it's not that much different from watching anyone else who's passed.

Seems like a flashback to 1999 with all these title changes they've been having recently. The idea of Edge stealing ANOTHER title is pretty funny though, even if it may be starting to get old.

First thing that popped into my head when I opened this thread! Thank you!

Wow, I didn't realize he had a personality. Not much to add on this. I like London a lot, but he does come off bitter here. I really don't get the complaining about the theme song, since I thought he had one of the catchiest songs on the roster.

I'm glad this is finally getting out there. That damn Jericho's been pulling this shit for years and getting away with it. Beating up women and stuff. Do I need to remind you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WYX6P2sqMs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PnhtuI-xDk...=1&index=28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUXeDphlEeU...feature=related That last one still brings a tear to my eye! They need to put his ass under the jail! Fucking menace.

Bearer was sick and couldn't stay on the road, hence their killing him off.

Not even touching Nash's WCW run, since I had long since stopped watching by that point, but does anybody feel he gets a bad rap for that WWF title reign? I mean, in the same year and circumstances, who would've been the better choice as champion? Shawn was red hot when he first made the face turn in 95, but we saw what happened to him upon getting the title. Bret probably would've been the best babyface for that environment, but the Owen feud had been done to death, and he still would've had to deal with the Sids (although admittedly, I liked their work in 97) and the Mabels. As for worst top guy overrall, Jarrett in TNA (at least from 04-06) was just horrible. I can't think of anyone worse. Probably a controversial choice, but I don't think HHH should be excluded from the conversation. He's not as bad as Jarrett in the sense that he was at least over and didn't sink the company financially, but his run on top was just so self serving and he was so unjustifiably protected and placated that he just sucked all the enjoyment out of the product. And I don't mean this to come off as HHHate, either. I don't think he was soley to blame (or even the key reason) for WWE's creative problems from 02-04, and it's true that he's not only person to play politics once he got to the top, but I can't think of too many people whose politics had such an obvious and negative effect on a product. The only other guy I can think of (excluding Jarrett) is Hogan in WCW, and Hogan's status is such where even if you don't like it, you can understand it. To me, HHH was never so valuable (post-2000 anyway) that he deserved that kind of favoritism, especially at the expense of the RVDs and other up-and-coming talent that were making waves around that time.

But he at least won the world title in spirit, right? Right?!

Luger fell off HARD between 94 and 95, especially considering he was supposed to be the next big thing.

Is it just me, or is this thread starter a bit negative? Anyway, I never got the 93 hate (for WWF at least, the early Raw era was great), and between the ECW and the start of the Monday Night Wars, I just enjoy the hell out of fall/winter 95. On the other hand, 2002--although Smackdown picked up tremendously late in the year--just had some unforgiveable crap as far as WWE goes. They produced some great matches and even a few classic moments with their "throw-stuff-at-the-wall" booking, but I don't see how that makes up for Lucy the Dog, Katie Vick, feuds over shampoo and t-shirts, and the botched brand split. I don't see how 02 isn't the first year mentioned on these lists.

Yeah, the main reason the Invasion didn't work was because they just got impatient. I seem to remember early talk pegging a WCW relaunch for late 01/early 02, but with HHH going down with the quad tear and their lack of faith in Benoit and Jericho, they just seemed to panic and pull the trigger early. But yeah, if you're talking biggest ever, this and Starrcade 97 are easy winners. Promotion specific, ECW fucked up big by not pulling the trigger on RVD/Tazz until after Tazz signed to WWF and had begun doing jobs to people right and left on ECW TV. Not to mention not giving RVD the World Title.

I literally would have mailed WWE my wallet for the chance to see that feud. I'm sure there's some bias here on my part, since I'm a Punk fan, but Orton costing him the belt like that (especially when you consider that Punk was such an unlikely champion) was one of the more significant heel acts I can remember in recent years. On top of that, both guys can be really strong characters/mic workers when given the opportunity, so the feud could have conceivably carried the show. I mean, I could've seen some Rock/Austin level stuff coming from these two.

