WWE Network Conversation

[clintthecrippler]

11 hours ago, SirSmUgly said:

Watching '85 MSW: Just put the big gold on Jake Roberts, Watts. Oddly, I think Jake's said that Watts didn't rate him, which is complete nonsense if true. The guy walks out as a heel and within the first few weeks, he gets cheers and "DDT" chants that only increase. Turn him face, but don't change his act and just let him dick around the heels. It's obvious money. 

I think by the time I finished my 1985 viewing Jake Roberts was probably my favorite performer of that entire year. Watching him gradually week after week becoming more of a fan favorite but still being slimy and devious at the same time was some absolutely beautiful pro wrestling.

It's a shame the Peacock run of Mid-South ends when it does in December 1985...because January/February 1986 is loaded with Jake Roberts and Dick Slater getting into kerfuffles every week over both the Television Championship and the North American Championship. Thankfully if you have interest in continuing your journey past what's on Peacock, there's a nice Youtube playlist where video #10 begins the 1986 year for Mid-South as it transitions into the UWF with lots of Jake/Slater gold.

 

[Gorman]

Thoughts on Anarchy Rulz 99

Based on the RVD-Sabu-Lynn brawl at the end of the last PPV, I thought that would be the main event. Instead, Lynn came out to open the show, losing to Lance Storm.

Justin Credible showed up with a restraining order against Sabu, but referee Jim Molineaux voided it because ANARCHY RULZ! Poor Bob Artese got caned by Credible when he tried to introduce the match. I don't condone violence against ring announcers.

Mike Awesome came out of the crowd and won the ECW title. Paul Heyman allowed him to join the ECW title match between Taz and Masato Tanaka, and both challengers pinned Taz to guarantee a new champion. 

New Jack is the MVP for saving a segment that meandered from a Simon Diamond promo to a Jazz squash to Doring/Roadkill interrupting a tag match to a bunch of guys hitting the ring for no reason. When New Jack's music hit, I knew everything would be all right. Despite WWF and WCW poaching ECW's talent and establishing their own hardcore division, New Jack's unique brand of mayhem (including a STAPLE GUN~!) was only available in ECW.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Gorman

[Curt McGirt]

Polaco: "Hey Bob, you mind if I hit you with the cane when I come in to get some heat?"

Artese: "Hmmm. How many vicodin you got in that fanny pack?"

Taz going out that way, especially considering how many checks got bounced and everything, is really honorable and ego-free. Really cool of him.

[zendragon]

I imagine that Heyman made sure to take care of most of his top guys like Taz and RVD , which is why they stuck around as long as they did (aside from Mike Awesome)

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

Watching late 95 Superstars and can't help but be distracted by how old Michael Hayes looks already...

...then realise he's about four months younger in December 95 than I am now

[SirSmUgly]

Oh man, Dok Hendrix shilling merch in a room full of posters and standees. Now that brings me back.

WEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL please buy this Bret Hart-themed fanny pack, please. We're broke, we don't have water coolers in the office anymore. Please help. 

[GuerrillaMonsoon]

He comes in as this awful heel commentator, and clearly at some point, Vince has enough of him, but there's enough internal support to keep his job, so his entire thing becomes "horny for Shawn Michaels" and sent to his own little universe doing the prerecorded segments that Todd Pettengill decided he was above.

[(BP)]

And to think, I spent part of the 90s alone in a room full of posters being horny for Shawn Michaels for free. 

[SirSmUgly]

The first WrestleMania triggered Bill Watts, and I don't mean to use that word lightly or even outside of a strict psychological meaning. The 4/13/85 MSW is quite the performance from Watts on commentary. 

• Watts starts the show with a five-minute rant about how WrestleMania is some fraud shit, really, and actual real wrestling only happens in places like Mid-South. He's especially disgusted that they let Mr. T, a fucking ACTOR, in the ring.

 

• The AWA gets some shots fired at it when Watts makes fun of it for once letting Gene Okerlund, a fucking BACKSTAGE INTERVIEWER, in the ring at a show. 

 

• NWA champion Ric Flair will be making appearances in Mid-South. He's a world champion, and really the only world champion if you think about it, unlike those frauds Hulk Hogan or Rick Martel, who are FRAUDS. OK, he doesn't mention those two by name unlike T or Okerlund, but still. 

