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King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions led to the downfall

16K views 101 replies 67 participants last post by  CM4 
#1 · (Edited)
of wrestling.

King Kong Bundy spoke with Vince Russo in a rare interview. Check out the highlights:

On his 1994 run: “I was a young kid. That was a brilliant run. I will never forget that for as long as I live. The business was on its ass. You couldn’t put people on a seat with a crowbar and I’m sitting around watching Barry Horowitz doing interviews and I was doing none. I was there for almost 18 months but they didn’t do anything with me. Vince called me and said he was going to give me a super push. I went back and got nothing. That is a very cold place when they are not doing anything with you. I’m watching Barry Horowitz, nothing against Barry Horowitz, I like him, he has no business in professional business, but I like him. I’m watching Horowitz do interviews and I’m doing none.”

On what he did between 1989 and 1994: “I did a computer commercial in late 87. It ran for two years. For three years, I worked for the computer company. The other years I bought a bar – that didn’t work out. I spent a lot of money. I gambled a lot. I did a computer commercial. It was a Dutch company called BenDex. It was a Dutch company that did $6 billion in sales. I do the commercial. All of a sudden, I got full page ads in USA Today, Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated. I hoped Vince wouldn’t find out about it. Needless to say, Vince found out about it big time. Ever since that day, and I’ve been told this and never revealed this, ‘that was the kiss of death to your career’. I say ‘To hell with Vince McMahon’…Vince is such a control freak: the idea of one of his pieces of property being used by somebody else – it was just death to him. He couldn’t stand it.”

On his WrestleMania 1 pay: “I got 5 grand…I don’t know why Vince McMahon pays anybody anything hardly because they have nowhere to go. Where’s John Cena going to go? Japan?…Kamala was a guy he wouldn’t pay for whatever reason. I’m not saying I was the worst paid guy, but I certainly wasn’t one of the best.”

On Sean Waltman being in WWE Magazine: “…I remember back then. I don’t know if you were in charge of the magazine then, but business was on its ass. You couldn’t give a ticket away and I look in the magazine and there’s a seven page spread on the 1-2-3 kid. I doubt Sean has ever sold a ticket in his life…Why would you ever make a seven-page spread on the 1-2-3 kid? Were you high? He has no arms. His arms are like my wrists!”

On Russo getting him on the cover of WWE Magazine dressed as Santa: “Was that your idea, Russo? F— you. That was a stupid idea! That was you, Vince? Oh, that was just bullsh**. I didn’t know that was you. Oh my goodness. That was the worst idea ever. I can’t believe you did that. Now, I’m depressed. I hope you’re happy, Vince…That was terrible, Vince. I think the world of you. Your talents are great. You’ve proven that, but that was a horrible idea.”

On working with Andre The Giant: “You really want to know? Absolutely miserable. Andre The Giant was not a nice man…”

On working with Hulk Hogan in the 80s: “Hulk got me my job and always took care of me. He was always good to me.”

On Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels: “The advent on the downfall of this business was champions like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Horrible world champions. Did not look like grown men in my opinion. I read Bret’s book. Wow. You cannot pick up a page without being amazed at how this man’s ego was out of control. Bret wrote in his book I called him ‘little man’. I always called him the ‘little hitter’ because he looked like a little kid in the ring. I come back six years later and he’s the world champion… Total piece of sh**, Bret Hart. I used to be friends with Bret. I stayed at his house one time back in the day.”

On a Hall of Fame induction: “I haven’t spoke to Vince McMahon since I left there in 1994…[joking] Koko B. Ware is in the Hall of Fame. I didn’t have a career Koko had.”

On wrestlers today: “They all look alike. That’s something I’ve been saying for years. You can’t differentiate one from the other. They all look alike. I never watch the show – never. It’s basically unwatchable.”
http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/...-hart-damaged-wrestling-lots-more-inside-here

What makes this talentless POS think that anyone would want to see him? The dude was a jobber outside of his WM 2 match with Hogan.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

Hulk Hogan was political and made sure he stayed on top..maybe even made sure Jake the Snake didn't go as far as he could when he was hot but one thing can't be denied. Hogan took care of his friends. He always has. Especially in WCW..even though it ended up tanking everything. Well...Nash tanked everything but Brutus and those guys didn't help.

And Bundy wasn't a jobber. He was part of the first Survivor Series and definitely kept strong for awhile. He used to beat people with the Avalanche in the corner and they would stay down for the 5 count. Back when heels got dominant victories and would easily make faces tap out.
 
