Public Enemy's WWE run

[Sephiroth]

I'll just start by saying that I was never really a fan of Public Enemy. Their whole act just never did it for me-but then again, I could never stand the "gangsta" wannabees when I was in school, and since that was kind of their whole gimmick, I guess I just didn't see the appeal. But nonetheless, their short stint in the WWF of the late 90's was, to me at least, nothing short of a sharp, cruel joke.
Like I said, I never got them myself. But they had a very solid resume upon entering WWE. They were former ECW and WCW tag team champions-one of the innovators of the ECW that we all remember and love. They also played a big part in popularizing the hardcore style that WCW and the WWF both adopted. But apparently Vince McMahon did not care about their past achievements, because Public Enemy were pretty much humiliated over and over again in the WWF. From their very first match they were booked as "the guys that no one wanted around"-which btw is a direct quote from Jim Ross himself. I also recall JR saying that they had "jumped off a sinking ship" to come to the WWF. They were jobbed out, of course, and outside of a brief feud with The Brood, they did absolutely nothing of note. I recall an eight man match where they teamed up with the then unknown Hardy Boyz to take on the DOA and Too Much, and mid-match the Hardyz turned on them and beat them down. I also remember a tag team battle royal before Wrestlemania that year were once the bell rang, instantly everyone ganged up on them and threw them both out at the same time.
I do not know a lot about what they were like backstage. But I can't help but feel this smacks of the infamous "Common Man" Dusty Rhodes story. Instead of just denying them employment, Vince or someone else brought them in and totally humiliated them simply for its own sake. Other than that, I can think of no reason why they would be treated like this. Even worse, I believe, is that after this Public Enemy did have brief returns to WCW and ECW, but had absolutely no impact in either. And I can't help but think that perhaps the way they had been totally stripped of credibility in the WWF had a part in this.
In my opinion, totally deserving of an induction.

[blef]

The only good thing about them was their theme, which I've sadly never heard a clear version of.

Yeah, they were brought in as "opportunists jumping off the sinking ship of WCW" (when it was still successful, of course) and completely buried by everyone they encountered. Right after that WM15 battle royal, when they were the first ones tossed - by everybody in the ring they were fired (along with a ton of other midcarders)

[My Final Heaven]

I remember they were members of the original Nation, their jobs were to get caught by the faces & get their asses kicked. They rapped Farooq to the ring a couple times, which was kind of cool.

Ahmed Johnson mauled both of'em during the infamous "Tompkins Street Fight"

[Hiroshi Hase]

Aug 17, 2009 19:37:25 GMT -5 My Final Heaven said:

I remember they were members of the original Nation, their jobs were to get caught by the faces & get their asses kicked. They rapped Farooq to the ring a couple times, which was kind of cool.

Ahmed Johnson mauled both of'em during the infamous "Tompkins Street Fight"

You're thinking of PG-13 who was with the Nation in 1996-97 while Public Enemy was still in WCW.

[Madman Szalinski]

I was gonna say. How do you confuse Jaime Dundee with Johnny Grunge?

[My Final Heaven]

Oops, confused one hip-hoppin' fool duo for another. PG-13 was considerably thinner too. EMBARRASSMENT

[SAJ Forth]

That was a horrid run.

[LuchaBoyWC]

I dont know why, but in every discussion of their run in the fed, i always hear about an infamous beatdown involving them and the Acolytes with them being fired thereafter, never actually saw it. Anyone else know what i mean?

Pete

[Deleted]

You can't talk about them without them getting murdered by the APA

[h]

I never saw them in the WWF, but this thread has really reminded me of a major difference between the WWF and WCW in 1996. I wanted to like the WWF better, but the depth of the tag team divisions was not even close.

The WWF was offering: The Bodydonnas, The Smoking Gunns, The Godwinns, The Bushwhackers, and Owen Hart/British Bulldog.

WCW had: The Steiner Brothers, Public Enemy, Harlem Heat, The Nasty Boys, Fire and Ice, The American Males, The Road Warriors, The Faces of Fear, various combinations within the Four Horseman and the Dungeon of Doom, Sting/Lex Luger, The Amazing French Canadians, The Blue Bloods, and The Outsiders.

