Classic Wrestling Discussion (as in non-current): Part II

[S A W F T*]

We can use the term "classic" pretty loosely, as we can really consider anything non current as "classic" for this thread. So if you were watching a PPV from 2 years ago, go ahead and post it with your thoughts.

Really enjoying bruins' writeups. I'll post my comments as I continue to watch the Attitude Era again from start to finish. In case you didn't know, there are two years worth of Attitude Era RAWs on WWE Network.

Merry Christmas!

 

[bruins309]

Farewell old thread. You kinda changed my life since I started a blog out of it.

Love reading other people's thoughts here and what they're watching. There is so much old stuff out there for everyone to enjoy.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I remember when I wanted to do that Shield project in the old thread and never got around to finishing it. Oh well.

 

[HeymanGuy]

Year 2000 is up on the Nertwork now guys. Hard to believe it's 15 years old now.... what a year that was.

 

[17futurecap]

Every Raw is on the Network, outside of the most recent ones, just have to click on Raw Replays, not the Attitude Era link.

 

[Kimi]

Every Raw is on the Network, outside of the most recent ones, just have to click on Raw Replays, not the Attitude Era link.

They're not.

 

[S A W F T*]

Watching RAW 1000 now, its on WWE Network.

Such a great show so far.

This was during the period I coldfturkey'd WWE, so it's awesome to watch it for the first time!

 

[17futurecap]

They're not.

That's what I get for never clicking on the 2000's years of Raw.

 

[bruins309]

Working on an article on the Rock in 1997 and in researching the birth of the People's Elbow, I have traced the first one on TV to October 20th on Ken Shamrock.

What's funny is that it was ALSO during that match where DX stands on the stage flashing signs like "I'd rather be in Chyna" and HHH's "who booked this crap". So yeah, a lot going on in that segment.

That is also the RAW of Jeff Jarrett's return worked shoot interview, aka the only time I actually kinda liked him.

 

[Kimi]

That's what I get for never clicking on the 2000's years of Raw.

While a most of the early ones are there, there a lot still missing if you actually look. Like once you hit the mid 300s onwards, there's loads still missing. A bunch were added a few weeks, so they're still adding them at least.

 

[bruins309]

Wrote about the 1996 Rumble, a blah match if you ask me:
- Triple H and Bob Holly with a combined 85 minutes or so totalling 1/2 an elimination between them
- Vader's debut and that missed opportunity, along with his mid-match rampage after being eliminated that confused everyone.
- The lack of anyone standing out, even Shawn Michaels was rather pedestrian.

http://section309.com/2015/12/29/96rumble/

I also wrote about The Rock's 1997 -http://section309.com/2015/12/28/rock1997/

I really enjoy writing those "yearbook" things on various wrestlers. It's a lot of fun to comb through everything and see how they progressed. The Rock in late '97 was just a joy and a revelation.

 

[Engebretson]

Loved your review of the 95 Rumble, Bruins. I don't care what anybody says, I still love that year's Rumble on nostalgia alone.

Something happened in that event that is one of my biggest Rumble pet peeves and something that I had commented on in the previous thread. Dick Murdoch (noted babyface and hero of Bruins309) is trying to press slam Shawn Michaels (heel) out of the ring but is stopped by Lex Luger (also babyface). What logical reason would Luger have for doing this? Obviously, it isn't based on any face/heel standing, because a face just stopped a face from eliminating a heel. Did he have a mini heel-turn and then turn face 8 seconds later? Even Lawler points this out in his commentary and Vince tries to make the excuse that Luger would rather face a tired Michaels, but Lawler quickly tears that theory apart.

Also, I love how Vince talks about Luger's Rumble win from the year before where both his and Bret's feet touched at the same time and how that will never happen again. 10 years later, it would happen again and then Vince would do the most Kevin Nash thing ever and tear both his quads while attempting to resolve it.

 

[bruins309]

In watching all these Rumbles, I've developed a fondness for certain things that have repeated over time:

- Random legends doing stuff
- Any time commentary actually references something historical
- Guy who had prior feuds going at it again (like Valentine-Santana)
- Ricky Martel
- Anything where I can bring up Royal Rumble Game Theory

To that last one and Engebretson's comment on Luger and Michaels: when I watch this, in my head I make believe that everything is a continuation for that character. For example, when Bulldog attacks Haku, its because he is still mad he was one of the Islanders who kidnapped Matilda. Luger and Michaels: maybe they have a secret alliance still that dates all the way to WrestleMania 9 when Lex set up Perfect to be attacked by Shawn. Don't put it past Lex, since later in '95 he had that weird deal where he's friends with Sting, but hanging with Jimmy Hart and the Dungeon of Doom.

This is the madness that goes on in my head.

I am guessing that I won't get thru every Rumble by the time the 2016 one airs. Once I get past 2002/03 I might pick and choose. Over the weekend, I'll probably do a post about the first 10 Rumbles and the 3-5 best matches from them since I avoided everything but the main Rumble match.

I am legitimately worried that re-watching the 1999 Rumble is going to break my spirit. My God, what a freaking trainwreck.

 

[HeymanGuy]

I was so excited for the 96 one at the time, to see Michaels come back, Vader debut and Bret vs Undertaker.

 

[bruins309]

Been busy the last two days:

The 1997 Rumble wherein Steve Austin goes to that Rick Martel/Ric Flair level

A look at a Saturday Night's Main Event from March 1986, that I watched as I was trying to build industrial storage shelves so I was clearly in a sour mood when I watched. It was like an old NWA show, with heels beating down faces aplenty. Mr. T had outlived his usefulness by then, I reckon.

