The Brain Busters vs The Hart Foundation

[salparadise]

I watched their match from Summerslam ‘89 for the first time in a while and was really impressed. I had forgotten how good it was. Are there any other matches between these two teams out there ? Arn and Tully were so good and matched up great with The Hart Foundation.

[Aceorton]

They interacted at Survivor Series '88 (Bret is eliminated when Tully gets his shoulder up on a German suplex pin). Other than that, I'm only seeing one house show match in New Jersey in December 1988. Seems like a wasted opportunity, considering Arn and Tully faced the Bushwhackers about 800 times.

I wonder if a real feud would have happened toward the end of '89 if the Busters had stuck around.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Apr 25, 2024 21:39:16 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

They interacted at Survivor Series '88 (Bret is eliminated when Tully gets his shoulder up on a German suplex pin). Other than that, I'm only seeing one house show match in New Jersey in December 1988. Seems like a wasted opportunity, considering Arn and Tully faced the Bushwhackers about 800 times.

I wonder if a real feud would have happened toward the end of '89 if the Busters had stuck around.

You gotta think not, since they didn’t even bother to make the SummerSlam match for the titles. If the Busters were going over anyway, what’s it to you?

[dirtyoldman]

Apr 25, 2024 22:10:03 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Apr 25, 2024 21:39:16 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

They interacted at Survivor Series '88 (Bret is eliminated when Tully gets his shoulder up on a German suplex pin). Other than that, I'm only seeing one house show match in New Jersey in December 1988. Seems like a wasted opportunity, considering Arn and Tully faced the Bushwhackers about 800 times.

I wonder if a real feud would have happened toward the end of '89 if the Busters had stuck around.

You gotta think not, since they didn’t even bother to make the SummerSlam match for the titles. If the Busters were going over anyway, what’s it to you?

Never got the point of making a tag team match with the tag team champs on PPV a non title match

[chrom]

Apr 26, 2024 10:08:21 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Apr 25, 2024 22:10:03 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

You gotta think not, since they didn’t even bother to make the SummerSlam match for the titles. If the Busters were going over anyway, what’s it to you?

Never got the point of making a tag team match with the tag team champs on PPV a non title match

They explained that the match had been signed and made before The Brainbusters won the tag titles and they opted not to put the belts on the line.

[Aceorton]

Apr 25, 2024 22:10:03 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Apr 25, 2024 21:39:16 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

They interacted at Survivor Series '88 (Bret is eliminated when Tully gets his shoulder up on a German suplex pin). Other than that, I'm only seeing one house show match in New Jersey in December 1988. Seems like a wasted opportunity, considering Arn and Tully faced the Bushwhackers about 800 times.

I wonder if a real feud would have happened toward the end of '89 if the Busters had stuck around.

You gotta think not, since they didn’t even bother to make the SummerSlam match for the titles. If the Busters were going over anyway, what’s it to you?

Yeah, that was really weird booking. Making it a title match would have hurt nothing, raised the suspense and made the Harts look like worthy contenders. OR, you have the Harts win the non-title match to set up a big rematch, which is what we were conditioned to expect back then.

Only thing I can think is that they weren't carefully thinking through the timing and booking of SummerSlam when they had the Busters to beat Demolition for the belts (which is weird because the booking was usually more long-term back then). The only other explanation is that they were overprotecting Demolition and didn't want anyone getting the idea the Harts might be the next champs.

[dirtyoldman]

Apr 26, 2024 10:36:13 GMT -5 chrom said:

Apr 26, 2024 10:08:21 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Never got the point of making a tag team match with the tag team champs on PPV a non title match

They explained that the match had been signed and made before The Brainbusters won the tag titles and they opted not to put the belts on the line.

Yeah, I'm aware of the kayfabe reason, but c'mon it's your second biggest show of the year.

[tafkaga]

In hindsight, Arn & Tully were such a great signing. Better than the Road Warriors or the Steiners. They greatly enhanced the WWF tag division without overpowering it or having to live up to astronomical expectations.

[Renslayer]

Real graps!

[thecrusherwi]

Apr 26, 2024 10:47:21 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Apr 25, 2024 22:10:03 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

You gotta think not, since they didn’t even bother to make the SummerSlam match for the titles. If the Busters were going over anyway, what’s it to you?

Yeah, that was really weird booking. Making it a title match would have hurt nothing, raised the suspense and made the Harts look like worthy contenders. OR, you have the Harts win the non-title match to set up a big rematch, which is what we were conditioned to expect back then.

Only thing I can think is that they weren't carefully thinking through the timing and booking of SummerSlam when they had the Busters to beat Demolition for the belts (which is weird because the booking was usually more long-term back then). The only other explanation is that they were overprotecting Demolition and didn't want anyone getting the idea the Harts might be the next champs.

I think it’s simpler than that. The first two Summerslams are in the infancy of PPV. Both shows are built around a grudge match main event and an IC Title Match with the rest of the card being basically a super house show. At this point, the business model was still that the house shows were where the money was. So the Busters are here to have a good match with the Harts (who they didn’t care to protect since they were experimenting with splitting up) and get heat by both cheating to win and also being too chickenshit to put the titles on the line. This in hopes that you’ll pay extra money to watch Demolition kick their asses in your town. It seems like in 1990-91 is when they finally realized that TV and house shows should build to PPV instead of TV and PPV building to house shows.

