WWE Confidential Recap (8.24.03)
Submitted by Peter Kostka on Sunday, August 24, 2003 at 6:25 PM EST



Welcome once again to the best Confidential recap on the ‘net (I can say that now that 411’s recapper is gone).

Time to Open the Confidential Mailbag, Paul!

This one’s from Chris, who takes me to task a bit about last week:

I think you gave Saturday's show an exceptionally poor score. It was better
than you made it out to be. The Bradshaw interview was very entertaining.
I think you're expecting something else from Bradshaw because this is what
he's like and it was a fun little back and forth segment. Likewise, the
Ivory piece had me interested. I was really disappointed when they went to
her house a few months ago and she barely had any wrestling stuff up. I
didn't understand why. Well, this piece completely explained her background
and about how she got involved. I thought it was really good stuff.

As for the Jailhouse match, well, you need to rate it on what they did --
not what they didn't do. It's not fair to criticize them for not playing
Bret Hart/Perfect. They wanted to talk about a different match with a silly
gimmick and frankly, that's really what Confidental is about. The great
matches are saved for other occasions, like home videos.

About the Bradshaw segment: I just thought Josh was incredibly bad in that segment; the overselling of the cigar smoke, the bad questions, etc. Josh is just a terrible interviewer. Bradshaw was kind of funny, but he was better in the Iraq segment two weeks ago.

On Ivory (and wouldn’t I like to be…..ahem): Fair enough. I would have liked to see some GLOW footage, though.

On the Jailhouse match: Well, it would have been nice if we saw a little more of the actual MATCH than they showed. And, in my opinion, that whole “Mountie gets booked” stuff wasn’t that great. It was kind of funny, but not as memorable as some make it out to be.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

This week: A look back at the Big Cat Ernie Ladd, Big Show goes Outside the Ropes, Charlie Hass gives us his pick From the Vault, and much more.

Mean WHOO Gene welcomes us to another episode and hypes Summerslam for a bit before taking us to the Cover Story for this week.

Cover Story: The Big Cat Ernie Ladd

Ladd commanded respect in the locker room, says Gerald Brisco. Teddy Long adds: “People say he paved the way for black wrestlers, but he inspired white wrestlers also. Ernie was a pretty small kid growing up in Texas, but had a huge growth spurt around high school and kept out of trouble by playing basketball and football, the latter he wound up playing at Grambling University where he learned the will to win and met his future wife. They have been married for 42 years and Ernie shows us his love for her by making out with her in front of the camera (seriously, they were this close from letting the tongues out). Ladd ended up going to the San Diego Chargers, where he became an “unstoppable” player in their Fearsome Foursome defensive line. This got the attention of the local wrestling promoters, who wanted Ernie to appear to boost up ticket sales. Ladd didn’t really take the whole thing seriously at first, but after failing miserably, but getting a taste of the whole experience, he fell in love, even going so far as to wrestle and play for the Chargers at the same time. He quit football to wrestle full time, saying that he made more money that way (I don’t think you could say THAT nowadays). Ladd was a little peculiar in that he wanted his money from the promoter up front. If he refused, Ladd would pack up and leave, usually inciting a riot in the arena. He was really the first good black heel; he could say things that white wrestlers could get in trouble for saying. We see some footage of Ladd’s work, including one spot where he beats some guy up in the ropes, helps him up, and then kicks him in the gut. Ladd loved to be able to put the crowd right in the palm of his hand, even if it wound up with the fans shouting the n-word at him and challenging him to fights in the parking lot. Kevin Nash (still with flowing locks: “The way he carried himself in and out of the ring made him a star.” He also was a teacher to the other guys in the back, not letting them leave until he knew that they were getting what he was saying.

That was actually a pretty cool little segment; it even got Nash off his ass to talk about someone other than himself! 1/1

- Commercials –

This Portion of Confidential is Brought to You By: Lorimar Tobacco’s “Tobacco is Whacko” campaign, Jeepers Creepers 2 (coming this Friday), and Stacker 2’s YJ Stinger drink

Outside the Ropes with the Big Show

Show immediately complains to Josh about his choice of setting (“It’s too hot in here. I’m FAT you know.”)

1) What is the most frequent and annoying question you get asked?

“Do you play football?”

2) What fictional monster do you associate yourself with?

“The monster that wants to kill you.”

3) What are the advantages and disadvantages of being big?

Advantages: He’s athletic and people get out of his way.
Disadvantages: He hits his head often, can’t find clothes that fit, and he has to get furniture made of marble and steel.

4) Does a big man like yourself have any fears?

