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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 10:47:27 GMT -5
Anyone else think Sid’s “Sycho” run from 1995-1997 goes under appreciated? Everyone talks about how Austin and the nWo made it cool to cheer the “bad guys,” but Sid was doing the exact same thing during that time (arguably before even Austin started gaining fan support). His crowd reaction at the 1996 Survivor Series was crazy, and he continued to be cheered over top faces like Bret and Shawn during the following months.
His momentum seemed to die out pretty quickly after loosing the title back to Shawn, but that three month run from SS 1996 - RR 1997 was a strong one for Sid. I think it’s a shame Vince didn’t keep him on the roster following his injury later that year, and Sid could have absolutely been a major player as they moved forward into the Attitude era (not as champ, but a credible top name for guys like Austin, Rock, and HHH to feud with to help get over).
Anyone else think the Sycho Sid run deserves more praise, and anyone think he could have been a benefit to the WWF had they kept him on the roster?
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Warriah'
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Sycho Sid
Sept 23, 2021 10:56:06 GMT -5
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Post by Warriah' on Sept 23, 2021 10:56:06 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13.
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Post by LA Times on Sept 23, 2021 11:11:37 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13. He was playing softball. |
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 11:12:45 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13. Sid’s sporadic appearances during that time was basically due to a bad neck injury. Sid injured his neck in late 1995/early 1996 and decided to take time off from wrestling. Fast forward to July of 1996 and Sid was brought back despite hesitations to return to the ring (Vince was reportedly desperate to bring him back after Warrior was let go). Sid agreed, but it was reportedly a short term deal. After the Vader run fizzled out due to Shawn, Sid found himself as the WWF Champ almost out of nowhere. After two short title runs, Sid made sporadic appearance in the spring of 1997 before leaving again for another neck surgery. By that point Vince didn’t feel they needed Sid any longer and that was really the end of his run in the WWF. Short but entertaining for me atleast. |
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Warriah'
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Post by Warriah' on Sept 23, 2021 11:14:47 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13. Sid’s sporadic appearances during that time was basically due to a bad neck injury. Sid injured his neck in late 1995/early 1996 and decided to take time off from wrestling. Fast forward to July of 1996 and Sid was brought back despite hesitations to return to the ring (Vince was reportedly desperate to bring him back after Warrior was let go). Sid agreed, but it was reportedly a short term deal. After the Vader run fizzled out due to Shawn, Sid found himself as the WWF Champ almost out of nowhere. After two short title runs, Sid made sporadic appearance in the spring of 1997 before leaving again for another neck surgery. By that point Vince didn’t feel they needed Sid any longer and that was really the end of his run in the WWF. Short but entertaining for me atleast. I had no idea but that explains it. I know Vince actually asked Bret to replace Warrior but he refused lol |
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 11:18:29 GMT -5
Sid’s sporadic appearances during that time was basically due to a bad neck injury. Sid injured his neck in late 1995/early 1996 and decided to take time off from wrestling. Fast forward to July of 1996 and Sid was brought back despite hesitations to return to the ring (Vince was reportedly desperate to bring him back after Warrior was let go). Sid agreed, but it was reportedly a short term deal. After the Vader run fizzled out due to Shawn, Sid found himself as the WWF Champ almost out of nowhere. After two short title runs, Sid made sporadic appearance in the spring of 1997 before leaving again for another neck surgery. By that point Vince didn’t feel they needed Sid any longer and that was really the end of his run in the WWF. Short but entertaining for me atleast. I had no idea but that explains it. I know Vince actually asked Bret to replace Warrior but he refused lol Lol yeah Bret was busy playing a cowboy on Lonesome Dove somewhere. Sid’s earlier runs in the WWF and WCW were usually due to playing softball, failed drug tests, and the scissors incident, but 1995-1997 he was reportedly pretty banged up and had a few neck surgeries during that time. |
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jason1980s
