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Old School Observations/Questions Thread 2020-21

Laz

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That's arguable, because the only other full-time teams of note were the Gangstas, the Pitbulls, the Bruise Brothers, and a few short-term teams (Benoit/Malenko, Tazmaniac/Sabu, Cactus/Mikey, etc.). ECW's tag division didn't get really good until 1996 with the Dudleys heel turn, the Eliminators, Balls/Axl, RVD/Sabu, and so on. Hell, an easy argument could be made that their best tag division was in 2000 when the company was circling the drain (Guido/Mamaluke, Mikey/Tajiri, Hot Commodity, Simon/Swinger, and a few others).
 

King Kamala

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We talk a lot about guys born in wrong era but I doubt Lance Storm would have fit in any era of WWWF/WWF/WWE except MAYBE the Backlund era as Bob's sidekick to make him seem more exciting and charismatic.
 

Valeyard

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That's arguable, because the only other full-time teams of note were the Gangstas, the Pitbulls, the Bruise Brothers, and a few short-term teams (Benoit/Malenko, Tazmaniac/Sabu, Cactus/Mikey, etc.). ECW's tag division didn't get really good until 1996 with the Dudleys heel turn, the Eliminators, Balls/Axl, RVD/Sabu, and so on. Hell, an easy argument could be made that their best tag division was in 2000 when the company was circling the drain (Guido/Mamaluke, Mikey/Tajiri, Hot Commodity, Simon/Swinger, and a few others).

I put them right between the Pitbulls and the Gangstas, if you aren't counting Benoit/Malenko and Sabu/Taz. Raven and Stevie are probably the top, otherwise.

They had so much to work with in 2000. It's depressing.
 

Valeyard

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Unless he latched on to the Harts for the Canada connection, he'd have been "Robby Starfox" and jobbed every 3rd week on RAW ala Alex Porteau and company.

He and Jericho would've come in as the Goons and barely make it out of the b-shows.
 

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I put them right between the Pitbulls and the Gangstas, if you aren't counting Benoit/Malenko and Sabu/Taz. Raven and Stevie are probably the top, otherwise.

They had so much to work with in 2000. It's depressing.
I saw a flyer on Facebook for a low rent indy show in NJ main evented by "Pitbull" Gary Wolfe Vs Monsta Mack. I was moderately surprised Gary Wolfe was still alive let alone an active competitor. Maybe I was confusing him with the other Pitbull who died in the early '00s.

Looking at some recent photos of Gary Wolfe though, he looks pretty good and Monsta Mack can still brawl so maybe that match would actually be NOT THAT BAD but probably not worth risking getting COVID-19 over.
 

HarleyQuinn

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I loved PE in ECW in 1994/1995 but yeah, The Gangstas and even The Pitbulls lapped them then '96 was even more loaded with The Eliminators, etc.

I'd argue really that their high point was in '94/'95 when they were the Tag Champs and kind of building some of the hardcore edges on their backs for the other wrestlers to pick up and run with. Their promos were underrated in that period, often done on the streets and rarely done in a conventional manner.
 

Epic Springs

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I think we can agree that PE's career highlight was getting the everlasting shit kicked out of them by APA, right?
 

Epic Springs

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Also, if we're gonna discuss Raven's look, I actually liked that brief period in early '01 when he was rocking the leather shorts, red hair, white tee, and eyebrow ring. See Rumble '01 for reference.
 

HarleyQuinn

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I think we can agree that PE's career highlight was getting the everlasting shit kicked out of them by APA, right?

Maybe for the APA, that was their career highlight but PE did more in ECW alone. Kind of legit annoying that PE is 'remembered' as much because two WWE guys decided to stiff them in the ring.
 

Valeyard

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People can't talk about PE without mentioning APA wrecking them. It's pretty much the end of their story. Certainly better than "and then they died from drug abuse."
 

Laz

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Laz

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Also, if we're gonna discuss Raven's look, I actually liked that brief period in early '01 when he was rocking the leather shorts, red hair, white tee, and eyebrow ring. See Rumble '01 for reference.
...there really needs to be some form of facepalm or smdh emoji reaction
 

Epic Springs

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The PE post was made in jest. They had more memorable moments in WCW and ECW, obviously.

