Looking back Taker vs Diesel was one of the best feuds in 96

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Non fukks given no strap Diesel was low key one of the seeds that were planted for the Attitude Era. Dude damn near murdered HBK before he went to WCW

 

[dbp]

The ending to the Bret/Diesel Survivor Series match was a really great way to launch into that tweener character. The catch a quick one on em' roll-up, Diesel snapping and swearing. A realistic way to build that tweener / heel character that didn't feel forced. WWE had moments of great writing back then, in between the fukkery.

 

[b. woods]

The ending to the Bret/Diesel Survivor Series match was a really great way to launch into that tweener character. The catch a quick one on em' roll-up, Diesel snapping and swearing. A realistic way to build that tweener / heel character that didn't feel forced. WWE had moments of great writing back then, in between the fukkery.

And how Diesel being soft on Bret (PAUSE. ) after pushing him off the ring apron and causing him to crash through the table enabled the L to occur

 

[stro]

All Bret vs Diesel matches are classics

 

[Miggs]

Diesel was ASS until he turned intl Kevin Nash....Probably the worst period of the WWF was him as babyface champion...he had some awful matches.

 

[HipHopStan]

I always wondered how they pulled this off only to find out much later that's actually Nash laying in the casket in a close up that they filmed earlier in the day.

 

[Kevin_Nash]

Yeah you can't help but wonder what Nash's career would have been like had he stayed. Obviously no nWo involvement takes away a big part of his whole run, but it seemed like that dikkhead heel persona he had in the last 2-3 months of his first WWF stint was really the best character for him to be a $ player.

While you can't deny he was a bust as champ, he's not wrong to say they kinda set him up to fail by turning him from a bad ass heel (what got him over in 94 in the first place) to that smiley fun babyface World champ that had zero edge. Vince only knew one way to market a top babyface, the Hogan path.

I've always said Diesel's post title loss tweener/heel run is the first glimpses of the direction Vince would take with the attitude era.

Diesel's character would have fit perfectly in that era.

He was dope as fukk in that last run. I remember him calling out Vince which was the first clue I had that Vince was more than just a commentator.

And as you said the Taker feud felt epic. It was a true dream match at the time in a way the WWE can't do any more as everyone wrestles everyone on TV.

And in the match no one had dominated Taker like that without interference or cheating. Was a great big man match.

It planted the seeds subliminally for what Austin eventually became. Obviously Scott and I turned the wrestling world upside down in the summer of 96 so I don't know what Vince and company were planning for everyone, but I guess the best way to put it was I was the first draft of "attitude" for the WWE.

The problem with Diesel was that they always had a hard time finding decent opponents for him. In this case taker was perfect. Diesel was a heel but I remember actually liking him here. Looking back it's hard not liking big daddy cool. This was definitely takers best wrestlemania match up until that point.

Diesel was ASS until he turned intl Kevin Nash....Probably the worst period of the WWF was him as babyface champion...he had some awful matches.

Two things:

1) My career started in 1990 and 4 years later I had the heavyweight strap of the biggest company in the industry. I admit to being a little green at the time, and it showed.

2) Take a look at the 94-95 roster while I was champ? Did you really expect a greenhorn to have 10 star matches with Mabel, Mantaur and Duke the fukking Dumpster Drose?

 

[NYChase718]

It planted the seeds subliminally for what Austin eventually became. Obviously Scott and I turned the wrestling world upside down in the summer of 96 so I don't know what Vince and company were planning for everyone, but I guess the best way to put it was I was the first draft of "attitude" for the WWE.





Two things:

1) My career started in 1990 and 4 years later I had the heavyweight strap of the biggest company in the industry. I admit to being a little green at the time, and it showed.

2) Take a look at the 94-95 roster while I was champ? Did you really expect a greenhorn to have 10 star matches with Mabel, Mantaur and Duke the fukking Dumpster Drose?