Rebooking the WWF in 1991

[Liam O'Rourke]

So for this week's podcast we are returning to our booking committee format for a discussion Rebooking the WWF in 1991, a very interesting time that began the downturn for the company. We're looking to get some feedback on what you think needed to be done to make things succeed during a period where popularity fell.

 

Starting as everything was on January 1st 1991, what do you book for WrestleMania 7? Do you run with the Slaughter Gulf War angle? If not, what's in it's place? What do you do with Warrior's WWF Title run? What do you do with the incoming Sid Justice and Ric Flair? What do you do with the titles? Where does Hogan fit in?

 

As always, we'll be reading the best feedback/ideas on the show and crediting you accordingly. So what would you have done?

 

EDIT - Our show Rebooking the WWF in 1991, featuring many of your contributions is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/s99tqu/SCG_Radio_85_-_Rebooking_The_WWF_in_1991.mp3
 

[tiger_rick]

I'd keep the two WrestleMania 7 matches as they were but change the Royal Rumble finish and have Warrior tell Sherri "YESSSSSS!" to Macho Man's title shot. Warrior would then keep the belt without damaging Slaughter leading to a Title vs. Retirement match at WM plus Hogan vanquishing Slaughter in the semi-main. Warrior would retain and I'd build to Warrior/Hogan II at SummerSlam if for no other reason than to ensure it would never happen as Halloween Havoc! The only finish I'd change at WM7 would be to put Boss man over Perfect. The angle was so brilliant that it needed the conclusion. Boss man could then drop the belt to Bret who'd defend against Perfect at SummerSlam while Boss man moved on to the Mountie.

 

The tag division was criminally under-valued in 1991. You had the LOD waiting around for their turn with the titles, Demolition being wound down, The motherfucking Rockers doing absolutely nothing, Orient Express not capitalising on their awesome Rumble match and that cracking Haku/Barbarian combo amounting to nothing. Meanwhile everyone took a back seat to the Nasty Boys for the most part and the Natural Disasters became the focus later on. With hindsight, I'd go with The Rockers taking the titles at WM7, loads of TV title defences against Orients, Haku/Barbarian, Demolition and the Nasties while LOD amassed wins over those same teams to build to SummerSlam. Marty would be the fall guy at SummerSlam seeding Shawn Michaels resentment.

 

Survivor Series that year was rubbish. That would be another area to focus on. I'd have had Flair win his match decisively to set him up for his title run. None of that Roberts/Savage team nonsense, just a cracking build to a one on one match. I'd also have re-done the massive Tag Team match of survival from 87 & 88 to set up LOD's next challengers, probably the Natural Disaster after all. Sid would come in as a heel and have his own team opposing a Boss man led team. Lots of "Justice" puns in those promos.

 

WM8, I'd be building to Hogan chasing Flair, Savage putting Michaels over, Undertaker vs. Sid Justice and I'd keep the Bret/Piper match because it's too good to lose!

[Reznor]

1991 was amazing, whatever needed to be done to make things succeed wouldn't have been half as much fun as what they did do!

 

Yeah, it's my favourite year. I'm resisting the urge to just wax lyrical at all the stuff I loved and I guess if i'm going to stick my nose in, I should at least contribute something. So I'd have made sure that SNME's continued after the April one.

 

I'd also have run a June PPV; not a KOTR but a Wrestlefest or something as there was loads going on with few outlets for scores to be settled or furthered between WM and Summerslam. The novel and excellent Desert storm match deserved a grander stage than a standard MSG show, Taker/Warrior needed to happen, and the undercard could have been filled with all sorts of cool shit like Dragon/Perfect, Hitman or Piper/Dibiase, Rockers/Nasties, Bossman/Mountie, Jake/Quake etc.

