Short lived but, damn, it was good.

[Snitsky's back acne]

11 minutes ago, The Reverend said:

I'm not sure if it classes as brief, although it was less than a year they were so heavily featured, but for me the Dangerous Alliance in WCW. I've always thought it was longer than roughly 11 months. With the talent they had, and the multiple opportunities there was enough mileage for another 12 months at least I reckon.  

He didn't really fit in at the time, had it been 97/98 then it may have worked perfectly, but I always liked Dan Spivey's Waylon Mercy character. The promos were good, and he looked and wrestled with a real vicious manner. Just wrong time, wrong place.  

Ooh yes, both of these! Dangerous Alliance was the nuts. Of course, had Heyman stayed we may never have got ECW in the way we did but, yes, a brilliant heel group. 

I have to say the segment at Halloween Havoc 92 between Paul E and Madusa is still one of the best thing WCW ever did in my opinion. 'Paul Eeeeeeeee! You bastard!!'. Brilliant!

If Spivey was even half the wrestler he was in his prime Waylon Mercy could have been something special I reckon. He could have had programmes with Bret, Razor, Diesel and Undertaker. Sadly his body was so destroyed at that point that the promos were the best thing about the gimmick - oh, and him DDTing Jeff Hardy on the floor and then apologising for it. Great stuff. 

[Snitsky's back acne]

Okay - Evil Doink. Only around about 9 months all told but, fuck, Matt Borne was excellent in that role. Smoking cigars, riding a unicycle to the ring, the manic laughter followed by the deranged stare. Brilliant stuff. I know he was getting cheers and in Vinces book that meant they should switch him but, no, babyface Doink was the shits. Even if Matt Borne would have done it I still think it would have been poo.

Similarly, heel Goldust - I'm saying Marlena debut in January to October 1996. Goldust and Marlena were brilliant. Anything after that - bar his Steve Irwin impression and partnership with Booker T (which was also short lived) was always "go away" heat with me. 

[Chili]

The '97 version of The Hart Foundation barely lasts over 7 months. 

[The Reverend]

I think heel Jake in 1991/92 was a bit short-lived. Had he not gone over to WCW there was definitely potential for a few good matches (as I said in another thread I don't think he ever went above the level of just good) and some really good promos and angles. A match with Bret would've been interesting. It probably would've been dire, but a match with the Warrior would've at least rounded off their story together. 

I may not have rated his ring work, but come '92 the Fed needed a decent villain. Flair was ok, but he was on his way out, and he never seemed to have the edge he had in WCW. Michaels was still in his infancy and the rest Shango, Nailz, Berzerker were only ever going to be short-lived mid-card fodder. A decent heel Jake would've been something that would've looked like a serious threat to the babyfaces - especially if he still had the cobra. 

[Callum1993]

The initial 6 month run of Ryback in 2012 until he lost to Punk in Hell in a Cell. Felt like a potential mega star for a brief minute. Obviously proved afterwards that he was never that good but just for a while there it felt like he was going to be massive. 

[wandshogun09]

Saw the thread title and immediately thought of the Hollywood Blonds. Beaten to it but, yeah, they were absolutely fantastic. You know an act made an impact when something so short-lived is remembered as if it was a 5 year plus run. Granted a lot of that is because of what Austin went on to be and to a lesser extent Pillman too with the ‘Loose Cannon’ stuff. But the Blonds were legitimately great in their own right and Austin and Pillman as a team was only a thing for around 10 months tops!

They were incredible together. Can’t even remember the timeline now, if they were friends before they were thrown together as a team or what. But the chemistry they had both in the ring and as personalities was off the charts. I remember when I did my WCW 92/93 reviews on here, I had fond memories of their stuff going in and I knew I’d enjoy going back to it, but it still amazed me just how quickly they clicked as a team. They started teaming around the January of 93, I think. Weren’t even called the ‘Hollywood Blonds’ yet, didn’t have the matching gear or anything. Pillman was still in his tiger striped Bengals pants and Austin was in his standard ‘Stunning’ Steve trunks. They were chucked together as a bit of a makeshift team but the matches were quality from the off. I think by about March the whole thing was complete. The team name, the ring attire, the lot. 

