I don't know that Punk/Cena have ever had a match together that was less than Very Good

I remember hearing about Royal Rumble's that took place on house shows with guys like Rick Rude picking up the win. Have any of these ever shown up anywhere?

Looking up stuff today I saw there's fan cam footage of one from Japan in May 94 floating around

Anyone not watching WWE Night of Champions LIVE needs to download it tomorrow just for JBL on commentary. But Dolph Vs. Orton is pretty damn good too. JBL is SO GOOD.

The part where he called Farmer Burns, Farmer Brown twice was an unintentionally hilarious moment

What was Slaughter doing in 87 between his AWA runs? Mainly Gi Joe stuff and state fairs and what not?

Just wanted to say that one cool thing about the yearbooks is that folks can come along months (years) after they've been out and find comments others have made, and join in to toss out what they think. As a reader of it, it's enjoyable to regularly have new comments pop up about different matches, or even new questions being asked. It's a really cool project.

 

John

Just wanted to say that one cool thing about the yearbooks is that folks can come along months (years) after they've been out and find comments others have made, and join in to toss out what they think. As a reader of it, it's enjoyable to regularly have new comments pop up about different matches, or even new questions being asked. It's a really cool project.

 

John

Agreed. Doing that now with the 94 Yearbook (but Packers season has cut into my wrestling watching).

While watching RAW I seriously fear whoever gets the wrath of Ryback's roid rage. Him throwing mics and chairs must have something for those in the first row

 

By the way as good as JBL seems to be on commentary, JR has digressed into overplayed cliche machine. I don't know if you can use the "ring rust" argument with him.

Speaking of steroids, is Mason Ryan still around? I never hear about him anymore.

I don't know how long JBL has doing commentary for the WWE but at this rate Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio would have been a heavyweight champion of every lucha libre promotion in the last 30 years. I do love how he mentions the accolades from other promotions (Colons with WWC and Tensai with New Japan) to make him more important.

I liked when JBL said Sin Cara had been with AAA. Kind of chuckled in a snickering nerd way.

Speaking of football season, Stone Cold has joined in the piling on of the scab refs.

 

http://twitter.com/steveaustinBSR/status/247877624045633537

So I watched Race/Flair from 5/22/84. Why did Flair do a clean job if he was winning the NWA title two days later?

DVDVR is back up and alive.

So I watched Race/Flair from 5/22/84. Why did Flair do a clean job if he was winning the NWA title two days later?

Wrestlers who are about to win a title sometimes do jobs to set up future challengers. Race never challenged Flair in Japan after this, but they probably didn't know that they wouldn't face each other again at the time.

They did face each other again on the same tour:

 

http://www.oocities.org/smokyrobmoore/jp061499.htm

 

May 22, 1984---Den-en Coliseum, Tokyo

NWA World Heavyweight title match

Kerry Von Erich (1-1) Jumbo Tsuruta

(1) Tsuruta (13:05) Kerry

(2) Kerry (6:37) Tsuruta

(3) 7:56 double counted out of the ring

 

May 24, 1984---Yokosuka City Gym, Kanagawa

NWA World Heavyweight title match

Ric Flair (2-1) Kerry Von Erich

(1) Kerry (15:51) Flair

(2) Flair (3:24) Kerry

(3) Flair (7:19) Kerry

Flair became the 66th champion

 

May 25, 1984---Funabashi Civic Gym, Chiba

NWA World Heavyweight title match

Ric Flair (1-1) Harley Race

(1) Race (16:06) Flair

(2) Flair (6:31) Race

(3) 10:46 double DQ

 

Harley beat Flair on 5/22 to set him up to face Flair on 5/25 in a title match after Flair won it back.

 

Just wasn't taped.

 

John

So I watched Race/Flair from 5/22/84. Why did Flair do a clean job if he was winning the NWA title two days later?

Wrestlers who are about to win a title sometimes do jobs to set up future challengers. Race never challenged Flair in Japan after this, but they probably didn't know that they wouldn't face each other again at the time.

 

Yes, I get that. It's just that two days beforehand seemed a bit much. But if Race was challenging for the belt the next night, that makes sense.

Well that was certainly unexspected. Just wish it would have been someone other then RF, the worlds shittiest interview who'd gotten Ventura for a shoot.

Well that was certainly unexspected. Just wish it would have been someone other then RF, the worlds shittiest interview who'd gotten Ventura for a shoot.

"So, were you a fan growing up ?"

"How did you get started in the wrestling business ?"

"Memories of X"

 

Indeed.

The thing I notice with RF interviews is that if they come out good, it's because whoever is being interviewed has a good enough story to tell. I hope in this case (and by how they teased it in the video, I'm guessing that they do), they know how big a coup it is that they finally got him down for an interview about his career in wrestling (maybe not specifically, but it will be the focus for sure).

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM8G--NgBgg

 

Here is the interview he did with Stern a few days ago.

Shockingly, Vince Russo laid out an invasion angle that was light years better than the crap Cornette came up with. It wasn't perfect, but he did a much better job of capturing the tone and using the right people, and he laid out a basic enough framework that it could be expanded upon and made successful.

I was watching some of the first Russo WCW run and was surprised it was not completely awful. It had some really bad parts, but it had some good.

 

The shows had a lot more energy. Which was I think the roster being fully reinvigorated with a new guy in charge. More of the roster was being fully utilized. Well except those Mexicans.

 

But the bad was really bad. The Oklahoma stuff made me lose respect for everyone involved. I don't really know the point of attacking Jim Ross. A guy who was universally loved and respected.

 

I do think Ferrerra was a good performer and if they had modified the character, he could have been a good manager. They could have built up a Doctor Death/Goldberg feud. But instead they waste money burying Jim Ross.

 

The concept of WCW being some sort of Running Man wrestling promotion desperate for ratings is not a bad concept. But Russo lacks the intelligence or talent to ever get that across.

I don't really know the point of attacking Jim Ross. A guy who was universally loved and respected.

Partly the wrestling bubble to blame where the inner circle made fun of Ross behind his back and thought it was hilarious. Also, Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo blamed Ross for backing up Steve Austin when he refused to feud with Jarrett.

Do they really think Austin needed back up?

 

It was such an ugly thing to do. Making fun of someones bells palsy is so low. Did they get in trouble for that? I remember reading they did, but I'm not sure.