The Old School questions thread

[JoeDirt 0]

Why did Rick Rude return to the WWF in August of 1997 only to be in WCW by November?

[Guest Choken One]

he got a better offer...He was working a per show basis with WWF...Did the taped show and appeared on the LIVE nitro...not sure if WCW worked it that Rude appeared on both shows at the EXACT same time but it was pretty historical.

[Guest Choken One]

1.) How long was Tony Schiavone in WWE?

 

2.) How long was Ventura in WCW?

 

3.) I remember the Warrior followed Jake Roberts into a lair and was bitten by a cobra he opened out of a small box. What was that all about?

 

4.) How did Austin debut as Stone Cold?

1) Never worked for WWE. WWF however he did but not for long.

 

2). Late 1991 to Late 1993.

 

 

3). Setting up Warrior's disapearence and selling jake's evilness.

 

 

4). After He lost the services of Ted Dibiase...he basically went by STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN for a month and then 1996 KOTR changed history as we know it.

[HurriShane 0]

I seem to remember in like 93 or 94 WCW had a ring announcer who had like down syndrome or something. Who was this guy and why did they bring him in? Thanks

[Guest Choken One]

Gary Micheal Capetta?

 

I thought he was a GREAT announcer...better Michael "Bret Clarke" Buffer...ever was.

[HurriShane 0]

Not Gary Micheal Capetta. I guess maybe the guy wasn't an announcer he was more like an interviewer.

[Betty Houle 0]

1.) How long was Tony Schiavone in WWE?

I want to say he was there for a year. The first time I saw him was doing backstage interviews at Wrestlemania 5. He did commentary at that year's SummerSlam and at the following year's Royal Rumble.

[JoeDirt 0]

Was there ever any major heat in WCW between Bret Hart and HBK's ex-clique buddies Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman? (Though Waltman left soon after Bret arrived)

 

Anyone know of a site that has a complete listing of the Monday Night Wars ratings breakdown?

 

What was the deal with Sting in WCW in 1997? He returned at Spring Stampede and finally wrestled Hogan at Starcade. Was it all angle? Was he injured?

[Guest drdrainoscott]

What was the deal with Sting in WCW in 1997? He returned at Spring Stampede and finally wrestled Hogan at Starcade. Was it all angle? Was he injured?

Sting had signed a contract stating that he only had to wrestle X amount of matches. He had gotten to that number of matches and didn't have any desire to wrestle anymore that year, so that's why he just hung out in the rafters for much of 1997. Just another brillant move by WCW to sign a wrestler to that kind of contract.

[cawthon777 0]

1.) How long was Tony Schiavone in WWE?

 

2.) How long was Ventura in WCW?

 

3.) I remember the Warrior followed Jake Roberts into a lair and was bitten by a cobra he opened out of a small box. What was that all about?

 

4.) How did Austin debut as Stone Cold?

1. From around WrestleMania V to around WrestleMania VI. He was back in WCW by the time of Capital Combat in May of 90.

 

2. Came in at January 92's Clash of the Champions and stayed until shortly after Hogan came in during the summer of 94. Coincidence that he left right after Hogan came in? I don't think so.

 

3. Turning Jake heel. Warrior was not scheduled to leave after Summer Slam, he still had matches booked against the Undertaker. But he just took off. Maybe it would have led to Warrior vs. Jake, who knows.

 

4. He didn't, really. Vince started referring to him as Stone Cold Steve Austin shortly before WrestleMania 12 with no fanfare.

[Papacita 0]

4. He didn't, really. Vince started referring to him as Stone Cold Steve Austin shortly before WrestleMania 12 with no fanfare.

For a while before the name change, though (sometime in February 96) they really began selling how coldhearted and calculating "the Ringmaster" was. I remember him cutting this one promo alongside Ted Dibiase where he's wearing these dark shades and talking in a deep, low voice...it kinda reminded me of one of Sid's promos, just without the screaming...and it actually made sense, of course. He basically came across as cold and quasi-psychotic (which makes sense, since it was originally based on a serial killer). I think they officially changed his name a week or two after that promo.

[deancoles 0]

The first time he was called Stone Cold Steve Austin was on a Monday Night Raw episode in February 96, he went to a double count out with Savio Vega.

