|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #690265
PT: #1/31
|
Between 1983 and 1985, three wrestling promotions warred against Al Tomko's All-Star Wrestling: Stampede, the AWA and the WWF. All three outdrew Tomko, but neither Stampede nor the AWA came back after their brief wars, & the WWF never made it a regular stop, maybe popping in once a year, if it was in the "neighborhood" [ie, Seattle or Calgary].
How much of an impact do you think these invasions had on All-Star? After 1984, Tomko never brought in any big name talent again, nor did he run at the bigger PNE Gardens anymore, if I recall, just the BCTV studios & the Cloverdale fairground.
Did he lose money in the wars & was no longer able to bring in marquee talent? Did the other promotions running house shows here occasionally even matter that much? Nobody was able to plant their flag permanently in Vancouver [wrestling's last outpost, like the little village in Gaul holding out against the Romans.] Do you think competing TV programs like WWF & Stampede had more of a negative impact on the promotion than house shows did? In some places, All-Star on TV was in direct competition with either the WWF or Stampede: after 1984, who were people most likely to choose to watch?
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher Boy
Topics: 66
Replies: 1566
Member
Post: #690299
PT: #2/31
|
Actually Stampede was huge in Vancouver when they came to town. They were easily winning the battle and most likely would have continued to if they hadn't sold out to McMahon. When they started up again the the area was done and they couldn't draw.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Post: #690612
PT: #3/31
|
Bad thing was,Stampede's home base was on it's ear when they were selling out the Agrodome.Didn't they have the concert promoter,was it Bruce Allen,promoting the Agro shows?Those houses were huge!
By the time they came back,local wrestling wasn't a sustainable option any longer.I don't know if Tomko's booking had just effectively killed the towns,but I suspect it was more down to the WWF and the death of the territory style business model.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher Boy
Topics: 66
Replies: 1566
Member
Post: #690641
PT: #4/31
|
This message was edited by Butcher Boy on January 01st, 2012 00:32 GMT
Yup all of Alberta was having difficulty because of problems in the oil industry. As for Bruce Allen you are right he was Brian Adams' and Loverboys manager along with many other acts. He later became Brett Hart's agent.
They even bought in Rip Oliver and Buddy Rose for a couple of shows as we were getting Big Time out of Seattle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher Boy
Topics: 66
Replies: 1566
Member
Post: #691602
PT: #5/31
|
I just remembered another thing about the Stampede invasion. David Shultz and Honky Tonk Wayne (Honky Tonk Man) were pretty much one of the top feuds in Stampede. Suddenly they both jumped to All-Star then very quickly Shultz jumped back and on his return mentioned that All-Str wouldn't pay hiim. Also at the same time Tim Flowers, one of All-Stars top guys, jumped from All-Star to Stampede. It was a very interesting time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 23
Replies: 641
Member
Post: #694996
PT: #6/31
|
Any results available of the Stampede/AWA shows in Vancouver? IIRC Andre the Giant was on a few of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #695023
PT: #7/31
|
Quoted from: Butcher Boy, January 07th, 2012 22:51 GMTI just remembered another thing about the Stampede invasion. David Shultz and Honky Tonk Wayne (Honky Tonk Man) were pretty much one of the top feuds in Stampede. Suddenly they both jumped to All-Star then very quickly Shultz jumped back and on his return mentioned that All-Str wouldn't pay hiim. Also at the same time Tim Flowers, one of All-Stars top guys, jumped from All-Star to Stampede. It was a very interesting time.
Yeah, I think there were a few guys who worked both promotions, including, if I recall correctly, Gerry Morrow & Athol Foley. Wayne & Schultz, along with Bulldog Bob Brown & Buzz Tyler, were pretty much the last "name" wrestlers Tomko brought in.
I guess no matter how much damage the competition inflicted during this period, Tomko kind of won, & his business lasted another five years [well, I guess the WWF kind of won, too, as they still run Vancouver to this day.]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #695026
PT: #8/31
|
Quoted from: Butcher Boy, January 01st, 2012 00:29 GMTYup all of Alberta was having difficulty because of problems in the oil industry..
