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The "true nature" of Stalker Barry Windham


JMFabianoRPL

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If you go to TV Tropes' Nightmare Fuel section and look at the pro wrestling folder, they mention Windham's "stalker" gimmick from 1996, and how the original intent was to have him feud with Marc Mero after he...get ready...slit Sable's throat.

 

I am very skeptical of this, as this was yet another PG period (maybe PG-13, as you had blood and Goldust's original incarnation). But the TV Tropes article also claims that "Word of God" (meaning coming from the actors, directors, writers, etc.) confirms the planning of this angle. Does anyone know if this was for real, and if so, who was the person who mentioned it?

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It's another one of those unsourced wikipedia stories.

 

Windham's success with this gimmick was hampered by last minute changes. Windham cut promos as a heel, displaying The Stalker as a deranged and dangerous former military man and was scheduled to start a feud with Marc Mero. Mero, however, refused to agree to the planned storyline that would have been kick started by The Stalker stalking Sable and (kayfabe) cutting her throat. Following Mero's rejection of this plot point their whole program was scrapped and Stalker was introduced with little fanfare as a babyface.

From how it's worded, it seems like it might be something Mero or Windham claimed in an interview but two minutes of googling didn't render anything.

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The vignettes had Windham cut promos on the heels :

 

 

Rewatching these, and stumbling onto Waylon Mercy's and Goldust's vignettes, it reminds me how much I loved to watch these and how excited I was to see new creepy or funny characters being introduced. Of course the T.L. Hopper, Duke Droese or Henry Godwinn vignettes weren't nearly as fun... But to me it was all a part of what I loved about wrestling, because vignettes were unique and simply an introduction to, well, pro-wrestlers who were gonna work pro-wrestling matches.

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Wow, Mr. Fabiano, where have you been?

 

Is there no chance that the "slit throat" might have been more intended as a metaphor or just a threat even?

 

Also, it's not impossible that they could have done an angle in which The Stalker attacked Sable and injured her throat in some way. The "slit" makes it sound fatal and therefore really edgy, but it could have just been a proposed injury angle.

 

Perhaps Mero was against it because he didn't want Sable off screen.

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What's the most extreme angle they'd done up to this point in 96 do you think?

 

I got:

 

- Savage being bitten by the snake

- Ron Bass's attack on Beefcake (just remember the big red X censoring it)

Warrior being locked in the casket was sold pretty big, and even rather realistically. No blood but they pushed the idea of not being able to breathe really hard.

 

Austin 3:16 vs. Pillman 9mm, not to mention all the stuff with Goldust, probably tops all of that.

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Guest Nell Santucci

What's the most extreme angle they'd done up to this point in 96 do you think?

 

I got:

 

- Savage being bitten by the snake

- Ron Bass's attack on Beefcake (just remember the big red X censoring it)

In fairness, not even three months later, Pillman pulled a gun on Austin, which USA Network reprimanded WWE for.

 

You know, I'm going to take the minority position on this one and say that this angle was certainly possible. WWE obviously wanted to move in some weird true crime direction around this period, but it had too many shades of reality in 1996 for this direction to become plausible. Suppose Austin/Pillman had been a ratings smash (which it wasn't) and USA Network didn't reprimand WWE for the angle. Is it that much of a stretch to think Stalker/Mero wouldn't have done a similar angle? I don't think so, and I don't think it would have lasted long either. I just don't know who would have been most influential to push something like this. Something tells me Vince Russo would have been behind this one.

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The gun angle was booked by Jake Roberts, who was on the committee for a short time period. A Sable kidnapping doesn't seem like a stretch for him to push at all.

 

On TVTropes "Word of God" is supposed to be the show producer, director, or showrunner. Who exactly would they be citing? If it ain't Vince himself, then it ain't the "Word of God."

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It's worth noting that they teased a lesbian angle with Marlena lusting after Sable around this time period too.

Scrapped because of/thanks to Bret Hart, who was in negociation to re-sign with WWF at this time. I also remember Mankind acting like Marlena was his mommy or something. Never went anywhere, sadly, could have been awesome, I guess.

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Berzerker trying to stab Undertaker was kind of intense. As was Nailz' beatdown of Big Bossman (more for the makeup job they did for Bossman after). The idea that Mountie was electrocuting people too, esp. A) when he did it to a wet Bret Hart, and when he got the giant shock stick to use on Sarge.

 

1991 and 1992 were interesting years for the WWF, as they tried some "hardcore" angles yet still cartoony.

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Jake slapping Elizabeth at Tuesday in Texas is up there as well...still makes me pissed when I watch it.

Yeah all of Jake Roberts best angles were kind of racy. I actually watched the Jake Roberts DVD with my new girlfriend(I know I'm not a dork or anything) & she really reacted to all Jakes big angles with raw emotion. She had never even seen a match but the Cobra thing was shocking to her(still is to me) & also Rick Rude manhandling her(twisting her arm) infuriated my girl & she was so happy when Jake saves. That stuff was wicked.

 

Basically Jake had his finger on the pulse of the fans and could draw people in so well. It's too bad he couldn't make it on the booking commitee or ever get back into shape after he bombed out in 92. He was in his prime in 1991 & bombed out of WWE & WCW after a few months in each. Shows what pills, crack & booze can do to your life & career.

 

Off topic bug 20 years later & he's finally doing some good. Do you guys support a Rumble 2014 spot for him?

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Jake has done tv shots for Rampage and TCW in the last couple of weeks, so he has been in the locker room recently. I imagine Johnny G is kind of guy who would have previously paid Jake in coke/teenage hookers, pretty positive that didn't happen here as Page was with him. TCW is run out of Arkansas, Mississippi and has vague association with Memphisish wrestling. There champion is fucking Lance Hoyt. I can only imagine what that locker room is like

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