WWF wasn't televised here until around then. It was called Maple Leaf Wrestling, at 5pm every Saturday.
Following the WWF takeover in 1984, the name Maple Leaf Wrestling continued to be used for the federation's Canadian TV program (a staple of Hamilton station CHCH-TV for many years), which the WWF took over production of after the Tunneys split from the NWA. The show was hosted by Angelo Mosca and Jack Reynolds. TV tapings for the show were held in Brantford and other cities in southern Ontario for the next two years, until the WWF ceased the tapings in 1986 and decided to simply use the Maple Leaf Wrestling name for the Canadian airings of WWF Superstars of Wrestling. In these Canadian episodes there was some Canadian footage, usually matches from Maple Leaf Gardens and updates by on-air announcer and former wrestler Billy Red Lyons. These tapings were actually the precursor to the WWF's Wrestling Challenge, which became the "B" show to WWF Superstars Of Wrestling, the "A" show. Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura were the hosts for the Canadian tapings (with Ventura doing his famous "The Body Shop" segment), and when those tapings morphed into Challenge in 1986, Ventura was moved to the "A" show, Superstars, which had been renamed from WWF Championship Wrestling, and joined their announcers, Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino, to form a three-man team. Sammartino eventually left that team, making it just McMahon and Ventura. Bobby Heenan replaced Ventura as the Canadian tapings became WWF Wrestling Challenge.
I consider myself "old school" as well. Been a fan since the mid 80's. First WWF event was in '86 at the Spectrum. Still have the programs/lineups from those days. I'll have to find them and post them.
Here they are. My favorite is the second one i went to with hogan/vs orndorff on a steel cage. I went to with
I still remember the post WM3 tour where the main (at least in Winnipeg, I assume the same everywhere else) was Ricky Steamboat (IC Champ) vs Macho Man in a cage. Macho Man kicked his ass all over the cage, but it ended with Macho Man tossing him headfirst against the door; the door swung open with the Dragon hanging on, then falling to the floor. Always loved that booking. Really brought the heat on Macho while still letting Steamboat retain.
Only ever caught one live event, when I was about 7 years old, at the 1989 DuQuoin State Fair…Ultimate Warrior vs Andre the Giant. I remember you could see the wrestlers pull n their cars from our seats. Andre hopped out of a big conversion van.
Match was a squash. Andre in the ring, Warriors music hits, dash to the ring, 2 shoulder blocks and a running splash. Not sure his music ever stopped.
Wish I could find the full card but looks like we got the b squad.
Looks like they are doing Rock vs Reigns at WM and I'm guessing Cody vs Seth Rollins Should put Cody in the "main" event, at least in a triple threat and have Drew McIntyre vs Rollins. Maybe have Damian Priest cash in against one of them after the match.
I watched the Dark Side of the Ring: The Montreal Screw Job.
I thought it was good. I never really held much of an opinion on the matter, and maybe I was influenced by a skewed documentary... but my takeaway is that Bret Hart was being a baby and he had it coming to him.
Its a fake championship based on a story. He was leaving the company. It is standard to leave it be. His company wanted him to pass it on to Micheals. They tried to provide every single scenario that it can happen and he refused every one. He knew they were going to take it and was asking Hebner not to screw him over. And he ended up continuing to sulk and feel sorry for himself until he completely bottomed out in the WCW.
Im not a huge fan of McMahon and a lot of his methods. I think he is a cartoonish scumbag and has drained humans like a parasite in order to amass wealth... but I think I side with him on this one.
I watched the Dark Side of the Ring: The Montreal Screw Job.
I thought it was good. I never really held much of an opinion on the matter, and maybe I was influenced by a skewed documentary... but my takeaway is that Bret Hart was being a baby and he had it coming to him.
Its a fake championship based on a story. He was leaving the company. It is standard to leave it be. His company wanted him to pass it on to Micheals. They tried to provide every single scenario that it can happen and he refused every one. He knew they were going to take it and was asking Hebner not to screw him over. And he ended up continuing to sulk and feel sorry for himself until he completely bottomed out in the WCW.
Im not a huge fan of McMahon and a lot of his methods. I think he is a cartoonish scumbag and has drained humans like a parasite in order to amass wealth... but I think I side with him on this one.