 

• Dutch Mantel, an ostensible heel, is given plaudits by Watts on commentary for the first half of his squash match victory because Mantel doesn't believe in negotiating settlements with the enemy due to his experience in 'Nam. Yeah, bomb them all for *checks notes* wanting self-determination and trying to cast out the colonizing French. Now, you think this might be hypocrisy because usually Watts loves the idea of freedom in self-determination. However, Watts is clear that he's not for self-determination when we go to war! When we mobilize, who gives a FUCK what anyone else wants? Then he laments the young Americans who don't understand how bombing people who don't fit neatly into a U.S. hegemonic worldview is good, actually. It's pretty wild, even for Watts!

 

• Oh yeah, and also apparently Mantel declares that it's too easy in New York and that he wants real competition in Mid-South. Everyone is saying that it's too easy in New York except for the losers who can't hack it in Mid-South *coughJYDcough*.

I have completely passed over some of the other amazing shit about this show - Skandor Akbar declaring a "NO BLACKS (except Kamala)" policy in what is a somewhat bananas promo, for example, or the Roberts/Nord vs. Rock 'n Rolls match which has a finish in which Ricky gets hung in the ropes and that leads to Jake and Nord fighting off like five faces and looking like absolute KINGS even though they're supposed to be heels - but yeah, Watts on commentary was absolutely on one this show to the point of almost overshadowing it. Nothing like this show could possibly exist in 2023, and I for one am thrilled that it has been preserved for posterity. 

Edited October 2, 2023 by SirSmUgly

[odessasteps]

akbar did eventually have Leroy Brown AND Savannah Jack in Devastation Inc. In 1986. But Jack soon turns babyface, and then Iceman King Parsons calls him (spoilerized for sensitive ears 

Spoiler

A black, greasey Oreo Cookie

 

[SirSmUgly]

It's Southern wrestling. Race is naturally intertwined into it in a way that honestly offends me way less than in other territories. I wasn't bothered by the Akbar promo - it was a FANTASTIC heel promo - but yeah, it stood out to me because it wouldn't be done today. 

[Mister TV]

39 minutes ago, SirSmUgly said:

The first WrestleMania triggered Bill Watts, and I don't mean to use that word lightly or even outside of a strict psychological meaning. The 4/13/85 MSW is quite the performance from Watts on commentary. 

• Watts starts the show with a five-minute rant about how WrestleMania is some fraud shit, really, and actual real wrestling only happens in places like Mid-South. He's especially disgusted that they let Mr. T, a fucking ACTOR, in the ring.

 

• The AWA gets some shots fired at it when Watts makes fun of it for once letting Gene Okerlund, a fucking BACKSTAGE INTERVIEWER, in the ring at a show. 

 

• NWA champion Ric Flair will be making appearances in Mid-South. He's a world champion, and really the only world champion if you think about it, unlike those frauds Hulk Hogan or Rick Martel, who are FRAUDS. OK, he doesn't mention those two by name unlike T or Okerlund, but still. 

 

• Dutch Mantel, an ostensible heel, is given plaudits by Watts on commentary for the first half of his squash match victory because Mantel doesn't believe in negotiating settlements with the enemy due to his experience in 'Nam. Yeah, bomb them all for *checks notes* wanting self-determination and trying to cast out the colonizing French. Now, you think this might be hypocrisy because usually Watts loves the idea of freedom in self-determination. However, Watts is clear that he's not for self-determination when we go to war! When we mobilize, who gives a FUCK what anyone else wants? Then he laments the young Americans who don't understand how bombing people who don't fit neatly into a U.S. hegemonic worldview is good, actually. It's pretty wild, even for Watts!

 

• Oh yeah, and also apparently Mantel declares that it's too easy in New York and that he wants real competition in Mid-South. Everyone is saying that it's too easy in New York except for the losers who can't hack it in Mid-South *coughJYDcough*.

I have completely passed over some of the other amazing shit about this show - Skandor Akbar declaring a "NO BLACKS (except Kamala)" policy in what is a somewhat bananas promo, for example, or the Roberts/Nord vs. Rock 'n Rolls match which has a finish in which Ricky gets hung in the ropes and that leads to Jake and Nord fighting off like five faces and looking like absolute KINGS even though they're supposed to be heels - but yeah, Watts on commentary was absolutely on one this show to the point of almost overshadowing it. Nothing like this show could possibly exist in 2023, and I for one am thrilled that it has been preserved for posterity. 

Did Mean Gene actually wrestle in the AWA? I know he tagged with Hogan against Fuji and George Steele at a WWF Twin Cities house show in 84 or 85.

While Watts is saying one thing on tv, you know he would have jumped at the chance to feature Mr. T in a match.

[SirSmUgly]

I genuinely don't know about Okerlund. He also said that Mantell was up North and decided it was too easy, but I didn't think Mantell had gone to WWF by this point. Watts could just be saying shit just to say it. 

