Loss Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 I thought I might try creating new topics to generate discussion by just picking a year and promotion at random and we can discuss our favorite memories of the year, the best matches we've seen from the year and that sort of thing. So, this is a place for wrestling, nostalgia and match recommendations, actually. The year started off with some changes being made in the hierarchy. Turner execs wanted the NWA to start drawing money, and they wanted immediate results, and the feeling was that they needed a new booker that wasn't Ric Flair, so Flair was axed in favor of Ole Anderson. 1989 was riddled in politics, but it didn't actually catch up to the product until 1990, as you had several people making plays for power and some of them succeeding and some of them failing. The plan all along was for the Horsemen to turn on Sting, leading to Sting winning the belt from Flair at Wrestle War '90. Sting was very hot at the time, but would injure his knee climbing the cage at the Clash just 19 days before he was to win the title, and when he came back from his injury five months later, he had lost a lot of his momentum, and his title run bombed. Ole was fired by year's end and the way was being paved for Dusty Rhodes to come back into the promotion as the head booker. The wrestling was typically very good for most of the year, but the booking was highly questionable. Thunderbolt Patterson wanted a job in the company and threatened to have the NAACP picket CNN Center unless they put him in a television role, so Turner execs basically forced WCW to hire him and use him. The angle they did was pretty tasteless, with Flair and Ole Anderson destroying a series of black jobbers with Patterson being their spokesperson until Junkyard Dog finally came to the rescue, giving Flair one of the worst matches of his career at the June Clash. Speaking of Flair, 1990 was also a year that they felt the Flair era needed to end completely, and they started moving away from him after dropping the belt to Sting, putting him in the midcard to feud with fellow heels Doom and Teddy Long. Flair stepping aside in and of itself wouldn't have been so bad, but fans were accustomed to long, good title matches that Sting just wasn't capable of delivering. Lex Luger also started off the year as the hottest heel they had and was turned babyface to make up for Sting's absence. There was a big controversy over whether Flair should drop the title to Luger, which played a part in him getting removed as head booker, as Flair still felt he should wait for Sting since he had promised him he would. When Herd tried to force his hand and have him drop the belt to Lex on a house show, Flair required a request in writing 48 hours in advance, which his contract stated he would always receive. He didn't receive that request, and thus, Herd had no ground to stand on. The two were heavily at odds by this time. Luger apparently was very upset about this, but just a few months earlier, he made it very clear that he wanted no part of the belt because he didn't want to be a scapegoat for the low attendance figures at the time. Flair and Herd were also at odds over a match at a TV taping in February of 1990 on an episode of Saturday Night on TBS that was heavily influenced by D.ave M.eltzer's suggestions to the booking committee at the time. Flair went against Brian Pillman and wanted to put him over, but was told he would be going over clean, and it took Kevin Sullivan going to him and calming him down face-to-face before the match before Flair finally agreed to get the win. From Flair's point of view, he wanted to elevate Pillman. From Herd's point of view, he was getting sick of Ric's outbursts and thought he was too old to be the centerpiece of the company at that point, and Flair was getting blamed for them not drawing. Lots of good matches that year, both on TV and on PPV, and I'll let the rest of you cover that. Lots of memorable booking as well, so plenty to discuss. I'll pick another random year and promotion tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 PPV must-sees: Midnight Express v Rock & Roll Express - Wrestle War '90 * For my money, this is the best of all the MX/RRX matches the more I watch it. They go over 20 minutes and the work at the beginning is just as great as the face in peril stuff and the build to the finish. I absolutely love the Cornette/ref stuff in this match. Ric Flair v Lex Luger - Wrestle War '90 * I think this is actually the last fantastic performance of Flair's career. Luger was game to be carried during this time period, and it says a lot for a match when a fight can break out in the stands 30 minutes in and no one in the crowd even bothers to pay attention to it. Luger looks invincible and Sting motivating him at ringside, along with Luger's transformation from heel to face, is masterfully done. Just a few short weeks earlier, they would have gotten a dramatically opposite reaction. Midnight Express v Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk - Capital Combat '90 * They constructed the entire match around the idea of the MX being in total despair and unable to form a game plan because they didn't have access to their manager, who was locked in a cage per pre-match stipulations. I love the opening sequence with Cornette trying to run and the ref CLOTHESLINING him so they can put him in the cage. Incredibly fun match, with loads of great teamwork from the heels, and Brian feeling it as well. Ric Flair v Lex Luger - Capital Combat '90 * This gets overlooked a lot of the time, which is unfortunate, because I think it very well may be the last time Flair ever hit **** on PPV. Love the in-match storyline built around Luger's knee and the great transition spot when he further injures the knee off of a superplex. Flair's bladejob is a sight to be seen, as is his maniacal post-match promo. Midnight Express v Southern Boys - Great American Bash '90 * One of the best matches the company ever did that is better seen than explained. Context is even better if you understand just how much Smothers and Armstrong were relative nobodies. The karate stuff mid-match ROCKS, and the crowd eats up everything they do with a spoon. Rick & Scott Steiner v Nasty Boys - Halloween Havoc '90 * This very well may each team's best match ever. Scott as FIP is great, and the Nasties are awesome brawlers and cheating heels here. The Steiners get in all their big moves, but they do a far better job pacing them than normal. The match with Sting & Luger at SuperBrawl *wishes* it could be this good. Doom v Barry Windham & Arn Anderson - Starrcade '90 * For a brawl under 