Wrestlings biggest star that played the least politics...

[The Showstoppa]

backstage.  Who would you guys vote for?   They ALL have played it to a certain extent, but just for arguments sake who do you think has gone the fartherest with the least of it?

[Montague]

Off the top of my head:

Ray Stevens
Andre
Bobby Heenan
Stan Hansen
Randy Savage
Benoit
Bruno

________________________ _____________

Of course, some of these guys did encounter politics during the course of their careers, but I don't think that they necessarily RELIED on politics to get to where they did.

[The Showstoppa]

Off the top of my head:

Ray Stevens
Andre
Bobby Heenan
Stan Hansen
Randy Savage
Benoit
Bruno

________________________ _____________

Of course, some of these guys did encounter politics during the course of their careers, but I don't think that they necessarily RELIED on politics to get to where they did.

Great list.  I was thinking about Steve Austin.  I know he didn't in WCW and got nowhere, but haven't heard much about when he was on top in the WWF.

[GraniteCityDon]

Well a prime example of Austin not bowing to politics was him walking out on WWE, cant think of man guys that would have the balls to do that when youre in top spot!

[littleguns]

How about Taker....you always hear about him being a locker room leader...

Benoit also....read somewhere that a "rookie" disrespected one of the Sr guys, Benoit took him outside and made him do 100 wall squats but he did them as well with him.

[Montague]

How about Taker....you always hear about him being a locker room leader...

Benoit also....read somewhere that a "rookie" disrespected one of the Sr guys, Benoit took him outside and made him do 100 wall squats but he did them as well with him.

Yeah, I think Taker & Benoit had an "earned" respect, though.
They worked hard for their spot, which is why everyone respected them; unlike Shawn Michaels, for instance, who was a very good ring performer, but relied heavily on office politics to remain relevant all these years.

Ironically, it was Shawn who was disrespected when a noob made an inappropriate comment about him - I forget who it was.
Benoit was walking passed, heard the comment, and made the kid do 1,000 (or somewhere thereabouts) Hindu Squats as "punishment."
And, to prove that everything in the WWE is a "team/group effort," Benoit did the same number right alongside the youngster.

[joseywaleshhh]

What about Bret? I'm only half way through his book (best wrestling book I've read). He seems to be very straight forward and doesn't go behind peoples backs.

[Montague]

What about Bret? I'm only half way through his book (best wrestling book I've read). He seems to be very straight forward and doesn't go behind peoples backs.

That's the impression of Bret one would get from reading his book.
Just remember...it's BRET'S BOOK...which means you're only getting his version of things.

Nonetheless, Bret sounds like he was a standup guy from folks who were around during that time.
He waited for - and deserved - his success.
I don't think anyone can claim to be the best ever, but Bret was definitely the best on the roster at one point.

[The Showstoppa]

That's the impression of Bret one would get from reading his book.
Just remember...it's BRET'S BOOK...which means you're only getting his version of things.

Nonetheless, Bret sounds like he was a standup guy from folks who were around during that time.
He waited for - and deserved - his success.
I don't think anyone can claim to be the best ever, but Bret was definitely the best on the roster at one point.

Plus he's in on the biggest "work" in wrestling history.... 

[Montague]

Plus he's in on the biggest "work" in wrestling history.... 

No one will ever convince me otherwise.

[Montague]

You know, I was just thinking about this today:
Maybe one of the reasons they'll never come clean is that there are some "industry" people who may be hurt by the truth.
Quite a few of the boys were genuinely pissed backstage when this went down; particularly Foley.

Mick even quit the company over the screwjob.
How do you think he would feel - even all these years later - to find that his actions and possible reprocussions that night were over a f'n angle?
Also, the old man seemed a little too willing to take Foley back just a few nights later, and maybe it was due to the reality of the circumstances.

The more I think about the '97 SS, the more I can rationalize it as being a work.

[yates fan]

has anyone that was part of the montreal screw job ever came forward claiming it was a work.

[The Showstoppa]

has anyone that was part of the montreal screw job ever came forward claiming it was a work.

Not that I have heard, but the only ones who "really" needed to be in on it are VKM, Michaels, Hart and the ref. 


I've said this a bunch of times, but the most compelling evidence to me is that they were filming the Bret documentary during that time.  VKM would always have full release rights for any footage from the WWF and he chose to let them show the backstage stuff?  Not a chance in hell, imo, that he would do that unless he wanted it to work as an angle.  Which it did, making him an even more massive heel owner.

[Montague]

Not that I have heard, but the only ones who "really" needed to be in on it are VKM, Michaels, Hart and the ref. 


I've said this a bunch of times, but the most compelling evidence to me is that they were filming the Bret documentary during that time.  VKM would always have full release rights for any footage from the WWF and he chose to let them show the backstage stuff?  Not a chance in hell, imo, that he would do that unless he wanted it to work as an angle.  Which it did, making him an even more massive heel owner.

Of course.
WWF's ratings skyrocketed after that whole thing.
The documentary sparked enormous interest in the Montreal incident, and Montreal, itself, sparked enormous interest in Vince's product.
Even casual fans who didn't analyze the events (non-smarks) were intrigued by the blurring of fiction and reality; something pro-wrestling had been missing for a long time up to that point.

And, with some of the angles they would soon run: sex, guns, kidnapping, necrophilia, etc., it was almost necessary to admit that it's all a work.
"Montreal" was an edgy and interesting way to come clean about the business.
It beat the hell out of Vince coming on TV and saying, "Oh, by the way...you know the last fourteen years? I LIED!"
 

[The Showstoppa]

Of course.
WWF's ratings skyrocketed after that whole thing.
The documentary sparked enormous interest in the Montreal incident, and Montreal, itself, sparked enormous interest in Vince's product.
Even casual fans who didn't analyze the events (non-smarks) were intrigued by the blurring of fiction and reality; something pro-wrestling had been missing for a long time up to that point.

And, with some of the angles they would soon run: sex, guns, kidnapping, necrophilia, etc., it was almost necessary to admit that it's all a work.
"Montreal" was an edgy and interesting way to come clean about the business.
It beat the hell out of Vince coming on TV and saying, "Oh, by the way...you know the last fourteen years? I LIED!"
 

Remember the speech he gave with the "fans are more sophisticated today and there isn't any black and white only shades of gray..."  Or some such horseshit.  I wanted to beat him with a bat so badly....  OF COURSE people knew/know it was a work you jackass, but it was also nice to suspend belief for a couple of hours a week.  Have I mentioned how much I hate VKM? 

[Montague]

Remember the speech he gave with the "fans are more sophisticated today and there isn't any black and white only shades of gray..."  Or some such horseshit.  I wanted to beat him with a bat so badly....  OF COURSE people knew/know it was a work you jackass, but it was also nice to suspend belief for a couple of hours a week.  Have I mentioned how much I hate VKM? 

Yeah, I still have it on VHS somewhere.
I did post it on here a while ago.
That actually may have been the first indication that made me suspect of the "Screw Job."

[The Showstoppa]

Yeah, I still have it on VHS somewhere.
I did post it on here a while ago.
That actually may have been the first indication that made me suspect of the "Screw Job."

Just awful.  I remember what a buzz it created on the net.  I was heavily into the "backstage" stuff at the time, loved reading it, but in many ways it kinda ruined everything for me.  I know for awhile me and Ole Big on here wouldn't read anything on the net to make the shows more interesting.  It worked.

[Montague]