i was watching that night, and i agree ! vince needed to stop the show! it was crap! the fans were fooled into thinking he was ok! and it wasnt that bad! when in fact he had passed away! the fact that vince let it go on! is fucked! he only cared about the money! and owen payed the price! rip owen
@WrestlingRoundtable I just believe Owen's death & life was too important for you guys to use that tragedy as an excuse to brash a booking style you didn't like. That's all.
@WrestlingRoundtable I was put off by you guys seemingly spent more time attacking WWE, Vince, and the Attitude Era than you did about Owen.
I didn't have a problem with most of the Attitude Era, and truthfully, the 80's Hulkamania booking style you guys seemed to prefer was stale, and needed to be changed.
@AndrewGilkison First of all, we didn't say we preferred it as you admitted yourself(we did a more in-depth analysis of the Attitude Era last year). Obviously the WWF's outdated and behind-the-times methods needed changing, but that's another thing altogether. Secondly, what I was trying to get across was that Owen's death was symbolic of the mentality of the time and likely wouldn't have happened in another. I think it's indicative of the wrestling zeitgeist of the time.
@TheSteffen1223 Right. And I don't think dying in a hotel room hours before the show is the same thing as a stunt going wrong in front of an arena full of people and dying in the ring.
Hey, ive only recently discovered your show and im really enjoying it, great knowledge, brilliant topics, you bring back so many memories too. Keep up the great work :)
Just wanted to add a quick memory of owen hart, so many great matches and stories. but how about his commentary at king of the ring 96? He was hilarious! He made a great heel.
The Worst part about Owen's death is i see tons of videos and articles blaming Vince McMahon And Russo. It was an accident, Nothing more, and nothing less.
Where I worked there were only 4 employees, another guy and myself were in the warehouse doing deliveries and we were both huge fans. That Monday, I went to Walmart and got some pink and black ribbon material and made ribbons and wore them during deliveries, we took some extras with us and when the customers asked us what it was about and all but one of the 25 places we went took and wore one out of respect for Owen and also respect for our mourning. I'll never forget that.
i remember when i first heard about owen dying in the ring.. i was about 10 years old, a naive wrestling mark and I didn't know whether or not the whole thing was made up. that in itself should speak volumes about how bad the wrestling industry was getting around 99.
however, when the whole benoit thing happened i felt a whole different kind of sadness. i will never forget watching that tribute show the night before figuring out what really happened with him and his family. heartwrenching.
One thing i dont really understand is that, Owen tried to leave the WWF after Montreal but Vince wouldnt let him and he did the stunt because he was afried of getting fired as he had already turned down other story lines, but surely getting fired wouldnt have been bad for Owen as he would have walked into WCW with his connections there Bret etc. Does anyone know if Owen ever gave a reason for doing a stunt he was unhappy with. Comment please.
Was there 3 brother`s once? Owen Hart, Brett Hart & some guy called the British Bulldog who died or was crippled from wrestling. What a tragedy for the family. R.I.P.
@CaptainBones and you wouldnt be upset to watch a man plummet to his demise, and then have a bunch of his friends pushed out into the ring to perform for your amusement? even if people would be upset, that is a small sacrifice to make in this caase. the wrestling industry lost so much of my respect with how the owen hart tragedy was handled. what a farce.
To me personally, wrestling died the day Owen died in the ring. For a billion dollar company it never ceases to amaze me that they toke no precautions in that stunt which was stupid to begin with. Owen was such a good person and a genuine human being that he did not belong in that circus world of wrestling. The thing that also made this so horrible was the lack of class WWF showd and still show to this very day. Look at the whole Denver Raw issues from a year ago. Vince always has to win.
The only justifiable reason Vince would keep the show going is because of WCW. If you would shut down a show people at home might get pissed and go to the other show.
Yeh I went to school the next day too. And I remember asking somebody "Hey did you see the Owen Hart tribute show last night?" And she said "Yeah but it was boring. All they did was talk." And I was thinking "...........WELL YEAH IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO OWEN HART!" lol. But yeah I watched the PPV when he died and at first I thought JR was just doing an angle when he said Owen Hart fell. But I realized it was all real. And I was shocked to death when JR made the announcement that he died.
I never understood why the WWE never pushed Owen to be a major player in the world title circuit. I mean the guy was perfect in terms of skill, he was great with the mic and was over some many occassions that in 97 he had a feud with Austin for the intercontinental title, why not the world title in 98 or 99?
None of us are a Vince McMahon. There were so many intricacies that was going on when Owen's death happened. Any one us of can say "I have to do this, this, and this because this happened" but what we need to realize is only one man could make those decisions and that was Vince. In retrospect and even the day after we can say whatever but the fact is Vince had to make spot decisions right or wrong. I can't fathom what was going on in Vince's head and to be in shoes. He did the best he could.
I have to agree with Vince's decision to run the show. He didn't know Owen was dead. Owen wasn't confirmed dead on the scene when the EMT's checked up on him in the ring. He was later confirmed dead when he was at the hospital.
if u watched over the edge that year in 1999 u would know that Vince Mcmahon faked an injury to go to the hospital after owen hart was rushed to the hospital just to check on owen and thats when vince found out he died
People have died in football games including the NFL and the game continued, how is this so different? I would understand the decision to stop the show if it were made but I don't have a problem with them continuing.
@ocekit Actually it was completely optional. The Rock, Stone Cold, and others have said in their books it was up to each individual if they wanted to work, say something about Owen or whatever
the attitude era brought me back into wrestling, and from videos i watched when owen was told about the death of brian pillman hours before he was supposed to wrestle he went out there and wrestled. im sure he didn't want to but he did. im not saying that the show should have gone on but when the way you phrase it of course everyone is gonna say no.
i was 13 back in may 99. i live in england so the ppvs are always on between 1am - 4am in the morning. we would tape the ppv and then wake up extremely early to watch it. i found out on english morning tv that the accident happened. it sent adrennaline running through my body, i literally couldn't believe it. in an act of tribute i wrote on my hand "blue blazor", not sure why but that was my little 13 yr old trib to owen. a fucking unlucky thing to happen to one of the good guys in wrestling.
we should have taken a day off from school by golly! I remember one of my friends making fun of Mark Henry crying during the Hart tribute, saying that Henry looked like melting chocolate.....other than that, didn't hear much negative shit about Owen.
Guys I think your RoundTable panel is exceptunal. Being the same age I relate to lots of the things you talk about. This show in particular had me hooked a few minutes in, very insightful and cleverly argued. You guys have genuine credibility as critics of the game. Summer 97 with the Harts was indeed a golden era in WWE. Sad that now WWE has become so superficial, it lacks a spine and array of characters who can carry themselves in and out of the ring. The art of storytelling is lost.
i think austin toastin owen with the beer was great, because thats austin in "real-life" as well as his character. but billygunn doin the suckit thing was way uncalled for...
Hope Owen is hurting Vince making him piss bed. Owen was just about to move in hes new dream house what he and Martha were saving up for a long time. I don't blame Martha for hating Vince and i hate me .Then he maked Owen's sister's nick documents for him about the court case. RIP Owen
it is strange that Jeff Jarret was Owen's tag partner around that time and now Jarret is in charge of TNA and has a guy named Suicide all of things, come down on a zip line, sure its safer, but it would seem like the coming down from apove would have been black listed all together? (shrugs)
Thinking about Owen's death after this show, I was trying to put my finger on the reasons why it felt so much different than many of the other wrestling deaths. Does anybody feel the same and if so why? Is it more tragic then say Guerrero or Pillman?
yeah cuz he died in the ring during his entrance in front of 20 000 people the others died alone with nomore than about 2 people or 1 or even none but everyone actually saw owen die right before their eyes so it would be more devastating
It was because owen had no control over his death, and it was so shocking and live.
