Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted September 21, 2022 Awards Moderator Share Posted September 21, 2022 Over the last few months, it’s almost always been Fatal Four Ways at the top of the cards. What do you think the reasoning was? Was it a bigger draw than singles matches, was it to have something different to TV so people would buy tickets, or was it a way to give the main eventers an easier schedule because you can have rest periods if you’re one of four? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 21, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 21, 2022 7 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said: Over the last few months, it’s almost always been Fatal Four Ways at the top of the cards. What do you think the reasoning was? JR loved booking multimans by his own admission because it looked like giving the audience more value/star power, and you could do it with a loaded roster. Plus they often preferred to do something different than the PPV they were going to sell - do Austin vs Taker vs Kane in August because SummerSlam is the big singles match, either side of Breakdown and Judgment Day where the 3 man issue is the selling point, throw Mick back in too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 23, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 23, 2022 NOVEMBER 1998 THE MAIN EVENTS We start on the 1st with 10,000 to TV in Austin TX, the real draw being the dark main of hometown hero Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker vs Kane vs Mankind referred by Gerry Brisco. 12,590 sell out Houston for the live Raw on the 2nd, 13,684 sell out Dallas next night for the taped one. Massive business on 7th for a double shot… 16,000+ in the SkyDome for Stone Cold vs The Rock vs Undertaker vs Kane in a cage, followed by 18,000+ sell out in Buffalo for Stone Cold vs Taker vs Kane vs Mankind. Same two mains in that order next day in Montreal (9000+) and Ottawa (7000+). Austin has a couple of nights off after TVs (near 30,000 combined in 2 nights) and with a NEW WWF Champ at last, it’s Rock vs Kane for the belt in a cage with Big Boss Man as the ref in Cincinnati (8000+) and San Diego (near 9000) which kicks off huge business in Cali - near 10,000 sellout in Bakersfield, 13,500 in Anaheim and 10,600 in San Jose for Rock v Austin v Taker v Kane with Boss Man as the ref, non title so Austin can win. 27th we’re with our old friends in Portland ME for another Rock/Kane cage match (sellout) then next night at the FleetCenter it’s 16,510 sellout for that non title four way. Over 19,500 sell out the First Union (formerly CoreStates) for TVs with the four way dark and Baltimore sells out for another live Raw. Relentless bank. THE CARDS Top guys you mostly know. Ken Shamrock vs Mankind is now extremely common, often in no DQ, “streetfight” or falls anywhere stips. Most of the rest is a jumble - X-Pac bounces around but the closest he has to regular challenger is Jeff Jarrett (sometimes guitar on a pole) though he defends a couple against Al Snow - that being when Jeff and Al aren’t with each other. Jarrett also works a couple with Edge when he isn’t otherwise engaged. New Age Outlaws vs Mark Henry & D’Lo Brown is at least consistent. Goldust vs Val Venis too. Sable & a partner vs Marc Mero & Jacquelyn is carrying on, before Survivors the partner is sometimes Edge, sometimes Steve Blackman, but after the PPV it’s Christian. Previously Christian & Gangrel were beating Too Much ; post St Louis it’s Gangrel & Edge beating DOA via briefcase backfire. Which leaves Brian & Scotty carrying the Oddities. Blackman starts wrestling the Blue Blazer. Early month Skull & 8-Ball are still beating Animal & Droz, and Snow beats Tiger Ali Singh everywhere except Toronto. Bob Holly is still hungry. VARIATIONS In Buffalo Rock is with Shamrock again, and he’s meant to be in Ottawa but Kenny doesn’t make it so Val Venis steps in, leaving Goldust with job boy Martin Roy. Those four shows also have Steven Regal challenging X-Pac twice and losing to Blackman twice, plus Outlaws and LOD swapping opponents. Billy and Dogg still win against DOA, Animal and Droz still lose to the former Nation. Scorpio losing to Regal in Cincinnati is a rare payday for him. There’s a few missing in Portland so Scotty beats Christian non title and Snow works Mike Hollow instead of Regal. In Boston there’s a step up for Snow - it’s the return to the ring of Triple H! Also in Boston the bad news rolls on for LOD, they lose to the Headbangers. TVs 1st in Austin they tape every show except Raw, Rock slums it with Mero for Shotgun. Heat has Terri announcing she’s pregnant and Val distancing himself from her and an upset nobody remembers, as the Hardy Boys beat Animal and Droz still firmly in the “blame Hawk” period. Next night in Houston Raw nothing special, this is the episode where Rock fails to win the ICT from Shamrock which allegedly