Time for some non-Montreal, non-Invasion topics!
Scott,
Looooooooooong time reader and erratic contributor to the comments section who's been a watcher (intermittently, at best, now) since around 1985 (I have distinct memories of Lex Luger as Florida and Southern Champion). I don't think I've ever actually written before, but am bored at work and figured I'd give you a shout. A few random questions:
1. Tom Zenk. All the measurables were there for Zenk to be a big star (Minnesota pedigree/Japanese experience/great body/high flying skills), yet he really never broke through as a top player. His best chance seemed to be his WCW tenure (when, admittedly, they couldn't find their ass from doorknob), but it never came together. What gives?
2. Greg Valentine. I always considered Valentine to be the great "lost" Horseman. His history with Flair, tag team experience and old-school mentality made him an ideal fit, particularly when he was in WCW in 92; instead, they stuck him in a team with Terry Taylor (admittedly a great worker before his car accident). When Flair came back in 93, wouldn't Valentine have been a better choice than Paul Roma? Anderson and Valentine (even at 41) as a tag team? Yes, please.
3. Brad Armstrong. Quickie on this one - the best all-around worker that never became a star? The only comparison that I can think of is Bobby Eaton, but he had world title runs with the tag belts; other than the BS WCW light heavyweight title and an iteration of the six man belts (as Badstreet), he never really got through. Any reason why not?
Best,
Pak
1. Zenk never really had a chance to show the kind of charisma he demonstrated on the Observer radio shows, probably because he was mostly stereotyped into the “pretty boy” role and didn’t have much opportunity to break free from it. Plus he never seemed to have much passion for the business in general.
2. That is a very interesting idea. Valentine would have fit with the Horsemen really well, actually, although by that point in WCW he had nothing left in the way of credibility anyway. But I’m intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
3. Brad just never had the charisma to be a top guy, as was demonstrated every time they tried to give him a “character” to play, like Buzzkill. I always enjoyed his work, but he was never a guy who I would have paid money to see or anything.
Tom Zenk's best chance was in the WWF as part of the Can-Am Connection. Don't know if he wouldve been a singles star but that tag team (as shown by Strike Force) was going to be crazy over as babyface champions.
ReplyDeleteArmstrong was legendary for the "coulda been" guy that never made it, but in the end he was a hand, he could have great matches with people but he didn't have unique offense or a marketable character, so he was better off jobbing.
ReplyDeleteHis modern equivalent would probably be Tyson Kidd, who will be a similar "coulda been".
Wow Valentine as a Horseman in 93 is a damn good idea. Although the 93 version still had the issue of Ole being a member which, despite him being one of the founders and a good interview, wasn't even wrestling at the time. He could have played the JJ Dillion role well though.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to chose the 93 version would have been Flair, Arn, Greg, and dammit I can't think of anyone else. Ah the hell with it, add Ole and just have the 3 of them wrestle like with Roma.
Valentine as a Horseman seems like an ideal fit, but by the 90s his credibility had been shot to hell like Scott says. Now, Valentine as a Horseman back in the 80s, now you're talking!
ReplyDeleteStill would have had more credibility than Roma.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I was thinking. I mean, Roma was basically a JTTS before he joined the Horsemen which made it kind of jarring because up to that point, the Horsemen members had been believable upper card guys.
ReplyDeleteValentine would've totally fit in and you get some good wins under his belt, play up his history with Flair, former tag and US champ...yeah, in hindsight, they kinda blew that one.
Wouldn't you say that description makes them both more "good, but he is what he is" than "coulda been?"
ReplyDeleteYeah he definitely shouldn't have come completely out of nowhere like Roma did. Valentine needed to be on TV for at least a month or two beforehand.
ReplyDeleteit didnt help that Larry Z was burying him every time he went out there with his "armstrong curse" mumbo jumbo.
ReplyDeleteI liked Brad Armstrong, best of the Armstrongs ring wise. charisma of course Road Dogg has them all beat hands down put together.
...Where did Bullet Bob come from? Ive never really heard of him until hearing about SMW? Where was he at in his heyday territory wise?
60's and 70's he was in Georgia most of the 80's was in Alabama/Western Tennessee/Panhandle of Florida (that be Continental for you people who don't know such things) and really just most of the Southeast he is a damn legend in these parts and no joke as over as about anyone can be
ReplyDeleteFlair, Arn, Greg, and Ron Simmons would be my pick. Simmons would have been great in the Windham role, and he was coming off his World title run where a heel turn would have done him good. I think he may have been injured during that time but, fantasy pick, that's who I would go with.
ReplyDeleteI miss the 2002 and 2003 Tom Zenk columns.
ReplyDeleteIf he said some of those things now, he'd get sued in a heartbeat. In fact, alot of people speculated that he got threatened by WWE legal, which is supposedly why he pulled all those columns down and literally disappeared without a trace. I don't even think he even so much as did a radio interview after that.
He got hit with a copyright lawsuit threat to make him kill his website and delete everything commentary column-wise when he restarted it, due to BS issues over him using WWF copyrighted photos without permission. But in truth, it was because his very last column was a rather dark parody of the death of Miss Elizabeth in terms of Steph dying and HHH calling 911 and being more concerned about his career than his fiance.
ReplyDeleteI still laugh when I think about Zenk ripping on JR for mocking guys' weight gain, showing a picture of a particularly-corpulent Ross with the caption "Jim Ross- FITNESS GURU".
ReplyDeleteWasn't one of Road Dogg's reasons for hating on Trips, Hunter's mention of the Armstrong curse.
ReplyDeleteBrad Armstrong and Tom Zenk would be "Superstars" today -- Nothing against them, but it kind of speaks to the sad overall state of "Sports Entertainment"
ReplyDeleteYou're generally really intelligent but I have to say that Ron Simmons as a Horseman is one of the stupidest things I've heard in recent memory -- Put Steve Austin in a suit, give him the mic and, with his natural charisma, you create a whole new phenomenon that robs the world of "Stone Cold"
ReplyDeleteExcept for the fact that you could see Armstrong kicking your ass, Tyson Kidd? Not so much...
ReplyDeleteSadly, I missed Scott replying to my email, but am thrilled that he did so. Yeah, it's great to hear that Valentine gets so much support in this role - he would have been ideal in the role.
ReplyDeleteValentine and Arn SHREDDING a jobber tag team (remember jobbers) and bloodying them up good and proper would very quickly have put Greg back in the fans good graces. Additionally (and I can vouch for this having walked by him at NYCC two weeks ago), Valentine NEVER EVER AGES; its terrifying that he looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago.
ReplyDelete