Best memories of wrestling on VHS

[IANdrewDiceClay]

There was definite talks about it, but if they were anywhere close to a deal it would have been a much bigger story, and we'd probably be all talking about it in fine detail, rather than vague speculation. Meltzer talked at length about it on a podcast once and it was super interesting to listen to. In the late 80s, Hogan's drawing power on pay-per-view was massive. When wrestling and boxing is hot, you usually get the two parties talking about how to exploit their popularity. Like the Tyson and Austin thing or the Lewis and Lesnar negotiations. It all comes down to who does the job, really doesn't it? I suppose if the idea was for Warrior to take over from Hulk, having Hogan lose wasn't going to muck up their longterm plans. Looking at it, if Hogan and Tyson wrestled in 1990 for WrestleMania VI I think you'd still be trying to reach that target now. Savage and Hogan did 650,00 in the United States with less PPV customers. Imagine what a boxer vs wrestler with those two would have done?If I recall the talks between Lewis and Lesnar for a real scrap. Imagine that?EDIT: Here's Meltzer's take on the Lewis thing.

Wasn't to be at Mania.Would have been a PPV promoted by WWE with nothing but shoot matches in Las Vegas.Vegas commission told him he could have all real matches, or all fake matches, not could not mix them on the show. Vince was going with an all real match show, maybe a 2-3 match card.The idea is that WWE was cold at the time and Lesnar was their guy, and they figured Lesnar beating Lewis would make Lesnar into a major sports star which was what he needed, and Angle winning would set him up as Lesnar's big rival.It was Lewis who came to them with the idea, but Lewis saw it as an easy payday. As soon as he realized it wasn't going to be, he wanted no part of it and then tried to deny there ever was anything to it past him being asked to referee a pro wrestling match.Realistically, it was never going to happen because at the end of the day, Lewis wasn't doing anything with a risk of injury. He thought he could make huge money for an easy fight with a fake wrestler, and had no idea who Lesnar was other than he thought an actor.

There was probably no better time in WWE to put a bunch of shooters in real fights than 2002. Angle was still fairly fit. Lesnar was about. Haas and Benjamin could handle themselves. I wonder if they did put the all shoot card on, Vince would have tried to bring in Bob Sapp? He was hot at the time wasnt he?

[JNLister]

If I remember rightly it was going to be Angle and Michael Moorer on the undercard. I don't think they'd thought about a third match before they realised they had to do it as all shoots.I think the furthest they got with the rule talk was that wrestling would be legal, but they'd be stood up after 20 seconds on the ground. I think it was meant to be pinfalls or KO only, with no submissions.

[wandshogun09]

I'm fascinated by this. I remember hearing vaguely about the Lewis vs Lesnar thing, wasn't it around early 2003? But didn't know they were considering a shoot show and this is the first I'm hearing of a possible Angle vs Moorer fight. The fights themselves probably wouldn't have been much cop, might have just ended up looking like a bigger name version of the Brawl For All, but I'd have been well up for that, especially Lewis vs Lesnar. Couldn't have been any worse than Ali vs Inoki ended up being.

 

I bet they would've tried bringing Bob Sapp in as well. Weren't there talks between WWE and Sapp around that time period anyway?

[C-Rock]

My memories of VHS is trailing around carboot sales on a Sunday looking for tapes I didn't already have. I had a pretty massive collection and it broke my heart when I had to part with them when the DVD era came about, I really wish I'd hung on to them but they would have been a nightmare to transport to the houses I've moved into since then.

 

I think the first ever VHS I received was either WrestleMania 4 the double pack or WrestleMania 7, I remember for ages wanting SummerSlam 88. When I was young, there was a guy who lived near the end of our street and I'd borrow wrestling videos from him, he always said he'd get them off his brother to give to me which at the time I had no reason to disbelieve but now I think was he really a closet wrestling fan. I used to pester the life out of him for videos and I remember the excitement when I'd borrow a new one. I'd lock myself in the living room so I could watch it, so my parents had to live in the kitchen for 3 or however many hours.

 

I also remember vividly Blockbuster used to rent out wrestling videos, I'm sure I remember at some point there being a tape about the greatest steel cage matches (not the DVD release).

 

I also stupidly bought a video that I'd thought I'd enjoy which was the Roddy Piper exercise/wrestling training video. Anybody else watched that? they had a blow up Undertaker who they called the Grave Digger and the Roddy would show the kids how to clothesline it....he must have really needed the money. I'm sure it was made in England also I'm guessing around 93-94

[EdgarTheSlouch]

I also stupidly bought a video that I'd thought I'd enjoy which was the Roddy Piper exercise/wrestling training video. Anybody else watched that? they had a blow up Undertaker who they called the Grave Digger and the Roddy would show the kids how to clothesline it....he must have really needed the money. I'm sure it was made in England also I'm guessing around 93-94

 

[TheShowOff]

Bob Sapp in 2001 / 2002 was huge in Japan. He was on cereal boxes, had candy bars, was in cartoons and just about everywhere else. WWE did try to bring Bob Sapp in, but they were not willing to offer him anything near what he was making in Japan.

[Loki]

Where is he now, Sapp?

[Devon Malcolm]

I remember seeing him in a terrible tag match for NWA Wildside on TWC back in the day but I was vaguely aware he was huge in Japan. Didn't understand why he was slumming it in Wildside at about the same time, though.

[TheShowOff]

He was never big in America. In MMA in particular, he is considered a joke.

[Scott Malbranque]

One that always sticks out in my head is when WWF played the music video for Sunny's 'I Know You Want Me' theme, and I recorded it. And that was the first time I realised that with sheer grit, determination and an unbreakable will, I could spray Yop, twice in three minutes.

I still have my Survivor Series 1996 VHS taped off Sky at home. I just loved the New York fans reaction to Sid. It was the first time I ever witness a babyface being so heavily booed, and I was so happy.

[JNLister]

Sapp mainly does small scale MMA where he'll take on a local guy in the main event. He doesn't outright "job" as such, but usually the moment he realises he's not likely to win, he goes down easy and turtles up so he can lose without taking too much punishment.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, I heard Sapp tapped to a sharp wind while he was cutting his grass over the weekend. He looks great but, as a fighter he really is a joke these days.

[Egg Shen]

Where is he now, Sapp?

ahh christ, you don't wanna know.

 

Sapp these days travels around the world picking up big cheques to headline random MMA shows...no harm in that? you may think, but he basically throws the fights, he runs in throws a punch and if it doesn't land looks to take a dive and tap out from strikes, it's fucking ridiculous and it keeps happening. If you wanna see any of these debacles hit Youtube and have a look, it aint pretty.

 

Sapp's lost 14 of his last 15 fights in MMA and 13 of his last 14 K-1 fights, he's on a run of 2-29!!

[Dirty Eddie]

Where is he now, Sapp?

ahh christ, you don't wanna know.

 

Sapp these days travels around the world picking up big cheques to headline random MMA shows...no harm in that? you may think, but he basically throws the fights, he runs in throws a punch and if it doesn't land looks to take a dive and tap out from strikes, it's fucking ridiculous and it keeps happening. If you wanna see any of these debacles hit Youtube and have a look, it aint pretty.

 

Sapp's lost 14 of his last 15 fights in MMA and 13 of his last 14 K-1 fights, he's on a run of 2-29!!

 

He must be the best paid total loser in the world right now. I watched the first few Sapp matches that involved him using the Buster Bluth "Turtling" technique to poor effect but I gave up when it became clear he was just there for the sweet, sweet money every single time.

[ShortOrderCook]

My mate beat Sapp a couple of years ago in Dubai.