[WWE NETWORK] What Are You Watching?

[RonL21]

Whoever it was that mentioned that Ric Flair was an asshole to Foley on the Legend Roundtables wasn't lying. He's just destroying every comment that Mick says on the Live Roundtable on the Network. Good Lord what an asshole.

[Zero]

Whoever it was that mentioned that Ric Flair was an asshole to Foley on the Legend Roundtables wasn't lying. He's just destroying every comment that Mick says on the Live Roundtable on the Network. Good Lord what an asshole.

Tonight was a good night for Flair, on the round-tables, he's much much much worse. 

[offspring515]

Ric breaking down live on air was uncomfortable. I think live tv is a bad idea with him.

He is AWFUL to Foley on these. Foley defers to him, either out of respect or because he has more of a passive personality, and Ric just never misses a chance to take a shot at him.

It was a little weird having them in full kayfabe mode talking about the card for this year but dropping that when talking about their own Mania memories.

[Omega]

I just watched the I Quit match between Magnum T.A. & Tully Blanchard at Starrcade '85......my god that match was awesome

[sydneybrown]

Ric breaking down live on air was uncomfortable. I think live tv is a bad idea with him.

He is AWFUL to Foley on these. Foley defers to him, either out of respect or because he has more of a passive personality, and Ric just never misses a chance to take a shot at him.

It was a little weird having them in full kayfabe mode talking about the card for this year but dropping that when talking about their own Mania memories.

 

Just watched it.  Jesus Christ, Flair is STILL dropping the "Snuka jumped off the cage on me a HUNDRED TIMES!" line from an earlier Legends roundtable, though tonight he upped it to "Snuka jumped off the cage on me for TEN YEARS!"

 

Flair just comes off as so insecure.  And I think Foley just doesn't care enough anymore to be offended. 

 

The highlight was JBL burying the Lawler-Cole WM match and saying that Cole was a worse wrestler than Andy Kaufman.

[supremebve]

This Flair breakdown is hard to watch.  He is a guy who really lived for wrestling, and now that he is done wrestling he seems like a guy who doesn't know what to do with himself.  He is like McNulty from The Wire, who was great at his job, but terrible at everything else.  He really seems lost without wrestling, it's like he never planned on being an adult.

[Libs]

Flair's done a few of the pre-show panels for PPVs and Raws and he's been mostly fine on them before this mess. Kind of coming off like a poor man's Lee Corso on them.

 

I think the key, if they're going to use him, is to have someone he's close to with him that he respects (limited of a field as that may be to pick from) and/or not put him in a spot over his own career/life (like with the WM 24 -> Reid stuff, which understandably set him off)  -- keep it mostly current, keep it far away from personal.

[PandaMask]

Just watched Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko from ECW TV #106. Really incredible match.

[Bustronaut]

The crowd was just terrible for the first 1/2-2/3 of that match.

[Craig H]

So I finally watched Eddy vs JBL from Judgment Day. Wow. I mean. Wow. Soooooo much hate in that match and then it turns into one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Jesus Christ.

[hammerva]

I am actually in new orleans but from the sounds of it none of these WM shows can ne replayed. That sucks

[lovchunky]

I don't get the entire "Flair crying is uncomfortable" argument. Isn't Ric notoriously emotional? I would be far more uncomfortable listening to somebody talk about their last match with their dead son in the first row if that person didn't get emotional.

[Tromatagon]

If it didn't look like the dude from Poltergeist 2 was sitting on the panel it would have been more comfortable

[Lawful Metal]

So I just did a marathon of Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero with my 7 year old.  Started with Halloween Havoc 97, then Wrestlemania 21, then the "Eddie knows a secret about Domanick" GAB 05 match and ending with the Ladder match for custody at SummerSlam 05.  We made sure to watch the feud recaps before all the matches.  

 

He was racking his brain trying to figure out the secret; his best theory was that Rey was really a kid, and was really just Domanick's older brother who takes care of him, like Lilo's sister in Lilo and Stitch.  When he found out the real secret, and that Eddie was going to steal Rey's kid, he got really upset.  Any time Eddie got near Domanick he would lose it, and when Rey finally won he cheered!  

