Entrance Theme of the Day

[packerbacker180]

I like Impact. The production could be better, but it's not bad. And it's only two hours which makes it easier to follow than the WWE, and there's nothing much else on Thursdays.

In honor of tonight's PPV, I wasn't planning on getting it but they sold me on this alone...

[BrandonDaCollector]

Hah, I haven't checked out the PPV yet, but gonna soon Great entries PB.

Here is Mine for today and both are WWF New Generation.

Lex Luger - When body-slammed Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid in 93, he was no longer the Narcissist but now the American Original and the biggest babyface of the federation. Liked I said yesterday, despite going for the belts, he never became a champ His theme active starting in 94 was great however, really good tune!



Allied Powers - After being downhill on many levels, Luger got a partner and that was Davey Boy Smith, the British Bulldog. He to had some really bad times in the WWF as well. Both were top talents especially Smith. I loved the idea of this team in 95 but they never got the gold like they should have. They were only a team for several months, Luger attacked MoM & Diesel at SummerSlam 95 then he was on the premier of WCW Monday Nitro...one of the greatest yet bittersweet wrestling moments ever while Smith turned major heel, betrayed Diesel and sported a newer short hair style and overall new look. Allied Powers' theme was a new mixture of the two combined. It was rather clever and I believe this was the first time that the WWF ever did this



That's all for now, until later

[packerbacker180]

Sad what became of Lex.

In honor of a cool moment at Revolution last night...

[BrandonDaCollector]

Great themes there. Yeah, it was a good event with some great spots but I found the event to be kinda of a let down with no big win by Lee & Cole

Indeed about Lex but at least he's still around Since I have posted about him the last two times, I thought I'd do a special here...

Here is his theme and time in WCW when he return in 95 to 97. It was all pretty good, questionable at times but still fun.



Now, he had disappeared for a while after the red & black nWo deal. The "Rebirth" happen Then he returned bigger in size and more dominant. He was joined by his new real life girlfriend Miss Elizabeth which for a while they were a good couple and had a lot of chemistry together. His new "Total Package" gimmick was awesome, he would be a cross between of his previous narcissists self and similar like a Terminator. Elizabeth also changed her look and her act would be she would rip his clothes off aggressively to show his new and improved physique. Here is 2 versions of his terrific theme with him and watch Liz do her thing




Here is their return in this same clip, I have always thought that this wasn't good and that this may have jinxed them



As a bonus, here is the second theme in tribute to Miss Elisabeth, I know I have talked about My two faves Chyna & Sunny in the WWF but I really never talked about Mine in WCW. My two was Madusa (I'll get to her later) and Miss Elizabeth. When Liz was younger in the WWF I thought she was sweet but she really never did anything for Me. When she returned to WCW in 94 and when she got together with Flair & Woman in 96 it was a bit more though. However, when she returned with Luger, I was wowed I just loved her new look & style and I just loved her. She was so classy hot and in wrestling there really has never been a woman since that has wowed Me like she did. I was so sad when she died, I find it awful how she is hardly ever mentioned anymore



That's all for now, I got some more in store for later, until then

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is one I really wanted to do, it's gonna be the good guys!

Razor Ramon - Yep, the upgraded Diamond Studd would have the same cool theme his entire time as Razor whether he was a heel or babyface from 92 to 96!



Diesel 1st theme - The now upgraded Vinnie Vegas would finally wrestle after being HBK's bodyguard in late 93 and have a theme of his own. As simple as it was, it was extremely effective as they would play it for many teams he would be with in 93 - 94!



Diesel 2nd theme - When he shockingly defeated Mr. Bob Backlund for the world title @ MSG and turned babyface and he got a new theme and it was awesome. I know it get's a bad wrap for whatever reason but I have always loved it because the sound of it is dynamic and it's unlike any other wrestling theme ever heard IMO



Now after they left for WCW Jim Ross turned heel and brought a couple impostors in an angle to battle WCW that many has forgotten about. I don't know how many people bought it then if they didn't watch WCW but I didn't cause I was watching WCW week after week when Hall & Nash "invaded" WCW from the start then all of a sudden we get these fakes in the WWF It was funny at the time but it was kinda like an alternate universe of sorts as well

Fake Razor - This was Rick Titan (R.I.P.). He had his moments.