It was also because I think a lot of people felt Owen was being treated pretty badly by the WWF, the fact that he died doing the stupidest, lamest gimmick with one of the poorest story lines just upset a lot of people.
Eric, you guys are outstanding, everything you guys talk about ive been saying to myself for years now. In light of all that i can't see how vince looks at himself in the mirror every day. I know it's all a show but doesn't anyone else have an issue with the fact that vicki guerrero and edge sucked face for 6 months, (big show to lesser extent as well) and her husband-- who happened to work for the same promotion, and hell, worked with edge numerous times is dead??
i dont get the whole negative stigma with saying/ refering to chris benoit in the way its presented here. what he did was unforgivable but i will always remember benoit the wrestler not the fiend dont mark out/ puss out to wwe by having this ' we will scrub him from existence' mentality. kudos to roundtable i always thought the 'he who should not be named' was a nice dig at the way wwe have erased the Benoit history
It's a dig, sure, but I happen to agree with it. If I were WWE, it'd be doing the exact same thing to their catalog. The wrestler and the fiend are one in the same because the wrestler/performer chose the moves he did that caused his concussions, chose the drugs to take to cope with the pain so he could continue doing the same moves night after night instead of adapting his moveset, and the very fact we're mentioning him in some form would seem to be not 'pussing out' imo
i just hate that there is no 2004 winner of the royal rumble on their website. i agree that however many accomplishments he had earned up untill that point should be tarnished by his tarnished actions but then ppl replying to ur comments like 'oh cant believe you mentioned benoit like that dude' its just stale
Really? I've seen his name on their *official* title histories on their website, but his is the only name without a profile. That's fine having his name on a list, because that is history, but I can also understand omitting his matches on the replays of old Nitros or other shows that are played on 24/7 ; don't need to feature him again. People often think we're just 'afraid' to say his name or something rather than the joke it' supposed to be. Thanks for writing!
I treasure some of the Benoit matches I have on-tape.Regardless of what happened, he was a great wrestler and I don't think that what happened should make me look at his matches with a different eye.I still enjoy watching what I have, and can understand why omissions are made, but it is like ignoring the pink elephant and to me I know what is missing.He wasn't mentioned as a Horseman when Flair retired, and to me it was glaring.But to have him just deleted from most WWE stuff is still a shame.
I would like to say that most people who were there and had paid for it on PPV would have thought it was fake, most people are that stupid. What about all of the accidents that have very nearly killed people in the ring should thay have stopped everything then, I don't know the right answer. I know there is really only opinions the are not right but also not wrong. No one knows it all so no one can say what was the right thing to do. Thats my opinion
No one is saying you guys dont appreciate the lengthy history of the business. But realistically, in THIS clip, little was mentioned about the history business beyond 20-30 plus years ago. I mean the carnival\P.T. Barnum type days to the present and the notion that the show must go on. Please dont take a comment about one clip and assume it is an indictment of your entire production. You guys are smarter than that.
this is supposed to be a video about Owen, by mentioning Benoit,you just did what your accusing Vince of doing, and thats saying and doing anything for a story and a quick buck.Those other clowns refering to Owen as "that fuckin guy" who just died ...Its a wrestling business theres risk everytime you lace a pair of boots
What kind of shit is this? How is myself mentioning 'Benoit killing his family was terrible' the same thing as McMahon's scummy tactics? Oh, I see, we just said that to 'make a quick buck' or for a 'story?' Yup, you nailed it, that's exactly what we're all about. Speaking of clowns, you use the defeatist excuse "there's risk everytime you lace a paid of boots" when we're talking about something that had absolutely zero to do with moves or a match. And what about bare-foot Samoans? :P
well i agree with most of the stuff you guys are saying but at the end of the day regardless of Vinces decision Owen is still gone,morals and values wouldnt change the fact that we lost one of the greatest wrestlers of the 90s.Mentioning Chris Benoit was so uncalled for man seriously.
How is saying a famous wrestler killing his family and himself being 'the worst thing that happened in wrestling' uncalled for? SERIOUSLY. Oh, and 'morals and values' obviously don't change the fact Owen's dead, but the whole idea is 'morals and values' wouldn't have put him in a position for that to be happening in the first place and therefore he wouldn't be dead. But I guess if we go by you we just wasted 20 minutes talking about it anyway
I gotta agree with you on the asshat saying you stooped to Vinces level- your mention of Benoit was done as classy as you could do it I believe- as for calling the show off? Wow, I dont know- the show must go on... but then again to say Owen would want it that way??? Bullshit, Owen would have refused to wrestle. As for your assesment of Vince's reaction to the dumbass lady and her being in the spotlight- I gotta agree with Vince there- the bitch was trying to make a name for herself, period.
I seriously doubt she was. She was asking a legitimate question most normal people would be asking and got the typical defensive jerkoff McMahon response. I don't see how that's her trying to get the spotlight since she was just doing her job as a reporter, whoever she was. Even IF Owen wanted the show to go on, I know the first thing I would have thought to do was stop the show. Or at least that's the first thing that popped in my head when I found out IRL
@singlewing44 - Actually he would. Because jsut after Brian Pillman passed away. He asked if he was really gone and he was told yes. Even though he didn't want to wrestle he did anyway because he knew the show has to go on. I'm mixed on if the show should go on or not for that night. But I believe that Owen would of want the show to continue and not to disappoint the fans. That would of been his wishes.
None of these guys talk about the history of Wrestling. The business has ALWAYS believed in the notion of "The Show Must Go On". That is the tradition of wrestling from it's earliest days. Do not ignre this fact.
In any sport - when people are hurt, injured, paralized, etc - the game goes on.
In movie making, when a stuntman is injured or dies- The movie isn't canceled-The movie goes on.
Yes, we hate talking about history as our show has proven.
Whoa, what about recent history like, I don't know, a few weeks ago when *GASP* NOAH stopped the show when Misawa died!? Fuckin idiots, don't they know "the show" is more important than life itself?
Thanks for showing us how ignorant we've been and how we've got our priorities in the wrong place
I think Vince was more concerned about the PPV companies and all the people who ordered than the actual live crowd...the backlash from viewers and the cable/satellite providers would have been an even bigger nightmare than the actual tragedy caused.
I was a huge fan of the attitude era, but watching this, and the documentary, you guys kinda changed my view on it. Thank you for your intelligent point of views.
Owen was such an amazing person, I wish he was still among us.
But its Really Easy To criticize McMahon for his decision, but U have never had to make that decision, It was probably one of the hardest ones he ever had to make
No I can't, heh. YouTube is apparently having issues with accounts in their partner program trying to upload any videos - every time we try we get "internal server error" messages. Part 2 should have been up a long time ago but I'm waiting for them to sort out the problems first because I've tried SO many times & nothing's worked. I'm sorry for the wait & hopefully they'll fix this soon
Awesome. It's funny to me, I started watching this series just on downtime at work because well i was bored, the more and more I watch the more I agree. When you guys were talking about The Smuttitude era(as I call it), and how you didnt like a lot of the things going on and etc, I was the same way, hell most of whatyou guys said I had the same thoughts. word for word. I hated most of the Smuttitude era. point: I agree with about 98% of what you guys say. and this video just proved it. good job
Like the new ropes guys, I see it's not a 6 sided ring...
I always thought it weird that the WWF didn't even show Owens entrance on TV - they couldn't have thought much of it in the first place so why bother making him do it? It's nothing but a godsend that they didn't make a huge spectacle of it on TV, but again, why make him do it if they weren't even showing it?
