tim Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 certain americans got bent out of shape that barack obama wasn't wearing an american flag pin on his suit. flag stuff is definitely going to be much more inciting in the US.
Loss Posted August 12, 2012 Author Report Posted August 12, 2012 Yeah, I don't think it could be done safely at this point, and I'm not sure it would get the right kind of heat.
Matt D Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 The real issue is that the curtain has been yanked off. Twenty years ago, they could say "That evil guy did it." Now, they'd have to say "that actor portraying the evil guy did it tastelessly as part of his performance."
rzombie1988 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Out of interest, would you care if someone burned the US flag? Would it rile you up etc?I'm American and I could really care less.
NintendoLogic Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 I recall the UnAmericans being concerned for their safety because they were drawing the wrong kind of heat. In certain parts of the country, a heel doing something offensive to the flag would probably cause a riot.
Matt D Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 I recall the UnAmericans being concerned for their safety because they were drawing the wrong kind of heat. In certain parts of the country, a heel doing something offensive to the flag would probably cause a riot. And that's the wrong kind of heat? The wrong kind of heat is "Go away" heat. "We want to kill you" heat is gold.
Matt D Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 In the history of US wrestling, of insanely heated crowds and people getting stabbed repeatedly and riots and a couple of local cops as security, has a heel ever been killed by the crowd?
NintendoLogic Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Not to my knowledge. But they really were playing with fire by doing an anti-American gimmick in the wake of 9/11.
Dooley Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Not to my knowledge. But they really were playing with fire by doing an anti-American gimmick in the wake of 9/11. The UnAmericans never did anything offensive. In fact, it was very Canadian in how bland the approach was. There wasn't much more to it then "you know, we really don't care for you". If you're referring to Hassan, I think they were past the point of "kill him for amurika" heat and into "what the fuck are they thinking?" heat.
sek69 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Watching ROH TV reminded me how "Harlem Bravado" is a name that sounds like a guy who should be in the Urban Wrestling Federation, yet somehow belongs to a goofy ass white guy who looks like a long lost Von Erich cousin.
Bix Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Not to my knowledge. But they really were playing with fire by doing an anti-American gimmick in the wake of 9/11. The UnAmericans never did anything offensive. In fact, it was very Canadian in how bland the approach was. There wasn't much more to it then "you know, we really don't care for you". If you're referring to Hassan, I think they were past the point of "kill him for amurika" heat and into "what the fuck are they thinking?" heat. They almost burned the flag on Raw. At MSG. Two weeks before the first anniversary of 9/11.
Johnny Sorrow Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Not to my knowledge. But they really were playing with fire by doing an anti-American gimmick in the wake of 9/11. The UnAmericans never did anything offensive. In fact, it was very Canadian in how bland the approach was. There wasn't much more to it then "you know, we really don't care for you". If you're referring to Hassan, I think they were past the point of "kill him for amurika" heat and into "what the fuck are they thinking?" heat. They almost burned the flag on Raw. At MSG. Two weeks before the first anniversary of 9/11. And I recall Storm talking about how the crowds wanted to kill them in the parking garage or some shit like that.
sek69 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Wasn't it finally someone like Test who finally said flat out "fuck this shit, not doing it" when they wanted them to do stuff like flag burning?
JerryvonKramer Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 How the hell did Angle get heel heat then?
Victator Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Nobody gave a shit about patriotism in the late 90s. It was stupid and square. People still don't care, but after 9-11, everybody pretends.
flyonthewall2983 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 1997 is not the 70s or 80s. And even then, it would have been a much bigger deal if Bret Hart had humped the American flag. For more reasons than one. Bret humping anything in the ring would just look weird.
rovert Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Anyone have an example of the Red Bastien headscissors? Either by Red or someone else (Dick Murdoch)?
PeteF3 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Out of interest, would you care if someone burned the US flag? Would it rile you up etc? Personally no, but other people--many of which overlap with a wrestling-fan audience--yes, big time. In some ways I can see Dave's point. Around the same time of Shawn's flag-humping came the episode of Seinfeld where the Puerto Rican flag was burned--by accident, not intentionally. That was enough to get that episode stricken from the airwaves by NBC and (I believe) in the syndication package. On the other hand, The Simpsons had a scene with the Union Jack accidentally being set on fire and then buried in compost to put the fire out. Maybe no one cared because it was only an animated flag.
Loss Posted August 12, 2012 Author Report Posted August 12, 2012 I just realized I should use an example from RAW instead of pay-per-view -- the one where Shawn was picking his nose with the Canadian flag.
Dooley Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Not to my knowledge. But they really were playing with fire by doing an anti-American gimmick in the wake of 9/11. The UnAmericans never did anything offensive. In fact, it was very Canadian in how bland the approach was. There wasn't much more to it then "you know, we really don't care for you". If you're referring to Hassan, I think they were past the point of "kill him for amurika" heat and into "what the fuck are they thinking?" heat. They almost burned the flag on Raw. At MSG. Two weeks before the first anniversary of 9/11. I almost caught a fish thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big. Hassan doing the mock beheading on Taker just after the London bombings was in much poorer taste IMO. And I recall Storm talking about how the crowds wanted to kill them in the parking garage or some shit like that. Well If Lance says he was getting that big of a reaction from the crowd......
Loss Posted August 12, 2012 Author Report Posted August 12, 2012 Yes, but where is the heat going to go? If they were being pushed as a main event group toward matches with Austin, Rock and Undertaker, sure. Go for it. But yeah, the heat for these things tend to go more on the promotion than the heels themselves. WWE actually marketed an Unamericans shirt with the American flag upside down. I'll be surprised if that wasn't a money loser.
goodhelmet Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Anyone have an example of the Red Bastien headscissors? Either by Red or someone else (Dick Murdoch)? I am sure there is an example of the Murdoch head scissors in one of the 80s sets. The only Red Bastien I have is a couple of matches from San Francisco in 1978, I think.
FLIK Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 One of the funnier stories that gets talked about by the guys at the indy i'm training with is the time when an old man tried to rush the ring at a show a few years back and get in a fight with the trio of Anton Vorrhees (Canada), Alexis Darevko (Russia) & Shiek Khan Abadi (Iran) known as America's Most Hated. I was actually thear, just as a fan and they weren't even doing anything particularly offensive, just your typical evil foreign heel stuff so i'd always assumed the old guy was either a plant or drunk but talking with the guys i've since found out that it was legit and he just really wanted to beat them up in the name of the good old USA
rovert Posted August 12, 2012 Report Posted August 12, 2012 Watch around the 3.30 mark. Ray Steven is on commentary talking about the match ten years or so on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egKps-6tlEc Red was really athletic and took awesome bumps. Keith has a write up here: http://www.cagesideseats.com/2012/8/12/323...ong-battle-with
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