Matches You Didn't Think Existed

[Valeyard]

Thunder In Paradise having Sting as a recurring villain always made me wonder. Fuckin' Hammerhead.

I remember Savage burying Hogan in the buildup to Crush, talking about how Crush had probably been talking to Hogan and that's why he'd changed. Untrustworthy liar scumbag Hogan got in his head. Almost felt like ad-libbing because I remember Vince and Heenan not knowing how to respond.

 

[Fall of Epic]

I think it was obvious by early '94 that Hogan wasn't coming back to WWF. Hogan was still featured in the opening video package to one of the weekend syndicated shows in late '93 but couldn't find a trace of him by the new year. While Hogan wouldn't sign with WCW until that summer, it was probably clear to those in the business several months before that he was going in that direction.

What's funny is that I started watching WWF in July '93 which was right after Hulk wrestled his last match with them. I completely missed his entire first run there.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Seems right. There are no references to Hogan in WWF in the first half of '94 outside of some clips at WrestleMania X and the Governor of Maryland awkwardly trying to pander by saying he's a big Hulkamaniac at King of the Ring '94.

SuperBrawl IV, Spring Stampede '94, and Slamboree '94 are all peppered with Hogan references. I'm sure Eric Bischoff would have felt PRETTY DUMB if he hadn't signed.

 

[Valeyard]

The Hogan deal probably really did start when at least Heenan jumped. I don't know how much stock I put in when it comes to anything after Yokozuna killing him off. You can see in that promo that he was just checked out and knew he had other ventures, making it all seem bigger than the WWF title if not the company itself at times. When did he testify against Vince? He had to know he wasn't getting welcomed back when he did that. I get the feeling Hulkster probably played a long game

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hulk Hogan actually testified five days before Bash at the Beach '94, which seems weird timing.

 

[AA484]

I believe that Hogan's first appearance on WCW TV was in March of 1994 on the set of Thunder in Paradise.

 

[Valeyard]

Dude was up to something from the start, and the testifying was probably a happy accident in a sense. But as always I could be overthinking this whole thing, but man Hogan knew the game.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Mmm hmm. That '93 Hogan run really showed that there was really nothing left for Hogan to accomplish in WWF other than wait around a few years to become a nostalgia act. He left at the perfect time, even if you somehow put the steroid trial stuff aside. WCW was finally figuring out the entertainment part of sports entertainment and had a guy captaining the ship who really knew how to cater to Hulkster.

I feel like we had this discussion semi-recently but I can't imagine any scenario of Hogan being successful if he stayed around for New Generation era. Like even if he turned heel a few years earlier, I can't imagine it having the same oomph that did with him turning heel in a rival promotion.

 

[strummer]

I think it might have that pretty much everyone backstage knew .Hogan wasn't coming back but Vince was still convinced he was. That's why they promoted Mr. Nanny in fall 93 and Hogan was sporadically mentioned in a positive light. Prichard has said he and Patterson and everyone were ready to move on but Vince was still convinced Hogan was coming back

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

IIRC though, everyone backstage except Vince thought Hulk Hogan was leaving after WrestleMania VIII and it was only after Caesar's Palace demanded Hulk be part of IX. If WWF decided to hold IX in a less tourist reliant place, maybe Hogan's WWF runs a year and a half earlier. But Hogan's '93 run seemed like such an afterthought. Even when he held the WWF World Title, he didn't seem like he was really part of the show.

 

[Valeyard]

Promo shows Hollywood Hogan could've happened in another world.

