Matt D Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 I sort of watch a LOT of wrestling, and also a lot of wrestling en masse, whole shows, whole years, etc. One of the biggest joys of it for me is when I'm honestly surprised by something I was weren't expecting. When someone shows up in a place I didn't expect. When I get to hear an announcer talk about a wrestler that you never thought he talked about, or two wrestlers interacting that you never thought interacted, that sort of thing. Stuff like Bockwinkle announcing in WWF, or Lance Russell announcing the memphis Lawler vs Regal match from 2000 that I hadn't realized existed until yesterday, or even Jim Neidhart in 1993 WCW using a Cobra Clutch they called the "ANVILIZER!" Here's something I came across yesterday. Rip Rogers in WWF: For a weird two week span in 1995, Rip Rogers worked a couple of TV matches. One was vs Adam Bomb on Raw (with Cornette and Vince announcing) and the other as a tag with freaking Chic Donovan vs the Smoking Gunns. Very weird. As far as I can tell, it's the only WWF we have of his. Though if I'm wrong, please correct me. www.dailymotion.com/video/x76but_adam-bomb-vs-rip-rogers_sport www.youtube.com/watch?v=eizSMmo0UQc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 PG-13 randomly showing up on RAW in the fall of 95 for a couple spots had me marking out. IIRC they did some angle where they earned the right to appear on the show but it's hazy for me. They wouldn't return until the NOD angle began. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cox Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Was PG-13's appearances on Raw the only time that WWF acknowledged the USWA on air? Maybe when Doug Gilbert worked the '96 Rumble too, but other than that, I can't think of any other time they would have acknowledged their relationship with USWA, certainly not in the way they did with Smoky Mountain in '93. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Jackson Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Growing up a WWF fan during an era where other promotions or a wrestlers prior accomplisments were never, ever mentioned on TV, and the WWF acted like they were the only wrestling promotion in existence, I sometimes find it strange when watching pre-1986 WWF TV and seeing little bits and pieces of, for lack of a better term, "non-WWF stuff" randomly pop up here and there. One example would be Piper and Valentine acknowledging their JCP feud on a 1984 Piper's Pit. Another example is Adonis and Ventura being mentioned in passing by, I think, Gene Okerlund as "former tag team champions". He meant AWA champs of course, but it confused the heck out of me as a kid as I assumed he meant WWF tag champs, and from watching the old history of the tag title CHV I knew that wasn't the case (even though the tape didn't include a complete history, missing the early years and erasing the Backlund/Morales title win from existence). There is also a promo segment from early-86 where Terry Funk mentions the NWA and that he and Dory were former NWA champions. The peak of "non-WWF stuff" on WWF TV was during the Backlund era, where you had Harley Race wrestling at MSG and in at least one TV squash as NWA champ, Antonio Inoki and other New Japan guys all over the place, and a bunch of random MSG appearances by non-WWF guys like a young Piper, the Von Erichs, Steamboat and Youngblood, Tommy Rich, etc. There are probably a bunch of other examples, but that's all I've got for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Was PG-13's appearances on Raw the only time that WWF acknowledged the USWA on air? Maybe when Doug Gilbert worked the '96 Rumble too, but other than that, I can't think of any other time they would have acknowledged their relationship with USWA, certainly not in the way they did with Smoky Mountain in '93.Besides PG-13 and Doug Gilbert, Brian Christopher's WWF TV debut was on Raw against Chris Candido in a USWA vs ECW match (the one where Heyman screams "THIS GUY IS JERRY LAWLER'S SON!" on commentary). On that note. Christopher working an MSG show in late '93, issuing an open challenge accepted by Jimmy Snuka returning for one shot to beat him, and then not coming back for years was really weird. Hmm, what else? - Todd Morton & Joey Maggs as a recurring jobber team in WCW that randomly wore Lane & Eaton's (or Lane & Eaton style) Midnight Express gear in a match or two. - Pat Tanaka getting his first name back in the WWF when Tatanka debuted. I remember thinking that was funny. - Getting a tape with footage of an episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling (the C-show that became WWF Wrestling Spotlight) from the fall of '84 where Roger Kent and Blackjack Mulligan as the hosts was pretty surprising. Before that, I had never heard of Kent leaving the AWA for the WWF in '84, just his '88 run. - Hillbilly Jim somehow transitioning from a wrestler to a Coliseum Video and then WWF Home Video representative for reasons that I've never seen explained. - Jimmy Garvin successfully arranging for WCW to buy him out, doing a tryout at a WWF TV taping as some sort of heel announcer/interviewer/analyst, not getting the job, and then retiring to become a pilot before un-retiring to wrestle in WCW & Global for a few months. - Mr. JL. - The ESPN USWA Legends of Wrestling show almost catching up to real time near the end and being renamed Super Card. If Pedicino didn't buy the Dallas promotion & its TV deals from Jarrett, I wonder what would have happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIK Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Watching early 92 WCW they mentioned on some show that they had Gordon Solie & Lance Russle backstage doing the hotline report. Weirded me out cause I never knew Lance ever worked WCW, have to imagine him & Solie made quite the awesome pair. On a similar note, still weirds me out that Tony Schiavone was in the WWF for a year or so. Just seemed wrong. In a Rip Rogers related note, there's a match of his online whear he's wrestling Owen Hart in WCW which is also quite bizare to think about. Always was amused by Kamala showing up in World of Sport early in his career pre gimmick working as the Missisipi Mauler. Ricky Morton showed up in FMW for a few tours in 96 & 97. Produced some good matches including a barbwire tag involving him, Jinsei Shinzaki & Leatherface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death From Above Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 PG-13 randomly showing up on RAW in the fall of 95 for a couple spots had me marking out. IIRC they did some angle where they earned the right to appear on the show but it's hazy for me. They wouldn't return until the NOD angle began. If I remember the Jamie Dundee shoot right, they were supposed to show up for a USWA vs. WWF tag team champions match at the Royal Rumble, but got themselves in some shit and ended up giving up the spot to someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Watching early 92 WCW they mentioned on some show that they had Gordon Solie & Lance Russle backstage doing the hotline report. Weirded me out cause I never knew Lance ever worked WCW, have to imagine him & Solie made quite the awesome pair. Lance left Memphis in early '89 to sort of replace Tony Schiavone as lead syndication announcer but eventually stopped doing most of his TV work to run the hotline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 OK, am I the only one who remembers the WCW caveman? I first heard about it on some hotline report that, among other things, WCW were planning to bring a cave man costume. Then, on a couple of their TV shows, there was a disturbance in the crowd caused by some guy dressed like Fred Flintstone and swinging a huge club. Then ... nothing. It was one of those blink and you will miss it appearances, like the Blackharts or the first run of the Bruise Brothers in WCW. This was in the early 90s. Please, tell me I am not the only one who remembers this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Oh, and who exactly were the pair of Samoans who briefly harassed "Making A Difference" Fatu? I think it was Tama and somebody else (Yes, I know, Tama was Tongan ... although he was also Samoan Savage, IMSMR). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Powers of Pain back in WCW as the Super Assassins in 96. - vs Sting and Luger on Nitro. They had a match with the Nasties too apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Powers of Pain back in WCW as the Super Assassins in 96. - vs Sting and Luger on Nitro. They had a match with the Nasties too apparently. Weren't the PoP back as a team in Abram's UWF, conplete with face paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted March 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 You know, I've never even seen Abrams UWF and don't know a ton about it, but from what I've been reading, I know how bad it's supposed to be considered. But then again I also know a lot of stuff that is supposed to be terrible and hasn't aged so bad. I'm kind of temped to track it down just to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Warlord teamed with one of the Power Twins (renamed "Power Warrior") as the New Powers of Pain at Blackjack Brawl but that's it AFAIK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Warlord teamed with one of the Power