[Nr1Humanoid]

At last Summerslam being no title led to some awesome Ventura eviscerating Schiavone commentary.

[James Fabiano]

Apr 26, 2024 11:42:27 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

In hindsight, Arn & Tully were such a great signing. Better than the Road Warriors or the Steiners. They greatly enhanced the WWF tag division without overpowering it or having to live up to astronomical expectations.

And it paid off, as one of Vince's biggest allies, Dick Ebersol, became a fan of them, such that he apparently demanded a Brain Busters match on every episode of the semi-regular WWF show on his network of employment, NBC.

I wonder if switching the titles to Tully and AA was an Ebersol move?

[James Fabiano]

Apr 26, 2024 22:42:07 GMT -5 thecrusherwi said:

Apr 26, 2024 10:47:21 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Yeah, that was really weird booking. Making it a title match would have hurt nothing, raised the suspense and made the Harts look like worthy contenders. OR, you have the Harts win the non-title match to set up a big rematch, which is what we were conditioned to expect back then.

Only thing I can think is that they weren't carefully thinking through the timing and booking of SummerSlam when they had the Busters to beat Demolition for the belts (which is weird because the booking was usually more long-term back then). The only other explanation is that they were overprotecting Demolition and didn't want anyone getting the idea the Harts might be the next champs.

I think it’s simpler than that. The first two Summerslams are in the infancy of PPV. Both shows are built around a grudge match main event and an IC Title Match with the rest of the card being basically a super house show. At this point, the business model was still that the house shows were where the money was. So the Busters are here to have a good match with the Harts (who they didn’t care to protect since they were experimenting with splitting up) and get heat by both cheating to win and also being too chickenshit to put the titles on the line. This in hopes that you’ll pay extra money to watch Demolition kick their asses in your town. It seems like in 1990-91 is when they finally realized that TV and house shows should build to PPV instead of TV and PPV building to house shows.

I was about to say that, regarding the earlier post questioning no tag team title match on PPV Show #2 of the year. WWF was still working out what PPVs were, even at this time they weren't the absolute climaxes they would be.

I mean, by 1989 we were getting closer. SummerSlam 89 had less rando matches than 88, for instance, and more that made sense with the feuds they were running at the time. But you still got ones that were either designed to put someone over (Dusty vs. HTM), or to be vaguely associated with a major program (Valentine vs. Hercules). Then more experimental moments would still be used on PPV in the year, like re-pushing the Powers of Pain at Survivor Series and on-again, off-again breaking the Hart Foundation. Actually, SS had a moment like the former...as they decided that Andre had an issue with Jim Duggan again. Yeah it was meant to form a more impressive six-man tag team, but Haku could have gone with the Towers to finish off the whole thing over the King title.

Speaking of the Towers, and kind of off topic, but if they HAD to be in a midcard match after being in the main event months prior (and being part of the Megapowers breaking up), why not put them against Strike Force? You can do the Martel heel turn, with the added bonuses of 1) Slick being there to explain why Martel takes him as a manager...he could even be in the JJ role and when Tito messed up, he could taunt Rick saying he wouldn't be there when he needed him. And 2) The Twin Towers could take credit for breaking up another popular tag team. Them being "tag team killers" would help in their program with Demolition for the titles.

[salparadise]

Apr 27, 2024 8:09:31 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Apr 26, 2024 11:42:27 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

In hindsight, Arn & Tully were such a great signing. Better than the Road Warriors or the Steiners. They greatly enhanced the WWF tag division without overpowering it or having to live up to astronomical expectations.

And it paid off, as one of Vince's biggest allies, Dick Ebersol, became a fan of them, such that he apparently demanded a Brain Busters match on every episode of the semi-regular WWF show on his network of employment, NBC.

I wonder if switching the titles to Tully and AA was an Ebersol move?

I did not know that. The man has good taste. I wonder how much more success Arn and Tully would have had if they had stayed in WWF - I know they were unhappy with their pay and then Tully failed a test. I sure wish they could have had more matches with the Hart Foundation.

[Squirrel Master]

The Hart Foundation has stood the test of time as one of the best teams ever in WWF/E. Tully and Arn were top dogs in any ring.
Brain Busters were well suited to working with the Harts, as they were mirror images. Too bad we didn't get to see more great matches between these teams, as they could have had a lengthy feud with a double turn.

[salparadise]

Apr 29, 2024 21:54:45 GMT -5 Squirrel Master said:

The Hart Foundation has stood the test of time as one of the best teams ever in WWF/E. Tully and Arn were top dogs in any ring.
Brain Busters were well suited to working with the Harts, as they were mirror images. Too bad we didn't get to see more great matches between these teams, as they could have had a lengthy feud with a double turn.

Agreed. If I was booking I would have had them face each other all over the country. That Summerslam match is great!