Thanks for reading! UWFI president and top star Nobuhiko Takada announced that the company is officially going out of business and that the final show will be held this week. . 27. The debut of Giant Gonzalez (who was “wearing Ultimate Warrior’s old underwear”) perked things up again. 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. 5-4-1987. And here we had gone for almost two months without a death. 10-28-1991. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. 06. 90. 19. Michaels worked his ass off, although it came out later that he was hungover and stoned at the time. 96 IT’S TIME. 60 and 0. Was shit real before? Well, it’s about to become real. Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. – 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. – 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. 15. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. – Interestingly, the WWF was shown to be popular with 18-25 year olds, with men twice as well represented as women. 96 September 9, 2023; Morning Daily News Update September 9, 2023; Mike Reviews WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 September 9, 2023; Question September 9, 2023; Jey Uso trade to Raw September 9, 2023; Weekend Wrestling! September 9, 2023Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. Rants. By Scott Keith on 27th October 2016. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 04. Ken Wayne found the body after. 96 Can I make it more than. Hogan! Starrcade ‘87 v. Smackdown Date: May 12, 2016 Location: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler. 96. com~!Wrestling Observer Rewind • Dec. Rude/Vader tag match, the highest rating for any wrestling match on TV in more than a year. Well this should do better than NWA Powerrr at least. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. ABBYY FineReader 11. – Dave also got to see some tapes from Puerto Rico, which gives us the Observer debut of Invader #1, aka Stabby McMurderer. 95. 03. 90. – 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 95. – Unfortunately, we start with the inevitable death of Scott “Hog” Irwin, who succumbed to cancer after a year long battle at the age of 37. *. The team (Gene and Ole Anderson) dominated tag team. 93. 1985. 11. Chelsea Anne Cardona (née: Green; born April 4, 1991) is a Canadian professional wrestler, stuntwoman, and model. Back in the saddle with these again. Let’s take a break from being nostalgic for 1998 and be nostalgic for 1994 again for a bit! – It’s been quiet in the wrestling world leading up to Halloween Havoc, Dave notes. 11. 96. 2. When it comes to catching and wrestling a giant. I’m actually recovering from a shoulder injury at work today but I’ll power through an Observer Flashback for you. So apparently the WrestleWar 92 issue (05/25/92) is missing from the F4WOnline. Papa Shango ran in for the DQ, and Ultimate Warrior made the save, complete with entrance music. There are moments when you can pinpoint exactly when a major promotion started to go completely off the rails. – 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. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. Topics. Wrestling Observer Flashback–01. – In the top story, the UFC has decided to drop the superfight concept after the debacle that was Shamrock v. 90. The NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1978 until 1984,. 09. 13. *1/4. 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. C. Dave runs down the TV shows over the past month and it’s all classic stuff, like the Magnum TA-Mr. Well, amazingly he no-showed and they had to quickly contact another local promoter for some jobbers (there were only four name guys even booked for the. 05. 21. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. – So UFC III was supposed to be another easy ride for Royce Gracie, but in fact the KING IS DEAD. By Scott Keith on 18th October 2016. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback–07. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. – Another quiet week in the world of wrestling, as we’re waiting for Starrcade and Superdome results. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. Dave, however, cites the court case of Boy v. 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. 5 million as a startup amount and NOW got $480,000, and once they’ve blown through that, he’s done. – Inoki’s business-killing freakshow ended up drawing 11,000 people for somewhere between $800,000 – $1. Buyrate looks to be between 0. 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. 5-11-1987. By Scott Keith on 14th August 2016. Wrestling Flashback publishes wrestling list videos, top 10’s, the history of classic. 95. 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. – 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. 11. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. – Dave is kind of shocked at the response to Wrestlemania, in that it was not only one of the biggest responses to a show that he’s ever had, but also there was pretty much no consensus on the quality of the show, with a fairly even split between thumbs up /. – The WWF is on hiatus for a bit after WM, so Dave apologizes in advance for the light news week. DUD – Ric Flair still hasn’t officially signed with the WWF, but it’s a formality at this point. – Zulu was fired from World Class for refusing to do a job to Mike Von Erich. They even flew in Steve DiSalvo as part of the ring crew to. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 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. But first! An update on the Shawn Michaels incident in Syracuse. The Twin Towers beat the Rockers at 8:02 when Akeem splashed and pinned Michaels. – The Sheik did an extremely rare job, submitting to Onita’s boston crab in just 3:18 at the latest FMW show. 05. as they did a matinee taping of the new Sunday edition of World Championship Wrestling in Atlanta, then did a show in Columbus GA, then finally. 08. 