The Story of The First Ever WWF Smackdown Show
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 เม.ย. 2020
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WWE Raw has always been considered the flagship WWE weekly wrestling show. Raw made it’s debut back in 1993 and as time went on, the show would face stiff competition from rival WCW and it’s Monday Nitro Show. When Monday Nitro became massively popular, Ted Turner decided he wanted more wrestling on TBS. Against Eric Bischoff’s wishes, WCW Thunder was created, and the new WCW show would air on Thursday nights on TBS.
Over a year after Thunder made it’s debut, UPN and the WWF decided to try a one off pilot episode of a brand new weekly wrestling broadcast. This show, named “WWF Smackdown”, would also air on Thursday nights. WCW wasn’t capturing the same audiences in mid 1999 as they did in early 1998, and with the first Smackdown being aired on network television in April ’99, you can instantly tell that this would be an easy victory for the WWF.
This video takes a look at the debut pilot episode of WWF Smackdown live, a show that featured the debut of the Corporate Ministry, Val Venis taking on The Blue Blazer, D-Lo Brown vs Droz, Mankind vs The Bossman and much more. This video also takes a look at the WCW Thunder episode that aired on the 29th of April also.
Topics covered include:
00:41 - The Creation of WCW Thunder
03:04 - The Smackdown Pilot on network television
08:21 - The very first match in Smackdown history
11:16 - The Corporate Ministry is formed on Smackdown
17:48 - The Brood flops during their first ever promo
21:21 - The Rock and Steve Austin vs Triple H and The Undertaker
- Much More!
#WWE #Wrestling #Smackdown - กีฬา
This theme makes me want to boot up my PS1 and play smackdown know your role
HardboiledHarris haha
ps2
Yes i still love that game. Its one of my favourites.
I am playing wwe 2k17 on ps3. It's pretty good
Smack down Just Bring It
Smackdown: Who in the blue hell are you?
Thunder: I'm you but I was fir...
Smackdown: *IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE!!!*
ohh god. Thats perfect.
0:21 dope ever first smackdown! Theme in 1999
The main difference between both their first shows is the rock
@@ramsy4205 Tje differense is that Bischoff had Nitro first level then moved second class names to Thunder and left it cold...For a Year Randy Savage run the show by himself using mid card wrestlers...
@@user-ns7tv2li1u sure. I'm talking about the first shows. Both first shows had big names and mediocre promos, the difference was the rock coming on and making the show and especially the main event must see tv
The OvalTron will forever be my favorite WWF ring setup.
Same
I liked it too. It gave the set a whole different vibe from Raw. Also, I was never a fan of the giant fist over the entrance.
Fist gang or don’t bang
I like the fist stage
Fist stage?
As someone who began watching wrestling without cable, Smackdown is and will always be my favorite WWE show!
The buried alive match at the end with Austin emerging from the ambulance was simply amazing.
Smackdown will forever be... The Rock’s show!
Yeah right
Nah not Necessarily true because with John Bradshaw layfield as a world champion SmackDown beat Raw in the rankings for I believe a year straight
Young Medi the show is literally named after one of his catchphrases lol, how is it not his show?
Actually Eddie guerrero made smak down what it is
Eddie Guerrero nothing but a Pot Head
When Smackdown made its debut in 99, I truly thought maybe the company was pushing their luck especially when they had a fully established show like Raw doing extremely well but they took a gamble and it definitely paid off in a big way. If Raw was Stone Cold's show then Smackdown was The Rock's and it worked for everyone.
The show did fine the first year but ultimately two shows per week was too much and it was their downfall. The ratings started to dip toward the end of 2000 because the story lines were getting boring. Like he said early in the video it dilutes the product. Bischoff was right.
@@kurthaberle4698 Yeah but Smackdown was consistently better than Raw from 2002 to at least 2011, and on and off since then tbf.
