Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. *. 94 So it turns out that WCW’s record buyrate for Halloween Havoc wasn’t quite what they anticipated… – The buyrate for Havoc 94 currently sits at 0. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 17. – Buzz Sawyer agreed to work an indy date for Rob Russan in San Jose, and was supposed to provide the ring and some students from his wrestling school as underneath jobbers. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. It’s a patented Slow News Week as we head into Summerslam, but the issue is still 10 pages. Brian Pillman pinned Badstreet with a flying bodypress in the light heavyweight tournament semi-final at 6:52. But first! An update on the Shawn Michaels incident in Syracuse. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Ocr. Obviously, doctors gave him some mumbo-jumbo diagnosis about “severe spinal disc and sciatic nerve damage”, and. – It’s COLD WAR in Toronto. He was at the other guys’ PPVs this year taking notes, as well as New Japan and All Japan’s major shows. 96. 19. The show would air live every Saturday night, from New York, and would cater heavily to an. A wrestling fan creating original content for YouTube based on my love for pro-wrestling. 2 million, making it the largest gate in pro wrestling history. Jack Petrik would have to wage war against the WWF and spent lots of money to win, and it. I know, I know, what a bombshell. Eaton did a scary kneedrop from the top rope to the ramp outside the ring for the highlight of the match. 12. 16. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. They’re exclusively running small towns on the far Northern island of Japan, and mostly using lucha libre guys, which the mainstream papers didn’t really get. – As the date of his trail approached and the firestorm of publicity continued unabated, Barr managed to plea bargain down to first degree sexual abuse with 180 hours of community service and 2. Anyway, back to 1985 again… – The big news is that the war in St. ” notes Dave. “Which is great for wrestling, I guess. – So, Dave says goodbye and announces that this is the final issue of the Observer. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. We’re almost there! One week left! – It’s almost time for the new fall season of wrestling, and it’s a big one. Buyrate looks to be between 0. It drew a legit sellout of 5708 to West Palm Beach. Unfortunately, he was the furthest thing from an. – So things are getting mighty crowded on TBS, in what would turn out to be a giant turning point for the wrestling industry. The 1997 Observer Rewind shall resume this on Aug. 07. 1. C. The match died once Flair went out. . Despite the strained relationship, Florida still bills itself as NWA wrestling. – The WWF continues to insist that Summerslam sold 80,000 tickets in the first day, and also announced several new matches for the show: Tatanka v. – 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. 28. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. By Scott Keith on 3rd October 2019. 28. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. – 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. By on 9th March 2017. 26, 1994 (Final Post for 1994) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. Big stuff in the news this week, and the start of the biggest shift in coverage in the history of the Observer. 19. – Moving on, Joe Pedicino has purchased Jerry Jarrett’s syndicated TV network with the millions of dollars he’s got coming from Nigeria. 95. The. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. Dave is pretty sure Gonzalez will draw as long as he’s never allowed to touch anyone ever. 05. Scanner. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. The idea is to combine a bunch of small promotions into the Global Wrestling Federation, with offices in five different regions, including Jarrett now officially going back into Dallas to run the USWA there again. Scanner. 91. 23. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. It’s just getting to be too much work to do the bookkeeping and maintenance for 800 people instead of 200, especially when he’s already got a full-time job now as editor for a soccer magazine. This week, a big name goes to the rival promotion in the thick of the Monday Night Wars! Call my hotline now to find out the answer! – Hiroshi Hase made a surprising jump from New Japan to All Japan this week, announcing on 9/29 that he’s starting with AJPW in January. – To Mexico, where it looks like EMLL is about to split. wrestlingmagazinesmisc;. THE WAR IS ON. *1/4. . 09. It’s a patented Slow News Week as we head into Summerslam, but the issue is still 10 pages. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. 95. Mike stuff and get into the main event: STARRCADE ‘84. 04. I was actually going to redo the Halloween Havoc 90 rant based on the full PPV version that I’ve never seen…but the Network only has the Turner Home Video version. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the. And now, for the first time I can remember, the UFC gets the lead story. – Chris was of course around wrestling dressing rooms his whole life, and idolized Kerry in junior high to the point where he’d dress and act like him. 96 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. 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”. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 96 Apparently it’s time for WCW to get rowdy. 