WWE Network Conversation

[SirSmUgly]

It's whatever this theme is knocking off. I couldn't tell you what "Evenflow" sounds like. It's a DDT to me, not a song. Yeah, yeah, I know, but I've never really listened to Pearl Jam. 

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

[zendragon]

6 hours ago, Mister TV said:

Did Hart actually write the knockoff themes? A lot of the music library companies had knock off tunes, they'd kind of hint what they were knocking off in the descriptions.

I'm under the impression that he did.

DDP's theme is really similar to Smells Like Teen Spirit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w0afsPqT8A

Raven had the Come as You are knock off

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

 

 

[Cobra Commander]

Looking around the Peacock.. and well, I spent some time tonight watching a Sky News feed with by-elections in the UK and the Astros/D-Backs won tonight so let's watch...

NXT UK (12/26/2019)

Tom Phillips and Nigel McGuinness are our guides for this episode, which is the best of 2019 NXT UK episode

Also, NXT UK TakeOver is in Blackpool on January 12th, 2020. Walter will defend against Joe Coffey! There'll be a tag team title ladder match! A Triple Threat for the Women's title!

Let's go back to Takeover as Rhea Ripley defends the Women's title vs Toni Storm. They really rotate camera angles during strikes like it's a series of security cameras. I'm sure I forgot Rhea Ripley with that hair color on the main roster but after the last year, Rhea Ripley not looking like a mall goth looks very different (Could say the same for Toni but it's not as dramatic). Toni evades the Riptide and wins the Women's Title by hitting Storm Zero for a second time. We're just one bit of blatant contract tampering away from being able to have more of these matches (that's just a joke, TK)

Toni Storm has some comments about 2019 and how she'll win the Women's Title again at TakeOver Blackpool II. 

We go back to August 31st as Toni Storm is defending against Kay Lee Ray. Kay Lee wins the title with her Widows Peak finisher.

Flashback to March 27th, 2019 as Piper Niven arrives in NXT UK.

TakeOver II, Kay Lee Ray vs Toni Storm vs Piper Niven!

Clips of Travis Banks vs Jordan Devlin from February

We go back to June as Grizzled Young Veterans have things to say.

Let's go back to TakeOver on Januuary 12th as the matchup is Grizzled Young Veterans vs Moustache Mountain. That Doomsday Dive doubleteam to the outside looks nasty. Gibson and Drake win with the Ticket To Mayhem. Also gotta say that this Blackpool venue has a cool looking background.

Highlight video of the tag team scene leading up to TakeOver Cardiff.

Let's go to Cardiff as it's Webster/Morgan vs Grizzled Young Vets and Gallus in a triple threat. Well heaving your partner into the nearest group of lurking opponents is creative enough. Gallus on the verge of victory until a last second save. It's a six-way fracas. Flinging a guy so he hits a Canadian Destroyer on someone else. The Doomsday Dive to the floor again. Apparently it's called the Welsh Destroyer in this promotion, which sounds like the nickname of a UK Government policy. Would a Welsh tag team have the advantage of being able to communicate in Welsh, a language that can't be comprehended by opponents? Our Welsh Heroes win the titles after a Fall to Pieces. Now if he was called Flash Morgan-Webster, he'd have a double-barreled name.

At Blackpool II, it's Gallas vs Imperium vs Grizzled Young Veterans vs Andrews/Webster in a four way ladder match that probably had no shortage of amazing spots.

Back to August 7th as Joe Coffey takes on The Bomber. Hey, I didn't know Otis was British. The match ends in a double countout. On further review, That's Dave Mastiff, not Otis.

Go to WWE Shop to buy stuff for the holidays! (never mind that this episode is airing on December 26th, buy more stuff)

Back to October 31st as Dave Mastiff takes on Jordan Devlin. Devlin beats Mastiff by countering a top rope move into a suplex. I know WWE released Mastiff last year but Mastiff vs Otis would be an amazing "Otis vs British Otis" matchup. Get two shortish large bearded dudes and have them battle for supremacy.

Let's take a look at the Rampaging Russian Ilya Dragunov.

Highlights from NXT UK Cardiff as Dragunov takes on Cesaro. In the spirit of when I typed about Dragunov vs Walter from 2020, Ilya works like a guy desperately trying to win a street fight.

Back to October 24th as Trent Seven takes on Noam Dar. Enjoying how Noam Dar is looking and working more like a hatable douchebag than his CWC matches. Trent Seven has some Enzo Amore-esque hair. "I think Dar had this in mind all along" says the commentator as Seven immediately reaches the ropes on a post-pin kneebar. Noam bumping like a maniac for that suplex/back fist/lariat. Well, hitting a superkick in the middle of a seequence where you're having your leg worked is a decision. We got towel action in-between some nearfalls. Gnarly looking finger action by Seven before Seven wins with a Burning Hammer. While that was clipped, it certainly was a good one.

Back to January 2nd, we got a contract signing for Coffey vs Pete Dunne. Pete Dunne gets powerbombed through a table.

We got a commercial for Kane's book "Mayor Kane" which I do not remember at all.

Back to January 30th as Walter makes his in-ring debut against Jack Starz. Walter mauls the fuck out of this tiny schlub.

