WWE Home Video Revisionist History

[Thomas Bugg]

For all the things that they do right or wrong, WWE more often than not puts out excellent DVD packages. But with it you get documentaries that toy around with the real story. Now I know how the old adage goes- don't let the facts get in the way of a good story- but man, does it ever get annoying when you're sitting there watching a very well put together WWE DVD and they'll cover something from the past and totally fuck it up with revisionist history.

 

For example, the McMahon DVD, Rise & Fall of WCW and a few others cover the events that took place around 1984, Black Saturday. It actually comes off as factual in the way the stories are told....until you decide to do research yourself and find out how full of shit they are, particularly in the McMahon DVD- maybe it was done in the gimmick of giving McMahon a virtual handjob or whatever, but they spun the story of Black Saturday like the wheel on The Price Is Right!

 

This video explains another example of WWE's revisionist history done on the first Ultimate Warrior DVD, the one where they buried him worse than anything ever up to that point...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLHp6M385A8

 

Any other examples of WWE rewriting the history books on their DVD's?

[Jiji]

The new Monday Night War series.

[Thomas Bugg]

The new Monday Night War series.

 

Oh God yes! Like I said, awesome production and storytelling, but enough revisionist history to make Dave Meltzer's head explode.

[CanadianChris]

What's the WWE version of Black Sunday?

[The Nature Boy]

The timeline on Triple H and Steve Austin's pushes always gets fudged a bit. If you watch a documentary on Austin, you would think that Austin 3:16 was an AHA! moment and he was pushed from there on out. In reality, he faced Yokozuna on the SummerSlam pre-show and wandered aimlessly for a bit until the Bret feud happened. 

 

With Triple H, you would think that he was punished for a long period of time after the Curtain Call and that he OVERCAME DA ODDS~! to get his push back. In reality, he was jobbed for a couple of months, got the IC Title and was back on track relatively quickly. People forget that he was WWF Champion within 3 years. 

 

Neither of these are particularly egregious but there is some creative license taken to tell the story that WWE wants to tell.

 

----

 

And WWE's version of Black Saturday always omits the protests that came from the Georgia fanbase and how Vince was practically forced out of the timeslot. 

[Jiji]

The Black Saturday bit was in part one of the Monday Night Wars series as well. Reading some fans' reactions to Black Saturday and the watching WWE's take... man. There's some really big eye roll inducing moments so far in the series. Not only are they pushing the WWF basically gifted Bischoff the nWo and all of WCW's success to a ridiculous degree, Kevin Sullivan has talked about the Hulk turn on a number of shoot interviews and not once did he mention referring to the Undertaker as a sign of the times. More Vince masturbatory stuff. It's to be expected, but unfortunately a huge chunk of the fanbase won't be able to sift through the nonsense. Loved the Cody quote about stealing stars not being fair to open the sum'bitch up too.

[Thomas Bugg]

The Black Saturday bit was in part one of the Monday Night Wars series as well. Reading some fans' reactions to Black Saturday and the watching WWE's take... man. There's some really big eye roll inducing moments so far in the series. Not only are they pushing the WWF basically gifted Bischoff the nWo and all of WCW's success to a ridiculous degree, Kevin Sullivan has talked about the Hulk turn on a number of shoot interviews and not once did he mention referring to the Undertaker as a sign of the times. More Vince masturbatory stuff. It's to be expected, but unfortunately a huge chunk of the fanbase won't be able to sift through the nonsense. Loved the Cody quote about stealing stars not being fair to open the sum'bitch up too.

 

Also, what the fuck was The Miz doing on there, wasn't he just some snot-nosed middle school kid when the Monday Night Wars went on?

 

And I like how whenever they cover 1990-1994 they skate perfectly around the steroid trials. I mean, can they try not to be so obvious that they think wrestling fans are fucking stupid?

[Jingus]

And I like how whenever they cover 1990-1994 they skate perfectly around the steroid trials. I mean, can they try not to be so obvious that they think wrestling fans are fucking stupid?

I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one or two historical DVDs that mentioned the steroid trials. Slanted towards the McMahon's point of view, of course. But I can't remember exactly which ones; Bret vs Shawn? 50th Anniversary? That's the thing, the WWE can't keep its own canon straight, it's impossible.

[Chaos]

The nWo bit last night was full of revisionist history. They used soundboard pieces that Bischoff stated back in 2002, which Bischoff has even sense changed his story on the matter (i.e. Sting being the Third Man. It was ALWAYS going to be Hulk). Also, they stated that both Hall and Nash kept the company afloat until they left. Nash oversaw the worst house gates,TV ratings, and PPV Buyrates the WWF had seen during his year long reign as champion.

[JohnnyJ]

Perhaps it's personal preference, but I feel like I've repeatedly seen the new DX presented as some huge comedy/financial success.

