The Old School Questions thread

[ben.]

Anybody ever go to a closed circuit viewing of one of the old super shows? I'm interested in hearing your experience of the event, I've been watching a lot of events where they talk about the closed circuit crowds but I'm not old enough to have experienced this era.

[MADCAP]

I went to see the first Mania via closed-circuit at the Hersheypark Arena with my mom. I remembering not know what to expect. We got there a little late because...well when would my mom ever be on time for anything, and when we walked into the arena, the first thing I saw was Tito Santana delivering his flying forearm to the Executioner. The arena was packed more than usual and the crowd was hot the whole time, especially during the main event. Even my mom, who hated wrestling, but loved her baby boy, popped when Ali started getting hyped and took a swing at Orton and Orndorff. Now that I think about it, Mania I might've been the first pure enjoyment of a "live" card for me ever.

[sydneybrown]

I saw WrestleMania IV closed circuit at our state's fairgrounds.  It was in a giant building meant for conventions and boat shows with two giant screens set up on one side. Each area had about 10-12 rows set up, and most of the seats were filled. I would guesstimate there were at least 500 people there, probably closer to 700.  And it was loud as fuck.  I saw two seats in the second row and got excited that they were open.  Once the show started I realized the seats were open because they were right next to the speaker. I'm dead serious when I say I didn't get my hearing back for at least a day.

 

It was literally like attending a wrestling show.  There was concessions, T-shirt sales, and the crowd reacted to everything like they were there.

 

Too bad the show sucked.  You'd think even now for nostalgia's sake I'd have a soft spot for it, but man, it really was an awful show.  It was the first major show I ever saw and I tried so hard to like it, but once Steamboat, Bigelow, and Hogan were all one-and-done, I just didn't care.

[Johnny Sorrow]

I went to see the first Mania via closed-circuit at the Hersheypark Arena with my mom. I remembering not know what to expect. We got there a little late because...well when would my mom ever be on time for anything, and when we walked into the arena, the first thing I saw was Tito Santana delivering his flying forearm to the Executioner. The arena was packed more than usual and the crowd was hot the whole time, especially during the main event. Even my mom, who hated wrestling, but loved her baby boy, popped when Ali started getting hyped and took a swing at Orton and Orndorff. Now that I think about it, Mania I might've been the first pure enjoyment of a "live" card for me ever.

I was 14 and my Mom took me and two pals to the Philly Spectrum to see Mania 1 on the Closed Circuit Huge screens. The place was packed and going nuts. My mom brought her needlepoint and Cosmo as she had no interest. But when Bruno came out she started watching, as she remembered him as a childhood hero. When he ran in and started kicking ass she dropped her needlepoint and was jumping up and down screaming for Bruno. It was a great moment.

Me and a pal saw Mania 2 on Closed Circuit in a firehouse the next year. Lots of fun but not as amazing as the first one, obviously.

[Technico Support]

 

I only recall one TV match with Spivey immediately after Rotunda went to the Florida territory -- an SNME match where he and Tito Santana took on the Hart Foundation for the WWF Tag Team titles.  Jesse Ventura referred to Spivey/Santana as a "new team looking to make a name for themselves", but that's the last they teamed on TV.  IIRC, Spivey was wearing his "U.S. Express" tights for said match.

 

A few months later, Spivey appeared on Prime Time Wrestling as a heel, with the explanation from the announcers that he had a "new attitude" and was now "taking shortcuts".

 

Looking at his '87 results, in March Spivey and Jerry Allen are a regular JTTS team.  Then he disappears until September, when he's back (seemingly as a face) beating the likes of Danny Davis and Steve Lombardi.  Then all of a sudden come October he's beating the babyface jobbers like SD Jones and Lanny Poffo.

 

 

I honestly don't remember a Dan Spivey heel turn at all.  Is it possible his heel work never made the syndicated shows?  I didn't have cable as a youngster. 

[Technico Support]

Anybody ever go to a closed circuit viewing of one of the old super shows? I'm interested in hearing your experience of the event, I've been watching a lot of events where they talk about the closed circuit crowds but I'm not old enough to have experienced this era.