94. The WWF drew 16000 and Crockett drew 3000, so point to Vince on that one. No one tell Donald Trump. Chip screwed up early, but it was decent by the end. Wrestling Observer Flashback: 07. Continue reading Rants. I’m actually recovering from a shoulder injury at work today but I’ll power through an Observer Flashback for you. Perfect won a battle royale in 12:55. 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. – It’s sounding like Scott Steiner will work Halloween Havoc, but won’t be doing much. 16. (This is why Dave needs an editor. Sid actually drew pretty big on the East coast, doing 11,000 at the Nassau Coliseum and 8000 in Philly. 1. Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. Bruiser Brody (“Nobody gives an aura of violent realism. – Next up, Dave offers a preview of the next WCW PPV, Uncensored, which he sums up thusly: “On paper it looks like a weak show as none of the matches look to be sure bets to be good. 5 to a 2. 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. 95. Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive talk about the biggest news in wrestling! Wrestling Observer Live podcast on demand - Wrestling Observer Live is among the most popular wrestling shows in the world. 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. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. 86. 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. Welcome to 1996 WCW, notes our teaser for this week. as the big blue cage that quickly became synonymous with Titan was actually purchased and flown in from Stampede Wrestling, because the normal chain link cage was too hard for Hogan to climb. 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. 14. – San Fran is the big head-to-head battle between the AWA and WWF, and Vince won that one handily thus far. ark:/13960/t2z39wg7w. 30th August 2017 by Scott Keith. 19 as I try to get as much done as possible in advance. 24. – Vince McMahon is apparently planning to sue Sgt. 28. -The Mondo 19 most intriguing personalities of ‘86-30 key pro wrestling personalities of ‘86 with quick bios-Observer Awards, leading news stories of. Louis is finally over, and the WWF has won. By Scott Keith on 19th September 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. – So UFC III was supposed to be another easy ride for Royce Gracie, but in fact the KING IS DEAD. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. Lesson the Fourth: Antonio Pena is the new innovator in wrestling and everyone should listen to him. 23. Regardless of everything else, the #1 rule of wrestling in situations like this is that you ALWAYS have the babyface’s hand raised at the end of the show if you pull a major bait-and-switch like this. (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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. He was indicted on 11/12 on counts. 95. By Scott Keith on 1st June 2019. He literally stole Verne’s TV slot out from under him (the AWA wasn’t even told by the station until the day the show was supposed to air!) and Verne’s big show at the Cow Palace in March as a complete debacle due to scheduling. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. Ah, wrestling, where one guy can beat up another guy for real and flush his head. Nasty Boys retained the tag titles over the Bushwackers in 6:46. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 95. Heyman is making. com archives, and any other sources I’ve checked, so we’re skipping ahead a week. Winner of the 2016 Doomie Award for Favorite Blog Post!. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. 93. The main event saw Tito Santana beating Bob Orton for the newly created AWF title in a *3/4 match. 96. Collection. So let’s take a look at what’s going on in the international scene!6. This is ridiculous on a lot of levels, most of which is actually against Zulu because he’s even worse than Mike Von Erich and in. Ric Flair pinned Butch Reed in 14:13 to earn a tag title shot at Starrcade. Lots of people have claimed to have discovered him, for example. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. Well, one week left until the WWF really goes off a cliff. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. – Over in Japan, the first ever 24 hour wrestling and martial arts network, called “Fighting TV Samurai”, launched. There’s a big main event at the Tokyo Dome! And it sure didn’t go down how anyone expected. ”. This issue only has the first 4 pages, so it’ll be a truncated recap, but all the good stuff is in those pages anyway. He wears a buffalo head to the ring and everyone backstage was making fun of his gimmick. It’s week 3 of the WWF title being held hostage by Diesel! But don’t worry, this can’t possibly last very long. By Scott Keith on 4th June 2016. The one in 1995, although you might also assume I was talking about the NXT one recently because that one wasn’t great either. By Dave Meltzer Nov 21, 2023. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. 10. The Road Warriors beat the Midnight Express in a scaffold match in 3:00, which kind of ruins their videotape business, Dave thinks. Identifier-ark. Also, the Rock & Wrestling Connection was all his idea and he had to convince Vince to play “Eye of the Tiger” as his entrance theme in 1984. The low buyrate is being. Just for fun, here’s Dave’s Summer 1984 Rankings. – Dan Severn won the Ultimate Ultimate on 12/16 in Denver after all the controversy over the show, beating Oleg Taktarov in the finals via unanimous decision. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 29. 