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[1990-07-27] Arsenio Hall: Rick Rude & Bobby Heenan


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  • 2 months later...

My favorite story from this time period was that Arsenio wanted to book NWA guys because he preferred the style, but Herd refused to let anyone go on because they also booked WWF wrestlers.

 

I don't know what to say about Rude's entirely leopard print outfit, but this is a pretty good appearance. Heenan thrives in segments like this, and Rude is pretty good too. Rude reveals Arsenio tights in a funny moment at the end.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have new respect for Arsenio after reading that.

 

Rude starts by calling out Arsenio for not taking the opportunity to spank Madonna (???) when offered the chance. They give the hard sell for a Rude/Warrior title match on SNME. Nonsensical booking aside, Heenan is great here, comparing his alleged "cheating" to Earl Weaver or Tommy Lasorda getting provoked by umpires. The Arsenio tights are spectacular. Rude had the best ring attire in wrestling history.

 

I think it's fantastic that we have a major talk show with WWF guys acting in character putting over the storylines with a cooperative host. No way there's a forum for anything like this today.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Rude and Heenan on Arsenio! Hall makes a comment about Heenan and Rude being a couple. He also bad mouths Heenan about never managing a World Champion. Everyone is in character. Tacky stuff. Heenan easily is able to exchange comments with Hall though. Bobby is a natural. Rude concludes things but showing off his airbrushed tights with Arsenio’s face on them.

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  • 2 years later...

Heenan once again shows his legitimate professional comedy timing here by going back and forth with Arsenio and legitimately cracking him up several times, and Rude's better than you would expect for a wrestler whose main speaking experience is in promos. The outfits for both guys are priceless, and I wonder if Arsenio ever wore the tights Heenan and Rude gave him. I'd expect not, because if he did and that segment's not here, someone fell asleep on the job!

 

One thing I found interesting is that in an interview that was otherwise purely conducted in character, both Heenan and Rude admitted that they had wives. I would have thought that Bobby would have only admitted to having Miss Betty, while Rude would have bragged about his conquests. Rude's wedding band is plainly visible as well. Then again, it kind of adds to Rude's character if you stop to think about it; a married man is so stuck on his own body that he believes he can still have any woman he wants on demand. I'm sure Vince didn't put this much thought into the Rude character, but it's a nice twist for fans like us to think about.

 

Heenan comparing himself to veteran baseball managers like Earl Weaver and Tommy Lasorda was apt in more ways than one, as those two were two of the biggest managerial crybabies in baseball history, complete with expletives.

 

I'd have loved to see Bobby counter Arsenio's crack about never managing a World champion with a subtle reference to Nick Bockwinkel, but I don't think Arsenio would have gotten the connection. Actually, Arsenio kind of comes off as second best to Bobby throughout the entire segment.

 

I thought for a second that Rude was going to do some embarrassing racial stuff when he said he wanted to imitate a black man. Thank God it was only the Arsenio tights.

 

Typical Turner pettiness at refusing to allow its wrestlers to appear on Arsenio's show. It was probably the most prestigious show you could appear on if you were a wrestler at the time, as Carson/Leno and Letterman were ignoring the sport by then.

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  • 9 months later...
  • GSR changed the title to [1990-07-27] Arsenio Hall: Rick Rude & Bobby Heenan

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