Also, Prime Time Wrestling is just getting destroyed on Monday nights and is down to a 1. as they did a matinee taping of the new Sunday edition of World Championship Wrestling in Atlanta, then did a show in Columbus GA, then finally. Dave notes we. 14. Observer Flashbacks; Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. They’re exclusively running small towns on the far Northern island of Japan, and mostly using lucha libre guys, which the mainstream papers didn’t really get. 5 to 2. 19. 96. By Scott Keith on 9th September 2016. Ken Wayne found the body after. 22. (Just wait until Slamboree. 27. – And now, let’s talk about pay-per-view. 95. The suit alleges unfair competition, trademark. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. – Dave also got to see some tapes from Puerto Rico, which gives us the Observer debut of Invader #1, aka Stabby McMurderer. 20. 95. The 2023 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame adds seven new members in a year where there were no blow away vote getters but a number. Unfortunately, he was the furthest thing from an. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. 5-4-1987. – Speaking of wanting to be in business with them, Jimmy Hart debuts in March as Greg Valentine’s manager, and King Kong Bundy debuts to have terrible matches with Hogan. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Piper on top. -The Mondo 19 most intriguing personalities of ‘86-30 key pro wrestling personalities of ‘86 with quick bios-Observer Awards, leading news stories of. ”. – As the date of his trail approached and the firestorm of publicity continued unabated, Barr managed to plea bargain down to first degree sexual abuse with 180 hours of community service and 2. 3. By Scott Keith on 22nd September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. This was the one and only match in the whole tournament that actually showed why the division could. Also, the fears about Sting winning the IWGP title from Muta proved unfounded, as Muta retained in a disappointing match where he was trying to be The Great Muta instead of Keiji Muto. But I think it’s a pretty famous case of hotline sleaze related to Blackwell’s death. – Jim Cornette Update: He turned down the WCW managing job because he’s opening up a new promotion with Sandy Scott and Tim Horner called “Smokey Mountain Wrestling”, starting on 10/30 in Greenville. 06. By Scott Keith on 12th June 2016. I’m actually recovering from a shoulder injury at work today but I’ll power through an Observer Flashback for you. Topics. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. By Scott Keith on 19th April 2016. 95. 5-11-1987. I’m giddy. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Despite the strained relationship, Florida still bills itself as NWA wrestling. It's great historical reading of the rise and fall of wrestling's biggest boom period. Perfect won a battle royale in 12:55. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. – The Rougeaus are telling Montreal newspapers that they’re taking a one year sabbatical from wrestling before returning late in 1990. Back in the saddle with these again. 19. The government side says it’s for “tactical reasons”, while the WWF. And now it’s time for the MONDAY NIGHT WARS. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. By Scott Keith on 1st June 2019. 25. 11th January 2017 by Scott Keith. This week, a big name goes to the rival promotion in the thick of the Monday Night Wars! Call my hotline now to find out the answer! – Hiroshi Hase made a surprising jump from New Japan to All Japan this week, announcing on 9/29 that he’s starting with AJPW in January. Here’s a shocking story to start this week’s issue: Dave is a really big fan of New Japan Pro Wrestling. (This is why Dave needs an editor. Well, sort of. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. The NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1978 until 1984,. I just don’t think things are gonna work out for that promotion. 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”. By on 9th March 2017. Dave also lists the match with the Rock N Roll Express v. 96. 05. Wrestling Observer Flashback–09. – The big story this week is Dave’s preview of the Ultimate Ultimate 96!. 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. By Scott Keith on 5th February 2016. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. And now, Dave would like to talk about PPV. Oh, and WCW tried to make a mini-movie and it didn’t go very well. Basically Vince sent his PR people to the magazine to produce what Phil Mushnick of the New York Post (no relation to Sam or Irv, Dave notes, although we’ll get to know Phil very well in later years) called a “six page. OK, let’s try this one more time. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. – Paul Heyman was indefinitely suspended on 10/7 for reasons that are still unknown at press time (still unknown to this day, in fact!) and this is gonna mess up their plans big because the (don’t call it a ) booking committee wanted to switch him back from announcer to manager if they could strike a deal with Rick Rude. The show would air live every Saturday night, from New York, and would cater heavily to an. 96. Raw drew its best 18-49 number since the start of football season. – Brad Armstrong will be coming back again, this time as the Candy Man, who throws candy to the kids as his gimmick. – So things are getting mighty crowded on TBS, in what would turn out to be a giant turning point for the wrestling industry. C. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. 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. – Art Barr’s petition for a wrestling license was denied by the commission once again. – The really big news coming out of the first head-to-head meeting of RAW and Nitro is that WCW immediately took the lead in the ratings war, with a 2. Wrestling Observer Flashback–06. – The top story of the week, and for a long time in general, was Ron Garvin winning the NWA World title from Ric Flair on 9/25 in their debut in Joe Louis Arena. (Clearly Wrestlemania had not become the thing it is today, because $429 barely gets you a nosebleed seat at this point. 18. 90. Maybe if I skim over the Eddie Gilbert stuff it’ll get done easier. 04. 2. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. – The WWF is reportedly considering adding a weekly Saturday PPV show, according to trade journal reports. 92. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. 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. – Fall Brawl was great undercard wrestling, bad main event, and booking filled with more holes than Swiss Cheese. By Scott Keith on 10th July 2016. 03. 96. – 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 /. 05. Just for fun, here’s Dave’s Summer 1984 Rankings. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. 5. I know, I know, what a bombshell. This is the incredible story about the people who brought Lucha Libre into America in the 1990s and the many challenges they faced! Hijo del Santo and Blue. 48 buyrate (120,000 buys) for the Great American Bash in June, with WWF doing 0. – Mexico’s wrestling companies are gearing up for a full-scale strike of wrestlers and referees, with syndicate head Manny Guzman calling for job action over EMLL’s network TV deal. 96 Apparently it’s time for WCW to get rowdy. 3/4. 60 and 0. )3. 08. – Dave gets a funny bit when he notes that ever since taking over as booker, Dundee has suddenly gained amazing recuperative powers in his matches. Also, be sure to check out the SquaredCircle subreddit, where some dude is RIPPING OFF MY. – 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. I guess I’ll just be typing one-handed. Pillman was a little rusty but still got an excellent match out of Wright. Jim Herd has already killed the wrestling business, and now he’s working on killing the magic business. DUD – Ric Flair still hasn’t officially signed with the WWF, but it’s a formality at this point. – 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. 07. Wrestling Observer / Figure Four. 96 (Part Two) – In the top story, “Sycle” Sid won the WWF title in the main event of the Survivor Series. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. NEXT WEEK: The Monday Night War begins. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. 0-1. Pillman was playing subtle heel to start and got less subtle as the match went on. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Terry Funk has retired. Guys, it sounds like the Diamond Studd will soon be appearing in WCW again! We’ll see how that goes for them. The New Foundation beat the Orient Express in 17:18. – The new Stampede Wrestling has already taken all but one of the WWF’s TV clearances in Western Canada, so this doesn’t seem to be a winning venture for Vince. – Dave reviews the 1/21 MSG show (which did NOT sell out, he notes, although he assumes that the War to Settle the Score sold out both the arena and the Felt Forum):Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. 96 You know, for someone so washed up and done as a top guy, Ric Flair sure keeps winning World titles, doesn’t he? – Let us take you back to 1989, as Ric Flair came off a big year with memorable matches against Rick Steamboat and Terry Funk, but the year was a failure for Turner. Curiosity over Kevin’s return is. ). Anyway, back to 1985 again… – The big news is that the war in St. 94. By Scott Keith on 9th November 2017. ”) 3. Nasty Boys retained the tag titles over the Bushwackers in 6:46. 16. 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. 31. It was basically just a backdrop for the Virgil babyface turn. 10. 3-21-1988. They even flew in Steve DiSalvo as part of the ring crew to. Rants. I’m still not 100% clear on how we got from “Jim Crockett attempts to run Florida into the ground” to “Jim Crockett buys Florida and uses it as a feeder system for his own promotion”, but I’m sure we’ll get there. 04. 15. – In Japan, SWS continues to alienate Japanese wrestling fans by booking WARLORD v. Wolf, where. Production quality was high, the wrestling quality not so much. Dave thinks that the competition will be mostly for the better, with faster-moving storylines and better wrestling on TV. Ted Dibiase & Virgil beat Dusty & Dustin Rhodes at 9:57. There’s a big main event at the Tokyo Dome! And it sure didn’t go down how anyone expected. – Dan Severn won the Ultimate Ultimate on 12/16 in Denver after all the controversy over the show, beating Oleg Taktarov in the finals via unanimous decision. Gene Anderson, founding member of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team died. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. Baba had actually been. This got the most heat of the night from all the sumo fans, because they’re not hardcore wrestling fans and just knew Kitao as the “bad boy”, and thus booed the shit out of him and cheered everything Earthquake did. tesseract 5. 06. 95. 29. Severn. 14. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. – 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. THANKSGIVING FLASHBACK - November 23, 1972. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. – And now, a turning point for the Observer, although we didn’t know it at the time, as Dave announces that he’s taken a job with the National, writing a wrestling column for the paper. 11-4-1991. The debut of Giant Gonzalez (who was “wearing Ultimate Warrior’s old underwear”) perked things up again. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. He’ll return for real on 11/20, but will be false advertised as appearing in tag team matches on the road against the Enforcers and subbed out when the show starts. Andre started in the sport at the age of 12, already 6’3”, and fell in with a. By Scott Keith on 4th June 2016. – 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. Baba apparently has plans to give Akiyama a major push down the line. -. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 96. – In the top story, Sports Illustrated had a story on the WWF in March, and no one in mainstream media really gave a shit. The Twin Towers beat the Rockers at 8:02 when Akeem splashed and pinned Michaels. 22. 87. I think once I wrap up 88 I’ll continue into 1989, and then when we reach the end of THAT year, we’ll go back to 1985 again. 26. 88. *. 16. 07. – So, Dave says goodbye and announces that this is the final issue of the Observer. 06. Wrestling Observer Flashback–01. – The show drew 7000 with 4700 paid and a $94,000 house. 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,. Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive talk about the biggest news in wrestling! Wrestling Observer Live podcast on demand - Wrestling Observer Live is among the most popular wrestling shows in the world. 95 (Carrying on! Another one written on or about 09. He apparently gave WAR $1. 94. So I guess it’s a Wrestling Observer Flashback Flashback. 13. ” (Now there’s an understatement!) – Based on current trends and advertising, SuperBrawl is looking to do. 91. “Hey look, it’s Joe Weider” – Not sure what that refers to, but I’m sure we’ll find out. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. The PPV showdown of 1987 is upon us! It’s Vince v. So don’t be disappointed at the lack of a review here. By Scott Keith on 18th April 2022. 96. 95. 90. 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. 30, 1996 (Final Post for 1996) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. By Scott Keith on 3rd October 2019. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. 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. 86. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. By Scott Keith on 14th August 2016. 93. 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. Tenta was pretty over during his one appearance, so EMLL is trying to get him back. For It’s Time. – The WWF is on hiatus for a bit after WM, so Dave apologizes in advance for the light news week. The one in 1995, although you might also assume I was talking about the NXT one recently because that one wasn’t great either. The biggest story of the week is actually buried way down. Jerry Lawler in a cage match where the loser gets his head shaved. – In the Deep South, the main guys are Wrestling II and Tommy Rich, and they run out of Georgia. Um, never mind. Louis Wrestling Club from running. 27. Just like in the old days, it’s a NEWSFLASH to start the issue! Well, a results flash, actually, as the Tokyo Dome show came in too late for a proper review. ark:/13960/t2z39wg7w. Lex Luger jumped out of the final mystery box to attack Sting, injuring the wrong leg (Instinct on Luger’s part due to all his lucha libre experience, Dave notes) but it was a pretty great angle. 95. – Van Hammer won the arm wrestling tournament, beating Ron Simmons in the finals, which Dave interprets as continuing his newfound push. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the. – In the top story, the WWF held a press conference, which got more attention in Mexico, to announce that Royal Rumble 97 would be held in the Alamo Dome in San. Dodge Iowa. 18. 27. 1985 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. 03. – Latest word on Maeda is that he’s got a new promotion in March, but Takada won’t come with. Daprice did every issue for the 90's through 2001. – In the top story, Titan Sports filed a lawsuit against World Championship Wrestling on 6/20, stemming from the invasion angle with Hall and Nash. com & WrestlingObserver. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Public Enemy went to a double DQ with the Nasty Boys in 4:02. By Scott Keith on 16th December 2017. – Michinoku Pro debuted on 3/16 to huge amounts of local publicity, since they’re the first attempt at a regional promotion in the country. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. – Over to Japan, where Nobuhiko Takada had announced plans to retire, at which point UWFI whiplashed and put out their own press release, noting that what Takada had MEANT TO SAY was that he was THINKING of retiring at age 35, which was two years away. 95. 93. 94. 26. 22. Collection. . 16. – 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. 23. – Vince McMahon is apparently planning to sue Sgt. 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. So in fact apparently there was a shitload of wrestling fans in Chicago that weekend ready to spend money, but advantage Verne on that night. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 10-21-1991. Wrestling Observer Flashback–09. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Identifier-ark. 94. 09. 