Ha ha ha! Are you applying the "Bill Watts defence" to Bruce Hart? I thought Stampede tanked because [a] the Harts were *******-poor money managers & [b] Bruce's hot shot booking & Bad News Allen's antics landed the promotion in big trouble with the government regulators, the Calgary Stampede, Ed Whalen & the TV station, plus a whole ton of criticism in the media.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher Boy
Topics: 66
Replies: 1566
Member
Post: #695122
PT: #9/31
|
They were having huge problems in Alberta as mentioned but the biggest problem was the economy was in the tank. It is an oil based economy and together with a market glut and the National Energy Program it basically killed alot of things from about 80 to 85. Yes they were doing huge business in Vancouver and I'm gonna guess some of othe other places they ran in BC it just wasn't their bread and butter. AS for the over the top antics and booking I think that was in a reaction and or frustration to the failure to draw in Alberta
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Post: #695132
PT: #10/31
|
When Bobby Bass and I left Tomko's in 83,we worked for a guy who had run towns with Stu named Ron......last name I THINK was Hill. We took in 3 providences in a week,and we had John Foley and Athol on the crew,along with Goldie Rogers,TG Stone amongst others.Cal Manson was there as well.The point being is,while we certainly didn't set the world on fire,I was STUNNED at how many negative things were said about the Harts/Stampede from the fans.I viewed Stampede as this red hot organization and us as way down the pole,but it wasn't too much longer they closed up shop.I had no idea they were struggling as they were.IF you can use the probably few hundred people I came into contact with,both one on one and in the audience, as a yardstick,the problems weren't JUST economical.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #695176
PT: #11/31
|
Butcher Boy, you should check out Bret Hart's autobiography, as well as the book about Stampede wrestling history [the name escapes me now], both books point to the factors I stated in my post above. I think by 83-84, crowds in Alberta & Saskatchewan were burned out on Stampede [as Mike attests to], but it was something fresh & exciting for people in British Columbia who rarely got to see Stampede live.
Even during it's hottest period of the early 80s, I wonder if fans were getting burned out on the Bruce Hart-Dynamite Kid style of no psychology back & forth tennis match spotfests. I swear, when those guys would wrestle each other during their feud, they'd hit each other with 2 or 3 tombstones a match, which they'd pretty much only sell for three seconds. I think with the way they'd been booking from 82-84, they just burned out their circuit by giving too much & going too far. If they hadn't shut down when they did, they would've probably just spiralled further downwards. After the closure, they came back new & fresh, & the fans were ready to get behind the brand again.
I'm still wondering if the whole multiple invasions thing is what really set the stage for All-Star's death. All-Star had been in a steady decline in drawing since the mid-70s, but I wonder if fans really started turning away when they discovered that the competition was more entertaining. Not only could Vancouver fans see All-Star on TV, but they could now get Stampede, AWA, WWF, as well as JCP & even UWF for a time... Tomko stopped running the PNE Gardens, & by the mid-80s I don't know how appealing it was for people to go to the awful little TV studio out in Burnaby.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #695179
PT: #12/31
|
Stampede took a pretty sustained run at Vancouver & Victoria, I had no idea. They really softened the ground for the later AWA & WWF invasions. I'm convinced that the hostile competition in the marketplace is probably what killed Tomko in the end, even if all the other promoters ended up retreating, & hitting Vancouver once in a while after that.
Results are from Vance Nevada's archives.
