Wrestling thread

Friend Or Defoe said:

Did you go? Never understood what people saw in this match apart from Bret's carrying ability. 

No I wasn't allowed!

I love that match.  I think one of the things that influences how it's looked at is how it compares to the other WWF PPV main events up to that point.  It certainly wasn't a Hogan or Warrior style match. Every summer slam or mania up to that point had finished with one or other in the ring (although I think the main event at mania 6 was in the middle of the card?). 

It was very different.  I think it still stands up today as a very good match, but through my teenage eyes it's a classic. 

Great memories of this as a 13 year old, and found this article about it quite eye opening:

https://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/bret-hart-british-bulldog-summerslam-1992/

It would take an almighty financial offer to make it worth their while.

Somehow I don’t see a UK event being anywhere near as lucrative for them as the Saudi Arabia shows.

The reason it was at Wembley in the first place was the European business was on fire and business was starting to dip in the US.  Mania 8 didn't draw on PPV, despite having most of the best of the 80s and 90s on the card.

1992 had some great main event wrestling in the WWF but it wasn't drawing like Hogan and Warrior had been (who knew people like shit wrestling 🤷‍♂️)

The WWF and wrestling in general was in a downward spiral that would not stop until the middle 1997, the wwf didn't actually start to see the uptick until 98.

Its a shame because 92 and 97 are two of my favourite years in WWF history. 

Off_it said:

"Kendo Nagasaki" was actually a bloke called Peter Thornley from Shropshire.

Mr Fuji's first name was Harry..... 

CharltonMadrid said:

Haven't watched wrestling for about twenty years but enjoyed the WWF and WCW as a kid in the 90s, plus also USWA and Smoky Mountain wrestling when they were on TV - anyone remember them?

There is some brilliant SMW on YouTube, including the first ever Kane v Taker match, dirty white boy, Tracy Smothers, the thrill seekers, buddy v HBK for the IC belt, all the Armstrongs.  The heavenly bodies v the rock and roll.  I could go on all day. 

Really high quality stuff :-)

The USWA I haven't seen anywhere near as much of, apart from the original Mr McMahon promos.  Iirc it WSS originally a merger between Jerry Jarret and Frizt's promotions? 

McBobbin said:

Some SMW that is on YouTube is new jack actually wrestling and doing some very daring promos

SMW could have been much bigger if firstly WCW had released Bobby Eaton, like everyone including Bobby thought they would.  Secondly if Vince hadn't offered Flair a shed load of money and a release clause and thirdly if the Wrestling business wasn't at at 30 year low at the time. 

McBobbin said:

AEW is much more mainstream than the likes of ECW ever were, and can still appeal to the "hardcore" by the quality of their product. Depends whether they can continue to find new audiences, perhaps a TV deal that have a decent reach

The best comparison for AEW now is TNA, they were regularly doing over 2 million. 

Saying that Smackdown and RAW were doing double what they are now so the market share for AEW is about the same as TNA.  Its just a lot smaller market.  Its quite sad that RAW, Smackdown, Dynamite and Rampage are combined doing less than RAW or Nitro used to do.