This is a very sad story that could have been avoided. Owen is missed even to this day. In his book Chris Jericho said he still misses Owen, he dreamed they would be Tag Team Champions one day.
i dont htink it was as bad as yall r making it out to be they could have stopped the show but i dont think that many people said fuck wrestling after that they still did high numbers after this
Um, firstly, someone died unnecessarily, so yeah, it's as bad as we're making it out to be. I can't imagine what his wife, children & family had to go through, and have to live without their father/husband/brother/son for the rest of their lives because of a stupid accident that shouldn't have happened. Anyway, of course people didn't go, "fuck wrestling" - they went on to have their most profitable year the next year. That doesn't excuse anything, to me
i meant the wrestling buisness didnt suffer as bad as u guys made it seem like i mean he died it is a big deal yall were making it seemed like it was a big backlash for them not stopping the show but i as 9 at the time so i may have missed it
Oh no, wrestling rarely suffers from death, heh. We never said it had any affect on their income and wrestling fans - in large part - never care enough to backlash against WWE or any company exploiting or causing someone's death, as the past has indicated.
im really glad that owen is going into the hall of fame. but ive got a bad feeling that some idiot is going to use this to non-wrestling fans as an example that wrestling is real sport and should be resected, because this accident is nothing to do with the wrestling and the wwf/e shouldn't be respected because of it
Another good vid guys. I had a Q maybe some1 can answer. In Starrcade against Goldbers, Bret got the title handed to him by Piper. Was the reasoning that since they were both babyfaces and Bill was so over, that the only way to get Bret the belt was to do it that way? I mean, was there an angle behind Piper doing it that got lost somewhere?
Thank you. Obviously that went nowhere quick, and I've never read what the original idea was, but just from what unfolded on TV it looked as it Piper was reluctantly "forced" by the Powers That Be to screw Goldberg so that Bret could remain champion since the next night on Nitro the nWo 2000 formed with Bret at the champion and it was implied that the PTB was facilitating the faction. Of course by the next week that was forgotten(typical Russo) but that's what I thought it was supposed to be
Come on. The only reason he was given that gimmick is because other than wrestling the only thing that Owen was talented in character wise was being funny in his character. He didn't want to play the angle that was set up for him originally with Debra and Jarret, so they put the Blue Blazer gimmick on him. It wasn't about punishing him with this gimmick. Do you think the same thing with someone like Goldust or The Hurricane?
First of all, that's your opinion on Owen, and not mine or lots of others who were fans of his. Secondly, the word "punished" is one those close to him have repeatedly use to describe his feelings about the gimmick. Comparing the Blue Blazer to Goldust or Hurricane is apples & oranges as they were totally different and served different purposes. Those were meant to get them over or give them character. Those things happening to the Blue Blazer were secondary to the spoof it was meant to be
In Vinces defense however, and I am not justifying his actions, I am just looking at it from his point of view. This event was unprecedented, there is no guidlines to follow in a situation like that. you can imagine that everyone backstage was just in a total state of shock.
Vince was in the hottest seat he probably has ever been in at that moment. One of his wrestlers just died, and while that is in the forefront of his mind he has to deal with the fact that thousands of fans were in attendance, millions are watching on ppv (which I am sure he had a contract and a obligation to fill the time spot), he has deals with advertisements and countless other factors...now you try to make a decision like that with everything factored in.
Danielson may not be the best Technical wrestler, but he is up there. Definitley one of, if not, the best today. If I had to pick anybody of all time, have to be Bret Hart.
If you see the 'main event' of Over The Edge 99, which was to be(and it went down as planned of course, because the show went on) The Undertaker Vs. champion Stone Cold Steve Austin for the title with the McMahons involved as special ref.s or something like that(Shane & UT screwed Austin out of the title as it was before Vince was revealed as the Higher Power and was therefore with the babyface Austin). Anyway, you can see Undertaker is visibly upset & on the verge of tears before the match
That shouldn't have entered his mind over the significance of someone's death. As I said in the video, they do countless shows a year - it'd be easy to reschedule.
Seriously. I don't even think that sentence makes sense. You are either a technical wrestler or not. Is a bad technical wrestler someone who is not technical in the ring? I don't get it.
I was a sophmore in high school at the time and when I heard that Owen died in ring I thought it was a storyline. Until they had it all on the news that night. I was shocked when it happened. Vince should of stop the show even though he thought if he did a riot would broke out. (Sex, Lies and Headlocks ...great book) If I was in Vince shoes, i'll stop the show without hesitation.
Still, I would think the normal person's initial reaction would probably be the right one(stop the show, don't do a live show the next day instead of showing his best matches). They obviously did those things in the Benoit case, despite knowing or at least having a good idea he killed his family & himself, so at least they did the right thing one time, years too late.
As a pure and true fan of the Hart family since the mid 80s,thank you for this tribute. Meeting Stu and Bruce so many years ago is one of the epic times of my life. Not only did I meet them, on our way to leave the restaurant I looked up and there was a Blonde guy I recognized as being koko b ware's tag team partner in high energy. It wasn't until a few years later, while going through photos, i realized he was Owen. Him winning KOTR a year after Bret is my favorite moment of his. RIP my friend
great show guys.....as a 25+ year fan, I wasn't a big fan of the Atittude Era either, and I'm glad Owen refused some of the angles Vince wanted him to do
and the whole Bret/Owen feud of '94 was one of the best i've ever seen, especially in terms of quality of matches...the title match at SS 94 completely stole the show from the Undertaker vs Undertaker main event
Concerning when Owen gave approval of continuing a show if he died...I did some research (Wikipedia, but with some quoted sources), and in Russo's book he said that Owen was given a choice to wrestle his match at Badd Blood 97 because he was pals with Brian Pillman who was found dead that day. Owen went ahead anyway and Russo looking back on that assumed Owen would have wanted the same.
That's Russo talking, not me. I still think the show should have stopped without question.
Yeah, but the problem with the idea of "Well Owen worked after Pillman died" theory is that PILLMAN DIDN'T DIE IN THE RING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW. Totally different scenario.
Another good show guys, thanks...it was a good tribute. I was only 13 when it happened, but I remember wearing the "OH" homemade armband Tuesday after the stars wore it Monday night. Brings back good and bad memories. Thanks again, and I'll keep clicking those ads for a minute or two, haha.
Your right, but it was 10 years ago. No one in wwe had ever faced that situation before. I think WWE has learned since then, they handled the Benoit & Gurrero deaths alot better.
Vince once said "it's all about the money". Corporations don't care about you, me or Owen. All the care about is the bottom line. Even Stu Hart himself said its was right for the show to go on. I'm not saying it;s right, I'm saying it's a fact.
they didn't know owen was dead until he got to the hospital. If they knew he was dead right there in the ring, they would have stopped the show. Better to get the night over with, I doubt the cable companies would have wanted the show stopped.
Dude, Ironic that you said something during the interview about the Denver Nuggets being un-sportsman like, the WWE is now doing a storyline with the Denver Nuggets (actually, there was actually a real mixup with who was actually in the arena - WWE or Denver Nuggets in a match of sometype)
I swear...why can't the WWE just stick to wrestling instead of getting into ridiculous and sorry ass storylines with people not at all involved in pro-wrestling?
owens death was horrible and 24hrs later his wife goes on tv and says she has a lawsuit on the wwf??ummm no tears no nothing? whats wrong with that picture?
Great show Eric & Co. I miss Owen and the Hart Foundation to this day; they're what I grew up with. I do hope not only Owen but all the Hart Foundation go in the Hall of Fame some day; Bret & The Anvil should go in as a tag team alone.