 

I wouldn't change a thing with the main feuds, title reigns or with Rumble and Mania booking (except maybe dropping a couple like Tito/Mountie and Tornado/Bravo). I'd have tried to get Taker and/or Jake into the Summerslam main but otherwise that show is perfect (or at least near perfect - perfect would have required HBK to be fit for the Rockers to replace the Bushwhackers even though that match was fine for what it was). Survivor Series should have had Jake and Savage in to make a 4 v 4 as that 6 man was crap, and they didn't need to be completely kept apart to sell TTIT. I still liked the rest of the show though - even the one with the tag teams which bores the living shit out of everyone else.

 

Jake's character was amazing after the heel turn but he virtually had no matches which was a big disappointment. The Dragon was criminally underused too and that was a big missed opportunity for me, so I'd have rectified things with regards to those two. When you think of all the missed opportunites like all the potential matches those two could have had on TV, I wish the WWF's weekly TV model was closer to WCW's. At the very least, Superstars and Challenge should have had a name v name main event per week.

 

Last but by no means least, I'd have made sure the Coach never existed.

 

Not much could've been done about the following but some random wishlists..... I wished the Bully had hung around longer. And Martel never disappeared after Mania. Would've been nice if Rude could've stayed to follow through with the Bossman feud in late '90 then onwards instead of doing nothing until WCW in October but I guess that was a legal thing. And I wish Andre would have been fit enough to have a real match or two, v Earthquake and maybe Perfect.

[Michael_3165]

Royal Rumble 1991 - Warrior would defend the heavyweight title against Mr Perfect at the Rumble in a competitive match where Perfect almost picks up the upset however Warrior comes out of the match strong having kicked out of the Perfect-Plex that has been built up as the move that nobody can kick out of (ignoring Hogan vs Perfect in the late 80s/1990). Hogan wins the Rumble match as a way of setting up the main event of WM7. 

 

WrestleMania 7 - Hogan would defeat Warrior in the rematch from WM6 to close their feud one year on. This could really be played well if given the chance with Hogan questioning whether he and his Hulkamaniacs have enough left to defeat the new monster and WWF champion, Warrior. The Undertaker's undefeated streak continues in a match against the British Bulldog at WM. 

 

SummerSlam 1991 - Warrior would feud opposite the Undertaker leading into and at SummerSlam 1991 - having a prominent Casket Match or other match that was missing from one of the big PPV events in the early 1990s. Undertaker comes out of the feud as the No 1 Contender for the title following a run in from Warriors next rival, Jake The Snake Roberts. Hogan would be thrust into the WWF title picture over the summer by exploiting Sgt Slaughter's hate against the USA. No need to piggy-back onto the war situation which would have died out by now. This would be a boot-camp match with Hogan providing the juice before falling the anti-American Sgt for the 1,2,3.

 

Survivor Series 1991 - The 'Real World Champion' Ric Flair debuts a few weeks prior to the Survivor Series, staking claim to being the true champion of the world and challenging Hogan for the title at the Royal Rumble. Hogan tells Flair he has to 'get in line' for the shot but Flair goes on to win the Rumble match to face the champion Hogan at WM8. The whole Flair/Undertaker/Hogan thing comes to a head at the end of Survivor Series as it did in reality with Flair going over Hogan at WM8 for the title. 

[King Pitcos]

Hogan would be thrust into the WWF title picture over the summer by exploiting Sgt Slaughter's hate against the USA.

When does Slaughter win the belt?

[sgmilne]

I loved 1991 as well; I started watching wrestling in January of that year and that period through to Wrestlemania 8 remains my favourite.

 

The main change for me - to echo what's been written above - is that I'd have done better with the tag team division.

 

I'd have Power & Glory win the belts off the Hart Foundation early on, and then lose them to The Rockers at WM7. The Rockers would then lose the belts to L.O.D. leading to their inevitable break-up.

 

The Hart Foundation would break up leading to a match at Wrestlemania 7, which Bret would win.

 

The Nasty Boys would be nowhere near the spotlight.

 

The Undertaker would have beaten The Ultimate Warrior at Summerslam.

 

I'd have done more with Greg Valentine after his performance in the Royal Rumble.

 

And I'd have turned Ricky Steamboat heel.

