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September Wrasslin' |OT| Almost Brings a tear to my eye

strobogo

Banned
LEGITSHOOK.COM PRESENTS



WCW MONDAY NITRO 6/2/96




  • John Tenta vs Big Bubber
  • High Voltage vs Faces of Fear
  • Disco Inferno vs Sgt. Craig Pittman
  • Steven Regal vs Jim DOOGUN
  • Kevin Sullivan vs TAFKATAFKAPI
  • Rock N Roll Express vs Arn Anderson/Ric Flair
  • Ice Train vs The Giant WCW Championship
  • Scott Norton vs Hugh Morrus
  • Steiner Brothers vs Sting/Lex Luger WCW Tag Team Championships



FoF CRUSHED High Voltage and i t was rad. Regal was hilarious. RNR vs Flair/Arn was a really fun JCP tribute match, even if RNR looked old as shit even in 1996. Steiners vs Sting/Lex was a fun TV version of their Superbrawl 1 match, hurt a bit by stupid split screen shit that WCW loved to do. Over all, it was much more entertaining and exciting than the previous week. Hall shows up at the end of the show and gets slapped by Sting (who drops a Welcome to the Jungle reference, because Sting is DOPE). He promises a BIG surprise next week. Brain reveals that he won't manage Arn and Flair at GAB, but he will be their coach.



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somedevil

Member
Smackdown Spoilers:

* The Miz kicks off SmackDown and wants a fight with Dean Ambrose. Miz says he isn't leaving until he gets the fight. Ambrose comes out and accepts the challenge.

* Dean Ambrose defeated The Miz with Dirty Deeds. Kan and Seth Rollins tried to provide interference during the match. After the match, they attacked Ambrose. Ambrose ran through the crowd and stole Rollins' Money In the Bank briefcase.

* Stardust and Goldust cut a promo on the big screen about not losing to The Usos tonight.

* A battle royal to crown a new #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title is next. Participants were Bo Dallas, Jack Swagger, Los Matadores, Cesaro, Zack Ryder, Damien Sandow, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Heath Slater, Titus O'Neil, Big E, Justin Gabriel and Sin Cara. The match came down to Bo, Swagger, Kofi and Cesaro. Cesaro eliminates Kofi and Swagger at the same time to win.

* The Usos vs. Stardust and Goldust is next. The Usos win by disqualification when Jimmy Uso goes to put Stardust away but Goldust nails him with the belt. This was said to be a good match. Stardust and Goldust retain.

* Backstage segment with Kane and Seth Rollins. Rollins wants to take action on Ambrose for taking his briefcase.

* Layla and Summer Rae defeated Natalya and Rosa Mendes. This was said to be a bad match with several botches.

* Big Show talks to Renee Young backstage and promises to knock Rusev out tonight.

* Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Title is next. Ziggler retained the title off a roll up but it was clear that Cesaro had the ropes. Cesaro got screwed.

* Renee Young interviews Rusev and Lana.

* Big Show defeated Rusev by disqualification. Show chokeslammed Rusev and went for the knockout punch but Lana distracted him. Rusev nailed Show with the Russian flag for the DQ. Show recovered and knocked Rusev out with the punch to end SmackDown

So Triple threat for
Ziggler's title
?

Well at least no Big Show vs Lesnar anytime soon.
 

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
Re: Morrison,

Starship Pain which I constantly heard the commentators announce as Star Champagne was one of the worst moves ever. I think that shit connected with the opponent like once.

That said he was a great spot monkey and could've been somebody(maybe).
 

strobogo

Banned
That Guardians OT is craaaaaazy. It's like a mini angelfire website by itself.

No shit. That had to take him 3-4 hours or more to get all that shit. Dude is crazy.



I'm kind of sick of the narrative of "WCW steals, WWF gives guys opportunities". WCW taking ECW guys is portrayed as this terrible thing, while WWF straight up subsidizing ECW so THEY can be the ones to get those talents is totally cool. It's also portrayed as a positive thing when WWF was able to steal WCW guys. All the while never mentioning that Vince went national stealing talent from all the regional territories, even past the point when he needed to keep doing it. It's so silly. WCW did EXACTLY THE SAME THING that Vince did in the 80s. Vince will never get over that shit. So ridiculous.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
It's also funny because WCW paid the luchadores and Japanese guys WAY better than Vince would have ever paid them. And there's this whole 'WCW was paranoid and all about politics' thing when WWF was the ones who had the 'you can not talk to anyone who works for WCW' rule which was beyond stupid. They're grown men. They want a contract with a guaranteed payday instead of working for Vince to maybe possibly get a chance at getting paid or maybe possibly getting a contract. To this day, I'm shocked Vince doesn't despise Nash and Hall for the whole making contracts a thing instead of the old super carny system.
 

