The "Forbidden Door" before AEW

[Vastardikai]

Basically, I just wanted to mention a few times the so called "Forbidden Door" was opened before AEW made it a big thing. In no particular order.

1. Title vs. Title Matches: This was a really big thing before WWF went national under Vince. You would, on occasion, get Harley vs. Graham, Harley vs Bockwinkel, Harley vs Backlund, Flair vs. Martel, and Flair vs. Backlund. They'd almost always go to some kind of non finish, so the fans knew the champs were on even levels. But, a couple things came of them. Flair vs Martel made Flair realize that the "10 lbs of Gold" wasn't as big as the AWA title, which led to the creation of the Big Gold Belt that we know and love. I'd also argue that Harley vs Backlund in WWF would lead Vince Jr. to realize that he would need a top guy that can talk (Backlund took 2 minutes to say nothing, Race sold the match in 1) when he bought his dad out less than a year later.

2. New Japan "Excursions": New Japan has a formula for training their "Young Lions." They start off in the Dojos, and they'd be around the ring to get their asses kicked by the Gaijins, get brutalized by the veterans. After that, they would go on "Excursion," which is getting further seasoned outside of Japan and use the time to develop a proper character and be freshened up come time for their eventual return. It is done to this day, but some famous "Excursions" include Keiji Mutoh going to the NWA, being billed as the Great Muta in Crockett and being a huge star, Tetsuya Naito going to Mexico and going from the guy no one wanted to becoming "Ingobernable." And Okada becoming "Kato" in TNA (didn't say they were all good.)

3. Smoky Mountain Wrestling: Corny always seems to be ahead of the curve. He brought the last territory as we knew it to WCW for a brief spell, leading to a Heavenly Bodies vs. Rock n Roll Express match. He did the same in WWF, as well as a banger between the Bodies and the Steiners. Jim also got more duties up North, including being Yokozuna's "American Spokesman". This one didn't really do as much as the first two, but noteworthy things included the Buddy Landell "My Own Worst Enemy" promo leading up to his match with Shawn Michaels. The Gangstas interacting with the Undertaker. They were kind ended as a Proto-Developmental program for WWF, bringing us guys like Kane and Al Snow.

4. Texas vs Tennessee: Memphis. We always seem to end up in Memphis. CWA merged with World Class out of Dallas, and the feud to justify it was this one. This was a major war where some Texas stars, including Eric Embry, Tom Pritchard (a future Heavenly Body), The Texas Hangmen, and a couple folks I will mention in a second had a big program with the Tennessee boys that included Eddie Gilbert and Ron Fuller, Jeff Jarrett, Tennesseean by way of New Zealand Bill Dundee, and "the Nightmare" himself Danny Davis. Lawler was involved in the beginning and the end. This one was kind of noteworthy because we would get Eric Embry's idea of the "Perfect Woman:" Ms. Texas (Jacqueline) and some young blonde kid with a lot of promise by the name of Steve Austin. Whatever happened to him?

5. Taz(z) vs. Mike Awesome: aka that time A WWF guy beat a WCW guy for the ECW Title. really not much to mention on this one, is it?

I'm sure there's a few others. But discuss.

[Bad News Gertner]

Those "World Title vs World Title" matches are more often than not a giant bore. Backlund vs Race was terrible. Graham vs Race was terrible. I can't imagine Flair vs Backlund was any good

Dusty would have had more of an impact on Vince than Harley. You could also tell Vince was enamored with Hogan during his first heel run.

[Bad News Gertner]

New Japan used to appear at WWF shows off and on in the early 80s, but they'd send their big guns like Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi. Riki Choshu, Tiger Mask, Kuniaki Kobayashi would also appear. Some of the matches were good.

[Bad News Gertner]

Mr. Saito and Tiger Mask had a great match on WWF t.v in Jan.83

O1m4El5IerY

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Always gotta mention when Triple A sent wrestlers to the 97 Royal Rumble and Mil Mascaras refused to allow someone else to eliminate him so he dove out of the ring and looked like a giant dumbass.

[Vastardikai]

Those "World Title vs World Title" matches are more often than not a giant bore. Backlund vs Race was terrible. Graham vs Race was terrible. I ant imagine Flair vs Backlund was ant good

Dusty would have had more of an impact on VIince than Harley. You could also tell Vince was enamored with Hogan during his first heel run.

I also heard that Hogan was his second choice. His first allegedly being Austin Idol, who didn't want to travel like that.

[Bad News Gertner]

We got the Mexican Minis out of that. The regular AAA wrestlers had some matches on Raw and Shotgun

[Bad News Gertner]

I also heard that Hogan was his second choice. His first allegedly being Austin Idol, who didn't want to travel like that.

They definitely made the right choice

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Also that episode of Raw where ECW invaded and Sabu jumped off the top of entrance. And randomly, completely separate and unrelated to the invasion angle, the Legion of Doom returned on the same show.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Which lead to Lawler showing up in ECW and almost starting a riot.

[Vastardikai]

And RVD's first WWE run.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

I think his squash match was against Jeff Hardy? That sounds right.

[Lock Jaw]

Always gotta mention when Triple A sent wrestlers to the 97 Royal Rumble and Mil Mascaras refused to allow someone else to eliminate him so he dove out of the ring and looked like a giant dumbass.

For some reason I completely forgot Triple A was a rassling company and kept thinking you meant the poster....

[Evil Vito]

NJPW would work with pretty much anyone in the 90s. Obviously you had the nWo Japan etc.

A trip through the Network rabbit hole a couple years ago made me remember that Juventud Guerrera beat Justin Liger for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on a Nitro in 1999. By hitting him with a bottle of tequila following a Buzzkill distraction :lol:

[Bad News Gertner]

WWF and Tenryu's SWS did shows together in Japan in 92

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Jericho and Gedo wrestled at Halloween Havoc 97 (literally all my examples are from 97) and there was a botch so bad that Jericho should be in the same situation as Droz right now. But he left with just a bloody nose.