 

[Valeyard]

I read somewhere that Vince kept making plays for Hogan up until 1999ish but Hogan Hogan'd him.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

God. a big, nasty B Movie bragging heel '94 Hogan Vs whitemeat babyface '94 Bret Hart match would have ruled so hard.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1286512681860571136

 

[alfdogg]

Gonna watch later, nobody spoil the result

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1287489706024894468

Damn twofer on HBK and Hitman teaming up.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1288857742262833152

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I never realized how far into '00 that British Bulldog's last WWF run went until I looked at his Cagematch profile today. This is closest we would get to Eddie Guerrero Vs a Hart.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

WTF... From 1992-10-13: Ultimate Warrior & Bret Hart vs. Papa Shango & Kamala

 

[BruiserBrody]

The TV dark matches (from Allentown on up) would make for some fun "Hidden Gems" if the WWE Network was actually run well. Lots of random tag team matches that probably were 5 mins and paint by numbers....but I want to see them!

 

[BruiserBrody]

Just a small sample from glancing at results:
1983:
Dark match after the taping: Andre the Giant & Jimmy Snuka vs. Buddy Rose & Ray Stevens
Tito Santana defeated Sgt. Slaughter via disqualification
Jimmy Snuka defeated Sgt. Slaughter via count-out
Pat Patterson vs. Ivan Koloff
WWF World Champion Bob Backlund vs. Sgt. Slaughter
WWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeated the Masked Superstar via disqualification

84:
Bob Backlund (sub. for Jimmy Snuka) defeated Roddy Piper via disqualification at 7:11
Sgt. Slaughter defeated Iron Sheik via count-out
Andre the Giant vs. Kamala
Junkyard Dog defeated Roddy Piper via count-out
Tito Santana, Barry Windham, & Mike Rotundo defeated WWF IC Champion Greg Valentine, the Iron Sheik, & Nikolai Volkoff
Jimmy Snuka & the Tonga Kid vs. Roddy Piper & Bob Orton Jr.

85:
Andre the Giant, the Junkyard Dog, & Tito Santana vs. Big John Studd, Ken Patera, & WWF IC Champion Greg Valentine
Paul Orndorff (sub. for the Junkyard Dog) & Ricky Steamboat defeated Don Muraco & Terry Funk via disqualification
WWF IC Champion Tito Santana defeated Randy Savage

86:
The Junkyard Dog, Tito Santana, & the Haiti Kid vs. Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr, & Jimmy Hart
Hulk Hogan & the Junkyard Dog defeated Paul Orndorff (w/ Bobby Heenan) & Adrian Adonis (w/ Jimmy Hart) when Hogan pinned Adonis with the legdrop
Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper defeated Paul Orndorff & Bob Orton Jr.
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper defeated Paul Orndorff & King Harley Race

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Yeah, Brody. I loved looking through Cawthon's sites and seeing these pretty random Dark Matches that sounded amazing even if they probably went 10 minutes at most. The early 90s especially seemed like a weird gold mine.

03-06-1990: Hogan & Bossman vs. Perfect & Genius
03-07-1990: Ultimate Warrior & Jake Roberts vs. Ted Dibiase & Akeem
03-22-1994: Bret Hart & Razor Ramon vs. Owen Hart & Shawn Michaels

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1293606392788586496

 

[BruiserBrody]

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

 

[HarleyQuinn]

From 11-11-2000 courtesy of WWF Metal (Velocity/Jakked/Metal were a gold mine for this thread IMO). Gangrel, in his last WWF match, takes on Steven Regal(!)

 

[BruiserBrody]

Look at the possibilities here! :

Nick Bockwinkel toured JCP as AWA champ in 1979 working with Paul Orndorff, Ricky Steamboat, Pedro Morales, and Jim Brunzell.

He'd work Steamboat in Houston also IIRC, and obviously Brunzell in the AWA. Pedro wouldn't have probably been a great match, but he was only a few years removed from his WWWF title run, so the match up probably intrigued a more kayfabe friendly crowd. Bock and Orndorff sounds fantastic.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1301973492301262854

This is weird timing for Darren Young to try and put together an indy run but whatever. I'm here for any Nexus reunion.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1303909106680582145

Chono interacting with Public Enemy!? Damn. I miss WCW.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1305356851048067072