OOOLD SCHOOOOL

[mim731]

The early Superbrawl PPV's were crackers I still have fond memories of Windham Vs. Pillman in a taped fist match at Superbrawl I.

 

 

Superbrawl 1 was an absolute cracker. The Steiners vs Sting/Luger is amazing, and the aformentioned tape fist match, plus flair/fujinami, awesome show!

[simonworden]

This thread is one of my favourite things about the UKFF. Here are some random thoughts on some of the posts I've only just caught up on :

 

* Richie, I too adored that segment where Sting & Luger worked their way into War Games playing off their experience and the fact that Flair knew exactly what each were capable of. I think "grudging respect between enemies" is a theme we don't see enough of in todays version of our great sport. Cena and Orton, for instance, only started "respecting" each other once the latter turned face. It doesn't have to be that way. But then, Luger & Sting being mates despite the former being a heel (and unbridled tosser) was one of the best, most realistic storyline quirks ever. We all have a mate like Sting who's top but is blind to the fact that his bestie is an irredeemable arsehole.

 

* The mention of the Young Stallions makes me smile. A few months back one of the lads doing the Vintage report on Rajah referred to them as the Wild Stallions. I couldnt resist emailing him to let him know that Roma & Powers were the YoungStallions - the WILD Stallions were Bill & Ted. **

 

* Those outdoor Disney Nitros were great fun, and as previously mentioned with BATB'95 and Hog/Road Wild, WcW were great for having events and arenas that looked a bit different. Yes, WWE occasionally put some interesting bollocks on the ramp, but from the hard camera POV, it's all same shit, different day.

 

* The best thing about Ice Train was his music.

 

 

 

 

 

** Well, Wyld Stallyns anyway.

 

 

I love the special entrances used by WCW between 1997 and 1999. Sometimes they would do 3-4 months with the PPV having the same set then have something totally random. Superbrawl, Slamborre in 98 SPring to mind as does NWO Souled Out 1997

[Richie Freebird]

Okay, I

[air_raid]

Heh, it's pretty neat reading that as I went through my own voyage through '96 not long ago (up to Feb 97 now) and feel the same about the outstanding episodic storytelling of that run. That "what the fuck is going on" feeling doesn't come around very often, does it? Best of all you've got several different arcs going on, all involving characters you're interested in/care about.

 

And my count, you're two weeks off my favourite episode ever... even if it's only for one segment.

[Richie Freebird]

I may even reach that show tonight Air Raid bro.

 

I woke up fucking shattered this morning after working at the weekend, but feel fucking ALIVE after watching that show. WCW wrestling is about on par with having sex for me at the minute. In fact, I

[Trevor]

I may even reach that show tonight Air Raid bro.

 

I woke up fucking shattered this morning after working at the weekend, but feel fucking ALIVE after watching that show. WCW wrestling is about on par with having sex for me at the minute. In fact, I

[EdgarTheSlouch]

I may even reach that show tonight Air Raid bro.

 

I woke up fucking shattered this morning after working at the weekend, but feel fucking ALIVE after watching that show. WCW wrestling is about on par with having sex for me at the minute. In fact, I

[air_raid]

OF COURSE Nitro is better than sex, ole Freeboat. You can't make sex last two hours plus.

 

At least, I hope you can't.

[PowerButchi]

WCW Prime 24/4/1995

 

The rocking theme of the oft forgotten WCW Prime gets us going, as we join Dusty Rhodes and Eric Bischoff in front of a green screen showing what appears to be a corridor in THE FUTURE. All chrome and stuff. They run down the card. We have:-

 

Big Bubba,

Paul Orndorff,

AND MUCH MUCH MORE.

 

Dusty says he is happy to have Eric Bischoff back instead of Tony Schiavone, as Tony Schiavone has a face that can only "Stop a clock". Nothing is more fun than E-Show Dusty. I suppose Prime would be E-Show. If you're behind Saturday Night, Worldwide, Main Event and The Pro, you're pretty low down. We're talking about the Blue Bloods now, and Bisch says Dusty has a bit of English blood in him, Dusty replies "No, no, my English blood. I. I... No I don't.". I love WCW syndies.

 

 

 

BLUE BLOODS vs MIKE DAVIS/BARRY HOUSTON

 

Blue Bloods make their way to the ring, looking resplendent in dashing coats. Each has a Homburg in their hand. Now I've got a flat cap, I'm definitely looking at getting a Homburg and if Lord Steven and Stoke on Trent's own Earl Robert are wearing them then that's enough for me. Bisch discusses the genesis of The Blue Bloods, so I imagine this is early in their tenure as a tag team. They do a good job putting Eaton over as a Tag Team specialist. Which he was.

