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Post by The Brain on Dec 31, 2022 19:02:53 GMT -5
I didn't mind him during this time, he made sense because of the Canadian/USA angle. However, once Bret left and the Canadian/USA stuff was no more, he had no place. Since the company was changing tone with their product the whole USA schtick just didnt fit in imo Great pop when he beat Bret that Summer on Raw though. I will say that
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Post by JokerFC on Dec 31, 2022 20:27:39 GMT -5
Warrior in 1996....100% the first thing I thought of.
Tatanka during RA is a great shout too as is,Bundy during NG
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Post by jason88cubs on Dec 31, 2022 20:31:47 GMT -5
Warrior in 1996....100% the first thing I thought of. Tatanka during RA is a great shout too as is,Bundy during NG agree 100% on Warrior
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Post by MKSavage on Dec 31, 2022 22:38:15 GMT -5
Warrior in 1996....100% the first thing I thought of. Tatanka during RA is a great shout too as is,Bundy during NG I also didn't mind Warrior in 1996. The WWF was still in the new generation era, with very colorful personalities and attires, I think Warrior fit in fine. I just don't think his run was long enough, so it seemed off. He didn't get much of a chance to have feuds with wrestlers that could have been memorable. I thought him and Goldust was a great pairing, shame Dustin hurt his leg prior to their match at IYH. I also think he and Mankind could have had a great feud together. Even he and HHH could have had a good feud.
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Post by The Brain on Dec 31, 2022 22:42:41 GMT -5
Warrior in 1996....100% the first thing I thought of. Tatanka during RA is a great shout too as is,Bundy during NG I also didn't mind Warrior in 1996. The WWF was still in the new generation era, with very colorful personalities and attires, I think Warrior fit in fine. I just don't think his run was long enough, so it seemed off. He didn't get much of a chance to have feuds with wrestlers that could have been memorable. I thought him and Goldust was a great pairing, shame Dustin hurt his leg prior to their match at IYH. I also think he and Mankind could have had a great feud together. Even he and HHH could have had a good feud. The biggest missed opportunity.Must see TV
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Post by jason88cubs on Jan 1, 2023 10:15:48 GMT -5
Dusty Rhodes in ECW
Just...I didn't get it
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Post by LA Times on Jan 1, 2023 10:20:22 GMT -5
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Post by tmnt316 on Jan 1, 2023 10:27:11 GMT -5
Still found him entertaining but seeing Backlund around back in 2014 I believe was kinda weird.
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Jan 1, 2023 10:30:01 GMT -5
Vader never really seemed to have a spot in North America where he fit in. Like he was too real for the New Gen era but too cartoony for the Attitude Era.
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,335
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 2, 2023 11:09:38 GMT -5
Superstar Billy Graham in the late 80s. He would only be 45 at the most when he was let go from WWF but he looked in his 50s or 60s. What's crazy is, if he the same age as he was in 77 in 1987 he would been on top of the world. His physical, mental and emotional health issues really took him down in the 1980s and we got as a manager and commentator until Vince just had nothing left for him. I do wish Vince had signed him to a lifetime contract like Blassie, Vince loved Graham and he was one of his favorites.
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Old Zeke
Main Eventer
'Fraid old Zeke, he rides up here with me. Can't trust a pig with watermelons, you know.
Joined on: Jun 24, 2019 13:46:50 GMT -5
Posts: 3,361
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Post by Old Zeke on Jan 2, 2023 11:35:13 GMT -5
Superstar Billy Graham in the late 80s. He would only be 45 at the most when he was let go from WWF but he looked in his 50s or 60s. What's crazy is, if he the same age as he was in 77 in 1987 he would been on top of the world. His physical, mental and emotional health issues really took him down in the 1980s and we got as a manager and commentator until Vince just had nothing left for him. I do wish Vince had signed him to a lifetime contract like Blassie, Vince loved Graham and he was one of his favorites.Evidenced by the fact that he forgave SBG for publicly calling him a paedophile on Donahue.
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Post by MKSavage on Jan 2, 2023 15:54:36 GMT -5
Superstar Billy Graham in the late 80s. He would only be 45 at the most when he was let go from WWF but he looked in his 50s or 60s. What's crazy is, if he the same age as he was in 77 in 1987 he would been on top of the world. His physical, mental and emotional health issues really took him down in the 1980s and we got as a manager and commentator until Vince just had nothing left for him. I do wish Vince had signed him to a lifetime contract like Blassie, Vince loved Graham and he was one of his favorites. Yeah, him as a wrestling in the late 80s just didn't work. His hip issues limited him greatly in the ring, and the years of drug abuse were not kind to his body/look. However, I think he could have done something with the company at that time, maybe as an announcer, or him having his own interview show (like Piper's Pit). He was a great talker, so I could see that working. Though, being announcer would have been hard for him at the time, there wasn't a lot of room there for another guy since they already had Jesse, Vince, Gorilla, and occasionally Bobby Heenan. But I did like him with Gorilla at SSL88, he wasn't quite polished, he needed more practice, but I think he could have been a good color announcer in time.