And they looked the business. From what I recall Austin saying on one of his DVDs, this was all Pillman. It wasn’t WCW’s creative masterminds (shock!), Pillman came up with the name, the matching vests, the trunks with the stars on the cock and arse. Looking back, obviously WCW weren’t planning it at the time but putting Austin with Pillman was probably the thing that really made his personality come out more than anything. He always had potential but he was kind of lost in the shuffle in the Dangerous Alliance (another great shout for this thread) but it felt like he really became comfortable in his mic and heel work in that 10 months with Pillman. They were a spectacular pair of dickheads. Particularly opposite the Horsemen. 

This was a favourite of mine. As well as Pillman dressed up as Flair and doing ‘A Flair For The Old’. And Austin looking Arn Anderson up and down during one promo and going “The last time I saw a body like that, it had an apple stuffed in its mouth and it was roasting over an open flame”. They brought so much energy and fun to an otherwise struggling show at the time. 

They were the best thing in WCW by miles in 93. So of course, what did the geniuses in Atlanta do? They cut the bollocks off them, split the team up out of the blue and proceeded to do…checks notes…fuck all of note with either of them in 1994. Well, Austin had some cracking matches with Steamboat but anything he gained from that was shat all over by having him jobbed out to Hacksaw Jim in 35 seconds on PPV. And Pillman was back babyface, despite instantly becoming way more interesting and entertaining the nanosecond they turned him heel in late 92. No. He was back smiling and high-fiving and doing nothing memorable until becoming a Horseman himself in 95 and beginning the transformation into the ‘Loose Cannon’.

Even the way they split the Blonds up was a load of old arse. For those who don’t remember (and why would you? It was so forgettable), around October 93, Colonel Robert Parker was sniffing around and making it clear he wanted to become Austin’s manager. But he wasn’t interested in Pillman for some reason. Bear in mind, this is the same Col Rob who wanted to manage Van Bastard Hammer before Sid came in and crushed him at Slamboree! Anyway, Pillman got the hump about Parker messing with the team. So he attacked Parker on an episode of Saturday Night, which lead to Austin battering Pillman. That’s it. That’s it! Ten months of the hottest thing the company had going for it, thrown into a bucket of ice and killed dead.

Suppose you’re thinking ‘Oh well, bet they had a banging blow-off match at a big PPV at least’. Wrong.

This was it. They got 7 minutes on the Clash Of The Champions in November and Austin won after Parker interfered. That’s your lot. No big grudge rematch at Starrcade the following month. No revenge for Pillman. He just ate the loss like a chump and moved on while Austin moved on to Dustin Rhodes as if nothing happened. They had sod all to do with each other again until they rocked up in the WWF. And sadly, Pillman’s crash, injuries and subsequent self medicating scuppered any chance of them capitalising on their chemistry and history during Attitude Era WWF.

As you can probably tell, this thread has opened up an old wound for me. That period in WCW, for all its shit points, did have some gems. And none shone brighter for me than the Blonds as a team. The series they had against Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas was the highlight but there was also that 2/3 Falls match with Flair and Arn at the Clash and they had some really good TV matches against the odd couple but surprisingly enjoyable team of 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell. They even dragged something watchable out of Erik Watts (teaming with Bagwell) at Superbrawl 3. And there’s a one-off match against Flair and Steamboat from the Royal Albert Hall that I have to see (Vault, do your thing!). I find it difficult to believe there wasn’t more meat on the bone and more mileage in them as a team. Not forever. But some matches with Sting and Bulldog (who were teaming at the time) would’ve been loads of fun. More stuff with Flair and Arn maybe. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered by mid 94 anyway. Hogan would’ve seen to it that they’d be looking at the lights for him and Beefcake, no doubt. 

RIP Hollywood Blonds

Jan 93 - Oct 93 

They leave behind a bunch of fun matches, promos and this banger entrance theme from Turner’s stock music library (later used by Marty Jannetty, Blitzkrieg and probably 15 other wallies on Thunder in 99)…

This post has gone on longer than their run as a team! 

Edited April 4, 2025 by wandshogun09

[Chili]

Absolute banger post that @wandshogun09thanks for taking the time. I absolutely love the Hollywood Blondes. I always crack up at the camera reel mime they do. I don't think there's a run he had in wrestling where you can see Steve Austin beaming smiling as much as that run as he's clearly loving it. Even at his actual peak.

