The Computerized Man of the 1990's

[XaviersSS2015hair]

How did this gimmick start, and how did it transfer from Rotunda to Terry Taylor?
I was just starting to watch around the time Rotunda debuted the Michael Wallstreet character. I remember the build to Starrcade 90, where the computer predicted that Wallstreet would beat Taylor in under a certain amount of time.

My question is, how did this gimmick start? How did he go from Captain Mike to the Wallstreet/York Foundation gimmick? And more importantly, how did Taylor end up with the gimmick?! They had a match at the biggest ppv of the year and a few weeks later the guy that lost the ppv match ended up with the gimmick and the manager of the guy that beat him! I don't think to this day I've seen anything like it. Was there an explanation? I remember the build, the match and next thing Taylor is put into the gimmick without explanation and Wallstreet is on WWF Superstars doing vignettes as IRS.

So what did I miss? How did York go from Wallstreet to Taylor seemingly over night?

[The Gallus Mark]

I just always wonder how Taylor kept getting hired since most of the time I just hear guys crap all over him (and that he was kind of an a-hole)

But, he always seemed to find work. Even if it was in atrocious gimmicks.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

There really wasn't no build at all as far as the transition from Captain Mike to Micahel Wallstreet goes. It just came out of nowhere as on Clash of the Champions XIII Rotunda did a podium interview with Tony Schiavone where he showed up wearing a suit and with Alexandra York and said he was no longer Captain Mike Rotunda but now Michael Wallstreet. IIRC the gist was that he had inherited a large sum of money.

As for Taylor getting inserted into I think it was just simply a case of them being in a pickle after Rotunda left the company over a contract dispute and they needed someone to fill the role and Taylor I guess was the best option as far as beings someone who could portray that character. I agree that it made no sense with Wallstreet pinning Taylor clean at Starrcade only a month before. It also made York kind of look bad in that it came off like she was trading down as a result.

Here's the closest we got to an explanation for the transition from Wallstreet to Taylor: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNJuUBWjw5I. At 1:38 JR talks about York not bringing Wallstreet to the upcoming Clash of Champions despite them talking about his advertised match with Tim Horner in the promo segment before the match and saying that instead she will use her time to introduce a new member of the York Foundation who ended up being Taylor. It's obvious the match aired after Rotunda left as JR kind of buries him and more or less writes him off in his commentary that was clearly added after recording; saying that York is really the one in charge and that Wallstreet in actuality is just "a puppet who dances to her string movement" despite the fact that it had been established that York was Wallstreet's employee and not the other way aroudn.

[XIII]

Jan 5, 2023 5:40:37 GMT -5 The Gallus Mark said:

I just always wonder how Taylor kept getting hired since most of the time I just hear guys crap all over him (and that he was kind of an a-hole)

But, he always seemed to find work. Even if it was in atrocious gimmicks.

To this day dude finds jobs backstage, which leads me to believe he’s a world class yes man. lol

[jason1980s]

I think may be confusing this with Harlem Heat coming to the ring at a 94 Clash and the graphic saying Sherri's name well before she was supposed to come to them in the match. But I thought there was something WCW did to tip us to Taylor being York's guy before she was coming to his aid in the match at the January Clash. Maybe I'm just thinking of him being called "The Computerized Man" as if that gave it up right then and there.

As for Terry always getting jobs, I've been fascinated with this myself since the late 90s. He has no loyalty. He will go from promotion to promotion with in a year or two and come back. He left WWF in 90 for WCW. Left WCW in late 92 for WWF. Left WWF for WCW a year later. Left WCW for WWF in 98. Left WWF for WCW in 99. LOL. And now he's a Florida training center guy. I guess he was nice to Triple H in 94/95 WCW. I personally liked Terry Taylor myself and I know the Rooster gimmick kind of killed any momentum he had but just seems odd he keeps getting hired on when promotions have to know he's not lasting long.

[Mozenrath]

I do remember that someone, may have been Dusty, gave Terri the Alexandra York gimmick because she did Larry King's makeup and would do makeup for WCW guys when she had free time and they needed it before promos. Dusty (or whoever) saw her and thought she had potential as a valet, a role she thankfully was actually pretty decent at. I do know she dated Brian Pillman early on, which was presumably why they did the angle together in WWF that they did, but I don't think that specifically got her a job. The angle made enough sense on the basis that computers were increasingly popular, as was the fear of a computer replacing someone's job, so giving it to a heel fit.

As for the topic of Terry Taylor, I know that-

A. Cornette hates him for passing along a message where he said he wanted to kill Russo, thus I think getting him fired from TNA or otherwise got him into trouble, I forget when. Thing is, Cornette has by his own admission attempted to murder someone before, and Taylor probably didn't want to be an accessory to murder if Cornette did decide to go through with it.