88. I know, I know, I’ll give you a minute to let it sink in. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. 77, or about the same as Starrcade. Was shit real before? Well, it’s about to become real. Main event is. 10-28-1991. – Dave gets a funny bit when he notes that ever since taking over as booker, Dundee has suddenly gained amazing recuperative powers in his matches. 86. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. Well, 1988, as much as I love and care about you, it’s time our relationship came to an end again, just like James and Natalie on Big Brother last night. At one point, UWFI was one of the biggest success stories in wrestling, and in 1993, they drew 46,000 fans to a. On with the week that was and one of the most famous stories in wrestling history!– Oh, also, the weekend shows set new lows for cable wrestling ratings, and that includes the WWF shows. Oh, Dave. While it seemingly wasn’t a major milestone in his life at that. 7. 30, 1996 (Final Post for 1996) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. 2. 5-4-1987. 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. I’m still not 100% clear on how we got from “Jim Crockett attempts to run Florida into the ground” to “Jim Crockett buys Florida and uses it as a feeder system for his own promotion”, but I’m sure we’ll get there. 94. For It’s Time. – The WWF is on hiatus for a bit after WM, so Dave apologizes in advance for the light news week. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but unspectacular”. Whoa oh, whoa oh, it’s Wrestlemania. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 22. 02. 26. Observer Flashbacks; Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. Did you think that Best of ECW Volumes 1 and 2 was as EXTREME as the blog was getting this week? Then prepare yourself, because it’s time for WCW UNCENSORED!– The weirdest story of the week comes from Japan (shocking, I know) where Lou Thesz is making waves in the business again. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall. – To the WWF, where Wrestlemania III passed 70,000 tickets sold, officially making it the largest crowd ever to witness a wrestling show in North America. 25. Crockett! Dusty v. Man, so people REALLY did not like that In Your House show. 22. Addeddate. 96. Owen won with a Rocket Launcher on Tanaka. 03. Guys, it sounds like the Diamond Studd will soon be appearing in WCW again! We’ll see how that goes for them. By Scott Keith on 24th February 2019. Wrestling Observer Rewind ★ Dec. For. Jim Herd has already killed the wrestling business, and now he’s working on killing the magic business. 95. 23, because for every viewer gained on Nitro, there was a viewer lost on Saturdays and it kind of averaged out. Publication date. 1985 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. – In a story that seems small but kind of ended up heralding the end of an era in wrestling, the way. 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. 95. 567. The main event. Dave notes we. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. 19. OK, let’s get back into these again. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. – Interestingly, the WWF was shown to be popular with 18-25 year olds, with men twice as well represented as women. The Best of the Wrestling Observer-Greatest matches of the Observer years-15 most influential wrestlers of the past five. 95. – In the top story, the WWF held a press conference, which got more attention in Mexico, to announce that Royal Rumble 97 would be held in the Alamo Dome in San. 02. Wrestling Flashback publishes wrestling list videos, top 10’s, the history of classic. – Dave calls it a very good show overall, and somehow by adding up all the people in Greensboro (16K give or take) plus all the closed circuit locations, comes up with a figure of 42,000 and thus declares it the #2 crowd in North American wrestling history. 2. 19. 93. Marc Mero pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 16:23. 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. – Latest figures are in, and WCW is looking like a 0. Thankfully, the Observer archives are fixed, so let’s get back into the swing of things again. – But first, speculation is still running rampant in the wake of Ole Anderson getting fired as booker. 88. 5-11-1987. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall of Fame awaits! This one took me a little bit longer to write than last night’s quickie, obviously. Dave thinks that the competition will be mostly for the better, with faster-moving storylines and better wrestling on TV. It's great historical reading of the rise and fall of wrestling's biggest boom period. The government side says it’s for “tactical reasons”, while the WWF. By Scott Keith on 19th April 2016. 07. 15. Wrestling Observer Flashback–06. Sorry. 18. – Mexico’s wrestling companies are gearing up for a full-scale strike of wrestlers and referees, with syndicate head Manny Guzman calling for job action over EMLL’s network TV deal. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. By Scott Keith on 18th October 2016. 4. You can view a sneak preview below. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. *1/2. – Hachiro Tanaka, the money guy behind SWS and WAR and a bunch of other groups, is reportedly tired of losing money in the wrestling business and wants out, according to the Takano brothers. 