96. He was the person credited with popularizing the superplex, although he didn’t invent it. – The WWF is reportedly considering adding a weekly Saturday PPV show, according to trade journal reports. 90. Topics. Wrestling Observer Live: RAW report, War Games, Randy Orton, ratings and more By Bryan Alvarez Nov 21, 2023 DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. 28. 92 By Scott Keith on 20th March 2017 Hey, it’s another month with missing issues, as Dave has this one and the August 10 one on the site, and then it skips to September. Wrestling Observer Flashback: 07. Chip screwed up early, but it was decent by the end. ). 23, because for every viewer gained on Nitro, there was a viewer lost on Saturdays and it kind of averaged out. Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. Dave thinks that the competition will be mostly for the better, with faster-moving storylines and better wrestling on TV. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Pillman was playing subtle heel to start and got less subtle as the match went on. 96 Remember how in last week’s issue, Kevin Nash had until the weekend to make up his mind about leaving…? – In the top story, Kevin Nash officially gave notice to the WWF that he’d be accepting an offer from WCW, via phone call to Vince McMahon on 3/5. Dodge Iowa. 09. Instead, in the wake of a disappointing buyrate, the decision was made to concentrate on doing better tournaments. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. com archives, and any other sources I’ve checked, so we’re skipping ahead a week. 1. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. I guess I’ll just be typing one-handed. Scanner. – Art Barr’s petition for a wrestling license was denied by the commission once again. Maybe if I skim over the Eddie Gilbert stuff it’ll get done easier. 96. 95. 16. The taped episode of RAW wasn’t particularly different than any other one they’ve. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. – But first, speculation is still running rampant in the wake of Ole Anderson getting fired as booker. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. com & WrestlingObserver. The TNT show is dropping rapidly, which shows that the new audience of freakshow fans is far less than the loyal wrestling fans who choose not to watch that one. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. 90 / 07. Well this should do better than NWA Powerrr at least. 22. By Scott Keith on 24th July 2019. 15. But don’t be fooled by the Slow News, as two major promotions actually reach their finales this week, although we didn’t realize it at the time. Wrestling Observer Flashback–06. 04. Ah, wrestling, where one guy can beat up another guy for real and flush his head in the toilet for riding with his ex-girlfriend and people are just like “Eh,. 95. Collection. 20. 07. 09. According to Dave’s minions, there was confusion about. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 95. Oh, Dave. 1986 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. At 4:00, Warrior splashed Demolition Axe. 96 (Part Two) – In the top story, “Sycle” Sid won the WWF title in the main event of the Survivor Series. – Vince then called the show, FURIOUS about the misleading edit (POT, KETTLE, BLACK) and questioning the credibility of Bruno, who clearly had an axe to grind, and Alex Marvez, who dared to question the WWF’s commitment to testing after announcing it five times and not delivering. I’m not. Wrestling Observer Flashback –04. The show would air live every Saturday night, from New York, and would cater heavily to an. OK, after yesterday’s super-abbreviated edition (well the one I wrote at least, Dave was still 100,000 words into it) we’re back with a full double issue this time to recap all the stateside news! Continue reading Rants. 90. 14. 18. 28. Jim Herd has already killed the wrestling business, and now he’s working on killing the magic business. – Latest figures are in, and WCW is looking like a 0. 95. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but unspectacular”. The first wrestling move of the match came at 10:00, which was Hogan no-selling the powerbomb and making his comeback. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. It was basically just a backdrop for the Virgil babyface turn. Specifically, advertisers look at stuff like this and use it to justify their already terrible ad rates for pro wrestling shows. By Scott Keith on 1st January 2021. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall of Fame awaits! This one took me a little bit longer to write than last night’s quickie, obviously. 91. By Scott Keith on 24th February 2019. 26. By on 9th March 2017. 1. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback–09. Wish me luck! – The top story is Dave being confused by a unique gimmick match in Memphis, with Austin Idol v. 16. – Dave watched the 12/19 All Japan show, and dished out another full monty, this one for Misawa & Kobashi winning the tag team tournament over Kawada & Taue in. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. Tenta was pretty over during his one appearance, so EMLL is trying to get him back. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. 10. He literally stole Verne’s TV slot out from under him (the AWA wasn’t even told by the station until the day the show was supposed to air!) and Verne’s big show at the Cow Palace in March as a complete debacle due to scheduling. Raw drew its best 18-49 number since the start of football season. Although this one is dated after the Bash ‘90 PPV, the issue is written before. Mid Atlantic Gateway and Wrestling Observer historical files. 05. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. It’s just getting to be too much work to do the bookkeeping and maintenance for 800 people instead of 200, especially when he’s already got a full-time job now as editor for a soccer magazine. By Scott Keith on 23rd November 2017. And now it’s time for the issue that kicks off one of the biggest stories in the history of wrestling, although we didn’t realize it at the time. Warrior pinned Haku with the shoulderblock and splash in 4:48. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. OK, 2005 posts are FINALLY complete, and I got to see Star Wars, so let’s get back to Observing. Ah, wrestling, where one guy can beat up another guy for real and flush his head. 22. The one in 1995, although you might also assume I was talking about the NXT one recently because that one wasn’t great either. – Also on the show, Scott Norton & Tony Halme won the IWGP tag titles from the Steiner Brothers in kind of a stinker. 5-11-1987. By Scott Keith on 12th June 2016. Rude/Vader tag match, the highest rating for any wrestling match on TV in more than a year. 93. – Next up TV ratings, which went from an average of 2. Well it’s been two months. 14. – And now, let’s talk about pay-per-view. ”. Eaton did a scary kneedrop from the top rope to the ramp outside the ring for the highlight of the match. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. Dusty missed a blind charge and got pinned by Ted for the finish, ending his WWF career. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. By Scott Keith on 9th September 2016. – Eddie Gilbert was found dead in his apartment in Puerto Rico on 2/18, at age 33. 15. – The biggest question coming out of Wrestlemania XII is the future of Bret Hart, as he’s expected to finish the tour of Germany and then go on a hiatus until the end of the summer. 03. Wrestling Observer Flashback–10. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. After Stan Lane lost to the Patriot on the Global show, Cornette launched into a tirade about how it was a conspiracy against Stan, just like the cops conspired against his good friend. 89. We’ve gotta skip all of November due to more gaps, but at least I can now promise that everything from now on is 100% complete! And we didn’t miss Starrcade. – In the top story, the Justice Department dropped one of the charges against Titan Sports. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. 29. This hold up comes on the heels of two other major stories: Hennig is supposed to be heading to WWF, meanwhile. Jerry Lawler in a cage match where the loser gets his head shaved. Just like the Untouchables, if you sign two of ours to a guaranteed contract, we sign one of yours to a guaranteed contract! And his hot wife! – Johnny B. 95. 2. Baba had actually been. So with the year in PPV finally caught up, let us venture back to the world of 1994 again, with rumors of Hulk Hogan. Wrestlemania III was the best wrestling. I’ve noticed a sudden uptick in 1985-related questions on the Wrestling Observer radio show lately. Kayfabe Commentaries Releases Newest Installment of Their “Supercard” Series. Thanks for reading! UWFI president and top star Nobuhiko Takada announced that the company is officially going out of business and that the final show will be held this week. 27th May 2016 by Scott Keith. Wrestling Observer Flashback–01. – Next up, Dave offers a preview of the next WCW PPV, Uncensored, which he sums up thusly: “On paper it looks like a weak show as none of the matches look to be sure bets to be good. Owen Hart was the second-best star of the show after Flair. WWE Raw draws strong ratings despite historic NFL competition. 04. 7th. 95. 18. 95. Ocr. 89. 95. Here’s a shocking story to start this week’s issue: Dave is a really big fan of New Japan Pro Wrestling. 30, 1996 (Final Post for 1996) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. 77, or about the same as Starrcade. 2 million, making it the largest gate in pro wrestling history. Guess it’s time for another one of these. 19. 23. Also, Prime Time Wrestling is just getting destroyed on Monday nights and is down to a 1. – Dave notes that speaking of network TV, ABC was filming an episode of 20/20 at the MSG show, and one of the reporters asked Dr. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. THANKSGIVING FLASHBACK - November 23, 1972. ” (Now there’s an understatement!) – Based on current trends and advertising, SuperBrawl is looking to do. Bruiser Brody (“Nobody gives an aura of violent realism. 24. – Once again, it’s time for the most awesome feature in Observer Flashback history: – Our favorite whipping boy promotion, the UWF, debuted in New York with a TV taping, and surprisingly both Honky Tonk. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. 4. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback–10. 01. 15. Crockett! Dusty v. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. – Kevin Sullivan is a road agent now and appears done with wrestling. WWE News. history-of-wcw. 26, 1994 (Final Post for 1994) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. – While the World title may not change hands, the US title certainly will, since post-Clash TV direction has Steamboat winning the title and suffering a shoulder injury in the process. Just for fun, here’s Dave’s Summer 1984 Rankings. window replacement in Elkhart, IN. 90. – Hachiro Tanaka, the money guy behind SWS and WAR and a bunch of other groups, is reportedly tired of losing money in the wrestling business and wants out, according to the Takano brothers. – The Ole Anderson & Gordon Solie version of World Championship Wrestling returned to TBS on 8/13, so in fact we missed the entire Black Saturday era! – The Road Warriors won the AWA tag team titles from the Crusher & the Baron as Dave breathes a sigh of relief, and apparently this was booked very last minute because Vince. Hosted by Sean Oliver, he welcomes guest the Honky Tonk Man as he talks about SummerSlam ’88. Until then, there’s the Clash! – Dave was in Japan for DreamSlam (very short version: It was an amazing show) and missed the Clash of Champions from Jacksonville, but to say it wasn’t well received would be an. Wrestling Observer Flashback–06. Nasties sold well at least. 05. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. 94. By Scott Keith on 22nd August 2022. Collection. The. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. Tickets are 45,000 yen, which translates to $429, aka the most expensive wrestling tickets in history. 02. The Twin Towers beat the Rockers at 8:02 when Akeem splashed and pinned Michaels. Wrestling Observer Flashback–09. Also, be sure to check out the SquaredCircle subreddit, where some dude is RIPPING OFF MY. Obviously, doctors gave him some mumbo-jumbo diagnosis about “severe spinal disc and sciatic nerve damage”, and. I know, I know, what a bombshell. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. Well, that probably won’t happen again for a while. 23. 04. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. (My joke, not Dave’s) In freezing temperatures, Crockett had his showdown with Vince, featuring the debut of the NWA in Hamilton taking on Roddy Piper’s Canadian farewell in Toronto. For It’s Time. 94. 19. So let’s take a look at what’s going on in the international scene!6. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. Anyway, back to 1985 again… – The big news is that the war in St. – We’ll skip past the Mr. Join Dave Meltzer and Brian Alvarez for coverage of the latest in wrestling and mixed-martial arts. – Flair defended the World title on a pair of Mid-South shows in Oklahoma, but there’s no plans or indications of Watts joining the NWA. 06. And now it’s time for the MONDAY NIGHT WARS. 07. 88. Public Enemy went to a double DQ with the Nasty Boys in 4:02. Couldn’t do this one last night, because Daredevil is a thing that exists. 96. 3-21-1988. I believe that’s known as the Kerry Von Erich Special in wrestling. 29. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Well, 1988, as much as I love and care about you, it’s time our relationship came to an end again, just like James and Natalie on Big Brother last night. – Chris was of course around wrestling dressing rooms his whole life, and idolized Kerry in junior high to the point where he’d dress and act like him. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. Wrestling Flashback publishes wrestling list videos, top 10’s, the history of classic. 3. 6. Ocr. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. – In the top story, the UFC has decided to drop the superfight concept after the debacle that was Shamrock v. – To the WWF, where Wrestlemania III passed 70,000 tickets sold, officially making it the largest crowd ever to witness a wrestling show in North America. By Scott Keith on 19th March 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – Bret v. 14. 48 buyrate (120,000 buys) for the Great American Bash in June, with WWF doing 0. By Scott Keith on 19th April 2016. While it seemingly wasn’t a major milestone in his life at that. 92 By Scott Keith on 16th February 2017 Hey, I picked up a Nintendo DSi XL for $60 (Canadian) from EBGames and it’s pretty rad. Shawn Special Edition! Okey doke, so in the 1997 RAW rants thus far, we’ve alluded to the all the crazy stuff happening behind the scenes with Bret and Shawn, but what EXACTLY was that? Well, Dave was covering it extensively in the Observer at the time, so here’s a mini-Flashback covering the top. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. It drew a legit sellout of 5708 to West Palm Beach. Buyrate looks to be between 0. It's great historical reading of the rise and fall of wrestling's biggest boom period. Continue reading. Identifier. 10. 95 I love that the teaser for this one on the site is “Hotline sleaze award winner” because really it could be ANYTHING coming out of Mean Gene’s mouth. Regardless of everything else, the #1 rule of wrestling in situations like this is that you ALWAYS have the babyface’s hand raised at the end of the show if you pull a major bait-and-switch like this. – Inoki’s business-killing freakshow ended up drawing 11,000 people for somewhere between $800,000 – $1. – Dave’s opening salvo this week: “After its television show reached a new low in. The Vancouver version of the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in two National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Vancouver territories. Hogan! Starrcade ‘87 v. tesseract 5. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. Gene Anderson, founding member of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team died. 0 number predicted by. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 96 IT’S TIME. By Scott Keith on 22nd September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. – Bam Bam Bigelow is trying to get into the WWF, but word from on high is that he’s “too inexperienced”. Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1. Rants. 