puts him out of Deadly Game. Next night in Dallas BOB HOLLY WORKS! Scorpio and him beat Too Much as the Job Squad has started up. Plus on Raw Mankind is awarded the Hardcore title and Rock gets back in the tournament by avenging his recent loss to the Worlds Strongest Man. 16th Raw taping in Lexington… the fuck are Steven Dunn & Reno Riggins doing jobbing to the Headbangers in 1998?? We tape the first match together for the Acolytes against frequent opponents the Hardys, Raw has the dreadful “Droz pushes Hawk off the tron” bit and Taker costs Austin the WWF title by whacking him with a shovel. Next night in Columbus the Hardys beat Dunn and Riggins for Shotgun but no contest with Too Much for Heat when the Acolytes attack both. Hilariously on Shotgun the Blazer beats Taka Michinoku with the Sharpshooter, and Mero fires Jackie after she balls up costing him vs Boss Man. Beginning of the end. For Raw Owen prevents Blackman unmasking a Blazer after beating him, and we’re meant to assume it might be Jarrett, Commissioner Shawn Michaels betrays DX, and Duane Gil unseats Christian for the LHW title. Nothing particularly interesting in Philly except another dry run for Andrew Martin against Devon Storm, next night in Baltimore the Coliseums are great, the JOB Squad do either their third or fourth win of the month over Too Much and the Hardys beat Kaientai in a reported 12 minutes. Live Raw is packed with Boss Man relieving Mankind of the Hardcore title with help from Rock, Marc Mero talks himself into a defeat by Gil (with help from the Blue Meanie) that banishes him… which sticks, unbelievably! He never wrestles for the WWF in the US again. Plus the Acolytes make a first Raw appearance with Jackyl. DEPARTURES The bookings for Steven Regal abruptly end and if you’re familiar with his story you’ll know why. He redeems himself in time but before things get better he has to hit the absolute bottom. By which I mean, he heads back to WCW. The house show run is the last for Paul Ellering who short of the one night LOD return on TV in March, will be the last time he works for the WWF for over 15 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted September 23, 2022 Share Posted September 23, 2022 These posts are genuinely the only good thing about getting up early. Well, until I make it to McDonalds. So thank you 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 24, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 24, 2022 (edited) DECEMBER 1998 This month they only run, apparently, two house shows, after a busy couple of weeks of TVs and two PPVs. There’s two weeks off before Christmas then Boxing Day they run Chicago with 17,714 sell out at the Rosemont then 27th a 16,282 sell out at MSG. Both shows are topped with The Undertaker vs Kane in a streetfight with Taker playing babyface again and botched Corporate interference, plus The Rock vs Triple H for the WWF title with Test interfering. We’ve also got X-Pac vs Jeff Jarrett for the European title in guitar on a pole matches, New Age Outlaws chasing Ken Shamrock & Big Boss Man for the tag belts, Mankind vs Test, a mess of tag bouts involving brief Animal & Droz vs Acolytes matches ending in run ins or falling outs, Brood/Headbangers meetings, Val Venis & Godfather vs D’Lo Brown & Mark Henry and JOB Squad lads Al Snow & Scorpio beating DOA. Finally Goldust squashing Tiger Ali Singh and an arm wrestling segment with Mankind and Vince McMahon where the winner is promised a kiss from whichever blonde eye candy happens to be in the building that night…. VARIATIONS …. in Chicago, Debra is the accessory to the arm wrestling, at MSG it’s Sable. In both cases Vinnie Mac wins and then announces that because Mick is so pathetic, he can have the kiss anyway… until the Corporate goons interfere and give Mankind a kicking. He gets his kiss eventually anyway. In Chicago it’s Edge & Gangrel vs Headbangers, at MSG it’s just Edge vs Mosh… which in the months that come will become clear are the halves of the teams viewed as having more upside. TVs 1st in New Haven there’s more tryouts including Vic Grimes and the taped Raw has Duane Gil beating Taka Michinoku before the Acolytes (with Jackyl) beat up all of Kaientai, and Taker famously and controversially “crucifies” Steve Austin. They got a lot of flak for that one. Before it airs, Capital Carnage (or Garbage as Fin Martin put it) sees the last of Marc Mero and a whole lot more of Jacquelyn than anyone had any right to expect. At Rock Bottom the tradition of Heat before the PPV has Brian Christopher do a job to Kevin Quinn which serves as a bit of an audition (Scott Taylor’s injured). Next night in Tacoma on Raw, Steve Blackman finally unmasks the Blue Blazer to be Owen Hart, the Outlaws lose the tag titles to Shamrock and Boss Man, and Rock beats Triple H thanks to a debuting Test. For Heat, Quinn & Christopher beat the Hardy Boys. Next nights Raw in Spokane Road Dogg