Full disclosure: I'm a Bret Hart mark and the screwjob was to me what the Kennedy assassination was to my father (I'm kidding)
He said he'd drop the title to Undertaker or Austin, I'm guessing that's not mentioned in the dark side doc (I only saw it once years ago and didn't think it was good). Bret just hated Shawn because Shawn told Bret that he would never put Bret over (this is in a conversation where Bret told Shawn that he would be happy to put Shawn over), Shawn suggested Bret had an affair with Sunny on live TV, and Shawn and his kliq were up McMahon's ass and all but calling the shots. And this is all after Bret turned down a shitload of money from WCW in 1996 out of loyalty to Vince, only to have Vince breach the contract in Sept. 1997. A contract that allowed Bret "reasonable creative control" (like Hogan had in WCW). And it's reasonable enough to say to Vince "Can't I lose to a respectable guy like Undertaker rather than his degenerate that you let run amok and has no respect for anybody?"
That dark side of the ring doc is pretty poor in my opinion. That series is good in general, but the screwjob isn't "dark side" enough and it seems like a filler episode. I'd recommend the WWE doc where Jim Ross interviews both Bret and Shawn around say 2012ish because you get both sides of the story some years after the event. It's a little awkward as Shawn is so detached from those years, and Bret is somewhat obsessed with them. But they do a good job of talking about particulars that this dark side doc doesn't.
Bret and Shawn's books are also really good. Bret's book in particular is great. Now, he wrote it prior to him and Shawn becoming friends again so his bitterness is a little much. And like any autobiography, he biased for himself. But his recounting of everything that led up to the screwjob (from resigning with WWF in late 1996 to being screwed in late 1997) is pretty interesting.
Having said all that, it is all over a fake wrestling title, and Bret himself has admitted he's not blameless in things going off the rails with Shawn. But it's fun to debate all these years later. And hey, think of all the wrestlers that had to bow down to and perform for a "cartoonish scumbag that has drained humans like a parasite in order to amass wealth," and then remember who was the only one with enough nerve to knock him the fuck out.
I get it that it's a fake title, but it's real in terms of industry worth. Vince did agree to help him get as much money out of Turner as he could. But for Bret to ask that he retain, and vacate the title on RAW the next day, and then to leave? how fucking unreasonable is that? that just tanks WWF's worth at that time when they were bleeding talent to WCW.
I feel like creative control is to protect Bret's character/brand so they dont have Doink the clown throw a pie in his face, Hornswaggle pull his pants down, then Shawn Michaels pin him to win the title.
From the doc (which as stated, was not the whole story), they seemed to try to present every possible angle to Hart and he refused.
So I guess the big deal is who he loses the belt to? I guess they could have scheduled a different PPV match for him to lose the title then and there and he would have agreed? Then maybe this person could have lost it to Michaels the next night on Raw? I don't know.
I feel like creative control is to protect Bret's character/brand so they dont have Doink the clown throw a pie in his face, Hornswaggle pull his pants down, then Shawn Michaels pin him to win the title.
From the doc (which as stated, was not the whole story), they seemed to try to present every possible angle to Hart and he refused.
So I guess the big deal is who he loses the belt to? I guess they could have scheduled a different PPV match for him to lose the title then and there and he would have agreed? Then maybe this person could have lost it to Michaels the next night on Raw? I don't know.
I've often wondered if it was all a big work. Vince gets the publicity, Bret gets his payday with WCW. Everyone's talking about WWF for literally years on end about this. Everyone wins.
It just seemed too convenient that there was cameras in the back shooting when Bret was stomping around looking for Vince. And I could easily see Vince taking a legit shot to the face for the black eye to look legit.
I feel like creative control is to protect Bret's character/brand so they dont have Doink the clown throw a pie in his face, Hornswaggle pull his pants down, then Shawn Michaels pin him to win the title.
From the doc (which as stated, was not the whole story), they seemed to try to present every possible angle to Hart and he refused.
So I guess the big deal is who he loses the belt to? I guess they could have scheduled a different PPV match for him to lose the title then and there and he would have agreed? Then maybe this person could have lost it to Michaels the next night on Raw? I don't know.
