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JoeDirt

Last minute booking decisions

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Can you think of some of the most notable ones? I thought of this after seeing the post in the old school thread about the Austin/Kane KOTR 98 match.

 

Some I've heard before:

 

1) Luger/Yoko from WM10.

2) The Final Four match in February 97 (Austin was supposed to win but got hurt.)

3) HBK/Vader from Summerslam 96

4) HBK/Mankind from Mind Games

5) Hogan winning the title at WM9

6) Test was originally going to win the title on a RAW in 1999, but Vince changed the booking at the last second. (Scary thought, huh?)

 

Any others you can think of?

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Not sure if you're just talking World Title matches, but Rocky Maivia's first I-C win at Thursday Raw Thursday happened because HBK lost his smile and they needed something to send the crowd home happy.

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Not sure if you're just talking World Title matches, but Rocky Maivia's first I-C win at Thursday Raw Thursday happened because HBK lost his smile and they needed something to send the crowd home happy.

I didn't know that, but it makes sense. So would Goldust/HHH originally have been for the IC title at WM13? Or would Rocky have beaten HHH at Final Four anyways?

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I've heard that the finish of Summerslam 1999 had to be changed either because Austin didn't want to job to HHH (unlikely considering he did at No Mercy) or because Jesse Ventura was against a heel going over in his match and Austin wasn't healthy enough to wrestle the next night.

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Foley says in his book that they decided he should win the title because they didn't want Ventura getting booed in his home state by having HHH go over.

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1. Luger vs Flair at Starrcade 88

2. Sting vs Savage Spring Stampede 98(Savage was going to win,then Sting was when Savage was injured and then they finally decided on Savage)

3. Flair vs Scott Steiner COTC 91(Steiner didn't want the belt so they went to a time limit draw)

4. Hogan vs Flair COTC 94(changed to a dq when Hogan refused to lose)

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Not sure if you're just talking World Title matches, but Rocky Maivia's first I-C win at Thursday Raw Thursday happened because HBK lost his smile and they needed something to send the crowd home happy.

To send the crowd home happy? It was the first match, IIRC.

 

The last was Bret going over Vader clean.

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Guest Anglesault

Hogan and HHH at Backash. Like two hours before or something.

 

I didn't know that, but it makes sense. So would Goldust/HHH originally have been for the IC title at WM13? Or would Rocky have beaten HHH at Final Four anyways?

 

HHH was booked to face Ahmed at Final Four.

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Not sure if you're just talking World Title matches, but Rocky Maivia's first I-C win at Thursday Raw Thursday happened because HBK lost his smile and they needed something to send the crowd home happy.

To send the crowd home happy? It was the first match, IIRC.

 

The last was Bret going over Vader clean.

Yeah, but Shawn vs. Sid was advertised, and they didn't want the fans to feel cheated, so they gave them the I-C Title change to compensate.

 

I didn't know that, but it makes sense. So would Goldust/HHH originally have been for the IC title at WM13? Or would Rocky have beaten HHH at Final Four anyways?

Well, Ahmed/Faarooq was scheduled for Mania, and since he was HHH's original opponent, I'd imagine that Goldust/HHH at Mania would've been a title match.

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Guest MikeSC
Test? World Title? SERIOUSLY?!

 

Can someone give a little more background information?

This was when Test was still with Steph and very much a hot commodity following his match w/ Shane at SS '99.

 

I still don't get the Test hate. He's not that bad. He is the guy with the biggest argument in regards to HHH holding him down.

-=Mike

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Yeah, Test was so over after SummerSlam 99 that when Austin got injured / hit by car, I honestly thought Test was gonna take Austin's place in the Triple Threat match at Survivor Series and win the title.

Instead, the Big Show subbed for Austin and won...and no one cared.

 

From there, Test lost his heat IMO due to not getting revenge on HHH for stealing his wife, he simply went back to the midcard and did nothing until T&A!

 

My theory is WWE didn't think he paid his dues and didn't deserve the title but Test's last half of 99 run was like a blueprint on how to make a new main-eventer (a couple of victories over champ HHH don't hurt)

 

 

EDIT: On topic, just remebered Bret Hart's first title win over Ric Flair. Bret just arrived in Saskatoon for the house show and Vince tells him he just decided to make him the next champ starting...hmmm...tonight, why not? :P

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Yeah, Test was so over after SummerSlam 99 that when Austin got injured / hit by car, I honestly thought Test was gonna take Austin's place in the Triple Threat match at Survivor Series and win the title.

Instead, the Big Show subbed for Austin and won...and no one cared.

 

From there, Test lost his heat IMO due to not getting revenge on HHH for stealing his wife, he simply went back to the midcard and did nothing until T&A!

