House Show/TV tapings random happenings

[air_raid]

1 hour ago, sivy said:

That rumble it seemed there was guys wanting to join borga on the shelf. 

Kid did! 2 months on it. Mind you Sean was never far from an injury. Crash and burn.

[AnotherCrapUsername]

Love Big Sexy Kev eliminating himself by stepping over the top rope and carrying on with no fucks given.

Yet more proof that normal rules don't apply to the sexy mofo.

[sivy]

4 hours ago, air_raid said:

Kid did! 2 months on it. Mind you Sean was never far from an injury. Crash and burn.

The Bigelow elimation was scary, still Nash taking an double underlock suplex was a a surreal moment 

[air_raid]

February 1994

MAIN EVENTS
First two weeks the big names are all on a European tour (Germany, Austria, Israel and Switzerland) - we're in peak for milking overseas markets. There are a fair few of Lex Luger & Bret Hart vs Yokozuna & Kwang, but other cities have Yoko and Bret for the belt. Underneath, Luger goes over Jeff Jarrett. Between Europe and TVs at the Rosemont Yoko makes another defence against Tatanka, with Lex & Randy Savage against Kwang & Crush underneath. In Winnipeg its back to Luger/Tatanka vs Yoko/Kwang (Savage/Crush underneath). In Toronto, just for completion, its Luger/Savage vs Yoko/Crush. After TVs, Yoko vs Tatanka continues through another run through Canada.

While the big guns are in Europe Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels holds the fort through a long Canada loop. After TVs, the "B" show runs through Wisconsin, and while the top singles titles and Lex are all in Canada, these towns are NOT short-changed.... its Bret Hart & 1-2-3 Kid vs Owen Hart & Shawn Michaels!! <<kev_wanking.gif>>

We're usually one show a night but on the 20th while most of the guys are in Toronto, a baby card at Platt High School in Meriden CT has Tatanka vs Diesel on last.

THE CARDS
Lex Luger you mostly know about - he's in the main or he's with Jeff Jarrett in Europe or Kwang domestically. Razor Ramon works Shawn Michaels every night before TVs then IRS every night in Canada afterwards. Randy Savage vs Crush happens a lot in various falls anywhere, best of 3 or lumberjack matches - In Guelph Ontario, IRS interferes to help Crush win, which leads to nothing. Tatanka vs IRS is going on in Canada early month. Quebecers vs Steiner Brothers is our tag title match every night in Europe then in the States and Canada its the Smoking Gunns for the rest of the month. The falling out with the Steiners is 100% "had" by now, and they're on the way OUT. These are their last bookings of ANY nature until mid-April TVs where they're going to wrap up. Allegedly the final straw is that they were asked to fight each other in the Rumble (Vince finally reneging on "brothers dont fight" around this time for Bret vs Owen) and refused.

Diesel works with Marty Jannetty until you-know-what happens, then he has to work a few nights with Billy Gunn doing double duty, until Bob Backlund arrives on the tour to relieve him. Through the Wisconsin run, its Virgil doing the job. Doink vs Bam Bam Bigelow is still happening every night. Owen Hart is beating Bart Gunn every night before TV and his subsequent promotion to main event. Men On A Mission vs Headshrinkers is supposed to run through Canada before TV and Wisconsin but only ends up actually happening as a full 2 on 2 twice. Sparky Plugg is (usually) beating The Model on the same shows, which also host Alundra Blayze vs Heidi Lee Morgan rematches. Adam Bomb is beating Billy Gunn every night in Europe then "friend of the thread" Jim Powers after TV. Several European shows have Kwang wrestling Powers, who's usually with Double J, depending on who's with Lex. A bigger gulf in flamboyance I can't imagine than Jeff Jarrett vs Bob Backlund from the second Canada loop. Apparently through Wisconsin Bastion Booger works with jobber Tom Stone - and at Williams' Gym in Whitewater it was reported that Stone beat him!

