Remember When (Vol. 1)
Hello folks and welcome to the debut post of "Remember When!" Today, we are taking a look at infamous wrestling moments, how they got setup, and the down right, "Why?" aspect. And I thought about this one for a good while, and had to start with one of my most favorite infamous wrestling moments: Bash at the Beach 2000.
Chapter 1: Setting The Stage
The year is 2000. WCW was at an all time low. The signs were coming in that the company wasn't going to stick around for much longer. Attendance numbers were down, merch sales were abysmal, and most importantly...The writing was questionable at best. With all of that being said, Hulk Hogan was still there. The wrestling version of Babe Ruth. The one guy who you can trust more than anyone. By this point, the nWo was a shell of itself. There were too many factions, members and storylines that made the whole thing convoluted. WCW needed stars more than ever.
Which came Jeff Jarrett. While Double J had been wrestling for a while by this point, it's pretty clear WCW wanted him to become their next guy. They already had Goldberg, but it just wasn't the same. He wasn't the 1998 Goldberg we all had loved. His streak was winding down, and what better way to introduce someone than right now with a crowning of Jeff Jarrett. It seemed like the next logical step. It seemed more than that, it seemed necessary.
There's just one problem. Was The Hulkster ready? was he ready to get dethroned by the aforementioned Jeff Jarrett? It wasn't something he was used to. You have to remember, this is a guy who bodyslammed Andre The Giant in one of the most iconic spots in all of wrestling, now you want him to job to some nobody? Hogan might have felt trapped. Maybe he even felt like it wasn't the right move. Whatever the case was, it wasn't something that he was ready for.
Chapter 2: This is Where We Are
I think the problem with wrestling history is that it gets told in many different ways. Often times, people may misremember facts, or maybe they get the people confused. Either way, this was not set to be the case. In what was arguably on of WCW's biggest incidents in history, we saw two different factors all going at the same time. We saw Hulk Hogan playing his "Creative Control" Card.
In the midst of Hogan being told by then figure head Vince Russo the plan, Hogan didn't like it too much (According to Russo). The plan was for Jeff Jarrett to go over on Hulk Hogan, thus creating the new star. Hogan however, did not like this plan. He wanted to hang onto his spot as WCW Champion. Again, imagine that veteran. He's had some of the greatest matches of all time. He's an icon beloved by many. He didn't want to lose it. Even if he was going to, it would be to someone worthy. Not a guy like Jarrett in his mind.
So, we now get a battle of back and fourth from Russo and Hogan. One wants to win, the other wants to lose. Problem is, when someone has Creative Control, they likely have final say over what happens. A pissed off Russo, and a now pissed off Hogan are at a standstill, with Hogan getting the final say.
So what happened?
Hogan and Jarrett square off. However, the bell sounds, and Jeff Jarrett lays down for Hogan to pin him. That's the match. Meanwhile, a now pissed off Russo is flashing the belt at Hogan. He's taunting him in a way. "You want this? Pin Him!"
Hogan does. And retains his belt...Right?
Well, after whats, Hogan mentions "This is why this company is in the damn shape it's in, because of ----Like this!"
Woah.
Russo then comes out later. In part, he mentions that he wanted to create stars, not deal with politics like Hogan. And he would go on to mention that Hogan would never be seen again in a WCW ring. And to that point, Russo was 100% right. We never did see Hogan again in WCW, as they would go under just 6 months later, with Hogan showing back up in WWE in 2002.
Chapter 3: The Aftermath
It's hard to go back and figure out if this really was one of the main failures in WCW. You could argue it was the "Fingerpoint of Doom", or David Arquette winning the WCW Championship. However, it shouldn't ever be left out in telling the story of WCW's final days. It was a moment that didn't need to happen. The problem was that Hogan was a big name with creative control. If Russo wanted to make a star, it was relatively simple; Make him win matches that mean something. Not put him up against a mega star and try to convince said mega star that this is a good idea. 10 times outta' 10, that's not going to go in your favor. If Russo really knew how to write compelling TV, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out.
As for Jarrett? Well, he really is the one person I feel bad for. Someone who was caught in the middle of unnecessary politicking on both sides. It was just easy for him to do what his boss said, sure. But there's also something in him that I'm sure he wishes he never did that. I'm sure he wanted a real shot at the title. But it's hard to when you have everything going on the way it did.
As mentioned earlier, we would once again see Hogan in a WWE ring just 2 years later.
