WWF: Hulkamania era (1984-`1992)

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I wanted him fucking dead.

Vince drinking a glass of milk at a bar with Flair. Even testing the edgy waters in ‘92, still wanted to look kid friendly.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

OTD in 1984

 

[Valeyard]

Vince drinking a glass of milk at a bar with Flair. Even testing the edgy waters in ‘92, still wanted to look kid friendly.

That's why I love it as an adult, I think. It sums up what I love about that time. Scumbag Flair upping his game with a glass of real alcohol, being his best self, while squeaky clean WWF announcer Vince McMahon rails on him with his glass of milk. Flair was from another planet, doing some of the best character work of his career, and even now it's so fresh to see. This is five years too early.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I kind of wish we got more than a year and change Flair in WWF. I feel like he might have stayed longer if he knew that he wasn't going to be the face of WCW for the long term future. It'd have been interesting to see Flair as a face in WWF or in the Attitude Era.

Maybe it's just as well though. I don't need to see Ric Flair begging off from Tatanka.

 

[Valeyard]

Flair needed a better sendoff. At least a better trajectory than losing the belt and immediately falling down the card. Make the Perfect match seem a little bigger when it was about two top guys going vs two high midcarders.

Flair stays, the political scene gets pretty wild. Flair in with the Clique, who liked Savage but had issues with Bret, who were buddies with Jarrett, who were all kinda scared of Taker. It would've been some good times.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

If Flair stays in WWF, there's no one to extend an olive branch to Hogan to join WCW.

In this weird, unlikely scenario where Flair doesn't return to WCW in '93, Idk how much longer WCW would go on at all. Combination of horribleness of Watts era and losing out on the return of their prodigal son would've been a devastating gut punch. All of the back half of '92, the vibes in WCW were "Well…this sucks but we're probably getting Flair back next year." I mean, WCW in '93 was bad enough with Flair (sort of) there. I wonder if he decides to ride it out with Vince, if Bischoff does something stupid like bring Warrior in. Now Warrior Vs Vader at Starrcade '93 is kind of fun to imagine...

 

[AA484]

The one thing I didn't like about Flair in WWF was that he didn't get to be "Flair" as much as when he was in WCW. This video was a rare example of them allowing that, but there were tons of other times where Flair did non-wrestling segments with his robe on.

 

[Tino Standard]

The one thing I didn't like about Flair in WWF was that he didn't get to be "Flair" as much as when he was in WCW. This video was a rare example of them allowing that, but there were tons of other times where Flair did non-wrestling segments with his robe on.

I never thought twice about this as a kid, but it irks me now looking back. I think it’s one of those Vince things about making wrestlers look like larger-than-life characters at all times, and if Flair is in street clothes, he just looks like a regular rich corporate asshole.

Maybe that’s true for other guys, but if you want the full Flair presentation, you need the custom suits tailored for the world heavyweight champion by Michael’s of Kansas City.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah, WWF had a tendency to make the JCP imports seem like Muppet Babies versions of themselves. The Steiner Brothers just being bouncy college jocks, brightening up LOD's colors (and eventually giving them a literal puppet), Flair wearing his robe everywhere.

 

[Valeyard]

The only time the robe legit bothered me was Summerslam where was dressed in his robe and gear for literally no reason. I can justify in my head the promos or appearances with the robe to an extent (bet you anything Vince was booking him more like Buddy Rogers than Ric Flair, for instance) but that is so glaring. Now the decent-sized number of promos and packages with him in ugly sweaters or zubaz? That was actively missing the point.

Heenan's gleeful "I love divorce!" is the most heel thing he ever said. This was such a great time to be a fan.

 

[Tino Standard]

“Indiana’s favorite Bobby”!

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1601319271795019776

Should have brought in Oliver North for WM 4.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1601563381168758785

Sheepherders quit JCP after the Nov 19th TV taping. They were part of the US Tag title tournament.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Ken Patera: Still there.
Mine: Still there

 

[BruiserBrody]

Not only is poor Jimmy getting the full jobber entrance, but he's wearing another babyface's shirt.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Not only that but the guy who allegedly helped get your old tag team partner get shitcanned.

(although didn't B. Brian and Jumpin' Jim not really like each other all that much IRL?)

 

[Valeyard]

Brian was better anyway.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

✂️ Danny Davis plans on having a huge year in 1989, promising a new trainer.

43 seconds · Clipped by Ian Riccaboni · Original video "WWF All-American Wrestling - 12/11/88" by Our Vantage Point - Retro Wrestling Podcast

youtube.com

Talk about storylines that went nowhere.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Not only that but the guy who allegedly helped get your old tag team partner get shitcanned.

(although didn't B. Brian and Jumpin' Jim not really like each other all that much IRL?)

Am I forgetting something? Blair was fired at a TV taping for refusing to job for Demolition or who ever.
I don't recall Jim or Brian being hostile. They were mad at Vince for lying about title runs.
Blair pretty much faded out in the early 90s. A tiny bit surprising WCW didn't bring him in for whatever reason. 1991 Dusty had Florida history with him.

 

[snuffbox]

I still can't get over Blair's story of Donald Trump leaving his ringside seat to personally help him to the back after his WM 4 battle royal elimination.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Mr Fuji is going to have Kamala eat white people to atone for slavery!

I love these random nuggets.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Mania 1 is a bit out of an outlier since many feuds were ignored.
Hogan/Piper/T kicked off in Feb. Moolah/Richter/Kai stemmed from the previous summer. Andre/Studd was going since 1983.

'83 Andre/Studd feud was different canon! Studd didn't even have the same manager.

It is weird and kind of too bad that Greg Valentine and Tito Santana didn't get a WrestleMania moment. Oldsters always talk about how WrestleMania I was just like a souped up, normal MSG show but I feel like WrestleMania I is actually significantly SHORTER than your average MSG show circa 1985. Granted, WM1 also had much less filler than a normal MSG show so I'm sure no one except the surliest hardcores felt shortchanged by the show.

 

[snuffbox]

Yeah, Valentine-Santanta should've been at the first Wrestlemania. Give them 15ish minutes and do JYD-Rose in 4-5 minutes

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1604989007506579464

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1605549135083421698

I can see why he didn’t get hired.

 

[Fall of Epic]

Crazy we almost lived in a world where DDP would be a grating WWE announcer and not the top guy in WCW.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Idk if anyone in pro wrestling had more things break the right way for him and be there in right place at the right time than DDP. Not to mention be one of the hardest working people in the business. He had probably a 0.0001% chance of making it as a top guy in pro wrestling.

 

[Valeyard]

Can't watch but if he shouted "GOOD GAWD" repeatedly I'm glad he wasn't hired. I'd have written him off for that shit though.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

He doesn’t but he introduces his partner as “The Grand Poober Sir Alfred Hayes”. It is an aggressively bad audition from the glimpse shown. It’s like 1995 Dok Hendrix except even more annoying. And Dok usually knew his co workers names at least!

 

[alkeiper]

He also moves the mic to Hayes a couple seconds before he stops talking!