80s4life
Wrestling Event Security
Posts: 137
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Post by 80s4life on Mar 6, 2006 23:46:20 GMT -5
Does anyone out there, or did anyone out there, get the sense that the mid-'80s boom was coming to an end before it happened? Or could people feel the change as it was happening? I personally felt after Summer Slam '89, a lot of the greatness was slipping away. Though some could argue after WrestleMania III, it wasn't the same. There are also signs in 1988 that replacing Hogan as champion with Randy Savage took the air out of the balloon. "Jumpin'" Jim Brunzell made reference in an interview that while he was so buzzed by the crowds in 1985, that in 1988, there were clearly smaller crowds turning out, even though things were "good." Any thoughts on this? Personally, I saw the writing on the wall when Hogan kicked out of Savage's elbowdrop at WrestleMania V, killing the suspended disbelief that Savage's elbow was indestructible. The "Hulking Up" that followed made it even more disgusting. For me, there were cracks in the armor after that point. What do you all think?
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Post by oldschooler on Mar 7, 2006 11:47:57 GMT -5
indeed
1989
Piper was back but not his former Rowdy self
Orndorff,Bulldogs,Muraco,Orton,Sheik,Bundy,Patera,JTD,Reed,Steele,Islanders,Race,Kamala had all gone,it just wasnt as good anymore
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3rd Hardy
Wrestling Magazine Writer
Posts: 452
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Post by 3rd Hardy on Mar 7, 2006 15:42:48 GMT -5
I THINK IT WAS FINE TILL LEX V YOKO
AND THE ATTITUDE WAS GOOD 96-2001.
BUT THEN WE WERE IN THE BEST EVER TIME TO BE A WRESTLING FAN
WCW 96 -MID 97 WAS GREAT
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Post by oldschooler on Mar 7, 2006 17:53:12 GMT -5
I THINK IT WAS FINE TILL LEX V YOKO AND THE ATTITUDE WAS GOOD 96-2001. BUT THEN WE WERE IN THE BEST EVER TIME TO BE A WRESTLING FAN WCW 96 -MID 97 WAS GREAT The best ever time to be a wrestling fan in my opinion was clearly the 1980's |
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80s4life
Wrestling Event Security
Posts: 137
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Post by 80s4life on Mar 7, 2006 19:50:52 GMT -5
Wow. So you didn't see the writing on the wall during WrestleMania VII, 3rd Hardy? When they had to move the biggest show of the year to a smaller venue bc they couldn't sell enough tickets? To the biggest wrestling show on Earth in the middle of a patriotic war vs. Iraq when the main event centred around the international conflict?
A lot of people seem to indicate Lex vs. Yoko was the low-water mark maybe because there was no more Hogan, Flair, or Warrior by that point. I knew Lex vs. Yoko wouldn't be a "mat classic," to be sure, but I had to give the W.W.F. points for trying something completely new, with no Hogan, Flair, Savage, Warrior, Bret, or even Shawn Michaels, who was just hitting his stride, in the main event.
On a separate note, I didn't find 1992 fine at all. That would mean excusing the Warrior - Papa Shango main events and characters like the Repo Man and The Berzerker. Come to think of it, outside of Ric Flair winning the Royal Rumble and Razor Ramon's work, plus some golden moments in the pay-per-views (Bret vs. Bulldog and Bret vs. Michaels come to mind), there was little to be fond of or impressed by, but I could be wrong.
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Post by Iceman on Mar 7, 2006 20:17:12 GMT -5
Good topic 80s4Life.
Wow, there's probably a few times or turns you could say.
The first that comes to mind is when Wrestlers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels who were only good enough to be Tag-Teams became single's Wrestlers and even Main Eventers, yeah right, they should of never been Main Eventers. But they were because Hogan, Savage, and others weren't around anymore.
Also other turns (some earlier) for the worse are when: Roddy Piper left and so did Piper's Pit, along with the great Mr.T/Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper feud. When Andre the Giant turned Heel. Also when WCW Wrestlers like Lex Lugar, Ric Flair, and the Road Warriors were in the WWF, just didn't seem right to me.
Anybody agree with these?
