Official Professional Wrestling Thread

[MaLaKaS]

Originally Posted by .Gary. It's amazing to think I lived through an era of wrestlers such as Hogan, Steamboat, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Mick Foley, Ultimate Warrior, Stone Cold, Rock, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and I'm sure I'm leaving out countless others...just the ones that left an impression on me. I watch the product these days and it just falls flat. The title belts are all completely meaningless. CM Punk tapped into something briefly last year but it was ruined by Kevin Nash and a stupid angle that was never really resolved and turned CM Punk into just another babyface rather than a smarmy wrestling smark who detested the WWE for what it has become. The WWE is far more interested in self-promotion(LOOK AT OUR WEB AND TWITTER PRESENCE!) rather than building a viable product that is capable of relying on developed characters and engaging feuds. The lack of any true competition has deadened the creative soul of the WWE. Without a company the likes of WCW breathing down WWE's collective neck every Monday night, why decide to push the limits and make every RAW PPV quality? Linda McMahon's political ambitions have also propagated this PG era nonsense, although it is definitely possible to have a great product that has a PG rating. I just hate to think that the company is merely stifling itself to allow Linda to achieve a political seat she will never EEEEEEEEVVVVERRRR /Jericho obtain. On top of all that, you no longer have announcers who have any sort of passion. Lawler is an awful face and Michael Cole is perhaps the worst, and I mean WORST announcer to ever headline any RAW, PPV, or anything in the history of the WWE. If you watch anything from the 80's or 90's you can feel the energy emanating through the announcers and channeled directly to the viewers. Heenan, Monsoon, even Vince, Lawler, and JR(who is without a doubt the best announcer in the history of professional wrestling. The guy brought his A game every night and made you feel the heel heat through your television set.) The WWE has forgotten how great announcers can improve your product and even mask shitty matches from time to time. The announcers don't even announce. It's all bullshit from their mouths. The talent is bland. The best the WWE could do for Wrestlemania 28 was trot out Taker, HBK, and HHH to save an otherwise lackluster PPV. That should tell you something right there. Rock and Cena was hyped for a year and it fell flat. What did we have? Rock calling Cena a faggot and Cena constantly saying, NO I'M NOT. This was awful. So much for standing up to bullying, WWE. Anyway, I guess I tune in these days to see if any young star will do something...interesting. Oh well, the glory days are behind us and we at least have matches like this to revel in thanks to the interwebs. This is the best match, hands down, in the history of Wrestlemania. If it weren't for the swerve at the end, which Austin now regrets, it would never be eclipsed. But, given the state of this company, I highly doubt anything will ever touch this grandeur ever again.

Simply a perfect post, top to bottom

Although I would argue for the Savage vs. Steamboat WM3 match as the greatest WM match.

[MaLaKaS]

My first experience watching wrestling was WM 5 live on PPV. I was only 5 years old and I watched it with my older sister. I was hooked (I mean religiously hooked) to all 3 companies from that point until the mid 2000s.

[TheSniper26]

Originally Posted by MaLaKaS Simply a perfect post, top to bottom Although I would argue for the Savage vs. Steamboat WM3 match as the greatest WM match.

I could think of a few I'd put before Austin/Rock as well. Obviously Steamboat/Savage, but Bret Hart alone has had some matches that topped it in my opinion(vs. Owen WM10, HBK WM12 and Austin WM13). HBK has also had some tremendous matches(ladder match at WM10 and the Undertaker matches). Another good match that flies under the radar is Savage/Flair from WM8.

As much as I loved watching both Austin and The Rock, I never cared for the ending of WM17 with all the chair shots and the horribly executed heel turn.

Originally Posted by MaLaKaS My first experience watching wrestling was WM 5 live on PPV. I was only 5 years old and I watched it with my older sister. I was hooked (I mean religiously hooked) to all 3 companies from that point until the mid 2000s.

Wow, your experience sounds almost exactly like mine. I also started watching at Wrestlemania 5, also at age 5 and with my older sister. The only difference is, I kind of gave up on it a little earlier. I was pretty much done by the start of 03. You could see an almost immediate decline after WCW was bought out. Also, guys like Angle/Lesnar just never did much for me. In my opinion, the eras of 88-92, and 97-01, will never be topped. Or at least not any time soon.

[MaLaKaS]

Originally Posted by TheSniper26 I could think of a few I'd put before Austin/Rock as well. Obviously Steamboat/Savage, but Bret Hart alone has had some matches that topped it in my opinion(vs. Owen WM10, HBK WM12 and Austin WM13). HBK has also had some tremendous matches(ladder match at WM10 and the Undertaker matches). Another good match that flies under the radar is Savage/Flair from WM8. As much as I loved watching both Austin and The Rock, I never cared for the ending of WM17 with all the chair shots and the horribly executed heel turn. Wow, your experience sounds almost exactly like mine. I also started watching at Wrestlemania 5, also at age 5 and with my older sister. The only difference is, I kind of gave up on it a little earlier. I was pretty much done by the start of 03. You could see an almost immediate decline after WCW was bought out. Also, guys like Angle/Lesnar just never did much for me. In my opinion, the eras of 88-92, and 97-01, will never be topped. Or at least not any time soon.

