WWF/E Tidbits from the past

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

It always struck me as a marketing thing. Like adding a 'Z' to Taz or whatever, Sycho Sid was probably just a little more cutting edge than Psycho. Personally I think they should have just kept the Vicious name.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

I always though that the extra Z was to avoid a lawsuit form Warner Bros.

[King Kamala 0]

It always struck me as a marketing thing. Like adding a 'Z' to Taz or whatever, Sycho Sid was probably just a little more cutting edge than Psycho. Personally I think they should have just kept the Vicious name.

 

I don't know why this happened but Sid Justice changing his name to Sycho Sid in his 2nd WWF run led to the one other wrestling fan in my 2nd grade class to believe that Sid Justice and Sycho Sid were too entirely different people...the two, however, were related!

 

Man, wrestling getting popular in '97/'98 was a godsend because it meant I didn't have to hang out with dopes like that if I wanted to talk about last night's RAW.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I always though that the extra Z was to avoid a lawsuit form Warner Bros.

Oh, that could be true. But you know what I mean w/r/t to WWE's marketing department adding z's and what not to names (see: Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz) so that they can copyright them. I don't think there was anything to the Sycho name other than trying to do something unique for marketing purposes.

[bob_barron 0]

Yea- it became Tazz so they could copyright it, just like with Road Dogg and Badd Ass Billy Gunn.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I've told this story before but a claim Joe Legend made to some wrestling students was WWE thought trademarking "Rhino" would be a problem due to the Marvel character so they were going to call him 'Mary'. Rhino called is buddy Joe in a panic, so Mr. Legend suggested they go with 'Rhyno' ala 'Chyna'.

[Slickster 0]

WTF. That story makes no sense at all. I'd assume Legend was ribbing the students or something, because it would make no sense to name a guy you intend to push 'Mary.'

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Tell that to Rosey.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Mary's a stupid name. They should have called him Sue.

[Boner Kawanger 0]

Insta-feud with his father?

[Psycho Penguin 0]

Sycho Penguin

[Enigma 0]

Haha, oh the woes of Test. He was indeed supposed to be the last-minute replacement for Austin at the Survivor Series and win the title. Too bad he broke his nose in that match with HHH he had the night of his wedding. Then he tried to come back too soon and broke his nose again in his first match back. Horrible luck. Although I guess getting to fuck Stacy Keibler and Kelly Kelly is a good redemption.

[TheFranchise 0]

Tell that to Rosey.

[YourKock'sReallyGreat 0]

How come WM2 was at 3 venues and how come they haven't done it again?

[bob_barron 0]

Because Starrcade 85 was at 2 venues.

 

They haven't done it again, because it was a logistical nightmare, and Wrestlemania 2 sucked.

[Enigma 0]

To be fair, with technology the way it is, it would probably be a hell of a lot easier to do that today as opposed to the mid-80s.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Now you have to have a hard enough time to make one good blockbuster card, much less 2 or 3

 

 

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

WM 2 worked at the time because it was commonplace to go to an arena/theatre for a closed circuit show. PPV wasn't tremendously widespread then, so the appeal was not only a live card, but a CC broadcast of the rest of the event.

 

It might be worth another shot with the brand extension though. One card for raw, another for Smackdown.

[Hasbeen2 0]

A funny sign I just noticed at the start of WM 18, when RVD was coming to the ring: "65,000 people, only 1 X-Pac fan"

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Where are people getting the idea that Test was slotted for Big Show's spot at the Survivor Series in 1999 and was going to win the WWF title?

[TheFranchise 0]

I assume the spot Test had at the time, needing somebody for the WWF Title match, someone associated with Stephanie McMahon and had history with HHH, he was the logical person from a kayfabe standpoint.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Others who received try-outs at the various Texas tapings included Brian Lee (who looked good), Kevin Von Erich (who it appears will be hired but nobody has a clue as to why--actually I do--they can in newspaper ads just bill Von Erich vs. Martel and send both to the arenas figuring one will no-show every night but as long as the other makes it they won't have to change the card), Chris Adams, Sir Charles (Charles Wright aka Soul Taker doing a British gimmick that may turn into a voodoo man gimmick) and Ron & Don Harris. Supposedly they liked the Harris Brothers although it seemed Charles and Von Erich have the best shot at employment.

 

WWF found itself in some hot water over an incident in Vancouver during a Bushwhackers vs. Beverly Brothers match. British Columbia gay activist Ken Walker demanded an apology from the WWF over the "Faggot" chants by Bushwhackers and portrayal of the Genius character. "They sent the message that it's okay to abuse gays and make them an object of hatred." The WWF verbally apologized to Walker but it's gone farther as Vancouver City Hall has asked the WWF to send in a written apology for the behavior of the Bushwhackers.

