alexxx
Superstar
Joined on: Dec 27, 2008 15:54:38 GMT -5
Posts: 782
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Post by alexxx on Nov 16, 2017 14:54:38 GMT -5
In the spring of 1987 The One Man Gang debuted in the WWF after a successful run in the UWF. At 6’9 and 460 pounds with his tattooed head and mohawk the Gang looked like he would be a major force in the WWF and a threat to Hulk Hogan. it only lasted for a little more than a year before he transformed into Akeem the African Dream in a bizzare segment where OMG claimed to have found his African roots.
All of a sudden the intimidating One Man Gang was a giant dancing Easter egg. Why? What was wrong with the One Man Gang character? I never understood the point of this change. It wasn’t until after OMG became Akeem that he started to feud with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. I didn’t see Akeem as the same threat. The ring style didn’t change with the character but I think One Man Gang would have made a much better opponent for those to than Akeem. I also think the OMG character would have been a better tag team partner for the Big Boss Man in the Twin Towers. Boss Man was a big mean serious guy. Akeem was a dancing fool. I felt Boss Man was clearly the leader of the team and if Akeem had still been OMG they would have been equals. Also OMG would have fit better with the Boss Man gimmick. A mean and corrupt prison guard forming an alliance with a street thug sounds better than forming an alliance with a fat white guy finding his African roots.
My first idea for this thread was to simply ask who you liked better, One Man Gang or Akeem. Then I thought everyone would just answer OMG. Maybe I’m wrong though so I’ll include that with a few other questions. Which character did you prefer? Why do you think OMG was transformed into Akeem? Did you feel Akeem was the weak link in the Twin Towers and would have made the team better? Would Akeem have had a better and longer WWF career had he remained One Man Gang?
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Post by keegandimitrijevic01 on Nov 16, 2017 15:05:27 GMT -5
Both.
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Post by k5 on Nov 16, 2017 15:06:56 GMT -5
i was born in 90 so I only saw his uwf stuff later on, but his uwf stuff was honestly top notch and he was as convincing of a menacing heel as any other. one he entered wwf, he like everyone else was subject to being cartoonized. and that’s unfortunately exactly what happened.
when steroids became a near necessity to have the looks for success in wrestling, a lot of the men that originally were recognized as amazing athletes and ridiculously strong were reduced to big lugs for hogan to pull his hulking up on.
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Post by Bandalero on Nov 16, 2017 15:07:26 GMT -5
Which character did you prefer?
OMG - his look was unique, and the name was pretty creative and cool "One-Man-Gang"
Why do you think OMG was transformed into Akeem?
I like your analogy of the corrupt prison guard forming an alliance with a street thug - it could have been memorable. But my hunch is this was a rib similar to how Vince made the American Dream dress in yellow poka-dots. But to the Gang's credit, he owned the character and became a dancing fool which contrasts with the serious Bossman gimmick.
Did you feel Akeem was the weak link in the Twin Towers and would have made the team better?
Well let's be realistic here, I don't think the Twin Towers were ever going to go on and make a legacy like the Road Warriors, Hart Foundation, Rock N Roll Express etc. I think it was a novelty team of two big fat guys. WWF would run with that idea and push the Natural Disasters later on, but the Twin Towers were the blueprint.
Would Akeem have had a better and longer WWF career had he remained One Man Gang?
As much as I think it was a rib, I also think it was Vince being Vince. OMG made a name for himself in UWF and the territories, he wasn't WWF-made. Vince had to put his stamp on the wrestler. Unfortunately all these big men were simply there to be fed to Hulk Hogan - Sid, Earthquake, Tugboat, Bossman, Andre, all were his "friends" until the dreaded turn. I think the only big man that never turned on Hogan was Hillbilly Jim.
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Post by T R W on Nov 16, 2017 15:08:30 GMT -5
I liked him a lot as OMG in the Mid South, NWA, and UWF. Never cared much for him in the WWE, especially as Akeem, which was just a rib on Dusty anyway.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Nov 16, 2017 18:18:49 GMT -5
One Man Gang was more of a threat and you could take more seriously.
Akeem was more of a joke character, which pretty much ended up happening in the end with Akeem.