And at 10:02 did Eric say "We didn't wanna bring that back up because we killed him" ? That's kinda uncalled for. No one in WWF "killed him". It was a tragic accident....regardless of the circumstances (of which I'm very green), a very tragic accident.
Looking back at it now i'm little older they should have stopped the show. They didn't even tell people in the crowd what exactly just happened they just went on with the show.
Fair enough, but heck a mention for a guy they basically killed. This guy was one of the best ever, certainly the best wrestler never to win a world's title.
I was a kid back then .. and Owen was like my HERO . I mean I loved the guy . I was crying like I lost a member of the family. After that I just watched WCW until they where sold .
It's ice cold to have kept the show going and it says A LOT about Vince to have done that, having a "the show must go on!" grandeur attitude about it. I remember hearing about it that night and just assuming the show ended, then hearing later about there being a new WWF/E champ. I couldn't believe they let the show go on like that! Not to mention, how could the fans there shake what they just witnessed?! ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY NOTHING they could have done would make the crowd forget seeing that!
the thing that gets me to this day is somebody told me vince or owen tired it three times beforehand, and nothing happened,and when the time comes for his last test run down the rafters is when the accident happens..i always felt he was set up. wrestling has become a shady and dark practice almost, as we'll never know excatlly what life is like in the WWE
regardless, i was really young when this happened, so i don't have a lot of memory about it other then my older brother telling me he died
As far as WWE goes,its completely evident that they only care about business.Not wrestlers or the mental state of others,but the money.Look at the rigorious schedule.Anyone who thinks they are the best in the world is really rather sick
It's not exactly the same stunt. Michaels ziplined in horizontally then was lowered vertically down once he reached the midpoint or so. Sting's stunt is a straight-down zipline, and wasn't - from what I remember - ever from nearly as high as Michaels' was. Michaels also had a complicated harness to ensure his safety, not a sail boat clip like Owen
Holy fuck, I just noticed something. If you didn't know who Lawrence Haber and Alex Payne were and they stood next to each other, you would swear they were brothers. The resemblance is uncanny.
"I don't like your tone..."
Well, Vince, God don't like you.
PeoplesWar 1 month ago
i was watching that night, and i agree ! vince needed to stop the show! it was crap! the fans were fooled into thinking he was ok! and it wasnt that bad! when in fact he had passed away! the fact that vince let it go on! is fucked! he only cared about the money! and owen payed the price! rip owen
mary312008 5 months ago
@WrestlingRoundtable I just believe Owen's death & life was too important for you guys to use that tragedy as an excuse to brash a booking style you didn't like. That's all.
AndrewGilkison 9 months ago
@WrestlingRoundtable I was put off by you guys seemingly spent more time attacking WWE, Vince, and the Attitude Era than you did about Owen.
I didn't have a problem with most of the Attitude Era, and truthfully, the 80's Hulkamania booking style you guys seemed to prefer was stale, and needed to be changed.
AndrewGilkison 9 months ago
@AndrewGilkison First of all, we didn't say we preferred it as you admitted yourself(we did a more in-depth analysis of the Attitude Era last year). Obviously the WWF's outdated and behind-the-times methods needed changing, but that's another thing altogether. Secondly, what I was trying to get across was that Owen's death was symbolic of the mentality of the time and likely wouldn't have happened in another. I think it's indicative of the wrestling zeitgeist of the time.
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 9 months ago
Owen hart performed at an event without protest after brian pilman died before the show.
TheSteffen1223 9 months ago
@TheSteffen1223 Right. And I don't think dying in a hotel room hours before the show is the same thing as a stunt going wrong in front of an arena full of people and dying in the ring.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 9 months ago
@WrestlingRoundtable true but it was the same question of should the show go on?
1223steffen 5 months ago
Great show. Haven't watched WWE since that incident. Lost all respect for that sport
djaycjay79 11 months ago 2
@djaycjay79 Thanks, and thanks for giving us a shot!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 9 months ago
Hey, ive only recently discovered your show and im really enjoying it, great knowledge, brilliant topics, you bring back so many memories too. Keep up the great work :)
Just wanted to add a quick memory of owen hart, so many great matches and stories. but how about his commentary at king of the ring 96? He was hilarious! He made a great heel.
PeteMcD923 11 months ago
The Worst part about Owen's death is i see tons of videos and articles blaming Vince McMahon And Russo. It was an accident, Nothing more, and nothing less.
RIP Owen
mikevayne1 11 months ago
@mikevayne1 You're right; that's much worse than the guy dying and his young children losing their father.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 11 months ago
Where I worked there were only 4 employees, another guy and myself were in the warehouse doing deliveries and we were both huge fans. That Monday, I went to Walmart and got some pink and black ribbon material and made ribbons and wore them during deliveries, we took some extras with us and when the customers asked us what it was about and all but one of the 25 places we went took and wore one out of respect for Owen and also respect for our mourning. I'll never forget that.
RowdyRodimus 1 year ago
Owen v Bret might be my favorite match ever, the only match that comes close to it is Bret v British Bulldog in SummerSlam 92 in Wembley Stadium.
Emit79 1 year ago
Vince Russo killed Owen Hart......
Un1c0RnArmy 1 year ago
i remember when i first heard about owen dying in the ring.. i was about 10 years old, a naive wrestling mark and I didn't know whether or not the whole thing was made up. that in itself should speak volumes about how bad the wrestling industry was getting around 99.
however, when the whole benoit thing happened i felt a whole different kind of sadness. i will never forget watching that tribute show the night before figuring out what really happened with him and his family. heartwrenching.
SVTristan 1 year ago
RIP Owen Hart
DXRULES112 1 year ago
One thing i dont really understand is that, Owen tried to leave the WWF after Montreal but Vince wouldnt let him and he did the stunt because he was afried of getting fired as he had already turned down other story lines, but surely getting fired wouldnt have been bad for Owen as he would have walked into WCW with his connections there Bret etc. Does anyone know if Owen ever gave a reason for doing a stunt he was unhappy with. Comment please.
lurkiobluenose 1 year ago
Was there 3 brother`s once? Owen Hart, Brett Hart & some guy called the British Bulldog who died or was crippled from wrestling. What a tragedy for the family. R.I.P.
Jammyfish 1 year ago
I wouldn't stop the show, because someone died. If that happens the fans would be really upset.
CaptainBones 1 year ago
@CaptainBones and you wouldnt be upset to watch a man plummet to his demise, and then have a bunch of his friends pushed out into the ring to perform for your amusement? even if people would be upset, that is a small sacrifice to make in this caase. the wrestling industry lost so much of my respect with how the owen hart tragedy was handled. what a farce.
SVTristan 1 year ago
@CaptainBones
You'd think that the fans would be more upset that one of their idols have just died than the show ending, c'mon man
SolidMike84 1 year ago
To me personally, wrestling died the day Owen died in the ring. For a billion dollar company it never ceases to amaze me that they toke no precautions in that stunt which was stupid to begin with. Owen was such a good person and a genuine human being that he did not belong in that circus world of wrestling. The thing that also made this so horrible was the lack of class WWF showd and still show to this very day. Look at the whole Denver Raw issues from a year ago. Vince always has to win.
AAORD1 1 year ago
owen wanted to leave wwf but vince wouldnt let him russo came up with owens gimmick to fly him into the ring
jobber25v 1 year ago
The only justifiable reason Vince would keep the show going is because of WCW. If you would shut down a show people at home might get pissed and go to the other show.
