Classic Wrestling Discussion: Part III & Wrestler Poll

[These Are The Days]

Austin arrested on Raw again this time after No Way Out. Kurt Angle is not only an Olympic Hero but he is a community hero. We finally got to hear his historic, earth shattering announcement that he is not only just going to Mania X8 but he's gonna be champ - IN SPITE of Austin holding the show hostage demanding the NWO come out

Kurt is #1 in the ring and in my heart. You sick fans need to show HIM some respeck!


Edit: FLAIR IS MAKING A REMATCH???!!! NO! NO!! NO!!! YOU'RE SCREWING AN AMERICAN PATRIOT! THIS IS BS! I WON'T STAND FOR IT! MY OLYMPIC HERO IS GOING TO WRESTLEMANIA!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HIM!!!

I'm rage quitting Raw for a minute here




And to be serious for a minute, it's been 25 minutes of Raw with a Hardys tag match and all they talked about was NWO. This is why struggle with WCW

 

[boredmale]

Fralic employed a similar tactic, except instead of baseball he said he would become a pro wrestler.

That was actually the first battle Royal I ever saw so I still have vivid memories of it(probably because I watched it at least 20 times. lol). I know people bash Wrestlemania 2 but between that and the Bulldogs match I thought it was decent

 

[Unholy Diver]

Just watching WCW World War III 1995 in the background while working today

It's not quite "Sufferin Succotash" but the Giant just threatened the Hulkster with "Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm gonna kick your butt to Kalamazoo"

 

[BruinDust]

Just watching WCW World War III 1995 in the background while working today

It's not quite "Sufferin Succotash" but the Giant just threatened the Hulkster with "Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm gonna kick your butt to Kalamazoo"

I had this event on VHS once upon a time. The Kalamazoo line is classic.

The Randy Savage and Ric Flair promos before their matches (Savage vs. Luger, Flair vs. Sting) were golden.

 

[Unholy Diver]

I had this event on VHS once upon a time. The Kalamazoo line is classic.

The Randy Savage and Ric Flair promos before their matches (Savage vs. Luger, Flair vs. Sting) were golden.

The opportunity to see the Yetay in action would be worth the cost of the tape alone

The Norfolk Scope was a neat little arena, I wonder if AEW or WWE have had any shows there any time recently, that was a JCP/NWA/WCW hotbed

 

[BruinDust]

The opportunity to see the Yetay in action would be worth the cost of the tape alone

The Norfolk Scope was a neat little arena, I wonder if AEW or WWE have had any shows there any time recently, that was a JCP/NWA/WCW hotbed

I know WCW used to run the place often. It's probably most famous in WWE for being the arena "invaded" by DX.

WWE have run the place. Here's a pic from a Monday Night Raw, but I couldn't place the year.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Chris Cruise joined for the announce crew of the WW3 match, and I think an empty chair would have been better

 

[BruinDust]

Chris Cruise joined for the announce crew of the WW3 match, and I think an empty chair would have been better

One of the few times I had heard Chris Cruise call matches. I had no idea who he was at the time but remember how awful he was, especially when compared directly to the other two announce crews

(In the WW3 match, they would switch between the three announce crews depending on which of the three rings it was showing on-screen.)I think it was Tony & Heenan as one. Bischoff and I think Dusty was the other. I can't even remember who worked with Cruise? Zbysko?

 

[Unholy Diver]

One of the few times I had heard Chris Cruise call matches. I had no idea who he was at the time but remember how awful he was, especially when compared directly to the other two announce crews

(In the WW3 match, they would switch between the three announce crews depending on which of the three rings it was showing on-screen.)I think it was Tony & Heenan as one. Bischoff and I think Dusty was the other. I can't even remember who worked with Cruise? Zbysko?

Yeah Larry was with Cruise and thankfully it was just for part of that match

I believe Cruise was the guy who complained or snitched to an athletic commission about bleeding during an AEW show

They also kept calling Ron Reis the Yeti during his brief time in the match even though he was dressed as the Giant Ninja, I guess he switched gimmicks and didn't tell anyone

 

[These Are The Days]

About 2 weeks from Mania X8 and this is getting great. Is Paul Heyman writing and booking?Because holy crap this is amazing. I will say that Billy and Chuck feel like the very first evidence of end of the Attitude Era. Don't get me wrong I am a huge fan but this gimmick is some Funkasaurus, Fandango, Boogeyman shit that we'd have NEVER gotten in 1999

Loved Taker beating the hell out of David Flair

 

[CDJ]

Crazy they didn’t do more with the Burchill pirate gimmick

 

[CDJ]

Watching Takeovers because I missed pretty much all of them starting in 2016/2017

Authors of Pain vs FTR vs DIY was amazing

 

[Grackle Party]

Watching Takeovers because I missed pretty much all of them starting in 2016/2017

Authors of Pain vs FTR vs DIY was amazing

The golden age of NXT was top tier

 

[ahmedou]

 

[These Are The Days]

Almost to WrestleMania 18

The Rock is God

Not ready for the Attitude Era to end

I am remembering how awesome Cena was coming in and am beyond excited

I miss Foley

Christ I need to remember Austin isn't going to be around much longer either. It's a shame because he was booked so high atop the mountain he had no higher to go. Nothing feels the same with him anymore.

