This Week in PTBN History – 15th to 21st September

Back in June 2013 the Place to Be Nation invaded the information super-highway with the launch of the website you are visiting just now. Since then a back catalogue has grown to include thousands of podcasts and written pieces, some of which you might have missed and it is my arduous task pleasure to go through the archives and bring you some of the highlights of PTBN through the years.

This weeks audio offering comes to you from back in 2015 with Episode 9 of the excellent Dangerous Alliance podcast with JT Rozzero and Good Ol’ Will from Texas. This episode’s three falls consist of the guys arguing who would win a grudge match between two wrestlers given to them by supercard promoter Dan McGinn, before moving on to live watch of the Brian Pillman/Johnny B. Badd classic from Fall Brawl 1995, and finishing with a countdown of the hosts Top 5 live wrestling experiences. This particular show can be found here, but the I would recommend going back into the PTBN archives to check out the rest of the episodes from this show’s run.

And as always, whilst you settle down to listen to the Dangerous Alliance, why not have a look at this weeks trip into the written archives, and indeed the WWE Network archives as Aaron, Brian, Jacob, Dave and yours truly take you on an Excellent Network Adventure with a look at the Saturday Night’s Main Event from February 1992. We had some very differing opinions of the show, so take a look and make your own judgement on the penultimate episode of the original SNME run.

Saturday Night’s Main Event February 1992

Run Time: 46 Minutes

Why Aaron  Why???: Because no one else would pick anything. And I wanted to hear Sid’s apology again.

Best Segment

Seconds before “YES! It’s ME! Yes!”

Aaron George:  The entire package chronicling Sid’s descent into madness. The press conference where an expectant Sid crumples his notes before screaming at reporters followed by the most BOGUS act that Jack Tunney has ever pulled off is a pure joy to watch even 26 years after original airing. His sublime “apology” after being declared misunderstood is the perfect topper. No one “SINCERELY” apologizes through gritted teeth. No one until now.

Brian Bayless: Sid’s promo after his match where he talked about not needing friends and was pissed about WWF President Jack Tunney passing him over for the WrestleMania VIII title shot was awesome (Remember, it was announced at a press conference that Hogan would be facing Flair at WrestleMania VIII). Sid’s presence was off the charts.

Jacob Williams: The press conference was just fantastic as both campy fun entertainment and actually  advancing an angle. Sid’s reaction to Tunney’s decision is priceless. I paused just to further examine the wonderful fashion choices of everyone in the room.

Calum McDougall: I loved the Hogan vs, Sid recap purely because of Sid. From him standing up at the press conference only not to be announced, to calling the decision “BOGUS!”, to his completely disingenuous promo to close the segment, Sid was awesome. I loved it.

Dave Hall:  Randy Savage’s promo before Main Event. Just like the match, this was Randy Savage at his intense best. He laid out the situation and told us all he was going to do what it takes. He was focused, intense and drew me in as a viewer, which is what a promo should do.

Best Match

CONSENSUS!

Aaron George: While we were probably denied a blood soaked cage match between the Macho Man and The Snake to blow off their feud, the hate filled sprint we got here was almost satisfying. There was no one better at getting things over on an emotional level than Randy Savage, and given a world class douchebag in the form of Jake Roberts results were usually magic. This one was… solid… but I’ll take a solid hate filled brawl over Triple H and Randy Orton headlocking their way through a blood feud in 2009. In truth, with Jake’s big match WWF record it may have been for the best.

Brian Bayless: Jake Roberts vs. Randy Savage, despite being short, was the best match on the show. It was intense and had heat even if the finish was anticlimactic. This was not a show that featured strong in-ring action.

Jacob Williams: Not sure if I’m the outlier here, but given how much time they were given, Roberts and Savage delivered. Both guys excel at bringing out the emotion in a feud, and you could really feel the hatred despite such a short match.

Calum McDougall: As much star power as the headline tag match had, my match of the night is Savage vs Roberts. Aaron mentioned that his biggest gripe with the I Quit match in the last Adventure was that it didn’t have enough hate in it, and you couldn’t make the same complaint here. If Savage had access to a machete or revolver you got the impression he might well have used it!

Dave Hall: Randy Savage vs Jake Roberts. This was the only decent match on the card. It had intensity and a good story. It was a good conclusion to their feud, which was very rare on a Saturday night’s Main Event. Savage wanted revenge and got it. I love Savage in this situation, as he breaks all the rules, but the storyline warrants the anger and aggression. Savage finishes the match, but then wants to get more shots in, which is what you would expect. The cut off of the angle at the end is a bit annoying, especially as it built to something new, but it does not take away from this match.

Most Cringeworthy Moment

“Brothers…”

Aaron George: They should be absolutely ashamed with themselves for their deceptive editing of the end of the 92 Rumble. Not only was Sid CHEERED when he threw out Hogan but Gorilla most certainly didn’t go on an indignant rant about how you look a man in the eyes when you throw him out. I get they want Hogan to be the face but you’d have to edit out every single one of these things to hide the fact that Hulk Hogan is the biggest sore loser in the history of wrestling.

