Old School Observations/Questions Thread 2020-21

[King Kamala]

Looking up Mike Barton's Cagematch page cause of a recent discussion in the TNA thread and I did not know that he had a pair of tryout matches with WWE in December '03.

WWE Sunday Night Heat #281 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

I honestly think he could have been a damn good fit for '04-'06 era WWE. Probably more money to be made in Japan than in doldrums of Ruthless Aggression era WWE though?

 

[Valeyard]

If you pair him with Holly in 2004 as just badasses you have a seriously good team.

 

[King Kamala]

I mean...could you not slot Mike Barton into a top heel role where JBL was? Probably/definitely not same character but I could see him as top heel on Smackdown in second half of '04? Am I crazy for thinking this?

 

[alkeiper]

I mean...could you not slot Mike Barton into a top heel role where JBL was? Probably/definitely not same character but I could see him as top heel on Smackdown in second half of '04? Am I crazy for thinking this?

Yes

I mean I think Bart was a decent worker. But he never really showed the kind of charisma that would warrant that spot.

 

[Brocklock]

Yeah I think he would of had some really good matches with your Benoit/Eddie/Rey types, but he's pure wood when ever he has to talk.

 

[King Kamala]

You could have paired him with Heyman though. It could have worked I tell ya! IT COULDA WORKED!

 

[King Kamala]

Wrestling Observer recap on Reddit
Jerry Lawler made news in Mississippi this week, after testifying under oath that wrestling is entertainment. He was testifying before the gaming commission there, in order to get a promoters license to run shows in some of the casinos. Lawler said wrestling was "as real as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny." On USWA TV later in the week, Lawler explained it to the fans by saying he had to lie and say that under oath in order to get the license and not pay an $8,000 fee. Then he said he still believes Santa and the Easter Bunny are real and brought out 2 Hooters girls dressed in Santa and Bunny costumes. He then started shooting on the Memphis newspaper that reported it (The Commercial Appeal), saying that they weren't a real newspaper ("Fake news!") and held up a copy of the USA Today and said this is a real newspaper.

That's the most Jerry Lawler story ever.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1398440425770389505

Just a few days ago I posted a pic of Battman in the Today in Wrestling History thread.

Interesting pose with Bruno.

 

[LaParkaYourCar]

Here's my review of WWF Royal Rumble '98.

https://classicwrestlingreview.com/2021/05/30/royal-rumble-98/

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1399044171051188229

Which TSMer's dad is the guy with the ponytail marking out over meeting the Nasty Boys?

 

[Valeyard]

The old video store days though. I really miss those.

 

[King Kamala]

I still have a few dreams a year where I find some random video store with an immense collection of wrestling videos and get excited. Wake up disappointed each time.

 

[Valeyard]

All the stores in my town were mom-and-pop sorta places. That musty video store smell is special. Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Wes Anderson movies, and Maximum Carnage on SNES. All the big WWF shows between '93 and Wrestlemania 11. Incompetent teenagers working the counter. It was the best.

Then Blockbuster came and wiped them all out.

 

[Brocklock]

Yeah we mostly had Mom and Pop stores. I didn't get a Blockbuster until 99 or 00. One of the video stores called J's had a massive collection of both WWF and WCW including a lot of WCW PPV's from 88-92. So many good times.

Another video store had some more obscure stuff like Memphis and Mid South. So many good times.

 

[Valeyard]

I used to go one in the next town that sold me their old tapes because I was the only one who cared. Owner had gone to Wrestlemania 3 so she got it. My WWF loyalty caused me to miss out on some great stuff, though.

 

[strummer]

Don't know if it's the same ones but I remember the best of Memphis tapes I begged my mother to buy when I was 11 or so. They had one for Lawler, Hogan and Savage I believe. They were terrible quality and I could barely get a clear picture at all with my VCR

 

[King Kamala]

Blockbuster never really had that much of a foothold in Maine. We didn't get our first one in Portland until like '97/'98ish and even at its peak, it didn't seem as prevalent as Hollywood Video and there was a handful of mom & pop video stores. Two of them outlived all of the chain video stores by almost a decade. Hipster video store didn't close until 2015 and Video store up the street from my parents house didn't close until 2018. Although I think that mostly survived the last 6 or 7 years by the fact that they also sold ice cream and had a USPS outlet in there.

