Scott Keith 
The SmarK Rant for WWF Monday Night RAW – 10.13.97
Technically I already did this episode as a part of WWE 24/7, but it’s been a long time and some pretty notable stuff happens.
TONIGHT: The Legion of Doom have vowed to win the tag team titles from the pig farmers or RETIRE! Too bad it couldn’t have been both.
And it’s Sunday again. Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. I may have reused another Update cover, I don’t care, it’s one of the best ever and I love it.
Shanna to return on AEW Dark
https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/shannas-return-three-way-tag-team-match-set-aew-dark-326206
Roman Reigns calls out KO on Twitter
https://twitter.com/WWERomanReigns/status/1332752043023413249?s=20
Billie Kay has a resume
https://twitter.com/NatbyNature/status/1332527471988760579?s=20
ALL THE HARD HITTING NEWS ITEMS FOR YOU THIS MORNING.
Hold on, I’ve got breaking news from Cultaholic…
Now you’re prepped for the day.
Oh man, tonight was supposed to be a UFC, but the main event was canceled by COVID so I don’t know if anyone is gonna bother with it since there was literally nothing underneath the Derrick Lewis fight on top.
Oh, but you can always watch this trainwreck, which actual people in my actual life have actually asked me about today:
https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/9028762/type/dlg/https://www.fite.tv/watch/tyson-vs-jones-jr/2p88l/
Like, if you’re planning on ordering this clown show which is being promoted as a “sparring session” but really it’s going to be a FIGHT, wink wink, nudge nudge, then by all means use my link so I can at least make a few bucks while all our IQs collectively drop 20 points. But yes, Mike Tyson is “fighting” Roy Jones Jr. and yet people still make fun of pro wrestling for being insulting.
Smackdown ratings were down so apparently Roman Reigns is gonna have to slap an Uso around backstage for jacking his ratings.
Tonight’s review is probably either RAW or Nitro, as we carry on with 1997 because eventually I’m gonna run out of reposts and catch up to where I left off again.
I treated myself to the Hitman HD remaster collection on PS4 for Black Friday, so I’ll probably give that a go even though I suck at Hitman.
Have a great night!
It’s the weekend!
Orange Cassidy Is #1 (And #2)
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/orange-cassidy-reaches-special-accomplishment-twice/
WWE Prefers Piped In Crowd Noise
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/note-wwes-usage-piped-crowd-noise/
Why The Fiend Was Drafted To Monday Night Raw
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/heres-fiend-drafted-monday-night-raw/
The SmarK Rant for Prime Time Wrestling – 04.13.87
OK, so once I take care of this episode, I’ll be back where I started with WWE 24/7 back in the day and can jump forward a few months to continue filling in all the gaps.
The SmarK Rant for WWF In Your House #6 – 02.19.96
(Originally written 11.26.20)
Getting close to this point in the Observer Flashbacks so I thought I might as well get ahead of things with a redo.
Live from Louisville, KY, drawing 5500 and a 0.75 buyrate
Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler
This is the last In Your House without a catchy subtitle, by the way.
Welcome to Black Friday!
Braun Strowman May Be Injured
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/injury-concerns-may-have-shaken-up-wwe-plans/
The Rock Is A Balloon
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/watch-rock-balloon-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/
The SmarK Rant for NWA Starrcade ’87: Chi-Town Heat: Glory Bound – 11.26.87
(Originally written November 2017.)
So this was of course Jim Crockett’s first big attempt to break into the PPV market, which was immediately scuttled by Vince McMahon with the creation of the Survivor Series on the same night Even two subtitles couldn’t save this one. Given I haven’t watch this one in forever, and only the home video version at that, I figured it might be worth giving it another look on the Network to see if Meltzer’s hatred of this show is justified.
Live from Chicago, IL.
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Jim Ross
The SmarK Rant for NWA Starrcade ’86: Night of the Skywalkers
(Originally written September 2016)
What the hell, let’s do it. People have been bugging me to do the full version on the WWE Network forever now anyway, and since we’re at that point in the Observer Flashbacks now is as good a time as any. As a note, I would once again like to compliment the amazing production department of the Network for cleaning up the master and making it look pristine again. Given what they frequently have to work with, they do an astonishingly great job.
Live from Atlanta, GA / Greensboro, NC
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Rick Stewart in one city, and Bob Caudle & Johnny Weaver in the other.
