1991-92 WWE MVP

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Moving back to 91-21 so we are looking at the day after WrestleMania VII until WrestleMania VIII. While business has been going down for the company since the turn of the decade, this is what I consider the end of the golden era as it marks the last full time run for Hogan in the WWE. Hogan is also the guy I consider to be the MVP for this year. He began the year as champ and continued his program with Slaughter up till SummerSlam. From there we have the debut of Flair as the "Real" World's Champ so there is the built in program that WWE slow built to culminate at Mania but never did. They were tied together via Taker who Hogan exchanged the title with with Flair's help around Survivor Series and that lead to what most consider to be the best Rumble with the title on the line that saw Flair outlast mega faces Sid and Hogan to win. Hogan was scheduled to face Flair for a minute until things changed up and Hogan ends the year with what most consider a dud but still the main event against Sid.

I expect some to make the case for Flair which I am hoping to hear as the main thing that keeps him out of the running for me is his late arrival. Other than those two I don't see another contender but you never know.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Ric Flair is the "shoe in" for most people, in terms of impact, even in a 6 month period he did "change things", showing "the big gold belt" on WWE TV, his mini feud with Piper, winning the Royal Rumble from #3 to lift the title and the EXTREMELY well done feud and match with Savage at Mania showed WWE were going in a different, more mature direction. The "doctored photos" angle with Elizabeth was pretty risque for the WWF and it was not a Hoganesque "misunderstanding", it was played realistic and based on far more sexual connotations ("She was MINE first") than ever.. Flair played it perfectly, even his unauthorised blade job made the angle far more real that anything since Bruno's broken neck.

BUT...

Flair not being there for those 6 months from Mania to September/October really do damage his claim.

Here are the contenders:-

Roddy Piper - Yep, Hot Rod was a serious MVP in that year... while he started off injured managing Virgil, he still played a big part in that angle culminating at Summerslam 91 and by then he was fit and ready to go. His work on the colour was strong but he came into his own in that latter period where Flair debuted... He was not only the right guy to face Flair but managed to make Flair look amazing without a one on one match going down. He did so well Vince noticed and decided to position him for a match to help Bret Hart get to the next level and thus he won his only WWF belt, the Intercontinental title at The Royal Rumble. It didn't last long but Piper was an excellent IC champion, arguably one of the last who made it seem like the "IC Champ was the #1 contender", the match he put on with Bret was one of the best, IC title matches, only really behind Savage/Steamboat at the time, although surpassed by Bret and Davey months later it still holds up... That was Hot Rod's best year on the roster since 1985 and arguably was better than that in many ways, not only was he massively over, able to sell a show as IC champ but in ring he was at the best he was ever in the WWF... arguably the choice of opponents and his injuries held him back before this period, but he was finally let loose to show what he could do and he has a big claim to this MVP honor.

Jake Roberts - What might have been sums it up, but there was no one more over than Jake The Snake when he began his series of vignettes "training" The Ultimate Warrior. It was genuinely shocking when he turned heel on him... fans were crushed but a star was born... BUT

Something happened... much is made of Vince not "giving him the creative job" he was promised... but Jake was clearly in the grip of demons at that period too. Did Warrior refuse the job as he had the year prior for Rude? It's entirely possible and perhaps the most likely reason Jake was relegated to a "rushed" alliance with the Undertaker. Even then he made gold of it with his second "blockbuster" angle of the year... Randy Savage and the Cobra. At the time it was the most shocking moment in WWF history to see the "clear liquid" near wound on Savage's arm... devenomised or not, this didn't look fake... it looked like a real bite and that Randy was in serious trouble. Again...something happened and the angle didn't culminate as planned with their Survivor Series encounter... it was bumped to the failed Tuesday In Texas PPV and Jake was removed from the tradition match, leaving a very conspicuous, awkward match. I think this was the period that relations truly broke down and the decision/request to leave was made by Jake and Vince allowed it if he put Taker over. The feud with Taker was still top notch work from Jake, even if the match smelled of burial in the political sense rather than the Taker's gimmick... it didn't need to be so short, or even Taker face... but ultimately Taker's 2nd win of 21 set the tone and paved the way, while it was very nearly the last hurrah for Jake... only Steve Austin's verbal beatdown saved him from being "just another failed guy". But make no mistake, in terms and TV and for the fans... Jake was at the peak of his powers in this period, it was only political garbage and Jake's own demons that ended it. When the light was on... no one was better.