Fake Diesel - Issac Yankem was gone and he became him! He was actually OK here. A year later he would become Kane!



They dropped this angle in early 97 and it would end in the USWA.

That's all for now, until the next one

[packerbacker180]

[BrandonDaCollector]

Ah the Hardys, great theme

OK, here is Mine for today and it's gonna be different though, its kinda gonna be like the last couple ones and it's gonna be BIG so today it will be STING

Here is the Sting I grew up with up and boy do I miss this!



Here is Sting's pre-crow time in late 95 - 96. We had to get used to his transitional hair color back then.



I really thought it was a waste of him brooding in the rafters for about a year, glad he came out of it and became better!



Ah, My fave time of Sting when he came out with Metallica's Seek & Destroy (Metallica is My fave music group of all-time, maybe more on that later)



NOTE: I am skipping his time in TNA despite it was great. I just wasn't crazy about his theme then.

Here is WWE theme. I absolutely loved it. I think it was so awesome unlike his time there. Its very scary yet emotional and the guitar tells you it's STING! In fact I believe this is one of the best themes that the WWF/WWE has ever done



Wow, his AEW theme is great. I don't find it as spooky as his WWE one but it sounds very classic and seems like it is a continuation of his WCW ones.



SPECIAL BONUS!

Sting's WWE DEBUT - Now it really wasn't a secret about him because he was the WWE 2K15 DLC Pre-Order character months before he debuted at the Survivor series 2014. Yes, there wasn't a huge mystery as to his appearance when he debuted, I guess it was like most people saw him in TNA so it was just a step up and no need for it, kinda like Ada Wong & Leon S. Kennedy in the Resident Evil 5 movie, they were just there with no huge build like they should have but us RE gamers/fans know their history so they just figured we knew it over the years so why explain it in the film? Anyway I think it was really cool, I loved the raven sound effect and how the music begins. I'm not a fan of Michael Cole but I think he and Bradshaw said good of what they could with him. In the 2 different versions of the debut that I provided. It was cool with him and HHH and all what he did there but his run in the end was quite bittersweet as after all of that lost to HHH, the nWo wasn't to beat DX and his last match was a loss with a schoolboy and he never fought the Undertaker which was everybody's dream match for decades but I feel at least there was moments of Sting the WWE




Sting's AEW DEBUT - I didn't expect this at all when it happen. I was astounded to say the least, it was way more of a surprise than his WWE time the way the tron was and everything and yes, the way Tony Schiavone said IT'S STING was tremendous and all what he said about him not being on TNT in 20 years, that was huge to Me because I saw that Nitro in March, 2001 when it happen, it was THE darkest day ever in wrestling history. When he walked to the ring and looked into Arn Anderson's eyes that was absolutely unbelievable with their history of the Horsemen and then him looking at Dustin...that was all history to be "truly continued". The way he was in the ring with no fight or anything like that was proper, it made Sting look strong and still a force to reckon with. I mean as epic as the WWE one was, this had what Sting was all about...I have seen and followed Sting since he was in the NWA/WCW in the late 80s till WCW's demise (which he never left till the end, he really was the franchise) and of course after that but because of that, this was more of the best of the two. IMO nostalgia always beats the modern when it comes to something as awe-inspiring such as this



Wow, this was a bit bigger than I had thought but gosh, I think it turned out ok. That's all for today, I hope you liked it PB

[packerbacker180]

Well, you covered quite a bit of stuff I'd been thinking of in recent weeks, lol. First, I should preface this by saying I was never a big Sting fan. I've said before, we didn't get the NWA up here, and by the time I even saw Sting wrestle he was already in the nWo Wolfpac and I really don't like anything from WCW of that era. It was tired, predictable while illogical at the same time and I was more interested in the Benoits and Jerichos who weren't getting the main event time they should've. And then he went to Impact and it was sort of the same thing. Don't get me wrong, with the Halls and Nashs of the world, I think Sting was one of the only WCW old guard that was actually good for TNA while the others it felt were just there for Dixie's money and like in WCW, was just sucking up the main event time from guys like AJ, Roode, Matt Morgan, etc that were the future of TNA. Don't get me started on the Hardys around that time either, as I couldn't stand them (I used to refer to them as Fatt and Meth Hardy at the time). But Sting was sort of misused in TNA (but who wasn't?). Even back then, those guys shouldn't have really been carrying the world title or even competing for it, but they were, and because of it, I don't think the younger guys ever reached the point where they could carry TNA and we all know where that story goes.

