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Post by Joe Neglia on Nov 6, 2013 4:08:26 GMT -5
In 1984, the WWF hooked up with Canadian promoter Jack Tunney in order to run shows in that country, and Tunney was given an on-screen role as the company's "president." He remained in that role until 1995, when WWF started running shows in Canada without his involvement and he was shown the door. When he died, according to Wikipedia, no one from the WWF attended his funeral, and they didn't acknowledge his passing, even on their website.
What in the world happened to cause such a complete split?
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Nov 6, 2013 4:12:49 GMT -5
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Post by Boo! on Nov 6, 2013 7:33:54 GMT -5
From an on-air perspective I've always been surprised how he long retained the role as WWF President when he was so ill-suited to it. The relationship with McMahon in Canada I understand guaranteed him employment with the company but he was hilariously woeful as on-air talent. I'm surprised they didn't employ someone who was, you know, competent at playing that role.
Stumbling over words, sounding as natural as Stephen Hawking and generally looking like a deer caught in the headlights whenever he had to sit behind a desk and read autocue. The fact he lasted so long in that role I'm sure was some kind of rib on him just to see how terrible he could get.
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Nov 6, 2013 8:54:29 GMT -5
From an on-air perspective I've always been surprised how he long retained the role as WWF President when he was so ill-suited to it. The relationship with McMahon in Canada I understand guaranteed him employment with the company but he was hilariously woeful as on-air talent. I'm surprised they didn't employ someone who was, you know, competent at playing that role. Stumbling over words, sounding as natural as Stephen Hawking and generally looking like a deer caught in the headlights whenever he had to sit behind a desk and read autocue. The fact he lasted so long in that role I'm sure was some kind of rib on him just to see how terrible he could get. Because someone with the presence you'd expect from a character in wrestling would inevitably ed up involved in angles, taking bumps and so on which would upstage workers, look at Gorilla Monsoon. Tunney's awkwardness really did make him seem like someone who wasn't a character, but really was in charge, like a politician, Linda McMahon or Dixie Carter... Heck, those two should have been kept in a Tunney like role where they're only onscreen for big announcements and to call things down the line to overrule an onscreen authority figure. |
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Post by Professor Chaos on Nov 6, 2013 9:03:09 GMT -5
He totally punked out Bad News Brown with "Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are to speak to me in that fashion?"
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Nov 6, 2013 12:12:59 GMT -5
From an on-air perspective I've always been surprised how he long retained the role as WWF President when he was so ill-suited to it. The relationship with McMahon in Canada I understand guaranteed him employment with the company but he was hilariously woeful as on-air talent. I'm surprised they didn't employ someone who was, you know, competent at playing that role. Stumbling over words, sounding as natural as Stephen Hawking and generally looking like a deer caught in the headlights whenever he had to sit behind a desk and read autocue. The fact he lasted so long in that role I'm sure was some kind of rib on him just to see how terrible he could get. Because someone with the presence you'd expect from a character in wrestling would inevitably ed up involved in angles, taking bumps and so on which would upstage workers, look at Gorilla Monsoon. Tunney's awkwardness really did make him seem like someone who wasn't a character, but really was in charge, like a politician, Linda McMahon or Dixie Carter... Heck, those two should have been kept in a Tunney like role where they're only onscreen for big announcements and to call things down the line to overrule an onscreen authority figure. Yeah, Tunney's awkwardness worked to his advantage. I would like a return to a Tunney-esque character but really don't know whether that would be possible in today's wrestling world. |
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Post by JTG Fan on Nov 6, 2013 12:23:49 GMT -5
Because someone with the presence you'd expect from a character in wrestling would inevitably ed up involved in angles, taking bumps and so on which would upstage workers, look at Gorilla Monsoon. Tunney's awkwardness really did make him seem like someone who wasn't a character, but really was in charge, like a politician, Linda McMahon or Dixie Carter... Heck, those two should have been kept in a Tunney like role where they're only onscreen for big announcements and to call things down the line to overrule an onscreen authority figure. Yeah, Tunney's awkwardness worked to his advantage. I would like a return to a Tunney-esque character but really don't know whether that would be possible in today's wrestling world. If not for the constant TV time, there was a man who perfectly fit the 'awkwardness' thing and who seemed like a politician.  |
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Post by RowdyRobbyPiper on Nov 6, 2013 12:35:10 GMT -5
Yeah, Tunney's awkwardness worked to his advantage. I would like a return to a Tunney-esque character but really don't know whether that would be possible in today's wrestling world. If not for the constant TV time, there was a man who perfectly fit the 'awkwardness' thing and who seemed like a politician. Meh. He's a glad handling douchebag. |
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Post by N E O G E O B O Y S on Nov 6, 2013 15:23:32 GMT -5
I actually like the characters of linda and dixie when they are supposed to play straight roles
Vince is awesome but he is one more guy into the wackiness of wrestling, at times you need guys who act straight because it feels like real life
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Post by OGBoardPoster2005 on Nov 6, 2013 18:37:24 GMT -5
I personally believe that an authority figure should be of the Tunney model. Never on-screen much unless its important. He's a guy who you can tell is just there to make decisions for the company and nothing else. It's pretty realistic, IMO.
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Post by kingoftheindies on Nov 6, 2013 18:45:06 GMT -5
Kevin Nash mentioned in his youshoot that Tunney would take more money out of the house than he was supposed to which screwed over the locker room
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Post by lildude8218 on Nov 6, 2013 19:05:40 GMT -5
unequivocally!
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Nov 9, 2013 2:56:15 GMT -5
Kevin Nash mentioned in his youshoot that Tunney would take more money out of the house than he was supposed to which screwed over the locker room Must be especially egregious to Nash who was busy tanking the company with his run so there was so little money to begin with. |
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Post by Wolf Hawkfield no1 NZ poster on Nov 9, 2013 3:02:13 GMT -5
I've always heard that the WWE simply got rid of him when they no longer needed to him to run their shows in Canada.
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Post by jason1980s on Nov 9, 2013 8:11:53 GMT -5
Tunney was good when an on screen presence was needed and with seeming uncomfortable he came off like a real president.
As WWF was coming into it's second decade of world-wide popularity, it needed a familiar, popular face like Gorilla. I like his 'man of the people' type role but if I were to add anything to the role (though I doubt Vince would want this) I would have Gorilla pull a Heenan-like exit on the silly gimmicks. Go locker to locker, with security, telling the garbage men, the hog farmers, the clowns etc...
"this is the world WRESTLING federation. This isn't the dump, this isn't the circus, this isn't a hog farm. Get your stuff, you're all done, you're outta here."
When he stepped down in 1997 it probably worked out for the better but I would have still liked him to have an off screen role, even if it was a magazine write ghosting a forum for him in the magazine. But with his stepping down it brought in Sgt. Slaughter who fit the role of the opposition to DX. DX were heels but they were cool heels. With Gorilla I think fans would find it harder to take to DX. It would be like high school kids goofing on the "fun" teacher. No one wants that. With Slaughter he would be the crusty-like, all rule abiding teacher. I guess it also worked out since Mr. McMahon the owner was coming into prominence and I don't know how Gorilla would have worked out during the time. As a person he may feel indebted to McMahon but as a character he should be opposing McMahon. There would be no role for him as President since Vince could always overrule him.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2013 13:02:16 GMT -5
Kevin Nash mentioned in his youshoot that Tunney would take more money out of the house than he was supposed to which screwed over the locker room Well, he certainly made up for that by robbing Time Warner & WCW blind with his outlandish salary, and then gave all that money back to said locker room...... R...........right? |
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