Pillman/Golddust/Marlena angle from 97

[AnthonyM4]

I was watching the 10/6/97 Raw on wwe classics on demand. That's the first episode after Pillman's death. Before he died he was feuding with Golddust and in one match he beat Golddust to have Marlena as his property for 30 days(I didn't really care for it). I remember the day after he died some idiot said that maybe Marlena killed him, but I digress. What do you think would have happened with that angle had Pillman not died?

I think Marlena simply going back to Goldust after the 30 day period would have been too plain. This was the attitude era where outrageous stuff happened. I have a feeling she would have turned heel and stayed with Pillman thus making them a despicable heel couple ala HHH and Steph in 2000.What other possible ways do you think this storyline would have gone had Brian not died?

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

^^^^

Pretty much what you said. Also, if Pillman did not pass away, maybe after the 30 days and Marlena turing on Goldust, I would assume the fued would have continued and run into 98 with Goldust being a face. It probably would have saved us from the Artist Formerly Known as Goldust stuf where he cross dressed and acted really wierd.

 

[HBsam31]

I actually quite enjoyed that feud, but I think you have the right idea. It would have been anticlimactic if she just went back with Golddust. I also think she would have turned heel, and the two of them would have went on to torture Golddust. They could have even brought the daughter into it, and I am sure they would have gotten real creepy with it. Golddust would have gained a lot of sympathy, and probably would have ended up winning the feud.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Didn't all this result in the Dustin/Marlena shoot with J.R?


I say this as this the 1st bit on the extras of the AE documentary. But I think a rematch would've happened, and Pillman would've moved onto bigger things.

 

[AnthonyM4]

^

Yeah I guess since Pillman died, they went with Dustin turning heel and dumping Terri instead of the happy ending of them being together again. I wonder how Terri felt about doing this storyline since she and Pillman dated in real life back in the wcw days. On a side note, on the Pillman dvd Eric Bischoff said that Brian was planning on going back to wcw before he died.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I read in Powerslam Magazine that Marlena turning on Goldust and staying with Pillman was the plan, so you're right about that one. I really liked the feud myself, I was emotionally invested in that one, it was so personal and I really felt for Goldust and Marlena. If Marlena turning on Goldust for Pillman had happened, I would've been so pissed about it - I was a kid at the time, so you know. If Pillman hadn't died, I think the feud would've continued until Wrestlemania 14, and then Pillman would've dumped Marlena and gone on to bigger & better things like an IC Title run and maybe a feud with Stone Cold at one point. I also think Goldust still would've brought back Luna by his side to take care of Marlena during the feud but like Goldust she'd be a babyface too and there'd be none of that TAFKA Goldust stuff that Fabulous Rougeau mentioned. After Pillman-Goldust, I could see Marlena trying to get back with Goldust but he refuses, so she leaves for a while then comes back later in the year to continue feuding with him but this time with Val Venis as her new lover.

 

[The Brain]

I think anyone that was watching WWF in 1997 and was over the age of 13 or 14 knew that Marlena was going to turn on Goldust and stay with Pillman. It just seemed very obvious. I believe Goldust and Marlena were going to renew their vows on that episode of Raw and we all know there can't be a wedding in WWF without some kind of drama. There's no way they were just going to have a happy reunion, especially in 1997 with Russo running things.

 

[Wald]

Marlena was turning but the big problem at the time was Pillman was sadly finished as a wrestler. The guy could barely walk and needed to transition to either an announcer role or, my choice, a manager role.

Would have loved to have seen him and Marlena basically start a stable after Bret left and the Hart Foundation split where he was the Paul E to a WWF version of the Dangerous Alliance.

Something like Pillman as Heyman, Marlena as Madusa with 5 midcard guys like (looking at the late 1997/ early 1998 roster) the Godwinns, Vader, Steve Blackman and even a turned, darker Goldust character.

Instead of landing us with dud stables like DOA and Los Barricas we could have had Pillman's stable making up a third upper midcard stable alongside the Nation and DX in 1998.

 

[justtxyank]

Marlena was turning but the big problem at the time was Pillman was sadly finished as a wrestler. The guy could barely walk and needed to transition to either an announcer role or, my choice, a manager role.

Would have loved to have seen him and Marlena basically start a stable after Bret left and the Hart Foundation split where he was the Paul E to a WWF version of the Dangerous Alliance.

Something like Pillman as Heyman, Marlena as Madusa with 5 midcard guys like (looking at the late 1997/ early 1998 roster) the Godwinns, Vader, Steve Blackman and even a turned, darker Goldust character.

Instead of landing us with dud stables like DOA and Los Barricas we could have had Pillman's stable making up a third upper midcard stable alongside the Nation and DX in 1998.

Pillman would have walked out on the WWF along with Neidhart, Rude, and Bulldog over the Bret situation.

But otherwise I agree with you. His run as a wrestler needed to end. He had physical problems out the wazoo and the continued issues were leading to crazy drug use.