[cawthon777 0]

The first time he was called Stone Cold Steve Austin was on a Monday Night Raw episode in February 96, he went to a double count out with Savio Vega.

3/11/96

[JHawk 0]

Does anybody know if there was any back story to Magnum T.A.'s first US Title victory over Wahoo McDaniel (3/23/1985)? The match was in a cage, but as far as I can tell Magnum had worked a handful of TV matches (all squash victories) and then just got thrown into this cage match to win the US Title.

[cawthon777 0]

Does anybody know if there was any back story to Magnum T.A.'s first US Title victory over Wahoo McDaniel (3/23/1985)? The match was in a cage, but as far as I can tell Magnum had worked a handful of TV matches (all squash victories) and then just got thrown into this cage match to win the US Title.

JHawk,

 

I can't help you out with that one. Might try Wrestling Classics or Kayfabe Memories.

 

 

Graham

[Guest Astro]

 

I'm searching for more info

[Guest theoldxpac]

The first time he was called Stone Cold Steve Austin was on a Monday Night Raw episode in February 96, he went to a double count out with Savio Vega.

Off topic, but where do you guys get those ppv banners from?

[JoeDirt 0]

The first time he was called Stone Cold Steve Austin was on a Monday Night Raw episode in February 96, he went to a double count out with Savio Vega.

Off topic, but where do you guys get those ppv banners from?

Someone posted a link on here before - they have 'em at completewwf.com - so there ya go.

[JoeDirt 0]

Have Bret Hart and Chris Jericho ever wrestled?

 

Why did the WWF not resign Jake the Snake in 1992?

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Have Bret Hart and Chris Jericho ever wrestled?

 

Why did the WWF not resign Jake the Snake in 1992?

1. Not sure about Bret and Jericho...could've in 98/99 though.

 

2. It wasn't that he wasn't resigned, they let him go because his abuse problems were getting the better of him. It had been apparent for a while and thus was buried at WM8, WWF knew full well he gone.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

Was there ever any major heat in WCW between Bret Hart and HBK's ex-clique buddies Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman? (Though Waltman left soon after Bret arrived)

 

Anyone know of a site that has a complete listing of the Monday Night Wars ratings breakdown?

 

What was the deal with Sting in WCW in 1997? He returned at Spring Stampede and finally wrestled Hogan at Starcade. Was it all angle? Was he injured?

On Bret vs Hall/Nash

Not that I can recall. Bret's beef was just with HBK, not "the clique" Despite Nash's political postition at the time I doubt there was any risidual nonsense.

 

Also keep in mind, granted Vince begged Bret to take the offer, but if Bret really did feel real life heat with Nash and Hall he would never have gone to WCW

 

Monday Night Wars.

 

Online Onslaught's Rick Scaia in his various web homes (most notably nwwwo.com and wrestleline.com) did a on-going year-by-year recap which eventually came to an abrupt end in 2001, well when Wrestleline went goodbye he didn't transfer it over (it could still be found by searching for hidden links and archive.org) untill last year, and here it is:

 

http://www.onlineonslaught.com/features/mnw-intro.shtml

 

However it looks like he just does a composite rather than week to week. Exhaustive work, but you asked for the week-to-week and here is a site from The Other Arena:

 

http://www.otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/tocpage.cgi?ratings

[JoeDirt 0]

Thanks for the Monday Night ratings links.

 

Another question: Who was writing the WWF shows in 2000-2001? When did the current writers get their positions?

[Lil' Bitch 0]

What was the kayfabe reason for Paul Bearer turning on the Undertaker at SummerSlam 1996?

[JoeDirt 0]

This doesn't help much, but this is from a google RAW Recap of the show the night after Summerslam.

 

"And now, accompanied a strange smile on his face, it's Paul Bearer, and

his new charge, Mankind. Jim Ross is the designated interviewer, and

his goal is to find out why the change of allegiance. But wasn't that

answer on his hotline a few weeks back? Lawler would like to see

Mankind begin and end proceedings with the Mandible Claw, but that would

be a bit predictable. So, the interview begins, and Ross asks the

question. Bearer begins, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired,"