I forgot to mention that Watts was super-angry about the Stossel/Dr. D 20/20 segment on that show and is still irate about it two weeks later. Butch Reed is not "a Hollywood actor" or "overweight pachyderm from Titan Sports," he's a real athlete, according to Watts on 4/27/85 MSW. Jim Cornette could never rant half as good as Watts. 

One more edit: I thought the "overweight pachyderm" comment was about King Kong Bundy, and sure enough, after the break, we see 1983 footage of rookie Dr. Death giving the business to said overweight pachyderm who ran up north to hide from real competition.

Edited October 2, 2023 by SirSmUgly

[clintthecrippler]

The Okerlund shot was indeed another shot at the WWF, as it was them that actually put Okerlund in a tag team match, not the AWA. 

That said, on my rewatch, one thought I had was that with how much Cornette antagonized Boyd Pierce on TV every week, I honestly believe that a Boyd Pierce vs Jim Cornette "non-sanctioned" match could have drawn at the Superdome

[SirSmUgly]

The idea is solid, but Boyd had a tough time conveying annoyance or much of anything at all. I will say that the only time he's ever been able to show much of a reaction is when Cornette would shit on his suits, though. Hilarious. 

I could have sworn Watts namechecked the AWA specifically when he mentioned Okerlund, but yeah, maybe Watts got mixed up or I misheard. In which case, I suppose the "three men claiming to be World Champion, but only Ric Flair really is" comment is the one shot at the AWA. 

[Cobra Commander]

Day baseball is being replaced by day playoff baseball this week, so time to watch Peacock late at night. Let's go to something I haven't watched much of.

World Class Championship Wrestling (9/24/1983)

Not sure if Bill Mercer's headset is large enough

Match 1: Buddy Roberts (w/ headgear) vs Chris Adams. I believe this is our alcoholism feature match of the week. Buddy is outraged at the fans chanting "Baldy" at him. The headgear is just so great. Some nice counterwrestling going on here. Hitting that Superkick out of a Monkey Flip sequence looked awesome. A Tombstone Piledriver that's a front slam. Chris Adams slips walking the top rope. Buddy goes on the offense. Then Chris Adams counters into an atomic drop which Buddy sells immaculately. That Superkick to Buddy in the corner looked impressive. A few frantic pin attempts and we got a time limit draw. How long until they realize that Chris Adams superkick should be a finisher instead of a setup move because it looks a lot better than the offense it's setting up.

Match 2: Cocoa Samoa (called "Cocoa Samoan" on the graphic) vs John Mantell. Mantell has the hair of an 1980s Country singer. Cocoa Samoa is also 1980s Sabu in some territories. Do you long long headscissor sequences on the mat because this match. Just imagine all the ethnicities that Cocoa Samoa could have played as a wrestler. Sometime during the match, I realize Mantell looks like 1970s Rob Reiner. Mantell wins with a Russian Legsweep.

Next week, Bruiser Brody vs Michael Hayes!

Match 3: Terry Gordy vs Ken Johnson. Ken Johnson looks like a total schlub. Gordy messes around with this dude for a few minutes. They do strike exchange where Gordy has more convincing strikes than a dude who looks like a high school teacher moonlighting on the weekend. Gordy puts Johnson out with the Orential sleeper/nerve hold. Johnson shakes for a bit and Gordy pins him. Well, that was an enhancement match.

Kevin Von Erich gets a ringside interview where he declines to say who injured David Von Erich. Well that's one way to handle it.

Match 4: Kevin and Kerry Von Erich vs Mr. Ebony and The Mongol. Somehow Mr. Ebony is the guy with a mask on this team. Meanwhile The Mongol is a total white dude with a bad haircut. Maybe he's a biker. The heel team is Tom Jones and Cousin Luke, for the record. Gotta love how the intro notes "Skandor Akbar presents" like he's also their local promoter. Kevin being willing to walk barefoot in the Sportatorium should have been a hint that this is a unique family. Kerry pausing and then dropkicking guys is a fun visual. Nice kick to the chest by the Mongol during a test of strength. Skandor got tired and is sitting down in a chair at ringside. Any managers ever just bring their own director's chair to sit in at ring side? (foreign object idea!). Since I've heard of the Von Erich reputation for working stiff, I can report that Kevin is indeed laying them in tonight. The Stomach Claw, truly one of the clawholds. Why not put a clawhold on their knee? Kerry is in some peril from a bearhug until he just counters the bearhead with the Claw. Mr. Ebony also does a bearhug. The Peacock timer stops at 46:44 for this episode but the match goes on if you just disregard Peacock trying to end the episode early. All four are in the ring for awhile. Then the Von Erichs double dropkick. Kevin beats Ebony with a nice moonsault-ish splash. Bronko's knees aren't good enough for him to get down for that count. But the fight continues postmatch before the Von Erichs irish-whip the heels into each other and stand tall.