VARIATIONS
Toronto, Chicago and Winnipeg between Europe and TVs exist in their own bubble. In Toronto before TV we have a great one off reprise of Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, and Razor works Irwin in a ladder match. Bret's with Irwin at the Rosemont and in Winnipeg. Jim Powers gets two nights with Owen Hart but in Toronto its the lesser spotted Richard Charland for the Rocket. MOM vs Headshrinkers is cursed. Firstly Mabel misses a couple in Canada so Lombardi-as-Doink fills in. When he does show up in Wisconsin he manages to injure Fatu so for so several nights it becomes Mabel vs Samu one on one. At Platt High School, PJ Walker gets to lose to Diesel.

TVs
In White Plains on 1st we have Bret giving IRS far too much as seen on Coliseum, Savage/Crush as seen on Unreleased, Doink beating Bam Bam again, more of Razor vs Shawn and another Luger/Tatanka vs Yoko/Kwang. Next night in Springfield MA there's Bret/Kwang and Shawn/Razor from Coliseum and two dry runs - Doink & Dink beat Bam Bam & Luna, and Alundra Blayze beats original Mania opponent Debbie Combs. Also, the millionth walk-off of The Quebecers' tag title reign, against thrown-together Marty & Sparky. 21st Raw taping we have try outs for Rocco Gibraltar who will be brought in as everyone's favourite bin man, Duke the Dumpster Droese, and Crash the Terminator who I've touched on before - they'll have a few looks at him before he eventually finds a home in WCW as Hugh Morrus. Dark we have Doink beating Bam Bam again, another round of Luger/Tatanka v Yoko/Kwang, Hitman dropping a DQ to Crush when Macho Man runs in, and Razor and IRS doing a complete repeat of their Rumble match complete with Shawn run in and teased title change. Next night in Bethlehem you've got a lot of the same, another Savage/Crush match, Bret losing to Diesel as per Coliseum and another win over Morgan for Alundra. Next night at Liberty High School in Loch Sheldrake NY, they tape March To WrestleMania X (including Bret jobbing AGAIN, to Crush, as seen on Bloopers Bleeps and Bodyslams) and dark there are the same tryouts again and a third night in a row for the Bad Guy and, as Sean Mooney used to call him, "the tough taxman."

DEPARTURE
It's TIME, for the third year in a row, for the post-Rumble pre-Mania sacking of Marty Jannetty. He works Dortmund on the 6th, but isn't in Jerusalem on the 7th. It's said that he got physical with hotel staff over a phone call home that he was trying to make to his ailing father, personally I reckon it was probably Marty being Marty. What a load of cash he pissed away over the years.

Here's some really ropey camcorder footage from Dortmund if you simply HAVE to get your Powers fix ;

 

 

[DavidB6937]

Irwin in a ladder match seems pretty random. Just not a guy I can imagine doing that match.

[sivy]

Surprising thing about the house shows was how featured Kwang was because on TV he's not on any ppvs or anything. 

[air_raid]

1 hour ago, sivy said:

Surprising thing about the house shows was how featured Kwang was because on TV he's not on any ppvs or anything. 

He was employed in that gimmick for a year and a half before they repackaged him as Savio and he got a fairly regular TV match. There were plenty of guys who you only really saw in the Rumble on PPV during the 90s but still were on TV and house shows all the time.

[sivy]

1 hour ago, air_raid said:

He was employed in that gimmick for a year and a half before they repackaged him as Savio and he got a fairly regular TV match. There were plenty of guys who you only really saw in the Rumble on PPV during the 90s but still were on TV and house shows all the time.

Oh its clear too see reading these, which a massive thank you for doing so. 

[wandshogun09]

3 hours ago, air_raid said:

its Bret Hart & 1-2-3 Kid vs Owen Hart & Shawn Michaels!! <<kev_wanking.gif>>

 

I fucking hate that we’ll never see this. Big Kev can’t even be arsed to wank. 

[SpykeDudlei1]

On 7/13/2022 at 3:19 PM, UnitedEmpireEra said:

It seems the mods on here have joined 

The New Jersey inbredio cheer squad.

grotesque as they look, you have to laugh. 
 