96. Also, be sure to check out the SquaredCircle subreddit, where some dude is RIPPING OFF MY. The show would air live every Saturday night, from New York, and would cater heavily to an. 96. 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. – 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. Unfortunately, he was the furthest thing from an. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 5. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 96 (I’m putting this one in the can a few days earlier than publication so if there’s any pop culture references that age badly, blame me. 19. 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. 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. 90 / 07. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. 07. 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. At one point, UWFI was one of the biggest success stories in wrestling, and in 1993, they drew 46,000 fans to a. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. Thankfully, the Observer archives are fixed, so let’s get back into the swing of things again. 04. But it probably bombed because it was clearly a throwaway show. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 07. Everything is confusing and it’s all centering on the AWA. Wrestling Observer Flashback–12. Bruiser Brody (“Nobody gives an aura of violent realism. 96. Davey Boy Smith (“Athletically the best in the business. Severn. Addeddate. Ocr. Guys, it sounds like the Diamond Studd will soon be appearing in WCW again! We’ll see how that goes for them. – It’s COLD WAR in Toronto. – In the top story, Sports Illustrated had a story on the WWF in March, and no one in mainstream media really gave a shit. – 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. – Vince McMahon is apparently planning to sue Sgt. It's great historical reading of the rise and fall of wrestling's biggest boom period. (Just wait until Slamboree. – In our top story, Curt Hennig has apparently reached an agreement to jump from the WWF to WCW, as an active wrestler. Wrestling Observer Historical Pieces. Wrestling Observer Flashback–08. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 08. 26. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 10. 95. By on 9th March 2017. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. 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. 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. 21. 31. 23, because for every viewer gained on Nitro, there was a viewer lost on Saturdays and it kind of averaged out. Bobby Eaton pinned Terrence Taylor in 15:41 with the Alabama Jam. Well, one week left until the WWF really goes off a cliff. Production quality was high, the wrestling quality not so much. Topics. 77, or about the same as Starrcade. Daprice did every issue for the 90's through 2001. – 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. – Anyway, moving on. It’s like Wrestlemania, but for NEWS. *. A January 1966 issue of Vue magazine featuring Bill Hook and his octopus-wrestling adventures in Victoria, B. In fact, even today I’m not sure that those title switches are counted as part of the “real” count of Flair’s title reigns because the NWA did such a bang-up job of denial that. 24. 96. 96 (Part Two) – In the top story, “Sycle” Sid won the WWF title in the main event of the Survivor Series. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 09. 03. 4. Nasty Boys retained the tag titles over the Bushwackers in 6:46. 95. WWE News. Crockett! Dusty v. 19. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 03. According to Dave’s minions, there was confusion about. 95. Wrestling Observer Flashback–05. And now, Dave would like to talk about PPV. – 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. Get all the news from F4WOnline. (This is why Dave needs an editor. 94. Publication date. Instead, in the wake of a disappointing buyrate, the decision was made to concentrate on doing better tournaments. 14. 04. – Reportedly, World champion Mike Tyson has signed with the WWF to referee a match. 8 this week. – The big story this week is Dave’s preview of the Ultimate Ultimate 96!. – 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. 2022-03-05 07:34:36. By Scott Keith on 22nd September 2023 Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 05. 87. Wrestling Observer Flashback–02. – Over to Japan, where Nobuhiko Takada had announced plans to retire, at which point UWFI whiplashed and put out their own press release, noting that what Takada had MEANT TO SAY was that he was THINKING of retiring at age 35, which was two years away. By Scott Keith on 12th June 2016. By Scott Keith on 16th December 2017. Lex Luger jumped out of the final mystery box to attack Sting, injuring the wrong leg (Instinct on Luger’s part due to all his lucha libre experience, Dave notes) but it was a pretty great angle. 21. 02. Wolf, where. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 95. Spoiler: Dave gives WarGames 3/4. The previous record was 69,000 for the Big Event. – Dave sums up the last PPV of 1996 as “solid but. 95. Despite the strained relationship, Florida still bills itself as NWA wrestling. 25. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Public Enemy went to a double DQ with the Nasty Boys in 4:02. But this week, we’ve got Summerslam to attend to. wrestlingmagazinesmisc;. By Scott Keith on 19th September 2016. Wish me luck! – The top story is Dave being confused by a unique gimmick match in Memphis, with Austin Idol v. So you picked a great time to start reading! – In the top story, Jerry Lawler was accused of being a very, very bad boy. – Jim Cornette continues bringing the funny. ” (Now there’s an understatement!) – Based on current trends and advertising, SuperBrawl is looking to do. 19. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. 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. Wrestling Observer Rewind ★ Dec. 1. Maybe if I skim over the Eddie Gilbert stuff it’ll get done easier. – 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 – 10. By Dave Meltzer Nov 21, 2023. 