[This could count inside TV shows so I'm posting it here. Also, sorry if there is already a thread on this. I couldn't locate it.]

Anyone here a wrestling fan? And I don't mean professional wrestling, just sports entertainment (a term coined by WWE) I used to watch a lot a few years back. Yes, I knew it was scripted, the results were probably already decided, but it was still awesome to watch! I remember the days of 'The Rock' Dwayne Johnson, The Undertaker, Bret 'the Hitman' Hart , the heartbreak kid Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Razor-Ramon, Triple-H, DX, the nwo, Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

These were some of the most awesome times I had when watching TV. You just got hooked into the rivalries between them, there was no such thing as fair play. And of course the bitching.(The Rock is my favorite in this. He could practically rape a person with his talks in a few minutes.)Watching them wrestle with some of their signature moves. And the commentators were a big part of it. I still remember J.R.'s voice screaming at the top of his lungs when Chris Benoit won the championship at Wrestle Mania from Triple-H.

All of this is still true I guess, but I haven't watched WWE in about 2 years. Now-a-days it's less ruthless than it was, and frankly it feels more like a circus. Anyways, I posted this because I was recently browsing youtube when I came across an old wrestling video, which led to almost 2 hrs of nothing but watching the 90's WWF matches.

It has also come under a lot of criticism because of many drugs-related problems the wrestlers seem to suffer. Chris Benoit being a prime example.(I really liked him before he went on to kill his wife and mentally unstable son,then committing suicide)

So, did you watch it? Still watch it? and if you Hate it, why?

 

The only time I've ever watched wresting is when Spoony makes fun of it.

 

Yeah, I still watch. WWE, TNA, ROH, independents, Japanese and Mexican, you name it. The WWE and TNA take up most of my watching due to being able to get at it more easily, plus its in English, so easier.

The storylines in the WWE right now aren't exactly golden, but some have had very surprising twists and turns, and quite a few of the older generation have been phased out or have left over this past year. Plenty of new talent and blood that is very, very skillful. Especially hopeful for Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Sheamus and Cody Rhodes.

 

WWE is bad and you should feel bad.

 

Back in the day, the Attitude and Extreme eras were brilliant. It has since become undeniably, irrevocably terrible. Wrestlemania XVII was the last great wrestling spectacle.

And even rewatching that makes me cringe.

I'm pretty sure watching sweaty men in tights grapple each other to the floor was just a questionable phase, though watching may have had a little something to do with the stratusfaction involved.

 

And yet I don't. Might be because I'm not a mark who thinks Austin and the Rock were the be-all and end-all of professional wrestling, and that the WWE today does everything wrong.

So Sexual Chocolate and Mae Young were brilliant? How about all the blading, cheap thrills, and general disregard for the wrestlers. How about Brawl for All? The Attitude Era can best be described as Vince throwing shit at the wall and hoping it stuck. It had its high points like any era, but it was not the greatest period of wrestling history ever.

MMA does a lot more with homo-erotic grappling than the WWE has in recent years. Hardly a valid criticism.

 

SHUT UP JABRONI.

 

Were you a Nation of Domination mark, Blaise? Because that would explain a couple of things. :awesome

Edit: God does your sig improve every single post or what?

 

On Wrestling

Tried it. Went back to Pokemon.

 

I watch wrestling and play Pokemon. Its like I've yet to leave the nineties. :awesome

 

I grew up watching the New Generation era as a kid and then the Attitude Era in my teen years. I was a big fan of Bret Hart, Steve Austin and Kurt Angle.

I don't watch wrestling that much today. Though it's not because of the PG material like most people stop watching for. I lost interest during the horribly handled WCW/ECW invasion.

Unlike most people I don't have a problem with the new direction the show is going. I think the PG material is necessary to ensure WWE continues to have a fresh fanbase. Vince is selling a product that requires a large following and he can't accomplish this by pandering to older fans that only tune into watch every so often. Sure, to us, wrestlers like John Cena and Randy Orton pale in comparison to previous generations, but if you look at the numbers the kids love them.

Cena is by far the biggest draw of the company and sells the most merchandise. Orton is on his way to that spot if he can keep up his face turn for a few years. So, despite what we think of the PG material and the talent, it doesn't really matter because the they aren't for us older fans . . . . . . . or Vince went PG so Linda could run for the Senate.

