WWF: Hulkamania era (1984-`1992)

[BruiserBrody]

I’ll take unnecessary action figures for $1,000, Ken.

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*Nerd toy snob voice*
Should be a bendie based on the time frame.

--

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1723383349735981350

Time for the yearly retelling of 7 year old Brody playing the Quake role on my 19 year old brother, who then paid me back with some tickle torture. I escaped with my tried and true line of "I'm going to pee!" which was a legit threat after my kidney cancer.
I also tried to claim "I wasn't trying to wrestle!" so he asked me why I said I was Earthquake then.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

WWF House Show « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

This is one of the most threadbare "A" house show lineups I've ever seen. The Warrior and LOD Vs Demolition might not have been a draw but they didn't get much help...

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1724224234279383194

Quake's ass took Hogan and Damien's soul. Tenta losing his job in WCW meant the demon could no longer feast and Big John died young.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah, Hogan started leaning out around the time of the Zahorian trial in ‘91. He was obviously at his his leanest in the ‘93-‘94 stretch where he looked like a walrus on a keto diet (“Got to look good for Thunder in Paradise, brother.”) but transformation started earlier.

Wait a minute. Walruses probably normally eat keto.

 

[Valeyard]

Hogan looked fine slimmed down but his skin was fucking wrecked so it looked really weird. But I think I always saw him as being older, anyway. Dude's my mom's age.

Some of the promotional images of him from the peak years make him look really, really bad.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hogan looked fine slimmed down but his skin was fucking wrecked so it looked really weird.

That is definitely the era where he most resembled a hot dog

Hogan has definitely had some plastic surgery over the years, brother. Sometime in ‘88-‘89 for sure. An eyelid lift maybe? His eyebrows and eyelids definitely look droopier in the mid ‘80s.

 

[Valeyard]

I can't believe Hogan let this picture see the light of day.

 

[BruiserBrody]

That is definitely the era where he most resembled a hot dog

Hogan has definitely had some plastic surgery over the years, brother. Sometime in ‘88-‘89 for sure. An eyelid lift maybe? His eyebrows and eyelids definitely look droopier in the mid ‘80s.

They were talking about Hogan recently on WrestlingClassics or somewhere and mentioned he would dye his eyebrows.

Maybe this was even Greeting From Allentown pod or something.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

So like how King Kong Bundy looked totally different when his eyebrows were shaved?

I just wouldn’t be shocked if Hogan got some sort of facelift when he started pursuing Hollywood seriously. His face just looks peppier after ‘88.

 

[Valeyard]

Hogan working the same style with no real mask was a huge problem too. If he worked more like the Muta match everywhere it would have been fun.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

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Me and @BruiserBrody at the 2026 CXFCon in Old Orchard Beach.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I invented a new kayfabe bit today while listening to the Wrestling Memory Grenade pod...
Apparently on house show promos in late 87 the babyfaces were outing Peggy Sue as being Sherri and Honky and Jimmy Hart were denying it.

FFWD a year and a half and Macho Man is thinking about who to get to replace Liz and remembers how effective that cunt Sherri was at keeping him from regaining the IC title and thus turned to her to work her evil to his benefit.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The dirtsheets also reported Sarge was asking to go back in the WWF at the end of 87. We missed out on an awful months long series of matches with Dino Bravo. He probably runs out of steam before 1990 and the Warrior title reign ends on a different twist. With Rude gone, maybe they hot shot it to Taker at the Rumble?

I just don’t see WWF putting the belt on a guy two months into his run. I bet they’d give it to someone with a little more tenure. DiBiase had a great 1990 after a mediocre 1989. Maybe he gets a “Thank you for your service” run.


Could they talk Macho King into doing a transitional run without him getting all frazzled? Of course, that pushes back the GOAT career match and Elizabeth reunion a few months.

 

[BruiserBrody]

I just don’t see WWF putting the belt on a guy two months into his run. I bet they’d give it to someone with a little more tenure. DiBiase had a great 1990 after a mediocre 1989. Maybe he gets a “Thank you for your service” run.