Twins (renamed "Power Warrior") as the New Powers of Pain at Blackjack Brawl but that's it AFAIK. Hmm, that checks out, I do remember seeing pics in an Apter mag of the face painted PoP at some indy show in the early 90s being managed by WWF jobber Sonny Blaze , of all people. Can't find any record of it, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artDDP Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ricky, that was likely either one of two things: One, Vince was allowing wrestlers he brought in from other territories to mention their histories because he wanted veteran fans to feel a sense of continuity. Or two, Vince didn't notice because he was too busy running other parts of the promotion and hadn't gotten into micromanaging it yet. Powers of Pain back in WCW as the Super Assassins in 96. - vs Sting and Luger on Nitro. They had a match with the Nasties too apparently. Craig Pittman interrupting a tag match with two main-eventers to beg Steve McMichael to manage him in a storyline that goes nowhere? Who was coming up with these ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Oh, and who exactly were the pair of Samoans who briefly harassed "Making A Difference" Fatu? I think it was Tama and somebody else (Yes, I know, Tama was Tongan ... although he was also Samoan Savage, IMSMR). They wrestled in ECW as the Samoan Gangsta Party. It was Samu, and a very young Rosey (of 3 Minute Warning fame) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Iron Sheik briefly coming back to the WWF in Summer of 1988. Pork Chop Cash doing job duty in a WWF match against Tito Santana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Evans Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Mike Awesome in USWA 1990 as a Unified title challenger. Johnny Hot Body: Memphis Jobber Dustin Rhodes and Gary Young having a feud over Dusty Rhodes who was in WWF at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Dean Malenko as a referee on a Saturday Night's Main Event in 85. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Hector Guerrero as the Gobbledygooker. Why do you even need to book a wrestler for that? Was there actually a plan to have him wrestle at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Hector Guerrero as the Gobbledygooker. Why do you even need to book a wrestler for that? Was there actually a plan to have him wrestle at some point?Probably the same reason they use indy wrestlers in various roles as extras: It's where their contacts are. They needed a guy who could somersault around the ring so they picked Hector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIK Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ken Shamrock in All Japan in 1989 is another one to file in the WTF aperance catagory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Gentleman Jerry Valiant on SNME 2 (the Uncle Elmer squash in 1985) Buddy Landell in WWF late 95-early 96, especially the title match vs. Bret Whenever Greg Valentine worked for WCW in the Nitro era JYD in WCW in 1992 Stan Hansen chewing tobacco backstage at Wrestlewar 91 Rick Martel at the 1995 Royal Rumble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteF3 Posted March 3, 2012 Report Share Posted March 3, 2012 Ken Shamrock in All Japan in 1989 is another one to file in the WTF aperance catagory. Remember Shamrock was a wrestler first (working SAPW as Mr. Wrestling Vince Torelli) and a UFCer second. Still, there was a point when I was going through AJPW '90s TV that I got more excited about bizarro random imports than about the upcoming Misawa/Jumbo 6-man. I'm not sure anything will top longtime WWF TV guy Brian Costello showing up in '94, though the State Patrol, Barry Horowitz, Randy Rose, and Sunny Beach all come close. That, and Prince Iaukea (the original one and real son of Curtis, not the WCW guy) and his gimmick of throwing a giant net on his opponent before the bell. Also: Joe LeDuc's two-taping run in the WWF circa 1989. Got Frenchy Martin as a manager, lost to a prelim by DQ for excessive headbutting in the corner, lost to Tito Santana, and appeared in his most prominent role at Randy Savage's coronation and ensuring decades of Internet people asking, "Who was that guy?" High Chief Afi debuting as Bobby Heenan's new charge, slapping hands with the fans on the way down the aisle, and not even getting the pin in his debut 6-man before disappearing. Weirder than pre-paint, pre-savage Kamala turning up on WOS would be Tyler "Big Sky" Mane as The Skywalker, doing a one-off match with Pat Roach. I didn't even know Mane was wrestling that far back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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