Brutus Beefcake's potential

[BlackoutCreature]

Ok, so here's a "what if?" situation that's been rattling around inside my head for awhile now, and I'm just asking you guys out there to keep an open mind about it and not just immediately dismiss it. Could Brutus Beefcake have been more in the WWF if he hadn't left in 1993? I mean, we all know the story. Hogan left the WWF and Beefcake went with him. But what if Brutus had instead just said "Hulk, thanks for everything you've done for me, but I think it's time to find my own way and see if I can make it on my own"? Is it that far-fetched that he could've been a top name in the company? Maybe even World Champion?

People forget that he was really popular in 1988-89. He was feuding with main eventers like Randy Savage and Ted Dibiase on television, he was also main eventing the B House Shows at the time. He straight-up main evented a PPV. Granted that was as Hogan's tag partner, but besides Beefcake and Hogan, and outside of big multi-man matches like Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble, how many babyfaces main evented PPV's during the Hulkamania era? The only others I can think of are Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior. That's some pretty elite company.

Plus the WWF was heading into some pretty lean times in the mid-90's where they were desperate for any names they could get. Would it really have been that surprising to see him main event shows against the like of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna or Diesel in 1994-95-96? Maybe getting a World Title reign out of the deal? Would it have worked any better then what we actually got? Would it have been any worse?

What do you guys think?

[Aceorton]

In 1993, I don't think so. After he came back from the accident, even when it was just in an interviewing role, he was not the same guy. And in '93, the whole story of his comeback was that he was fragile and needed a mask or he could be killed out there.

I just don't see him being someone the fans could stay behind. The business was evolving, and through no fault of his own, he had not been around to put in the work to keep up with it. He had a cartoonish '80s style that would have clashed with the "New Generation" guys, even if he'd been able to get back to peak physical condition.

That's not to say he couldn't have reached that height if the accident hadn't happened. By Hogan's exit in 1992, he could have been in a prime spot if he had never gotten his face smashed.

[Deleted]

Not that long ago I watched a September 1987 Boston Garden show and I couldn’t believe how over Beefcake was it was shocking the only person that got a bigger face reaction that night was Hogan.By 1993 any momentum he had was gone I remember an early Raw where he was detailing how he almost died and fans were heckling him.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

He’s still responsible for the greatest wrestling moment ever. Saw him at an indy show last year. He did his spot. Strutted with the face. Then strutted out the ring and straight to the concession stand where he bought two beers. And wandered back to his gimmick table.

[Deleted]

Beefcake was done as a star in 1993. Unfortunately the accident pretty much ruined his career.

If Beefcake hadn’t gotten hurt in 1990, what would he have turned into? That’s a more fascinating question. He was super over in 89/90, and the Summerslam 90 IC title win that was rumored for him would have been huge.

[SmashTV]

He was my favourite from 88 until his accident, so I was initially delighted when he came back. However, the WWF product had changed and, like Hogan, he seemed out of place. With new Bret, Shawn, Yoko and Ramon beginning to take centre stage he’d have been lost in the shuffle very quickly.

[The 1Watcher Experience]

Beefcake was super over when he was a cutting and a strutting. His run from 88 to 90 was pretty hot. He should’ve won the IC title but he honestly didn’t need it. He was plenty over without it. The world title is another story. If Mr. Perfect wasn’t getting a world title run there was no way Brutus Beefcake was getting one. He was too banged up by 93 anyway. He got lucky that he had a friend like Hogan to hook him up with that sweet WCW deal where he didn’t have to do much and he could rake in loads and loads of cash.

[Deleted]

probably a color commentator

[Slingshot Suplay]

I think he could have been a potential upper card heel in WCW if they played his turn on Hogan as a serious one as The Butcher and he was in better physical shape.

[BlackoutCreature]

Oct 12, 2019 15:31:47 GMT -5 Slingshot Suplay said:

I think he could have been a potential upper card heel in WCW if they played his turn on Hogan as a serious one as The Butcher and he was in better physical shape.