Now you can remove me 

because I don’t want to stay here with a guy that has a face like a pillsbury dough boy and genome of an Austrian Duke 

[air_raid]

MARCH 1994

MAIN EVENTS
There are three rounds in Victoria BC, Seattle and Denver of Bret Hart & Lex Luger VS Yokozuna & Owen Hart (a truly logical pre-Mania tag) which ends in a DQ with Owen using the salt bucket. The rest of the domestic month Yoko's otherwise engaged so IRS fills in that slot. If you're wondering where business is, the previously hot Anaheim is gradually cooling off (5800) and we've got 4500 in Pittsburgh and 3800 at the Philadelphia Spectrum which is awful.

Europe is milked big time this month - the cities getting their tour before Mania are treated to Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels for the main event, then after Mania there are two crews - in Germany and Austria its Lex Luger vs Yokozuna, and in England its Bret Hart vs Owen Hart for the WWF title - including Telford, which I attended.

THE CARDS
There's pretty consistent booking this month. 
For some reason there's a domestic run of - check this fat bastard tag out - Yokozuna & Bastion Booger vs Men On A Mission before Mania. On nights where Yoko & Owen is the main event tag, predictably IRS drops down to the Booger/MOM clusterfuck. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels continues in Europe after Mania, Randy Savage vs Crush is every night of both halves of the tour. The Quebecers work the thrown-together 1-2-3 Kid & Jim Powers before Mania then MOM every night on the tour including a title change hot potato. Doink & Dink vs Bam Bam Bigelow & Luna Vachon carries on until Mania then after it in Europe the Clown is losing to Double J or to IRS.

Earthquake beats Adam Bomb in Europe before Mania then splits his night after it between Irwin or Bam Bam. Diesel also spends most of the month abroad, going over Virgil before the big one then either Kid or Tatanka after it. The Native American is beating Kwang early month then suffering losses to Kev or perennial enemy Bam Bam due to IRS distractions, The Smoking Gunns vs The Headshrinkers is scheduled domestically before Mania and in Europe after it (see Variations). Sparky Plugg is also well-travelled, beating Brooklyn Brawler before Mania and Booger after it. The Model makes up numbers in heel vs heel matches, with Jeff before Mania and old partner/enemy Bomb after. Koko B Ware is back on board!.... and he's back losing every night, to either Kwang or Jarrett on the tour. Alundra Blayze vs Leilani Kai is also a month long fixture away from home. The Bushwhackers get a fair few shows this month against first the Heavenly Bodies (finally on the road) and then Well Dunn.

VARIATIONS
Fatu's injury means several Gunns matches involve Afa or Tonga Kid (Tama) instead. Victoria is a total mess with Booger working a one off Buddy Rose, Kid with Samu, Doink with Irwin, Quebecers vs Gunns, and nobody reports who Mo wrestled, except that Mabel missed it. I bet it was Tonga.

TVs
They squeeze three nights of TVs into Poughkeepsie, Lowell and White Plains before giving their talent Thursday off to get to Aschaffenburg or Telford depending. On those, on Monday we've got another Luger/Bigelow, Razor vs Diesel, the first Earthquake/Yoko match, and a big dark main of Bret & Macho Man vs Owen & Crush. Tuesday, Bret & Razor vs Shawn & Owen, Gunns/Headshrinkers, Luger vs IRS, Yokozuna vs Mabel which made Coliseum and a tryout for Perry Saturn. Finally in White Plains, Bret & Razor vs Owen & IRS, Luger vs Crush, Yoko vs Mabel again, Quebecers doing a Dusty finish with future champions Kid & Sparky, plus the first of the interminable Howard Finkel vs Harvey Whippleman tuxedo matches. We're taping the Headshrinkers coming out with Lou Albano (as babyfaces) already too.