 

My theory is WWE didn't think he paid his dues and didn't deserve the title but Test's last half of 99 run was like a blueprint on how to make a new main-eventer (a couple of victories over champ HHH don't hurt)

 

 

EDIT: On topic, just remebered Bret Hart's first title win over Ric Flair. Bret just arrived in Saskatoon for the house show and Vince tells him he just decided to make him the next champ starting...hmmm...tonight, why not? :P

Also on the RAW where HHH faced Test for the title, Vince originally booked it for Test to win it...which would have sort have made sense, as they could have blown it off at Armageddon instead of having the stupid HHH/Vince match.

 

Test, former WWF champion. Eerie.

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3. Flair vs Scott Steiner COTC 91(Steiner didn't want the belt so they went to a time limit draw)

I thought Meltzer totally shot this one down but I might be misremembering.

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Guest Dynamite Kido
On topic, just remebered Bret Hart's first title win over Ric Flair. Bret just arrived in Saskatoon for the house show and Vince tells him he just decided to make him the next champ starting...hmmm...tonight, why not? :P

This REALLY creeped me out as last night I decided to pop this in (WWF Invasion 92) so I could watch this match again. WEIRD.......

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Guest Mad the Swine
On topic, just remebered Bret Hart's first title win over Ric Flair. Bret just arrived in Saskatoon for the house show and Vince tells him he just decided to make him the next champ starting...hmmm...tonight, why not? :P

This REALLY creeped me out as last night I decided to pop this in (WWF Invasion 92) so I could watch this match again. WEIRD.......

Vince actually made the decision a few days earlier. I'm thinking that he told Bret in Los Angeles that he was getting it.

 

Partial reasoning for the switch was because Flair had vertigo.

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On topic, just remebered Bret Hart's first title win over Ric Flair. Bret just arrived in Saskatoon for the house show and Vince tells him he just decided to make him the next champ starting...hmmm...tonight, why not? :P

This REALLY creeped me out as last night I decided to pop this in (WWF Invasion 92) so I could watch this match again. WEIRD.......

Well, his match at Invasion 1992 didn't go as well for The Hitman as the Smack Em Whack Em match did.

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Guest MikeSC

Actually, here's one I don't get.

 

MOM won the belts when Mabel fell on one of the Quebecers and pinned him. If this wasn't supposed to happen, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY IN THE RING STOP IT?

 

Why didn't the other Quebecer "run-in"?

Why didn't the ref "get distracted" by something?

-=Mike

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Actually, here's one I don't get.

 

MOM won the belts when Mabel fell on one of the Quebecers and pinned him. If this wasn't supposed to happen, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY IN THE RING STOP IT?

 

Why didn't the other Quebecer "run-in"?

Why didn't the ref "get distracted" by something?

-=Mike

Perhaps it all just happened too fast. Plus there was still some level of kayfabe at the time, so they had to make sure it looked real...somewhat real, anyway.

 

I don't think marks would've bought the referee going blind right before the 3 count.

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Guest reshad974
Actually, here's one I don't get.

 

MOM won the belts when Mabel fell on one of the Quebecers and pinned him. If this wasn't supposed to happen, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY IN THE RING STOP IT?

 

Why didn't the other Quebecer "run-in"?

Why didn't the ref "get distracted" by something?

-=Mike

I was at that show and I remember that Moe was fighting with the other Quebecer (I believe it was Pierre) outside the ring. That's why he couldn't run in. Jacques and Pierre both seemed legitimately upset after the match.

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Guest MikeSC
Actually, here's one I don't get.

 

MOM won the belts when Mabel fell on one of the Quebecers and pinned him. If this wasn't supposed to happen, WHY DIDN'T SOMEBODY IN THE RING STOP IT?

 

Why didn't the other Quebecer "run-in"?

Why didn't the ref "get distracted" by something?

                        -=Mike

I was at that show and I remember that Moe was fighting with the other Quebecer (I believe it was Pierre) outside the ring. That's why he couldn't run in. Jacques and Pierre both seemed legitimately upset after the match.

Why couldn't Mabel get up? I can get Jacques not kicking out (when a fat tub of goo falls on you, it's hard to move), but couldn't Mabel have done something?

 

I'm, honestly, shocked that they weren't immediately turfed for that. And that the WWF actually ACKNOWLEDGED the swap.

-=Mike

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Partial reasoning for the switch was because Flair had vertigo.

 

courtesy of the Warrior potatoing him.

 

 

Not a world title, but how about Edge winning the IC title for a day in his hometown of Toronto at the house show before Fully Loaded 99 from Jeff Jarrett because Ken Shamrock wasn't able to attend due to travel hassles.

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Guest MikeSC
Partial reasoning for the switch was because Flair had vertigo.

 

courtesy of the Warrior potatoing him.

 

 

Not a world title, but how about Edge winning the IC title for a day in his hometown of Toronto at the house show before Fully Loaded 99 from Jeff Jarrett because Ken Shamrock wasn't able to attend due to travel hassles.

Didn't make sense, either. I assumed Edge was easily going to go over JJ for the IC Title at FL --- then saw him entering the ring with the gold.

 

Does anybody know where I can get a copy of that match?WWF.com had it briefly once.

-=Mike

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