Brian Bayless: At a time where Hogan’s stock was at his lowest in the company, having him dedicate his WrestleMania match to Brutus Beefcake was not what people wanted to see, especially since Hogan eliminated Sid in the Rumble after getting eliminated in legal fashion.

Jacob Williams: Brutus mentioning that Hogan slept with him in the hospital bed, “pumping blood” into him was strange. Really any form of Beefcake being associated with the main event scene was really grating.

Calum McDougall: Randy Savage’s pre-match interview, hearing Savage talk about domestic violence and being a bit tightly wound was just too close to the bone for my liking. Couple that with Vince’s line at the end about Savage not liking anyone who gets too close to Elizabeth and you get a great match being the filling in an Uncomfortable Sandwich.

Dave Hall: The replay from the Royal Rumble. I hated that when they showed the footage from the Royal Rumble that it was clearly dubbed so that the crowd can be heard chanting “Hogan, Hogan” and cheering Hogan’s dragging Sid Justice from the ring. The company wanted to push the storyline, and forced a change of reaction upon us to accomplish the goal.

Funniest Line/Moment

USA!

Aaron George:  “I SINCERELY apologize.” (clenches fists)

Brian Bayless: Heenan ragging on Hogan was amusing.

Jacob Williams: The absurd sound effect for Mountie’s cattle prod slays me every time.

Calum McDougall: “There will certainly be a face off if Sid hits Beefcake!” – Bobby Heenan’s clever description on the potentially gruesome consequences of Beefcake getting in Sid’s face.

Dave Hall: I was surprised at the lack of good funny lines during this show, especially when Bobby Heenan’s on commentary. I think that there was a little bit of a lack of chemistry between Bobby and Vince McMahon. However, I really like Heenan’s line, when referring to Jim Duggan, “General Schwarzkoff called for Duggan to come to the Gulf War. He wanted him to have one eye on the upcoming tanks and one eye on the air for planes at the same time”

Highlights

Minutes before he closed down his business.

Aaron George: It was truly cool to see Piper out there carrying that title. Equally cool seeing fantastic asshole Mountie get his comeuppance. After Sid’s apology, Sean Mooney ignores him during an interview which prompts him to get up and leave angrily. Sid’s mannerisms during the tag match are all top notch. His disgusted reaction to Beefcake is the EXACT same look I would give a man wearing those “pants.” Sid’s pissed when Hogan cups the ear, and his reach and drop to finally abandon the Immortal one was perfect. Then he threatens a woman… I could go on all night about Sid. Vince’s “Once again… reaching for the tag…” will forever be ingrained in my mind. Sid then proceeds to tell Mooney to ‘SHAAAAADUP” before using the phrase “for furthermore” in a sentence. Sid’s the best. The recap to the Savage/Roberts match was a great reminder of how batshit insane the end of 1991 was. Snake attacks! Elizabeth slappings! Both Savage and Jake cut short, but memorable promos. Jake insisting that some things are best when done twice, referring to the slapping of Elizabeth was pure heel, while Savage’s assertion that he might be insane was certainly intense enough to convince me. Man, Blake Beverly can take a clothesline!

Brian Bayless: I did like how they ended the show with a cliffhanger of Jake standing behind the curtain with a chair saying he would swing at whoever came through first as the camera switched from him to Savage & Elizabeth walking up the aisle.

Jacob Williams: This could have been called Sid’s Main Event because he killed it the entire show. When put in the right spot, he really has an awesome presence and feels like a huge deal. I loved his facials when he turns his back on Hogan and walks out. The heat and emotion of Jake and Savage was great, too. Bobby continued his hot streak from the Rumble with some great lines.

Calum McDougall: Motivated Sid is always a joy to behold, and everything he did in the tag match was a perfect set up for the upcoming Hogan match. This was good show but given that it was a 46 min sprint there won’t be an endless list… Oh wait! The fact it was a 46 minute sprint is a definite highlight in these times of three hour Raws.

Dave Hall: Not a lot on this card. The main event was great, the Hogan/Sid vs Flair/Undertaker match was solid, and pushed the storyline they wanted, but was a bit predictable. Outside of this, not a lot stood out for me. It would have been great if they had played the final angle out to its conclusion on this show, as it would have been the highlight of the night.

Lowlights

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Aaron George: Man that intro music was liquid human shit. I need Obsession! Why on Earth did Hogan STILL have to win the damn match by DQ? He can’t job to the current world champion and a living dead man? It was the best of Pipers, it was the worst of Pipers. Love the match and Mountie getting shocked, HATED seeing “SHOCK PROOF” written on a shirt. The Duggan/Slaughter versus Beverlys match was harmless, but boy is face Slaughter the biggest tool on planet Earth. Why on Earth was Hogan sleeping in Beefcake’s hospital bed???