A PERSONAL REPORT
So, I went to Telford's leg of the European tour, the Friday after Mania X, in Telford, which is such a nowhere town it makes me wonder why they didn't just go to the NEC again. This was my first time seeing the WWF live having seen no adverts and not having Sky, so Papa Raid told me not to get my hopes up and that I probably wouldn't see anyone I know from TV. I hadn't seen Mania yet and made the mistake while queuing of telling my dad that we hate Owen, and another child heard me and turned around saying "Yeah, what a fluke." So I immediately knew my hero had lost to his little brother. My variants of the undercard were Koko vs Kwang, Earthquake vs IRS, Kid vs Diesel, Tatanka vs Bam Bam, Doink vs Double J followed by the Quebecers vs MOM for the tag belts, before being informed the main event was for (iconic words).... "the World Wrestling Federation Championship!" Of course, I knew that whichever heel came out as challenger would give away straight away as to which babyface had left WrestleMania as the WWF Champion. And I lost my tiny mind when Owen's music started. Papa had already bought me Bret's t-shirt at intermission and sure enough my hero came out with the belt, for what I learn today was literally his first title defence, anywhere in the world. The program for the tour gives glorious full pages to various wrestlers where it’s obvious they’re opposite the guys they’re wrestling, in many cases repeats from Mania - Bret vs Owen, Lex vs Yoko, Razor vs Shawn, Savage vs Crush. Then in the back, quarter page photos and bios of the rest. It was fairly straightforward to piece together most of what the German cards would have been, but for years I wondered who Adam Bomb or The Model wrestled, until eventually learning… each other. It was an unbelievable experience all in all for an 11 year old.

Here's Oakland before Mania with Bret & Lex vs Owen & Irwin

 

5 hours ago, SpykeDudlei1 said:

 

Just antics.

[bbabba]

16 hours ago, air_raid said:

A PERSONAL REPORT
So, I went to Telford's leg of the European tour, the Friday after Mania X, in Telford, which is such a nowhere town it makes me wonder why they didn't just go to the NEC again. This was my first time seeing the WWF live having seen no adverts and not having Sky, so Papa Raid told me not to get my hopes up and that I probably wouldn't see anyone I know from TV. I hadn't seen Mania yet and made the mistake while queuing of telling my dad that we hate Owen, and another child heard me and turned around saying "Yeah, what a fluke." So I immediately knew my hero had lost to his little brother. My variants of the undercard were Koko vs Kwang, Earthquake vs IRS, Kid vs Diesel, Tatanka vs Bam Bam, Doink vs Double J followed by the Quebecers vs MOM for the tag belts, before being informed the main event was for (iconic words).... "the World Wrestling Federation Championship!" Of course, I knew that whichever heel came out as challenger would give away straight away as to which babyface had left WrestleMania as the WWF Champion. And I lost my tiny mind when Owen's music started. Papa had already bought me Bret's t-shirt at intermission and sure enough my hero came out with the belt, for what I learn today was literally his first title defence, anywhere in the world. The program for the tour gives glorious full pages to various wrestlers where it’s obvious they’re opposite the guys they’re wrestling, in many cases repeats from Mania - Bret vs Owen, Lex vs Yoko, Razor vs Shawn, Savage vs Crush. Then in the back, quarter page photos and bios of the rest. It was fairly straightforward to piece together most of what the German cards would have been, but for years I wondered who Adam Bomb or The Model wrestled, until eventually learning… each other. It was an unbelievable experience all in all for an 11 year old.

One of the most intriguing towns/cities the WWF has ever ran a show at.  A few questions, if you can remember or know:

1. Any idea what the attendance was, and was it a sell out?

2. Was there any tiered seating, or all just floor seats?

3. Would the demographic of the fans (age, "smartness") have been different to an average UK house show during the Attitude era boom, or the Cena era?

4. How over was Bret with the people of Telford?

5. Did anyone else stand out as being especially popular with the crowd?

[air_raid]

6 hours ago, bbabba said:

One of the most intriguing towns/cities the WWF has ever ran a show at.  A few questions, if you can remember or know:

1. Any idea what the attendance was, and was it a sell out?

Only assumptions - the biggest hall in TIC can hold about 4000 configured for a stage and being the WWF in 1994 yes, they’d have sold the lot.