 

Thanks WWE Network!

 

And, is that feud one of the best written feuds ever?  Is it safe to say that the writing team had nothing to do with it and it was just Rey and Eddie doing everything?  Because it's that damn great.  

 

I miss Eddie.

 

Oh, and watching old Rey Mysterio matches in WCW is like watching a totally different wrestler.  The aerial stuff he pulled off on the regular back then was just breathtaking.  Or, as my son called him.  God Mode Rey Mysterio.  

[supremebve]

Wrestlemania III

 

Aretha out to sing America the Beautiful, you don't get much better than Aretha.  Is there a reason they go with America the Beautiful instead of the National Anthem?  I think it is something that always set Wrestlemania apart from other sporting events, and between Aretha, Ray Charles, and Little Richard they have had some really good versions over the years.

 

The Can-Am Connection v. Don Muraco & Bob Orton in a "I Get to Watch Bob Orton Act Like an Asshole" match

 

Is there a reason Martel never got a singles push as a face in WWF?  I know that his work before he got to WWF is very highly regarded, but he was only used as a tag team specialist and an arrogant heel once he got to New York.  Muraco is massive, but it doesn't stop him from doing a Flair Flip in the corner which is impressive for a guy that size.  Can-Am Connection wins with a crossbody in a decent match.

 

Hercules v. Billy Jack Haynes in a "These Dudes are Fighting Over a Full Nelson" match

 

Hercules and Bobby Heenan are in the back with Mean Gene Okerlund, and Hercules says that he pulled down the pillars of Rome thousands of years ago…are we supposed to believe that he is THE Hercules?  These guys are probably bigger than 75% of the current roster.   I'm not saying that they are enhanced, but I bet if you asked Hercules Hernandez whether he was juicing he would forget how to speak English.  This ends in a double count out, followed by Hercules beating Haynes bloody with the chain.  The best part of this was Hayne's blade job after the bell. 

 

Hillbilly Jim, The Haiti Kid and Little Beaver v. King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook in a "When Do We Get to the Good Stuff?" match

Umm…I can't lie, I spent most of this match playing with my phone.

 

Mary Hart is trying to interview Elizabeth, but Macho interrupts.  Mary Hart is wearing what may be the worst outfit in the history of the human race.  It is basically a pink zebra striped cape with a sparkly turtleneck underneath. 

 

"King" Harley Race v. Junkyard Dog in a "I'd Make a Joke, but I'm Scared Harley Will Kick My Ass" match

 

This undercard can be described a lot of ways, good is not one of them.  JYD dominates before getting hit with a Belly to Belly suplex and losing.  At least it was short.

 

The Rougeau Brothers v. The Dream Team (w/ Dino Bravo) in a "Why Did I Start This Try to Name Every Match Gimmick?"

 

This was about 3 minutes and didn't amount to much of anything.  This is the fifth ranked PPV of all time according to WWE, and I understand why, but sheesh some of this shit is just unnecessary. 

 

Adrian Adonis v. Rowdy Roddy Piper in a "I'm Trying Not to Look at Adrian Adonis' Gunt" match

 

This isn't bad all things  considering, but Adonis' tights highlight parts of his anatomy that no one in the world could possibly want to see.  For some reason, Brutus Beefcake helps Piper win despite being a heel in the last match.  I may or may not have missed something, but I'm not going to rewind to figure it out.

 

The British Bulldogs & Tito Santana v. The Hart Foundation & Danny Davis in a "As Much as I Hate Danny Davis, You Have to LOVE That Suit" match

 

Mary Hart and Bob Ueker are on commentary, and in a different life Mary Hart may have been a pretty decent wrestling announcer.  She has a good grasp of when to talk, when to shut up, and how to stay out of the way of Gorilla on the play by play.  Then again she just asked what a clothesline was so maybe I spoke too soon.  The network just froze on me, I really hope this doesn't happen on Sunday night.  This was a pretty fun tag match, that would have been better if we didn't have to pretend Danny Davis couldn't wrestle.  Everyone did their jobs, and this is by far the best match at this point in the show.

 

Koko B. Ware v. Butch Reed in a "OK, I Won't Complain Because I Know What's Next" match

 

Koko is out with Frankie and Morris Day and The Time's "The Bird."  Slick is wearing a gold, checked suit with tails, and the people in Detroit don't understand why everyone else finds it ridiculous.  I went to a mall in Detroit with my cousin a few years ago and there were at least 4 stores that you could buy a worse looking suit than the one Slick is wearing.  This was a pretty nice mall too, and they still had a pimp suit in every store.  This was about three and a half minutes of decent wrestling, but I'm done with this nonsense greatness awaits.

 

Randy Savage v. Ricky Steamboat in a "If You Don't Like This, You Don't Like Wrestling" match

 

I'm 32-years-old and have been watching wrestling as long as I can remember, and this is about as good as wrestling gets.  As a child Randy "Macho Man" Savage was my favorite wrestler, and Ricky Steamboat wasn't far behind.  I found this VHS on sale when I was 13 or 14, and I've probably watched this match a legit 100 times.  It is probably still top 5 all-time for me.  Steamboat's arm drags are lightning quick, he is the only person I can remember who actually made his arm drags look like they exist in the realm of reality.  This match is basically two of the best workers in the 80s putting on the best match they could.  A lot of matches of the 80s don't hold up, but these guys put on a match that has stood the test of time and I have to add this to the make or break friendship list.  If you don't like this match, sorry but we can't hang out.

 

The Honky Tonk Man v. Jake Roberts in a "I Hated The Honky Tonk Man as a Kid, and I Don't Feel Much Better About Him Now" match

 

Jake was a childhood favorite, I wasn't hard to please as a kid and putting a snake on people was an easy way to get my fandom.  It doesn't hurt that he is wrestling one of my least favorite wrestlers ever.  Honky Tonk Man was probably the first person who had go away heat with me.  I didn't hate him because of his act, I hated him because he was taking up time I could have been watching someone else.  The biggest problem with this match is the biggest problem with the show; there is just too much bullshit shoved into a too short match.  They're just too many matches with too many bullshit finishes.

 

The Killer Bees v. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff in a "I'd Rather Read Sheik's Twitter Feed" match

 

Sheik has the biggest muscle gut I've ever seen, he basically has a six pack on top of a beer belly.  That is the only thing worth comment.

 

Hulk Hogan v. Andre the Giant in a "Birth of Hulkamania" match

 

How many times in Hogan's run was he the heel in hindsight?  I'd say that his promo about Andre being the real champion made him less sympathetic than he thought it would.  If he is the real champion, why are you so opposed to fighting him?  Hogan was 100% in the wrong in Wrestlemania V, he left Macho Man to get his ass kicked, and then tried to steal his woman.  I don't know if people were dumber in the 80s or what, but Hogan was a fucking asshole more often than not.  They keep trying to say that Andre never wanted a title match, but I think that is because Hogan was too selfish to ask.  With that said, it is really hard not to cheer for the guy who comes out to "Real American."  People complain about Flair being formulaic, but Hogan basically had the same match every single time.  He would start fast, his opponent would take over for an extended heat segment, then he would Hulk Up for the finish.  The crazy thing is that it works.  If you are looking for someone to put on an all-time workrate classic, Hogan is not the guy you are looking for…but if you want someone to get the crowd hot, and to live and die with every single move, Hogan is about as good as it gets.  He is the best I've ever seen at making the crowd feel like they are involved in the match in a legitimate way.  Hulkamania worked because he made the audience feel like his success was their success.  Have you ever watched an old Hogan match with a dead crowd?  He had the same match over and over again for the better part of a decade, everyone knew how it was going to end, and they still bought into it every single time.  Say what you want about the man, but don't say he wasn't good at his job.  This was probably no better than 100 other Hogan matches at the time, but I'd be willing to bet if you asked all 90,000+ people in the Silverdome that night they'd all say they got their money's worth. 

