August 1998
WCW/NWO Magazine, TALKING POINT
I was skimming through my personal wrestling library (OK, you can insert your own joke here) when I came across one of my favorite books: Wrestling's Great Grudge Matches, Battles & Feuds, a mid-1980s classic from Bert Sugar and George Napolitano.
The book highlighted past wars, such as Dusty Rhodes vs. Kevin Sullivan, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine, and the legendary Hulk Hogan/Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, not to mention the "Rowdy" Roddy Piper war with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. (Remember the coconut to the noggin'?)
The book provoked me to think about today's rivalries and what separates a Hall of Fame level feud, such as those previously mentioned, with your average, run of the mill rivalry.
You obviously need intense physical conflict, but also a lot of personal issues to make it a grand grudge.
When I look over the situation right now in WCW and the NWO, the one rivalry that clearly jumps off the page is Diamond Dallas Page vs. Raven. Had it been fought in the early-1980s, it certainly would have a place in the book.
The genesis of the DDP/Raven rivalry was their early years in the sport. When DDP first started wrestling in the early 1990s, he and Raven shared the same mentor, "The Snake," as each has mentioned repeatedly on TV interviews. Each learned the sport from "The Snake" and each built their lives and their professions.
Intense jealousy also brewed between the two, from the outset of their careers.
DDP's career has been filled with more peaks and valleys over the years than a roller coaster at Six Flags. He brought himself from Ground Zero to the People's Champion and the U.S. Heavyweight Championship. At the same time, Raven's career was, as he called it, "the hell of Barbed Wire City." He spent years in an East Coast promotion known for its violent style.
Raven, while competing in Pennsylvania, saw that DDP was gaining all of this success. Raven no doubt thought he should be at the same level as DDP, or maybe even higher.
When Raven arrived in WCW, he had answers for no one. including myself and "Mean" Gene Okerland.
Perhaps we should have just asked DDP. He probably could have answered all of our questions.
Deep down I think the whole reason Raven came to WCW was because of his jealousy over DDP's success and the fact he wanted to prove a point to himself, that he was able to compete at the same level as DDP.
As I look at the Raven/DDP war -- and, yes, it has been nothing less than war -- it has been one of the most physically demanding feuds in WCW history. DDP/Randy Savage was tough, DDP/Raven seems tougher.
The wars that were waged between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan not to long ago -- they are the closest fights we've seen to DDP/Raven.
The personal war between DDP and Raven really escalated following their Spring Stampede bout. Think back to Spring Stampede ... was that anything but an absolutely outrageous brawl? I don't think so.
Let's see, they fought on and off the stagecoach, through the wooden barricades, through fences and with garbage cans. The two even tore up the Internet broadcast site. Page suplexed Raven onto a table.
Then came the bull rope with the bell attached.
And Sick Boy even had the kitchen sink.
One thing that I remember from that night was how Horace Boulder earned his colors with the Flock. Remember, that's when he dressed like a WCW production crew member and actually nailed Page with a stop sign, allowing Raven to "steal" the U.S. Heavyweight Championship from Page. I'm sure that win made Raven feel he was/is on the same level as Page, that it validated him.
Then there was Salmboree, and WCW's inaugural Bowery Death Match. What can I possibly say to put that battle into proper perspective?
One of the most intriguing elements of the DDP/Raven feud is the personal comments, the biting, stinging commentary from both. How personal? After some recent Raven attacks, DDP's mother literally received a number of phone calls.
The DDP/Raven war has been a cross-promotional battle. Just ask the execs at MTV Live, where Raven threw a cheap shot at DDP on national TV. Then there was the Ultimate Video Challenge, live from New York City, where DDP choked Raven with the bull rope.
The DDP/Raven war has been exciting, and is no where near finished. Stay tuned, who knows what can possibly happen next. I know I will .... if only to see if DDP/Raven earns a spotting the second edition of Wrestling's Greatest Grudges.
Best wishes,
Mike.