Model Year Wrestler this week is 1989 Ricky Steamboat and I even put up a shoddy looking poll to choose next week's feature. Choices are '86 Piper, '88 Andre, and '89 Beefcake. Yeah I dont think the Barber is gonna win that one.

 

[bruins309]

Watched the 1998 Rumble this morning and I loved it even more than I did last year. Very nice to have Jim Ross on that one and Vince out of the booth.

- The Rock was so phenomenal...how did I forget he did TWO People's Elbows? And he was fighting other members of the Nation too, and not just Farooq, I mean Kama and D-Lo too.
- I've noticed in watching all these Rumbles that there is a period where the match has to "settle" like a soda that has a lot of foam on top and you have to wait for it to go away. It has to breathe.
- I didn't even mind that '98 had a lot of tag wrestlers in it, a sign of a very thin roster. And the Foley coming in three times deal was excellent.
- Jeff Jarrett in the stupid Aztec outfit. And feuding with Owen Hart too, talk about stuff swept under the rug.
- Mike Tyson is a legit wrestling fan which made it funnier with him calling Austin "Cold Stone"

The article is up now: http://wp.me/s705Cs-98rumble

 

[Serac]

Watched the Raw flashback on the network of January 29th 1996
Where Piper was enacted as president of the WWF

I miss Piper
Was a nice segment

 

[S A W F T*]

Watched the 1998 Rumble this morning and I loved it even more than I did last year. Very nice to have Jim Ross on that one and Vince out of the booth.

- The Rock was so phenomenal...how did I forget he did TWO People's Elbows? And he was fighting other members of the Nation too, and not just Farooq, I mean Kama and D-Lo too.
- I've noticed in watching all these Rumbles that there is a period where the match has to "settle" like a soda that has a lot of foam on top and you have to wait for it to go away. It has to breathe.
- I didn't even mind that '98 had a lot of tag wrestlers in it, a sign of a very thin roster. And the Foley coming in three times deal was excellent.
- Jeff Jarrett in the stupid Aztec outfit. And feuding with Owen Hart too, talk about stuff swept under the rug.
- Mike Tyson is a legit wrestling fan which made it funnier with him calling Austin "Cold Stone"

Ahhh the reminiscence! This was the first Wrestling event I ever watched and was hooked immediately. Albeit I was a kid and really anything WWF did at that time was exciting to most kids.

 

[Loosie]

Watched the 1998 Rumble this morning and I loved it even more than I did last year. Very nice to have Jim Ross on that one and Vince out of the booth.

- The Rock was so phenomenal...how did I forget he did TWO People's Elbows? And he was fighting other members of the Nation too, and not just Farooq, I mean Kama and D-Lo too.
- I've noticed in watching all these Rumbles that there is a period where the match has to "settle" like a soda that has a lot of foam on top and you have to wait for it to go away. It has to breathe.
- I didn't even mind that '98 had a lot of tag wrestlers in it, a sign of a very thin roster. And the Foley coming in three times deal was excellent.
- Jeff Jarrett in the stupid Aztec outfit. And feuding with Owen Hart too, talk about stuff swept under the rug.
- Mike Tyson is a legit wrestling fan which made it funnier with him calling Austin "Cold Stone"

I still love that he did that too. When Mankind was eliminated you were just waiting to find out when Dude Love would come out. I actually enjoyed the whole 3 Faces of Foley stage of his career.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Considering the title is on the line this year. 92 Rumble should be required viewing before anyone watches this year. So they all know how it is supposed to be done.

 

[tp71]

Considering the title is on the line this year. 92 Rumble should be required viewing before anyone watches this year. So they all know how it is supposed to be done.

After all these years, it's still not fair to Flair.

 

[bruins309]

Considering the title is on the line this year. 92 Rumble should be required viewing before anyone watches this year. So they all know how it is supposed to be done.

It's my favorite match of all time. No use hiding it, already wrote a love letter to it here. So perfectly booked, so many legends.

And yet in my Rumble journey, I'm watching 1999 tomorrow. Yuck.

 

[NYGBleedBlueNYR]

And yet in my Rumble journey, I'm watching 1999 tomorrow. Yuck.

oh boy, barely made it through 1999 the other day. Played a lot of gridlock during it too

 

[bruins309]

oh boy, barely made it through 1999 the other day. Played a lot of gridlock during it too

What I wrote about 1999 is shorter than the other years but I did have some fun with it at the end, making an alternate booking case for D-LO BROWN to win the 1999 Rumble. This is definitely going to be the weirdest three stars I will ever hand out because of how everything went down.

I couldn't give a star to Austin because he didn't sell the D-Lo frog splash to my liking and he looked like a buffoon at the end. And without Undertaker, Rock, and Foley and no random legends, something was definitely lacking.

http://section309.com/2016/01/10/99rumble/

 

[Emperoreddy]

It's my favorite match of all time. No use hiding it, already wrote a love letter to it here. So perfectly booked, so many legends.

And yet in my Rumble journey, I'm watching 1999 tomorrow. Yuck.

Woof 99 was bad.

Sorry to interrupt the Rumble-thon. Just figured since the 2016 Rumble will now be the 2nd Rumble where the title is on the line, made sense for me to go rewatch 92.

WWE has unwittingly, and EXTREMELY unfairly put the 2016 up against 92, and asked Roman to do a iron man to win the title that is going to fall utterly short of Flair's performance. Almost feel bad for the guy.

I do hope that the stipulation gets lots of new and younger fans to spend time and watch this marvel. And learn why Flair is a hall of famer in the same breath (because old man Flair on TV isn't helping).'

I think my favorite moment is when the ring is clear, and then Piper is next and Flair immediately hits the mat in his begging position. ****ing PERFECT