So, Sting. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his work. He's always looked cool as hell. I wouldn't call him the best wrestler, or the best promo guy, but he certainly carries himself like a star, and sometimes that's more than enough. The chest pound, the Stinger Splash, Scorpion Death Drop and Deathlock are really all you need these days. Everything else is just awonderful bonus. For comparison, I'll add his first TNA debut here:



Now keep in mind TNA didn't have a weekly show at this point, so Sting was advertised in advance because the goal is obviously to sell PPV buys. Here's my problem. AJ gets a theme. His mystery partner, Sean Waltman gets a theme, Jarret gets a theme...how in the hell does Sting not get his own entrance and theme? It could be the most generic rock music ever, but he doesn't get his own entrance? Ugh. TNA rarely did anything right.

Yes, Sting's WWE run was sadly cut short, but they didn't use him right. It seems like the WWE can't fathom a storyline that doesn't in some way involve a title. And of course, if it isn't a Vince creation, they can't really fathom it going over anything WWE, so we got a really disappointing WrestleMania moment just so Vince could piss all over WCW one more time.

Personally, there isn't much I like about Sting's WWE debut. Yes, we all knew he was probably coming but, I hate the fact that you hear the crow and see his face as soon as the theme starts. It kind of ruins any anticipation or mystery vs AEW's version. And to me, Michael Cole's excitement comes off as fake and over exaggerated. From a storyline standpoint, it makes no sense. Why does Sting care about the Authority being in power? Why would that matter to him personally having never been in the WWE? Is he upset they beat WCW? That would be petty. Why would he really care? To the WWE it's just a PPV main event and if you're going to debuted someone it has to be at the end of the show, and meh, it's a cool moment, but none of it real feels like it should be why Sting is there. Now, Sting coming out to challenge Taker, that would've made sense. Heck, maybe even Bray...or Goldust and or Stardust being the Rhodes brothers, but that's not "big" enough for the WWE, actual story be damned.

Now, I can still remember the moment Sting debuted in AEW. I was watching and just as they started to go after Cody, I got up to go to the kitchen for something just assuming it was going to be just another beatdown segment, and then I heard the music start and I turned around to watch and I stood there. Now, one reason I really like this moment is it was in the middle of the show. Thanks to 20 years of WWE we've all been conditioned to expect the big debut/run in to be in the main event to go off the air. So while there were rumors Sting might be coming, I really wasn't expecting it at this moment. If anything I thought maybe it would be in the Mox vs Omega match that night because that's how the WWE would do it. But AEW isn't the WWE, and if you've ever heard Tony Khan talk, the man is a wrestling encyclopedia.

Now from a choreography standpoint, I love everything about this. Yes, the lights going out are getting a little over done in AEW, but here it works. And then you hear thunder and then that ethereal hum. Now somethings on the screen, something on a hilltop. Is it a person? A crow? You can't really tell because the camera's far enough away where you can't make it out. Then we get that guitar which I really love and Tony mumbles "what?" selling the surprise and we get images of winter, ice melting but still, what is going on? Then those pounding drums hit and we still aren't certain what's going on and then we do see a crow and then...YES! STING is slowly spelled out on the screen. And Tony says again, "what the?" selling complete disbelief and the crowd gets louder (man, I wish it was a full arena, but it is what it is). Then Schiavone lets loose with the "It's Stiiiiiiiiiiiiing!" and the Icon walks out and we pan to the crowd going crazy and Tony and JR just sell the surprise and the meaningfulness of Sting showing up so wonderfully compared to Cole's over-excited act that felt phoney. This moment still gets me misty a bit.