2. Was there any tiered seating, or all just floor seats?

No idea.

3. Would the demographic of the fans (age, "smartness") have been different to an average UK house show during the Attitude era boom, or the Cena era?

Best I can recall there were loads of kids, around my age, and when I went to Passport To Pain there were a hell of lot of lads in their 20s - around my age.

4. How over was Bret with the people of Telford?

Like mad looking at the limbs in my photos.

5. Did anyone else stand out as being especially popular with the crowd?

Everyone was over with the kids. They went mental for Koko just because he was a wrestler off telly and he was a goodie. I’m reaching a bit but I think 1-2-3 Kid probably sparked more support than anyone else.

First time I’ve ever seen Telford described as intriguing!

[Statto]

I went to Peterborough on that tour, which was (apparently) the same card as Raid had at Telford. While I vividly remember MoM vs Quebecers, Bret vs Owen and (for some reason) Quake vs IRS, the rest of this card didn't stick with me in the same way.

I remember Doink being there mostly because he carried Dink out over his shoulder after the match (guess Jarrett attacked Dink to get some heat, but I wouldn't have been able to tell you who Doink's opponent was let alone the circumstances) and smacked the poor bastard's head on the door being used for the entrance on the way out.

I also remember waiting for the wrestlers to come out onto the buses post show and some kid (who must have been a midget wrestling aficionado) pointing out to everyone that Dink was Tiger Jackson. Someone also got the keepsake of a lifetime when Mo handed them his empty crisp packet out of the bus window.

Beyond that, though - I'd never had remembered I'd seen Diesel etc.

[air_raid]

April 1994

The show goes on with three shows in Israel to wrap up the tour, two of which roll on with Bret Hart vs Owen Hart for the belt. That feud continues into the lengthy domestic run. 6000 in Richfield is up, as is 7500 at the Boston Garden although 4500 in Providence is not good. In Holon it’s Bret & Razor Ramon vs Owen & Shawn Michaels.

When you look at the support for Bret and the comparative shows for the other crew there’s a very “B” feel to them even headed by deposed WWF Champ Yokozuna. In Sarnia Ontario (DQ loss) and Flint MI (double count out) he’s on with Mabel then when they get to Connecticut it’s time to start with Earthquake - double count outs in New Haven and at Wilton High School Fieldhouse in front of 650 people.

THE CARDS
Lex Luger vs Crush takes place in lieu of many highly-promoted matches Lex is supposed to have with Mr Perfect, Hennig deciding his back wasn’t up to it. Diesel vs Razor Ramon is the new Intercontinental title feud, actually starting on the road with Kev wearing the belt before the switch airs, a rarity in 1994. Most of these are DQ when a certain briefcase gets involved. Tatanka vs IRS is running, over unpaid taxes on that big headdress. Doinks new feud with Double J is ongoing and before month end Mabel vs Bam Bam Bigelow starts up too.

The Quebecers defend against the Bushwhackers before month end TVs and start chasing new champions The Headshrinkers after them. Samu and Fatu had been with the Smoking Gunns previously, along with Men On A Mission vs Heavenly Bodies, after TV the shuffle lands Billy & Bart with the Bodies, Mabel in singles with Triple B, and Mo, Luke and Butch not booked. 1-2-3 Kid is a bit on the back burner swapping wins with Kwang. Sparky Plugg gets wins over Bastion Booger, Duke the Dumpster Droese is on the road beating Adam Bomb, Alundra Blayze continues rematches with Leilani Kai because her planned feud Luna Vachon is still injured. After month end TVs we also get Bob Backlund padding out the undercard with young PJ Walker.

