The Ignored Heel Of 1995

[The Brain]

A lot of people think 1995 was a terrible year for the WWF. Even though I don’t agree with that I can see why others think that way. One of the most common criticisms is the lack of main event heels. Diesel, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and Razor Ramon were top faces entering the year. Shawn Michaels and Bam Bam Bigelow, the two headline heels for WrestleMania XI, turned face immediately after the event. There were still some good heels but aside from Sid none of them stood out as a serious main event contender. The WWF tried to make Mabel a real threat by having him win King of the Ring and challenge for the title at SummerSlam, but the fans weren’t really buying it. During this time there was a man who at one time was considered a major threat in the WWF and had once main evented WrestleMania that was being ignored. That man was King Kong Bundy.

Now I know what you’re thinking. King Kong Bundy would not have been a huge difference maker in the WWF in 1995. It’s not like he was going to give any four star matches or bring in a new audience, but could he have at least given us a more interesting product than we got? Even though his initial WWF run only lasted two or three years Bundy was a monster in the mid 80s. He seriously injured Hulk Hogan (kayfabe) which led to him challenging the Hulkster for the title at WrestleMania 2. Bundy was a regular opponent and a serious challenger to Andre The Giant before forming a brief partnership with him. Bundy definitely made an impression on the WWF before leaving in early 1988.

Fast forward to 1994 and Bundy is about to make his return. I was pretty excited for it. Granted the WWF, and wrestling in general, was much different since I last saw Bundy but I remembered him as the monster that used to scare me as a seven year old. I just assumed he would be a top challenger for the world title upon his return. Bundy did have a brief feud with The Undertaker which led to a match at WM11 but after that Bundy became irrelevant. He would hang around for a few more months barely getting on tv before leaving in the summer.

I’m not going to try to tell you Bundy would have given us a bunch of thrilling matches. His appeal was always his size and by the mid 90s size alone wasn’t enough to cut it. However, given what we actually saw that year don’t you think the WWF could have at least gotten a little more mileage out of Bundy? Given his past reputation I’d say Bundy would have been a better opponent than Mabel for Diesel at SummerSlam. Bret Hart was stuck feuding with a very green Isaac Yankem and Jean Pierre Laffite. Wouldn’t a feud with Bundy have been more intriguing than that? Don’t overestimate what I’m saying here. By no means am I suggesting that Bundy should have led the WWF going into 1996 and been a top guy for the next few years. As a matter of fact I’d say once Vader came in there would no longer be a need for Bundy. I’m just saying given the lack of top heels at the time Bundy could have helped fill a void during the second half of 1995. What do you think?

 

[Big Sexy]

I guess Bundy could have been used a little bit more but at best he would have been where Mabel was. He likely would have done a better job then Mable because Bundy was a veteran who knew what he was doing as a monster heel, but in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't have made that much of a difference.

This was also still the time period where Vince didn't want any of his 80's big names making too much of an impact. It had been nearly a decade since Bundy was at the top of his game so they went with the young gun in Mabel to see what would happen. Obviously it failed miserably but Bundy wouldn't have done a ton better filling that void.

Bundy was just a veteran monster brought back to feed to Taker at Mania. I don't even think he made another ppv appearance after Mania 11.

 

[HBsam31]

This was a particularly interesting time for me regarding wresting, I was 15 and very into what Shawn Micheals was doing as he was just turning face. Bundy would have made a great opponent for Micheals. Bundy still did have some star power and is a big monster heel from the 80's and shawn getting a clean win over him would have helped solidify him as a giant killing face. I agree that Bundy would not have carried the company on his back, but they definetly could have gotten more miles off him than they did

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There were much better heels of the time, stuck in "dumb" gimmicks who could have done much more. Isaac Yankem as a concept sucked, but Glen Jacobs was clearly not a run of the mill bad guy in the ring. LaFitte was a great worker stuck in a stupid costume stealing jackets... even Hakushi, who they brought in specifically to feud with Bret got buried.

The problem WWE had at the time was that the Kliq were at the peak of their powers, Nash, Hall and Shawn were already ruling the roost and choosing their matches. Shawn wouldn't have even considered a Bundy in his leauge, Razor would have felt it beneath him to work with Bundy and Kid was in the same stable, not keen to work with bigger guys. Nash v Bundy would have been a RAW match at best...we all know how Nash and co treated threats like Shane Douglas and later Bigelow.

One guy of that year who I thought did have IT was Waylon Mercy, Spivey was still good value and the character itself was quite interesting. Had he not got the injury that ended his career, I think he might have been a good foil for a Shawn face turn with the mind games stuff that later worked so well with Foley.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

Well, I'm actually inclined to say the heel that was somewhat ignored and should have been pushed to the moon in '95 was Hakushi.