Not even close to being close.

[johnnyk9]

I remember Public Enemy had one good match were they actaully won againist The Headbangers on Shotgun, apparently they were the brought in by The Rooster and they right away rubbed guys the wrong way, I remember meeting them at The Wrestlemania 15 Rage Party and they said to everyone they were on there way out already I kinda felt bad for them

[blef]

Aug 19, 2009 16:16:35 GMT -5 johnnyk9 said:

I remember meeting them at The Wrestlemania 15 Rage Party and they said to everyone they were on there way out already I kinda felt bad for them

They were ditched later that week - along with the DOA, Oddities, Ellering, Severn (I think) and LOD.

(And I'm surprised they were even invited to that party. )

[PaperStreetBrigade]

Aug 19, 2009 19:33:31 GMT -5 @blef said:

Aug 19, 2009 16:16:35 GMT -5 johnnyk9 said:

I remember meeting them at The Wrestlemania 15 Rage Party and they said to everyone they were on there way out already I kinda felt bad for them

They were ditched later that week - along with the DOA, Oddities, Ellering, Severn (I think) and LOD.

(And I'm surprised they were even invited to that party. )

I was surprised DOA lasted as long as they did after Crush left. They suddenly had to either have 3 on 3 matches with Bouricas and NOD or have some weird allies for the 4 on 4 matches.

[blef]

Aug 21, 2009 4:45:33 GMT -5 PaperStreetBrigade said:

Aug 19, 2009 19:33:31 GMT -5 @blef said:

They were ditched later that week - along with the DOA, Oddities, Ellering, Severn (I think) and LOD.

(And I'm surprised they were even invited to that party. )

I was surprised DOA lasted as long as they did after Crush left. They suddenly had to either have 3 on 3 matches with Bouricas and NOD or have some weird allies for the 4 on 4 matches.

Didn't they split Chainz off from the group early in 1998 (and then fire him not long after)?

That left the Harris Twins (Skull & 8-Ball) as the regular DOA tag team, until they were let go in 1999.

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

Aug 27, 2009 10:18:05 GMT -5 @blef said:

Aug 21, 2009 4:45:33 GMT -5 PaperStreetBrigade said:

I was surprised DOA lasted as long as they did after Crush left. They suddenly had to either have 3 on 3 matches with Bouricas and NOD or have some weird allies for the 4 on 4 matches.

Didn't they split Chainz off from the group early in 1998 (and then fire him not long after)?

That left the Harris Twins (Skull & 8-Ball) as the regular DOA tag team, until they were let go in 1999.

And then they became charter members of the awesome "nWo 2000."

[Dave at the Movies]

I don't think they lasted long enough in WWF to be considered wrestlecrap.

[blef]

Aug 27, 2009 20:47:47 GMT -5 Dave at the Movies said:

I don't think they lasted long enough in WWF to be considered wrestlecrap.

Phantasio was around for, like, 1 match, and he's Wrestlecrap.

[Jay Peas 42]

I don't see how a Human Resources issue is Wrestlecrap. Don't tick off your co-workers.

[MolotovMocktail]

Aug 18, 2009 23:24:42 GMT -5 h said:

I never saw them in the WWF, but this thread has really reminded me of a major difference between the WWF and WCW in 1996. I wanted to like the WWF better, but the depth of the tag team divisions was not even close.

The WWF was offering: The Bodydonnas, The Smoking Gunns, The Godwinns, The Bushwhackers, and Owen Hart/British Bulldog.

WCW had: The Steiner Brothers, Public Enemy, Harlem Heat, The Nasty Boys, Fire and Ice, The American Males, The Road Warriors, The Faces of Fear, various combinations within the Four Horseman and the Dungeon of Doom, Sting/Lex Luger, The Amazing French Canadians, The Blue Bloods, and The Outsiders.

Not even close to being close.

Hey, don't forget the New Rockers. And the 96 tag team division was still better than 2005-08 (it's only now getting better largely thanks to JeriShow).

[Time Lord Soundwave]

Sept 3, 2009 19:58:38 GMT -5 Jay Peas 42 said:

I don't see how a Human Resources issue is Wrestlecrap. Don't tick off your co-workers.

See one of this week's classic inductions.