Comments that don't warrant a thread - Part 4

[Loss]

He said he wouldn't say anything about him out of respect for his family.

[Big Pete]

Spicolli would ride with the Kliq whenever they got split into A and B tours, the Kliq were fans of his work and Hall wanted to give him that rub in WCW.

I'd like to think he would have continued as a journey man wrestler. Louie would have continued working with Hall before Scott took time off, then he'd find himself working main events on Thunder, mostly taking the falls against the Wolfpac and Diamond Dallas Page. He'd get frustrated but Terry Taylor would be a fan and he'd draft him over to the WWF where he would become somebodies lackey. It would only last a hot minute before he'd find himself in ECW, he'd have a nice run and turn a few heads earning him a WWF re-call where he would have one memorable backstage segment before being released in one of those big releases. He'd find himself working all those outlaw shows circa 2002-04 with a few international tours on the side. He'd then quietly semi-retire and become a trainer with a good rep before he leaves one of the majors and opens up his own school. He'd release one great shoot interview which would have made him another cult legend and that would be that.

[C.S.]

On 5/25/2020 at 4:34 PM, Superstar Sleeze said:

What did people think of Louie Spicolli in 1997? 

Still a work in progress.

He was a jobber for several years under his own name. Rad Radford in the WWF might have been in his first real push, but the gimmick was abysmal shit - like so many of the time period. I didn't see him in ECW. His WCW push as Hall's lackey was interesting and had potential, but of course no one knows the outcome of that because he died so young. 

[MoS]

This crossed my mind while reading the excellent Tokyo Dome wrestling history book -  sellouts in the Tokyo Dome were announced at higher figures in the late 80s and 90s than they have been for the recent 1/4 NJPW shows. Of course, the earlier figures were worked - 60k is an obvious massive exaggeration - but is the difference explained just by figures being worked back then? Or does NJPW not put as many tickets on sale as they used to back in the day?

[Laz]

Isn't the stage bigger now? Zoning codes may have also been changed following various disasters, as even nightclub capacities in the state of Rhode Island went down after the Station fire of 1999.

[MoS]

The stage could be bigger now - I don't know, honestly. WWE sets certainly take a lot more space than they used to. 

[Al]

52 minutes ago, Laz said:

Isn't the stage bigger now? Zoning codes may have also been changed following various disasters, as even nightclub capacities in the state of Rhode Island went down after the Station fire of 1999.

Hillsborough was April of '89 and certainly had an effect on how stadiums operate in Britain. Don't know if or how that carried over to Japan though.

[brockobama]

My understanding is that it's a combination of a much larger stage, possible legal restrictions that have changed over the years, and the fact that they absolutely did draw more back when the company was hotter. With a capacity of 57,000, supposedly, and the ability to cram people in like they can't today, I don't see 60k being far-fetched, especially for the UWFi feud or the Choshu and Inoki retirements.

[MoS]

Was the capacity for wrestling ever 57k legit? Maybe when they started holding shows there, esp with the first couple of shows headlined around Maeda's UWF.

[brockobama]

That's the number that gets bandied around for regular arena seating plus the floor, though their site is saying 55,000. I'm sure you're right in that it used to be higher but I wouldn't know when exactly those changes took place and/or were enforced.

[ohtani's jacket]

The Tokyo Dome has a capacity of 55k. Any figure above that is worked. 

[C.S.]

12 hours ago, MoS said:

This crossed my mind while reading the excellent Tokyo Dome wrestling history book  

What book is this?

[MoS]

1 hour ago, C.S. said:

What book is this?

https://www.amazon.com/Eggshells-Pro-Wrestling-Tokyo-Dome-ebook/dp/B07DNG71V1

[MoS]

4 hours ago, brockobama said:

That's the number that gets bandied around for regular arena seating plus the floor, though their site is saying 55,000. I'm sure you're right in that it used to be higher but I wouldn't know when exactly those changes took place and/or were enforced.

Thanks. One thing is clear from this discussion: they would absolutely sell more tickets back then. I wonder if NJPW will ever have 50k in the building again.

[Stiva]

7 hours ago, MoS said:

https://www.amazon.com/Eggshells-Pro-Wrestling-Tokyo-Dome-ebook/dp/B07DNG71V1

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I had no idea it was out there. I’m about 50-60 pages in and can recommend it already.

[ohtani's jacket]

Do people really think the Tokyo Dome is such a big deal? I guess I am more used to Tokyo Dome City but there is nothing sacred about it to me. 

[Laz]

It's kinda like how mythical CBGB's was made out to be when it was really a dive bar, or how Space Mountain is a top 5 rollercoaster despite it being the most tame of Disney's coasters.

[El-P]

17 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

Do people really think the Tokyo Dome is such a big deal? 

Because it is. NJPW has been running it since 89, tons of iconic moments and cards have happened in this building.

[MoS]

16 minutes ago, Laz said:

It's kinda like how mythical CBGB's was made out to be when it was really a dive bar, or how Space Mountain is a top 5 rollercoaster despite it being the most tame of Disney's coasters.

I'd rather compare it to MSG and American wrestling, given how mythologised it has been by the dominant American wrestling company. 

I personally prefer the classic 90s AJPW Budokan atmosphere.

[ohtani's jacket]

Someone should write a book about Korakuen Hall. I only went there for the first time last year, but that's a real venue. 

[Boss Rock]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:07 AM, MoS said:

I'd rather compare it to MSG and American wrestling, given how mythologised it has been by the dominant American wrestling company. 

I personally prefer the classic 90s AJPW Budokan atmosphere.

Reminds me of when Kobashi said he has a much greater attachment to Budokan than the Dome because the crowd is much closer to the ring and everything is easier to hear/see. Although I totally get why the Dome is considered a huge deal.

[MoS]

30 years ago, the ultimate embodiment of the ace was crowned. 

 

[El-P]

Crazy story about Baba changing the finish on that very day, listening to the audience chanting MI-SA-WA hours before the event. Truly legendary match.

[sek69]

13 minutes ago, El-P said:

Crazy story about Baba changing the finish on that very day, listening to the audience chanting MI-SA-WA hours before the event. Truly legendary match.

Baba gets all the props (as he should) for going with what the crowd clearly was clamoring for, but Jumbo deserves some as well for being a pro and going along with the finish being changed at the last moment. I don't think most guys in the US in his position would have done so without pitching a fit. 

[NintendoLogic]

Looking back, it's pretty striking how many of Baba's major booking decisions were forced on him by outside events. He broke up Jumbo and Tenryu after Choshu returned to New Japan. He strapped the rocket to Misawa after Tenryu jumped to SWS. He broke up Misawa and Kawada after hepatitis ended Jumbo's career. If Baba could be faulted for anything as a booker, it was his tendency to play a pat hand for too long in the absence of external pressure. Come to think of it, the formation of SWS had to be the ultimate blessing in disguise. Not only did it provide the impetus for Misawa's main event push, it allowed Kawada and Kobashi to move up the ranks much faster than they would have with the likes of Yoshiaki Yatsu and The Great Kabuki clogging up the midcard.