Old School Observations/Questions Thread 2020-21

[BruiserBrody]

While looking at Chicago results and attendance in the wake of the Road Warriors not winning the tag belts at Starrcade 87 I noticed a pattern:

JCP @ Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion - February 14, 1988 (matinee)
JT the Spider defeated Catfish Charlie
Barry Windham, Jimmy & Ron Garvin fought Dick Murdoch, NWA US Tag Team Champions Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane to a draw
NWA Tag Team Champion Tully Blanchard defeated Ricky Santana
NWA TV Champion Mike Rotundo defeated Nikita Koloff
NWA US Champion Dusty Rhodes defeated NWA Western States Heritage Champion Larry Zbyzsko via disqualification
Road Warrior Hawk & Paul Ellering (sub. for Road Warrior Animal) defeated the Powers of Pain in a $50,000 ladder match
Lex Luger defeated NWA Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson in a steel cage match
Sting defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair via disqualification


JCP @ Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion - March 19, 1988
Ivan Koloff pinned Shane Douglas
Rick Steiner pinned Kendall Windham
NWA Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson fought Barry Windham to a double disqualification
NWA US Tag Team Champions Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane defeated Jimmy & Ron Garvin when Eaton pinned Jim
Lex Luger defeated NWA Tag Team Champion Tully Blanchard
NWA US Champion Dusty Rhodes defeated NWA TV Champion Mike Rotundo (w/ Kevin Sullivan) via disqualification in a title vs. title match
NWA World Champion Ric Flair pinned Sting
The Road Warriors defeated the Powers of Pain in a lumberjack streetfight

CP @ Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion - April 16, 1988 (3,500)
Shaska Whatley & Tiger Conway Jr. defeated the Rebel & Mike Tolos
Ron Simmons defeated the Terminator
The Sheepherders defeated Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner
Dick Murdoch defeated Ricky Santana
NWA Tag Team Champions Lex Luger & Barry Windham defeated Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard via disqualification
The Road Warriors & Steve Williams defeated Paul Jones & the Powers of Pain
Sting vs. NWA World Champion Ric Flair


JCP @ Chicago, IL - UIC Pavilion - May 14, 1988
NWA TV Champion Mike Rotundo defeated Jimmy Garvin
Al Perez fought Nikita Koloff to a no contest
The Road Warriors defeated Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane
Sting defeated NWA World Champion Ric Flair via disqualification

 

[King Kamala]

https://www.facebook.com/1698599863689826/posts/2684450318438104

This must have been a hell of a career day presentation. Fact that Ric is dressed as Cliff Huxtable makes me think he didn’t call any of Charlotte’s classmates “fat boy”.

 

[Tino Standard]

But you know the teacher took a trip to Space Mountain during recess.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1309541163842629632

 

[LaParkaYourCar]

https://classicwrestlingreview.com/2020/09/27/in-your-house-mind-games/

Here's my review of WWF In Your House: Mind Games

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310230022922399746

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310285578642944000

Superstar Billy Graham during the aborted comeback in '86/ '87 reminds me so much of '02/'03 era Hulk Hogan. Tight tie, same exact bill. Hogan had slightly more hair and was slightly less washed up so I guess that was why his twilight years in the ring were more successful.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Someone 20 posts back called The Narcissist a JTTS. I internally cried foul too but knew @BruiserBrody would set them straight. It was a mediocre character but I don’t think Luger did any jobs (at least on TV) during that era.

Jumping threads.....

I looked up Luger 1993 results based on this conversation. I found it interesting that Luger's first non jobber match (Sorry Virgil!) was in Memphis vs Lawler for the USWA. He also worked Jarrett. After 3 matches he was back in the WWF facing Bret Hart for the World title for a Canadian tour. It appears he was subbing for Bigelow. I reviewed some of those USWA matches for CXF. They are on Amazon Prime.

Luger's first pinfall loss appears to be against Bret Hart right after WM 9. Luger then does jobs for Hart and Perfect at a series of shows. Once summer hits, Luger starts to go over in the rematches.

4 days after the Body Slam challenge, Luger is still working on house shows vs. Bret. He puts Hart over in babyface manner after the bouts.

The first and only Yoko vs Luger match before SSlam was on a USWA show (w/ Evil Vince and Lawler arguing on the undercard). Luger hurts his back in his first post SSlam match and takes a month off.

To show that the WWF liked to book heels to lose at house shows, even Yoko is taking pinfall losses to Hacksaw at shows they headline.

----
More fun from the search: Jim Ross came to a WWF TV taping to discuss coming to the Fed. That show had the Fake TMNT squash match. JR had to be wondering WTF he was getting into.

Doink's MSG debut was against.....The Macho Man!

In Sept. the WWF released a "Spotlight" magazine on....Hulk Hogan!

