Let me guess, Hogan jobs to the Undertaker to make him a credible threat after an initial monster run squashing a bunch of no names.
The Rise of the Dragon: An Altered History of the World Wrestling Federation
- Thread starter The Walkman
- Start date
- Status
Let me guess, Hogan jobs to the Undertaker to make him a credible threat after an initial monster run squashing a bunch of no names.
March 1988: WWF Title Histories
March 28, 1988
World Wrestling Federation Title Histories (as of the present day ITTL)
WWF World Heavyweight Championship
“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers – April 25th, 1963-May 17th, 1963 (22 days) [1]
Bruno Sammartino – May 17th, 1963-January 18th, 1971 (2,803 days) [2]
Ivan Koloff – January 18th, 1971-February 8th, 1971 (21 days)
Pedro Morales – February 8th, 1971-December 1st, 1973 (1,027 days) [3]
Stan “the Man” Stasiak – December 1st, 1973-December 10th, 1973 (9 days)
Bruno Sammartino (2) – December 10th, 1973-April 3rd, 1977 (1,237 days)
“Superstar” Billy Graham – April 3rd, 1977-February 20th, 1978 (296 days)
Bob Backlund – February 20th, 1978-November 30th, 1979 (648 days) [4]
Antonio Inoki – November 30th, 1979-December 6th, 1979 (6 days)
Vacant – December 6th, 1979-December 17th, 1979 [5]
Bob Backlund (2) – December 17th, 1979-December 26th, 1983 (1,470 days) [6]
The Iron Sheik – December 26th, 1983-January 23rd, 1984 (28 days) [7]
Hulk Hogan – January 23rd, 1984-February 18th, 1985 (392 days)
Vacant – February 18th, 1985 [8]
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat – February 18th, 1985-May 1st, 1986 (437 days) [9]
Dynamite Kid – May 1st, 1986-October 1st, 1986 (153 days)
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat (2) – October 1st, 1986-September 14th, 1987 (348 days)
Hulk Hogan (2) – September 14th, 1987-March 27th, 1988 (195 days)
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat (3) – March 27th, 1988-present (2 days+)
[1] Rogers won a fictional tournament in Rio De Janeiro after the WWF split from the NWA.
[2] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
[3] Title was renamed the WWWF Heavyweight Championship in 1971.
[4] Title was renamed the WWF Heavyweight Championship in March 1979.
[5] Title was vacated after a rematch between Inoki and Backlund was ruled a no contest when Tiger Jeet Singh interfered in the match.
[6] Defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match to win the vacant title.
[7] Won the title via submission after Backlund’s manager Arnold Skaaland threw the towel in for Backlund.
[8] Hogan vacated the title due to an arm injury.
[9] Defeated Roddy Piper at War to Settle the Score to win the vacant title.
---
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Pat Patterson – September 1st, 1979-April 21st, 1980 (233 days) [1]
Ken Patera – April 21st, 1980-December 8th, 1980 (231 days)
Pedro Morales – December 8th, 1980-June 20th, 1981 (194 days)
“Magnificent” Don Muraco – June 20th, 1981-November 23rd, 1981 (156 days)
Pedro Morales (2) – November 23rd, 1981-January 22nd, 1983 (425 days)
“Magnificent” Don Muraco (2) – January 22nd, 1983-February 11th, 1984 (385 days)
Tito Santana – February 11th, 1984-September 24th, 1984 (226 days)
Greg “the Hammer” Valentine – September 24th, 1984-April 6th, 1985 (194 days)
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper – April 6th, 1985-April 6th, 1986 (365 days)
Randy “Macho Man” Savage – April 6th, 1986-March 27th, 1988 (721 days) [2]
Bret “Hitman” Hart – March 27th, 1988-present (2 days+)
[1] Patterson defeated Johnny Rodz in a fictional tournament in Rio De Janeiro to unify the WWF North American Championship with the fictional South American Championship.