@@kurthaberle4698 it help WWE tho to expand so it worked for them
No smackdown, no wwe draft
Actually the 1st Smackdown was in December 1998, I remember waiting on Thursdays bc sometimes Thursday Night Raw would show on the USA Network and the following week on Monday Night Raw they would show 1 hour of the taped show and switch from the Warzone to Raw. 1st Smackdown show had the Raw red ropes and the walkway and Titantron were Raw but after a few episodes the Smackdown logo and the spiral walkway were awesome.
I do remember the UPN SmackDown promo, that takes me back from being a little kid. Poor Owen Hart this was his first, and only SmackDown a month prior to his death. I could imagine him being on, more episodes of SmackDown. Rest In Peace Owen. I love and miss, the old SmackDown stage setting.
Top comment
Imagine if he never attempted that stupid stunt at Over the Edge and he got drafted to Smackdown to work with the Smackdown Six. We'd have the Smackdown Seven.
Imagine another timeline where RAW was Steve and Bret’s show, while SmackDown! was Rock and Owen’s. That would’ve been the coolest. It’s poetic in how both similar and different Bret and Owen were, like how Stone Cold and Rock are as much the same as they are unalike each other.
I won tickets to this pilot from a radio call in show after answering a Wrestlemania 2 trivia question. The Pyro smelled terrible and I did not get to hear cornette's play by play..
Everything else was good, though, I’d assume?
That’s pretty cool. Sounds like it was fun
It was only time I was ever in that particular arena the Hartford Whalers once used. It was cool.
Smackdown is The Rock.. The Rock is Smackdown
Kishore Jaiswal “The Rocks show.. SmackDown!”
Wrong smackdown is the house that aj styles built
@@christianreyes9561 lol smackdown was built by the rock way before styles arrived.
@@christianreyes9561 meanwhile in 1999 when smack down debuted, AJ Styles was a nobody but continue
@@christianreyes9561 rock built it AJ helped keep it afloat
The good ol days. I remember just being so impatient for the next Smackdown or RAW to come on. I’m glad I was a kid and experienced the Attitude Era on tv and live for a couple showings. Love your videos btw.
Especially not having cable smack down was clutch 💯
Ppv where the best during this era now the show sucks and just 🗑
@@miguelguerrero323 even normal matches back in the day would be a PPV match today.
Me too man. I was 16-17 from 1998-99/00 when WWF Attitude Era was the best pro wrestling has ever been or ever will be.
We really had the best childhoods.
“On the rocks show we have a little of anthem of our own and it’s called god save my roody poo candy ass”
-Oh man how great wrestling was
Or "Undertaker Needs To Save Himself From Stupidity" Undertaker: Exactly
You are one of the few TH-camrs in general that I don't get bored of and you're honestly one of the greatest wrestling TH-camrs.
Yea this pass year he and wreatlings premiere have done great jobs one is old school the other covers the 2006 to current day
@@ousmansano21 check out "wrestling with paul" he breaks down every year month by month with the scenes of all the major stuff I'm 3/4 of the way through 1993 and love the channel
Wrestling with Wregret is great too
There is only Wrestling Bios, Wrestlelamia, Wrestling with Regret, and Jim Cornett. Everything else is either 🚽🗑TRASH🗑🚽, or I haven’t watched it! Yes I am Saying what culture wrestling is 🚽🗑TRASH🗑🚽, and the spin off group is 🚽🗑TRASH🗑🚽 too‼️‼️‼️💯💯✔️
he should pin this comment.
Smackdown was always my show. I was never able to watch Raw cause I never had the channel that carried it but was always able to watch Smackdown on Sky1 every Saturday, can't remember what time it started either 12pm or 1pm but whatever time it was I always there in front of my tv to watch some good old fashioned wrastlin :D
I was not able to catch Smackdown during its first year in production from April 1999 to August 2000 because my tv didn't get UPN, only the USA Network. In mid September 2000 they finally began to air it weekly on my tv networks which was exciting. I was able though to watch the episodes I missed that first year once I suscribed to the WWE Network
i could only watch RAW and it was my dream to watch both
always did smackdown then livewire or jakked. sky1 saturday morning
10am!
