flyonthewall2983

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMgCNk1JDPC/?igsh=MXI2cWN5dTAxeXM0OQ==

https://youtu.be/qGwHxpdYskE?si=jJz5pI9IfNH_hQXb

I see this in two perspectives. People Vince should have kept, against who should have stayed. The first one is probably less arguable, but if there’s anybody who embodies both of these statements it’s Bret Hart. But I’m thinking more along the lines of who should have been kept during the lean years of the early-middle 90’s when it was revolving doors in Stamford in the middle of the heat being brought on by Washington. I personally think that even more than Hogan, they needed Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund during that time. Their replacements but one had a clear disconnect to the wrestling business. The exception to this was Jerry Lawler, who was only ever made better by someone firmly in the first camp maybe to this day, Jim Ross.

I have the commentary shut off on 2K25. Just not the same for me without Jerry and JR. Takes me back to the older games like Super WrestleMania when there was just a little funny frames of animated Vince and Bobby calling the action. I’ve seen a few things on YouTube of more recent custom games that have lines from Vince, Gorilla and Jesse tailored specifically to the guy on screen in such a way that it had an arcade game feel to it. The 91 and 95 games are works of art if you ask me. I really like that Jesse’s back.

I read some offhand comment that they possibly filmed this in consideration of the federal heat on Vince at the time. I haven’t seen the documentary the company put out using this footage but I’m kind of guessing there might be some half truth to it. It was said to be very unusual for behind the scenes stuff to be filmed like that at the time, I know that much.

How much has changed

Me and my brother agreed it would be cool if they showed old matches before big stadium shows, ideally from the same city they’re in. We noticed this before the Royal Rumble in Indy, as we were piling in they had all these screens just showing nothing interesting. The one match they should have put on at least there, is Hogan/Andre ‘88 with the Hebner brothers saga. It was the debut of the winged eagle belt (a prop for that nights title match), had the biggest television audience for a wrestling match, and emanated from the same city.

I love the bodysuits the women wear. They’re awfully comfy with fetish aesthetics these days.

My brother and I agreed if this came out 30 years ago we’d never leave home. Poking up against the games limitations has also weirdly inspired creativity. They don’t have Survivor Series matches, but with what tools are handy I was able to reinvent the formula a bit. 4 on 4 tag team 1-hour (or 3 on 3 half hour) iron man matches, and every pin or submission is a point added to each wrestler. One aspect I am impressed with is how 8 can be in the ring at the same time. For a long time it seemed you couldn’t have real battle royals in games but now they seem more possible with the AI limit now.

Loser has to eat Nick’s rejected pie crust

It could possibly interest them to put up older stuff, if they catch on at least. That’s my hope anyway.

Does Billy own much archival footage?

The preface to this is I only started playing video games on my own as an adult last year. I quit doing it in my teens but watched my brother and maybe joined in if I was too bored to do anything else but the new systems impressive as they were didn’t have a whole lot of sway towards my attention. That was 20 years ago and in understanding how much has changed, I found last years game to be a bit of a wake up call. I also got tired of playing stuff on my phone to be honest. I see this years game as an opportunity to be as creative with how I pull things off as I do talking here. I have found playing it to be invigorating to my sense of history with the custom roster I have now, largely of guys from the 80’s and 90’s I grew up watching over and over. And had action figures of. Most of them anyway, Brutus Beefcake and the Bushwackers didn’t last long with me this time around. Universe Mode is where I am paying most attention, building up card after card of dream matches never seen but could have feasibly happened, if history changed. The what if’s are fueling the brain jibing well with my knowledge of what is a deeply fascinating history, as well as things going on right now. Real recent highlight for me was having a six man Iron Match with more recent stars I know instead of the guys from childhood I admittedly prefer building angles with. Sort of enforces my respect for them all (Cody, Roman, Priest, Gunther, McIntyre, and Ethan Page) that I was able to be as invested in what I was doing on screen, and how well it all seemed to click. But as much fun I am having playing it, it’s the aesthetic aspect of changing around characters looks that has me interested in some creative directions. Especially since I can have two different gimmicks with the same guy in each battling it out. That lends itself to some absurdism perhaps but it does blow my mind a fair bit just talking about it, but also speaks a lot more to how much I can feel myself in the game now. Weird as it may sound this might be the cultural high point of the year for me. It’s rejuvenated my love of professional wrestling, which I can’t ever describe as waning but can and will often lay dormant if nothing connects. I like some of the directions WWE is taking this year, if even I find some of their recent decisions as a proxy to their corporate overlords, not to mention the ongoing saga of the McMahons, distasteful. This isn’t reflective of how I feel about the product but it has to be mentioned, as much as it should that I always found wrestling as a common bond between me and my brother. We have more now as older men but our shorthand about this stuff is what has kept me going, because it is way more than just about the corporate side but appreciating the artistic value still to be had in it. And of those who practice it at the highest levels.

Wonderful idea. And I can’t think of a better match to start this wing of the institution with.

Maybe not exact to Harley’s physicality and mannerisms but I could see casting Gene in a role that reflects the kind of guy Harley was as a champion, and the level of creativity he brought to the ring. As well as the business side of what he did and perhaps too the aspects of his character only those who knew Race could speak to.