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Post by jason1980s on Sept 23, 2021 11:33:42 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13. That was the thing with Sid, he always disappeared. I think his first WCW run was the longest he was ever in a promotion. He lasted less than a year with WWF in 1991-1992, lasted just a few months with WCW in 1993, then less than a year with WWF in 1995 and less than a year 1996-1997. Probably for the best as he was really an attraction guy and I felt like he was being on the losing end of matches in his 1995 run. Lucky he recovered when he came back in 1996. Plus fans hated Shawn so much they would cheer him. I don't remember his last WCW run but doubt that lasted long. I think he pretty much disappeared from WWF TV after Wrestlemania but in June he, Furnas and Lafon and Flash Funk had a car accident that put them out for a bit. It must have been during a house show ride that happened. |
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 11:49:01 GMT -5
Sid’s run goes over my head a little as he kept missing markee events. No match on the mania 11 card, wasn’t even there for most of 96, and he just sort of disappeared after mania 13. That was the thing with Sid, he always disappeared. I think his first WCW run was the longest he was ever in a promotion. He lasted less than a year with WWF in 1991-1992, lasted just a few months with WCW in 1993, then less than a year with WWF in 1995 and less than a year 1996-1997. Probably for the best as he was really an attraction guy and I felt like he was being on the losing end of matches in his 1995 run. Lucky he recovered when he came back in 1996. Plus fans hated Shawn so much they would cheer him. I don't remember his last WCW run but doubt that lasted long. I think he pretty much disappeared from WWF TV after Wrestlemania but in June he, Furnas and Lafon and Flash Funk had a car accident that put them out for a bit. It must have been during a house show ride that happened. You’re right Sid’s first WCW run was his longest. He never had a passion for wrestling, but knew he could make some money out of it. Sid said he left WCW the first time for the WWF as while Vince was offering him less guarunteed money, Vince promised he’d make more overall than the WCW offer. Sid said he regrets going to the WWF as he didn’t make what Vince was promising. Fast forward to after WM8, and with a looming suspension due to a failed drug test and payout disputes, Sid left. He played softball for a bit before returning to WCW, but that ended in the now infamous scissors fight with Arn. Sid took more time off to play softball, and returned to the WWF in 1995 after Vince started feeling some heat from WCW with the Hogan and Savage signings. By the end of 1995 he had hurt his neck and took time off for surgery. Vince came calling again around the spring of 1996 out of desperation for top-name talent, and Sid agreed to a short term deal. Fast forward a year later, and following two world title wins, Sid again had to step away for a second neck surgery. Sid stayed away from wrestling for a few years outside of a brief stint in ECW (he left after Heyman didn’t pay him), until 1999 where supposedly Hall and Nash talked him into returning to WCW. Considering how crazy backstage politics were in WCW at the time, Sid got a strong push and the fans were behind him pretty strong as well. He eventually won the WCW Title, but then vacated it during “Russo’s reboot” and was basically sent home until the end of the year, where he was brought back to feud with Steiner and Johnny Laurenitis aparently told Sid he needed some more ariel maneuvers (we know how that ended). Sid had a ton of short stints but got over pretty strong with fans on a few occasions. Had he had longer runs, I’m sure you’re right that his aura would have faded, but he still sticks out to me as an unsung star of 90’s wrestling. |
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Post by The Brain on Sept 23, 2021 14:36:23 GMT -5
Always was a Sid fan. When I think of his WWF Title run in 96/7, This always come to mind...
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Sept 23, 2021 15:08:49 GMT -5
Sycho Sid was awesome in 1996.
His 1995 run I think was Vince's way of getting back at him for leaving the WWF in 1992. Sid got squashed by everyone while still being presented as a main event star.
In 1996, he was seen as equal to the top names. He took over Warrior's position then and ran with it. Two time WWF Champion isn't nothing to sneeze at.
The pop Sid got in the summer of 1997 when he came out on the stage as a potential partner for Steve Austin that night against Bulldog and Owen was huge too! And then that was it, Sid disappeared again until his ECW run in January 1999.
And that right there too shows how over Sid was. ECW fans love either technical or hardcore wrestling. Only two guys came in there that didn't do anything and the fans went nuts over. One, was 911. The other, was Sid.
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Warriah'
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Post by Warriah' on Sept 23, 2021 15:36:22 GMT -5
Always was a Sid fan. When I think of his WWF Title run in 96/7, This always come to mind... I love this so much |
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Post by The Brain on Sept 23, 2021 15:45:01 GMT -5
An appropriate thread to post these in...He indeed is the Master and Ruler of the WORLD!!!!! 
