JaymeFuture

Sting's in the Fall/Autumn of 1999 is classic for this thread, a heel turn so understandable almost every fan was on his side - the fact that Hulk Hogan had plunger-raped WCW for three years, bringing turmoil and doom like never before as he plays the ultimate traitor, chickenshit coward, bullshitter and cheap shot artist, puts a new shirt on and the announcers and Scheme Gene act like the name of the Virgin Mary has been tarnished anytime somebody questions the Hulkster's integrity. A classic example of the changing times, that people weren't going to go along with shit like that just because they were told to - Sting only ever got half-hearted boos with this as the reason for his "turn", and he went back without anybody batting an eyelid.

I vaguely remember this, second half of 99?

For this week's podcast, we're going to take a light-hearted look at the plotholes, unfinished angles, illogical storyline contradictions, and even angles that were finished that still left you dumbfounded, that were put together under Vince Russo's runs in WWF, WCW and TNA. So the question is, which specific Vinnie Ru plotholes or illogical angles left you scratching your head and pissed you off, and why? As always, the best contributions will be read on the show and you'll be credited accordingly. So which ones from his body of work bothered you the most, bro? EDIT - The show discussing Vince Russo's Unsolved Mysteries and taking your suggestions is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/nshr5z/SCGRadio65-VinceRussosUnsolvedMysteries.mp3

Join us as we attempt to Fix the WWF in 1995! Starting on January 1st, the panel takes feedback from this and many other forums on the way things should have gone down in arguably the company's worst year, as we attempt to rebook the company for greater success, planning all the major shows and feuds. We talk about a struggle to find a champion, the lack of hot heels, bad gimmicks and worse decisions. A really fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/6yfk8e/SCGRadio64-FixingTheWWFin1995.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/6yfk8e/SCGRadio64-FixingTheWWFin1995.mp3 Join us as we attempt to Fix the WWF in 1995! Starting on January 1st, the panel goes through all the pitfalls that faced the company in arguably its worst ever year, and attempt to rebook the company for greater success, planning all the major shows and feuds. We talk about a struggle to find a champion, the lack of hot heels, bad gimmicks and worse decisions. A really fun show this week, check it out and let us know what you think!

I think calling Fall Brawl 93 pedestrian is being rather magnanimous. The TV in general in 93 is really tough to watch with the parade of losers brought in dirt cheap, and you have to overlook the major elements of stupidity that made viewing at the time so tough (the mini-movies, Cactus Amnesia, Shockmasters push, Flair For The Gold which were mostly worthless segments) in order to watch the isolated moments of quality. Rick Rude went from one of the best heels in the business in 92 to utterly boring in 93. They decided the Nasty Boys were a better choice than the Blondes, and led to them having some dire matches. Just a real hard slog, not that there isnt some great in there.

Harley and the Kongs is an excellent call. Seeing them in a Worldwide squash, even as a kid they looked so fucking bushleague in their fur coats and black spandex, and wondering why Race of all people was with two dime store Vaders when he had the real deal at the same time. I will concede to being scared of Yoshi Kwan when I was six, however. Think it was the eyebrows.

So for this week's podcast we are returning to our booking committee format for a discussion re-booking the WWF from January 1995, in order to try and make something more out of what was the nadir of company history in the eyes of many, and we're looking to get some feedback on what you think needed to be done to make this company succeed during a period where popularity fell, and house show and PPV numbers sank to all time lows. On the premise that you can do whatever you want with the talent there and the talent incoming (but can't do anything outside the boundaries of what was possible in reality), how do you realign everything in 1995 to save the year from the depths it sunk to? As always, we'll be reading the best feedback/ideas on the show and crediting you accordingly. So what would you have done? EDIT - The show discussing Fixing The WWF in 1995 and taking your feedback, is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/6yfk8e/SCGRadio64-FixingTheWWFin1995.mp3

Thank you very much dude. And yeah, there's maybe one more show with this format that I think would be genuinely intriguing until we'd be talking about guys where it's not that dynamic a debate anymore, so won't be revisiting this as regularly as some of our other series'.

After taking feedback from this and many other forums, join on this week's SCG Radio as we talk about Jerry "The King" Lawler, Hulk Hogan, Sgt. Slaughter, Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar and Eddie Guerrero, and debate whether they were better as babyface or heels throughout the course of their career, taking your comments into consideration. Discussing all the elements that made these guys best runs what they were, this turned out to be a really fun show talking promos, feuds, bumps, turns, career highlights, great matches and more, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/98g74q/SCGRadio63-BetterAsFaceOrHeelPartDeux.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/98g74q/SCGRadio63-BetterAsFaceOrHeelPartDeux.mp3 Join us as we talk about these six tremendous personalities in wrestling history and debate whether they were better as faces or heels! Talking in depth about the talents of Jerry "The King" Lawler, Hulk Hogan, Sgt. Slaughter, Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar and Eddie Guerrero, we discuss which side of the fence they were best sitting on. A fun show talking promos, feuds, bumps, turns, career highlights, great matches and more, check it out and let us know what you think!

I'll go Roman/Brock personally as well, but I can understand that the cash-in finish, in combination with the stage its on (a whacky finish like that at a Mania is always a gamble because the nature of the show is supposed to deliver the opposite), may stop some people from instantly thinking it's better, because that weakness, if you deem it to be one, is where the Bayley/Sasha match is strong - the pre-show package, the environment, the match, the finish, who won, the post-match, it's all so complete, the story is full told, satisfying, and leaves you with that feeling of finality. As for the work in the match, Roman/Brock all the way, not to discredit the women by any stretch.