[2] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
---
WWF Tag Team Championships
Luke Graham & Tarzan Tyler – June 3rd, 1971-December 6th, 1971 (186 days) [1]
Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet – December 6th, 1971-February 1st, 1972 (57 days)
King Curtis Iaukea & “Baron” Mikel Scicluna – February 1st, 1972-May 22nd, 1972 (111 days)
Chief Jay Strongbow & Sonny King – May 22nd, 1972-June 27th, 1972 (36 days)
Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka – June 27th, 1972-May 30th, 1973 (337 days)
Haystacks Calhoun & Tony Garea – May 30th, 1973-September 11th, 1973 (104 days)
Mr. Fuji (2) & Professor Toru Tanaka (2) – September 11th, 1973-November 14th, 1973 (64 days)
Tony Garea (2) & Dean Ho – November 14th, 1973-May 8th, 1974 (175 days)
The Valiant Brothers (Jimmy & Johnny Valiant) – May 8th, 1974-May 13th, 1975 (370 days)
Dominic DeNucci & Victor Rivera/Pat Barrett – May 13th, 1975-August 26th, 1975 (67/36 days) [2]
The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan) – August 26th, 1975-November 8th, 1975 (74 days)
Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi – November 8th, 1975-May 11th, 1976 (168 days)
The Executioners (Executioner #1 & Executioner #2) – May 11th, 1976-October 26th, 1976 (168 days) [3]
Vacant – October 26th, 1976-December 7th, 1976 [4]
Chief Jay Strongbow (2) & Billy White Wolf – December 7th, 1976-August 1st, 1977 (237 days) [5]
Vacant – August 1st, 1977-September 27th, 1977 [6]
Mr. Fuji (3) & Professor Toru Tanaka (3) – September 27th, 1977-March 14th, 1978 (168 days) [7]
Dominic DeNucci (2) & Dino Bravo – March 14th, 1978-June 26th, 1978 (104 days)
The Yukon Lumberjacks (Yukon Eric & Yukon Pierre) – June 26th, 1978-November 21st, 1978 (148 days)
Tony Garea (3) & Larry Zbyszko – November 21st, 1978-March 6th, 1979 (105 days)
The Valiant Brothers (Johnny (2) & Jerry Valiant) – March 6th, 1979-October 22nd, 1979 (230 days)
Ivan Putski & Tito Santana – October 22nd, 1979-April 12th, 1980 (173 days)
The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) – April 12th, 1980-August 9th, 1980 (119 days)
Bob Backlund & Pedro Morales – August 9th, 1980-August 10th, 1980 (1 day) [8]
Vacant – August 10th, 1980-September 9th, 1980 [9]
The Wild Samoans (Afa (2) & Sika (2)) – September 9th, 1980-November 8th, 1980 (60 days) [10]
Tony Garea (4) & Rick Martel – November 8th, 1980-March 17, 1981 (129 days)
The Moondogs (Rex & King/Spot) – March 17th, 1981-July 21, 1981 (45/81 days) [11]
Tony Garea (5) & Rick Martel (2) – July 21st, 1981-October 13th, 1981 (84 days)
Mr. Fuji (4) & Mr. Saito – October 13th, 1981-June 28th, 1982 (258 days)
The Strongbows (Chief Jay (3) & Jules Strongbow) – June 28th, 1982-July 13th, 1982 (15 days)
Mr. Fuji (5) & Mr. Saito (2) – July 13th, 1982-October 26th, 1982 (105 days)
The Strongbows (Chief Jay (4) & Jules Strongbow (2)) – October 26th, 1982-March 8th, 1983 (133 days)
The Wild Samoans (Afa (3) & Sika (3)) – March 8th, 1983-November 15th, 1983 (252 days)
Soul Patrol (“Soul Man” Rocky Johnson & “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas) – November 15th, 1983-April 17th, 1984 (279 days)
The North-South Connection (Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch) – April 17th, 1984-January 21st, 1985 (69 days)
The U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo) – January 21st, 1985-February 18th, 1985 (28 days)
The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff – February 18th, 1985-March 31st, 1985 (41 days)
Tito Santana (2) & Brutus Beefcake – March 31st, 1985-October 31st, 1985 (214 days)
The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart & Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart) – October 31st, 1985-March 1st, 1986 (121 days)
Tito Santana (3) & Brutus Beefcake (2) – March 1st, 1986-April 6th, 1986 (36 days)
The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart (2) & Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart (2)) – April 6th, 1986-November 26th, 1987 (599 days) [12]
The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) – November 26th, 1987-present (123 days+)
[1] Defeated Dick the Bruiser & The Sheik in a tournament final.
[2] Victor Rivera left the WWF on July 19th, 1975, and DeNucci chose Barrett as his new tag team partner.
[3] Executioners #1 and #2 were Killer Kowalski and Big John Studd, under masks.
[4] The team were stripped of the titles when a third masked Executioner (Nikolai Volkoff) was discovered.
[5] Defeated The Executioners and Tor Kamata & Nikolai Volkoff in a three-team tournament.
[6] Titles were vacated when Billy White Wolf suffered a neck injury.
[7] Defeated Tony Garea & Larry Zbyszko in a tournament final.
[8] Backlund was the WWF Champion at the time of this reign.
[9] Titles were vacated because Backlund was unable to hold both the WWF Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship simultaneously.
[10] Defeated Tony Garea and Rene Goulet in a tournament final.
[11] On May 1st, King was replaced with Spot when King couldn’t enter the U.S. from Canada.
[12] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
---
WWF Women’s Championship
The Fabulous Moolah – September 18th, 1956-September 17th, 1966 (3,651 days) [1]
Bette Boucher – September 17th, 1966-October 1st, 1966 (13 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (2) – October 1st, 1966-March 10th, 1968 (504 days)
Yukiko Tomoe – March 10th, 1968-April 2nd, 1968 (23 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (3) – April 2nd, 1968-October 8th, 1978 (2,862 days)
Evelyn Stevens – October 8th, 1978-October 10th, 1978 (2 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (4) – October 10th, 1978-July 23rd, 1984 (2,113 days)
Wendi Richter – July 23rd, 1984-February 18th, 1985 (210 days)
Leilani Kai – February 18th, 1985-March 31st, 1985 (41 days)
Wendi Richter (2) – March 31st, 1985-April 6th, 1986 (371 days)
Misty Blue Simms – April 6th, 1986-March 29th, 1987 (357 days)
Wendi Richter (3) – March 29th, 1987-September 14th, 1987 (169 days)
“Scary” Sherri Martel – September 14th, 1987-present (195 days+)
[1] Longest reign in the championship's history. The title was known as the NWA Women's Championship until Moolah joined the WWF in 1984, taking the championship with her. WWF previously recognized Moolah's four reigns as one continuous reign lasting from September 18th, 1956 to July 23rd, 1984, lasting 10,170 days. Moolah departured the company in late 1985 following the "Moolah Screwjob", and beginning in 1988, the company began to recognize Boucher's, Tomoe's and Stevens' reigns with the championship as official ones.
