From: price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price)
Subject: Re: Hogan vs. Sid Main
Reply-To: price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu
Organization: UCLA Particle Physics Research Group
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 05:02:10 GMT

Putting the mark in me aside for the moment...

In article <1992Apr12.190904.7683@watdragon.waterloo.edu>, hekunze@jeeves.waterloo.edu (Herb Kunze) writes:
>  Marks were dissatisfied with WrestleMania because:
>      (i) The Sheepwhackers' match wasn't aired on PPV

Weren't they against the Beverly Bros?  Nah, that wouldn't be a good match. 
The gay thing with the Beverlys was old before it began, and the Whackers 
have done all the slapstick they can with that team.  Also, there is no way 
in hell you can book a win for the Whackers believably.  This match didn't 
deserve to be booked.

>     (ii) Skinner is now no longer undefeated for all intents and
>          purposes

Well, I can't argue about this.  It was poorly hyped.  It should be enough 
for a mark to believe that wrestling isn't booked.  Vince shouldn't require 
them to have such poor memories.

>    (iii) Bret "the excellence of execution" Hart and Roddy Piper 
>          didn't have the super match they could have

Now, Herb, this is hardly a "mark" reason.  In fact, the marks should have 
*liked* WM, because they had a "clean" match, and left friends.  I won't 
apologize for liking Roddy Piper.  He's probably the best brawler in the 
business (where I define "best" in this context to mean "the most fun to 
watch" - it has nothing to do with actual skill *in*this*context*).  

>     (iv) They thought that the Natural Disasters were the tag
>          champs since their hands were raised in victory

I wouldn't even accuse the marks of being that stupid.  After all, we see 
DQ victories all the time.  I doubt the marks would have trouble grasping 
the concept of a countout victory.

>      (v) Sid Justice kicked out of Hulk Hogan's Leg Drop 

Nope - they were upset because Papa Shango did a run-in, stealing what 
might have been the Hulkster's last chance to teach Sid a lesson.

>     (vi) The Ultimate Warrior seems to have gone on the Ultimate
>          Slim(-Jim-)Fast Diet or maybe even was replaced by Kerry
>          von Erich.

I doubt the marks noticed that UW was that much thinner.  After all, they 
had for the most part forgotten him completely.  Out of sight, out of mind.

>    (vii) There weren't enough celebrity guests

Here's one thing I didn't miss at all...  :)

>  Smart fans were dissatisfied with WrestleMania because:
>      (i) The Michaels-Santana and the Flair-Savage matches were both
>          wrestling let-downs and we didn't have sense enough to
>          expect them to be bad matches 

I would include Piper-Hart in this, but we seem to disagree on this point.

>     (ii) Nothing happened.  There are no wrestling-related memories
>          from the show -- usually a WWF show leaves us with at least
>          one wrestling memory out of the 3 hours of pap

This raises an interesting question - what are some of the big memories of 
WWF PPVs past?  Sure, you can point to WM3 and Steamboat/Savage, but which 
other *wrestling* memories do you have?

>    (iii) Marks still believe that Bret Hart and Roddy Piper are superb
>          wrestlers, when the evidence doesn't really support the 
>          conclusion.  Piper used to be medium-skilled and is now
>          a sad shadow of himself.  Bret's reputation comes more
>          from Gorilla Monsoon repeating "excellence of execution"
>          than it comes from worthiness.

I never said Piper was "superb".  I said "fun to watch".  I stick by that 
statement.  I disagree with you about Bret, but not strongly enough to make 
a big deal about it, so I won't...  :)

>     (iv) Vince actually booked a walk-out finish for the tag title
>          match

This could be good *if* he follows it up.  Granted, a PPV should be free of 
this kind of BS, but Vince can salvage it if he tries.  Jack Tunney should 
make one of his famous pronouncements.  We'll see.

>      (v) Sid and Hogan had a match against each other and there was
>          no hope of anything worthwhile happening in it

And you have a problem with this?  You were probably working on your thesis 
during this match anyway!

>     (vi) The Ultimate Warrior is back     

Again, I'll reserve judgement until I see how Vince handles him.

>    (vii) Vince still manages to find celebrities who are desperate
>          enough to work a spot on his show

This doesn't really cause me disappointment with WM, but rather with the 
state of our celebrity population, since as you say, there are still celebs 
this desparate.  I think we should provide better living conditions for 
celebrities throughout the world, so they won't have to stoop to this...  
:)

>  So, you see, we can both be dissatisfied with the show, John, but
>  for completely different reasons.  

Well, my reasons for being disappointed fall mostly in your "smart" 
category.  I guess I can't claim to be a mark anymore...

	Just another disappointment for the Johnster.

           John Price * * * * price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu
           Where there is no solution, there is no problem.