Could they talk Macho King into doing a transitional run without him getting all frazzled? Of course, that pushes back the GOAT career match and Elizabeth reunion a few months.

The lack of a fresh heel for Hogan for Mania is where the power problem lies.

I mean, a Tugboat heel turn works for Hogan if Warrior is just going to be champ and they let Savage win it at Rumble and Warrior wins it back at WM 7. Tugger/Hogan would be the shits though. (And we got Typhoon/Hogan on CHV in the most paint by numbers Hogan match this side of 95 Nitro)

 

[Valeyard]

I wonder if you could get away with Wrestlemania having Dibiase/Piper, Hogan/Slaughter, and Warrior/Savage as the big matches. Build Piper up right, have Virgil turn on Dibiase there, and it's an ultimate feel good moment.

 

[alkeiper]

Piper was hurt at WM VII, wasn’t he?

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah. Wasn’t he on crutches at VII?

OVP is covering the post WrestleMania 2 episodes of Championship Wrestling currently and I was genuinely stunned to find out that the slow build to Hogan/Andre started pretty much as soon as 2 ended. On the show after WM2, Studd & Bundy are on Piper’s Pit and they issue the challenge for the tag team match that Andre no shows and gets suspended for.

I wonder if Vince really was headed towards Hogan Vs Andre that early or if it’s just a happy coincidence.

 

[SuperMachine#1]

Yeah. Wasn’t he on crutches at VII?

OVP is covering the post WrestleMania 2 episodes of Championship Wrestling currently and I was genuinely stunned to find out that the slow build to Hogan/Andre started pretty much as soon as 2 ended. On the show after WM2, Studd & Bundy are on Piper’s Pit and they issue the challenge for the tag team match that Andre no shows and gets suspended for.

I wonder if Vince really was headed towards Hogan Vs Andre that early or if it’s just a happy coincidence.

Andre did the suspension storyline so can tour New Japan dates and start the Machines angle in the summer of 86. He was under the mask about a month and a half and when he disappears again to film The Princess Bride they introduced Black Jack Mulligan as the Big Machine which ended up like a fart in church and nobody cared about them with Andre gone.Yeah there were other Machines like Piper,Hulk,Animal Steele,JYD, The Crusher and Honky Tonk Man under the mask but it was flat by November 86.

 

[Valeyard]

Was Piper legit hurt? I've always been under the impression he was at least not badly hurt if he was.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I am pretty sure that was after one of his hip surgeries.

 

[Valeyard]

Hell of a beating for a cripple

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Maybe you're right. I think @BruiserBrody was saying that Piper was working house shows and dark matches fairly regularly during the period where he was ostensibly hurt in '90-'91. It just doesn't make sense to have someone as big of a star (that is nuts about the business and being with the boys) as Piper and having him as a DNP-Coach's Decision.

WWF House Show « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

Stadium shows Idk existed. Boy, I bet a 1991 Kerry Von Erich Vs Great Kabuki match was not a sight for sore eyes.

 

[Valeyard]

Actually Piper/Slaughter would've been really fun. Shame it never at least made a big show if it happened at all

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

WWF House Show « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

It does look like it happened in Flint, MI, which doesn’t count as a big show with all due respect to Michael Moore and Grand Funk Railroad.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1727700801303269742

Happy Thanksgiving CXF!

 

[Valeyard]

On paper a Koko and Hector team would be pretty great, though

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1728233405853450291

Should have happened at WrestleMania III.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1728233405853450291

Should have happened at WrestleMania III.

It sounds like fun, but in all honesty it would probably have been heatless and kind of shitty.

See Kamala vs Kabuki at DVE Memorial 1

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

You just are mad at the thought of a fellow hill person not being on WrestleMania III!

 

[snuffbox]

Swap Big John Studd for the staredown and do a monster heel vs heel clash at WM 3. Heenan takes a bump and then leaves ringside to focus on Andre; Kamala wins and writes out Studd for his retirement; sets up the babyface return to at least make sense if still not be good a couple years later. And the 6 man tag still happens with its memorable spots.