[2] This reign was not officially recognized by the WWF until March 1988.
---
WWF Women's Tag Team Championships
Velvet McIntyre & Princess Victoria – May 13th, 1983-December 7th, 1984 (574 days) [1]
Velvet McIntyre & Desiree Petersen – December 7th, 1984-August 1st, 1985 (237 days) [2]
The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin & Leilani Kai) – August 1st, 1985-August 7th, 1987 (736 days) [3]
The Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno) – August 7th, 1987-January 24th, 1988 (158 days)
The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin (2) & Leilani Kai (2)) – January 24th, 1988-present (64 days+)
[1] McIntyre & Victoria were the reigning NWA Women's Tag Team Champions upon the WWF's withdrawal from the NWA, and are recognized as the first champions.
[2] Princess Victoria suffered a career-ending neck injury in 1984, and Petersen was chosen as McIntyre's new partner.
[3] Longest reign in the championship's history.
---------------------------------------------------------
A little mini-update to show you how the title scene is going in the World Wrestling Federation, and also to show that the style of the women's division is slowly rebranding itself from the slow, plodding style of the Fabulous Moolah, something that some would argue took nearly 30 years to develop IOTL. Also, I bet you didn't know that the World Tag Team Titles had already changed hands 34 times prior to the first Wrestlemania!
Coming up: coverage of WCW's first show, Hogan's last actions in the locker room before his (brief) departure, and a few legitimate WWF releases. And after that, more look at pop culture as we look at one of the classic animated films of all time.
World Wrestling Federation Title Histories (as of the present day ITTL)
WWF World Heavyweight Championship
“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers – April 25th, 1963-May 17th, 1963 (22 days) [1]
Bruno Sammartino – May 17th, 1963-January 18th, 1971 (2,803 days) [2]
Ivan Koloff – January 18th, 1971-February 8th, 1971 (21 days)
Pedro Morales – February 8th, 1971-December 1st, 1973 (1,027 days) [3]
Stan “the Man” Stasiak – December 1st, 1973-December 10th, 1973 (9 days)
Bruno Sammartino (2) – December 10th, 1973-April 3rd, 1977 (1,237 days)
“Superstar” Billy Graham – April 3rd, 1977-February 20th, 1978 (296 days)
Bob Backlund – February 20th, 1978-November 30th, 1979 (648 days) [4]
Antonio Inoki – November 30th, 1979-December 6th, 1979 (6 days)
Vacant – December 6th, 1979-December 17th, 1979 [5]
Bob Backlund (2) – December 17th, 1979-December 26th, 1983 (1,470 days) [6]
The Iron Sheik – December 26th, 1983-January 23rd, 1984 (28 days) [7]
Hulk Hogan – January 23rd, 1984-February 18th, 1985 (392 days)
Vacant – February 18th, 1985 [8]
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat – February 18th, 1985-May 1st, 1986 (437 days) [9]
Dynamite Kid – May 1st, 1986-October 1st, 1986 (153 days)
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat (2) – October 1st, 1986-September 14th, 1987 (348 days)
Hulk Hogan (2) – September 14th, 1987-March 27th, 1988 (195 days)
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat (3) – March 27th, 1988-present (2 days+)
[1] Rogers won a fictional tournament in Rio De Janeiro after the WWF split from the NWA.
[2] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
[3] Title was renamed the WWWF Heavyweight Championship in 1971.
[4] Title was renamed the WWF Heavyweight Championship in March 1979.
[5] Title was vacated after a rematch between Inoki and Backlund was ruled a no contest when Tiger Jeet Singh interfered in the match.
[6] Defeated Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match to win the vacant title.
[7] Won the title via submission after Backlund’s manager Arnold Skaaland threw the towel in for Backlund.
[8] Hogan vacated the title due to an arm injury.
[9] Defeated Roddy Piper at War to Settle the Score to win the vacant title.
---
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Pat Patterson – September 1st, 1979-April 21st, 1980 (233 days) [1]
Ken Patera – April 21st, 1980-December 8th, 1980 (231 days)
Pedro Morales – December 8th, 1980-June 20th, 1981 (194 days)
“Magnificent” Don Muraco – June 20th, 1981-November 23rd, 1981 (156 days)
Pedro Morales (2) – November 23rd, 1981-January 22nd, 1983 (425 days)
“Magnificent” Don Muraco (2) – January 22nd, 1983-February 11th, 1984 (385 days)
Tito Santana – February 11th, 1984-September 24th, 1984 (226 days)
Greg “the Hammer” Valentine – September 24th, 1984-April 6th, 1985 (194 days)
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper – April 6th, 1985-April 6th, 1986 (365 days)
Randy “Macho Man” Savage – April 6th, 1986-March 27th, 1988 (721 days) [2]
Bret “Hitman” Hart – March 27th, 1988-present (2 days+)
[1] Patterson defeated Johnny Rodz in a fictional tournament in Rio De Janeiro to unify the WWF North American Championship with the fictional South American Championship.