Regardless, I agree that there was definitely more that could've been done with Bundy. Despite having been away from the company for 6 years and having been a headliner in the first 3 WrestleManias, Bundy was actually still relatively young at only 38. He wasn't like Hogan or Flair still hanging around in TNA today. I think Bundy certainly had more to offer, but I think he needed a more serious gimmick change. Maybe they could've made him a little more weasel-like and have him say he came back to the WWF now that Hogan was gone, because he was scared of him? Or have him say that he spent 6 years in isolation, and they could've had vignettes of him in a cabin somewhere training everyday like he was losing his mind, with a bunch of scratch marks in the walls counting the days of his absence. He could explain he hated himself everyday for never winning the world title and now he was coming back a monster, to take what should have been his at WrestleMania 2, and this time he wouldn't stop until he fulfilled his destiny to be champ. Maybe he could have challenged Bret to a cage match at WM11 or something?

 

[Defekt]

This was a particularly interesting time for me regarding wresting, I was 15 and very into what Shawn Micheals was doing as he was just turning face. Bundy would have made a great opponent for Micheals. Bundy still did have some star power and is a big monster heel from the 80's and shawn getting a clean win over him would have helped solidify him as a giant killing face. I agree that Bundy would not have carried the company on his back, but they definetly could have gotten more miles off him than they did

Shawn feuded with the Million Dollar Corporation and defeated King Kong Bundy on RAW in 1995. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm8qMjUbqEU

I remember this time period well, and personally I wouldn't have wanted to see Bundy working main event programs. The guys on top in 1995 (Shawn, Deisel, Razor, Bret, Owen, etc) had a certain coolness to them that Bundy didn't have and were having better matches than Bundy could have delivered.

 

[HBsam31]

Yeah, if I remember right Sid turned on Micheals, putting him out of commission, then a week or two later joined the Million Dollar Corporation.

Yes, now i remember, Shawn went through the members of the corporation culminating in a match with sid. That being said I guess Bundy would have been underwhelming if put in the main event. Even with a monster push there was no way he would have gone over shawn, razor or diesel at that point.

 

[dansaun77]

jesus, Bundy was only brought in to give Taker a credible opponent for Wrestlemania, thus why Bundy didnt stick around after Mania 11. Thats common knowledge. 1995 sucked bulk, they should have pushed British Bulldog much harder once he turned heel in mid 1995 instead of waiting til 1996.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Man, I know you're all sick of this, but I have to do it.

Take King Kong Bundy. Subtract the weak-looking Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man build and the generic Superheavyweight screaming promos that say nothing at all. Add an actual cache of wrestling holds AND visually impressive (and physically devastating) high flying maneuvers. Remove the kayfabe "this guy has no chance" and replace it with an honest, dangerous, "this guy works stiff / this guy is a legend in Japan / this guy beat Sting 3 out of 5."

And you have Vader. Once he arrived in '95-'96, Bundy and Mabel were all but forgotten. WWE misuse of the big man aside, he added some new elements to the Hart / Austin / Sid / Diesel / Michaels / Undertaker talent pool in the mid-90's with some big man legitimacy.

Bundy is ho-hum to begin with. Vader made him barely an afterthought.

 

[neildittmar]

Though my memory may be a little hazy as to precisely why, I remember 1995 being a bad year for wrestling in general (WWF, WCW, or otherwise). Little of it had to do with King Kong Bundy (or any "top heel") not getting a proper push though. In fact, at the time "acts" like King Kong Bundy were precisely the problem with wrestling in the mid-90's. The audience had seen it all before. They were burnt out. They wanted both new "characters" and new situations. To put it bluntly, Bundy would've provided neither.

Despite the "new generation" begining to come to the forefront in the WWF, the presentation is what held wrestling back I think. Despite what guys like Bret and Shawn were doing in the ring, the entertainment aspect was what was being pushed the hardest. WWF had almost turned into a parody of itself, as every "over the top" stereotype one could possibly think of in regards to professional wrestling was being showcased week in and out. WCW was no better with the Dungeon of Doom, Cactus Jack missing in Cleveland, and other assorted nonsense.

Much like Hulkamania being brought to WCW, Bundy being thrust into the limelight again in main event, high profile attractions would've been symptomatic of the problem with wrestling in general... not the answer to wrestlings "problem" in the mid-90's. Folks were looking for fresh faces in different scenarios and storylines. Both were equally important in reshaping the industry and bringing it out of its slump. Bundy being catapulted to the top of the card would've been the exact polar opposite of both of those mandates.

 

[The Idiot]

I see what youre getting at, Brain...but I dont think they should have pushed Bundy any more than they did. IMO, he was never that great in the 80's and had no business feuding with the likes of the Undertaker in 95. His gimmick was terrible and his ring skills were bad.

