OOOLD SCHOOOOL

[Benno]

The show also had the debut of HHH against a jobber, which he won with a Diamond Cutter of all things, did not remember him ever doing that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frX0yPG94pE

 

Thanks. As with the Orton stuff, I'm sure DDP's version of that story is at best, 50% true, but still interesting.

[LaGoosh]

So you know how everyone moans about it being the PG era and they can't do anything crazy or controversial on TV anymore? Well I'm watching a PG-rated episode of Raw from 1998 and in the first hour alone you have:

 

Darren Drozdov puking all over Kevin Kelly

Jacqueline coming out in a top so tight her nipples are poking out.

LOD and DOA in a backstage brawl that consists of nothing but smacking eachother full on in the face and head with trashcans, metal poles and chains.

DX going around New York making racist jokes about Pakistani's, mocking Japanese tourists with sexual innuendo and pretty much forcing random girls to get their tits out.

The Jackyll coming out to the ring with a drunken dwarf (who has to be bleeped after dropping the F bomb about 5 times in two sentances) and a genuine disabled person called Crackhead Bob.

 

It's all absolutely fucking mental.

[Rule One]

One for Ian here as he usually spots continuity problems and errors:

 

You asked me about the Andre 87 in No Holds Barred (Ages ago.) as the promo shots used it but the film features the Winged Eagle. However:

 

 

It features around 1:10:50 mark of the film for around 20 seconds, a few minutes later Hogan/Rip appears with the Winged Eagle once again.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I think the simple answer is, the film is so poorly made, errors like that happen all the way through it. Like Hogan finding inspiration from seeing his brothers finger move for the first time, even though they showed him using a zimmer frame on his own earlier on in the movie. Or like when Hogan's hand single keeps changing throughout the film. He starts off with the curled index and pinky finger and later on he starts doing the Kona Crush hand gesture.

 

I'd never noticed the Andre belt in the film before. The new one is of such excellent quality, you could probably see Vince snorting charlie in the reflection of one of those framed Rip pictures if you zoomed in. Look at the VHS quality compared to the one you posted. I wouldn't know if that's the Andre belt from his bath towel:

 

I can only assume they started the film off with the idea of using a generic federation and using a belt which wasn't the current WWF title. Then someone said "fuck it" and decided to jam in as many WWF references as possible and even use the WWF title. Look at this camera angle for example:

They couldn't got more emphasis on the current WWF title belt at the time, if they'd have had Lord Alfred Hayes doing a voice over informing us of when the next house shows were going to be during the movie.

 

If the idea was always to have Hogan vs Zeus for the WWF title in the WWF at some stage, it would only make sense that the belt represented in the film was the one Zeus was going for in 'real life'. That actually might have been the idea behind it (maybe?).

 

Another little note from the film, Hogan actually kept the bike he used in the movie. Here it is:

[The Cum Doctor]

WWE RAW 31/05/1993

 

Right, time to get back to this stuff.

 

Marty Jannetty © vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - WWE Intercontinental Championship

 

It's time for Luna vs. Sherri part three as they are in the corners of the two men. Sure enough, they go at it right away before being broken up. Bam Bam uses the distraction to attack Marty and the match gets going. This is a good big man vs. little man match here. The hope spots are brilliantly done, and there's a total belter when Marty lands on his feet in spectacular fashion from a Back Body Drop only to get caught in a Bearhug right after. Disappointed we didn't get a proper finish as Sherri distracts Bam Bam from going back in the ring after a brawl on the floor, and he gets counted out. Made sense though, and the match was an absolute belter before that so I'll take it.

 

Post match, Bigelow isn't happy and lays a beating on Jannetty.

 

We come back from commercials and Sherri wants Luna Vachon in the ring right now. Sherri doesn't wait for Luna to get into the ring and goes out and attacks her and lands a Body Slam on the floor and goes back into the ring where Bam Bam grabs her. Tatanka comes down and saves the day. That was a pretty fun angle right there.

 

The Steiner Brothers vs. Rich Myers and The Executioner

 

The Executioner is an exceptionally skinny bloke. Needless to say we're not looking at Terry Gordy here. What it does mean though is that we're going to see him get totally mauled. Rick is particularly nasty with the beating that he lays down. Scott does add death though, in the form of THE FUCKING SCREWDRIVER !!! They add a Doomsday Bulldog, as if it's needed, and it's done. GREAT fun.

 

Mr. Hughes vs. Bert Centeno

 

This is just dull as dishwater stuff really. The audience amuse themselves with some chanting about whatever comes to their mind. Mr. Hughes does eventually put us out of our misery with a big slam and the three count, but not soon enough.

 

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. ???

 

Whoever this guy is, he's not in for a night of fun. This is just a bit of fun really, with the jobber just getting ragdolled a bit before Duggan ends the match with the Three Point Stance.

 

Razor Ramon vs. Tony Roy

 

Randy Savage gets the fans to give Razor Ramon a bunch of stick by chanting "1-2-3" at Ramon. We almost see a shock as a result of the distraction but Ramon manages to kick out at the last moment from that. Ramon puts the beating on him but Roy nearly shocks him a second time, to add yet more intrigue and we're buying into the idea that this guy can actually get the win. Razor doesn't let this happen though and wins with the Razor's Edge in the end. Highly entertaining squash match here.

 

Yokozuna is here with Mr. Fuji and McMahon is going to interview them. Yokozuna simply says that "Hulkamania Will Die." Fuji says about the Wrestlemania match that he doesn't think about the past. Only the future.

 

Very good episode this actually.

[air_raid]

What a CRACKING episode of Raw. Good times, great memories.