 

WCW Syndie King Barry Houston is yet again wearing kecks covered in hearts, because he's secure in his manly toughness. Mike Davis manages to have both a skullet and a top knot, thus getting Butch's Best Haircut of the Show after only match 1.

 

Regal stalls to start, as Bischoff pontificates upon whether Eaton relocated to the UK from the US for Tax Reasons, and perhaps he's "living in one of the British Isles down there.". Chain wrestling from Regal and Houston to start. Houston backs Regal into a corner and fires off some forearms, so Regal mullers Houston with one and them gives him a dignified dressing down while doing his Lord Steven Regal face.

 

"I'm doing this because you're a peasant, and I'm appalled by peasants."

 

More uppercuts, tag to Eaton, and Eaton hits some punches, reverses a vertical suplex and connects with an Angle Slam! Tag to Regal, Regal hits a fine German suplex and lays in the strikes. Houston reverses an Irish Whip, runs the ropes, hits a cross body and tags Skullet Top Knot. And STK gets drop toe held right into a reverse chin lock. Eaton tagged in, swinging neckbreaker, Regal comes in hits a running somersault senton. Eaton's back in straight away, knee drop from the top, and back to Regal. Very quick tags. Regal stretch and that's stumps.

 

Fun squash to introduce The Blue Bloods as a team.

 

Back from a break to Paul Orndorff and his opponent already in the ring ready for another titantic tussle on the Prime.

 

 

 

PAUL ORNDORFF vs SCOTT ARMSTRONG

 

Brilliant! I was hedging my bets we'd get an Armstrong appearance, and we do in match two. Armstrong is wearing a mullet and a fetching lime green singlet. Doesn't have "Georgia" emblazoned upon it though, so he loses points for that.

 

Orndorff jaws with a skinny topless gentleman wearing a pink neon cap in the crowd, and locks up with Armstrong. Armstrong outwrestles Orndorff to start, as Bisch puts over the fact that Flair is going to North Korea to wrestle Inoki. TOPICAL REVIEW! Armstrong holds an arm bar for a while to kick off until whipped into ropes and kneed by Mr Wonderful. Couple of bangs on the ground, before Orndorff puts Armstrong in a rear chin lock which he holds for a while. I was hoping for Orndorff vs Armstrong to have a bit more to it, to be honest. Mr Wonderful breaks his chin lock, stomps on SA's head, and climbs the top rope where he... jumps into the extended boot of our florescent green clad hero. Armstrong peppers Orndorff with rights, but get's side suplexed. Orndorff's Awesome Piledriver, and that's teatime. Even a pretty poor Orndorff bout can be salvaged by his amazing piledriver.

 

 

 

BIG BUBBA vs EDDIE JACKIE

 

This is during Big Bubba's southern lawyer lookalike stage. His music was fucking superduper though. He's taking on Sting at Slamboree apparently is Bubba, although I'm more arsed about his return on January 2nd when his Run To The Rumble takes flight.

 

Bubba extends a handshake, and Jackie accepts it like an idiot to get slapped in the face. It's rookie mistakes like that which explain why Eddie Jackie has a poor win-loss record and wrestles on the small shows, instead of concentrating and picking up victories and so he can appear on Saturday Night. I have faith in him though. He can turn it around I'm sure.

 

Bubba paintbrushes Jackie in a corner, as I think about how much less fun Dusty Rhodes is when commentating with Bisch. Bubba clotheslines Jackie and Jackie does the Rikishi sell. Big Bossman jump on the wrestler when their neck is on the rope thing, followed by the run out of ring and hit them while they hang there thing. Bubba fishooks Jackie, and does what Dusty proclaims is a "KARARTAY CHOP!", which Boring Bisch corrects him as a Knife edge. Jackie tries a comeback hitting 3 punches then goes for an Irish whip like a spazzo, which is reversed into a Boss Man Slam. 1, 2, 3. Done.

 

Fun little squash. Made Bubba look a beast. Dusty channels Emporer Rosko in the replay as he informs us that the Bubba Slam will "Make your back crack, and your liver quiver".

 

 

 

Ric Flair has been REINSTATED by the WCW Board of Directors after losing his retirement match to Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc '94. They show the meeting where it came about. Head of the board is Nick Bockwinkel, the board ar at 2-2, and Hogan and Savage come in to beg the board to reinstate Ric so they can TCB once and for all. It's not as interesting as it sounds. My god, Savage actually just used the term "TCB"! I fucking love Randy Savage. So time for the vote from the executive board...

