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| source// wwe.com |
Recognising that his company needed something different with which to battle the rest of the 1990’s successfully, Vince McMahon decided to try a different direction in 1992.
At least temporarily, emphasis was shifted away from massive men like Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior and , instead, the spotlight shone directly on smaller, more athletic wrestlers such as Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.
Both would go on to become WWF Heavyweight Champions, and ended up having one of the most hotly contested rivalries in wrestling history. Back in ’92, however, the pair were friends, both realising that they had an in-ring kinship which might force management’s perceptions about size to change.
Consistent sterling in-ring performances were key reasons for the success of Hart and Michaels, and even McMahon himself seemed impressed by their work.
For Bret Hart, being regarded as a workhorse was like a badge of honour. When he became WWF Champion for the first time towards the tail end of the year in 1992, he was given some eye-opening advice from Vince that was supposed to put him at ease.
What McMahon said is a stunning insight into his mentality, and it may be one fact which leaves some scratching their heads and bemoaning the way things are done in WWE today…
10. Kevin Owens Regularly Sits In Raw's Gorilla Position
Kevin Owens is the current, reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, but he’s also a unique entity on the roster. Owens doesn’t possess a killer body like so many before him, nor is he especially tall. Instead, he’s a hard-nosed kind of grappler, one fans gravitate towards due to the clear amount of passion he has for pro wrestling.
During an interview with The Indian Express, KO demonstrated that passion.
Just behind the curtain at WWE event lies the ‘Gorilla Position’, named after legendary former wrestler and announcer Gorilla Monsoon. There, guys like Vince McMahon, Triple H and others work diligently to ensure that broadcasts run smoothly. It must be a frantic area of the building, but it’s one Owens says he loves being around.
According to the current IC Champ, the Gorilla Position is a place he enjoys inhabiting when Monday Night Raw is on the air. Even when he’s not involved in segments, the man will sit and watch what’s going on, using any opportunity he can get to converse with McMahon.
9. Zack Ryder's 'Mania Spot Was Originally Intended For Neville
Speaking of Kevin Owens, it was revealed on the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw that he will defend the WWE Intercontinental Title in a multi-man Ladder bout at WrestleMania. One of the men ear-marked for a slot in that match was the high-flying man from Newcastle, Neville. Sadly, injury has robbed him of his position on the biggest card of the year.
During a routine match against Chris Jericho on the March 14 edition of WWE’s flagship program, the aerial expert went down with a severe ankle injury whilst performing a Baseball Slide through Y2J’s legs. Having fractured the bone, it’s estimated that he’ll be on the injury list for around 2-3 months, ruling him out of events at the AT&T Stadium on April 3.
Zack Ryder, alias ‘The Forgotten Man’, has been installed into the match as Neville’s last-minute replacement. This week, the Wrestling Observer broke news on their radio show that it was indeed originally Neville’s slot, but due to his plight he can’t perform as scheduled. That’s the sole reason for Ryder getting the nod (which must be bittersweet for the Main Event regular).
8. Michael Cole Told Mauro Ranallo He Wants Him At 'Mania
Ask most regular viewers of WWE programming, and they’ll tell you that Mauro Ranallo has been like a breath of fresh air on SmackDown. Since debuting on the show earlier this year, the former MMA announcer has brought an air of authority to the program. Better yet, his distinctive voice differentiates the show from Monday Night Raw, which can only be considered a good thing.
Previously, Ranallo had acknowledged that Michael Cole was responsible for getting him in the door at WWE. Speaking to Ring Rust Radio this week, the SmackDown anchor told of Cole’s wish to have his friend work on the WrestleMania card alongside him. Some fans would be forgiven for expecting Cole to be ultra-competitive, especially considering it took him years to finally secure the slot of top announcer in the promotion from Jim Ross.
That doesn’t appear to be the case. Instead, Cole seemingly wants to make the production and presentation aspects of WWE television better. According to Ranallo, he views it as a good thing that the newcomer has managed to bed in so quickly. Nonetheless, there’s still a fair chance that Mauro won’t be present during the main show, although he could be handed the ‘Kickoff’ portion.
7. Sasha Banks Visualised Her Own 'Mania Moment During Triple H Entrance
At WrestleMania XXX, Triple H performed one of the most spectacular entrance sequences in recent memory. The whole set-piece was designed to emphasize his ‘King Of Kings’ moniker, directly contrasting with the every man persona of Daniel Bryan for their opening match on the show. Standing alongside ‘The Game’ were a trio of women, all from the NXT developmental system.
Along with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss was Sasha Banks, who is set to take her in-ring bow (with Charlotte) at WrestleMania this year. ‘Mania 32 will represent her first match on the grand stage, but not her first appearance. Back in 2014, Banks was uncredited for the role, but she still received a tremendous buzz from walking out onto the entrance ramp on such a huge show.
Interestingly, Sasha informed The Press Of Atlantic City this week that she peered into the future and promised herself that she would be walking out at WrestleMania again in the future. That has come true, and it’s pretty nifty to think that she visualised what it would be like to do it all over again, this time as an actual in-ring performer.
6. Edge And Christian Show Put Mick Foley Back In Touch With WWE
Mick Foley is someone who has had an up and down relationship with Vince McMahon over the years. His latest falling out came as a result of his outspoken nature, and he’s sometimes been critical of the way WWE have treated talent and booked them. That apparently hasn’t sat well with those in charge, but things are on a much more even keel now.
