If the IWC/TPWW were around during Hogan's WWF Height...
 

If the Internet Wrestling Community, as it stands now with the overall basic themes, during Hogan's first superman run (say 88-93, give or take), would Hogan have been shit on during his height like Cena is/was for the past two years at shows and on forums?

Probably.

Potential thread titles for that time:

DiBiase For Champion
Bret Hart is Overrated
What is With This Ultimate Warrior Crap???
Why Vince is a Weenie
Bobby Heenan is God (Ok so we see that one today)
Hogan Will Never Go to WCW (NWA if you're far back enough)
Sting Jumping to WWF?
Official Prime Time Wrestling Thread: Heenan and Monsoon celebrate Halloween

I dunno if he would've been shat on. Back then did anybody really know what a skilled wrestler was in comparision to the unstopable Hogan?

To be fair, would any of us have coalesced that opinion even today without the Internet?

Keep in mind this is assuming that all the current technology trends were around back then. You could easily see over seas' promotions on you PC, etc.

Possibly, although back when he first won the title, WWE didn't break kayfabe and the secrets of the business were still secret to most people so most people wound not have looked at the business like they do nowadays

Back then people loved the Face and never cheered the heel. Any heel would have been dispised.

The secrets wouldnt have been secret if the Internet had been what it is now. That's the point of this thread.

People loved Flair back then, and Piper got a good number of pops as a heel.

If people were posting on internet websites 20 years ago, they would have probably shitted on Flair for being a coward, or Andre selling out etc. Just like Stickman said, people loved faces and despised heels.

Had Eddie done his lie, cheat and steal gimmick in the 80's the crowd would have hated him.

Had I followed Piper in the 80's I would have cheered for him when he kicked Cyndi Lauper...

Anyway, both those guys were booked as winners on a consistent basis. In fact, was Piper ever pinned in the 80's?

I just think you're failing to see how the Internet and easy access to what used to be "insider information" has shaped perception of the product. The whole "we love guys who perform well, regardless of them being heel or face" was largely a product of the mass of information people can get on the internet. Example, if it had been known circa WM3-WM4 that Hogan was a politicking dickweed, and that Ted DiBiase was a real stand-up guy with a fantastic work ethic, that Hogan was hand-chosen to be the company's man and get whatever he wanted and DiBiase would never be given a singles title for his efforts, don't you think the dynamic of the heat and pops would have been somewhat different? What if people knew what an unprofessional maniac the Warrior was backstage? What if people knew about Jake Roberts's problems with drugs? None of that would have made a difference?

Didn't Hogan...You know...HELP ratings?

Even if you didn't like a guy in the Attitude Era, it was hard to dispute choices because the ratings were up and wrestling was exciting to marks and Smarktards alike.

I know exactly what you're saying DarthTeedious, it's just that it is very difficult to make such an accurate comparison as to what might have been considering that there are so many variables. Personally I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. Like it or not, Hogan was very believable and entertaining in the 80's and people paid to see him win (even though more and more people started to become more knowledgeable about the product). Hogan jobbing often would have probably hurt the company more than him winning, and had the internet been available to the public in the 80's with the sort of knowledge that is now known then it would have hurt WWE considerably.

Um...yes. What kind of a stupid question is that?

Don't forget Rude and Perfect. :y:

It would be terrible on Hogan. There were enough people even back then that couldn't stand him.

Think Hogan would shoot on us?

"Well let me tell you something, brother!"

God, that would've been hilarious...

but sooooo not worth it. :(

I think a lot more people would have hated him, but he'd still keep the dignity of being a draw for the marks. Unless there wasn't a boom because everyone knew it was fake.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, would I be a Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake mark then?

Oh, come on. Everyone knew it was fake in the fifties. Destor said so.

They would have been the smark gods from 88-91.

They still are to me damn it! :y: