Grim Rants About Wrestling

[Bobby Barrows]

Just gonna do this all here because I know people seem to love my rants when I watch classic wrestling, so let's do the thing, and have a grand old discussion about some random thoughts I have when watching wrestling.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

Well, first things first, this may come off as an unpopular opinion, but I really enjoy Billy, Chuck, & Rico as a group. They clearly got chemistry, are having fun, and tbh they were a *really* good tag team. The way it ended left a super bad taste in my mouth. I mean, you didn't have to completely portray them as gay if you weren't gonna go all the way; could have just left them as intentionally ho-yay for the heel heat. I dunno.

 

[Chris]

Well, first things first, this may come off as an unpopular opinion, but I really enjoy Billy, Chuck, & Rico as a group. They clearly got chemistry, are having fun, and tbh they were a *really* good tag team. The way it ended left a super bad taste in my mouth. I mean, you didn't have to completely portray them as gay if you weren't gonna go all the way; could have just left them as intentionally ho-yay for the heel heat. I dunno.

Agreed 100% they were a great act and made the gimmick work so well. They were doomed from the start once it stopped being just implying they're gay to planning a full on wedding

 

[Bobby Barrows]

Also speaking on the same show (March 25, 2002, the infamous Brand Split Draft), what the fuck was the point of breaking up the Dudley Boys in 2002? What exactly did it accomplish? Bubba Ray Dudley teamed up with Spike Dudley and had a worse version overall of the tag team, meanwhile, D-Von Dudley went nowhere in his singles run and floundered as a jobber until the Dudleys returned. Just one of those mind-bogglingly stupid decisions from the writers and Vince.

Not to mention their breaking up made Ric Flair look like a total knob when he could have picked both guys but instead opted to draft only one of them? You're fucking kidding, what was Flair expecting?

 

[Chris]

I don't think Flair could have picked both tho, I remember only the nWo were allowed to be picked together bc they decided to go all in on breaking up tag teams, APA was another one and the weeks prior they were talking about how it was the last time we could see some tag teams together

Non-kayfabe it was dumb especially with hindsight but I also think both could have done better with their singles runs and WWE dropped the ball hard before teaming them back up

 

[Bobby Barrows]

I don't think Flair could have picked both tho, I remember only the nWo were allowed to be picked together bc they decided to go all in on breaking up tag teams, APA was another one and the weeks prior they were talking about how it was the last time we could see some tag teams together

Non-kayfabe it was dumb especially with hindsight but I also think both could have done better with their singles runs and WWE dropped the ball hard before teaming them back up

It doesn't make sense to me especially considering Billy & Chuck were taken together; although you could fairly argue they were the champions. I think it was an awful decision overall and really hampered their WWE run in the end.

 

[Chris]

It doesn't make sense to me especially considering Billy & Chuck were taken together; although you could fairly argue they were the champions. I think it was an awful decision overall and really hampered their WWE run in the end.

I don't think it's anything to argue, Billy and Chuck were drafted together as champs and nWo as a group bc Vince favored them were the on-screen explanations. Unless I'm forgetting a tag team that also went together but I think even the ones that did stick together like the hardys were drafted separately. But agreed it doesn't really make sense why they'd do it lol like Vince clearly drafted D-Von to spite Flair when it would have been smarter to take half of another tag team lol

 

[Bobby Barrows]

Man, Eddie Guerrero in 2002 is so weird, dude. When he re-debuts he's got a very clear American accent, but as he shows up more and more, his iconic Hispanic accent starts to grow. There's an episode of RAW (April 22, 2002), where he's on commentary and it's like the perfect halfway point between "Latino Heat" and "Lie, Cheat, Steal!" Eddie; he's throwing Spanish words, he's got a half-Hispanic accent, and he's enjoying life with Jerry Lawler.

Man is it so surreal.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

Man Scott Hall in 2002 is so sad but also really entertaining. He clearly knows he's gonna be fired, but he's still so fucking good at just everything. Wrestling, selling, facial expressions... If Scott Hall was clean I have no doubt he'd have been so much better then. Still on April 22, 2002, and it's Hall & X-Pac vs. Austin & Big Show, and just the way Scott Hall moves, he's so graceful, so elegant, and he just clearly loves wrestling so much despite his demons.

 

[Gentleman Jake]

Man Scott Hall in 2002 is so sad but also really entertaining. He clearly knows he's gonna be fired, but he's still so fucking good at just everything. Wrestling, selling, facial expressions... If Scott Hall was clean I have no doubt he'd have been so much better then. Still on April 22, 2002, and it's Hall & X-Pac vs. Austin & Big Show, and just the way Scott Hall moves, he's so graceful, so elegant, and he just clearly loves wrestling so much despite his demons.

You know I love everything about this post…I love that dude…. Damn shame but at least he survived


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[Hoss]

Billy, Chuck and Rico were an amazing group. And lowkey, Charlie Haas and Rico were a favorite team of mine as well when they were around.

 

[Chris]

Billy, Chuck and Rico were an amazing group. And lowkey, Charlie Haas and Rico were a favorite team of mine as well when they were around.

Rico was a pro, the gimmick was hit or miss with how outlandish it would be at times but man he was great at whatever asked

 

[GARBAGE]

I really wish WWE put all the OVW tv on the network so we could see what the Ricos, Bashams, Dinsmores, etc were doing before they were called up and given a gimmick that would never properly get over (or in the case of Dinsmore, just be one of the worst things ever). Doug Basham especially always looks *really* good when he shows up on the Velocity episodes I've been seeing.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

May 20, 2002 RAW

(Quick aside, RIP British Bulldog, should have gotten a ten count, not just a video package at the beginning)

More nWo talk but what the fuck was WWE (they officially changed names on May 6) thinking in making Booker T a member of the group? Out of all the guys you could have chosen to be the Jobber of the group, there were far better choices... like the Big Bossman, or fuck, even Test would have been a solid choice. All it served to do was add an unnecessary wrinkle to the whole BookDust storyline. God this is so frustrating. I already miss Scott Hall since he's been fired and Kevin Nash still isn't back yet. Just more lamentations of what could have been.

Also another aside, what the fuck is up with this rapist Heyman angle they got going. Being Uber creepy around Lita and Trish Stratus is uh, not fun to watch? Let's go with not fun to watch. I get he's supposed to be a slimy dirty heel, but ffs, have him just be an annoying fuck.

It's not even two months and they already turned Ric Flair heel too. God what a waste, two heel authority figures, who ever could have seen this coming? There was an opportunity for Flair to be just the cool babyface that didn't take anyone's shit, but instead they have him turn on Austin the first chance they could get. What an utter waste of both guys' time.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

June 3, 2002

Alright, I'm turned around on Booker T being in the nWo. Guy's fucking hilarious with his banter with X-Pac while Big Show is corpsing in the background. Kevin Nash looks like he's playing babysitter and that's honestly hilarious. Goldust also desperately wanting to be in the nWo is funny too. Of course, this is the episode where Shawn Michaels comes back and promptly kicks out Booker T after not even a month in the nWo. Absolute shame because I was legit starting to have fun with this particular group.