Psycho5275 1 year ago
(continued) I was so sad that night and the next day. R.I.P. Owen Hart.
ronmower 1 year ago
Yeh I went to school the next day too. And I remember asking somebody "Hey did you see the Owen Hart tribute show last night?" And she said "Yeah but it was boring. All they did was talk." And I was thinking "...........WELL YEAH IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO OWEN HART!" lol. But yeah I watched the PPV when he died and at first I thought JR was just doing an angle when he said Owen Hart fell. But I realized it was all real. And I was shocked to death when JR made the announcement that he died.
ronmower 1 year ago
vince is the biggest twat, i mean ever!!!, self centered SOn OF A Bitch!!!, FUCK Prick!!!
raider8sox 1 year ago
Agreed
theRavenTNA1 2 years ago
I never understood why the WWE never pushed Owen to be a major player in the world title circuit. I mean the guy was perfect in terms of skill, he was great with the mic and was over some many occassions that in 97 he had a feud with Austin for the intercontinental title, why not the world title in 98 or 99?
jesus316 2 years ago
Because HBK and HHH wouldn't allow it, seriously.
Gambit455 1 year ago
I heard that he didnt care about getting anywhere in the business. He just loved performing and paying for his family
dxtmnt 1 year ago
7:40
Its amazing that Vince tried to avoid answering a direct question about taking safety measures
MrPerfect2000Z 2 years ago 3
Can you even get Over the edge 99? I thought it was never released due to own's death
Leaffaninalberta 2 years ago
They never realised it on Video or DVD
It is on youtube from a person who recorded it when it was on PPV
MrPerfect2000Z 2 years ago
None of us are a Vince McMahon. There were so many intricacies that was going on when Owen's death happened. Any one us of can say "I have to do this, this, and this because this happened" but what we need to realize is only one man could make those decisions and that was Vince. In retrospect and even the day after we can say whatever but the fact is Vince had to make spot decisions right or wrong. I can't fathom what was going on in Vince's head and to be in shoes. He did the best he could.
brentfan1 2 years ago
I have to agree with Vince's decision to run the show. He didn't know Owen was dead. Owen wasn't confirmed dead on the scene when the EMT's checked up on him in the ring. He was later confirmed dead when he was at the hospital.
neely47 2 years ago
Vince knew without question
BaronTurco 2 years ago
if u watched over the edge that year in 1999 u would know that Vince Mcmahon faked an injury to go to the hospital after owen hart was rushed to the hospital just to check on owen and thats when vince found out he died
hatahproof06 2 years ago
yeah, i saw that, vince mcmahon is an asshole!!!
raider8sox 1 year ago
People have died in football games including the NFL and the game continued, how is this so different? I would understand the decision to stop the show if it were made but I don't have a problem with them continuing.
gramamge33 2 years ago
He died in the ring in the middle of the show. The show should've been stopped. The fans would've understood.
The wrestlers should've had some time off to mourn.
If anyone wanted to say something on TV on RAW, then that's fine, but it should've been completely optional. It shouldn't have been forced.
ocekit 2 years ago 8
@ocekit Actually it was completely optional. The Rock, Stone Cold, and others have said in their books it was up to each individual if they wanted to work, say something about Owen or whatever
fundyspokerblog 1 year ago
the attitude era brought me back into wrestling, and from videos i watched when owen was told about the death of brian pillman hours before he was supposed to wrestle he went out there and wrestled. im sure he didn't want to but he did. im not saying that the show should have gone on but when the way you phrase it of course everyone is gonna say no.
dabrick0000 2 years ago
I completely agree with stopping the show
Because if a death can't stop the show then what can?
MrPerfect2000Z 2 years ago 2
Was Sting even involved in the aftermath of the tragedy
People have never questioned Sting for him being the inspiration of the stunt
It isn't Stings fault of course the only relation he had to Owen was friend of Bret's and he wasn't the one who came up with the crow character
MrPerfect2000Z 2 years ago
i was 13 back in may 99. i live in england so the ppvs are always on between 1am - 4am in the morning. we would tape the ppv and then wake up extremely early to watch it. i found out on english morning tv that the accident happened. it sent adrennaline running through my body, i literally couldn't believe it. in an act of tribute i wrote on my hand "blue blazor", not sure why but that was my little 13 yr old trib to owen. a fucking unlucky thing to happen to one of the good guys in wrestling.
beatlegreg07 2 years ago
we should have taken a day off from school by golly! I remember one of my friends making fun of Mark Henry crying during the Hart tribute, saying that Henry looked like melting chocolate.....other than that, didn't hear much negative shit about Owen.
DeathAdder83 2 years ago
Guys I think your RoundTable panel is exceptunal. Being the same age I relate to lots of the things you talk about. This show in particular had me hooked a few minutes in, very insightful and cleverly argued. You guys have genuine credibility as critics of the game. Summer 97 with the Harts was indeed a golden era in WWE. Sad that now WWE has become so superficial, it lacks a spine and array of characters who can carry themselves in and out of the ring. The art of storytelling is lost.
arc20051 2 years ago 8
Im only 17 and i've been watching wrestling for only 4 years
And this show is excellent
MrPerfect2000Z 2 years ago
i think austin toastin owen with the beer was great, because thats austin in "real-life" as well as his character. but billygunn doin the suckit thing was way uncalled for...
deronmillercky2 2 years ago 3
i think the show should of been stop but i don't think unless you run a multi billon dollar company
magpie2541 2 years ago
Hope Owen is hurting Vince making him piss bed. Owen was just about to move in hes new dream house what he and Martha were saving up for a long time. I don't blame Martha for hating Vince and i hate me .Then he maked Owen's sister's nick documents for him about the court case. RIP Owen
deanleerip 2 years ago
Bein a 1st time watcher, I really enjoyed thiz segment. Every1 made good pointz, I wish Owen'z wife had sued tha WWE in2 bankruptcy
wish800 2 years ago 5
ya that wuda saved us from the shit that ww(E) has created these days
deronmillercky2 2 years ago
it is strange that Jeff Jarret was Owen's tag partner around that time and now Jarret is in charge of TNA and has a guy named Suicide all of things, come down on a zip line, sure its safer, but it would seem like the coming down from apove would have been black listed all together? (shrugs)
DeathAdder83 2 years ago
Thinking about Owen's death after this show, I was trying to put my finger on the reasons why it felt so much different than many of the other wrestling deaths. Does anybody feel the same and if so why? Is it more tragic then say Guerrero or Pillman?
LawrenceRoundTable 2 years ago
yeah cuz he died in the ring during his entrance in front of 20 000 people the others died alone with nomore than about 2 people or 1 or even none but everyone actually saw owen die right before their eyes so it would be more devastating
ashrole 2 years ago
It was because owen had no control over his death, and it was so shocking and live.
It was also because I think a lot of people felt Owen was being treated pretty badly by the WWF, the fact that he died doing the stupidest, lamest gimmick with one of the poorest story lines just upset a lot of people.
RIP Owen.
