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Post by johnpricesuperstar on Jan 1, 2011 23:09:46 GMT -5
Been thinking about this lately. When Vince got rid of the Steroid Monsters in 1992 and gave Bret Hart the WWF Title- why couldn't it have been Ricky the Dragon Steamboat.
-Bret was never the best talker- like Steamboat -Steamboat was able to do High Flying Moves- Bret Couldn't -They are about the same size
What do you think?
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Post by Milkman Norm on Jan 1, 2011 23:31:36 GMT -5
1. Steamboat was in WCW 2. Steamboat suffered a career ending injury in 1994 3. Even if he had been there I think Vince would have given the belt to Bret. I think that prior to the end of his WWE tenure Vince viewed Bret as a kind of pet project. He had given Stu Hart and Stampede a buyout deal instead of just invading the territory. So Bret was one one of his guys while Steamboat was one of the NWA guys, even though had had his 85-88 tenure in WWF and then his stay in 1991 in WWE.
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Post by johnpricesuperstar on Jan 2, 2011 6:58:01 GMT -5
I know that Steamboat was in WCW/NWA and is regarded as being a NWA Champion but I still think he could have been someone in the WWF. Especially when the talent pool was so dry. Hell it wouldn't have surprised me in 1992-1995 if they had the following WWF Champions -Rick Rude (off the roids) -Jake the Snake (if he kept clean in 1992-1993 he would have been a more credible champion than Bret who lacked Charisma) Hell you could have thrown in Tatanka and Crush into the title picture.
Don't get me wrong- I love Bret but Steamboat could have easily come into the WWF in 1992 and replaced him as Champion beating Flair.
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Post by johnnyk9 on Jan 2, 2011 9:39:50 GMT -5
I always thought Vince was gonna push The Dragon gimmick I mean true he was beginning to fued with Skinner, but it could've evolved into something
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nisidhe
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Post by nisidhe on Jan 2, 2011 16:06:01 GMT -5
I know that Steamboat was in WCW/NWA and is regarded as being a NWA Champion but I still think he could have been someone in the WWF. Especially when the talent pool was so dry. Hell it wouldn't have surprised me in 1992-1995 if they had the following WWF Champions -Rick Rude (off the roids) -Jake the Snake (if he kept clean in 1992-1993 he would have been a more credible champion than Bret who lacked Charisma) Hell you could have thrown in Tatanka and Crush into the title picture. Don't get me wrong- I love Bret but Steamboat could have easily come into the WWF in 1992 and replaced him as Champion beating Flair. It's been mentioned here before that Vince by this time was tending, then as now, to favor the stars he made to those established by other promotions. While Hogan was originally AWA, it was Vince who packaged and thrust him onto the world after his role in Rocky III. Steamboat made his initial mark feuding with Flair in NWA; Vince was not rehashing it to pass the torch to a new generation.
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Post by lildude8218 on Jan 2, 2011 16:44:22 GMT -5
I always thought Vince was gonna push The Dragon gimmick I mean true he was beginning to fued with Skinner, but it could've evolved into something on his DVD it was said that he was waiting for a main event slot to open but Ricky got impatient. there's also a rumor that when Steamboat gave his notice they asked they he do jobs for Taker and IRS on the way out and he refused so they fired him then and there.
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The Ichi
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Post by The Ichi on Jan 2, 2011 16:50:56 GMT -5
There's a little bit of revisionist history on Bret but he was insanely over in the early 90s. Not Hogan levels obviously but good enough for him to be his successor after Ultimate Warrior didn't work out. Why sabotage that?
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Post by themanwithnoname on Jan 2, 2011 18:55:44 GMT -5
I always thought Vince was gonna push The Dragon gimmick I mean true he was beginning to fued with Skinner, but it could've evolved into something on his DVD it was said that he was waiting for a main event slot to open but Ricky got impatient. there's also a rumor that when Steamboat gave his notice they asked they he do jobs for Taker and IRS on the way out and he refused so they fired him then and there. Actually that's partially true. Steamboat said that Vince wanted him to job to both guys IN THE SAME NIGHT. Steamboat said ok, because Steamboat jobs all the time anyway. Then they came to him and said that they wanted him to do a stretcher job for both that night. Steamboat told them that that was stupid, how would the fans react if he got stretchered, came out and wrestled later and got stretchered again/
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Post by corndog on Jan 3, 2011 0:15:04 GMT -5
I know that Steamboat was in WCW/NWA and is regarded as being a NWA Champion but I still think he could have been someone in the WWF. Especially when the talent pool was so dry. Hell it wouldn't have surprised me in 1992-1995 if they had the following WWF Champions -Rick Rude (off the roids) -Jake the Snake (if he kept clean in 1992-1993 he would have been a more credible champion than Bret who lacked Charisma) Hell you could have thrown in Tatanka and Crush into the title picture. Don't get me wrong- I love Bret but Steamboat could have easily come into the WWF in 1992 and replaced him as Champion beating Flair. After just watching "Pick your Poison", I am pretty sure Jake would have been champion at some point during the WWF's transitional period from 92-95 if he had stayed clean, in shape and stuck with the company. He didn't need the belt, but the belt sure could have used him at that point, he built a ton of credibility during his run in the late 80s/early 90s. Rick Rude had a good shot, although going off the juice might have hurt him. Tatanka/Crush no shot, they were there and I wouldn't have bought them as champs, atleast Bret was very established. I think Steamboat at that point would have been in a situation alot like Terry Funk and Harley Race when they had their WWF runs. He was the top guy in WCW/NWA and Vince liked to use those guys to prove his company and boys were better.
