**WWE NETWORK THREAD**
Didn't see a thread yet, interested in hearing your thoughts and expectations on the new network comin next month.
Before the Birdman gimmick in WWE, Koko B Ware had an even worse gimmick as part of a Michael Jackson impersonator tag team called, and the name ages even worse than the gimmick, PYT (Pretty Young Things). They were simultaneously babyfaces on Mid-South shows and heels in World Class over the summer of 1984, often appearing on both shows in the same week.
There is actual evidence that the Freebirds existed in the WWF in 1984 with a match airing on Tuesday Night Titans that August. They were, in fact, associated with David Wolfe, Cyndi Lauper's manager, but were also still simultaneously appearing on World Class shows too. I wonder why Vince allowed this. He wasn't exactly known for letting guys finish out their obligations elsewhere at that point.
On the 8/11/84 Mid Atlantic show, Jim Crozckett announces they’ve just signed Barry Windham to the most lucrative contract Crockett Promotions has ever offered and gives Barry the keys to a new cage as well. Two months later Barry would be in the WWF.
As a kid, it pissed me off how he would get hyped in WWF then just disappear on us. The widowmaker gimmick had me intrigued
IIRC The Widowmaker didn't have any music. It was hard for me to think that he was going to be anything.
Bill Watts cuts a scathing promo on JYD for deserting Mid-South while still having outstanding obligations.
The same week on Mid-Atlantic, the big angle is Wahoo McDaniels and Terry Blanchard spike pile driving everybody. So they beat whatever jobbers they're in there with and go to do the spike on him post-match until Flair and Rhodes do a run for the save. When this happens. Wahoo just lets go and dumps the poor bastard on his head to cut off Flair. Looked like he could have broken the guys neck. I don't know if the ref is tending to him on the outside because work of this guy is legit ****ed.
Some people look like they hit the gym, but also drink a lot.
Prime Jim Dugan looked like he drank a lot while at the gym.
Stumbled across an amazing coincidence last night. The network has very little from the early to middle 80s except the three territories (Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South, WCCW).
Each of the three shows had a sort of host, who was the main broadcaster too.
Bob Caudle - Mid-Atlantic - Born 1930
Boyd Pierce - Mid-South - Born 1928
Bill Mercer - WCCW - Born 1926
Aside from being shocked that they were all in their early to mid-50s while looking older, especially Pierce, they're ALL still alive today (at least as far as I can find), well into their 90s!!
Something I didn't notice at the time, but as I'm watching Raw (midway thru 1996 at the moment), I realize Vince McMahon alluded to matches being over before they actually were more than any announced I've ever seen. It has already gotten ridiculous. I can't wait until he is no longer at the announcers table.
He got him!!! - no, his shoulder was up...
It's over!!! Wait, he kicked out...
Just garbage like that, as if the viewers can't see what's actually happening.
Also, I just passed the segment where Sunny got slopped - It was on Superstars, but replayed on Raw. Vince was definitely way too interested in Sunny and everything going on with her, unsurprisingly.
The story about that bucket was pretty nasty, too.
It seems to be the end of an era, I got this email last night. WWE network is fully heading to Netflix, Im guessing that doesnt bode well for historical content. I hope they at least have every historical PPV. On the plus side I already have Netflix so it saves me $15 a month...
Yeah, if they're going to ditch the library, it'll make it a lot easier to ditch them, but the letter says "in your area". Are you within the U.S.? I haven't received such a letter.
Yeah, if they're going to ditch the library, it'll make it a lot easier to ditch them, but the letter says "in your area". Are you within the U.S.? I haven't received such a letter.
Pretty sure in the US, Peacock is keeping the WWE Network, aside from Raw going to Netflix. Peacock has rights to the WWE Network through 2026 from what I read.
Underated match:
Chavo Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio at No Way Out 2004, thoroughly enjoyed it
Went to WWE Survivor Games. It was a spectacle. Haven't watched wrestling in 20+ years. Didn't know anyone but was a lot of fun.
The build up to Starrcade '84 is incredibly flabbergasting.
You have the babyfaces forming a group called the Unity Squad or something like that. It consists of Flair and Rhodes on top with Manny Fernandez, Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda and maybe I'm missing one or two.
The main people they're battling are the Russians (Koloffs and Kernoodle) and the team of Tully Blanchard and Wahoo McDaniel.