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Post by The Brain on Nov 16, 2017 18:38:23 GMT -5
One Man Gang all the way but I didn't mind the Akeem character as goofy and over the top as it was.
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Deleted
Joined on: Apr 25, 2024 6:01:40 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2017 19:21:13 GMT -5
One Man Gang, but I thought Akeem was ok. A lot of people thought Akeem sucked, but I thought George Gray made it at least mildly entertaining.
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Post by LA Times on Nov 16, 2017 19:40:57 GMT -5
Which character did you prefer? OMG - his look was unique, and the name was pretty creative and cool "One-Man-Gang" Why do you think OMG was transformed into Akeem? I like your analogy of the corrupt prison guard forming an alliance with a street thug - it could have been memorable. But my hunch is this was a rib similar to how Vince made the American Dream dress in yellow poka-dots. But to the Gang's credit, he owned the character and became a dancing fool which contrasts with the serious Bossman gimmick. Did you feel Akeem was the weak link in the Twin Towers and would have made the team better? Well let's be realistic here, I don't think the Twin Towers were ever going to go on and make a legacy like the Road Warriors, Hart Foundation, Rock N Roll Express etc. I think it was a novelty team of two big fat guys. WWF would run with that idea and push the Natural Disasters later on, but the Twin Towers were the blueprint. Would Akeem have had a better and longer WWF career had he remained One Man Gang? As much as I think it was a rib, I also think it was Vince being Vince. OMG made a name for himself in UWF and the territories, he wasn't WWF-made. Vince had to put his stamp on the wrestler. Unfortunately all these big men were simply there to be fed to Hulk Hogan - Sid, Earthquake, Tugboat, Bossman, Andre, all were his "friends" until the dreaded turn. I think the only big man that never turned on Hogan was Hillbilly Jim. Big Bossman and Earthquake came in as heels and were never allied with Hogan before feuding with him. Tugboat turned on the Bushwhackers and I dont think he ever wrestled Hogan as a heel. |
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Post by The Brain on Nov 16, 2017 20:04:19 GMT -5
Which character did you prefer? OMG - his look was unique, and the name was pretty creative and cool "One-Man-Gang" Why do you think OMG was transformed into Akeem? I like your analogy of the corrupt prison guard forming an alliance with a street thug - it could have been memorable. But my hunch is this was a rib similar to how Vince made the American Dream dress in yellow poka-dots. But to the Gang's credit, he owned the character and became a dancing fool which contrasts with the serious Bossman gimmick. Did you feel Akeem was the weak link in the Twin Towers and would have made the team better? Well let's be realistic here, I don't think the Twin Towers were ever going to go on and make a legacy like the Road Warriors, Hart Foundation, Rock N Roll Express etc. I think it was a novelty team of two big fat guys. WWF would run with that idea and push the Natural Disasters later on, but the Twin Towers were the blueprint. Would Akeem have had a better and longer WWF career had he remained One Man Gang? As much as I think it was a rib, I also think it was Vince being Vince. OMG made a name for himself in UWF and the territories, he wasn't WWF-made. Vince had to put his stamp on the wrestler. Unfortunately all these big men were simply there to be fed to Hulk Hogan - Sid, Earthquake, Tugboat, Bossman, Andre, all were his "friends" until the dreaded turn. I think the only big man that never turned on Hogan was Hillbilly Jim. Big Bossman and Earthquake came in as heels and were never allied with Hogan before feuding with him. Tugboat turned on the Bushwhackers and I dont think he ever wrestled Hogan as a heel.He fought Hogan on that Invasion 92 CHV. That's the only time I recall. |
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Post by Mark Martin on Nov 16, 2017 20:11:58 GMT -5
OMG.
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robbutler01
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 10, 2013 15:10:27 GMT -5
Posts: 1,267
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Post by robbutler01 on Nov 17, 2017 8:13:23 GMT -5
OMG definitely would look bad ass next to boss man nad would have seemed more credible as a threat but I guess that wasn't what they wanted at the time.
However I give massive props to him for making the Akeem character work as others have said.
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Post by PJ on Nov 17, 2017 16:07:54 GMT -5
As a wrestler/gimmick I liked the OMG more, but I did find he Akeem character to be very entertaining.
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