 

 

SHOULD WCW REINSTATE RIC FLAIR?

 

Gary Juster (United States) - NO!

 

Tatiana DePaz (Spain) (Who?) - My god, she's actually fucking talking in Spanish. However, it's dub with translation, and it's a NO! I've always hated that kind of thing. It's like when people talk to dogs in cartoons. Everyone's speaking English, they ask her and she just speaks Spanish? Can she only understand it, but not speak it? Is she just fucking awkward, but everyone else is A1 at Espanol so it's ok? I've never got it.

 

Dieter KRAP (Germany) - And he's speaking fucking German now. Anyway, it's a YES!

 

Kensuke Ishikawa (Japan) - Speaking Japanese. And in absolutely no shock to anyone it's Sonny Oono. Sonny Oono, being Japanese which makes him sneaky and devious, votes YES!

 

Christine LeBlanc (France) - In her native tongue, she votes... YES!

 

So, in the RIC FLAIR VS RETIREMENT (IRONMAN MATCH) Slic' Ric wins with a score of 3-2. Hogan and Savage are happy.

 

 

 

After a quick commercial break we are straight in the ring for

 

BUNKHOUSE BUCK/DICK SLATER (W/ Col Rob. Parker) vs BRAD ARMSTRONG/TIM HORNER

 

I'm totally going to bum this match. I'll tell you that for nought. I'm a massive fan of all five guys.

 

Horner and Buck start with some basic wrestling. Headlock on Buck. Dusty waxes lyrical about The Lightning Express tag team of Horner and Armstrong, getting excited about when they wrestled in Florida, and seeming disappointed in Bisch for not remembering it. Lovely spot as Buck turns the headlock into an atomic drop, but Horner keeps it held on while shouting and grimacing in pain. This match is going to fucking rule. Buck uses a Kneebreaker, but Horner keeps the hold on but looking weaker. In the end Buck goes to what he knows and does best as he grips Horners hair and just chucks him to the ground breaking the headlock. I love stuff like that. Headlock again, straight into a hair chuck. And again. So Horner just twats Buck in the mouth and Buck falls out of the ring. In comes BA, and he works the headlock. And when I say work, I mean works it. He doesn't stay stationary once, instead continuing to synch and loosen in rapid fire which makes it look painful.

 

Unfortunately for Brad though Buck's able to power himself and BA over to his corner where he tags Dirty Dick. And BA catches him coming in with a headlock. Awesome. This match is 2/3 minutes old and all it's been is a headlock, but that's really not a bad thing, you know? It's been a great little passage. Four real talents who can work something like that into a fun little bit of a story. Headlock turns into BA being tossed into the ropes, Slater drops under, Brad comes off the other side and hits a cross body. BA gets two, back to the headlock, slater with a rolling pinning combination, gets two, headlock is now grounded. Slater tries to turn it into an atomic drop, Amrstrong blocks, go behind, atomic drop of his own, and Slater sells it like he's been anally raped. This is great! Headlock from BA, tags in Horner and he takes over with it. Back Suplex, and HORNER KEEPS IT LOCKED ON. Slater powers it into his corner, tags Buck, and Slater keeps Horner in the corner. Buck throws a wild right hand, Horner ducks, and hits the headlock again to frustrated grunts from Buck! Buck uses the headlock the propel Horner to the ropes, Buck drops down for Horner to run over him, but Horner just drops down and puts the headlock on again to Buck going "RAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" and kicking and punching the air like a 3 year old.

 

We go to a commerical.

 

Back from commerical, and unfortunately there is no headlock. Just Slater nutting Horner. Slater goes for a piledriver, but Horner reverses into a back body drop and tries to make what a tag, which he does, but Buck's distracted the ref and so BA is sent back to his corner. While the ref is bollocking BA, Buck and Slater both whip Horner into the ropes and catch him with mean double left hooks. They make the pin, but BA makes the save. The ref is bollocking BA, so Buck and Slater try to double team Horner again, but Buck lamps Slater in the chops. Horner makes the pin on Slater, Buck saves.

 

PIER SIX! Armstrong sprints across the ring and smacks Buck with a flying forearm. They all duke it out midring. BA hits a bodyslam on Buck and the ref ushers BA out of the ring taking his eye off the action. Horner connects with a sunset flip, only to get twatted in the face by Bunkhouse Buck with a mean hook. Slater pins for 3.

