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Ken Patera returning in 87

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When Ken Patera made his return in the spring of 87 he was heavily pushed as a fan favorite vowing revenge on Bobby Heenan and the Heenan family.

Now obviously Patera had regressed in the few years he was away, but he seemed to be pretty over at first, even getting his own Coliseum Video upon his return.

He suffered a bad injury to his arm over the summer and never seemed the same.

Would a heel turn and return to Heenan have salvaged his comeback?

I am pretty sure the Observer or the Apter mags reported he was rumored to face Hogan at Wrestlemania 4 around that time.

​Yeah, if I'm remembering correctly the general plan around the time of his return was that he would still be awesome and would go heel to be the Hogan dead body of the month at some point, but he was such a spectacular flop upon his return that they just dropped all those ideas completely and jobbed him out.  Even before his arm injury he completely lost all his intensity and drive and just looked like a guy instead of a star.  ​Apparently when you're NOT high on drugs 24/7 you tend to be a calmer person.  Who knew?  

Comments

  1. bramma23April 22, 2015 at 7:04 AM

    All this Patera hate has gotten completely out of hand. He just never was able to get in full gear. Any run that produces this promo is a success.

    http://youtu.be/nO1nBKoNGaA

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  2. BettisApril 22, 2015 at 7:23 AM

    About 15 years ago, my neighbor had gotten a tape from someone that had wrestling on it so he gave it to me. It had the PPV version of WrestleWar 89 including the Oak Ridge Boys concert... my buddy and I never laughed so damn much at anything. Unfortunately Vince stole the idea and put on even worse concerts at Wrestlemania :(

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  3. Mike MearsApril 22, 2015 at 7:24 AM

    I'm still unsure why my TV was showing different episodes of Raw in late 2012 than others were seeing, because I was watching this entire time and have no recollection whatsoever of when Ryback "got over huge."

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  4. ROCK-em SOCK-em Robot!!!!April 22, 2015 at 7:24 AM

    What was REALLY baffling was him losing to Mark Henry at WM29.

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  5. BOConscienceApril 22, 2015 at 7:24 AM

    Ken Patera talk must mean it's a slow day here. Hey you know that Roman Reigns guy? He's a stud.

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  6. BettisApril 22, 2015 at 7:26 AM

    I've been watching some 1992 WCW and he was around even back then as Robby Walker. He was supposed to be teaming with Ron Simmons(then world champ) at the November Clash until WCW grew a brain and brought in... 2 Cold "We don't even know his name!!!" Scorpio

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  7. ROCK-em SOCK-em Robot!!!!April 22, 2015 at 7:26 AM

    He just didn't have the hunger to succeed anymore.

    He had filled that hunger in his stomach with lots of delicious McDonalds hamburgers!

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  8. nintydayfianceApril 22, 2015 at 7:26 AM

    More Ken Patera emails. Thanks.

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  9. BettisApril 22, 2015 at 7:27 AM

    Are we sure JTG isn't Joe "The" Gomez?

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  10. dirtyearsbillApril 22, 2015 at 7:28 AM

    I'll say that I went to a Raw in Sacramento where Punk and Vince got into a fight with kendo sticks and Ryback came out to make the save and the place exploded. He got an honest to goodness monster pop. I didn't understand it at the time and I still don't now, but he had a short window where he was over pretty big.

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  11. Buffalo HopscotchApril 22, 2015 at 7:29 AM

    And trying to hide his developing baldness with the HBK long hair.

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  12. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyApril 22, 2015 at 7:30 AM

    He really did start getting over pretty big.


    Once the idiots finally gave up with the 'Goooooldberg' thing, the squashes started getting over.


    Weird; not being booked like a fucking geek and killing people with intense moves got over. ha

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  13. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyApril 22, 2015 at 7:31 AM

    I REALLY don't dig that guy. Never saw the hype.


    Always quite liked Ryback, though. At least he LOOKS the part, too. Corbin - bad name, bad face (like, has a proper little sulky babyface)

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  14. F'N Body Slams - Dan SelbyApril 22, 2015 at 7:32 AM

    *hearty Vince laugh*

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  15. BOConscienceApril 22, 2015 at 7:32 AM

    At the time I thought they were gonna come out with Hall of Pain Version 2.0 or something. But he went out and started jobbing and hasnt really stopped. Maybe it was like a kane/big show "thank you. Here's someone thay has some following you can beat" sorta thing.

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  16. brak_attackApril 22, 2015 at 7:33 AM

    This is WWE's biggest problem and why they struggle to make the next face of the company. They take a guy who gets over with the audience and they force them into title matches with no intention of them winning, instead of letting them dominate the midcard for a year or so before winning the big title. It's why Reigns and Ryback have struggled. It's also why your two biggest organic faces (Punk and Bryan) got so over. They just kicked ass in the midcard instead of getting forced into the main event (the problem there, however, was that WWE didn't pull the trigger and keep them in the main event).

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  17. Mister_E_MahnApril 22, 2015 at 7:34 AM

    Has there ever been another guy where the announcers have openly talked about how he's past his prime and should probably just retire?

    As an 87 on-boarder, that's the Ken Patera that I remember.

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  18. BOConscienceApril 22, 2015 at 7:35 AM

    Outside the smark cities he was over huge. I thought so anyway. That ppv losing streak killed him though.

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  19. KenolaApril 22, 2015 at 7:35 AM

    I say he was fine until he jobbed to Henry at Wrestlemania. Common sense booking had him getting his win back at Extreme Rules but instead of that he's hastily plugged into a program with Cena which I would've waited until Summerslam anyway but even worse than that they turn the guy heel when a face/face matchup would've been just fine.

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  20. Mister_E_MahnApril 22, 2015 at 7:38 AM

    Although I did dig the Demolition angle.

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  21. Brian_BaylessApril 22, 2015 at 7:42 AM

    The story was great. Too bad Patera was washed up at the time

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  22. Rock Star GaryApril 22, 2015 at 8:04 AM

    Did you ever see the Hardcore TV episode with Jungle Jim Steele on it? It's priceless for those who watched SuperBrawl IV.

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  23. J. FrizzApril 22, 2015 at 9:19 AM

    I have not, but I have seen Superbrawl IV. Is the episode on the Network?

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  24. Rock Star GaryApril 22, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    Yes, but I'll save you the trouble and show you his match here: http://www.wwe.com/videos/911-vs-jungle-jim-steele-ecw-june-17-1995-26152771

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  25. Jose GomezApril 22, 2015 at 1:28 PM

    Definitely the most indirect way for me to get over

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  26. El SalvajeApril 22, 2015 at 4:01 PM

    Hey ma get off the dang roof

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  27. paulmail21April 22, 2015 at 4:24 PM

    at least people get context for Heenan's reaction during the close of the Bash after Hogan's reveal, since he can plainly see Hogan nailed it and any chance of heel 4 Horsemen managed by Heenan getting a chance was gone

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  28. paulmail21April 22, 2015 at 4:25 PM

    "YEAH TATANKA, I GOT MY EYE ON YOU BABY!"

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  29. paulmail21April 22, 2015 at 4:27 PM

    Regal's mini feuds with Sting and Finlay, and the work with Eaton, helped carry the lower end of the early Nitros

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  30. paulmail21April 22, 2015 at 4:28 PM

    think they meant "missed cross body" before he's pinned... or if he was being put over he's hit his cross body and the opponent roled through

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  31. gregApril 22, 2015 at 6:22 PM

    wait what reaction when he walked off the set

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  32. Mdh1985April 22, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    Sounds like something Joe Gomez would say

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