Headbangers WWF tag team title reign in 1997

[The Rick Jericho]

Was this ever planned out or did the WWF actually listen to the crowds for a change?

The LOD were back and to the surprise of many the bangers got the tag titles before the LOD did. The summer of 1997 was tricky with Michaels leaving for a bit. And Austin getting injured.

Was anyone else surprised when the bangers won the fatal 4 way over the LOD?

They dropped them after 28 days to the Godwinns, so the reign was not long at all. Seems the belts were not booked well for most of 1997 as they weren't even defended at Summerslam 1997 due to Mankind and Austin having other matches.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

It was a bit of a surprise. I do think they liked them though as they had went over in another four way match at Mania and were included in the Warzone video game back when it was still in the days of only the guys who were looked at as big deals got into the games when they didn't have capacity to included basically the whole roster.

Looking back they probably should've stuck with them as the top face team instead of using them as transition champions to get the belts onto LOD. On the other the New Age Outlaws probably don't become as big of a deal in that beating LOD for the belts put them over a lot more then beating the Headbangers would have.

[jason1980s]

Headbangers and Outlaws would have been a good feud, pretty on par since none of the four were huge stars in early 98. But as noted, NAO beating Headbangers wouldn't be as big as NAO and LOD. NAO absolutely owned LOD. I'm really surprised LOD went along with it unless they thought something big would happen for them.

[Aceorton]

Everything about the Headbangers in 1997 felt confused to me. It initially seemed like they were brought in just to bump and job for the hoss teams, of which there were MANY. Then they won the four-way match at WrestleMania in what felt like a minor swerve because that match seemed designed to push the Blackjacks or Furnas/Lafon. Then, after a bit of post-WrestleMania momentum, they actually DID job for the hoss teams for months and months, and pretty much everyone else, too (the Boriquas and Recon/Sniper were beating them at one point). Then, out of nowhere, they won the tag belts for a month. And a month after that, they were back to mostly losing again and pretty much stayed at second-match-on-the card level for the rest of their time there.

[chazraps]

I think them winning the tag belts in September 97 was both listening to how over they were with the crowds, as well as tapping into the pop culture zeitgeist of Marilyn Manson's 1997 MTV Video Music Awards performance that occurred earlier that week and was the most talked about thing across all entertainment in the States for a bit.

[tirtefaa]

It's too bad they didn't do more with them. Seemed like they were in that purgatory of the front office not believing in them enough, but refusing to get rid of them out of fear WCW could pick them up or something. The gimmick was slightly old, but it was still pretty popular, so they could have easily floated back and forth with the titles instead of the Godwinns or LOD as mentioned.

On an unrelated note, I had a friend who was an infrequent watcher, and I convinced him that The Hardy Boyz were a repackaged Headbangers.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Feb 6, 2023 23:05:01 GMT -5 tirtefaa said:

It's too bad they didn't do more with them. Seemed like they were in that purgatory of the front office not believing in them enough, but refusing to get rid of them out of fear WCW could pick them up or something. The gimmick was slightly old, but it was still pretty popular, so they could have easily floated back and forth with the titles instead of the Godwinns or LOD as mentioned.

On an unrelated note, I had a friend who was an infrequent watcher, and I convinced him that The Hardy Boyz were a repackaged Headbangers.

Did your friend happen to be blind?

[tirtefaa]

Feb 6, 2023 23:16:20 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Did your friend happen to be blind?

Nope, just a very very casual watcher. Watching Raw on a 14' inch TV in his bedroom probably helped the allusion.

[sungod2020]

Feb 6, 2023 21:01:46 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Everything about the Headbangers in 1997 felt confused to me. It initially seemed like they were brought in just to bump and job for the hoss teams, of which there were MANY. Then they won the four-way match at WrestleMania in what felt like a minor swerve because that match seemed designed to push the Blackjacks or Furnas/Lafon. Then, after a bit of post-WrestleMania momentum, they actually DID job for the hoss teams for months and months, and pretty much everyone else, too (the Boriquas and Recon/Sniper were beating them at one point). Then, out of nowhere, they won the tag belts for a month. And a month after that, they were back to mostly losing again and pretty much stayed at second-match-on-the card level for the rest of their time there.