WWE Smackdown was the 1st show that got me hooked into wrestling .
WWF SmackDown! was the first show that I started to watch the WWF/E as a kid back then in August 1999 after months that I stopped watching WCW.
@@themadrapper101 110% wholeheartedly agree!!!! 👍
@@themadrapper101 And in 2002-2005 Smackdown was thumbs up the best show...After Eddie died went down...
@@themadrapper101 I dont blame you my fav is Kane but look what RAW done to him ,Goldberg , Michaels...Unmasked Kane vs Shane would be top and they buried it..Michaels vs Nash was totally trash...and Goldberg ??!!! Evolution screwed the storyline...
And then you have Smackdown... Epic storyline Booker T vs Benoit, rise up of JBL , Guerrero flourished , Kurt Angle rocked , Edge rising.
So much nostalgia here! DDP was in great shape. HHH was FINALLY breaking away from sh*t gimmicks & became a monster heel. It was sad to see how badly Test ( R.I.P. ) & The Big Show were wasted for their whole careers. I can't speak on the tag team division during the 2000's, but the mid to late 90's tag teams seemed to be a pattern of hodgepodge groups, unlike how the 70's & 80's had strongly identified teams. Overall, Smackdown was fun, especially before the brand split!
Tag team division in the 90s and 2000s was epic!
Hardy boyz, Dudley boyz, edge & Christian (brood), T&A, APA, new age outlaws, Kane & x-pac, rock & sock connextion, unholy alliance (undertaker & big show), the hollys, brothers of destruction, power trip (HHH & Austin), D lo brown and mark henry, the hart foundation. amongst some many more.
You've talked about the Rock's show, next up should be the Rock's PPV: Rockbottom!
@Dantè Spardason I think Bottomline is Stone Cold Steve Austin's show
The Rock Bottom PPV is in " In Your House" series it is number 23 or 24...
This channel leaves me with not even being able to come up with words to describe how good it is. I truly enjoy it.
i liked what Eric said.. wwf is a wrestling company doing tv while wcw was a tv company doing wrestling
similar to what vince narrated....turner tells vince- im now in the rasslin business. vince replies - thats great but im in the entertainment business
Eric Is Right About That One
four321zero vince is in the curing insomnia business
Vince desperately wants WWE to be a movie company first and a wrestling company last.
You can clearly tell that by the aesthetics lol , watching WCW felt like I was watching American gladiators or battle dome
I made it into this video! I was at the first weekly episode in Kansas City. I'm holding the white sign by the oval screen when you show HBK at 6:52. Awesome night of rasslin'!
Wow nice
That's cool man.
Awesome ASF
What did your sign say?
It doesn’t matter what his sign said
Couldnt afford cable back then. I was so happy i could finally watch wreztling on regular tv. Especially the smackdown pilot. Besides watching shotgun saturday night late night Saturdays. And the wcw nitro rerun on the spanish channel saturday afternoons
Don't forget Sunday night heat.
@@xrpmaxi8839 was going to say it but you beat me to it!
The first ever smackdown was in a May. It was a 1 time special. And then in August they started it every week. I remember it like it was today. I ate some watermelon on the porch around 6pm and kept looking at the watch waiting for 8pm to watch smackdown bc I always had to go to my neighbors to watch RAW bc we didn't have cable 😭
Coming back to watch this since Reliving The War just got to this point and I can really see the beginning of one of my favorite shows in this video.
_Removing?_ 🤔
@@mcgannahanskyjellyfetti6854 I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, GOOD SIR!! I MOST ASUREDLY DID NOT JUST EDIT OUT A TYPO THAT IS VILE SLANDER!!
You think of topics that I didn’t know that I wanted to see. Good channel.
That's why I love this channel
Where I live, they used to show Smackdown on Fox on Saturdays at 11pm. When I was in high school, I used to run two and half miles after work to get home in time to watch it, rain or snow. I didn't have cable in my room at that time, so Smackdown was the only wrestling exposure I had.