Well, the main event was fun. Adams/Roberts was more fun. The stuff in-between was in-between. Certainly shenanigans will be afoot for Brody vs Hayes next week.

[Cobra Commander]

There's some time before the MLB Playoffs start so since I saw some World Class last night. Let's watch more of it this afternoon

World Class Championship Wrestling (10/1/1983)

I think the shot of earth in the 1983 World Class intro is the same picture as World Championship Wrestling episodes.

Let's go back to June 1983, Harley Race vs Kevin Von Erich. I watched some June 1983 World Class this summer so it feels like i've seen this before but I was too busy riffing on the Mongol back then. Kevin just can't do a body scissors on Harley (well, his stomach is large). The dynamic for Flair vs the local heroes is a little different than Harley vs the local heroes. Not sure about the logic of this bodyscissors focus because it didn't really work for a second time. Harley looking around like "did you just see that" after Kevin's shoulder gives out trying to pull Harley out the corner. Also that two handed irish whip is a good way to sell. Yesss.. Harley just punching Kevin in the shoulder, that's arm work. Kevin puts his hand in the front of his trunks to protect his arm, which is an idea that doesn't look right visually. Kevin wont give up. We got a third bodyscissors attempt, which doesn't work again. Clawhold ends with Harley flinging Kevin to the floor. David Von Erich is out there and Harley kicks him through the ropes which leads David into the ring to get his brother disqualified. David yells "now it's my turn" while holding the belt and says if he can't win the championship, he'll quit. Yeah, i've seen this before. While Terry Funk was actually in Roadhouse, Harley Race is the NWA champ who works like he would be the villain in a movie bar fight.

They had a request to reair the David Von Erich/Jimmy Garvin/Sunshine "valet for a day" segment. They must not have an hour of TV content this week and this is how you got to see things again if you didn't know a tape trader in 1983 (or have a VCR). Jimmy Garvin's hair looks amazing. It looks like he's in the band for a Southern rock band (well). Nice old person car too. Jimmy Garvin is digging holes as David Von Erich fires a gun into the air. Our Texas Heroes! Jimmy and Sunshine wash a dog! Jimmy and Sunshine lift some hay! Bill Mercer on the farm looking like William Daniels. Jimmy Garvin charges David and we go to the break.

Now it's time for some matches

Match 1: Bill Rathke vs Johnny "John" Mantell. Rathke looks like if Ted DiBiase had the metabolism of Buddy Rose. Matches these days just don't eat up as much time working hammerlocks. How are we supposed to now which wrestler is the toughest if they don't run off the ropes into each other a few times. Rathke's legwork leads to Mantell working Rathke's big fat legs for a moment. Mantell wins with the Russian Legsweep. Rathke makes sure to make sure we know it was merely a flash pin (to be fair, Mantell's Russian Legsweep really isn't smooth either)

Match 2: The Mongol vs David Von Erich. Things are going pretty good around here if Cousin Luke can afford to keep this goofy haircut for this long. Bill Mercer finds enough of a lull in the match to announce that Sunshine is about to get own valet. Akbar has his own ringside chair yet again. In theory, wouldn't a family of superathletes who use the claw be near unstoppable in honest tests of strength? David puts Mongol in the claw. You see, David's claw has leverage because he's also tall. Eventually the Mongol just gives up and David wins. Bronko is happy that things wrapped up before he had to count or do anything too physical. Akbar insists that nobody in his group ever submits as Mongol tapped a gusher from the claw.

And now our main event. Bruiser Brody vs Michael Hayes. The fight starts immediately after the break ends. It's a brawl between two guys with long hair. Terry Gordy runs in quickly. It's gonna be a two on one. Michael Hayes holds Brody back so that Gordy can put the spoke on him. Chris Adams and Kerry run in for the save. Gordy throws Kerry out and puts the spike on Adams. The heels are outnumbered here while reasonably holding their own. I guess Buddy's passed out under a table. The three babyfaces gather in the ring. As far as finishers go, "I'm gonna press my thumb into your throat/neck" is probably credible. It sounds more exotic if you learned your finishing move from Japan as opposed to saying it's the move you used to steal lunchmoney in school.

Next week, Terry Gordy will face Kerry Von Erich. Buddy Roberts has been found as all three Freebirds talk to Bill Mercer and Terry threatens things. Terry really is built like the most terrifying lineman of an early 1980s NFL team. He looks like Alex Karras.

