Big shout out to Greg Gagne 🔥 Stream the Full Shoot Interview ➡ua-cam.com/video/NU1ssyrf-_A/v-deo.html ➡titlematchnetwork.com/title/greg-gagne-shoot-interview/
That is how Verne worked, I remember it as a fan. When a new star came to town ; even when already known to be a pretty big star in the biz, he would start out opening match against a jobber to the stars. If he was a face he would start against Rene Goulet or John Tolos if a heel it would against Steve olsonowski or Buck Zumhoff. Some would make their way up the card pretty quick, and eventually get their title shots against Bockwinkel‘s, put some would just make it to mid card and stall. There were a lot of good med card wrestlers in the AWA but a lot of them just didn’t have the drawing power. I think of guys like Dino Bravo Who would be typical. He was a good wrestler. He looked good, but there’s no way he would ever be able to carry the card. But someone like wahoo, McDaniel would come to town and make their way up the card in no time and start having excellent championship matches against Bockwinkel wee were all excited to see.
Gagne is right. I went to all the matches in Chicago and the preliminary matches were super intense. The matches would usually start off with 2 local jobbers and they went out there like it was the main event.
One gimmick I really miss from my youth was the "Cast Iron Stomach" They just dont do that one anymore. There were a half dozen or so guys that used that gimmick. It was a great way to set up grudges. The heel would jump off the top rope and was supposed to land on the stomach, but somehow missed and landed on the throat! Once when I was a kid, Wilbur Snyder was using the gimmick. He invited Baron Von Raschke to claw his stomach. The kids in the audience were screaming, "no dont do it". When the claw failed, Baron became depressed, looked at his hand in disbelief, and couldn't do anything, and Wilbur kicked his ass for 10 minutes and got the pin fall.
I was at MSG when they brought in AWA and NWA guys. Real wrestling fans were super excited when that happened cause we only got to read about them, see pics, or catch a program by accident on tv. But this is what I remember - except for Flair, Race, Rhodes, and Andre - they would be matched up against workers. The matches would be ok but it was a huge letdown knowing who these guys wrestled and that they were headliners . That was Vince's way of demonstrating that the WWF was so good that those guys could be mid card at best. The Von Erichs got treated the worst.
I would assume that New York probably had a more diverse audience at that time compared to Minnesota or even Chicago. Vince Sr. liked to have one major babyface for each ethnicity.
He was promoted to replace Bruno as champion and they kept him around for two years. He was never IMO a great performer. Competent but not great. Ethnicity was part of his draw early on as WWWF champion. But then they brought back Bruno as champion and kind of gradually wrote off Pedro. When he got to the AWA he was already in his upper 30s. He could still go in the ring and they had him wrestle alot of people. But he didn't have the "it" factor to make him a main event draw in the AWA at that time. He peaked out in the early 1970s as WWWF champion and never really did much after that.
Vince McMahon - Senior and Junior - thought it was OK to have the second or third biggest event on the card only last seven minutes. A six man tag match with Andre could take place inside ten minutes with two out three falls. WWWF title matches might only be 15 minutes. McMahons hated wrestling. They couldn't wait to do what they did to end professional wrestling.
What years were you there in the WWWF territory. Sorry but Pedro Morales was never a mid carder in the northeast. Even when he wasn’t champion Morales as always seen as one step below the belt holder.
"I told Vince Sr about this jacked guy named Superstar Billy Graham. I told him you gotta bring him to New York but make him wear tie dye, and watch him get over." - Greg Gagne
He's talking about how the two territories presented their matches. He never said Pedro was bad, just that the style he was used to didn't get over in AWA territory.
By the time Morales got to the AWA, he was in his upper 30s and didn't have much left to offer. He was a competent mid-carder in the AWA, but lacked whatever to be good enough to reach the main events or be a main event draw at that point in his career. I mean there was a reason he was out of the WWWF at the point anyway. Careers only last so long.
@Jim-Tuner The reason Pedro was removed as WWWF champion was because the predominantly Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 crowd would incite riots. Riots with most people packing blades. He had to lose so the heels working against him wouldn't get killed.
Big shout out to Greg Gagne 🔥
Stream the Full Shoot Interview
➡ua-cam.com/video/NU1ssyrf-_A/v-deo.html
➡titlematchnetwork.com/title/greg-gagne-shoot-interview/
That is how Verne worked, I remember it as a fan. When a new star came to town ; even when already known to be a pretty big star in the biz, he would start out opening match against a jobber to the stars. If he was a face he would start against Rene Goulet or John Tolos if a heel it would against Steve olsonowski or Buck Zumhoff. Some would make their way up the card pretty quick, and eventually get their title shots against Bockwinkel‘s, put some would just make it to mid card and stall. There were a lot of good med card wrestlers in the AWA but a lot of them just didn’t have the drawing power. I think of guys like Dino Bravo Who would be typical. He was a good wrestler. He looked good, but there’s no way he would ever be able to carry the card. But someone like wahoo, McDaniel would come to town and make their way up the card in no time and start having excellent championship matches against Bockwinkel wee were all excited to see.