Facts I remember growing up poor AF and only had rabbit ears on my small 12 inch TV. I’d have to sneak up to watch smackdown cause my parents were they typical late 90’s strict Christian parents lol
@@philiptucker7590 Oh yeah, I wasn't allowed to watch wrestling when I was a kid either. But that all changed when I got my own TV. After that, my mom didn't really care anymore and we actually started talking about wrestling.
With all the problems that are in the world right now and im wanting to lift other peoples morale by providing good content on youtube
And you're doing just that. I recently found your channel and am hooked. Thank you for the quality content and bringing us back to a great time in our lives
I recently found the channel as well brother. Keep up the good work my friend.
And wow man, I hadn't seen those TV guides since I was 14 years old and my father brought them home one day from work.
But why are you advertising on Wrestling Bios' comments section trying to get viewers to your channel? I may be missing a connection here, but if you're just piggybacking off Wrestling Bios' success to get people to watch you, that's pretty shitty. Earn viewers the right way, not just commenting on a successful channel's page, trying to pull at the heartstrings of unknowing randoms...
I fully get how Smackdown would have been the more interesting, and appealing show that night.
But today, sign me up for that random Sandman v. Diesel match, and Goldberg v. Meng.
Whos here after the most recent Reliving the War episode?
yup lol
Guilty lol
Heres a little known fact.....the pilot episode came from the New Haven Coliseum, in New Haven CT. Place was torn down around 2002.
I grew up playing hockey in there
As a kid who didn’t have cable growing up, smack down on upn was a savior.
That first theme song for smackdown was so sick!
Wrestling Bios laying the smackdown as always
Finally made it here. Very cool to come back and rewatch this video after seeing how far the channel’s come. Great work, and thanks for keeping it going all this time. 👍
lol Big Show squashed someone on the first Thunder and the first Smackdown.
I know you hear this a lot, but your videos are so well done. I can't even get into modern wrestling anymore, but I love your videos recapping old wrestling history. Good stuff man.
Easily the best wrestling channel this man has so much in dept knowledge and detail and keeps everyone watching thank you my friend .....
i was 19 when Smackdown first aired! wow! just after my birthday April 2th
subscribed been reliving the my youth through your videos, im 31 this year and just happy I got to see a time where wrestling seemed to rule the world, will never happen again and very of the time. Great memories!
I didn't have cable at the time so I remember when Smackdown came around I was ecstatic to finally be able to watch wrestling on TV. I used to go to Every ECW, WCW, and WWF show that came to Buffalo and I could get the pay-per-view on tape a day or two after they aired but it was impossible to actually keep up with storylines until this show came along
I didn't have cable as a kid so definitely enjoyed SmackDown on UPN without that I probably wouldn't be such a big fan of wrestling as a whole..
The first smackdown was like a ppv event
Wrestling Bios, WrestlingPremiers and WrestlinGifs have carved out a new subgenre of wrestling content and I'm loving it.
Daaaamn you are pumping out a TON of quality content for us during this Quarantine!!! Thanks a lot man, keep up the nice work! I'M a big fan of your channel
Man that smackdown intro music. Glorious!!!
I loved the original theme of Smackdown
Bullion Bully B-Clay 2006s was a banger too though
They need to do away with stupid themes for both Raw and Smackdown they both Suck
I really don't get how anybody can dislike your videos, they are amazing, I've got so many of my friends to subscribe to your videos, as I'm sure many others have.
That pilot episode of Smackdown was what brought me back to WWE. I stopped watching WCW. Didn't have cable. Smackdown was free and entertaining.
Albert, Droz, D’Lo and Mark four seriously underrated guys but definitely solid mid-carders in WWE at the time
Thanks to you and to Wrestling Premier I'm remembering things I had long forgotten and learning details I never knew or considered important but now I find interesting and entertaining.
smackdown was so good from 1999-2004
What jabroni is the 1 dislike? 22 dislikes now? Check yourself into the smackdown hotel.
This is simply the best wrestling channel in TH-cam mate. Congrats from Puerto Rico!