This appears to be the way Starracade is going to be setup. Plus there's been a year long feud between the Assassin and Jimmy Valiant where they seem to be building to a taped fist match.
Yet, none of this actually happens. Of course, the quick disappearance of Windham and Rotunda after just a month didn't help. Windham was getting the mega push with Bob Caudle claiming he was setting records for how quickly he beat his opponents in each match.
But then suddenly, instead of Flair, Dusty is teaming with Fernandez to win the tag titles and they announce Flair vs Dusty for the title and they're both acting like they hated each other all along when they've been saving each other's asses all year. There was no turn or even any hint of disagreement between the two.
Then there are a couple of immediate babyface turns just before the big show (Kernoodle & the Assassin). Somehow, Superstar Billy Graham, who isn't even in the area, gets a title match against Wahoo.
None of the angles or storylines leading into Starrcade actually get a match.
Maybe this explains it better for anyone interested.
https://medium.com/@christopherscanlon/nwa-starrcade-84-what-in-the-world-was-that-d167b9a6001c
Cactus Jack vs Randy Orton at Backlash 2004 was an amazing match
November '84:
Sean Michaels debuts as a jobber on Mid-South. One of his first matches is against Hector and Chavo Guerrero.
Scott Hall debuts as part of a tag team (American Starship) w/ Dan Spivey in Mid-Atlantic. They're mentioned for a match on Starrcade (six-man tag one week, but it's off the card the next). I guess they were only around for a couple of weeks.
Pure chaos the last two weeks of Mid-Atlantic building to Starrcade.
Windham and Rotunda have already been appearing on WWF TV.
Who will face Wahoo McDaniel for the U.S. title? They cut to a promo from Superstar Billy Graham, full karate gimmick. He's coming to Starrcade because Wahoo turned his back on America (??) and bills himself as the karate man from Budapest, Calcutta and Hong Kong, none of these places in the country he's defending supposedly.
Ricky Steamboat comes out of retirement for the second time in 1984 after JJ Dillon and his Long Riders (Bass & Bart) trash his gym and attack Steamboat's brother. They show the video and Steamboat comes out of the crowd to attack Bass and Bart. Steamboat is so mad that he states he's returning for one reason only. To take Tully Blanchard's TV title (WTF).
Kernoodle and Koloff are beaten for the tag titles in a cage by Raging Bull and Dusty Rhodes (supposed to be Rhodes & Flair, but the latter has been off tv for some reason most of November). After the match, the Kolofs turn on Kernoodle and cripple him. They do an interview where he's bedridden, but the next week Kernoodle is on crutches in the studio with a neck brace and tells us that his trainer is so mad that he's coming for revenge on the Koloffs. We cut to a promo from Kernoodle's trainer, Ole Anderson who says he's bringing somebody so big and bad that the Koloffs will tremble with fear. It ends up being Keith Larsen, Kernoodle's brother who has been a jobber on the Mid-Atlantic shows for years. I'm curious if they initially had someone else in mind?
They close out the last show with Flair returning after a few weeks off TV. Said he's been traveling with the belt, thanks the officials for putting Starrcade together. Dusty comes out. All of a sudden, he hates Flair, his partner from a few weeks ago and the entire year, because Flair left Dusty alone on the stage during the match announcement and Flair goes into heel mode, insulting the officials he just thanked...for reasons? They end the show brawling in the ring.
I would ask who booked this shit, but I already know it was Dusty.
So far the network seems great on Netflix, saves a me a subscription too!
Im sure Netflix will improve things like layout and content as they go along, pretty happy with this deal so far though
The 12/1 WCCW has a parental warning prior to the show.
Terry Gordy has returned to the area alone after the Freebirds quick exit from WWF. Continuing his prior feud with Killer Kahn, they have one of the bloodiest brawls I've ever seen. There is one second early in the match, where the camera shows Gordy on the outside, clearly cutting himself, and quickly moves off him, as they realize what's happening.
The same week, two weeks AFTER Starrcade, Mid-Atlantic shows RIcky Steamboat being injured by the Long Riders & Tully Blanchard. The Starrcade show questioned what kind of shape Steamboat would be in after this beating, which was taped prior to the big event, but not shown until two weeks after. This explains whey we still haven't seen any of the fallout from Starrcade.