Anth0ny

Member
I'm kind of sick of the narrative of "WCW steals, WWF gives guys opportunities". WCW taking ECW guys is portrayed as this terrible thing, while WWF straight up subsidizing ECW so THEY can be the ones to get those talents is totally cool. It's also portrayed as a positive thing when WWF was able to steal WCW guys. All the while never mentioning that Vince went national stealing talent from all the regional territories, even past the point when he needed to keep doing it. It's so silly. WCW did EXACTLY THE SAME THING that Vince did in the 80s. Vince will never get over that shit. So ridiculous.

Yeah, this episode of Monday Night War was tough to get through. WWE propaganda bullshit at its finest.
 

strobogo

Banned
It's also funny because WCW paid the luchadores and Japanese guys WAY better than Vince would have ever paid them. And there's this whole 'WCW was paranoid and all about politics' thing when WWF was the ones who had the 'you can not talk to anyone who works for WCW' rule which was beyond stupid. They're grown men. They want a contract with a guaranteed payday instead of working for Vince to maybe possibly get a chance at getting paid or maybe possibly getting a contract. To this day, I'm shocked Vince doesn't despise Nash and Hall for the whole making contracts a thing instead of the old super carny system.

I think he does and only brought them back because he thought they'd make him money again. I wish they had brought up Public Enemy, who were more important of a steal than Eddie and Dean, and how they were punished and treated like shit when they went to the WWF because they took a guaranteed contract for more money and less work. Shit is a business, but those mother fuckers take everything personal. PE took the safe money and Vince hired them JUST to shit on them and let APA fuck them up, then fire them.
 

Omega

Banned
All that episode did was made me hate WCW and WWE more. I remember Heyman on one of the Austin podcasts saying that they were never paid for their PPVs or anything and how these companies just screwed them over.

Combine that with these two companies just poaching their talent, fuck them.

Especially WCW. At least WWE used some of them (like the Dudleyz, Jericho, Eddie Guerrero) when you knew WCW wasn't gonna do shit cuz it was NWO or GTFO over there.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
ECW stars weren't under contract. I don't see how it's poaching to say, 'Hey, we like what you're doing. Do you want to come work for us and get a contract instead of working for Paul 'I'm good for it' Heyman?'

Also always fun to have Heyman talk about his revolutionary angles and gimmick matches he was doing when ECW was just Memphis with a less impressive roster.
 

strobogo

Banned
Love that second gif stro. Very usable


ibvvSFt96mBhkO.gif


nope.gif


All that episode did was made me hate WCW and WWE more. I remember Heyman on one of the Austin podcasts saying that they were never paid for their PPVs or anything and how these companies just screwed them over.

Combine that with these two companies just poaching their talent, fuck them.

Especially WCW. At least WWE used some of them (like the Dudleyz, Jericho, Eddie Guerrero) when you knew WCW wasn't gonna do shit cuz it was NWO or GTFO over there.

Man, EVERYONE is kind of an asshole in that ep. You have all the shit about how terrible WCW is for stealing talent while portraying WWE as doing it was a good thing. You have at least one (Mikey) that actually did seem like a spiteful signing. You have Paul taking credit for both the Atittude Era AND the nWo. Never once have I connected the nWo to ECW. Not once. That's the dumbest shit. "The nWo was ECW in WCW." Get the fuck out of here. It was literally WWF in WCW, for one, but the nWo was in no way influenced by ECW.


Then silly things like saying Dean/Eddie were responsible for the ratings going up at ECW. Shit when no one knew who they were. Paul saying those guys were hugely important to WCW at the time is also silly. I mean, they were great mid card guys, but no one knew who they were when they went to WCW. They also completely breezed over that ECW and WCW had a working relationship.

I believe maybe 50% of what Paul says about anything that isn't verified by at least 5 people, not including Tommy Dreamer and Joey Styles. EVERYTHING he says about ECW is shrouded in being a victim. Victim of WWF stealing their style, WCW stealing their wrestlers, PPV companies not paying them, TV stations treating them poorly. Always and forever.
 