 

The WWE naming this the 5th best PPV of all time is basically the same as buying your dad a "World's Best Dad" coffee mug.  It is their list and their opinion, and I'm not going to sit here and try to argue with them about it.  I will argue with the good folks at DVDVR(Mick Foley style cheap pop inserted here) about it.  There are 12 matches on this show, you could live a complete life as a wrestling fan without seeing 10 of them, but Hogan vs. Andre was as big of a moment as their has ever been in wrestling, and Savage vs. Steamboat was as good as a match as their has ever been in wrestling.  Was it a good show top to bottom?  Hell no, but it may very well be the most important show in the history of the business.  I don't know how big wrestling gets without this show.  I don't think Hulkamania is what it was, I don't think Savage becomes the star he became, and I don't think WWE would be anything close to what it is now without this show.  Wrestlemania I gets credit for keeping WWF in business, but Wrestlemania III is what made them successful.  Them calling this the fifth best PPV ever is ludicrous in many ways, but if I was them I may have called it #1. 

 

Match of the night

 

Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship.  This is easily a top five match in the history of Wrestlemania, and I would argue it is probably top ten in the history of U.S. wrestling.  It is everything you could have possibly wanted in a wrestling match in 1987, and is most of what you could want in 2014.  There are no moonsaults, hurricaranas, or topes.  There are no brainbusters, German suplexes or powerbombs.  There is just really good old school wrestling that tells a compelling story, and that is good enough for me.

 

Top five matches so far

1. Savage v. Steamboat

2.  Austin v. HHH

3.  Austin/Goldust/Shamrock/LOD v. The Hart Foundation

4.  Cena v. Lesnar

5a.  Brock Lesnar v. CM Punk

5b.  John Cena v. Daniel Bryan

[jaedmc]

Awwwwwwwwww shit, I got da network just now. First wrestler I did a search for, for whatever reason, was SABUUUUU!!!. Then I watched him and Rey Mysterio fuck each other up in 2006. That triple jump ddt through the table was scary as hell.

 

My life has changed.

[BillThompson]

Wrestlemania III

 

Steamboat's arm drags are lightning quick, he is the only person I can remember who actually made his arm drags look like they exist in the realm of reality.

 

Nothing beats the believability of El Hijo del Santo's arm drags for me.

[Thomas Bugg]

Awwwwwwwwww shit, I got da network just now. First wrestler I did a search for, for whatever reason, was SABUUUUU!!!. Then I watched him and Rey Mysterio fuck each other up in 2006. That triple jump ddt through the table was scary as hell.

 

My life has changed.

 

I like the chairshot that Rey-Rey took from Sabu

[Thomas Bugg]

Watching Summerslam 2002, and it's inspired me to create a thread in the Wrestling forum. Just an AWESOME!!!!~ PPV.

[Petey]

As someone who was in the building for SummerSlam 02, I'm with you. Event was tremendous and ridiculously fun live.

[Rehabilitated Rick]

According to Randy, Warrior didn't even rehearse his speech, could be a very interesting watch. P.S should there be a HOF thread? Or am I blind

[Thomas Bugg]

According to Randy, Warrior didn't even rehearse his speech, could be a very interesting watch. P.S should there be a HOF thread? Or am I blind

 

There IS a Hall Of Fame thread

[Thomas Bugg]

As someone who was in the building for SummerSlam 02, I'm with you. Event was tremendous and ridiculously fun live.

 

You New York area fans are the best!

 

And I just got through watching the Flair-Jericho match. I know WWE is trying to save money, but did they really just overdub Also Sprach Zarathustra?!?

[cubbymark]

Honestly, if there were only 1 song that WWE should get the rights to, it should be Miserlou for the "Pulp Fiction Promos." 

[SirSmUgly]

I'll be a mite contrary. I love Savage and Steamboat, and I think the WM III match is very good (especially because I am sucked in by 2.9s), but shouldn't there have been less pinfall attempts and more hate-filled brawling? Also, George Steele getting involved/being there sucks. Still an awesome match, but as a match that tells a story, it's not even Savage's best at WM, in my opinion.