Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 1:20:26 GMT -5
Yeah, and no one actually wanted to ask him for the belt because they were scared of him, I think he gave it to someone though I can't remember who. If I remember right, he gave it to The Barbarian to give it back to them. Ha! That's awesome. I love when real life goes exactly how things would in kayfabe.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 22, 2014 1:21:33 GMT -5
Bret Hart might have been the last BIG defection from WWE to WCW. I'd venture to say that Russo himself was the true last "big" defection. Hoping I'm not just repeating something already surmised here, but I feel the impact of Jarrett's jump was greatly lessened by the fact that he was already seen as transient. He had only been back in the WWF for two years, having spent the previous year in WCW (and notably, was there when the whole landscape of the business shifted during the NWO/Attitude era). He had already defected once, came back and went through gimmick hell for a bit before bringing some of WCW (Debra) in to keep him company. The WWF fans just didn't see him as one of their own anymore. One very big attempt at a defection that got scrapped was Sable. She showed up in the Nitro audience right after quitting WWF, but the whole thing got squashed.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Dec 22, 2014 1:32:42 GMT -5
Bret Hart might have been the last BIG defection from WWE to WCW. I'd venture to say that Russo himself was the true last "big" defection. Hoping I'm not just repeating something already surmised here, but I feel the impact of Jarrett's jump was greatly lessened by the fact that he was already seen as transient. He had only been back in the WWF for two years, having spent the previous year in WCW (and notably, was there when the whole landscape of the business shifted during the NWO/Attitude era). He had already defected once, came back and went through gimmick hell for a bit before bringing some of WCW (Debra) in to keep him company. The WWF fans just didn't see him as one of their own anymore. One very big attempt at a defection that got scrapped was Sable. She showed up in the Nitro audience right after quitting WWF, but the whole thing got squashed. Russo was definitely a big deal, good call. Foley talks about it some in Foley is Good, and how at the time, it was a big deal, but that as time went on, it became a joke among the workers that Russo secretly worked for Vince still, in relation to his storylines that didn't work out quite like he or WCW would hope. Foley is friends, or was, with Russo, and does say the WCW environment being so different didn't do Russo any favors, but I imagine that would have had to sting to read if I were Russo.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 22, 2014 1:45:27 GMT -5
Russo was a HUGE deal at the time. We didn't know what we know now. We hadn't seen his work unfiltered, only what had gone through McMahon. Honest to god, a huge portion of the IWC was actually stoked for this; Russo - the guy who saved WWF - was going to save WCW. The hope didn't fade until somewhere around his third Nitro episode, and even then, his first run kept showing signs of life and potential before it went all funhouse trainwreck and he was temporarily removed.
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Crappler El 0 M
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Dec 22, 2014 1:48:27 GMT -5
Yes, when Russo and Ferrara jumped to WCW it was a huge story and there was a lot of buzz. I think most followers of wrestling still saw WCW as having value and a chance to turn itself around. Literally months earlier they were still doing great business. Russo and Ferrara had sort of marketed themselves to the wrestling media as the key secret weapons to WWF's success. They also sold themselves to WCW that way.
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Tony Schiavontay
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Post by Tony Schiavontay on Dec 24, 2014 2:06:09 GMT -5
My theory has always been that Meng showing up at Royal Rumble 2001 was what really swayed Jamie Kellner to cancel Nitro.
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Dec 24, 2014 5:18:21 GMT -5
Russo was a HUGE deal at the time. We didn't know what we know now. We hadn't seen his work unfiltered, only what had gone through McMahon. Honest to god, a huge portion of the IWC was actually stoked for this; Russo - the guy who saved WWF - was going to save WCW. The hope didn't fade until somewhere around his third Nitro episode, and even then, his first run kept showing signs of life and potential before it went all funhouse trainwreck and he was temporarily removed. The big thing that Russo and Ferrera were actually successful at, with tangible results showing right on the television screen, was that they managed to spearhead a youth movement. That's the thing that people really wanted to see, and sure enough, within a few weeks, Hogan and Flair were off TV, and guys like Benoit and Jarrett were being treated as main event players. It was almost enough to look past some of the absolute garbage he was writing alongside pushing some of the people the hardcore fans had been begging to see pushed for ages.
