WWF: Hulkamania era (1984-`1992)

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The way they are posing and given the timeline, I think it’s just as likely that’s a screenshot of Big Bossman and SID teaming.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1618417879522881538

 

[alfdogg]

Looks like it’s from the battle royal at the February MSG show. Same card as the infamous Hercules match

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

That has to be it. I came up with nothing on Cagematch. They weren’t even in the ‘92 Rumble at the same time.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Greetings from Allentown is into Nov 88 now. Mean Gene doing simultaneous hard sells in one segment for Sugar Ray Leonard's boxing PPV and the Survivor Series makes me wonder WHY Vince would try and sell both to at least some of the same audience in the same month?
At this point, the WWF having 3 PPVs in a year was causing women to fan themselves from the very shock of having to pay for so many events in a mere year. The Apters were certainly aggressively pro consumer on the amount of PPVs JCP/NWA/WWF were tossing at us in 88.

 

[snuffbox]

While publishing 9 different magazines a month. Hey, kids, you gotta get these decoder rings! Guys, you need the Atlas bodybuilding program! Make check to Bill Apter or Stu Saks.

 

[BruiserBrody]

That reminds me of one of their editorial articles while covering SSeries 87 and Starrcade taking place the same day. They shared a fantasy press release where Crockett and Vince agree to a super card with 3 matches:
Hogan vs Flair Champ vs Champ
Dusty vs Honky in battle of secondary champs and then a combined Survivor Series/War Games with the top 10 faces from both feds teaming against the top 10 heels from both feds.
Mind blowing stuff for a kid reading it (I can't say at the time as I would have read it around 1991 when I got my pile of old Apters at a rummage sale).

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1619144903359098880

Bill Eadie has the same facial expression that I imagine CWM would have during my stand up set at TSMCon.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1620655827484020738

 

[BruiserBrody]

I wonder how the roster felt in late 88 when it came out that Sugar Ray Leonard was paid 15 million for his Vince backed PPV that November?
Even his opponent got 5-6 million.
Meanwhile Vince was like Coach Homer:
"Blair...you're cut"
"JYD...cut"
"Muraco...soooo cut"

 

[alkeiper]

Giving Ray Leonard a truckload of money and cutting Brian Blair is the right move every time.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Promoting a Sugar Ray Leonard PPV is one of the least dumb things Vince did outside of pro wrestling.

 

[Valeyard]

Did the WWF have anything to do with the Leonard/Camacho fight ten years later as well or am I thinking of something else?

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1621511211891437569

 

[alkeiper]

Did the WWF have anything to do with the Leonard/Camacho fight ten years later as well or am I thinking of something else?

From the Observer...

Expect tons of hype on WWF TV broadcasts for the Sugar Ray Leonard-Hector Camacho fight on 3/1 as Titan Sports will be handling the PPV of the fight. TVKO backed out of the deal after the fight's promoter was being investigated for links to organized crime. Titan years ago promoted a Leonard fight on PPV which supposedly was a big money loser although that has been disputed as well, but Titan ever went back into boxing.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1622359128789389312

Jim Valley has survived several long medical issues. Well now I'm about to send him to God....

 

[Valeyard]

Dude doesn't know joy. Besides how something draws doesn't impact if it's entertaining or not to you, personally.

The internet made being a fan of everything so much harder.

 

[strummer]

Valley is a pretty positive fan for the most part so this doesn't bother me much or anything. I've actually heard that take before. Don't agree obvs. but I can see how you would look at it differently if you weren't a kid then.

Seems unfathomable but NBC was actually disappointed in the rating. Huge for wrestling but so so for network tv at that time. It finished 17th in the ratings that week.

 

[Valeyard]

I did like him as Ernest so he gets a pass but still

 

[strummer]

But... he was in the horrible last season of Roseanne playing Jackie's rich boyfriend

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Referring to what?

