Re-Booking Thread - Year 1995

[Dirty Eddie]

I reckon it was probably worth turning Bret Hart heel at Royal Rumble or thereabouts. He did fuck all from then until November, and there was only about 3 heels in the company and they were in the gash Million Dollar Corporation. He could have really injected some life into the heel side at the top. Razor didn't seem to have too much on either, seemingly being more arsed palling around with FIERY PUERTO RICAN Savio Vega in angles. So yeah, I'd turn them two.

 

But if Bret turned hee in 95 there'd likely be no Hart Foundation in 97!

 

Not necessarily. He can still have his hiatus post WM12, and then nothing changes.

 

Surely the whole basis for Bret's 1997 turn was that he was the forgotten good guy, who'd been passed over by the flamboyant douchebag Michaels. Bret's turn in '97 was only such a big deal as he'd been a constant babyface for so many years. If he'd spent a year as a heel in 95 then dropped the belt to Michaels at mania it would have completely changed everything.

[PowerButchi]

True, but I'd have been entertained far more in 1995, and isn't that what's really important? Besides, surely we're meant to be rebooking 1995 without psychic powers?

 

I felt Bret Hart was fucking boring in 1995, so I'm turning him heel in 1995. And that's that.

[Fox Piss]

No Dean Douglas.

 

Keep Adam Bomb.

[Teq]

Agree, I wouldn't have turned Bret heel in '95. He did brilliant becoming more aggressive around the Rumble time in the match with Nash but didn't need to go heel at all. I would have given him something miles better than the crap with Backlund at Wrestlemania. I would have either gone for a rematch with Owen from the year before but with a stipulation. They had a No Holds Barred on Raw shortly before, perhaps that could have worked here. Or I would have liked to see Bret vs. Jeff Jarrett at Wrestlemania.

 

I know he wasn't at the top of the card all summer, but damn I LOVE all of Brets matches against guys like Hakushi, Henry Godwinn, Isaac Yankem, Jean Pierre Laffite etc. I'm not sure I could sacrifice those gems, re-booking it. Although I'd have televised the cage match he had with Hakushi and got more longevity off that feud instead of the short period it was.

 

Bret should of had a PPV match at IYH 2 and 4. Seemed stupid to me to leave off your best talent.

[Reznor]

I don't even agree with the criticism of the Hitman having nothing to do, as i loved his matches with Hakushi, Lafitte and Yankem. And he was the main man again by Survivor Series and that match was an absolute cracker too.

 

But that's because in 1995 Bret Hart was the best wrestler in the world, and he could have a good match with almost anybody. Those three you name all had chops, so obviously they would enter good showings against Bret. But you have to look at it this way: who the fuck wants to see Bret Hart feuding over a pirate stealing his jacket, or Jerry Lawler's dentist. It would have been better use of Bret to put him in compelling scenarios. You citation of the Survivor main event is spot on - he was now in a serious environment in a match with a serious build. He had excellent promo's with Diesel leading up to the match, the fans were massively behind him, and the match itself was a corker. He then went on to have a blinder against Davey in a similar fashion with a more serious build. A star the calibure of Bret in 1995 should have been used liked this consistently.

You need to have patience though. In 1995 they had 10 PPVs. Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year. To me, the variety was a good thing, I got to see one of my favourites taking on all sorts, yet it never felt like his stock was falling and he was drifting away from being a main eventer.

 

Bret was a guy who had been there long term, and who they probably expected to be there for years in the future. There wasn't any need to rush a whole lot of top level matches and feuds through, especially when they weren't relying on him as their only top babyface. I see the Hitman taking a step back for most of 1995 as being similar to what he done for most of 1993. Maybe the Yankem stuff could've went on a 'B' PPV rather than the 2nd biggest show of the year, but generally I had no problems with his 1995 stuff. We got to see top notch, athletic, fresh matches, and it helped make guys who would normally have toiled in the midcard look great and competititve against even the top guys.

[ShortOrderCook]

Yeah, i can't agree with Bret turning in '95 at all. Don't think it would work or be accepted at all. Brets eventual turn was incredible in its execution. Because it was so organic. Razor on the other hand, seems obvious...especially in hindsight considering how his career went following Summerslam and his WWF in '96. A Razor heel turn could have been pretty big shit really. I definitely think a post Summerslam turn could have worked a treat and injected some great life into the main event heel side.

