Where the Big Boys Play #35

[JerryvonKramer]

Thanks once again to Lee and Jason for this. Talking with Lee and also reading other British people's origin stories in this thread, I was struck by just how similar our trajectories were as fans from the UK. We went long on the recording so this one will be a two parter.

 

Here's a link to the site where you can get Lee's books: http://historyofwrestling.weebly.com/

 

Here's a link to the vast Wrestlespective archive: http://wrestlespective.com/

 

Where the Big Boys Play #35 – Wrestlewar 89: Part 1

 

 

Chad and Parv welcome Lee Maughan, co-author of the multi-volume Complete WWF Video Guide, and Jason Mann, host of the Wrestlespective podcast. In this episode: Lee talks about his background as a wrestling fan growing up in the UK, his experiences writing the books and Ken Patera, round-up on April / May 89 newsletters including a Wrestlemania V vs. Clash 6 readers’ poll, Barry Windham’s status as an assistant booker to Dusty, The Oakridge Boys vs. Run DMC, Doug Gilbert, ranking Sean Mooney among WWF’s C-string commentators, it’s Ranger Ross!, would Michael Hayes make a top 10 promos of all-time list?, when precisely did Hayes go from being cool to lame?, and wrestlers who don’t wear boots.

[thebrainfollower]

Great show so far, Jerry's attempts to shill Sean Mooney was great. BTW wouldn't Bill Alfonso's referee run qualify as a stick to the rules to drive fans nuts gimmick or was that more just a heel ref gimmick?

[soup23]

I think initially Alfonso followed along those lines but then it got so carried away and cartoonish that it lost a lot of its original focus. I do see someone doing a gimmick like that as a kind of mid card angle and would feel really cheated if tactics like that that were pulled in main events.

[JerryvonKramer]

My idea was this really: someone strongly associated with the old NWA such as Jim Cornette or someone who is seen as pre-historic in the eyes of most fans such as Bob Backlund is announced as the new General Manager.

 

Week 1: He comes out and says that things are going to be different from now on. That wrestling has been going to the dogs for too long and he's going to bring back the values that made this sport great. He has a stooge, I think Bob Orton Jr would be fun, to pull out a scroll and they go through the new rules:

 

1. Closed fists are not allowed in wrestling and referees are to insist on an instant DQ. The same for kicking with the toe of the boot.

 

2. Throwing opponent over the top rope is an instant DQ, "unless it is momentum".

 

3. Biting, choking, eye-gouging and so on are absolutely prohibited.

 

4. The referee's decision is final unless ....

 

5. The General Manager spots an infraction that the refeee missed, in which case the General Manager's decision is final.

 

That same week during a nothing midcard match, one of the wrestlers uses a closed fist. The ref lets the match continue and so the GM comes out and calls for an instant DQ.

 

Week 2: TWO further matches end in DQ in this way, the first with the GM coming down after someone is thrown over the top rope; the second with the ref calling for DQ of his own volition.

 

Week 3: This happens another TWO times. The second time is in the first two minutes of big main event world title match. Fans are really getting pissed off now.

 

Week 4: The GM and his stooge come out with another scroll, listing the amount of people who have been DQed in the past 3 weeks for various infractions. The GM announces that they will each be serving suspensions and fined 2 weeks' wages for breaking the official rules of wrestling.

 

The GM also has some tape he wants to share. It's a video montage of the current (face) world champ in various matches using closed fists, coming over the top rope or otherwise breaking the rules in his title matches. He strips the champion of the title, because he said he broke the rules to win it.

 

Obviously, champ hits the ring and is pissed etc. GM announces that he is indefinitely suspended for persistently breaking the rules and warns him that he will receive a life ban for laying hands on a sanctioned offical such as himself. The now former champ is beside himself.

 

Week 5: PPV - a tournament is held for the vacant title. There is one wrestler, sufficiently "old school" -- let's say Chris Jericho or William Regal -- who the GM is clearly backing. In each of the tournament brackets, guys are DQed for using fists or for other infractions, EXCEPT the old-school wrestler who virtually gets a BYE to the final. In the final, the old-school wrestler has a standard submission hold on, like a reverse chinlock, and the GM or his stooge get up on the apron and THROW IN THE TOWEL Arnold Skaaland style.

 

We have a NEW world champion.

 

Weeks 6-10: Over the next month, the champ has a string of title defenses where he wins 100% through DQs following various minor infractions. At the same time he's blatantly breaking the rules himself. Whenever he throws an opponent over the top, he or one of the commentators claims it was "momentum".

 

Week 11: Face comes back under a mask calling himself "Charlie Brown from Outta Town" or "Stagger Lee".

 

Week 12: PPV 2 - oldschool champ vs. masked former champ with GM in a cage above the ring. Stip: if champ loses, GM has to stand down.

 

This would be the blow off.

 

It would never ever happen, but by god I'd watch RAW again to see that.

[King Solomon]

I will say that the Oakridge boys at Wrestle War was a better idea than Waylon Jennings at WrestleRock 86

[King Solomon]

The continued refrence to Tommy Young beoing a 5/6 time referee of the year may be a WFIA (Wrestling Fans International Association) thing. They used to have a convention every year along with a card of whatever local promotion was promoting in that area. There was an awards banquet and it was a weekend event. The local promotion would usually get the bulk of the awards. The 1986 convention was held in Houston and the UWF got most of the awards. Jim Ross (not the announcer) ran the organization.

[BrickHithouse]

Have fallen behind and just started listening to this one tonight.

 

What was the content of those late-night German TV commercials that Parv and Lee referenced early in the podcast?

[JerryvonKramer]