wins the Hardcore title from Boss Man after Bad Ass beats Kenny ostensibly winning the ICT only to have it retrospectively made non title by Commissioner Michaels, Blackman unmasks another Blazer revealing Jeff Jarrett, Kane finally allows himself to be blackmailed into joining the Corporation, and on the Heat taping Jarrett and Owen start tagging properly, beating Venis & Godfather. On the 28th Raw Dan Severn distracts Owen causing him and Jeff to lose to Blackman and Goldie (that’s not going anywhere mind) but more important than the matches, Vince fires HBK as Commissioner which has a HUGE effect “next week.” On that fateful night in Worcester, Shamrock drops a non title match to Blackman (!) and Road Dogg wins one of the most fun and best remembered Hardcore title matches of the era against Al Snow, and finally, famously, the biggest run-in finish of all time sees Steve Austin cost Rock the WWF title against Mankind in a chaotic finale. There is a really interesting, never explained and much forgotten plot hole - having appeared to have forgiven Shawn for his recent betrayal, DX then lock HBK out of the building, which accidentally causes him to receive a horrific beating from the Corporation, left bloody and unresponsive on a car bonnet. This was likely meant to lead to Shawn vs Hunter at Mania XV which of course, didn’t happen. But we’ll get to that. Of less historical note but still interesting, for Shotgun Christopher, Quinn and the Hardys lose to Snow, Scorpio, Bob Holly and Gil, and for Heat Owen and Jeff leap into the top contender spot by beating the champs non title - still rare at the time - in a real bad night for Ken. For reasons I don’t recall nor can be arsed to research, George “the Animal” Steele beats Mosh for Heat too. Every TV and house show of the month sells out, as does Rock Bottom. The butts are already IN the seats, Bischoff. DEPARTURESMarc Mero says goodbye to the WWF ring at Capital Carnage. In reality he’s taking indefinite time off with various nagging injuries and due to his wife being a megastar, they can afford it. He plans to come back, but… well, like most of his story in the WWF, his exit is more to do with Sable than him in the end too. He won’t contemplate a return to the ring until 2000 - with WCW, which he ultimately decides against. Eventually he has a surprisingly entertaining run back as Johnny B Badd in TNA. Dick Togo had worked his last match for a Shotgun on 29th and the shoeing from the Acolytes I mention here is the last use of Mens Teioh as well. The group was rudderless for ages although Taka is still under contract and Funaki stays and ultimately settles in the States. This is it for Wally Yamaguchi too. Jackyl reaches the end of his usefulness. They figure out watching the Acolytes kick shit out of everyone that they’ll probably get over without him, and they’re right… eventually. Plus the plan probably comes up about now for them to be Acolytes of the Undertaker. Jackyl of course will go on to be Cyrus in ECW and forge a long career on the mic, at the comm desk or in the office of almost every promotion except the WWF/E. Could have been so much different if that tag team with Rick Martel had happened in 97! Edited September 26, 2022 by air_raid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavemanLynn Posted September 24, 2022 Share Posted September 24, 2022 (edited) We're getting into my reintroduction to WWF/E now, after my little brother's mates sessioned WWF Warzone one Saturday, we started getting tapes off the one who had Sky, so it was running home after school every Monday then on for the previous week's Raw (then Raw plus Smackdown). It's weird reading the results, and remembering watching some segments clear as day, but having zero memory of others. Cyrus with the Acolytes? We thought they got repackaged and thrown straight in with Taker after doing nothing fir ages. Test's debut, the Brood saga, and the Corporation shenanigans all stick, but Mero and LOD? Not a thing. Edited September 24, 2022 by CavemanLynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bbabba Posted September 24, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted September 24, 2022 12 hours ago, air_raid said: This month they only run, apparently, two house shows, after a busy couple of weeks of TVs and two PPVs. There’s two weeks off before Christmas This really stood out for me. You're so conditioned about hearing about the brutal WWF schedules of the 80's and 90's, the idea of a couple of weeks off and only two house shows in a month must have made December 1998 feel like a cakewalk for the roster. I guess the timeframe within the year might make sense in that people may be less likely to spend money on wrestling shows immediately before Christmas, the timeframe more broadly makes it a bit more surprising as the business was so hot that only doing two house shows in a month feels like leaving a load of