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WWE NETWORK GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD


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Wasn't the real purpose of the Triple Tower of Doom match to upstage World Class who was debuting it on their Cotton Bowl/Dallas Stadium show?

 

I think its the other way around.  Sullivan came up with the Triple cage idea for the Bash, but Michael Hayes gave the idea to World Class after he quit WCW, knowing they weren't going to do it until the summer.  The World Class tower match happened two months before the Bash.

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The Manhattan Center is apparently too expensive to run nowadays. They jacked up the prices while/after TNA was there. (Source: Court Bauer)

IIRC, it's $100k to run an event there and the raised rent is why ROH no longer runs the Manhattan Center.

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I absolutely loved that Dusty stories special. Only complaint I have is that I wish it went longer. Thought for sure Ric was going to cry any second at times, but he was great. Great show.

This special was great. It picked up from where the old roundtable show left off, but better. I wish they'd do more of these legends shows, because let's face it, it's not like we have a ton of time left to hear someone tell a story that we've all heard a thousand times and relish it like it's the first we've heard of it.

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I never realized that Dusty stole the parking lot angle from Marlon Brando in One-Eyed Jacks. Shows what I know.

Man, that MAKE IT GOOD thing just went over the head of everyone under a certain age, didn't it?

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Cornette was discussing "make it good" on his podcast with JJ and explained people thinking it was Dusty calling the spot when. According to Jim, he was taunting them to Make It Good, because I'll be coming after you eventually.

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As I continue to soldier through every WCW ppv from 1999-2001, I found this "vintage deathbed WCW" image from Sin.

 

7LfiVuAm.jpg

 

Also, if you want to see a one-match botchamania reel, watch the 6-way cruiser match from Superbrawl 2001. I've never seen two wrestlers botch more moves together than Evan Karagias and Jimmy Yang throughout that match. Every sequence between them was non-stop fail.

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As I continue to soldier through every WCW ppv from 1999-2001, I found this "vintage deathbed WCW" image from Sin.

 

7LfiVuAm.jpg

 

Also, if you want to see a one-match botchamania reel, watch the 6-way cruiser match from Superbrawl 2001. I've never seen two wrestlers botch more moves together than Evan Karagias and Jimmy Yang throughout that match. Every sequence between them was non-stop fail.

Why would you torture yourself like that, man?  There's way too much great stuff on there to watch instead of this.

 

Unless of course you're a masochist then that totally makes sense.  :)

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Why would you torture yourself like that, man?  There's way too much great stuff on there to watch instead of this.

 

Unless of course you're a masochist then that totally makes sense.   :)

 

 

I wanted the answer to the question "How bad does a wrestling company truly have to be to go from on top of the world to out of business in under 3 years?" I feel pretty confident in saying no company has ever turned out a worse product during a calendar year than WCW in 2000. It makes you appreciate the good stuff.

 

I'm beginning to think that 1996 Rey Mysterio is the best wrestler year that I've ever seen by a wide margin. 

 

Rey was crushing it that year, but Benoit wasn't that far behind him. Or Malenko for that matter. Keep watching into 97 where those three stay in top form, plus Eddie starts turning it up and Jericho breaks out. Top 10 WCW matches from 1996 would be a hell of a list.

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Malenko had a great year, but he didn't have the TV match year Rey did at all. Rey had good matches with everyone and Malenko only really did with other cruisers. I just saw Rey have a super-fun match with Jimmy Graffiti, and Graffiti is good and all, but that's a match that should have been a whatever TV match that turned out awesome. Also, Rey has his AAA stuff from that year that everyone loves to add to the deal. 

 

I saw '97 WCW in full a couple years ago and, yeah, that's when the midcard really starts to come into fine form. I just wish they would upload the '97 Nitros already.

 

On another note, Austin destroying face Bret Hart on the mic on 10/28/96 kinda goes from really hilarious to totally uncomfortable because I feel bad for Hart getting utterly decimated. 

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Dean made Disco look like a million bucks at BATB, though. Not that Rey didn't have a better match on that very show, mind you.

