– Interestingly, the WWF was shown to be popular with 18-25 year olds, with men twice as well represented as women. – 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. – Dave’s opening salvo this week: “After its television show reached a new low in. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 96 Can I make it more than two weeks in a row? TUNE INTO NITRO TO FIND OUT! – In our top story this week, UFC presented the Ultimate Ultimate 2! Dave is really into this shit all of a sudden. – 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. 29. Hogan! Starrcade ‘87 v. The theory at the beginning was that the “universe” would increase exponentially as more homes got PPV, but now it’s apparent that there’s a set number of wrestling fans out there who will buy these things and adding more homes doesn’t mean automatically adding the same percentage of buys. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. By Scott Keith on 29th August 2016. Dave thinks it was counterproductive to kill off the Rockers like that. 1985. Whoa oh, whoa oh, it’s Wrestlemania. By Scott Keith on 12th June 2016. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but. – 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. 96 By Scott Keith on 15th September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Well, that probably won’t happen again for a while. I’ve noticed a sudden uptick in 1985-related questions on the Wrestling Observer radio show lately. Big John Tenta pinned Koji Kitao with an elbowdrop in 6:10. – In our top story, Roddy Piper made a surprise debut at the end of the Halloween Havoc show, doing what Dave describes as an “undisciplined dialogue” with Hollywood Hogan that actually ran past the expiration of their PPV time. 21. By Scott Keith on 19th April 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. – 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. 95. 31. The WWF drew 16000 and Crockett drew 3000, so point to Vince on that one. – Vince then called the show, FURIOUS about the misleading edit (POT, KETTLE, BLACK) and questioning the credibility of Bruno, who clearly had an axe to grind, and Alex Marvez, who dared to question the WWF’s commitment to testing after announcing it five times and not delivering. Observer Flashbacks; Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. – Also on the show, Scott Norton & Tony Halme won the IWGP tag titles from the Steiner Brothers in kind of a stinker. 04. – 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. -. 96. It’s the year end awards issue! Lots to argue about here, I’m sure. Continue reading Rants. Dodge Iowa. 94. The team (Gene and Ole Anderson) dominated tag team. *3/4. Michaels worked his ass off, although it came out later that he was hungover and stoned at the time. So with the year in PPV finally caught up, let us venture back to the world of 1994 again, with rumors of Hulk Hogan. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. – In the Deep South, the main guys are Wrestling II and Tommy Rich, and they run out of Georgia. 95. 77, or about the same as Starrcade. 2022-03-05 07:34:36. 22. 96. The TNT show is dropping rapidly, which shows that the new audience of freakshow fans is far less than the loyal wrestling fans who choose not to watch that one. -Pro Wrestling 1983-1987. 03. (My joke, not Dave’s) In freezing temperatures, Crockett had his showdown with Vince, featuring the debut of the NWA in Hamilton taking on Roddy Piper’s Canadian farewell in Toronto. Which is still 10 pages long. Guys, it sounds like the Diamond Studd will soon be appearing in WCW again! We’ll see how that goes for them. He was at the other guys’ PPVs this year taking notes, as well as New Japan and All Japan’s major shows. 27th May 2016 by Scott Keith. 90. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. 95. 0-1. 1. Wrestling Observer Flashback–01. 19 as I try to get as much done as possible in advance. Warlord won a battle royale by tossing out Ricky Steamboat. – But first, the lead story is the rapid descent of UWFI, as they have reached out in desperation to New Japan for a combined show at the Tokyo Dome on 10/9 and maybe more after that. Spoiler: Dave gives WarGames 3/4. They’re owned by Jody Hamilton (Nick Patrick’s dad) and they do about 200 people per show. This isn’t unique in itself, but if Idol. Dave thinks that the WWF is turning into more of a circus of litigation than a wrestling company. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 96. Instead, in the wake of a disappointing buyrate, the decision was made to concentrate on doing better tournaments. OK, let’s get back into these again. By Scott Keith on 24th July 2019. It’s a patented Slow News Week as we head into Summerslam, but the issue is still 10 pages. 