Old School Observations/Questions Thread 2020-21

[Lazgistics Supervisor]

It's less that Hogan was a popular name of the time and more that the idea of Superman being a bad guy was revelatory to a bunch of 8-12 year olds.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Y'all need to check Hogan WCW PPV buyrates pre-Hogan, w/ Hogan and then the ones where he didn't work. He was still drawing. Even Nitro is likely not a thing if Hogan isn't on board. Sting, for example, was popular for fans of WCW but no one else cared and the 400 people who were in arenas watching his main events at house shows show that.
I believe SuperBrawl 2000(?) even popped significantly higher on PPV w/Hogan than the other surrounding junk.

----
Anyway, 5 1/2 years ago(!) I fantasy booked Hogan's 1993 heel turn for CXF.

Fantasy Booking: Hulk Hogan Turns Heel In 1993 – CXF | Culture Crossfire | culturecrossfire.com

culturecrossfire.com

 

[BUTT]

Superbrawl 2000 did horribly IIRC and much worse than the previous month's Hogan-less Souled Out.

MELTZER EDIT:

The SuperBrawl buy rate is coming in at closer to 0.15 than 0.20, which is by far the lowest buy rate ever for one of the big two companies. In fact, it is lower than most ECW buy rates, considerably lower than AAA did and in the range of what UWFI and K-1 (the early ones promoted by Bischoff from Japan, not the Vegas show which did .10) did with no television whatsoever. The fact this was done with Hogan and Flair's first PPV match back after months speaks volumes that this company needs an entire face lift, and at this point, they're better off biting the bullet for a while with quarterly PPV shows that they spend three months building because there is no reason the next show is going to do even as well. To put things into perspective, WCW's estimated company gross on the event was $773,000, and that's barely more than WWF grossed just for their Raw house show in Atlanta and less than WCW had grossed for a few of its biggest Nitros in the past. Even within the company the feeling is that Uncensored will do even worse

 

[Valeyard]

It's less that Hogan was a popular name of the time and more that the idea of Superman being a bad guy was revelatory to a bunch of 8-12 year olds.

Especially with someone like Hogan who was pretty much obsolete at the time. It's Hogan, he does Hogan shit, and now he's a dumb old guy cupping his ear to entrance ramps. Fighting some satanic midget and Andre's son when he wasn't fighting that old WHOO man. Frankly everyone, like him or not, took him for granted as the superhero for so long that the turn was so perfect.

I hated WCW with a passion so I loved seeing it as a kid. I was invested in the "invasion" aspect to where I swore it had to be cross-promotion. Hell Hogan wasn't on the following Nitro, which was the show Shawn and Ahmed announced the replacement partner for Warrior and I got unnecessarily excited Hogan might show up. I miss being a kid for feelings like that.

 

[snuffbox]

WWE tried to bring that feeling back with Mason Ryan's Batista cosplay and we didn't appreciate it

 

[Valeyard]

I can't say they didn't try.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1333765292019699718

Wrestling angles I didn’t know existed.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I was looking up AWA info (Shudd-up!) and came across this odd link: https://milwaukeebucksscheduleroster.web.app/buck-zumhofe-wrestler.html

I would guess he made a Bucks appearance at some point, but I have to assume googling Buck Zumhofe adds me to more watch lists and thus I will not look deeper.

 

[LaParkaYourCar]

https://classicwrestlingreview.com/2020/12/06/superbrawl-vii/

Here's my review of WCW SuperBrawl VII.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1335450178447417345

 

[Epic Springs]

That was one of my first memories in wrestling. I remember WWF Mania recapping this segment with a still of a teary-eyed Heenan.

This also was supposed to be a legit retirement of Heenan, yes? He legitimately wanted out of the business but Turner's money forced him to come back in.

 

[King Kamala]

I never heard it was supposed to be his retirement. He showed up in WCW a month and a half later.

I definitely feel like it was the end of him being truly passionate about the business. He had times in WCW when he gave a shit but it never seemed like it was his #1 priority.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I never heard it was supposed to be his retirement. He showed up in WCW a month and a half later.

I definitely feel like it was the end of him being truly passionate about the business. He had times in WCW when he gave a shit but it never seemed like it was his #1 priority.

I don't recall his books off hand, but Heenan's wiki talks of retiring and then going to WCW due to Atlanta being close to Alabama where his daughter was in school. Plus health insurance.

