Wrestling questions thread

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Big Boss Man
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Re: Wrestling questions thread

Post by Big Boss Man »

Thanks. I forgot about The Renegade and the others. Jesse based his gimmick on Superstar Billy Graham too so I guess you could say he was ripped off twice. Some more which come to mind:

Goldberg=Ryback
Nature Boy Buddy Rogers=Ric Flair
Adrian Street=Adrian Adonis
Million $ Man = JBL/Alberto Del Rio
The Genius=Damien Sandow
JR=Oklahoma

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Bandit
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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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I was watching a Raw from August 1996 with a Vader vs Ahmed Johnson main event. Vader wins and Vince says Ahmed suffered his first defeat. Did they really keep him undefeated for almost a year? I would have thought Davey Boy would have beaten him since they worked a bunch at the time Bulldog was being kept strong for HBK.

At any rate, his career went down hill shortly after this with the injuries and Vince giving up on him.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Are you sure it was August 96? Because that's when he had his kidney problems and didn't wrestle for 4 months.

Just checked, that match was on the May 27th 1996 Raw, so it was a 7 month singles streak.

He was in some losing tag matches before then, although he wasn't the one pinned.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Yeah, I thought August but you are right.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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It just dawned on me the 10th anniversary of Chris Benoit is coming in 4 months.

If he didn't do what he did, how do you see his final years as an active wrestler going? He was about to start a feud with CM Punk, which would have been fantastic. But could he have lasted long enough to work with Daniel Bryan?

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Benoit would have wrestled Daniel Bryan. He would have only been 43 when DB went to the main roster, so even if WWE were phasing down his career he still would have been around, assuming the effects of CTE weren't becoming more noticeable. And if it didn't happen in WWE it would have happened in ROH or Japan.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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His contract was until 2013 apparently. Although I'm sure at least 2 years would have been at FCW since surely HHH would want him training.

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Big Boss Man
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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Bandit wrote:It just dawned on me the 10th anniversary of Chris Benoit is coming in 4 months.

If he didn't do what he did, how do you see his final years as an active wrestler going? He was about to start a feud with CM Punk, which would have been fantastic. But could he have lasted long enough to work with Daniel Bryan?
Didn't see this at the time. I think he'd either have continued on and put guys over then transition into a road agent role or he'd let his deal expire and work Japan, ROH et al. However I think he'd have broken himself down like Dynamite if he did still continue.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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That is an interesting question. What top matches would you book?

For top singles guys you had Nash for one more month, Taker, Warrior, Vader, HHH, Austin, Ahmed, Roberts, Owen, Bulldog, Goldust, Yokozuna, Savio, and could have called Sid back in and maybe hot shot Mankind and Mero to the main event.

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Big Boss Man
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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Warrior was only around for a few months too IIRC. If HBK was out of action and needed ACL repair smart money is on a injury angle. I'd have had Davey and Owen as the Hitmen so to speak for Bret so that opens the door to Shawn/Owen, Shawn/Bulldog and Shawn/Bret.

HHH and Cactus I'd keep floating around the upper mid card. Plus if they do the curtain call Hunter is in the doghouse. No point putting any stock in Big Kev for a month unless its loser leaves town. Ahmed Id have taken out by the Nation and keep him mid card because a short while later he's on the shelf. I like Mero but he doesn't have main eventer credentials. Jake Is have go around a few times with Jerry.

In fact now I think of it I'd have Mick become Cactus and run a Cactus vs Vader feud. Have him flit between the two personas so he feuds with Taker as Mankind. Savio would join the Nation, Sid I would use ala 911 to choke slam, powerbomb guys. A henchman for Ted DiBiase. What's the timeframe for Austin coming in?. I'd give him a badass shooter gimmick and then he transitions into the Stone Cold character.

I'd bring in Hayabusa ala Hakushi and have a Crusierweight division to match WCW. Sasuke, Hakushi, Taka et al. I would do the cross promotional stuff with ECW sooner and do WWF vs ECW angle to lead up to be a big WrestleMania 13. So you have the cruisers, ECW crossover and have Taker as the top guy til Bret and Shawn come back. Outside of that the options are limited. Do you throw big money around to hire back Macho, Hulk et al?. You can't because Vince doesn't have it.

I doubt think there was a danger of WWF going under. It's business was hit hugely but the boys wouldn't let the ship go under. I would get Sunny on MTV and try and do the Rock and Wrestling stuff again. Make the WWF cool again and predate the Attitude Era so the boom starts sooner.

I think Sunny had crossover appeal so she could draw MTV viewers to the WWF and vice Verda. Then you had Sable too so you have both who could get teenagers to tune into WWF. Then you ditch the cartoony stuff and make WWF like a rock and roll show. Because no ones going to want to sit through Duke the Dumpster etc but will things like the Nation kicking ass, Austin starting on his path, Cactus and Vader craziness, Sunny and Sable. Essentially WWF becomes the more TV-14 product and you do stuff to get people to tune in. No cheesy gimmicks etc just guys kicking ass, hot girls, heavy rock metal music and storylines the fans can buy into. Like HBK fighting back from injury, the Nation becoming the nWo of the WWF. Fast forward a few months you have DX and I'd have them do more cool type stuff than what they did. Have them break kayfabe and cut shoot promos against WCW and have them try and bring back Kev, Scott and Kid. Do to WCW what they did by not giving out results but by telling the fans like it is. Instead of the Huckster/Nacho stuff have them come out and throw shade at the WCW.