I always felt the biggest problem with Leslie's heel turn in WCW was that he didn't mean anything in WCW. In the WWF, in addition to being Hogan's buddy, he was a former Tag Team Champion, a top contender for the Intercontinental Title, and a main event threat. In WCW he was just some weird guy following Hogan around. If WCW had given him some kind of face push before his heel turn, maybe a TV Title reign, then him actually turning on Hogan might've had some impact.

[jason1980s]

It's a shame Brutus had not one but two chances for the IC title win that didn't work out. The first obviously because Warrior was probably seen as the bigger star and more worthy while the other was the sailing accident. He was hot for a long time and probably the hottest around summer 1990. Fans definitely put him down for following Hulk everywhere but Brutus was great in a lot of different gimmicks even some of the silly WCW gimmicks. And I think he deserves a lot of credit for getting back in the ring and wrestling a full time schedule during different periods. In a time when WCW guys, even healthy, would sit home and collect a paycheck, Brutus was probably wrestling when he didn't have to. He could have rested on his Hogan laurels or had Hogan get him a Lanny Poffo type of contract.
I do wonder what he was up to from WrestleMania 8 to his return in early 1993 like if he had been under contract the whole time. I think they could have used him during the time off he had whether it was bringing back the Barber Shop or commentary like they did with Jim Duggan and Hillbilly. Early 1992 saw a lot of "old timers" being phased out, guys who had been with the company from 1985, 86, 87, 88 who were now leaving so I get why WWF may not have thought to keep Brutus around but he was still pretty popular.

[J. Hova]

Brother Bruti was one of the top five over face acts in 88-90. The accident pretty much ended all hopes of him going any further. It sounds weird to say, but it would have been much more beneficial to him if he would have torn his quad, ACL, or needed neck surgery. They could have done the whole comeback videos with him working out and running on the beach and getting hyped up by Hulk. With his injury, all they could really do was say, "His face is held together by chewing gum and hope right now." You can't really credibly push a guy in that situation.

[johnnyk9]

Beefcake should’ve had more matches between WM 9 and KOTR 93 I don’t understand why they kept him off tv

[Futureraven: Beelzebruv]

Oct 15, 2019 5:54:35 GMT -5 johnnyk9 said:

Beefcake should’ve had more matches between WM 9 and KOTR 93 I don’t understand why they kept him off tv

He had a VITAL role in the filming of "Thunder in Paradise".

[bob]

help me understand just how over Brutis was before the accident

my first real wrestling memory involving him was teaming with Hogan at WM 9

as for the question at hand, I'm not sure how he could be used in the WWF in 1993 besides hosting The Barber Shop

[Toilet Paper Roll]

Oct 15, 2019 9:28:42 GMT -5 bob said:

help me understand just how over Brutis was before the accident

my first real wrestling memory involving him was teaming with Hogan at WM 9

as for the question at hand, I'm not sure how he could be used in the WWF in 1993 besides hosting The Barber Shop

He was hot as hell after turning face at WM 3 and had some great momentum for about three years. He was a legitimate mid card / IC title contender and Hogan buddy but his time had past when he returned

[auph10imitated]

Brutus was mega over during that 1988-1990 period, his gimmick was the perfect fit for that time period, the shears, the strutting, the colourful outfits and the theme music. He was a decent-good worker. Its a shame that people remember him more for his WCW run which was as Hogan's lackey.

Post injury he was never the same, plus by 1993 the WWF was changing so as people have said he sort of felt out of place at that point. I dont think he would have regained his success from the late 80's

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

He'd already peaked a long time before. He didn't have the lowest ceiling but he was kinda the Billy Gunn of the cartoon era, but with the biggest star in the sport for his best friend.

[auph10imitated]

Oct 15, 2019 13:00:06 GMT -5 EvenBaldobombHasAJob said:

He'd already peaked a long time before. He didn't have the lowest ceiling but he was kinda the Billy Gunn of the cartoon era, but with the biggest star in the sport for his best friend.

That's quite a good comparison, much like Billy he had the look, the athleticism, he was over, he had the gimmick, but it just wasn't quite enough and in turn over the years he eventually became the butt of jokes which wasn't necessarily justified.