Can someone... ANYONE please explain to me why I should give a f*** about Kevin Nash aside from the fact he was involved in the greatest angle ever? Dude I don't care that you were Diesel in 1996. As far as I'm concerned he made the right friends because being there for a month and doing nothing sure as hell doesn't make care. Congrats you're the tallest obnoxious person I've ever seen. Even out of character

Starting to wonder if Paul Heyman didn't pull Vince aside and convince him to invent the Ruthless Aggression Era for the sake of Lesnar. The run I'm about to witness is genuinely insane

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Almost to WrestleMania 18

The Rock is God

Not ready for the Attitude Era to end

I am remembering how awesome Cena was coming in and am beyond excited

I miss Foley

Christ I need to remember Austin isn't going to be around much longer either. It's a shame because he was booked so high atop the mountain he had no higher to go. Nothing feels the same with him anymore.

Can someone... ANYONE please explain to me why I should give a f*** about Kevin Nash aside from the fact he was involved in the greatest angle ever? Dude I don't care that you were Diesel in 1996. As far as I'm concerned he made the right friends because being there for a month and doing nothing sure as hell doesn't make care. Congrats you're the tallest obnoxious person I've ever seen. Even out of character

Starting to wonder if Paul Heyman didn't pull Vince aside and convince him to invent the Ruthless Aggression Era for the sake of Lesnar. The run I'm about to witness is genuinely insane

Maybe. Looking back it was some very fortuitous timing for WWE and Lesnar.

You had both The Rock and Austin stepping away at basically the same time creating a massive void, the WWE then had a cant miss superstar in Lesnar (and Cena just after) come up at that same time. Makes perfect sense in retrospect for them to have the changing of the guard kick off a new era.

But back then, it was a massive risk and pretty ballsy to "leave" the Attitude Era given how much money it made everyone

 

[Megahab]

Maybe. Looking back it was some very fortuitous timing for WWE and Lesnar.

You had both The Rock and Austin stepping away at basically the same time creating a massive void, the WWE then had a cant miss superstar in Lesnar (and Cena just after) come up at that same time. Makes perfect sense in retrospect for them to have the changing of the guard kick off a new era.

But back then, it was a massive risk and pretty ballsy to "leave" the Attitude Era given how much money it made everyone

Orton and Batista too. Lesnar, Orton and Batista I believe all debuted within a week or two of each other in March/April. Cena in 2002.

I think the closest thing (yet so far away) to that happening since is The Shield debut. Big E debuted about a month later.

 

[These Are The Days]

Maybe. Looking back it was some very fortuitous timing for WWE and Lesnar.

You had both The Rock and Austin stepping away at basically the same time creating a massive void, the WWE then had a cant miss superstar in Lesnar (and Cena just after) come up at that same time. Makes perfect sense in retrospect for them to have the changing of the guard kick off a new era.

But back then, it was a massive risk and pretty ballsy to "leave" the Attitude Era given how much money it made everyone

I just don't get how a guy with less than 6 months in the company gets push like that. I heard Paul Heyman tell the story and that Lesnar was given horrible advice like "You should be a Russian. You should have guys just bounce off you!" and Tazz says "Get with Paul Heyman" who then asks an agitated uncaring McMahon to produce Lesnar. You go from "GODDAMMIT YOU START THE DAY AFTER WRESTLEMANIA" and "Gaaahhhdddd damn Paul that name SUCKS!" in regard to "The Next Big Thing" nickname and yet after a couple weeks it's "Gaaahhhdddd damn Paul he's a monster!!" This sounds like typical Vince McMahon but you're putting him over the Rock and wanted to do Austin too? Have him kill Hogan on Smackdown and beat Taker clean as a whistle in a hell in a cell? My GOD. There was like 2 people in history who could say something that by 2002 and this guy had less than 6 months in the company

I swear if I could ask Paul Heyman any one question it would be the moment Vince ok'd the greenlight on that kind of push and exactly when abouts he did it. Lesnar literally came out of nowhere and was on top of the entire business from day one. I find it hard to believe that Vince couldn't find anyone else than a rookie. He couldn't rely on pushing Taker. Or Jericho. Or Angle.

Paul Heyman literally built a one man dynasty in under 6 months. Brock owes everything to him

 

[These Are The Days]

Stephanie SHUT THE f*** UP WITH THE SHRIEKING!!!!

This makes me thankful I have had no hand in the wrestling business. I've often wondered what kind of characters I'd make if I could be a Vince McMahon and I had the idea of a particular horrible women's talent I'd have called Billie Lange and I'd have built the entire women's division on her getting her ass beat and humiliated because of how much she'd be hated. Think a women's HHH in terms of how obsessed she is with being champion to the point of when she's not champion she carries around a replica and wears it still calling herself champion and beats the hell out of anyone who says she isn't champion. And whenever she's forced to defend it or loses she her title goes out the next night and shrieks like Stephanie is right now. But this one can actually wrestle unlike Stephanie

But Steph is doing this EVERY WEEK and I pray we never get a shrieker gimmick.


