The Rockers or Rock n' Roll Express?

[natey2k4 0]

With the recent return of the Rockers, the question for today, March 23rd is;

 

Which team during their prime years was more entertaining and capable of putting on better matches than the other?

 

 

I'll post my opinoins again after a few replies..

 

Discuss!

[genius33 0]

no contest... rock 'n roll express

[razazteca 0]

Version 3 the Hardy Boys....

[swan 0]

AWA version, Midnight Rockers.

 

We didn't get the NWA/Mid-South wrestling on TV when the RnR Express was in thier heyday.

 

All I can say, is the Midnight Rockers/Doug Summers & Buddy Rose 1 hour draw from Las Vegas that appeared on the old ESPN show was a classic bloodbath.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The Rock 'n' Roll Express blow away The Rockers in all departments. While The Rockers were no slouches, but the RnR Express were so far above them. While Shawn did get some really good heat when he was selling, Ricky Morton's was on another level. Robert Gibson was also far better than Marty at working the corner, and their teamwork was far smoother. While individually, at varying points, Shawn and Marty were probably better workers, as a team, Ricky and Robert were superior in every way.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

The Rock N Roll Express defined tag team wrestling to the point that WWE still copies their formula today. I wouldn't put them at the level of the Steiners, but they are above the Rockers easily.

[natey2k4 0]

I think The Rockers and Rock n' Roll Express both helped define the Tag Team Division. The Rockers also gave hope to young, smaller guys to get over... for awhile in Jannettys case.

 

I didn't really grow up with the Rock n' Roll Express though, so I would probably have to say the Rockers. Although I've seen quite a good chunk of the RnR's matches and am definately impressed. Absolutely loved the Cage Match on the Bloodbath DVD. It's really a toss-up for me, because I never got to see the RnR in their prime, and get to hear unedited reactions, and fans involement. As far as matches go, The Rockers pulled out some miracles on workers you'd never think could have a good match (Akeem/Bossman anyone?.. Well not terrible workers, the Rockers helped them to a ***-***1/4 match)

The RnR's though have had many great matches, and by that I would probably pick them as the better team...

 

It's so close to me, due to circumstances, but both teams definately kicked ass...

 

 

Oh and both The Rockers and The Express were/are FAR better then the Steiners ever were/are.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I've heard live reactions to the Rock and Roll Express, and it blows away absolutely anything The Rockers, or almost anyone else in history for that matter, got. It was absolutely insane.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

Shouldn't this be in General Wrestling since General Wrestling is the catchall for OldSchool, and this is comparing two teams from more than a decade ago?

 

 

Oh, and The Rock n' Rolls blow away the Rockers.

[natey2k4 0]

Yah I guess your right about General Wrestling, I just posted in WWE I guess because I wasn't thinking lol

[Nighthawk 0]

Oh and both The Rockers and The Express were/are FAR better then the Steiners ever were/are.

Apples and oranges.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I hope everyone knows the Rockers were just a cheap rip off of the RnR Express, right? RnR's easily... they were the innovators of the tag team divisions, and Ricky Morton was one of the best to work a hot tag segment.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

Them being a ripoff of the Rock N' Roll's gimmick matters...why?

 

He's not asking about who had the most original gimmick.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I have to admit though, I was always more of a fan of Lane & Eaton.

[Guest MikeSC]

I always thought the Bulldogs were better.

 

It's hard to say which team was better. The Rockers dragged Akeem & Big Bossman and The Powers of Pain to eminently entertaining matches. I don't remember the R'n'R Express pulling off miracles with weak talent like that (even the Russian teams --- save Ivan Koloff & Kruschev --- were better than the PoP).

-=Mike

[Vern Gagne 0]

I have to admit though, I was always more of a fan of Lane & Eaton.

Same here. They where my favorite NWA tag team.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Yeah I mean the Rockers never wrestled great tag teams like the RnR Express did in the NWA and stuff. The Rockers were a team during perhaps one of the worst periods for the WWF, workrate-wise. It's not really a fair comparison.

 

RnR are also known for being a tag team together, that being the high point of their career. Shawn is known as HBK for a reason. This is relevant because it shows that they did it much longer and worked together more, as opposed to The Rockers who had a shorter shelf-life. Correct me if I'm wrong on this one.

[Precious Roy 0]

I've heard live reactions to the Rock and Roll Express, and it blows away absolutely anything The Rockers, or almost anyone else in history for that matter, got. It was absolutely insane.

The R N' R's worked smaller rooms though, and the same region. You can't really compare the reaction they'd get at the mid-south colliseum to the Rockers working big arenas across the country for McMahon. I bet Michaels/Jannetty could have outdrawn them on that circuit if the roles were reversed.

 

I was never a fan of the Rock N' Roll Express. Fine workers, but they bored me, and I think they're super overrated. Wasn't a very big Rockers fan either, but I definitely perfered Michaels/Jannetty to Gibson/Morton.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I've heard live reactions to the Rock and Roll Express, and it blows away absolutely anything The Rockers, or almost anyone else in history for that matter, got. It was absolutely insane.

The R N' R's worked smaller rooms though, and the same region. You can't really compare the reaction they'd get at the mid-south colliseum to the Rockers working big arenas across the country for McMahon.