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#3 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

King Kong Bundy said:
On his 1994 run: “I was a young kid. That was a brilliant run. I will never forget that for as long as I live. The business was on its ass. You couldn’t put people on a seat with a crowbar and I’m sitting around watching Barry Horowitz doing interviews and I was doing none. I was there for almost 18 months but they didn’t do anything with me. Vince called me and said he was going to give me a super push. I went back and got nothing. That is a very cold place when they are not doing anything with you. I’m watching Barry Horowitz, nothing against Barry Horowitz, I like him, he has no business in professional business, but I like him. I’m watching Horowitz do interviews and I’m doing none.”
I guess looking like a grossly misshaped potato in a leotard didn't help much did it, you dumb shit.

"that was a brilliant run" - delusions of Hogan levels right here, holy fuck.
 
#27 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

bret hart and hbk drawing power is proof that work rate doesn't raw no one pays to see wrestling clinics they pay to see characters,personalities and storytelling
I'm mixed on this. While Bret Hart is the second worst draw as WWE Champion in history, the #1 worst draw is Kevin Nash as Diesel... Also the wrost selling Wrestlemania was main evented by Nash/Sid.
 
#7 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

You all need to calm down. Let the man have his opinion. He is obviously wrong. I do not know if he knows it or would even consider that he is wrong, but the facts prove he is wrong.

I admire him for being so open and honest (assuming he is being honest). I disagree with him whole heartedly, but I won't be upset or pissed off at him either.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

The thing people conveniently ignore when talking about how much Bret and Shawn did or didn't draw is the fact that the Steroid scandal put a black eye on the business that turned fans away from wrestling.

Want proof of that? Look at the numbers for WCW at the time, even when all the legends like Flair, Macho Man, Hogan etc were there WCW were doing about the same numbers.

It wasn't until the NWO angle unfolded that anybody was truly drawing big numbers because it was something no one had really seen in wrestling outside of Japan.

And if we are picking on Bret and Shawn about not drawing...Want to know who else wasn't really drawing with the WWF title during that time?: Diesel, Psycho Sid, and Undertaker.

The business needed to change with the times, it had nothing to do with smaller guys or technical wrestlers not drawing.

Hell during HBK's heel run as champ post Montreal, the ratings were gradually fluctuating between 3s and 4s during his feud with Undertaker and they even sold out Bad Blood together. Of course when Austin entered the chase, the rest was history.

Anyway, Bundy was never a big draw so why is he hating on smaller wrestlers? Is he bitter that he was never the guy or something?
 
#11 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champios lead to the downfall

The thing people conveniently ignore when talking about how much Bret and Shawn did of didn't draw is the fact that the Steroid scandal put a black eye on the business that turned fans away from wrestling.

Want proof of that? Look at the numbers for WCW at the time, even when all the legends like Flair, Macho Man, Hogan etc were there WCW were doing about the same numbers.

It wasn't until the NWO angle unfolded that anybody was truly drawing big numbers because it was something no one had really seen in wrestling outside of Japan.

And if we are picking on Bret and Shawn about not drawing...Want to know who else wasn't really drawing with the WWF title during that time?: Diesel, Psycho Sid, and Undertaker.

The business needed to change with the times, it had nothing to do with smaller guys or technical wrestlers not drawing.

Hell during HBK's heel run as champ post Montreal, the ratings were gradually fluctuation between 3s and 4s during his feud with Undertaker and they even sold out Bad Blood together. Of course when Austin entered the chase, the rest was history.

Anyway, Bundy was never a big draw so why is he hating on smaller wrestlers? Is he bitter that he was never the guy or something?
He sounds like Paul Orndorff and all of these other guys from the 80's that are bitter.

Sure Bret and Shawn were not larger than life, but to say they don't even look like men is just stupid.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

I didn't know he had heat with McMahon. That's interesting.

