Eric’s Blog: Angles that were better than WWE NXT/Raw invasion

john cena

"God damn, can't I do *anything* right?"

If you’re a PWTorch.com audio listener, you know that Wade Keller’s soapbox has been sold out for days, and for a pretty good reason: the Pro Wrestling Torch editor is up in arms because John “Preacherman” Cena proclaimed in an interview with Sports Illustrated that the NXT invasion of WWE Monday Night Raw two weeks ago was the fourth greatest angle in wrestling history. In fact, Cena listed Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III as the best (not an angle itself, just a match), Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-8 (also just a match, and the lead-up to it, including Hogan talking to a cardboard Rock cut-out and ramming an ambulance with a Hummer or something, was awful), Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WM25 and WM26, and the formation of the Four Horsemen (assuming he means Arn Anderson making one lucky comment during a group interview).

The ludicrousness here is obvious, not just of including a two-week-old angle (featuring Cena himself) in a small, elite list of all-time wrestling angles, but of playing WWE butt-kisser by listing four cookie-cutter corporate answers (I know Hogan is with TNA these days, but these are still WWE moments that Vince McMahon probably dreams about while rolling naked on top of his money). Somehow, I was able to list about five dozen better angles right off the top of my head, and Dusty added a few to the pile. Do me a favor: Check out these angles and leave a comment on this post a) correcting any of my inaccuracies, b) ranking the real top five angles, and c) tacking on some of your own. Here we go:

NWO forms (Scott Hall appears on WCW Monday Nitro, followed by Kevin Nash; Hulk Hogan joins at Bash at the Beach 1996)

Freebirds turn on Kerry Von Erich (Dec. 25, 1982, Terry Gordy slams Kerry Von Erich’s head in cage door during Von Erich vs. Ric Flair NWA World Title match with Michael Hayes as special referee)

Bruno Sammartino bodyslammed on arena floor by Stan Hansen (April 26, 1976), legit injury turned into angle with rematch (June 25, 1976, same card as Ali vs. Inoki)

Larry Zbyszko turns on Bruno Sammartino (Jan. 22, 1980), draws huge crowd to Shea Stadium (Aug. 9, 1980)

Steve Austin confronts Mike Tyson (Jan. 1998, night after Royal Rumble)

Hulk Hogan returns to WWF, wins WWF Title from Iron Sheik (Dec. 1983-Jan. 1984)

Three-match series with Dusty Rhodes vs. Superstar Billy Graham (1977)

Roddy Piper shoves Cyndi Lauper, leads to WrestleMania (1984)

Paul Orndorff turns on Hulk Hogan, leads to sellout crowds twice around the horn (1986)

Andre the Giant turns on Hulk Hogan, leads to WrestleMania III, the largest U.S. house ever

Twin referees screw Hulk Hogan out of WWF Title vs. Andre the Giant (Feb. 1988)

The Mega-Powers explode: Randy Savage turns on Hulk Hogan on The Main Event (Feb. 1989)

Sgt. Slaughter sympathizes with Iraq during Gulf War, burns Hulkamania T-shirt (1991)

Randy Savage costs Ultimate Warrior his WWF Title, leading to career match at WrestleMania VII (1991)

Bret Hart-Steve Austin double turn (winter/spring 1997)

Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon feud of 1998-1999

WCW and ECW invade WWF (spring/summer 2001)

Ric Flair’s career on the line in series of matches, retires vs. Shawn Michaels (2008)

Chris Jericho antagonizes Shawn Michaels, including accidentally punching Michaels’ wife, Rebecca (summer/fall 2008)

Shawn Michaels challenges Undertaker at WrestleMania not once but twice (2009, 2010)

NXT “rookies” invade Monday Night Raw, attack John Cena and ringside crew (June 7, 2010)

Ric Flair turns on “cousins” Gene & Ole Anderson, teams with Greg Valentine to win NWA World Tag Team Titles (1976-1977)

Harley Race puts bounty on Ric Flair, Bob Orton and Dick Slater collect, Flair returns months later, leads to Starrcade ’83

Gorgeous George loses his hair to Whipper Billy Watson in Toronto (March 12, 1959; uses same stipulation vs. the Destroyer in Los Angeles, November 1962)

Ted DiBiase wrestles Ric Flair for the NWA World Title despite being viciously attacked by Dick Murdoch earlier in the show (Mid-South, November 1985)

Ric Flair turns on Dusty Rhodes with help from the Andersons (fall 1985)

Junkyard Dog announces his retirement after being “blinded” by the Freebirds hair cream (1980)

Paul E. Dangerously, Austin Idol and Tommy Rich attack Jerry Lawler, Lawler loses hair vs. Idol (CWA, April 27, 1987)

Ric Flair rubs Ricky Steamboat’s face into the concrete

Terry Funk challenges Ric Flair to an NWA World Title match, Flair says no, Funk piledrives Flair through ringside table (Wrestle War 1989)

WCW turns back on Sting, Sting disappears into the rafters, challenges Hulk Hogan, they wrestle at Starrcade 1997

Reformation of the Four Horsemen, Ric Flair goes bananas on Eric Bischoff (“Fire me! I’m already fired!”) (Sept. 1998)

Jerry Lawler invades ECW following ECW’s invasion of WWF (fall 1996/summer 1997)

Shane Douglas breaks Gary Wolfe’s neck, continues to abuse Wolfe after his surgery (1996-1997)

Cactus Jack cutting anti-hardcore promos, feuding with Tommy Dreamer (1995-early 1996)

Raven “steals” Sandman’s wife and son (1996)

Beulah McGillicutty-Kimona Wanalaya lesbian kiss (1996)

Shane Douglas wins NWA World Title, throws down belt, renames ECW and declares himself world champion (1994)

Raven forces Stevie Richards and Blue Meanie to “crucify” Sandman (1996)

Brian Pillman becomes “loose cannon” in WCW, legally released from contract, appears in ECW before signing with WWF (late 1995-spring 1996)

7 Responses to “Eric’s Blog: Angles that were better than WWE NXT/Raw invasion”

  1. Kirk Angel 2010-06-19 at 12:18 am #

    Why, oh why aren’t you and Dusty doing an audio on this stuff???

  2. stuntgranny 2010-06-19 at 10:59 am #

    lol – you ask me for help coming up with some, you thank me for my help, and then you end up using none of the ones I suggested. wtf

  3. Steve 2010-06-19 at 7:56 pm #

    Lawler vs. Andy Kaufman

  4. eric 2010-06-20 at 9:47 am #

    Dusty, come on, the steamboat concrete one, the funk piledriver one and the austin-hart double turn are *right there.*

    • stuntgranny 2010-06-21 at 10:27 pm #

      Oopsy doodles!

  5. Newbobdole 2010-06-24 at 12:38 am #

    (esoteric) Kawada draws with Taue, ending their bitter rivalry to form the tag team Holy Demon Army which will last close to a decade.

  6. Newbobdole 2010-06-24 at 12:44 am #

    I officially second Andy Kaufman vs. The South.

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