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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Jul 12, 2022 13:04:06 GMT -5
Lash Leroux. I loved him prior to turning him into Corporal Cajun. Blitzkrieg. He really seemed like he was going to be a major part of the cruiserweight division. Bobby Duncum Jr. This one always struck me odd, because it was 1999 and they were running with a babyface cowboy gimmick like it was 1985. LASH LEROUX MY BOY
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Sephiroth
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Post by Sephiroth on Jul 12, 2022 15:07:46 GMT -5
Prince Iaukea after he became "The Artist". and his LEGENDARY feud with the maestro! THEY should have won the tag belts at least once!!! YOU HEARD ME i'll say this forever With the KISS Demon as their muscle
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Post by smokinvokoun86 on Jul 12, 2022 15:13:25 GMT -5
The last weeks and the push of MI Smooth. Like all of a sudden he’s being pushed as a badass against Kanyon. The segment hasn’t aged well because it’s built around how many chair shots to the head he could take, but as a kid, I kinda dug it. So I’m guessing they were gonna try to push Ice Train/MI Smooth again before they closed.
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Post by Marvelous1LUFC on Jul 12, 2022 15:46:27 GMT -5
The last weeks and the push of MI Smooth. Like all of a sudden he’s being pushed as a badass against Kanyon. The segment hasn’t aged well because it’s built around how many chair shots to the head he could take, but as a kid, I kinda dug it. So I’m guessing they were gonna try to push Ice Train/MI Smooth again before they closed. Hobbs reminds me of Ice Train, MI smooth had a cool rip off of "Smooth Operator" By Sade
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CMWaters
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Post by CMWaters on Jul 12, 2022 15:59:12 GMT -5
Would Kid Romeo count for this since he along with future early days TNA staple Elix Skipper was the first WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion?
Sure they lost them on the last Nitro to Rey and Kidman, but it happened.
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Post by Cry Me a Wiggle on Jul 12, 2022 18:01:04 GMT -5
While Lance Storm is definitely the GOAT when it comes to coming out of late-era WCW on top, he also had the benefit of debuting in mid-2000 without any accumulated stink on him. But I'd say two longtime guys on the roster who were served well in the Russo runs were my man Norman Smiley and Ernest "The Cat" Miller. Smiley got his "Screamin'" gimmick during the first Russo run in late '99, and it turned someone who had mostly operated as a lower card heel into the naturally likable babyface he should have always been. And while Miller got a bit of a push in the interim Sullivan-booked period, with James Brown even appearing by his side at Superbrawl, it wasn't until the summer of 2000 that he was turned into a face commissioner and everything just started clicking for him.
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CMWaters
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Post by CMWaters on Jul 12, 2022 18:12:51 GMT -5
While Lance Storm is definitely the GOAT when it comes to coming out of late-era WCW on top, he also had the benefit of debuting in mid-2000 without any accumulated stink on him. But I'd say two longtime guys on the roster who were served well in the Russo runs were my man Norman Smiley and Ernest "The Cat" Miller. Smiley got his "Screamin'" gimmick during the first Russo run in late '99, and it turned someone who had mostly operated as a lower card heel into the naturally likable babyface he should have always been. And while Miller got a bit of a push in the interim Sullivan-booked period, with James Brown even appearing by his side at Superbrawl, it wasn't until the summer of 2000 that he was turned into a face commissioner and everything just started clicking for him. Since you mention Miller, I just have to note as it has been before that everyone in the "Blood Runs Cold" feud managed to find better things afterwards EXCEPT Glacier. -Mortis became Kanyon, and was memorable in his own right there. -Wrath became Brian Clark, and teamed with Brian Adams to become Kronik and one of late WCW's memorable teams (before the buyout and THAT match with Taker and Kane) -Miller you described up there. Glacier...briefly turned into a coach manager and then a more comedic version of the Glacier character.
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Post by Cry Me a Wiggle on Jul 13, 2022 16:28:45 GMT -5
While Lance Storm is definitely the GOAT when it comes to coming out of late-era WCW on top, he also had the benefit of debuting in mid-2000 without any accumulated stink on him. But I'd say two longtime guys on the roster who were served well in the Russo runs were my man Norman Smiley and Ernest "The Cat" Miller. Smiley got his "Screamin'" gimmick during the first Russo run in late '99, and it turned someone who had mostly operated as a lower card heel into the naturally likable babyface he should have always been. And while Miller got a bit of a push in the interim Sullivan-booked period, with James Brown even appearing by his side at Superbrawl, it wasn't until the summer of 2000 that he was turned into a face commissioner and everything just started clicking for him. Since you mention Miller, I just have to note as it has been before that everyone in the "Blood Runs Cold" feud managed to find better things afterwards EXCEPT Glacier. -Mortis became Kanyon, and was memorable in his own right there. -Wrath became Brian Clark, and teamed with Brian Adams to become Kronik and one of late WCW's memorable teams (before the buyout and THAT match with Taker and Kane) -Miller you described up there. Glacier...briefly turned into a coach manager and then a more comedic version of the Glacier character. And while Kanyon was a standout even before "late-era" WCW really kicked off proper, I'd argue that even he took off more in 2000. Yeah, Mortis was somewhat memorable, he had heat as Raven's lackey, and he was on solid footing as part of the Jersey Triad, but Positively Kanyon was when people really stood up and noticed what a fantastic all-around talent he was.