Nigel keeps asking for clips of Walter to make Tom Phillips uncomfortable. We go to break with a "Technical Difficulties" joke to cut away from Nigel 'chopping' Tom Phillips

Holy hell, the theme song for TakeOver Blackpool II sounds bad. People still did that kind of music in 2020?

Let's go back to NXT New York as Walter takes on Pete Dunne. It's possible that Walter has surpassed Pete Dunne for "the most impressive title reign of the modern era" at least twice. Love the crowd shot of people who clearly did not realize they were gonna see Walter beating the fuck out of a dude at their wrestling show. Walter wins the title with a splash.

Walter also created Imperium during 2019 in an effort to kick even more ass around here.

Tyler Bate takes on Walter at TakeOver Cardiff. It appears that Bate hitting moves on Walter just made Walter angry. Bate flips like a JCP jabroni getting hit by the Russian Sickle for the finish.

We get some roads from Joe Coffey at (probably) his house talking about his upcoming match with Walter.

Next week on NXT UK, Dragunov takes on Alexander Wolfe in a No DQ match.

Well, that was a series of clipped matches and highlights from a year of NXT UK. With all the fuzzy optimism for the future from a brand not expecting the things that most of us didn't expect from 2020.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Cobra Commander

[DangerMark]

24 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

Love the crowd shot of people who clearly did not realize they were gonna see Walter beating the fuck out of a dude at their wrestling show. Walter wins the title with a splash.

Two things I love about WALTER: he beats the fuck out of people and he finishes his matches with whatever he damn well pleases.

[Cobra Commander]

in theory, Walter splashing someone should be sold like a bear just jumped off a tree onto your prone body.

That year in review NXT UK episode was a bit of a restaurant buffet of an episode.

[DangerMark]

WALTER doing anything should be sold like that.

[Cobra Commander]

I'm not gonna bodyshame him for getting into better shape but there's some moves that look more devastating with a larger Walter than with in-shape Gunther. The name change is what it is.. it's not one of those WWE name changes that actually hindered him any. For what it's worth.

Rhea Ripley changing to darker hair is sort of a changeover from being Sporty Spice to being Scary Spice. But I also don't really remember much about the year Ripley spent on Raw before she joined Judgment Day so I really might be describing things that were on episodes of RAW 2 years ago.

[Curt McGirt]

12 hours ago, DangerMark said:

he finishes his matches with whatever he damn well pleases

God, you know what? He does. And aside from roll-ups or screwjobs to further an angle I can't think of anyone else who does anymore. It's always a finisher.

[Godfrey]

3 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

God, you know what? He does. And aside from roll-ups or screwjobs to further an angle I can't think of anyone else who does anymore. It's always a finisher.

The only other guy that comes to mind is Dragunov. Hope they get another match at some point, I really think they are two of the best around right now

[zendragon]

4 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

God, you know what? He does. And aside from roll-ups or screwjobs to further an angle I can't think of anyone else who does anymore. It's always a finisher.

Bryan Danielson has used four or five different moves to win matches in AEW

[Curt McGirt]

Yeah but they're established Capital-F Finishers. Busaiku Knee, Yes Lock, roll up or, I dunno, some other tricky pinning combination like an O'Connor Roll or small package (he uses these more than you'd think) are the big three. The Cattle Decap too? You know I guess GUNTHER's are more just old finishers -- powerbomb, lariat. But still finishers. 

[zendragon]

He used the Triangle choke, heel hook and got a stoopage from the BCC stomps when he was running the DO gauntlet as well

[odessasteps]

King of the Small Package, once I believe.

[Cobra Commander]

With the weekend approaching, it's time to go to the one wrestling show with College Football updates cut out of the Peacock version

World Championship Wrestling (9/26/1987)

David Crockett is at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit this week providing updates just in case something happens.

Match 1: The Rock'N'Roll Express ve Tommy Angel and Mike Force. Ricky and Robert alternate on Tommy Angel for a few minutes until Mike Force tags in. Ricky pins Mike Force with a flying bodypress.

The Rock'N'Roll Express have some words with Tony about how the Four Horsemen never go one-on-one, two-on-two. We see a recent match where Ricky Morton beats Tully by countout after their heads knock. Then Arn Anderson hits the Gourdbuster on Ricky. Tully belts Ricky's stomach as JJ and Arn hold him down.

Match 2: Bugsy McGraw vs Gladiator #1. Well Bugsy sure has an outfit. The Gladiator can't get Bugsy up for a slam and doesn't really do much else. Bugsy wins with a splash after going through as much of his shtick as possible.

Hey it's a postmatch interview with Bugsy McGraw. Always nice to have less coherent people than Jimmy Valiant around.

Match 3: The Sheepherders vs Cougar Jay and Rocky King. The fans chant USA as Johnny Ace and the Sheepherders present the New Zealand flag. I'm just gonna imagine that Luke and Butch had one pair of camo pants and that's why they wore the same pants as the Sheepherders and the Bushwhackers. So how does one get to be called Cougar Jay? Johnny Ace with a union jack top like he's the frontman of a New Wave band whose best US hit reached #37. In theory, is "rubbing your opponent's eyes" on the top rope more or less lethal with cables than actual ropes? Butch pins Jay after a double stomachbuster. Always a little odd to see the Bushwhackers referred to by their last names.

Postmatch interview with the Sheepherders. Johnny Ace looking like the lost member of the New Breed. The Sheepherders are challenging all the best so they namedrop all the other tag teams. The fun part about the Herders/Whackers is that you can't really figure out if there's a sane one on the team.

Match 4: The Warlord vs Alan Martin. All the stars are here today. Paul Jones gets to talk during this one. Somehow Warlord avoided getting a Russian gimmick with his bald head and massive amount of (legal at the time) anabolic steroids. Warlord wins with a powerslam.

Match 5: The Midnight Express vs Nikita Koloff and Barry Windham. We zoom to not Techwood to see this match joined in progress. Okay, the Apron says it's from The Pro. Stan Lane keeps preventing Nikita Koloff from entering the ring for awhile. Cornette joins the commentary to declare "You know how them Russians are about that vodka". Nikita is the face in peril for this one. A leapfrog and the MX collide to get the hot tag to Barry as the fans pop. Arn Anderson shows up to hit Barry with a chair through the ropes and the Midnights retain the US Tag Team Titles.

We get some words from Dusty Rhodes. Horsemen got a big match with the Superpowers and Road Warriors in Greensboro tomorrow. Dusty promises to beat Lex Lugar with the Weaverlock. The hold that this world has on Dusty's hard is apparently equivalent to the Weaverlock. 

Paul Jones and the Warlord join us as Paul Jones proclaims it's Christmas and New Year's because he has signed The Mighty Wilbur to complete his army. He has signed him sight unseen. Red Bastien told Paul Jones that the Mighty Wilbur was the World's Most Dangerous Man

Match 6: Kevin Sullivan vs Larry Stephens. Kevin's not about to fall to the mat performing that gutwrench suplex. He's not leaving his feet for this one. Nice mullet on Stephens. Sullivan wins with a double stomp in a match where he doesn't take anything remotely approaching a bump. Good day at the office.

Kevin Sullivan joins Tony to namedrop some other guys because this is 1987 JCP. He declares himself to be the Omega Man and he's here to make some people extinct because extinction is forever. Well, that's a pledge.

Match 7: Arn Anderson vs Art Pritts. Art Pritts is a fat boy and Arn beats him with the Gourdbuster. Pritts barely got up for that move and hit the mat knees first.

Arn Anderson joins Tony. Man, he has a nice head of hair around this time. Arn has some words for Barry Windham.

Match 8: Tully Blanchard vs The Menace. I guess the Menace is technically a babyface here. Tully wins quick with a Slingshot Suplex.

Tully (and Arn) join Tony. Jim Crockett joins the interview to way that Tully Blanchard will wrestle at the Omni on the 18th in a match where the lumberjacks have belts. Tully reacts to this news with a pretty solid cocaine frenzy promo about this situation. Arn, who is now wearing his glasses, closes with "It's been your pleause as usual"

Match 9: Mike Rotundo vs Dave Spearman. Rotunda quickly wins with an airplane spin.

We cut to Joe Louis Arena as Ron Garvin is stomping Ric Flair in a steel cage. Garvin slams Flair off the top rope. Flair is bleeding as is required. Flair tries to roll away from an elbow drop but Garvin stops and just drops the elbow on him anyways. Flair/Garvin has to age pretty well from the "dudes beating the shit out of each other" angle. Flair tries to escape the cage but Garvin goes up with him. Flair crotches himself. Ron Garvin hits a Sunset Flip off the top to win the World Title. And that's the show folks!

This episode of World Championship Wrestling was only 90 minutes as the San Francisco Giants played the Atlanta Braves at 7:35 Eastern time that evening. The 66-86 Braves started David Palmer against the Mike LaCoss and the 84-69 Giants. The game was neck and neck until the bottom the 6th when the Braves blew it open on Rick Reuschel and Craig Lefferts with an RBI double by Gerald Perry, RBI groundout by Graig Nettles, bases loaded walk by wrestling valet talent scout Ron Gant, and an RBI single by Dion James. Charlie Puleo got the win and Rick Reuschel the loss. Paul Assenmacher got the save.

The other wrestling on TV in Kansas City that day: Championship Wrestling at 8am, Universal Wrestling Federation at 9am, Wild West Wrestling at 10am, NWA World Championship Super Bouts at 10am on TBS, World Class Championship Wrestling at 11am, GLOW at noon, Superstars of Wrestling at midnight after Saturday Night Live.

Since we didn't get Tony throwing to Craig Sager for a College Football minute. #11 Tennessee tied #3 Auburn on TBS on this day. As for the rest of the day, #9 Clemson beat Georgia Tech, #6 Florida State beat Michigan State, #5 Miami blew out #10 Arkansas, #2 Nebraska beat #12 Arizona State, #8 Notre Dame beat Purdue, #7 Ohio State tied #4 LSU, #1 Oklahoma crushed Tulsa, and that's the day of College Football.

[Gorman]

Thoughts on Anarchy Rulz 2000

My friends are here! It was great to see Joey Matthews, Christian York, and Julio Sanchez make their pay-per-view debuts. They worked very hard for us in Steel City Wrestling and countless other promotions and deserved their shot at the big time.

Hey, it's the Buckshot Lariat! That's one of my favorite moves, and here's EZ Money doing it (The Money Clip) more than a decade before the Hangman made the move famous.

Steve Corino was getting over with the fans, despite the fact that he still had Jack Victory and Dawn Marie in the corner. It was like RVD being super popular while still having cheating heel manager Bill Alfonzo in his corner.

I was there when the FBI won the tag team belts in Pittsburgh, but I forgot that Little Guido also won the belts with Tony Mamaluke. They beat Mikey & Tajiri despite a fireball to the groin from the Sinister Minister.

Justin Credible was the ECW champion, but he wasn't above wearing a Brett Favre jersey in Minneapolis to get cheap heat. Jerry Lynn is the MVP for winning the title in his hometown, overcoming heel referee Danny Daniels. He was counting fast but Lynn kicked out anyway. Finally, New Jack made a rare appearance in a World title match and neutralized Daniels, allowing Lynn to rally to victory.

[Cobra Commander]

the full version of Midnights vs Koloff/Windham that I reviewed above was aired on NWA Pro on the same day and it's online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPJMySTJtMY

Spoiler

Arn reaching through the ropes to hit a chairshot was pretty creative and a fun visual after seeing so many guys run into the ring to do their interference.

 

[Gorman]

Thoughts on November to Remember 2000 

Chris Chetti knocked himself out of ECW by challenging Nova to a loser-leave-town match and then losing. Nova & Chetti had won three straight pay-per-view matches, so it was strange to see them disintegrate like that.

I'm surprised Chilly Willy didn't get picked up by the WWF. He had a great look and an instant connection to the fans. He also had the courage to show up to a flaming tables match without a shirt.

Rhino no-sold a guitar shot and gored New Jack through a table to retain the TV title. The WWF didn't miss out on Rhino.

While Mikey Whipwreck was being stretchered out of his tag team title match with Tajiri against the FBI, the fans chanted for Super Crazy ... and they got him! He lived up to his name with a moonsault from the upper deck, but the FBI rallied for the win.

Steve Corino is the MVP for sacrificing his forehead to become ECW champion (MOST EXTREME SIGN: "I PAID TO SEE CORINO BLEED"). He pinned Sandman and Justin Credible to win the Double Jeopardy match, even after Dawn Marie turned on him for preventing her from getting into a catfight with Francine.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Gorman

[Cleavy]

8 hours ago, Gorman said:

I'm surprised Chilly Willy didn't get picked up by the WWF. He had a great look and an instant connection to the fans. He also had the courage to show up to a flaming tables match without a shirt.

they did sign him for developmental (OVW), but he only lasted 1 year.

[Cobra Commander]

The Texas Rangers are going to the World Series, so it's time to get onto the Peacock and watch some...

World Class Championship Wrestling (1/11/1986)

We're in Reunion Arena this week. Rick Rude takes on Lance Von Erich. Scott Casey and Sunshine vs John Tatum and Missy Hyatt.

Match 1: The Grappler and The Great Kabuki (w/ Percy Pringle) vs Brian Adias and Iceman King Parsons. Percy has an amazing sweatervest for tonight. Got some fun doubleteaming from Adias and Iceman on Grappler. Iceman making the absolute most of what little hair he has. Iceman hitting hard for a guy who people don't mention often for anything except headbutts. Kabuki with a nice back suplex on Iceman. Grappler also lays a few in. The ref looks like Jeff Daniels trying to meet a country club dress code. Adias is all over these cards and aside from him looking like 80s Dave Meltzer, there's not a lot of interesting things about him. Adias puts Grappler in a sleeper, Kabuki breaks it up, Iceman fights Kabuki, Grappler loads up his boot but Adias cradles him for a win. Postmatch, Adias gets kicked in the head by Kabuki and takes a loaded boot kick to the stomach. There's probably a plausible opening or two for a "loaded boot" gimmick even today. Just imagine that you can kick it into place in the most obvious manner possible. You see, he needs a special boot due to his history of... knee injuries(?) and it's totally not a gimmick to unleash the most potent superkick ever.

Match 2: Rick Rude (w/ Percy) vs Lance Von Erich for the American Title. Percy and Rick sure are a pair that works well together. Lance has stolen the Kevin shoeless thing because I guess he wasn't getting over enough before that so he's taking traits from his more over on-screen brothers? David Manning really looking like 1980s Sonny Bono. Lance really twists that hammerlock and Rude is gonna sell it a bit. Rude takes over after Percy talks to the ref. After some more back and forth with more Rude selling, Rude hits David Manning and gets disqualified. Then Lance Von Erich hits an atomic drop on Rick Rude and a dropkick. David Manning thinks that Rick Rude got disqualified to save his title. Lance is perfectly fine as a worker but he's sorta like a knockoff soft drink because you can't afford Dr Pepper and you gotta buy some Dr. Thunder.

Last week, The Missing Link goes after Kabuki and Percy Pringle post match. Then the Missing Link picks up Sunshine, putting her down to headbutt Scott Casey, and then Link carries Sunshine away. Later on, Rick Rude, looking like an asskicker in a leather jacket, beats down The Missing Link and then Sunshine shoes up and sprays Rick Rude in the eyes. Link saves Sunshine from Percy Pringle. Sunshine found out that The Missing Link had a troubled childhood and was in foster homes. Well. Okay. Is The Missing Link gonna open a boy's ranch or something?

Next week, Brian Adias vs The Grappler for the Texas Title!

Match 3: Hollywood John Tatum and Missy Hyatt vs Scott Casey and Sunshine. Missy is in a red-ish Baywatch liveguard one-piece outfit, she's 22 at this time. John Tatum declines to let the ref check Missy for foreign objects, good move, wouldn't want another guy to steal Missy, John. Tatum and Casey start. Casey slams Tatum off the top and tags in Sunshine and Tatum immediately trips Sunshine to give Missy an advantage. Then the men get tagged back in. Two on ones! miscommunication between Missy and John! Sunshine gets tagged and immediately runs for Missy. Missy spends some time on the floor and immediately tags out. Eventually Sunshine rushes across the ring like a rabid soccer mom towards Missy. In the chaos, Sunshine shakes the top rope, Tatum falls down and Casey gets the win. Postmatch, Missy is mad at John Tatum.

Now let's go back in time for some more World Class.

World Class Championship Wrestling (10/22/1983)

Our main event tonight is for the NWA title between Harley Race and Iceman King Parsons.

Match 1: Michael PS Hayes vs Johnny Mantell. You can run, you can hide, you cannot escape Johnny Mantell matches. Mercer informs us that The Super D's are coming to World Class. Lots of high quality strutting from Hayes. Nice  superweb design on his trunks although why he's wearing that isn't immediately obvious. Mantell and Hayes collide with Mantell trying a Thesz Press (?) and Hayes not going down, Mantell hits the ropes, and Hayes gets the pin.

We flashback to a Jimmy Garvin/David Von Erich match, with Akbar bringing Kamala out to the ring. Kamala is attacking David. People are throwing trash at the ring. David gets the claw on Kamala. Kamala eventually rolls off as Mercer talks about David humiliating Kamala and Akbar by putting him in the Claw like that. David backs down Kamala.

Here's a music video of Iceman King Parsons in action. Here he is taking on Kabuki, Ric Flair, Jimmy Garvin, Buddy Roberts. Here he is putting Freebird hair removal cream on Buddy Roberts. Also he's with the youths insisting he's gonna beat Harley Race.

Next week, Kevin Von Erich vs Terry Gordy!

Match 2: Jimmy Garvin (w/ Sunshine and the not-yet named Precious) vs Art Kruz. Chris Adams is here to issue a challenge to Jimmy Garvin. Sunshine has just recently received her own valet in a move that surely isn't aboout to spark a new feud. Meanwhile Akbar is offering $10K to anybody who can bodyslam Kamala. Got one lady who is a Gorgeous Jimmy fan in the audience this week. Love Garvin seated in the corner begging off only to kick Kruz and take over. Kruz misses a dropkick and Garvin beats him with the DDT.

Bill Mercer talks to Jimmy Garvin. Jimmy tells us that Chris Adams is actually from Biloxi, Mississippi instead of England. "And I don't even know your name, Chris Adams". Man, Gorgeous Jimmy ruled on the mic before he became a Freebird.

Match 3: Seven Times World Champion Harley Race vs Iceman King Parsons for the NWA Title. David Von Erich is in Iceman's corner in case any fans were under the impression that they weren't gonna care about this matchup. Harley charges in after Iceman kisses the NWA title. I google to figure out if Iceman has a Star of David tattoo (yeah, he does, for some reason). Harley tries his falling headbutt and then sells it because this is 1980s wrestling physics involving the heads of black people. David is doing his best to appear on camera and offer advice. Harley goes on the offense with a kneedrop and piledriver. Iceman puts Harley in the sleeper (sleephold). Harley makes it to the ropes and flings Iceman to the outside. Iceman nosells getting rammed into a ringpost and then headbutts Harley on the outside. They're doing a 20 count for countouts in World Class around this time and everybody in the crowd can count that high. Harley makes it back just in time and goes into another sleephold. Harley breaks two pins with his foot on the ropes and rolls away from an elbowdrop. Barley brainbusters Iceman on the floor. We have a second referee show up. Iceman nearfall countering a suplex with a bodypress. Iceman does his corner jabs and Harley tangles with David some more. Headbutt, Harley goes timber but kicks out. Mercer is counting the Iceman nearfalls. Harley swinging neckbreaker and kickout. Iceman goes for a running splash and Harley sits up. Harley flings Iceman to the floor, goes for a piledriver and Iceman backdrops him out of that. World Class had to be the last US promotion using 20 counts instead of 10 counts for countouts, right? Iceman pounds Harley in the corner, and then Harley slaps David, and David hits Harley. Iceman King Parsons hits the Buttbutt and David Manning counts 3. But Bronko Lubich on the outside tells David Manning that David hit Harley. David is outraged that Iceman could face the consequences of David's actions. Harley Race retains on a DQ as David gets his buddy Iceman disqualified. Our heroes!

We didn't get Iceman King Parsons vs Ric Flair for the NWA title at Starrcade 83.

That's quite a bit of Sunshine and Iceman King Parsons for one night.

[Mister TV]

5 hours ago, Cobra Commander said:

Match 2: Rick Rude (w/ Percy) vs Lance Von Erich for the American Title. Percy and Rick sure are a pair that works well together. Lance has stolen the Kevin shoeless thing because I guess he wasn't getting over enough before that so he's taking traits from his more over on-screen brothers? David Manning really looking like 1980s Sonny Bono. Lance really twists that hammerlock and Rude is gonna sell it a bit. Rude takes over after Percy talks to the ref. After some more back and forth with more Rude selling, Rude hits David Manning and gets disqualified. Then Lance Von Erich hits an atomic drop on Rick Rude and a dropkick. David Manning thinks that Rick Rude got disqualified to save his title. Lance is perfectly fine as a worker but he's sorta like a knockoff soft drink because you can't afford Dr Pepper and you gotta buy some Dr. Thunder.