[2] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
---
WWF Tag Team Championships
Luke Graham & Tarzan Tyler – June 3rd, 1971-December 6th, 1971 (186 days) [1]
Karl Gotch & Rene Goulet – December 6th, 1971-February 1st, 1972 (57 days)
King Curtis Iaukea & “Baron” Mikel Scicluna – February 1st, 1972-May 22nd, 1972 (111 days)
Chief Jay Strongbow & Sonny King – May 22nd, 1972-June 27th, 1972 (36 days)
Mr. Fuji & Professor Toru Tanaka – June 27th, 1972-May 30th, 1973 (337 days)
Haystacks Calhoun & Tony Garea – May 30th, 1973-September 11th, 1973 (104 days)
Mr. Fuji (2) & Professor Toru Tanaka (2) – September 11th, 1973-November 14th, 1973 (64 days)
Tony Garea (2) & Dean Ho – November 14th, 1973-May 8th, 1974 (175 days)
The Valiant Brothers (Jimmy & Johnny Valiant) – May 8th, 1974-May 13th, 1975 (370 days)
Dominic DeNucci & Victor Rivera/Pat Barrett – May 13th, 1975-August 26th, 1975 (67/36 days) [2]
The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan) – August 26th, 1975-November 8th, 1975 (74 days)
Louis Cerdan & Tony Parisi – November 8th, 1975-May 11th, 1976 (168 days)
The Executioners (Executioner #1 & Executioner #2) – May 11th, 1976-October 26th, 1976 (168 days) [3]
Vacant – October 26th, 1976-December 7th, 1976 [4]
Chief Jay Strongbow (2) & Billy White Wolf – December 7th, 1976-August 1st, 1977 (237 days) [5]
Vacant – August 1st, 1977-September 27th, 1977 [6]
Mr. Fuji (3) & Professor Toru Tanaka (3) – September 27th, 1977-March 14th, 1978 (168 days) [7]
Dominic DeNucci (2) & Dino Bravo – March 14th, 1978-June 26th, 1978 (104 days)
The Yukon Lumberjacks (Yukon Eric & Yukon Pierre) – June 26th, 1978-November 21st, 1978 (148 days)
Tony Garea (3) & Larry Zbyszko – November 21st, 1978-March 6th, 1979 (105 days)
The Valiant Brothers (Johnny (2) & Jerry Valiant) – March 6th, 1979-October 22nd, 1979 (230 days)
Ivan Putski & Tito Santana – October 22nd, 1979-April 12th, 1980 (173 days)
The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) – April 12th, 1980-August 9th, 1980 (119 days)
Bob Backlund & Pedro Morales – August 9th, 1980-August 10th, 1980 (1 day) [8]
Vacant – August 10th, 1980-September 9th, 1980 [9]
The Wild Samoans (Afa (2) & Sika (2)) – September 9th, 1980-November 8th, 1980 (60 days) [10]
Tony Garea (4) & Rick Martel – November 8th, 1980-March 17, 1981 (129 days)
The Moondogs (Rex & King/Spot) – March 17th, 1981-July 21, 1981 (45/81 days) [11]
Tony Garea (5) & Rick Martel (2) – July 21st, 1981-October 13th, 1981 (84 days)
Mr. Fuji (4) & Mr. Saito – October 13th, 1981-June 28th, 1982 (258 days)
The Strongbows (Chief Jay (3) & Jules Strongbow) – June 28th, 1982-July 13th, 1982 (15 days)
Mr. Fuji (5) & Mr. Saito (2) – July 13th, 1982-October 26th, 1982 (105 days)
The Strongbows (Chief Jay (4) & Jules Strongbow (2)) – October 26th, 1982-March 8th, 1983 (133 days)
The Wild Samoans (Afa (3) & Sika (3)) – March 8th, 1983-November 15th, 1983 (252 days)
Soul Patrol (“Soul Man” Rocky Johnson & “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas) – November 15th, 1983-April 17th, 1984 (279 days)
The North-South Connection (Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch) – April 17th, 1984-January 21st, 1985 (69 days)
The U.S. Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo) – January 21st, 1985-February 18th, 1985 (28 days)
The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff – February 18th, 1985-March 31st, 1985 (41 days)
Tito Santana (2) & Brutus Beefcake – March 31st, 1985-October 31st, 1985 (214 days)
The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart & Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart) – October 31st, 1985-March 1st, 1986 (121 days)
Tito Santana (3) & Brutus Beefcake (2) – March 1st, 1986-April 6th, 1986 (36 days)
The Hart Foundation (Bret “Hitman” Hart (2) & Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart (2)) – April 6th, 1986-November 26th, 1987 (599 days) [12]
The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) – November 26th, 1987-present (123 days+)
[1] Defeated Dick the Bruiser & The Sheik in a tournament final.
[2] Victor Rivera left the WWF on July 19th, 1975, and DeNucci chose Barrett as his new tag team partner.
[3] Executioners #1 and #2 were Killer Kowalski and Big John Studd, under masks.
[4] The team were stripped of the titles when a third masked Executioner (Nikolai Volkoff) was discovered.
[5] Defeated The Executioners and Tor Kamata & Nikolai Volkoff in a three-team tournament.
[6] Titles were vacated when Billy White Wolf suffered a neck injury.
[7] Defeated Tony Garea & Larry Zbyszko in a tournament final.