The Rockers - This was the beginning of the nadir of the WWF Tag team division. The Harts split immediately after Mania, Demolition were gone... suddenly the division had a lot of very bad teams thrown into it... The Beverly Brothers, the new Orient Express, The New Foundation and later High Energy. The Natural Disasters could have been great but were booked terribly... and Power and Glory likewise and the Nasty Boys simply didn't work in the WWF... but the saving grace of the division in that early part of 1991 was Shawn and Marty... if ever there seemed a time they were going to get their due it was then...momentum was building, then the odd mismove or Shawn getting eliminated at the Survivor Series. It was highly compelling stuff. When the two got to the Barbershop it was a truly pivotal moment, because it seemed that the Rockers refocused would be now pushed as THE team... when the kick heard around the world was made.

Go back and watch that Barbershop segment... even 23 years later it is the best executed turn in history... it ruined Rockers fans dreams, created a new star and sadly began the end of Marty's career through little fault of his own... While the Flair/Savage feud was based on sex, this was the most violent thing ANY WWF fan had ever seen. It wasn't Andre ripping a shirt to take Hogan's cross... or even Randy getting bit by a Cobra... this was nasty. Janetty's part can't be understated by anyone... blade job, hardway however that blood came, it made Shawn's career. We'd never seen anything so brutal, calculated and as wounding to us as fans as to the poor bastard taking the beating. Then came THE moment where Shawn literally became the Heartbreak Kid and history was changed. When he smugly adjusted his jacket and smirked.

It really COULD have gone either way, Vince could have kept the Rockers together another year, given them the belts...THEN made the turn and they would already be a HOF level team and maybe some of his acquisitions would have worked better. But to be in that position where there truly is a win/win, at the time for both members of the team to be pushed was almost unheard of and a real testament to BOTH members of that team. Ironically that win/win became known as the most unfair insult that can be levelled at any wrestler... the Marty Jannetty of the team. Janetty was a great worker before Shawn screwed him for real... any guy fired unfairly as he was would turn to drink etc... the damage was done and the Jannetty from that day on was not the same.

So...

I really want to give this to the Rockers.... they were that good and they never get any credit... They were arguably the most over faces behind Hogan and Warrior at the time... but I just can't let them have it over Flair... As good as the Rockers were and how that year for them changed the course of the WWF/E forever, Flair really did change the game the most radically. I call it a tie...

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Most of the options have been mentioned already.

Ric Flair was given a prominent push, and the respect of being booked to wrestle for an hour (a huge rarity in the WWF of 1991/92) in winning the Royal Rumble; he also had solid performances against Tito Santana (Battle Royal at the Albert Hall) and in the Survivor Series, though his match finished a farce (everyone disqualified simultaneously except Flair, the sole survivor); his match against Savage at Wrestlemania though was of the top quality. Perhaps the biggest thing holding back Flair is that his original storyline, against Roddy Piper, never got a televised pay-off, inexplicably being relegated to a dark match (that Flair won) at the Tuesday in Texas ppv.

The most prominent storyline of the year was that of the Macho Man Randy Savage. Initially banned from wrestling as a result of losing his retirement match to the Warrior at Wrestlemania, Savage segued into the commentary booth, newly face after his emotional reuniting with Elizabeth at WM; that their kayfabe wedding was afforded the main event status at Summerslam shows how over Savage was at this point. Then, a fantastic build up to his feud with Jake the Snake, with the shocking snake bite and the match at Tuesday in Texas. Onto a strong performance in the Royal Rumble, despite accidentally eliminating himself and neither referees not commentators really knowing how to cover for him, before being allowed to continue ('you can't eliminate yourself' apparently, unless the script calls for it!) and a phenomenal feud and title match with Flair at Wrestlemania. I do wonder though, if his feud with Roberts was fast-tracked due to the Ultimate Warrior's sacking at Summerslam (Roberts had been sowing the seeds for a feud with Warrior), and wonder if the original plan was for Savage's return match against the Snake to be at Wrestlemania after a year 'retired' (this scenario would also leave room for the planned Flair v Hogan match which SHOULD have happened.)