 

The Steiner Brothers vs. Rich Myers and The Executioner

 

The Executioner is an exceptionally skinny bloke. Needless to say we're not looking at Terry Gordy here. What it does mean though is that we're going to see him get totally mauled. Rick is particularly nasty with the beating that he lays down. Scott does add death though, in the form of THE FUCKING SCREWDRIVER !!! They add a Doomsday Bulldog, as if it's needed, and it's done. GREAT fun.

 

You know, whenever people talk about The Steiners squash matches from back in the day, this is the sort I think about. I still treasure my sticker of the pair of them pasting the very same Executioner with a DDT off Rickys shoulders.

 

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. ???

 

Whoever this guy is, he's not in for a night of fun. This is just a bit of fun really, with the jobber just getting ragdolled a bit before Duggan ends the match with the Three Point Stance.

 

I think we have different definitions of fun, Haraga. Duggan is as fun as verruccas to me.

[The Cum Doctor]

I think we have different definitions of fun, Haraga. Duggan is as fun as verruccas to me.

 

Not a fan of most of what Duggan does, but I didn't mind that match much. A whole lot of body slamming and rag dolling going on. Although it probably helped that they followed Mr. Hughes. Fuck that guy.

[PowerButchi]

I love watching Duggan. Don't know why, just do. He's just fun, I suppose.

[MoistVaj]

I watched Wrestlemania 11 for the first time since the week it happened the other night. It's not quite as bad as I remembered.

 

Couple of quick observations:

 

Michaels vs Diesel wasn't half as good as I remembered and Diesel was blown up after about 5 minutes which didn't help the match either.

Michaels going out of his way to steal the show didn't help either.

Whether it was Vince or not, whoever made the call for ref to twist his ankle after HBK hits Sweet Chin Music was a fucking moron. What reaction did they expect other than what happened? Of course they were going to boo Diesel after it.

Sid is brilliant. As ever.

Backlund vs Bret Hart was torture. Absolutely rotten to the core.

Allied Powers vs Blu Brothers was one of the best matches on the show, it's a shame the Powers didn't get a tag title run. Superb entrance music too.

Undertaker got saddled with shite throughout the 90's. Bundy was no exception.

123 Kid in Razor's corner in the Karate outfit was probably my favourite performer of the night.

LT vs Bam Bam was great for what it was, but it should never have gone on last. The crowd reactions to it were tepid at best.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

WrestleMania XI was host to the worst threat in the history of television, from the 123 Kid:

"and Roadie, you better not stick your nose in there, or I'm gonna take care of you".

[MoistVaj]

WrestleMania XI was host to the worst threat in the history of television, from the 123 Kid:

"and Roadie, you better not stick your nose in there, or I'm gonna take care of you".

 

 

 

The sound cuts off when he's trying to do his promo, but you can hear Razor shouting '' Let's go kid!'' as his entrance music hits.

 

I should also point out that I thought this was one of Jarrett's best performances, never really been a great fan of him but he was a bumping machine for large parts of the match and his selling was spot on for all of Razor's comebacks.

[Reznor]

I hated WM11 upon rewatching. Much worse than I remembered at the time.

 

Agree with the Hitman/Backlund debacle. They'd have been better just doing a Bret/Owen blowoff in some sort of streetfight/no hold barred match for instance. Pair up Hakushi with Yoko for the tag title shot or something.

 

I did like Diesel/Michaels though, but you're right, it was the flashiest HBK ever was as a heel. I guess they were just getting him ready for turning. It was effectively face v face anyway, as the crowd were into Shawn.

 

I also agree it's extremely weak that Bam Bam and Lawrence Taylor were headlining the biggest show of the year, but maybe we underestimate just how big a name he was in US sport?. There really wasn't much in the way of money matches with the existing WWF roster at the time anyway, I honestly can't think of anything at that time that would've been WM main event-worthy.

 

I think it speaks volumes about how bad a show it was when a match involving the Harris fuckheads can be considered a highlight. Fwiw, I thught it was awful, but Razor/Jarrett was at least good stuff.

 

My viewing as of late has focussed on 1994 WCW. I should do it chronologically with TV but at the moment i'm mostly just going through PPVs and COTCs as I find them. I'll give detailed thoughts if I can ever be arsed but for ppvs, it could summarised along the lines of Superbrawl=shite, Spring Stampede=great, Slamboree=great, BATB =great, Fall Brawl=average, and i'm going to sit through Halloween Havoc in the next day or two.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Shawn double crossed him in order for the fans to cheer him. Thats been known for years. Diesel talks about it in his shoot interview how Michaels went out there to work a style in order to blow him up and get cheers from the fans working. Bret Hart mentions it in his book as well:

 

Diesel had a good match with Shawn, in which they both worked hard, but Shawn went out of his way to outshine the champion, reminding me of a Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs outsmarted a ferocious, but clueless, bull. When Shawn gave Diesel his superkick finish and covered him, Earl Hebner twisted his ankle as planned, and after an eternity he finally crawled over to make the count. When Diesel kicked out to boos, I immediately knew that Shawn had played him. Diesel would, in fact, beat Shawn moments later, but it wouldn

[moofasa]

Been watching Superstars from 90-91.

 

How much of a loss was Jesse Ventura, the replacements of Piper, Savage and Honky tonk don't come close. The duo of Mcmahon and Ventura had such a big time feel.

 

About a month before Wrestlemania 7 during the Jake Roberts and Martel, a masked man runs down and attacks Martel. Who is this and why is this? Seemed so random to have this unnamed mask man attack, was Jake busy?

 

Got a kick out of the vignettes of the queen in support of the Warlord at Wrestlemania and then being caught out on camera as a fraud drinking with Heenan.

 

Also the vignette of Sherri offering her services to Andre, the size that Andres eyes grow to and then bending her over I was unsure of where it was going to go.

[Richie Freebird]

I was unsure of where it was going to go.

 

Up the wrong