money on the table. But perhaps by this point WWF really did care about burnout of its wrestlers and decided this was something that was really needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 25, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 25, 2022 9 hours ago, bbabba said: I guess the timeframe within the year might make sense in that people may be less likely to spend money on wrestling shows immediately before Christmas, the timeframe more broadly makes it a bit more surprising as the business was so hot that only doing two house shows in a month feels like leaving a load of money on the table. But perhaps by this point WWF really did care about burnout of its wrestlers and decided this was something that was really needed? They always used to give the wrestlers about 2 weeks off to see their families between around 15th til Boxing Day because while Vince knew everyone wanted a bit of time off, he loved running between Christmas and New Year because people would make going to the matches part of their Christmas tradition the same way British football fans do. The holes in this particular December are between 1st TVs and Capital Carnage on 6th, then between that PPV and Rock Bottom on 13th. Maybe they thoughts two weekends of TVs and two flights either side of one show overseas was enough and trying to squeeze more shows in with tired wrestlers was asking a bit much. Austin and Taker were both pretty banged up by mid 98 and worked much lighter schedules between Survivor Series and Mania XV with more guys still hitting the bench before or after December. Not including guys who didn’t recover from the Brawl for All like Henry Godwinn/Mark Canterbury and Savio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 26, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 26, 2022 (edited) JANUARY 1999THE MAIN EVENTS Mankind vs The Rock for the WWF title is our main event up to the Rumble/TVs and beyond. Sellout business in New Mexico (over 9000 in Albuquerque, near 12,000 in Las Cruces) and then near 15,000 total in Pennsylvania for a Hershey/Bethlehem double shot for streetfights then near 19,000 at the former Meadowlands for one off Mankind vs Kane with The Undertaker vs The Rock underneath. After the Rumble/TVs and the title hot potato it’s more sellouts in Colorado Springs, Wheeling and Youngstown, then we hit more big cities for Mankind vs The Rock vs The Undertaker vs Big Boss Man. 19,500+ in Cleveland followed by 16,500 in Pittsburgh on 30th finishing with nearly the same at the CoreStates in Philly. Butts in seats. Steve Austin has a knock or illness keeping him off beyond his scheduled return to the road. People are buying tickets anyway. THE CARDSThe Undertaker vs Kane continues up the Rumble which surprises me because my memory of the time is Taker being off TV between PPVs injured. Triple H vs Test starts the month in revenge matches then when Billy gets a knock we switch to HHH & Road Dogg vs Test & Big Boss Man before post Rumble we move to scheduled matches with Kane which don’t start because Chyna insists of wrestling Hunter instead, which barely start before the Corporation give Trip a kicking. We start the month with New Age Outlaws finishing a run with D’Lo Brown & Mark Henry, defences of the Euro belt for X-Pac vs Owen Hart (yes!!), and conclusion of Goldust vs Jeff Jarrett, after the Rumble there’s a run of Owen/Jarrett defending vs Boss Man & Test followed by the big cities getting title shots for Pac and Dogg (including guitar on a pole in Philadelphia), with Ken Shamrock vs Billy Gunn for the ICT throughout. Edge & Gangrel beat Val Venis & Godfather in New Mexico before (with Christian) going through Al Snow, Bob Holly & Scorpio until the Rumble, thereafter it’s a split of E&C vs Holly & Too Cold or the future Captain Charisma vs the future Hardcore one on one. Mixed months for the former Nation ; before the Rumble D’Lo and Mizark are losing to Godfather & Val but beating them after it with an unlikely assist from Shamrock. Almost everyone midcard apart from DX and the Corporates are tweeners or in transition; Goldust is on his way back to heel already, losing to Snow every night in a feud over Head. Al beating Tiger Ali Singh, Bob and Scorp with the Acolytes and Oddities vs DOA round out New Mexico, it’s otherwise Steve Blackman beating Singh and Acolytes vs DOA (ouch) and while the latter carries on post Rumble, the Lethal Weapon starts beating Dan Severn every night. VARIATIONS Hunter and Kane both miss Albuquerque so Taker wrestles Boss Man and Test does a heel vs heel defeat to Owen which I bet he loved. Also the tag match is down to Bradshaw vs Bob Holly. Meadowlands also swaps the tags about with Venis & Godfather losing to the Acolytes and D’Lo/Henry beating DOA. TVs San Antonio Heat is a sellout (of course) and they get Mankind vs Rock dark, George Steele fittingly accompanies the Oddities in a win over the