Reairing that much content was probably a hint that Hayes/Brody wasn't going long (the other hint is that it's a TV main event between two stars in 1983). The Von Erich family side-mission storyline with non-Freebird feuds are slightly different than the norm.

[Cobra Commander]

Okay, since we've watched two episodes, let's bounce ahead a little bit and watch more World Class.

World Class Championship Wrestling (8/18/1984)

In the last 11 months since the episode I watched this afternoon, Bill Mercer has grown a beard.

We start with an encore of Kerry Von Erich vs Gino Hernandez joined in progress. Not sure if it's production quality or me imagining things but the Sportatorium seems to have better lighting in 1984 than 1983. Gino with a nice Flair/Stevens corner bump. Ref bump. Gino knocks out Kerry with a foreign object to win the match.

How about a wrestling music montage where they use the same video effects over and over to show us what video editing can do in 1984? It's like the Ken Burns effect, only more uncomfortable.

Match 1: Kelly Kiniski vs Skip Young. Kelly Kiniski looking like evil John Ritter around this time (runnerup comparison: he looks like Joe Blanchard is his real father). Skip Young just somersaults towards Kiniski to taunt him. Skip flips onto his head to avoid Kiniski in a more dangerous looking way than preferred. A reversal knocking Skip's stomach off the ropes, followed by a neckbreaker and kneedrop break up the monotony of chinlocks for a moment. Eventually the chinlock turns into a sleephold. Skip Young's punches look pretty firm. Skip Young wins with a front dropkick off the middle rope. The Pretty Young Things show up postmatch to challenge Skip Young, finally a Sweet Brown Sugar vs Sweet Brown Sugar feud. The PYT's hair looks majestic. The PYTs hit Skip Young with a sorta-Hart Attack (with Koko jumping off the top to hit a lifted Skip Young). Nobody comes out to help Skip Young. You try fighting off the PYTs.

Match 2: Wild Bill Irwin vs Mike Von Erich. Gino interrupts the introductions, with a convincing cocaine dealer outfit to rant on Mike Von Erich since Gino is your champion even if Mike beat Gino for the Americas Title recently. Mike gets jumped from behind by Irwin as he tried to cut a response promo on Gino. Mike looks like the Jim Bob Walton of the family. Mike isn't Kendall Windham levels of skinny but he's noticeably small especially against Bill Irwin. It appears that Mike has mastered extended side headlocks. Akbar and Scott Irwin leave for some reason mid-match. Jake Roberts is arriving soon in the area. Mike hits a high knee that looks better than most of his offense followed by an elbowdrop. David Manning shows up to talk to Bronko and to stop this match because Terry Gordy and Killer Khan are fighting and if we don't stop the current match, we won't get Gordy vs Khan. Good enough reason as any!

Match 3: Terry Gordy vs Killer Khan. Terry Gordy is bloodied and accompanied by Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts. Buddy looking like somebody who has been banned from living in a mobile home community. Here comes Khan and it's time for them fight it out. Lots of punches to Khan's ear. Akbar and Scott Irwin show up and we got everybody fighting. Khan puts the Spike on Hayes, Gordy puts the Spoke on Khan. "Mankind at it's worst" says the commentator who covered the Assassination of JFK. A bunch of people show up to try and break it all up. This has the working style of a baseball brawl between the people actually fighting and people trying to break up a fight. Michael Hayes finds a wooden chair and clears the ring. 

Next week on World Class: Kerry vs Michael Hayes in a Lumberjack Match

Match 2 resumes: Wild Bill Irwin vs Mike Von Erich. This show aired less than a week before Mike's shoulder injury and toxic shock which made the concept of actually having Mike wrestle go from being a bad idea to exploitative. Mike reverses an irish whip and Bill Irwin goes into a whip held by Akbar/Scott Irwin and BIll gets pinned. Buck Zumhofe makes the save. I wonder why Buck Zumhofe decided to go to a promotion with a bunch of young female fans.

An opener that was mostly meh. Seeing Mike Von Erich work a match that was paused once in favor of a more interesting match. The main event descends into a fracas. Then we get the conclusion of Mike Von Erich shortly before he gets brain damaged. Also a future sex offender registry member makes the save for Mike. What a week!

[SirSmUgly]

I'm thinking about doing World Class on Peacock after I'm done with Mid-South. It's that or the Mid-Atlantic stuff. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

My friends and I did a podcast on each episode of World Class ending with the Texas Stadium show with Kerry winning the belt. The episodes before the Freebirds show up are insanely bad with a roster of David, Kevin, and Kerry and a gaggle of never wases and washed up guys. It's wild .

