cabbageboy

To clarify...by listing those teams from the 1992 era I didn't mean they were all having good matches, but at least they were there and on some level the WWF still cared about tag wrestling.

The new show on 24/7 is fun stuff. I had no idea that the whole Pillman/RVD angle ever took place, but it was wild that Pillman said Van Dam was the savior of ECW.

I am amused by Jackass as long as they keep it within some realm of feasibility. Some of the ultra sickening shit in #2 made me never want to watch that ever again even though it has plenty of funny parts as well. I'm glad to see others here loathe Sweet Home Alabama as much as I did. When I saw it I kept waiting for that moment where Dempsey would reveal himself to be a rich douche while Lucas would show some signs of decency. Who in their right mind would choose Mr. Cracker Redneck over a cool rich guy whose mom was the mayor of NYC? Come to think of it, Josh Lucas just sucks in general. How about his lame douchebag heel performance in The Hulk?

So what if he didn't? Put the title on him anyway if it makes sense and would have been good for business. It was insulting to viewers that Hogan vs. Piper at Starrcade 96 was a non title match yet as a PPV main event seemed to obviously be a title program.

This illustrates a problem I have with the tag division booking of late. I am sick of seeing tag champs being used as jobber fodder for the main eventers. Stuff like UT squashing Hawkins and Ryder, or Cena beating Team Priceless by himself. It makes it hard to ever take these guys seriously again.

Oddly enough I think Hank Steinbrenner might have a point buried somewhere in that ranting, but he's not really someone to say it right now. The whole idea of 8 teams regardless of league is silly, but I can see getting rid of divisions and taking the best 4 teams from each league.

Eagle Eye should do about 30 million I would think. It looks pretty decent but it's just really tough for anything in September to grab a huge audience.

Yeah but Angle/Michaels was in Los Angeles, though I guess Chicago could have enjoyed that match as well. What I meant by Sting is that sure he's had about 10 title runs over the years but were any of them worth a crap? His first run sucked and didn't draw as he was feuding with the Black Scorpion. The 2nd was decent since he beat Luger in Feb. 1992 and lost to Vader in July. He won titles after that but most were brief little runs that were of little note. I am going against popular opinion with this: I don't think it's a bad idea to separate LAX for a while. Let's face it, there's only so many times guys can win the tag belts without being stale. So why not see what these guys can do in singles action? They can still be friends, just not tag partners for now. Homicide could do some quality work in the X Division, which needs some new blood. And Hernandez? He could be a threat to Samoa Joe if booked properly in the world title division. It's not like these guys have zero potential to be singles stars.

Yeah I quite enjoyed Bulldog and Owen as a team. They carried an otherwise shoddy tag division in late 1996 and into 1997. Even then though it was mostly a trial run for the wacky "tag partners who have problems" angle (though these guys never split exactly) and later became the old Russo chestnut of "tag partners who hate each other." In that Survivor Series thread I pinpointed the Steiners loss to the Quebecers on Raw in 1993 as the exact moment when I gave up on the tag division for a long time. After that it seemed like they just put the belts on anyone including makeshift teams. What does it say when Marty Jannetty never won the belts while in the Rockers, yet he and The Kid held the titles briefly in early 1994? Or that Shawn Michaels finally got a tag title run with Diesel in a reign designed only to split the duo? Or Yoko/Owen getting the belts since both guys had jobbed out of the title scene and needed something else? Sure, in 1996 they tried out some teams like the Godwins, Bodydonnas, and Smoking Gunns (who weren't really new per se). None of these teams were really over though and the matches and angles were nothing special. Regarding the revival of the division from 1999-2001....what killed the division was the initial draft lottery. It seemed like they specifically wanted to break everyone up. E & C were already broken up I guess, but they put them on different shows. The APA went to different shows for a while, with Bradshaw floundering in his initial Raw push and Simmons doing nothing on SD. Matt and Jeff ended up on different shows with varying results. The Dudleys being split was awful and did neither any favors. That said, tag wrestling did survive and thrive to some extent in late 2002/early 2003. Raw at least had that awesome TLC match, but that was an exception. SD had a terrific tag scene but it was a mirage on some levels since Eddie and Chavo were really the only actual team. Benoit and Angle were reluctant partners who feuded shortly after this, and Edge/Rey split as well with Edge getting hurt in 2003. After that tag wrestling really never recovered in WWE. Personally I think it's foolish to not have a good tag division. Money is drawn up and down the card, not just by the main event. The 1980s saw a great tag division and that stuff helped the company draw money. The Attitude Era saw a renewed focus on tag wrestling and that helped draw money. The periods where WWE has drawn the biggest money typically have a big time main event scene with a solid IC (or now US too) title division and a great tag division as well.

