Wrestling Observer Flashback–11.13.89

I still can’t believe Dave didn’t like Halloween Havoc. Well, he goes into a lengthy discussion of it this week to start, anyway…

– Fan reaction to the show continues to come in hot and heavy, with the poll split dramatically between thumbs up and down in a tight race. As far as the buyrate, the company had predicted a 1.5 and in fact they got a 1.77, which is a little over 200,000 buys and pretty damn good for what was looking like a potential disaster just a week earlier.

– Thankfully Dave boosts some of his initial low ratings after seeing the show on tape (which were based on watching the show live in Philly) including the Samoans v. Midnights six-man and the Luger-Pillman match. Dave felt that the “electrified cage” idea was a flop, however, especially when they had to pull the plug (LITERALLY!) after the pre-match fire.

– Dave and a lot of other people are thinking that the sudden push to have everyone chanting for Luger (even though he’s a heel) is a not-so-subtle effort from those in power to replace Flair as the top guy.

– Dave responds to the Verne Gagne comment about Bruiser Brody “getting what he deserved” and notes that although others have said similar things, it really makes Verne look like a low-class scumbag to wish someone’s death over a minor business disagreement with the man. As Dave says, if it was a worked comment building to a grudge match or something, that’s one thing, but this was apparently Verne’s honest feelings.

– In the USWA, Lawler defended the World title against Terry Gordy, as the situation is now apparently that he holds the title in some cities, but not in others, depending on how they feel that day. This was the main event of a show that drew 350 people, not coincidentally.

– Also on that show, Chris Adams was doing a squash for TV when Gary Young and Billy Travis ran in, handcuffed Adams to the ropes, and then pulled off Toni’s skirt and spanked her bare ass. FOR A TV ANGLE.

– I have bad news. Eric Embry has finally stepped down as booker of the USWA because he’s “run out of ideas”. Thankfully that has never happened to Vince Russo.

– New to Memphis: Jobber Lou Fabbiano has been rebranded as The New York Brawler. They’re not even TRYING anymore.

– Speaking of not trying, the Original Freddy (Tommy Gilbert) is feuding with the Imposter Freddy (Doug Gilbert).

– Here’s an interesting twist of fate: Lawler had been fired as booker in favor of Dutch Mantell, but kept power over his own programs. So Dutch went to the Soultaker and fired him for being too green, but then later in the night Lawler was going over the finish to their match and decided to put him over and thus make Soultaker one of the only guys to go from being fired to World champion in the same day!

– The main event of the next WWA show is Mike George against Bulldog Bob Brown. “Run, don’t walk, to the ticket office for that one!” declares Dave.

– Scott Norton has returned to the AWA, for all of you up at night worrying about him.

– To the WWF, where the Genius apparently got a countout win over Hulk Hogan at the SNME tapings and all the guys who put over Hogan for the past year are PISSED. More on that one next week, I’m guessing. Also, Vince basically held a gun to the Brainbusters’ heads and made them drop two straight falls to the Rockers because their contract turned out to be completely valid and he refused to let them out of it unless they went out on their backs.

– Dave notes that the WWF is going to do their own version of the Robin Green angle, with “an overweight black woman” who may have been a wrestler in the early 70s.

– WWF is back to booking double shots on weekends and guys are already dropping like flies from injuries and exhaustion.

– Bob Orton had his interview and they gave him the old “We’ve got nothing right now but we’ll let you know” deal.

– Dave doesn’t actually think Hogan v. Warrior is happening, and says to bank on Hogan v. Zeus as the main event.

– The Steiners won the tag titles from the Freebirds at the 11/1 tapings, but it won’t air (probably) until 11/18, so the Freebirds v. Warriors match at the Clash will likely be a title match.

– Tully & Arn actually, from the legal standpoint, told the WWF that they wanted out of their contract for an offer from Japan, which is how they were able to avoid a no-compete issue.

And finally, Dave is pretty sure that Doom isn’t gonna get over with masks. And that was true!