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What are you watching?


Tim Cooke

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I just started watching SMW from the beginning. Also Ive been watching all the shows on the network from WWF/NWA (WCW) starting in 1987 and moving forward. Just the major shows and house shows, not all the prime time episodes and Saturday night episodes. But all the PPVs, clashes, SNMEs, and house shows

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http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-wwfs-a-m-chicago-tv-special-with-oprah/

In May of 1985, a star was breaking out on the Chicago airwaves as Oprah emerged as an entertainment force. In an effort to snag some ratings from the buzz of "Wrestlemania", Oprah attended a WWF house show in Chicago, and aired parts on her morning show. What followed was some amusing commentary from Winfrey as she admitted did not watch wrestling. The WWF made an odd choice in her announcing partner, which didn't help. Hulk Hogan is asked the WRONG question and sours on Oprah's presence, She attempts to find the softer side of Jesse Ventura. We get a few ethnically questionable remarks, plus we see some WWF headline action with Hulk Hogan, JYD, Tito Santana and other top stars battling in the ring. A unique thing to view for sure....

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http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-wwf-mega-matches/

WWF's Mega Matches is loaded with stars. They jam in a really fun Randy Savage vs Jim Duggan encounter, the Macho King faces the wrath of the Ultimate Warrior in a cage (featuring Sherri getting stripped), Hulk Hogan out muscling Dino Bravo, Earthquake clashing with Tito Santana, Hacksaw Duggan defending America against Sgt. Slaughter, The Hitman tangling with the Barbarian, a little fun with the Bushwackers and Rhythm and Blues, the Big Bossman getting his hands on the Brain and the British Bulldog's return to MSG after being away for several years. Plus a hilarious bit with the Macho Man on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"!!

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Just watched the 01/08/94 Raw which had a patchy 20+ minutes Michaels/Ramon match and a really neat Bull Nakano/Alundra Blayze sprint. Really wish the 1994 women's division was a bit bigger - according to Cagematch, the only women Nakano fought in nearly two years under contract were Blayze and Heidi Lee Morgan (often tagging with Blayze)

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http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-wccw-parade-of-champions-1985/

World Class presents a mammoth tag team battle with the Von Erichs and Freebirds forming a shaky alliance to battle the One Man Gang, Kamala, Rip Oliver, Chris Adams, Gino Hernandez and Dr. Death in a mammoth two ring brawl for big money and bragging rights. Kevin Von Erich also takes on Ric Flair with the NWA World title on the line, the Fantastics tangle with the Midnight Express, Kerry Von Erich fights the One Man Gang, Gary Hart provides some awesome managerial moments and Marc Lowrance delivers some fine bits on commentary. A huge crowd braves the Texas heat to see all this and other action!

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http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-wwfs-greatest-hits/

The WWF's "Greatest Hits" include a collection of previously aired TV matches strung together for a VHS release: This includes Kerry Von Erich tangling with Mr. Perfect (with special guest ring announcer Ted Dibiase), Hulk Hogan and Tugboat clashing with Rhythm and Blues. the Ultimate Warrior battling the Million Dollar Man, the Bossman butting heads with the Barbarian and the Model grappling with Marty Jannetty

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  • 2 weeks later...

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/wrasslin-back-in-the-day-saturday-nights-main-event-1-may-1985/

The first ever edition of Saturday Night's Main Event sees Vince McMahon pull out his celebrity big guns for the first wrasslin' show on network TV in decades! Paul Orndorff is given a hard push to the top of the babyface ranks, The Animal finds a new friend. The Fabulous Moolah pulls rank in the ring. Vince's love for black stereotypes shows up. Plus there's even some wrestling in between the comedy bits, promos, and other ballyhoo!

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I just started watching ECW Hardcore TV from the very first episode. It's not a bad show per se -- or at least as bad as I thought when I first started watching these a while back.

 

The episodes are around 45 minutes and the matches are pretty short and not very good or at least they haven't been very good so far, but they aren't particularly awful either.

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I was watching King of the Ring 2000 over the last week. For as much praise WWF 2000 gets this was a complete shit-show layed out like during the darkest Attitude days. The tournament itself was a complete afterthought full of 3-5 minute TV matches, most of the pairing were already done on Raw or Smackdown during the previous weeks. Additionally you had a bullshit finish opening the show. Then there was the Stooges special in a match that was booked for an audience of one. The Dudleys vs. DX match was as misogynistic as anything Vince Russo ever booked, including indicated oral rape by both D-Von and Bubba Ray and a powerbomb through a table against Tori. The six man tag main event was McMahon-tastic in the worst kind of way. The best thing on the show was the four teams elimination match.