24. – The biggest question coming out of Wrestlemania XII is the future of Bret Hart, as he’s expected to finish the tour of Germany and then go on a hiatus until the end of the summer. – The Rougeaus are telling Montreal newspapers that they’re taking a one year sabbatical from wrestling before returning late in 1990. Pillman tried a crucifix and Wright reversed it for the pin. Wrestling Observer Flashback–10. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. ark:/13960/s2tmw3h1hz8. 90. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. And here we had gone for almost two months without a death. But it probably bombed because it was clearly a throwaway show. Big stuff in the news this week, and the start of the biggest shift in coverage in the history of the Observer. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. The low buyrate is being. 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. ” notes Dave. Marc Mero pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 16:23. – Two major World title changes since the last issue as well, with Vader winning the WCW World title back from Ron Simmons on 12/30 in Baltimore, and Great Muta beating Masa Chono to win the. Wrestling Observer Flashback – Bret v. – Lead story is the WWF planning a giant stadium show in Milwaukee, which ended up being called WrestleFest 88, to basically screw with Crockett’s plans to run a Bash show the night after. 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. The Vancouver version of the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in two National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Vancouver territories. They even flew in Steve DiSalvo as part of the ring crew to. By Scott Keith on 9th September 2016. – 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. Oh, Dave. 2. Nasties sold well at least. 95. Dave is pretty sure Gonzalez will draw as long as he’s never allowed to touch anyone ever. ). 07. 300. By Scott Keith on 3rd October 2019. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. Brian Pillman pinned Badstreet with a flying bodypress in the light heavyweight tournament semi-final at 6:52. Chip screwed up early, but it was decent by the end. So don’t be disappointed at the lack of a review here. This group will likely merge in and out with SWS and make appearances on their shows, and will have the pro wrestling ga-ga that Fujiwara wanted to work into the UWF promotion originally. 05. 0 number predicted by. By Scott Keith on 16th December 2017. Continue reading. 16. It’s the Observer issue so huge that Dave has to post it to the archives TWICE to make sure! So yeah, Flair got fired, let’s get back into it! – The Flair firing actually made the national news, with papers throughout the country picking up the story, with all coverage being sympathetic to Flair. Thankfully, the Observer archives are fixed, so let’s get back into the swing of things again. The main event. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Survivor Series!World Wrestling Federation presented a live pay-per-view event special live from Hartford, Conn. – Whereas most people had to stand around on the beach and had a lousy view of the ring, rest easy knowing that there was a set of bleachers reserved for employees of Slim Jim. 5. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. 94. 88. 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. Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1. Buyrate looks to be between 0. They of course had an immediate roster of excuses, mainly that it was scheduled on a night with really tough competition on TV. Sid actually drew pretty big on the East coast, doing 11,000 at the Nassau Coliseum and 8000 in Philly. For. By Scott Keith on 1st January 2021. Manuel Cruz (Jose Gonzalez) b Beauregarde;. Apparently Bret Hart’s negotiations with WCW were so potentially fruitful that someone else is wanting to give it a try. 02. 2. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Well, sort of. – The big story this week is Dave’s preview of the Ultimate Ultimate 96!. 88. 95. 11. 16. The biggest story of the week is actually buried way down. 2. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. Dave thinks that the competition will be mostly for the better, with faster-moving storylines and better wrestling on TV. Jack Petrik would have to wage war against the WWF and spent lots of money to win, and it. It's great historical reading of the rise and fall of wrestling's biggest boom period. 3/4. – Over in Japan, the first ever 24 hour wrestling and martial arts network, called “Fighting TV Samurai”, launched. – The WWF is on hiatus for a bit after WM, so Dave apologizes in advance for the light news week. 1. 8 this week. – 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. Rants. 04. This should be good. – So things are getting mighty crowded on TBS, in what would turn out to be a giant turning point for the wrestling industry. 96. Day off from work today, so I’ve got some time to craft another Flashback! Your Spotify soundtrack for this one is Queensryche’s “Operation Mindcrime”, an album that it took me many years to get into, which is weird because I was a big fan of “Empire”. – Bam Bam Bigelow is trying to get into the WWF, but word from on high is that he’s “too inexperienced”. (This is why. 27. 96. It’s kind of hard to say what to expect around here as the show has been bouncing back and forth between focusing on the Intercontinental Title feud and then the World Title situation. – While the World title may not change hands, the US title certainly will, since post-Clash TV direction has Steamboat winning the title and suffering a shoulder injury in the process. 95 (Carrying on! Another one written on or about 09. 09. – Anyway, moving on. OK, after yesterday’s super-abbreviated edition (well the one I wrote at least, Dave was still 100,000 words into it) we’re back with a full double issue this time to recap all the stateside news! Continue reading Rants. By Scott Keith on 10th July 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback–10. 89. Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. At one point, UWFI was one of the biggest success stories in wrestling, and in 1993, they drew 46,000 fans to a. This was the one and only match in the whole tournament that actually showed why the division could. I just don’t think things are gonna work out for that promotion. Also, ROYAL RUMBLE. A total brawl with great heat, although the DQ was called for no apparent reason. By Scott Keith on 14th January 2019. 01. 87. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but unspectacular”. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. – Dave also got to see some tapes from Puerto Rico, which gives us the Observer debut of Invader #1, aka Stabby McMurderer. 95, which is good but well below the 2. Current talk is a rematch with Shawn Michaels at Summerslam in a ladder. Eaton did a scary kneedrop from the top rope to the ramp outside the ring for the highlight of the match. 14. 29. Dave is flabbergasted by how bad a show it was, wondering if this was a dream or a nightmare that he hasn’t woken up from. – In the top story, the Justice Department dropped one of the charges against Titan Sports. – Dave proclaims that no promotion is any hotter here in 1996, with more mainstream popularity, than NJPW is. 09. So let’s take a look at what’s going on in the international scene!6. He was indicted on 11/12 on counts. 5. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. I know, I know, what a bombshell. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. And since “long term thinking” these days is “three. – Dave feels that the team of Sting & Rick Steiner are improving so rapidly that they’ll be one of the best in the world by the summer. 11th January 2017 by Scott Keith. 30, 1996 (Final Post for 1996) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. 15. 2. It’s time for SUMMERSLAM! But first, the WWF is messing with their PPV schedule again. Obviously, doctors gave him some mumbo-jumbo diagnosis about “severe spinal disc and sciatic nerve damage”, and. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Wrestling Flashback publishes wrestling list videos, top 10’s, the history of classic. 48 buyrate (120,000 buys) for the Great American Bash in June, with WWF doing 0. (Just wait until Slamboree. – The show drew 7000 with 4700 paid and a $94,000 house. (This is why Dave needs an editor. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. – Reportedly, World champion Mike Tyson has signed with the WWF to referee a match. 96 IT’S TIME. 96 Can I make it more than. 23. Most of the match was Hunter working the arm and going for a cross-armbreaker, which neither Vince nor Jerry had any idea how to call. Identifier-ark. By Scott Keith on 18th April 2022. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the. 87. 28. – Once again, it’s time for the most awesome feature in Observer Flashback history: – Our favorite whipping boy promotion, the UWF, debuted in New York with a TV taping, and surprisingly both Honky Tonk. Addeddate. 28. Well, one week left until the WWF really goes off a cliff. – It’s sounding like Scott Steiner will work Halloween Havoc, but won’t be doing much. ABBYY FineReader 11. 29. 14. 18. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. – So, Dave says goodbye and announces that this is the final issue of the Observer. By Scott Keith on 14th August 2016. 567. 23. – Moving on, Joe Pedicino has purchased Jerry Jarrett’s syndicated TV network with the millions of dollars he’s got coming from Nigeria. 