Yeah that 1987 ranting about Garvin is one of his best promos ever. For once he actually had good reason to be pissed since he didn't have the belt. I don't think I had ever seen that WCW SN match with Steamboat. Not sure why, but I guess my interest in WCW was waning at that point or maybe I was doing something that night, who knows. It was a great match too, but I had to wonder why they would give that away on free TV with a PPV a week later. That PPV had Flair against an out of shape Windham too, so I fail to see why they couldn't have held this match off and then just done the Windham match on TV a week later since it was no biggie.

The best was certainly 1998. They had Austin getting over like crazy, HBK was acting like a total douche and drawing insane heel heat, and add in the Tyson angle as well. This buildup was what led to the WWF seizing the advantage away from WCW in the ratings. I can't say any of the builds from 2003 on are the best since there are too many titles now and too much stuff to try and build. Although this goes before the 1993 date, I'd say 1992 was pretty good. The Final 4 in the Rumble ended up being the two main event matches for WM and featured good angles for both.

In fact did the tag division ever really get back on track until the Attitude Era? Once the Steiners lost the belts there were just mediocre teams and makeshift teams up until the rise of Edge and Christian, the Hardys, and Dudleys. Yes, I know the New Age Outlaws were popular and all but the division itself wasn't much.

The Petey thing is just him doing the Steiner wannabe gimmick, it's just that Steiner is currently hurt. I would assume they'll do something with it again when he returns. I think this recent Impact pointed to Lethal giving up the Macho gimmick. I don't know if he will, but they are at least planting seeds that he is considering just being himself again. As far as Shark Boy goes, it's a guilty pleasure but it's obviously bush league to have him act like Steve Austin. Curry Man is carrying that group big time, since Shark Boy is a little stale doing Austin and Eric Young is beyond stale. Curry rules though.

Even now I have never understood that Starrcade 96 booking. Why not put the belt on Piper there? Why book Piper against Hogan on PPV in non title matches in the first place? Further, why do this match again at HH 97 with the bigger Sting match on the horizon for Starrcade 97? In an odd way I can actually see Hogan being pissed at having to job to Piper at HH 97 in the cage and then turn around and job to Sting for the title at Starrcade. Basically what I would have done is this: Put the belt on Piper at Starrcade 96, Hogan regains with the Savage heel turn at SuperBrawl 97. Forget the Luger 1 week title run in August since that accomplished nothing in the long run and made Hogan look weak. Have Hogan screw over Luger and retain. Have him screw Piper at HH and go over. Then Sting beats his ass in resounding fashion at Starrcade 97.

Eh, the tag scene wasn't quite what it was in the 1980s circa 1992, but I didn't think it was awful or anything. You still had Money Inc., LOD for most of the year, Natural Disasters, Nasty Boys, Beverly Bros., High Energy, Headshrinkers by year's end, etc. I seem to recall thinking tag wrestling in the WWF was starting to suck when the Steiners lost the belts to the Quebecers in that goofy Quebec rules match on Raw. 1992 WWF ruled. No Hogan, no problem. Okay maybe there was a problem, but that was more financial than quality. The best stuff from that era is timeless.

Eh the Stand Back stuff wasn't the hilarious Vince footage but was more just set to various matches. That entire Hogan interview with everyone else was truly surreal...great stuff. Orndorff looked like he was embarrassed to be there. Here's a question regarding the Survivor Series booking. Was it always the plan for Graham to be taken out before that match and thus Muraco got that spot? Or did they really think Superstar could still go at all even after the bad hip?

You know if you watch this WCCW show it's hard to fathom that 23 years later the rookie jobber Sean Michael would end up one of the biggest stars in the business and would in fact retire the man who was the world champion.

And now the questions: 1. Regardless of who wins the game, who is the worst team in Ohio and why? I'll go with the Browns as being the worst. The Bengals aren't really that horrible, losing by 7 to the Ravens and in OT to the Giants. 2. Can Houston get anything going this season with the rest of their division riddled with injuries? Eh, anything is possible I suppose but Houston thus far has been disappointing. They are almost in a must win situation this week vs. JAX, but I don't see it. 3. Based on their play so far, do you think Atlanta will be dangerous this year? The Falcons may be a textbook example of a tough team at home that sucks on the road. That said, I do love the Turner signing and Ryan will eventually figure this out. 4. Baltimore is 2-0 against teams with a combined 0-6 record. Will the Pittsburgh offense wake up and put the crapass Ravens in their place? I don't know if the Steelers will wreck the Ravens but I do see them getting a tough win. 5. How will the coaching situation in Oakland affect their chances this week at home against the divisional favorite Chargers? I think the Chargers are going to beat them down.

