WWF: Hulkamania era (1984-`1992)

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah. If he really hated being a heel, he would have retired once the WrestleMania III check cleared and not continued the schtick for another three years.


I hate sounding like a doubting Thomas/Lutzke but if Andre really hated idea of turning heel, I feel like we would have heard about it decades ago.

 

[Valeyard]

I'm sure there's probably a bunch of stories we haven't heard yet about things he either vetoed or stuff they thought about doing but didn't.

I love late era Andre, no joke. He was a brilliant worker and made everything matter. Not exciting but fun in a completely different way.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

‘87-‘90 Andre seems more motivated than
‘83-‘85 Andre even if physical decline is wicked obvious.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I just busted out Pat Laprade's Andre bio. He says nothing particular about the heel turn being an issue. Andre was in Europe taping the Princess Bride. His spine/back was screwed up and Andre was not sure he'd ever work again. Vince flew over to try and sell Andre on the idea of a heel turn and taking on Hogan. Pat Patterson knew how bad Andre's back was and told Vince this wasn't happening.
Andre agreed and apparently worked out at Vince's house to lose weight for the match and the back surgery he would need after. (A+E. HBO and Vince all were wrong about the surgery coming before WM 3. Andre's records show the surgery happening in July 87.) Vince had a big weight set. Andre liked working out, but he liked his 930 AM beers more. Vince wanted Andre to take protein shakes but they gave the Giant violent gas.
Tim White, Hogan and Ed Carpentier all share stories of Andre drinking all day before the match as his pain killer for his back.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The Ed Carpentier story is recounted in the Riesman biography of Vince as a huge revelation. ANDRE THE GIANT WASTED BEFORE A BIG MATCH! It would have been more of a surprise if Andre was sober!

 

[BruiserBrody]

Peter Winson popped me on this week's GFA Live coverage of the Rumble 89 with "Ted Dibiase should have been named the Pentagon with all the money he wasted over the years. Oh, wait CMLL has a guy named that?"
--
Macho Man gets a solo promo for the Rumble then in the next promo set Hogan gets a promo with Mean Gene holding the stick. He declares his intentions to use the Rumble to relaunch Hulkamania. Macho Man's justified heel turn continues.....

 

[BruiserBrody]

Some Wrestling History Hand Grenade pod fun:
Danny Davis took 5 months after WM 3 to work a squash match on TV. (Some house show matches made PTW)
He and the Harts beat the not yet Young Stallions and Brady Boone. The Stallions lose in short order, and yet their biggest moment is less than 2 months away.
==
Bruno put over Macho Man on commentary as he turns face in Sept 87. Ventura plays the Internet Troll and calls out Bruno on choking Savage on TV less than a year ago after the Steamboat throat angle.
---
From the Royal Rumble 89 review on GFA live:
I realized Big John Studd and Warlord were in the same match. Thankfully they never touched or the vortex of suck would have ended the entire wrestling business if not the world itself.

 

[Valeyard]

That's why Jesse was the best.

I don't like that Warlord slander. He had his place. Studd, however, even at his peak is one of the worst workers to ever make it.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I don't like that Warlord slander. He had his place.

He’s Batista’s favorite wrestler.

John Studd seemed like too nice/normal of a guy for the biz and really seemed like he would have been happier doing something except what else is a super huge guy going to do to make lots of money?

He was really good friends IRL with Giancarlo Esposito.

 

[Valeyard]

Guys like Warlord have their place. It's too bad there weren't more smaller guys to pinball off him during the singles run instead of having shitty matches with Bulldog all the time.

The only Studd match I have any affection for is the one with Hogan in the pouring rain and that's just because there's something weirdly epic about Hogan busting out of a bearhug in a tropical storm.

 

[alkeiper]

I would want to see more '70s John Studd before I completely dump on him. His Hulkamania era run was clearly post prime.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Wrestling History Hand Grenade fun from Oct 87:

JYD cuts a promo referencing his past Mid South feud with Butch Reed and closes by mentioning that Ted Dibiase hired Virgil to replace the part of his life that was left empty by his recent divorce!

Sherri Martel came in as a face but her and Moolah did a double turn quickly. But her first article in the WWF mag covered how she was a church goer and loved gospel music.

 

[strummer]

Tony Atlas just did an interview with WSI and claims he was originally supposed to face King Kong Bundy at the first Wrestlemania.

 

[SuperMachine#1]

Y guy

Tony Atlas just did an interview with WSI and claims he was originally supposed to face King Kong Bundy at the first Wrestlemania.

Atlas must of been hit on the head a bunch of times,he was doing job duty from 85 and 86 and was doing nothing of note except being thrown in the NFL battle royal at Wrestlemainia 2 then was fired for good in the spring of 86 and headed for Texas and World Class to have a boring feud with Master Gee George Wells with blond hair.

 

[alkeiper]

Not like Atlas would’ve needed a super push to job to Bundy in 25 seconds.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I doubt it actually is true but I can believe Atlas was in the slot of guy that got squashed by KKB but they rightly decided SD Jones was better for the role.

