MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
Home of the 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time 5-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers-and Wrestlemania 31
Posts: 13,954
|
Post by MolotovMocktail on Mar 25, 2009 0:26:41 GMT -5
Here are some strong points made for inducting them:
1) Nobody would get it. The average fan wouldn't know what the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of South Africa accomplished or stood for, so they wouldn't understand the parody. Most would dismiss it as a generic military gimmick. I'm sure it went over the heads of most fans back in the day (it did for me at least).
2) They all stunk in the ring. Bull Buchanan was the BEST of the bunch. That tells you something.
3) The Jackyl got involved and made it all about him. I actually liked the Commandant, and his promos were sometimes unintentionally funny. But Don Callis had to come in and take the focus off the actual wrestlers, and made everyone hate him backstage.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aceorton on Mar 25, 2009 2:35:45 GMT -5
The Jackyl was the only thing about them that wasn't WrestleCrap, IMO. Say what you want about him, but he had charisma, and the "David Koresh" gimmick was loaded with potential. Unfortunately, he came too late to really help the Truth Commission. The gimmick was dead in the water because, as you said, the wrestlers were awful and no one understood who they were supposed to be, exactly.
Also hurting the TC was the Gang Warz crap that was going on at the time. You had the black militants vs. the Puerto Rican thugs vs. the skinhead bikers vs. ... the South African army? It made zero sense for them to get wrapped up in that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Baixo Astral on Mar 25, 2009 5:42:35 GMT -5
I really, really liked Armageddon, the Sniper/Recon team - great finisher (powerbomb out of a backdrop), and a good look - also, John Rambo (Sniper) was the better worker of the group.
|
|
|
|
Post by willywonka666 on Mar 25, 2009 9:55:02 GMT -5
The whole gimmick went over my head I'll admit. I don't care for callis at all after his stupid comments about Piper a few years back, but that's neither here nor there.
|
|
|
|
Post by chunkylover53 on Mar 25, 2009 16:22:49 GMT -5
Here are some strong points made for inducting them: 1) Nobody would get it. The average fan wouldn't know what the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of South Africa accomplished or stood for, so they wouldn't understand the parody. Most would dismiss it as a generic military gimmick. I'm sure it went over the heads of most fans back in the day (it did for me at least). 2) They all stunk in the ring. Bull Buchanan was the BEST of the bunch. That tells you something. 3) The Jackyl got involved and made it all about him. I actually liked the Commandant, and his promos were sometimes unintentionally funny. But Don Callis had to come in and take the focus off the actual wrestlers, and made everyone hate him backstage. You pretty much layed the correct points. I say induct them. |
|
Matt Dunn
Hank Scorpio
It was inevitable.
Posts: 5,596
|
Post by Matt Dunn on Mar 25, 2009 16:32:44 GMT -5
Yes.
|
|
Jay Peas 42
El Dandy
Totally flips out ALL the time.
Is looking forward to a Nation of Domination Kwannza Special.
Posts: 8,329 
|
Post by Jay Peas 42 on Mar 26, 2009 22:09:54 GMT -5
No. It was a reasonable gimmick that failed to take hold with the fans. That's a failed gimmick, not wrestlecrap.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cap'n Crud on Apr 3, 2009 21:37:22 GMT -5
Here are some strong points made for inducting them: 1) Nobody would get it. The average fan wouldn't know what the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of South Africa accomplished or stood for, so they wouldn't understand the parody. Most would dismiss it as a generic military gimmick. I'm sure it went over the heads of most fans back in the day (it did for me at least). 2) They all stunk in the ring. Bull Buchanan was the BEST of the bunch. That tells you something. 3) The Jackyl got involved and made it all about him. I actually liked the Commandant, and his promos were sometimes unintentionally funny. But Don Callis had to come in and take the focus off the actual wrestlers, and made everyone hate him backstage. 4.) It was a gimmick that's time had come and gone. Attitude Era fans just weren't gonna pop for a military gimmick anymore. |
|
bob
Salacious Crumb
The "other" Bob. FOC COURSE!
