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Post by BlackJackRobby on Dec 14, 2015 11:25:07 GMT -5
I recently picked up the WWE Network on the basis of finally adding classic shows.
Personally I just want to see if people's opinions line up with mine.
The AWA in 88-90 really had a good thing going with a decent roster, and shows at the Showboat in Vegas. The booking was just terrible, and like video killing the radio star they kept the old out of shape guys on tv when they had many quality under utilized young talents.
Smokey Mountain, first time I've got to see them. I loved the first show, and was surprised by some of their attendance sizes. They seemed to have a great tag team division. Plus I always wanted to see the controversy with the gangstas, to which I'll note they didn't seem bad. The crowd was just crazy racist!
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Post by BlackJackRobby on Dec 14, 2015 11:26:14 GMT -5
Oops if this could please be moved to the correct section.
Thanks!
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Dec 14, 2015 11:28:54 GMT -5
Oops if this could please be moved to the correct section. Thanks!  |
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Post by paperbackhero on Dec 14, 2015 12:51:22 GMT -5
Glad you're digging the AWA period. It's generally considered the "dark days" of the territory...if you dig it, the AWA's glory years were much earlier...I recommend looking into some earlier years. High Flyers, though Greg is much maligned, were an awesome team...and they generally had great work, with top stars from the 60's onward.
SMW is another great promotion, with hot angles and realistic, logical booking.
Great that you're enjoying it.
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Post by The Summer of Muskrat XVII on Dec 14, 2015 13:01:50 GMT -5
I hope the get some older AWA up soon, I haven't watched nearly enough Nick Bockwinkel and the little bit I have seen of him he looks phenomenal.
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Post by BlackJackRobby on Dec 14, 2015 16:00:58 GMT -5
I'm Minnesotan, so knew well of the AWA.
What's odd though I was born in 1982, and didn't even know anything except the WWF until like 90'-91' when the AWA aired some Hogan classics and best of AWA shows.
Then magazines around that same period maybe before talking about these greats in the NWA.
Since I've seen documentaries and what's up on YouTube, and when ESPN Classic aired the episodes. So I knew its influence, but what caught me is so many think or say how the AWA was dead in the water when Hogan and others left in droves.
Seriously though if they fought to keep the Nasty Boys, Midnight Rockers, Sgt. Slaughter, and a good number of others they would've kept a great roster. Instead they kept these oldies that would've possibly made great managers, instead of out of shape wrestlers.
As for Smokey I knew it was Cornette and some during its "invasion" of the WWF. Yet I never watched a single bit of it. Man that Chris Jericho broken arm and bloodied match was intense. Plus same card Rock N' Roll Express put on a great match with Candito and Lee.
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Post by cabbageboy on Dec 14, 2015 18:10:16 GMT -5
The AWA in 1988 or so was still pretty fun stuff, in fact I'd probably take it over most of the NWA work from the declining era of Crockett. That said, once you get past the point where Lawler had his falling out with Gagne it's pretty rough from there. The 1990 stuff was hilariously awful.
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Post by willywonka666 on Dec 15, 2015 10:20:29 GMT -5
I got into the AWA around 87 and The Midnight Rockers were red hot. Actually, I lost a bit of interest in them when they went to the WWF, because they were small fish in a big pond. I appreciated everyone there and was excited with the promotions coming together for Superclash 3. I just wish it had lasted.
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Post by paperbackhero on Dec 15, 2015 12:18:03 GMT -5
The DeBeers vs Snuka angle from 88(?) was offensive to me...even back then...
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Post by wrestlingrecap on Dec 15, 2015 20:32:12 GMT -5
Smoky Mountain Wrestling is a lot of fun to go back and watch. I'm up to February 1994 reviewing the TV shows, major events and even house shows. www.wrestlingrecaps.com/smw |
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saintpat
El Dandy
Release the hounds!!!
Posts: 7,664
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Post by saintpat on Dec 15, 2015 21:18:32 GMT -5
AWA is the greatest missed opportunity in pro wrestling history. TV exposure (pretty sure it was every weekday in an after-school time slot) on the fledgling ESPN network ... and they blow it.
One thing that greatly detracts for me is the continual use in almost every match of "AWA heat" -- the heel keeps stepping out of the ring and the match basically never starts. People boo, but it gets old after a while, especially when they do it over and over in almost every match. Never found any of their booking to be very good, diddn't make sure of the talent they had.
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Post by toodarkmark on Dec 17, 2015 20:23:20 GMT -5
AWA is the greatest missed opportunity in pro wrestling history. TV exposure (pretty sure it was every weekday in an after-school time slot) on the fledgling ESPN network ... and they blow it. One thing that greatly detracts for me is the continual use in almost every match of "AWA heat" -- the heel keeps stepping out of the ring and the match basically never starts. People boo, but it gets old after a while, especially when they do it over and over in almost every match. Never found any of their booking to be very good, diddn't make sure of the talent they had. Much like everyone always says, Verne was stuck in the past. He just couldn't or wouldn't update his style. I remember watching World Class and AWA re-runs on ESPN after school in 89, and I dont know how often AWA would update their shows. I feel like I knew more about them through the Apter mags. They did blow it. But then again GWF took that spot, and wasn't able to put together anything amazing. |
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SAJ Forth
Wade Wilson
Jamaican WCF Crazy!
Half Man-Half Amazing
Posts: 27,214
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Post by SAJ Forth on Dec 18, 2015 20:50:39 GMT -5
It scary to see WWE Making the mistakes of 1980's AWA.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Dec 18, 2015 20:53:26 GMT -5
The DeBeers vs Snuka angle from 88(?) was offensive to me...even back then... I've never found it as much offensive as I have found it just plain stupid. DeBeers calling Snuka African-American derogatory names and using that as the backbone of the feud was just...dumb. During the brief DeBeers/Derrick Dukes (an actual African-American) feud, it was offensive. With Snuka, it was just stupid. |
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Post by paperbackhero on Dec 18, 2015 23:16:11 GMT -5
The DeBeers vs Snuka angle from 88(?) was offensive to me...even back then... I've never found it as much offensive as I have found it just plain stupid. DeBeers calling Snuka African-American derogatory names and using that as the backbone of the feud was just...dumb. During the brief DeBeers/Derrick Dukes (an actual African-American) feud, it was offensive. With Snuka, it was just stupid. I must be mixing up my feuds....Snuka was the bloodbath concrete piledriver, right? I remember an Apter mag Dream Battle Royale, where Snuka was being double teamed by DeBeers and Piper....DeBeers balks at eliminating Snuka simce he doesnt want to "touch a black man"...so Piper eliminates DeBeers....I maybe remembering that. |
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brody
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,463 
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Post by brody on Dec 19, 2015 6:59:33 GMT -5
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