 

At 13, I saw Mania 4 at the Towson Center at Towson State University.  It was set up theater style with a big screen up front and seats on the floor and they dimmed the lights for the show.  It was cool to see and everybody popped like they were at a live show.  A few years later I attended college there and it was pretty funny having a phys ed class in the same room.

 

The next year, Mania 5 was held locally at College Park (University of MD) and the setup was different.  No floor seats at all and they either had four screens set up in a cube formation or maybe two, set up back to back.  My memory is pretty hazy on that one.  I remember it wasn't as fun.  The lights stayed turned up and the crowd didn't seem to care much.

[cool arrow]

Add me to the list of folks who watched Mania 4 on closed circuit.  I have nothing to add except I really wish the building had had AC.

[colonial]

I saw both WM3 and WM5 at William Paterson College in Wayne, NJ when I was 13 and 15, respectively.  Went with my dad both times, as he rewarded me with tickets for making the honor roll (did not see WMIV because he was on a business trip out of town).

 

The screening was shown in a basketball gym.  There were several rows of floor seats, as well as bleachers.  A few refreshment stands were set up, plus a souvenir table (which primarily sold Hogan shirts).

 

For WM3, we took our seats next to five of my dad's co-workers and their families.  He had no clue they were going to be there.  One of the co-workers was the "office expert" on pro wrestling, and pretty much commented through every match on who's who, why they were fighting, etc.  By the time Steamboat-Savage came up, everyone ignored him.

 

My dad made the comment of the night when Harley Race first appeared on screen.  He had been quiet through much of the evening, but as soon as Race came to the ring, he said to his co-workers, "Hey, it's Joe!"  Everyone laughed, but I was understandably confused.

 

Me: Who's Joe?

Dad: Oh, he's the foreman of the basement warehouse at work.  He's an old grump who grumbles about everything, is obsessed with the lottery and has an autographed photo of the woman who draws the lottery numbers at his desk.  That guy (Race) looks just like him!

 

I got to meet Joe a few years later.  Was he grumpy?  Yes.  Obsessed with the lottery with an autographed photo of the lottery lady at his desk?  Yes.  Looked like Harley Race?  Only if Race were bald and 400 pounds.

 

My dad knew bits and pieces about wrestling, but did ask me a few odd questions about the wrestlers and matches

(During the Bundy six-man with the midgets)

Dad: (Points to Bundy) Didn't that guy wrestle Hogan last year?

Me: Yes he did

Dad: He must be in the doghouse if he's working with dwarves!

 

(During a Randy Savage interview)

Dad: Your mother was asking me, and I didn't know the answer.  Is he married to her? (Points to Savage and Elizabeth)

Me: Are they married in real life?  Yes they are.

Dad: Interesting. 

Me (confused why my mom would ask a wrestling question): Why was Mom asking about that?

Dad: Well, she saw them on TV, and she thought Savage sounded like a hen-pecked husband always bickering to his wife about nonsense 

 

(During Savage-Steamboat match)

Dad: Your mother went to the PTA meeting at your (younger) sister's (elementary) school last week.  They were talking about those two.

Me: Savage and Steamboat?

Dad: Yeah.  She said the moms thought they were a bad influence to kids.

Me: How so?

Dad: Well, didn't Savage crush Steamboat's throat with the ring bell?

Me: They were "play fighting".  They planned the spot in advance and made sure no one actually got hurt.

Dad: Oh, I know they get along in the back and only play enemies on TV.  But your mother's friends don't, and they're mad. 

[Nice Guy Eddie]

I saw WrestleMania IV closed circuit at our state's fairgrounds. It was in a giant building meant for conventions and boat shows with two giant screens set up on one side. Each area had about 10-12 rows set up, and most of the seats were filled. I would guesstimate there were at least 500 people there, probably closer to 700. And it was loud as fuck. I saw two seats in the second row and got excited that they were open. Once the show started I realized the seats were open because they were right next to the speaker. I'm dead serious when I say I didn't get my hearing back for at least a day.

It was literally like attending a wrestling show. There was concessions, T-shirt sales, and the crowd reacted to everything like they were there.

