2016 saw the passing of several wrestling legends and innovators. May they all rest in peace. The website Wrestler Deaths has more details on the men and women of the ring we've lost through the years.
I'm counting down to the 30th annual Survivor Series by looking back at my ten favorite teams in the history of the event. Survivor Series ranks among my favorite events every year and if you've read this blog in the past you know I'm a fan of the traditional elimination matches.
At the second installment of the Survivor Series teams were headed by co-captains. Andre the Giant and Dino Bravo were paired together to take on a team co-captained by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Jake "the Snake" Roberts. The heel team caught my eye in 1988. Besides Andre and Bravo, other established superstars "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect and "The King" Harley Race were a part of the squad.
There was something special about this team, as they battled The Snake, Hacksaw, Scott Casey, Ken Patera and Tito Santana. The heel team took a quick five on three advantage after Patera and Casey were eliminated. The good guys tried hard to comeback, but eventually Jake was left alone to battle Andre, Bravo and Mr. Perfect alone.
The closing moments saw Andre get disqualified for choking Jake past the five count. The angry giant headbutted the Snake before leaving the ring, knocking out Roberts and leaving him prone on the mat. It was the perfect opportunity for Curt Hennig who scored the pin and the win for his team. He and Bravo were dubbed the survivors of the match.
Demolition and Mr. Fuji split Courtesy: WWE
I would be remised if I didn't mention an honorable mention team for this post. The ten-tag team elimination match ranks among my favorites too. The good guy team was led by the Powers of Pain against the evil Demolition. If you remember during the course of this match Mr. Fuji left Demolition and sided with the POP. This was one of the first heel-face switcharoos I remember happening during the course of a match.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin A big thing missing from wrestling today that was prevalent when I was a young fan watching is the role of a manager. It's a relationship that started crumbling many years ago. I'd love to see more managers or even valets second WWE Superstars to the ring. I get that most Superstars today don't need a mouthpiece, but I miss managers at ringside. So flashing back to Survivor Series 1987, I'm going to pair up managers from that era with Superstars of today. There were seven managers on the roster at that time so I've split them up and put them on separate rosters and paired them like this. Bobby Heenan (Raw) Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Charlotte Flair, The Shooting Stars, Bo Dallas, The Brian Kendrick and Sheamus Slick (Raw) Rusev, Braun Strowman, The Club, Titus O'Neal and Nia Jax Jimmy Hart (SmackDown Live) AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Natalya, Curt Hawkins and Breezango Johnny V (SmackDown Live) The Vaudevillians Mr. Fuji (SmackDown Live) Baron Corbin and The Ascension Oliver Humperdink (Raw) Golden Truth (Goldust & R-Truth) Elizabeth (SmackDown Live) Dolph Ziggler Most of the choices are based on the similarities the Superstars of today had with the men that were managed years ago. I tried to stick with the same number of Superstars that the managers had in 1987. Obviously, this time around there are more women wrestling. Also, not everyone on today's roster is represented as I don't think everyone needs a mouthpiece. That's not to say Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho do, but I think Heenan with those two would be amazing. It was a bit more challenging keeping managers on one show instead of sharing the entire roster.
Over the weekend WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji died. By the time I started watching wrestling in late 1983, Fuji had transitioned from wrestler to manager, though he still had a few matches against good guys like Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and his former tag team of Demolition. While "the Devious One" had a great career in the ring, holding the WWF tag team titles a couple of times, I will remember him as a constant force on the outside of the ring. His managerial career in the WWF outlasted others from that era like Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Slick and Jimmy Hart.
So I've decided to do a tribute here today with five of my favorite Mr. Fuji moments. He managed many men during his tenure, so narrowing it down to five was tough. (These aren't in any particular order.)
Helping Yokozuna win Courtesy: WWE
1. His constant "a-salt" on opponents. Mr. Fuji became synonymous with tossing salt into the eyes of his foes in the ring. That act continued as a manager. He "blinded" everyone from Hulk Hogan to Ricky Steamboat to Bret Hart. In fact that act of malice cost Hart the WWF World Championship at WrestleMania IX and Fuji's huge henchman Yokozuna won the gold. But the title run lasted mere moments when Fuji challenged Hogan on the spot and his salt toss backfired and Yoko got the treatment.
2. He was a sharp dressed manager. For most of his time as a manager, Mr. Fuji wore a black tuxedo, bowler and carried a cane. That looked also lead to an interesting tuxedo match against Hillbilly Jim, in which both men are in tuxes, and the man stripped down to his underwear first loses. Watch the clip above. Eventually when he began managing Yokozuna, he wore a traditional kimono and carried the Japanese flag.
The cane about to go into action Courtesy: WWE
3. His "cane-do" attitude. Mr. Fuji's cane often became a weapon of mass destruction when his men needed it the most. That cane was used to bring Demolition the WWF Tag Team Titles against Strike Force at WrestleMania IV. Dozens of good guys left the ring with an imprint of that cane on their back, head or abdomen.
4. He was the king of the low blow. Fuji used to set up his opponents for the ultimate low blow, a head butt to the crouch. It hurts me to just type this one out.
