Summerslam 2004 crowd/commentary

[LBGetBack]

I just watched this PPV for the first time. Other than Benoit-Orton, I had seen none of this before.

The way the commentators were just blown away that the crowd wasn't cheering as expected really stuck out to me. The crowd booed the hometown face Edge, and cheered wildly for Jericho over him. Many booed the sympathetic face Eugene in favor of one of the biggest heels ever Triple H. They did the wave during boring points of JBL/Undertaker.

The commentators talked about the crowds reactions frequently. I guess I'm used to now where they either won't mention things like this, or the furthest they go is some neutral remark like "very spirited crowd tonight!". Where at summerslam 04 they were basically saying how weird the crowd was.

Any other examples like this from that time period as far as PPV crowds going against the grain? I haven't seen many of the early-mid 00 PPVs.

 

[Eyebrows]

They were in Toronto. I remember a lot of the time when they've been in Canada and the crowd isn't giving them the reaction they want they'll call it 'bizarro-land' or make a comment on it. Lawler would always mention it.

Things like Roman getting booed now is nearly every city. So they'd have to acknowledge it every time. Better to just say they're 'spirited'.

 

[OYDK]

Yeah, Toronto was notorious for their smarkiness back in the day. Their reactions were always seen as "against the grain". The rest of the world just caught up a few years ago. That's why Lawler called it "Bizzaro-land".

 

[LBGetBack]

They were in Toronto. I remember a lot of the time when they've been in Canada and the crowd isn't giving them the reaction they want they'll call it 'bizarro-land' or make a comment on it. Lawler would always mention it.

Things like Roman getting booed now is nearly every city. So they'd have to acknowledge it every time. Better to just say they're 'spirited'.

Good point on Toronto. They pretty much turned Hogan face again when they cheered him over the Rock at Mania 18 if I remember right.

 

[Eyebrows]

I remember how weird Summerslam 04 was. I felt like that was one of the worst crowds I've seen.

Also remember my parents were annoyed because we were on holiday in Spain and I was staying up late the night before the flight back home to watch it.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Yeah, Toronto was notorious for their smarkiness back in the day. Their reactions were always seen as "against the grain". The rest of the world just caught up a few years ago. That's why Lawler called it "Bizzaro-land".

While yes Toronto (or Ontario) is called Bizzaro-Land in certain respects I don't think some of the crowd reactions at Summer Slam 2004 was due to Toronto being a "Smark city".

Some examples:

Edge's crowd reaction - He wasn't exactly getting a good crowd reaction as a face leading up to Summer Slam anyways. If I can recall besides him returning from injury he never got a good pop and fans never got behind Edge as a "heroic face" type (see Edge after Royal Rumble 2010).

JBL/Undertaker Fans doing a Wave - At the time no one bought JBL as a Champion. Remember his gimmick only started after WM and he was getting some X-Pac heat being the Top Smackdown Heel challenging Guerrero for the title. It also didn't help that Undertaker stopped cutting promos and was booked into some silly angles (i.e. Booker T voodoo storyline, the concrete crypt match). When you put both guys together with a 3 week build, there wasn't enough time for fans to care. I mean come on you went from Kurt Angle to Brock Lesnar to Eddie Guerrero then, all of a sudden, Bradshaw?

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

PPV Crowds have always been more smarky, couple that with towns like NY, Philly or Montreal and you have a rambunctious bunch who need to be heard.

Fucking Mexican wave during JBL/Taker was a hoot, them basically embracing Hogan like a god was glorious.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The best part of all that is how you could tell Vince didn't WANT to acknowledge any of it but eventually told them they had to... hence the whole "bizzaro-land" stuff with Lawler... that's Vince's way of saying "this is not normal or acceptable, so we'll label you for it..."

To be fair with the Edge/Jericho stuff, with Jericho also being Canadian it was almost like a derby match anyway... like Bret v Owen... they could cheer or boo either and it not really affect the match.

Wave during Taker match... he must have been pissed off... Wouldn't be shocked if it was a reaction to JBL doing the Nazi goosestepping in Germany a short time before... A lot of fans really didn't like that he a) did that and b) got away with it... especially when today guys like Jericho get suspended for kicking a flag...

 

[Just Do It]

Spirited crowds make things so much better. Toronto has always been amazing for wrestling, Wrestlemania X8 for Rock / Hogan has to be the best ever. No stupid chants, singing along to songs etc. Just good old fashioned cheering and booing. Love it.

 

[American Male]

I've seen the PPV but I don't remember the crowd.

The most memorable thing from show I remember was that feud between HHH and Eugene. So sad I really wanted Eugene to win