Apr 10, 1983 - Stampede; Memorial Arena; Victoria, BC
Bret Hart b. Kerry Brown ... Honkytonk Wayne & Mike Miller b. Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito by DQ ... David Shultz b. Cuban Assassin by DQ ... Hubert Gallant d.w. Keith Hart ... Davey Boy Smith b. Terry Adonis
Apr 11, 1983 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver Att: 4,200
Bret Hart b. Leo Burke (North American) by DQ ... Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito b. Honkytonk Wayne & Kerry Brown ... David Shultz b. Mike Miller ... Bruce Hart b. Terry Adonis ... Keith Hart b. Hubert Gallant ... Davey Boy Smith b. Cuban Assassin
May 22, 1983 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Bret Hart (North American) b. Leo Burke by DQ ... Hercules Ayala b. Bad News Allen by DQ ... Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito (International tag) b. Cyclon Negro & Mike Miller ... David Shultz b. Tiny Anderson ... Cuban Assassin b. Dynamite Kid ... Davey Boy Smith d.w. Keith Hart ... Igor Volkoff (Danny Babich) b. Mike Allen ... Velvet McIntyre & Penny Mitchell b. Joyce Grable & Wendy Richter (women)
May 23, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Bret Hart (North American) b. Davey Boy Smith ... Bad News Allen Dble DQ vs. Hercules Ayala ... Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito (International tag) b. Cyclon Negro & Mike Miller ... Dynamite Kid b. Leo Burke by CO ... David Shultz b. Cuban Assassin by DQ ... Keith Hart b. Mike Allen ... Joyce Grable & Wendy Richter b. Penny Mitchell & Velvet McIntyre (women)
June 5, 1983 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Bad News Allen & Leo Burke Dble DQ vs. Bret Hart & Dynamite Kid ... Cyclon Negro b. Hercules Ayala ... Mr. Hito b. Mike Miller by DQ ... Cuban Assassin b. Jim Neidhart by DQ ... Bruce & Keith Hart b. Athol Foley & Mike Allen ... Igor Volkoff b. David Morgan
June 5, 1983 - Tomko; Vancouver
David Shultz Dble CO vs. Honky Tonk Man ... Al Tomko b. Tim Flowers ... Gerry Morrow b. Terry Adonis ... Moose Morowski b. Rick Patterson ... Buck Ramstead b. Randy Rich ... Kevin Jeffries b. Verne Seibert ... Cowboy Lang b. Little Tokyo (midgets)
June 6, 1983 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver
Dynamite Kid b. Leo Burke BChain match ... Bad News Allen n.c. vs. Hercules Ayala BNo DQ match ... Cuban Assassin & Mike Miller b. Jim Neidhart & Bruce Hart by DQ ... Bret Hart b. Cyclon Negro ... Mr. Hito d.w. Keith Hart ... Igor Volkoff b. David Morgan ... Athol Foley b. Mike Allen
June 11, 1983 - Tomko; Cloverdale
David Shuktz Dble CO vs. Honky Tonk Man ... Tim Flowers Dble DQ vs. Kip Kelly ... Gerry Morrow b. Terry Adonis by DQ ... Moose Morowski b. Verne Seibert ... Buck Ramstead b. Randy Rich ... Kevin Jeffries & Cowboy Lang b. Rick Patterson & Little Tokyo BMixed tag-team
June 12, 1983 - Tomko; Vancouver
David Shultz b. Honky Tonk Man by DQ BCage match ... Tim Flowers b. Al Tomko by DQ ... Terry Adonis b. Kip Kelly ... Gerry Morrow b. Moose Morowski ... Randy Rich b. Rick Patterson by DQ ... Buck Ramstead b. Kevin Jeffries
July 3, 1983 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Bret Hart & Dynamite Kid Dble DQ vs. Bad News Allen & Cuban Assassin ... Loch Ness Monster & Cuban Assassin b. Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito by DQ ... Bret Hart b. Mike Miller ... Bruce Hart b. Athol Foley by DQ ... Davey Boy Smith b. Mike Shaw by DQ
July 4, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Dynamite Kid b. Bad News Allen by DQ ... Loch Ness Monster & Cuban Assassin b. Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito by DQ ... Bret Hart Dble CO vs. Mike Shaw ... Bruce Hart b. Athol Foley by DQ ... Davey Boy Smith d.w. Mike Miller