Edited April 4, 2025 by Chili

[Fog Dude]

6 hours ago, HarmonicGenerator said:

On a similar tag team note, that second 'golden age' of WWF tag team wrestling with E&C, the Hardys and the Dudleys was less than two years start to finish. No Mercy 99 you get the first Ladder Match, and by No Mercy 01 Edge and Christian are fighting each other, the Hardys are ready to split apart and the Dudleys were relying on Stacy Keibler to keep relevant.

IIRC their first match against one another for the IC title happened a month earlier at Unforgiven, but if anything that only reinforces the point.

[RedTwoster]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:40 PM, LaGoosh said:

He had some cracking matches against Mark Henry during the Hall of Pain run. Him and Sabu (of all people) had a surprisingly great match on PPV once too.

This post in the Peaked at good thread reminded me of a good shout for this thread - Big Show’s ECW title reign. It was easily his best World title run, and he had a load of fun matches against a range of opponents.

[air_raid]

On 4/4/2025 at 5:24 PM, wandshogun09 said:

From what I recall Austin saying on one of his DVDs, this was all Pillman. It wasn’t WCW’s creative masterminds (shock!), Pillman came up with the name, the matching vests, the trunks with the stars on the cock and arse.

Though it was suggested on Pillmans episode of Dark Side that he came up with the name, Austin said many years earlier that it was Scott Levy (who they were travelling with at the time) who pitched it to them, having been a fan of the team of that name from the 70s.

The “who killed the Hollywood Blonds” question for me is far more interesting and contentious than “who killed WCW” - the “they weren’t meant to get over” stock answer is wheeled out and yes, they were thrown together, true. But they weren’t split for being too over, if that were an issue they’d never have got near the belts to begin with. Jim Cornette thinks they were blamed for the poor viewership for Clash 23 (on which they defended against Flair & Arn in Ric’s first match back) but surely if that were the case they’d have lost the belts at Beach Blast and not had it strung out? Bischoff has stated it was a financial decision - he certainly subscribes to Vince’s dogma about tag team wrestling i.e. a reluctance to pay four talents for a match instead of two, and that the Blonds made an extremely expensive tag team for one match per show. Given what we know Pillman (at least) was being paid (from our Liams book) I doubt that was the real reason, but Eric also said it became costlier still because Flyin’ and Stunning had gotten themselves perceived to be at such a level, they had problems getting them opponents that looked on their level without it being to the detriment of the rest of the card and also using up more top-earning talent. That I can believe, there’s only so many people that are going to give a chance to Too Cold & Bagwell or Simmons & Ice Train of dethroning villains that have consistently come out with the belts wrestling Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.

Personally I think Brian’s injury was “right place, right time” for somebody on the booking team to push for Austin as a major singles heel even if putting him with Col Parker doomed it from the start (as it pretty much did with anyone), and it may even be the same person who didn’t see anything special in Pillman - there was constantly someone or someones who didn’t see anything special in Pillman. It was always going to a crowded marketplace for Austin to get lasting traction, competing with Rick Rude (for the first six months at least), Vader and eventually, Flair himself. By the time he got hurt Hogan was on top and they needed a different type of heel to Steve altogether. A Blonds reunion would have been ideal at that point. Although forgive me for repeating myself from a What If thread, it makes me wonder what could have happened with them in that heel Horsemen idea that was tossed around with Flair, Arn, the Blonds and/or Regal as I think they’d have made unreal annoying tag champs like Tully & Arn did for peak Horseys. I say “and/or” because those are the names we hear thrown around, but as we learned in 1997, five into IV just doesn’t go.

That said, given my earlier mention of Rude and the Blonds’ casual/on-off affiliation with Barry Windham, it’s a shame Paul E had had his acrimonious exit and gone to work for Eastern Championship Wrestling. I’d have loved a refreshed Dangerous Alliance of Rude, Baz, the Blonds and A.N. Other (Regal?). Could have dumped the Horsemen recreation altogether and had a proper War Games at Fall Brawl with them vs Flair, Arn, Steamboat, Dustin and one more. Would have been far better than the piss poor one they did. Even if the one they did means that not only has Booker T actually been in both a WCW War Games and a WWE Elimination Chamber, on paper so has “Kane.”

Mind you, Booker & Stevie’s old names or Shockmaster winning the match are not the weirdest thing on that particularly atrocious card. It’s probably Tatanka rip-off Charlie Norris pinning Sabretooth from X-Men.