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310330737200115714

LOL. Lance and Dave can’t even muster up the fake enthusiasm to sell Fake Razor Vs Fake Diesel.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Regal's first theme does not fit his gimmick at all. It sounds pretty much like Jarrett's theme when Debra was running with him.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Well this blew my mind.... Jake Millman teaming with Tom Stone on a Minnesota indy show. Derek St Holmes works in Green Bay yet, so this can't be more than 10-15 years ago if not sooner. Stone looks "good" since he was kind of frumpy even in his "prime" so getting old and chunky didn't change him much. Both of the jobbers were working in the early 80s, so they are like 50+ here easily.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310006044228300806

Ewwwww

 

[Valeyard]

That's probably where the Savage rumor started.

2003 is the worst wrestling year to not have murders or pandemics.

 

[Valeyard]

Dr. D and Dennis Condrey were a perfect team and they could've gone FAR.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1312242220381028355

I wish there was home video footage of 5 year old Brody watching this. It may have been my first sexual experience.

I could go on about how Savage/Liz/Steele's angle hit me hard as my father was seriously verbally abusive to my Mom and I and even as a four year old I remember being able to parallel Steele's kind demeanor in trying to get Liz away from her monster lover. Uhhhh, sorry for bringing down the room.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1312425923552182272

@HarleyQuinn ?

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Is that TNA era Raven? I remember the kilt stuff very fondly in WWE but don't really remember blonde dreadlocked Raven unless he briefly did it before transitioning to the kilt look?

 

[Laz]

Nope, that's his look in WWE from the month or two before leaving and signing with TNA.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1312503759302389761

 

[BruiserBrody]

Yokozuna bumping like a fiend as a JTTS for Jimmy Crockett's UWF.

 

[King Kamala]

Has anyone ever explained the thought process in booking Rey's first World Title run in '06? I get they were cashing in on Eddiespolitation and that's why they put it on him but why keep it on him if literally all they were going to do is make him look like garbage? I don't think you lose the magic of the moment of Royal Rumble '06/WrestleMania 22 if he drops it a week or two later.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Has anyone ever explained the thought process in booking Rey's first World Title run in '06? I get they were cashing in on Eddiespolitation and that's why they put it on him but why keep it on him if literally all they were going to do is make him look like garbage? I don't think you lose the magic of the moment of Royal Rumble '06/WrestleMania 22 if he drops it a week or two later.

Vince had to prove small guys can't get over was what I seem to recall Meltz harping over and over again.

Bruce will tell you "He was the ultimate underdog!" He had to lose or his "upset" wins meant nothing.

 

[strummer]

Rey was never supposed to be in the wm 22 title match. It was going to be Orton v Angle after Orton screwed Rey over. Pat Patterson kept pestering Vince to change plans and Rey ended up getting the title. Rey jobbing so much afterwards was Vince "getting his heat back" I guess after being convinced to change plans.

 

[LaParkaYourCar]

https://classicwrestlingreview.com/2020/10/04/in-your-house-buried-alive/

Here's my review of WWF In Your House: Buried Alive.

 

[King Kamala]

Bruce will tell you "He was the ultimate underdog!" He had to lose or his "upset" wins meant nothing.

I understand the concept of getting heat on a sympathetic underdog babyface but I never recall a babyface champion who lost as much as Rey did. It seemed like Vince was punishing us for getting behind Rey. When he lost to King Booker, I think everyone felt relieved which is NOT the reaction that you should have for one of the best babyfaces of all time losing his first World Title.

Only question is Smackdown! roster was in SUCH a state of flux in 2006 that I have no idea what alternate option was. Were they planning on building around broken down, crazy Kurt Angle or moody brat Randy Orton? Remember Booker T wasn't a King until Summer so he wasn't option to be the guy to showcase at WrestleMania. IIRC, he got squashed by THE BOOGEYMAN in maybe the non racism related lowpoint of his WWE run.

 

[BruiserBrody]

The 2000s after the Invasion are one giant blur. Giving up on WWE during HHH's reign of terror doesn't help.

 

[King Kamala]

Yeah, I always thinking about doing a deep dive into my '03-'09 WWE blind spots but then I watch one or two shows on the Network.

It's same reason why I haven't pulled trigger on Impact Plus subscription. I want to catch up on all of the "classic" TNA I missed but I just know same thing will happen. Sorry @Laz and @The Valeyard .

 

[Valeyard]

I couldn't ever see myself justifying giving them money. Jarrett at least had better matches on a regular basis than HHH, although take that for what it's worth.

 

[Laz]

With the exceptions of BFG '09 and a handful of DVDs from the 2006/2007 timeframe, I haven't spent a penny on TNA/Impact since June 2004.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1312777376644898819

 

[Brocklock]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310006044228300806

Ewwwww

A little late on seeing this, but I remember that being a pretty big moment in terms of message board gossip during 2003. If I really hated myself, I would go through WWE Raw, Smackdown, and PPV's in 2003 and write down every offensive moment that wouldn't age well today. Example: Vince McMahon saying he's gonna have The Undertaker's wife raped. Hmmm, I could probably just do that with 2003 angles involving The McMahons and get the same results in less time. 2003 Vince McMahon might be the most despicable and evil heel in wrestling history in terms of shit he did or said.