Bret Hart was the King of the mid card, indeed winning the 1991 King of the Ring tournament (non-televised), eliminating Pete Doherty, Skinner and IRS in the same night. The WWF chose not to acknowledge that particular tournament on television, but the result clearly showed that they were building Hart up as 'one for the future'; he won his first singles title in my favourite match of the year, at Summerslam versus Mr Perfect, then wrestled in that aforementioned elimination match won by Flair at the Survivor Series. A week later he got a decent match out of Skinner at Tuesday in Texas, no mean feat as Skinner was largely regarded as a glorified jobber to many fans; 'illness' causes him to drop the IC title to the Mountie in what was still regarded as a decent match before Hart won in back in a great match at Wrestlemania.

The Undertaker is my final nominee. Billed as undefeated throughout the first half of this 'season', the Undertaker actually became the WWF champion - undefeated, seven years before Goldberg repeated the feat - by pinning Hulk Hogan at Survivor Series (sadly after the worst looking Tombstone ever); he lost the title, and his undefeated record, six days later at Tuesday in Texas, but the controversy of the match saw the title vacated and put up for grabs at the Royal Rumble. Despite a caveat that Undertaker and Hogan were both to get favourable draws, in the final ten, 'Taker did very little of note in the match before getting eliminated by Hogan. He then went on to turn face by stopping Jake the Snake assault Elizabeth, and fought the Snake at Wrestlemania, pinning him after a Tonbstone on the outside. 'Taker was billed strongly (aside from the Rumble match) but his (WWF) rookie year is tarnished by his absence from the Summerslam card.

So my two MVPs for the 1991-92 season are Bret Hart (in ring) and Randy Savage (storyline wise) - Savage was arguably the most over wrestler on the roster for most of the year, and whilst he was 'retired' Bret Hart had the best matches in the promotion.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I don't mean to be disrespectful to particularly one poster, and apologies if it seems so cos it's not meant to be but it just seems so many people just go through the motions with these MVP threads and don't either go back and look or truly remember why they originally watched or go with what is gonna get rep... I've have PM's and Rep accusing me of being "hipster" with answers, I have "you're far too hipster for me" as a badge of honour lol... it really isn't... These threads are a great chance to say who brought you to the dance... It's sad so many people pick the same guys in each thread.

Holic's choices are more than valid, not a knock on his views although I disagree in this case, all I ask is don't play safe... if you loved Virgil in 1991 say so... or Borga in 1993 or Al Snow in 1998... state your case.

I may be well out of line.. but to me these threads are GREAT, you get to put your case for the guys you REALLY want to... not the "common" answer... I guess I am bigging up the OP rather than dissing anyone, but no way is Taker MVP in 1991, he was so green and new it wasn't funny, he was barely with Paul Bearer for more than 6 months and didn't "rate" a spot on Summerslam other than a cameo in Jake's shenanigans... he became MVP arguably later because of that year, where he was involved in major stuff but not the focus and certainly not being looked at to carry the show. He was allowed to grow organically... Same for Bret, Davey and Shawn as a solo act... it was the team that got people interested.. look deeper is all I am saying, if you weren't there the first time, that's what the Network is for... Bret barely wrestled on TV that first few months, it was "saved" for Summerslam so his win over Perfect was more "blockbuster", if anything pick Curt, he put Bret over better crippled than the match could have been otherwise...

I dunno, hate away I guess...

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I personally have to go with Randy Savage for this period.

He started off the year with a Match of the Year candidate in his retirement match versus The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 7, and stayed on the sidelines for about 5 months off, but taking on the color commentator role and remaining on TV week in and week out. The aftermath of Summer Slam led to another great feud with Jake The Snake Roberts, a feud no one saw coming: The sight of Roberts' cobra biting Savage was awesome. Savage wrapped up the year feuding with Flair, and capturing the gold a second time in yet another Match of the Year candidate at WrestleMania 8.