Midgets (“like that Mini-Me guy”) and carnies (“smell like cabbage”)

5) Rank the following: Big Mac, the Big Easy, Big Show, and Biggie Smalls

Show, Mac, Easy, Smalls

6) What is your best non-wrestling impression?

Mike Tyson. He goes into it, but it really isn’t that great.

7) What do you like in dogs: Big + nasty or small + fluffy?

Big and nasty, he even has a 22 pound cat.

8) Meatloaf: Better food, actor, or singer?

All three. (Actor? Uh, we’ll have to agree to disagree there.)

9) What is the one thing that is disproportionate to your size?

His temper towards people who ask DUMB QUESTIONS! Josh wraps it up there.

Eh, it was quick, and I like Show’s humor more, so here’s .5 for ya. 1.5/2

- Commercials –

WWE Rewind: The Dudleys reunite at Survivor Series 2002.

The Anatomy of the Dudley Death Drop

When Buh Buh and D’Von first joined up, they wanted a finisher that was different from the others. Buh Buh wanted it to finish with a cutter and they tried a bunch of variations before coming up with the 3D, which they debuted on Spike Dudley in ECW. It is the only move in WWE that gets called out by the fans before they execute it. Buh Buh likes it because not only does it look devastating, but it looks pretty as well with three men jumping at once. With a table, the move becomes even more deadly, because the table has a mind of its own, it may bust a guy open, or not break at all. There are more 3D’s and tag title reigns to come, say the Dudley Boys.

Well that’s good to hear. Too bad no one really cares anymore. 1.5/3

- Commercials –

From the Vault (with Charlie Hass)

Well, looks like Hass is a fan of mine because guess which match he picks?

Yep, the one I wanted last week. See kids, complaining DOES work on people, don’t let your parents tell you any different.

Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (C) (w/Coach, no, not Jonathan) (Intercontinental title match from Summerslam ’91)

Both men circle each other to start and Bret grabs a headlock off a lockup. Perfect goes into the ropes but gets knocked down. He charges again, but Bret hiptosses him, spinning Perfect out of the ring, and…….a clip? Alright.

Anyway, we cut to Perfect getting a necksnap for two and dropkicking Bret out of the ring. And…..another clip?! Oh come on now.

We come back with Perfect’s tights ripped in half and Bret getting a hairwhip, sending Perfect sliding across the ring and crotching him on the post. Bret breaks out the FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, getting near falls off each, getting the crowd further and further into the match. Bret argues with Hebner after the last one, and Perfect slowly rolls him up for 2, getting knocked out of the ring in the process. If you didn’t know, Henning’s back was REALLY bad about this time, so he’s kind of going at half speed and letting Bret do most of the work. Bret sends him into the post and works the leg back in. He goes for the Sharpshooter, but Coach (perfecting the “annoying guy who blows a whistle all the time” bit LONG before Bill Alfonso did it). Bret punches him off and steps through the ropes (causing Heenan to scream “He hit a man with glasses on!!”) which Perfect takes advantage of by kicking the middle rope into Bret’s groin. He drops a leg onto it and tries another, but Bret catches it, grabs the other leg, and turns over into the Sharpshooter for the win and his first singles title (In fact, Hebner called for the bell even before Bret actually applied the pressure. Where was Vince?)

Well, the hackjob kind of pissed me off, but I’d DEFINITELY recommend you get SS ’91 for the full match. 2/4

- Commercials –

The Big Cat in His Small Town

After Ladd retired, he decided to use his celebrity to help people. He is a big Republican, and a close friend of the Bush family, helping out in both Bush’s presidential campaigns. He also is a minister in prisons, helping inmates rehabilitate. Here, Ladd takes us around his hometown of Franklin, Louisiana. We check out his church, whose choir sang at G.W. Bush’s inauguration. Ladd puts God before everything in his life and gets love and respect from everyone he meets. He goes to the high school and talks to the team, saying that his father was in prison when Ladd was 18, so “I don’t have a father” is not an excuse he likes to hear from anyone. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, and that you are the only thing between you and your dream.

Truth be told, I knew NOTHING about Ladd before tonight, but it really seems like he is a very good guy and a trailblazer in wrestling. He should be considered one of the greats. 3/5

We see the Summerslam video AGAIN and STILL Hardy/Gowan is hyped.

- Commercials –

Sable Goes to the Spa

Sable hosted Slammin’ Saturday Night from the Spectrum Spa in Fresno a few months ago and got a bunch of massages.

That’s the whole segment. And they hacked up Bret/Perfect for THAT? Oy. Normally the “.5 semi-clothed Diva rule” would apply, but this one was just too pointless and I really don't like Sable in the first place. 3/6

Next week: Nothing announced.

Well, that’s it for this week, see you next time.

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