The SmarK Rant for NWA Starrcade 85: The Gathering – 11.28.85
(Originally written January 2018)
Hey, why not. I had originally done all the World Championship Wrestling rants leading up to this one, but never got around to doing the full show. It still blows my mind that I can just wake up and have someone suggest I watch Starrcade 85, and then just go “OK” because it’s right there on the WWE Network whenever I want to watch it. Who cares if the current product is shit, you have more awesome wrestling then you could ever watch in one lifetime for $9.99 a month!
Live from Atlanta, GA and Greensboro, NC. It’s the show too big for one city! We jump back and forth between matches and it’s pretty seamless for 1985, I have to say. Worked much better than WM2 did, that’s for sure. I’m a little saddened that the WWE music gestapo didn’t edit out the Star Spangled Banner from the intros and replace it with generic classical music. Just to be consistent.
Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Bob Caudle
The SmarK Rant for NWA Starrcade 84 – 11.22.84
(Originally written 05.28.18)
True story: Some guy actually went to the trouble of finding my home number and called my house in 2004 asking me to review this show. I didn’t have a copy of the tape back then, but now there’s the Network and I’ve been on an old school territorial kick anyway, so the time is right!
Live from Greensboro, NC, drawing 16,000 in the building and a shitload of people on closed circuit.
Your hosts are Gordon Solie & Bob Caudle
The SmarK Rant for NWA Starrcade ’83 (11.24.83)
(Originally written May 2018, reposted for a little Thanksgiving spirit!)
Live from Greensboro, NC, drawing 15447. This was of course the first “supercard” as we know them today, broadcast on closed circuit to a bunch of locations and starting a Thanksgiving tradition for the NWA.
Your hosts are Gordon Solie & Bob Caudle. If there was any introductions or talk beforehand, it’s all cut out on the Network version because we go TO THE RING post-haste.
Happy Thanksgiving to you American types.
North American Title Match Set For Takeover: WarGames
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/new-title-match-set-nxt-takeover-wargames/
The Grizzled Young Veterans Are Back
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-former-champions-make-nxt-returns/
Abadon Is Back (And She’s Licking Things)
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/injured-aew-star-returns-dynamite-sets-sights-championship/
The SmarK Rant for AEW Dynamite – 11.25.20
Taped from Jacksonville, FL
Your hosts are Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone & Excalibur
TONIGHT!
Neither show really has much going on, with both sides saving the big guns for next week.
AEW: https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/contract-signing-ftr-return-set-aew-dynamite-326001
RIP to Bob Ryder today. I think AEW Dark might be finally wrapping up this week’s show sometime tonight?
People seemed to kinda like me tearing apart All Star Wrestling. Does that mean I need to keep doing it? Lord help me.
Have a great night.
Good morning to all.
WWE Suspends Braun Strowman For Attacking Adam Pearce
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-indefinitely-suspends-monday-night-raw-star/
The NWA Is Back With A New Weekly Show
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/video-new-weekly-wrestling-series-announced/
Xavier Woods To Host Relaunched G4
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/xavier-woods-lands-big-hosting-gig-gaming-network/
The SmarK Rant for WWF All Star Wrestling – 01.09.82
(Originally written 11.24.20)
God, why am I doing this to myself again?
TONIGHT!
AEW Dark returns with a 4 hour, 25 match extravaganza! OK, I’m exaggerating. A little.
Apparently NWA returns to YouTube next Tuesday as well with “Shockwave”, which sounds like leftover matches from the United Wrestling whatever they’re doing at the moment.
Eh, more wrestling, why not.
Have a great night!
Guys, I think Trump might have finally started to figure out they lost!
Top Flight Is All Elite
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/aew-announces-two-new-signings/
Planned TLC Main Event
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/wwe-major-showdown-tables-ladders-chairs-main-event/
Why Big E. And Lars Sullivan Did Not Wrestle At Survivor Series
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/big-e-lars-sullivan-not-wrestle-survivor-series/
The SmarK Rant for Saturday Night’s Main Event #12 – 10.03.87
(Originally written 11.23.20)
You may have also heard about this show before. The previous version I had was from 2007, which means…ugh…new format and it’s GOTTA GO. I will not rest until they’re all purged from my archives.
For some reason the Network version has removed the background bassline music from the pre-show promos and replaced it with generic crowd noise. I don’t even understand them.