2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

Also:

The premiere of Raw in 1993. We didn't know it at the time, but the way wrestling fans followed their sports entertainment would be changed forever. Before, we would be satisfied with the syndicated hour-long WWE programs with mostly squash matches, and a Monday night program that was generally a clip show on the syndicated stuff and various house shows, but soon Raw become appointment TV for fans, with a card packed with outstanding matches and wild stuff happening, and then the Monday night wars with Nitro starting on board soon after.

 

It's cliche, but I'd probably put the Montreal screw-job at #1 and Hogan's turn at Bash #2.

 

You mean you're worried about the legitimacy of StubHub? Don't be. It's fine.

 

So went down the Network rabbit hole yesterday and was watching some old PPVs. Wanted to go back and see some of the early Undertaker's first work. One thing that struck me besides what a ridiculous athlete Calloway was for a man his size, especially early on, was how silly the WWE booked some of those shows.

The 1991 Survivor Series was particularly stupid. The main event -- Hogan vs. Undertaker for the title -- went on third and was the shortest match of the night. OK, fine. But the next match you'd think might close the show was Flair, the Mountie, the Million Dollar Man and the Warlord vs. Piper, Bret Hart, Virgil and the Bulldog. It went on first.

The match that closed the show? Six man tag featuring LOD and the Bossman vs. The Natural Disasters and IRS.

Huh? What am I missing here?

 

Booked a pair of tickets to Raw. Thanks, Scribe. I had never used StubHub before and didn't want to get screwed and cost my brother money for nothing. He hasn't followed wrestling for years, so he's just going so I don't go alone. This is probably one of the nicest things he's done for me since having quite a shift in attitude in recent years.

Anyway, two bits of interesting news gor anyone who hasn't seen:

Jericho's third book has an October release date, per his Twitter. Punk advertized for Talking Dead next Sunday.

 

Screw job is definitely No. 1 but I disagree with the idea that is ensured the survival of the WWE or shifted from the bland Hart era into the talent. If Vince had Bret to work with Austin and Rock and Foley during the Attitude Era, it would've been even better. And WWE certainly still survives. Who gets held down if Bret's around? Maybe Kurt Angle eventually?

 

while the screwjob is obviously huge, i saw the steve austin-mike tyson stuff as really igniting the attitude era. when austin got in tyson's face and gave him the finger, it took the merely hot stone cold and began his launch into the stratosphere, and it also was the seed of the mcmahon-austin feud.

 

By the end of his run, he was playing the whiny heel role with a side of "hates the USA and loves Canada" mixed in. I'm curious how he would have fit or what his role would have been if he'd stuck around.

 

You guys are all clearly missing the biggest turning point in wrestling history: Tatanka vs. Savio Vega at a January house show in Portland, Oregon in 1997.

 

I'd say Hogan's title win in '84 is first, because that is really when wrestling began its first boom era. Without that and what followed, the E might still be a regional promotion.

The Screwjob is second. Cross- threading with the Web at 25 thread, I remember reading about the Screwjob on my library's computer and being somewhat stunned at it all. Don't forget, in 97, the Net was just starting to influence wrestling and, while we knew it was a show, the inner dealiNgs were still somewhat of a secret. Heck, when Hall and Nash invaded WCW, fans weren't sure for a while if they were really invading from WWF, plus,the Curtain Call at MSG was a shocker. The Screwjob was one of the first times that I recall the Net exploding with a major event.

 

I also recall with the Screwjob that it seemed like Vince and Company were doomed the day after. They already were struggling, WCW was riding high, there was talk of a legit strike by the WWF wrestlers, and the company just lost one of its three biggest stars. When you think about it, it's amazing how it all turned out..

 

Now Wrestle Mania finally gets interesting.

Daniel Bryan just had an "occupy Raw" where he finally got his match with Trips at Mania -- with the stip that if he wins, he gets put in the main event.

Finally, they're listening.