VARIATIONS
Those last few shows in Israel have a completely different look. Razor vs Shawn is still a singles match in Haifa and Tel Aviv, which also have Tatanka vs Bam Bam, Earthquake vs Kwang and Kid vs Double J. Holon is shuffled to Quake vs Bigelow, Tatanka vs Jarrett and Kid vs Kwang as well as the tag team main event. It's MOM vs Headshrinkers in Haifa but for the other two nights the cards are padded out to Fatu beating Mo then Mabel pinning Samu. Randy Savage does three count-out losses to Diesel. These are the only matches for Macho Man this month despite being advertised for Rochester (as a minimum). Sad times.

There’s a few differences on the Yoko/Mabel cards before Quake joins the road roster - it’s Bam Bam going over Sparky, Dumpster pinning Booger and Bomb squashing the otherwise unused Virgil. In Richfield there’s a one off of Quebecers vs MOM while same night in Sarnia it’s Bushwhackers vs Heavenly Bodies.

TVs
Quite a few Coliseum matches from three days of mid month TVs ended up on the Hits From The Crypt tape. Lex works three nights in a row with Jarrett. Bam Bam works twice with Earthquake and once with Mabel. Bret defends twice against Owen, Razor defends against Diesel in Syracuse, Utica gets the Bret/Razor vs Shawn/Owen tag. HBK is burned out - when back from Europe this is his only match of the month, otherwise he's seconding Big Daddy Cool. We've also got the Steiner Brothers beating the Quebecers by DQ, Doink & MOM beating Jacques, Pierre and Double J, and a tryout for The Power Twins (no idea). Rochester on 13th is where they record Diesel dropping The Bad Guy for the belt. We're also starting to record Nikolai Volkoff winning squashes as Ted DiBiase's first hire ; far from an auspicious start for that stable. Also mid month Owen will "injure" Mo on a Challenge episode, writing him out until Novembers TVs because they think there's value in Mabel in singles. There isn't, but that won't stop them trying again and again. And again. And again. Worth spotting doing a job for Earthquake, being one of the guys carrying Jerry Lawler's throne to The Kings Court and various other places - AC Conner who YOU BETTER RECOGNISE as the future D'Lo Brown.

Burlington Raw is where they record the Headshrinkers taking the belts from the Quebecers and they beat them again two nights later in Springfield, dark. Alundra Blayze vs Luna Vachon is finally a go. Earthquake is getting two more wins from Bam Bam and one DQ from Yoko. There are more rounds of Diesel vs Razor, Luger vs Crush and Tatanka vs IRS. We've got Bret & Lex vs Owen & Yoko in Burlington, Bret vs Owen in Albany, then in Springfield there's the rare site of Yoko dropping a pin to Bret after Owen accidentally bonks him on the bonce with the salt bucket. That Owen/Yoko team was getting plenty of mileage WAY before Mania XI. Of less interest but still interest we film the falling out between Adam Bomb & Kwang in the wake of Adam losing his KOTR qualifier to Kid and a tag match gone wrong with future champs Kid & Sparky, with Harvey Whippleman siding with Kwang. Clearly more upside there.

DEPARTURE
This is the end of The Steiner Brothers. 11-13th TVs they record their last couple of shows and that final night in Rochester Scotty goes out on his back, losing to IRS in a King of the Ring Qualifier. What a fucking ride that was! Hot new thing to champions to frozen out in about 12 months of TV.

2 hours ago, Statto said:

I went to Peterborough on that tour, which was (apparently) the same card as Raid had at Telford. While I vividly remember MoM vs Quebecers, Bret vs Owen and (for some reason) Quake vs IRS, the rest of this card didn't stick with me in the same way.

I remember Doink being there mostly because he carried Dink out over his shoulder after the match (guess Jarrett attacked Dink to get some heat, but I wouldn't have been able to tell you who Doink's opponent was let alone the circumstances) and smacked the poor bastard's head on the door being used for the entrance on the way out.

Without checking, we saw the exact same card. If you had Quake vs IRS, you had Doink vs Jarrett. Plus Koko losing to Kwang and Tatanka losing to Bam Bam, and Kid losing to big Kev in a great night for the bad guys, plus the title matches. In other towns they shuffled to Kwang over Kid, Diesel over Tatanka, IRS over Doink and Earthquake over Bam Bam.