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Post by Gelatinous Parasite on Dec 24, 2014 10:19:35 GMT -5
One very big attempt at a defection that got scrapped was Sable. She showed up in the Nitro audience right after quitting WWF, but the whole thing got squashed. Were there actual plans for Sable to join WCW? I was under the impression that her appearance in the crowd was just a big FU to WWF from both parties.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 12:53:08 GMT -5
Russo was a HUGE deal at the time. We didn't know what we know now. We hadn't seen his work unfiltered, only what had gone through McMahon. Honest to god, a huge portion of the IWC was actually stoked for this; Russo - the guy who saved WWF - was going to save WCW. The hope didn't fade until somewhere around his third Nitro episode, and even then, his first run kept showing signs of life and potential before it went all funhouse trainwreck and he was temporarily removed. The big thing that Russo and Ferrera were actually successful at, with tangible results showing right on the television screen, was that they managed to spearhead a youth movement. That's the thing that people really wanted to see, and sure enough, within a few weeks, Hogan and Flair were off TV, and guys like Benoit and Jarrett were being treated as main event players. It was almost enough to look past some of the absolute garbage he was writing alongside pushing some of the people the hardcore fans had been begging to see pushed for ages. Yeah, he pushed the youth, but he did them more harm than good, because the overall programming was absolutely horrible. It made the rise of the "New Blood" anti-climactic, similar to VKM's handling of the WCW invasion. He also booked the New Blood vs. Millionaire's Club angle completely backward, portraying the New Blood as bitter heels and the veterans as hapless victims of creative.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 24, 2014 13:37:32 GMT -5
The big thing that Russo and Ferrera were actually successful at, with tangible results showing right on the television screen, was that they managed to spearhead a youth movement. That's the thing that people really wanted to see, and sure enough, within a few weeks, Hogan and Flair were off TV, and guys like Benoit and Jarrett were being treated as main event players. It was almost enough to look past some of the absolute garbage he was writing alongside pushing some of the people the hardcore fans had been begging to see pushed for ages. Yeah, he pushed the youth, but he did them more harm than good, because the overall programming was absolutely horrible. It made the rise of the "New Blood" anti-climactic, similar to VKM's handling of the WCW invasion. He also booked the New Blood vs. Millionaire's Club angle completely backward, portraying the New Blood as bitter heels and the veterans as hapless victims of creative. Keep in mind I'm not even referring to the New Blood phase, that came later. This was during his first run when he was the faceless Powers That Be, with Dustin, Benoit and...someone else forming a loose stable to feud with his guys.
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Ultimo Gallos
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Dec 24, 2014 23:09:44 GMT -5
Russo was a HUGE deal at the time. We didn't know what we know now. We hadn't seen his work unfiltered, only what had gone through McMahon. Honest to god, a huge portion of the IWC was actually stoked for this; Russo - the guy who saved WWF - was going to save WCW. The hope didn't fade until somewhere around his third Nitro episode, and even then, his first run kept showing signs of life and potential before it went all funhouse trainwreck and he was temporarily removed. The night the news broke about Vince and Ed going to WCW,RSPW was a blaze. And most people were excited to see what he would do. After 2 nitros that excitement died.
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Post by berlynwright on Dec 25, 2014 9:41:37 GMT -5
One very big attempt at a defection that got scrapped was Sable. She showed up in the Nitro audience right after quitting WWF, but the whole thing got squashed. Were there actual plans for Sable to join WCW? I was under the impression that her appearance in the crowd was just a big FU to WWF from both parties. i have read in ddtdigest or some old wcw sites that she's going to be revealed as the one behind the infamous hummer angle
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