[1990-10-27-WWF-Superstars] Brother Love: Jake Roberts & Rick Martel

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Rick Martel wants to apologize to Jake for what happened. He is saying the right things, but is so insincere -- I like how they played this. I've heard Jake talk about how heels apologizing for bad things is guaranteed heat, so I'm betting that was his idea. He came with a cane for Jake. Blind Jake works for me, as it's something almost no one else in wrestling could have pulled off in a compelling way, and it's amazing to watch him work the crowd. Brother Love taunts him, knowing he can't see. He hands him the cane and Jake swings it at his head and just misses, but Love's glasses fly off. He then cuts a pretty awe-inspiring promo, with a simple but poignant line: an eye for an eye.

 

Martel is back out to taunt Jake and is such an asshole. He then pokes him in the eye and runs off. Jake ends up DDTing Brother Love since he's in his reach, thinking it's Martel, and the crowd pops huge. His glasses fall off and his eyeball is completely white. Freaky stuff, and an amazing segment.

[shoe]

This segment was so amazing . It's hard to believe they were able to pull it off . It might be Jake's finest work ever. You kinda wonder who else in 1990 could pull this off. Maybe Dusty, or Arn as a face? I don't know.

[PeteF3]

You kinda wonder who else in 1990 could pull this off. Maybe Dusty, or Arn as a face? I don't know.

Lawler or Jarrett, if they really wanted to push either the hot sauce or fireball angles harder than they did. Eric Embry, as we see in '92.

 

Martel apologizes for Jake being a blundering fool who "stepped into the smell of Arrogance," but produces a white cane as a gift for Jake anyway. Vince's reaction is awesome. Jake, sporting the most badass Cosby sweater of all-time has to be led out to the set by Tony Garea. Brother Love uses the word "see" as often as he can as he walks around Jake belittling him. Once Jake realizes he has a white cane he takes a swing at Brother Love with it, then cuts a killer promo on Martel. Martel comes out and he and Brother Love and play keep away until Martel slaps Jake's sunglasses off. Brother Love cackles but leaves himself open to a DDT. That leaves the cameras open to get a shot of Jake's messed-up eyes and it's still a chilling sight now.

 

In reality this is every bit as over-the-top and cartoony as any other WWF angle this year, but it's as impactful as almost any other angle executed this year in any promotion. The idea of being blinded in an accident is a real-life event that I would guess resonates deeply with a lot of people. Jake again gets most of the kudos but everyone--Love, Martel, Vince, and Piper--was great here.

[soup23]

This has really became the hottest WWF angle and it has played out perfectly. Is amazing how much of thin line they flirted with for this to go straight to cartoony but so far so good.

[Kevin Ridge]

Model wants to apologize again to Roberts. He then blames Jake but still feels sorry. Model has a walking cane for Roberts. Jake needs help finding his way to stage. Nice sweater Jake. Love pokes fun at Jake by moving around all the time. Model comes out to make fun of Jake too. In the scrum, Roberts ends up DDT’ing Brother Love. We get to see Jake’s freaky eye. Great segment.

[ajtroma]

Jake easily gets my vote for WWF Wrestler of the Year.

 

I liked the sudtle way Brother Love takes his glasses off, knowing he'll be eating a DDT later.

[garretta]

This was the babyface equivalent of Piper, Snuka, and the coconut: an out-of-nowhere act of violence that galvanized the crowd. I don't even think Jake actually DDTing Martel would have caused a pop like that. Brother Love has been so obnoxious this year, much more so than in the past, when he was treated as a rather harmless and obvious joke. He needed to get his in the worst way, but almost everyone watching thought it would be Hogan or Warrior beating the shit out of him, not a blinded and (for all they knew) retired Jake.

 

The only problem is that that should have been all for the Brother Love character; Piper's Pit should have returned the very next week no questions asked, since the man himself was back in the fold. But Vince squeezed a few extra months out of the character for no good reason at all. What non-wrestler takes a DDT on an interview platform and comes back the very next week, even in a neckbrace? Talk about exposing the business (which I know Vince didn't then and doesn't now give a peck of hoots and a gross of hollers about).

 

Before the DDT, everyone was awesome on the mic: Prichard and Martel were perfect assholes to Jake, constantly taunting him by making references to sight, while Vince and Piper lost their minds on commentary (Vince: "That man's a CREEP!"). Jake cut one of his most effective promos ever and played the crowd like an instrument in a way that couldn't be done today, even with the exact same angle. They loved him so much and wanted to help him out so badly. It's tough to keep in mind while watching this segment that by this time the following year he'd be an even viler son of a bitch than Martel and Brother Love put together.

 

This is the best Brother Love segment ever done, hands down. As I said above, it's a shame that there had to be more.

[drew wardlaw]

Another good heel promo from Martel, just totally smarmy and pandering. Jake is selling this so well, being led out to the ring, and another reveal of the eye is just as gruesome. Between this and the Slaughter angle, this really sets the stage for what I've heard is a pretty dark 1991 for WWF, which I'm very much looking forward to.

[dawho5]

Martel is definitely not to the level of Jake in this feud, but he's definitely one of the top 4 or 5 angle guys the WWF has right now. Once he's in the ring it's not as good, but you can tell he's enjoying the character of the Model.