You can also add that they both had generously long Royal Rumble times in 98, with Mosh lasting 13 minutes and Thrasher lasting 28! Given their position on the card, you'd think they'd have Bushwhackers performances, or at most last no longer than 5 minutes.

[Mozenrath]

The tag booking in '97 and '98 was... dubious. Think about how many Truth Commission and DOA matches people were expected to sit through. Headbangers were sloppy, and very inconsistent on how we were meant to take them, but they were at least generally fun. I can sort of see why they'd get this and the NWA tag title win they had as part of the NWA invasion.

[tafkaga]

Tag division was just ridiculously sad in '97. My recent 97 rewatch just left me scratching my head at the Los Boricuas and DOA exposure. What's even stranger to me is how little they did with the New Blackjacks. Sure the gimmick was not optimal but it's Windham and Bradshaw. Why was there no NOD tag team, when Kama and D-Lo had so little else to do?

[Mozenrath]

Feb 11, 2023 0:18:58 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Tag division was just ridiculously sad in '97. My recent 97 rewatch just left me scratching my head at the Los Boricuas and DOA exposure. What's even stranger to me is how little they did with the New Blackjacks. Sure the gimmick was not optimal but it's Windham and Bradshaw. Why was there no NOD tag team, when Kama and D-Lo had so little else to do?

D'lo and Mark Henry would later be a really fun tag team, but yeah, in like '98, and even that I think didn't last as long as it could have.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Feb 10, 2023 19:31:22 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

Feb 6, 2023 21:01:46 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Everything about the Headbangers in 1997 felt confused to me. It initially seemed like they were brought in just to bump and job for the hoss teams, of which there were MANY. Then they won the four-way match at WrestleMania in what felt like a minor swerve because that match seemed designed to push the Blackjacks or Furnas/Lafon. Then, after a bit of post-WrestleMania momentum, they actually DID job for the hoss teams for months and months, and pretty much everyone else, too (the Boriquas and Recon/Sniper were beating them at one point). Then, out of nowhere, they won the tag belts for a month. And a month after that, they were back to mostly losing again and pretty much stayed at second-match-on-the card level for the rest of their time there.

You can also add that they both had generously long Royal Rumble times in 98, with Mosh lasting 13 minutes and Thrasher lasting 28! Given their position on the card, you'd think they'd have Bushwhackers performances, or at most last no longer than 5 minutes.

Almost everyone lasted a long time in that Rumble so you can't really say that's a reflection of the bookers still being high on them. 8-Ball was in for over 30 minutes, Phinneas Godwinn was in for over 28, freaking Honky Tonk Man was in for close to 20 minutes. It was just a very strangely booked match in you had tons of lower midcard guys lasting for extremely long times for some reasons while the majority of the few guys who didn't last were big stars. Shamrock, Owen, and Vader all eliminated in under five minutes in waste showings.

[nickcave]

They were probably the most over and memorable team in 1997 (which isn't saying much because for as good as 97 WWF was its tag division was dire) and seemed fresher than LOD who were beginning to feel stale.

[sungod2020]

Feb 11, 2023 4:43:07 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Feb 10, 2023 19:31:22 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

You can also add that they both had generously long Royal Rumble times in 98, with Mosh lasting 13 minutes and Thrasher lasting 28! Given their position on the card, you'd think they'd have Bushwhackers performances, or at most last no longer than 5 minutes.

Almost everyone lasted a long time in that Rumble so you can't really say that's a reflection of the bookers still being high on them. 8-Ball was in for over 30 minutes, Phinneas Godwinn was in for over 28, freaking Honky Tonk Man was in for close to 20 minutes. It was just a very strangely booked match in you had tons of lower midcard guys lasting for extremely long times for some reasons while the majority of the few guys who didn't last were big stars. Shamrock, Owen, and Vader all eliminated in under five minutes in waste showings.

