Wrestling Observer Flashback–02.13.89

I feel like Wrestlemania V would have been way more effective if they had held Hulk Hogan off TV for weeks leading up to the show, you know, to make sure people didn’t boo him.  Seems logical to me!

To 1989 we go, with one of the most awesome real life storyline swerves ever!

PREPARE THE SAD TROMBONE!

– OK, so you know how we’ve been talking about Ted Turner putting on WrestleWar 89 opposite Wrestlemania and how it was this big game of brinksmanship where TBS was flexing their cable muscle?  So after Turner went to the trade magazines basically bragging about how they were going to knock Vince off PPV, the REAL story came out, like the twist in a Vince Russo storyline.  Remember a couple of issues back how Vince dropped his ridiculous demands for a high cut of the PPV money in order to entice the cable companies back onto his side?  Well, it turns out that was their endgame all along!  In fact it was the cable companies who egged Turner into running in opposition of Vince, got him to schedule a PPV for 4/2 with promises of only carrying the NWA show instead of the WWF one, and then when Vince dropped his asking price to a reasonable level, they whipped off their hood and yelled “IT WAS US TED, IT WAS US ALL ALONG!”.  So it turns out that none of the providers had any intention of actually airing WrestleWar and it was all just an awesome way to knock Vince off his pedestal that had the bonus of making the NWA look incredibly foolish. 

WAH WAH WAH…

– This also, by the way, basically established the traditional split of PPV revenues that lasted until this day, approximately 40 for the wrestling company, 40 for the cable company and 20 for the PPV middleman. 

– So to save face, TBS authorized a free Clash of Champions show to replace the PPV, airing from the Superdome and featuring a Flair-Steamboat main event.  There is, however, already rumblings from the cable companies that they don’t like this idea.

– The WWF held their second Main Event show in Prime Time, and reaction is split wildly.  The show featured the Megapowers v. Twin Towers match that ran over 22 minutes, but most of it was commercial breaks or Hogan’s horrible acting during the Liz “injury”.  Dave notes that Hulk even called for the a time countdown at one point on air.  But as bad as Hogan was, Dave raves about Savage’s performance as the jealous madman who cuts a blistering promo on Hulk and throws down Elizabeth. 

– Jose Gonzales was acquitted of all charges in the Bruiser Brody trial, mostly because all the American witnesses disappeared and everyone from the Puerto Rican side of the promotion testified for Gonzales.  You can tell Dave is just seething about the results of the trial. 

– NBC is now planning on airing Inoki’s wacky international Team Challenge Series idea (In Soviet Russia, turkey puts YOU on pole!) on TV, with Jeff Blatnick doing announcing.  I’m assuming someone at the network was high when they proposed this idea.

– All Japan actually had a show on 2/2 in the US, a co-promotion with Central States, and yes, this was a real thing that existed and was taped for TV and yes, I’ve seen it.  It was mostly notable for producing the only Bulldogs v. RNR Express match ever (a 30 minute draw that was decent) and a Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy v. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshi Yatsu main event, on US soil no less, that tore down the house.  Apparently they did the crazy stiff Hansen tag match and then poor Mike George had to go out there as the “real” main event because it was his territory, at which point everyone in the crowd left. 

– Roddy Piper is definitely coming back to wrestling full-time, since movie offers aren’t exactly pouring in, and he’s just waiting to see which side makes him the best offer.

– The AWA has started completely burying Jerry Lawler on TV, to the point where it’s completely embarrassing to listen to, while Lawler has been doing radio and saying Verne Gagne still thinks it’s 1950.  He’s not wrong.

– Wendi Richter got in trouble on a recent flight after she got drunk and whipped out her snake.  An actual snake that got brought onto the carry-on with her.  Man, it was a different time before 9/11.

– The Samoan Swat Team have apparently had enough of the Von Erichs and no-showed all their recent dates, apparently on their way to the NWA.

– Down in Memphis, newly heel Ricky Morton takes a piledriver from Jerry Lawler and starts wearing a neckbrace, claiming that he can’t wrestle. However, when he was wrestling in prison shows (for charity, I’d assume, and not because of failure to pay child support…yeah, that’s the ticket) he discovered a big monster who destroyed all his opponents in prison…THE MASTER OF PAIN.  Lawler’s in trouble now!  Dave doesn’t know anything about this mysterious masked prisoner except that he’s really big and really terrible.  I bet his prison record was 21-1.

– The Dallas newspapers ran a story on the Kerry foot incident, but World Class is still desperately trying to bury it.

– Although the Main Event 2 drew the second-highest viewership of any wrestling show in US history (with 10 million viewers), it was actually a major flop by network standards.  The show it replaced, Father Dowling Mysteries, normally draws 15 million viewers a week, and Main Event lost to both Perfect Strangers and this new show called “Full House” that aired opposite and did 17 million viewers.  My mind is being blown at these ratings numbers and the idea of a show drawing 10 million people on a Friday night being considered a massive bust at the time.

– So yeah, WM5 tickets are on sale, and they’re raking in the dough already.

– Apparently the WWF will be creating a new singles title over the summer.  Zuh?  I wonder if that’s referring to the “King” title. 

– Dave notes that Savage’s heel turn was so effective that fans are now cheering for Bad News Brown in their house show matches. 

– Turns out that former “Russian” Al Blake (aka Vladimir Petrov) was in prison for coke trafficking since disappearing a few years back, but he’ll be released shortly.  I wonder if he fought the mysterious Master of Pain while incarcerated? 

– Barry Windham has apparently signed a new deal with the NWA, so he’s staying put. 

– Jimmy Garvin was going to come in right away, but has postponed it. 

– The Samoans are indeed coming in as Paul E.’s new tag team once the Original Midnights leave after the PPV.

– Dave wonders why they would schedule a Clash show for the Superdome and end up with a 90% empty arena on national TV?  Good question, actually. 

– Vince McMahon called up Ted Turner to make peace and offer a truce where they would agree not to raid each other or sabotage any more PPVs.

I just can’t even top that one for comedy, so we’ll wrap it up right there.