[Cobra Commander]

Seeing heel Koko in World Class last night makes me wonder if Koko was cashing checks in the WWF at a higher rate than anybody else who was real good pre-WWF and then did nothing notable in the WWF for years.

Duggan did some stuff in the WWF for a few years after his post-arrest return. Koko just had a bird and was barely a midcarder. Like I guess you could wonder "what if they had Koko be a heel at some point" but then you remember that Koko was short in comparison to WWF guys.

Also for some stupid reason, I confuse the names of Norvell Austin and Wendell Cooley despite the fact that one of them is black and the other is white.

Watching the Gino encore match last night also made me think he looked sorta like Rick Martel (with some differences) and made me wonder "what if they had Gino in a candyass babyface team with Tito Santana before turning Gino heel on Tito"... I guess the model looking more like he's working with Pablo Escobar would be a different look than what Martel did with the gimmick.

The 1984 episode I picked was picked without me realizing I wasn't gonna be watching one of the legendary Gordy/Khan matches. Which might come later in the year if they air Holiday Star Wars matches on TV after the card occurred.

[Cobra Commander]

Big day of teams advancing in the playoffs. I've already watched 3 World Class episodes this week. Phoenix doesn't really have local wrestling that was preserved on film. Minneapolis? hey, I already watched Super Sunday and there's not a lot of AWA on the network so... the 4th team to win today is Philadelphia, so let's look at show descriptions and go to...

ECW Hardcore TV (10/29/1996)

We open with Joey Styles in the ring. The WWF has Mark Henry. WCW had Matt Ghaffari who won Silver (before deciding to not sign with WCW). ECW is bringing out Kurt Angle for a night he surely won't regret whatsoever when other angles happen later. Nice to see Hat Guy and Faith No More Guy slapping hands with Kurt. Little Guido gets to meet Kurt Angle! Nice of Joey to pretend that Kurt Angle watches enough wrestling to know who Taz was in 1996. If only we had remembered this build going into Rumble 2000. I'm sure this has been written down (I have Kurt Angle's book, I could just open that) so I won't ask how the fuck this came together. Taz spent more of the summer watching himself than the Olympics.

Hey, it's a shoot fight (bro) between Taz and Little Guido. They managed to get Kurt to do commentary for this too. Kurt pointing out Taz not going for the kill post clothesline. Joey Styles trying his best to talk up ECW's technical wrestling to Kurt Angle. Kurt unsure of why Taz isn't going for the kill again. Taz wins with a beautiful (according to Kurt Angle) Tazmission. The screen for the entire match reminds us that US Gold Medalist Kurt Angle was on commentary. Taz has some words postmatch. Kurt Angle is watching from afar. Taz is losing patience with Sabu.

"It speaks volumes about ECW that Kurt Angle is here" - an endorsement he surely isn't about to regret!

Shane Douglas vs Cody Michaels. Joel Gertner drops by to tell us that he has a mutual friend with Kurt Angle. Shane has words before the match. The mutants have words about Francine because most of them have never felt the loving embrace of a woman. Pitbull 2 shows up so he can be held back from hitting the ring. After a commercial break, we come back to Joey doing the Joey Voice as Cody Michaels hits moves on Shane Douglas. After a few minutes of Cody Michaels offense, Shane hits a Single Arm DDT and a Tombstone. Shane picks up Cody and hits him with 1984's most deadly move, the Belly to Belly Suplex, for the win. After the match, Shane Douglas puts Cody Michaels in a swinging full nelson. Pitbull 2 makes the save before Cody turns into Adnan Al-Kaissie. Shane Douglas tries hitting Pitbull 2 in the head with a hair, which doesn't work. They slowly chase each other around for a bit. Because this is 1996 ECW, Shane Douglas knocks over Francine. Various dudes prevent more man on woman violence and the heels finally escape. Joel Gertner gets into the ring and they finally pick a camera angle where Pitbull 2 looks taller than Joel (they look about the same height). Joel gets tossed onto a crowd of wrestlers and we hit a break.

Chris Candido vs Spike Dudley. This is Candido's first ECW appearance post-WWF (He was last on RAW a month earlier). The mutants chant "We Want Sunny" at Candido because they are well-adjusted males. Candido spikes Spike with a German Suplex as this is a matchp where Chris Candido can do some power moves easily. Chris hits a top rope powerbomb on Spike for a win. Finally Chris is in a place to do the moves that he couldn't do in other promotions. Chris Candido takes the mic postmatch to remind us that he was working in this building in 1993 before reminding us that he's a heel.

