[1993-03-06-WWF-Superstars] Interview: Jim Duggan

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Duggan shows that if used the right way, he has a lot to offer, as this is a really strong promo. Duggan feels like he let his fans and country down by letting his guard down and opening the door for Yokozuna to attack him, and for that, he's sorry.

[shoe]

A real good babyface promo. Bringing Hogan back kinda killed this angle.

[Kevin Ridge]

This is great with Duggan in a sit down talking about the pride he has in carrying the flag and the shame he currently has for letting down his country. Really hard on himself. Yes, this could have had more legs.

[PeteF3]

Duggan talks up his history and incorporates his personal life into things, bringing up his pregnant wife. Pretty out-of-the-box concept for the WWF. Duggan recounts his injury at the hands of Yokazuma and draws parallels to flag-covered coffins. Not only is this a strong promo but Duggan is able to bring this stuff up without it seeming patronizing or exploitative.

[WingedEagle]

Duggan the family man and patriot talking about being attacked by Yokozuna, which he repeatedly says incorrectly. Says he let his family and the country down. Lots of pandering.

[soup23]

Yeah I wasn't as crazy about this. Maybe it was the mispronouncing but it felt like Duggan was trying to revive his glory days and being dumb and not knowing his limits at times.

[garretta]

This is another time when I wonder what so-called "smart" fans are thinking. Has Duggan become such a cartoon in your minds that nothing can redeem him? This is about as close to his Mid-South asskicker days as Vince will ever allow him to get, and I think he's tremendous here. If he'd come out with the two-by-four and screaming "HOOOOOOO!" I could understand people complaining, but we really need to give Vince credit for trying when he attempts to be gritty, if only because it didn't happen often then and is all but nonexistent today, if what I've heard is right.

 

Kudos to Vince for allowing Hacksaw to talk about his pregnant wife as well. Very seldom has the WWF portrayed its wrestlers as men who have families of their own except when an angle can be made out of it, like the Bret-Davey Boy dissension at SummerSlam '92 that caught Diana in the middle or the Cheryl Roberts stuff with Rick Rude in '88. Other than a brief glimpse of Linda and Brooke with Hogan after Mania VIII (and they weren't identified by name), the last time a wife was mentioned in a non-angle context that I can remember was Bonnie Steamboat after Mania III, and they had no choice then because they were greasing the skids for Steamer taking time off to be with her and Richie.

 

All of that said, the mispronunciation of Yoko's name did detract slightly from the gravity of the promo. I don't fault Duggan as much as I do whoever was directing. Why couldn't they have stopped tape and said "Hey, Jim, it's spelled with a N"?