That's the only deal: losing it to Shawn Michaels. Shawn was supposed to lose it to Bret at WrestleMania 13, but then "lost his smile" and forfeited it instead. So that pissed off Bret. Then like I mentioned earlier, Bret tried to smooth things over with Shawn leading up to Survivor Series by saying he has no issue putting over Shawn, to which Shawn replied (according to Bret and Davey Boy Smith) that he appreciates that, but "I won't do the same for you." So it was more about a personal issue with Shawn then losing the title or where he loses it.
I get it that it's a fake title, but it's real in terms of industry worth. Vince did agree to help him get as much money out of Turner as he could. But for Bret to ask that he retain, and vacate the title on RAW the next day, and then to leave? how fucking unreasonable is that? that just tanks WWF's worth at that time when they were bleeding talent to WCW.
Yeah that wasn't reasonable at all. But that's only part of the story. Bret also suggested a DQ finish to Survivor Series, but then losing the title to Shawn the next night on Raw. He said that he expected Vince and especially Shawn to go for that because more people watch Raw then the PPVs.
Speaking of the Bret/Shawn/Vince love/hate triangle, have any of you ever heard the demo version of Shawn's entrance theme? Everyone has heard the original version of the theme sung by Sensational Sherri. But the demo? It's sung by none other than McMahon himself. And it's (one of) the most McMahon things ever....
Speaking of the Bret/Shawn/Vince love/hate triangle, have any of you ever heard the demo version of Shawn's entrance theme? Everyone has heard the original version of the theme sung by Sensational Sherri. But the demo? It's sung by none other than McMahon himself. And it's (one of) the most McMahon things ever....
Speaking of the Bret/Shawn/Vince love/hate triangle, have any of you ever heard the demo version of Shawn's entrance theme? Everyone has heard the original version of the theme sung by Sensational Sherri. But the demo? It's sung by none other than McMahon himself. And it's (one of) the most McMahon things ever....
I couldn't believe Michaels became as big as he did. I remember him in the Rockers and was like, meh. Vince apparently loved him.
Oh and that slammy event I believe had EVERY Wrestler singing. Remember Pile Driver? Koko B Ware sung that. I am a real American debuted then? Jimmy Hart was singing too...
I couldn't believe Michaels became as big as he did. I remember him in the Rockers and was like, meh. Vince apparently loved him.
Yeah Vince sure did love him, which is a part of the Montreal Screwjob dynamic. But you gotta give the devil his due. I think he's by far the best in-ring guy. His catalog of matches is pretty insane.
Some underrated HBK masterpieces that you should check out if you haven't seen them.... -Ladder rematch versus Razor Ramon (Summerslam '95) -IC title versus Jeff Jarrett (In Your House 2) -No DQ title match versus Diesel (In Your House: Good Friend Better Enemies) -Title match versus Mankind (In Your House: Mind Games) ----Mick Foley says this is his best match ever. -WM19 versus Chris Jericho -Comeback match versus HHH (Summerslam '02)
And the HBK masterpieces that everyone has seen.... -Ladder match versus Razor Ramon (WM10) -Iron Man match versus Bret (WM12) --Not for everyone, but I've always loved it. -1st match versus Undertaker (In Your House: Ground Zero) -Hell in the Cell versus Undertaker (In Your House: Badd Blood) -Triple threat versus HHH and Benoit (WM20) -Versus Kurt Angle (WM21) -Versus Undertaker (WM25)
Speaking of the Bret/Shawn/Vince love/hate triangle, have any of you ever heard the demo version of Shawn's entrance theme? Everyone has heard the original version of the theme sung by Sensational Sherri. But the demo? It's sung by none other than McMahon himself. And it's (one of) the most McMahon things ever....
"Heel" Rock was pretty funny last night. "You shut you mouth fatty. The Rock will smack the herpes right off your lip" There were signs during this promo that he might turn on Roman at Wrestlemania though. We'll see.
I couldn't believe Michaels became as big as he did. I remember him in the Rockers and was like, meh. Vince apparently loved him.
