|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077589
PT: #121/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 03rd, 2024 03:10 GMT
I remember that interview, but surely Vince tying a possible push for David's to Bruno's willingness to accept matches didn't help. As I recall, the first question most of those promoters, Vince included, asked David was how soon Bruno could make an appearance. If the promoter in question didn't like the answer, David spent his time looking at the lights.
It's little wonder he felt used; so would I if I'd been in his place. I'm not saying he was world title material, or that he didn't need to get along better with those in power, but knowing that he wasn't going to succeed without being tied to Bruno somehow had to crush his spirit completely, He should have taken Bruno's advice and chosen another profession.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 49
Replies: 195
Member
Post: #1077643
PT: #122/130
|
Quoted from: garretta, May 03rd, 2024 03:02 GMTI remember that interview, but surely Vince tying a possible push for David's to Bruno's willingness to accept matches didn't help. As I recall, the first question most of those promoters, Vince included, asked David was how soon Bruno could make an appearance. If the promoter in question didn't like the answer, David spent his time looking at the lights.
It's little wonder he felt used; so would I if I'd been in his place. I'm not saying he was world title material, or that he didn't need to get along better with those in power, but knowing that he wasn't going to succeed without being tied to Bruno somehow had to crush his spirit completely, He should have taken Bruno's advice and chosen another profession.
It's too bad that they couldn't have come up with a whole new persona for him like they did a decade later when they turned Dustin Runnels into Goldust. Maybe sticking David in a mask or face paint or something with a whole new name might have given him the boost he needed to get out of Bruno's shadow. Take him off of TV for a while with no in-universe explanation. Then start running weekly vignettes to introduce the new gimmick/character. When the new character debuts, book him strong to get it over. Oh, and it would have to be a heel persona. I'm not saying this new persona, whatever it would have been, would have made David Sammartino a main eventer, but just going out there as Bruno's son as his entire act wasn't going to get him there either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 1098
Replies: 14400
Member
Post: #1077671
PT: #123/130
|
I don't think David had any interest in working as a heel, I think he envisioned himself being a beloved babyface like his father.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077680
PT: #124/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 05th, 2024 01:35 GMT
The eighties were far too soon for gimmicks like Goldust, especially in the kid-friendly WWF.
The best they would have done for David as a heel was Zbyszko 2.0. and I doubt Bruno would have wanted to wrestle his own son, or even have promos directed against him by his son. He would have quit first, and David would have been let go soon after.
Some fans supposedly wanted to see Hogan vs. Bruno, and I could have seen David possibly cutting promos saying some of the things Bruno did in interviews after he was let go about Hogan being a bad wrestler, a steroid freak, etc.
But even if Vince would have allowed it and Hogan would have stood for it, what would the end game have been? David wasn't going to main event WrestleMania on his best day, and neither was Bruno. I highly doubt Ebersol would have wanted either Sammartino on SNME either, at least not by '87.
They might main event Philly or Boston with Bruno in David's corner, but would Bruno have bumped for Hogan after seeing his son get squashed like a bug? They'd have probably had to bring in Heenan at some point, and then David's one step above the Red Rooster.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 49
Replies: 195
Member
Post: #1077692
PT: #125/130
|
This message was edited by JasonKM on May 05th, 2024 02:31 GMT
Quoted from: Dan Shocket's Ghost, May 04th, 2024 21:42 GMT
I don't think David had any interest in working as a heel, I think he envisioned himself being a beloved babyface like his father.
Made me think of the weird path that Dwayne Johnson had to take a decade later. Debuted as a face as Rocky Maivia, but the fans hated him and chanted "Rocky sucks! Rocky sucks!" He turned heel and joined The Nation of Domination. Improved on the mic and in the ring over the following year to the point that he became a face. Turned heel again and joined The Corporation. Got kicked out The Corporation and became a face again, and stayed that way for the next few years. Along with generally improving in the ring and on the mic, he had to do two heel turns in order to become a proper face.
I can only think of a select number of second- or third-generation guys who surpassed their fathers' achievements. (Rocky, Bret, Bockwinkle, Eddie Guerrero, Roman Reigns [son of Sika], Cody Rhodes [ ROH World Heavyweight Champion, NWA Champion, WWE Champion], Randy Savage, Randy Orton.) Dustin Rhodes falls somewhere in between the list of guys who did and the list of guys who didn't (David Flair, David Sammartino, Greg Gagne, Erik Watts, George Gulas, Tiger Ali Singh.) Yokozuna (his uncles were Afa and Sika; atypically for that family, Yoko's father was NOT a wrestler), Sabu and Rey Misterio Jr. are on the list of guys who surpassed their uncles' achievements, and Horace Hogan is on the list of guys who didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077731
PT: #126/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 06th, 2024 02:06 GMT
Now for some tag team action, as we wittness the debut of the Killer Bees against the team of Dave Barbie and Steve Lombardi:
1. This bout was taped Monday, June 17, 1985 in Poughkeepsie and aired on Championship the weekend of June 29, 1985.
2. Vince touts the Bees as an "extraordinary tag team combination" in spite of the fact that this is the first time they've ever teamed.
