Wrestlemania 4 booking

[JoeDirt 0]

I found a recent post on the WC board by Meltzer where he says that Dibiase was indeed originally booked to win this tournament, and it was changed to Savage like rumor had it. The original plan was to set up for Hogan vs. Dibiase at Wrestlemania 5. He says he knew this change happened when they changed the original brackets they had announced on Superstars.

 

I'm wondering what those original brackets were, and if the original booking had happened, who would have faced Dibiase in the finals of the tournament? It obviously wouldn't have been Savage (who would have won the IC title instead) or Hogan (same double DQ with Andre, I'd assume), so would it have been somebody like Steamboat or Bam Bam Bigelow? And does anybody know what the first brackets they announced were?

[cawthon777 0]

Had Dibiase gone over, he probably would have done so by defeating Bigelow in the finals. At least that's my best guess. Steamboat was on the way out so he likely would have been gone in the first round.

 

The bracketing was discussed on another board a very long time ago but, IIRC, in the end it was decided there were no changes at all. At least none made publically.

 

I might be wrong, that's just the way I remember it.

[Jericholic82 0]

I thought that Dibiase would have lost to savage at the first summerslame had he won the tourney.

 

But in the end, the booking we got made th emost sense as we got a year long buildup for the Hogan-Savage match.

[tbondrage99 0]

As much as I would of loved to see DiBiase as champion Im quite happy with the way that the tournament turned out with Savage winning.

[JoeDirt 0]

I also thought maybe a Dibiase/Roberts final since Roberts went on to feud with Andre anyways.

[Jericholic82 0]

I also thought maybe a Dibiase/Roberts final since Roberts went on to feud with Andre anyways.

That might have worked.

 

Nice sig Joe, I used to have that magazine, but all of my early 90s wwf magazine that I had prior to moving to cali in 94 were recently lost in a flood at a storage facility in NY

[Jericholic82 0]

and a few wcw mags (including the sweet wrestlewar 92 preview with the double cover of Stings Squandron and The Dangerous Alliance

[cawthon777 0]

I also thought maybe a Dibiase/Roberts final since Roberts went on to feud with Andre anyways.

But only after the feud with Rude.

 

Savage and Bigelow were the only viable babyfaces that could have made it to the finals at that point in time. Hogan wouldn't have jobbed to Dibiase so the finish to his match with Andre likely would have remained the same.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

This leads me to another question, what happened wiht Bigelow?

 

In late 87 he's doing good in Survivor Series and teaming with Hogan in main events. At WM4 he's jobbed out and then disappears. What happened?

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

IIRC His knees were shot

[JoeDirt 0]

How was Bigelow brought in? It seems to me like he'd be an easy heel choice, so I was surprised going back to watch WM4 when I saw he was a babyface.

 

After WM4, when did he leave and where did he go?

[cawthon777 0]

In the summer / fall of 87, they ran a bunch of Bigelow vignettes. Every manager in the WWF wanted him but week after week one would written off. One week, Jimmy Hart. The next, Heenan, etc. Eventually it was revealed Sir Oliver Humperdink would be his manager (making his WWF debut as well).

 

Bigelow stuck around for a few months after Mania. His last match was a loss to Andre at MSG in June. He went to the NWA that fall and fought US Champion Barry Windham at Starrcade before once again taking off, probably to Japan.

[MikeJordan23 0]

If they really wanted it to get over and run a great rematch for WM 5, he should have beaten Hogan with interference from Andre.

 

Oh and I too am glad Savage won

 

'Cause Savage> Ted Dibiase at everything.

[strummer 0]

In the summer / fall of 87, they ran a bunch of Bigelow vignettes.  Every manager in the WWF wanted him but week after week one would written off.  One week, Jimmy Hart.  The next, Heenan, etc.  Eventually it was revealed Sir Oliver Humperdink would be his manager (making his WWF debut as well).

 

Bigelow stuck around for a few months after Mania.  His last match was a loss to Andre at MSG in June.  He went to the NWA that fall and fought US Champion Barry Windham at Starrcade before once again taking off, probably to Japan.

Bigelow/Andre aired on Prime Time in the summer of 88 and the announcers were not so subtely burying Bam Bam during the match, now I know why

[MillenniumMan831 0]

The only thing I'd change about WMIV was the outcome of the Steamboat/Valentine match.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

In the summer / fall of 87, they ran a bunch of Bigelow vignettes.  Every manager in the WWF wanted him but week after week one would written off.  One week, Jimmy Hart.  The next, Heenan, etc.  Eventually it was revealed Sir Oliver Humperdink would be his manager (making his WWF debut as well).

 

Bigelow stuck around for a few months after Mania.  His last match was a loss to Andre at MSG in June.  He went to the NWA that fall and fought US Champion Barry Windham at Starrcade before once again taking off, probably to Japan.

Bigelow/Andre aired on Prime Time in the summer of 88 and the announcers were not so subtely burying Bam Bam during the match, now I know why

Lord Alfred Hayes could be an asshole with some of his snide comments, couldn't he?

 

I LOVED the end of the Bam Bam manager selection thing. Slick was on the interview stage acting all cool like he was the one and then Bam Bam yelled in his NJ accent, "YOU AIN'T MY MANAGA AND YOU WOULDN'T BE MY MANAGA EVEN IF YOU WUH THE LAST MANAGA IN THE WORLD!"

 

I remember the Apter mags were all over BBB for being so wishy washy when it came to jumping ship. If I am not mistaken, he wrestled for no less than four companies in '88.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

In the summer / fall of 87, they ran a bunch of Bigelow vignettes. Every manager in the WWF wanted him but week after week one would written off. One week, Jimmy Hart. The next, Heenan, etc. Eventually it was revealed Sir Oliver Humperdink would be his manager (making his WWF debut as well).

 

Bigelow stuck around for a few months after Mania. His last match was a loss to Andre at MSG in June. He went to the NWA that fall and fought US Champion Barry Windham at Starrcade before once again taking off, probably to Japan.

I remember watching Survivor Series '87. What stood out is that the WWF booked the match to find Bigelow by himself against Andre, the One Man Gang, and King King Bundy. Bigelow proceeds to beat the Gang and Bundy by himself, and give Andre a run. He was pushed insanely when he came in, and then nothing.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Well, in all fairness, he didn't even lay a hand on Andre. Maybe he tried holding them up for more money or something. SurSer1987 wasn't a real good barometer to see who was getting pushed anyways . . . The Bees, Stallions, and Steamboat survived their matches despite doing piddly poo at the time.

[cawthon777 0]

There has been talk that Hogan killed his push because he was becoming TOO popular.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I honestly don't buy that. Bigelows knees were shot 2-3 months into his run with the WWF, and unless Hogan attacked him in a dark alley to injure him, I see it as an untimely injury.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I wish they would have done Savage over Steambaot in the tournament and did the face handshake of respect deal, but whatever.

[Guest Kimaster1976]

I always thought it would make so much sense to do Savage/Steamboat II with Savage going over.

 

Think about it, Savage was winning the world title, Steamboat was on his way to the NWA and would eventually win that world title. Surely it would make sense for Savage to get the win back.

 

As it turned out both were world champions at the same time, but the NWA world champion could claim a huge victory over the WWF world champion.

 

As for a Bigelow/Dibiase final I dont think it could have happened as Bigelow's poor showing was down to his injuries, there is no way he was in any state to wrestle 3 or 4 times. With Savage in the intercontinental match against Honky Tonk Man they would have had to bring in Brutus Beefcake or maybe Jake Roberts to make the final.

[cawthon777 0]

By all accounts I've read, Dibiase was to have met Bigelow in the finals.