Lewis1711 2 years ago
Eric, you guys are outstanding, everything you guys talk about ive been saying to myself for years now. In light of all that i can't see how vince looks at himself in the mirror every day. I know it's all a show but doesn't anyone else have an issue with the fact that vicki guerrero and edge sucked face for 6 months, (big show to lesser extent as well) and her husband-- who happened to work for the same promotion, and hell, worked with edge numerous times is dead??
jaecourt 2 years ago
i know what you mean i was telling my friend the same thing
ashrole 2 years ago
i dont get the whole negative stigma with saying/ refering to chris benoit in the way its presented here. what he did was unforgivable but i will always remember benoit the wrestler not the fiend dont mark out/ puss out to wwe by having this ' we will scrub him from existence' mentality. kudos to roundtable i always thought the 'he who should not be named' was a nice dig at the way wwe have erased the Benoit history
johntrew 2 years ago
It's a dig, sure, but I happen to agree with it. If I were WWE, it'd be doing the exact same thing to their catalog. The wrestler and the fiend are one in the same because the wrestler/performer chose the moves he did that caused his concussions, chose the drugs to take to cope with the pain so he could continue doing the same moves night after night instead of adapting his moveset, and the very fact we're mentioning him in some form would seem to be not 'pussing out' imo
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
i just hate that there is no 2004 winner of the royal rumble on their website. i agree that however many accomplishments he had earned up untill that point should be tarnished by his tarnished actions but then ppl replying to ur comments like 'oh cant believe you mentioned benoit like that dude' its just stale
johntrew 2 years ago
Really? I've seen his name on their *official* title histories on their website, but his is the only name without a profile. That's fine having his name on a list, because that is history, but I can also understand omitting his matches on the replays of old Nitros or other shows that are played on 24/7 ; don't need to feature him again. People often think we're just 'afraid' to say his name or something rather than the joke it' supposed to be. Thanks for writing!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
I treasure some of the Benoit matches I have on-tape.Regardless of what happened, he was a great wrestler and I don't think that what happened should make me look at his matches with a different eye.I still enjoy watching what I have, and can understand why omissions are made, but it is like ignoring the pink elephant and to me I know what is missing.He wasn't mentioned as a Horseman when Flair retired, and to me it was glaring.But to have him just deleted from most WWE stuff is still a shame.
Xero328 2 years ago
I would like to say that most people who were there and had paid for it on PPV would have thought it was fake, most people are that stupid. What about all of the accidents that have very nearly killed people in the ring should thay have stopped everything then, I don't know the right answer. I know there is really only opinions the are not right but also not wrong. No one knows it all so no one can say what was the right thing to do. Thats my opinion
RavenDarkShade 2 years ago
No one is saying you guys dont appreciate the lengthy history of the business. But realistically, in THIS clip, little was mentioned about the history business beyond 20-30 plus years ago. I mean the carnival\P.T. Barnum type days to the present and the notion that the show must go on. Please dont take a comment about one clip and assume it is an indictment of your entire production. You guys are smarter than that.
tsoe2001 2 years ago
this is supposed to be a video about Owen, by mentioning Benoit,you just did what your accusing Vince of doing, and thats saying and doing anything for a story and a quick buck.Those other clowns refering to Owen as "that fuckin guy" who just died ...Its a wrestling business theres risk everytime you lace a pair of boots
Frieza1999 2 years ago
What kind of shit is this? How is myself mentioning 'Benoit killing his family was terrible' the same thing as McMahon's scummy tactics? Oh, I see, we just said that to 'make a quick buck' or for a 'story?' Yup, you nailed it, that's exactly what we're all about. Speaking of clowns, you use the defeatist excuse "there's risk everytime you lace a paid of boots" when we're talking about something that had absolutely zero to do with moves or a match. And what about bare-foot Samoans? :P
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
well i agree with most of the stuff you guys are saying but at the end of the day regardless of Vinces decision Owen is still gone,morals and values wouldnt change the fact that we lost one of the greatest wrestlers of the 90s.Mentioning Chris Benoit was so uncalled for man seriously.
Frieza1999 2 years ago
How is saying a famous wrestler killing his family and himself being 'the worst thing that happened in wrestling' uncalled for? SERIOUSLY. Oh, and 'morals and values' obviously don't change the fact Owen's dead, but the whole idea is 'morals and values' wouldn't have put him in a position for that to be happening in the first place and therefore he wouldn't be dead. But I guess if we go by you we just wasted 20 minutes talking about it anyway
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
I gotta agree with you on the asshat saying you stooped to Vinces level- your mention of Benoit was done as classy as you could do it I believe- as for calling the show off? Wow, I dont know- the show must go on... but then again to say Owen would want it that way??? Bullshit, Owen would have refused to wrestle. As for your assesment of Vince's reaction to the dumbass lady and her being in the spotlight- I gotta agree with Vince there- the bitch was trying to make a name for herself, period.
singlewing44 2 years ago
I seriously doubt she was. She was asking a legitimate question most normal people would be asking and got the typical defensive jerkoff McMahon response. I don't see how that's her trying to get the spotlight since she was just doing her job as a reporter, whoever she was. Even IF Owen wanted the show to go on, I know the first thing I would have thought to do was stop the show. Or at least that's the first thing that popped in my head when I found out IRL
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago 5
@singlewing44 - Actually he would. Because jsut after Brian Pillman passed away. He asked if he was really gone and he was told yes. Even though he didn't want to wrestle he did anyway because he knew the show has to go on. I'm mixed on if the show should go on or not for that night. But I believe that Owen would of want the show to continue and not to disappoint the fans. That would of been his wishes.
RGBcrazy 1 year ago
None of these guys talk about the history of Wrestling. The business has ALWAYS believed in the notion of "The Show Must Go On". That is the tradition of wrestling from it's earliest days. Do not ignre this fact.
In any sport - when people are hurt, injured, paralized, etc - the game goes on.
In movie making, when a stuntman is injured or dies- The movie isn't canceled-The movie goes on.
That is the business!
tsoe2001 2 years ago
Yes, we hate talking about history as our show has proven.
Whoa, what about recent history like, I don't know, a few weeks ago when *GASP* NOAH stopped the show when Misawa died!? Fuckin idiots, don't they know "the show" is more important than life itself?
Thanks for showing us how ignorant we've been and how we've got our priorities in the wrong place
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
I think Vince was more concerned about the PPV companies and all the people who ordered than the actual live crowd...the backlash from viewers and the cable/satellite providers would have been an even bigger nightmare than the actual tragedy caused.
rawisramsey 2 years ago
I agree, it was sadder because it was an accident, and that's what's worse.
Jimi Hendrix, sad but drug related. Layne Staley, sad but drug related. Owen Hart died by accident, it's a shame.
PaidYouOff 2 years ago
I was a huge fan of the attitude era, but watching this, and the documentary, you guys kinda changed my view on it. Thank you for your intelligent point of views.
Owen was such an amazing person, I wish he was still among us.
PCloud76 2 years ago
Do you think that if the fall was seen live on TV (not over a promo) that they would have stopped the show?
theorangepylons 2 years ago
Guess what? I just mentioned Chris Benoit!
batistabomber94 2 years ago
What a rebel
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
The "Attitude Era" was when I stopped really watching WWE.
neter77 2 years ago
what was it about the atittude era that made you stop?
Y2JFanRJ 2 years ago
Great Work as always
But its Really Easy To criticize McMahon for his decision, but U have never had to make that decision, It was probably one of the hardest ones he ever had to make
hound89 2 years ago
u could stop the show ppl would have understoodthey all loved owen
jblive1985 2 years ago
And the fact that he chose to go the way he did is precisely why it was the wrong decision for the wrong reasons.
PaidYouOff 2 years ago
You stop the fucking show and the the big boss man thing was fucked up
ArmondoeCruze 2 years ago
Beautiful tribute.
whotles 2 years ago
Thank you very much
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
alex payne FTW
fuckinee666 2 years ago
can u post part 2?
makeitumm 2 years ago
No I can't, heh. YouTube is apparently having issues with accounts in their partner program trying to upload any videos - every time we try we get "internal server error" messages. Part 2 should have been up a long time ago but I'm waiting for them to sort out the problems first because I've tried SO many times & nothing's worked. I'm sorry for the wait & hopefully they'll fix this soon
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
Awesome. It's funny to me, I started watching this series just on downtime at work because well i was bored, the more and more I watch the more I agree. When you guys were talking about The Smuttitude era(as I call it), and how you didnt like a lot of the things going on and etc, I was the same way, hell most of whatyou guys said I had the same thoughts. word for word. I hated most of the Smuttitude era. point: I agree with about 98% of what you guys say. and this video just proved it. good job
MBK2K 2 years ago
After the mention of Owen vs Bret wrestlemania match I decided to check it out and man,it was really a great match,no flaws!
katamari84 2 years ago
How many shirts have you guys sold?