 

Since you seem to have been watching all of 1996 WCW, I have to ask, what is your best match from that year? I re-watched all the Nitros and ppvs from that year a few years back and it was really high quality stuff (espcially the second half), but I'm having trouble picking *the* top match from that year.

 

It's tough to pick between stuff like Rey/Ultimo (WW3) and Benoit/Malenko (Hog Wild) which are like pure-strain workrate, or something like Benoit/Sullivan (GAB) that has more of an edge. Finlay/Regal (Uncensored) is kind of the compromise between those two categories. There's probably 8-10 other matches that are just as good, and that's not even starting with the "fun, but not quite in the discussion if I'm being honest" group.

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I think Disco is underrated, actually. I mean, no knock on Dean, but Disco was legit good as a worker at that time.

 

I think Mysterio/Malenko at Halloween Havoc, Badd/Page at SuperBrawl, Chavo/Page at Fall Brawl, Mysterio/Malenko on the 7/8 Nitro, and Mysterio/Ultimo Dragon from Hog Wild are all really high level matches off the top of my head. I loved Finlay/Regal at Uncensored for the first 2/3ds of the match, but I think it went on just a smidge too long. I actually really love the War Games from that year, but I don't know if it's good enough to overcome its flaws and reach that upper level. To be honest, I skip all Benoit's matches, so (and not to open that topic up again), I can't really say how I feel about his work from this year, but I'm sure that it is good stuff. 

 

On another note, can I say how much I love Austin going to Pillman's house? That is just an utterly trashy Southern-style angle, and when Pillman answers a question by saying "Wait until Austin 3:16 meets **cocks gun in front of the camera all of a sudden** Pillman's nine millimeter!" and everyone freaks the fuck out, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then Austin kicking the fuck out of Pillman's buddies outside folllowed by Austin busting the window out of the door and storming in while Pillman's wife screams and Pillman points the gun was amazing theatre. Probably wasn't a good idea for Vince to mention the young Shawn Michaels fan and contrast her with this angle, though. 

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Thoughts on WrestleMania X

 

Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart is my favorite match of all time. It's an amazing technical match, and the little brother wins cleanly. When you're a little brother, you lose to your big brother 95 percent of the time in every imaginable game and sport. But every once in a while, the sun shines on the little brother. Owen beating Bret reminded me of the rare occasions when I would actually beat my big brother at tennis. Man, that felt good.

 

When Randy Savage tied up Crush and prevented him from beating the 10 count in the Texas death match, I can imagine young John Cena saying, "Great idea!"

 

I like how Lelani Kai walked into Madison Square Garden expecting to pick up the title she dropped nine years earlier. She did well in her short match against Alundra Blayze.

 

Men on a Mission vs. Quebecers was a surprisingly good match. The Quebecers had a lot of double-teams that involved propelling one partner at the opponent (slams, backdrops, and the Tower finisher). 

 

Mr. Perfect screwing over Lex Luger in the WWF title match made sense. Luger cheated to beat Perfect at WM 9 and knocked him out with the steel forearm, so the chickens came home to roost for Lex at the worst possible time.

 

Owen and Bret were strong candidates for MVP honors, and even Yokozuna deserves an honorable mention for defending his title twice while carrying so much weight. However, Shawn Michaels wins the MVP for his performance against Razor Ramon. Shawn's insane bumps and innovative moves put the ladder match on the map, and it's still a big part of wrestling 21 years later. 

 

So now that I've watched every WWF pay-per-view from Wrestlemania 1 through 10, let's check the MVP leaderboard:

 

Bret Hart --------------5  ------WM 8, SummerSlam 92, Survivor Series 92, KOTR 93, Rumble 94

Randy Savage -------4 -------Wrestling Classic, WM 3, WM 4, WM 7

Shawn Michaels -----3 -------Survivor Series 92 and 93, WM X

Ultimate Warrior -----3 -------SummerSlam 88, Survivor Series 89, WM 6

Bobby Heenan -------3------- Big Event, WM 5, Rumble 92

Ric Flair ----------------2-------Tuesday in Texas, Rumble 92

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I've been watching RAW from the beginning, and I have to say I really miss Vince on commentary. His over the top excitement always feels genuine and full of shit at the same time.