Yeah Vince sure did love him, which is a part of the Montreal Screwjob dynamic. But you gotta give the devil his due. I think he's by far the best in-ring guy. His catalog of matches is pretty insane.
Some underrated HBK masterpieces that you should check out if you haven't seen them.... -Ladder rematch versus Razor Ramon (Summerslam '95) -IC title versus Jeff Jarrett (In Your House 2) -No DQ title match versus Diesel (In Your House: Good Friend Better Enemies) -Title match versus Mankind (In Your House: Mind Games) ----Mick Foley says this is his best match ever. -WM19 versus Chris Jericho -Comeback match versus HHH (Summerslam '02)
And the HBK masterpieces that everyone has seen.... -Ladder match versus Razor Ramon (WM10) -Iron Man match versus Bret (WM12) --Not for everyone, but I've always loved it. -1st match versus Undertaker (In Your House: Ground Zero) -Hell in the Cell versus Undertaker (In Your House: Badd Blood) -Triple threat versus HHH and Benoit (WM20) -Versus Kurt Angle (WM21) -Versus Undertaker (WM25)
Anything after 94 I didn't watch much wrestling. I missed the whole Austin and Rock era, thought NWO was another form of WWE or bad wwe but people apparently enjoyed it. That whole attitude era turned me off and so Michaels wasn't someone I was watching.
Can we have a top 5 all time wrestler and a top 5 current?
Favs or real thought, i'm curious.
Top 5 All time.
Ric Flair Hulk Hogan Dusty Rhodes Steve Austin Billy Graham
Honorable Mentions Andre the Giant Macho Man Sting Undertaker John Cena Adding Vern Gagne A few of these wrestlers wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.
Top 5 Current MJF Reigns Cody Rhodes Charlette Flair Seth Rollins
Honerable John Moxley Orange Cassidy Mysterio Logan Paul
Can we have a top 5 all time wrestler and a top 5 current?
Favs or real thought, i'm curious.
Top 5 All time.
Ric Flair Hulk Hogan Dusty Rhodes Steve Austin Billy Graham
Honorable Mentions Andre the Giant Macho Man Sting Undertaker John Cena Adding Vern Gagne A few of these wrestlers wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.
Top 5 Current MJF Reigns Cody Rhodes Charlette Flair Seth Rollins
Honerable John Moxley Orange Cassidy Mysterio Logan Paul
I'll go with my top 10 favorites rather than "greatest"
1) Bret Hart 2) Mick Foley 3) Shawn Michaels 4) Hulk Hogan 5) Ric Flair 6) Randy Savage 7) The Rock 8) Steve Austin 9) Kurt Angle 10) Roddy Piper
Comments
www.headstonesband.com
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
I thought it was good. I never really held much of an opinion on the matter, and maybe I was influenced by a skewed documentary... but my takeaway is that Bret Hart was being a baby and he had it coming to him.
Its a fake championship based on a story. He was leaving the company. It is standard to leave it be. His company wanted him to pass it on to Micheals. They tried to provide every single scenario that it can happen and he refused every one. He knew they were going to take it and was asking Hebner not to screw him over.
And he ended up continuing to sulk and feel sorry for himself until he completely bottomed out in the WCW.
Im not a huge fan of McMahon and a lot of his methods. I think he is a cartoonish scumbag and has drained humans like a parasite in order to amass wealth... but I think I side with him on this one.
Full disclosure: I'm a Bret Hart mark and the screwjob was to me what the Kennedy assassination was to my father (I'm kidding)
He said he'd drop the title to Undertaker or Austin, I'm guessing that's not mentioned in the dark side doc (I only saw it once years ago and didn't think it was good). Bret just hated Shawn because Shawn told Bret that he would never put Bret over (this is in a conversation where Bret told Shawn that he would be happy to put Shawn over), Shawn suggested Bret had an affair with Sunny on live TV, and Shawn and his kliq were up McMahon's ass and all but calling the shots. And this is all after Bret turned down a shitload of money from WCW in 1996 out of loyalty to Vince, only to have Vince breach the contract in Sept. 1997. A contract that allowed Bret "reasonable creative control" (like Hogan had in WCW). And it's reasonable enough to say to Vince "Can't I lose to a respectable guy like Undertaker rather than his degenerate that you let run amok and has no respect for anybody?"