Edited April 5, 2025 by air_raid
Spend my days working hard on the go…

[garynysmon]

On 4/4/2025 at 4:07 PM, The Reverend said:

I think heel Jake in 1991/92 was a bit short-lived. Had he not gone over to WCW there was definitely potential for a few good matches (as I said in another thread I don't think he ever went above the level of just good) and some really good promos and angles. A match with Bret would've been interesting. It probably would've been dire, but a match with the Warrior would've at least rounded off their story together. 

This was going to be my shout too. Jake was a heel when I started watching wrestling, so to me he’s a natural heel to the degree that I can’t really understand why he was a babyface.

Given how star power fell off a cliff in late 92, a heel Jake could have run riot in 93/94.

I know he came back in 96 but he was presented as a nostalgia act by then and was given the “look at this old bloke” Bob Backlund treatment.

Of course his substance issues mean it was never really on the table, but what could have been eh?

Mad to think his heel run was only 6 months long but still generated so many vivid moments.

You have wrestlers now who’ve been in WWE for 10-15 years who can’t muster that many stand out moments.

[Snitsky's back acne]

39 minutes ago, garynysmon said:

This was going to be my shout too. Jake was a heel when I started watching wrestling, so to me he’s a natural heel to the degree that I can’t really understand why he was a babyface.

Given how star power fell off a cliff in late 92, a heel Jake could have run riot in 93/94.

I know he came back in 96 but he was presented as a nostalgia act by then and was given the “look at this old bloke” Bob Backlund treatment.

Of course his substance issues mean it was never really on the table, but what could have been eh?

Mad to think his heel run was only 6 months long but still generated so many vivid moments.

You have wrestlers now who’ve been in WWE for 10-15 years who can’t muster that many stand out moments.

100% agreed. Jake in six months did more than a lot of wrestlers do their whole careers.

Jake and The Undertaker were the mega heels when I first got into wrestling as a kid and the two of them were big reasons I became hooked. Undertaker scared me but Jake terrified me. In an era of cartoon heels, he was dangerous and unpredictable. He is the only man in a cardigan that has ever frightened me. 'You're a sick man, Jake Roberts', 'Thank you very much'.

His match/angle/post match interview from Tuesday in Texas was some of his best stuff though in my opinion. Lose the match? Who cares!? He was having fun terrorising Randy and Elizabeth. He actually struck Elizabeth and NOBODY ever was evil enough to strike Elizabeth. Even Bobby Heenan struggled to defend him.

'Please, Randy (SMILES), let me touch her again'. Evil. Pure evil...but absolutely brilliant. 

 

[Snitsky's back acne]

While we're at it - Shawn Michaels as a heel in 2005. I think everyone talks about his ridiculous overselling in his match with Hogan and forgets this absolute gem from Montreal. Ol' HBK was having a blast winding up those Canucks and, I admit, I bit too when Bret's music hit you bastard!! 

Criminally short. He loses to Hogan and then it was Bobby Ewing in the shower in Dallas. 'It was all a dream. He's really always been a good guy. Here's Chris Masters!'.

Still, it wasn't a dream, and here's HBK getting white hot heat in Montreal to prove it. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/oVzikIQKWzU?si=OSfcywoosS9IU1C4

*Edit - watch this and try to comprehend that just one week later he was a smiley babyface again. 7 fucking days after THIS!! Fucking insanity! What the fuck were any of them thinking!?*

Edited April 7, 2025 by Snitsky's back acne

[theringmaster]

I dealt many will agree but nWo 2000. Like the initial few weeks with Bret, Steiner, Nash, Harris Brothers, NWO girls and Jarret, the whole black and silver, it started off genuinely good i felt then if i remember correctly Bret got injured, then Nash got injuried and it all went to pits.

[IronSheik]

On 4/3/2025 at 8:43 PM, Snitsky's back acne said:

Some things in wrestling, and in life, are far too short but, dammit, they are pretty bloody good"

I figured "Why not see if we can get a thread out of this?", so.... what things in wrestling were fairly brief but, fuck, they were really damn good.

I'll start - the West Texas Rednecks. It shouldn't have worked. It's a group that had Kendall fucking Windham in it, for fucks sake, but dammit they were bloody awesome!
Two great music videos. Catchy as fuck. Plus, you could tell all of them, particularly Curt Hennig, were having an absolute blast.

Should have done much more with them than they did but it was fun while it lasted.
 

"Aaaaaaah aaaaah aaah hate rap!"