sek69 Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Have a question about wrestling? Ask it here to see if any of our resident experts know the answer. I'll go first: What was the deal with Tully Blanchard's failed drug test that caused him to leave the WWF? I've heard two versions: 1. He had actually failed a test months before, and the WWF was just holding on to it so they had a card to play if Tully balked at doing a job or whatever. 2. It was bullshit, and they just said he failed a drug test so WCW wouldn't hire him back. I heard somewhere that Arn believed this was the case since guys like Warrior and Hogan were running around doing their famous coked-out promos yet Tully of all people is the one who gets pinched in a drug test.
Strummer Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Trying to figure this out for years: Why wasn't Paul Orndorff on the card for WM 3? Why was he persona non grata for most of 1987?
sek69 Posted March 28, 2006 Author Report Posted March 28, 2006 Trying to figure this out for years: Why wasn't Paul Orndorff on the card for WM 3? Why was he persona non grata for most of 1987? From what I've read, the arm injury that eventually ended his career first happened during his program with Hogan in 1986, and he didn't want to take the time to let it heal when he was making huge money. When his program with Hogan ended, I think he took the time to try to heal up afterwards.
Guest teke184 Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 Re: Tully Tully's suspension for coke use was supposedly to give him a foot in the ass on his way out the door, as he'd already quit the company. AFAIK, there wasn't a concerted effort to label him to the point that Turner couldn't hire him. The test wasn't bogus, as Tully himself said that he was using coke at the time but he felt he had a possible discrimination suit if he could prove that he was being targeted for coke use when guys like Hogan and Warrior should obviously have been testing positive for steroids (if not other substances, given their promos). Re: Orndorff Paul screwed up his arm and neck during his big run with Hogan in 1986 and didn't take off when he first hurt it. He appears to have taken time off from around Wrestlemania 3 (March 1987) to about July 1987, at which point he returned and was active through about November 1987. If he took those first few months off for something other than his neck and arm, I'm unaware of it.
sek69 Posted March 28, 2006 Author Report Posted March 28, 2006 I (and Arn too, apparently) tend to think that they did it knowing Turner wouldn't hire anyone on record failing a drug test. Since there really weren't any other options at the time, it pretty much ended his career until he started doing those reunion shows the last year or so. That's quite the dick move dropping a drug test on a guy who already gave notice. What did he do to warrant such cockery, or was it one of those "Vince being an asshole because he can" things?
Guest bravesfan Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 It was to fuck with the competition... because they would've done the same thing he would've done. I'd venture a guess that it was payback for Turner trying to fuck with Wrestlemania V by running Clash VI against it.
Resident Evil Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 I (and Arn too, apparently) tend to think that they did it knowing Turner wouldn't hire anyone on record failing a drug test. Since there really weren't any other options at the time, it pretty much ended his career until he started doing those reunion shows the last year or so. That's quite the dick move dropping a drug test on a guy who already gave notice. What did he do to warrant such cockery, or was it one of those "Vince being an asshole because he can" things? Tully was a real good wrestler and he was an important part of the WWF and WCW but I just can't see the WWF worrying about his importance that much in the overall scheme of things. I can see it happening though. From what I hear it sounded like Blanchard had some serious troubles.
sek69 Posted March 28, 2006 Author Report Posted March 28, 2006 Tully did have a drug problem, but it would seem quite odd for him to be the one to get fired when there were guys that would cut promos for TV coked out of their gourds.
kjh Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 The same thing happened to Scott Hall in the spring of 1996.
The Thread Killer Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 I saw a shoot interview with him where he claimed he knew he was being tested, so he deliberately flunked the test, so he could get his release...but then WCW wouldn't hire him because of it...so that's when he got cleaned up. Then again...rumor has it that wrestlers sometimes lie.
