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I read the earlier post where the McMemphis angle was brought up, and it brought up two Memphis what-if's in my head...

 

1) I read in a vintage Observer from 1991 that there were talks of doing a cross-promotional thing between the USWA and WCW where Lawler and Luger would headline the Mid-South Coliseum, with both titles on the line. Kind of like Lawler-Von Erich from AWA Super Clash III, except from all accounts Luger had his shit together. If I remember correctly, someone ran their big fucking mouth before the announcement was made and the whole deal fell through. What if Luger and Lawler had indeed had that match? Would it have done good business at the Coliseum? And remembering late 91 USWA under Jarrett and late 91 Jim Herd WCW, what could you see as an undercard?

 

2) What if in 1998 Doug Gilbert had just stuck to the script and not went all shoot-happy on the Saturday morning program? Would there still be a viable promotion in the Memphis area? It seems like a major crime to me that one of the areas that shaped what wrestling is today is reduced to having to wait until WWE or TNA make their way through the area for ANY pro wrestling. And before anyone hollers OVW or Nashville, I'm talking about the actual city and the surrounding area.

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The "build with younger guys" bit is intiguing.  My kneejerk reaction is that it wouldn't work.  But.....  one of my favorite booking jobs ever is 2006-ish Ohio Valley Wrestling, which was booked by Heyman for a year.  Heyman made a lot of guys look like future stars, and only one or two ever really got over after being called up to the main roster (Punk and Beth Phoenix).  You can make a case for a few other guys, like Idol Stevens (who is currently on the main roster under the name "Damien Sandow"), but developmental was petty thin compared to Cornette's run a couple years earlier.  Heyman pushed guys like Brent Albright. Johnny Jeter, and Matt Cappotelli heavily and made them look like big deals, only to see their careers flame out when they were later called up to the main roster.

 

 

Meltzer was talking about this a couple of weeks ago, he said that he was sure TNA would fall in the short term but in the long term the idea had legs to be successful. He made the point that Heyman had an idea for the time 2010 and that if Heyman were given the book today for a major company he would have a completely new idea. That Heyman follows the business and pop culture. It is a shame we will probably never get to see Heyman book again, I don't believe he is a "creative genius" but he is still very good and knows how to present talent, which at times is something WWE is lacking (though I think they have got better in the last 12 months or so).

 

 

My big "what if" is Austin is healthy and The Rock never goes into movies in 2002. Seems like both guys had years left in their runs, especially if we look at Cena's run. I think people forget how relativity short both guys run is on top (The Rock especially). Do the fans turn on either guy for being stale? What happens to the Cena, Bastista, Ortons? Eddie and Benoit would have never had their runs as champions if Austin and The Rock are still around (not saying they wouldn't get a run with the belt but I doubt Benoit would win it in a WM Main Event or Eddie get positioned at the number face on Smackdown).

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The fans kinda were starting to turn on Rock in 02. A lot of it did have to do with him leaving for Hollywood, but some of it was that his character was becoming a little stale in that it seemed like he kept relying on the same catchphrases in his promos and was almost sorta becoming a more traditional white meat babyface.

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Does Rick Rude get the WCW World Title at Starrcade 1992 if his back is healthy? He deserved to win the title after a really strong year, and I would have loved to have seen Rude in main events in 1993. Yes, Vader's 1993 was insanely awesome as champ, but Rude had earned a run on top.

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I read the earlier post where the McMemphis angle was brought up, and it brought up two Memphis what-if's in my head...

 

1) I read in a vintage Observer from 1991 that there were talks of doing a cross-promotional thing between the USWA and WCW where Lawler and Luger would headline the Mid-South Coliseum, with both titles on the line. Kind of like Lawler-Von Erich from AWA Super Clash III, except from all accounts Luger had his shit together. If I remember correctly, someone ran their big fucking mouth before the announcement was made and the whole deal fell through. What if Luger and Lawler had indeed had that match? Would it have done good business at the Coliseum? And remembering late 91 USWA under Jarrett and late 91 Jim Herd WCW, what could you see as an undercard?

 

2) What if in 1998 Doug Gilbert had just stuck to the script and not went all shoot-happy on the Saturday morning program? Would there still be a viable promotion in the Memphis area? It seems like a major crime to me that one of the areas that shaped what wrestling is today is reduced to having to wait until WWE or TNA make their way through the area for ANY pro wrestling. And before anyone hollers OVW or Nashville, I'm talking about the actual city and the surrounding area.

