Hidden gems

[RancidPunx]

On 12/24/2021 at 12:19 AM, Chasingamymatt said:

Dunno how hidden it is but just watched Great American Bash 1989, decent undercard, really good Wargames match and a classic Funk/Flair main event. well worth checking out.

Plus it has the dynamic dudes on the undercard who are always hilarious, for the wrong reasons.

What else is good from 89-91 in terms of WCW ppv’s and tv shows ?

[wandshogun09]

1 hour ago, Max Power said:

Tell you whats a Hidden Gem. Austin v Mankind on Raw the night after 'Its Time' in December 96. Vince bizarrely builds it as a 'Tough Man' contest for some reason, and to be fair he's probably correct. Anyway, these two beat the shit out of each other for a good 15 minutes, it's starts off a little low key, but by the halfway mark the crowd are into it and they know its something special.

These two men are out to prove a point. They both got the shaft from WCW in the past year or so and they want to put on a show for the few lads that are actually watching Raw in December 96.

It's a great match and is the blueprint for the Austin v Dude matches 18 months later.

Think that’s from the night after Survivor Series 96. Really good match and a bit of a novelty at the time seeing two heels face off. If I remember right the episode that was on just started with Mankind jumping Austin during his entrance and they were straight into kicking the shit out of each other. Like before the show opening and all sorts. Totally caught me off guard at the time. Last thing I was expecting to see right at the start of Raw was Austin fighting Mankind. There was an Austin vs Vader ‘tough man contest’ a few weeks later and a really fun Owen Hart vs Mankind match as well. There’s a bunch of little gems from mid 90s WWF TV. 

44 minutes ago, RancidPunx said:

What else is good from 89-91 in terms of WCW ppv’s and tv shows ?

Anything Steiners. Anything Bobby Eaton, especially the Midnights vs Southern Boys from GAB 90 (although that’s not a ‘hidden’ gem) and his singles run in 91. Lex Luger was having some great PPV matches back then as well against Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Brian Pillman, Stan Hansen and Dan Spivey. 

[NavigatorFan]

Lovely Road Warriors v Powers of Pain match on the May 14 1988 episode of World Championship Wrestling. Doesn't go all that long but it's great whilst it lasts! 

[air_raid]

15 hours ago, RancidPunx said:

What else is good from 89-91 in terms of WCW ppv’s and tv shows ?

Great American Bash 1991 which in general is one of the worst PPVs of all time, does host a really fun Dustin Rhodes/Young Pistols vs Freebirds/Badstreet elimination match. Really hidden gem because in general the show is one you’d give a wide berth.

[2Xtreme_lives]

I haven't seen it sinced it aired but think i'll give it another spin. This card seems a big card for a B show at the time. Orton vs Michaels, Trish&Lita vs Molly Holly and Gail Kim, Tables Match, Shane vs Kane, Jericho vs Christian vs RVD

 

 

[Tommy!]

On 12/27/2021 at 10:02 PM, RancidPunx said:

What else is good from 89-91 in terms of WCW ppv’s and tv shows ?

Close of 88 - start 91 were generally great, especially on top and for tags.

Flair vs luger, funk, steamboat or sting on top for most of it and some great tags underneath. 

The only duffers are Starrcade 89, being 2 one night round Robins it's overexposure and nothings really on the line, havoc 90 and capital combat where I don't recall much of the luger sting main bar robocop but it does have a good Doom tag on it I believe (as does Starrcade 90 it I remember right). 

Beach blast 92 is good too, it's been years since I watch it but steamboat vs rude iron man, steiners vs Williams & gordy, sting vs cactus and flamingo vs Pillman were all really good if I recall. 

Edited December 31, 2021 by Tommy!

[NavigatorFan]

Just watched an awesome match between Kidman and Juventud from the 25 May 1998 episode of Nitro. Fast paced with a red hot crowd enjoying every minute. Well worth a watch if you enjoy cruiserweight action. 

[air_raid]

While searching for handhelds I came across this tag I’d obviously seen at the time but forgotten. From an Oct 95 Superstars, Razor & Kid who have been chasing the tag belts vs recently dethroned Owen & Yoko. At 12 minutes including entrances it’s a perfect 90s WWF snack.

 

[WyattSheepMask]

I’m still working my way through The Monday Night War era of wrestling on the network, which is pretty much the only reason I still subscribe.

I’m up to WCW Monday Nitro from July 13th 1998 (#148), the night after Bash At The Beach.

The third match on (and after a whopping 100second match Rick Fuller and Jim Duggan had stunk up the place) is a one-on-one encounter between Bret Hart and Fit Finlay. Hart is coming off of a DQ loss the previous night to TV Champion Booker T, while Finlay had been TV Champion a couple of months previously, so both men are firmly in midcard spots. It’s also heel vs heel as Finlay is just Finlay while Bret is in the nWo, although the crowd does favour The Hitman slightly because he’s Bret Hart.

