WWF/E Tidbits from the past

[haws bah gawd 0]

The Oct. 2 1995 RAW had a 1900 number for "Is OJ Guilty" Classy.

 

Also RAW had Barry Horowitz vs HHH opposing Nitros Lex Luger vs Randy Savage and Eddy vs Dean Malenko

 

*head slap*

 

I know what you people want to see, better than YOU do! [/Vince]

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

I know that Luger/Savage has marquee name value to it, and Malenko/Eddy were always awesome when they were in there, WWF was also offering some good stuff that night. That tidbit is very misleading.

 

October 02, 1995: Razor Ramon pinned The 1-2-3 Kid...Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Barry Horowitz...PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D) defeated Al Brown and Sonny Rogers...Bret Hart defeated Jean Pierre Lafitte by submission.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

I know that Luger/Savage has marquee name value to it, and Malenko/Eddy were always awesome when they were in there, WWF was also offering some good stuff that night. That tidbit is very misleading.

 

October 02, 1995: Razor Ramon pinned The 1-2-3 Kid...Hunter Hearst Helmsley pinned Barry Horowitz...PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D) defeated Al Brown and Sonny Rogers...Bret Hart defeated Jean Pierre Lafitte by submission.

 

I was just watching an old Nitro that flashed back between RAW and Nitro and that was the comparison I could offer

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

How come the WWF didn't really promote Dusty Rhodes as being a former champion back in 1990? Was it because they didn't want to recognize WCW/NWA? I was only 10 at the time and I watch wcw every now and than. I really didn't know Dusty's whole background when he came in. So I just pretty much viewed him as a fat jobber who wore a silly outfit and talked funny. My last question is how come Savage and Dusty didn't have a 1 on 1 at WM 6? I remember not being too big of a fan of the mixed tag match when I was watching it live.

[haws bah gawd 0]

To be honest, it's probably the same reason why you didn't hear the ECW announce team mention Christian is a former 2-time World Champion. Don't want to advertise the other guy.

[Diamonddust 0]

To be honest, it's probably the same reason why you didn't hear the ECW announce team mention Christian is a former 2-time World Champion. Don't want to advertise the other guy.

 

Yeah... there was no way they were going to acknowledge Dusty's past. I mean... look at it this way:

 

They had Hulk Hogan as the world champion, and then you're going to put Dusty Rhodes up there and say he was a world champion as well? (Just in the comparison of physical looks).

 

Many have speculated Dusty's run in the WWE was a test to see if he could take the crap given to him (Polka dots, Sapphire, etc.). You also had the fact a lot of the locker room had past dealings with Dusty, and there was heat because of it.

[ryankeast 0]

I was always a huge fan of The Islanders and have been a massive Haku mark for practically all my wrestling watching life.

 

I always found it a shame that The Islanders never got a run in the WWF with the tag team gold, however the tag team division was so stacked that there were so many deserving other teams at the time as well.

 

My question is when did The Islanders disband. Obviously, Haku stuck about and had moderate succus - but what of Tama?

 

1. When did he and the WWF part ways?

 

2. Why did they get rid of Sam Fatu (Tama) but still keep Haku and repackage him.

 

3. Where did Sam Fatu end up after his WWF stint? Did he have much success?

 

Thanks

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

To be honest, it's probably the same reason why you didn't hear the ECW announce team mention Christian is a former 2-time World Champion. Don't want to advertise the other guy.

 

Yeah... there was no way they were going to acknowledge Dusty's past. I mean... look at it this way:

 

They had Hulk Hogan as the world champion, and then you're going to put Dusty Rhodes up there and say he was a world champion as well? (Just in the comparison of physical looks).

 

Many have speculated Dusty's run in the WWE was a test to see if he could take the crap given to him (Polka dots, Sapphire, etc.). You also had the fact a lot of the locker room had past dealings with Dusty, and there was heat because of it.

 

Plus at that point Hogan and Bruno led all others in WWF history with 2 world titles each, all of a sudden this fat (albeit AWESOME) old guy comes in as a 3 time champ?

 

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Given WWE's extreme willingness to bring in Samoans, I would imagine Tama simply did not want to continue wrestling/touring on a full time basis. I never even saw him pop up around here in Afa's promotion.

[Enigma 0]

How come the WWF didn't really promote Dusty Rhodes as being a former champion back in 1990? Was it because they didn't want to recognize WCW/NWA? I was only 10 at the time and I watch wcw every now and than. I really didn't know Dusty's whole background when he came in. So I just pretty much viewed him as a fat jobber who wore a silly outfit and talked funny. My last question is how come Savage and Dusty didn't have a 1 on 1 at WM 6? I remember not being too big of a fan of the mixed tag match when I was watching it live.

