WWE Vault Appreciation Thread

[HarmonicGenerator]

Eddie really was one of the best ever, wasn't he? I sometimes sort of forget, and then I watch a bit of his stuff and I'm instantly reminded how excellent he was at just about everything.

[tiger_rick]

26 minutes ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

Eddie really was one of the best ever, wasn't he? I sometimes sort of forget, and then I watch a bit of his stuff and I'm instantly reminded how excellent he was at just about everything.

Yeah, definitely. I'm worried I romanticise stuff too much sometimes, and it's easy with a guy like Eddie who died far too soon but, objectively, he was just tremendous at everything. I'll often come across stuff I haven't seen before on old WCW Saturday Night's or such and they always do a great job of reinforcing just how good he was well before he was a star. He was incredibly small in the mid-90s which would have harmed his top line potential but he was a top worker and a fantastic heel and babyface and was always going to overcome significant challenges because he was just too good not to.

I think the combination of him bulking up and the average size of the rosters falling drastically throughout the 2000s was a stroke of luck but otherwise, he earned everything. His brilliance is easy to see but the way he adapted to every situation, really moved with the times, improved his workrate, his physique, his character work and his promos showed just how great he was always determined to be. 

[Chili]

Something I brought up before in a way old thread, but a thing I like about jaded, tired, cashing in the cheque WCW Bobby Heenan commentary is hearing when something breaks his misery and he's 'on' again. Goldberg is the greatest example, but on the very early Nitro's, Heenan is doing his heel schtick on the faces... But he LOVES Eddie Guerrero. White meat singlet Eddie. You can hear it in the way he really puts him over and marks out for his work. It's always nice for me to hear the rare times Heenan really perks up because at spotting talent, he wasn't wrong.

[Dai]

A washed up One Man Gang, who seems like his generation has long past, in a dark match in 1998 WWE. Just checked and he was only 38 at this time. Its not quite as unbelievable as Earthquakes age, but it is crazy how many examples you have from around this era where things moved so quickly. 

 

 

[SaitoRyo]

19 minutes ago, Dai said:

A washed up One Man Gang, who seems like his generation has long past, in a dark match in 1998 WWE. Just checked and he was only 38 at this time. Its not quite as unbelievable as Earthquakes age, but it is crazy how many examples you have from around this era where things moved so quickly. 

 

 

This is what I love WWE Vault for. No, I don't want to see the same fucking twenty 'classic' matches they post on rotation to various channels. Yes, I DO want to see dark matches, house show stuff and other unseen rarities. What a gift. 

Also, this TV taping also featured Bobby Duncum Jr., Flash Flanagan and Johnny Ace receiving tryout matches. Obviously we're never going to see Ace Vs. Flash Funk, but I would love to, since WWE/Laurinaitis had been talking on and off for an age and they ended up passing on him based on that particular match. 

[wandshogun09]

2 minutes ago, SaitoRyo said:

This is what I love WWE Vault for. No, I don't want to see the same fucking twenty 'classic' matches they post on rotation to various channels. Yes, I DO want to see dark matches, house show stuff and other unseen rarities. What a gift.

 

Yep. That Eddie compilation they posted the other day had his match with Marty Jannetty from ECW in 1995, which I don’t believe was ever released in full previously? I still think it’s important to upload stuff like past PPVs and TV episodes, especially WCW because now the Network’s gone that’s the only place they’re getting archived. But the rare or unseen stuff like that is what I love most about the Vault. 

[gmoney]

26 minutes ago, Dai said:

A washed up One Man Gang, who seems like his generation has long past, in a dark match in 1998 WWE. Just checked and he was only 38 at this time. Its not quite as unbelievable as Earthquakes age, but it is crazy how many examples you have from around this era where things moved so quickly. 

 

 

Only two years removed from him challenging for the United States title on Superbrawl VI. Still seems like an absolute relic there. Amazed Russo never brought him in as Akeem though. 

[Chili]

That's the shit. That's what I want the WWE Vault to be. Stuff from down the back of the sofa. I'm probably one of the only people in the world clamouring to see the Sam Houston Vs Jerry Sags dark match from Royal Rumble 1991.

Edited September 23, 2025 by Chili

[Snitsky's back acne]

22 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said:

Yep. That Eddie compilation they posted the other day had his match with Marty Jannetty from ECW in 1995, which I don’t believe was ever released in full previously? 

It did. Plus it had a house show match from Japan that I never knew happened - Eddie, Edge and Kurt Angle v Kane, Undertaker and Rey Misterio..

[wandshogun09]

I was even happy to see that awful Dr Death tryout against Scorpio from 98 on one of the Vault videos a few months back. Rotten match but it needed to be unearthed. 

I wish they filmed the Bret Hart vs Rick Rude match from Italy in 1989. I’m sure Bret said that was the only single match they ever had as well. It’s a travesty that wasn’t recorded. I wonder if they’ve got a better version of Bret vs Savage from the Japan tour in 94 than the ropey handheld version that’s out there. 

[tiger_rick]

I watched the OMG match this morning. It's pretty grim. He looks good initially, decent shape, great hair, gets a little pop when people realise who it is. Bit of heel beatdown and all is going OK, albeit to deathly silence, then we get the first of many instances were it's obvious how hard it is for him to just stand up. There's a pretty ugly spot where he tries to catch Flanagan in a Bossman slam position and just cannot find his sea legs as he teeters towards the rope. The rest is mostly fine but it's obvious from the trouble he has standing that his legs are fucked. A shame. Great little find though.

I'm surprised he still didn't get a run in the oddities. He's clearly fucked but Giant Silva and Kurrgan still make him look like prime Shawn Michaels.

[tiger_rick]

12 hours ago, Dai said:

A washed up One Man Gang, who seems like his generation has long past, in a dark match in 1998 WWE. Just checked and he was only 38 at this time. 

I looked into that. It's another example of how different age is in sports these days. Kamran posted the picture of WWE's latest shitshow in the thread below and the 5 blokes pictures (Rhodes, Cena, Reigns, Rollins and McIntyre) are all older than OMG was in 1998. Seth being the youngest at 39. Cena's last and next "PLE" opponents are both 48 years old.

 

[Snitsky's back acne]

Always thought it odd that One Man Gang got a run in ECW in 1998/1999.

Sabu v One Man Gang was a match I never knew I needed to see. 

[TibBo]

6 hours ago, tiger_rick said:

then we get the first of many instances were it's obvious how hard it is for him to just stand up. There's a pretty ugly spot where he tries to catch Flanagan in a Bossman slam position and just cannot find his sea legs as he teeters towards the rope. The rest is mostly fine but it's obvious from the trouble he has standing that his legs are fucked.

To be fair, he was never the most coordinated

[jm29195]

Was the OMG match in 1998? Given they rehired Bossman that year, could we have seen a Corporate Twin Towers reunion? I'd have been up for that!