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XIII
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Post by XIII on Jul 13, 2022 16:49:16 GMT -5
One of the few positive things that I can say for Vince Russo is that he understood how to book Lance Storm. He generally booked Bret pretty well too, so Russo may possibly be secretly from Calgary.
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Jul 13, 2022 17:01:04 GMT -5
While Lance Storm is definitely the GOAT when it comes to coming out of late-era WCW on top, he also had the benefit of debuting in mid-2000 without any accumulated stink on him. But I'd say two longtime guys on the roster who were served well in the Russo runs were my man Norman Smiley and Ernest "The Cat" Miller. Smiley got his "Screamin'" gimmick during the first Russo run in late '99, and it turned someone who had mostly operated as a lower card heel into the naturally likable babyface he should have always been. And while Miller got a bit of a push in the interim Sullivan-booked period, with James Brown even appearing by his side at Superbrawl, it wasn't until the summer of 2000 that he was turned into a face commissioner and everything just started clicking for him. I LOVE this run for Norman Smiley. Beating up children for their cardboard belt. Winning an I Quit match because his larynx was crushed. It was f***ING AMAZING.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2022 22:22:59 GMT -5
The Wall was getting a main event push at one point.
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Welfare Willis
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Post by Welfare Willis on Jul 13, 2022 22:54:03 GMT -5
Russo's favorite boys: Jeff Jarrett and the Harris boys. Look, I respect Jeff Jarrett as a professional wrestler, but dude was always mid-card at best. I can understand why in TNA he needed to have the belt as TNA was struggling and better to trust the owner's son than anybody else. He shouldn't have been near the world title or the nWo. The Harris brothers were always lame.
I expect some pushback on that Jarrett take though. Dude just always had go away heat with me back in the day.
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Post by jason1980s on Jul 13, 2022 23:02:06 GMT -5
Russo's favorite boys: Jeff Jarrett and the Harris boys. Look, I respect Jeff Jarrett as a professional wrestler, but dude was always mid-card at best. I can understand why in TNA he needed to have the belt as TNA was struggling and better to trust the owner's son than anybody else. He shouldn't have been near the world title or the nWo. The Harris brothers were always lame. I expect some pushback on that Jarrett take though. Dude just always had go away heat with me back in the day. I agree with you and raise you I don't know why Vince kept bringing him back. He burned Vince THREE times, leaving him in the middle of feuds or potential feuds plus the IC belt holdup (though some contend he was owed money). But I guess the way Vince is, he likes a guy who can stick it to him. With Jeff being in WWE now, this would be his fourth time with them. Jeff's at the age now where he can probably be trusted but not 1990s Jeff and he was really a character that was no better than Kama, Tatanka or IRS. Maybe fans could get behind hating him a little more than them though.
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Post by Sephiroth on Jul 14, 2022 6:44:53 GMT -5
The Wall was getting a main event push at one point. He was an example where early TNA got it right. Shaving off the facial hair and wearing Trunks do you could see what a legit huge, scary looking dude he was, plus giving him a mouthpiece to do the talking. Then you had a legit main event level player.
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Post by wrestlingrecap on Jul 15, 2022 16:45:41 GMT -5
One of my favorite pushes is Van Hammer getting a random push in the summer of 1999 only to lose to WCW TV Champion Rick Steiner in three minute match at BATB 99.
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Post by The Thread Barbi on Jul 17, 2022 6:15:07 GMT -5
Ironically Bret Hart was getting a decent main event push before his injury. This would have continued into late era WCW.
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Jul 17, 2022 12:19:28 GMT -5
Shane Helms, but he deserved it. In all seriousness, my heart broke a bit for Helms the first time he showed up on WWE tv. They were grooming him for a big push in those last weeks of WCW with an Uber elaborate ring entrance-and then he’s got no theme music and a sequin cape to lose the title in his first appearance. Talk about a giant step backward. Testament to his abilities that he crafted the Hurricane character shortly thereafter and bounced back so strong. Don’t forget that he was suddenly “Gregory Helms” because there couldn’t be two Shanes in the new WCW. That’s how you knew it was back to square one for Helms even before he dropped the title to Kidman.
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Post by HisRoyalGreeness on Jul 18, 2022 16:32:04 GMT -5
The last weeks and the push of MI Smooth. Like all of a sudden he’s being pushed as a badass against Kanyon. The segment hasn’t aged well because it’s built around how many chair shots to the head he could take, but as a kid, I kinda dug it. So I’m guessing they were gonna try to push Ice Train/MI Smooth again before they closed. Hobbs reminds me of Ice Train, MI smooth had a cool rip off of "Smooth Operator" By Sade Real talk, I've been calling Hobbs El Hijo Del Ice Train since day one. I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees the similarity.
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XIII
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Post by XIII on Jul 18, 2022 16:34:41 GMT -5
The Wall was getting a main event push at one point. That’s the Wall, brother!
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Post by kingoftheindies on Jul 18, 2022 16:55:49 GMT -5
Jason Jett/EZ Money was undefeated the last 3 months of WCW, and according to Bischoff was going to be in line for a Cruiserweight title shot after the relaunch.
Hell fun story Steve Corino, RVD, and Sabu were all set to debut for WCW in the last couple months of the company. That feud Dusty and Dustin had with Jeff Jarrett? Was supposed to be Corino vs Double J but due to circumstances (ie Paul Heyman) none of those guys got that shot.
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