[8] Backlund was the WWF Champion at the time of this reign.
[9] Titles were vacated because Backlund was unable to hold both the WWF Championship and the WWF Tag Team Championship simultaneously.
[10] Defeated Tony Garea and Rene Goulet in a tournament final.
[11] On May 1st, King was replaced with Spot when King couldn’t enter the U.S. from Canada.
[12] Longest reign in the championship’s history.
---
WWF Women’s Championship
The Fabulous Moolah – September 18th, 1956-September 17th, 1966 (3,651 days) [1]
Bette Boucher – September 17th, 1966-October 1st, 1966 (13 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (2) – October 1st, 1966-March 10th, 1968 (504 days)
Yukiko Tomoe – March 10th, 1968-April 2nd, 1968 (23 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (3) – April 2nd, 1968-October 8th, 1978 (2,862 days)
Evelyn Stevens – October 8th, 1978-October 10th, 1978 (2 days) [2]
The Fabulous Moolah (4) – October 10th, 1978-July 23rd, 1984 (2,113 days)
Wendi Richter – July 23rd, 1984-February 18th, 1985 (210 days)
Leilani Kai – February 18th, 1985-March 31st, 1985 (41 days)
Wendi Richter (2) – March 31st, 1985-April 6th, 1986 (371 days)
Misty Blue Simms – April 6th, 1986-March 29th, 1987 (357 days)
Wendi Richter (3) – March 29th, 1987-September 14th, 1987 (169 days)
“Scary” Sherri Martel – September 14th, 1987-present (195 days+)
[1] Longest reign in the championship's history. The title was known as the NWA Women's Championship until Moolah joined the WWF in 1984, taking the championship with her. WWF previously recognized Moolah's four reigns as one continuous reign lasting from September 18th, 1956 to July 23rd, 1984, lasting 10,170 days. Moolah departured the company in late 1985 following the "Moolah Screwjob", and beginning in 1988, the company began to recognize Boucher's, Tomoe's and Stevens' reigns with the championship as official ones.
[2] This reign was not officially recognized by the WWF until March 1988.
---
WWF Women's Tag Team Championships
Velvet McIntyre & Princess Victoria – May 13th, 1983-December 7th, 1984 (574 days) [1]
Velvet McIntyre & Desiree Petersen – December 7th, 1984-August 1st, 1985 (237 days) [2]
The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin & Leilani Kai) – August 1st, 1985-August 7th, 1987 (736 days) [3]
The Jumping Bomb Angels (Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno) – August 7th, 1987-January 24th, 1988 (158 days)
The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin (2) & Leilani Kai (2)) – January 24th, 1988-present (64 days+)
[1] McIntyre & Victoria were the reigning NWA Women's Tag Team Champions upon the WWF's withdrawal from the NWA, and are recognized as the first champions.
[2] Princess Victoria suffered a career-ending neck injury in 1984, and Petersen was chosen as McIntyre's new partner.
[3] Longest reign in the championship's history.
---------------------------------------------------------
A little mini-update to show you how the title scene is going in the World Wrestling Federation, and also to show that the style of the women's division is slowly rebranding itself from the slow, plodding style of the Fabulous Moolah, something that some would argue took nearly 30 years to develop IOTL. Also, I bet you didn't know that the World Tag Team Titles had already changed hands 34 times prior to the first Wrestlemania!
Coming up: coverage of WCW's first show, Hogan's last actions in the locker room before his (brief) departure, and a few legitimate WWF releases. And after that, more look at pop culture as we look at one of the classic animated films of all time.
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Yeah, nice update.
About Bret Hart's cheating on his wife that I mentioned in my previous post: he did it (even though he said he knew it wasn't a good thing, and it wasn't in the long run) because (in his words) he needed something to relieve the toll of spending 300 days a year on the road, and he thought it was better to sleep around than to develop a drug or alcohol addiction like so many other wrestlers did, which is an interesting thought (just look up all the wrestlers who have died of drug/alcohol overdoses/effects) IMO...
Hope Bret Hart avoids the troubles he had towards the end of his career IOTL, @The Walkman...
BTW, he and Bad News Brown hated each other from their days in Stampede Wrestling...
Wonder what's next ITTL...
About Bret Hart's cheating on his wife that I mentioned in my previous post: he did it (even though he said he knew it wasn't a good thing, and it wasn't in the long run) because (in his words) he needed something to relieve the toll of spending 300 days a year on the road, and he thought it was better to sleep around than to develop a drug or alcohol addiction like so many other wrestlers did, which is an interesting thought (just look up all the wrestlers who have died of drug/alcohol overdoses/effects) IMO...
Hope Bret Hart avoids the troubles he had towards the end of his career IOTL, @The Walkman...
BTW, he and Bad News Brown hated each other from their days in Stampede Wrestling...
Wonder what's next ITTL...
As long as goldberg goes through the proper training needed, this is less likely to happen.
Just thought I should let you all know that Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/bruno-sammartino-wrestling-legend-dies-82-150905681.html
RIP, Bruno. As if this hasn't been a bad 24 hours already, what with Barbara Bush dying and now Bruno Sammartino...
RIP, Bruno. As if this hasn't been a bad 24 hours already, what with Barbara Bush dying and now Bruno Sammartino...
