Cranjis McBasketball
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Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Jan 6, 2024 16:04:13 GMT -5
I have to bring this up because it’s always hilarious. The opening of Mania 11 shows all the celebrities they’ve had at Mania. Ray Charles, Ali, Lauper, Mr. T, Uecker, Run DMC….they do it Mania by Mania…Mania 9’s celebs? Jim Ross and an elephant. I wonder if that was a Vince or company rib on Jim Ross. Natalie Cole was the only celebrity there but she was in the audience only. I'm surprised WWF didn't go with celebrities at the event and also VIII I think only had Reba. Las Vegas surely had a number of people, whether it be old singers or comedians from Vince's era. Jerry Lewis lived there, Shecky Greene as I just read in his death notice. Wayne Newton lives there. As far as WWF was concerned at the time, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were the celebrities for that Mania.
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Post by OGBoardPoster2005 on Jan 6, 2024 16:19:07 GMT -5
This is true for literally every celebrity WCW ever brought in. Eric Bischoff goes off about how he gave KISS so much because they were "the biggest band in the world" in 1999, by which point the bloom has long fallen off the rise on the reunion. The teenage boys they were courting at the time didn't give a rats ass about KISS or Megadeth, they wanted Korn and Limp Bizkit. I should know, I was one of them. In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. Don't forget it was around the same time "Kiss Saves Santa" came out too.
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Futureraven: Beelzebruv
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Futureraven: Beelzebruv on Jan 6, 2024 16:58:54 GMT -5
To be fair, with Hogan getting 'Quake, there wasn't a credible heel for Warrior outside of Rude, whom he already got his win back from. Sure there was. Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage, Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, Big Boss Man, hell turn Jake heel a year earlier and get some mileage there. While top guys, Those would all be reruns apart from Jake. They did go with Rude, but Warrior had already beat him, and the rest had faced Hogan so needed reheating. Going in they should have had like, 3 guys they were preparing for the main event that were new. Quake would have been perfect, turning Jake would have been great, but they just seemed to have no ideas. Rude was lukewarm then... he was the 6th wheel in a tag feud. Maybe do that for a few weeks to transition to Fuji bringing out some monster, maybe give him Warlord. But SOMEthing with purpose.
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Jan 6, 2024 17:23:10 GMT -5
Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in TNA. Prior to their arrival, the company was finally in the black after years of running at a loss, they were getting okay ratings for Spike and all the changes made due to those two completely undid that. People defended them at the time, claiming Hogan would promote the heck of of Impact and he proceeded to do none of that, seemingly embarassed to plug the company he was effectively in charge of.
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Post by Milkman Norm on Jan 6, 2024 17:42:56 GMT -5
To this day I have no idea why the Diesel Michaels match was laid out they way it was. Especially when Prichard is adamant that Vince wanted Nash to be his top babyface. They went of their way to make the heel look cool and then they act surprised when he gets over. Shawn getting the visible pin really f**Ed diesel's title reign on the spot. When Vince, as the babyface announcer points out how lucky Diesel was the ref was bumped he completely buried him.
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Gunhaver
Mephisto
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Post by Gunhaver on Jan 6, 2024 19:35:26 GMT -5
Post invasion Scott Steiner is this in spades. I'm not sure if it's a matter of mishandling of injuries catching up to Scott, but it should have been a bigger deal than it ended up being. I personally feel the same way about NWO in WWE, but the Rock-Hogan payoff salvages it for most people, I imagine. They hired him after he failed their medical so knew full well he was seriously injured so needed surgery to work a passable match but wanted someone new for Triple H to beat and figured they could 'randomly' drug test him so they'd have an excuse to fire him afterwards and save a bunch of cash. Steiner told WWE management he'd go for his drug test the same time Triple H went for his and they never asked again. He eventually got the surgery and went on to have better matches in TNA because he was actually able to move his foot. I remember Scott telling the drug testing story but assumed it was him telling a tall tale. Good on him for doing that.
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 6, 2024 22:23:01 GMT -5
In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off.
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Post by bogussting on Jan 6, 2024 22:27:31 GMT -5
I wonder if that was a Vince or company rib on Jim Ross. Natalie Cole was the only celebrity there but she was in the audience only. I'm surprised WWF didn't go with celebrities at the event and also VIII I think only had Reba. Las Vegas surely had a number of people, whether it be old singers or comedians from Vince's era. Jerry Lewis lived there, Shecky Greene as I just read in his death notice. Wayne Newton lives there. As far as WWF was concerned at the time, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were the celebrities for that Mania. I think Natalie Cole was the only celebrity at WM IX.
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Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby
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Post by Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby on Jan 6, 2024 23:24:15 GMT -5
In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off. Yeah, McFarlene basically trailblazed the market for adult-targeted action figures that didn't stand up to play but had killer sculpts.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 6, 2024 23:42:12 GMT -5
In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off. Yeah, I do forget sometimes that there was also like, an album, I think comics, etc, not just the game.
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Cranjis McBasketball
Crow T. Robot
Knew what the hell that thing was supposed to be
Peace Love and Nothing But
Posts: 42,028
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Post by Cranjis McBasketball on Jan 6, 2024 23:46:00 GMT -5
As far as WWF was concerned at the time, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were the celebrities for that Mania. I think Natalie Cole was the only celebrity at WM IX. Yeah, I'm almost positive Cleopatra and Julius Caesar may have been dead in 1993.......