RP912

Banned
I hate this whole wcw was the death star of wrestling propaganda that wwe constantly throwing at viewers. They talked about how Bret Hart was misused in wcw but fail to see he was awesome as a heel and had some great matches outside of the duds. It's like the entire series is an attitude era circle jerk. I know it's not saying much but I would trade Raw for a russo'ed filled Nitro any day. I'm talking about that good stick to your ribs fuckery of booking that only Mr. Swerve himself can cook up.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Even Bischoff himself has said the idea for the NWO was from NJPW vs UWF.

Did Heyman actually say they took it from him? Holy shit.
 

Omega

Banned
Man, EVERYONE is kind of an asshole in that ep. You have all the shit about how terrible WCW is for stealing talent while portraying WWE as doing it was a good thing. You have at least one (Mikey) that actually did seem like a spiteful signing. You have Paul taking credit for both the Atittude Era AND the nWo. Never once have I connected the nWo to ECW. Not once. That's the dumbest shit. "The nWo was ECW in WCW." Get the fuck out of here. It was literally WWF in WCW, for one, but the nWo was in no way influenced by ECW.


Then silly things like saying Dean/Eddie were responsible for the ratings going up at ECW. Shit when no one knew who they were. Paul saying those guys were hugely important to WCW at the time is also silly. I mean, they were great mid card guys, but no one knew who they were when they went to WCW. They also completely breezed over that ECW and WCW had a working relationship.

I believe maybe 50% of what Paul says about anything that isn't verified by at least 5 people, not including Tommy Dreamer and Joey Styles. EVERYTHING he says about ECW is shrouded in being a victim. Victim of WWF stealing their style, WCW stealing their wrestlers, PPV companies not paying them, TV stations treating them poorly. Always and forever.
agreed.

i didn't even really care for ECW so it's not like im just a bitter fan, i just wonder how things would be different if ecw was able to keep it's talent.

who knows, maybe Paul still would have had his company implode.

I hate this whole wcw was the death star of wrestling propaganda that wwe constantly throwing at viewers. They talked about how Bret Hart was misused in wcw but fail to see he was awesome as a heel and had some great matches outside of the duds. It's like the entire series is an attitude era circle jerk. I know it's not saying much but I would trade Raw for a russo'ed filled Nitro any day. I'm talking about that good stick to your ribs fuckery of booking that only Mr. Swerve himself can cook up.


did you think anything else would happen with the series? There's a better chance Zack Ryder becomes the WWE champion than Vince ever letting WCW look good.
 

strobogo

Banned
100% the company would have died even if they had kept all their talent and got paid the money the PPV company owed them. Because Paul was a terrible business man. They would have died years before if Vince hadn't been keeping them propped up as a pseudo developmental territory.
 

RP912

Banned
agreed.

i didn't even really care for ECW so it's not like im just a bitter fan, i just wonder how things would be different if ecw was able to keep it's talent.

who knows, maybe Paul still would have had his company implode.




did you think anything else would happen with the series? There's a better chance Zack Ryder becomes the WWE champion than Vince ever letting WCW look good.

The only thing I see is probably the radicalz, jericho, stone cold, and probably wrestlemania 14 because of the whole tyson thing. I just find it pathetic they go out of their limb to shit on wcw but "HEY GUISE...SIGN UP AND YOU'LL SEE 100 HOURS OF NITRO!".
 

RP912

Banned
100% the company would have died even if they had kept all their talent and got paid the money the PPV company owed them. Because Paul was a terrible business man. They would have died years before if Vince hadn't been keeping them propped up as a pseudo developmental territory.

The problem with ECW was the fact that Paul wanted to expand so badly to the point where it bled finances. If he would have kept it local ala ROH and build up slow but steady...the company would have lasted longer than a few years.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
It's weird how personal Vince takes WCW, like how fucking DARE another wrestling company exist and be popular.

I can't remember what it was about. I think it was a lawsuit Vince lost or something, but in one of his shoots, Nash talks about how Vince lost some money. And that Vince never holds a grudge unless you take money from him. And during that, Nash said you would just hear Vince grumbling, 'That's my fucking money'
 

RP912

Banned
I really didn't follow early ECW. What were some decent matches?


Growing up in philly ECW was the shit. I remember seeing it for the first time on this new york sports channel and it blew my mind. 95-97 were the golden years of the promotion while 98-00 was enduring a downpour because of talent going to WCW/WWF of course.