 

[Valeyard]

That always makes me sad to watch. It was just the end.

He had sweet Raw tracksuits too.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1335898777195044865

Idk if Foley has been 157 pounds since middle school.

 

[SFH]

Gorilla calling him "Curt Hoffman" lol.

Also, I wonder why in between stints Kamala forgot how to pin opponents and had to be coached during his 1990s run. (in kayfabe)

 

[King Kamala]

Maybe it’s the matter of the effectiveness of the Kimchees/Fridays he dealt with in between WWF stints?

 

[alkeiper]

This is as good a spot as any. The Sweet Daddy Siki documentary on Amazon Prime is worth checking out.

 

[King Kamala]

I watched it the other day and thought I mentioned it here but it was on another Facebook wrestling group I'm in (Sorry @cobainwasmurdered ). I thought it was really fun and interesting. HORRIBLE sound mix but otherwise, would recommend. It was really fun to see Bret Hart wax nostalgic and act like a mark again.

Also had no idea Rocky Johnson had a brother in the biz. I kept saying "Why do they keep misspelling his name as 'Ricky' and why does he look a bit shabbier than usual?" then Rocky showed up and I was confused until I Googled it.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

god a facebook group? you're a slut

 

[Lazgistics Supervisor]

Also had no idea Rocky Johnson had a brother in the biz. I kept saying "Why do they keep misspelling his name as 'Ricky' and why does he look a bit shabbier than usual?" then Rocky showed up and I was confused until I Googled it.

Wow. We were thisclose to having Wayne "The Rick" Johnson tearing up the midcard in 1998 with the People's Lipcurl.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1335338149355151361

I would have never guessed that Joel Gertner was in his 20s during ECW’s heyday.

 

[Valeyard]

Watching this show from the late '70s from Roy Shire's Bay Area territory. Taping in Sacramento right by where I used to live. I dig it, even in shitty quality.

Highlight, though: in building to a match with Buddy Rose, Jimmy Snuka cuts a bad but coherent promo, something I haven't seen much of. Then he gets to a line about how Buddy will regret being in the business especially in the ring and he gets this reasonably befuddled look on his face. Amused me highly.

 

[Valeyard]

The Rougeaus don't get enough praise.

 

[Valeyard]

I'm guessing it's a seasonal thing but this Houston TV show I just put on has the opening theme transition from "Match Of The Wooden Soldiers" into the Charlie Brown theme. I hope this was year round, but it's the best theme choice I've ever heard. Paul Boesch knew what was up.

 

[Brocklock]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1335338149355151361

I would have never guessed that Joel Gertner was in his 20s during ECW’s heyday.

Was Gertner hard to work with or was he just done with the business for the most part after ECW? I'm shocked TNA or ROH never brought him in for a real run. ROH especially since they started going to managers more with guys like Prince Nana and Julius Smokes and Gertner could talk beyond the dirty limericks. He had to show up for a one off in 2002/2003 TNA, but I can't remember.

 

[alkeiper]

The Rougeaus don't get enough praise.

Jacques is reasonably well known. Raymond may have been better but he didn't get to enjoy a singles run on a national stage. I watched a match between the Rougeaus and the Garvins from Montreal that was excellent

 

[Valeyard]

He managed the Rainbow Express for maybe one show in TNA. I would've been interested in noted heterosexual pervert managing the flamboyant gay team, to be honest.

 

[Valeyard]

Jacques is reasonably well known. Raymond may have been better but he didn't get to enjoy a singles run on a national stage. I watched a match between the Rougeaus and the Garvins from Montreal that was excellent

I watched one with them as well. Seeing them as the Von Erichs of Montreal was great.

 

[King Kamala]

Was Gertner hard to work with or was he just done with the business for the most part after ECW? I'm shocked TNA or ROH never brought him in for a real run. ROH especially since they started going to managers more with guys like Prince Nana and Julius Smokes and Gertner could talk beyond the dirty limericks. He had to show up for a one off in 2002/2003 TNA, but I can't remember.

He was only 26 when ECW ended! I would have guessed he was mid 30s at youngest. He did manage Lenny and Lodi Bruce on the 2nd or 3rd TNA PPV but like a lot of early TNA, that storyline went away after a while.