Also, quick fact: Rocco Rock was one of the fake Black Scorpions during the main event of Starrcade '90.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
People can't talk about PE without mentioning APA wrecking them. It's pretty much the end of their story. Certainly better than "and then they died from drug abuse."
IIRC they actually went back to WCW after the WWF and were pushed even more down the card. Were they in the Junkyard match? Actually I think they may pre-date their WWF run.
I was legit excited/disappointed when the Apter mags revealed PE worked the Survivor Series dark match and then signed with WCW anyway. I was rooting for WWF to get any fresh or fun talent by that point.

Edit: So fantasy book PE vs. Gunns, New Rockers, Godwins and Body Donnas in 1996. YUCK. Only a year later they could have LOD, Furnas and Lafon, Bulldog/Owen and the Blackjacks to work with in their wild style.

Johnny Grunge vs HBK in a locker room coke snorting match.
 

King Kamala

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Public Enemy’s second WCW run was after their WWF run and I think it wasn’t much longer than their a WWF run. They showed up sometime during Summer of ‘99 and were gone by the time Russo showed up in October.

Only two things I remember is them being in Junkyard match and main eventing an episode of Thunder getting squashed by Goldberg.

edit- just checked their Cagematch and they returned in late June ‘99 and had their last match in mid August ‘99. I think that might be shorter than their WWF run!
 
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Valeyard

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Rocco's also by far the least noteworthy or remembered sacrifice to the Ministry.
 

Epic Springs

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LOVING this PE discussion. So PE were done with WWE in the fall of '98 and don't return to WCW until the summer. What were they doing in the meantime? Just indies? Didn't they do a one shot return to ECW?

Furnas/LaFon were another tag team that got shortchanged. They were talented as fuck but were bland as toast in terms of personality and charisma. They actually did the Lance Storm "boring" gimmick before Lance!
 

Valeyard

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Furnas and LaFon are the ultimate Jim Ross team, though.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
Only two things I remember is them being in Junkyard match and main eventing an episode of Thunder getting squashed by Goldberg.

I did not have cable until 2002, but I was by my brother's house for whatever reason for this Thunder, when the Grunge (Rocco?) vs GB match came on, I just thought it was a mid card filler. Suddenly the announcers were signing off and I was like WTF?! WCW put THAT on for a Thunder main event.... (IIRC)

---

Would I be correct in recalling PE had a 2 week WCW world tag title reign, beating 2 random Luchas in their only Nitro defense?
 

King Kamala

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Believe it or not, Rocco Rock Vs Goldberg was a moderately BETTER than average Thunder main event for '99. At least star power wise. Main events barely bothered showing up for Thunder by the Summer of '99.

WCW completely gave on that show sometime in mid-late '98 and it only returned from B Show purgatory when Vince Russo came in and Smackdown! debuted in Fall of '99 and they were like "Well shit, I guess we better try with this show."
 

HarleyQuinn

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LOVING this PE discussion. So PE were done with WWE in the fall of '98 and don't return to WCW until the summer. What were they doing in the meantime? Just indies? Didn't they do a one shot return to ECW?

In WCW they wrestled through September 1998 so presumably, they did some Indy appearances? They did a one-shot appearance at House Party '99 then were scheduled for Crossing the Line in February, facing The Dudleys, but it was cancelled when PE was doing their negotiations with & jump to the WWF.
 

snuffbox

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I did not have cable until 2002, but I was by my brother's house for whatever reason for this Thunder, when the Grunge (Rocco?) vs GB match came on, I just thought it was a mid card filler. Suddenly the announcers were signing off and I was like WTF?! WCW put THAT on for a Thunder main event.... (IIRC)

---

Would I be correct in recalling PE had a 2 week WCW world tag title reign, beating 2 random Luchas in their only Nitro defense?

They were briefly WCW tag team champions. I don't remember if they had any successful tv defenses, though.
 

King Kamala

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Looking at their Cagematch. They defended their titles twice (once on Nitro against Juventud Guerrera and Billy Kidman dressed as a generic luchador and once on Saturday Night against High Voltage) before losing it to Harlem Heat. What surprised me is they lost the titles on Saturday Night. That had to have been the last title change on Saturday Night besides that weird period in the dying days of the show where Janitor Jim Duggan found the TV Title that Scott Hall threw in the trash and promised to defend it.

I talked about this with @Fall of Epic recently but I remember being bummed PE lost the titles so quickly because I inexplicably REALLY REALLY wanted to see Public Enemy Vs The Outsiders at Halloween Havoc '96.
 
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