Wrestlers mentioned to enter a territory that never did

[Tim Evans]

I'm finishing watching USWA 1990 and in October, they had a top 10 list with guys like Dr. Death Steve Williams and Ricky Steamboat to challenge Jerry Lawler for his Unified title. To my Knowledge, they never wrestled in USWA. Dick Murdoch was also teased to team with the Dundees in a feud with the Gilberts but that never happened. either. What are some examples of guys being mentioned on tv as coming into a promotion that never happened?

[KrisZ]

JCP throughout February & March 1985 was touting guys like Sgt. Slaughter. Masked Superstar, & Super Destroyer as regulars coming back in. Sarge worked a Greensboro show, Scott Irwin worked as himself and did some shots as Super D but that was only on the Georgia circuit, and IIRC Superstar never worked a JCP date.

 

Watts would show Pez Whatley matches from Florida on PPW in late 84 but he never came in.

[Dylan Waco]

One of my favorite things about the AWA footage was the original Team Challenge Series lottery where they claimed all sorts of guys were entered, including Ricky Steamboat, The RnR's and others I'm forgetting

[khawk20]

They did some Greg Valentine promos (done by Vince in front of the WWF set) where Valentine was announcing that he was coming to the AWA. PWI and a few other Apter Mags even rated Greg in their AWA Top 10 for a month upon that bit coming out. Valentine never ended up coming in.

 

The AWA would often have guys do interviews on coming in or back from the territory they were currently working in. As an example, Blackjack Mulligan did a heel promo on the Florida set with Solie in January 1984 before coming in to be Bockwinkel's tag partner for a St. Paul clash between them and Crusher/Vachon (eventually morphing into a Blackjacks reunion for a few months). Mulligan, as far as I know, was a face in Florida at that time.

 

Further to that, the AWA returned the favour when necessary. Baron Von Raschke, in the midst of being as popular a face in the AWA as there was, did a promo or two with Okerlund while in the AWA talking about coming into the Mid-Atlantic to feud with Jimmy Valiant, doing the promo as a full heel. This bit obviously never aired on AWA TV, just Mid-Atlantic Television, as it would have completely contradicted the Baron's good guy persona at the time. i assume the Mulligan Florida heel promo was for AWA-eyes only, too, for the same reasons.

[KrisZ]

GCW showed Greg Gagne clips in 1984 and he never came in.

[Phil Schneider]

Didn't Mid-South at least talk up Randy Savage, if not show footage?

[KrisZ]

They mentioned Savage at the same time as Lanny Poffo came in and it was kind of implied that he might be coming in and II even used it in his turn saying that Magnum couldn't trust Poffo because of his brother.

[jdw]

Wasn't there an aborted Magnum-Harley Race thing in 1986?

 

Actually, looks like he did work one TBS show and the Greensboro Coliseum that night... beating Maggie... but never worked for JCP again. What was the story about that, again?

 

John

[jdw]

Obviously Punk mentioning Colt Cabana.

 

John

[KrisZ]

I think the Harley thing was for Magnum to get a win over Harley.

[rovert]

Obviously Punk mentioning Colt Cabana.

 

John

Now that's cold

[jdw]

I think the Harley thing was for Magnum to get a win over Harley.

But Harley got the win, which seemed set up for Maggie to get it back later. His feud with Tully was over. One with Harley would have filled space until the Dusty & Maggie vs MX and Maggie-Nikita feuds.

 

John

[KrisZ]

Yeah Harley never coming back was interesting and I think all of this was going on at the time that Harley was starting to talk to Vince.

[JerryvonKramer]

Was Harley still considered a main eventer when he went to the WWF?

[KrisZ]

He was a special attraction in the territories he would go to so yeah.

[Al]

At November To Remember '94, Shane Douglas announced Steve Austin was coming in to team with him against Ron Simmons and 2 Cold Scorpio. Austin wouldn't surface in ECW for nearly a full year.

[Bix]

At November To Remember '94, Shane Douglas announced Steve Austin was coming in to team with him against Ron Simmons and 2 Cold Scorpio. Austin wouldn't surface in ECW for nearly a full year.

He was injured between shows and replaced by Pillman.

[victory]

Randy Savage also had a promo video about coming to Southwest. Sadly he never came there.

[Loss]

Larry Zbyszko was supposed to appear on NWA TV as the AWA champ in 1990. All the shows were hyping him to show up the following week and he never did. At the last minute, Jim Herd made the call that he didn't want another world champ on his TV show.

 

The Steiners were hyped as returning to WCW in early '95, with videos airing on TV even, but they never did.

 

Despite having fired him, WCW hyped Scott Hall returning for months in 2000 for some reason.

[khawk20]

Larry Zbyszko was supposed to appear on NWA TV as the AWA champ in 1990. All the shows were hyping him to show up the following week and he never did. At the last minute, Jim Herd made the call that he didn't want another world champ on his TV show.

I did not know this.