If anyone, I think the WWF could have gotten more out of Luger before he left, and not throw him in a dead end tag team with Davey. Luger made a great heel and I think he would have been more sucessful had he not gone the "All American" route.

Bundy didnt belong in the WWF, especially at a time when the smaller, more skilled performers were starting to be noticed. Indeed it was a hard time for the WWF as they were struggling losing their top guys, but bringing back fossils from the 80s definitely wasnt the answer.

 

[HonkyDong Man]

To me King Kong Bundy has always been one of those larger than life wrestling figures. He may not have put on 5 star matches and he may not have been the best on the stick, but he always entertained me. Just the mere size of this "mountain of a man" (Mean Gene Okerlund) and Jimmy Hart as his mouthpiece, was enough to make Bundy a player in my book.

From the squash match against S.D. Jones at WM I, via the cage match with Hogan at WM II to the midget match at WM III, Bundy has always come across as one of the baddest guys on the block.

If there ever was a wrestler who was born to be a heel it was Bundy.

So to The Brains question - was he ignored upon his return in the fall of 1994? No, I don't think he was ignored. I do, however, think he wasn't utilized the way he should have been, or could have been.

Im sure the WWF saw the potensial in a Bundy return. After all they had him feud with one of the most over characters of the nineties, namely The Undertaker.

I think Bundys exit from the WWF the following year was more due to the fact that creative didn't have any clue on how to use Bundy.

You can't boil soup on rusty nails.

Given that the guy was in his prime, I would rather see King Kong Bundy in a match rather than 95% of todays WWE roster.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

Bundy was legitimately scary. The way he looks in the face reminds me of Jason Voorhees in the first 4 Friday the 13th films(the Human Jason, not the Zombie).

King Kong Bundy should have gotten the push to win the King of the Ring, and face Diesel at SummerSlam 95. I like the previous angle mentioned that he was scared of Hogan, and now that he was gone, he was back in the WWF to beat up on all the young baby wrestlers.

I also agree with a previous post that Hakushi should have gotten a bigger push in 95.

 

[DirtyD79]

Despite the "new generation" begining to come to the forefront in the WWF, the presentation is what held wrestling back I think. Despite what guys like Bret and Shawn were doing in the ring, the entertainment aspect was what was being pushed the hardest. WWF had almost turned into a parody of itself, as every "over the top" stereotype one could possibly think of in regards to professional wrestling was being showcased week in and out. WCW was no better with the Dungeon of Doom, Cactus Jack missing in Cleveland, and other assorted nonsense.

I agree, I know I for one was sick and tired of the dumb as a post goody two shoes overgrown boyscout babyfaces and the USA hawwwk tooey Saturday Morning cartoon villain heels. Really monster trucks on top of the Cobo arena? Yetays? Pirates? IRS stealing tombstones? really? The crap coming out of WWF and WCW killed wrestling for me until I discovered ECW and the nWo a year later. So in short no King Kong Bundy or any heel for that matter wouldn't have fixed the problem until wrestling itself changed the way it was being presented.

 

[J.J.]

I'm impressed, KKB was not used correctly in WWE during those times, this was the same KKB that wrestled Hogan in a cage 10 years or so before. So he definitely had made a name for himself, i watched a Vince McMahon shoot interview few years ago where Vince felt because KKB had been out the business for a few years, he wouldnt be as relevant. This guy was acting and doing commercials, he was definitely relevant. It's unfortunate he was not used instead they wanted to push the likes of Mabel and Savio Vega.

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

I remember being 10 years old watching the 95 KOR, and I just couldn't believe that Men on a Mission beat the Undertaker. I thought it was stupid then, and looking back considering the fued that KKB was having with the Taker earlier that year, it was really stupid. King Kong Bundy should have won the 95 KOR, and then faced Diesel at SS 95.

 

[J.J.]

I remember being 10 years old watching the 95 KOR, and I just couldn't believe that Men on a Mission beat the Undertaker. I thought it was stupid then, and looking back considering the fued that KKB was having with the Taker earlier that year, it was really stupid. King Kong Bundy should have won the 95 KOR, and then faced Diesel at SS 95.

But let's be real, you honestly think they were going to allow KKB to beat Shawn Michaels? Especially with him being on rise to he WWE's biggest star? It just wasn't happening.

 

[The Brain]

In response to a few replies here I want to reiterate that I’m not saying Bundy would have been a big difference maker. He wouldn’t have dramatically increased ratings or attendance. He wouldn’t have been champion. I’m not saying he would have beaten Shawn Michaels. All I’m saying is he would have been a better opponent than Mabel was for Diesel and a better opponent than Pierre was for Hart. That’s all.