SHOOT VIDEO REVIEW: Guest Booker...Kevin Sullivan (2007, Kayfabe Commentaries)

[On Superstar Billy Graham's drug issues and reliability in 1984] "If we're going back and being honest, in 1984...what am I gonna do? Fire the whole crew? There'd be nobody there...including myself!"

SEAN OLIVER is without a doubt the best shoot DVD interviewer in the biz today and he ALWAYS bring out the best in his guests, as is the case with legendary wrestler and booker Kevin Sullivan.
The  premise of this fascinating tape? It's January 1984 and Hulk Hogan just rang Vince McMahon to tell him he's NOT coming into the WWF.
Vince turns to Kevin to book him out of a dilemma as he makes his national expansion during the year. THIS is what he would've done (in an ideal world, of course) if given the book.
Paul Orndorff as world champion (beating Ricky Steamboat, who'd previously taken the title from the Iron Sheik).
"Superstar" Billy Graham as IC champ challenging Orndorff in a title-vs-title super-bout on a Xmas Day super-card at MSG.
The Freebirds blinding JYD, who then seeks revenge with tag team partner Butch Reed.
Curt Hennig doing a racial undercard angle with Chavo Guerrero.
Barry Windham and Rick Rude feuding over who is the most handsome wrestler in the WWF.
It sounds crazy but Sullivan makes the angles and the month-by-month progression during 1984 sound plausible.
In particular, Kev's idea of using Orndorff as a hard-working heel champ feuding with a range of people in different parts of the US (Samoan wrestlers and Chavo on the west coast, Dusty and Barry Windham in Florida, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Dr Death Steve Williams in Mid-South and the likes of Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka in New York.
It's an entertaining 100 minutes of "what ifs" with one of the most knowledgeable and switched-on guys in the business.

CONCLUSION: The Devil and Mr McMahon.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars