Mister TV

He would have moved further down the card and eventually been out of the WWF by the end of the year. He ends up bouncing around places like the AWA, Portland, Continental and maybe Memphis. If he hits the gas hard like Dino Bravo then Vince would bring him back as a mid card heel for a few years, maybe he ends up in Smokey Mountain feuding with Bob Armstrong which leads to Hogan bringing him into WCW, he shows up on Saturday Night a few times then doesn't get booked but still gets a check because they forgot to release him.

It's a shame that this was filmed in Boston.

None of those movies were as big as Rocky III so would the network have taken the chance on him? I sorta remember the clips of the "World's Toughest Bouncer" they would show when T was on talk shows, wasn't it some sorta obstacle course? I wonder what would have happened had Hogan not gone to the AWA in 1981, without the Gagne's seeing his potential as a babyface and Hogan sticks with the Superstar Graham style heel persona in say Florida or Georgia does Vince even think of using him as the babyface face of the expansion.

This is a very interesting scenario. Without Rocky III, T is getting roles as thugs or henchmen on tv shows and low A and B movies, maybe gets a part on 1st & 10, can't see him getting cast on the A-Team based on his work in Penitentiary 2 & D.C. Cab. He'd totally be going after the same roles as Tiny Lister did in the mid 80's to mid 90's. Hogan would have cycled out of the WWF in 1981 no matter what, the story of Vince Sr. telling him not to take the role is b.s., heels didn't stay long term in the territory and Hogan was already splitting time between New Japan and the WWF at the end of his run. Hogan ending up in the AWA and the Gagne's seeing his babyface potential changed Hulk's path more than Rocky III(he turned face in the fall of 81 and Rocky III came out in the spring of 82), without Rocky III there's a chance Hogan doesn't go from super over baby face to insanely over baby face when the feud with Bockwinkle gets hot, but Vince Jr. still would have seen $$$$$ with Hogan and he was the better choice over Kerry Von Erich and Jimmy Snuka for the expansion. Without Rocky III it's going to be a little bit harder for Vince to get his foot in the door in pushing Hogan to mainstream media but the celebrity thing started via Lou Albano, Dave Wolf and Cyndi Lauper, so Hogan's going to tag along for that ride just like he did 30some years ago. It's really hard to describe how over Mr. T was in that time period, people thought he was a legit bad ass plus he was on a network TV show which was HUGE back then. Without Rocky III there isn't that perfect storm of Mr. T for McMahon to use so maybe WrestleMania is held off for a few years until he pulls the trigger on Hogan\Andre, I can't see McMahon putting anything together that would match WM1 without Mr. T in the mix. Stallone without the Rocky sequels goes down a different path and might be more of a serious actor\writer than movie star, Schwarzenegger would have never done it, Larry Holmes would have been interesting but I can't see McMahon doing any business with Don King at that point, maybe if he holds off a year he tags Hogan with Refrigerator Perry in Chicago but that wouldn't have done the business that WM1 did. They could have still gotten Ali, Liberace and Billy Martin they were there for the appearance fee.

The excuse was that it was a Dirty "WW2 era ethnic slur" Sumo ref who never officiated a pro wrestling match.

My family moved three times during my middle school/jr. high days and at each new school there was a kid with the same b.s. story that he went to the "rehearsal" the night before the local house show. At that point in time I was sorta smart to the business in the sense that I knew they had a crazy travel schedule and would work double shots on weekends, I even brought in an Apter mag with results to prove my point but the kids wouldn't budge on their story. There's has been and always will be people who outright lie about being things like a former pro athlete, pro wrestler or Little Rascal, sorta like a carnie version of the stolen valor folks. Leonard Maltin talked about it on Gilbert Gottfried's podcast a few years ago, he'd get calls from people saying that their grandpa died and he was Smelly in the Our Gang shorts or he'd get a call from a small town newspaper asking to verify that a recently deceased person in their town was the original Darla.

