WWE Vault Appreciation Thread

[BomberPat]

They film dark matches for insurance purposes too, though I don't know when that started. What's the earliest dark matches that have shown up on the Vault?

[Chili]

Just now, BomberPat said:

They film dark matches for insurance purposes too, though I don't know when that started. What's the earliest dark matches that have shown up on the Vault?

Don't know about the Vault itself but TV dark matches from as late as fall 1986 have popped up from TV tapings on other releases and things. 

[davertfnewman]

Regarding Dale Wolfe, I know he was Zeus' handler, although Zeus wasn't on the UK tour, so is it possible he'd been upgraded in regard and was included in on these kinds of cards as a result?

[The Reverend]

21 hours ago, BomberPat said:

The 1989 dark Docklands Arena dark match is the real head-scratcher - Fit Finlay, Rollerball Rocco & Skull Murphy vs. Al Perez, Dale Wolfe & Tim Horner; Perez was on house shows for years but never seemed to make TV, while Dale/Dusty Wolfe and Tim Horner were just perennial jobbers. Makes you wonder why they bothered flying them in the first place.

I wonder if they were bought in as part of the tech crew too. Being jobbers they more than likely had a knowledge of putting the ring together, so it was probably a bit of a cost saving exercise. 

[Dai]

 

Always shocking to see this one, and to see how far Bret's stock and aura had fallen in just 6 months from Survivor Series 97. The crowd doesnt give two shits about him. Buffer says "Wearing black and purple", and also introduces him as "Hitman Bret", which almost looks like someone did it deliberately. The match is crap too. A sad sight all round.

[SuperBacon]

54 minutes ago, Dai said:

Hitman Bret"

A step up from Bret Hitman Clark at least.

[The Reverend]

There's a new thread - 'Bad Matches involving Good Wrestlers' 

[air_raid]

I saw that match touted on Musker as "Savage's last great match" and now I don't know what to think. I had the tape, but I don't remember it - which is probably my answer, as a massive Hitman Bret fan. It's everything I hated about WCW when things started going wrong - ref introduced between wrestlers instead of before, Hogan AT the PPV thus getting paid, but not arsed to wrestle, Buffer not giving a shit. 241lbs? That's a rib, Bret never deviated from 234 and you can't tell me he did.

On 6/4/2025 at 1:22 PM, BomberPat said:

What's the earliest dark matches that have shown up on the Vault?

I have a better question. Excluding matches from CCTV broadcasts from MSG, Copps Coliseum, Boston, LA, Maple Leaf Gardens etc, when were the earliest dark matches from TV tapings used as "Coliseum Video exclusives"?  It was definitely in 1989, I'm confident.

I could look it up, but someone else might do it for me.

[Chili]

5 minutes ago, air_raid said:

I saw that match touted on Musker as "Savage's last great match" and now I don't know what to think. I had the tape, but I don't remember it - which is probably my answer, as a massive Hitman Bret fan. It's everything I hated about WCW when things started going wrong - ref introduced between wrestlers instead of before, Hogan AT the PPV thus getting paid, but not arsed to wrestle, Buffer not giving a shit. 241lbs? That's a rib, Bret never deviated from 234 and you can't tell me he did.

I have a better question. Excluding matches from CCTV broadcasts from MSG, Copps Coliseum, Boston, LA, Maple Leaf Gardens etc, when were the earliest dark matches from TV tapings used as "Coliseum Video exclusives"?  It was definitely in 1989, I'm confident.

I could look it up, but someone else might do it for me.

The timeframes say 1989 for me. Especially as that's when the change from Best of WWF to Supertapes etc began. The Best of's never had exclusive matches that weren't at house shows (except one where Craig DeGeorge introduces a post taping DARK MATCH and sort of kayfabe explains the concept), but it's 1989. They stopped televising a lot of local houses that year except MSG so they figured diving into the taped but unaired action suited videotapes better, you suddenly got a bit more enhancement stuff on Prime Time there too.

[Chili]

Get that down ya!

Starts with Triple H/Taka. The person behind this channel is that companies best employee.

 

Edited June 9, 2025 by Chili

[davertfnewman]

Didn't include Owen/Kid from KOTR 1994, for shame!

[tiger_rick]

12 hours ago, Chili said:

Get that down ya!

Starts with Triple H/Taka. The person behind this channel is that companies best employee.

 

I didn't get too far into this last night, I fell asleep, but did see Trips and Taka for the first time since it aired, I'd imagine. Should never watch stuff back. I now realise that one of my favourite near falls of all-time is the result of possibly the worst Moonsault in wrestling history.

[Chili]

I want to shag the WWE Vault to death!

 

[Merzbow]

And people shit on Ed's WCW gimmicks..

[Chili]

28 minutes ago, Merzbow said:

And people shit on Ed's WCW gimmicks..

I've always been absolutely fascinated by The Furface/Avenger/Mariner thing that barely made TV. Apparently (@air_raid help me out here and tag in if wrong) the story goes it was going to lead to Earthquake & Bravo or some of Jimmy Hart's lads against Valentine & whatever the fuck Beefcake is doing here for Wrestlemania VII and it would be revealed as Bruti and the Dream Team would get another run. Plans changed as they say, apparently maybe Beefcake wasn't fully ready to wrestle yet and instead they just give Brutus the Barber Shop segment instead. Personally I think Vince liked the idea of how to bring Beefer back, saw that first run with that outfit and said 'absolutely not', the outfit becomes that random collection of stuff, they air run in or two before it's too late to not bother, and just go "fuck it, just pretend it never ever happened".

It's fascinating because absolutely nobody involved seems to remember what this was and nobody has ever in an interview seemingly bothered bringing it up to the man himself.

Edited June 10, 2025 by Chili