 

The same reason they acted like they had no idea where Flair got the belt that he brought with him to the WWF in 1991.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Seems Earthquake almost showed up a few years earlier than he did....

 

In '75, Gary Hart started booking in Atlanta. Vince sent down guys who were getting stale every so often. At one point he sent down Fuji and Strongbow (how the hell that worked since Scarpa had been a star in Georgia for 15 years escapes me). Gary found them both to be troublemakers and ended up firing both of them.

 

Vinnie takes over. Gary has no problem with him and even sends him talent when it gets burned out where he's booking. Vinnie offers him a job. They agree to meet.

 

In '84, when Gary walked into the backstage of the arena to meet with Vinnie, the first one who saw him come in was Fuji who proceeded to ask him if he had any grass in a voice that could be heard all over the backstage. Gary sat with Vinnie and pitched him a new guy from Canada called Cujo, who was John Tenta, as a favor to Gary's friend and Cujo's trainer Tarzan Tyler. Since Cujo was 6'8" and 350 and reportedly very agile, Vinnie told Gary they were on and to show up at a specific house show in the near future with him.

 

Gary flies in and gets paged at the airport. It's a guy he doesn't know on the phone, Howard Finkel. Finkel tells him that Cujo's plane is delayed so instead of coming straight to the arena, Gary should wait and meet the plane and bring the guy.

 

Gary waits and waits. He finally goes to the desk and finds out the plane got in an hour before his did.

 

He jumps in a cab and goes to the arena. He gets there at 8:30. He is so steamed he disses Hogan who is shocked to see him and greets him respectfully.

 

He sees Tenta sitting with other guys on a bench. He asks him how long he's been there. Tenta pretends not to understand English. Rene Goulet tells Gary he was there on time.

 

Gary goes and finds Finkel. Finkel tells him he was just doing what Jay Strongbow told him to do. Strongbow runs up screaming at Gary for being late. Gary asks Finkel if Strongbow has clout. Finkel says yes, he's one of Vinnie's top guys.

 

Gary turns around and leaves and goes back to Dallas. Tenta doesn't get hired because he doesn't have his working papers in order.

 

Vinnie calls him a couple days later, mad. Gary explains his side. Vinnie tells him the job is still there and offers him Beefcake to manage. Gary passes.

 

There is no further contact between Gary Hart and WWF.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Interesting story.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Originally posted by Crimson Mask from FL:

Hmm. I reread what Gary said: 'Picture John Tenta --- and that's what Cujo looked like.' He may have been saying Cujo looked like Tenta, not that he was Tenta. Cujo is not IDed by name other than that reference.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

The CBS Evening News filmed a segment with Flair that will air this week in conjunction with the Oscars. Flair turns 60 on 2/25 and said his goal is to bench 315 on that day. To show how things have changed, on 2/21, he’s doing an indie show for Rikki Nelson in the Carolinas after a store grand opening, and for the day he’ll make more than he made when he won the title from Harley Race at the first Starrcade.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Good for Flair. 315 is impressive for a man his age.

[Damaramu 0]

You know, I've been reading through the first few pages of this thread and it seems there's a lot of mention of 92 and 96. It's funny because those seem to be two of the lowest points for the WWF, but they seem to be my most fondly remembered years as a childhood fan. Weird, especially because I've loathed the product since around 04. I need 24/7 like everyone else. I had it, and then got rid of it because I moved and unfortunately got rid of it around the time all the good stuff was happening. 97 was one of my favorite years on RAW and I got rid of it just as Austin vs. Hart Foundation was taking off!

[Diamonddust 0]

You know, I've been reading through the first few pages of this thread and it seems there's a lot of mention of 92 and 96. It's funny because those seem to be two of the lowest points for the WWF, but they seem to be my most fondly remembered years as a childhood fan. Weird, especially because I've loathed the product since around 04. I need 24/7 like everyone else.

 

I wouldn't consider '92 a low point by any stretch (At least creatively speaking). The first half of '92 was awesome.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The Nasty Boys were both injured in an out of the ring incident on Sunday night. According a Peoria Police Department press release, Lawrence Rotunda (IRS), Jerome Saganowich (Jerry Saggs) and Brian Yandrisovitz (Brian Nobbs) were driving to their motel after a match in Peoria. Three fans who were either following them from the arena, or saw them in the car, continually swerved in front of them and slammed on their breaks, bumped their car and finally threw a rock at the car. At approximately 12:25 a.m., Nobbs got out of the car at the light and was attacked, which caused Saggs and Rotunda to jump out. During the ensuing fight, Nobbs was stabbed four times, three times in the arm and once in the stomach, but his injuries weren't serious enough to require him spending overnight in the hospital. Saggs suffered a concussion after being hit with jumper cables that caused a two inch laceration on the left side of his head.