Brian Bayless: The Beverly Brothers were originally supposed to face the Legion of Doom for a title shot but that did not happen due to a few reasons so they instead faced Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter in a match that never needed to happen. That time could have been given to Savage and Jake.

Jacob Williams: I literally forgot about the Duggan tag match until I started writing my comments, so that’s probably not a good sign. Not sure if this really counts as a specific lowlight, but you could just feel throughout the entire show that this was nearing the end of the SNME era, which is a bummer. Despite all the big names, it just didn’t have quite the same grandeur that I associate with SNME.

Calum McDougall: Where was The Mountie’s music?! I’ll never know if he’s handsome, brave, strong or if he even enforces the law? Everything after the headline tag match with Hogan’s comeback annoyed me. The current and immediately previous WWF Champions dominated him for the best part of 10 minutes and Hogan does a Hogan and still stands tall.

Dave Hall: Besides the main and the big tag the other two matches on the card were unwatchable rubbish. Slaughter and Duggan no-sold The Beverleys and ruined that match, while the Mountie vs Piper match was also really bad. The Hogan interview was a bit below par for me, and the reaction of Sid just told everyone where that match’s story was going.

Wild Card BABY!!!

I APOLOGIZE!

Most Green: The woman clad in the lime green jogging suit cheering for Roddy Piper. She LOVED the man, and even Brain’s dismissive “weight watchers” comment couldn’t bring her down! She danced. She cheered. She greened. – AG

Vince is aware of pop culture??: When Piper says he doesn’t play that, Vince makes an In Living Color reference (NEITHER DOES HOMIE!). – JW

Best Tidbit: Sid Vicious himself claimed that Vince McMahon told him he’d end up being the biggest heel in the wrestling business then added it was another false promise from Vince. – BB

Best Sound Effects: Zzzzzap! Zzzzzap! Obviously the very real sounding shock stick sounds. – CM

Most WWF Moment: Hogan and Beefcake in the ring after the tag match gesturing about Sid being a big man, and leaving Hogan and threatening Beefcake, and they are going to get him. It was overplayed, and came across as an overreaction. Now if Sid had beaten Hogan (and Beefcake) down, that would have been fun to watch. – DH

Shaaaaaadap Award For Needing To Shaaaaaaaaadap! : Sean Money. Don’t ignore Sid you prick. He’s all decked out in red. Seriously, SHAAAAAAAADAAAP! – AG

Best Tidbit #2: The Mountie said that he hated working with Piper and felt Piper made him look like a “jobber.”  – BB

Most Head-Scratching: Roddy Piper’s shock proof vest. Not that Piper was wearing it, that’s genius, but how the Mountie didn’t realise something was amiss, namely how Piper seemed to have piled on the pounds and had a suspiciously rubbery chest. He was then shocked to find out Piper was wearing something under his shirt despite wrestling with him for the past five minutes. Don’t get it. – CM

Final Thoughts

NOW SEE HERE!

Aaron George: I LOVED watching this. It flew by and is a perfect snapshot of the time. All the top stars of the era in their top feuds leading to one of my favorite WrestleManias. I think when I get down to it this may be my favorite era. The madness that was 1991 is now starting to blend with the chaos of Ric Flair and the insanity of Randy Savage. And Sid. I think his character work in this run is incredibly underrated. I’m a big fucking mark for the guy. Can’t go full monty with the lack of a great match but as is: RATING: 9/10

Brian Bayless: This show was all about angle advancement. The action was forgettable and while Sid was awesome it did not end up having the same effect as when others turned on Hogan in the past because of how Hulkamania was clearly on the downswing. And Hogan himself was the jerk by screwing over Sid at the Rumble. Plus, Sid turning was not a surprise at all. The cliffhanger ending was cool but the rest of the show was forgettable and the production values were subpar here (The SNME debut on FOX) when compared to NBC. This show led to some changes to the WrestleMania card for better or worse. RATING: 5.5/10

Jacob Williams: Not much to speak of in terms of actual wrestling, but that was never the focus of SNME even at its peak. The angle advancement was done well, and they did a good job of putting the focus on the main event picture. Sid really carries the show with his insane presence. I couldn’t shake that the feeling that SNME was on the way out and wasn’t quite as shiny and pretty as the past. Still, this was a pretty good show and executed some of the hallmarks of the show (building characters and feuds, great pacing) extremely well. RATING: 7/10

Calum McDougall: This was a fun little sprint, and it kept my interest throughout. They packed a lot into the 46 minutes and even thought there’s was a pointless Duggan/Slaughter vs Beverly Brothers match in the middle it wasn’t around long enough to offend. It set up a major angle and blew off another so they used their time excellently. RATING: 8/10

Dave Hall: Apart from the main event, I found this card really hard to watch, slow and plodding. The interviews were poor, the commentary was below average, and everything was entirely too predictable. I would not recommend this card to anyone unless they were wanting to do a background for WrestleMania VIII. RATING: 3/10

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