[1993-12-18-SMW-TV] Bruise Brothers and The Moondogs

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

The teams have an impromptu brawl after Cornette calls out the Bruise Brothers. He ends up throwing powder in the eyes of one of them, leaving the other prone to a double team attack. Cornette throws a few shots too. I've said it a few times, and I'll say again that I really don't like Cornette pushing himself as equal to the wrestlers like this, even when he's getting in shots in an obvious situation like this. I don't understand the logic in having a wrestler sell shots from a manager the same way they would a wrestler.

[Cox]

I've said it a few times, and I'll say again that I really don't like Cornette pushing himself as equal to the wrestlers like this, even when he's getting in shots in an obvious situation like this. I don't understand the logic in having a wrestler sell shots from a manager the same way they would a wrestler.

He started doing this from early on. There is an otherwise-great backstage brawl in '92 between the Fantastics and the Heavenly Bodies, but Cornette pushes himself almost as an equal to the wrestlers, not really selling anything and getting occasional shots in when he should be cowering, hiding, or getting his butt kicked.

[El-P]

I recon it's odd to see a Harris boy selling blunder shots from Cornette the same way they do from the Moondogs. Well, you can argue they suck at their job, which they do, but it's also the booking and Cornette pushing himself too much here. Anyway, I couldn't care less about those two teams.

 

(at time SMW really looks like a proto-ECW in many ways)

[Kevin Ridge]

Moondogs beat up Bruise Brothers with the plunder. So hard to get into this feud.

[PeteF3]

This ain't '92 Memphis, and the Bruise Brothers are not Lawler, Jarrett, or Fuller. These two teams would get into a legit backstage brawl soon enough and both would get fired, so there's not much more of this feud to go.

[GSR]

The Bruise Brothers interfere in a Rock & Roll Express vs Moondogs match allowing the Rock & Rolls to hit the double dropkick and then get the win. After the match Cornette gets on the mic and says that they’re not going to stand for that and if the Bruise Brothers want some of the Moondogs come face them now. The brothers don’t need a second invitation and it’s not long before they’re back out and the fight is on. Cornette powders one of the twins and the three of them go to work on them with numerous weapon shots. Cornette is getting in as many shots as the Dogs, while Spot clobbers Mark Curtis with a ‘stop’ sign.

 

This stuff is already coming off as tired and boring, the beat down seemed to go too long and there was way too much involvement from Cornette.

[garretta]

There are certain managers that I would buy getting involved to the point Corny was here, but Corny himself isn't one of them. He looked far too much at home hitting the Harrises with stop signs and hubcaps for my taste, and footage like this is just another example of how full of shit Corny is when he blasts hardcore wrestling as a style. SMW is the leading practitioner of the style at this point, and not just occasionally either. Furthermore, Heyman isn't picking up plunder and wasting guys with it, and neither is Papa Jarrett in Memphis. Isn't the racquet enough of a weapon for him to use?

 

On the other hand, we also have to consider the non-kayfabe realities of staying afloat, especially when it comes to SMW. By this time, Corny was probably getting whispers that Vince was after some of his guys full-time, so why would he push people who may not be there in a month, or even a week? As I've said before, some of the push Corny gave himself was out of necessity. He knew he would be there to get involved in whatever feud he was pushing, so why not make those feuds about himself and only himself wherever possible? Who cares about plausibility or looking good for kayfabe when you're trying desperately to stay open by hook or by crook? He knew he'd hate the WWF on a full-time basis, his bridge to WCW had already been nuked, Memphis was a step down, and he couldn't stand Heyman. He was literally fighting for his own survival in the business, at least as he saw it.

 

As good as the action was at times, SMW was a no-win situation for Corny almost from the start, and this feud proves it. If the Harrises and the Dogs had both stayed, the matches would have been bad, but at least they'd have filled the card. Once they were fired, four more pieces of talent were gone from an already shrinking pool. When you just may be the best heel worker of the people you have left, you almost have ​to push yourself as equal to a wrestler, even if you really aren't.

[soup23]

I didn't have an issue with Cornette here as the powder is underhanded and he was throwing weapon shots with assistance from the Moondogs. I don't think he was going toe to toe duking it out with the Bruise Brothers. The beatdown itself is fine but Bruise Brothers aren't the most sympathetic babyfaces so it falters there.