Did that happen with Morales, Maivia, Hansen, Brody, and Ray Stevens?
Gagne is right. I went to all the matches in Chicago and the preliminary matches were super intense. The matches would usually start off with 2 local jobbers and they went out there like it was the main event.
Greg taught Vince Sr. everything he knew about the wrestling business.
Played a pretty decent shortstop for the Twins, too
LOL
You got to be kidding.
@@DavidColeman-n2w sort of
@@alexsweet8585 2 sport athletes are hard to find. Greg was Bo Jackson before Bo.
I agree with this assessment
He told Vince Sr "You gotta bring in Hogan"
😂 hilarious
One gimmick I really miss from my youth was the "Cast Iron Stomach" They just dont do that one anymore. There were a half dozen or so guys that used that gimmick. It was a great way to set up grudges. The heel would jump off the top rope and was supposed to land on the stomach, but somehow missed and landed on the throat! Once when I was a kid, Wilbur Snyder was using the gimmick. He invited Baron Von Raschke to claw his stomach. The kids in the audience were screaming, "no dont do it". When the claw failed, Baron became depressed, looked at his hand in disbelief, and couldn't do anything, and Wilbur kicked his ass for 10 minutes and got the pin fall.
Vince would bring in outside talent, and Greg.
I was at MSG when they brought in AWA and NWA guys. Real wrestling fans were super excited when that happened cause we only got to read about them, see pics, or catch a program by accident on tv. But this is what I remember - except for Flair, Race, Rhodes, and Andre - they would be matched up against workers. The matches would be ok but it was a huge letdown knowing who these guys wrestled and that they were headliners . That was Vince's way of demonstrating that the WWF was so good that those guys could be mid card at best. The Von Erichs got treated the worst.
Greg was a backup QB for University of Wyoming after transferring from Minnesota.
He did start one game in 1970. I think their record was 1-9.
Greg Gagne one upping himself at this point
Gotta love Greg interviews, just take everything he says with a grain of salt
Wait Pedro was world champ, ic champ, and tag champ up their! was a top baby face
I would assume that New York probably had a more diverse audience at that time compared to Minnesota or even Chicago. Vince Sr. liked to have one major babyface for each ethnicity.
He was promoted to replace Bruno as champion and they kept him around for two years. He was never IMO a great performer. Competent but not great. Ethnicity was part of his draw early on as WWWF champion. But then they brought back Bruno as champion and kind of gradually wrote off Pedro.
When he got to the AWA he was already in his upper 30s. He could still go in the ring and they had him wrestle alot of people. But he didn't have the "it" factor to make him a main event draw in the AWA at that time. He peaked out in the early 1970s as WWWF champion and never really did much after that.
Vince McMahon - Senior and Junior - thought it was OK to have the second or third biggest event on the card only last seven minutes. A six man tag match with Andre could take place inside ten minutes with two out three falls. WWWF title matches might only be 15 minutes. McMahons hated wrestling. They couldn't wait to do what they did to end professional wrestling.
Greg told Vince JR to book Andre vs Hogan at WM3
What years were you there in the WWWF territory. Sorry but Pedro Morales was never a mid carder in the northeast. Even when he wasn’t champion Morales as always seen as one step below the belt holder.
Greg
"I told Vince Sr about this jacked guy named Superstar Billy Graham. I told him you gotta bring him to New York but make him wear tie dye, and watch him get over." - Greg Gagne
That was Eddie Graham.
@@curthennig9448
Not so, it was the superstar Billy Graham.
Vince Sr likely never pooped on an office staffer.
😂
He missed out.
Vince Sr. had IBS. He had to wear a colonoscopy bag at all times. Vince Jr. did not inherit this backdoor situation.
Pedro Morales could beat Greg easily. What is he talking about?
Pedro vs Rambo 🤣🤣🤣
He's talking about how the two territories presented their matches. He never said Pedro was bad, just that the style he was used to didn't get over in AWA territory.
And he never said Pedro, a former WWE champion, was good either. @@emptyhand777
By the time Morales got to the AWA, he was in his upper 30s and didn't have much left to offer. He was a competent mid-carder in the AWA, but lacked whatever to be good enough to reach the main events or be a main event draw at that point in his career.
I mean there was a reason he was out of the WWWF at the point anyway. Careers only last so long.
@Jim-Tuner The reason Pedro was removed as WWWF champion was because the predominantly Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 crowd would incite riots. Riots with most people packing blades.
He had to lose so the heels working against him wouldn't get killed.