Headbangers, and Dan Severn miraculously recovers from his injury to reunite with Owen in attacking Blackman - even though Hart is about to become real busy chasing/winning/defending the tag belts with Jarrett. Next night live Raw in Houston (12,500+ sellout) Luna Vachon beats (lol) Gilberg, and the worst faction in wrestling history picks up steam when Taker sacrifices Dennis Knight and he becomes Mideon. Next night in Beaumont (sellout) dark matches have Dr Death back in the ring ironing out some rust with Holly, and the Hardy Boys getting an impressive (at this point) win over Too Much, then on Raw Vince bullies Kane into wrestling Rock, and Stone Cold (restricted to run ins only for weeks) distracts Rocky so he can be walloped by Mankind after the match. Heat the night of the Rumble has the return of soon to be rechristened blob Mabel as a Vince hired goon. Night after Rumble in Phoenix (13,500+ sellout) Rocky makes a lone successful defence of the WWF title against HHH in the I Quit match that turns Chyna heel, Hart & Jarrett win the tag straps from Shamrock & Boss Man despite the champs taking, umm, “well known” libido suppressant saltpetre to nullify the Debra distraction, they shift Goldusts enmity from Snow to Blue Meanie (ugh), and Droz (divorced from the LOD stuff which has fizzled out) beats Steele. Dark (very dark!), Taker is still teetering on the brink of babyface, beating Rock by DQ. Next night in Tacoma (sellout) they tape Halftime Heat where famously Mankind beats Rock to get the belt back before the fans are there, Undertaker, Mideon and Viscera no contest with the Brood when the Acolytes beat Edge and mates up, and for taped Heat Luna beats Jacquelyn to continue building her for Mania with Sable which never happens. DEPARTURE Save for one appearance in a battle royal on a developmental card in March, 31st is the end for Scorpio in the WWF. Amazing that a guy as good as him never found his spot, even within the JOB Squad seeming less valuable than “comedy” like Gilberg and Meanie. A victim of Attitude, where more than ever the actual wrestling mattered less than finding where your character fit in. Edited September 26, 2022 by air_raid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 26, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 26, 2022 What if the house show card was the PPV? 1998 edition. JANUARY The Undertaker & Legion of Doom VS Shawn Michaels & New Age Outlaws (CAGE MATCH) Steve Austin & Cactus Jack VS The Rock & D'Lo Brown (FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE) Ken Shamrock VS Farooq Vader VS TAFKA Goldust Owen Hart VS Jeff Jarrett Kane VS Chainz LHW TITLE Taka Michinoku VS Brian Christopher Headbangers VS Godwinns Tom Brandi VS Marc Mero Skull & 8-Ball VS Savio Vega & Miguel Perez Flash Funk VS The Sultan Max Mini, Nova & Mosaic VS El Torito, Tarantula & Batalion FEBRUARY Steve Austin, Owen Hart & Cactus Jack VS Triple H & New Age Outlaws IC TITLE The Rock VS Ken Shamrock Legion of Doom VS Godwinns (Country Whippin Match) Kane VS Chainz Headbangers VS D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry LHW TITLE Taka Michinoku VS Brian Christopher Tom Brandi VS Marc Mero Skull & 8-Ball VS Savio Vega & Miguel Perez Bradshaw VS TAFKA Goldust Max Mini, Nova & Mosaic VS El Torito, Tarantula & Batalion MARCH Steve Austin VS Triple H The Undertaker VS Kama ICT The Rock VS Ken Shamrock Cactus Jack VS Billy Gunn Kane VS Skull Marc Mero VS TAFKA Goldust LHW TITLE Taka Michinoku VS Brian Christopher Steve Blackman VS Farooq Bradshaw VS Barry Windham NWATT Headbangers VS Quebecers APRIL WWF TITLE Steve Austin VS Triple H The Undertaker VS Kane Ken Shamrock & Owen Hart VS The Rock & D'Lo Brown TTT New Age Outlaws VS LOD 2000 Cactus Jack VS TAFKA Goldust Marc Mero VS Bradshaw Steve Blackman VS Savio Vega Brakus VS Double J Skull & 8-Ball VS Godwinns Taka Michinoku & Aguila VS Too Much MAY WWF TITLE Steve Austin VS Triple H The Undertaker VS Kane Farooq & Steve Blackman VS The Rock & Owen Hart TTT New Age Outlaws VS LOD 2000 Terry Funk VS Marc Mero LHW TITLE Taka Michinoku VS Brian Christopher Bradshaw VS Barry Windham Skull & 8-Ball VS Savio Vega & Jesus Castillo Chainz VS Double J Headbangers VS Quebecers JUNE Steve Austin & The Undertaker VS Kane & Mankind (No Holds Barred) Vader, LOD 2000 & Droz VS Triple H, X-Pac & New Age Outlaws Ken Shamrock VS Owen Hart Steve Blackman VS Double J Farooq VS Mark Henry Bradshaw VS Kama Headbangers VS Too Much Scorpio VS D'Lo Brown Terry Funk & Dustin Runnels VS Los Boricuas NWATT New Midnight Express VS DOA JULY Steve Austin & The Undertaker VS Kane & Mankind ICT The Rock VS Triple H Ken Shamrock VS Owen Hart (submission match) Sable VS Jacquelyn (arm wrestling) X-Pac VS D'Lo Brown New Age Outlaws VS Savio Vega & Jose Estrada Vader VS Mark Henry LOD 2000 VS DOA Steve Blackman VS Double J Scorpio VS Marc Mero Farooq VS Godfather NWATT New Midnight Express VS Headbangers