Posted December 8, 201410 yr comment_5644330 For this week's podcast, we're looking at classic examples of guys in wrestling history who may have been more successful if they had come around at a different time or place, and as always, we're looking for your suggestions. So who is the ONE guy that you've always watched and thought they would have done better had they come along at a different time or place, when would have been the best time for them, and more importantly, why? I'm really looking forward to the feedback from you guys on this, as there's been a lot of tape watching done that would identify some of the unsung gems who were caught in the midst of the wrong time frame to stand out...We'll be reading the best candidates on the show and crediting you accordingly, so this should be a lot of fun. Who's your pick?
December 8, 201410 yr comment_5644337 Steve Corino would be regarded as one of the best performers of all time had he been around in the 80s.
December 8, 201410 yr comment_5644340 Id go with Randy Savage he was ahead of his time and he could have had massive success if he had started out around the mid 90s. Thats not to say he wasent good in the 80s because he was brilliant but I would have loved to seen his character shine in the late 90s - 21st century.
December 8, 201410 yr comment_5644341 Mark Henry could have been a massive star in the 80's in promotions like Mid South. In ring wise he blows guys like JYD out of the water without being too modern.
December 9, 201410 yr comment_5644472 Big Show seems like the obvious one. Would've been a HUGE star (no pun intended) in any other era.
December 9, 201410 yr comment_5644495 yea, mark henry would've been the first black NWA champ in 80s crockett mike awesome was always a guy who felt like he should've been more than he was, what with his physical gifts. maybe if he stays away from garbage wrestling he becomes a poor man's don leo jonathan, who knows one of my very first posts on here was a detailed one about JW storm, but he would fall in the same category as awesome to me. wasn't motivated to stay in wrestling since he came in during an all-time low for business...think he would've been perfect for the late 90s since he had the look and could do high-flying big man stuff. here's something a bit outside the box: most black wrestlers prior to the 80s. they tended to be pigeonholed into stereotypical gimmicks (even more so than since), and i can't help but be a bit suspicious of the fact that almost all of them got stuck with the "bad worker" label. we definitely have video evidence of that for some of these guys, but somehow i have a hard time believing that every single black wrestler who ever drew money in the territories was basically konnan.
December 9, 201410 yr comment_5644503 If Regal would've been 10 years older he would've been awesome working the territories
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644524 yea, mark henry would've been the first black NWA champ in 80s crockett What makes you say this? What does Henry have that Butch Reed or Tony Atlas didn't?
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644527 More charisma and mic skills than Reed, better worker than Atlas. The best of both worlds.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644528 Not really buying it to be honest. I don't see Mark Henry as NWA champ.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644529 Anybody who turned professional in England in the late 70s to early 80s. Had they been born earlier they could have ended a 20 or 30 year career on television.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644530 yea, mark henry would've been the first black NWA champ in 80s crockett What makes you say this? What does Henry have that Butch Reed or Tony Atlas didn't? what the next couple replies said, plus the olympic cred which i figure would have mattered much more back then. in reagan's america, you know... but i think the size is particularly important. i've always had the impression that the 80s were the peak of people in the business being size marks.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644532 I wonder what crazy angles Heyman could have run with a "prime" Necro Butcher in '96 ECW?
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644533 yea, mark henry would've been the first black NWA champ in 80s crockett What makes you say this? What does Henry have that Butch Reed or Tony Atlas didn't? what the next couple replies said, plus the olympic cred which i figure would have mattered much more back then. in reagan's america, you know... but i think the size is particularly important. i've always had the impression that the 80s were the peak of people in the business being size marks. NWA champ is a different proposition though. He'd have been a good traveling heel or a good Hogan opponent.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644534 It theoretically would have been fun to see Henry and Patera be a traveling powerhouse match a la Andre vs. Ernie Ladd.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644535 here's something a bit outside the box: most black wrestlers prior to the 80s. they tended to be pigeonholed into stereotypical gimmicks (even more so than since), and i can't help but be a bit suspicious of the fact that almost all of them got stuck with the "bad worker" label. we definitely have video evidence of that for some of these guys, but somehow i have a hard time believing that every single black wrestler who ever drew money in the territories was basically konnan. This. Jack Claybourne, Luther Lindsay, Samara Seelie, Bearcat Wright, Bobo Brazil.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644536 No way Henry becomes NWA Champion in the '80s. Everyone in wrestling was still very behind-the-times and racist back then. Yes, Watts pushed JYD, but that was only one territory and let's not forget his infamous Torch Talk interview. Plus, Teddy Long has gone on record about the racism he experienced in wrestling (you can see what he said on the WWE Network for only $9.99). And didn't Meltzer recently report that the n-word was a business term for black wrestlers well into the '90s? With all of that working against Henry, I can't see it happening for him in the '80s, no matter what an impressive physical specimen he would've been at the time.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644537 Mark Henry would have definitely been North American/ UWF champ for Watts.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644545 Brian Pillman would likely have the chance to headline today that he didn't get in the early to mid-90s.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644554 Billy Graham should have debuted in the late 70's ala Hogan and should have stayed away from the drugs. He would have been perfect for the 1980's. This is an odd one, but I think Meng would have been better had he debuted in the 2010's. He'd be a legitimate tough guy and I think could get movie roles and stuff with his rep. I don't know if they should, but I would be curious to see what a Benoit/Eddy would have done had they debuted in the late 90's along with Punk, DB and Joe. Owen should have came around later for sure. I could see him being like a modern day Regal or something.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644555 Mark Henry would have definitely been North American/ UWF champ for Watts. Definitely. Watts would have had a field day with Henry.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644565 Billy Graham should have debuted in the late 70's ala Hogan and should have stayed away from the drugs. He would have been perfect for the 1980's. This is an odd one, but I think Meng would have been better had he debuted in the 2010's. He'd be a legitimate tough guy and I think could get movie roles and stuff with his rep. I don't know if they should, but I would be curious to see what a Benoit/Eddy would have done had they debuted in the late 90's along with Punk, DB and Joe. Owen should have came around later for sure. I could see him being like a modern day Regal or something. Would a guy like Meng really have any opportunity to develop that tough guy persona? I don't think current WWE would let things like that happen.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644593 Another curiosity for me is how Scott Steiner may have fared in late 1970s-early 1980s AWA. Paul Diamond/Pat Tanaka may have been a fun Attitude-era tag team, too.
December 10, 201410 yr comment_5644594 If Regal would've been 10 years older he would've been awesome working the territories Not quite sure about this one. The one thing holding Regal back was always himself. Every time a company gave him a chance he screwed it up, because of his massive drug use. A drug free Regal though I think would have worked in every era.
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