Kris Zellner & David Bixenspan are guestless this week but we soldier on and discuss the week that was January 26-February 1, 1991. We discuss the WWF exploiting the Persian War Angle and how that affected their television plus the venue change for Wrestlemania VII. We also talk about the birth of the World Bodybuilding Federation, the birth of RINGS, the early plans of the GWF, the legacy of Michael St. John, Clash of the Champions “Dixie Dynamite,” & Dusty Rhodes’ grand return to WCW. A fun show guest or no guest!

 

0:00:00 WWF
1:21:29 Japan: AJPW, NJPW, & RINGS
1:38:06 Latin America: EMLL, UWA, & WWC
1:49:34 Misc. USA: AWA, GWF, USWA, & UWF
2:17:39 WCW

 

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http://placetobenation.com/between-the-sheets-28-january-26-february-1-1991-featuring-kris-zellner-david-bixenspan/

And here's the accompanying YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoeBY9gVL9d3-caw_ngbyAl4CWAjxscIt

 

 

About 5 minutes in is the Rich vs. Kelly arm wrestling contest involving Sherri that was talked about. My favorite part of the SNME is the build up to Hogan being named the #1 contender and Duggan being treated with a straight face as a candidate to main event Mania.

I'm interested in that 'when did wrestlemania become wrestlemania?' discussion. To me, I'd argue the modern MASSIVE version of the event started two years earlier than 2006, at MSG in 2004. Looked like an international, diehards-only crowd there to fanatically tear Brock and Goldberg a new one.

Sorry, but Michael St John narrating the Kimala intro video negates him being the worst anything!!!

Love Kris's line "This is WCW, Bix" after Bix asks a logical question.

2004 is a good call and I may even go as early as 2001

2004 is a good call and I may even go as early as 2001

 

I'd agree with 2001. The Astrodome was huge.

For my perspective and the bubble I encounter I would say either WM 22 (ROH, IWA-MS running plus the crowd reactions in the main event) or WM 24 (first year Observer went and seemed to have more people travelling due to Flair retiring).

 

2004 is a good call and I may even go as early as 2001

 

I'd agree with 2001. The Astrodome was huge.

 

Next year in SkyDome, then Sacco Field were big places as well. 2001 is probably the answer.

 

 

2004 is a good call and I may even go as early as 2001

 

I'd agree with 2001. The Astrodome was huge.

 

Next year in SkyDome, then Sacco Field were big places as well. 2001 is probably the answer.

 

The reason I suggest '04 is because Bix and Kris mentioned international fans flying in. Was that a big part of things as early as '01?

 

Just asking - I can't remember.

I think there's a show segment idea here regarding the whole "travelling fans" idea. You could trace it back to the WFIA stuff in the 70s/80s and up to when Meltzer & crew used to go to PPVs & stuff in the late 80s. I'm kind of curious what happened between say 1989 & 2001 where it seemed hardcores weren't travelling to shows in packs. Was it done under the radar? Theoretically that's the time period where more & more fans were being smartened up & considered "hardcores" so it seems odd that there was a gap. Maybe people were just content to watch from home and something spurred on the idea to have a gathering around a big event?

I know this is a little off topic but Normal, Illinois was mentioned in the episode. The city is the home of Illinois State University, whose mascot is the Redbirds, hence Redbird Arena. In addition, Normal was named after the school. At one time teachers' colleges were known as Normal Schools. The original name of ISU was Illinois State Normal University. I've visited Normal numerous times, it has a nice college town atmosphere. Not as nice as Madison, Wisconsin but way better than Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

I think there's a show segment idea here regarding the whole "travelling fans" idea. You could trace it back to the WFIA stuff in the 70s/80s and up to when Meltzer & crew used to go to PPVs & stuff in the late 80s. I'm kind of curious what happened between say 1989 & 2001 where it seemed hardcores weren't travelling to shows in packs. Was it done under the radar? Theoretically that's the time period where more & more fans were being smartened up & considered "hardcores" so it seems odd that there was a gap. Maybe people were just content to watch from home and something spurred on the idea to have a gathering around a big event?

In the late 1990s a lot of British guys used to travel over for shows as wrote about in Fanzines and PowerSlam, I'm sure John Lister could shed light on it.

 

Also the early UK PPVs (Capital Carnage, One Night Only) were seen as a big deal even if not great shows, but when they went to having TV tapings in the UK it may of spurred more to travel across the pond to see shows.

So what was the deal with Heenan? Not being a sheet reader I never heard that drug arrest story and I dont remember that being in his books. I thought I remembered Blanchard blaming Heenan for being drug tested but thats the only Heenan and drugs story I know about.

It is weird that the Heenan drug story isn't more well known but Heenan is so popular it's like it got swept under the rug

Plus it's just weed. It's not like he got busted sneaking quaaludes up his ass.

That is true but 1991 was a different time when it came to being busted for weed

Mania 17 is a massive show. It terms of set design and crowd reaction it feels like one of the biggest they ever did, and you get the idea from watching the Austin-Rock entrances (or hell, even the Regal-Jericho entrances) that you're seeing a true stadium setup and the peak of the Attitude era.

I was at WM17. A friend and I flew from Philadelphia. We bought the tickets when they first went on sale the previous November, and had pretty good seats.

 

Obviously a lot changed in wrestling between Nov 2000 and April 2001. Even being only 19 at the time, it did feel like an end of an era and a huge event.

 

I remember there being a mixed reaction to the Stone Cold turn, but probably the most memorable event of the weekend occurred Saturday night.

 

My friend and I went to Benihanas and we sat with a random group of people who were not in town for Wrestlemania. As we were concluding our dinner, Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit came in.

 

We immediately went over to ask for pictures and autographs. They were extremely nice and asked if we could leave them be while they ate, and after that they would take as many pictures and autographs as we wanted.

 

We were fine with that, but when we went back to our table and told the non-fans we were sitting with, one of the women flipped out saying that athletes are so disrespectful to their fans.

 

She then proceeded to go over to their table and yell at them about not giving us autographs. We were so embarrassed so we just left.

 

Venturing across the street, I think it was a Hyatt, but their was a ton of police there so we figured that the wrestlers must be staying there. We went inside and talked to D Lo Brown for a few minutes and told him we wanted him to go back to the chest protector gimmick. He agreed.

 

Then we bumped in to Al Snow, and my friend accidentally snapped a picture with the flash going off right in his face. Soon after, we were escorted out of the hotel since we were not staying there. As we were being escorted out, Vince's Iimo rolled up. All in all, a memorable weekend.

General question. Has anyone gone back and looked through the Meltzer columns from The National and see if there's anything worth mining from them relative to the Observers from the time?

Well there will be more National discussion on the next BTS

I would on occasion buy The National but it was more to get my "fix" in between Observers. I don't remember there being anything in there that wouldn't be superseded by having the Observers from the time period.