[The Nature Boy]

Hasn't Hogan claimed that he was asked last minute to do it? I remember Hogan saying that he and Bischoff had a meeting at his house or something and Bischoff begged him to do it. 

 

Of course, it's Hogan so the story has probably changed a million times since.

[muhammedboehm]

I feel stupid asking but what's black Saturday?

[Technico Support]

The short answer is: Vince took over the traditional Georgia Championship Wrestling time slot in 1984, leading to a bunch of pissed-off fans.

 

The long answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_%28wrestling%29

[odessasteps]

Meltzer recently a big article qbout it, since it was the 30th anniversary.

[Thomas Bugg]

Meltzer recently a big article qbout it, since it was the 30th anniversary.

 

Oh hell, I know the Wrestling Observer is a pay service, but I'll gladly shell out bucks to read that article.

[Petey]

The nWo bit last night was full of revisionist history. They used soundboard pieces that Bischoff stated back in 2002, which Bischoff has even sense changed his story on the matter (i.e. Sting being the Third Man. It was ALWAYS going to be Hulk). Also, they stated that both Hall and Nash kept the company afloat until they left. Nash oversaw the worst house gates,TV ratings, and PPV Buyrates the WWF had seen during his year long reign as champion.

Wasn't Sting the backup plan? I could have sworn I heard that on either Sullivan's 1996 timeline or a Nash shoot. I know Sullivan discussed how on edge everyone was about Hulk potentially backing out to the point where Sullivan forced either Hogan or Hogan's agent (I don't remember which) to stay with Sullivan the night before the PPV to make sure nothing changed.

[notoriusvig]

 

Meltzer recently a big article qbout it, since it was the 30th anniversary.

 

Oh hell, I know the Wrestling Observer is a pay service, but I'll gladly shell out bucks to read that article.

 

Yea, anyone got the exact date on this issue?

[sydneybrown]

July 21, 2014.  And get some coffee, it's a long one.

[Dewar]

Bischoff said on Austin's podcast recently that Sting was the backup plan as the 3rd man in the nWo if Hogan turned down the idea.

[Tromatagon]

That's what she said

Was that Ted Turner interview they keep showing with him talking about Vince televised back in the day? I don't remember ever seeing Ted actually talk so much about wrestling.

[Big Z]

Bischoff said on Austin's podcast recently that Sting was the backup plan as the 3rd man in the nWo if Hogan turned down the idea.

 

Yet Sting said on JR's podcast that was never the original plan. Now, knowing how WCW operated, the plan was likely to convince Hulk at all costs and Sting was probably the hair brained, last second alternative. Hogan turned out to be an awesome third man (before everything NWO became stale), but I would love to dream of a reality where either Shawn or Bret were the third man.

[Petey]

I believe it's been discussed in the What If thread in regards to Shawn or Bret being the third man. I think the consensus was that it would have been cool and logical but also probably not made the same splash in the mainstream as Hogan's heel turn and would have almost inevitably ended with Hogan going through all them one by one  by Starrcade 96.

 

There was another scenario discussed where Hogan was still the third man but Shawn winds up being the fourth man instead of The Giant. Everything basically went ahead as it was until Shawn got fed up with Hogan always being on top and wanted the ball himself. I think that would have been really intriguing.

[thee Reverend Axl Future]

That's what she said

Was that Ted Turner interview they keep showing with him talking about Vince televised back in the day? I don't remember ever seeing Ted actually talk so much about wrestling.

I too wondered about that TT interview.

- RAF

[Charlie M.]

 

Bischoff said on Austin's podcast recently that Sting was the backup plan as the 3rd man in the nWo if Hogan turned down the idea.

 

Yet Sting said on JR's podcast that was never the original plan. Now, knowing how WCW operated, the plan was likely to convince Hulk at all costs and Sting was probably the hair brained, last second alternative. Hogan turned out to be an awesome third man (before everything NWO became stale), but I would love to dream of a reality where either Shawn or Bret were the third man.

 

 

In one of the recent WCW DVD's, Nash says Bischoff's idea was Sting but that wasn't any good because it needed to be a ex-WWF guy.  Knowing how WCW operated, they probably never even approached Sting with it.

[Charlie M.]

I believe it's been discussed in the What If thread in regards to Shawn or Bret being the third man. I think the consensus was that it would have been cool and logical but also probably not made the same splash in the mainstream as Hogan's heel turn and would have almost inevitably ended with Hogan going through all them one by one  by Starrcade 96.

 

There was another scenario discussed where Hogan was still the third man but Shawn winds up being the fourth man instead of The Giant. Everything basically went ahead as it was until Shawn got fed up with Hogan always being on top and wanted the ball himself. I think that would have been really intriguing.

 

Probably would have split off into the Clique vs Hogan & his cronies with a bunch of shitty finishes where no one wanted to do business with each other.