July 25, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Bad News Allen b. Dynamite Kid BStreet fight ... Bret Hart & Mr. Hito b. Cuban Assassin & Mike Miller ... Keith Hart b. Igor Volkoff by DQ ... Davey Boy Smith Dble CO vs. Cobra ... Athol Foley & Rhonda Singh b. Phil Lafon & Rita Rivera BMixed tag-team ... Ben Bassarab b. Steve Logan
Aug 25, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver Att: 9,000
Nick Bockwinkel (AWA World) b. David Shultz (stopped due to excessive blood) ... Dynamite Kid (World Mid-Hwt) b. Great Gama by DQ ... Andre the Giant won a 15-man Battle royal ... Bret Hart n.c. vs. Archie Gouldie ... Cobra & Hiro Saito b. Bruce Hart & Davey Boy Smith by DQ ... Keith Hart b. Scott Ferris ... Jim Neidhart & Mr. Hito b. Cuban Assassin & Cyclon Negro ... Coconut Willie b. Wolfman Kevin (midgets)
Sept 26, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Archie Gouldie Dble CO vs. Bret Hart ... Hercules Ayala & Mr. Hito b. Francisco Flores & Cuban Assassin ... Bruce Hart b. Cobra by DQ ... Hiro Saito b. Davey Boy Smith by DQ ... Keith Hart b. Buck Ramstead ... Wayne Hart & Coconut Willie b. Athol Foley & Wolfman Kevin BMixed tag-team
Oct 24, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Bret Hart b. Archie Gouldie by DQ BChain match ... Bad News Allen b. Hercules Ayala ... Davey Boy Smith & Sonny Two Rivers b. Cobra & Hiro Saito ... Kerry Brown b. Gerry Morrow ... Mr. Hito b. Francisco Flores ... Cuban Assassin b. Ben Bassarab
Nov 20, 1983 - Stampede; Victoria
Bret Hart b. Bad News Allen ... Kerry Brown & Cuban Assassin b. Davey Boy Smith & Keith Hart by DQ ... Mr. Hito b. Jeff Gouldie ... Sonny Two Rivers b. Cobra by DQ ... Ben Bassarab b. Gerry Morrow
Nov 21, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Archie Gouldie & Kerry Brown Dble DQ vs. Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith ... Bad News Allen b. Sonny Two Rivers ... Mr. Hito b. Jeff Gouldie ... Cuban Assassin b. Keith Hart ... Cobra b. Ben Bassarab
Jan 29, 1984 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Killer Khan b. John Quinn ... Bruce Hart & Sonny Two Rivers b. Kerry Brown & Timothy Flowers ... Mike Shaw b. Gerry Morrow ... Cuban Assassin b. Keith Hart ... Hiro Saito d.w. Ben Bassarab
Jan 30, 1984 - Stampede; Vancouver, BC
Killer Khan b. Mongolian Stomper to win the North American title ... Mike Shaw b. John Quinn by DQ ... Bruce & Keith Hart b. Kerry Brown & Timothy Flowers by DQ ... Ben Bassarab b. Peter Flowers ... Sonny Two Rivers b. Hiro Saito ... Cuban Assassin b. John Baker
Mar 26, 1984 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver, BC
Dynamite Kid Dble CO vs. Bad News Allen BStreet fight ... Bret Hart b. Mike Shaw ... Great Gama & Cobra b. Phil Lafleur & Ben Bassarab ... Ron Starr (Commonwealth) b. Sonny Two Rivers ... Davey Boy Smith b. Kerry Brown by CO
Apr 22, 1984 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith (International tag) b. Bad News Allen & Ron Starr by DQ ... Duke Myers b. Bret Hart by DQ ... Cobra b. Hubert Gallant ... Gerry Morrow b. Tim Flowers ... Danny Davis d.w. Ben Bassarab
Apr 23, 1984 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver
Dynamite Kid b. Bad News Allen to win the North American Heavyweight title* ... Cobra b. Ron Starr (Commonwealth) by DQ ... Bret Hart Dble CO vs. Duke Myers ... Davey Boy Smith b. Tim Flowers ... Gerry Morrow & Ben Bassarab b. Hubert Gallant & Danny Davis
*Decision later overturned
May 27, 1984 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Bad News Allen, Ron Starr & K.Y Wakamatsu b. Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith & Cedric Hathaway ... Duke Myers b. Ben Bassarab ... Cobra b. The Scorpion ... Bruce Hart b. Butch Moffat
May 28, 1984 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver
Bad News Allen (North American) b. Dynamite Kid BCage match ... Bret Hart n.c. vs. Duke Myers ... Ron Starr (Commonwealth) b. Cobra by DQ ... Rip Oliver b. Buddy Rose ... Davey Boy Smith b. Butch Moffat ... Danny Davis & The Scorpion b. Bruce Hart & Ben Bassarab