and from there the interview goes on to make a little less sense. Before

it gets too far out of hand, though, the lights flicker again. Ross

asserts that this is a sure sign the Undertaker is present. Bearer

denies this, saying it must be Mankind doing it, since he now has the

power of the urn. And not only that, but he has the power of the nerve

hold of doom, and as if that weren't enough, he has a title shot at

Shawn Michaels coming up at the next IYH. Quite a bit of ambition for a

mindless individual don't you think? Mankind explains it by saying he

and Bearer figure that his winning the title would be the best way to

inflict pain upon as many people as possible at once. Meanwhile, the

lights keep on flickering, and Mankind doesn't seem to know why. The

grin is also gone momentarily from Bearer's face. When the lights

continue to refuse to stay lit reliably, Ross once again puts it to

Bearer that the Undertaker must be present. Bearer denies it

categorically. "That is not the Undertaker. That is not my Undertaker.

That is not your Undertaker." And this is not your father's Undertaker.

Bearer continues, asserting that the Undertaker is dead, he is passed

away, bereft of life, he rests in...

 

>>> BONG <<<

 

...he's getting better..."

[JoeDirt 0]

1) Why did the WWF writers/Vince Russo give the IC title to Road Dogg and the hardcore title to Billy Gunn a week before WM15, messing up those matches for the show?

 

2) Why the _hell_ did Bossman and Undertaker feud? And why were they given Hell in a Cell?

 

3) What was the deal with the "nobody wants Public Enemy here" angle in early 1999?

 

4) And did smarks know that Vince was going to win the 99 Rumble? Were smarks pissed off about him winning it? (Not to mention the world title in September!)

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

1) Why did the WWF writers/Vince Russo give the IC title to Road Dogg and the hardcore title to Billy Gunn a week before WM15, messing up those matches for the show?

 

Russo loved those types of swerves to keep the audience guessing "What is gonna happen NOW"

 

Didn't realize that while "ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN" is great in real life, just not in wrestling where even marks know that storylines and plots are taking place. Oh its great every once in a while, but on a week-to-week basis, most of them not making too much sense it does get tedious and annoying

 

2) Why the _hell_ did Bossman and Undertaker feud? And why were they given Hell in a Cell?

 

Part of the Ministry vs Coporation angle. Everyone else had matches for WM so Bossman got the "short end of the stick" and wound up as Taker's opponent

 

3) What was the deal with the "nobody wants Public Enemy here" angle in early 1999?

 

They were trying to make an angle out of real life heat that the Public Enemy had when they came in

 

 

4) And did smarks know that Vince was going to win the 99 Rumble? Were smarks pissed off about him winning it? (Not to mention the world title in September!)

 

The title win was won on a Smackdown taping so they knew about that...

 

The Rumble was just another example of Russo's "shaking things up" The consencus was Austin and he would win back the "number one contendor" spot at WM the next month, so yeah it was "well kept secret"

 

Steve

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

One more thing about UT vs Bossman. They needed the HiTC cage in order to do the "hanging" of the Bossman bit at the end of the match (Edge, Christian and Gangrel were all members of the Ministry then, and at the end of the match they appeared on top of the cage, dropped a noose that UT drapped over Bossman and the cage was risen up a bit making Bossman be hung)

[Markme123 0]

2) Why the _hell_ did Bossman and Undertaker feud? And why were they given Hell in a Cell?

 

Bossman was brought in as Vince's personal bodyguard after Kane and Taker broke his ankle and Austin attacked him in the hospital. Early 99 saw the Ministry growing and eventually threatening Vince (including burning his teddy bear, raiding his home, and placing a burning Taker symbol on his lawn). Vince turned to Bossman to take out Taker leading to WM.

 

 

My questions:

There are numberous photos of the Ultimate Warrior (circa late 1990) without the full facepaint just little Warrior logos on his checks. Even his Talking Ultimate Warrior figure (Piper: "They are talking tough! Yeahaw!") had this look. Are there any of his matches with his look? Anyone know why it was changed?

 

How many Hell in a Cell matches have there been on RAW? Were they any good? I think there was a Kane/Foley one and a Tag team one in 98 right?

[Lil' Bitch 0]

How many Hell in a Cell matches have there been on RAW? Were they any good? I think there was a Kane/Foley one and a Tag team one in 98 right?

 

Just 2. The 2 you just named. Although technically, I would say 1 since the tag match never really took place.

[Guest Frank_Nabbit]

What was the build up of the Dennis Rodman/Randy Savage PPV match in WCW?