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Post by The Brain on Jan 2, 2023 15:57:42 GMT -5
Superstar Billy Graham in the late 80s. He would only be 45 at the most when he was let go from WWF but he looked in his 50s or 60s. What's crazy is, if he the same age as he was in 77 in 1987 he would been on top of the world. His physical, mental and emotional health issues really took him down in the 1980s and we got as a manager and commentator until Vince just had nothing left for him. I do wish Vince had signed him to a lifetime contract like Blassie, Vince loved Graham and he was one of his favorites. Yeah, him as a wrestling in the late 80s just didn't work. His hip issues limited him greatly in the ring, and the years of drug abuse were not kind to his body/look. However, I think he could have done something with the company at that time, maybe as an announcer, or him having his own interview show (like Piper's Pit). He was a great talker, so I could see that working. Though, being announcer would have been hard for him at the time, there wasn't a lot of room there for another guy since they already had Jesse, Vince, Gorilla, and occasionally Bobby Heenan. But I did like him with Gorilla at SSL88, he wasn't quite polished, he needed more practice, but I think he could have been a good color announcer in time. Not many people liked em in the booth But I did. Thought he showed great personality. Wouldve loved to seen em do more shows with Gorilla
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Post by MKSavage on Jan 2, 2023 16:03:31 GMT -5
Yeah, him as a wrestling in the late 80s just didn't work. His hip issues limited him greatly in the ring, and the years of drug abuse were not kind to his body/look. However, I think he could have done something with the company at that time, maybe as an announcer, or him having his own interview show (like Piper's Pit). He was a great talker, so I could see that working. Though, being announcer would have been hard for him at the time, there wasn't a lot of room there for another guy since they already had Jesse, Vince, Gorilla, and occasionally Bobby Heenan. But I did like him with Gorilla at SSL88, he wasn't quite polished, he needed more practice, but I think he could have been a good color announcer in time. Not many people liked em in the booth But I did. Thought he showed great personality. Wouldve loved to seen em do more shows with Gorilla Yeah, he had tremendous personality, but he wasn't very polished in the booth, but I think he just needed more time. I think he and Gorilla worked well together, and had Graham been given more time in the booth, I think he could have been good at it. A guy who can talk as well as he could, and has natural charisma, seems like he would be a natural as an announcer. But unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time for him to get more practice, they had Vince and Jesse on Superstars and SNME's, Jesse and Gorilla on PPVs, and Bobby and Gorilla on Prime Time; it would have been hard for anyone to get in over those guys, they were the best of the best.
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Post by The Brain on Jan 2, 2023 16:11:44 GMT -5
Not many people liked em in the booth But I did. Thought he showed great personality. Wouldve loved to seen em do more shows with Gorilla Yeah, he had tremendous personality, but he wasn't very polished in the booth, but I think he just needed more time. I think he and Gorilla worked well together, and had Graham been given more time in the booth, I think he could have been good at it. A guy who can talk as well as he could, and has natural charisma, seems like he would be a natural as an announcer. But unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time for him to get more practice, they had Vince and Jesse on Superstars and SNME's, Jesse and Gorilla on PPVs, and Bobby and Gorilla on Prime Time; it would have been hard for anyone to get in over those guys, they were the best of the best. Yeah they put em with Rod Trongard on the house show post this. I didnt mind Rod in the AWA but WWF another story Not the best practice there for ol Superstar
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,335
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 2, 2023 16:49:56 GMT -5
Evidenced by the fact that he forgave SBG for publicly calling him a paedophile on Donahue. Yeah, Superstar was the worse previous WWF employee coming out against them. He did the same thing many years later when he was let go of the legends contract but not as bad since there was no scandal. Of course during the Benoit killings he came out for WWE, as he was an employee of sorts. Bruno was pretty bad too speaking out against WWF and Vince brought him back, not sure if that was more of a Triple H doing or if Vince ever tried reaching out. I think Vince hit the nail on the head on Larry King when he said Bruno never forgave Vince for firing David. I know Vince idolized Jerry Graham and wanted to emulate him if he, Vince had been a wrestler for his father. I think Billy was similar for him. I loved Billy on commentary because he wasn't polished, he didn't have an act. He was a living real life Superstar Billy Graham. I still think that about him, good or bad. He was not as bad as Art Donovan because he knew the wrestlers, the holds and storylines but his calling matches was a bit like Art in terms of seeing things with the enthusiasm and curiosity of a new commentator. I really liked his team with Sean Mooney and Lord Alfred Hayes at Wrestlefest. Vince just should have kept him on a long term deal like Freddie Blassie in the mail room and Hillybilly Jim with Coliseum Video. Billy was awesome during his autograph signing run for his book and DVD while he was under contract with WWE. He could have even brought Valerie if he wanted to be with her in the 90s.
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jan 2, 2023 18:58:32 GMT -5
Bob Backlund coming back right at the onset of the New Generation was very odd. They were going with the youth movement back then so having white meat babyface, 43 year-old Backlund around stuck out like a sore thumb in 1992-93.
However, I think that the schizophrenic heel Bob Backlund we got in 1994 is one of the best characters from that era
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Post by The Brain on Jan 2, 2023 19:02:59 GMT -5
Bob Backlund coming back right at the onset of the New Generation was very odd. They were going with the youth movement back then so having white meat babyface, 43 year-old Backlund around stuck out like a sore thumb in 1992-93. However, I think that the schizophrenic heel Bob Backlund we got in 1994 is one of the best characters from that eraSuch an awesome heel turn on Bret that year. One nobody saw coming
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Post by AndrewR85 on Jan 3, 2023 4:07:16 GMT -5
The Boogeyman
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Jan 3, 2023 17:50:52 GMT -5
Hulkamania Hogan in 1999. It worked perfectly in 2002 but Hogan had spent 3 years as the evil nWo leader so seeing him back in the red and yellow just felt wrong.
Sycho Sid 1996/1997. Despite having a World title run, he always felt shoehorned. You had Bret, HBK, Austin, Taker so adding Sid into the mix just didn't fit.
Batista 2014. All people wanted was Daniel Bryan so bringing back Batista and adding him to the title mix just did not work.
British Bulldog 1999. The Hart's were gone and the company had moved on so having Bulldog back just felt weird.
JBL's 2008 return to the ring. Nothing will beat his original run as the Wrestling God, but his 2nd stint seemed awkward and he felt out of place on Raw.
The Patriot. His whole look and gimmick didn't fit in 1997.
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