June 17, 1984 - Stampede; Victoria, BC
Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith b. Bad News Allen & Cuban Assassin ... Danny Davis b. Bruce Hart by DQ ... Duke Myers b. Phil Lafleur ... Sonny Two Rivers b. Ron Starr by DQ ... Great Gama b. Cobra by CO ... Gerry Morrow & The Invader b. Tim Flowers & Mercenary
June 18, 1984 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver
Davey Boy Smith b. Bad News Allen to win the North American Heavyweight title ... Dynamite Kid Dble CO vs. Rip Oliver ... Bruce Hart b. Danny Davis ... Duke Myers b. Sonny Two Rivers ... Great Gama vs. Cobra ... Ron Starr b. Phil Lafleur ... Gerry Morrow & The Invader b. Tim Flowers & Mercenary
July 22, 1984 - Stampede; Victoria
Sonny Two Rivers b. Duke Myers ... Ron Starr b. Phil Lafleur ... Gerry Morrow b. Mad Max ... Great Gama b. Keith Hart Y Rhonda Singh b. Rosie Morino (women)
July 23, 1984 - Stampede; PNE Agridome; Vancouver
Keith Hart b. Mercenary ... Gerry Morrow b. Mad Max ... Sonny Two Rivers b. Duke Myers ... Ron Starr & Great Gama b. Bruce Hart & Phil Lafleur by DQ Y Rhonda Sing b. Rosie Morino (women)
July 24, 1984 - Stampede; Kelowna, BC
Sonny Two Rivers b. Duke Myers ... Ron Starr & Great Gama b. Keith & Bruce Hart by DQ ... Gerry Morrow b. Mad Max Y Rhonda Singh b. Rosie Morino (women)
July 25, 1984 - Stampede; Vernon, BC
Duke Myers b. Sonny Two Rivers ... Great Gama b. Keith Hart ... Bruce Hart b. Ron Starr ... Phil Lafleur & Gerry Morrow b. Mad Max & Mercenary Y Rhonda Singh b. Rosie Morino (women)
July 26, 1984 - Stampede; Kamloops, BC
Sonny Two Rivers b. Duke Myers ... Bruce & Keith Hart b. Great Gama & Ron Starr by DQ ... Gerry Morrow b. Mad Max ... Mercenary b. Phil Lafleur Y Rhonda Singh b. Rosie Morino (women)
Aug 21, 1984 - Stampede; Kelowna, BC
El Falcon b. Hiro Saito ... Keith Hart b. Ben Bassarab ... Great Gama b. Kevin Stewart ... Ron Starr b. Bruce Hart by DQ ... Bret Hart b. Mercenary ... Davey Boy Smith b. Great Gama ...Great Gama won a Battle royal ... Coconut Willie b. Wolfman Kevin (midgets)
Aug 22, 1984 - Stampede; Vancouver
Masked Superstar Dble CO vs. Davey Boy Smith ... Dynamite Kid & Bruce Hart b. Great Gama & Ron Starr ... Bad News Allen Dble CO vs. Bret Hart ... El Falcon b. Hiro Saito ... Ben Bassarab b. Mercenary ... Coconut Willie b. Wolfman Kevin (midgets)
Refs: Dave Williams (NHL Hockey)
Aug 29, 1984 - Stampede; Vancouver
Bad News Allen b. Davey Boy Smith (North American) by DQ ... Ron Starr & Great Gama b. Bruce Hart & Dave Williams ... Butch Moffat b. Ben Bassarab ... David Shultz Dble CO vs. Moose Morowski ... The Mercenary b. Shunji Takano ... El Falcon b. The Scorpion
Nov 5, 1984 - WWF; Vancouver, BC
Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch vs. Sika & Afa ... Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik ... Andre the Giant vs. Kamala ... Dynamite Kid vs. Butcher Vachon ... Bret Hart vs. Ron Shaw ... Davey Boy Smith vs. Rene Goulet ... Rick MCGraw vs. David Shultz ... Tony Garea vs. Bad News Allen ... Jim Neidhart vs. Pat Patterson
Jan 16, 1985 - AWA; Vancouver, BC
Rick Martel b. Jimmy Garvin ... Nick Bockwinkel b. Gerry Morrow ... Baron Von Raschke d.w. Steve Regal ... Jim Brunzell b. Moose Morowski ... Animal & Hawk b. Curt Hennig & Jim Brunzell ... Masked Superstar b. Jerry Blackwell
Jan 26, 1985 - WWF; Vancouver, BC
Jesse Ventura b. Rick McGraw ... George Wells b. Alexis Smirnoff ... Jim Neidhart b. Moose Morowski ... Bret Hart b. Rene Goulet ... Tony Atlas b. The Spoiler by DQ ... Andre the Giant & Blackjack Mulligan d.w. John Studd & Ken Patera
Feb 25, 1985 - WWF; Vancouver, BC