 

[Goldie]

Hogan... even if he wasn't quite the draw he had been in the mid-late 80s, there was no one who could touch him from WM7 to WM8.

Ric Flair may have been a contender, but didn't debut with the WWE till October 1991, Randy Savage covered a similar timeframe as an active wrestler, he retired at WM7, and didn't come back ( as a wrestler) till November 1991.
Both of the above covered about half the year period.

Bret Hart, Undertaker, Jake Robers (who had an awesome heel turn) were all bubbling under and certainly making waves... but in the Hogan era, few could touch him (maybe aside Savages year long title reign from 1998-89).

Hogan main evented both WM7 and WM8, and held the world title for 8 months of the year period, and was still the major draw and merchandise machine for the company.
This void was apparent after Hogan vacated the spotlight after WM8, when the numbers went down.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

Has to be Hogan. His summerslam 1991 tagteam match pulled the buy. Bret v Perfect was the best match by far but Hogan was still king. Ric Flair came in in the Autumn and had a good run with Savage but Hogan was front and centre of everything that year in every main event on PPV.

 

[Waylon Mercy]

Ric Flair is the "shoe in" for most people, in terms of impact, even in a 6 month period he did "change things", showing "the big gold belt" on WWE TV, his mini feud with Piper, winning the Royal Rumble from #3 to lift the title and the EXTREMELY well done feud and match with Savage at Mania showed WWE were going in a different, more mature direction. The "doctored photos" angle with Elizabeth was pretty risque for the WWF and it was not a Hoganesque "misunderstanding", it was played realistic and based on far more sexual connotations ("She was MINE first") than ever.. Flair played it perfectly, even his unauthorised blade job made the angle far more real that anything since Bruno's broken neck.

BUT...

Flair not being there for those 6 months from Mania to September/October really do damage his claim.

Here are the contenders:-

Roddy Piper - Yep, Hot Rod was a serious MVP in that year... while he started off injured managing Virgil, he still played a big part in that angle culminating at Summerslam 91 and by then he was fit and ready to go. His work on the colour was strong but he came into his own in that latter period where Flair debuted... He was not only the right guy to face Flair but managed to make Flair look amazing without a one on one match going down. He did so well Vince noticed and decided to position him for a match to help Bret Hart get to the next level and thus he won his only WWF belt, the Intercontinental title at The Royal Rumble. It didn't last long but Piper was an excellent IC champion, arguably one of the last who made it seem like the "IC Champ was the #1 contender", the match he put on with Bret was one of the best, IC title matches, only really behind Savage/Steamboat at the time, although surpassed by Bret and Davey months later it still holds up... That was Hot Rod's best year on the roster since 1985 and arguably was better than that in many ways, not only was he massively over, able to sell a show as IC champ but in ring he was at the best he was ever in the WWF... arguably the choice of opponents and his injuries held him back before this period, but he was finally let loose to show what he could do and he has a big claim to this MVP honor.

Jake Roberts - What might have been sums it up, but there was no one more over than Jake The Snake when he began his series of vignettes "training" The Ultimate Warrior. It was genuinely shocking when he turned heel on him... fans were crushed but a star was born... BUT

Something happened... much is made of Vince not "giving him the creative job" he was promised... but Jake was clearly in the grip of demons at that period too. Did Warrior refuse the job as he had the year prior for Rude? It's entirely possible and perhaps the most likely reason Jake was relegated to a "rushed" alliance with the Undertaker. Even then he made gold of it with his second "blockbuster" angle of the year... Randy Savage and the Cobra. At the time it was the most shocking moment in WWF history to see the "clear liquid" near wound on Savage's arm... devenomised or not, this didn't look fake... it looked like a real bite and that Randy was in serious trouble. Again...something happened and the angle didn't culminate as planned with their Survivor Series encounter... it was bumped to the failed Tuesday In Texas PPV and Jake was removed from the tradition match, leaving a very conspicuous, awkward match. I think this was the period that relations truly broke down and the decision/request to leave was made by Jake and Vince allowed it if he put Taker over. The feud with Taker was still top notch work from Jake, even if the match smelled of burial in the political sense rather than the Taker's gimmick... it didn't need to be so short, or even Taker face... but ultimately Taker's 2nd win of 21 set the tone and paved the way, while it was very nearly the last hurrah for Jake... only Steve Austin's verbal beatdown saved him from being "just another failed guy". But make no mistake, in terms and TV and for the fans... Jake was at the peak of his powers in this period, it was only political garbage and Jake's own demons that ended it. When the light was on... no one was better.

