WWE Network Discussion Thread

[dubcity]

Quote: Originally Posted by King_B_Mack

I don't know about "best" but most significant? Most pivotal? Not sure the exact term for it because as you listed a **** ton happened that year that spawned the Attitude Era. 2000 was a really great year for the company. With Triple H doing his best heel work of his career. The Rock being scorching hot. The Debut of Angle, Benoit, Saturn, Malenko and Eddie. Too Cool & Rikishi, Foley bringing back Cactus Jack against Triple H. Kane's face run. Jericho coming into his own. '98 could also be up there for best years there. The DX/Nation feud. Austin vs McMahon and the first time Kane and Undertaker made up the Brothers of Destruction. Foley/Kane Hell in a Cell. The Foley/Vince story ending with Vince screwing over Mick at Survivor Series.The Rock taking over the Nation from Farooq and then The Rock's mini baby face run after the Nation before becoming the Corporate Champion. Shawn turning on DX when we all thought we were going to see him back with the group he helped create.

1998-2000 was definitely more of a peak, and the crowds were way hotter. 1997 was a transition year when they were in between the 94-95 Federation era and what would become more of an adult oriented product. I think in 97 the crowds weren't quite in tune with the change, and there were some dead *** crowds for DX/Bret segments because that.

For years they were focusing on kids and young adults, then they started going for that 18-49. I was watching the Bret vs 123 Kid match and was kind of surprised how many young kids were in the audience. By 98/99 the live crowds were in tune with the product, and overall the atmosphere was wild.

[UFCMPunk]

The next Table For 3 will be a Family Affair... The Steiner Brothers and Bron Breakker episode will air September 23rd on Peacock.

If this isn't filmed in a Shoney's I will be disappointed.

[dubcity]

Decided I'm going to watch WWF Superstars from 1995, because it's such a strange time in WWF, and it's the last full year of that show that they have on Peacock.

1/7/95

Spoiler

Starts off with Vince and Lawler in front of a green screen, just like Superstars intros were back in 91/92. Weird seeing it still a thing in 1995.

A tag title tournament match between 123 Kid/Bob Holly and Well Dunn (managed by Harvey Whippleman). Have no memories of Kid and Holly as a team, nor who actually wins this tournament. Match was good. Bob Holly looks insanely skinny. Drug testing was a shoot at this point in WWF.

A promo with Capt Lou Albano(!) who is co-manager of the team of Fatu (Rikishi) and the Barbarian, along with Afa. Some silly **** right here.

Bob Backlund vs unnamed jobber. Vince on commentary predicts either Backlund or King Kong Bundy will win the upcoming Royal Rumble. Beyond hilarious.

Bret and Deisel cut promos on their Royal Rumble title match. The Nash one is pretty funny, but I doubt that many people saw it back in the day.

IRS vs Undertaker match announced for the Royal Rumble. The type of match Bobby Heenan would have had a field day with. How it's a PPV match is beyond me lol.

Mabel vs Iron Mike Sharpe. Sharpe doing the exact same **** he did 10+ years before. Not as bad of a match as it could have been, I guess? Mabel would headline Summerslam later in the year. Why?

Heartbreak Hotel segment with King Kong Bundy and Ted DiBiase. I really wish Bundy had worn pants. Backlund interrupts and cuts an incoherent jibberish type promo because why not. He's viewed as a main event guy.

British Bulldog vs jobber. Bulldog was jacked and really looked like a star in 95. But all I remember is him tagging with Luger and just kind of being a midcard guy.

Debut of Mantaur. Guy in a bull head mask. Looks like he raided the closet of Giant Gonzalez and Bastion Booger. Fans reaction is a mixture of confusion and disinterest. Vince: "yes, he's just as effective as he is intimidating." Sarcasm?

Cornette and Heavenly Bodies promo on 123Kid/Holly. Cornette: you know why they call him the 123 Kid? Because he weighs 123 pounds." I give that line a 7/10 lol.

1/14/95

Spoiler

Tag tournament match between Bigelow/Tatanka and Fatu/Barbarian. Lot of beef in there. Legit average weight is like 300. Bigelow/Tatanka win, but this is the year Bigelow wrestles LT at Wrestlemania, so...

Segment talking about IRS feud with Undertaker. IRS has druids? Why is thing a thing?