Guest savagerulz Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 The same thing happened to Scott Hall in the spring of 1996. Yep. He did it to Scott Hall too, and I know there was at least one other. It didn't keep Scott from being hired, but the suspension cost him some of the last paychecks he was set to earn and got it out in the open that he was a user (not that it would have taken anybody long to figure that out regardless).
sek69 Posted March 29, 2006 Author Report Posted March 29, 2006 So WWE canon acknowledges Andre as a former WWF/E champion for his 30 second reign after the Hebner angle, yet Ted DiBiase actually wrestled matches (and filmed promos wearing the belt) billed as the new WWF champion during that week between the Hebner angle and when Jack Tunney vacated the title and announced the WM IV tournament. How come he doesn't get recognized as a former champ?
Guest Cam Chaos Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Because he bought the belt, he didn't win it. Therefore they don't acknowledge the reign because he never actually won the belt by pinfall or submission. They acknowledge other dubious reigns with tainted victories despite this, however again in most of those cases someone actually lost somehow. Andre did pin Hulk, even if it was under strange circumstances. Does it make much sense? No, but such is the WWE way.
sek69 Posted March 29, 2006 Author Report Posted March 29, 2006 But he was being announced in matches as the new WWF champion, so for that week they were recognizing it.
Guest Cam Chaos Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 True. However I am guessing in WWE terms Tunney removed the reign from the record books as a result of the Twin Hebner's angle because the title did not change hands via pinfall or submission. I think the reason they ran with it for that week was maybe so it'd give Tunney justification to act and vacate the belt in disgust at Dibiase claiming to be WWF champion without having won a wrestling match. Who knows, maybe Dibiase bought off the Fink to announce him as WWF champion.
Loss Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 So WWE canon acknowledges Andre as a former WWF/E champion for his 30 second reign after the Hebner angle, yet Ted DiBiase actually wrestled matches (and filmed promos wearing the belt) billed as the new WWF champion during that week between the Hebner angle and when Jack Tunney vacated the title and announced the WM IV tournament. How come he doesn't get recognized as a former champ? Because Vince loves Andre and probably wanted to find a way to increase his posthumous legend even more than he already has. There is no truth in wrestling, only perception, and that's all it's about.
JHawk Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Also remember what Tunney said when he vacated the title. "The referee's decision is final." Even though the referee was an imposter, his decision was that Andre won the match by pinfall and therefore was the new champion.
Guest bravesfan Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Exactly. Tunney vacated the title because Andre gave it away, so Dibiase's reign is moot. Andre's reign is still recognized in the lineage of the title.
Guest bigm350 Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 I've got a question, after watching the Bret dvd. What did Rick Rude do for Bret? Bret was in tears, saying that he'll "never forget what Rick Rude did for me"? Something involving Rude taking Bret's side during the Screwjob? Or was it something completely different?
Loss Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Rude quit the WWF in protest I believe, although it's possible he had other motivations for doing so as well. Him showing up on RAW and Nitro at the same night -- clean shaven on one show with a beard on the other -- was a big deal at the time.
Guest bigm350 Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Rude quit the WWF in protest I believe, although it's possible he had other motivations for doing so as well. Him showing up on RAW and Nitro at the same night -- clean shaven on one show with a beard on the other -- was a big deal at the time. Ah, OK. Makes alot of sense. Thanks.
kjh Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 There is more to the story than Rude just quitting in protest. He rung up Eric Bischoff almost immediately after Montreal and convinced him that it was all a shoot - the match finish, Bret punching Vince, etc, not some sort of elaborate work. He talked about it in this Calgary Sun column when Rude died.
Guest KingPK Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 What should I search for on YouTube to get some good MMA and Puro matches? I assume that all the WWE stuff is gone by now.
Guest Dangerous A Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 Not sure if it's still up, but look for Takayama vs Frye from Pride. Just a blaze of a fight that only goes about 7 minutes or so. Type in the word "kenta" and you'll see some Kobashi and KENTA matches up.
MyOwnSummer Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 I finally found a copy of Ric Flair's book the other day at the used bookstore and picked it up, it was a pretty good read, one thing that I was wondering about was when he talked about the time WCW had him in an "asylum", he says that Scott Hall was shown in the skits, I vaguely recall that but I don't ever remember there being a reason for it. Was there one or was it just WCW being WCW?
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