Kris is joined by David Bixenspan (The Bix Show/The Trade Marks) & Dylan Hales (Wrestling Culture/The Trade Marks) to discuss the life and times of “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel. Join us as we talk about the ups and downs of Budro’s career, his good times and his bad times and why he WAS great and not a could’ve, should’ve, or would’ve been!!!

 

http://placetobenation.com/exile-on-badstreet-9-yeah-we-said-it-the-life-and-times-of-buddy-landel/

Oh awesome. Thanks guys. Perfect timing.

 

Reason for the podcast sucks, but excited to listen.

Is everyone able to get to the podcast. I went to the link and I can't get it to load to the download. Looks like it is trying to load but stops at the end

Soundcloud is currently down.

It is back up. Downloading it now and looking forward to it

This is awesome so far. Is the promo where Dundee and Landell diss going to church on Memphis TV anywhere on youtube?

It was during the Bill & Buddy show so yes it should be on there.

Another fan fucking tastic show. Props to Bix and Dylan as well for adding some of the input they did.

These shows are only as good as my guests and Bix/Dylan have been very valuable to me doing my early run of shows.

Guys, as a Buddy fan...FANTASTIC SHOW. And I will agree the 86 memphis feud with Lawler is on par with 87s Lawler/Idol/Rich

 

I will say one thing: While I'm a huge Buddy fan, I'm still not convinced he was getting the title. I completely buy him being set up as a legit challenger, but still not buying him winning the title.

Maybe not but he was definitely getting a huge push which could've meant that down the road.

 

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Yeah I don't post very often but Exile on Badstreet is by far my favourite wrestling podcast. Every episode has been great

Buddy went to his grave convinced that Dusty at least TOLD him he was in line for the title. As time went by he seemed to be less sure that Dusty actually meant it.

 

What's not in dispute are the plans of Buddy being put with Baby Doll--both Cornette and JJ Dillon have corroborated that, at the very least. Baby Doll was a major act for the company in 1985 so at minimum he lost out on a very sizable push, even if it wasn't World title level.

Excellent show as always. I'm not sure I agree that Landell in late '95 was a big what if moment. My gut says that he would have quickly fallen into an enhancement talent role like the other SMW talent that were hired in mid '96.

Maybe but getting that match with Bret that quickly was pretty big....who knows what would've happened.

True, we'll never know what would have happened, but it wasn't uncommon in that period for guys to get a big TV match quickly, lose, then slide down the card fast. Spicolli's second TV match that year was with Shawn Michaels, for example. Usually guys they had big plans for in those days got the multi-week vignette treatment and were built up slowly.

I don't think he would have been a gigantic star, but he probably would've stayed active and in major promotions for at least a few years. He was a really good worker who could talk, and had more to offer than a lot of guys who passed through WCW. Maybe we get NWO Nature Boy if he's active.

Oh sweet lord Budro in the nWo........amazing idea

I agree that he could have had a good WCW run in the late 90s in him. I just don't think there's much evidence that Vince would have given him a decent push if he hadn't broken his ankle at the end of '95.

Oh sweet lord Budro in the nWo........amazing idea

I thought for sure I read that there was talks to maybe bring in Buddy as the nWo Nature Boy. Anyone have any of the old dirt sheets at this time?

Mid-90s Landel in WWF was destined for nothing but matches on Heat with maybe a 4-minute job on Raw once every six months. Or in WCW, the same, just swap in Saturday Night and Nitro.

Observer at the time says that with SMW closing, Landel will be keeping his already signed dates of wrestling at the WWF tapings on 12/18 and 12/19 as well as being in the Royal Rumble. It wasn't planned as a regular spot and originally he was just representing SMW. That's why he was backstage at the PPV which he wasn't supposed to be on.

 

From the first Observer of 1996 -

 

"Buddy Landel apparently messed up his ankle after the tapings in Bethlehem. He slipped on ice going through a revolving door and tore up his ankle and needed surgery and will be out of action for at least eight weeks. Landel's job for Ahmed Johnson was a last second deal. Vince McMahon and Jim Ross were apparently trying to convince Dean Douglas to work the match and Douglas wouldn't because of his back injury. There was no contingency plan and Landel basically was asked to help them out of a jam and did the squash job in the manner they requested because Johnson is getting the megapush. Apparently he was going to be rewarded for being a team player by getting a spot on the roster, but wound up injured almost immediately."

 

-----------------

 

Let's not pretend a win over Bob Holly meant much at the end of 1995 and it was solely done to build him up for his match against Bret which didn't even air on Raw or Superstars. Because everything happened so quickly, there's little chance Vince had any plans for Buddy other than this reward match against Bret. Within 2-3 months he most likely would have been in a spot like Smothers or Anthony if he hadn't gotten injured.

 

Best case scenario I can see is perhaps they let him form a tag with one of the other SMW cast-offs and they get a New Rockers-like run.

Holy shit a Buddy Landell-Al Snow New Rockers tag team would had ruled!

Give me high-horse Budro and the Dirty White Boy as the odd couple tag team, "High Class & White Trash" and now we're talking.