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I just started watching ECW Hardcore TV from the very first episode. It's not a bad show per se -- or at least as bad as I thought when I first started watching these a while back.

 

The episodes are around 45 minutes and the matches are pretty short and not very good or at least they haven't been very good so far, but they aren't particularly awful either.

I started from January 1995 and am up to February 1996. It's such an easy show to watch. Angles are great, amazing promos and the occasional awesome match to boot.

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I just started watching ECW Hardcore TV from the very first episode. It's not a bad show per se -- or at least as bad as I thought when I first started watching these a while back.

 

The episodes are around 45 minutes and the matches are pretty short and not very good or at least they haven't been very good so far, but they aren't particularly awful either.

 

It doesn't look like the show it would become until August of '94. Before that, it's much closer to an old style TV show with squashes and the like.

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Been watching 96 Nitros.

 

Savage being outsmarted and beatdown by the Horsemen and nWo for the whole year is something very few top names would let happen to them for fear of "looking weak"

 

DiBiase backed nWo making entrances through the crowd and cutting promos there was awesome.

 

Faces of Fear are so awesome and every match has Barb breaking out a big move that the crowd goes nuts for.

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I watched Koko Ware vs Ric Flair for the NWA title in Memphis. Flair said Lawler and Dundee ducked him because they did not want to lose. So they send Koko out.

Dusty is at ringside trying to give Ware some credibility. Despite this being a very good match, the fans are dead because everybody knew Koko was there to lose. The finishing stretch was ridiculous with Dundee interfering and Koko getting a leg on the rope. Ric Flair should be able to pin Koko Ware cleanly. This is why Crockett started limiting Flair's bookings.

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I watched Koko Ware vs Ric Flair for the NWA title in Memphis. Flair said Lawler and Dundee ducked him because they did not want to lose. So they send Koko out.

 

Dusty is at ringside trying to give Ware some credibility. Despite this being a very good match, the fans are dead because everybody knew Koko was there to lose. The finishing stretch was ridiculous with Dundee interfering and Koko getting a leg on the rope. Ric Flair should be able to pin Koko Ware cleanly. This is why Crockett started limiting Flair's bookings.

So at least he was only booked weak in front of his home audience?

 

 

Roddy Piper fails to show up for his tag team war with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Snuka, but that doesn't stop things from being so wild that a mild riot breaks out with the fans at the end of the battle. The Junkyard Dog gets another crack at IC champ Greg Valentine...and the rest of the card is true dreck as a parade of squashes and jobber matches pollute the rest of this Boston card from May 1985.

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I remember really digging Rollins/Jinder in the finals of that tournament at the time. I'd be curious to go back & see how that holds up.

 

Their rematch, with Mahal in full 3MB gear, is entirely forgettable and failed to leave any real impression.

 

Curtis Axel (still working with that awful fake last name, I believe?) was another standout on those early shows. Tyson Kidd, too.

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I remember really digging Rollins/Jinder in the finals of that tournament at the time. I'd be curious to go back & see how that holds up.

 

Their rematch, with Mahal in full 3MB gear, is entirely forgettable and failed to leave any real impression.

 

Curtis Axel (still working with that awful fake last name, I believe?) was another standout on those early shows. Tyson Kidd, too.

 

Yeah, as McGillicutty. They had a real solid match at the first episode from Full Sail that would have been more memorable if it hadn't been the first taping and filmed in front of a rather sparse crowd.

 

Kidd also has been a highlight. He even pulls a good match out of Camacho.

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Doesn't Justin Gabriel get introduced into that mix fairly soon, too?

Sorry. I watched it all back at the tail end of 2012, but I honestly don't think I've seen any of it since. I know the Gabriel/Kidd team was a thing during Tyson's 2014 main event run, but I *think* I remember them doing a similar deal early on also.

he has shown up a few times and is in the tournament

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http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/from-the-wwe-network-supertape-4/

Supertape 4 has a number of fun clashes. This includes the Big Bossman facing Bobby Heenan, plus another encounter where the lawman brawls with the Earthquake. A rare babyface vs babyface encounter has Tito Santana grappling with Koko B. Ware. The Ultimate Warrior defends America against Sgt. Slaughter, Mr. Perfect tangles with the Texas Tornado, plus the Tugboat and Undertaker have a Botchamania worthy match and the LOD rout the Orient Express!

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  • 1 month later...

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.  :D  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.

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