Guest Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Have there been periods of a wrestler's career where they've just seemed like a fish out of water, or the odd one out? For me, one example is Tatanka when he returned to WWE on the SmackDown brand, for seemingly no reason other than to fart around in a makeshift tag team with Matt Hardy. It was borderline surreal, like you'd dropped a Hasbro into your nephew's Jakks figures and he just used it to pad out his roster with no need for context. An earlier case was the team of Jim Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith in late '90s WCW. They'd gone from a main event stable in the WWF built around their relationship with Bret, to an utterly directionless tag team on Thunder with no mention of their fellow newcomer, nor any real allusion to the Bulldog's high profile run in the company a few years prior. They were just there, with an unspoken raison d'être, sticking out like a pair of sore thumbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arn Anderson's Darb Posted March 27, 2020 Members Share Posted March 27, 2020 Animal's run on Smack down in his Village People gear was a disaster. That might have been around the same time as Tatanka actually? And their brilliant DVD set as well I think. What a way to shit on a legacy. Worse than the Heidenreich team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted March 27, 2020 Moderators Share Posted March 27, 2020 Honky Tonk Man in WCW just felt weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyT Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) Bulldog again in work boots and jeans in 2000 was a weird one As much as I hate to say it, Mr Perfects last run felt strange. WCW had loads of odd guys still around at different times. Marty Janetty, Rick Martel as jobbers/lower carders in WCW in the late 90s Val Venis and The Nasty Boys in TNA. What was that about? Edited March 28, 2020 by HeavyT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEGABUCKS Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) I came in to say Bulldog and Anvil in WCW too in 98. I just didnt get that no one gave a shit as they were a focal point on Raw just few months before. I wonder if both stayed in WWF how the landscape would have been like? Owen may have still been alive and Bret would have been back sooner than later. Davey may have even still been alive today. Edited March 28, 2020 by MEGABUCKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTXRussomark Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 The Quebecers return to the WWF in 98 springs to mind. In fact their WCW run prior to that felt weird too, but nothing compared to them rocking up in their hideous blue gear right as the Attitude Era was getting into full swing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted March 28, 2020 Moderators Share Posted March 28, 2020 Their match vs the Godwinns at No Way Out was fucking abhorrent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyT Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) Headbangers* resurfaced a few years back didnt they? I didnt actually see it but it seemed mad. Dont think anvil and bulldog were booked to mean anything and the fa s didnt care as a result. If they were brets lackeys it would have worked out better. I always wondered if there was some legal reason they couldn't recreate the hart foundation Edited March 28, 2020 by HeavyT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members garynysmon Posted March 28, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) Buddy Landell, complete with rip-off Ric Flair gimmick and theme, rocking up in the WWF in late 1995. And although I wasn't complaining at the time and always love a comeback, no matter how past their prime they are, a badly out of shape Roddy Piper competing in the mid 2000's "Ruthless Aggresion" era was a bit strange.  Edited March 28, 2020 by garynysmon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCW Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Perfect coming back in 2002 and ending up slumming it on Heat with the likes of Tommy Dreamer was weird and kinda sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted March 28, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) Bob Backlund was probably the first one I ever noticed. In retrospect, he wasn't even that old, but he just felt like such a colourless old man from this bygone age in amongst the cast of strange and larger than life gimmicks. Flair would maybe have been the same but they boiled both down to a one dimensional character that sort of fit. Hogan and Savage in WCW, pre nWo, have always felt weird to me. Especially as Hogan was off the gas and on the Pastamania at the time. It's just such a strange visual that I can't get over. They're like knock off action figure versions. Most old dudes WWE have brought back for actual runs since 2000 have looked out of place. Tatanka and Animal are good shouts. Hogan and Piper were five years past being past their prime. They're small fry compared to a Jim Duggan though. That one's just inexplicable. Edited March 28, 2020 by tiger_rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted March 28, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2020 7 hours ago, Uncle Zeb said: Have there been periods of a wrestler's career where they've just seemed like a fish out of water, or the odd one out? For me, one example is Tatanka when he returned to WWE on the SmackDown brand, for seemingly no reason other than to fart around in a makeshift tag team with Matt Hardy. Think I remember, from what I'd read, Tatanka was trying to copyright his name and the WWE brung him back for a quick payday. No plans were really for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVP RULZ Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 The Headbangers appearing for a brief run on Smackdown a couple of years back Just seemed completely mental that a pretty much jobber team from the attitude era would fit into modern day WWE. Only lasted about a month or so but just weird the way they reappeared after barely been thought about for 15 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted March 28, 2020 Awards Moderator Share Posted March 28, 2020 9 hours ago, Arn Anderson's Darb said: Animal's run on Smack down in his Village People gear was a disaster. That might have been around the same time as Tatanka actually? And their brilliant DVD set as well I think. What a way to shit on a legacy. Worse than the Heidenreich team. Ah yes, when they even changed his name to The Road Warrior! I think a SmackDown house show I went do even had him vs Tatanka on the card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Statto Posted March 28, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2020 He did have a titantron where he snorted the a-shaped road in his logo out of his nose like an angry cartoon character snorts steam, though: Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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