 

[strummer]

Shit, I can remember renting from Blockbuster in like 91/92

The first time I ever saw WM 1 in full was renting it from the grocery store near my grandparents. That was probably summer of 88 or 89

Honestly as a kid I thought the "best of" Coliseum tapes were a chore with the never ending house show matches and the 70s stuff I thought was boring

 

[King Kamala]

Yeah. It's crazy to think video rentals were so popular at one point that they had them at grocery stores. I never remember seeing wrestling tapes though. I think it was strictly whatever new releases for popular movies.

I wouldn't be totally shocked if there were pockets of rural America with piss poor internet conections that have general stores with DVD rentals. Country store near my family camp still has a small selection or at least had one within past five years.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I went to a local rental place in Green Bay in like 2002ish and they had the AWA VHS tapes from 1985. I really wish had made an offer to take them off their hands.
I was more surprised to find the Hollywood Video (I think that was the chain's name) was still renting the 4 parts of "SuperClash 85" on VHS. For some reason I think I remember "Welcome to Mooseport" being played in the store as we walked around so that puts that at 2004ish.
The one horse town that was 10 miles from where I grew up had a Mom and Pop place with Wrestlemania 5, Wrestle War 89 and "Rock and Roll Wrestling". I own the physical copy of the VHS from there.

When I first rented Wrestle War 89 as a kid, I was disappointed as Hell that the main event was Flair vs Steamboat instead of Flair vs Luger. So I always had bad taste in wrestling....

My 2 rarest VHS' in my collection are probably:

Amazon.com: All-Star Wrestling Vol. 1: Wrestling Spectacular [VHS] : Jim Crockett Promotions, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling: Movies & TV

Amazon.com: All-Star Wrestling Vol. 1: Wrestling Spectacular [VHS] : Jim Crockett Promotions, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling: Movies & TV

www.amazon.com

1986 BEST OF WOMEN'S WRESTLING VHS WCW GLOW DEBBIE COMBS DONNA DAY CANDI DIVINE | eBay

CANDI DEVINE. DEBBIE COMBS. LADY SATAN. THE DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (LUNA VICHON).

www.ebay.com

 

[snuffbox]

Yeah. It's crazy to think video rentals were so popular at one point that they had them at grocery stores. I never remember seeing wrestling tapes though. I think it was strictly whatever new releases for popular movies.

I wouldn't be totally shocked if there were pockets of rural America with piss poor internet conections that have general stores with DVD rentals. Country store near my family camp still has a small selection or at least had one within past five years.

They do still exist but are getting rarer even in very rural areas like where I live. But VHS rentals were common here a few years into the 2000s and DVD rentals were in most grocery stores and gas stations around here up to about 5 years ago.

 

[SFH]

For Christmas one year I received a Randy Savage VHS, possibly Memphis because of the battles with Lawler. It was so low rent, low budet the tape had and writing on the description label.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I never realized Seinfeld's uncle Leo was an attorney of note. "Hellllllllllllllo Bobby!"

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1399908628400771076

 

[BruiserBrody]

For Christmas one year I received a Randy Savage VHS, possibly Memphis because of the battles with Lawler. It was so low rent, low budet the tape had and writing on the description label.

Has to be the Kit Parker tape. I have that on my wall of Macho Man collectables. I'll have to check the tape.

 

[Valeyard]

What else is on your Macho wall?

 

[snuffbox]

I have his high school yearbook if you ever go on another Savage spending spree, Brody.

 

[BruiserBrody]

What else is on your Macho wall?

Slim Jim cooler with Macho on it, Slim Jim box, Slim Jim can (w/ George), Various figures from LJN to today, Mega Powers 8x10 (WCW era), the old VHS, nothing that'll make you scream "WOW" I suppose. I do want to buy the Slim Jim rubber Macho Man holder but that runs 50+ even at the toy shows;. The Hogan section is several bookcases of odd ball merch that would be more of an eye popper.
--

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1400250298262765574

Young Rock Season 3, desperate for ratings we see Brian snort coke backstage as Lawler drags two teenagers into a broom closet.

 

[alkeiper]

Found while looking for the origins of Ozzie Smith's nickname.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1401282277716512773

Curious @BruiserBrody moan

 

[LaParkaYourCar]

Here's my review of WCW Souled Out '98.

https://classicwrestlingreview.com/2021/06/06/souled-out-98/