 

'95 is the one year since following WWE that i didn't follow at the time and only began viewing again around Survivor Series, so i probably can't give the most accurate rebooking. The Razor situation has always been something i thought could have happened though and would be the one appropriate time he could have taken the big belt somewhere in there or been an ideal challenger in '96 once Shawn bagged the belt. Would have been interesting if Razor and Diesel stuck around, turned heel and teamed together in WWF as they did in WCW, opposing Shawn. 123 Kid could stick around and join forces with HBK to oppose them only to go on and turn heel too. Then maybe Bret returns and he and Shawn become reluctant allies to take down Big D, Razor and Kid. A big ppv main event somewhere with Undertaker eventually stepping up to join forces with them too, HBK, Bret and Undertaker vs Diesel, Razor and 123 Kid and then Bret turns heel here. Of course none of that would happen considering the clique and Bret situation. I'm basically rewriting the nWo in WWF with Bret playing the Hogan role. I''m just going off on a tangent as i think that could have an interesting situation.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

You need to have patience though. In 1995 they had 10 PPVs. Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year. To me, the variety was a good thing, I got to see one of my favourites taking on all sorts, yet it never felt like his stock was falling and he was drifting away from being a main eventer.

1995 was the financial pits for the WWF. Having no heels to feud with the new leader of the company and having two of their big stars (Bret and Undertaker) wrestling absolute nobodies probably contributed to that. While WCW presented poor quality, yet compelling big name headliners like Hogan vs Vader or Savage vs Flair, WWF was putting their big names against people nobody wanted to see. It takes two to tango as they say. Diesel had no hope with Mable and Tatanka. Bret had zero hope with Pierre Outlette and Undertaker was wasted with Kama and King Kong Bundy.

 

I'm all for not wasting big matches, but when those big matches never actually happen in a meaningful setting or in a compelling fashion, what does it matter? Something needed to happen in 1995. It was telling in 1996 when the WWF got steamrolled creatively.

[CiderBag]

I don't even agree with the criticism of the Hitman having nothing to do, as i loved his matches with Hakushi, Lafitte and Yankem. And he was the main man again by Survivor Series and that match was an absolute cracker too.

 

But that's because in 1995 Bret Hart was the best wrestler in the world, and he could have a good match with almost anybody. Those three you name all had chops, so obviously they would enter good showings against Bret. But you have to look at it this way: who the fuck wants to see Bret Hart feuding over a pirate stealing his jacket, or Jerry Lawler's dentist. It would have been better use of Bret to put him in compelling scenarios. You citation of the Survivor main event is spot on - he was now in a serious environment in a match with a serious build. He had excellent promo's with Diesel leading up to the match, the fans were massively behind him, and the match itself was a corker. He then went on to have a blinder against Davey in a similar fashion with a more serious build. A star the calibure of Bret in 1995 should have been used liked this consistently.

You need to have patience though. In 1995 they had 10 PPVs. Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year. To me, the variety was a good thing, I got to see one of my favourites taking on all sorts, yet it never felt like his stock was falling and he was drifting away from being a main eventer.

 

Bret was a guy who had been there long term, and who they probably expected to be there for years in the future. There wasn't any need to rush a whole lot of top level matches and feuds through, especially when they weren't relying on him as their only top babyface. I see the Hitman taking a step back for most of 1995 as being similar to what he done for most of 1993. Maybe the Yankem stuff could've went on a 'B' PPV rather than the 2nd biggest show of the year, but generally I had no problems with his 1995 stuff. We got to see top notch, athletic, fresh matches, and it helped make guys who would normally have toiled in the midcard look great and competititve against even the top guys.

 

But it didn't make them. They were all gone after Bret kicked their asses. Every one of them trod water until fucking off.

 

Besides, who is to say he had to face a different opponent at every PPV? As others have suggested, a Razor heel turn in 1995 would have been smooth. I wouldn't have minded seeing them work a lengthly programme. I'd even like to see Razor stand above a fallen Stu Hart in the dungeon - the heat would be off the charts, and far better than a pirate stealing a jacket, whatever way you want to look at it.

[Dirty Eddie]

Yeah, Razor turning Heel and going after Michaels or Nash would have been great. He'd already become one of the greatest IC Champs of all time (in terms of popularity and number of wins) and the step up to World Title contention just made sense. They'd done everything right with Razor in preparing for him to step him up to the next level but it just didn't happen.

 

Whoever though that Sid/Nash matches were a good idea was a fucking idiot. Nash and Razor had good chemistry together for big guys and the matches would have been way better if they had gone that route.

[Reznor]

But it didn't make them. They were all gone after Bret kicked their asses. Every one of them trod water until fucking off.

I never said it made them. I said it helped make them look good, and competitive against the top guys. As a kid, those matches made me percieve those guys as being stronger, not Bret being weaker.