I'll separate this into two posts, one with predictions and one answering the questions. 1:00 Games ATL @ CAR: I have a feeling ATL will be a decent home team but when they go on the road the youth will start showing more with Ryan. Carolina by 10. CLE @ CIN: Well, someone is going to have to win. The Bengals actually were quite good against the Giants, so I'll take them by 7. HOU @ JAC: Houston always plays the Jags tough and they really need the win here. That said, I can't see JAX following that Indy win by losing at home. Jags by 6. DEN @ KC: You want assrape? This is one right here. Broncos by 17. SF @ NO: I don't buy the Niners as being anything decent yet. Saints also need a win badly after two tough road losses. New Orleans by 12. ARI @ NYJ: This is a perplexing game. I don't really like what I'm seeing from the Jets right now, so I'll take the Cardinals to pull off a road win 24-21. GB @ TB: The Bucs are a pretty solid team actually and I think they can hold serve at home here in a tough game. Tampa 28-24. MIN @ TEN: This will be an ultra physical game. Can't see either team scoring very much in it, but Tennessee has the better D so I'll take them 16-10. 4:00 Games SD @ OAK: Chargers look back on track and with Oakland's bizarre coaching situation I can't see this going well for the Raiders. SD by 14. BUF @ STL: The Rams may well have a shot at 0-16. Bills by 17. WAS @ DAL: A little surprising that the line on this one is 11 or so. I think the Redskins keep it a bit closer than that. Dallas by 7. Night game PHI @ CHI: Bears have lost two really tough games thus far, but with the Eagles perhaps a little banged up I'll take Chicago to win this one by 3. MNF BAL @ PIT 8:30 PM: I don't know exactly how good the Ravens really are, yet Roethisberger might be injured. Still, I'll take the Steelers by 4 in a manly game.

I think if someone like BYU or Utah goes undefeated in the Mountain West then they should be considered for the title game. I took a look on realtimerpi.com and the Mountain West is actually a higher rated conf. than either the Big East or Pac 10. At the very least I think that league should be included in the BCS. As far as Friday goes, U of L absolutely has to beat the crap out of UConn given that garbage that the Huskies pulled last year with the phony fair catch. UConn is easily the worst unbeaten team in the nation.

Just wondering but why would Pillman have done the job in the Doomsday match? The whole point of it was that Flair was the one who had to have his plans backfire and that he had to job. If you believe Bischoff then Luger wasn't really making that much money during his 1995-96 run in WCW, so it makes me wonder what Pillman was making if he was pissed at not making as much as Luger.

To be honest about it from a kayfabe perspective, what exactly would be the draw in a 1 on 1 Hogan vs. Flair match circa 1991-92? Flair was coming off years of being booked so weak as NWA champion (save for 1989 when he booked himself) that I can't imagine any fans seriously thinking he had a hope in hell of beating Hogan. The irony is that when Hogan eventually went to WCW that exact scenario played out, with Flair having no hope in hell of beating Hogan.

I have to wonder with that main event booking if HBK is getting the title at the PPV. Even if it's to turn around and get his ass kicked by Batista at Survivor Series. Pretty decent show tonight. The Santino/Beth stuff is consistent gold, the Cryme Tyme vs. Miz/Morrison match was fun stuff as well. I even liked Bourne/Kane for what it was, though it was the beatdown I assumed it would be. I'd have preferred a Rey run in leading to a shocking Bourne upset win, then Kane wastes Rey at the PPV. As far as Haas goes, I know that this has likely been mentioned on here but he simply has to dress up like the Ultimate Warrior and destroy Santino for the IC title. What a classic payoff that would be to Santino's "I wanna be HTM" gimmick, Haas' gimmick of dressing up, and also a fun tribute to the past.

Yeah wasn't that attack on Dusty by the Horsemen done outside of the Crockett office? I couldn't help but think it looked like a very small time operation. The UWF was the biggest example of Crockett's spending. Why bother with it? He should have let Watts go under, let Vince sign who he wanted, then sign the guys who would fit the NWA. That's what happened anyway since guys like Duggan, Dibiase, and One Man Gang went to the WWF, while Steve Williams and all the other guys ended up in the NWA. The only guy they ended up with that Vince might have really wanted was Sting, but he already had the Warrior so I'm not sure if WWF needed another painted face. Then the NWA could have run the UWF towns, kept those local stars strong, and it might have worked out better. It's eerie once you think about it...Crockett's demise in 1988 was due to many of the same reasons as WCW's a decade or so later.

Here's some matches announced for Raw (from wwe.com): - Cryme Tyme vs. Miz & John Morrison. - Kane vs. Evan Bourne. - WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly. I have to admit some unease about Bourne having to face Kane. I hope that is more than just poor Matt Sydal getting beat down and selling wildly for Kane.