AUGUST WWF TITLE Steve Austin VS The Undertaker VS Kane ICT The Rock VS Triple H Ken Shamrock VS Owen Hart (submission match) Mankind VS Terry Funk (No Holds Barred) Sable VS Jacquelyn (arm wrestling) X-Pac VS Jeff Jarrett Vader VS Mark Henry EURO TITLE D'Lo Brown VS Road Dogg LOD 2000 VS DOA Val Venis VS Marc Mero Farooq & Scorpio VS Too Much Dustin Runnels VS Tiger Ali Singh SEPTEMBER WWF TITLE Steve Austin VS The Undertaker VS Kane VS Mankind Vader VS The Rock Ken Shamrock VS Owen Hart (submission match) Sable VS Jacquelyn (arm wrestling) X-Pac VS Jeff Jarrett TTT New Age Outlaws VS DOA EURO TITLE D'Lo Brown VS Dustin Runnels Farooq VS Mark Henry Val Venis VS Marc Mero Headbangers VS Oddities Bradshaw VS Droz Scorpio VS Dennis Knight Edge VS Miguel Perez Too Much VS Hardy Boys Giant Silva VS Shawn Stasiak OCTOBER Steve Austin VS The Undertaker VS Kane VS Mankind The Rock VS Ken Shamrock VS Vader TTT New Age Outlaws VS Jeff Jarrett & Dennis Knight Sable & Val Venis vs Marc Mero & Jacquelyn EURO TITLE D'Lo Brown VS X-Pac Steve Blackman VS Owen Hart Edge VS Gangrel LOD 2000 VS DOA Farooq VS Steven Regal Headbangers VS Oddities Bradshaw VS Godfather Too Much VS Hardy Boys NOVEMBER Steve Austin VS The Rock VS The Undertaker VS Kane (CAGE MATCH) ICT Ken Shamrock VS Mankind (no holds barred) EURO TITLE X-Pac VS Jeff Jarrett Sable & Edge VS Marc Mero & Jacquelyn TTT New Age Outlaws VS D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry Goldust VS Val Venis Steve Blackman VS Blue Blazer Animal & Droz VS DOA Gangrel & Christian VS Too Much Al Snow VS Tiger Ali Singh DECEMBER WWF TITLE The Rock VS Triple H The Undertaker VS Kane (streetfight) TTT Ken Shamrock & Big Boss Man VS New Age Outlaws Mankind VS Test EURO TITLE X-Pac VS Jeff Jarrett (guitar on a pole) Animal & Droz VS The Acolytes Val Venis & Godfather VS D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry Edge & Gangrel VS Headbangers Al Snow & Scorpio VS DOA Goldust VS Tiger Ali Singh Mankind VS Vince McMahon (arm wrestling) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeymike83 Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 I remember seeing it when you posted January initially, but out of morbid curiosity I really wanna see that 6 man cage match of Taker/LOD v HBK/Outlaws. It has potential to be a complete mess or complete chaos (the good kind). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 27, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 27, 2022 FEBRUARY 1999 THE MAIN EVENTS 4th in Fayetteville (9000+) we've still Mankind vs The Rock for the belt, but next night in Greensboro (18,000+) the MAN is back and we have Steve Austin VS The Rock VS Mankind VS Kane in a non-title four-corners (you can guess why non-title), Syracuse on 6th is near 7000 sellout for Austin vs Rock vs Mankind vs Big Boss Man (non-title again) then we have 16,000 plus paid sellout at MSG for Austin & Mankind vs Rock & Boss Man in a "Rattlesnake Rules" tag, which one assumes was no DQ. I absolutely need to touch on the gate at the SkyDome Raw which was 38,000+ paid and near 41,500 in the building which is fucking mental for TV, the most they drew to the building since Mania VI. The tag main events Fort Lauderdale (near 17,000), there's a reprise of Rock v Mankind in Knoxville on 17th (near 6000 sellout) then our tag switches to Stone Cold & Mankind vs Rock & Kane in Texas Tornado rules in Lexington (12,000+), St Louis (17,000+) and New Haven (near 9000 sellout) plus Washington (nearly 18,000 sellout), a sellout ot the FleetCenter and Boston (near 17,500) - prior to those last two was a one off in Springfield MA on 21st (8000+ sellout) of Steve Austin, Mankind & Billy Gunn vs Rock, Boss Man & Ken Shamrock. The last date of the month is TV in Dayton which - OF COURSE - sells out, and has the same tag as a dark main. THE CARDS Triple H is a bit in and out, but his most frequent opponent is Test. Also erratic is Undertaker but he does a fair few matches with Big Boss Man. Either of those guys also has a few matches with utililty man Kane, including with Hunter at MSG. X-Pac is also haphazardly booked but he's commonly tagging with Road Dogg to challenge Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett before St Valentine's Day Massacre, then with Hunter after it, sometimes in those guitar on a pole matches. We've still got Ken Shamrock vs Billy Gunn most of the month, with or without the Intercontinental title, until very late there is a pivot to Kenny chasing Val Venis. Before the PPV there's runs of Al Snow vs Goldust and Edge & Gangrel vs Bob Holly & Blue Meanie, then after it Edge vs Test happens quite a lot as does the newly crowned Hardcore Holly vs D'Lo Brown for the Hardcore title, and Snow starts up with Meanie (ugh). Steve Blackman vs Dan Severn continues for most of the month then concludes before very late a regular Blackman vs Gangrel starts up. Jacquelyn vs Luna Vachon