Besides, who is to say he had to face a different opponent at every PPV? As others have suggested, a Razor heel turn in 1995 would have been smooth. I wouldn't have minded seeing them work a lengthly programme. I'd even like to see Razor stand above a fallen Stu Hart in the dungeon - the heat would be off the charts, and far better than a pirate stealing a jacket, whatever way you want to look at it.

As I already mentioned, Razor v Bret would have been good to pass a PPV or two, but I was always more intrigued with new matches back then, and their two PPV matches in 1993 were still fresh in my memory, so I wouldn't have replaced any of the Pierre/Hakushi matches for it. Considering Razors rise in that time, and the stature a match like that would've had, it could have been ideal from Summerslam if they'd stuck with HBK/Sid, and the Yankem match could've been moved to one of the IYH's either side.

 

Other than Razor, the meaningful matches would consist of more matches v Diesel, Undertaker, and maybe Sid - all of which we got plenty of anyway, so I certainly didn't feel like I missed out on anything. The other option would have been to rush the HBK feud', which I definitely don't think would have been a good idea. Besides, HBK was building himself up towards main event level in 1995, he wasn't there yet despite his title match at WMXI. Which leaves Bret v Mabel as the only 'main event' match we completely missed out on due to Bret's detour to the midcard, and I think most of us could've lived with that.

 

In addition to the ones he had, I actually would've liked the Hitman to have more PPV matches against lower ranked stars, for example, Bam Bam, Jarrett, Douglas etc.

[Reznor]

You need to have patience though. In 1995 they had 10 PPVs. Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year. To me, the variety was a good thing, I got to see one of my favourites taking on all sorts, yet it never felt like his stock was falling and he was drifting away from being a main eventer.

1995 was the financial pits for the WWF. Having no heels to feud with the new leader of the company and having two of their big stars (Bret and Undertaker) wrestling absolute nobodies probably contributed to that. While WCW presented poor quality, yet compelling big name headliners like Hogan vs Vader or Savage vs Flair, WWF was putting their big names against people nobody wanted to see. It takes two to tango as they say. Diesel had no hope with Mable and Tatanka. Bret had zero hope with Pierre Outlette and Undertaker was wasted with Kama and King Kong Bundy.

But I was, and am a fan - not a financial analyst or commentator. I couldn't have given a monkeys about how business was doing, so long as I liked what I was watching. And I did, throughout 1995 and all of those days when WCW was beating the WWF. That side of things all means nothing to my enjoyment, my least favourite year ever in the WWF was one of their most successful.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

So why did you say "Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year". I'm all for talking about enjoyment of a fan, but its you who brought up the usage of the main events in PPV main events and wasting big matches within a year. I wasnt the one moving the goal posts in this discussion.

[CiderBag]

Rezor how old was you in 1995 for matches which took place in 1993 to be fresh in your memory. Two years is more than enough time (especially back then when things were rightfully IMO more drawn out) to restart a feud with a new dynamic. In any event, were you offended by Bret vs Lawler in 1995 (pre KOTR - through post Summerslam) seeing as their 1993 feud was fresh in your mind. Hart and Diesel were also having at it more recently in 1994 and you cited that as a highlight in 1995. Your argument is flawed.

 

Also were you the one who stole Bret's jacket on the European tour a year or so ago? As you're clearly a big fan of Hitman jacket theft.

[Reznor]

So why did you say "Put the Hitman in the main event or title match of every one and they'd have spunked all their big matches away within a year". I'm all for talking about enjoyment of a fan, but its you who brought up the usage of the main events in PPV main events and wasting big matches within a year. I wasnt the one moving the goal posts in this discussion.

I said that because I've always prefered some build to big matches, and I wouldn't have wanted them to 1) rush through every possible main event matchup so quickly so we're left with nothing new, or 2) give us the same match over and over again to the point of overkill. For example, I'm pretty sure I enjoyed Bret v HBK more at WM12 in 1996 with all the build, and the story of the 'boyhood dream' that had been building from the face turn almost a year earlier, a lot more than I would have if they'd quickly rushed it through sometime in 1995.

 

With a pool of less than half a dozen real main eventers, if they'd done every single main event match there was to be had on PPV in 1995, then it would have inevitably led to a whole load of repeat matches, each one feeling less and less special and interesting as you'd only need to go back a matter of months to remember the last one. I'd much rather have a bit of variety, like we did get in 1995, even if that means guys like the Hitman did drop down a few rungs to face more lowly opponents.

 

Besides, even from someone like me who knows very little about the business side of things, is it not blatantly obvious that i'm hardly going to be so stupid to argue that matches between a main eventer and an unknown midcarder will make more money than matches between two established & over main eventers?