96 (Part Two) BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! – ECW also held their biggest show ever, the 1996 November to Remember, which was an immediate sellout of 1500 people at the ECW Arena, and Dave even attended the show! – Steve Richards pinned David Morton Tyler Jericho in 9:25, as Stevie had his. – 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. 14. 96. But first! An update on the Shawn Michaels incident in Syracuse. 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. 4. Dave thinks it was counterproductive to kill off the Rockers like that. 22. 2 victory. 22. 17. So with the year in PPV finally caught up, let us venture back to the world of 1994 again, with rumors of Hulk Hogan. I’ve noticed a sudden uptick in 1985-related questions on the Wrestling Observer radio show lately. 90. 3. 0 number predicted by. I was actually going to redo the Halloween Havoc 90 rant based on the full PPV version that I’ve never seen…but the Network only has the Turner Home Video version. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. 95. 29. – 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 – 01. I know, I know, I’ll give you a minute to let it sink in. – To Mexico, where it looks like EMLL is about to split. Collection. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. 96 IT’S TIME. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Warlord won a battle royale by tossing out Ricky Steamboat. The idea is to combine a bunch of small promotions into the Global Wrestling Federation, with offices in five different regions, including Jarrett now officially going back into Dallas to run the USWA there again. 94 (Part 2) – In the only non-tournament match on the show, Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck won the tag titles from the Public Enemy after Terry Funk missed his flight and couldn’t make the show. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. He was indicted on 11/12 on counts. on November 22, 1990 – “Survivor Series ’90. 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. 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. com~!Wrestling Observer Rewind • Dec. 25. 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. 03. 01. 19. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 88. Understated Wrestling Observer Debuts! So new to the Memphis area is a prelim guy named Scotty the Body, who is getting booked like a total nothing and apparently his. Get all the news from F4WOnline. 92. 01. – Dave relates a brief history of World Championship Wrestling, and how TBS purchased the company in 1988 despite their crippling debt. There are moments when you can pinpoint exactly when a major promotion started to go completely off the rails. 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. Dave thinks that the WWF is turning into more of a circus of litigation than a wrestling company. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. 86. – Zulu was fired from World Class for refusing to do a job to Mike Von Erich. Steve Jennum was put into the finals as a last-minute. 5 to a 2. – Interestingly, the WWF was shown to be popular with 18-25 year olds, with men twice as well represented as women. 10-28-1991. Marc Mero pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 16:23. ”. Brian Pillman pinned Badstreet with a flying bodypress in the light heavyweight tournament semi-final at 6:52. He was the person credited with popularizing the superplex, although he didn’t invent it. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 29. – Inoki’s business-killing freakshow ended up drawing 11,000 people for somewhere between $800,000 – $1. 23. 95 (Part 1) So after Dave takes a week off, it’s a DOUBLE ISSUE featuring Wrestlemania XI, the show that drew so much money that Dave needed a second issue to contain it all!Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 21. 21. Trying to power through this one before UFC 200. 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. A wrestling fan creating original content for YouTube based on my love for pro-wrestling. 88. Max Moon was eliminated quickly because his spaceship was double-parked. By Scott Keith on 18th October 2016. 1. – Antonio Inoki is trying to get into the boxer v. Continue reading. 4. 02. So you picked a great time to start reading! – In the top story, Jerry Lawler was accused of being a very, very bad boy. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 94. 01. – The top story is the apparent end of Pacific Northwest Wrestling, as the TV show was abruptly cancelled by the TV station after 38 years on the air. Rants. Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. – In the top story of the week, and in fact one of the top stories in wrestling history, Ric Flair was fired from WCW effective immediately when negotiations fell through. Join Dave Meltzer and Brian Alvarez for coverage of the latest in wrestling and mixed-martial arts. wrestling business himself, negotiating with Buster Douglas for a Tokyo Dome show in March. 0. 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. I believe that’s known as the Kerry Von Erich Special in wrestling. 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. Hogan! Starrcade ‘87 v. This hold up comes on the heels of two other major stories: Hennig is supposed to be heading to WWF, meanwhile. – Dave brings up the example of New Japan’s light heavyweight division taking off and Stampede Wrestling’s mid-heavyweight division, although of course Stampede tended to produce talent that left for greener pastures instead of. 87.