 

I throughly enjoyed that. It's a shame a lot of the match seemed to happen during the break, but it was still well worth a watch. The comedy and story with the headlocks at the beginning was one of the things that makes me love wrestling, and Buck and Slater's ornery cheating like a couple of Yosemite Sam's is always a joy to behold. Recommended.

 

God I love Bunkhouse Buck.

 

 

 

DUSTY RHODES' MOO MATCH OF THE WEEK

 

STEVE AUSTIN/ARN ANDERSON vs JOHNNY B BADD/ALEX WRIGHT

 

This is one strong main event for an episode of Prime! The Main Event on Prime every week is termed by Dusty as the "Prime Cut Moo Match of the Week", and he Moos like a cow. I love Dusty. Steve Austin's hair is like one of the rapists off Peckinpah's Straw Dogs here. The best thing he ever done was get shot of it.

 

Wright and Anderson start. Wright tries to outwrestle Anderson, but the wily veteran just knees Wright in the gut and chucks him out of the ring. Wright uses a sunset flip coming in for two and goes to an arm wringer. In comes Johnny B Badd who continues to wring that arm. Anderson knees him in the spine and tries to box Badd. NO-ONE OUTBOXES BADD. A left, a right, he does the camp dance for the Tutti Frutti punch, AA thinks he's being clever by ducking about a week early so Badd just knees him in the face. Flying Headscissors from the future marvellous one, and AA bails to the outside where he takes a time out. Col Rob Parker and his massive penis is there. Ace! Odds on him being involved in the finish?

 

In comes Stunning Steve and his Dennis Waterman hairdo, and he nails Badd with punches for a bit before getting dropkicked. Austin does the spot when he feeds the face in and out of the ring for ping pong punches before bailing but Wright chucks him right back in. Dropkick to Austin's face for a 2. Headlock takeover by Badd. Austin with knees to Badd's gut and goes for the Stun Gun. Hits it as well. Austin didn't go for the pin, and instead goes to the second rope where he gets punched in the gut on an axe handle. Hot tag. Wirght cleans house. DROPKICKS EVERYWHERE! He becomes unstuck. Col Rob distracts the ref as the former Dangerous Aliance brethren double team Badd. The goe for a double clothesline, Badd ducks, Wright low bridges AA and Austin and Badd take it outside. All four scuffle outside and inside the ring. Steve Austin throws Alex Wright over the top rope and it's the WCW AUTOMATIC OVER THE TOP ROPE DISQUALIFICATION RULE.

 

I fucking hate that. It wasn't that great a match to start, but it really started to get going towards the end and then you get my least favourite finish in the whole fucking entire world. The over the top rope DQ. Austin and Anderson bail, as Badd and Wright stand tall.

 

 

We go back to the futuristic Green Screen, Dusty does a little "Moo", and they wish us well and goodbye. An enjoyable episode of The Prime. It's on youtube, so scout it out.

[A Screen Up]

Okay, this old school talk has made me feel ridiculously sentimental and for the first time ever I'm going to PROPERLY watch wrestling from before I become a fan (2001). If somebody can point me in the right direction of where I can find reliable episodes of around 1996 onwards of WWF and WCW then I will be very grateful.

[PowerButchi]

There's always a veritable goldmine of 1996- WCW on Youtube. Look for an uploader called WCWMainEvent1991

[A Screen Up]

Thank you, Butch. I didn't think there'd be a great deal on YouTube (copyright/getting taken down issues etc) so that's brilliant.

 

EDIT - I've found a user called tsb049. He's got all of the Nitro's up from mid-1996 onwards in terrific quality.

[cobra_gordo]

His highlight for me was a match at the MGM outside Nitro of Ice Train versus Meng where train jumps off the top rope into a ferocious boot to the face from Meng that I like to call "SWeet Meng Music" it's a thing of beauty.

 

 

Fucking hell, that's brutal. How have I never seen that before.

 

I'm watching a ton of old WCW at the moment, bought all of the PPVs from 1997. There's some awesome stuff in there and some dross aswell. Souled Out anybody? I could do with getting that years Nitros aswell, can't seem to find any place I can pick it up though.

[PowerButchi]

You think that's brutal?

 

Barbarian shows Marcus Bagwell what's what in one of my favourite squashes ever. I've timed it so it'll start with Barbie's awesome finishing big boot.

[cobra_gordo]

You think that's brutal?

 

Barbarian shows Marcus Bagwell what's what in one of my favourite squashes ever. I've timed it so it'll start with Barbie's awesome finishing big boot.

 

 

Fuuuuuuuuck, that is indeed brutal. But then again, it's Barbarian so say no more. I do love a brutal squash. Any more clips like that Butch?