happens a lot early month, later it becomes a mixed six man with real life husband Gangrel plus Christian vs Jackie with Venis & Godfather (even after Val wins the ICT). Many guys' months are jumbled, but there's a pretty consistent job for the Oddities putting over DOA. VARIATIONS - FUCKING HELLMSG has some interesting unique matches. Ken Shamrock defends the ICT in a three way to wrap up his triangular rivalry from the year before with Blackman and Severn, Taker tags with his Acolytes to beat X-Pac & the Outlaws in which Dogg gets injured legit, and the Hardy Boys tag with Jackie against D'Lo, Mark Henry and Luna (who seem a bit thrown together). Ken Shamrock vs X-Pac as a double champion match goes down in Fayetteville, in Fort Lauderdale Pac defends against old rival D'Lo. The tag team champs are busy men. They beat Outlaws and Test & Boss Man in Fayetteville, Val & Godfather at MSG and feuding ex stablemates Snow & Hardcore in New Haven, in Springfield there's an old-fashioned multi-feud six man with Owen, Jarrett & Severn against Venis, Godfather & Blackman. Other tag team nonsense - the Acolytes vs Venis & Godfather in Fayetteville, Edge & Christian vs Holly/Meanie and the Hardys winning(!) a four-way against Val & Godfather, D'Lo & Mark Henry and the Acolytes on their doorstep in Greensboro and again in Syracuse, and in Springfield DOA beat Hardcore & Meanie and the Oddities lose to Edge & Gangrel. Also in Fayetteville, hometown boy Matt Hardy is the partner for Jackie in a win against Luna & D'Lo. In Fort Lauderdale, Billy Gunn is with Test and Blackman has to do a job for Mideon - I'd have walked out. Christian works Meanie in Knoxville and Lexington with Edge going into the mixed six-person tag, as well as Washington and Boston. Edge slums it with Meanie in St Louis and works D'Lo in New Haven, Snow wrestles D'Lo in Springfield. For reasons I can't fathom, once Val starts defending the ICT we start getting Godfather & Luna swapping wins with Jackie and... Tiger Ali Singh. TVs 8th Raw is live in Canada but taped for Saturday airing in the US. Hey, we got it on the Friday! Ivory debuts as D'Lo & Mark attempt to counteract Debra in their (fruitless) quest for the tag belts, Rock pins Blackman to ridiculous cheers for the top heel and of course, Austin memorably runs the Corporate gauntlet only to be pinned by that colossus, Vince McMahon. Hardys vs Too Much continues dark at the Massacre and of note on the PPV is the irredeemably useless Ryan Shamrock missing her cue in the ICT match meaning Kenny has to tell her "slap me" and sadly, it's not subtle. Next night in Birmingham AL (near 14,000 sellout) Rocky wins the belt back in a ladder match with help from "Paul Wight", the ultimate specimen Shane McMahon wins the Euro belt from X-Pac in a tag, Bart Gunn re-emerges to issue a challenge to Hardcore Holly, and on Shotgun there's a Buddy Landell sighting (losing to Edge) and the Oddities plus George "the Animal" Steele continue to do as many favours as possible, dropping an 8-man to DOA & Too Much. The same 8-man happens the next night to air one night later on Heat, plus the most miserable match imaginable in a very beige Ministry vs Corporation feud - Boss Man vs Viscera. On Raw, The Public Enemy debut against the Brood in a brief non-finish, Meanie starts helping Goldust for reasons unknown, Snow costs Bart against Hardcore, and there's a rare TV Inferno Match where Taker (as usual) beats Kane. Landell works for Shotgun, losing to Hunter. Another sellout, near 8000. Finally in Dayton, an absolutely wonderful would-be Coliseum Exclusive has Owen & Double J lose a non-title match to the Hardy Boys, before the Hardys put over TPE for Heat. Taker crushes Kurrgan and afterwards the Brood give all the Oddities a kicking (out the door). DEPARTURES As you may have guessed, February is the end of the bookings for Kurrgan, Golga and Giant Silva (who barely wrestled anyway). There was clearly hope that Kurrgan might have been a useful monster at one point but he didn't get over, and the whole pack were made into comedy. As soon as the joke wore thin, they were on borrowed time, and feuding with the Headbangers for toy WWF tag title belts didn't do anyone favours. This is also the end of the road for Dan Severn after a year of them barely trying with him. They put him in the ring with arguably the right guys to create an interesting feud, but clearly didn't have any faith in him to talk people into the building. I don't remember him ever cutting a promo in the WWF, so maybe they didn't give him chance to prove them wrong. Either way, it was the wrong era for "brooding menace" to be pushed as a top threat, especially with Shamrock already established with a similar style and far more charisma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 The last time I had time to read this thread you were on 96 I think! You are posting faster than I can possibly