Roger Ruffen has to be most obscure golden era WWF personality on Twitter.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Listening to last week's post WM 3 in the WWF wrap up for April 87 on the Wrestling Memory Grenade reveals that Jim Powers and Paul Roma were given inset promos to plug that they were now a team (w/o a name yet) and planned to be "up and comers". Then Steve Lombardi and Iron Mike Sharpe of all people get an inset promo to plug themselves as the actual up and comers.
A week or 2 later Powers/Roma come up against Demolition and get run over. LOL.
--
Hillbilly Jim and Outback Jack were also doing promos together as a possible tag team combo/comedy bit.
--
Fuji also signs Kamala/Sika from the Wizard despite having also just bought Demolition from Johnny V. Foog the stooge for sure!
--
IIRC I believe I was also surprised to hear that they tossed a Duggan/Volkoff match on TV right after WM's angle as well. I guess WWF figured Sheik was getting the house show slots vs Duggan or something.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1623297029551058946

I would have been a very happy 5 year old had I gotten a chance to go to this, but WOOF, what a line up.

 

[alkeiper]

The ad guy on the phone spends ten minutes transcribing the Heenan stipulation and decides he’s finished putting effort into this thing.

 

[Valeyard]

Dino Branva.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Now onto the May 1987 edition of the Wrestling Memory Grenade podcast:
- You would think the WWF would save Beefcake getting his revenge on Johnny V for turning on him at WM 3 for maybe a house show loop and/or some tag team matches vs the Dream Team but Beefer debuts the Barber gimmick (and his first post WM 3 in ring appearance) in a bout with Johnny V on Superstars. Beefer dispatches him quickly and the Dream Team do not get involved.
Obviously the plan was for Beefer to focus on Adonis and the Dream Team would wind up in limbo working the Rougeau Bros 200 times before Valentine forces Vince's hand backstage and splits the team.
Jokes on the Beefer though as his planned Summer feud with Adrian Adonis is derailed by Adonis being fired 5 days before any of this aired.
- Beefcake vs Adonis actually would not help the Barber stuff get over, since Adonis is now bald. I guess Jimmy Hart would have been the victim nightly?
- Beefcake would wind up working Johnny V a bunch IIRC, and eventually once Valentine was freed up as a single late in the year he and Beefer had at least some house show matches when Beefer wasn't after Honky.

 

[snuffbox]

I laughed at the "Baker" Beefcake typo. Then wondered if he ever ended up using that as one of his 350 gimmicks. Then giggled some more.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I laughed at the "Baker" Beefcake typo. Then wondered if he ever ended up using that as one of his 350 gimmicks. Then giggled some more.

Sherri and Savage cooked up a spell against him in the cauldron at Summerslam 89. That's as close as I can think.
--
In one of the promos for Survivor Series 88, Hogan actually says he and Macho held a séance, so there was a storyline trail of bread crumbs that explains why Sherri and Savage went to the occult to battle the Mega Barbers. I kid, but the promo was just on Greeting From Allentown this week.
--
Back to 1987....Adonis just compared himself to Hitler on Wrestling Challenge and said Beefcake should have slit his throat, not cut his hair!
Yikes.

 

[Valeyard]

What do people think of Johnny V these days? I never see him brought up as either good or bad, although he annoyed me a great deal.

Adonis/Beefcake would've been really fun. Adrian busting his ass to prove himself and bumping for high knees would've been entertaining, and I'm sorry but Beefcake is kinda underrated (not good, underrated).

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

There is a good amount of Johnny V talk on the OVP Podcast (creators of AI Gorilla) and reviews are mixed. IE one of the hosts kind of likes him and the other is indifferent.


I guess somebody has to be the weakest golden age WWF heel manager. Or 2nd weakest depending on how you feel about Mr. Fuji.

 

[Valeyard]

I really appreciate Fuji more in hindsight. He's just a perfect heel manager, albeit very basic. I like him more than guys like Paul Jones. Also I don't know if you can point to a guy who fit more visually perfect with the bulk of his clients, like he had a heel dress code or something.