That's incredibly coincidental then that our stories almost align

I agree with your two eras, except that I would add 1996 into your second time period simply due to the formation of the NWO and the huge impact that it had on all of pro-wrestling.

[MaLaKaS]

The saddest story in pro wrestling:

[Monk]

Originally Posted by MaLaKaS The saddest story in pro wrestling:

One of them. He used to ooze machismo, now he's just... uh... oozing.

[.Gary.]

Originally Posted by Monk One of them. He used to ooze machismo, now he's just... uh... oozing.

Watch the ESPN documentary on Hall. It's a sad reality that Scott Hall became a victim of his own success.

[Monk]

Originally Posted by .Gary. Watch the ESPN documentary on Hall. It's a sad reality that Scott Hall became a victim of his own success.

I've seen it. Excellent documentary. Awful that he actually had to live the story.

[.Gary.]

In all the years that I have watched professional wrestling, this was my NUMBER ONE mark-out moment. I remember reading rumors that Taker was set to return in some fashion at or around Judgment Day. Well, the American Badass made his return and cleaned house in typical Taker fashion. After having been a Taker fan for so many years, it was strange to see him on a bike and in a trenchcoat. But damn, XPac could sell a chokeslam cause he weighs 100 pounds soaking wet. What a moment.

Now the Austin interference at Backlash the month prior was fun cause when you hear that glass shatter you get up. But you can see how stiff he is delivering chairshots. You've gotta believe he wanted to deliver stunners so hard to everyone in the ring.

[.Gary.]

Originally Posted by TheSniper26 Wow, your experience sounds almost exactly like mine. I also started watching at Wrestlemania 5, also at age 5 and with my older sister. The only difference is, I kind of gave up on it a little earlier. I was pretty much done by the start of 03. You could see an almost immediate decline after WCW was bought out. Also, guys like Angle/Lesnar just never did much for me. In my opinion, the eras of 88-92, and 97-01, will never be topped. Or at least not any time soon.

Austin as a goofball never did it for me either. Once he went heel and did the routine with Vince backstage, I laughed, but I didn't feel like I wanted to laugh at Austin. He wasn't a comical guy. He was the Baddest SOB on the planet so why am I laughing at the Texas Rattlesnake? Right after the Invasion PPV I seriously lost interest. I got back in when I heard that the NWO were coming in but Vince botched that whole thing royally. In fact, the purchase of WCW and the use of their wrestlers was a joke. Goldberg was the man everyone wanted to see but his contract was ridiculous so Vince let it expire rather than buy him out(same with all the NWO members). In fact, Kevin Nash is to blame when you think about it since he demanded that whenever anyone came in and got a salary higher than his, Turner would have to match it. Instead of instantly buying up all the properties of WCW, as the contracts were owned by Time Warner, Vince let them expire but it was too late by the end of 01 and beginning of 02. The Invasion angle was an absolute failure, but I think deep down Vince never wanted to allow WCW stars to have serious screen time with great success. He wanted to portray them as weak, otherwise how in the world could you legitimize the strength of WWF superstars week after week? Oh well, I remember the dream match ups my friends and I came up with after WCW was purchase.

Raven tells it like it is:

[K3nTaKa0s]

The Invasion angle was a disaster. What's sad about it is that the angle pretty much created itself. But like Gary said.. at the end of the day, there's no way Vince was going to let the WCW guys get over in a big way.

[mja271]

Yea Invasion was horrible. Except for a show in Providence I went to where Stone Cold stunned about 20 alliance guys. It was epic.

[MaLaKaS]

The Invasion storyline was the beginning of the end for the whole industry.

I truly miss the Monday Night Wars.

[.Gary.]

Looking forward to CM Punk and Jericho tonight.

[MaLaKaS]

Originally Posted by .Gary. Looking forward to CM Punk and Jericho tonight.

I'm glad that Brock is back as well

Is there anywhere that you can catch the PPV online?

[K3nTaKa0s]

Here you go...

[Only registered users can see links.]

[MaLaKaS]

Originally Posted by K3nTaKa0s Here you go... [Only registered users can see links.]

Thanks

[K3nTaKa0s]

I'm watching channel three now.

[MaLaKaS]

Originally Posted by K3nTaKa0s I'm watching channel three now.

Thank you sir

I never knew this site existed, so I'll have to bookmark it.

[K3nTaKa0s]

There's a lot of sites. The main one seems to be down tonight.