Lance was a gimmick cousin of the Von Erich's, can't remember if they ever said he was Waldo Von Erich's son or just implied it. William Vaughn who played Lance Von Erich was some sort of star high school athlete from the Dallas area, fans who knew who he was would yell out his real name at matches. It's weird they didn't call him Will or Bill Von Erich, most people in the Dallas Metroplex knew Von Erich was a gimmick last name and that Fritz Von Erich was actually Jack Adkisson former SMU football player and local raconteur, there might have been less eye rolling by fans when he debuted and less blow black when he left World Class. 

[odessasteps]

He was supposed to be Waldo's son, and cousin to the boys. 

[Cobra Commander]

Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin mode ON

It’s not my fault that I mixed up Lance’s worked relation to the rest of the family

Gorgeous Jimmy mode OFF

Anyways, I’m surprised that other promotions didn’t rip off the Sunshine/Precious “Valet of a Valet” thing more often than they did. I know they definitely did catfight feuds.

I guess it’s a good thing that the WWE maybe didn’t know what cuckqueaning is so they didn’t do that with a storyline. I mean they know what the other kind of cuck’ing is.

Don't even need to have the two valets be the wrestlers cousin and wife to make it work.

[Cobra Commander]

Time to go back to 1987 JCP to see what's happening

World Championship Wrestling (10/3/1987)

We open with Ronnie Garvin winning the World Title in the cage that closed last week's show. Not sure how many Cage Matches ended with a sunset flip of any type.

Tony and David are here for an hour of action (TBS aired an Atlanta Braves game that gobbled up the first hour of WCW's time slot, more on that later). Ron Garvin will be here. The Rock'n'Roll Express lost the Tag Team Titles. Terry Taylor is here. We got a Starrcade Control Center.

Match 1: The Road Warriors vs Clement Fields and Ed Franks. Roadies slide into the ring and beat these random dudes quick. But not with the Doomsday Device (Animal holds one jobber up and Hawk clotheslines him). Since they won't tell us, I think Clement is the white guy and Ed was the black guy.

Postmatch words with the Road Warriors and Paul Ellering. Hawk proclaims them to be like the Minnesota Twins (topical!). Almost lasted longer than the match.

Tony Schiavone is in the Starrcade Control Center, which is 6 TVs, 5 of which are turned on. The Host City of Starrcade 87 is Chicago. Correction, there are 8 TV monitors behind Tony, 7 are on. Chi-Town Heat. Man, this Control Center looks austere. Are we sure this company is running out of money?

Match 2: Terry Taylor vs Terry Jones. Terry Jones looks like a guy who steals Buddy Landel's identity to impress women. Crowd shots are a little less dynamic when it's Techwood and you gotta ask if they have 4 or 5 rows of fans. Taylor is just messing around with this guy. We keep seeing random women in the studio because Terry Taylor is a ladies man. Taylor wins with a figure four. Then he raises his opponents arm and claps as he walks off.

Here's the World Champion Ronnie Garvin and most of the studio is giving him a standing ovation. He will defend the title against anybody (about that). Garvin declares that he shut down Space Mountain. The fans are into it, but this isn't the part of the reign that aged poorly.

Now time for an Atlanta Braves Update: The 1987 Braves lost in their 160th game on 10/3/1987. The Braves are 69-91 after a game where they went down 6-0 to the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco. The Braves scored 3 runs in the 7th/8th but lost 6-3. The winning pitcher was Kelly Downs, the losing pitcher was Marty Clary. Ron Gant hit his second career home run. The Braves season wraps up on Sunday October 4th and other programming will have to step up to foil WCW for the next few months.

Match 3: Tully and Arn vs Mike Force and Tommy Angel. Tully and Arn are now the Tag Team champs. There are some dudes in suits saluting Tully/Arn. We'll see how Tully and Arn won the tag team titles next week. The fans are jazzed up and chanting Rock and Roll as Arn beats down a jobguy. Arn drops Tommy Angel with a DDT, which wasn't his finish yet. Tully flings Tommy Angel to the floor so Arn could beat up on him. Tommy Angel finally falls backwards into a tag. Mike Force immediately eats a spinebuster. Tully pins Mike Force with the Slingshot Suplex.

JJ Dillon and Lex Luger join Tony for some words. Lex praises Flair and tells Ronnie Garvin to not waste his money getting his name engraved on the belt (true). Lex also has some comments for Dusty Rhodes.

Jim Crockett joins Tony. There's lots of questions about Starrcade tickets. They will tell us how to buy tickets for Starrcade next week.

Match 4: Lex Luger vs Mac McGiver. Well that's a name for an enhancement guy. Lex messes around with his guy for a few minutes and beats him with a bearhug. Doesn't even use his A finisher on this random dude.