Did anything significant ever come of Randy Orton costing Punk the title? I was seriously looking forward to that feud when it went down.

Hell, I'm just dying to know what he put in the box. My mind's telling me to just highlight it and get it over with, but my heart stops me, begging me not to reveal the sweet, sweet mystery contained within. CURSE YOU AND YOUR DAMN SPOILER TAG, FRANCHISE!!! *CURSE YOU*!!!!!!!! Ok, that's out of my system. Bye.

Damn, I never really thought of Mero as a Savage rip-off, but I can kinda see it now. 1. In the long run, do you think Sable and his ensuing feud with her (the in-ring one) helped or hurt his career? It hurt in the long run. The Sable feud in 98 was one of my favorites, but Mero came off like a joke once Jacqueline got involved. Although really, I have a hard time saying he would've done anything meaningful once Sable's popularity really started to peak. 2. Let's play the "What if" card. What if Marc Mero wasn't plagued with consistant injury problems through out his WWF stint? Would he have reached similar heights as the men he had joined WWF alongside; Mankind and Mick Foley (remember Mero was perhaps the most hyped of the three when they entered the company in the first part of '96)? Would he have maintained the mid-card position he had in late '96/early '97? I always thought it was a shame that Mero went down when he did. They had a nice little storyline with him trying to get Sable to toughen up so he wouldn't have to protect her all the time (which culminated in Sable kicking Undertaker at one point). I always marked for Mero (did you get that? I marked for...because his name's...), but I don't see WWF getting much more out of him than a couple of I-C reigns. I don't see Sable's eclipsing him like she did if he never went down, though. 3. What was best; the WCW run as Johnny B. Badd or the WWF run as Wild Man/Marvelous Marc Mero? I'm assuming no one will consider his XWF or TNA runs the highlight of his career. I have very fond memories of the Sable feud, though I'm sure half of that is due to the fact that she ended up in her underwear every week (not to mention Jacqueline's fairly frequent nipple slips ). I prefered Mero as the Wildman, though, with him busting out planchas and SSPs right and left. I really dug the I-C win and the ensuing program with Perfect/HHH (wonder how Mero would have fared if Perfect didn't leave when he did). 4. In twenty years, what will he be best remembered for? His in-ring career or his role as a straight shooting media gadfly (and the list of guys he wrestled who died) after the Benoit murders-suicide? The Tutti Frutti/Kiss that Don't Miss! Or as Sable's man...if he's remembered at all. 5. Now the obligatory final question; Favorite matches, moments, etc. His winning the I-C Title and the Perfect Swerve are way up there for me. It's been a while since I watched it, but I remember going crazy when he faced Taker on Superstars in early 97. Taker goes after Sable (because she kicks him) and Mero just flips on him. They brawl on the floor, and the show ends with Taker tombstoning him on the floor (I think both guys came off real strong and it was just a bad ass segment overall). I'm blanking on most of his WCW stuff, but his theme song always cracked me up. "He's a pretty as a picture...HE LOOKS JUST LIKE LITTLE RICHAAAAAARD!!!!!"

Plus the impact those guys had on the product at the time was negligible (I don't ever TL Hopper or Who actually appearing on Raw, for instance). That's like knocking the 02 Class based on Shannon Moore or Reverand D-Von.

Oh wow, I *completely* forgot about that! Yeah the C-2000 gun was cool as hell. I would definitely toss that in now that I think about it...how the hell'd I forget Chyna?! I'm slipping! Edit: And I still think she was cute before the surgery...when they weren't trying to make her look like a beast.

Rey Rey's original WWE entrance gets no love? That one's one of my favorites. Even though it's an obvious one, Taker needs to get a mention. Damn near any of his Mania ones work.

I haven't really watched in a few months, but Shawn seems to be in enough good stuff (and stuff that's outside the box too) that it makes me wonder why his name is never tossed around when people discuss wrestlers who might be good bookers. I dunno how much freedom he's had in these storylines, but he seems to have a great mind when it comes to the creative side of things.