He was diagnosed not long before this point, and even though he held on for another few years he wasn’t quite right here. I think Vince wanted to give him one last hurrah before he went for treatment, incase he wasn’t going to recover. A nice pop for him as well
Honestly, Earthquake didn't look bad, and still had the crowd in his hands. If his health didn't get bad, I wonder if Vince would have offered him a job.
Crazy that Earthquake had a match with the Smackdown set there. And this nobody got waaay too much offense in on him in my opinion. But management probably wanted to see Earthquake in a back and forth match, still kind of a try out match maybe. See what he could do these days.
It absolutely was a try out match. Quake had a couple dark matches and then wasn't used again. Story is Vince wanted to build Quake back up as a main eventer to work with Austin but was turned away by how much smaller Quake was at this point. He wasn't the 450 pound behemoth anymore. Crazy to think because he's still a monster here and was fucking over.
Like a video game. Earthquake, someone more associated with the `80s, blue steel cage era WWF, walking up the ramp of the SmackDown! set with the fist around the same time of the Invasion.
In 1998, they changed his gimmick to Golga, because he'd lost quite a bit of weight when he came back. He even did the Earthquake splash and I immediately knew it was him even at the age of seven.
Wow, I didn't know Joey Abs was still with WWE so far into 2001 (or Earthquake, for that matter). That's the fist stage, which means that the earliest possible date for this footage is August 2001...
Joey abs was released in July of 2001. But he was off television by early 2001. Mean street posse was working mostly on heat and house shows up until their July 2001 release. My friend didn’t believe that mean street lasted almost 2 and a half years. They actually became decent workers. Joey abs was already a worker from the Carolinas. Pete and Rodney were Shane’s friends
Apparently when he returned in 1998 the original plan was for him to reprise the earthquake gimmick but he'd lost a lot of weight and I guess management didn't think it'd work out
PICKETT Est.1980 He did lose a lot of weight in this period. the reason he left the ring so quickly was this was a match before the actual show started so they're on a time crunch to get there on time.
I agree. I saw his final move, as he was running to the ropes for the splash I was like, "he isn't as fast as he used to be." However, I have to accept he wasn't as young as he once was either. I sure miss John Tenta. He was a true performer and wrestler.
Well He left the ring quick because it was a dark match/tryout. Basically, do your stuff and get out of the ring. Even the job guy was walking to the back about 5 seconds after the pin.
@@yeoshow1984 They don't really milk the crowd during dark matches, They need to leave as much time as possible for the actual TV show. They probably just wanted him in and out.
Earthquake probably got the biggest pop of the night on that show!!!! And his music was legendary!!!!!
He was diagnosed not long before this point, and even though he held on for another few years he wasn’t quite right here. I think Vince wanted to give him one last hurrah before he went for treatment, incase he wasn’t going to recover. A nice pop for him as well
That's not Joey Abs, that's a guy called Tank Meloche. Joey Abs was long gone by this point.
so how the hell he was not signed after this crowd reaction and this agility not to mention he looked like a giant
Amazing to see him suplex 'Quake, granted he was much slimmer in 2001 then during his heyday but it's still impressive.
Now THAT was a leg drop!!!
Huge pop leg drop
Dude, John Tenta could fuckin move!
Nice pop for Earthquake.
He was a great heel during the late 80s early 90s actually he was the top heel for a 3 year stretch
What’s a pop?
@@casualchauncey in wrestling terms, a 'pop' is a reception from the crowd.
Honestly, Earthquake didn't look bad, and still had the crowd in his hands. If his health didn't get bad, I wonder if Vince would have offered him a job.
Hard to believe that Tenta was only in his late 30s here
Crazy that Earthquake had a match with the Smackdown set there. And this nobody got waaay too much offense in on him in my opinion. But management probably wanted to see Earthquake in a back and forth match, still kind of a try out match maybe. See what he could do these days.
It absolutely was a try out match. Quake had a couple dark matches and then wasn't used again. Story is Vince wanted to build Quake back up as a main eventer to work with Austin but was turned away by how much smaller Quake was at this point. He wasn't the 450 pound behemoth anymore. Crazy to think because he's still a monster here and was fucking over.
I believe the wrestler (that's not Joey Abs) was trained by Tenta and he wanted to make sure he still looked good in defeat
The earthquake my fave finisher and what a pop it got here
Like a video game. Earthquake, someone more associated with the `80s, blue steel cage era WWF, walking up the ramp of the SmackDown! set with the fist around the same time of the Invasion.
John looks thinner, I love dark matches
wow Earthquake was 500 lbs back in 1990 looked to be around 350 here
In 1998, they changed his gimmick to Golga, because he'd lost quite a bit of weight when he came back. He even did the Earthquake splash and I immediately knew it was him even at the age of seven.
Wow, I didn't know Joey Abs was still with WWE so far into 2001 (or Earthquake, for that matter). That's the fist stage, which means that the earliest possible date for this footage is August 2001...
Joey abs was released in July of 2001. But he was off television by early 2001. Mean street posse was working mostly on heat and house shows up until their July 2001 release. My friend didn’t believe that mean street lasted almost 2 and a half years. They actually became decent workers. Joey abs was already a worker from the Carolinas. Pete and Rodney were Shane’s friends
WWF!!!
This is NOT Joey Abs. It's John Tank Meloche aka "The All Natural Superior Athlete" Tank Toland from ROH.
@@eh5872 But this match was from December 2001...
how do these make it to youtube?
Apparently when he returned in 1998 the original plan was for him to reprise the earthquake gimmick but he'd lost a lot of weight and I guess management didn't think it'd work out
I think Earthquake was already sick, he seemed sluggish & he left the ring quick.
PICKETT Est.1980 He did lose a lot of weight in this period.
the reason he left the ring so quickly was this was a match before the actual show started so they're on a time crunch to get there on time.
I agree. I saw his final move, as he was running to the ropes for the splash I was like, "he isn't as fast as he used to be." However, I have to accept he wasn't as young as he once was either. I sure miss John Tenta. He was a true performer and wrestler.
JD L also could mean because he's in his 40s
@@krlm2280 he was 38 years old here
Well He left the ring quick because it was a dark match/tryout. Basically, do your stuff and get out of the ring. Even the job guy was walking to the back about 5 seconds after the pin.
Are there any other known dark matches with returns like this, or just a name wrestler that maybe never made TV?
Joey Abs looks like Danny McBride here haha.
Great match
Rip earthquake
I never knew he came back to WWE in 2001.
Torri Taite It wasn’t a full time contract only a couple of dark matches
@@joeysbestfriend2614 He was also in the gimmick battle royale at Wrestlemania 17.
WWF!!!
He didn't come back to WWE. He came back to WWF.
Me either I thought golga was it and I hated that. But this was over as can be I love hearing the pops he got.
How come he left so quickly?
He had bladder cancer.
@@AnGhaeilge That's why he got out of the ring so quickly??
@@yeoshow1984 They don't really milk the crowd during dark matches, They need to leave as much time as possible for the actual TV show. They probably just wanted him in and out.
I don’t remember earthquake during attitude era
He was Golga of Oddities in 1998 WWF . Had been shaved of beard and hair in WCW by Ray Traylor on a shameful program in 1996. Poor Tenta :'(
A great glimpse of Joey Abs in his post-Mean Street Posse life.
That's Tank Toland.
joey abbs is my uncle