Too bad the show sucked. You'd think even now for nostalgia's sake I'd have a soft spot for it, but man, it really was an awful show. It was the first major show I ever saw and I tried so hard to like it, but once Steamboat, Bigelow, and Hogan were all one-and-done, I just didn't care.

I loved WMIV as a kid, and still do. Demolition winning their first tag title may have been my first major mark out moment.

[ben.]

Thanks guys, those were good reads, I appreciate it!

 

I guess technically going to a place like Red and Jerry's in Colorado is still considered "Closed Circuit" since I believe they buy a site license from WWE to show it (Or probably not, that place is kinda shady). I went to a place for Mania 29 who had the bright idea of getting Mania 29 from the WWE's short-lived iPPV service and there was nothing but problems. The guy was apologizing and giving people refunds because we saw the first 30 seconds of Shiel against Show, Sheamus, and Orton before it cut out. It came back up for Ryback/Henry in a pixelated form and kept dipping in and out until the beginning of Punk/Taker (Yeah, that long) when I referred him to justin.tv and we finished by watching a pirated version of the show (Inside a small venue that had about 60 people there).

 

Anyways, off topic, thanks again for sharing those stories!

[Technico Support]

 

 

 I referred him to justin.tv and we finished by watching a pirated version of the show (Inside a small venue that had about 60 people there).

 

 

 

LOL that's awesome

[grilledcheese]

I went to the Cow Palace to watch the first Mania, but I honestly don't remember anything about it. I was only 6, but I do remember being hella amazed that my Dad was willing to take me, he was not at all a fan of the pro wrestling.

[mattdangerously]

Dads are the best.

[Nice Guy Eddie]

Dads are the best.

...except the deadbeat kind

[odessasteps]

 I referred him to justin.tv and we finished by watching a pirated version of the show (Inside a small venue that had about 60 people there).

 

LOL that's awesome

Boy do i miss watching 80s stuff on justin.tv

[Infinit]

Did Windham and Rhodes have a proper one on one blow off match after they broke up at the Clash?

[cool arrow]

Looks like they had a ton of house show matches, which Windham won, until Dustin won the US title, at which point Dustin usually won.  Last tv match in WCW I can find is from May '93, with Dustin winning.

[Michael Sweetser]

If I recall, the matches mostly dried up once Windham won the NWA title and was moved to the feud with Flair.  I do remember there being a few more at house shows, with Dustin over by DQ.

[Toolman]

I watched an old Brain Busters squash on You Tube.  They used a spike piledriver behind the refs back for the win.  As they used the piledriver, Gorilla commented something to the effect of "they're going  for a spike piledriver, which is banned in many places, including here!"

 

Was the ban of a spike piledriver something  that was ever really played up in the WWF?  I don't remember anything, but certainly, I could be wrong. 

[PetrolCB]

Probably just Gorilla putting it over. I could be wrong, but I don't remember a standard-style piledriver or spike, for that matter, ban being in effect till the early aughts.

On a side note, it was fucking awesome when Punk did one to Cena some years ago.

[Mr Harms]

That clip shows that the crowd will buy it as a death move if nobody uses it. The 2-count didn't help, however.

[PetrolCB]

Though it'll never happen, it'd be a good spot/finish for a high profile match, I think at least.

First, it's a boss-ass move. Second, you never see it, not counting Taker's once, twice, thrice-a-year Tombstone.

[BurningBeard]

Imagine the crowd seeing a Jerry Lawler or Paul Orndorff piledriver these days? I recon given to the right guy it'd be a 2002-2005 Pedigree level of death-move

[PetrolCB]

This is really out of the realm, but Ambrose turning on Reigns with a piledriver would be awesome.

Imagine a tourney final with those two, which let's not kid ourselves, is gonna happen. Where Reigns is going to obviously win, whilst getting the belt strapped onto him and having his hand raised by his best pal Dean, gets a kick-wham-piledriver to end the show.

[Charro!]

Was thinking has there ever been any wrestler/Diva who've retired undefeated or with a few minor blips on their win/loss record?. A few names which come to mind with an almost perfect record - Andre (although he lost quite a bit later in his career) & the Fabulous Moolah.