Johnny Guitar

The only examples I'm recalling are Memphis with Tommy Rich under the ring, and Continental with Doug Furnas' debut (which was stolen for Kane in Badd Blood). Kevin Sullivan in Florida coming up through the ring to attack Dusty.

Heel Luger vs Face Flair would have at been a fresh twist. The fans were dying to fully embrace Muta, so he could have been a viable opponent before he returned to Japan Pillman would have been a good opponent, certainly for a Clash show. Keeping Steve Williams around would have helped, he was originally going to work a US Title program with Luger. Windham could have returned as a face to avenge his loss at Chi Town Rumble.

That was fascinating, but depressing. I'd heard about or knew about pretty much all the stuff in the article, but seeing the depth of Brian's descent of the last few years was tragic.

I found the conversation between Austin and Meltzer about Pillman fascinating. Austin being blown away by the full extent Pillman's football achievements, when he saw the trophy room at his house when shooting the gun angle. And Meltzer learning that Pillman was a better hockey player, than football player were great. As Brian had never really tooted his own horn too either of them, when apparently he really could have.

I'm sure I've asked this before, but I'll do it again. Did Georgia All Star Wrestling hold an event in 1990 called, Beach Brawl? (I know Herb Abrahms held an event called that in 1991). The main event of which was a match between Randy Rose and Nick Busick callled an Escape from Alcatraz Island match. There was a whole shpiel about how the match unfoled in the results section of PWI. No Photos though! Did this happen, or was if some copy that Apter wrote to fill column space when he was stoned. The Terry Funk/Stan Hansen island death match happen around the same time, so was this just a play on it?

I always liked it when someone busted out a submission move that wasn't being used in that promotion, or regulary anywhere at the time, and the announcers acknowledged the move. Doink busting out a Stump puller at Summerslam 93. Although Nick Busick used it as his finisher a few years earlier, and Monsoon seemed equally suprised to see it. I was amazed that Vince knew what one was. Inoki putting the Octopus on Flair at Superbrawl 1 Davey Boy putting Shawn in a surfboard ( and the bridiging back pin attempt) at KOTR 96. Austin using the Texas Cloverleaf at SS'96, when Malenko was using it as a finisher at the time.

Whenever I see this thread bumped, I think that Ric's dead.

Chris Benoit's fucked up brain disagrees. When did Harley Race adviced Benoit to stop doing it ? Around 2000 ? Later ? Yeah though didn't that have to do with more ACTUAL headbutts, chair shots, etc? That stuff will fuck you up because hard objects and smashing against your skull. It seems like the diving headbutt can be done to easily avoid hard impact with the head. Maybe I'm wrong. If it's that bad he shouldn't be doing it of course. I thought it was earlier than 2000, because wasn't he advising Dynamite to not do it too? Also wasn't Race's concern more about screwing your neck up than your head? You could put your hands out to protect your head. But there was no way guaranteed way of protecting your head against whiplash.

The WWf Roster in 1995 was decent. It's just that everyone was either booked very badly and/or given shitty gimmicks. The WWF between 92 and 96 was probably the most experimental, or open to ideas that went out of WWF/northeast philospy. That,that company has ever been open to in regards to booking, as loss has pointed out. There may have been a point when Vince felt desparate, but even when WCW took the lead in the war ratings wise. WWF was still drawing better better crowds to houseshows and PPV's and the buyrates were still comparible in most cases. There was a point where it looked like Vince might go under, but WCW was making so many bush league mistakes even at their peak. That pretty much everyone assumed that Bischoff would drop the ball sooner or later.

There's a difference between jobbers and fodder. Ted Dibiase wasn't a jobber. Neither were Orndorff, Andre or Savage. But they were fodder for Hogan. who was the star of the show

Mabel and Bundy were fodder for the stars. Which was a company/wrestling staple since time immemorial. Al Snow/Avatar was out of date, but it was low card fodder. So it diodn't reallt matter. Vince wasn't desperate in 1995. He was still beating WCW on buyrates and attendance. He was just completley clueless to anything that related to modern society and popular culture.