3, Brian and Jim don't look like bees, or any other type of life, for that matter. Plain black vests, plain black tights, and plain black boots; who are the jobbers in this match, anyway?
4. Brian wins the opening move exchange by taking Steve down with a drop toehold. He hooks a front facelock, then hits an early version of a DDT to take Steve back down to the mat. Steve ends up on his back, but kicks out, and both men get back to their feet.
5. After another tie-up, Brian grabs an arm-wringer and tags Jim. who monkey flips Steve over whille hanging on to the arm.
A few seconds later, Steve grabs a side headlock out of desperation. Brunzie shoots him off, drops down, then catches Steve with a high knee right in the side of the head. Another tag, and Brunzie whips Lombardi in, then leapfrogs, allowing Steve to run into a vicious clothesline from Blair. Brian covers, but Steve gets his foot on the bottom rope at two,
They may not have the outfits yet, but this is a vintage performance by the Bees. I have no idea why Bret Hart hated to work with them, but he's full of Calgary crapola.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077732
PT: #127/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 06th, 2024 02:31 GMT
6. After slamming Lombardi, Brian drops an elbow, then tags Brunzell. who throws a tough-looking forearm uppercut to the underside of Steve's arm. Jim hiptosses him over, applies a spinning armbar, then tags Brian, who comes off the top with an elbow to the shoulder.
A forearm knocks Steve to his knees, but he rakes the eyes, hirs a forearm of his own, then tags Barbie. Dave slams Brian with ease, but misses an elbow, and Brian tags Brunzie.
Jim knocks Barbie down with a forearm. It caught Dave on the jaw, but Vince says it hit him first in the chest, then in the midsection, He needs to take an anatomy class right away, and bring Gino with him.
7. Brunzie fires Barbie into the ropes, then hits the big dropkick, That's all she wrote......except it isn't. Lombardi comes in to make the save, and Brian follows. It's what Kal Rudman calls "bonzo gonzo". Jimmy rams Barbie's head to the buckle, then the Bees whip their opponents into each other.
Bruno calls for one of the Bees to get out of the ring so they don't get disqualified. Instead, they send Barbie for a double ride. Brian drops down, and Jim grabs a sleeper. The referee only checks the arm twice, but Dave's going nowhere except dreamland. Time of the fall: 3:52.
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077944
PT: #128/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 10th, 2024 02:42 GMT
We still have two introductions to make to the thread. The first of these is Aldo Marino (Ricky Santana). In his opening match, he faces the then-Intercontinental champion, Greg Valentine (with Jimmy Hart).
1. This match was taped Tuesday, February 12, 1985 in Poughkeepsie and aired on Championship the weekend of March 2, 1985.
2. I'm going to refer to the jobber in question as Marino or Aldo, even though he's better known by his other name, to avoid confusion with Ricky Steamboat and Tito Santana.
3. The match begins with a knucklelock, which Valentine quickly turns into a drop toehold. He and Aldo exchange sitouts and turn-ins, and eventually Greg grabs an armlock. Aldo gets out of the hold with an armdrag, and we reset.
4. On the next lockup, Greg scores with a shot to the midsection, then picks Aldo up and drops him across the top rope throat first.
Meanwhile, Vince and Bruno are hyping Greg's upcoming series with the Junkyard Dog.
I hesitate to call it a feud, because there was no more hatred between them than there was between a random heel and a random face. Of course, JYD's real function was as a placeholder for Tito until his knee healed and he was able to resume his own feud with Greg.
5. Valentine kicks Aldo in the ribs, then reapplies the armlock. While he's doing that, Vince and Bruno talk about how much more aggressive and confident Greg's been since Jimmy came along, and Bruno puts Jimmy over as, to borrow a concept from the NFL. a "wrestlers' manager": always cheering his men on and inspiring them to do their best.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077946
PT: #129/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 10th, 2024 03:11 GMT
To continue from up above, that's high praise for Jimmy, but it's also an indictment, intentionally or unintentionally, of Greg's former manager, Captain Louis Albano, who had just turned face and was one of the driving forces behind the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Couldn't they have found another way to put Jimmy over?
6. Aldo tries to get Greg off of his case with another arm drag, but Greg hangs on and takes Aldo down with a hammerlock, then drops a knee on the arm.
He backs Aldo into the ropes, and Aldo gets off a weak shot to the chest, but Greg bludgeons him with a pair of forearms to the back of the neck, then nails him with a reverse atomic drop.
Next, the work on the legs begins, as Greg makes a wish before dropping an elbow to the lower part of the midsection. After another elbowdrop to the chest, it's time for the figure-four, and Aldo gives it up at 2:48.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 176
Replies: 2128
Member
Post: #1077947
PT: #130/130
|
This message was edited by garretta on May 10th, 2024 03:20 GMT
7. Say what you will about the WWF version of Jimmy, but it was a tremendous vote of confidence on Vince's part to put him with a reigning IC champion like Greg. The safe move would have been to put him with the veteran Blassie, even though it seems like a mismatch on the surface.
Plus, Freddie was losing a lot off of his fastball at this time, to the point that Greg could have done just as well speaking for himself.
Next: To be determined.
Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
» Discussion Forums » Reading Topic
Subscriptions disabled ]
Print Topic :: Print page]