1Natecore 2 years ago
Like the new ropes guys, I see it's not a 6 sided ring...
I always thought it weird that the WWF didn't even show Owens entrance on TV - they couldn't have thought much of it in the first place so why bother making him do it? It's nothing but a godsend that they didn't make a huge spectacle of it on TV, but again, why make him do it if they weren't even showing it?
.
lostmyshoes80 2 years ago
This is a very sad story that could have been avoided. Owen is missed even to this day. In his book Chris Jericho said he still misses Owen, he dreamed they would be Tag Team Champions one day.
UniversalMonsterFan 2 years ago
i dont htink it was as bad as yall r making it out to be they could have stopped the show but i dont think that many people said fuck wrestling after that they still did high numbers after this
kilocopter 2 years ago
Um, firstly, someone died unnecessarily, so yeah, it's as bad as we're making it out to be. I can't imagine what his wife, children & family had to go through, and have to live without their father/husband/brother/son for the rest of their lives because of a stupid accident that shouldn't have happened. Anyway, of course people didn't go, "fuck wrestling" - they went on to have their most profitable year the next year. That doesn't excuse anything, to me
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
i meant the wrestling buisness didnt suffer as bad as u guys made it seem like i mean he died it is a big deal yall were making it seemed like it was a big backlash for them not stopping the show but i as 9 at the time so i may have missed it
kilocopter 2 years ago
Oh no, wrestling rarely suffers from death, heh. We never said it had any affect on their income and wrestling fans - in large part - never care enough to backlash against WWE or any company exploiting or causing someone's death, as the past has indicated.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
ok i get wat u r saying when is part 2 coming
kilocopter 2 years ago
angle is the geratest technical wrestler ever imo,he makes a match fun to watch at the same time be fundementally sound in the ring.
awo55 2 years ago
im really glad that owen is going into the hall of fame. but ive got a bad feeling that some idiot is going to use this to non-wrestling fans as an example that wrestling is real sport and should be resected, because this accident is nothing to do with the wrestling and the wwf/e shouldn't be respected because of it
silkeneo 2 years ago
Right. There's plenty more to not respect WWE about too in addition ;) ha
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
Another good vid guys. I had a Q maybe some1 can answer. In Starrcade against Goldbers, Bret got the title handed to him by Piper. Was the reasoning that since they were both babyfaces and Bill was so over, that the only way to get Bret the belt was to do it that way? I mean, was there an angle behind Piper doing it that got lost somewhere?
Xero328 2 years ago
Thank you. Obviously that went nowhere quick, and I've never read what the original idea was, but just from what unfolded on TV it looked as it Piper was reluctantly "forced" by the Powers That Be to screw Goldberg so that Bret could remain champion since the next night on Nitro the nWo 2000 formed with Bret at the champion and it was implied that the PTB was facilitating the faction. Of course by the next week that was forgotten(typical Russo) but that's what I thought it was supposed to be
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
i for one stopped watching over the edge that night,cos my brother was too visibly upset,cos owen was his fav.
awo55 2 years ago
Glad to see people with class watch our show :)
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
Owen Hart punished with that gimmick?
Come on. The only reason he was given that gimmick is because other than wrestling the only thing that Owen was talented in character wise was being funny in his character. He didn't want to play the angle that was set up for him originally with Debra and Jarret, so they put the Blue Blazer gimmick on him. It wasn't about punishing him with this gimmick. Do you think the same thing with someone like Goldust or The Hurricane?
TeamPoser101 2 years ago
First of all, that's your opinion on Owen, and not mine or lots of others who were fans of his. Secondly, the word "punished" is one those close to him have repeatedly use to describe his feelings about the gimmick. Comparing the Blue Blazer to Goldust or Hurricane is apples & oranges as they were totally different and served different purposes. Those were meant to get them over or give them character. Those things happening to the Blue Blazer were secondary to the spoof it was meant to be
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
( had to post 3 seperate posts to fit it..fucking restrictions)
As written in Bret Harts autobioghraphy.. "I told Vince that I didn't appreciate that they went on with the show after Owen died."
That's all I need to know to believe that the show should of been stopped.
bknets32 2 years ago 2
In Vinces defense however, and I am not justifying his actions, I am just looking at it from his point of view. This event was unprecedented, there is no guidlines to follow in a situation like that. you can imagine that everyone backstage was just in a total state of shock.
bknets32 2 years ago
All Vince hears is "ching-ching-ching".
geofree1984 2 years ago
Vince was in the hottest seat he probably has ever been in at that moment. One of his wrestlers just died, and while that is in the forefront of his mind he has to deal with the fact that thousands of fans were in attendance, millions are watching on ppv (which I am sure he had a contract and a obligation to fill the time spot), he has deals with advertisements and countless other factors...now you try to make a decision like that with everything factored in.
bknets32 2 years ago
good points, but i still think he should have stopped the show
YRMVol01 2 years ago
Danielson may not be the best Technical wrestler, but he is up there. Definitley one of, if not, the best today. If I had to pick anybody of all time, have to be Bret Hart.
Voltron930 2 years ago 3
I think this sums it up best... I'M NOT A NUGGET!
WickedNemesis 2 years ago
when did the undertaker cry?just wondering cause he didnt have a segment on the "tribute" show
darr84 2 years ago
If you see the 'main event' of Over The Edge 99, which was to be(and it went down as planned of course, because the show went on) The Undertaker Vs. champion Stone Cold Steve Austin for the title with the McMahons involved as special ref.s or something like that(Shane & UT screwed Austin out of the title as it was before Vince was revealed as the Higher Power and was therefore with the babyface Austin). Anyway, you can see Undertaker is visibly upset & on the verge of tears before the match
-E
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
perhaps one of the reasons vince got stupid and wouldnt stop the show was the fact the major title of the company was being dropped?
YRMVol01 2 years ago
or i should say being changed from one hand to another w/ taker winning*
YRMVol01 2 years ago
That shouldn't have entered his mind over the significance of someone's death. As I said in the video, they do countless shows a year - it'd be easy to reschedule.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
i agree, but i was offering it as one reason vince may have used in why to continue the show
YRMVol01 2 years ago
"worst technical wrestlers...."
never have I heard those words put in the same sentence!
I would LOVE to know your list, because I cannot think of one...but then, I don't quite understand the true "meaning" itself
RandomMindz 2 years ago
Seriously. I don't even think that sentence makes sense. You are either a technical wrestler or not. Is a bad technical wrestler someone who is not technical in the ring? I don't get it.
XOneirokritikosX 2 years ago 2
We well clarify the meaning when the video is uploaded
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
the guy looks like luke skywalker. swear to god.
Russman1478 2 years ago
oh thank god i was wondering when this was coming coming back
izuzurhodes 2 years ago
Welcome back!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
I was a sophmore in high school at the time and when I heard that Owen died in ring I thought it was a storyline. Until they had it all on the news that night. I was shocked when it happened. Vince should of stop the show even though he thought if he did a riot would broke out. (Sex, Lies and Headlocks ...great book) If I was in Vince shoes, i'll stop the show without hesitation.
