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Sergeant Slaughter. A bit late in the time period. He was working under the mask in the late 1970s, Dylan could tell us if he was any good. But by 1981 he's feuding with Bob Backlund and Pat Patterson headlining MSG.

Portland was also aided by the athletic commission being the one place that cracked down on steroids. At some point Vince stopped going to Oregon entirely. (Also, Piper refused to compete against Don Owen.)

Kevin Nash went from Vinnie Vegas to WWF champion in the span of about 18 months.

You're thinking of Lance Russell. Both great announcers.

I did jump out the window during week 70, but Vince Russo booked my fall so it was all a swerve and there I am, still alive and being forced to watch more 00 WCW, which is another sort of mental suicide. "You fell out of the tall tower you creep!" "Yes but I was saved at the last minute." "HOW?!" "Well, I'll tell you." *Break into song.* "WE'RE OUTTA TIME!"

The Sheik was the first guy to come to mind for me as well. Worth noting that he practically salted the earth as far as Detroit was concerned as a wrestling town.

I don't know. Reading between the lines, it seems like the D.A. is paying lip service but doubts that much will come out of it. It's suspicious, but to try and get a conviction off of 30 year evidence would be extremely difficult.

It's actually run largely by Samu now.

IIRC Scott Steiner vs A Quebecker had a similar finish w/ Polo ringing the bell. I believe Undertaker/Austin had a similar finish as well on a '97 PPV with Brian Pillman ringing the bell.

Why did they bother putting the Western States Heritage Title on anyone but "Bulldog" Bob Brown?

Bret, no. Barely a feud. Roddy Piper is a strong possibility considering their mid-Atlantic feud around 1982.

Maybe call it the "weak link" structure. Similar tag team might be most Sean Waltman teams. (i.e. with Sycho Sid or Kane)

WCW babyfaces usually ended up feuding with Triple H. Scott Steiner, Booker T, Kevin Nash, Goldberg. I wouldn't like Sting's chances.

Let me air one grievence with soap operas, and I think it ties in with professional wrestling. Particularly Vince Russo. Thanks to my wife I got stuck watching Days of Our Lives, and they ran a bit where Stefano Dimura was murdered. Except he wasn't dead after all. Apparently his death has been teased nearly a dozen times in the last 30 years. When you create a scenario and world where you can essentially take back anything you aired, it kills your ability to emotionally invest in a show.

My wife and I like watching Storage Wars. The characters make the show fun, but goddamn is it ever obvious. For one thing, how the hell do you fire someone from bidding at public auctions?!

Thesz actually worked for the WWF as well. He was in the Legends Battle Royal at the Meadowlands in '87.

Fritz Von Erich, Bill Dundee would have been good additions. Bobby Eaton on his own.

Fuck it. If no one else wants to create a tag team consisting of Rainy Day Woman #12 and Rainy Day Woman #35, I will.

The Flair title loss was within a month of the Final Conflict cage match. That's a bad time to turn Steamboat. (There's never a good time, but this would've been particularly bad timing.) As far as Patera as the ideal NWA champion. It would've been bad foresight to pass on a good choice as champion because he didn't fit a particular preconception. If the guy has a different style but it works, why wouldn't you run with it?

If you gave me a choice between Funk and Race in 1983, I'd honestly take Race. Funk would've been a more exciting champion. But I think Flair beating Race meant more. It's worth noting for storyline purposes as well that Flair didn't beat Race for championship #1. He beat Dusty Rhodes.

If not Duggan (picking the TV title out of the trash), then who?

Was Gene Kiniski the "prototypical" NWA champion?

It's good for Crockett, but bad for the rest of the NWA. The NWA faced a real challenge starting that year of balancing their booming territories (Crockett, World Class) while keeping their dwindling promoters happy. What made Race the best option at the time is that he was respected enough to keep the Alliance together. I don't know if most of the NWA promoters would have tolerated a month of say, Valentine/Flair NWA title matches.

1981: Guys who are receiving NWA title matches include Dusty Rhodes, the Funks, Ken Patera, Roddy Piper, the Iron Sheik, Jimmy Valiant, the Andersons, the Assassin, Bobby Jaggers, Buzz Tyler, Buzz Sawyer, Terry Gordy, Kevin Von Erich, John Studd, Ivan Koloff, Greg Valentine, Gene Lewis and Ric Flair. Couple of interesting names. Rhodes wanted to keep the title badly, if I'm not mistaken. Gordy could've made a very good champion at his peak but he's much too young yet. Patera I could see. Maybe Piper. Greg Valentine certainly. 1983 was a program that established Flair as a better long term champion. If not Race in that role it seemingly has to be someone like the Funks or Jack Brisco.

Rocky Johnson? He was an established star by then.