96 (Part Two) – In the top story, “Sycle” Sid won the WWF title in the main event of the Survivor Series. 94. 09. Well this should do better than NWA Powerrr at least. But don’t be fooled by the Slow News, as two major promotions actually reach their finales this week, although we didn’t realize it at the time. I’m not. – The new Stampede Wrestling has already taken all but one of the WWF’s TV clearances in Western Canada, so this doesn’t seem to be a winning venture for Vince. Rude/Vader tag match, the highest rating for any wrestling match on TV in more than a year. Back in the saddle with these again. – Buzz Sawyer agreed to work an indy date for Rob Russan in San Jose, and was supposed to provide the ring and some students from his wrestling school as underneath jobbers. Not by putting on a better product or drawing more money, but by signing one of their soon-to-be-ubiquitous exclusivity contracts with the Kiel Auditorium and thus preventing the NWA-affiliated St. The Best of the Wrestling Observer-Greatest matches of the Observer years-15 most influential wrestlers of the past five. Heyman is making. Well this was all well and good, but wrestling magazines found out about it and started publishing stories and photos, and the NWA had to go into coverup mode. 23, because for every viewer gained on Nitro, there was a viewer lost on Saturdays and it kind of averaged out. Wolf, where. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. GROUP #2: Nobuhiko Takada is forming the UWFi (Union of Pro Wrestling Force International) and they’ll also be running Korakuen Hall, in May, and. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. By Scott Keith on 10th July 2016. 88. 96. By Scott Keith on 22nd August 2022. 5 million as a startup amount and NOW got $480,000, and once they’ve blown through that, he’s done. Wish me luck! – The top story is Dave being confused by a unique gimmick match in Memphis, with Austin Idol v. Wrestling Observer Flashback–01. ***1/4Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. – To the WWF, where Wrestlemania III passed 70,000 tickets sold, officially making it the largest crowd ever to witness a wrestling show in North America. OK, 2005 posts are FINALLY complete, and I got to see Star Wars, so let’s get back to Observing. – So things are getting mighty crowded on TBS, in what would turn out to be a giant turning point for the wrestling industry. We’re almost there! One week left! – It’s almost time for the new fall season of wrestling, and it’s a big one. 1985. 01. 95. – In the top story, Sports Illustrated had a story on the WWF in March, and no one in mainstream media really gave a shit. – It’s COLD WAR in Toronto. – Also, NBC is really sniffing around wrestling now like a dog in heat and they seem to desperately want to be in business with the WWF. – Lead story is the WWF planning a giant stadium show in Milwaukee, which ended up being called WrestleFest 88, to basically screw with Crockett’s plans to run a Bash show the night after. The NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1978 until 1984,. Everything is confusing and it’s all centering on the AWA. 22. 90. Also, the Rock & Wrestling Connection was all his idea and he had to convince Vince to play “Eye of the Tiger” as his entrance theme in 1984. *. Bruiser Brody (“Nobody gives an aura of violent realism. Regardless of everything else, the #1 rule of wrestling in situations like this is that you ALWAYS have the babyface’s hand raised at the end of the show if you pull a major bait-and-switch like this. Well, amazingly he no-showed and they had to quickly contact another local promoter for some jobbers (there were only four name guys even booked for the. But don’t be fooled by the Slow News, as two major promotions actually reach their finales this week, although we didn’t realize it at the time. ark:/13960/t2z39wg7w. 96. 95. 20. – Bam Bam Bigelow is trying to get into the WWF, but word from on high is that he’s “too inexperienced”. 92 By Scott Keith on 20th March 2017 Hey, it’s another month with missing issues, as Dave has this one and the August 10 one on the site, and then it skips to September. 96 September 9, 2023; Morning Daily News Update September 9, 2023; Mike Reviews WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 September 9, 2023; Question September 9, 2023; Jey Uso trade to Raw September 9, 2023; Weekend Wrestling! September 9, 2023Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. 96 Remember how in last week’s issue, Kevin Nash had until the weekend to make up his mind about leaving…? – In the top story, Kevin Nash officially gave notice to the WWF that he’d be accepting an offer from WCW, via phone call to Vince McMahon on 3/5. 92. Jack Petrik would have to wage war against the WWF and spent lots of money to win, and it. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 96. Lots of people have claimed to have discovered him, for example. They of course had an immediate roster of excuses, mainly that it was scheduled on a night with really tough competition on TV. At 4:00, Warrior splashed Demolition Axe. – Kevin Sullivan is a road agent now and appears done with wrestling. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. wrestling business himself, negotiating with Buster Douglas for a Tokyo Dome show in March. – Next up TV ratings, which went from an average of 2. 88. (Clearly Wrestlemania had not become the thing it is today, because $429 barely gets you a nosebleed seat at this point. (This is why. There’s a big main event at the Tokyo Dome! And it sure didn’t go down how anyone expected. 