read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted September 28, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted September 28, 2022 MARCH 1999 THE MAIN EVENTS Monster business as we kick off with TVs in Cleveland (16,500+ sellout) and Pittsburgh (near 13,500 sellout) then they sell out the Rosemont (18,000+) for more of Steve Austin & Mankind vs The Rock & Kane, Texas Tornado rules. Followed by the same in Milwaukee (near 16,000 sellout), Anaheim (13,500+) and Las Vegas (12,000+). More sellouts at Cali TVs and in New Orleans, Austin and Rochester, then live Raw in Albany before Mania. THE CARDS The last month for DX as a foursome (for now) ends with Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett vs Triple H & X-Pac for the tag belts nearly every night with Test interfering to cost DX. We have a regular ICT match of Val Venis vs Ken Shamrock vs Billy Gunn and Hardcore title of Hardcore Holly vs Al Snow before the Russorific swaparound that happens on Raw, thereafter it becomes what you saw at Mania - Billy vs Snow vs Holly for the Hardcore and Road Dogg vs Shamrock vs Venis vs Goldust for the ICT. The Undertaker vs Big Boss Man happens every night too. It's usually Edge & Gangrel vs Too Much (technically all heels). Steve Blackman vs Tiger Ali Singh goes most of the month, Godfather & Jacquelyn vs D'Lo Brown & Ivory is random but consistent, Acolytes vs Goldust & Blue Meanie switches to Acolytes vs DOA after the title changes. Really tight month for the most part. VARIATIONS In Chicago and Milwaukee the tag title match becomes a three way dance with added Gangrel & Christian, as Edge finishes his run with Test. Val Venis vs Road Dogg is the ICT match. In Anaheim and Vegas, Blackman does jobs to Test instead of beating Tiger. TVs In Cleveland they move Ryan Shamrock on to Goldust, in one of the most senseless sagas ever, which is probably the only noteworthy event of the show. TVs round this time are blighted by Corporation vs Ministry shite and Ministry dullards ruining other, disconnected matches. Next night in Pittsburgh for the Heat taping hometown hero Kurt Angle debuts in a segment with Singh that nobody remembers. On the same show, Public Enemy receive an infamous shit kicking from the Acolytes. On the taped Raw Tori loses to Luna Vachon by DQ then is attacked by Sable afterwards in one of the most peculiar heel turn decisions of all time - the key demographic simply did not want to boo her. In Bakersfield Chris Daniels tapes a loss to Droz for Shotgun and the Hardy Boys get an education with Owen and Jarrett. In San Jose for Raw we tape the ridiculous swerve of Road Dogg and Billy each winning the title that their partner has been chasing, messing up two announced matches for Mania just for the sake of it BRO. Plus Shane McMahon beats Patterson & Brisco dressed as LOD, Public Enemy lose to Owen & Jarrett, and they do Mideon vs Boss Man in a cage (JESUS CHRIST). On Heat (I dont remember this at all) Dr Death beats the Hardys in a handicap match. Go home for Raw has Sable beat Ivory, the great fireball angle with Kane and HHH dressed as Goldust, and Shane vs X-Pac going to a no contest when the Mean Street Posse interfere. Oh, and they give away Steve Austin vs Paul Wight for free. Heat before Mania has the Legion of Doom unexpectedly enter the battle royal but unlike last year, they don't win. Next night at the former Meadowlands, dark there's a look at ex WCW Malia Hosaka and USWA stalwart Brandi Alexander, the Ministry kidnaps Stephanie McMahon, Snow costs Doc a shot at Hardcore, Goldust relieves Road Dogg of the ICT (FFS) and LOD with Paul Ellering put over Owen & Jarrett. Then in Nassau on 30th, Kane & X-Pac win the tag team titles, Williams attacks both Snow and Holly then later squashes Singh on Shotgun also featuring TPE losing to the Hardys by DQ. DEPARTURES - FUCKING HELL Putting over Owen & Jarrett is the last hurrah for Legion of Doom - the magic simply is gone. At some point between 13th and Mania they shitcan Luna Vachon, no doubt over the fact golden girl Sable is scared shitless of her. Might be something to do with unreliability and painkiller abuse but either way, she's back soon enough. Bart Gunn goes on permanent hiatus after his Brawl For All loss to Butterbean at Mania, they never knew what to do with him. His most famous victim Dr Death is also given up on after post Mania TVs, he's a loser forever after Bart put him on his arse. The Public Enemy also prove unpopular in the locker room and are an easy cut. Was this the start of the annual spring clean tradition?? 10 hours ago, Loki said: The last time I had time to read this thread you were on 96 I think! You are posting faster than I can possibly read. What can I say? It’s fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 There are people that DONT read this as part of their morning routine? Shocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.