Jdub14000 2 years ago
with no safety backups and a sail boat quick release harness, that should of been the end of the company
nw0 2 years ago
i'm not trying to kiss vinces ass but apparenntly vince was in a bad state of mind when the accident happend and was'nt thinking rationally.
tommo1313 2 years ago
Still, I would think the normal person's initial reaction would probably be the right one(stop the show, don't do a live show the next day instead of showing his best matches). They obviously did those things in the Benoit case, despite knowing or at least having a good idea he killed his family & himself, so at least they did the right thing one time, years too late.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
As a pure and true fan of the Hart family since the mid 80s,thank you for this tribute. Meeting Stu and Bruce so many years ago is one of the epic times of my life. Not only did I meet them, on our way to leave the restaurant I looked up and there was a Blonde guy I recognized as being koko b ware's tag team partner in high energy. It wasn't until a few years later, while going through photos, i realized he was Owen. Him winning KOTR a year after Bret is my favorite moment of his. RIP my friend
redfury0156 2 years ago 3
Thank you very much! Cool story!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
great show guys.....as a 25+ year fan, I wasn't a big fan of the Atittude Era either, and I'm glad Owen refused some of the angles Vince wanted him to do
and the whole Bret/Owen feud of '94 was one of the best i've ever seen, especially in terms of quality of matches...the title match at SS 94 completely stole the show from the Undertaker vs Undertaker main event
miggy25 2 years ago
Thank you very much!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
Concerning when Owen gave approval of continuing a show if he died...I did some research (Wikipedia, but with some quoted sources), and in Russo's book he said that Owen was given a choice to wrestle his match at Badd Blood 97 because he was pals with Brian Pillman who was found dead that day. Owen went ahead anyway and Russo looking back on that assumed Owen would have wanted the same.
That's Russo talking, not me. I still think the show should have stopped without question.
PowerlineWC 2 years ago
Yeah, but the problem with the idea of "Well Owen worked after Pillman died" theory is that PILLMAN DIDN'T DIE IN THE RING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW. Totally different scenario.
WillIsSoAwesome 2 years ago
Another good show guys, thanks...it was a good tribute. I was only 13 when it happened, but I remember wearing the "OH" homemade armband Tuesday after the stars wore it Monday night. Brings back good and bad memories. Thanks again, and I'll keep clicking those ads for a minute or two, haha.
joshbradybuddy 2 years ago
Your right, but it was 10 years ago. No one in wwe had ever faced that situation before. I think WWE has learned since then, they handled the Benoit & Gurrero deaths alot better.
chriswarden420 2 years ago
Vince once said "it's all about the money". Corporations don't care about you, me or Owen. All the care about is the bottom line. Even Stu Hart himself said its was right for the show to go on. I'm not saying it;s right, I'm saying it's a fact.
chriswarden420 2 years ago
they didn't know owen was dead until he got to the hospital. If they knew he was dead right there in the ring, they would have stopped the show. Better to get the night over with, I doubt the cable companies would have wanted the show stopped.
chriswarden420 2 years ago
Dude, Ironic that you said something during the interview about the Denver Nuggets being un-sportsman like, the WWE is now doing a storyline with the Denver Nuggets (actually, there was actually a real mixup with who was actually in the arena - WWE or Denver Nuggets in a match of sometype)
stevestoner13 2 years ago
I swear...why can't the WWE just stick to wrestling instead of getting into ridiculous and sorry ass storylines with people not at all involved in pro-wrestling?
DeadmanInc336 2 years ago
owens death was horrible and 24hrs later his wife goes on tv and says she has a lawsuit on the wwf??ummm no tears no nothing? whats wrong with that picture?
SWO4LIFE 2 years ago 2
Great show Eric & Co. I miss Owen and the Hart Foundation to this day; they're what I grew up with. I do hope not only Owen but all the Hart Foundation go in the Hall of Fame some day; Bret & The Anvil should go in as a tag team alone.
And at 10:02 did Eric say "We didn't wanna bring that back up because we killed him" ? That's kinda uncalled for. No one in WWF "killed him". It was a tragic accident....regardless of the circumstances (of which I'm very green), a very tragic accident.
BBX118 2 years ago 3
100% agree about that comment though WWE should have stopped the show
YRMVol01 2 years ago
Looking back at it now i'm little older they should have stopped the show. They didn't even tell people in the crowd what exactly just happened they just went on with the show.
tvcch3 2 years ago
Nice video, wwe treated owen like crap, and they didn't bother mentioning the 10 year anniversary of his death.
roh1234 2 years ago 3
His wife doesnt want owens name to be associated with anything WWE, thats why he hasnt been a legend in the smackdown games
MexicanSeadude 2 years ago
Fair enough, but heck a mention for a guy they basically killed. This guy was one of the best ever, certainly the best wrestler never to win a world's title.
roh1234 2 years ago
they didnt? what assholes, its vinces fault he died any way. what a dick
DGenerationX4life 2 years ago
I was a kid back then .. and Owen was like my HERO . I mean I loved the guy . I was crying like I lost a member of the family. After that I just watched WCW until they where sold .
Joeybsmooth 2 years ago
good show but i think that million dollar man dad died inside the ring
clm2440 2 years ago
thats right he did!!!!!
SWO4LIFE 2 years ago
Thanks. But that was during a match in the pre-steroid era & also not on live TV doing a ridiculous stunt.
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
It's ice cold to have kept the show going and it says A LOT about Vince to have done that, having a "the show must go on!" grandeur attitude about it. I remember hearing about it that night and just assuming the show ended, then hearing later about there being a new WWF/E champ. I couldn't believe they let the show go on like that! Not to mention, how could the fans there shake what they just witnessed?! ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY NOTHING they could have done would make the crowd forget seeing that!
PowerlineWC 2 years ago
the thing that gets me to this day is somebody told me vince or owen tired it three times beforehand, and nothing happened,and when the time comes for his last test run down the rafters is when the accident happens..i always felt he was set up. wrestling has become a shady and dark practice almost, as we'll never know excatlly what life is like in the WWE
regardless, i was really young when this happened, so i don't have a lot of memory about it other then my older brother telling me he died
thedrifter 2 years ago
As far as WWE goes,its completely evident that they only care about business.Not wrestlers or the mental state of others,but the money.Look at the rigorious schedule.Anyone who thinks they are the best in the world is really rather sick
Nsomniaradioonline 2 years ago
Man you guys have come along way.Excellence guys
Nsomniaradioonline 2 years ago 2
Thanks very much!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
My favorite Owen match was not even from the WWF/WWE. My personal favorite Owen match was the match he had in Japane with Lyger.
RoderickStrong 2 years ago
I agree that Sting did it before Owen, but didn't Shawn Michaels actually do it that one time before Sting even started doing it?
RoderickStrong 2 years ago 2
It's not exactly the same stunt. Michaels ziplined in horizontally then was lowered vertically down once he reached the midpoint or so. Sting's stunt is a straight-down zipline, and wasn't - from what I remember - ever from nearly as high as Michaels' was. Michaels also had a complicated harness to ensure his safety, not a sail boat clip like Owen
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
vince whacked owen to pay back bret and then rubbed it in brets face in wcw don't ask me to explain you either got it or you didn't new blood
joescout 2 years ago
Holy fuck, I just noticed something. If you didn't know who Lawrence Haber and Alex Payne were and they stood next to each other, you would swear they were brothers. The resemblance is uncanny.
RoderickStrong 2 years ago
an excellent and thoughtful show. Quite easily one of your very best. And I dont mind the ads....I especially loved the Owen Hart documentary.
The Roundtable has truly come a long way. Kudos!
Humpzilla21 2 years ago
Thank you for sticking with us since the beginning!
-E, Wrestling Roundtable
WrestlingRoundtable 2 years ago
R.I.P. Owen Hart and Good Video Guys Much Respect
BigDaddy0207 2 years ago