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Post by johnpricesuperstar on Jan 3, 2011 4:19:20 GMT -5
Steamboat already had a run with the IC title so its not a HUGE deal that he was a NWA guy. I can understand if I was saying "Give Harley Race, Ronnie Garvin or Barry Whindam the title in 1992)
I think Steamboat could have been champion and given us some great matches but alas we got Yokozuna stinking up our screen.
I really wonder how most guys from the 1985-1991 era WWF would have reacted when they heard that Bret Hart was getting the world title in 1992.
Guys like Piper, Snuka, Andre, Orndorrf would have been pissed as they were more over and recognised.
It could have been a solo tag team guy like Hawk or Smash being champion.
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saintpat
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Post by saintpat on Jan 4, 2011 1:09:59 GMT -5
I always thought Vince was gonna push The Dragon gimmick I mean true he was beginning to fued with Skinner, but it could've evolved into something on his DVD it was said that he was waiting for a main event slot to open but Ricky got impatient. there's also a rumor that when Steamboat gave his notice they asked they he do jobs for Taker and IRS on the way out and he refused so they fired him then and there. So you're saying Ricky screwed Ricky?
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mrmulluk
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Post by mrmulluk on Jan 4, 2011 2:26:55 GMT -5
It could have been a solo tag team guy like Hawk or Smash being champion. Or that blonde kid from the Rockers. ;D
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Post by celticjobber on Jan 4, 2011 3:40:25 GMT -5
I really wonder how most guys from the 1985-1991 era WWF would have reacted when they heard that Bret Hart was getting the world title in 1992. Guys like Piper, Snuka, Andre, Orndorrf would have been pissed as they were more over and recognised. It could have been a solo tag team guy like Hawk or Smash being champion. You're seriously under-estimating how over Bret Hart was back then. And he was being groomed for a big singles push as early as 1988.
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Post by johnpricesuperstar on Jan 4, 2011 17:01:22 GMT -5
I really wonder how most guys from the 1985-1991 era WWF would have reacted when they heard that Bret Hart was getting the world title in 1992. Guys like Piper, Snuka, Andre, Orndorrf would have been pissed as they were more over and recognised. It could have been a solo tag team guy like Hawk or Smash being champion. You're seriously under-estimating how over Bret Hart was back then. And he was being groomed for a big singles push as early as 1988. Don't get me wrong- I liked Bret as a kid as a IC and Tag Team champion- but if he had won the 1992 Rumble and the title it would have been a major WTF moment.
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ICBM
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Post by ICBM on Jan 4, 2011 22:51:58 GMT -5
Might Vince have had reservations about a guy who left him during his hottest period because he wasn't committed to the grueling WWF schedule despite making him the top mid-card guy? Then during Ricky's semi-retirment, he joins the NWA. Vince may have just not seem him as reliable after being burned by him(presuming that was Vince's opinion, I would never say Ricky Steamboat was un-reliable)
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Post by Macho Dude Handy Damage on Jan 6, 2011 18:29:51 GMT -5
Guys like Piper, Snuka, Andre, Orndorrf would have been pissed as they were more over and recognised. 1. I'm pretty sure Piper was happy for Bret and wasn't at all upset about it, seeing as how Piper is a good friend of the Hart family. Plus, Piper let Bret PIN him at Wrestlemania 8. 2. What was Snuka doing in 1992? Was he even in WWF at that point? 3. Andre was in NO condition to wrestle at that point in his life. 4. Orndoff hadn't been on WWF TV for at least a couple of years at that point. Heck, was he even wrestling in 1992?
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