started the Madness Wars, Proudly the #1 Nana Hater on FAN
Posts: 78,273
|
Post by bob on Apr 4, 2009 10:24:27 GMT -5
I vaguely remember them back then and really becoming a fan of The Jackyl.
|
|
|
|
Post by chunkylover53 on Apr 4, 2009 18:05:50 GMT -5
Here are some strong points made for inducting them: 1) Nobody would get it. The average fan wouldn't know what the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of South Africa accomplished or stood for, so they wouldn't understand the parody. Most would dismiss it as a generic military gimmick. I'm sure it went over the heads of most fans back in the day (it did for me at least). 2) They all stunk in the ring. Bull Buchanan was the BEST of the bunch. That tells you something. 3) The Jackyl got involved and made it all about him. I actually liked the Commandant, and his promos were sometimes unintentionally funny. But Don Callis had to come in and take the focus off the actual wrestlers, and made everyone hate him backstage. 4.) It was a gimmick that's time had come and gone. Attitude Era fans just weren't gonna pop for a military gimmick anymore. They were heels, they were suppose to boo them. But the original poster has it right that they were wrestlecrap because the gimmick was esoteric. I'm sure however, if they were pushed as a serious threat to the Main Event(and not in that clustersnork gang wars angle, perhaps Vince's henchmen to take down Austin) then they might've had a chance to get over. Gimmicks, as well as the person playing them, and the person himself have to depend on booking to get over. Hiding behind a gimmick can only go so far. |
|
Joekishi
Fry's dog Seymour
Posts: 20,490
|
Post by Joekishi on Apr 6, 2009 12:16:55 GMT -5
they debuted in south africa as allies of the hart foundation right?
|
|
|
|
Post by johnnyk9 on Apr 6, 2009 15:34:14 GMT -5
I never saw Shotgun in 1997 but did they ever explain what happened to The Commondat? Also I remember when they first came in they had a big guy under a black mask named Tank before they Sniper came along
|
|
Erik Majorwitz
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
I don't have a PS3.
Longest Crapper- Laying it across the table
Posts: 18,051
|
Post by Erik Majorwitz on Apr 7, 2009 7:46:39 GMT -5
Um, all military gimmicks are WrestleCrap. R.D. told me that once.
|
|
|
|
Post by Baixo Astral on Apr 7, 2009 10:11:08 GMT -5
I never saw Shotgun in 1997 but did they ever explain what happened to The Commondat? Also I remember when they first came in they had a big guy under a black mask named Tank before they Sniper came along That was Mike Hallick... AKA Bruiser Mastino... AKA... MANTAUR! Jerry Lawler used to struggle not to laugh when Tank charged the ring. |
|
Erik Majorwitz
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
I don't have a PS3.
Longest Crapper- Laying it across the table
Posts: 18,051
|
Post by Erik Majorwitz on Apr 7, 2009 12:39:06 GMT -5
I never saw Shotgun in 1997 but did they ever explain what happened to The Commondat? Also I remember when they first came in they had a big guy under a black mask named Tank before they Sniper came along That was Mike Hallick... AKA Bruiser Mastino... AKA... MANTAUR! Jerry Lawler used to struggle not to laugh when Tank charged the ring. Wow, if only he had come out as Commadant Mantaur... |
|
|
|
Post by thefinker on Apr 7, 2009 16:19:45 GMT -5
I really, really liked Armageddon, the Sniper/Recon team - great finisher (powerbomb out of a backdrop), and a good look - also, John Rambo (Sniper) was the better worker of the group. Saw the match not long back, that finisher was sick! |
|
|
|
Post by romafan87 on Apr 9, 2009 10:05:35 GMT -5
Anyone have any footage of Tank? I watched religiously around that period and don't recall seeing him at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnnyk9 on Apr 19, 2009 5:38:46 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by romafan87 on Apr 19, 2009 8:33:46 GMT -5
Wow, I was at a taping a month later and he was already gone. This was too smart of a gimmick for the fans. I agree with the fact that it should be inducted for the "Nobody would get it" aspect. |
|
|
|
Post by briant1 on Apr 19, 2009 21:19:36 GMT -5
I knew what the "Truth & Reconciliation Commission" was but I didn't understand how the gimmick played with it. Did they reject it?
|
|
