**WWE NETWORK THREAD**
Didn't see a thread yet, interested in hearing your thoughts and expectations on the new network comin next month.
March of '83, Dugan, claiming he's the only Hacksaw, cuts a promo on Hacksaw Bruce Reed (and he says it several times).
Andre is all over the territories in early '83. They're setting up feuds for him against big men (Kamala, One Man Gang) in almost every territory, as well as showing up on WWF house shows at MSG (which were the PPVs of the day).
A lot of wrestlers are being booked in multiple territories, some with vastly different storylines and alliances.
Jake Robers has returned to Mid-Atlantic after a short absence as a heel under Paul Jones. We never see the actual turn, but we do see the DDT as his finisher now too.
1990 Royal Rumble opens with the Bushwhackers going over the Rougeaus, who had largely retired and just agreed to come back to do this show, and then follows with a singles match for The Genius, who never really carried a full-time wrestling load.
I'm sensing a limited roster.
Greg Valentine vs. Ronnie Garvin is third.
While this is not particularly appealing, I at least know that this was the result of a well-built feud of 6+ months.
Garvin wins with the "reverse figure four," per Schiavone. Would later be popularly known as the Sharpshooter.
Dusty Rhodes legit deserves credit for getting the stupid polka-dotted WWF character over. And I don't get the sense that any big amount of it was WCW carry-over; the wrestling fanbases were pretty segregated, and I feel like the majority of fans were not following both, particularly as WWF was syndicated and WCW was only available to people with cable.
Dusty Rhodes legit deserves credit for getting the stupid polka-dotted WWF character over. And I don't get the sense that any big amount of it was WCW carry-over; the wrestling fanbases were pretty segregated, and I feel like the majority of fans were not following both, particularly as WWF was syndicated and WCW was only available to people with cable.
Was that ever anything other than Vince wanting to humiliate the 2nd biggest star of a rival promotion?
Definitely seemed like that was Vince's whole game there, but then Dusty got it over anyway. It's not quite a Red Rooster level of sabotage, but it was a lot for any wrestler to overcome.
Definitely seemed like that was Vince's whole game there, but then Dusty got it over anyway. It's not quite a Red Rooster level of sabotage, but it was a lot for any wrestler to overcome.
What was considered Dusty’s high point in WWF? I never remember him being more than at most an upper-mid card babyface. I want to say he captained a Survivor Series team but was never in any title pictures.
Oh he wasn't really more than upper midcard; he basically fulfilled a Duggan position. But he got great crowd reactions. They programmed him in feuds with people like Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase, so he was getting booked against the best non-title guys available.
Joe LeDuc has just been turned on by Humperdink and friends.
He cuts a promo how he's gonna get Slater & Valentine, but he's all alone and that's the way he likes it.
They show a short video of Ric Flair in action.
We come back to LeDuc again telling us that he's all alone.
Commercial
A third LeDuc segment in a row. He's all alone like he just said, but he has a surprise. He's part of a six-man tag.
By the end of the show, LeDuc is part of a group promo with all the babyfaces who have accepted him into their group, despite him telling us three times that he's all alone.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1UrGParR...
How did I forget Ricky Steamboat speech rehab therapy sessions during the run up to WM3 [emoji23]?
Haha I've never seen those, Ricky deserves an emmy for that performance
Kevin Von Erich is asked why he's targeting Terry Gordy in this episode (aside from the title on the line). Kevin says that he's the oldest Von Erich and Gordy is also the oldest brother, so it's big brother against big brother.
Gordy is the youngest Freebird.
Chris Adams makes his WCCW debut and I'm hit by the significance of his contribution to the industry. He may had some personal issues, but I believe he was the originator of the superkick and just 6 years after this point, he would train and break into the business a young Steve Austin.
I've heard the old rumors that Andre didn't like Studd and you could certainly see the increased physicality in their matches in '83. Bruce has said that Andre being too stiff with Studd was the reason for his leaving twice.
Always sounds like Andre was just being a territorial prick.
Andre was always fearful of someone else trying to be the big man....that was really all he had going for him. He actually refused treatment for his condition because he was afraid it would interfere with his gimmick.
Anyone who even challenged his status was treated pretty roughly. Studd, Bam Bam Bigelow, and more have talked about it at one point or another.
Size alone is something that’s true of The Great Khali, but I wouldn’t describe Andre that way. He had charisma in spades and was a good worker until his body fell apart. But I know that was his fear, so territorial seemed like the best description for it.
I've heard the old rumors that Andre didn't like Studd and you could certainly see the increased physicality in their matches in '83. Bruce has said that Andre being too stiff with Studd was the reason for his leaving twice.
I heard Studd quit because paying $10K to Andre every time he got bodyslammed started to get pricy.
Size alone is something that’s true of The Great Khali, but I wouldn’t describe Andre that way. He had charisma in spades and was a good worker until his body fell apart. But I know that was his fear, so territorial seemed like the best description for it.
I guess i worded that poorly. Size was something that ONLY Andre had at the time, until other big men came along and started challenging him. Andre was loaned out to other territories as a Giant, to make money both for himself and the promoters. He definitely felt threatened by guys like Studd and Bam Bam and made sure they didn't take his gimmick.
Funny, you say that because in '83, I'm seeing Andre showing up in territories to put their big men over.
He goes to Mid-South where Kamala body slams and bloodies Andre during a run in. I don't know if they ever even had a match afterwards.
For weeks, Mid-Atlantic was advertising that Andre was coming. Then One Man Gang starts claiming that he ran Andre out of the area. I don't think he ever even showed up.
Speaking of the territories, I might be the last one to learn that Mid-South and World Class were never part of the NWA, yet they still seemed to share talent and recognize the same world champion.
I even just saw Bob Caudle mention that Wahoo McDaniel was coming back to Mid-Atlantic and then throw to Gene Okerland, interviewing Wahoo on AWA programming about going back to Mid-Atlantic.
It's crazy to think there was this era of cooperation among everyone that I never knew about because it seemed to end just before I started watching.
December of '82, Bob Orton gives his first babyface promo. Talks about not always being such a nice guy, but having a little boy has made him change.
Randy's first storyline...
Must not of liked the kid too much though because he lasts less than a year as a good guy.
Maybe that's why that boy now hears voices in his head.
Valentine and Flair do some job on Piper's face.
Six months later, Piper and Flair are buddies again. They cut a promo against Harley Race and Greg Valentine together, where Piper introduces his friend Mr. T for the first time: his tire iron.
Over on Mid-South, Marty Lunde has been re-introduced as Arn Anderson. Watts says that Uncle Ole didn't want to give him the family name until he earned it, which he must have done so by losing every single match. He ain't winning any as Arn yet either.