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Post by wildojinx on Jan 6, 2024 23:48:26 GMT -5
Ultimate Warrior's 1998 return. I understand why he was brought into WCW, but he just didnt fit in with the times, and that was BEFORE all the nonsense with trap doors and mirrors.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jan 7, 2024 0:27:26 GMT -5
Does Million Dollar Mania count? Like I may have said, in another thread, but I think I’m surprised Vince McMahon didn’t have Ed McMahon make an appearance during Million Dollar Mania since Ed was the spokesperson for Publishers Clearing Houses competitor (can’t remember the name).. Ed McMahon was still alive at the time but to be fair, I think that is when his physical health went south. They could have a bit where they imply they may be related due to them having the same last name. But, I could also see Vince having Ed McMahon introduce John Cena like Ed introduced Johnny Carson by saying: “AND NOW, HEEEEEEEERRRREEES JOHNNY!” Thinking that the crowd would get the reference not knowing that Johnny Carson’s run ended a whopping 17 years prior. Ed was not the spokesman for Publisher's Clearing house. HE was the spokesman for American Family Publishers,
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 7, 2024 3:57:15 GMT -5
Ultimate Warrior's 1998 return. I understand why he was brought into WCW, but he just didnt fit in with the times, and that was BEFORE all the nonsense with trap doors and mirrors. The thing is, the PPV he headlined did basically "Alright". It wasn't as high as the previous year's Halloween Havoc, but 1998 WCW wasn't enjoying the same stranglehold by then, so that'd have probably been fine... had they not paid Warrior a tremendous amount of money. It's disputed how much he was paid, with Bischoff saying he recalls it being around half a million, and the Observer at the time speculating it was closer to a full million, but either way, they spent a lot on him and that takes a big wet bite out of any profitability they could have expected for that show.
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Post by Jedi-El of Tomorrow on Jan 7, 2024 4:20:56 GMT -5
I think Natalie Cole was the only celebrity at WM IX. Yeah, I'm almost positive Cleopatra and Julius Caesar may have been dead in 1993....... There's no proof they were dead by then. Yeah, it says that they both died 2000 years prior, but records from that era are spotty at best.
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Post by THE FVNKER on Jan 7, 2024 5:13:04 GMT -5
In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off. I had a Gene Simmons one hahaha
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Jan 7, 2024 5:44:57 GMT -5
Ultimate Warrior's 1998 return. I understand why he was brought into WCW, but he just didnt fit in with the times, and that was BEFORE all the nonsense with trap doors and mirrors. The thing is, the PPV he headlined did basically "Alright". It wasn't as high as the previous year's Halloween Havoc, but 1998 WCW wasn't enjoying the same stranglehold by then, so that'd have probably been fine... had they not paid Warrior a tremendous amount of money. It's disputed how much he was paid, with Bischoff saying he recalls it being around half a million, and the Observer at the time speculating it was closer to a full million, but either way, they spent a lot on him and that takes a big wet bite out of any profitability they could have expected for that show. Hogan v Warrior got a long build and a ppv match, Hogan Vs Goldberg was blown through in weeks and ended for free on Nitro rather than on an event where it would have pulled huge numbers, because WCW.
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Post by Feyrhausen on Jan 7, 2024 7:40:10 GMT -5
In his defense, he wasn't the only person to get suckered in for the KISS wave that didn't quite deliver on its hype. Detroit Rock City was in 1999, and the KISS: Psycho Circus video game came out in 2000, plus a shitload of action figures, etc, to go along with that property that I remember sitting on store shelves in the mall. I have no idea how the latter did, but the film Detroit Rock City bombed, only making back like a third of its budget. I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off. That was every McFarlane figure. And it seems every figure the Four Horseman worked on after they left McFarlane. Pretty to look at but break if you sneeze.
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Jan 7, 2024 10:47:50 GMT -5
I remember McFarlane came out with the Kiss figures. Google says it was 1997. I didn't even know who they were but they looked cool. I think they were meant to be collectibles only because I played with them and a few parts broke off. That was every McFarlane figure. And it seems every figure the Four Horseman worked on after they left McFarlane. Pretty to look at but break if you sneeze. The four horsemen designed MOTU and Toybiz Marvel stuff has held up just fine for me, even if the overall designs can be a bit 'of their time'.
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 7, 2024 11:03:35 GMT -5
I think Natalie Cole was the only celebrity at WM IX. Yeah, I'm almost positive Cleopatra and Julius Caesar may have been dead in 1993....... As a kid I took everything WWF/WCW did literally. So when I asked my parents who Caesar and Cleopatra were, one of them told me they were from so long ago. I told them they are on the PPV. They told me it's not really them, because they are dead. I told them otherwise. WWF was real as anything to me back then. Also, Kiss had busts of the four guys, about 2 feet tall. Not sure what they were made out of. On the surface it looks like heavy duty material but when they break it reminds me of this ceramic like material Frank's Nursery used to sell for Christmas villages that you could paint. So kind of cheap. I sold all four on ebay to four different people. Two broke completely in half. Gene and the guys seem like they put their name on everything and costs are always cut for the sake of getting it done. I worked for a library in the early 2000s. One Gene book had "autograph copy" on it. My friend told me the signature was a known autopen. The friend was Todd Fulkerson. Great guy!
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