14. To the news!This is up for them, and Dave notes what a great night for wrestling that Thanksgiving really is, because even Central States almost drew money! Later, he corrects a previous title change, noting that Art Crews actually won the TV title from Gary Royal on 11/27 in Ft. Basically Vince sent his PR people to the magazine to produce what Phil Mushnick of the New York Post (no relation to Sam or Irv, Dave notes, although we’ll get to know Phil very well in later years) called a “six page. 95. – In the top story, the UFC has decided to drop the superfight concept after the debacle that was Shamrock v. – Flair defended the World title on a pair of Mid-South shows in Oklahoma, but there’s no plans or indications of Watts joining the NWA. Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Collection. – The Sheik did an extremely rare job, submitting to Onita’s boston crab in just 3:18 at the latest FMW show. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. 96. ***1/4Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. The feeling is that running a show in the traditional Sunday timeslot where live shows draw will kill off the house shows. 20. Daprice did every issue for the 90's through 2001. ) – The rumor mill continues to churn around the idea that Dusty Rhodes and his $300,000 / year salary will be cut at the end of the year. Instead, in the wake of a disappointing buyrate, the decision was made to concentrate on doing better tournaments. By Scott Keith on 29th August 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. By Scott Keith on 24th July 2019. 95 Guys, I don’t think this UFC thing is gonna be around much longer if lawmakers have their way! – The debate over whether UFC and the other events like it should be banned has been raging in the press and the city of Denver has become a hotspot for the controversy. Warlord won a battle royale by tossing out Ricky Steamboat. tesseract 5. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Tickets are 45,000 yen, which translates to $429, aka the most expensive wrestling tickets in history. – 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. This isn’t unique in itself, but if Idol. Nasties sold well at least. Dusty is certainly the top candidate, and that theory is bolstered by the house show results from the past week, which saw Dusty doing 90 second jobs to VIRGIL at every show. There are moments when you can pinpoint exactly when a major promotion started to go completely off the rails. Newsletter, Magazine, Wrestling, WWF, WCW, All Japan, New Japan. 15. 1986 Wrestling Observer Yearbook. Shawn Special Edition! Okey doke, so in the 1997 RAW rants thus far, we’ve alluded to the all the crazy stuff happening behind the scenes with Bret and Shawn, but what EXACTLY was that? Well, Dave was covering it extensively in the Observer at the time, so here’s a mini-Flashback covering the top. (Perhaps it’s time to revamp the show a bit?) – Famous San Francisco promoter Roy Shire passed away this week, after suffering a heart attack on 9/16 and dying 10 days later in the hospital. Wrestling Observer Flashback–10. 94. The taped episode of RAW wasn’t particularly different than any other one they’ve. By Scott Keith on 18th April 2022. Manuel Cruz (Jose Gonzalez) b Beauregarde;. Public Enemy went to a double DQ with the Nasty Boys in 4:02. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. Maybe if I skim over the Eddie Gilbert stuff it’ll get done easier. 95. – Van Hammer won the arm wrestling tournament, beating Ron Simmons in the finals, which Dave interprets as continuing his newfound push. 28. history-of-wcw. com & WrestlingObserver. The 2023 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame adds seven new members in a year where there were no blow away vote getters but a number. Owen Hart was the second-best star of the show after Flair. – Kevin Sullivan is a road agent now and appears done with wrestling. 96 By Scott Keith on 15th September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. It’s the year end awards issue! Lots to argue about here, I’m sure. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. Dave thinks it was counterproductive to kill off the Rockers like that. Also, Prime Time Wrestling is just getting destroyed on Monday nights and is down to a 1. 07. “Hey look, it’s Joe Weider” – Not sure what that refers to, but I’m sure we’ll find out. 21. – 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. Apparently Bret Hart’s negotiations with WCW were so potentially fruitful that someone else is wanting to give it a try. – In the top story, Sports Illustrated had a story on the WWF in March, and no one in mainstream media really gave a shit. 96. 19. – 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. ”. Back on track after our detour back to March yesterday. 5 to 2. 09. 06. 96. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. They of course had an immediate roster of excuses, mainly that it was scheduled on a night with really tough competition on TV. I feel like that can’t be a coincidence. Wish me luck! – The top story is Dave being confused by a unique gimmick match in Memphis, with Austin Idol v. 0 (Extended OCR) Ppi. – Dave’s opening salvo this week: “After its television show reached a new low in. 0 number predicted by. Bobby Eaton pinned Chip the Firebreaker in 4:52 with a back suplex. -. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 3. 19. 89. I believe that’s known as the Kerry Von Erich Special in wrestling. – 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. 60 and 0. Get all the news from F4WOnline. 92.