[bAzTNM#1]

I'd have had Wrestlemania 7 as Hogan vs Warrior and, to sadly exploit the Iraq War, Duggan vs Slaughter. Would leave Savage out in the cold though. Maybe have him vs Piper or turn Randy (or make him a subtle tweener until the show) and have him against DiBiase. You can still have the whole Liz - Macho thing at the end and Sherri can go off with DiBiase.

[Liam O'Rourke]

 

Hogan would be thrust into the WWF title picture over the summer by exploiting Sgt Slaughter's hate against the USA.

When does Slaughter win the belt?

Slaughter gets it Mid-January at the Rumble.

[air_raid]

Royal Rumble 1991 - Warrior would defend the heavyweight title against Mr Perfect at the Rumble in a competitive match where Perfect almost picks up the upset however Warrior comes out of the match strong having kicked out of the Perfect-Plex that has been built up as the move that nobody can kick out of (ignoring Hogan vs Perfect in the late 80s/1990).

 

And that Warrior kicked out of it at Survivor Series two months earlier?

[Michael_3165]

Lets ignore that  

[Reznor]

Lets ignore that

 

...and Boss Man at the last SNME never happened either. 

[royaltenenbaum]

Great topic... Royal Rumble: Always thought this was a bit of a formless Rumble, missing the ebbs and flow that make the 1990 and 92 shows more watchable (IMO). Fantasy rebooking the PPV, I'd have Warrior go over Slaughter despite Savage and Sherri's best efforts. In the Rumble match itself, I'd have Savage take part and win the match - Warrior comes out at the end and says "You got your title shot".

 

WM7: Title match between Warrior and Savage, belt stays on UW. Hogan vs Slaughter as a non-title match, with a patriotic Hogan victory for Murican's (i.e. Vince).

 

Summerslam: I'd have a main event of Hogan and Warrior vs Jake & Taker (hard to believe Roberts and The Undertaker didn't have matches on the card in hindsight) with the faces going over (perhaps with a count-out victory or DQ win?) but keeping the heat on the heels.

 

The problem here is in keeping the belt on Warrior longer, if he suddenly disappears as he did...but I think for this what if? would have been great to keep it on him before dropping to Flair, as I say just for this fun what if.

 

Post Summerslam as mentioned above, I wish they'd made more of Jake's heel turn in the ring. Top heel theme tune, so good with promos etc, but often his matches at this time were the least interesting thing about him (not bad, just not quite as good as the build up perhaps). I wish they'd put him in a feud with Bret...I like the idea of him coming into an angle for the IC belt saying he's played by the rules, been a Hogan teammate at Survivor Series in the past and for what? It's got him no reward. So now he's prepared to break all the rules to get what he wants - the IC belt.

 

Flair: I'd bring him in against Hogan and Savage (pushing the admittedly great Jake-Mach feud back), and would have loved to have seen him form a sort of equivalent Horsemen stable - perhaps DiBiase, IRS (due to the lack of mid-card heels that could fit without looking stupid i.e. Mountie etc) and Perfect as their J.J. figure.

[Max Power]

Cracking show.

 

The Flair/Hogan stuff sounded fantastic and Corporal Crush was a beaut. Whoever emailed in saying that Snuka would have been 'up all night murdering' had me in stitches.

 

Miles better than the Ready to Rumble pod, but each to their own.

[WWFChilli]

Much improved from last week. I died at Corporal Crush. Outstanding.

[Otto Dem Wanz]

I posted this in the other thread but for me this was the best SCG is ages, maybe ever.

 

Last week's episode seemed to split opinions, and I was someone who was firmly on the 'didn't like it' side but you've rebounded in superb style this week. I thought the fantasy booking was brilliantly thought out and the contributions (from the panel and the listeners) were spot on. 

 

Corporal Crush and Snuka 'up all night murdering' had me creasing. An absolute belter this week, well done guys.

 

Out of interest, do you have any involvement in booking in your indy stuff Liam?