Some of my favorite matches:

Sabu vs Tazz at Barely Legal
Sabu vs Terry Funk in a barbed wire match
Tommy Dreamer Vs Raven at Cyberslam 97
Rey Jr vs Psychosis- Mexican Death Match
Public Enemy vs The Gangstas at Heatwave 95
 

RP912

Banned
Also check out:

RVD vs Sabu- Matter of Respect 1996
Mikey Whipwreck/Cactus Jack vs Public Enemy
Sandman Vs Raven- Barbed Wire Match
Shane Douglas Vs Bam Bam Bigelow
Taz vs Bam Bam Bigelow
Mikey Whipwreck vs Justin Credible
Tommy Dreamer vs CW Anderson
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
I really didn't follow early ECW. What were some decent matches?

Taz vs Bam Bam Living Dangerously 1998
Sabu & Hakushi(Jinsei Shinzaki) vs RVD & Sabu Heatwave 1998
Tanaka vs Awesome though it's Rock vs Mankind levels of hard to watch sometimes
Tajiri vs Psicosis
Tajiri vs Super Crazy

That's about it. I'd struggle to find more. I could mention some Eddie, Dean, Benoit matches, but let's be honest, those three are more of those that did far more in WCW and WWE than they ever did in ECW no matter how much Paul likes to try to shove them in as ECW guys. They never were.
 

Man God

Non-Canon Member
I hate this whole wcw was the death star of wrestling propaganda that wwe constantly throwing at viewers. They talked about how Bret Hart was misused in wcw but fail to see he was awesome as a heel and had some great matches outside of the duds. It's like the entire series is an attitude era circle jerk. I know it's not saying much but I would trade Raw for a russo'ed filled Nitro any day. I'm talking about that good stick to your ribs fuckery of booking that only Mr. Swerve himself can cook up.

Bret Hart was an awful heel in WCW, injured more often than not, and his good matches can be counted on one hand compared to the whole crapload of mediocre to bad matches. He was in fact completely wasted in WCW. He got off on the wrong foot with that whole angle.

I stand by that if Sting went over clean at Starrcade 1997 then they could have done a real world champion feud with him and Bret that would have killed it at Superbrawl...instead we got a bunch of shitty matches from Bret...when they even bothered using him at all.
 

strobogo

Banned
The thing that is really silly is that they do give compliments to WCW, but only in a back handed way. It's always "WWE's ratings were faultering due to uninteresting and cartoony characters, while WCW's ratings were on the rise due to engaging programing after acquisition of WWE stars. According to WWE history, ECW was more important to WWF changing anything than WCW. Not the nWo. ECW. Once you get into mid 1997 or so, then it becomes WCW was successful due to stolen ECW talent.

And then they either brush over that almost all of their top talent in the AE came from WCW, or mention it in a WCW is so stupid kind of way. There is SO MUCH stuff to shit on WCW for, so it is frustrating when they don't give credit where it is due. WWF is portrayed as the little engine that could, while ECW is portrayed as the littler engine that could, while WCW is an evil, cold corporation. You'd think WWF was some indie company and WCW was Apple in 2014, when it was more like...WCW was Apple in 2014 and WWF was Microsoft in 2006. And ECW was Google in 2002.


Bret Hart was an awful heel in WCW, injured more often than not, and his good matches can be counted on one hand compared to the whole crapload of mediocre to bad matches. He was in fact completely wasted in WCW. He got off on the wrong foot with that whole angle.

I stand by that if Sting went over clean at Starrcade 1997 then they could have done a real world champion feud with him and Bret that would have killed it at Superbrawl...instead we got a bunch of shitty matches from Bret...when they even bothered using him at all.

I think Bret was a fun heel in WCW. A much different kind of heel than he was in the WWF. Match wise, yeah, a waste. But he had a lot of fun promos I thought.



Also this ep talked about Sandman and how you can't have him in your company not doing the beers and canes and smoking shit. Except he DID do that stuff in ECW and had some of his best matches while there. Certainly the best WCW hardcore matches. All while getting paid a lot more money and ending up in the best shape of his life. Sandman was used just fine in WCW.
 

RP912

Banned
Taz vs Bam Bam Living Dangerously 1998
Sabu & Hakushi(Jinsei Shinzaki) vs RVD & Sabu Heatwave 1998
Tanaka vs Awesome though it's Rock vs Mankind levels of hard to watch sometimes
Tajiri vs Psicosis
Tajiri vs Super Crazy

That's about it. I'd struggle to find more. I could mention some Eddie, Dean, Benoit matches, but let's be honest, those three are more of those that did far more in WCW and WWE than they ever did in ECW no matter how much Paul likes to try to shove them in as ECW guys. They never were.


