Superstar Sleeze Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 O, The Barbarian, what an awful finisher you had when I was growing up: a boot to the chest. Not a big boot to the head, but just the chest. As a kid, I actually liked the Faces of Fear quite a bit and was psyched for their feud in 1998. Then I became a smart mark and thought people like Barbie suck. Well I have come full circle and Barbarian is totally bitchin'. One question that has been bugging me, is his name Barbarian or The Barbarian. WWF World Tag Champs Demolition vs Powers of Pain - Philly 7/88 This is before the Demos face turn so the Powers of Pain are actually babyfaces here. The double turn was a smart move as the Powers of Pain were not that charismatic to be babyfaces and the Demos were already getting face pops. Weird start to this match as Demolition is announced 3 times and takes 3 minutes before their music hits. Crowd gets a little restless. The one thing I really like about this match is that in every Demolition match so far, the babyface team has to double up their moves to gain the advantage on Demolition. In this match, Demolition has to double their moves to overwhelm the Powers of Pain. Other than that, it did not totally suck, which was a plus. Outside of Barbie nearly wiping out on a second rope elbow, he was by far the best wrestler in the match. Each time Demolition would do their stomping attacks, POP would counter that with their own power moves. Barbie hit a sweet clothesline. The Artist Formerly Known As The Masked Superstar hit a swinging neckbreaker on Barbarian. Barbarian was surprisingly effective in the FIP role, I mean you don't have much choice when you partner is the Personification of Suck, The Warlord. Barbarian starts to mount a comeback and the crowd actually responds, but he charges and his shoulder meets the post. Smash in an incredibly awkward move decides to stretch the other arm. Dude all you had to was take the injured shoulder and slam it against the post. Some chinlokcery follows and Smash runs into the Big Boot of the Barbarian. If this was WCW circa 1998, this match would be over, but it is not. It is 1988 WWF and He's Hardcore! Smash's heart don't pump kool-aid. But he is disoriented enough for Barbie to make the tag and lamest hot tag ever follows. Crowd does not give a shit about the Warlord and his awkward offense. They brawl to the outside and everyone gets counted out. Powers of Pain get their heat back by Irish Whipping Ax and Smash into each other. Demolition needed to use double teams to overwhelm the POP, which was about the only interesting nuance. The match did not suck, but it is nothing I will ever watch again. I do think this matchup of teams will be better once the double turn happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 I will write a lot more later, but just saw this as I am getting some stuff for my sick kid here at 2:45 AM ET... but as Soup23 and JerryVonKramer can attest to, I fuckin LOVE the Barbarian....will explain later...so glad to see him get a thread.. SO SO SO Underrated.....Big as fuck and Agile as fuck....who else is like that that get a TON of love? Blackwell....and yes, I love Jerry to! Now Blackwell is another type of big...but still....Big and Agile... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted July 27, 2013 Report Share Posted July 27, 2013 His name is Konga T. Barbarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 WOW - Two days and no more Barbarian love.... Barbarian is one of the best Big Men and most underrated Big Men of all time...I dont know many others with his size and build (so cut and with that "roided" really bulked up look) that is so agile and limber as he is.... In the ring, he moved like a smaller guy than him should and I dont know many others that had that build and look that could do that as well... From his time with Paul Jones as Konga in '85 the first time I saw him until his last days in WCW, he always was that agile... His IC TItle matches against Bret in 91 are really good (a few on colliseum Vid as well as his house shows...) and his tag team with Meng was great as well....but we all know that!!! I hated when they put him in that stupid deer like head dress and the stupid carpet like shoulder thing...I know it was a "Barbarian" type thing...but it sucked ass.....he deserved better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Sleeze Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 The Barbarian w/Bobby The Brain Heenan vs Tito Santana - 09/90 MSG What a massive disappointment! Here I was thinking getting Barbarian in a longish (15+ mins) against Tito was going to make my Sunday Night instead it left me with a case of wrestling blue balls. The beginning was fine with Tito establishing some quickness that cause Barbie to seek refuge on the outside with Heenan. You could tell he could move quickly, but he was moving purposefully slow as if he was instructed that was how a man his size should work. Well fuck that person! Tito did some basic headlock work and then Barbir just sort of took over with methodical stomps and two bearhugs. Barbarian ascended to the top and the announcers said this was not his domain even though I had seen multiple times hit moves off the top. Here he does miss the shoulder block. Ugh, now the announcers can be all smug about it. Tito ascends, which I have never seen before, but the announcers make it sound like it is second home. Barbarian rolls through his cross body block to pick up the victory. 1990 was a really uneven year for Tito. He had some great stuff with Martel and Perfect, but was booked the majority of the year against The Warlord and Akeem. Pretty much those two and Brutus Beefcake are the Unholy Trinity of WWF Suck, poor, poor Tito! This match also sucked, for shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 His finisher in the NWA was a flying headbutt from the top rope. He was awesome in Paul Jones' Army. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 The Barbarian w/Bobby The Brain Heenan vs Tito Santana - 09/90 MSG What a massive disappointment! Here I was thinking getting Barbarian in a longish (15+ mins) against Tito was going to make my Sunday Night instead it left me with a case of wrestling blue balls. The beginning was fine with Tito establishing some quickness that cause Barbie to seek refuge on the outside with Heenan. You could tell he could move quickly, but he was moving purposefully slow as if he was instructed that was how a man his size should work. Well fuck that person! Tito did some basic headlock work and then Barbir just sort of took over with methodical stomps and two bearhugs. Barbarian ascended to the top and the announcers said this was not his domain even though I had seen multiple times hit moves off the top. Here he does miss the shoulder block. Ugh, now the announcers can be all smug about it. Tito ascends, which I have never seen before, but the announcers make it sound like it is second home. Barbarian rolls through his cross body block to pick up the victory. 