I'll go 88 fairly comfortably. Neither match has any kind of story, rhyme or reason - the charm of the match is that pace that can be worked with the frequent tags, and there are a couple of spots in 87 when it gets down to the nitty gritty where that pace slows down, and it kind of spotlights that the match doesn't have a deep substance to it. With 88 the pace stays strong, and by the time we get to the last few teams, they put a story in there (the double-turn) to keep you into it, which the previous year didn't really have.

Thank you both very much - similarly, these might be my favourite ones to do, just for the extra context the Observers at the time give to so many memories. Little things like Rude negotiating with Bischoff after his first WWF appearance just amuse me tremendously...

For this week's podcast, we're doing a follow-up on a previous show and taking a look at six wrestlers, discussing whether or not they were better in their role as a babyface or a heel over the course of their career, considering their work in the ring, as well as analysing their characters/personalities/runs, and would love to get your thoughts and feedback on the following individuals and whether you prefer them as faces or heels, and most importantly, why: 1. Jerry Lawler 2. Hulk Hogan 3. Sgt. Slaughter 4. Steve Austin 5. Brock Lesnar 6. Eddie Guerrero As always the best contributions will be read on the podcast and you'll be credited accordingly. So what do you think? EDIT - The show discussing whether these guys were Better Faces or Heels and taking your feedback, is now online and available to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/98g74q/SCGRadio63-BetterAsFaceOrHeelPartDeux.mp3

Daily F4W update talks about how the outcome is still being heavily debated this morning. As an observation, the only guy Triple H never had an on screen discussion with is Ambrose, so I'll say he goes heel tonight.

Just to drop this in here, but this weeks Squared Circle Gazette Radio revisits our Monday Night War Timeline series, talking from October to the end of December 1997. Along with inside notes from the Wrestling Observer Newsletters of the time, the panel talks all the major stories, including the intricate details that led up to and came out of the Montreal Screwjob, the Death of Brian Pillman and subsequent exploitation, Rick Rude on Raw and Nitro on the same night, nWo Nitro, Sting Vs. Hogan at Starrcade 97 and tons more. With all the facts and figures to hand, we go day by day, week by week during this amazing quarter. A fascinating and fun show to do, check it out and let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/ecspn9/SCGRadio62-TheMondayNightWarin1997Q4.mp3

EDIT - Ugh, can't post the pic for some reason. But wow. Looks like the pic was taken during the opening segment, and there is literally one person sitting in the risers hard camera side.

I don't think it was coached, but the overall ambiance of the segment somehow took real emotion and made it look like bad acting. Didn't help that Paige was all over the place and seemed to be lacking any real motivation going from point to point in her promo which made everything she said, and the reactions to them, seem both desperate and totally inauthentic, despite the real life gravity of the Reid comment.

He did have a really fun one with Benoit on a Nitro and had a couple of hidden good matches, but my God those tags were awful. It's like Davey, I love his Slamboree match with Vader too, so wouldn't put him or Curt especially high on the list realistically.

The series on matches on Nitro and Thunder pitting Curt Hennig and Brian Adams against Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart make all four of them candidates on general principle. Fucking hellfire. Greg Valentine didn't do a whole lot in WCW besides standing there looking fat.

After taking feedback from this and many other forums, this week we talk about Jump The Shark Moments in Wrestling History - discussing the incidents on screen that turned you or your friends off a company, or even the whole business. Moments such as Katie Vick, Austin's Heel Turn, Aces & Eights, Claire Lynch, The Fingerpoke of Doom, Vince McMahon's Exploding Limo, Crazy Ric Flair, Justin Credible as ECW Champion, The Higher Power, Fritz Von Erich's "heart attack" and many, many more are looked at in depth, a really fun show this week as we look back at some baffling moments, check it out and, as always, let us know what you think! http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/5yzejn/SCGRadio61-JumpTheSharkMoments.mp3

I want to thank everybody for the contributions, we got to read many of them on the show, which is now available at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/5yzejn/SCGRadio61-JumpTheSharkMoments.mp3 Join us as we talk about Jump The Shark Moments in Wrestling History! Taking your nominations, we discuss the incidents on screen that turned you or your friends off a company, or even the whole business. Moments such as Katie Vick, Austin's Heel Turn, Aces & Eights, Claire Lynch, The Fingerpoke of Doom, Vince McMahon's Exploding Limo, Crazy Ric Flair, Justin Credible as ECW Champion, The Higher Power, Fritz Von Erich's "heart attack" and many, many more are looked at in depth, a really fun show this week as we look back at some baffling moments, check it out!

DiBiase Jr and Maryse was going to get my vote at first - they couldn't have looked less interested in each other, and what could on paper have been an interesting pairing cooled them both off ridiculously fast. Maybe not worst, but a solid vote for the most useless is the incredibly dynamic pairing of Kurt Angle and Daivari. The only conceivable reason this was done was to attempt to make it impossible for anybody to cheer Angle over Cena during their feud since Cena was starting to have his problems, but because Daivari is largely useless at getting anything resembling non-cheap heat in his own right, it was a pairing that accomplished absolutely nothing since Angle didn't need anybody, and as a duo together they looked completely wrong together. Also in the zero chemistry file is babyface Billy Gunn managed by Torrie Wilson. Anybody remember the time they tried putting Ashley Massaro with London and Kendrick?

Keep in mind though, Paige's first face run upon her introduction didn't exactly knock them dead either. Once the debut was over, she was getting the silence on PPV and TV in no time flat.