![]() Pingback: WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Fluke Finish - A Throwback to a Classic Related Written by bostongardenbalcony Posted in WWF 1980s angles Tagged with Buddy Rogers, Freddie Blassie, Jimmy Snuka, Lou Albano, Magnificent Muraco, Ray Stevens, Roddy Piper 8 comments ![]() ![]() It was unreal how over Snuka was with the crowd, and it marked the start of a two-year period during which Snuka was arguably the hottest wrestler in the business. Rogers even accompanied Snuka to ringside that afternoon. I saw Snuka’s first match as a babyface from the balcony in the old Boston Garden at a matinee card in December 1982, when he foughtAlbano in a hugely anticipated grudge match. It was one of the craziest attacks you’ll ever see in pro wrestling. Snuka was a mess, shaking in mock convulsions as Rogers, referees, and others ran out to help him. The piledriver was considered a dangerous finishing move at the time, and to do it on the concrete was villainous. It was a gory scene as Albano and Stevens threw Snuka over the top rope, and then Stevens gave Snuka two piledrivers on the concrete floor. Albano started arguing with Snuka in the ring, and Stevens grabbed manager Freddie Blassie’s cane and wrapped it around Snuka’s chest.Īlbano ripped the island beads off Snuka’s head and walloped him in the forehead, bloodying the Superfly up (in the clip, you can see Snuka clearly gig himself). Snuka then went to the ring to battle Stevens, which was a neon red hint that he was about to turn given that you rarely saw heel vs. Snuka then spoke for the first time, telling Rogers, “I would like you to be my manager.” The situation peaked when Rogers told Snuka the money was gone, but he was free of Albano’s contract. Up to this point in his WWF tenure, Snuka had never uttered a word in any type of interview or promo. Rogers had been investigating whether Albano stole Snuka’s money he earned, and meanwhile Albano continuously berated Snuka. The background: Wrestling legend Buddy Rogers hosted a segment called Rogers’ Corner, which was the precursor to Piper’s Pit and many other similar interview segments seen in the WWF in the ’80s and ’90s. ![]() If you’ve never seen this angle, it is awesome and brutal. We also remember fondly Snuka’s battles with Magnificent Muraco, including the now historic leap off the steel cage in Madison Square Garden.īut no discussion of Snuka feuds and angles would be complete without giving a nod to his babyface turn in 1982, during which he was beaten down and bloodied by Captain Lou Albano and Ray “The Crippler” Stevens. I’ve argued that it’s perhaps the greatest angle ever in federation history. Many people, including me, point to the Piper’s Pit with Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka as a seminal moment in the WWF in 1980s. ![]()
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