95. 22. 90. – Interestingly, the WWF was shown to be popular with 18-25 year olds, with men twice as well represented as women. 3. – While the World title may not change hands, the US title certainly will, since post-Clash TV direction has Steamboat winning the title and suffering a shoulder injury in the process. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. 06. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. Wrestling Observer Rewind ★ Dec. Buyrate looks to be between 0. ”) 3. “Hey look, it’s Joe Weider” – Not sure what that refers to, but I’m sure we’ll find out. Winner of the 2016 Doomie Award for Favorite Blog Post!. The TNT show is dropping rapidly, which shows that the new audience of freakshow fans is far less than the loyal wrestling fans who choose not to watch that one. 31. – Andre’s beginnings in the sport are something of a mystery. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 11. Louis is finally over, and the WWF has won. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 27th May 2016 by Scott Keith. Collection. The ratings were just too low and the costs were just. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 0-1. According to Dave’s minions, there was confusion about. 03. 95. Current talk is a rematch with Shawn Michaels at Summerslam in a ladder. 95. 27. Also, Prime Time Wrestling is just getting destroyed on Monday nights and is down to a 1. 26, 1994 (Final Post for 1994) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. Public Enemy went to a double DQ with the Nasty Boys in 4:02. The suit alleges unfair competition, trademark. *1/4. 96. – Inoki’s business-killing freakshow ended up drawing 11,000 people for somewhere between $800,000 – $1. So after Masa Chono won the NWA title tournament, Thesz did a press conference for UWFI where he agreed to award his old NWA World title belt to the winner of the UWFI World title match between Takada and Gary. By Scott Keith on 9th September 2016. Maybe if I skim over the Eddie Gilbert stuff it’ll get done easier. 96. 07. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. 87. After Stan Lane lost to the Patriot on the Global show, Cornette launched into a tirade about how it was a conspiracy against Stan, just like the cops conspired against his good friend. Wrestling Observer Historical Pieces. (Just wait until Slamboree. 15. )This argument includes Wrestlemania V, which is widely believed to be the highest grossing wrestling show in HISTORY. – Anyway, moving on. – San Fran is the big head-to-head battle between the AWA and WWF, and Vince won that one handily thus far. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. Dave thinks that the competition will be mostly for the better, with faster-moving storylines and better wrestling on TV. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 94. WWE News. Wrestling Observer Flashback: 07. 95. 19. 16. 95. 96 (Part Two) BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! – ECW also held their biggest show ever, the 1996 November to Remember, which was an immediate sellout of 1500 people at the ECW Arena, and Dave even attended the show! – Steve Richards pinned David Morton Tyler Jericho in 9:25, as Stevie had his. By Scott Keith on 3rd October 2019. – In the top story, the Justice Department dropped one of the charges against Titan Sports. THE WAR IS ON. – Flair defended the World title on a pair of Mid-South shows in Oklahoma, but there’s no plans or indications of Watts joining the NWA. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but. Trying to power through this one before UFC 200. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. – Also on the show, Scott Norton & Tony Halme won the IWGP tag titles from the Steiner Brothers in kind of a stinker. By Scott Keith on 29th August 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 95. -Pro Wrestling 1983-1987. 16. – Dave watched the 12/19 All Japan show, and dished out another full monty, this one for Misawa & Kobashi winning the tag team tournament over Kawada & Taue in. 96. 94. 03. Dave is flabbergasted by how bad a show it was, wondering if this was a dream or a nightmare that he hasn’t woken up from. 22. Anyway, back to 1985 again… – The big news is that the war in St. 29. 96 By Scott Keith on 15th September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. – Art Barr’s petition for a wrestling license was denied by the commission once again. The Twin Towers beat the Rockers at 8:02 when Akeem splashed and pinned Michaels. 95. 01. Pillman was playing subtle heel to start and got less subtle as the match went on. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. 86. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. 22. 16. 92 By Scott Keith on 16th February 2017 Hey, I picked up a Nintendo DSi XL for $60 (Canadian) from EBGames and it’s pretty rad. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. It was basically just a backdrop for the Virgil babyface turn. Kayfabe Commentaries Releases Newest Installment of Their “Supercard” Series. This was the one and only match in the whole tournament that actually showed why the division could. Ric Flair pinned Butch Reed in 14:13 to earn a tag title shot at Starrcade. The 2023 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame adds seven new members in a year where there were no blow away vote getters but a number. 4. The 85 issues are quite a trip, since it’s a very different writing style than even these ones. 16. Well, sort of. Back on track after our detour back to March yesterday. 5 to 2. Continue reading Rants. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. 96. The taped episode of RAW wasn’t particularly different than any other one they’ve. Jim Herd has already killed the wrestling business, and now he’s working on killing the magic business. Baba had actually been. 02. 1. 300. 05. Collection. 90. 96 Apparently it’s time for WCW to get rowdy. 86. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. This is ridiculous on a lot of levels, most of which is actually against Zulu because he’s even worse than Mike Von Erich and in. It’s the Observer issue so huge that Dave has to post it to the archives TWICE to make sure! So yeah, Flair got fired, let’s get back into it! – The Flair firing actually made the national news, with papers throughout the country picking up the story, with all coverage being sympathetic to Flair. 96. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but unspectacular”. as they did a matinee taping of the new Sunday edition of World Championship Wrestling in Atlanta, then did a show in Columbus GA, then finally. But if you’re reading it in the archives in December, then MERRY CHRISTMAS! – Continuing on with the saga of Dynamite Kid’s messed up back, he was flown into Calgary for surgery after being paralyzed from the waist down. 01. 96. A wrestling fan creating original content for YouTube based on my love for pro-wrestling. . Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. Well, that probably won’t happen again for a while. And now, Dave would like to talk about PPV. – The Sheik did an extremely rare job, submitting to Onita’s boston crab in just 3:18 at the latest FMW show. Rants. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. Pillman was a little rusty but still got an excellent match out of Wright. ” (Now there’s an understatement!) – Based on current trends and advertising, SuperBrawl is looking to do. 28. (Hey, much like Bill Gates famously said…) – Back to Murray Hodgson and his case against Pat Patterson, with Vince and Pat’s depositions delayed so they could do some more legal wrangling. While it seemingly wasn’t a major milestone in his life at that. ) An industry shaking death in this issue, but. Just like the Untouchables, if you sign two of ours to a guaranteed contract, we sign one of yours to a guaranteed contract! And his hot wife! – Johnny B. But I think it’s a pretty famous case of hotline sleaze related to Blackwell’s death. 06. 22. But goddamn is “Eyes of a Stranger. Oh, Dave. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. Dave thinks it was counterproductive to kill off the Rockers like that. Wrestling Observer Flashback–07. But first! An update on the Shawn Michaels incident in Syracuse. – But first, the lead story is the rapid descent of UWFI, as they have reached out in desperation to New Japan for a combined show at the Tokyo Dome on 10/9 and maybe more after that. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. Wrestling Observer Flashback – Bret v. Bobby Eaton pinned Chip the Firebreaker in 4:52 with a back suplex. – Dan Severn won the Ultimate Ultimate on 12/16 in Denver after all the controversy over the show, beating Oleg Taktarov in the finals via unanimous decision. – Chris was of course around wrestling dressing rooms his whole life, and idolized Kerry in junior high to the point where he’d dress and act like him. 29. I know this year has been a slog, but we’re getting closer to September, when the magic happens! But first, WWF returns to your house! Whether you wanted them there or not. Also, be sure to check out the SquaredCircle subreddit, where some dude is RIPPING OFF MY. By Scott Keith on 18th April 2022. 01. The PPV showdown of 1987 is upon us! It’s Vince v. 94. The. Main event is. – The top story is the apparent end of Pacific Northwest Wrestling, as the TV show was abruptly cancelled by the TV station after 38 years on the air. – Dave notes that speaking of network TV, ABC was filming an episode of 20/20 at the MSG show, and one of the reporters asked Dr. Wrestling Observer Flashback–06. 96. 95. Wrestling Observer Live: RAW report, War Games, Randy Orton, ratings and more By Bryan Alvarez Nov 21, 2023 DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of. . 3. as the big blue cage that quickly became synonymous with Titan was actually purchased and flown in from Stampede Wrestling, because the normal chain link cage was too hard for Hogan to climb. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Lex Luger jumped out of the final mystery box to attack Sting, injuring the wrong leg (Instinct on Luger’s part due to all his lucha libre experience, Dave notes) but it was a pretty great angle. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. Ah, wrestling, where one guy can beat up another guy for real and flush his head. NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship. (Perhaps it’s time to revamp the show a bit?) – Famous San Francisco promoter Roy Shire passed away this week, after suffering a heart attack on 9/16 and dying 10 days later in the hospital. By Scott Keith on 9th November 2017. 27. -The Mondo 19 most intriguing personalities of ‘86-30 key pro wrestling personalities of ‘86 with quick bios-Observer Awards, leading news stories of. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. *. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. 48 buyrate (120,000 buys) for the Great American Bash in June, with WWF doing 0. – In a story that seems small but kind of ended up heralding the end of an era in wrestling, the way. 29. – In our top story, Roddy Piper made a surprise debut at the end of the Halloween Havoc show, doing what Dave describes as an “undisciplined dialogue” with Hollywood Hogan that actually ran past the expiration of their PPV time. – Van Hammer won the arm wrestling tournament, beating Ron Simmons in the finals, which Dave interprets as continuing his newfound push. 11. – Latest word on Maeda is that he’s got a new promotion in March, but Takada won’t come with. Despite the strained relationship, Florida still bills itself as NWA wrestling. 92. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 21,499 likes · 18,642 talking about this. For. Welcome to 1996 WCW, notes our teaser for this week. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. 26. But it probably bombed because it was clearly a throwaway show. 04. on November 22, 1990 – “Survivor Series ’90. – Actually, first it’s a bit of political talk, as Hiroshi Hase won election to the senate in Japan. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. 16. Mr. 95 Guys, I don’t think this UFC thing is gonna be around much longer if lawmakers have their way! – The debate over whether UFC and the other events like it should be banned has been raging in the press and the city of Denver has become a hotspot for the controversy. By Scott Keith on 24th July 2019. 26. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Wrestling breakup and Cornette getting his face shoved in a birthday cake. 23. Perfect won a battle royale in 12:55. 15. 87. By Dave Meltzer Nov 21, 2023. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. By Scott Keith on 1st October 2017. – The top story of the week, and for a long time in general, was Ron Garvin winning the NWA World title from Ric Flair on 9/25 in their debut in Joe Louis Arena. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. Ocr. Join Dave Meltzer and Brian Alvarez for coverage of the latest in wrestling and mixed-martial arts. 95. – Vince McMahon is apparently planning to sue Sgt. Let’s take a break from being nostalgic for 1998 and be nostalgic for 1994 again for a bit! – It’s been quiet in the wrestling world leading up to Halloween Havoc, Dave notes. 27. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. – Jim Cornette continues bringing the funny. I’m actually recovering from a shoulder injury at work today but I’ll power through an Observer Flashback for you. I feel like that can’t be a coincidence. Scanner. By Scott Keith on 1st January 2021. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall. Ocr. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. The debut of Giant Gonzalez (who was “wearing Ultimate Warrior’s old underwear”) perked things up again. Big stuff in the news this week, and the start of the biggest shift in coverage in the history of the Observer. On with the week that was and one of the most famous stories in wrestling history!– Oh, also, the weekend shows set new lows for cable wrestling ratings, and that includes the WWF shows. Daprice did every issue for the 90's through 2001. 05. By Scott Keith on 19th September 2016. 11. Sid actually drew pretty big on the East coast, doing 11,000 at the Nassau Coliseum and 8000 in Philly. (This is why Dave needs an editor. 28. 96. 09. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. Slaughter for “stealing the character”. 567. 29. Mid Atlantic Gateway and Wrestling Observer historical files. And now it’s time for the issue that kicks off one of the biggest stories in the history of wrestling, although we didn’t realize it at the time. Topics. 26. 19. By Scott Keith on 4th June 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. – So UFC III was supposed to be another easy ride for Royce Gracie, but in fact the KING IS DEAD. 14. 07. – Antonio Inoki is trying to get into the boxer v. Instead, in the wake of a disappointing buyrate, the decision was made to concentrate on doing better tournaments. 87. – The big story this week is Dave’s preview of the Ultimate Ultimate 96!. Michaels worked his ass off, although it came out later that he was hungover and stoned at the time. To the news!This is up for them, and Dave notes what a great night for wrestling that Thanksgiving really is, because even Central States almost drew money! Later, he corrects a previous title change, noting that Art Crews actually won the TV title from Gary Royal on 11/27 in Ft. 95. ” notes Dave. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. – The sudden fall of the company seems to stem from the ridiculous circus that was the Yoji Anjyo grandstand challenge to Rickson Gracie, with fans believing that Takada should have called out Gracie for the honor of the company. Couldn’t do this one last night, because Daredevil is a thing that exists. – In the top story of the week, and in fact one of the top stories in wrestling history, Ric Flair was fired from WCW effective immediately when negotiations fell through. Ah, wrestling, where one guy can beat up another guy for real and flush his head in the toilet for riding with his ex-girlfriend and people are just like “Eh,. 94. 2. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. This hold up comes on the heels of two other major stories: Hennig is supposed to be heading to WWF, meanwhile. Ted Dibiase & Virgil beat Dusty & Dustin Rhodes at 9:57. Curiosity over Kevin’s return is. wrestlingmagazinesmisc;. – All Japan on 9/17 saw the debut of former Olympic wrestler Jun Akiyama, who was pinned by Kenta Kobashi in the semi-main of the show. Lesson the Fourth: Antonio Pena is the new innovator in wrestling and everyone should listen to him. 94. 20 to an average of 2. 04. 23.