Ricky Jackson

Yeah, maybe it was logical, but it was unprecedented and felt totally like something that was just made up on the fly to get the belt back on Hogan. Plus it totally shattered the illusion that titles were important at a time before switches became common place. And it really didn't make much sense by the kayfabe rules of the time, like if George Foreman challenged Riddick Bowe to an impromptu fight after he had just beat Evander Holyfield, to use a contemporary example, and it was allowed to go forward and Foreman knocked Bowe out.

It's called Imaginary Stories, with me and Johnny Sorrow. So far we've done 3 episodes. The focus is on classic comics of course. Ep 1: New Teen Titans Ep 2: Dick Tracy Ep 3: What If...? http://placetobenation.com/?s=Imaginary+Stories+

Watching the start of the latest NXT and you have a 4-way tag match with a super hot crowd, where every team is over, and it struck me, is NXT the hottest a wrestling "promotion" has been on a national level since about 2000 and the peak of the Attitude Era? Granted it is on a small scale, but there is just such a buzz around NXT right now and a feeling that this is, dare I say, cool in a way it seems pro wrestling hasn't been in ages. Pretty much everyone on the roster top to bottom is over, very reminiscent of Attitude Era WWF

Loss suggested this topic in the Hogan Mania IX thread and it really struck me as something cool to discuss. I moved the year back to 1991 because I think that is the year when a lot of the themes that would dominate the period develop, eg. the steroid scandal comes to the public's attention, WCW business plunges, general interest in pro wrestling in greater pop culture waned noticeably during the year, etc. For me, I was a fan during this whole period, funny enough getting into wrestling again in late 91 after being mostly off it since mid 89. I have a lot of fond memories of this time that I'll get into at a later date. It truly was the most dire time for pro wrestling in my lifetime, business wise, relevancy wise, and quality of gimmicks wise. 2015 is nowhere near as bad. At the same time there was a lot of good, for me the rise of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in WWF.

That's really awesome. Thanks

I'm actually thinking about developing a biographies spin-off show. Mostly to impress people at parties by telling them I have 3 wrestling podcasts (plus a comic book one)

Thanks for the thoughtful response brain. Your comments on Hogan made me realize that the perfect companion piece to this Piper tribute would be an equally thorough Hogan retrospective. Something to look forward to in 2016 fans!

Loved the Slamboree 6 man. 96-97 Piper is mostly good, but at some point the promos fall off a cliff. Not sure exactly when

Oh yeah there was plenty of good stuff during his second WWF run, and I probably should've been more positive about that when previewing the next part. I think I'm going watch the Lawler match for the first time since 1994 because I remember it being awful but want to go into the specifics of why it was so bad

Thanks man

Yes!

It was supposed to be a reprise of Hogan beating the Sheik at MSG in 84, down to Diesel being a substitute for the original challenger (Bret) just like Hogan was (Backlund)

Still to this day, Mania IX is my darkest day as a wrestling fan. Literally, the sky was dark with ominous clouds as my friend and I left the building where we watched the show on closed circuit. Horrible ending

http://placetobenation.com/titans-of-wrestling-56-roddy-piper-tribute-part-2/ Join Kelly, Johnny and Marty Sleeze (until he tragically passes away halfway through the show) for part 2 of what may become, at this pace, a 7-8 part tribute to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper! This episode is devoted entirely to Piper's 1984-1987 WWF run, featuring a look at... -His initial time as a manager and tag wrestler -His feuds with Jimmy Snuka, the Tonga Kid, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Bruno Sammartino, Adrian Adonis...Hell, most of the roster -The revolutionary Piper's Pit -His trunks-tearing off war with Paul Orndorff All this and much, much more!

But what's the story with ECW exactly?

No. 95% of the book is on his career up to 1984. The rest is quickly covered in the last 20 or so pages.

Jeez I provided the harshest criticism, hopefully I'm singled out for at least a piledriver

Even better as a Flintstones character

I think it may be too soon to pull the trigger on something like that, but could be something to try in 2017 if Reigns continues to build momentum and Cena invests more and more time in movies.

I don't even know how you could make that comparison, honestly. 1. It was the 1970s and '80s. Are we really comparing that to current WWE? Come on. 2. Andre was never the World Champion (not counting the DiBiase/evil "twin" ref angle). 3. Andre did not beat Hulk Hogan (again, not counting SNME). Brock, however, did the equivalent by breaking the Streak. Andre was a special attraction who was used like one. Brock, however, held the WWE World Heavyweight Title hostage for months and has not built a single new star. If and when Roman does beat him, it won't matter and won't mean anything. Why can't we compare 70s-80s wrestling to today? Whatever, it seems to me that you personally just don't like Lesnar. He held the title hostage? Seriously? Was it really a bad thing that the Champ wasn't wrestling on every Raw and PPV? Why not let someone have an aura for a change. Someone whose appearances are rare and thus important when they do appear, instead of being on TV like everyone else. And why can't we count Andre beating Hogan and being the man to end his 4 year reign? Just because of the twin refs? And if Reigns beating Brock won't mean anything, then why does it matter to you if he hasn't "built a single new star"? If putting over a rising talent doesn't make them a star, then what does Brock have to do to make it happen exactly?

Lounging on the couch, as it snows outside in Vancouver, watching 1975-76 WWWF for fun and I came upon this little gem... Johnny Rodz/Baron Scicluna/JoJo Andrews vs Andre the Giant/Johnny Rivera/Jose Gonzales - 3/31/1976, Hamburg, PA (televised 4/10/76 All-Star Wrestling) What an awesome collection of JTTS talent on the heel side! Andrews was only 19 years old here. He would go on to play Kasavubu in 1978 Stampede (featured on the recent Network tease footage) and would die tragically when he was only 26 in 1982. He has a great look, like someone taken straight from a Blaxploitation crime movie. He bumps pretty well too. Pre-match, Andre posing with his partners is one of the best wrestling related things I've seen recently (and I've seen all the big WWE moments of the last few days). As far as the action goes, Baron is in full "phoning it in" mode here. Rodz is decked out in some nice, festive-looking green and red full-length tights, but his punches early on are embarrassingly light. Andrews displays some nice comedic selling. Andre is so young and quick, I love it. He isn't tagged in during the first 5 minutes or so, building anticipation. Finally, he gets the hot tag and we get a marvelous Andre House O' Fire! Finish sees the faces make a pile of the heels and all three make the cover Great, silly fun from the mostly lazy 1976 WWWF crew. I could almost smell the cigars and musty atmosphere through the screen

Pretty sure the clean sweep Rumble win by Brock has zero chance of happening

In a way it's like saying Andre the Giant in the late 70s and early 80s was counterproductive because he only wrestled a few times a year in the WWF and never lost. Having a true special attraction like Lesnar in this day and age is a great thing. And when he is beaten clean by Roman Reigns, which I assume will happen in 2016, it will be important. I really don't see how he's hurting the rest of the roster

That's not bad that's freakin awesome!

Oh it's a great read. That's one of the few instances where he comes across a bit naive. The other significant one involves a car ride with Dusty and the Brisco brothers...