No, I’m pretty sure that was exactly the wrong approach, and that was how Chuck racked up all those KO’s. They weren’t wrong about how to beat Chuck… they just couldn’t do it. Randy did it, but nobody else had the wrestling chops to control Chuck. Because if they did, they would have.

You see, Bobby Heenan had built a career as a manager and commentator on trashing Hulk Hogan. Heenan managed various incarnations of his “Family” in feuds against Hogan for the better part of a decade, in the AWA and WWF. It was always in Heenan’s nature to cast doubt on Hogan’s motive (or simply lie about him). He had a direct hand in turning not one, but two of Hogan’s best friends against him by convincing them that Hogan was selfish and didn’t care about them, and only cared for himself. This (like much of WWF canon involving Hogan) was carried over to WCW.

Of course, he was always proven wrong, and Hogan always did “the right thing” and “saved the day” – until that night. Hogan’s turn on WCW was Heenan’s vindication. It’s the old “even a broken clock is right twice a day” adage, and it’s one of the more notable cases of WCW booking something right, down to the very last detail.

I’m not surprised that people still parrot the “Heenan screwed up” BS 13 years later, but sometimes, it’s sorely disappointing.

It was because Liddell told him he took the fight with the injured MCL! Chuck injured it during training and decided to fight anyway.

I LOVE watching these old Prime Time wrestlings with Heenan and Monsoon.

Do I think the referee was asleep at the wheel? Absolutely, but I don’t know if it was unintentional, much like Mazzagatti’s lackadaisical response to Lesnar tapping out to Mir wasn’t unintentional.

Both were situations, I believe, to allow certain guys to be humbled. Like any sport where rookies take their lumps from the veterans.

But do I blame Henderson, absolutely not. He’s doing his job. If they don’t like follow-up punches, change the rules.