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Greatest performances in ad-hoc last-minute-change situations


JerryvonKramer

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When I mentioned "trouble" in the Heenan Family earlier, it got me thinking about Survivor Series 89 and just how amazing Arn, Haku and Heenan are in that match given the circumstances with Tully.

 

I was thinking: is this the best example of a group of guys just staying completely pro and pulling out a great performance to salvage a match, despite last-minute changes of plan? What other examples are there?

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Well the worst is Shawn at Beware of Dog...

 

Bret at SummerSlam '92? Does Hokuto working through the broken neck count? Or the Misawa shoulder injury deal in '92? I dunno, they're just off my head but there are plenty I'm forgetting right now.

 

(I didn't mention in the other thread but Paul playing off Punk's rant on Raw is the kind of thing most guys wouldn't pick up on).

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Pillman and Mero being told they were going 25+

 

The Baba & Hansen team in the 1993 Tag League. To a lesser degree, the Williams & Bubba team in the same tag league, though they at least knew they would be together by the time they were flying in.

 

It might be worth watching Akiyama's 1992 Tag League performances and consider the context. He debuted on 09/17/92. This is two series later. He's stepping into Jumbo's spot as Taue's partner, which is beyond impossible to do. It's not like he had MOTYC, but the Taue & Jun vs Gordy & Williams, Baba & Kobashi and Misawa & Kawada are all watching on various levels. Pretty brutal for someone less than three months to step into that. He doesn't exactly fall flat on his face.

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Everyone on Prime Time Wrestling as Mr. Perfect was shoehorned into the departing Ultimate Warrior's spot at Survivor Series. One of the things on the '92 Yearbook I'm looking forward to most.

 

I have no earthly idea where Scott Keith pulled that bullshit about "five minutes' notice" for Muta and Armstrong, but there's no reason to believe that it's true, and it's a shitty match anyway.

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Foley wrestling the HIAC match completely out on his feet after being thrown off the cage, and Taker for keeping the match together (basically by just beating the shit out of Foley, but it's what Mick wanted....), and Funk, and Hebner, Jim Ross.........everyone involved in that match was a f'n trooper. Even to this day, that whole deal is totally insane to me and we will never see anything like that ever again

 

I've never seen Over the Edge 99 and I never want to. I was following the show on the internet, WWF on AOL IIRC, but that had to be horrible for everyone expected to perform after that. Every review of the show is that the guys were just dead inside going through the motions trying to put on brave faces.

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What about the Summerslam main event where Angle was knocked loopy and had to leave for a solid chunk of the match?

This is mine. I watched this match quite a few times before I learned about the context and never once realised that it wasn't supposed to happen that way.

 

The way they not only hold the match together but also perfectly incorporated it into the Steph angle by having her drag him back out was amazing.

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Pillman and Mero being told they were going 25+

Top, top match. Fuck what that miserable, ungrateful and cheap twat Foley says. Mero was a decent worker.

 

As regards the OP though, I imagine they had a fair few hours to plan that match out. Arn Anderson was a fucking superstar in it though. Top stuff.

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As regards the OP though, I imagine they had a fair few hours to plan that match out. Arn Anderson was a fucking superstar in it though. Top stuff.

Tully's last date in WWF was November 1, so they had 3 weeks to plan that match out. Whatever the case, one of my favorite Series matches ever, aside from the two 20-man tag matches.

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Pillman and Mero being told they were going 25+

Top, top match. Fuck what that miserable, ungrateful and cheap twat Foley says. Mero was a decent worker.

 

As regards the OP though, I imagine they had a fair few hours to plan that match out. Arn Anderson was a fucking superstar in it though. Top stuff.

 

I always wondered if when Foley said Marc, he really meant Sable.
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Wasn't there a Great Muta vs Brad Armstrong match on Nitro that was done on about 5 minutes notice?

No. The Muta-Armstrong match was a WCWSN match that was hyped the week before and got mixed reviews at best. The 5 minute notice thing as far as I can tell originated with Scott Keith and is bullshit.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Pillman and Mero being told they were going 25+

Top, top match. Fuck what that miserable, ungrateful and cheap twat Foley says. Mero was a decent worker.

 

I love that match! What does Foley say? And what makes you say he's a sleazy horrible shit?!

 

His behaviour at a convention I worked with him at was horrible. Not a pleasant man to the people who paid their hard earned for a picture with him, tried to get people to buy him food although he made a shedload that day, and his demeanour when he talks to females is really slimy. He's like a fucking lounge lizard when he speaks to them. Really uncomfortable stuff. His weird behaviour in Hardcore Diaries when he talks about Melina should have been a massive hint, in hindsight.

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