2 Cold Scorpio vs The Sandman. Nice gig by those cops who get to walk The Sandman to the ring. He's facing his best friend, 2 Cold Scorpio. We come out of the break with Scorpio putting Sandman in an armbar. Scorpio wants to make this a wrestling match and not a fight, says Joey. Scorpio grabs a chair and then decides to not use it. They hug and Scorpio kneelifts Sandman and thtows him into the chair. Scorpio hits a kick and canes the Sandman with his own cane. Joey assuming that Scorpio is a former best friend by now. Sandman misses with a caneshot and eats a thrust kick. Nice Alabama Jam. Moonsault to a sideways Sandman gets 2. Sandman canes Scorpio while he's on the top and (kinda) hits a top rope rana. Scorpio counters with a powerslam and misses the Tumbleweed. Sandman rolls over and gets the 3.

Post-match, Tyler comes into the ring dressed like his dad. Which allows Raven to ambush and DDT Sandman as we fade to black. Nice to see families spending time together at the matches.

Of course, the infamous part of this card was not aired on TV for some obvious reasons (this being the night that Raven crucified the Sandman causing Kurt Angle to realize this was 1996 ECW). But a historic show for a few reasons.

[Gorman]

Thoughts on November to Remember 99

Taz was WWF-bound, but he showed up to bully the announcers and challenge RVD (unsuccessfully) for the TV title.

Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka nearly killed each other in another chapter of their rivalry. While Tanaka had the advantage in their previous meetings, Awesome retained the ECW title with a Super Awesome Bomb.

Joey Styles predicted that Raven-Sandman-Dreamer would not win the main event against Storm-Credible-Rhino due to their years of rivalry, which were still going on even though Raven and Dreamer held the tag team titles. Joey was right. Raven pulled a Reverse Urkel by caning Sandman and saying "Did I do that? Who cares?" He didn't save Sandman from getting pinned by Credible.

Angel from Da Baldies is the surprise MVP. He survived a staple gun to the groin and a basketball hoop dive from New Jack (Curt, he climbed a ladder to reach the backboard and hit a perfect dive through the table, popped back up and kept fighting). Angel got the last laugh with a guitar shot and pin on New Jack to grab another unofficial title (King of the Streets).

[Cobra Commander]

More free time during the daytime? More wrestling!

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling (3/12/1983)

Greg Valentine vs Jim Burnett. We open the show with a shot of Greg Valentine's "splendid robe". No no, I said Burnett. Burnett's a large dude. Got some early wrestling here and then Greg eventually hits this dude in the chest twice. Valentine wins with the Figure Four Leglock. Roddy Piper was on commentary for this very special occasion.

We got a drawing of Andre the Giant on the set with Roddy and Bob Caudle. Greg Valentine walks over to ask what Roddy Piper's doing out there. Roddy taunts Greg Valentine over not putting his belt on the line. Greg Valentine responds to this slight by challenging Roddy Piper to wrestle him tonight for the Title.

Let's take a look at Andre the Giant wrestling The Black Demon from the WWF. Andre just looking at the dude like "what are you trying to do" as he tries unsuccessfully to whip him out of the corner. Vince must be smoking stuff today because he asked "What if Andre ripped off the mask of the Black Demon and it looked just like Andre, do you think he would be surprised?". Andre wins with a buttdrop.

Dick Slater and One Man Gang vs Ron Rossi and Vinnie Valentino. Oliver Humperdink drops by the table. One Man Gang looking like a giant larger Bray Wyatt at this time in his life. One Man Gang hits a splash. Dick Slater hits two splashes. One Man Gang hits another splash for the win. One Man Gang probably improved his look by having less hair but black might just be a better color for him than red. Postmatch Humperdink challenges Jimmy Valiant to anything.

Sweet Brown Sugar and Mike Rotundo vs Bill White and Ricky Harris. These four rotate pairings a bit. White and Harris looking like muscle in a redneck crime ring. Sugar comes in and he's a house of fire. Sugar leapfrogs Harris and Rotundo picks him up in the Airplane spin and beats him that way. Which is more interesting than just an airplane spin.

Mike Rotundo and Sweet Brown Sugar get a postmatch interview. Sugar drops a lot of names very quickly. 

Jim Nelson and Johnny Weaver vs Chic Donovan and Ben Alexander. Johnny Weaver combining immaculate hair on his head with being a hairy old man (or that might just be the lighting). Jim Nelson is in camo pants for the occasion. Nice clothesline from Jim Nelson as he readjusts to civilian life. Weaver pins Donovan with the running bulldog out of the corner.

Dory Funk Jr vs Ken Timbs. Paul Jones is with Dory and he joins Bob at the table. Dory has a decent amount of hair aside from on top of his head. Timbs unsuccessfully tries a criss-cross that gets him forearmed in the head. Dory wins with the Texas Cloverleaf.

