June 2024 Wrestling Talk

[Technico Support]

1 hour ago, Zimbra said:

A clay muni tennis court is bonkers, I've never seen a public court that wasn't busted-ass concrete.

Right?  Consider yourself ahead of the game if they have nets.

47 minutes ago, SirSmUgly said:

Vince Russo had hippie Van Hammer and hippie Mike Awesome on the WCW roster at the same time and totally blew it. 

 

The best story is that they had to change Van Hammer's name from "Private Stash" to "Major Stash" because he didn't like being of lower rank.  Dude is in a comedy act with a guy named Hugh G. Rection, on a fake fighting TV show, and RANK is where he decided to draw the line.

Edited June 5, 2024 by Technico Support

[SirSmUgly]

16 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

The best story is that they had to change Van Hammer's name from "Private Stash" to "Major Stash" because he didn't like being of lower rank.  Dude is in a comedy act with a guy named Hugh G. Rection, on a fake fighting TV show, and RANK is where he decided to draw the line.

On the one hand, he's a dope who blew up a marijuana joke because he didn't want to have the lowest rank in the military as part of his character name.

On the other hand, it's a stupid Attitude-era joke anyway, so nothing of value was lost. 

Captain Hugh G. Rection, Major Gunns, Private Stash, and having Booker T. revert to the G.I. Bro gimmick because he lost his T. to Ahmed Johnson. Truly, Vince Russo was a creative genius.

Also, Zakk Sabbath is right. B.A.'s usual theme sorta fucks. 

 

[Curt McGirt]

God, hearing that Armstrong music again makes me hear Scott Hudson and Mike Tenay talking over it within like two notes. 

[Log]

1 hour ago, SirSmUgly said:

I sort of get it; Russo probably gives himself at least some creative credit for getting one Armstrong brother over and figured he could get another one over. 

The problem is that only Road Dogg had charisma. A sort of weird charisma because everything about that character is off-putting and sleazy, but charisma nonetheless. 

Lucky for him, the late-90's were an amazing time for off-putting and sleazy.

Edited June 5, 2024 by Log

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

Brad Armstrong's theme is a double-edged sword. Yes, it's awesome, and yes, it usually means you're getting a Brad Armstrong match (which is typically great). On the downside, though, it MAY mean you're getting a Scott & Steve Armstrong match, since they used that theme too, and wow did they stink in late-era WCW.

[SovietShooter]

2 hours ago, bobholly138 said:

Wild Thing-Started off cause he looked a bit like Sheen in  Major League. And now he just comes out to Wild Thing in baseball pants and a custom baseball jersey. Mostly works LA for Pro Wrestling 225.

There used to be a guy working the Cleveland indys that did a baseball gimmick by the name of Isiah "Mr RBI" Bonds.  He worked in a full-blown pinstripe baseball jersey, but didn't do anything else baseball-y.

 

2 hours ago, Zimbra said:

Somebody has to have done a "soccer player who massively oversells every contact" character already.  Feels like a real Chikara undercard kinda thing.

Not soccer, but there were two dudes out there doing Rugby gimmicks. "Rugby Thug" Trent Baker worked IWAMS, and was doing like a rugby hooligan gimmick. A guy up in the Pittsburgh area named Stryder just was a rugby player, and carried a ball to the ring.

Was it Cru Jones that did the high school football star gimmick down in Wildside?

[SovietShooter]

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Edited June 5, 2024 by SovietShooter
Duplicate

[bobholly138]

2 hours ago, J.H. said:

Maybe a hipster gimmick with a guy playing frolf/disc golf?

James

Go a dude that that is almost his gimmick

Mack Daddy Dudds works the gulf coast and is a know disc golf fanatic.

 

[Cobra Commander]

would someone be able to carry a Pickleball paddle as a weapon without people thinking he's trying to rip off Cornette?

although if the heel paddles opponents, they're technically ripping off a 1993 USWA gimmick

[SirSmUgly]

Cornette himself says that you can rerun a gimmick or storyline after, what, seven years, and it'll feel fresh again? 

Corny hasn't been a regular on national television in over three times that long. I think a douchebag pickleball player hitting people with a paddle behind the ref's back would come off as a fresh gimmick. 

[Curt McGirt]

The Ultimate Frisbee-er sounds like a CHIKARA gimmick. 

[Elsalvajeloco]

42 minutes ago, Stefanie Sparkleface said:

Brad Armstrong's theme is a double-edged sword. Yes, it's awesome, and yes, it usually means you're getting a Brad Armstrong match (which is typically great). On the downside, though, it MAY mean you're getting a Scott & Steve Armstrong match, since they used that theme too, and wow did they stink in late-era WCW.

Granted this might not be the case for however long they were there, but they had a few random appearances in the spring of 99 (and that's where I am in my 1999 rewatch) and they were actually pretty good. Granted, they were working with Rey in the appearances I seen so they had that working in their favor. However, the Armstrongs weren't bad. But yeah, I associate that theme song with them on WCW Saturday Night in the late 90s.

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

4 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Granted this might not be the case for however long they were there, but they had a few random appearances in the spring of 99 (and that's where I am in my 1999 rewatch) and they were actually pretty good. Granted, they were working with Rey in the appearances I seen so they had that working in their favor. However, the Armstrongs weren't bad. But yeah, I associate that theme song with them on WCW Saturday Night in the late 90s.