That dark side of the ring doc is pretty poor in my opinion. That series is good in general, but the screwjob isn't "dark side" enough and it seems like a filler episode. I'd recommend the WWE doc where Jim Ross interviews both Bret and Shawn around say 2012ish because you get both sides of the story some years after the event. It's a little awkward as Shawn is so detached from those years, and Bret is somewhat obsessed with them. But they do a good job of talking about particulars that this dark side doc doesn't.
Bret and Shawn's books are also really good. Bret's book in particular is great. Now, he wrote it prior to him and Shawn becoming friends again so his bitterness is a little much. And like any autobiography, he biased for himself. But his recounting of everything that led up to the screwjob (from resigning with WWF in late 1996 to being screwed in late 1997) is pretty interesting.
Having said all that, it is all over a fake wrestling title, and Bret himself has admitted he's not blameless in things going off the rails with Shawn. But it's fun to debate all these years later. And hey, think of all the wrestlers that had to bow down to and perform for a "cartoonish scumbag that has drained humans like a parasite in order to amass wealth," and then remember who was the only one with enough nerve to knock him the fuck out.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
www.headstonesband.com
From the doc (which as stated, was not the whole story), they seemed to try to present every possible angle to Hart and he refused.
So I guess the big deal is who he loses the belt to? I guess they could have scheduled a different PPV match for him to lose the title then and there and he would have agreed? Then maybe this person could have lost it to Michaels the next night on Raw? I don't know.
It just seemed too convenient that there was cameras in the back shooting when Bret was stomping around looking for Vince. And I could easily see Vince taking a legit shot to the face for the black eye to look legit.
www.headstonesband.com
Yeah that wasn't reasonable at all. But that's only part of the story. Bret also suggested a DQ finish to Survivor Series, but then losing the title to Shawn the next night on Raw. He said that he expected Vince and especially Shawn to go for that because more people watch Raw then the PPVs.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
www.headstonesband.com
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Heenan's commentary on that was fucking awesome!
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
Oh and that slammy event I believe had EVERY Wrestler singing. Remember Pile Driver? Koko B Ware sung that. I am a real American debuted then? Jimmy Hart was singing too...
I need to rewatch that, lol.
Some underrated HBK masterpieces that you should check out if you haven't seen them....
-Ladder rematch versus Razor Ramon (Summerslam '95)
-IC title versus Jeff Jarrett (In Your House 2)
-No DQ title match versus Diesel (In Your House: Good Friend Better Enemies)
-Title match versus Mankind (In Your House: Mind Games) ----Mick Foley says this is his best match ever.
-WM19 versus Chris Jericho
-Comeback match versus HHH (Summerslam '02)
And the HBK masterpieces that everyone has seen....
-Ladder match versus Razor Ramon (WM10)
-Iron Man match versus Bret (WM12) --Not for everyone, but I've always loved it.
-1st match versus Undertaker (In Your House: Ground Zero)
-Hell in the Cell versus Undertaker (In Your House: Badd Blood)
-Triple threat versus HHH and Benoit (WM20)
-Versus Kurt Angle (WM21)
-Versus Undertaker (WM25)
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
www.headstonesband.com
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
The full 1987 Slammys!
I just watched through it quick and McMahon is talking just like The Dream, Dusty Rhodes, lol!
Favs or real thought, i'm curious.
Top 5 All time.
Ric Flair
Hulk Hogan
Dusty Rhodes
Steve Austin
Billy Graham
Honorable Mentions
Andre the Giant
Macho Man
Sting
Undertaker
John Cena
Adding Vern Gagne A few of these wrestlers wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.
Top 5 Current
MJF
Reigns
Cody Rhodes
Charlette Flair
Seth Rollins
Honerable
John Moxley
Orange Cassidy
Mysterio
Logan Paul
RIP Four Horsemen OG.
1) Bret Hart
2) Mick Foley
3) Shawn Michaels
4) Hulk Hogan
5) Ric Flair
6) Randy Savage
7) The Rock
8) Steve Austin
9) Kurt Angle
10) Roddy Piper
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
RIP Virgil.