Then you have Brian Pullman like Sunny I'd have him on MTV in full Loose Cannon gimmick. Then you have the WWF must be legit if Brian is like that type aura. ECW tapped into that audience but WWF could actually have done more because they had Bret, Shawn et al who have crossover appeal. So really if they thought out things 1996 WWF had a ton of options. Just utilise the talent in the right way.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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So watching an old WWF tape and Hercules is super over as a babyface. Did they ever plan to push him at the time, as he didn't really seem to break the mid card glass ceiling.

Also Rugged Ronnie, did they plan to push him heavy since he was a former NWA world champ as he had the feud with Dino and that was about it for him. Had Vince managed to bring in Naitch along with Arn and Tully do you get a Four Horseman reunion (didn't Barry come in as the Widowmaker around this time?) under the Herman family. Do we get Flair v Hogan and would it been a better draw then?

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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He was a main event heel for a year. He worked a few loops with Hogan and got the SNME match. But as a face he was crowded by Hogan, Warrior, Savage, Jake, Roddy, etc. I think he had a successful run.

And no, they never wanted to push Ronnie. He was always going to be King Harley Race level since Vince wanted to prove Crockett guys weren't stars back then. Arn and Tully had a lot of people like Heenan, Bruce, and JJ Dillon strongly supporting them, so Vince gave them (and later Flair) a pass.

As for Horsemen in WWF. If Savage was champion in 88 when they came in they would have been top heels. Randy would be begging to work with all of them since he loved the NWA workhorse style . But not with Hogan. Flair would get a Summerslam match maybe, but not Mania. Hogan had Savage and Warrior feuds that would still get top priority.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Thanks. I liked Herc and thought he could have had more of a run as a face but like you say the WWF had some top level faces so he'd be quite a way down in the pecking order. I thought that was Vinces attitude to downplay the JCP guys like Ronnie et al. I thought Harley was midcard due to him being older but didn't he have a match vs Hogan. I assumed some folks rooted for Arm and Tully backstage for them to be pushed so heavy. I think in hindsight Naitch made the right choice to stay with JCP because he had the classics with Ricky Steamboat, the feud with Funk, getting Sting over so if he'd have went up north then wrestling history would be different. Sting might not have got the torch passed and who could have made him outside of Flair?. Maybe Lex but working with the Nature Boy gave him the ultimate seal of approval.

Speaking of the Stinger, had he went to the WWF with Naitch in 1992 does it do irreparable damage to WCW and another scenario, Sting joins the WWF direct from the UWF, how does he fair in late 80s WWF?. Does he break the glass ceiling or is he stuck in the mid card as a baby face. Or does he buddy Warrior put a good word in and he tags with Warrior again or is part of hisSurvivor Series team.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Harley had heat with Hogan for pulling a gun on Hogan in St. Louis during an argument, so they only had a short house show loop and Hogan didn’t make him look good.

Sting going direct to WWF in the 80s probably would have gotten him Warrior's spot since he was a far better worker and everybody liked Sting and hated Warrior. Sting going there in the 90s would mean he does jobs to the Kliq.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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OK thanks. I thought Hulk fought Harley on a SNME but could be misremembering. I think Sting in Warriors spot would have been real interesting since you've got Sting v Savage, Sting v Rude in 89, Sting v Hulk at Mania VI etc. Yea 90s Sting I think would be fine for a few years and depending on his standing with the Kliq he'd be jobbed out. However we could have had Sting v Bret, Sting HBK,Sting v Razor, Sting v Taker, Sting v Owen and had he went up with Naitch a match v Flair too. As for WCW minus Sting,Ric and Lex they'd have to elevate someone to be in Stings position but I don't know who'd be the guy. Ron Simmons I'd have went with as top guy, or Dustin, Barry, maybe Flyin Brian. Otherwise you have Z-Man, Bagwell, Van Hammer, El Gigante, PN Newz et al so only really Ron, Dustin and Barry could fit into the top baby face position outside of Sting.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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He did, but it wasn't a long feud like Bundy or Twin Towers or even Hercules since he didn't like him.

As for who would be Sting in WCW. They'd have lots of money freed up since Sting always had big deals. Maybe they'd have gone after Scott Hall in 1994. Or had a reason to elevate Steve Austin or Cactus Jack.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Yea, but WCWs thinking was so outmodded and out of left field they had Scott under contract as the Diamond Studd and never did anything with him. Cactus was under a glass ceiling,same with Stunning Steve. Until they went to the WWF and I think all three would agree they were seen as mid card guys and didn't really see themselves as the same level as Hulk etc. So Vince took guys who were real talented but were under utilised and made them stars. I somehow think 1992 WCW would have PN Newz as the top guy :lol :

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Does anyone collect wrestling results and title histories? Wrestling Information Archive used to be really good but is offline now. Looking for WWE, Impact and NJPW. Also complete WCW, ECW, WCCW, Memphis etc too ie defunct promotions if anyone has them in like a Doc or Excel file(s). Thanks

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Bandit
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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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No, if I want to confirm a title history I just pull up the Wikipedia article on it. When I was a kid I'd buy PWI almanacs but those are long gone.

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Re: Wrestling questions thread

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Yea there's no almanacs around now, I guess google put them out of business. Title histories etc used to be easy to remember but sometimes they are like a hot potato.

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