I was at the pilot Smackdown. It was originally supposed to be a taping for Raw but instead they announced it would be a new show. I'm sure that's the reason there weren't different ropes or stage.
That would make sense. I have no expertise in wrestling or television but my assumption was that the cost and time it would require is something you wouldn’t be taking on unless you have a commitment for a show. Guessing you’re just testing for an idea if what audience you may draw in. But I didn’t even think to consider wat you’ve said here which is so simple and logical to explain things I imagine not many think that things may be that simple
Jim Cornette and Michael Cole on commentary. Sméa-cole hadn't completely been transformed into Cole-lum by Vince McSauron yet.
Between this pilot and the regular first episode of the "Smackdown" series, Cornette left Stamford, bought a stake in Ohio Valley Wrestling and made it the first developmental territory for the WWF. OVW founder Danny Davis handled the financial side, Cornette was the booker, wrote the TV shows, was the on-air commentator, and most importantly scouted and trained the last generation of real wrestling stars (Lesnar, Cena, Orton, Batista) the WWF/WWE has had until today.
I been following wrestling again since January when I found AEW and since then I been finding YT accounts talking about the attitude era and I'm glad I found you. I'm a new sub. Just keep up the good work and I'll keep hitting that like button. Stay safe brother. ✌️
UNCOMMON SENCE hey, me too!
I’m an mma guy and haven’t watched wrasslin in over 20 years.
But since AEW came around, I’ve been scouring TH-cam for old school stuff.
I was there in New Haven! Thanks so much for this video, really brought back to nostalgia!! Cheers
Thanks for this video it was great taking a trip down memory lane .you hit the nail on the head about star power then compared to now its like they are two different sports now
Mentioning WCW Thunder, brings back a memory of when I went to a Thunder show. Only thing I remember was Norman Smiley, the misfits in action, and when Booker T came out. I was sitting kinda far back and I could still feel the heat from the flames. Idk why but I'll never forget that.
THANKS for doing all the research to be able too put all of these videos together for ppl like me and ppl like you... so like i said...THANK YOU dude...
One thing I remember of my childhood was I loved WWF when I discovered it by accident on regular antenna television. But when I got the cheap cable services, I learned about WCW because there was a channel that was static but I could sort make out WCW in that static. I always wanted to watch WCW growing up. Then I learned about ECW and just remember the feeling of missing out.
Peak of the attitude era. Great time to be a fan. Another classic video
Anyone here from the newest RTW episode???
That intro of smackdown awesome back in the day when smackdown was worth watching wrestling bios keeps putting the videos out wrestling bios you definitely need to cover some NWA, ECW, Brusier Brody before that horrible incident and Magnum TA
Billy Gunn is so damn cool he's the Patrick Swayze of sports entertainment
He was my favorite, as a kid.👍😁
I wish we could have this eras booking with today's workrate.
PS. Time and Time again you prove why this is the best wrestling channel on TH-cam.
This was a great idea by the WWF to debut smackdown in early 99 to see if the show would work and it did by August it became a weekly show the rest is history
I was so excited about it. My parents didn’t have cable tv so until smack down was on I only got too watch wwf shotgun. It was like a recap show with 2 Matches between new guys.... it was on at like midnight.
I love how this episode talks about the first episode of Smackdown! However, the only thing I have to say is the audio is a little funky from 10:48 to 10:53
I was still very young at this time to fully appreciate the WWF storytelling but I distinctly remember finding WWF unappealing from a purely visual standpoint. WCW at the time seemed slightly more professional and had guys with great screen presence, even if their work seemed sloppy in hindsight. The tables quickly turned by 2000 and 2001 however, I remember warming to the WWF around that point as their production values and characters started to look less like something out of a Jerry Springer episode. Early Ruthless Aggression era is still some of my favourite wrestling to this day, even though late Attitude Era had edgier promos and skits.
Ive been patiently waiting for this. This is awesome as usual. thanks for what you do.
