sek69

I (and Arn too, apparently) tend to think that they did it knowing Turner wouldn't hire anyone on record failing a drug test. Since there really weren't any other options at the time, it pretty much ended his career until he started doing those reunion shows the last year or so. That's quite the dick move dropping a drug test on a guy who already gave notice. What did he do to warrant such cockery, or was it one of those "Vince being an asshole because he can" things?

From what I've read, the arm injury that eventually ended his career first happened during his program with Hogan in 1986, and he didn't want to take the time to let it heal when he was making huge money. When his program with Hogan ended, I think he took the time to try to heal up afterwards.

Have a question about wrestling? Ask it here to see if any of our resident experts know the answer. I'll go first: What was the deal with Tully Blanchard's failed drug test that caused him to leave the WWF? I've heard two versions: 1. He had actually failed a test months before, and the WWF was just holding on to it so they had a card to play if Tully balked at doing a job or whatever. 2. It was bullshit, and they just said he failed a drug test so WCW wouldn't hire him back. I heard somewhere that Arn believed this was the case since guys like Warrior and Hogan were running around doing their famous coked-out promos yet Tully of all people is the one who gets pinched in a drug test.

Saturday night is the worst night for TV, most networks run movies or re-runs of popular shows instead of sending new series out to die. It's a chicken and egg argument, are Saturdays bad because networks gave up or did they give up because Saturdays are bad? Combine that with wrestling not being popular in the mainstream, and WWE not at its peak creatively, I don't know how any other rating was expected. I'm not trying to make excuses for Vince, it's just that a poor product that's not popular + the death night for TV = low ratings. NBC and WWE would probably have been better off putting SNME back in the SNL slot like they used to, since SNL still gets consistent ratings despite people bitching about it not being good as it used to.

Have any source for this? Not that I'm doubting you but god knows there's so many axes to grind in wrestling in general and World Class specifically. Also it seems like this guy's doing the self-release thing and it can be difficult to do. Some investor might have gotten his panties in a wad because the guy hasn't released the film yet and decided he got ripped off.

Documentary about World Class, compelete with interviews with surviving alumni. The guy making it is apparently doing the whole self-release thing, he said on the site's message board he's going to make an announcement soon about the DVD release. http://www.rightherepictures.com/main.htm

BG using Kip's deal to get himself more money (and having it end badly) is hilarious after hearing them be all buddy-buddy in that shoot where they were ripping on HHH.

Saw this interesting comment in a transcript of a Viscera interview on WO: WTF? Who in WWE was worried about being outshined by Big Vis The Love Machine? The man was doing his job and went from being an entertaining part of RAW to being the World's Largest Jobber, seemingly because someone's feelings got hurt.

WM Lineup: Easily the weakest WM card on paper in years. A lot of folks are going to have to eat their Wheaties that morning just for it to be not a completely forgettable show. Fit Finlay: I was worried that he'd be in horrible physical shape after almost getting his leg cut off in WCW, but he's been in fine shape and I've enjoyed the hell out of his comeback so far. ROH vs CZW: I give them credit for trying to keep kayfabe alive on the internet, but who's this feud supposed to benefit? ROH's a workrate heavy group based toward a more smark oriented fanbase and CZW's a garbage and plunder group geared toward disenfranchised ECW fans. I don't think one group's base would really be interested in watching a show of the other. Considering the hierarchy of indy feds and the fact that ROH's pretty much the de-facto #3 fed in the US since it's become a pipeline to WWE, I don't see what ROH stands to gain from this other than giving fans in 2006 a chance to hear a great pissed-off Jim Cornette promo.

Surreal Moment of the Night: listening to an Abdullah the Butcher shoot interview. Voice does NOT match the body. I don't know what I was expecting him to sound like, but that wasn't it. It's a mindfuck to hear this mellow sounding voice coming from a dude who's famous for stabbing people in the grill with forks.

Would that be the (in)famous "domestic abuse" angle with DWB and the Dirty White Girl?

I'd argue that the Freebirds' best work was in World Class, which Vince doesn't own either.

I was listening to a Honky Tonk Man shoot last night, and apparently Dr. D David Schultz came up with Wrestlemania. According to HTM, Schultz and Hogan were on the road together and during one night of conversation helped along by illicit substances he told Hogan about an idea he had about a big wrestling show called Wrestlemania. He even said that they should have celebrities like Mr T involved. As the story goes, Hogan went to Vince and told him of this brilliant idea and he obviously liked it. Unfortunately the John Stossel incident happened, and Vince didn't want to book Dr. D on what was his make-or-break show, so he ended up being left off the card of a show he came up with the concept with (and he probably would have been in the main event since he was Piper's flunky before he slapped Stossel and got replaced by Orndorff). Allegedly, that made him snap and it's why you didn't see much of Dr. D again after that.

Most of us have seen at least some footage from most of these, I was wondering what people would choose as their favorite.

Word is the final HOF entrant this year will be William Perry. The Fridge is going to be in the "celebrity wing" with Pete Rose. Makes sense considering WM is in Chicago and Perry was in the battle royale at WM 2.

That alone would make TNA so much better it's not even funny. Their horrible themes make WCW's public domain music sound great. I like how Don West seems to really love the business, but it would be great if someone slipped him some tranquilizers. He makes ppv-hype-mode-JR sound like a late night DJ. Considering Sting popped their biggest rating ever, he should be on TV way more. Part of me agrees, but another part thinks it's kind of ridiculous seeing him still in the Sting getup at this point in his life. I really think that's just how he is. Not that he's gay, but it seems he's one of those guys that keeps doing stuff that makes people think he's gay, like wearing nuthugger shorts and that ponytail-with-the-sides-and-back-shaved 'do. They need to stop trying to make the fans accept what the bookers want and have the bookers accept what the fans want. Monty's a huge face draw waiting to happen, and Jarrett making him one of his flunkies so he wouldn't have to face him is a straight up HHH bullshit political move.

I love it just to see the "smarter than you" ROH fans get worked when they've convinced themselves that they're unworkable.

I kinda dig how they're keeping kayfabe alive in the message board era between two companies with no TV shows, but they really should let Corny and Necro Butcher handle the promos.

Rosey has been released, so I guess Jamal's staying in All Japan after all?

Well, there's also the good possibility that Flair was drunk too.

Mickie James is my new favorite person in WWE. From the "DO YOU THINK I'M PSYCHO NOW??" to her standing over Trish with a bloody nose asking if she loves her now, she's the best heel on RAW right now.

Ric Flair brought out a mannequin that he used to "practice" what he was going to do with Precious. Taker's Ministry of Darkness stuff was Kevin Sullivan's satanic gimmick with a better budget. World Class was doing mud matches between women before the Divas were a tingle in Vince Jr's grapefruits. Pretty much everything WWF/E does that offends people was done years before by some territory.

Watching a Kevin Sullivan in Florida comp, and finding out he used the Twilight Zone music as his theme made him that much more awesome in my book. Makes me wonder though, when old timers say they don't watch wrestling anymore because it's not family friendly like it used to, what the fuck are they talking about? The last two days I've watched Dusty get stabbed in the chest with a spike, Kevin Sullivan drag Fallen Angel (who was wearing lingerie and knee-highs) around on a chain, Ric Flair win the "services" of Precious for one night, various people get fire thrown in their faces, yet the old timers say today's wrestling is more raunchy because we get the random diva T&A match?

I think that's how the rumor got started in the first place, HHH is more likely to do a job when he's (I would assume) going to be taking at least a little time off when his kid's born.