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Post by Iceman on Mar 7, 2006 20:19:06 GMT -5
Orndorff,Bulldogs,Muraco,Orton,Sheik,Bundy,Patera,JTD,Reed,Steele,Islanders,Race,Kamala had all gone,it just wasnt as good anymore Lol, yeah, when they left the WWF sure went downhill, I'm sure there's others who left around that time too. Oh, and of course 80s were the best time to be a Wrestling Fan, no doubt, good call Old Schooler, and probably 80s4Life since that's your name, lol. The Attitude era? Lol, actually that's when I started to switch over to watch WCW with Randy Savage and later the NWO with Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall. |
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Post by Scott Joyce on Mar 7, 2006 20:25:17 GMT -5
IMO all the WWE is now is a big sideshow and wrestling is second on its list. In the 80s wrestling was well wrestling without all the soap opera stuff. Thats when it was good and the best matches was going on.  |
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80s4life
Wrestling Event Security
Posts: 137
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Post by 80s4life on Mar 7, 2006 22:16:53 GMT -5
Hard to disagree, Scottingraham. There are plenty of good matches going on if you are measuring solely the athleticism. But there's no more good psychology (take notes from the books written by Arn Anderson or The Midnight Express), no more storytelling, and even if the matches are good, the goals are meaningless. Belts mean nothing, there is no point in suspending disbelief anymore. And as for people being excited over the N.W.O. era of W.C.W., let us not forget that Hogan, Nash, and Hall, while great performers, couldn't wrestle their way out of a paper bag. Well, Hogan probably could, but he'd made his millions, so he could care less. In Ric Flair's book, he cites Hall as capable of good matches, not great ones. And the less said about Kevin Nash, the absolute better.
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Post by Iceman on Mar 8, 2006 1:08:36 GMT -5
I think Scott Hall/Razor Ramon put together some good matches. I remember a ladder match or 2 that were pretty good with Shawn Michaels, lol. I always thought Hall had some good and powerful moves, and was a great performer/entertainer. I agree with you about Nash though, but I still liked him a little bit.
And a lot of time a great performer (Ex: Hogan, Roddy Piper, Scott Hall) is more enjoyable to watch than a great Wrestler (Ex: Dean Malenko, British Bulldog, Benoit).
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3rd Hardy
Wrestling Magazine Writer
Posts: 452
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Post by 3rd Hardy on Mar 8, 2006 16:11:26 GMT -5
I loved the nwo because it was what you thought you would never see wwf invading wcw.
i think it was the best story line ever in wrestling. because it shocked
i never liked wcw till then.
mania 7 don't know much about ticket sales but i did once read that they were supposed to be in a bigger building but was a bomb scare or something. but don't quote me on that.
hogan slaughter was a weak main event
but u did have savage v warrior
jake the snake v martel blindfold
boss man v mr perfect
virgil v million dollar man
these were hot feuds at the time.
summer slam 91 was crap apart from bret v perfect
but survivor series 91 was great.
piper v flair
maybe you have a point about late 92. but the first half of the year was great.
attudude era was awsome when u compare hogan/savage from the eighties austin/rock were just as hot with the main stream public
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Post by oldschooler on Mar 8, 2006 18:20:29 GMT -5
I loved the nwo because it was what you thought you would never see wwf invading wcw. i think it was the best story line ever in wrestling. because it shocked i never liked wcw till then. mania 7 don't know much about ticket sales but i did once read that they were supposed to be in a bigger building but was a bomb scare or something. but don't quote me on that. hogan slaughter was a weak main event but u did have savage v warrior jake the snake v martel blindfold boss man v mr perfect virgil v million dollar man these were hot feuds at the time. summer slam 91 was crap apart from bret v perfect but survivor series 91 was great. piper v flair maybe you have a point about late 92. but the first half of the year was great. attudude era was awsome when u compare hogan/savage from the eighties austin/rock were just as hot with the main stream public Savage wasnt even the number 2 wrestler in the WWF in the 80's,that was Piper And in my opinion Austin got over by using a rehashed gimmick in the right time at the right place,before he was Stone Cold he couldnt draw in WCW,so he used the loner rebel gimmick that the fans could relate to,same thing that Piper used 10 years earlier,except Piper didnt pretend to drink beer and spill most of it down his chin,he just smashed the bottle across his own head during interviews.The worst thing that could happen did when Piper took that Stunner,as Stone Cold wasnt in his league when it came to being a rebellious Heel,Piper even had MTV and TV celebrities on his back in his peak due to him kicking Cyndi Lauper,powerslaming her manager and smashing a plaque over Lou Albano's head |
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Post by Scott Joyce on Mar 8, 2006 20:06:15 GMT -5
I have to say the 80s had some really great entertainment wrestling wise. Piper was certainly one of them but as far as straight wrestling talent Id have to go with Bob Backlund. |
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3rd Hardy
Wrestling Magazine Writer
Posts: 452
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Post by 3rd Hardy on Mar 9, 2006 20:14:29 GMT -5
piper was never used as top guy always mid card face. only time was main event was with hogan.
i agree piper was bigger rebel than austin. much bigger
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Post by Scott Joyce on Mar 9, 2006 21:06:09 GMT -5
Dont forget he had the match for the title against Brett Hart in the WWF. |
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