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 16:10:10 GMT -5
Always was a Sid fan. When I think of his WWF Title run in 96/7, This always come to mind... One of the many amazing quotes from Sid’s career. |
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Post by The Brain on Sept 23, 2021 16:13:14 GMT -5
Always was a Sid fan. When I think of his WWF Title run in 96/7, This always come to mind... One of the many amazing quotes from Sid’s career. Another one of my favs |
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 23, 2021 18:33:19 GMT -5
One of the many amazing quotes from Sid’s career. Another one of my favs |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2021 5:14:26 GMT -5
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TheXtremisT
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Post by TheXtremisT on Sept 24, 2021 7:55:35 GMT -5
I'm glad you guys recognised how over he was in 1996-7, because from the narrative spun by places/channels like Whatculture/Cultaholic etc... they say his reigns were underwhelming and he wasn't getting much reactions at all.
And yet it couldn't be further from the truth. I watched all Raws from 1997 and Sid was over HUGE. He always got strong reactions, even when he wasn't doing much and the Undertaker feud was lacking. He still had a great connection with the crowd.
I believe his intensity in his mic work was most of the reason.
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Post by cordless2016 on Sept 24, 2021 8:46:06 GMT -5
I'm glad you guys recognised how over he was in 1996-7, because from the narrative spun by places/channels like Whatculture/Cultaholic etc... they say his reigns were underwhelming and he wasn't getting much reactions at all. And yet it couldn't be further from the truth. I watched all Raws from 1997 and Sid was over HUGE. He always got strong reactions, even when he wasn't doing much and the Undertaker feud was lacking. He still had a great connection with the crowd. I believe his intensity in his mic work was most of the reason. Even though he was literally a giant among men, I think Sid came off as an “everyday guy” with his Sycho gimmick. Similar to Austin, fans seemed to get behind him due to being a badass who broke rules and gave middle fingers to authority figures. His promos weren’t polished, and he didn’t exactly have a gorgeous face either. He just kicked ass and looked cool doing it with how much intensity he had. Plus being a dominant heel that didn’t run from anyone was a breath of fresh air as well. Sid deserves a lot more credit than he gets for helping to get the “cool bad-guy” gimmick over. Hell, fans were going crazy for him before they got behind Austin. |
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TheXtremisT
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Post by TheXtremisT on Sept 24, 2021 13:08:35 GMT -5
I'm glad you guys recognised how over he was in 1996-7, because from the narrative spun by places/channels like Whatculture/Cultaholic etc... they say his reigns were underwhelming and he wasn't getting much reactions at all. And yet it couldn't be further from the truth. I watched all Raws from 1997 and Sid was over HUGE. He always got strong reactions, even when he wasn't doing much and the Undertaker feud was lacking. He still had a great connection with the crowd. I believe his intensity in his mic work was most of the reason. Even though he was literally a giant among men, I think Sid came off as an “everyday guy” with his Sycho gimmick. Similar to Austin, fans seemed to get behind him due to being a badass who broke rules and gave middle fingers to authority figures. His promos weren’t polished, and he didn’t exactly have a gorgeous face either. He just kicked ass and looked cool doing it with how much intensity he had. Plus being a dominant heel that didn’t run from anyone was a breath of fresh air as well. Sid deserves a lot more credit than he gets for helping to get the “cool bad-guy” gimmick over. Hell, fans were going crazy for him before they got behind Austin. 100%, and it was something I noticed a lot back then. Badass tougher guys who aren't booked to look like whiny babies (heels) or weak babyfaces - they get over. Who would have thought? Lol. What I highlighted in bold from what you said, was literally what I noticed in a few guys back then. Especially Ahmed Johnson. Over huge, had power, intensity and was badass. Same as Hawk and Animal to a lesser extent. The way things were going however, with the cocky "cool" heels becoming so much more confident on the mic (DX, NAO, The Rock), those got favoured over say LOD, Ken Shamrock, Ahmed.... hence why we saw babyfaces needing an "edge" to keep up with those heels and hence why Owen Hart's Black Hart gimmick fizzled. He didn't have that edge. |
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nibs92
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Post by nibs92 on Sept 24, 2021 13:29:34 GMT -5
Absolutely love this! Scott Hall’s reaction is priceless, you could tell he was genuinely tickled by it. |
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