CarpetCrawler

WWE has now confirmed it as well. Getting his LJN doll was one of my favorite things in the world as a kid because it meant I could play as my favorite tag team. He was incredible with Bret. RIP.

That's all you had to tell me for me to be sold. I will make a note to listen to this one!!

I guess this belongs in that "Wrestling Mythbusters" thread but I couldn't seem to find it. Clips from the Butch Reed Supercard KayfabeCommentaries shoot are now out, and in one of them Reed confirmed that he was indeed supposed to get the Intercontinental Title but that was canned after he no-showed a bunch of events because he was getting so burnt out by the WWF schedule.

I went and watched the "This Is Your Life, Nikolai Volkoff" episode of Tuesday Night Titans which was such goofy but harmless fun. Went on a little long and after the third guest it gets a little "OK, we get it, they're gonna say he's great but it turns out they actually hate him" but the segment goes off the deep end in a fantastic way when The Iron Sheik shows up and just starts talking about whatever and then starts flexing while Nikolai is totally confused on the couch. Too good. Also I loved how Blassie would give every other guest grief on the couch for daring to talk shit about Nikolai. If you like TNT it's a keeper. I'm one of the strange souls that loves TNT at its goofiest so I was totally into it and it's gotten me really itching to watch random episodes again. In fact later on I went and watched the final episode which coincidentally also features Nikolai, and they bring out a bear (helpfully chyron'ed with "Bear") and everyone has lots of fun feeding the bear. Blassie gets the bear to chew on the Nikolai LJN doll. Had way too much fun watching these episodes.

I know people who aren't really wrestling fans that have spoken to him and spent time with him who told me how much of a sweetheart he was. He was a great, honorable man and always one of my favorites as a kid so I always had a major soft spot for him as an adult too. I just spent today watching the "This is Your Life, Nikolai Volkoff" episode of Tuesday Night Titans and it was a riot. This death really bums me out. One Nikolai match I've always enjoyed was his match with Hulk Hogan on Saturday Night's Main Event. Nice, fast paced match that's one of Hogan's best from the early years of the show.

Yeah's that what makes me think Gorilla and Jesse weren't clued in. Jesse was flat out silent and confused during most of the post-finish. I know 1985 Jesse is a lot more subdued than say, 1988 Jesse, but he still would've brought more to the commentary if he had known of the finish they were doing. Yeah, that's some definite bullshit. Wendi knew it was Moolah. The planned finish was Spider Lady winning by countout or Wendi by DQ, and then she was going to unmask her post-match and realize it was Moolah and chase her to the back.

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure Gorilla was in on it, by all accounts Vince's decision was made super last minute and back then Vince still passed messages to the broadcast team at MSG by sending someone over to the table in-between matches. Wouldn't surprise me if he was in on it, but if he was, Gorilla did a pretty good job of being/acting as confused as everyone else was. Even the normally talkative Jesse Ventura went silent for and after most of the finish. I would definitely watch some of this show again. There were some pretty good bits in there, there's a real nice video package put out after Bobby Heenan got his cancer diagnosis, and a real nice Freddie Blassie tribute after he passed.

I grew up on Long Island and I have lots of stories of my Dad's Grandma who LOVED Bruno and loved to attend MSG shows, and would call him "my boy" and get angry whenever a heel would rough him up.

That's the one I bought in a heartbeat. I have a physical copy but having a version on my Kindle for just a dollar was too good not to pass up. Definitely grab this book!! Also, how is Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s? I know not to expect any real insider stuff in there, but if it's an entertaining thing to read at night before bed I'll definitely give it a look.

Yeah, Mike was real stop and go in the mid-80s for the WWF. There was a period in 1985/86 after the US Express broke up where he went AWOL and just disappeared and then came back to team with Spivey for the new version of the team.

That is James Dolan in a nutshell, yeah.

But it's not like WWE isn't running the Garden, though. They're not doing TV or PPVs there because the origination fees that MSG tacks on for broadcasts are onerous. Doubt Dolan is happy for his pride and joy to be getting house shows while Barclays gets TV regularly, not to mention Summerslam (+NXT) every year recently. Summerslam has been a big deal in NY media since they started in Brooklyn (it's the main reason they made it annual) which I bet he loves also. As someone that grew up in New York and was a huge Knicks fan growing up, you're absolutely right. I can see this being a pride thing for James Dolan, who may be the worst owner in sports right now, especially once Donald Sterling left the Clippers. He'll do anything for his ego, even if it means a power play like this to try and get WWE shows aired and back in the Garden. Even if it doesn't work. Dolan is spiteful as FUCK on a level that almost rivals Vince McMahon.

I haven't been watching the past couple of weeks/long while because I've been in E3 mode. Did they seriously restart Nia and turn her into a villain after spending so much time using her for the positive anti-bullying messages?

I enjoyed the hell out of this match. The last few minutes were white hot as hell.

Albano would've been perfect for the Nasties whether they were face or heel I totally agree. Muraco got fired on the tour because he threatened Nick Bockwinkel, who was agenting at the time, because Bock wanted to give him a drug test. JYD got fired for getting hammered and pissing in the tour bus; I think he literally got out of his seat and took a piss right there in the aisle in front of everyone. It was so sudden they both got fired even though they were already announced for that year's Survivor Series. Wait... Lou Albano managed The Nasty Boys?! How do I not remember this??? He almost did. It was during Fall 1992 when they turned the Nasties face. Albano said he had a rift with Bruno over it for a little while because he defended Vince during all the 1992 scandals and then later admitted to Bruno it was because he was close to getting a job again with him and he wanted to play nice. Him and Bruno reconciled a few years afterwards. As for why it never happened afterall... I have no idea honestly and ever since I learned that was almost the case I've been so curious. Albano with the Nasties was almost too perfect.