The Rockers - This was the beginning of the nadir of the WWF Tag team division. The Harts split immediately after Mania, Demolition were gone... suddenly the division had a lot of very bad teams thrown into it... The Beverly Brothers, the new Orient Express, The New Foundation and later High Energy. The Natural Disasters could have been great but were booked terribly... and Power and Glory likewise and the Nasty Boys simply didn't work in the WWF... but the saving grace of the division in that early part of 1991 was Shawn and Marty... if ever there seemed a time they were going to get their due it was then...momentum was building, then the odd mismove or Shawn getting eliminated at the Survivor Series. It was highly compelling stuff. When the two got to the Barbershop it was a truly pivotal moment, because it seemed that the Rockers refocused would be now pushed as THE team... when the kick heard around the world was made.

Go back and watch that Barbershop segment... even 23 years later it is the best executed turn in history... it ruined Rockers fans dreams, created a new star and sadly began the end of Marty's career through little fault of his own... While the Flair/Savage feud was based on sex, this was the most violent thing ANY WWF fan had ever seen. It wasn't Andre ripping a shirt to take Hogan's cross... or even Randy getting bit by a Cobra... this was nasty. Janetty's part can't be understated by anyone... blade job, hardway however that blood came, it made Shawn's career. We'd never seen anything so brutal, calculated and as wounding to us as fans as to the poor bastard taking the beating. Then came THE moment where Shawn literally became the Heartbreak Kid and history was changed. When he smugly adjusted his jacket and smirked.

It really COULD have gone either way, Vince could have kept the Rockers together another year, given them the belts...THEN made the turn and they would already be a HOF level team and maybe some of his acquisitions would have worked better. But to be in that position where there truly is a win/win, at the time for both members of the team to be pushed was almost unheard of and a real testament to BOTH members of that team. Ironically that win/win became known as the most unfair insult that can be levelled at any wrestler... the Marty Jannetty of the team. Janetty was a great worker before Shawn screwed him for real... any guy fired unfairly as he was would turn to drink etc... the damage was done and the Jannetty from that day on was not the same.

So...

I really want to give this to the Rockers.... they were that good and they never get any credit... They were arguably the most over faces behind Hogan and Warrior at the time... but I just can't let them have it over Flair... As good as the Rockers were and how that year for them changed the course of the WWF/E forever, Flair really did change the game the most radically. I call it a tie...

I am really impressed with your memory of this part of WWE's history. I remember the shock I experienced with that Barber Shop segment. I had seen some brutal acts of violence before (Piper's attack on Snuka with the coconut, for instance), however this one seemed so realistic.
Also, even though it had been building gradually, up until that point the Rockers were more or less pin-up boys who happened to be a fantastic tag team. Shawn Michaels didn't seem capable of such hostility. It was a compelling heel turn, the likes I had never seen up to that point.

I wish Flair's initial run in the WWE had developed into a longer stay with the company, as he added so much to the landscape in those days. He was connected to every major heel in some way, shape or form. If I recall, he also "discovered" Razor Ramon. He was also tight with Mr. Perfect, and the two had a great chemistry as purveyors of wrongdoing! In actuality, I think this particular era of the WWE was among the greatest in terms of heels. The decks were loaded with amazing talent in that department. Flair, Perfect, Roberts, Taker, Michaels, Ramon.....the list goes on.
On the Face side of the spectrum, it was a fantastic period with the rise of Bret Hart in the singles ranks, along with the amazing talents of Roddy Piper (who was at his peak in terms of physical condition and popularity), Warrior, and of course the Macho Man. At any rate, you covered all this and more in your great post. It was a really good time to be a fan of the product.

