Wrestling Observer Flashback–12.22.86

It’s our third straight of the dreaded Slow News Weeks over the Christmas season. I can only save so many of these with dank memes, Dave!

Previously… http://blogofdoom.com/index.php/2016/06/14/wrestling-observer-flashback-12-15-86/

– So as noted, not a lot going on this week. Dave stops to analyze the way that the business is going, with Crockett posing a much stronger threat to Titan right now than he should be able to, because the WWF can’t draw when Hogan isn’t on the card. The cartoon has been dropping rapidly in the ratings and merchandising isn’t what it once was, whereas Crockett has become a stronger promoter in 86 than he was at the same time in 85. Dave is still beating the “Vince had better change or his business is in trouble!” drum even though Hogan has been champion for three years now with no signs of slowing down and Vince continues to destroy every other promoter outside of Crockett and Watts. I guess it’s easier to see this stuff in the big picture years later when we’re not writing a weekly newsletter in the thick of it, but man, he was just so completely wrong about all of this.

– Curt Hennig is definitely staying in the AWA, with a promise of the World title and a raise as incentive. Curt had actually already agreed to a verbal deal with the WWF, but Verne wanted to keep him so badly he was actually willing to spend money to do so. Dave is under the assumption that the title change is happening immediately so that Hennig can tour Japan as champion, but Verne managed to string him along until May.

– Barry Windham & Ron Garvin won the US tag titles at the TV tapings on 12/9, and Dave’s not sure about this one because Barry should really be pushed as a singles guy and #1 contender to Flair’s title. Which he would be.

– Dave notes that in case you were wondering why there’s a drug problem in wrestling, just check out Crockett’s insane schedule where guys do Charlotte at night, go to Atlanta to tape TV in the morning, fly to Baltimore for an afternoon show, and then finish with a night show in Philly before flying out to Chicago the next day. That’s 10 matches in two days (or more!) for most of the guys.

– Crockett goes head-to-head with Vince in Baltimore on 1/10 as Vince will counter with “an abortion of a show” featuring Randy Savage v. Andre the Giant on top. He hasn’t even seen the match yet!

– The John Nord deal isn’t going to happen, because he’s happy selling cars again and wants to spend time with his baby. What a wuss.

– Latest on Magnum is that he now has full control of his arms and can eat by himself again.

– To the WWF, where Dynamite Kid suffered a fractured spine in Hamilton against Muraco & Orton, but the heels didn’t realize what had happened and beat his brains in with chairs while they waited for the next spot. Kid might be out for a while.

– The hot rumor right now is that Andre the Giant might actually return as a heel to face Hogan at Wrestlemania. Just a rumor, mind you.

– Actual Dave quote: “Speaking of Wrestlemania, it takes place 3/29 and I think it’s going to be quite difficult for it to be financially successful.” I feel like someone should embroider that on a quilt and send it to him.

– Wrestlemania is still scheduled to take place in three cities, and the original choices were New York, LA and Toronto, but Leafs owner Harold Ballard wanted too big of a cut so he’s out.

– Ricky Steamboat did some PR work for the company this past week, still selling the throat injury by wearing a bandage around his neck and never speaking.

– As best that Dave can tell, there aren’t actually any matches scheduled between Savage and Bruno. Bruno doesn’t really want to do the program anyway.

– Paul Orndorff is working with a pinched nerve in his neck, but only missed a couple of shows because as we found out later, he didn’t want to pass up the thousands of dollars he was making every night.

– Vic Steamboat debuted in Florida, but Dave is so distrustful of wrestling relationships that he wants to see him in person to verify that he’s the real Victor Steamboat.

– The hot rumor in World Class is that Gary Hart has taken over as booker again. Dave thinks that it’s such a bonkers idea that it can’t be true. Well, it was.

– Although Fritz’s syndication company was on the chopping block because of the parent station being up for sale, everything full through and the status quo will continue for the World Class production team. That would have been DEATH for the company if it had happened.

– Apparently lots of newspapers are running weekly wrestling columns, catering to smarter fans. Dave hopes that Vince and Verne realize that this might start exposing their taping results and such and they should prepare accordingly. Yeah right, it took Vince ten years into the internet era to start paying attention to those kinds of details.

– To Japan, where Maeda avoided contract nastiness by signing a new one year deal for himself and all the UWF crew, since they negotiate as a single unit.

– Inoki really really wants that match with Bruiser Brody, but Sekiguchi wants nothing to do with it. Maeda went on record as saying that they should take all the money that they were going to pay Brody and just divide it among themselves. That’s my kind of guy.

– Dave’s new prospect for the future in the UWF: Eli the Eliminator, who is tall and muscular and thus should succeed in the business. Well, he didn’t.

– To the letters as this dud of an issue heads towards the finish, with the first appearance of one Scott Hudson in the reader pages! He complains about Starrcade being a dud and the main event was terrible.

– In the update section, Dave notes that the Road Warriors aren’t actually under contract to Crockett and that doesn’t look to change.

– Outback Jack was actually supposed to debut this week for the SNME taping, but he’s taking forever to learn anything in Calgary and so he’s been delayed again. Get used to reading THAT.

– For those who asked, Steve Williams beat One Man Gang to win the PWI tournament.

– Kerry Von Erich will be acting as manager for Mike Von Erich for the time being while his leg re-heals, and I personally hope he steers clear of cheeseburgers.

– Vince is giving Dynamite Kid 60 days to figure his back situation out, or else they’re going to have to drop the titles. How big of him.

Next time, we wrap up 1986!