This was in a packed, 15,000 seat Charlotte and Greensboro Coliseums, amongst other places. The crowds were comparable to anything Vince was drawing at the time. Everyone was going batshit for these guys, and it was beyond deafening. The Rockers never got anything close to this, but then again almost nobody could.

 

I bet Michaels/Jannetty could have outdrawn them on that circuit if the roles were reversed.

 

Shawn's selling wasn't in the same league as Ricky Morton's. The Rockers would have drawn well, but Ricky's selling just put the RnR's drawing potential above The Rockers.

[strummer 0]

Also have to take into account that Vince McMahon did not believe in tag teams being any kind of draw at the top of the card. Vince believed tag teams were strictly midcard, therefore the Rockers were never put in a position to draw. In the NWA, tag teams were put on top and in a position to draw. Also, the Rockers had to work with inferior opponents, such as POP, Twin Towers, etc.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Hey... Boss Man was one of the best big men wrestlers of his time (maybe all time). It's funny that when he dropped a lot of the weight is when he started getting worse in the ring.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Even having grown up on the WWF, the Rock and Rolls (from what NWA I've seen) were at their peak the best tag team going. Morton made the hot tag his own and that's probably the most crucial part of being a successful, face tag team.

 

The Rockers were better at the tag team moves, but The Rock n Rolls were better at tag team wrestling.

 

Individually, it's a different story.

[nl5xsk1 0]

The R N' R's worked smaller rooms though, and the same region.  You can't really compare the reaction they'd get at the mid-south colliseum to the Rockers working big arenas across the country for McMahon.  I bet Michaels/Jannetty could have outdrawn them on that circuit if the roles were reversed.

 

I was never a fan of the Rock N' Roll Express.  Fine workers, but they bored me, and I think they're super overrated.  Wasn't a very big Rockers fan either, but I definitely perfered Michaels/Jannetty to Gibson/Morton.

But by that logic, EVERY face would have gotten wicked loud reactions, and not many - if any - did.

 

And I guess the fact that you then admit to not liking the RnR, it makes a little more sense why you'd want to downplay their popularity or superiority over the Rockers.

[Guest Loss]

In 1988, The Rockers came through Memphis and feuded with the Rock & Roll Express. Michaels and Jannetty played the heels because the audience was only going to cheer one team. That should tell you everything you need to know.

[Guest krazykat72]

the Rock and Rolls (from what NWA I've seen) were at their peak the best tag team going.

.

You need to watch some more Fantastics and Midnight Express matches.

Both of them, along with the Rockers and Bulldogs, IMO are beter than the R'n'R Express was.

That's not even getting us to Japan, where just about all these teams would fall.

 

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[MARTYEWR 0]

In 1988, The Rockers came through Memphis and feuded with the Rock & Roll Express. Michaels and Jannetty played the heels because the audience was only going to cheer one team. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Not disagreeing with you at all (especially with the comparisons of both teams, which I agree with you), but do you think the crowd heat would be the same as in Memphis if the match they did were in, say, Minnesota?

[Precious Roy 0]

The R N' R's worked smaller rooms though, and the same region.  You can't really compare the reaction they'd get at the mid-south colliseum to the Rockers working big arenas across the country for McMahon.  I bet Michaels/Jannetty could have outdrawn them on that circuit if the roles were reversed.

 

I was never a fan of the Rock N' Roll Express.  Fine workers, but they bored me, and I think they're super overrated.  Wasn't a very big Rockers fan either, but I definitely perfered Michaels/Jannetty to Gibson/Morton.

But by that logic, EVERY face would have gotten wicked loud reactions, and not many - if any - did.

 

And I guess the fact that you then admit to not liking the RnR, it makes a little more sense why you'd want to downplay their popularity or superiority over the Rockers.

Where the hell do you get that I'm saying ANY face team would have got the same reaction? The Rockers played the same characters, had better looks, and were IMO better in the ring, that's why I think they could have had better, if not at least the same ammount of success.

 

And right after I said I wasn't a fan of the RnR's I said I wasn't a Rockers fan either

[nl5xsk1 0]

Wow, P.Roy, didn't mean to offend you ...

 

Just saying that you were (seemingly) saying that the RnR "worked smaller rooms though, and the same region" and talked about "the reaction they'd get at the mid-south colliseum" ... so I was saying by that logic, EVERY face in the midsouth would have gotten deafeningly loud pops. Correct me if it doesn't seem that you're implying that every face in the RnR's situation would have gotten the same pop.

 

I'm not even comparing the RnR to the Rockers ... I'm comparing the RnR to the rest of the Mid-South roster at the time.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

The Steiner Brothers were the most exciting tag team of all time.

 

The Rockers and Rock n Roll Express have nothing on them. Although I was a huge mark for all 3 teams, so don't think I'm bashing any of them.

[Precious Roy 0]

Correct me if it doesn't seem that you're implying that every face in the RnR's situation would have gotten the same pop.

 

I wasn't implying anything like that at all, you misunderstood me. The Rock N' Roll Express obviously had a lot of things going for them and earned the heat they got. I'm not diminishing their accomplishments, it's just my opinion that the Rockers were the more talented duo and, if put in Morton/Gibson's situation, could have been just as successful.