I'm also waiting for her to cut HHH's dog in half like he did her Corvette because the dog is half hers

 

[These Are The Days]

As someone who has had pugs most of his life, Lucy is a freaking masterpiece. Not quite a pug but HHH's dog is GOAT status

 

[Bowski]

Can someone... ANYONE please explain to me why I should give a f*** about Kevin Nash aside from the fact he was involved in the greatest angle ever? Dude I don't care that you were Diesel in 1996. As far as I'm concerned he made the right friends because being there for a month and doing nothing sure as hell doesn't make care. Congrats you're the tallest obnoxious person I've ever seen. Even out of character

Nash was Vince's consolation after his roster got physically deflated post WM7. No more roids, so let's push a big dude with charisma. His run was mostly terrible though (Mable *shudder*).
Bret was the perfect placeholder champ until the next great thing came along. Nash fizzled, then it was HBK, etc.

Him and Hall got a bunch of free money in WCW (as did Iron Sheik/Lanny Poffo/etc.), which Kev attributes to paving the way for today's contracts.

Seems like he was a cool dude when not around the Kliq. Made a bunch of money, got friendly with the right people.
Most of his work was forgettable, matches with Bret probably being the highlight.
I will always remember him the most for going full trollface on Thunder commentary.

 

[Megahab]

I just don't get how a guy with less than 6 months in the company gets push like that. I heard Paul Heyman tell the story and that Lesnar was given horrible advice like "You should be a Russian. You should have guys just bounce off you!" and Tazz says "Get with Paul Heyman" who then asks an agitated uncaring McMahon to produce Lesnar. You go from "GODDAMMIT YOU START THE DAY AFTER WRESTLEMANIA" and "Gaaahhhdddd damn Paul that name SUCKS!" in regard to "The Next Big Thing" nickname and yet after a couple weeks it's "Gaaahhhdddd damn Paul he's a monster!!" This sounds like typical Vince McMahon but you're putting him over the Rock and wanted to do Austin too? Have him kill Hogan on Smackdown and beat Taker clean as a whistle in a hell in a cell? My GOD. There was like 2 people in history who could say something that by 2002 and this guy had less than 6 months in the company

I swear if I could ask Paul Heyman any one question it would be the moment Vince ok'd the greenlight on that kind of push and exactly when abouts he did it. Lesnar literally came out of nowhere and was on top of the entire business from day one. I find it hard to believe that Vince couldn't find anyone else than a rookie. He couldn't rely on pushing Taker. Or Jericho. Or Angle.

Paul Heyman literally built a one man dynasty in under 6 months. Brock owes everything to him

The amazing thing was they had this rookie come in and beat pretty much every top star but it never felt forced. He was that special.

Nobody else could have pulled that off. Lesnar was just legit right from his debut.

 

[These Are The Days]

The amazing thing was they had this rookie come in and beat pretty much every top star but it never felt forced. He was that special.

Nobody else could have pulled that off. Lesnar was just legit right from his debut.

The caliber of athlete that Lesnar is makes it believable. I can't pretend I understand the politics of professional wrestling but all I can say with confidence is somewhere Vince saw dollar signs when he realized Paul could get him over and Vince doesn't care enough about paying dues to have made Lesnar pay them. 2002 is like what they've been doing with Roman but half his matches are him eating sleeper holds and spamming kick outs and superman punches. He's pitifully boring



Also: on the Smackdown before Mania X8. I need to pause so I can give kudos to Billy and Chuck for pulling off this gimmick. This is some Spirit Squad crap here and they're wearing it like armor. A gimmick like this has maybe a year at most before it breaks up and they're legitimately convincing as tag champions. This is Oscar award winning stuff here and I hope they keep the belts for a time because they absolutely deserve it. They come out to boy band music...

Push them to the moon for this

 

[These Are The Days]

Also Booker T and Kurt Angle being socially awkward together is the best thing I've ever seen. Kurt failing at being hip is almost as genuinely hilarious as Edge stealing Booker's Japanese shampoo endorsement. Sorry Book. They smelled Edge reeking of too much awesomeness and gave him the deal to wash himself. This is amazing stuff. Oh my God.


Edge may be GOAT midcarder. RVD is VERY close because of his acrobatic style being so exciting. But Edge not only does A+ match work but like Rock he bleeds charisma out of every pore of his body. Honorable mention to Rikishi here as the only other guy I can say this about. Jericho should be on there too but he's like a bipolar butterfly with how often his look changes

 

[These Are The Days]

Hogan just came out and said "I've seen every next big thing come out and say they'd do the impossible and kill Hulkamania" Jesus Christ Lesnar literally debuts on the next episode of Raw.


I almost can't take this because I'm like pretty sure Paul Heyman was in back and heard this and thought "Boy that would be a great nickname"