B. Robert Roode used to wear a robe that used to be Terry's. I am unclear of it is out of any specific reverence, or if Roode just wanted an oldschool wrestling robe and Terry gave him that one, so he used that.

C. Lance Storm wanted a finisher for WCW, and happened to see a move where Terry Taylor would roll up a running opponent to lock them into a Boston Crab. Lance tinkered with the move and found a single leg crab was smoother to do, and made it his finisher. Terry Taylor in WCW complimented him on the cool finisher, and was surprised when Lance told him he got it from Terry, with Terry having zero recollection of having ever done that move. Just kind of funny given how people often paint him as clueless, but given how long he'd been in wrestling even by then, it's not the biggest deal in the world if he forgets a move he did that I have no idea if it was even as a finisher.

[tafkaga]

This was Taylor's best gig. He looked really dapper in the suits. He was like combo of Ted DiBiase and Terry Silver.

[lildude8218]

Clash of Champions 15 was my 2nd WCW show ever and I still remember watching Ricky Morton turn heel, them hyping up the announcement of the "newest member of the York Foundation," then them going to commercial and showing a preview for the weekend's WCW Saturday Night showing that Taylor and Morton had already teamed together as The "New" York Foundation. It was so bizarre as a kid. Like "why are they surprised about Ricky if he already teamed with Terry? The announcers WATCHED the match happen."

[sarkerpolseng]

I think this gimmick would be great on the indies today.

[Spider2024]

Jan 5, 2023 10:45:57 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I do remember that someone, may have been Dusty, gave Terri the Alexandra York gimmick because she did Larry King's makeup and would do makeup for WCW guys when she had free time and they needed it before promos. Dusty (or whoever) saw her and thought she had potential as a valet, a role she thankfully was actually pretty decent at. I do know she dated Brian Pillman early on, which was presumably why they did the angle together in WWF that they did, but I don't think that specifically got her a job. The angle made enough sense on the basis that computers were increasingly popular, as was the fear of a computer replacing someone's job, so giving it to a heel fit.

Hard times, daddy.

[nate5054]

Jan 5, 2023 6:34:50 GMT -5 XIII said:

Jan 5, 2023 5:40:37 GMT -5 The Gallus Mark said:

I just always wonder how Taylor kept getting hired since most of the time I just hear guys crap all over him (and that he was kind of an a-hole)

But, he always seemed to find work. Even if it was in atrocious gimmicks.

To this day dude finds jobs backstage, which leads me to believe he’s a world class yes man. lol

He probably is a big fan of the tried and true "kiss up and kick down" philosophy that so many jerks ascribe to in life.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jan 7, 2023 17:06:37 GMT -5 Spider2024 said:

Jan 5, 2023 10:45:57 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I do remember that someone, may have been Dusty, gave Terri the Alexandra York gimmick because she did Larry King's makeup and would do makeup for WCW guys when she had free time and they needed it before promos. Dusty (or whoever) saw her and thought she had potential as a valet, a role she thankfully was actually pretty decent at. I do know she dated Brian Pillman early on, which was presumably why they did the angle together in WWF that they did, but I don't think that specifically got her a job. The angle made enough sense on the basis that computers were increasingly popular, as was the fear of a computer replacing someone's job, so giving it to a heel fit.

Hard times, daddy.

I may just have dreamed this or was just a crazy Internet rumour, but what you say is true with the added bonus Dusty attempted to sleep with her, but she wound up with Dustin. This was part of their falling out.

[Mozenrath]

Jan 7, 2023 18:50:20 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Jan 7, 2023 17:06:37 GMT -5 Spider2024 said:

Hard times, daddy.

I may just have dreamed this or was just a crazy Internet rumour, but what you say is true with the added bonus Dusty attempted to sleep with her, but she wound up with Dustin. This was part of their falling out.

I've heard that rumor, though I have no idea if that has any truth to it. I do know that part of the falling out was due to Dusty not thinking Terri was a good match for him. He did supposedly lose interest in Sam Houston for getting with Baby Doll, who he is alleged to have wanted to hook up with, but that, too, no idea if anyone's confirmed. So it could be conflating stories or a trend with him, either or.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jan 7, 2023 18:59:29 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Jan 7, 2023 18:50:20 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I may just have dreamed this or was just a crazy Internet rumour, but what you say is true with the added bonus Dusty attempted to sleep with her, but she wound up with Dustin. This was part of their falling out.

I've heard that rumor, though I have no idea if that has any truth to it. I do know that part of the falling out was due to Dusty not thinking Terri was a good match for him. He did supposedly lose interest in Sam Houston for getting with Baby Doll, who he is alleged to have wanted to hook up with, but that, too, no idea if anyone's confirmed. So it could be conflating stories or a trend with him, either or.

Apparently his original idea for Sapphire was this black prostitute he was found of.