The early SNME episodes where they up the camp to eleven are such a blast. The Halloween episode where they're doing all of those ridiculous games like the pumpkin pass in-between stuff like the Hogan-Andre vs. Studd-Bundy match that had such a tremendously white hot crowd is so good. And then you get Roddy Piper stealing kids' candy on Halloween. I watch that episode every October. Hogan's matches on early SNME episodes are very entertaining. The Funk match is AWESOME, and so is the Nikolai match. The match with Muraco that leads to the rib injury in March 1986 was better than I remembered last time I watched it.

"DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE ON THE TV?!" is an inside joke I have with a few buddies of mine from that episode. So funny. As for me, I've been trying to collect the first couple of years worth of official WWF Programs (1983-86) from when they started numbering them 101, 102, etc. All I'm missing is 105 (The Masked Superstar on the cover) and 108 (The Iron Sheik on the cover, where he's announced as the new WWF Champion). I get the feeling 108's gonna be a nightmare to get...

I think the plan was they were originally going to face Money Inc. for the titles at Wrestlemania that year but the story was they were so offended by Beefcake getting his face smashed in that they "stepped aside" so Hulk and Beefcake could get the shot instead. I believe Dave Meltzer said they were "suspended" for various conduct reasons and it led them being off the Wrestlemania card anyway. This was after the plan of Lou Albano coming back to manage the team as a face fizzled out. The aforementioned Bushwhackers being around for the beginning of Austin thing floored me as well when I found out. Don Muraco and Junkyard Dog being around long enough to make the first SummerSlam is one that always weirds me out. Heck, Bob Orton could've almost stuck around for the first Survivor Series!! And then he almost made a random MSG card in 1990 before backing out. Johnny V is indeed another. They just stopped using him to manager or cover for Bobby on Challenge entirely and then Gorilla and co. would just bury the guy constantly on commentary even though he was sticking around for awhile to job on the house shows. What was the deal with that burial? Did Johnny V piss Vince off for one reason or another?

Yeah, they try to salvage it by saying it was Beefcake's doing but IIRC he tripped and fell on a wet spot on the floor ringside of a show?

Solid list, thank you so much for helping me out!! I had completely forgotten quite a few of those. Atlas confused me because I know he disappeared for a little while after the Soul Patrol broke up after they lost the belts. Poor Spoiler had all of what, two television appearances in the company. I just remember liking the continuity of them using Johnny V as his manager for his like, two appearances on TV that were many months apart. Was Murdoch still around by March '85? I had honestly completely forgotten Murdoch still hung out for a bit after losing the belts with Adonis. I'm not sure if the Briscos were around by then either. Mulligan definitely bounced by February. Tonga Kid I think January? Schultz I think was fired in LA for that Mr. T fight he wanted to start. Another one that we both forgot, though I don't recall if it was 1985 or '86 when he was on Championship Wrestling: Mr. Wrestling II was doing lots of house shows at that point too!! Dynamite Kid is another one we forgot.

Trying to figure out what major names that were under contract with the WWF that were left off the first Wrestlemania. Ken Patera, George Steele (though it was his off-season anyway), Don Muraco (fair tradeoff IMO for him in that he main evented the next three MSG events with Hogan immediately after), and Ivan Putski are the most notable names that come to mind, but is there anyone else I'm missing?

I loved and adored the show but it definitely does take a dive. Season 8 bottoms out incredibly bad after starting off strong with James Spader's Robert California character but then after 2-3 episodes he begins to overstay his welcome incredibly fast. I tend to skip Season 8 if I ever rewatch any episodes of the show. I will say Season 9 does have strong points mixed in with some frankly, terrible storylines. Andy's character becomes so frustratingly unlikable and I found myself beginning to skip his scenes entirely during the final stretch of the show. Creed's the reason to watch The Office.

In no particular order: Barney Miller Night Court The Twilight Zone (any version of that show honestly. They're all fine, even that 2003 UPN version) Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman Mystery Science Theater: 3000 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Taxi The Bob Newhart Show Newhart Iron Chef This was hard as hell to do because I love lots of TV. Especially older TV shows. Some solid choices in other posts. Glad to see The Rockford Files get some love. James Garner rules. I LOVE me some game shows and putting them on my list would've been cheating. My favorite game shows are To Tell the Truth, Match Game, Family Feud with Richard Dawson, Press Your Luck, The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game (Bob Eubanks or bust), I've Got a Secret, Card Sharks, Scrabble, and countless others. You name 'em I've probably seen and watched quite a bunch of 'em. I don't watch nearly as much TV as I used to and if I weren't in a shared household I'd have cut the cord a long time ago. I'm a subscriber to a video game website called Giant Bomb that has their own live streaming and taped content that I watch on a regular basis that is basically what is like my cable.

You are fantastic for grabbing that, I don't have Facebook. Thanks!!

No way!! Mooney and Hayes as a team own bones. Mooney was at his best with Hayes and I feel like at his most comfortable. If Hayes really was the guy Vince used to help audition new color commentators I can completely see why. He has a very casual personality and for all his faults, will bring out discussion with his sometimes longwinded statements. He deserves more props honestly. When he was bad, he was terrible. But he had strengths and they shined frequently enough that I like him. Hillbilly was tremendous and I wish he would've been given the spot on Challenge over Neidhart in 1991. There's a great match at MSG with Duggan and Savage with Hillbilly on commentary where he is fantastic. Real underrated. Duggan surprised me too, I get what you mean. He wasn't just providing generic statements but legit analysis and tale of the tape-esque comments about both The Rockers and Haku/Barbarian. Caught me by surprise.