Yeah I think that may be more of a case of Rey pulling them up than anything else. They are in some matches where it's pretty clear Steve's coasting and Scott's trying to do heel schtick lifted straight from the Bullet, and if you're going to pretend to be the Bullet, I'd rather just watch the Bullet.

[AxB]

1 hour ago, SirSmUgly said:

Captain Hugh G. Rection, Major Gunns, Private Stash, and having Booker T. revert to the G.I. Bro gimmick because he lost his T. to Ahmed Johnson. Truly, Vince Russo was a creative genius.

 

You forgot Lieutenant Loco and Corporal Cajun.

There's a guy doing a Soccer player gimmick on the NE (USA) indies right now. His name's Antonio Cristiano Zambrano.

At one point, I tweeted *that* Vinnie Jones and Paul Gascgoine photo at him as a move suggestion, and I think he bookmarked it. Someone did, anyway.

This one:

Spoiler

 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

13 minutes ago, AxB said:

Antonio Cristiano Zambrano

This is a tremendous gimmick name -  and here I figured @bobholly138won the day with Mack Daddy Dudds lol

[Zimbra]

Hope he does the Maradona Shining Wizard for a finisher.

[Cobra Commander]

2 hours ago, SirSmUgly said:

Cornette himself says that you can rerun a gimmick or storyline after, what, seven years, and it'll feel fresh again? 

Corny hasn't been a regular on national television in over three times that long. I think a douchebag pickleball player hitting people with a paddle behind the ref's back would come off as a fresh gimmick. 

now that Vince is gone, there's a slightly lower chance that a pickleball gimmick devolves into the heel talking about how mighty his pickle is

wonder if the porn star gimmick would be better or worse these days than in 1998..

probably can't do an OnlyFans gimmick since the options are either being a face and a slut, or being a heel who gets heat off of doing the bare minimum on OF

[AxB]

Mandy Rose tried to do an OnlyFans gimmick and they fired her for it.

I mean, most likely they would want to cut a deal with OnlyFans like they did with Cameo, where the company controlled the talent and the money. But that's not a good look in the PG era... they stayed in the Playboy business for a really long while, longer than I realised.

[SovietShooter]

1 hour ago, Zimbra said:

Hope he does the Maradona Shining Wizard for a finisher.

"Hand of God"

[Elsalvajeloco]

2 hours ago, Stefanie Sparkleface said:

Yeah I think that may be more of a case of Rey pulling them up than anything else. They are in some matches where it's pretty clear Steve's coasting and Scott's trying to do heel schtick lifted straight from the Bullet, and if you're going to pretend to be the Bullet, I'd rather just watch the Bullet.

For me, they are the definition of Veteran Presence. Solid, inoffensive hands who aren't going to hurt anyone and could have a decent short TV matches with just about anyone. With them being past their primes, you cannot really ask them to do any more than that.

Also, I believe they had satin jackets IIRC so yeah there is that.

[twiztor]

throwback to that one random time in summer '97 that the Armstrong Bros (Scott & Steve) worked as the James Brothers.

https://youtu.be/yIgx6tAFLYY

[Stefanie Sparkleface]

4 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

For me, they are the definition of Veteran Presence. Solid, inoffensive hands who aren't going to hurt anyone and could have a decent short TV matches with just about anyone. With them being past their primes, you cannot really ask them to do any more than that.

Also, I believe they had satin jackets IIRC so yeah there is that.

I just pulled up a random match for funsies and they're facing Nick Dinsmore(!) and Mike Sullivan from January 9, 1999's Saturday Night, which is notable in my mind for a few things:

- No satin jackets to my vast disappointment, and Scott's wearing a super-generic singlet, but Steve's wearing his eight-year-old Young Pistols gear, which made up for it
- They gave Dinsmore and Sullivan Chris Jericho's babyface music, which I always thought fit Jericho better than the "Evenflow" ripoff
- Scott cuts a promo beforehand and his cadence as a heel sounds exactly like a heel Tracey Smothers, and he should have jacked the "Southern-born Southern-bred thoroughbred" line

The match was better than I remembered. Maybe it was just my resentment at hearing the music and not getting Brad. Quit playing games with my heart, 25 year old WCW C show.

[odessasteps]

24 minutes ago, twiztor said:

throwback to that one random time in summer '97 that the Armstrong Bros (Scott & Steve) worked as the James Brothers.

https://youtu.be/yIgx6tAFLYY

There’s also the brief time when Brian is there too.  

 

[Elsalvajeloco]

Brian was there longer you would have expected.

Rewatching WCW in 1994, he did a whole bunch of jobs to the point where Heenan's running joke is that he had Whoopi Goldberg's hair. He is still doing jobs on their syndicated TV and Saturday Night almost a full month after showing up as the Roadie on WWF TV.

[HumanChessgame]

5 hours ago, SovietShooter said:

Not soccer, but there were two dudes out there doing Rugby gimmicks. "Rugby Thug" Trent Baker worked IWAMS, and was doing like a rugby hooligan gimmick.

There was also a guy in IWA-MS around the same time doing a golfer gimmick who called himself "Chip Fairway"