5. He and the Magnificent Muraco put Crockett and Tubbs to shame. The manager-wrestler duo did a spoof of Miami Vice on Tuesday Night Titans called Fuji Vice. It was a a fun segment to capitalize on the popularity of the crime show and give it a wrestling twist. Again, watch the above clip.
These are just a few of the many accomplishments Mr. Fuji made during his long career. I'd be remiss to not mention him during on Demolition during the 1988 Survivor Series and joining forces with the Powers of Pain. Rest in peace Mr. Fuji. You will be missed.
Long before Monday Night Raw, the WWF had a weekly cable show called Tuesday Night Titans. It was talk show meets wrestling, with all kinds of ridiculousness along the way. I remember tuning in each week and watching on the USA Network as Vince McMahon (not knowing he owned the company at the time) and Lord Alfred Hayes would interview Superstars, managers, and audience members. (Eventually "Mean" Gene Okerlund would become host.)
Macho Man & Mean Gene Photo courtesy: WWE
The show started even before Prime Time Wrestling started airing on Mondays. The only WWF fix we'd get back then was Superstars on Sunday mornings and TNT on Tuesday nights. MTV aired a couple of WWF specials, but this was before Saturday Night's Main Event or even pay per view matches. TNT's format was like the Tonight Show, with silly skits and an occasional match or at least highlights from one to help keep ongoing storylines alive.
How now, brown cow.
I was 11 years old when I started watching, and for whatever reason the episode that sticks out in my mind the most was the night Captain Lou Albano and Vince McMahon visited a shock therapist to help "cure" George "The Animal" Steele. This was right after Animal turned good and was being made into a lovable character and not the brutal beast he once was.
McMahon was on hand to document the treatment and what George was going through. Captain Lou talked us through the procedure as Doctor Sigmund Ziff hooked up the Animal. Finally to show us it was working, Steele uttered the following with a glazed look in his eyes, "How now, brown cow." I can still hear him saying it and the "breakthrough" the Captain thought he'd reached, until Ziff turned up the juice and the Animal ran from the room.
Crocket & Tubbs?
Other memorable moments was the introduction of the show "Fuji Vice" with Mr. Fuji and Don Muraco. It was cheesy 80's fun, as the manager and Superstar spoofed the popular show Miami Vice. The two did parodies of other 80's programming as well. Roddy Piper had an experience with the Ghosts of Christmas and Kamala "ate" a live chicken on the air one week. The show was crazy, but it was good fun.
I wonder now that the network is in full swing if the WWE will consider doing more programming like Tuesday Night Titans. They certainly have the talent to pull it off. They could also show the classic episodes, which I imagine is a real possibility.
In 1985, wrestling was at a fever pitch, thanks in large part to Vince McMahon. I know some blame him for the demise of the territories, but I think without his vision and marketing abilities; wrestling would not be where it is today. Wrestlemania and the Rock 'n Wrestling prior to it showed the main stream that wrestling was not to be taken lightly. Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, and Andre the Giant were becoming household names.
In the fall of 85, riding the wave of success of Wrestlemania and Saturday Night's Main Event, the WWF launched a 30 minute animated series on CBS. Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N Wrestling Connection debuted on September 14, 1985. I was 12 years old at the time and starting to outgrow cartoons, but my love of wrestling had me tuning in each Saturday morning.
I do remember being taken aback learning that the WWF Superstars were not supplying the voices of their animated counterparts. But it made sense to use actors, as in those days the WWF travel schedule was hectic and the company didn't have all the connections and hookups that it has today.
Hogan, Albano, and Ritcher
The show of course featured Hulk Hogan (who was voiced by "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Brad Garrett.) His baby face buddies including Hillbilly Jim, Jimmy Snuka, Tito Santana, the Junkyard Dog (voiced by James Avery who was Uncle Phil on "The Fresh Prince of Bell Air"), Wendi Richter, and Captain Lou Albano. Piper lead a cavalcade of heels including Big John Studd, Nikolai Volkoff, Iron Sheik, Mr. Fuji, and the Fabulous Moolah (looking at the picture at the top of the blog, it appears that Moolah wasn't originally going to be on the show as there's a drawing of Mad Maxine, who was managed by Moolah briefly) Mean Gene Okerlund was also a part of the show. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm almost certain that Bobby Heenan was animated on one episode.
There was always some kind of confrontation or challenge between Hogan's crew and Piper's posse. The babies would always end up "winning" if you will, teaching kids that being a bad guy isn't all it's cracked up to be.
There were live action vignettes that aired in between the roughly 15 minute long cartoons as well. Those featured the real life superstars on the show.
Hot Rod in his hot rod
The show only lasted two seasons, but with titles like "Captain Lou's Crash Diet", "Robin Hulk and His Merry Wrestlers", and "Big Top Boobs" (I'm not making that one up) how can you go wrong? I would love for the WWE to either release these on DVD (I do have a VHS copy of a couple) or once the network finally gets off the ground include the shows somehow. It would also be interesting to see them attempt something like this again in the future. I know the upcoming Scooby Doo animated movie will include some WWE talent, so I can't wait to see that.