[Bad News Gertner]

Ultimo Dragon brought his students to WCW in the late 90s. Tokyo Magnum, Judo Suwa, Cima, Sumo Fuji etc

[xrodmuc316]

Vince offered $1 million to Ric Flair to have him appear in the crowd watching Wrestlemania 15. WCW would not allow it, but the idea was having the WCW World Champion attending Wrestlemania would sell the idea that it was the biggest Wrestling show.

Flair would have surely done it, WCW basically screwed him out of a Million Dollar payday.

[Bad News Gertner]

Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton wrestled in ECW

[Bad News Gertner]

Pro Wrestling USA had Memphis, AWA and NWA working together.

[Vastardikai]

Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton wrestled in ECW

And in Smoky Mountain.

The ECW show was called "When Worlds Collide" which also introduced the world at large to Rey Mysterio Jr.

[xrodmuc316]

They had an NWA thing in WWE for a while too with Cornette.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

The New Midnight Express beat the Rock n Roll Express for the NWA tag titles on a WWF pay per view

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Bodacious Bart and Bombastic Bob

Kinda kills any Cornette argument that things were better back in the day

[Vastardikai]

Bodacious Bart and Bombastic Bob

Kinda kills any Cornette argument that things were better back in the day

part of the reason why Corny hates Russo, to be sure.

[Bad News Gertner]

All the cross promotion Super Clash III

[Tom Guycott]

Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton wrestled in ECW

I saw this recently (I think last week on YouTube) and thought "when the actual fuck did this happen?" ... even though the video was labeled with the date of when it actually fucking happened.

Oddly enough, I was just looking for "Pulp Fiction Promos", and ended up seeing a lot of early ECW stuff, like a couple of Jimmy Snuka matches and Taz(maniac) wrestling barefoot.

[Tom Guycott]

They had an NWA thing in WWE for a while too with Cornette.

The New Midnight Express beat the Rock n Roll Express for the NWA tag titles on a WWF pay per view

Bodacious Bart and Bombastic Bob

Kinda kills any Cornette argument that things were better back in the day

part of the reason why Corny hates Russo, to be sure.

Makes for great listening in hindsight, though.

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[Loose Cannon]

Great thread. you're right, there's been so many inter-promotional matches over time

I remember Tenryu and Kitao beating Demolition at Wrestlemania 7 was a big what the fuck to me as a kid. Two nobody's to me beating one of the best tag teams in wrestling a year before.

[Loose Cannon]

I loved that NWA angle with Cornette in WWF. It could of been so much better, but I'm pretty sure Vince hated it immediately and pretty much killed it day 1.

[erickman]

I loved that NWA angle with Cornette in WWF. It could of been so much better, but I'm pretty sure Vince hated it immediately and pretty much killed it day 1.

2 weeks ago jeff and conrad tompson had a show about it. they said it was done to shut up cornett.

[Bad News Gertner]

Neither of them had any idea and both were speculating. Cornette has said a billion times that he had nothing to do with it

[XL]

I loved that ______ angle with _______ in WWF. It could of been so much better, but I'm pretty sure Vince hated it immediately and pretty much killed it day 1.

For further use.

[Fignuts]

The interpromotional cooperation is part of what attracted me to puro in the first place.

[Loose Cannon]

For further use.

haha? right?

[Bad News Gertner]

WWF and Tenryu's SWS did shows together in Japan in 92

Hogan vs Tenryu from 91 for example

p8XKvSInnqk

[xrodmuc316]

Hey what about when Heath Slater came back for one match against Drew after WWE Fired him? He wasn't working for another company yet, but if I remember they took 30 days off his no compete, at least helping him get to Impact sooner.

[Bad News Gertner]

Those "World Title vs World Title" matches are more often than not a giant bore. Backlund vs Race was terrible. Graham vs Race was terrible. I can't imagine Flair vs Backlund was any good

Dusty would have had more of an impact on Vince than Harley. You could also tell Vince was enamored with Hogan during his first heel run.

Case in point


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“The man of the hour! The man with the power! I am the hit maker, the record breaker! I got style and grace and a lovely face! I’ll make your back crack, and your liver quiver!” <a href="https://t.co/fNrFLfaXH4">pic.twitter.com/fNrFLfaXH4</a></p>&mdash; Pro Wrestling Gifs (@prowrestle_gifs) <a href="https://twitter.com/prowrestle_gifs/status/1482920710624456709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Bad News Gertner]

Dusty and Harley actually had an NWA title match on an MSG show. It wasn't very good

[Jordan]

Actually the forbidden door was invented by Tony Khan and AEW, not before like you said. That stuff can be seen as a sort of "forbidden door" situation but it's not like our forbidden door now that Tony Khan and AEW created.

[xrodmuc316]

Actually the forbidden door was invented by Tony Khan and AEW, not before like you said. That stuff can be seen as a sort of "forbidden door" situation but it's not like our forbidden door now that Tony Khan and AEW created.

Tony Khan didn't invent shit, Cody Rhodes built that Fucking door!

[Sepholio]

And then he walked through it and ended racism.

[xrodmuc316]

And then he walked through it and ended racism.

That is true, and he did it for America!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTd313FfDXzfnOa0hPpeoDfVQMvFzeG9DIiGSMmFOM&s=0

[XL]

Forbidden Door™ > forbidden door.

[Vastardikai]

Tony Khan didn't invent shit, Cody Rhodes built that Fucking door!

The phrase was coined by the Ace himself (not Bob Orton Jr): Tanahashi.