Man Mountain Rock talks about playing guitar.

Jeff Jarrett w Roadie vs jobber. Say what you want about the Double J gimmick, but the presentation was good. Roadie on the outside always creeping around low is hilarious.

In ring interview with Vince and Deisel. This was when his theme was literally just engine sounds smh, and he's the champion? Nash was better at casual smart-*** lines, these longer traditional WWF promos weren't his thing.

Duke Dumpster Droese vs Chris Kanyon. So many weak gimmicks being pushed here. Droese had a cool finisher tho.

Commercial announcing the debut of Hakushi. Man, WWE would come a long way producing these just a few years later.

Heavenly Bodies vs Kid/Holly. 3 out of 4 of these guys were Smokey Mountain alums. Winner of this faces Tatanka/Bigelow at Rumble for tag titles. Bodies had some really cool tandem moves. Kid/Holly win. The Tag titles feel like they are beyond an afterthought here.

[dubcity]

Quote: Originally Posted by UFCMPunk

The next Table For 3 will be a Family Affair... The Steiner Brothers and Bron Breakker episode will air September 23rd on Peacock. If this isn't filmed in a Shoney's I will be disappointed.

With ham cubes on the hot bar?

[dubcity]

Was looking for a specific segment from a 1998 Raw, but watched the whole episode because it was pretty classic.

Raw Nov 2 1998

Show starts with video package showing Shane turning on Vince, saying he was the one who hired Austin back.

Shane entrance, he's basically a babyface GM. Austin entrance, cuts to the back as Vince is helped out of a limo by Patterson, Brisco and Bossman into a wheelchair.

Vince interrupts Austin on the mic. A-hole chant starts. He demotes Shane. "You know Shane, it turns out you aren't a lot like me at all. But you are a lot like your mother." Says the only way he'll step down is when he dies. "When I die, I don't want a damned one of you to come to my funeral. No family, no friends, no WWE Superstars... when I die, I want to go straight to hell!" A-hole chant again. "I heard that chant, I've been hearing it alot. I'm not the one who's the *******. It's ALL OF YOU."

All time classic segment lol.

DX entrance, Xpac, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn. Brood entrance, first time with Edge and Christian. Kane interrupts the match and lays them out. Pure entertainment right there.

Backstage segment with Mr McMahon threatening Michael Cole. A preview of his future lol.

LOD music hits... but it's Droz solo from LOD 2000. His opponent is Hawk, who is acting drunk. JR: "my God, Hawk is pulling a Kerry Collins, walking drunk." Damn, JR. Not sure what the payoff was supposed to be for this whole angle, other than Hawk falling off the titantron? Starting to notice an emphasis away from in-ring.

Cue backstage segment of Mr McMahon threating Jim Cornette. "You get with the program in terms of your commentary. And if you keep the 1980s wrestling crap you're get get the hell out!" Sheesh

Mankind and Al Snow vs The Oddities. Peacock doesn't have the ICP song licensed, which kind of sucks, but kinda doesn't lol. It's still bizarre to me that John "Earthquake" Tenta was in WWF in this era, holding a giant Cartman doll. Mankind leaves midway through the match. This match really reminds me of when crowds started caring less and less about actual in-ring wrestling, and barely reacting to moves it at all. Which kinda sucks.

Backstage segment with Shaquille O'Neil watching Raw on a monitor. Vince tells him if he doesn't have a backstage pass to get out. Funny as hell.

William Regal entrance...?? With his Man's Man gimmick. Crowd is dead. I don't blame them. He challenges anyone from the back. Sounds like he's trying to hide his accent, kind of? Goldust answers his challenge. At least he's not in his BDSM gimmick yet. Crowd doesn't care about the match. Terry Runnels shows up. Now they care. I mean, she looks good. Kane interrupts again because why not.

Backstage segment where Vince presents Mankind with the hard-core title. Basically a ductaped together old winged-eagle world title belt. Pretty badass, honestly.

Ken Shamrock vs The Rock for IC title. I would not have ****ed with Shamrock in this era. Vince interrupts before the match, making it seem like he's against Rock. But we know what happens at Survivor Series later that month. Rock is basically already over and a star.