While he wasn't a great worker, to be fair, Bundy did his job in the early 80s: to be the bullying hoss nobody could stop until he faced Hogan and Andre which drew money. He was also part of the original Legion Of Doom stable with The Road Warriors and Jake Roberts as well as guest starring on a few episodes of Married With Children as Al Bundy's cousin so I can't hate on the guy. :lol

- Vic
 
#12 · (Edited)
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

The end of 1997 during HBK's reign:

12/29/97 3.6 (3.3 / 4.0)
12/22/97 3.1 (3.0 / 3.2)
12/15/97 Unknown
12/8/97 2.7 (2.8 / 2.6)
12/1/97 3.0 (2.7 / 3.3)
11/24/97 3.1 (2.8 / 3.3)
11/17/97 3.15 (3.0 / 3.3)
11/10/97 3.4 (3.0 / 3.8)


Outside of 12/8/97, the ratings stayed between the 3.0-3.6 radius but now we go on to 1998:


3/23/98 3.6 (3.6 / 3.7)
3/16/98 Tuesday Night 4.4 (4.2 / 4.6)
3/9/98 3.55 (3.5 / 3.6)
3/2/98 3.8 (3.8 / 3.7)
2/23/98 3.2 (3.4 / 3.0)
2/16/98 Saturday Nights Main Event 3.0
2/9/98 3.2 (3.2 / 3.2)
2/2/98 3.5 (3.2 / 3.7)
1/26/98 3.5 (3.5 / 3.5)
1/19/98 4.0 (3.7 / 4.2)
1/12/98 3.4 (3.2 / 3.7)
1/5/98 3.3 (3.0 / 3.7)


As you can see their throughout the year the ratings saw a gradual increase and never hit the 2.0 area again and it continued to stay in the 3 to 4 point radius until Shawn dropped the title and that's when the ratings staying in the 4s and 5s radius as the Attitude Era continued to come into it's own. So before Shawn dropped the belt, the ratings were already on an upswing.

Note: On each list of Raw ratings read from the bottom to top for accurate reflection of the increase.
 
#41 · (Edited)
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

The end of 1997 during HBK's reign:

12/29/97 3.6 (3.3 / 4.0)
12/22/97 3.1 (3.0 / 3.2)
12/15/97 Unknown
12/8/97 2.7 (2.8 / 2.6)
12/1/97 3.0 (2.7 / 3.3)
11/24/97 3.1 (2.8 / 3.3)
11/17/97 3.15 (3.0 / 3.3)
11/10/97 3.4 (3.0 / 3.8)


Outside of 12/8/97, the ratings stayed between the 3.0-3.6 radius but now we go on to 1998:


3/23/98 3.6 (3.6 / 3.7)
3/16/98 Tuesday Night 4.4 (4.2 / 4.6)
3/9/98 3.55 (3.5 / 3.6)
3/2/98 3.8 (3.8 / 3.7)
2/23/98 3.2 (3.4 / 3.0)
2/16/98 Saturday Nights Main Event 3.0
2/9/98 3.2 (3.2 / 3.2)
2/2/98 3.5 (3.2 / 3.7)
1/26/98 3.5 (3.5 / 3.5)
1/19/98 4.0 (3.7 / 4.2)
1/12/98 3.4 (3.2 / 3.7)
1/5/98 3.3 (3.0 / 3.7)


As you can see their throughout the year the ratings saw a gradual increase and never hit the 2.0 area again and it continued to stay in the 3 to 4 point radius until Shawn dropped the title and that's when the ratings staying in the 4s and 5s radius as the Attitude Era continued to come into it's own. So before Shawn dropped the belt, the ratings were already on an upswing.

Note: On each list of Raw ratings read from the bottom to top for accurate reflection of the increase.

That can't be!! HBK wuz the worstt draw evar!!

LOLNope. Thanks for posting numbers.

Oh, and King Kong Bundy is an idiot. He's from South Jersey. No reason to pay him any mind. You're welcome. He's just mad that he wasn't good enough to make it.
 
#13 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

These old school 80s wrestlers are funny with they mentality im glad im a 90s baby i cant imagine how awful those times were to see the in ring work.
 
#14 ·
These old school 80s wrestlers are funny with they mentality im glad im a 90s baby i cant imagine how awful those times were to see the in ring work.
Back then, the best wrestling in WWF was in the IC and Tag team title pictures. Assuming you enjoy higher paced and technical wrestling
 
#16 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

Retarded imbecile.

Bret Hart is a 100x bigger draw / star / better performer / mic worker / face / heel / legend / icon / all time great / whatever than he ever was.

He says "small guys" caused the downfall of wrestling, it's the fucking roided up gorillas that came in his era and the steroid scandal that almost killed the business.
 
#20 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

What's also funny is when these size marks pick on Shawn and Bret for being smaller guys, they forget that AUSTIN was a smaller guy in comparison to the 80s roster of Hulking meatheads and hosses.

