FanPost

Wrestling world title runs as Pink Floyd albums

This, kids, is why you don’t suggest things as bits. Because then you actually do them. I suggested this as a bit in the event that Moxley vs Danielson isn't the finals of the world title eliminator. Then I actually did it because it was funny. So funny that I’ve actually thought about doing more, I’m open to suggestions too. Next one I have in mind is either Kate Bush or Taylor Swift. Anyways, on to this bit.

The Piper at the Gates of the Dawn: Buddy Rodgers WWWF title run

This is relatively easy. The Piper at the Gates of the Dawn is the first, and completely different to the rest of the sound. This is basically psychedelia, fitting with the first ever champ, Buddy Rodgers, a man upstaged by his successor, Bruno Sammartino. Still a good album though

A Saucerful of Secrets: Bob Backlund’s first title reign

Like A saucerful of secrets, Backlund’s run was the start of a transition. During it, Vince Sr passes on, and Vince Jr takes over. During this album’s making, David Gilmour is brought in due to Sid Barrett’s slowly deteriorating mental health and to take over some songwriting duties. The result is still psychedelic, but closer to prog the band is known for

More: Drew McIntyre’s first run

This is one that fits in with the troubled times of Drew’s run, More was the first album recorded without any involvement from Sid Barrett, as his mental health had rapidly deteriorated, and he left the band, and with it the original name of The Pink Floyd goes to just Pink Floyd. Drew’s run of course is mostly in a gym basically with no crowd due to a global pandemic. It’s the run, like More the album is that got through the troubles.

Ummagumma: Jinder Mahal’s title reign

This one’s easy in that both are really bad and shouldn’t have happened. Ummagumma is weird, it’s half a live album, and half weird trippy psych rock that doesn’t work. I did acid once, this is the type of auditory hallucinations acid creates. Like Jinder, it’s better left forgotten.

Atom Heart Mother: Yokozuna’s WWF title run

This was a difficult one mainly in that I don’t hate Atom Heart Mother, but it’s odd in retrospect, and David Gilmore has called it crap multiple times. The Yoko comparison is mainly in that it’s a slight transition point, Yoko ends the Hogan years and ushers in a new era, whereas Atom Heart Mother is the real push into more prog rather than acid rock.

Meddle: Shawn Michaels’ pre stone cold WWF title run

Meddle, like Shawn’s run is a means to an end. This was when Floyd was really pushing much more into prog rock, and leaving the psych rock, as it had fallen out with the rise of more country influenced rock like that of James Taylor, Carole King, and a band from England you may have heard of called Fleetwood Mac, and the bluesier hard rock of Led Zeppelin. The Shawn run was the way to get the belt to another comparison in Stone Cold, like Meddle

Obscured by Clouds: Kurt Angle’s first WWF title run

This one is an odd one, because Obscured by Clouds is a fitting title for an obscure album. It’s not a bad one, but boy did it get screwed by what came out around it, it comes out the same week as the Eagles debut album, and 4 days before a little album called The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which happens to be my favorite album of all time. The Angle comparison is more of a compositional one, Obscured by Clouds feels in many ways to be a proto-Dark Side, the first run was very proto what Kurt would become later.

Dark Side of the Moon: Stone Cold’s first run

This one is easy, Dark Side is one of the most important albums ever, like Austin’s first run is in the business. A lot of things don’t happen without them. It’s also because they’re both the most iconic works by each thing.

Wish You Were Here: Rey Mysterio’s 2006 World Title Run

This was the hardest one to figure out, because I had two directions, album content or its status, mainly as my favorite Pink Floyd album, I went content. If you’ve never listened to this in full, this’ll be very strange, but it’s an album about Syd Barrett, with both Wish You Were Here and the nine part suite Shine On You Crazy Diamond being about him. Rey’s run was in the end about Eddie much more than Rey. If I wanted to compare from an importance factor, I’d go with Savage winning the gold, in that this album’s structure is taken the next year by Rush with 2112, which also has a sweeping epic suite at the core.

Animals: Daniel Bryan’s 2018 WWE Title Run

Hear me out here. Animals is interesting in that it’s a critique of music as an industry within an album, like Bryan’s title run in 2018 was of both wrestling and consumerism. They’re also both the beginning of another change, in that Bryan began his evolution into a more brilliant promo than ever, and Roger Waters began taking more control of Pink Floyd.

The Wall: Stone Cold’s 2001 run

This comparison is hinged on that The Wall is the last Pink Floyd album many people listened to, like Stone Cold’s 2001 run was for a chunk of the wrestling audience since WCW had died. There’s zero content comparison given it’s The Wall, there’s been articles for years about what it all means and nothing in wrestling is a comp.

The Final Cut: Hulk Hogan’s 1993 WWF title run

This one is based on what it is: the last gasp of an artist before things turn. Hogan’s run was his last big one before the move to WCW and before the steroid trial would nearly take the company down. The Final Cut is the final Pink Floyd project Waters would be involved in before a mess of legal affairs with Waters just suddenly announcing the end for the band.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason: Lex Luger’s 1991 WCW title run

These have one thing in common: a big piece not being there. Lapse of Reason not having Waters, Luger not having Flair. It also works in that both are kinda forgettable.

The Division Bell: Alberto Del Rio’s first WWE title run

Both of these were overshadowed like nothing else. ADR by a little thing called the Summer of Punk, and The Division Bell, in spite of being a good album, by a little album that came out three months later you may have heard of. It was by a band from Manchester who wanted to Live Forver in Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. Brit Pop was the CM Punk to Division Bell’s Alberto Del Rio. Even if Take it Back is a great song.

The Endless River: Hulk Hogan’s 2002 run

Both of these are forgettable final swan songs to iconic careers. Hogan should never have won, and Endless River is rather unnecessary, especially in 2014, when prog rock was the furthest thing from the mainstream.

Remember to suggest any ideas you might have and that it is okay to not be okay. Have fun.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.