Dusty Rhodes joins Tony. The Wargames are survival and anything else is a copy (veiled reference!). Dusty tells Ron Garvin that he's now the hunted instead of the hunter (don't worry, they don't do anything that interesting with this reign). Dusty congratulating Garvin while saying he beat Flair twice (how modest). Dusty also has words for Lex Luger and Terry Taylor.

Match 5: Ivan Koloff and The Warlord vs Keith Steinborn and Bob Riddle. Paul Jones joins us to say that he didn't have an army a few weeks ago but now it's complete and the Mighty Wilbur is coming. Riddle has some Zubaz print tights. Paul Jones looking like a deranged Dan The Beast Severn with his hair/mustache. I think Riddle took a swinging neckbreaker from Koloff but he might not have realized it. The Warlord pins Steinborn with the powerslam. Then Paul Jones whips a jobber with a crop. I think Paul Jones shoplifted from a Nudie suit store for that outfit.

Ric Flair joins Tony. Remarkable how Ric and Dusty have the same sunglasses design. If this company wants to sell some extra merch, they should have sold some "hangover-hiding" sunglasses for their wrestlers trying to make these tapings without looking haggard. Ric Flair says he knows more about the NWA title because he's held it 4 different times. Ric knows what it's like to pay $100 for a manicure. He tips girls $100 for a cigar. Ric repeats the Dusty line about Ron Garvin being the hunted. Ric is just in amazing deranged form tonight. This all sounds a lot better than what I heard they did. Also Ric says he'll still kiss the girls and make them cry.

Terry Taylor joins Tony to say he's tired of waiting for Nikita Koloff.

Match 6: Nikita Koloff vs El Negro. Well, at least the masked guy isn't a white dude? Nikita wins quick with the Russian Sickle. I'm guessing this masked guy wasn't Jack Victory.

Postmatch, Terry Taylor goes to the ring to fight Nikita Koloff. Eddie Gilbert makes the save when Nikita was about to hit the Sickle. Eddie is looking like he's awake way too early this morning. Eddie and Terry walk off with Nikita's TV title belt. Nikita is outraged that his belt was stolen and he wants to know where they went. And that's the show. Really.

So, let's move on to

World Championship Wrestling (10/10/1987)

We open with Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express cutting a promo on the Rock'n'Rolls from Pro.

Tony and David tell us that Skandor Akbar will join us and the Canadian Kodiaks.

Match 1: Lex Luger vs Ricky Nelson. The Horsemen superfans are still lurking in the studio, looking like they have "Female Body Inspector" cards in their wallets. Got some crowd shots of women. This wasn't a gardenn party as Lex wins with the Torture Rack. I guess it makes sense that the heels are the ones who get the "women in the arena are looking at them" crowd shots?

Rewind to last week as we see Terry Taylor and Eddie Gilbert steal the Television title belt.

Jim Crockett joins Tony. John Ayres has sent a registered letter to Terry requesting Terry Taylor return the belt. A registered letter! That costs money! Obviously they'll listen.

James J. Dillon joins Tony to talk about Arn and Tully's Tag Team title victory. We cut to footage of the Midnights beating up the Rock and Roll Express in what appears to be a high school gym. JJ Dillon was waiting in the ring and had no idea what was going on. JJ talks about refusing to postpone the match because the events weren't his problem. We see footage of the match. Ricky has an injured arm from Stan Lane's single-arm DDT.

And here's when the audio goes out and then goes way off sync from the video.

The audio has resynced after the commercial break.

Tony Schiavone is in the Starrcade Control Center with Jim Crockett. Starrcade will be broadcast in 100 selected cities (your mileage may very). We see Garvin beating Flair for the title again. Steve Williams vs Barry Windham at Starrcade for the UWF title. And then James J. Dillon appears out of thin air to talk about Starrcade and how the Horsemen are Starrcade.

Nice of the Network to pixelize the number for the UIC Pavillion box office so that The New Breed can't travel back in time to attend Starrcade 1987.

Match 2: Tully and Arn vs Alan Martin and Bob Riddle. The Superfans get screen time again. Tully and Arn hit a double gourdbuster on Riddle for the win. I guess a double gourdbuster is easier than a double slingshot suplex.

Ron Garvin talks to Tony. He proclaims himself ready to be the hunted. He also refers to the UWF as the UWA. He says he'll face Ric Flair in due time.

Match 3: Road Warriors vs David Isley and Larry Stephens. Roadies slide in. Animal gets the pin over Isley with a clothesline. Road Warriors cut a promo again. Hawk namedrops the Minnesota Twins again because they're from Minneapolis even if they're billed as being from Chicago. Ellering has some words for Tully and Arn as we're building to a match that'll disappoint the hell out of the fans.

Match 4: Eddie Gilbert vs The Menace. Terry Taylor has both belts at ringside. Eddie falls on his backside stomping The Menace (eh, it's early in the morning). Eddie wins with the Hot Shot.

Ric Flair joins Tony. Cut to a shot of a gasping woman as Flair lifts up his shoe. You're one of two things in this sport, a winner or a loser. If you don't strive to be the World Champion every day, you'll never be one. Ric rips his shirt open to show a bruise on his chest. Hopefully AI can use 1980s Ric Flair voice to perform the "Always Be Closing" speech from Glengarry Glen Ross. Ric Flair will stop at nothing to win the championship back.