At the rate things are going, the loss of Nirvana and NKOTB, the success of The New Archies, 80s Dragonball and the Rock N' Wrestling cartoon, the 90s are shaping to be a very different decade indeed, for better and for worse. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the New Generation era turns out to be a lot less ''Cartoony'' than in our timeline. Maybe it becomes a bit more like the Attitude Era early on? (Perhaps Mick Foley gets to debut as Cactus Jack, or Taker gets his ministry gimmick from the getgo? Just speculation on my part. 
) Either way, I eagerly await the next chapter in this amazing story. ^^
Also, as a side note, having been a long time reader of this scenario before joining, I'm fascinated by what you did to Demolition. Maybe We'll see a reverse of that at some point, like having one of the forgettable 90s teams turned into WWF legends?
) Either way, I eagerly await the next chapter in this amazing story. ^^Also, as a side note, having been a long time reader of this scenario before joining, I'm fascinated by what you did to Demolition. Maybe We'll see a reverse of that at some point, like having one of the forgettable 90s teams turned into WWF legends?
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April 1988: Wrestlemania vs. Clash of the Champions
April 4, 1988
WRESTLEMANIA VS. CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS
Did the WWF win again? Did Crockett’s company make Vince sit up and take notice? Or was it too close to call? I’ve heard reports of all three over the past few days. After Crockett put on a better show than McMahon on Thanksgiving despite being bushwhacked, then McMahon retaliated with a superior PPV on 1/24, the feeling going into Sunday was that this would be the tiebreaker between the two companies. Some I’ve talked to felt that the WWF “won” because of the superior production, atmosphere, and the drawing power of Steamboat vs. Hogan. Some are saying JCP “won” because of the better workers, and the arguably better Flair vs. Magnum match. Both cards had their ups and downs, and from a wrestling standpoint, they were both about equal. I’m torn between both of them myself. [1]
Mainstream publicity for Wrestlemania continues to remain strong, but it’s definitely not as strong as it used to be. The first year had a lot of exposure, when all the major newspapers and magazines were reporting on the WWF and its workers. Although the second one was less of a success, it still got a lot of publicity because the memory of Wrestlemania 1 was still strong. The national press was decidedly less for Wrestlemania 3, but local coverage in Michigan and Ontario was overwhelming. I couldn’t take a bus out somewhere without hearing someone talking about it. Although the numbers aren’t in yet, Wrestlemania 4 will almost certainly be a big success, but only time will tell how this summer will fare for the WWF.
I’d like to give credit where credit is due to Titan on one major thing. One of the reasons Wrestlemania was so successful was because the outcome of the world title match was kept so secret. Literally nobody I’ve talked to knew who would be walking out with the belt. I went to the beach Saturday and talked with a few fans who aren’t Newsletter readers; just casual fans who I don’t “talk smart” to. (I don’t insult their intelligence either, mind you.) Nobody knew who was going to be winning the match, although the majority favored Steamboat. The interest in seeing who would “leave” the company no doubt helped drive ticket sales for the show.
Wrestlemania reached 545,000 homes and got about 240,000 more viewers through closed-circuit and pay-per-view in the USA. I don’t have the numbers for the Clash yet, but if they didn’t pull at least a 5.0, JCP should be sorely disappointed with themselves.
WRESTLEMANIA
20-man Battle Royal: This match started out hot, but the crowd only reacted to a few introductions. After 40 seconds, with the crowd sitting in silence, it slipped into slow-motion, and became a dud … I give it ½*, but only because of the post-match angle with Orndorff turning babyface. The match itself was a DUD.
Jimmy Snuka vs. Honky Tonk Man: A good amount of heat here for Honky, especially during the pre-match routine. Far too many axe handles to make it watchable, and it thankfully was over quickly. ¼*
Demolition vs. Young Guns: This match wasn’t even advertised, and it served as only a way to get Demolition over as monster heels that will squash anyone in their path, heel or babyface. Seeing how much weight Hammer has put on since his days as Jesse Barr is amazing. The crowd was firmly behind Demolition—a sign Vince might turn them babyface? Nah, McMahon’s not that in touch with the fans. DUD
Rougeaus vs. Team Victory: A solid match that barely dragged at any point … Very good pacing and action, and the subtle tease of the babyface team’s breakup post-match was nicely done. ***
Ted DiBiase vs. Junkyard Dog: I’m not even going to grace this travesty with an analysis. This was just sad. -***
Jim Neidhart vs. Davey Boy Smith: This dragged a lot in the middle. The finish was pretty sloppy, too. *
Don Muraco vs. Bob Orton Jr.: A solid enough match … *½
Andre the Giant vs. Bamm Bamm Bigelow: Hard to sit through. In reality, this was a negative 3-and-a-half-star match, but I’ll give it a DUD considering Andre’s and Bigelow’s conditions.
Randy Savage vs. Bret Hart: Great match. So much action it was hard to keep up, and Elizabeth was basically a non-factor, which was very refreshing … Savage sold his ankle brilliantly during the match … Finish came when Hart kicked out of the elbow drop, Savage went to slam him, and Hart rolled through for the pinfall. Match of the night, by far. ****
Jake Roberts vs. Rick Rude: Portions of this were semi-watchable, but the match could have been so much better than it was. Rude got in zero offense for the first five minutes, and when he did, he acted gassed. Rude’s tights came off his rear close to the end, which the audience popped for. This writer believes the company may be fined for that … Roberts won with a roll-up, which seemed lazy considering how Bret Hart also won with a nearly identical finish in the previous match. This feud has been so intense, and this just felt like a lazy way to blow it off. ¾* (*¼ if it weren’t for the “mooning” spot.)
Hulk Hogan vs. Ricky Steamboat: How can this be the same Hulk Hogan who could barely work a WWF match five years ago? Almost as long as Flair vs. Magnum, and surprisingly about as watchable … I wasn’t really a fan of the post-match angle (Hogan turned babyface, dumped Heenan and posed to end the show), but a lot of people are raving about it. ***¼ (***¾ for the match itself, minus ½* for the post-match posing.) [2]
CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS
Only about 6,000 fans were in attendance, but they were rabid.
Jimmy Garvin vs. Venom: Venom was gassed about two minutes in, and Garvin had to carry him the remainder of the match. It was a sorry sight. ½*
A hilarious note: after the first match, there was an ad on TBS for the WWF 1-900 number for Wrestlemania. It’s absolutely hilarious that Titan could get this ad on during Crockett’s competing show. They also aired the first commercial for the new Four Horsemen vitamins, which is also hilarious, but unintentionally so. I doubt they’ll be able to sell many vitamins at 20 bucks a bottle, though.
Rick Steiner vs. Lex Luger: Kevin Sullivan came down to accompany Steiner, who turned heel post-match … Luger’s bright red tights made him look radioactive on some screens. **¾
Jim Duggan, Robert Gibson & Road Warriors vs. Powers of Pain & Sheepherders: Short and bloody, but a lot better than it could have been. *
Arn Anderson vs. Dusty Rhodes: A solid match which saw Arn hit the spinebuster for the win. **¾
Magnum T.A. vs. Ric Flair: This started out slow, but the heat never died, and it was never dull. I don’t think any wrestler in the world could have put on a better performance than Flair did here. He was so good, I almost thought Magnum was just going to stand there in awe of him. Magnum definitely held up his end, but it was obvious Flair was carrying the match. Jim Ross did an excellent job commentating the whole show, but he was especially good in this match, selling the importance and intensity of the holds … A lot of people are upset about the time limit draw, but several people I talked to are less upset because the judges awarded Magnum the win. I get that they had to protect both guys, but one of them must get a clean pin on the other sooner or later; 50-50 booking isn’t a good thing when you have two wrestlers as over as Flair and Magnum. **** (would have been ****¾, but the split-judging finish brought it down a bit.) [3]
WWF
Hogan’s departure from the company is reportedly going to be a brief sabbatical to nurse some nagging injuries he accumulated during his title reign. From what I’m told, he’s not scheduled for any more shows through this summer, which is very surprising to this writer.
In a hilarious bit of irony, Hogan’s final act in the locker room was a written agreement that he can’t challenge for the title for at least a year after he comes back. Is this the end of Hogan’s time in the spotlight? This writer will believe it when he sees it.
Jimmy Snuka is taking a break to nurse reported back and shoulder injuries. Dan Spivey is also gone, and is headed to Puerto Rico soon.
King Kong Bundy has also left. He reportedly makes enough money from his computer commercials where he doesn’t have to keep wrestling. [4]
Bamm Bamm Bigelow is set to have his knee surgery later this month, after which he’s expected to return as a heel.
Lanny Poffo has a new poetry book coming out in late April called “Wrestling With Rhyme”.
Angelo Poffo had a $1 wager on Bret Hart winning the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania. [5]
NWA
Rip Morgan is headed in.
TBS wants to do another Clash of the Champions show in early summer.
The NWA is losing syndication on KCOP in Los Angeles due to low ratings compared to the WWF. A few other southern California stations are reportedly looking to drop them in favor of WWF programming.
AWA
The AWA is so disorganized and messed up right now, you wouldn’t believe it. I could write a page on the foul-ups from last week ALONE.
The good news? Verne knows that the Greg Gagne world title experiment appears to have failed. The bad news? He might be about to try it again. Adrian Adonis is scheduled to defend the AWA Title against Greg Gagne again on the 4/16 show. No thank you.
WCW
The first show on 4/3 drew 6,600 fans and a $24,000 house, headlined by Jerry Lawler vs. Al Perez. A Kevin & Kerry Von Erich vs. Terry Taylor & Eddie Gilbert tag match was a reported 4-star match, but this writer has yet to see it. Also on the card: Samoan Swat Team vs. Moondogs, Iceman Parsons vs. Michael Hayes, and Bill Dundee vs. Jack Victory.
A television deal was recently reached with WMC-TV to carry WCW programming through 1990. The goal is to seamlessly integrate into the new show once the taped Continental Wrestling programs end. No word yet on what the new program’s name will be.
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WCW House Show results, 4/3/1988
Eric Embry def. Brickhouse Brown (3:02)
The Bruise Brothers (Ron & Don Bruise) def. The Rock ‘n’ Roll RPM’s (Tommy Lane & Mike Davis) (5:41)
Jack Victory (w/ John Tatum) def. Bill Dundee (11:26)
The Samoan Swat Team (Samu & Fatu) fought The Moondogs (Rex & Spot) to a Double Count-out (10:27)
Terry Taylor & Eddie Gilbert def. Kevin Von Erich & Kerry Von Erich (11:14)
Michael Hayes def. “Iceman” King Parsons (8:42)
Jerry Lawler fought Al Perez to a 30-minute draw (30:00)
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[1] IOTL, Wrestlemania IV was considered by most fans (Meltzer included) to be a vastly inferior show to Clash of the Champions, due to several factors—namely, the amount of matches, the poor quality of said matches compared to the Clash, and the dependence on the tournament to draw in viewers. The opinion on the show has softened over the years, mainly due to the end result of Randy Savage winning the WWF Title, but it’s still considered a middle-of-the-road Wrestlemania all things considered.