Anyway, today I'm a big fan of Daniel Bryan. If he can imporve his mic work he could be the next big thing. As he is now he's basically a silent champion. He doesn't need to be The Rock. He just needs to be the guy that we saw near the end of NXT when he went off on Michael Cole.

 

You're implying that they weren't?

The main three reasons I watched it.

MMA's shit too.

 

I am a CM Punk fan myself...

With the current product aimed at kids, it's become a chore to get through it on a weekly basics. Lately, I have found myself not even tuning in. I've found just looking at the result online to be a good enough right now.

After the Chris Benoit thing, Vince had to find a way to clean up his company's image. What better way to turn it into a show aimed at the kids? Until recently, I felt he couldn't find a happy medium between bringing in new viewer (kids) and alienating the base that was established in the 90's.

HBK retired at Wrestlemania this year, Undertaker can't even make it through a multi-month storyline anymore, Jericho is gone, Kane is probably gonna hang up the boots soon, HHH is sidelined with an injury (though he is set to return soon). All the old guys are slowing down, the characters that first hooked me have been set to pasture. My favorites are getting old, retiring, getting injured, not coming back.

Who do we have down? A big muscle dude that dresses in bright orange (or is it purple now?), that started off as a wigger and it now an icon to the under 12 market.

Really, the only person that can even strike a cord with the older audience is Orton. Even he is limited by what he can do now. (Talking about established main-eventers here)

However, the current crop of talent that is coming though does show much promise.

We have Sheamus, the pale Irishman that has been shotgunned to mainevent status, winning two world championships, king of the ring, and I think there was something else he won, all within his first year to a year-and-a-half in the WWE. I like the goofy looking guy.

There is the above mentioned CM Punk. Not much to say about him, a person who follows the straight edge lifestyle. Reliable, you know he wont go all Jeff Hardy or Chris Benoit if given the title. You would think with the kid based audience, he would be a good guy. Preaching the "take your vitamins, say your prayers line" , well he does preach, but in a way that makes the average audience instantly dislike you.

Wade Barret, an Englishmen, "won" a spot on RAW this past spring and now leads an anarchic group called "The Nexus". He has a bright future if he stay clean.

The Miz, reality TV star that has apparently busted his ass for the past 6 years to now become the WWE champion. Time will tell if this was a good idea or not.

Bryan Danielson (going by the name Daniel Bryan). Was also featured on the show that Barret won. Eventually got a spot on RAW, choked a guy out at ringside with the dudes tie, legit fired from the WWE, and eventually re-debut at a PPV beside Cena to take on "Nexus"

Anyway, it's an interesting time to be a viewer of the WWE. So many of the old guys stepping aside, new guys taking their place.

*edit*
pretty much what EvilSpanker said

 

I'm sorry, was the birth of a hand excellent writing to you? :fire

... :facepalm

 

You can die, junkie. D8

 

You know its true.

 

I'm sorry - what was that, son ?

/MMA's superiority discussion

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vawmkdXJzrc&feature=fvw

Go to 1:00 for Jeff Hardy's spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcOkebyq6RI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6fhU7WGTCY&feature=related

Terry Funk versus Sabu barbed wire match

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJwepZdtEqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psa095o5TyQ&feature=related

C4 Barbed Wire tournament finale between Terry Funk and Cactus Jack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMqMGIdUlO4&feature=related/

WSX Exploding Cage Timebomb Deathmatch

Your jump off a cage can suck it.

Also:

http://everything2.com/title/The+Greatest+Professional+Wrestling+Matches+of+All-Time

Only an American version though.

 

Watching this was when I used to question my interest in WWE.

Eddie guerrero had also died not too long ago. WWE paid a heavy price for not monitoring the wrestlers for steroids. John Cena's rise in popularity was one of the major factors why it withstood the damage. Then they brought DX back which was awesome. They were on a pretty right track. Dunno where it all went wrong. ECW was pointless IMO. And don't even get me started on the whole Vicki Geurrero thing. That just shouldn't have happened.

:awesome


EDIT: I keep hoping Brock Lesner will one day show up. When that happens, I'll start watching again. Too bad he's in UFC now and probably earns more in one fight than he used to in 6 months with wwe.

 

I wish there was a way to block a thread.