96. Well, amazingly he no-showed and they had to quickly contact another local promoter for some jobbers (there were only four name guys even booked for the. Was shit real before? Well, it’s about to become real. Indie wrestler Rockin' Rebel got a tryout at the tapings, and apparently upset Razor Ramon backstage because he was using some of Razor's mannerisms in the ring. He does 100 but we’ll just do the top 10 because otherwise I’d have to break this up into 5 parts instead of 2. By Scott Keith on 3rd October 2019. Topics. *. And since “long term thinking” these days is “three. Earthquake John Tenta was scheduled to work a tour for EMLL in Mexico, but left after one show, claiming he was stiffed on his payoff. By Scott Keith on 15th March 2021. 16. But this week, we’ve got Summerslam to attend to. 19. ” notes Dave. – It’s COLD WAR in Toronto. – Dave is kind of shocked at the response to Wrestlemania, in that it was not only one of the biggest responses to a show that he’s ever had, but also there was pretty much no consensus on the quality of the show, with a fairly even split between thumbs up /. 96. They even flew in Steve DiSalvo as part of the ring crew to. This was the one and only match in the whole tournament that actually showed why the division could. 88. The main event. 96 Can I make it more than two weeks in a row? TUNE INTO NITRO TO FIND OUT! – In our top story this week, UFC presented the Ultimate Ultimate 2! Dave is really into this shit all of a sudden. – Reportedly, World champion Mike Tyson has signed with the WWF to referee a match. Let’s take a break from being nostalgic for 1998 and be nostalgic for 1994 again for a bit! – It’s been quiet in the wrestling world leading up to Halloween Havoc, Dave notes. 16. “Hey look, it’s Joe Weider” – Not sure what that refers to, but I’m sure we’ll find out. 22. Perfect won a battle royale in 12:55. The team (Gene and Ole Anderson) dominated tag team. He apparently gave WAR $1. George Scott has been fired as booker and replaced by the duo of Gary Hart and David Manning, so things are at least booked better now. 567. A wrestling fan creating original content for YouTube based on my love for pro-wrestling. On May 2 they did an angle where the AWA World title was held up following a Bockwinkel/Hennig match where Hennig used a foreign object. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Max Moon was eliminated quickly because his spaceship was double-parked. 4. Terry Funk has retired. And now it’s time for the issue that kicks off one of the biggest stories in the history of wrestling, although we didn’t. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. – In a story that seems small but kind of ended up heralding the end of an era in wrestling, the way. This should be good. 87. 28. – Dave also got to see some tapes from Puerto Rico, which gives us the Observer debut of Invader #1, aka Stabby McMurderer. Inoki pinned Leon Spinks in the eighth round of whatever their match was supposed to be, cradling him after a double-leg and getting a five count. 11-4-1991. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 11th January 2017 by Scott Keith. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. 60 (150,000 buys) for King of the Ring. Ric Flair (“He’s slowed down a bit”) 2. 02. -Pro Wrestling 1983-1987. Identifier-ark. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 94. – Also, NBC is really sniffing around wrestling now like a dog in heat and they seem to desperately want to be in business with the WWF. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. By Scott Keith on 5th February 2016. 1985 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 95. 96. *1/2. 01. – It’s sounding like Scott Steiner will work Halloween Havoc, but won’t be doing much. Wrestling Observer Flashback–07. This week is one of them. 1985. 01. Back in the saddle with these again. – Zulu was fired from World Class for refusing to do a job to Mike Von Erich. – All Japan on 9/17 saw the debut of former Olympic wrestler Jun Akiyama, who was pinned by Kenta Kobashi in the semi-main of the show. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. 19 as I try to get as much done as possible in advance. So I guess it’s a Wrestling Observer Flashback Flashback. 96 September 9, 2023; Morning Daily News Update September 9, 2023; Mike Reviews WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 September 9, 2023; Question September 9, 2023; Jey Uso trade to Raw September 9, 2023; Weekend Wrestling! September 9, 2023Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. Warlord won a battle royale by tossing out Ricky Steamboat. Back to the trenches after taking Friday off! And the big story this week is an abject lesson in John Lennon’s famous saying, “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”. 95. – In Japan, SWS continues to alienate Japanese wrestling fans by booking WARLORD v. So you picked a great time to start reading! – In the top story, Jerry Lawler was accused of being a very, very bad boy. 09. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall. ) An industry shaking death in this issue, but. Dusty is certainly the top candidate, and that theory is bolstered by the house show results from the past week, which saw Dusty doing 90 second jobs to VIRGIL at every show. 96 And now it’s time for the issue that kicks off one of the biggest stories in the history of wrestling, although we didn’t. Bobby Eaton pinned Terrence Taylor in 15:41 with the Alabama Jam. 96 Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… – After 15 years of being the world’s biggest babyface, Hulk Hogan turned heel in the main event of WCW’s Bash at the Beach PPV in an angle that Dave thinks will be “remembered for years”. 94.