[2] Meltzer’s ratings for OTL’s Wrestlemania IV matches were as follows: 20-man Battle Royal: Dud, Ted DiBiase vs. Jim Duggan: 1¼ stars, Don Muraco vs. Dino Bravo: ½ star, Ricky Steamboat vs. Greg Valentine: 2¼ stars, Randy Savage vs. Butch Reed: 1 star, One Man Gang vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: Dud, Rick Rude vs. Jake Roberts: Negative 2 stars (calling it a “Worst Match of the Year candidate”), Hercules vs. Ultimate Warrior: Negative 1½ stars, Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan: 1¼ stars, Ted DiBiase vs. Don Muraco: 1½ stars, Randy Savage vs. Greg Valentine: 2¼ stars, Honky Tonk Man vs. Brutus Beefcake: Dud, Islanders & Bobby Heenan vs. British Bulldogs & Koko B. Ware: 1¼ stars, Randy Savage vs. One Man Gang: ½ star, Strike Force vs. Demolition: 2½ stars (the highest-rated match on the show!), and Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase: 2¼ stars. Meltzer was also very negative about the post-match focus being mostly on Hogan and Elizabeth.
[3] Meltzer’s ratings for OTL’s Clash of Champions matches were: 2¼ stars for Jimmy Garvin vs. Mike Rotundo, 4¼ stars for Midnight Express vs. Fantastics, 1 star for Dusty Rhodes & the Road Warriors vs. Powers of Pain & Ivan Koloff, 3½ stars for Lex Luger & Barry Windham vs. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard, and 4¾ stars for Ric Flair vs. Sting (his highest rating given to any non-Japanese match in 1988). The commercials for the Four Horsemen vitamins and the Wrestlemania 1-900 number are both as OTL—they were both too awesome and funny to butterfly away.
[4] Bundy also left the company not long after Wrestlemania IV IOTL, and he also appeared in ads for Headstart computers in the mid-80s (including this one narrated by Tony Jay), allegedly without telling Vince McMahon, causing a falling out between them that soured Bundy’s relationship with the WWF. ITTL, the situation unfortunately unfolds similarly to OTL, and Bundy leaves the company on a slightly sour note (not as bad as Sheik or Duggan, though).
[5] Hilariously, Randy Savage’s father Angelo Poffo similarly had a $1 wager on Ted DiBiase winning the WWF Title at Wrestlemania IV IOTL. At least he wins his bet ITTL!
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I have returned!
As we see the unfolding impact of Wrestlemania 4 and Clash of the Champions ITTL, it appears that WCW is off and running. Can they keep up the quality of their shows? Also, there's the little matter of a WCW World Title to address...
Up next: we take a look at one of the crowning moments of the "All Things Asian" fad ITTL.
Shamrock didn't even start MMA until 1992 while Eddie's hasn't been CMLL for even a year yet. They're both no names at this point in time.
Same here CultBoy, I was just doing one of normal re-reads of the thread, and lo and behold: brand new update at the end!
Good to see Meltzer's as stringent with his ratings as always. I also had no idea about the Bundy/computers pairing. This makes me curious about what other odd-couple advertisment campaign there are with wrestlers, both IOTL and ITTL.
Otherwise, I have a few clerical errors I want to point out from past posts: the number for Don Muraco's second IC Title run is wrong (it should be 385 days), and also in the last roster listings you posted, you forgot to include the Midnight Rockers in the WWF section, which I'm a little shocked nobody else noticed until this point.
Good to see Meltzer's as stringent with his ratings as always. I also had no idea about the Bundy/computers pairing. This makes me curious about what other odd-couple advertisment campaign there are with wrestlers, both IOTL and ITTL.
Otherwise, I have a few clerical errors I want to point out from past posts: the number for Don Muraco's second IC Title run is wrong (it should be 385 days), and also in the last roster listings you posted, you forgot to include the Midnight Rockers in the WWF section, which I'm a little shocked nobody else noticed until this point.
Fair point I suppose. So, who would you recommend for the company for the 90s?
Well if we are interested in another Guerrero, Vince could always sign Hector Guerrero, aka otl's Gobbeddly Gooker
Maybe this time Vince won't put him in that fucking Turkey suit.
After rethinking things, maybe Vince might be inclined, what with the shift in interest towards wrestling in other cultures, to bring Rey Misterio Sr. Into the company. Maybe scoop up Dave Finlay before WCW. Put some more emphasis in the first W, if you get my drift. Perhaps even give someone like Carl Ouellet a more prominent role?
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Personally I'd go for a young Regal imagine a healthy heel Regal against Steamboat that says money to me and in 88 he was still working for World of Sport which is about to go down the tubes in the next year or so and while he does a worldwide tour and ends up in WCW in 93 in this time he could do the tour and end up in WWF.
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