Tully and Arn talk to Tony. Both Tully and Arn have huge sunglasses. What a promotion. Tully talks about how Lawrence Taylor overcame adversity to win the Super Bowl (9 months ago). Arn Anderson has a dictionary to tell us what adversity means. Arn talks about how they overcome adversity instead of whining about it like the Rock'N'Rolls. JJ opens up the dictionary in the background. JJ looks up the "definition" of disaster to close things out.

Match 5: Ivan Koloff vs Mike Jackson. Paul Jones joins the table to tell us that the Mighty Wilbur is awesome. Ivan Koloff wins with a second rope clothesline.

Paul Jones joins Tony. The Mighty Wilbur is right around the corner. So he's Veer. Paul Jones says he underpromises and overdelivers. Paul Jones Army will conquer every title soon.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD WITH CRAIG SEGER IS NEXT.

TBS didn't air a game this week. But the top games on October 10th, 1987 went as follows: #5 Auburn crushed Vanderbilt, #8 Clemson beats Virginia, #6 Florida State blows out Southern Mississippi, Indiana upsets #9 Ohio State, #7 LSU beats #16 Georgia, #3 Miami massacres Maryland, #2 Nebraska squashes Kansas, Pitt upsets #4 Notre Dame, and that's the College Football Scoreboard for October 10th, 1987.

I didn't know who Ice Spice was before these Dunkin commercials and in a way, I still don't know who she is.

Match 6: The Canadian Kodiacs vs Rocky King and Terry Jones. Is Kodiac the Canadian spelling of Kodiak. They do the Road Warrior slide into the ring. Bear pins Rocky King with a stomach buster. So these guys are Hog and Bear and they're stealing the Road Warrior's gimmick while the Road Warriors are in the promotion. Good luck to them on this strategy.

Skandor Akbar joins Tony. The Kodiacs look like twin Brock Lesnars without access to good steroids. The graphic calls him "Scandar" Akbar. You see, these guys aren't the Road Warriors because they wear sleeves over their right arms.

Match 7: Kevin Sullivan vs George South. We got all the good jobbers this week. Usual Sullivan squash match. At least Sullivan hits hard while absolutely refusing to bump. Sullivan wins with a double stomp.

Kevin Sullivan talks to Tony. Sullivan says he must be coming down with Chi-Town Fever. They have a cream for that, Kevin. Sullivan says that if Jim Cornette messes with him, he'll get in his cahr and drive to Cornette's mom's house. Sullivan compares Dusty to Joe Namath and Babe Ruth. The only way for Luger to beat Dusty in Sullivan's point of view is to carry machetes. You can decide for yourself how sincere Kevin Sullivan's thoughts about Dusty really are here. I think this is supposed to be Babyface Kevin Sullivan but he's too much of a weirdo for me to really tell. 

Match 8: Ron Garvin vs Mike Force. And people said that Ron Garvin didn't do anything for 2 months with the NWA title. I'm sure those arm wrench headbutts from Garvin hurt. I'm not sure if this match is really gonna get a champ over any more than he was. Ron hits him with a right hand, picks him up, hits him from another right hand, and does the Garvin Stomp for the win. I remember the average Garvin squash being a little more dynamic than this one.

Match 9: The Sheepherders vs Keith Steinborn and Ed Frank. Correction from earlier, I think the white guy in the Clement Fields/Ed Franks team was named Ed Frank(s), not Clement Fields. Herders in green tops instead of red this time. For some weird reason, I decided during this match that this team could have made money a few years earlier in Montreal, CageMatch says they spent time in Quebec in 1972/1973 as The Kiwis. Does Luke Williams really look like a Sweet William. Herders squash these guys for a bit. Battering Ram and double Stomach Buster. 

The Sheepherders talk to Tony postmatch. Align the stars and put the Sheepherders in with the Vachons to find out which team is more insane.

Match 10: The Warlord vs Mac McGiver. Or as Tony calls him, Mac McGyver. These two do not gel at all. The Warlord unleashing a bunch of offense. McGiver tries moves and gets hit with the Big Boot. Warlord wins with the Powerslam.

Paul Jones and The Warlord join Tony. Paul Jones gets two interviews on this show? For the record, the graphics call him "The War Lord". Paul Jones wants action and he's gonna get action. As he has said in every promo for 3 weeks, his army is now complete. He's also cropping the desk to emphasize his points. Thanks for showing up Paul.

Eddie Gilbert is with Tony and he says that Terry Taylor will put both belts up against Tommy Angel.

Match 11: Terry Taylor vs Tommy Angel. Eddie is seemingly the one person on TV really wanting to do a promotion vs promotion angle here. Eddie beats up Tommy Angel on the outside for a little bit. Eddie talks about growing up in Tennessee never imagining having two TV title belts. He is trying so hard. Taylor hits the Fivearm and wins with the Figure Four.

All Four Horsemen and JJ join Tony at the desk. This being a time where every member of the group has gold except for Flair. Which would have been an interesting opening to do something that they didn't exploit much (aside from Ric saying he's the only one of them without a title). Flair passes to Lex, Lex passes to Arn. And that's the show!

[Cobra Commander]

"calling into order this meeting of the Metro Atlanta Four Horsemen Appreciation Society"

(since that episode of WCW is also on YouTube)

Edited October 25, 2023 by Cobra Commander

[Curt McGirt]

So ALL of the old WCW episodes from this era were jobber matches? Jeez.