Ric Flair vs Masa Fuchi. Great selection of robes on this week's episode. Ric Flair getting some possibly insincere praise on commentary from guest commentator Paul Jones. Flair laying it in a little with chops. Nice delayed vertical suplex and knee drop. Flair beats Fuchi with the Figure-Four. 

Paul Jones and Dory Funk Jr join Bob for an interview. Dory actually speaks a little. Dory is the Mid-Atlantic Champion right now, for the record.

And our main event: Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper. They ferociously go at each other to start off. We got a quick disqualification as Roddy drops Greg Valentine over the top rope. Both competitors are mad over this. So the referee decides to let this match continue. The Mid-Atlantic Ref looking like he runs a car garage. Greg Valentine goes on the offense after a knee. Gary Hart is on commentary for this match and Kabuki will be on TV next week. Roddy trying to counter the figure four by blocking Greg's right leg from coming down. Piper flips over the figure four and Valentine reaches the ropes. After a failed attempt at another Figure-Four, they start hitting each other hard. And we're just about out of time so here comes Dick Slater for the disqualification. Valentine and Slater doubleteam Piper was the credits roll. I wonder how much stylistic overlap there is between Piper/Valentine Mid-Atlantic matchups and the They Live fight scene. Of course Greg Valentine wasn't being asked to put the sunglasses on, so it's different.

Lots of star power this week, and guest commentators, and lots of tag team matches

[Cobra Commander]

Let's watch even more World Class, this time it's a week i'm picking because it doesn't have a specific description of what's on the episode

World Class Championship Wrestling (12/24/1983)

Let's go to Reunion Arena (around Thanksgiving-time) first for Kevin Von Erich vs Terry Gordy. Nice batch of successive armdrags from both guys. Terry selling armwork furiously. Test of strength. I ponder to myself if getting kicked by a barefoot Kevin is supposed to be more painful than getting kicked by a guy woth boots. Kevin almost targets the phone due to the Spike. Terry could move for his size. The spike misses, Kevin puts the claw on, Mercer tries to explain the lack of a DQ after Gordy counters the claw by tossing Kevin over the top. Gordy misses a top rope splash but counters a splash. Kevin wins with the moonsault splash. Buddy Roberts runs in postmatch and gets beaten up. Gordy uses this opening to hit Kevin with Buddy's cowboy boot. Then they stomp on Kevin's claw hand. Buddy in street clothes and that headgear is an amazingly goofy visual. Buddy Roberts' stock is going up with the more WCCW I watch.

Here's a music video of David Von Erich riding a horse and wrestling. That horse looks well-fed.

Kevin Von Erich and Brian Adidas join Bill at ringside. Brian Adidas has Dave Meltzer's 80s hair.

Match 1: Doug Vines vs the Missing Link. Nice of Marc Lowrance to be unfazed by Link jumping Vines, continuing to do the intro because that's his job, damnit, and he's wearing a tux. Link justs beats down Vines for awhile. Doug Vines bleeds from this attention. Link making that inverted atomic drop look painful. Link wins with a diving headbutt.

Match 2: Ernie Ladd vs Kamala. Babyface Ernie Ladd with some fire and a "PROMISES PROMISES" jacket. Ernie's selling sure is something. Lots of chops and strikes as you'd expect. Kamala countering a choke with an eyerake like he's actually a dirty Ugandan streetfighter in the jungle. Akbar is thrown into the ring to take a bump, then Kamala takes over and slams Ladd. Kamala gets disqualified because Akbar held Ladd down for the splash. Ladd eats a 2 on 1 and gets knocked to the floor.

Next week, Gordy and Roberts vs Kevin and Mike!

Match 3: Johnny Mantell and Chris Adams vs Terry Gordy and Jimmy Garvin. Sunshine shows up and is way over with the fans. Some nice doubleteam moves from Adams/Mantell. Adams is in peril against Garvin/Gordy for awhile until Mantell comes in and promptly gets Spiked and tossed to the floor. Kevin Von Erich shows up to try and get Mantell up. Gordy lures Kevin into the ring for a fight. For some reason the match keeps going and Chris Adams pins Garvin with a back suplex. Sunshine and Precious go at it. For those who forgot, Sunshine is Garvin's cousin and Precious is Garvin's wife. Garvin and Precious are past the 50 year mark in what might be one of the longer lasting marriages where both members were in the industry.

Kevin Von Erich pledges that Gordy's leaving the state with Hayes. Chris Adams has words about his upcoming match with Jimmy Gahvin.