WWF New Generation Thread III

[Valeyard]

I'm the one guy who thinks the Bret/Backlund Survivor Series match is a goddamn masterpiece though.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, I should revisit. All the negative opinions scared me off.

 

[BUTT]

Backlund winning the title was a great moment and told a great story. He came back two years earlier vowing to regain the belt, and he did it, but he lost his mind in the process. But there was nothing for him as champion because he couldn't have a good match with anyone except Bret and even they only pulled it off twice. So he made a perfect transitional champion. An 8-second match with Diesel wasn't ideal for anyone but if it had gone longer it probably would have sucked hard.

 

[Valeyard]

That's the problem, though. A transitional reign that lasts longer makes more sense for the story and the people involved but he couldn't deal with it in-ring, and a short run like he had makes it seems way less important or special. Probably the best example, from a booking perspective, for monthly ppvs is Backlund's run. Like if he just is crazy and getting heat while not (or barely) working until Diesel murders him Honky Tonk Man style on ppv in December, it really helps everyone.

I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, I should revisit. All the negative opinions scared me off.

It's not a super exciting match, honestly, but the work they put in is great. Storytelling is fantastic and it shows Backlund is able to hang with Bret even without the finish. Like the ending is inevitable because Backlund is nuts and Bret's babyface ego is a defining trait, but the finish just makes it better. Honestly the more I think about it the more it plays in super well to the Harts/Quebecers finish at the Rumble, with Bret just needing to be Bret and showing how good he was at his own detriment with Owen being a deciding factor. But I 100% get people who find it super dry.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

I think the whole storyline with Bret and culmination at Survivor Series was very well done but yeah, Bob Backlund as champion sticks out like a sore thumb in 1994. They were right to quickly tranisiton to Diesel.

 

[Hawk 34]

My rebooking is always that Backlund continues to be so mentally insane after losing to Diesel that instead of being quickly shuffled into a comedy low carder, he’s deemed too crazy to wrestle and becomes Owen’s manager instead of Cornette.

Owen manipulating a batshit crazy Backlund for his own good for a few months is just too easy and good to not do.

 

[JHawk]

That Survivor Series match is a masterpiece in psychology and storytelling. That said, the rematch at WrestleMania XI should have even better but the combination of time constraints and Roddy Piper being referee for some goddamn reason kept it from even having a chance

 

[Valeyard]

The rematch should never have happened, at least on ppv. Bret/Owen in an I Quit match made so much more sense. Let Piper/Backlund stink up the place instead in an entertaining battle of crazy old guys.

 

[snuffbox]

Agreed. Bret/Owen gives that ppv 3 very good-to-classic matches, Piper-Backlund would be fine with lowered expectations, and WM 11 would have a much better reputation historically.

 

[Valeyard]

I'd also argue if you do the Owen and Yokozuna/Gunns match on Raw, it works way better. Title changes still were rare enough on TV to have it feel like something special would happen and the match/moment didn't hit hard enough for Wrestlemania anyway (even though I like it a lot).

And while I know matches would have been pretty bad, it's weird we didn't get Taker/Backlund. For character work, it would've been a blast, but in every other aspect it would've been dire.

 

[snuffbox]

Not that that mattered with Taker booking from 1991 until Mankind in June '96.

 

[Valeyard]

No, but Backlund selling the situp is worth my time.

 

[snuffbox]

Yes, definitely. The workrate wouldn't be any worse than the other 5 years but the story and character work would be better than most of what we really got back then.

 

[Valeyard]

I wonder how the Papa Shango angle with Backlund would've worked. As a kid who thought Shango was awesome I might have been into it.

 

[BUTT]

Bob would have spit up carrot juice instead of pea soup.

 

[Valeyard]

Backlund chicken winging dudes until black goo came out of their heads is money.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1819160167508070682

 

[Valeyard]

That's the only nice thing I've heard about Tunney and he didn't even go through with it.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

I enjoyed Tunney's role as a figurehead who didn't dominate programming weekly. My favorite moment of his was stripping Michaels of the IC title in '93.

What was his last on-screen appearance? Don't think I remember seeing him after the Bret/Luger coin toss.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1816982877613015489

Ah man

 

[BruiserBrody]

I enjoyed Tunney's role as a figurehead who didn't dominate programming weekly. My favorite moment of his was stripping Michaels of the IC title in '93.

What was his last on-screen appearance? Don't think I remember seeing him after the Bret/Luger coin toss.

When you search his name on thehistoryofwwe in 1995, the only result is from July where the announcers mention during a Bob Holly squash that Tunney has retired.
For 1994, the last mention is an Aug 94 presser for a Montreal show
– 8/9/94: A press conference was held in Montreal announcing the 10/21 show at the Montreal Forum, headlined by Jacques Rougeau vs. Quebecer Pierre in Rougeau’s retirement match. Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, Jack Tunney, Billy Red Lyons, Killer Kowalski, Jacques Rougeau Sr., and Yvon Robert Jr. were among those on hand at the press conference. In the local version of WWF Superstars, a one-minute clip of Rougeau’s career aired, including the loser leaves town match pitting him & Raymond Rougeau vs. Jimmy & Ron Garvin, participating in WrestleMania III, and the angle in Montreal in which Pierre turned on Jacques.

He didn't come down at Rumble 95 during the World title schmozz finish or anything? Huh.

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1821758756780122438

The rightful WM 12 Main Event

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1823617408663478585

 

[alkeiper]

I watched some freestyle wrestling in the Olympics and it's pretty clear nothing has looked legitimate in wrestling since before Jim Londos and Gus Sonnenberg,

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1816982877613015489

Ah man

The man's gimmick has been dementia for the last thirty years!

 

[BruiserBrody]

Ahmed vs Valentine is a styles clash I want to see

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1826310801180835873

I don't remember this bit. I do recall somebody saying Tatanka is the real sell out.
I taped over this due to lack of empty tapes in 94 and man I regretted it.
Sunday Night Slam had Uncle Fred vs Nash as a main event.

 

[BruiserBrody]

 

[BruiserBrody]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1828263474696216713

Sid's last squash before WM 8 was against RVD!

 

[Hawk 34]

He also paid RVD a $20 tip after the show and RVD said it was the only time anyone ever tipped him for working.

 

[BruiserBrody]

He also paid RVD a $20 tip after the show and RVD said it was the only time anyone ever tipped him for working.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1828370218290176274