Gama Singh b. Moondog Spot ... Buddy Rose b. Pat Patterson ... Bret Hart b. Spoiler ... Iron Sheik b. Cobra ... Tito Santana b. Greg Valentine (WWF I-C) by DQ ... Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas b. John Studd & Ken Patera - Texas Tornado match
Mar 4, 1985 - AWA; PNE Coliseum; Vancouver Att: 1,500
Rick Martel b. Jim Brunzell ... Animal & Hawk b. Mr. Saito & Moose Morowski ... Steve Austin b. John Baker ... Buck Zumhofe b. Moondog Moretti ... Jim Brunzell b. Adnan Al-Kaissie ... Jerry Blackwell b. Masked Superstar - Lights out match
Apr 11, 1985 - AWA; PNE Coliseum; Vancouver, BC
Butch Reed b. Ricky Lee Jones ... Buck Zumhofe b. Steve Regal ... Masked Superstar b. Moose Morowski ... Jim Garvin b. Baron Von Raschke by DQ ... Jerry Blackwell b. King Tonga by DQ ... Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell b. Nick Bockwinkel & Mr. Saito
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Topics: 148
Replies: 1142
Member
Post: #695181
PT: #13/31
|
It seems Moose Morowski has the distinction of being the only wrestler who worked for all four promotions during this time period.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher Boy
Topics: 66
Replies: 1566
Member
Post: #695264
PT: #14/31
|
This message was edited by Butcher Boy on February 03rd, 2012 15:10 GMT
IIRC Stampede was getting at least 3500 to 4000 plus per show as the Vancouver PNE Agradome.
Oh and Dave Williams who wrestled Aug 29/84 in Vancouver is Dave "Tiger" Williams the former NHL player and one time penalty leader. Now the PNE Colliseum was pretty full that night and it seat 18,000 for wrestling. I'm guessing at least 10, 000.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Post: #695282
PT: #15/31
|
"Nov 21, 1983 - Stampede; Vancouver
Archie Gouldie & Kerry Brown Dble DQ vs. Bret Hart & Davey Boy Smith ... Bad News Allen b. Sonny Two Rivers ... Mr. Hito b. Jeff Gouldie ... Cuban Assassin b. Keith Hart ... Cobra b. Ben Bassarab"
I went down to this one,and it was packed.Jeff Gouldie was my roomate down in Arkansas earlier in the year,so I stopped to see him.I think I left BC the next day.My mind's eye is it was a sell out,or near,but whether or no they had an impressive crowd.The odd thing was.since Al's shows were so ill attended relatively,and crowd recognition outside was pretty nil,I thought nothing of walking in the front and just shooting the bull with folks.So when the crowd was let in,I got sort of mobbed by a bunch of fans,and had someone get me to the dressing area.I went out with Tommy to the ramp before his bout with Hito before I left,and shook more hands and signed autos to the kids hanging under the rails.The point being is that the local BC fans that were INTO wrestling,were into Stampede.What Al had were his regulars. The fans obviously WATCHED All Star on TV,but nothing was convincing them to part with their money.I don't think the studio per se was good for business,but since Stu's show truly sucked with it's choppy style,it was more down to content.More to the point,the show always meandered and seldom had any booking scheme,and therefore no real identity.Plus,Al's booking in the house shows,build and angle and then not even have what was advertised,was a house killer.
"Apr 11, 1985 - AWA; PNE Coliseum; Vancouver, BC
Butch Reed b. Ricky Lee Jones ... Buck Zumhofe b. Steve Regal ... Masked Superstar b. Moose Morowski ... Jim Garvin b. Baron Von Raschke by DQ ... Jerry Blackwell b. King Tonga by DQ ... Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell b. Nick Bockwinkel & Mr. Saito"
I stopped by to talk to Steve Regal.This drew a few hundred and the crowd was truly dead.In an arena that seated 16,000-18,000(?).it was sad.Stallone's crew were just getting set up as they started work on Rocky IV the next day,or soon thereafter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
» Discussion Forums » Reading Topic
[1] 
Subscriptions disabled ]
Print Topic :: Print page]