I don't know if Shawn had Lloyds money or not. Regardless he signed a 5 year contract in 96, so was drawing a monthly paycheck anyways. I do know that he was considered a massive liabality and pretty much a death risk during that time frame. And after what happened with Pillman and Owen. He was a guy that you wanted too keep far away from the media

What Johnny is implying is what I was saying: leaving WCW healthy rather than leaving it taking the insurance money. Sorry bit confused about this. You made it sound like he had an option and that he might have worked if he wanted to. Why would he have just sat out if there was no gain? I don't get that. It's not without precedent. Whilst Shawn did fuck his back up and needed time off. He could have wrestled between 99-02. Its just that Vince didn't want the ball ache, and with Austin and Rock on fire, didn't need him. Plus they were paying him anyway. And even then Shawn did the match with Paul Diamond which held no fianical gain. Still, Rude seems to have been sensible with his money. Apart from the one shot with Honky he didn't work between WWF and WCW he didn't seem to have the need to too. If in 1994, when he left WCW, Vince had promised him a run against Bret, who he liked. He would have found a way too work. All the guys who had Lloyds of London insurance money (Hennig, Animal and some others who i'm blanking on right now) ended up working again for one reason or another.

I agree with what you said. But even if he was healthy and just sitting out, I could see him agreeing to do one match for Heyman as a favor. If for nothing else than to shake the ring rust. Kind of like the match with Honky in IWCCW.

Tremendous!

I agree with this. There was some really big money on the table with Bischoff, with a couple of different directions they could have gone in. It's a given that the hardcore WWF and ECW fans wanted him dead, but Eric was could enough as the slimey heel everyone wanted to see him take a beating. Even without the big contracts (Goldberg, Sting etc). Jericho, Raven and The Radicalz were less than 2 years removed from WCW that you could have spun them as sleeper agents

I don't now about now, but once upon a time all this shit happened for some kind of reason in kayfabe. No matter how convoluted the explantion. The Apter mags were great at clearing up the mess so to speak. All the far out crazy shit (Robocop, Papa Shango etc) was either written off as mind games or dumb promotional shit.

By this point it was clear that it was Lawler vs ECW, and not WWF vs ECW. Which killed the heat. Bret, Shawn, Austin or Taker showing up (ala Memphis 93) would have been awesome. But I can seen why that didn't happen

No. Flair gets whipped into the turn-buckle's "Whoo"! Face Flop. The End!

Brian Glover,who was the warden in Alien 3, used to be a wrestler. Who know's with Piper. He had the lead in a film (They Live) that became a genuine cult classic. Made by one of the great cult film-makers,which has a base/following totally removed from wrestling. Which is more than most wrestlers have done. At worst his performance should have guaranteed him some parts in other Carpenter flicks.

Because probably no one else will. I'm going to throw a nomination in for Pat Roach. He's not a name that gets any real recognition from wrestling fans. But to the general public in the UK, he was a recognisable name for along time. He was a major part of one of the most popular British TV series of the last 30 years, Auf Wiedersehen Pet. And was in the first 3 Indiana ones movies. He's the dude who fight's with Ford around the plane propeller's in Raider's and on the conveyor belt in TOD. They shot a third fight sequence for Last Crusade, but it was cut.

Fantastic segment. Wraps up a feud that's being going on for 2 and a half years(Raven/Dreamer). Advance's another feud that's being going on nearly as long (Sabu/Taz). And set 's up two new feuds (Dreamer/Lawler), (Taz/Douglas). I think it's worth reiterating that this is Paul E's favourite hour of ECW tv. 2 months later with Hardcore Heaven, Heyman and ECW hit the wall creatively and they never really fully recovered.

Brian Pillman was my favorite wrestler. I can't put into words how totally gutted I felt watching this.

After Savage and Elizabeth reuniting. This is probably best emotional pay off in company history.

Sting had way more upside than the Warrior. Vince and Pat of 1987 would have recognized this and pushed him and booked him accordingly.