 

[Valeyard]

Would it make a difference? Honestly I can see Atlas as a superior choice because he had a fantastic look and if Bundy could wipe that guy out in seconds, a guy with a similar build who was the champion is in trouble.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1676228323515457537

 

[BruiserBrody]

Albano, Heenan, Studd and Patera are interviewed at length by Bill Boggs in this show which I believe was taped in Mid/late December of 1984.

-===
Some fun notes from the latest Wrestling History Hand Grenade pod: (Oct 87)
- Ted Dibiase is using the spinning toe hold and the sharp shooter as finishers.
It feels weird that Dibiase is being called a top contender for Hogan for weeks (with no official interaction yet) but then they announce the Survivor Series (the whole card is announced at once after several weeks of teasers of the "Survivor Series" upcoming. The money is still Hogan/Andre, so it makes sense not to confuse the issue and put Ted into the physical mix yet.
- Dynamite Kid was given several months off to try and recover from his back injury. To keep them on TV, they filmed a bunch of PSAs about dog care that just sound awful/lame. This includes one where Matilda "talks" in a human voiceover and another where we get a Matilda highlight reel set to "How much is that doggy in the window?" I really want to find some of these now.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1677723162912468993

I'm trying to think of the best way to pull this off. Maybe Fuji takes a payoff from Jimmy Hart to hurt the Hart Foundation after the Hart fall out and the Demos balk?
Another thought was after winning the belts at 4, Fuji tells them they need to get even more vicious and starts to smack them around with his cane. After a few weeks of abuse, the Demos finally turn on Fuji.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1678120757920948225

@BruiserBrody wiping away tears with one hand and grabbing the Chinese herbal Viagra with the other.

 

[Sex Machine Gun]

When did him and the Beefer have a falling out?

 

[BruiserBrody]

When did him and the Beefer have a falling out?

Years ago. Word was a few years ago they were back talking. That always confused me as ATM Eric never let off the Beefcake attacks.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

WWF Rick McGraw Memorial « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

TIL that WWF’s first attempt to run in Charlotte was a “Quick Draw” Rick McGraw Memorial Show.

 

[AA484]

WWF Rick McGraw Memorial « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

TIL that WWF’s first attempt to run in Charlotte was a “Quick Draw” Rick McGraw Memorial Show.

They smartly included Steamboat and Piper, two guys well-known to locals. Studd also did some work in MACW and Andre was a draw wherever he went. I'm sure people also attended to get a glimpse of Hulk.

 

[BruiserBrody]

WWF Rick McGraw Memorial « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

TIL that WWF’s first attempt to run in Charlotte was a “Quick Draw” Rick McGraw Memorial Show.

From the WON:

The WWF ran Charlotte on 12/16, the Rick McGraw benefit show. They drew 2,400 fans, but the mood wasn't very good. They were chanting "Fake" during Hogan vs. Bundy. The only match to have any real heat was Steamboat vs. Piper, and the crowd was mostly pro Piper. They even sent out Andre for the show, so Dave thinks that the show has to be considered a failure and Titan may be doomed in trying to run Crockett Country. There was a lot of local media for the show, and it was Hogan's first time in Charlotte.

The wrestlers all gave their pay offs to the McGraw family.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

WWF didn’t draw consistently well (or even run consistently) in the Carolinas until the Attitude Era. There’s one show in Charlotte that drew well in January ‘89 (maybe a lot of kids with their parents who bought tickets as Christmas presents) but even Flair’s return to Charlotte only drew 3k.

 

[BruiserBrody]

WWF didn’t draw consistently well (or even run consistently) in the Carolinas until the Attitude Era. There’s one show in Charlotte that drew well in January ‘89 (maybe a lot of kids with their parents who bought tickets as Christmas presents) but even Flair’s return to Charlotte only drew 3k.

I can recall the Apters making a big deal about Hogan vs Andre having a 1 vs 1 match in Crockett Country. This would've been their 2nd match since WM 4 IIRC, with the other being WrestleFest

WWF @ Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – August 7, 1988 (3,670)
First WWF show in Greensboro
The One Man Gang pinned DJ Peterson (sub. for Bam Bam Bigelow)
Terry Taylor defeated Scott Casey
Lanny Poffo pinned Trent Knight
King Haku pinned the Junkyard Dog
The Powers of Pain defeated Nikolai Volkoff & Boris Zhukov
Rick Rude defeated Jake Roberts via count-out
WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition defeated Davey Boy Smith & the Dynamite Kid
Hulk Hogan defeated Andre the Giant via disqualification at 10:00 when Bobby Heenan interfered to prevent the pinfall after Hogan hit the legdrop

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hulk and Andre had their last singles match at the Omni in Atlanta in October ‘88 and it only drew 5,200.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Hulk and Andre had their last singles match at the Omni in Atlanta in October ‘88 and it only drew 5,200.

It's interesting to look at JCP's Omni performance for 88 - it is all over the place. In Spring it went as low as 1300 and by the end of summer it hit 13000, and then settled in around 5000 for the Fall.