Was Kevin Sullivan any good?

[Dave the Dave]

I'm watching a lot of 1996 Nitro. In the middle of his Pillman issue. It is a lot of no selling, nonsensical promos and just laughable stories. Was he better when he was younger?


Also: I'm reminded how crazy promos used to be. The Road Warriors, Hogan, Savage....a lot of yelling and probably cocaine. The NWO couldn't have happened soon enough. Watching Nasty Boys v. Public Enemy at SuperBrawl now.

[Professor Chaos]

I don't remember him doing anything good. My earliest memories of him were with The Varsity Club.

[chazraps]

I mean, for someone in the absolute twilight final years of his career, Sullivan in the 90s was pretty good. But, keep in mind, he was writing all of those Nitros in '96 too.

I don't think you can have Sullivan's longevity without being good. I also don't think you can really evaluate someone's entire career just based solely on what they did that close to retirement. That said, he was one of those incredible charismatic promo guys and knew how to work a crowd into hating them by tapping into everything they feared and despised. He was sort of an anti-Dusty Rhodes, if you will.

[Capt Lunatic]

His occult stuff from Florida was pretty great.

Dungeon of Dung, not so much.

However, to not actually cheap shot the guy who stole your wife is a respectable accomplishment.

[Todd Pettengill]

I heard the dude was a beast in the 70s & early 80s.

[Phil Parent]

As he says himself, he was an illusion. Very small man in a world of giants. But his ferocity and great physical built in his prime made it believable that he could beat guys bigger than him.

One of the first occult characters too. Good brawler, decent enough technically, good talker, great wrestling mind, and that last element will be his legacy. Kevin Sullivan the booker of WCW's rise to proeminence is the reason why most will remember Kevin Sullivan, after all, he booked Hogan's heel turn, the NWO and Goldberg's streak. The only booker that has had such a hot hand when it came to booking was Pat Patterson in the 80's WWF.

A lack of exposure in WWE post-Hogan hurts people's awareness of him.

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

and also says a lot, when you see him for the first time on tv, and HE get's upstaged by buzz ******* sawyer!!!!!

imagine tuning to NWA first time and seeing those two rip apart some poor jobbers!!!!!

[saintpat]

Brilliant wrestling mind.

Probably as good at developing heel characters (himself or inventing things for others) as anyone who has been in the business.

[Dave the Dave]

Maybe by the time I saw him, while also being older, he seemed corny. He's a product of an era I didn't know it seems.

[siredger]

I remember first seeing him in the Varsity Club but I was way too young so I couldn't appreciate really his work. The next time I saw him was with The Dungeon of Doom and as corny and dreadful as it was, Sullivan still stood out as a great promo guy who knew what to tell you to make you hate him and get the exact response he needed from you.

From a booking standpoint, I guess we have to give him a lot of credit. Lots of credit have been given to Eric Bischoff for the NWO idea but in the hand, it was Sullivan who orchestrated the execution. Wish I could've seen more of his early stuff.