1990 was a really uneven year for Tito. He had some great stuff with Martel and Perfect, but was booked the majority of the year against The Warlord and Akeem. Pretty much those two and Brutus Beefcake are the Unholy Trinity of WWF Suck, poor, poor Tito! This match also sucked, for shame. I like his WCCW match in Ft. Worth 1983 vs. Jimmy Garvin..he was Tonga John then, but showed some promise for such a big dude.. 1990-1991 was his peak as a singles guy though..the Bret matches are all really good...his match vs. Tito at WM 6 was a good 4 minute affair....His matches vs. Bossman were serviceable.... My only major disappointment was his WCW Title match vs. Ron Simmons at Havoc '92. I enjoyed the build and his role with Cactus being his manager and training him during the build-up. But the match was a piece of dog shit...completely....I think it tanked any shot he had of being a single going forward, which sucked as I dont think it was his ability, but more of the fact that he and Simmons just didnt click in the ring at all....and Simmons to me was never any good as a single to carry a match. As a tag, the Faces of Fear were fuckin great, just got stuck behind Hall and Nash and never had anyone put anything real into a push....a tag title reign should have happened somewhere between 96 and 98. Actually, they should have kept him and Haku together in 91 WWF...a feud with the Warriors could have been good.... Finally, his big boot got to be a real killer lookin move as the 90's went on...took heads off with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartelFan38 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Barbarian vs. Bret at Summerslam Showdown '91 was a very solid match. Also, against Rockers w/ Haku at WM7 was really good. He had a really strong 1991, makes you wonder why they didn't do more with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Haku and him probably suffered from Heenan retiring from managing, since they had little promo skills. They could have at least put someone like Jimmy Hart or Bruno with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartelFan38 Posted September 8, 2013 Report Share Posted September 8, 2013 Agreed- they could have had some really good matches with the LOD around this time. I know they wrestled at a few house shows, but if they stayed together with a strong manager they could have boosted a tag division that took a hit with Demolition & the Harts splitting up and P&G fading at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted September 9, 2013 Report Share Posted September 9, 2013 The closest thing to an angle they had all year was them and Bobby against the Orient Express and Fuji that was just limited to a couple of MSG shows in the summer of '91. There's a match with Kato and Fuji (I think Tanaka was away for personal reasons) against Haku and Barb that's quite funny because it's probably the only time in his career that Heenan is a face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartelFan38 Posted September 10, 2013 Report Share Posted September 10, 2013 I think it makes it even more impressive that the WWF was not behind him and he still was impressive in the ring. They could have done so much more with him, it's a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted September 17, 2013 Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 WCW had him on the upper card for awhile, most notably in his Halloween Havoc match with Simmons. Then he basically vanished once Watts was gone and wasn't seen until his brief stint with WWF in 94-95. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britwresdvds Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 I realise this has nothing to do with his in-ring work, but just thought I'd put it out there.... Barb has always come with this reputation as being one of those 'trash the hotel room and cause mayhem' kind of guys. When I worked with him in 2003, that couldn't have been further from the truth. I've met a lot of wrestlers over my time and he ranks right up there as one of the nicest, most genuine, most relaxed and laid back people I've ever met. Even when things were going wrong after one of the shows, and others on the tour were kicking off over the arrangements (or lack of them), Barb was cool as a cucumber. I wouldn't doubt his tough-guy reputation, should the situation arise, but as for being aggressive, he couldn't have been further from that. Good at basketball too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 Based on the PoP shoot that I have watched, he pretty much admitted that he would get into fights when he drank, "That's why I don't drink anymore." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrainfollower Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Watched Supertape 3 today. his match with Snuka is the pits. I think Barb had the tools but not the mind to be a great wrestler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Did Snuka have any good matches at all during that period? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Lacelle Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 From 89-92 I think he had 0 good matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrainfollower Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Oh I am not blaming Barbie for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Bagwell Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 that kick of his was awesome and most of the time was in the head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 From 89-92 I think he had 0 good matches. WM7 tag opener. WM6 vs Tito is two in that time frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 From 89-92 I think he had 0 good matches. WM7 tag opener. WM6 vs Tito is two in that time frame. They're talking about Snuka, not Barbarian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 From 89-92 I think he had 0 good matches. WM7 tag opener. WM6 vs Tito is two in that time frame. They're talking about Snuka, not Barbarian. Silly assumptions in a Barbie thread. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 3, 2016 Report Share Posted February 3, 2016 I like Snuka vs Michaels at MSG in 92. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodear Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Barbarian is one of those guys with immense physical tools and skills but is missing an intangible charisma that would have made him a transcendent superstar. Not that he had a bad career by any measure but you would have thought he had the potential for a main event run somewhere when you consider his physical gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.