 

I also dug he and Macho ripping on Rob Bartlett after he missed the Raw right after WM9. Those two were really quite good as an announce team.

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Been watching a lot of ECW Hardcore TV from 94/95/96....man this is just too damn fun to watch.  Ron Simmons, 2 Cold Scorpio, Eddie, Cactus, Funk.  Taz & Sabu goin nuts.  The Public Enemy being themselves.  Sandman being The Sandman after getting hit in the head w a frying pan and forgetting the match finish and having to be PUT down by Cactus Jack..   Shane breaking out as the Franchise w/ Benoit & Malenko as his Triple Threat.  Stevie parodying Raven's old gimmicks then, the debut of Raven.  Debut of the Dudleys.  Debut of RVD.  Mikey Whipwreck being pushed as a champion and feuding w Paul Laria.  The Steiners, The Gangstas, The Pitbulls, The Eliminators and the whole crazy fn tag division and the way everything just flowed from one feud to the next.  Steve Austin, Pillman promos...  So much awesome stuff

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Aw, fuck, I forgot I have to get back on Hardcore TV.  I'm somewhere in March and really want to get on to the rest.  I thought they were putting out more episodes, but it's not showing on the PS4.  And for what it's worth I'm much more likely to see ECW than Raw or Nitro, mainly because I saw them already.

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Thoughts on King of the Ring 94

 

IRS challenges Owen Hart for the Malaprop of the Year award by telling Razor Ramon, "You're nothing but a fool's gold wearing, tax fool, tax cheat idiot!"

 

Jeff Jarrett gave the 1-2-3 Kid three piledrivers after Kid beat him, so it was amazing that Kid was able to come out for his semifinal match against Owen Hart. The piledriver was obviously not treated like a death move, as it showed up several times on these 1994 PPVs. Lawler couldn't even beat Piper with it.

 

Jim Neidhart had a fascinating night. First he supports Bret and saves the WWF title by interfering after Bret takes Diesel's jackknife powerbomb. Then he leaves Bret to the wolves. Later, Neidhart attacks Razor Ramon and helps Owen become King of the Ring. Detective Randy Savage figures out that Neidhart was only at ringside to keep Bret from losing the title so Owen could be the one to win it from Bret.

 

Speaking of announcers, Art Donovan is the best worst announcer in WWE history.  He had absolutely no idea who anyone was or what was happening. Oscar was in a white suit, so Donovan said "I thought he was the guy who took people to the hospital." But at the same time, he made the wrestlers look great by putting over how big and tough they were. He said Owen Hart and Tatanka were like "linebackers" and marveled at everything Yokozuna did. Anytime Donovan was impressed, it carried weight because he is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

Owen Hart is the MVP for carrying the show with multiple matches, just like Bret, and Owen rebranded himself nicely with his "King of Harts" coronation speech.

 

Jerry Lawler and Roddy Piper showed that you don't have to kill yourself with crazy moves to put on an entertaining main event. They put in the hard work with their mouths in the weeks before the match, so they were able to have a solid bout despite the sloppy finish. Best of all, Gorilla Monsoon plugged the "New WWF Generation" for the battle between the 44-year-old Lawler and the 40-year-old Piper.

 

The "distraction finish" should be named after Crush, who lost yet another match because his "real enemy" (Lex Luger in this case) was yelling at him from the aisle. I thought this would change when he turned heel, but Crush continued to have the attention span of a toddler.

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Thoughts on King of the Ring 94

 

 

 

Speaking of announcers, Art Donovan is the best worst announcer in WWE history.  He had absolutely no idea who anyone was or what was happening. Oscar was in a white suit, so Donovan said "I thought he was the guy who took people to the hospital." But at the same time, he made the wrestlers look great by putting over how big and tough they were. He said Owen Hart and Tatanka were like "linebackers" and marveled at everything Yokozuna did. Anytime Donovan was impressed, it carried weight because he is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"How much does this guys weigh?" will never, ever, ever, ever get old.  Never realized who he was until later and was pleased that he was part of it.  Just wish I knew before meeting him at a Christmas party.

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