10-minutes, this is amazing, and this was sort of the beginning of Barry Windham's return to greatness after a brief slump. Tons of blood and hate, with Simmons and Reed showing just how capable they could be in the right situation. What I listed here is just the really high-end stuff. That doesn't include the ***+ matches on PPV, doesn't include the good TV stuff, and I'm sure Friedlander has some high-quality handheld stuff from 1990 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 My biggest thought on this year is the match I still have not seen... Midnight Express vs. Southern Boys at GAB '90. I have heard so many good things about this match I fear a letdown is inevitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 If you watch that match and don't like it, you are a wrestling terrorist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Rick & Scott Steiner v Nasty Boys - Halloween Havoc '90 * This very well may each team's best match ever. Scott as FIP is great, and the Nasties are awesome brawlers and cheating heels here. The Steiners get in all their big moves, but they do a far better job pacing them than normal. The match with Sting & Luger at SuperBrawl *wishes* it could be this good. I don't know if it would be my choice for best Steiners match. I have seen several of their NJ tags as well as the match vs. the Harts from Wrestlefest 1994. as for their best match in WCW? Maybe but I don't think I have seen enough footage to honestly give that opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Cooke Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 The MX/Southern Boys match is in the big package Will, so you could see it today possibly. I echo almost all of what Loss said. I need to see the Flair/Luger stuff again. Those PPV must see's would make a great tape. Re: The Cornette/Ref spot. Cornette pulled that out in ROH on 2/26/05 and also bumps like it was 1988 all over again. Cornette on 2/26 in ROH during his tag match is almost a one man show. Heenan was cool but it was Cornette who was incredible. Compare that to Jim Fannin in IWA-MS trying the ref spot in late 2004 and just making it look so horrible. I wish some money mark would give Cornette one last chance at booking a regional promotion before he gets too old. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Rick & Scott Steiner v Nasty Boys - Halloween Havoc '90 * This very well may each team's best match ever. Scott as FIP is great, and the Nasties are awesome brawlers and cheating heels here. The Steiners get in all their big moves, but they do a far better job pacing them than normal. The match with Sting & Luger at SuperBrawl *wishes* it could be this good. I don't know if it would be my choice for best Steiners match. I have seen several of their NJ tags as well as the match vs. the Harts from Wrestlefest 1994. as for their best match in WCW? Maybe but I don't think I have seen enough footage to honestly give that opinion. I might do a compare and contrast on those matches soon, because while the Harts match has its moments, I don't think it's anywhere near as good as the Nasties match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 See, I unfortunately have the Havoc 1990 PPV in bad quality. I think it is listed with Greed 2001 in the hidden folder. As for the Harts match, I have been meaning to do a write-up on that one forever. teke is sending me the Wrestlefest 94 dvd in my next batch so I'll write it up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHawk Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Flair and Herd were also at odds over a match at a TV taping in February of 1990 on an episode of Saturday Night on TBS that was heavily influenced by D.ave M.eltzer's suggestions to the booking committee at the time. Flair went against Brian Pillman and wanted to put him over, but was told he would be going over clean, and it took Kevin Sullivan going to him and calming him down face-to-face before the match before Flair finally agreed to get the win. From Flair's point of view, he wanted to elevate Pillman. From Herd's point of view, he was getting sick of Ric's outbursts and thought he was too old to be the centerpiece of the company at that point, and Flair was getting blamed for them not drawing. Wait a minute. Flair wanted to elevate Pillman. Jim Herd wanted Ric away from the main event. And it was Herd who wanted Flair to go over clean? I know Jim Herd's not a wrestling guy, but even by his standards that's pretty stupid. This is the same guy that wanted to book Flair against a peglegged wrestler because the figure-four would have no effect on a wooden leg. Idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teke184 Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Flair and Herd were also at odds over a match at a TV taping in February of 1990 on an episode of Saturday Night on TBS that was heavily influenced by D.ave M.eltzer's suggestions to the booking committee at the time. Flair went against Brian Pillman and wanted to put him over, but was told he would be going over clean, and it took Kevin Sullivan going to him and calming him down face-to-face before the match before Flair finally agreed to get the win. From Flair's point of view, he wanted to elevate Pillman. From Herd's point of view, he was getting sick of Ric's outbursts and thought he was too old to be the centerpiece of the company at that point, and Flair was getting blamed for them not drawing. Wait a minute. Flair wanted to elevate Pillman. Jim Herd wanted Ric away from the main event. And it was Herd who wanted Flair to go over clean? I know Jim Herd's not a wrestling guy, but even by his standards that's pretty stupid. This is the same guy that wanted to book Flair against a peglegged wrestler because the figure-four would have no effect on a wooden leg. Idiot. Don't forget about the hunchbacks who couldn't get pinned, either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Slightly off-topic: I love this idea!!!! And if we incorporate each discussion thread with a Chronicles thread to compile match lists, this could really be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sass Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 1990 would have been the year WCW could have toppled the WWF. By 1992 the company would have been out of business. Thank you Pat Patterson. Hogan vs. Luger Savage vs. Piper Piper vs. Sting The Hart Foundation vs. the Steiners Demolition vs. the Road Warriors Those matches in 1990 would have sold out the Tokyo Dome every night had these cards been promoted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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