From: hekunze@jeeves.uwaterloo.ca (Herb Kunze)
Subject: Re: WWF Rantings
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 14:42:11 GMT

In article <1ir4iqINNpp3@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, cm775@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Rick Scaia) writes:
> Am I the only person here who isn't disappointed with Ric Flair's
> decision to leave the WWF? 

  This sentence confused me.  The rest of your note makes it sound
  like you *are* disappointed that Ric Flair is leaving the WWF. 

> First of all, I hold the WWF in much 
> higher regard than WCW, and I'm always disappointed to see the 
> best talent in the business waste away in the inferior WCW. 

  It depends on how define "waste away."  Which of the following do
  you mean:
  a) not get used properly from a booking standpoint.
  b) not get the greater TV exposure and recognition that the WWF offers. 
  c) not get to work to the best of your ability.
  d) something else.

  My feeling is that even with the stupid things (like Erik Watts or Van
  Hammer getting pushed) in WCW, the wrestlers get to work at a higher 
  level much more consistently than in the WWF (which also has stupid
  things: Kamala, Papa Shango, Tatanka getting pushed).  Sure we got to
  see **** matches in Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart vs. 
  Davey Boy Smith, and most likely in Marty Janetty vs. Shawn Michaels.
  That's typically the one great match per PPV that the WWF has recently
  delivered.  Prior to that there were no great matches per PPV.  Other
  than the one great match, there's nothing noteworthy on a WWF PPV.
  WCW PPVs have a bunch of garbage on them too.  But there's been  
  two great matches per PPV in recent memory.  

  In my mind, "wasting away" involves working 4-6 hour TV tapings
  and wrestling 4 jobbers over that time period, working a 10 minute
  match at house shows that requires three actual wrestling maneuvers,
  and actually getting to up that output to 5 moves for the next PPV,
  unless the clown trips me on the way to the ring.  Granted that 
  doesn't include everybody in the WWF, just practically everybody.
  There are more people excluded from the stupid stuff in WCW. 

> Secondly, Flair's situation seems to ensure that he will basically
> rot away upon his WCW return.  Face it, Flair did it all in the 
> NWA/WCW:  heel, face, and holder of multiple titles.  And the
> WCW has changed very little since Flair's departure, which means
> all there is for Flair to do is repeat past angles.  He may 
> remain fresh for a while as a face, maybe as long as a year...
> But eventually we'll be fed Flair-Sting, Flair-Steamboat, or 
> perhaps even the return of the Horsemen.

  And so what?  I'd love to see some more Flair vs. Steamboat classics.
  In case you missed them, they were probably the best North American
  wrestling matches of the 80s.  Hell yes, I actually hope that we get
  the privelege of seeing another Flair-Steamboat series.  I've heard
  that Van Vader will drop the title to a face Flair and that Vader 
  will then leave to work a New Japan tour (hard to believe they want
  him back after the knee thing).  Flair will then feud with Windham.
  The Flair-Windham series from 1987 was classic too, with some of the
  best matches of the 80s as well.  I'll look forward to that.
  
> Flair may be aging, but he's still one of the most fun guys to
> watch in the ring and out...  when he
> has got the right supporting staff;  which doesn't mean the same
> old roster of WCW wrestlers not able to make the step up to the
                                               ^^^^^^^^^^^
> WWF (Of course, Sting's the WCW franchise and is being payed
> enough not to jump ship.)

  In some ways it's a step up and in other ways it's a step down. 

> I'd much rather be seeing Flair-Hennig in the upcoming months...
> And I would have loved to see more of the
> Flair-Undertaker matches that took place late last year; perhaps
> booked into a full-fledged feud.  

  Well, if you were looking forward to seeing the Undertaker in any
  match, there's really little we can discuss.  

  Sure Flair-Hennig could be booked as a **** match, even if Hennig
  can't take any good back bumps, but other than that and Flair-Hart
  nothing has that great match potential for Flair as a WWF heel.  

  On the bright side, you'll get to see Doink vs. Hart and Lex Luger
  vs. Hennig.  
  
> But it's not meant to be, as for whatever reason Flair has decided
> to return to the federation that starred Sting, Barry Windham, 
> Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, and the Steiners when he left, and now
> stars Sting, Barry Windham, and Arn Anderson, and has lost Luger
> and the Steiners to the WWF, while adding only Rick Rude and Big
> Van Vader to the list of stars.  

  When you put it like that, it sounds great.

  They kept guys that are willing to work hard and aren't prima 
  donnas when it comes to jobbing.  Good move, WCW!  And they've
  added three more of the same (you forgot Rick Steamboat).  Who
  says Bill Watts is screwing up? 
  
> the 
> WWF is, despite its flashiness, the most exciting wrestling
> available; they have the best talent roster, the best production
> values, and, usually, the best bookings.  

  The Japanese groups certainly have better talent, workrate and
  booking.  Who cares about production values?  I'd much rather
  watch a Smoky Mountain or USWA episode than a WWF syndie.  

> In addition to this, I
> don't think any of you out there give Vince the credit he deserves
> for reviving pro wrestling in America.  Without his efforts, I
> doubt seriously that r.s.p-w would even exist.  

  Here's this myth again.  In yearly totals, less people have been
  watching pro-wrestling since Vince Jr. took over and gave us 
  Hulkamania than in years before.  Last year was a record low
  year.  The reason?  Nobody goes to the house shows any more.
  Vince has helped kill the house show market by saturating
  the TV world with a boring product.   

                                                       Herb...