 

[SCrooked1]

Moving back to 91-21 so we are looking at the day after WrestleMania VII until WrestleMania VIII. While business has been going down for the company since the turn of the decade, this is what I consider the end of the golden era as it marks the last full time run for Hogan in the WWE.

Actually business overall was pretty good up until Wrestlemania VIII. There was the Gulf War disaster that turned some people off, but after the Gulf War ended there was some good drawing feuds in that timespan (Warrior/Undertaker, Hogan/Flair, Hogan&Piper/Sid&Flair).

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Sure it was still good but not like it was from 85-89

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Mania 7 was the time that it showed the product had not only become stale but that the roster had become bloated with older, ineffective talent. It's no coincidence that at least the major eventers of Mania 8, 9,10 and 11 didn't work for WWE at the time of Mania 7 and a large number of the talents who worked for WWE in 1991 were gone by the end of 1992. It was a massive "oil change" of talent and gimmicks, attempting to build stars in a 3 year window. The concept of a double main event was unheard of and just a tool to get newer talents to "that spot" quicker.

Look how many guys were "different" or released between 7 and 8...

Tito Santana - El Matador
Smash - Repo Man
Shawn Michaels - Rocker to HBK
Tugboat - Typhoon

Released

Jimmy Snuka
The Warlord
The Barbarian
Jim Neidhart
Jake Roberts
Honky Tonk Man
Greg Valentine

 

[HBKistheHOF]

The breakout superstar of 91-92 was definitely Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair would absolutely get debut of the year maybe along with a few other titles like match of the year, champion of the year, shocker of the year & "jerk" of the year but I think I'd have to give the M.V.P. to "Macho Man". This was really Savage's comeback year in many ways, feuding with the likes of Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts & the aforementioned Flair. It was arguably Savage's best run of his entire career & he really came back into the spotlight & cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats in many ways that year. Not to mention it was really Savage's last run on top in the WWF, so Macho Man all the way!!! OHHH YEAHHHH!!!!

 

[SCrooked1]

Sure it was still good but not like it was from 85-89

Understandable though, Warrior's title reign didn't work out as Hogan was given the main event storyline despite barely being on the road for most of the year and Hogan as champion in '91 didn't have the same impact after losing clean.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Understandable though, Warrior's title reign didn't work out as Hogan was given the main event storyline despite barely being on the road for most of the year and Hogan as champion in '91 didn't have the same impact after losing clean.

Your preaching to the choir on that one. WWE mishandled the Warrior title reign from the jump. Warrior should have been had the program that Hogan had with Earthquake, that should have been followed by the title defense at the Rumble against Slaughter which should have ended in a DQ with Macho and Slaughter beating Warrior down and Hogan coming in for the save to set up the matches we got at Mania VII only with Warrior's title on the line vs Macho's career. Never made sense that Macho put his career on the line without Warrior's title being up for grabs as that is what Macho was chasing. You get the same finish as we got at Mania VII and who knows moving forward from Mania VII maybe were talking about Warrior's reign differently.

 

[SCrooked1]

Your preaching to the choir on that one. WWE mishandled the Warrior title reign from the jump. Warrior should have been had the program that Hogan had with Earthquake, that should have been followed by the title defense at the Rumble against Slaughter which should have ended in a DQ with Macho and Slaughter beating Warrior down and Hogan coming in for the save to set up the matches we got at Mania VII only with Warrior's title on the line vs Macho's career. Never made sense that Macho put his career on the line without Warrior's title being up for grabs as that is what Macho was chasing. You get the same finish as we got at Mania VII and who knows moving forward from Mania VII maybe were talking about Warrior's reign differently.

Get this:

Hogan headlined the MSG show after Wrestlemania when the champion coming out of WM usually headlined the first MSG show during that era.

Tells you all you need to know about Hogan "taking a backseat" after losing the belt.