Then Sting stands on stage and pulls out the bat, and that's it. We don't even really see Team Taz leave. Sting being on stage is enough for them to split, but they aren't even really that important for the story because in this instance, the foe isn't what's important. It's the past, the present, and of course, the future still in the ring. Sting gets in the ring, and the four heroes are each in a corner, and of course, he'd go to Arn first. The wars these two men have a been a part of, and Arn looks at him like he's seen a ghost and mouths the words, "what are you doing?" or "why are you here?", I'm still not sure. Just wonderful the way he emotes being stunned

Then he goes to Dustin's corner, and even though Dustin is a good guy here, he still cowers slightly, shrinking further in to the corner. These two men have a history too, and it was just explained in seconds without a word being said from either. Then he goes to Cody, and he kneels down to eye level and taps that bat, and the announcers are still expressing how big a moment this is, and my one regret from this moment is I always thought we'd get a Sting vs Cody match someway, maybe with a Cody heel turn, but that may never be now. But then Sting goes to Darby. And Darby is the only one who literally stands up to Sting, and Sting doesn't just go to him, he traps him in the corner. And then Sting looks at the side of his face that isn't painted, and then he looks to the side that is painted, and Sting and Darby was never anything I ever even considered being a team-up as Sting was almost always the loner, but my god, in those brief seconds, it was so obvious. I don't know how much of this was planned in advance, but everyone involved, the men, the cameraman, the announcers, A+++ all around. And then Sting backs off to the center of the ring and gives the crowd a few electric woos, and then he leaves.

He never speaks. He never touches anyone. There are no fists, no physically clearing the heels from the ring. None of that. And all this time those guitars are still playing and they're the perfect sound for all of this and Tony and JR and Excalibur are still explaining what a big moment this is selling it all to perfection. And then he leaves. And it's all just about perfectly executed. I've watched this again probably 40 times over the last year since he debuted. It's amazing. I still get goosebumps and I wasn't a big Sting guy! Later I heard that Tony, and I believe the rest of the announcers, knew ahead of time that Sting was coming out, but holy cow, you wouldn't know it by their announcing. Legends.

Now, I figured Sting might have a tag match or two, maybe be a manager, sells some shirts, etc. A cinematic match? Yeah, that makes sense for someone in his sixties to help take extra precautions. At no point did I ever think in my wildest dreams that we would see a 62 year old man frog splashing someone through tables from a balcony. Holy s@#%!



I love Sting's AEW theme. It doesn't even have words and I can listen to it over and over again and in my mind I can still see the moments from that debut play out to that theme. And now, I really am a little Stinger. I always appreciated Sting, I liked Sting as a wrestler, and who doesn't look cool in face paint, but now, I love when Sting is on my screen. It's night and day though in how WWE and AEW treat a legend. Sting shouldn't be anywhere near a world title match. He doesn't need a belt at this point. Brock doesn't need a belt. They're like Andre. They're an attraction all on their own. But in the WWE, it was what, 8 months and he was wrestling Seth for the world title, and unless your Goldberg, you can't get away with just playing the hits in a quick match, and we wound up with Sting getting hurt and we all thought that was it.

I'm really glad it wasn't. I'm happy Sting gets to go out whenever he wants with this last run being a testament to his career and not a what might have been eneding. Him and Darby together have been great, and it makes sense when you think about it. I just thought we'd get a match with Cody. Maybe we will one day. I mean, if you're Cody, you're a Rhodes, the son of a son of a plumber, why is Sting interested in Darby instead of you? Sting literally turned his back on you just like all the others. Damn, the story writes itself. Aargh, why Cody, why? Why would you go back to Vince who put your dad in polka dots.? Ugh.

An amazing article from, yes from, Sting (OMG, he could've been Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds!):
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts ... -wrestling

[BrandonDaCollector]

Gosh, I see you said some of the same stuff that I did plus continued where I left off That TNA moment was cool. How Vic Venom was, gosh he must have had a major aftershave reaction, the side of his neck was really red and AJ was so young, amazing how he really never left Russo too. That Sting debut was good but man there wasn't any drama whatsover, talk about no surprise, IMO the WWE debut was better done than this. TNA did some stuff OK and I really did like the edgy stuff and atmosphere than TNA was doing an dhad then and later during the PG era. It was kinda like the last days of Attitude era for Me

That was the whole best moment of the entire event when Sting went through all of them tables, the rest was ok but since Lee & Cole didn't win and it was same stuff it was just wasn't satisfying for Me at all.

Good stuff PB

[packerbacker180]

Yeah, Sting in the WWE never looked right. It'd be like Michael Jordan putting on a Pistons jersey or Derek Jeter signing with the Red Sox.