That maybe true, but I still feel it coincides with their start/stop pushing they've had in their first year or so. And mind you after their Rumble performance, they didn't COMPLETELY fall into jobberdom just yet. They had a NWA tag team title run which was slightly longer than their WWF one during that weird invasion angle before losing it to The New Midnight Express(consisting of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn) and then they got lost in the shuffle throughout the year. 

I do feel they could've had another (and more sizeable) tag team title run during their 1998 feud with The New Age Outlaws. Just have them win the titles at Breakdown and then lose it back to them at the 1998 Survivor Series in that same three way match(also featuring Mark Henry and D'lo Brown) they had. 

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

The company back then was a lot more liberal in trying out acts as champions. For example, the New Age Outlaws became a big act but they won the tag titles when they were still in their infancy as a duo and really weren't getting big reactions yet.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Feb 11, 2023 12:36:45 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

Feb 11, 2023 4:43:07 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Almost everyone lasted a long time in that Rumble so you can't really say that's a reflection of the bookers still being high on them. 8-Ball was in for over 30 minutes, Phinneas Godwinn was in for over 28, freaking Honky Tonk Man was in for close to 20 minutes. It was just a very strangely booked match in you had tons of lower midcard guys lasting for extremely long times for some reasons while the majority of the few guys who didn't last were big stars. Shamrock, Owen, and Vader all eliminated in under five minutes in waste showings.

That maybe true, but I still feel it coincides with their start/stop pushing they've had in their first year or so. And mind you after their Rumble performance, they didn't COMPLETELY fall into jobberdom just yet. They had a NWA tag team title run which was slightly longer than their WWF one during that weird invasion angle before losing it to The New Midnight Express(consisting of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn) and then they got lost in the shuffle throughout the year. 

I do feel they could've had another (and more sizeable) tag team title run during their 1998 feud with The New Age Outlaws. Just have them win the titles at Breakdown and then lose it back to them at the 1998 Survivor Series in that same three way match(also featuring Mark Henry and D'lo Brown) they had. 

They also did get a win at the No Way Out of Texas PPV the following month. They were basically just background players in advancing the Mero/Sable/Goldust/Luna storyline but still them getting a win on PPV guess showed they weren't done with them.

It seemed like the heel turn rejuvenated them but Thrasher blew out his knee bad not much later and with how long he was going to be out they decided to repackage them both. Mosh became Beaver Cleaver and later Chaz and apparently they were planning on giving Thrasher a evil clown gimmick ala Doink. However they ended up deciding not to do it and just reformed the Headbangers instead.

[Dave at the Movies]

Headbangers overall were seriously underrated. I'm sure the older guys in management didn't understand the gimmick just like how they didn't understand the Raven gimmick a few years later.

[fg]

Feb 11, 2023 14:56:22 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Feb 11, 2023 12:36:45 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

That maybe true, but I still feel it coincides with their start/stop pushing they've had in their first year or so. And mind you after their Rumble performance, they didn't COMPLETELY fall into jobberdom just yet. They had a NWA tag team title run which was slightly longer than their WWF one during that weird invasion angle before losing it to The New Midnight Express(consisting of Bob Holly and Bart Gunn) and then they got lost in the shuffle throughout the year. 

I do feel they could've had another (and more sizeable) tag team title run during their 1998 feud with The New Age Outlaws. Just have them win the titles at Breakdown and then lose it back to them at the 1998 Survivor Series in that same three way match(also featuring Mark Henry and D'lo Brown) they had. 

They also did get a win at the No Way Out of Texas PPV the following month. They were basically just background players in advancing the Mero/Sable/Goldust/Luna storyline but still them getting a win on PPV guess showed they weren't done with them.

It seemed like the heel turn rejuvenated them but Thrasher blew out his knee bad not much later and with how long he was going to be out they decided to repackage them both. Mosh became Beaver Cleaver and later Chaz and apparently they were planning on giving Thrasher a evil clown gimmick ala Doink. However they ended up deciding not to do it and just reformed the Headbangers instead.

I wonder how the attitude era evil clown gimmick was going to work. Would it be as successful as evil Doink? Would Thrasher’s version pull off the same tricks?