Kinda funny when WCW moved Thunder to Wednesdays after Smackdown started kicking their butts on Thursday nights in a war that they started with WWE that night Nitro debuted on that Monday night in 1995.
You said you didn’t want to make a video about the first episode of thunder, but I came here after watching that exact video you clearly decided to make lol 👏
The picture of corporate ministry talking looked like toys especially HHH
That whole thing with Nicole Bass and Val Venis is...really timely with what Val’s been ranting about on Twitter.
You are absolutely killing it, Bios!
I remember this I was so excited. I didn’t have cable but my Mom did so to be able to watch wrestling at my house was so cool!! I taped it and watched it so much!!
We finally got here in RTW. Amazing work man.
I was there
Wow brings back crazy memories
It's definatley the louder then you think
which one smackdown or thunder? and do you still enjoy wrestling now? burnout?
Man I love the intro music in your videos. It's catchy af.
The popularity of wrestling back then really was insane and I’m glad I was able to grow up on it. My friends and I would just be so anxious to find out what would happen on the next Raw or Smackdown episode. We were so attached to the characters.
cheers for the great videos lad, keep it up
And now we have wrestling no less than 6 days a week.
Original SmackDown! is the pinnacle of wrestling aesthetic and true embodiment of the spirit of late 90s!
I see Smackdown a Purely 2000s Show as by 99' RAW still ruled.
@@cosmicrust9715 Spirit of the time doesn't change just because a certain number in calendar changed, it happens differently and that is why early 00s and late 90s are the same zeitgeist with the same authentic aesthetic.
@@RobinoviHudovi Well you said Smackdown and I said that It is purely 2000s show. Nobody was talking about Smackdown in 99' which debuted in August 99'; in fact RAW was King till 2002 or so.
@@cosmicrust9715 You are not seeing the larger picture, I'm talking about something which culturally even surpasses the significance of wrestling itself, and that is the aesthetics of the turn of the Millennium which SmackDown perfectly captured.
I only had cable growing up so I didn't see my first episode of smackdown until 2004. Mom and I were moving, we stopped at a hotel for the night. I was channel surfing on and by sheer luck I found smackdown, what are the chances lmao.
It’s funny how Thursday night Smackdown helped the WWE and Thunder hurt the WCW
That intro will never be beaten.
Facts!
Finally looking for a video like this for years
best birthday gift ever was them kicking off smackdown as a weekly on my 23rd birthday in August. i was a HUUUUUGE fan back then.
Knowing the pay off to the ministry of darkness storyline really puts another light on that match
I was a teenager during the wars man it was a great time
man you are seriously on fire with your vids bro. also any one still wondering what lyrics are for the original smackdown theme? lol
"Over/Exposure"
Ironic one that, considering they're in every video 😂
This channel cracks me up. The host is so like fair if that makes sense. Seems like he just looks at the world in a realistic way. Clearly some bias but he always admits when he likes something just cause he likes it and says what other people don't like about the things he likes. We need more of this in the world. He seems to be truly honest in his reviews. Just wanted to say good work.
I was so excited when this aired. I didn’t have cable to be able to watch Monday Night Raw so this was such a big deal 😂❤️
I don't know about you all but I was poor growing up and couldn't afford cable. When Smackdown aired I actually recorded it on VHS. I had that whole show memorized because I watched it so many times lol.
SmackDown was the best show in the 2000s over Monday Night RAW. Undertaker , randy Orton, Eddie guerrero, Rey mysterio, batista, Kurt angle, brock lesnar, John cena, booker t, big show, JBL... this show was stacked with so much effective talent. Was a great time to be a wrestling fan.
Even had video games.
WCW thunder game.👎
The Rocks show
Absolutely.
D'lo was much underrated. It's a shame The Droz incident impacted those guys career
These are great I member trying to watch both at the same time. It was so weird that it started on UPN which was a tiny network.
I love the episode comparison idea,thats entertaining
Can you do a video on cruiserweight and light heavy weights. Love your channel man
Elgin Waller he already did