Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Dec 17, 2012 1:14:40 GMT -5
When Vince McMahon went looking for his new Hulk Hogan, he had two viable options. Both Crush and Lex Luger had the big, muscular physique that he always seemed to favor. Although both usually stuck to the basics inside the ring, there were times when Crush would show amazing agility for a man his size. He performed dropkicks, some martial arts kicks, and even came off the top rope from time to time. He also had a cool finishing move and sick theme music.
Turning a popular Hawaiian native in Crush into the new American hero made more sense than repacking Lex Luger who, at the time, was a mid-card heel playing the role of "The Narcissist." Heading into the Fourth of July "Bodyslam Challenge" on the USS Intrepid, Crush was definitely considered a favorite to slam Yokozuna. Despite not being able to lift the sumo champion, he faced off against Yokozuna for the WWF title the following week on Monday Night Raw. Crush lost and the end of the match saw him on the receiving end of four Banzai Drops which put him on the shelf. "Kona" Crush would never be seen again in the WWF.
Anybody feel that Crush could have been given the main event push that eventually went to Lex? If not, why?
I think that he could have been given that spot, but there are some things to consider. The feud with Doink really damaged his reputation and credibility. Obviously, I am a big fan of the original Doink character, but their rivalry was practically one-sided and made Crush look like a total loser in the end. Doink beat him down with the fake cast which made him miss the Royal Rumble. At Wrestlemania IX, instead of getting revenge he is again defeated by Doink. Then, during his Intercontinental title match at King of the Ring, Doink interferes and costs him the belt. Every time they met Doink came out on top and Crush just looked like a big buffoon at the expense of a wrestling clown.
Crush would turn heel that fall and despite having a decent run, it seemed like he was never able to recover from the Doink program.
Turning a popular Hawaiian native in Crush into the new American hero made more sense than repacking Lex Luger who, at the time, was a mid-card heel playing the role of "The Narcissist." Heading into the Fourth of July "Bodyslam Challenge" on the USS Intrepid, Crush was definitely considered a favorite to slam Yokozuna. Despite not being able to lift the sumo champion, he faced off against Yokozuna for the WWF title the following week on Monday Night Raw. Crush lost and the end of the match saw him on the receiving end of four Banzai Drops which put him on the shelf. "Kona" Crush would never be seen again in the WWF.
Anybody feel that Crush could have been given the main event push that eventually went to Lex? If not, why?
I think that he could have been given that spot, but there are some things to consider. The feud with Doink really damaged his reputation and credibility. Obviously, I am a big fan of the original Doink character, but their rivalry was practically one-sided and made Crush look like a total loser in the end. Doink beat him down with the fake cast which made him miss the Royal Rumble. At Wrestlemania IX, instead of getting revenge he is again defeated by Doink. Then, during his Intercontinental title match at King of the Ring, Doink interferes and costs him the belt. Every time they met Doink came out on top and Crush just looked like a big buffoon at the expense of a wrestling clown.
Crush would turn heel that fall and despite having a decent run, it seemed like he was never able to recover from the Doink program.