Hulk Hogan Shoot
-Nick
Chapter 1: Setting The Stage
The year is 2000. WCW was at an all time low. The signs were coming in that the company wasn't going to stick around for much longer. Attendance numbers were down, merch sales were abysmal, and most importantly...The writing was questionable at best. With all of that being said, Hulk Hogan was still there. The wrestling version of Babe Ruth. The one guy who you can trust more than anyone. By this point, the nWo was a shell of itself. There were too many factions, members and storylines that made the whole thing convoluted. WCW needed stars more than ever.
Which came Jeff Jarrett. While Double J had been wrestling for a while by this point, it's pretty clear WCW wanted him to become their next guy. They already had Goldberg, but it just wasn't the same. He wasn't the 1998 Goldberg we all had loved. His streak was winding down, and what better way to introduce someone than right now with a crowning of Jeff Jarrett. It seemed like the next logical step. It seemed more than that, it seemed necessary.
There's just one problem. Was The Hulkster ready? was he ready to get dethroned by the aforementioned Jeff Jarrett? It wasn't something he was used to. You have to remember, this is a guy who bodyslammed Andre The Giant in one of the most iconic spots in all of wrestling, now you want him to job to some nobody? Hogan might have felt trapped. Maybe he even felt like it wasn't the right move. Whatever the case was, it wasn't something that he was ready for.
Chapter 2: This is Where We Are
I think the problem with wrestling history is that it gets told in many different ways. Often times, people may misremember facts, or maybe they get the people confused. Either way, this was not set to be the case. In what was arguably on of WCW's biggest incidents in history, we saw two different factors all going at the same time. We saw Hulk Hogan playing his "Creative Control" Card.
In the midst of Hogan being told by then figure head Vince Russo the plan, Hogan didn't like it too much (According to Russo). The plan was for Jeff Jarrett to go over on Hulk Hogan, thus creating the new star. Hogan however, did not like this plan. He wanted to hang onto his spot as WCW Champion. Again, imagine that veteran. He's had some of the greatest matches of all time. He's an icon beloved by many. He didn't want to lose it. Even if he was going to, it would be to someone worthy. Not a guy like Jarrett in his mind.
So, we now get a battle of back and fourth from Russo and Hogan. One wants to win, the other wants to lose. Problem is, when someone has Creative Control, they likely have final say over what happens. A pissed off Russo, and a now pissed off Hogan are at a standstill, with Hogan getting the final say.
So what happened?
Hogan and Jarrett square off. However, the bell sounds, and Jeff Jarrett lays down for Hogan to pin him. That's the match. Meanwhile, a now pissed off Russo is flashing the belt at Hogan. He's taunting him in a way. "You want this? Pin Him!"
Hogan does. And retains his belt...Right?
Well, after whats, Hogan mentions "This is why this company is in the damn shape it's in, because of ----Like this!"
Woah.
Russo then comes out later. In part, he mentions that he wanted to create stars, not deal with politics like Hogan. And he would go on to mention that Hogan would never be seen again in a WCW ring. And to that point, Russo was 100% right. We never did see Hogan again in WCW, as they would go under just 6 months later, with Hogan showing back up in WWE in 2002.
Chapter 3: The Aftermath
It's hard to go back and figure out if this really was one of the main failures in WCW. You could argue it was the "Fingerpoint of Doom", or David Arquette winning the WCW Championship. However, it shouldn't ever be left out in telling the story of WCW's final days. It was a moment that didn't need to happen. The problem was that Hogan was a big name with creative control. If Russo wanted to make a star, it was relatively simple; Make him win matches that mean something. Not put him up against a mega star and try to convince said mega star that this is a good idea. 10 times outta' 10, that's not going to go in your favor. If Russo really knew how to write compelling TV, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out.
As for Jarrett? Well, he really is the one person I feel bad for. Someone who was caught in the middle of unnecessary politicking on both sides. It was just easy for him to do what his boss said, sure. But there's also something in him that I'm sure he wishes he never did that. I'm sure he wanted a real shot at the title. But it's hard to when you have everything going on the way it did.
As mentioned earlier, we would once again see Hogan in a WWE ring just 2 years later.
Jeff Jarrett would become a success in his own right, having being the driven force behind TNA. He got them a deal setup with the NWA thanks to family ties, not to mention sign some of the hottest free agents wrestling would see throughout the mid 2000's, and get a couple TV and PPV deals thrown into the mix. Both guys have done very well for themselves in the years after. As for Russo? I mean, he does a paid podcast...So there's that.
Getting insight from different sources on such a compelling story was great. You listen to their sides and it makes you really start to think. I hope you guys enjoyed this just as much as I have! Check out the links below for more on the Bash at the Beach incident, and be sure to follow us on Twitter
-Nick
Comments
Post a Comment