90 / 07. I feel like that can’t be a coincidence. And now, Dave would like to talk about PPV. – In the top story, Sports Illustrated had a story on the WWF in March, and no one in mainstream media really gave a shit. Production quality was high, the wrestling quality not so much. By Scott Keith on 1st June 2019. Main event is. 95. We’re almost there! One week left! – It’s almost time for the new fall season of wrestling, and it’s a big one. So I guess it’s a Wrestling Observer Flashback Flashback. 10. 07. Identifier-ark. The 1997 Observer Rewind shall resume this on Aug. Topics. The suit alleges unfair competition, trademark. -The Mondo 19 most intriguing personalities of ‘86-30 key pro wrestling personalities of ‘86 with quick bios-Observer Awards, leading news stories of. – But first, speculation is still running rampant in the wake of Ole Anderson getting fired as booker. 30. . Smackdown Date: May 12, 2016 Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler. – 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback–07. Sorry. 96. 0. – The WWF announced that the Wrestling Classic did about 60,000 buys on PPV, which was 200,000 less than their announced projections. It’s week 3 of the WWF title being held hostage by Diesel! But don’t worry, this can’t possibly last very long. Anyway, back to 1985 again… – The big news is that the war in St. 09. A wrestling fan creating original content for YouTube based on my love for pro-wrestling. 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. – There’s very little going on due to Christmas, but Jerry Lawler did regain the USWA title from Koko B. 96 IT’S TIME. 87. George Scott has been fired as booker and replaced by the duo of Gary Hart and David Manning, so things are at least booked better now. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. 13. 11. WWE News. 96. 95. tesseract 5. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. Badd quit WCW on 3/11 after a discussion with Eric Bischoff in the airport, and will be signing with the WWF for three years. Perfect. At the latest WWF tapings, a guy named Mantaur debuted. Despite running in the red for the past three years, both WCW and the WWF are confident that they’re going to be profitable in 1995 thanks to this new-fangled PPV market. The New Foundation beat the Orient Express in 17:18. 15. 95. 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. 19. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. By Scott Keith on 19th March 2016. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. – 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. 1986 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. Here’s a shocking story to start this week’s issue: Dave is a really big fan of New Japan Pro Wrestling. 94. 01. – To Mexico, where it looks like EMLL is about to split. 96. The PPV showdown of 1987 is upon us! It’s Vince v. Dave, however, cites the court case of Boy v. 21. 05. Ric Flair pinned Butch Reed in 14:13 to earn a tag title shot at Starrcade. Time to welcome in 2021 with everyone’s favorite blog column! And to celebrate, I’m currently three drinks in with “Best Rock of 1988” on Spotify in the background, so hopefully I’ve got lots to snark on tonight. – 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. 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,. By Scott Keith on 19th September 2016. But if you’re reading it in the archives in December, then MERRY CHRISTMAS! – Continuing on with the saga of Dynamite Kid’s messed up back, he was flown into Calgary for surgery after being paralyzed from the waist down. By Scott Keith on 9th November 2017. Um, never mind. 19. 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. – Inoki’s business-killing freakshow ended up drawing 11,000 people for somewhere between $800,000 – $1. By Scott Keith on 15th March 2021. Wrestling Observer Live: RAW report, War Games, Randy Orton, ratings and more By Bryan Alvarez Nov 21, 2023 DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of. Just like the Untouchables, if you sign two of ours to a guaranteed contract, we sign one of yours to a guaranteed contract! And his hot wife! – Johnny B. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. – In an understatement, Dave notes that the babyface side in the WWF is in a state of disarray, what with Scott Hall about to jump to WCW in late May once all his contractual stuff ends. The show would air live every Saturday night, from New York, and would cater heavily to an. – Latest figures are in, and WCW is looking like a 0. Everything is confusing and it’s all centering on the AWA. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. 24. 94. OK, 2005 posts are FINALLY complete, and I got to see Star Wars, so let’s get back to Observing. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. 14. Indie wrestler Rockin' Rebel got a tryout at the tapings, and apparently upset Razor Ramon backstage because he was using some of Razor's mannerisms in the ring. 25. 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. 92. 89. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. THE WAR IS ON. 17.