Random thoughts thread v2 *NO NEWS ITEMS*

[DraxSpago 1]

 

My vision of the model would be that the Proper Actual Champion defends every time his own brand has a PPV, maybe even sometimes on TV.

 

The cross-brand PPVs are the other brand's opportunity to take the title over to their show. It's not without flaws, admittedly.

This is how I imagined it when I wrote that too. The other brand could focus on finding a suitable contender at their ppvs.

But then how do they fill tv time? All you'd have is contender A vs contender B having 3/4 matches in the month before their PPV match

[King Pitcos 412]

Yeah, the whole "MUST ONLY BE ONE CHAMP FOR MORE PRESTIGE AND CREDIBILITY" thing makes sense in fanwank Our Great Sport terms, but in execution it'd be a boring mess (moreso than now) and we'd hate it (more than now). At least the current division of the brands allows them to do stories that aren't muddled by needing to be mindful of the formula for who gets the champ seven PPVs from now.

 

Nobody stopped complaining about wrestling the last time they unified the belts and had one major champion.

Edited November 25, 2016 by King Pitcos

[JNLister 758]

Care to share, I only get there in 5

 

 

I can do it in 3 too.  (if I understand right...that I have filled in 3 of the question marks)

 

I'll stick it on Monday if I remember.

 

I did it in three steps, so two names between Eaver and Race. I'll say this much now: there's a match that pretty much helps link any British wrestler to any American wrestler.

[The Dart 116]

Yes I've done the same now. 2 names between the two, I'd be surprised if I've done it differently to you.

[IANdrewDiceClay 2,792]

Been watching some old Shotguns (the C-show years) because of the discussion earlier in this thread and its funny how when the Oddities first debuted, they kept saying "wow The Giant Silva is bigger than Andre the Giant, I've never seen a man that big before!" and all this. Its amazing how they didnt do anything with him, considering Vince's love for massive men. I wonder if the Big Show never signed, if they'd have went with him a bit for. On Beyond the Mat Vince had a big grin on his face when Giant Silva walked past him.

 

The Oddities must have been intended to be bigger than they were. I remember Meltzer wrote a story about John Tenta returning as a masked heel to feud with Austin (Russo and Austin briefly discussed this on a podcast together as well). The group itself seemed to have way more rope than what it turned out. You had two giants, a masked heel, a great talker and a bunch of ad-ons like the Wack Pack from Howard Stern. The initial group was a bit of a ratings hit if I recall. Then Kurrgan danced and Vince decided to make them a comedy act.

Edited November 26, 2016 by IANdrewDiceClay

[SpursRiot2012 396]

What was the deal with Regal when he came into the WWE in the late 90s? I remember reading somewhere they had big plans for him, but on watching Survivor Series 98 the other night can't see how. He came out to that cheesy real mans man music with a yellow hard hat on. How long had he been around the company by that point? Were there ever big plans for him or did I just imagine reading and hearing that at the time?

[the_mole 21]

What was the deal with Regal when he came into the WWE in the late 90s? I remember reading somewhere they had big plans for him, but on watching Survivor Series 98 the other night can't see how. He came out to that cheesy real mans man music with a yellow hard hat on. How long had he been around the company by that point? Were there ever big plans for him or did I just imagine reading and hearing that at the time?

He was just coming in but he was on drugs and was quickly gone while he tried getting clean he has relapsed a few times since but seems to be doing well now.

[Nick Soapdish 106]

What was the deal with Regal when he came into the WWE in the late 90s? I remember reading somewhere they had big plans for him, but on watching Survivor Series 98 the other night can't see how. He came out to that cheesy real mans man music with a yellow hard hat on. How long had he been around the company by that point? Were there ever big plans for him or did I just imagine reading and hearing that at the time?

I believe he was a shambles but people like HHH vouched for him (friends in high places and all that) when WCW fired him. A stint in rehab followed and we got William Regal out of it

[FelatioLips 564]

There's a match on Raw 1998 I think of him vs Goldust and he tries a promo before it and it's a miracle he doesn't drop dead in the middle of it. A real mess.

[Direct Impact 0]

1000 pages!

[King Pitcos 412]

What was the deal with Regal when he came into the WWE in the late 90s? I remember reading somewhere they had big plans for him, but on watching Survivor Series 98 the other night can't see how. He came out to that cheesy real mans man music with a yellow hard hat on. How long had he been around the company by that point? Were there ever big plans for him or did I just imagine reading and hearing that at the time?

 

He debuted on Raw about six months before that, without the Real Man's Man gimmick. He wore the same robe from WCW and all that, but I'm not sure what he was doing gimmick-wise. He had generic rock intro music, and it never went anywhere. He got sent to a Dory Funk training camp to get into shape, got injured there, then broke his leg to pieces falling over at home while he was off his head on drugs.

 

I think the Real Man's Man thing was at one point planned to be a big deal when he got revealed to be gay, but it definitely wouldn't have been a big deal. It'd be one of those things where Russo might have thought that's a main event feud with Austin, but there's no way Austin would have done it. At best, Gay Regal would've been stunner victim #7 in the middle of an "Austin's out of control, folks" episode of Raw.

[tiger_rick 3,478]

Either Meltzer was getting some duff info or Vince was on crack in 1998. Steve Williams, Steve Regal and John Tenta were all said to be coming in for big heel pushes to work with Steve Austin.

 

Luckily there were injuries, knock outs, drug habits and mind changes that put paid to all three and things worked out pretty well.

 

They really did have some terrible ideas in 1998 although most didn't come to pass and the ones that did were treated as quick, low-mid-card fodder.

[WeeAl 324]

J.R loved Steve Williams so that at least makes sense why they would have been thinking that way. However for the other two? A drugged out of his tree Steven Regal and completely over the hill Tenta in 1998? Something was wrong with them if they were genuinely looking at those two as options in the beginning.

[unfitfinlay 48]

Either Meltzer was getting some duff info or Vince was on crack in 1998. Steve Williams, Steve Regal and John Tenta were all said to be coming in for big heel pushes to work with Steve Austin.

 

Luckily there were injuries, knock outs, drug habits and mind changes that put paid to all three and things worked out pretty well.

 

They really did have some terrible ideas in 1998 although most didn't come to pass and the ones that did were treated as quick, low-mid-card fodder.

 

To be fair, 1998 wasn't exactly overflowing with affordable free agents was it? Bischoff was throwing money at people JUST to stop them working for Vince. I can totally see the logic of going for guys, like Regal and Tenta, who WCW didn't want anymore and trying to repackage them into stars. It's not like they don't have a history of that.

 

It's not like they were planning to build the future of the company around them. They were probably looking at just one or two matches against Austin, who did need fresh, but safe, opponents, until the likes of The Rock were ready to step up.

[Statto 146]

Not suggesting Tenta wasn't "over the hill" in 98, and I know age is far from the only variable in that equation, but that comment & the received wisdom that Quake always looked old beyond his years made me go look it up.

 

He turned 35 that year. Dolph Ziggler is 36.