On Facebook, Foley posted a short message telling how an appearance on the Edge & Christian Show (via the WWE Network) saved his relationship with the promotion. The Canadians helped Mick get back in touch with chief producer Kevin Dunn, and he’s once again talking business with the company. This even led to a token appearance on Monday Night Raw, during which Foley interacted with Dean Ambrose to hype the latter’s upcoming bout against Brock Lesnar.
He’s ear-marked for future gigs on the Stone Cold Podcast, as well as possibly his own show alongside daughter Noelle on the WWE Network. Foley attributes all of this to his friendship with Edge and Christian. It appears the comedy duo did their best to help mend fences.
5. Kurt Angle Felt Like 2006 ECW Role Was A Demotion
It’s somewhat strange to think that Kurt Angle’s last appearances in WWE fell under the banner of the failed ECW brand. Brought back in 2006, the company wanted to give ECW some instant credibility as a third brand to join Raw and Smackdown. For that very reason, the likes of Angle and The Big Show were drafted to work there.
Mere months later, Angle was gone from the promotion and soon wound up in TNA. Talking to The World According To Wrestling this week, the Olympic Gold Medal winner from 1996 told that he was not a huge fan of joining the emerging ECW show. Even though he tried to brave face things, Angle says it felt more like a demotion than anything else.
There’s much talk regarding a possible comeback to WWE for Angle, something many fans would likely enjoy seeing. During the same chat, he reasoned that it’s entirely possible, but it’s interesting to hear how much he disliked his last days in the organisation back in 2006. Someone like Angle deserves that big WWE-style send off, as it’s one thing TNA simply can’t give him, at least not on the same level.
4. Charlotte Thinks Stephanie McMahon Empowers Women
Currently, Stephanie McMahon’s main role on camera in WWE is as part of The Authority. Working primarily as a heel, Stephanie is supposed to come across as a domineering female boss, one who staunchly stands by her husband Triple H and believes the pair can do no wrong. It was Stephanie who – on screen, at least – ushered in the ‘Divas revolution’ which kicked off last Summer.
Part of that ‘revolution’ is the current WWE Divas Champion, Charlotte. Whilst hyping WrestleMania to USA Today, Charlotte made some interesting remarks about McMahon which are sure to divide the WWE audience. Stating that she wants to someday do away with the term ‘Diva’, she said that Stephanie is the biggest villain on television, but that she also finds her to be the most empowering female around.
It’s interesting that Charlotte seems to have so much respect for Stephanie, and also seems to see her own character as one which stands up for women watching. There’s no doubt she’s a big personality, but it’s equally strong to suggest Stephanie empowers women around the globe who watch WWE’s product.
3. WWE Writers Didn't Script CM Punk Or Vince McMahon During Feud
Neither man would likely have encouraging words to say about the other now, but there was a time when both CM Punk and Vince McMahon were expected to work together well on WWE television. Back in 2011, Punk was reinvented as the master of the ‘Pipebomb’ promo, using his outspoken nature to become a genuine top babyface. By 2012, that morphed into arrogance, and Punk would face Vince in a brawl on the October 8, 2012 edition of Raw.
Around this time, Freddie Prinze Jr was working behind the scenes as part of the creative team in the company. During a chat with GQ Magazine, the man discussed what it’s like working as a writer and creative mind in the WWE system. In his own words, Prinze Jr stated that there was no scripting done for either McMahon or Punk during their onscreen interactions with one another.
There seems to have been some real heat between the wrestler and his boss, which manifested itself into actual debate on television. Most promos are heavily scripted in WWE nowadays, so it’s a little surprising both Vince and Punk were shooting from the hip whenever they were out there together (although not so surprising when you realise Vince can do whatever the hell he wants).
2. Sting Planned To Retire After WrestleMania 32
As of right now, the career of Sting is pretty much up in the air. It’s anyone’s guess whether or not he will someday be able to return to the ring, but things don’t look too promising. Back at the Night Of Champions pay-per-view in September 2015, Sting was injured during a WWE World Heavyweight Title match with Seth Rollins.
Since then, there have been reports that the Stinger suffered from cervical spinal stenosis, and he has had surgery to try and correct the neck issue. WWE’s official website ran an exclusive interview with the man this week, and it appears as though one original plan for WrestleMania 32 involving the man would have handed wrestling fans a genuine dream match.
Sting categorically stated that his wish for ‘Mania was to face The Undertaker. He then stated that following that match he would have probably “called it quits” on his WWE run. He also said that everyone behind the scenes in the company knew he was keen on creating that clash, so there’s a good case to say it may have actually happened.
Unfortunately, his injury problems stopped any chances dead in their tracks.
1. Vince McMahon Told Bret Hart It Wasn't His Responsibility To Get Over
As WWF Heavyweight Champion during the post-Hulk Hogan era for the company, Bret Hart must have been under pretty intense pressure in late 1992. Hulk would temporarily come back to the promotion in 1993 and have a short-lived reign as champ himself, but it was generally accepted that it was time for others to shine in the main event spotlight. Hart was one of those men.
Upon becoming champion, Bret defended against the likes of Razor Ramon and Yokozuna. Shortly after winning the belt, he asked Vince McMahon what he needed to do to maintain his status as the top guy. Remarkably, McMahon told Hart that it wasn’t his responsibility to get himself over – that was Vince’s role. All Hart had to do was keep wrestling the way he had been, and management would take care of the rest.
Hart divulged this information on WrestleZone Radio, and it’s an eye-opening nugget. McMahon would have been looking to protect his latest champion, and it’s interesting to see that he wasn’t simply going to throw Hart in there at the deep end. Even so, he apparently couldn’t resist the temptation to make a returning Hogan champion once again at WrestleMania IX…
What other big wrestling facts did you learn this week? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!
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