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Post by endo on Jan 25, 2013 21:54:07 GMT -5
So, I posted them with the old belts and Adonis having to use the old NA belt due to Atlas breaking one of them. This was their first promo with the new WWF tag team belts made by Reggie Parks. www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rerd_piper-s-pit-with-adrian-adonis-dick_sport#.UQNAnWdBmBwOther than the date of the promo, one telltale sign is how shiny the belts were. It was this version: This version wasn't around long, only held by Adonis and Murdoch, Windham and Rotundo, and the Iron Sheik and Nicolai Volkoff. Similar styles by Parks were everywhere at the time, which is probably why the WWF went with different belts so quickly. The Mid South tag team belts: The Southwest tag team belts The National tag team belts All in the same style. Not to mention the singles titles out in that style as well, notably the NWA US title belt. So, no wonder they disappeared rather quickly. But, I liked them a lot. Of course, the WWF would then have Parks make them probably the most iconic set of belts in the WWF, if not wrestling history. If you were alive and a wrestling fan in the late 80's through the 90's you know these.
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Post by gorepolice on Jan 25, 2013 22:45:26 GMT -5
Those were awesome belts. Definitely worthy of a champion!
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Post by endo on Jan 25, 2013 22:58:20 GMT -5
Reggie Parks, and Dave Millican make the best belts I've ever seen. I've never seen people craft a belt that seemed more fitting for the title it represented. There are great ones, like the Domed Globe and the Big Gold...and even some of the old trophy shop belts like the old IC title that I love. But, these guys, and mostly Parks back in the day, just made the individual belts scream the title they were for. They should go into the HOF just for making the guys that wore their work look like real champions.
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Post by gorepolice on Jan 25, 2013 22:59:17 GMT -5
They're Hall of Fame worthy in my book.
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Post by NDX on Jan 25, 2013 23:12:25 GMT -5
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Post by endo on Jan 25, 2013 23:18:45 GMT -5
Despite the numerous belts he had made for dozens of promotions around the world, it was these tag belts that really put Reggie Parks on the map as a belt maker and enabled him to actually make a profit on what he did. The guy had been doing mind blowing stuff for years, as far as etching and leather work.
But these belts, coinciding with the WWF expansion, just blew the roof off so to speak. They were all over TV and everyone wanted a set of them. Useless trivia...that's why he stopped making belts for Vince. Vince wanted to copyright this design and the other popular ones by Reggie as the WWF's property and Reggie told him no. Why Vince went with JMar, or Joe Marshall who gave us some of the iconic Attitude Era belts.
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Post by NDX on Jan 26, 2013 2:35:28 GMT -5
It wasn't all bad, those were some good belts at the time.
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Post by endo on Jan 26, 2013 2:46:59 GMT -5
The Attitude era belts were Jmars best work ever. The Big Eagle, and the custom Stone Cold Smoking Skull belts were great, not to mention the new IC belt and the European belt. Great designs, just didn't have the feel Reggie Parks belts did.
I guess if Joe Marshall wasn't a scam artist to everyone but the WWF/WWE I'd see it differently. Hard to be remembered for a great belt when you're also known for ripping people off...something Parks and Millican have never been known for.
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Post by gorepolice on Jan 26, 2013 12:53:29 GMT -5
It's sad to have a tainted legacy like that. Then again if Joe tried to scam Vince, he'd probably be run off the face of the Earth.
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Post by endo on Jan 26, 2013 17:06:26 GMT -5
Yeah, he never tried anything dodgy that I know of with any of the bigger companies he did work for. I guess even he realized that would be career suicide.
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Post by gorepolice on Jan 27, 2013 0:42:57 GMT -5
When the hand that's feeding you is the WWE, you damn sure better not bite it.
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Post by endo on Jan 27, 2013 0:57:21 GMT -5
Joe had it easy though, the WWF/E were using their own designs at that point. All he had to do was make them. Imagine if they had just said, "hey, make us a new one to replace the IC belt that pretty much everyone in the world loves and associates with the WWF"... I'd have left the country, lol.
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Post by gorepolice on Jan 27, 2013 1:11:05 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with taking the easy money. Less pressure on you, right?
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Post by endo on Jan 27, 2013 1:19:04 GMT -5
Well, I definitely think Joe Marshall had it a lot easier than Reggie Parks. Not to mention, he fell ass backwards into a goldmine with the TV wars happening at the time. He was the belt maker for WWF and WCW during the wars. So, they have this? We Want this!! Sit home and count the money. But, there are people out there that paid him $3000 plus in 1996 that have yet to receive their belts. The guy is a freaking jerk, and I'm so glad no one, at least not in the mainstream, is using him anymore. Now he's selling some jewelry or something on his Facebook page...still not making good on his belt deals though.
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Post by NDX on Jan 27, 2013 1:55:44 GMT -5
But, there are people out there that paid him $3000 plus in 1996 that have yet to receive their belts. Horsey's gots a ways to go before he's this much of a shithead. Kudos, Mr. Marshall.
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