I had no idea this match took place (it doesn’t get any sort of build on the show), and went looking online as I figured they must’ve crossed paths before either in World of Sport, Stampede, or maybe even Japan at some point. 
Nope, this is the one and only time that the two men ever faced each other.

This being wrestling TV in 1998 means that it doesn’t go long, but it’s a fun little match for what it is

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by WyattSheepMask

[Michael_3165]

On 1/12/2022 at 9:57 AM, air_raid said:

While searching for handhelds I came across this tag I’d obviously seen at the time but forgotten. From an Oct 95 Superstars, Razor & Kid who have been chasing the tag belts vs recently dethroned Owen & Yoko. At 12 minutes including entrances it’s a perfect 90s WWF snack.

 

You don't get crowds or tag team matches like that anymore. Love it. Kid brings this wreckless energy that few can match now. It's a fight! Simple, safe moves, hot crowd and a simple finish. No 267284848 kickouts of finishers nor anyone doing stupid shit or bending an arm or leg the wrong way. So for me... Good wrestling! 

[Snitsky's back acne]

On 12/31/2021 at 12:24 AM, Tommy! said:

havoc 90

Havoc 90 had the crazy stiff Nasty Boys vs Steiners match. Brutal.

92 WCW had some really strong PPVs as mentioned and as much as it is maligned I didnt mind the stripped to basics Bill Watts events. Just decent, no frills wrestling. 

[Vamp]

There's obviously problems with 92 WCW, like the fact that it was probably a pretty shite place to work, but I think the PPVs are generally regarded regarded as pretty strong aren't they? 

[The King of Old School]

On 1/22/2022 at 2:45 PM, WyattSheepMask said:

I’m still working my way through The Monday Night War era of wrestling on the network, which is pretty much the only reason I still subscribe.

I’m up to WCW Monday Nitro from July 13th 1998 (#148), the night after Bash At The Beach.

The third match on (and after a whopping 100second match Rick Fuller and Jim Duggan had stunk up the place) is a one-on-one encounter between Bret Hart and Fit Finlay. Hart is coming off of a DQ loss the previous night to TV Champion Booker T, while Finlay had been TV Champion a couple of months previously, so both men are firmly in midcard spots. It’s also heel vs heel as Finlay is just Finlay while Bret is in the nWo, although the crowd does favour The Hitman slightly because he’s Bret Hart.

I had no idea this match took place (it doesn’t get any sort of build on the show), and went looking online as I figured they must’ve crossed paths before either in World of Sport, Stampede, or maybe even Japan at some point. 
Nope, this is the one and only time that the two men ever faced each other.

This being wrestling TV in 1998 means that it doesn’t go long, but it’s a fun little match for what it is

Amazing that it was a clean finish and no run ins.

[air_raid]

Anyone was access to the Network or has 93 Raw on a stack of discs, check this one out. It’s Kid.

Everyone probably remembers the key moments of Kids beginnings. He upset Razor on the 17th May Raw, then they did the $10,000 rematch on 21st June, then they started the Razor face turn in the face of taunting from Money Inc, leading to Kid upsetting Ted DiBiase on Challenge with distraction from Ramon to build their match at SummerSlam. At the PPV Kid loses to IRS to give him a win before he goes on the road with Razor.

Inbetween - Kid has a fun match on the July 5th Raw with Beau Beverly. It’s obviously “only a Beverly” but this match has a real feel to it of Kid gradually acclimatising himself to be able to hang with other “WWF Superstars” since before Razor he’d only suffered one-sided squash defeats so it’s interesting at this point to see him in a match you actually expect him to win. It’s not exactly “OMG **** 1/2” but it’s fun to see this stage of his development and being early 1-2-3 Kid, there’s at least one spot that makes you go “Shit!!”

On 1/23/2022 at 12:03 PM, Snitsky's back acne said:

92 WCW had some really strong PPVs as mentioned and as much as it is maligned I didnt mind the stripped to basics Bill Watts events. Just decent, no frills wrestling. 

 

On 1/23/2022 at 2:55 PM, Vamp said:

There's obviously problems with 92 WCW, like the fact that it was probably a pretty shite place to work, but I think the PPVs are generally regarded regarded as pretty strong aren't they? 

Strong, but hardly hidden.

Edited January 27, 2022 by air_raid

[air_raid]

SummerSlam Spectacular 1991. If you don’t remember these, they were a forerunner to Sunday Night Slam, the Free For All and so on and took place a couple of days before a PPV. Survivor Series Showdown and March To WrestleMania were others.

Tornado, Bulldog and The Dragon warm up for Warlord, Power & Glory by wrestling - this NEVER happened, did it? - all three of the Orient Express, with Sato back for one shot tagging with Bad Company. 13 minutes including entrances, given who’s in it, it’s as fun as it sounds.