10-21-1991. Well this was all well and good, but wrestling magazines found out about it and started publishing stories and photos, and the NWA had to go into coverup mode. 3-28-1988. Apparently Bret Hart’s negotiations with WCW were so potentially fruitful that someone else is wanting to give it a try. Heyman is making. By Scott Keith on 23rd November 2017. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 06. – All Japan on 9/17 saw the debut of former Olympic wrestler Jun Akiyama, who was pinned by Kenta Kobashi in the semi-main of the show. – 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. 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. 03. Flair’s contract was scheduled to be terminated as of 08/01, and Flair was scheduled to drop the WCW World title to Barry Windham on 7/1 in Macon, GA. 4. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 96. He says he was promised $2,500 and they only paid him $1,500. Lesson the Fourth: Antonio Pena is the new innovator in wrestling and everyone should listen to him. Not by putting on a better product or drawing more money, but by signing one of their soon-to-be-ubiquitous exclusivity contracts with the Kiel Auditorium and thus preventing the NWA-affiliated St. 2 million, making it the largest gate in pro wrestling history. – 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. By Scott Keith on 20th September 2016. He was at the other guys’ PPVs this year taking notes, as well as New Japan and All Japan’s major shows. The WWF drew 16000 and Crockett drew 3000, so point to Vince on that one. Observer Flashbacks; Wrestling Observer Flashback–04. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 11. 96. 5 to a 2. ark:/13960/t2z39wg7w. THANKSGIVING FLASHBACK - November 23, 1972. – Jim Crockett’s promotion was down to 575 people on 12/3, with a main event of Kevin Von Erich & Chris Adams over Dick Murdoch & Black Bart. *1/2. 22. Wrestling Observer Flashback–11. So with the year in PPV finally caught up, let us venture back to the world of 1994 again, with rumors of Hulk Hogan. At the latest WWF tapings, a guy named Mantaur debuted. By Scott Keith on 18th April 2022. Curiosity over Kevin’s return is. 01. 94. 1. By Scott Keith on 24th July 2019. Big John Tenta pinned Koji Kitao with an elbowdrop in 6:10. THE WAR IS ON. 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. 95. 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. It’s a patented Slow News Week as we head into Summerslam, but the issue is still 10 pages. (This is why. I know, I know, I’ll give you a minute to let it sink in. – The show drew 7000 with 4700 paid and a $94,000 house. 30, 1996 (Final Post for 1996) Going through old issues of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and posting highlights in my own words. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 01. ***1/4Wrestling Observer Flashback–03. By Scott Keith on 7th March 2017. 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. Dave thinks it was counterproductive to kill off the Rockers like that. It’s week 3 of the WWF title being held hostage by Diesel! But don’t worry, this can’t possibly last very long. on November 22, 1990 – “Survivor Series ’90. 567. Mid Atlantic Gateway and Wrestling Observer historical files. 05. – Next up TV ratings, which went from an average of 2. Scanner. Nasties sold well at least. The first wrestling move of the match came at 10:00, which was Hogan no-selling the powerbomb and making his comeback. Main event is. Louis Wrestling Club from running. D if wrestling was fake and got slapped around pretty good as a result. 25. 95. Until then, there’s the Clash! – Dave was in Japan for DreamSlam (very short version: It was an amazing show) and missed the Clash of Champions from Jacksonville, but to say it wasn’t well received would be an. 27. Identifier. 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. ”This is horrible, Gorilla. 20. 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. 2. 28. ”. They’re owned by Jody Hamilton (Nick Patrick’s dad) and they do about 200 people per show. 96 Remember how in last week’s issue, Kevin Nash had until the weekend to make up his mind about leaving…? – In the top story, Kevin Nash officially gave notice to the WWF that he’d be accepting an offer from WCW, via phone call to Vince McMahon on 3/5. The suit alleges unfair competition, trademark. Big stuff in the news this week, and the start of the biggest shift in coverage in the history of the Observer. 19 as I try to get as much done as possible in advance. Well it’s been two months. 96. Ted Dibiase & Virgil beat Dusty & Dustin Rhodes at 9:57. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 02. So don’t be disappointed at the lack of a review here. (1) Ultimate Warrior & Legion of Doom & Texas Tornado (Kerry Von Erich) beat Team Demolition & Mr. – 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. It's a recap of the old issues of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Wrestling Observer Flashback – 12. 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. wrestling business himself, negotiating with Buster Douglas for a Tokyo Dome show in March. 22. – Dave watched the 12/19 All Japan show, and dished out another full monty, this one for Misawa & Kobashi winning the tag team tournament over Kawada & Taue in. Continue reading. It’s time for the CLASH OF CHAMPIONS, a flying elbow to the wrestling business that should have revived it! But first, a pretty major death to kick off the issue. 23. They of course had an immediate roster of excuses, mainly that it was scheduled on a night with really tough competition on TV. And NOW the main event! Hog Wild 96 and the introduction of the Observer Hall. -Pro Wrestling 1983-1987. – Andre’s beginnings in the sport are something of a mystery. 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. Dave thinks that the WWF is turning into more of a circus of litigation than a wrestling company.