Val Venus entrance. Man he was perfectly cast in the gimmick. His opponent ... Jeff Jarrett and Debra. King: "she looks better than a tax refund." Hmm, sure. Blue Blazer interferes.

Headbangers entrance. They're dressed as Billy Gunn and Road Dogg, and they do a parody of DX. Nobody remembers this because my gawd does it suck. They have a decent match against D-Lo and Mark Henry, but the crowd doesn't care about wrestling moves lol. Kane interrupts AGAIN. At least the fans reacted.

Rock is arrested backstage because of Mr McMahon. They really did a good job setting up that heel turn.

Owen Hart entrance with no music. They show footage of Owen doing an injury angle on Dan Savern trying to recreate the one that nearly paralyzed Austin. Oof. And they're doing the Blue Blazer/Owen double identity thing. Very overbooked lol.

Vince comes out, they lower a steel cage, Vince has Bossman attack Brisco and Patterson. Don't remember this ever happening. Vince is so great. Austin comes out to save them, attacks Bossman, crowd goes insane. Undertaker comes out and fights Austin. Kane comes out yet again to attack Taker. Sets the cage on fire with his pyro. All 3 fight in the flamin cage. Holy ****. JR losing his mind.

Crazy how much happened on this 2 hour show.

[ProfessaPackMan]

1998 Vince was something else.

Watching him train with Shane for the Royal Rumble will always be on of my favorite Vince moments, lol

[TheShizNo1]

Quote: Originally Posted by ProfessaPackMan

1998 Vince was something else. Watching him train with Shane for the Royal Rumble will always be on of my favorite Vince moments, lol

Bruh. 11 year old me was dumbstruck with how jacked he was!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[dubcity]

Watched WCW Capital Combat 90. The Robocop Show. The full title they kept saying on the show was "Capital Combat: The Return of Robocop." Confusing title. What is he returning to? The DC Armory in front of 7500 people, apparently.

A weird show. It's the Jim Herd era, and it definitely feels like they are trying to gimmick up and brand everything and everyone a la WWF. The Rock N Roll Express come out on a mobile stage with an antique Jukebox (that nearly wrecks), The Freebirds are in 90s Freebirds mode. Etc.

Mark Callous has a match with Johnny Ace. Callous already looked ready for prime time. Definitely had charisma and knew how to carry himself. He was billed as being from "Metropolis." What does that mean?

The Samoan Swat Team vs Capt Mike Rotunda and Tommy Rich. SST= Tongan Kid and Rikishi, and it's strange to see them basically play normal crooked heels, as opposed to either babyface Islanders or "headshrinkers." Rotunda always had bad luck with The Box of Gimmicks lol.

A comedy hair vs hair match between Teddy Long and Paul Ellering. This era of WCW always had this type of nonsense. It was funny seeing Long have like 5 outfit changes throughout the show, cuz he managed a lot of guys. He came out in a blinged out tux with Callous, then a dorag later with Doom.

Midnight Express vs Zenk/Pillman, with Cornette locked in a cage. This match was pretty long, and it honestly reminded me of modern matches that are super athletic and full of moves. Except this was more believable and did not feel like a performance. Then > now.

Rock N Roll Express vs The Freebirds. Man, 5 years earlier this would have been top tier, but **** had changed. Weird that both Stan Lane from the Midnights and Michael Hayes a few years later would be retired and doing studio hosting and commentary at WWF.

Not much to say about the Robocop segment. I'm not sure if it was actually disappointing, considering the limitations of what you could do with him. He can't start shooting people, or do a collar-elbow tie up, so? This reminded me of the theatrics they did with The Black Scorpion. Dumb B movie nonsense. At least The White Castle of Fear upped the budget lol.

The Steiner Brothers vs Doom. This match, man. Every dude in this match was huge, jacked and legit. There's a part where Ron Simmons throws Scott back into the ring from the outside, the camera cuts away but we here Ron shouting at some dude in the front row, "is that your champ, old man? Let's see what he gonna do." And it was real as ****.

Luger vs Flair in a cage for the title. This felt like vintage 80s Flair, carrying a guy to a good match and then finding a way to weasel out a win. He was still in his prime, but it did feel like maybe things needed to change up a bit. Sting comes out in the end with El Gigante. Gigante as a babyface in some kind of superhero outfit was odd and awkward.