The House Show Formula
By Scott Keith on June 19, 2019
Hello there,
A couple questions about how 80s/90s WWF house shows were put together:
1) As we all know, the classic formula for the major feuds was to do multiple runs around the circuit: one guy gets counted out/DQ'd the first time through, the other guy gets counted out/DQ'd the second time, the babyface gets the clean win the last time
around to cash it out. I'm wondering if there was ever any worry that fans would get wise to the formula and stop showing up the first time, knowing there wouldn't be a payoff.
around to cash it out. I'm wondering if there was ever any worry that fans would get wise to the formula and stop showing up the first time, knowing there wouldn't be a payoff.
2) Where did the tag champs get positioned on the WWF house shows? They generally didn't headline (I'll admit I haven't judiciously consulted house show cards, so I could be all wet here), even on C tours. So where would they usually work? B-show undercard?
A-show? Or was it just case-by-case based on how popular the team was?
A-show? Or was it just case-by-case based on how popular the team was?
1. Sometimes fans DID get wise and they would change things up or else take it as a sign that a feud wasn't going to work and try something else next time. Believe it or not there used to be quite a lot of thought put into it when the local promoters actually had a stake in the shows doing well.
2. Case by case. When the Can-Am Connection were chasing the Hart Foundation in 87, for example, they were actually headlining shows with that feud. The Bulldogs headlined a few as well. From Demolition onwards it was kind of a middle-of-the-card deal, although a lot of times you'd get the real main event with Hogan or whatever just before the intermission, and then the tag championship would close the actual show. The tag titles were usually either A-show midcard or B-show main event, though.
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