 

Got a copy of the current WWF depth chart so if you're interested, here's how the office ranks the guys. Babyfaces: Hulk, Macho Man, Sid Justice, Piper, Bret Hart, Boss Man, Virgil, Janetty, Tornado, Bulldog, El Matador, Valentine, Chavis, Walker. Heels: Flair, Undertaker, Snake, DiBiase, IRS, Mountie, Michaels, Repo Man, Berzerker, Skinner, Warlord, Kato, Hercules. Face tag teams: LOD, Slaughter & Duggan, New Foundation, Bushwhackers. Heel tag teams: Natural Disasters, Nasty Boys, Beverly Brothers.

 

That's right... in 1992, when Shawn was turned heel, the office viewed him in a position between The Mountie and Repo Man.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Tornado ahead of Bulldog? Really? That opinion changed REAL fast

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Kind of weird to see IRS supposedly right behind Dibiase as well.

 

I will say that Mountie did seem to get a ton of heel heat, so at that point I definitely buy into him being ahead of Michaels (who wasn't proven at all as a singles guy at that point).

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

Yeah, in January of 1992 The Mountie was absolutely a more valuable heel than Shawn Michaels.

 

Chris Walker was actually ranked?

[Richard 0]

Virgil at #7? Only months later he'd be a jobber.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

And it's not like the Mountie was some schlub they found and put in a costume. Jacques Rougeau ended up competing at seven Wrestlemanias. And Krry Von Erich I can definitely buy. He is one of wrestling's all time greatest fuckups. In an alternate universe, he'd be WWF Champion while David Von Erich held the NWA strap.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

And it's not like the Mountie was some schlub they found and put in a costume. Jacques Rougeau ended up competing at seven Wrestlemanias. And Krry Von Erich I can definitely buy. He is one of wrestling's all time greatest fuckups. In an alternate universe, he'd be WWF Champion while David Von Erich held the NWA strap.

Yeah but this is 1992 KerryVE, he's fired within 6 months and dead within 18

[King Cucaracha 0]

I don't see anything really wrong with Shawn/Mountie. You have to remember, this is 1992, either immediately before or during his Intercontinental Championship reign. Read it again. It goes Flair (next WWF Champion), Undertaker (last WWF Champion), Jake Roberts (feuding with Savage), Dibiase and IRS (top heel tag team), The Mountie (IC Champion), Shawn (just turned heel from a midcard tag team). No big problem there.

 

Bulldog behind Tornado is a little odd. The fact he was behind Jannetty and Virgil is odder to me. Jannetty was out and Virgil's was on the downturn post-Dibiase feud.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I know there's nothing technically wrong with it, but it's still funny historically.

 

The Bulldog one is a bit of a baffler though.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Why was Jannety gone for so long after the Rockers break up, anyway? Was he fired, or did he quit or what?

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I think it was a drug thing. Selling an injury to build to a match 12 months later seems a bit much, even by 1992 standards. I'm sure I'll read about it ina retro Observer soon enough.

 

For now, let's trust wikipedia:

 

"Jannetty was initially meant to "work" the injury (thus missing the opportunity to win the vacant WWF World title at the 1992 Royal Rumble) before returning to start a feud which would culminate at WrestleMania VIII. However, personal issues would prevent this, and Jannetty was released from the company in March of 1992."

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Wouldn't this have been about the time that the Rocker's handed in their notices only for Shawn to go behind Marty's back and retract his resignation? That would explain it.

[Diamonddust 0]

From the 1/10/92 edition of the Observer... a very interesting write-up concerning Lex Luger giving notice on his then current WCW deal and what it would mean to the WWE:

 

Clearly, the WWF needs a top babyface to carry the load and Hogan's days seem to be numbered working even the partial schedule he does now. Neither Randy Savage or Roddy Piper will be the replacements both because of age and size. While The Undertaker is young enough and his long-term future, strange as it sounds, is as a face, he's not the type to be the promotional flagship. Putting Bret Hart in the role would require a major change in promotional conception that just isn't coming, and he's been in the middle so long that it would be an exceedingly hard sell building the company around him. Sid the Second Coming has enough strikes against him that even though he's the front-runner, there have to be major qualms. A turned Ric Flair isn't a long-term answer, and probably not short-term either. Actually of the names on the current roster, Curt Hennig comes the closest to fitting the bill for talent, look, charisma and he's young enough (he's now 33) for a long run. But the ring name Mr. Perfect as a babyface world champion in a merchandise company doesn't fit, and he's also had a history of both knee and back problems. By March 1993, Luger, who wouldn't be stale because he'd be off television for one year, would look awfully good.