 

12/7 in Denver drew 2,100 as British Bulldog pinned Barbarian (Mel Phillips took a big bump from Barbarian which he was none too pleased about)

[TMC1982 0]

It's awfully unusual if you ask me for WWE to have their biggest show of the year take place at the same location two years in row. The only logical answer that I could find was to sell the whole Hogan-Savage angle (i.e. returning to the "scene of the crime" so to speak).

 

I wouldn't necessarily consider Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, NJ to be the worst WrestleMania site ever (it was however, a considerable step down from the Pontiac Silverdome or the Toronto SkyDome in-between). The Hartford Civic Center (WrestleMania XI), Caeser's Palace (WrestleMania IX), and the three location set up for WrestleMania 2 ought to rank up there on the list of "Worst WrestleMania Venues Ever".

[TMC1982 0]

I wish that someday, Vince and company will bring this theme ("The Grand Spectacle") back. It has a very timeless, but still epic appeal to it. It kind of reminds me of the

from the early 1990s (around the tail end of them covering the NFC package) in it's simple, yet extremely catchy and powerful in its appeal.

 

The first WrestleMania used "Easy Lover" (by Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey) as it's time. While that song (along with Aretha Franklin's "Who's Zoomin' Who?" from WrestleMania III) is great in its own right, it's still for the most part, carrying "'80s centric" vibe behind its appeal. Even the "Wrestlemania Rap" (which would become Linda McMahon's theme) from 1993-1998 feels a bit dated, due to its Michael Jackson, "Black or White" sound.

 

Now a days, WWE's formula seems to be to randomly get some hard rock band (like Limp Bizkit for example) to do the theme regardless of whether or not it feels relevant to WrestleMania.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

I thought these rating notes were interesting... Numbers came from Wrestling Information Archive

 

- Raw's First "Explosion" Ratings Wise: April 6th, 1998 (Jumped from a 3.8 the week before to a 4.7 that show)

- Raw's First "Peak" Ratings Wise: April 28th, 1998 - May 18th, 1998 (Hit ratings of 5.7, 5.5, 4.3, and 5.3)

- Raw's Second "Peak" Ratings Wise: November 9th, 1998 - December 14th, 1998 (Hit ratings of 5.0, 5.5, 4.9, 5.0, 5.15, and 5.2)

- Raw's First Surreal Eye Popping Numbers: May 10th, 1999 - June 28th, 1999 (Hit at least 6.7 on 5 of their 7 shows)

- Raw's Subsequent Demise: August 28th, 2000 (Dropped from 5.9 and 6.2 the previous two weeks to a 4.9 that show)

- Raw's Low Point: December 24th, 2007 where they registered a 2.5

[Beto Chavez 0]

Flair suffered the ear injury when IIRC the Ultimate Warrior potatoed him during one of their house show matches. I believe the injury is also what led to Bret getting the belt.

[Diamonddust 0]

It's awfully unusual if you ask me for WWE to have their biggest show of the year take place at the same location two years in row. The only logical answer that I could find was to sell the whole Hogan-Savage angle (i.e. returning to the "scene of the crime" so to speak).

 

I wouldn't necessarily consider Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, NJ to be the worst WrestleMania site ever (it was however, a considerable step down from the Pontiac Silverdome or the Toronto SkyDome in-between). The Hartford Civic Center (WrestleMania XI), Caeser's Palace (WrestleMania IX), and the three location set up for WrestleMania 2 ought to rank up there on the list of "Worst WrestleMania Venues Ever".

 

I'm pretty certain Trump wanted it there the next year after IV, and that's why they went back.

 

As for worst spot, I'd say Hartford by a landslide. At least Las Vegas, Chicago, New York (Even if it was Long Island), and Los Angeles were major markets.

 

[The Tino Standard 0]

I wish that someday, Vince and company will bring this theme ("The Grand Spectacle") back. It has a very timeless, but still epic appeal to it. It kind of reminds me of the

from the early 1990s (around the tail end of them covering the NFC package) in it's simple, yet extremely catchy and powerful in its appeal.

 

Holy shit, I haven't heard that theme in years. Freaking awesome.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

It's awfully unusual if you ask me for WWE to have their biggest show of the year take place at the same location two years in row. The only logical answer that I could find was to sell the whole Hogan-Savage angle (i.e. returning to the "scene of the crime" so to speak).

 

I wouldn't necessarily consider Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, NJ to be the worst WrestleMania site ever (it was however, a considerable step down from the Pontiac Silverdome or the Toronto SkyDome in-between). The Hartford Civic Center (WrestleMania XI), Caeser's Palace (WrestleMania IX), and the three location set up for WrestleMania 2 ought to rank up there on the list of "Worst WrestleMania Venues Ever".

 

I'm pretty certain Trump wanted it there the next year after IV, and that's why they went back.

 

As for worst spot, I'd say Hartford by a landslide. At least Las Vegas, Chicago, New York (Even if it was Long Island), and Los Angeles were major markets.

 

The outdoor Caesar's Palace venue was really cool. Hartford is easily the worst place they've ever chosen to run their flagship PPV.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 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*