Exactly, he would have been a square peg in a round hole during that time. He would have been perfect in the Three Wise Men era of just doing promos for his charges on TV and walking them to the ring at the Garden. If the national expansion wasn't starting at the time Hart could have easily stepped into The Grand Wizard's spot after he passed.

Super excited about GLOW but it makes me wonder whatever happened with the proposed Norman Lear show set in a early 80's territory.

No way this was a work and I bet next year they have someone little younger handling the Best Picture spot, both Beatty and Dunaway seemed to have no clue where they were.

Did the 84 Lumber ad just air in your market? I read that Fox turned it down so I guess they bought the time locally.

Jude Law doing an impression of Joe Flaherty's impression of William F. Buckley.

It'll never happen but the Steelers need to clean house, they're never going to get to another Super Bowl with the current GM, head coach, coordinators and QB.

In Roller Derby news, Bonnie Thunders is transferring to Rose City. Without Bonnie I wonder how far Gotham will fall this season. http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/18495872/roller-derby-legend-bonnie-thunders-aka-nicole-williams-leaves-gotham-rose-city

I always assumed she was the sister of Karl and his brother with the ponytail. Vengeance is fun but it sorta drags on and I never liked the death via helicopter and power line finish.

Opps wrong thread.

I can't remember what podcast I heard it on but the story was that Funk realized that Dreamer and Heyman were crazy enough to try it so he told Dreamer that Dory Sr. got shot in the ring in Amarillo but the angle didn't draw.

Ugh, that looks worse than the CHiPs trailer. If you haven't seen the original you should, besides being a great flick it's a great time capsule of late 1970's america.

Is it really Hogan willing to fight Sheik "that way" or is it Hogan not changing the tactics that always have worked for him? Is Hulk supposed to switch to a scientific style of wrestling because he is now getting the cheers of the fans? In the Bundy match was Hogan wrestling "dirty" out of vengeance towards Bundy and the Heenan Family or did he use those tactics as a short cut because he feared the big man from Atlantic City?

But Backlund working all of those dates most likely caused more damage to his injured shoulder, the NYSAC doctor could have lost his license to practice medicine if he allowed Backlund in the ring that night. Also Backlund was not only working journeymen like Tiger Chung Lee or tag specialists like Afa he was mixing it up with IC Champion Don Muraco and top contender The Masked Superstar.

No way the Steelers win the third and fourth Super Bowl's without Bradshaw, his cannon arm and play calling meant more to those teams than the defense.

Hogan didn't usurp anyone or anything, Backlund was unable to compete in his return match with The Iron Sheik due to injury. Backlund could have taken a few weeks off after the title loss to heel his injured shoulder but he choose to compete and it cost him. In the weeks following Backlund's title loss you do not see his manager Arnold Skaaland by his side, maybe if Backlund would have had the Golden Boy there to advise him to rest his shoulder and work on a counter to the Camel Clutch he would have been able to compete at MSG that January evening. Backlund was his own worst enemy at that time, besides doing more damage to his injured shoulder by staying in the ring he got himself sidetracked by Captain Lou Albano and his Wild Samoans, if Backlund is focused on regaining the title he doesn't need to bring Hogan in to "help him" in that squabble with Albano's protegees. Also Backlund never gave former champions Bruno Sammartino or Pedro Morales a shot to regain their title so why should Hogan give one to him?

Damn Dupree is fast! If he would have dropped down a gear Moore most likely completes the pass so what's he supposed to do in that situation.

The Jeffersons vs. The sorta Dukes of Hazard! Cledus, the telephone operator, Jeb Stewart Duke, Lulu Hogg & Huey Hogg! That's the game show equivalent of one of those old WWF house shows with a SD Jones vs. Black Demon main event. Gotta love the jokes toward "3rd Place" NBC, though.

I finally got to watch The Mick! It was funny mainly due to Kaitlin Olson, she's basically playing Sweet Dee without the insecurities. Also new season of Always Sunny starts tonight!

So did anyone in WCW ever got a role in a movie or tv show via Jason Hervey's talent agent mom? I always heard that was the reason they kept him around after The Wonder Years went off the air.