Austin is billed at 6 ft 2 and at the time he had a rather lean physique and he was a very gifted technician in the ring and he was still over...Regardless of that and he would have still been even if he didn't transition to a brawler after the neck injury caused by Owen.

People loved his look, persona, presence, talking ability and psychology regardless of size.
 
#21 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

What's also funny is when these size marks pick on Shawn and Bret for being smaller guys, they forget that AUSTIN was a smaller guy in comparison to the 80s roster of Hulking meatheads and hosses.

Austin is billed at 6 ft 2 and at the time he had a rather lean physique and he was a very gifted technician in the ring and he was still over...Regardless of that and he would have still been even if he didn't transition to a brawler after the neck injury caused by Owen.

People loved his look, persona, presence, talking ability and psychology regardless of size.
Steve Austin wasn't a small guy.
 
#25 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

He doesn't watch wrestling these days because they all look the same these days. This was true in 2004, was largely true in 2009; in 2014?

No they don't.

And the reason Vince went with Michaels and Hart, which Bundy obviously knows, is the steroid scandal/trial. What big man wrestler should WWE have gone with then? They could have gone all the way with Razor Ramon but I can't see him having reached the heights he did as nWo Scott Hall in WCW. Luger? Sid? Diesel? Yokozuna? Frikkin' Mabel? They tried all these guys. It's easy to say "don't go with HBK/Bret" but a lot tougher to say who they should have used instead.
 
#26 ·
He doesn't watch wrestling these days because they all look the same these days. This was true in 2004, was largely true in 2009; in 2014?

No they don't.

And the reason Vince went with Michaels and Hart, which Bundy obviously knows, is the steroid scandal/trial. What big man wrestler should WWE have gone with then? They could have gone all the way with Razor Ramon but I can't see him having reached the heights he did as nWo Scott Hall in WCW. Luger? Sid? Diesel? Yokozuna? Frikkin' Mabel? They tried all these guys. It's easy to say "don't go with HBK/Bret" but a lot tougher to say who they should have used instead.
Would he have preferred Vince going with Farooq and Ahmed Johnson? Lol
 
#32 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall



Yeah because Brett Hart doesn't look like a man here.

I suppose real men have to resort to steroids to get there many body.

Or just eat at fast food restaurants every day.
lol this fat man is just angry and he talks about being a young guy in 1994...the man was in his late 30s smh
 
#34 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

business across the board fell in the wake of wrestlemania 8 just like business fell across the board in the wake of mania 17

business (attendance wise at least) stayed at the same level from april 1992 until december 1995. there was a notable increase in business though soon after the strap was taken off nash and put on bret at the end of 1995

wwe monthly paid average attendance.

the months bret was mostly champion are underlined in pink, hogan in yellow and nash in black
 
#35 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

I dont consider someone like Benoit Eddie and Kurt small but when they stand next to brock hogan and big show than yes they are.


A guy like benoit with his physique and his character looks like they can tear you apart if i had to choose between Roman who looks like they can hurt you or someone like kurt/benoit it defienetly take my chances with Reigns.
 
#37 ·
#38 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

Funny that you guys are suggesting that King Kong Bundy took steroids while ignoring that Hart, Michaels, and Austin were the guys who were actually on them. The late 90's had their own steroid scandal. It's not until 07 when WWE started cracking down.

Also the Golden Era had Piper, Savage and they were huge draws in their own right so you can't just base everything off Hogan. There was certainly big guy mentality in the 80's and it's really what made Hogan so big. He's the massive brute slamming them.

All the old timers are going to have a different perceptive on the business. When they were in it business was booming like Hell, scandal strikes and the next thing you know business is in the crappers. They mistakenly attribute it to the guys at top. You look at Bundy it had to be 2 different worlds wrestling from the 80's to his stint in 94. You can see how he'd come to that conclusion.

He's certainly right about today though and it's something people should listen to. You need variety and today everyone fits the same bill.
 
#42 ·
Re: King Kong Bundy: Bret Hart and Shawn Micheals as champions lead to the downfall

He's certainly right about today though and it's something people should listen to. You need variety and today everyone fits the same bill.
If this was five years ago then fair point, but a lot has changed on the character front visually (which is what Bundy was alluding to). There's a massive blend of visual characters on the roster that are easily identifiable from each other right now.

It's just a pity that Vince treats them all like amoeba in a petri dish because he's too ignorant to advance lower than the main eventers.
 
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