We aren't known for having a multitude of independents or anything, but SAW Wrestling is pretty popular for what it is. Then you have the usual "weak indy card with "names" towards the top" touring the state. Someone just posted a flier the other day of Lawler having a match in Lebanon, TN. Jeff Jarrett appeared for a local indy in Manchester, TN a few days ago.

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Does Rick Rude get the WCW World Title at Starrcade 1992 if his back is healthy? He deserved to win the title after a really strong year, and I would have loved to have seen Rude in main events in 1993. Yes, Vader's 1993 was insanely awesome as champ, but Rude had earned a run on top.

 

Yeah but didn't Rude win that other WCW World title?

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I read the earlier post where the McMemphis angle was brought up, and it brought up two Memphis what-if's in my head...

 

1) I read in a vintage Observer from 1991 that there were talks of doing a cross-promotional thing between the USWA and WCW where Lawler and Luger would headline the Mid-South Coliseum, with both titles on the line. Kind of like Lawler-Von Erich from AWA Super Clash III, except from all accounts Luger had his shit together. If I remember correctly, someone ran their big fucking mouth before the announcement was made and the whole deal fell through. What if Luger and Lawler had indeed had that match? Would it have done good business at the Coliseum? And remembering late 91 USWA under Jarrett and late 91 Jim Herd WCW, what could you see as an undercard?

 

2) What if in 1998 Doug Gilbert had just stuck to the script and not went all shoot-happy on the Saturday morning program? Would there still be a viable promotion in the Memphis area? It seems like a major crime to me that one of the areas that shaped what wrestling is today is reduced to having to wait until WWE or TNA make their way through the area for ANY pro wrestling. And before anyone hollers OVW or Nashville, I'm talking about the actual city and the surrounding area.

We aren't known for having a multitude of independents or anything, but SAW Wrestling is pretty popular for what it is. Then you have the usual "weak indy card with "names" towards the top" touring the state. Someone just posted a flier the other day of Lawler having a match in Lebanon, TN. Jeff Jarrett appeared for a local indy in Manchester, TN a few days ago.

 

 

I've seen some SAW and it's pretty good- solid wrestling and hot crowds. Also, isn't there an NWA fed in Nashville?

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I think Burchill could've had a decent mid-card run if someone had actually bothered to get Vince to watch Pirates Of The Carribean.

 

I agree. He actually was getting pretty good reactions with that gimmick. Maybe not a main event guy but I think that gimmick had some legs and he should've stuck around longer.

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Does Rick Rude get the WCW World Title at Starrcade 1992 if his back is healthy? He deserved to win the title after a really strong year, and I would have loved to have seen Rude in main events in 1993. Yes, Vader's 1993 was insanely awesome as champ, but Rude had earned a run on top.

 

Yeah but didn't Rude win that other WCW World title?

 

 

He won the WCW International Title or something like that. Was really watered down and convoluted at that point. Didn't stabilize until Sting and Flair unified the belts.

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Does Rick Rude get the WCW World Title at Starrcade 1992 if his back is healthy? He deserved to win the title after a really strong year, and I would have loved to have seen Rude in main events in 1993. Yes, Vader's 1993 was insanely awesome as champ, but Rude had earned a run on top.

 

Yeah but didn't Rude win that other WCW World title?

 

 

Yes, and there's another interesting question.  If Rude was WCW champion in '92-93, would they then have him beat Flair for the NWA title?  Because that was what caused WCW to split from the NWA.  (Or it was the last straw, anyway.)

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Yeah Rude was filmed with the NWA title on the Florida tapings before Havoc, and beforethe NWA approved the title switch, causing the title to eventually get the absurd WCW International World Title name when the NWA walked away.

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Yeah Rude was filmed with the NWA title on the Florida tapings before Havoc, and beforethe NWA approved the title switch, causing the title to eventually get the absurd WCW International World Title name when the NWA walked away.

 

WCW had some good in-ring action in 1993, but goddamn did they ever do a lot of stupid shit!

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They also telegraphed Arn and Roma winning the tag belts from Austin and Pillman, then Pillman injured his ankle (in a fucking squash match!) and Regal had to fill in for him.

 

See THAT'S what I thought was the thing that made the NWA say "FUCK WCW!", not the Rude title switch.

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What if the US don't boycott the 1980 games, Kerry Von Erich goes on to win gold in discus.

 

The Von Erichs probably don't all kill themselves. No-one cares about Nikolai Volkoff or the Koloffs....

 

I've heard more than once that was all a work by Fritz. KVE was not going to compete in the 1980 Olympics either way.

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