Hell the only dude that really shined in ECW was Benoit...all because he broke Sabu's neck. Other than that they were pretty much "Vanilla Midgets".

The moment they came to WCW...the gloves came off.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Also, the one time I'll give praise to Cornette. The Gangstaz were amazing in Smoky Mountain. They were so out of place, they were so natural heels, New Jack knew exactly how to generate heat.

They were shit in ECW. They were just more 'counter culture' 'extreme' gimmicks that got lost in the shuffle. And New Jack went from angry dude who determined to be the face of this company just to spite people to ... crazy guy who jumps off things. When everyone is extreme, no one is extreme.
 

RP912

Banned
The thing that is really silly is that they do give compliments to WCW, but only in a back handed way. It's always "WWE's ratings were faultering due to uninteresting and cartoony characters, while WCW's ratings were on the rise due to engaging programing after acquisition of WWE stars. According to WWE history, ECW was more important to WWF changing anything than WCW. Not the nWo. ECW. Once you get into mid 1997 or so, then it becomes WCW was successful due to stolen ECW talent.

And then they either brush over that almost all of their top talent in the AE came from WCW, or mention it in a WCW is so stupid kind of way. There is SO MUCH stuff to shit on WCW for, so it is frustrating when they don't give credit where it is due. WWF is portrayed as the little engine that could, while ECW is portrayed as the littler engine that could, while WCW is an evil, cold corporation. You'd think WWF was some indie company and WCW was Apple in 2014, when it was more like...WCW was Apple in 2014 and WWF was Microsoft in 2006. And ECW was Google in 2002.




I think Bret was a fun heel in WCW. A much different kind of heel than he was in the WWF. Match wise, yeah, a waste. But he had a lot of fun promos I thought.

I seriously think the whole Black Saturday incident was the start of the entire "wcw is the devil".

He pretty much got chased out of Georgia when he tried to bring his "idea" of what wrestling should be like to a region which all they know is wrasslin'.


Bret Hart was an awful heel in WCW, injured more often than not, and his good matches can be counted on one hand compared to the whole crapload of mediocre to bad matches. He was in fact completely wasted in WCW. He got off on the wrong foot with that whole angle.

I stand by that if Sting went over clean at Starrcade 1997 then they could have done a real world champion feud with him and Bret that would have killed it at Superbrawl...instead we got a bunch of shitty matches from Bret...when they even bothered using him at all.

I agree. What they could have did was let Sting win clean...Bret comes down the aisle and gives sting a staredown. They could have kept Hart until Starrcade for the shocking effect but NOPE...they bragged and gloat about hart to the point they had him debut on nitro for a few segments :/.
 

Man God

Non-Canon Member
I think Bret was a fun heel in WCW. A much different kind of heel than he was in the WWF. Match wise, yeah, a waste. But he had a lot of fun promos I thought.

There's some humor to it, I mean he's the ultimate guy from up north but always claims to not be in the NWO. I still think they strung out his middle ground a bit too long and by the time they tried him as a full on heel he was mainly an afterthought. Every attempt to juice him up afterwards didn't work, but that was the bad luck from all the injuries came in.

Still the main point is that Bret Hart, sometimes the only watchable guy on New Generation shows, has only a few good matches in 3 years is so unbelievably sad. The one big time feud he does have with Sting produces a bunch of clunkers and his fun bit with Goldberg is ended before it even began. If anyone asks to see a Bret match from WCW just tell them to watch the Owen Tribute match and forget about the rest.

I watched a ton of shitty WCW matches with all those PPVs and nothing even comes close to being as depressing as this random Lex Luger versus Bret Hart match near the end of his run where Bret gets injured and Luger wins clean.
 

RP912

Banned
Also, the one time I'll give praise to Cornette. The Gangstaz were amazing in Smoky Mountain. They were so out of place, they were so natural heels, New Jack knew exactly how to generate heat.

They were shit in ECW. They were just more 'counter culture' 'extreme' gimmicks that got lost in the shuffle. And New Jack went from angry dude who determined to be the face of this company just to spite people to ... crazy guy who jumps off things. When everyone is extreme, no one is extreme.


New jack also generate TOO much heat in SMW. He pretty much dealt with all type of shit working in that promotion especially with the police :/.

I liked their ecw run but hated the fact it was all about new jack throwing shit and hitting wrestlers with a nintendo than focusing on the tag team portion of the group. They were awesome as a tag team but the moment they split....I lost interest.
 
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