http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/men-action/201306/george-animal-steele-jim-myers-wrestling-elizabeth-randy-savage
Kind of fascinating look at one of the underrated programs of 1986, if you ask me. Also a great look at how bonkers Randy Savage was.
Kind of fascinating look at one of the underrated programs of 1986, if you ask me. Also a great look at how bonkers Randy Savage was.
Oh he was crazy all right. Funny to read that excerpt and think of George Steele writing it. Not the kind of guy you'd normally think of to be making literary allusions and sly pop culture references.
I'd be worried too if I were Randy. I've seen the way that man ate a turnbuckle.
ReplyDeleteGeorge is a really sharp guy. He taught English for years while he wrestled.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason I always bristled at people that took shots at DDP for overly scripted matches (why should we care? All that matters is the end product) -- Macho was famous for the exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think Savage's approach is very valid.
Great article, but I'm not sure what the last part had to do with the rest.
ReplyDeleteWatch Orton-Seamus from the night after Wrestlemania for the flip side of overly-scripted wrestling. It was tone-deaf. There's a lot to be said for improv.
ReplyDeleteOr Benoit-Malenko at Hog Wild, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteHe does have a Master's degree, so he can probably write a little. Debating picking this book up. I have a huge backlog of books, but this one sounds like it's very interesting.
ReplyDeleteYeah I never got that criticism of DDP.
ReplyDeleteThe real question should be *who* is doing the scripting of matches. If it's agents in the back instead of the guys in the ring, that's a problem IMO.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that's not always the case. Would you rather see a match scripted by a Steamboat, an Anderson, etc... or let the rookies script it out themselves?
ReplyDeleteGranted, some might be able to pull off a good match, but others might create legendary Wrestlecrap.
If it's two young guys who don't really know any better, it's probably better for an agent to step in. But for the most part, most of WWE's matches include a veteran. Just looking at this past RAW, you have:
ReplyDeleteCody Rhodes/Damien Sandow vs. Sheamus/Christian
Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho
Ryback vs. Khali
Brodus Clay/Tensai vs.Usos vs. 3MB
Darren Young vs. CM Punk
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton
None of those matches should need an agent to script anything. And even in the case of Ryback/Khali where it's 2 big lugs, it's not like an agent is going to make it any better.
I think it's also a case of the process of the agent putting it together. If the agent just gets the two guys and tells them "this is your match" that's an issue. X-Pac said in a shoot how he had an issue with Michael Hayes because he would put together the Hardy/E&C/Dudley matches without telling them why they were doing the things they would do and thus they wouldn't learn.
ReplyDeleteGreat article made complete with a quality reference to Strohs!
ReplyDeleteHis Timeline DVD with Kayfabe Commentaries on WWF 1986 is really good. He's a great storyteller, reminds me a lot of my grandad.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure about that one? Hulk-Warrior (the original) was scripted by Pat Patterson...not sure what it would've looked like had they planned it themselves (prob. like Hogan-Warrior II =) )
ReplyDeleteELIZABETH!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if all of those destroyed turnbuckles came out of hisppay?
ReplyDeleteYeah but take a look at that Punk/Young match. Even with a veteran like Punk trying his best, there were some moments that looked really shitty. The run in afterward also looked awkward.
ReplyDelete