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Post by Batman666 on Sept 29, 2014 5:02:26 GMT
The dedicated thread for anything Pro Wrestling related (and I don't mean the Master System game).Lets start with an obvious question, do you watch pro wrestling? Did you ever? What do/did you watch? Favourite wrestler/s? Favourite match? Any memories you would like to share? And remember that we are a helpful and welcoming community, so no personal attacks or hate, keep it civil. Rounding it up with two of my favourite Pro Wrestling music videos/packages. Hey, if anything this gives me a reason to post wrestling videos
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Post by brian on Sept 29, 2014 5:16:09 GMT
I watched WWF way back in the day, One of my last vivid memories was when The Undertaker locked The Ultimate Warrior in a casket and bunch of stagehand had to come with drills or whatnot and get it apart before he'd suffocate... he had sweat most of his make-up off when the finally rescued him... thats my earliest memroy of it getting "theatric". Otherwise it was always something like Macho-Man Randy Savage versus Oscar Pullman. I'd always wonder why the big names fought nobodies. It seemed like in order to see Wrestler Vs Wrestler you had to watch Wrestlemania or whatnot. Gotta love those old school 'Wrestler in front of a red curtain calling some other guy out' scenarios...
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Post by Batman666 on Sept 29, 2014 5:39:39 GMT
Hehe, yeah WWF didn't give out competitive matches on free TV back then if it weren't on Saturday Night's Main Event and those shows were only a couple of times a year if that.
Macho Man was awesome, both in the ring and on the mic. Easily one of my favourites.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2014 9:53:01 GMT
Aaaaaaaawesome thread idea Batman! I could philosophize hours about wrestling, it´s a part of my life. I discovered Wrestling as I was in primary school age. It was in the middle of the night, I had to sleep and skipped through every TV channel and stopped by one channel where some guys had a brawl in the middle of the ring. I was enchained and that´s it. I watched WWF all the time (loved to see the Brothers of Destruction) until it ended on free TV here. Later, a sports channel began to send older WCW shows again. I ever liked Bret Hart much, but mostly, the lucha libre stars and gimmick wrestlers interested me much. Surprisingly, I was a huge fan of Mortis! Chris Kanyon was such a great wrestler and I was shocked and sad as he died in 2010. Especially the reason of his death is so tragic.. I loved the style of Psychosis, La Parka and the Ultimo Dragon as well. Later, I began to watch TNA since 2006 maybe and stopped in 2013. Now I watch CHIKARA Pro for years (I love those crazy guys) and SHIMMER. My faves are AJ Styles, Bret Hart and UltraMantis Black. I like a lot of female wrestlers too, but they are too many to list all their names. KANA!! Kalamity is incredible as well as her teacher LuFisto, I really like MsChif and Melissa Anderson too. I´ve took a few photos of me and wrestlers in the past (Chris Daniels, Marty Jannetty, Miss Mina, Jeff Jarrett..)
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Post by Batman666 on Sept 29, 2014 17:05:46 GMT
Did you watch WWF on TM3? If I recall that was the German channel I watched WWF in 2000. My wrestling story begins in the late 80s, I was 5-6 years old and we just got cable TV when I found WWF on I believe Screensport. I don't recall watching it too much but I do remember that I was enamored by this larger than life wrestler Hulk Hogan. Remember telling my mother to cut my old shirts in a way that I could rip them just like Hulk did Even though I didn't really watch the product I loved the figures and had a couple official WWF ones but more of the cheaper unofficial ones. (I actually found the unofficial types doing a quick Google search) This commercial was the holy grail when I was a kid, never did have or find any of these Giant WWF talking figures though. It would be another couple of years before I was more interested in the wrestling product than the figures, in 1994 after Hogan jumped to WCW and Swedish TV followed the switch I started watching more frequently. Didn't have the premium channel though so I never saw any PPVs until a friend taped Halloween Havoc '95 for me (which was the only full PPV I ever watched until King Of The Ring 2000 4,5 years later). In hindsight, HH95 is horrible, but I was blown away by how awesome I thought it was. About this time in late '95 I happened to channel surf and saw that wrestling was on this channel TNT that usually just had old movies. That show was of course Nitro and if I watched frequently before, this made me watch religiously. From late '95 until they stopped airing wrestling on the channel here in Europe in October of '99 I rarely missed it nor the later Thunder show. TNT was also a blessing as Swedish TV stopped showing wrestling in 1996. Wanting my WCW fix I used my fathers satellite dish to scan for channels that were showing WCW. I found it on German DSF. In April of 2000 I also found WWF on TM3 watching it again for the first time in 6-7 years. TM3 were also showing the big 5 PPVs, which meant that I got to see King Of The Ring 2000 which was my first full WWF PPV. My wrestling obsession was taken to another level in April of 2001 when I found Wrestling channels on IRC. Not only could I talk to other people about wrestling I could download every current show. Haven't missed a WWE PPV or RAW since and now I even have the WWE Network so WWE actually makes money out of my wrestling obsession (to be honest I did order PPVs off the WWE website for a couple of years before the network)
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Post by gallos_11 on Sept 29, 2014 20:15:25 GMT
When I was 4 my family went to US and we stayed there for about 3 years, so I got stuck with Ninja Turtles and WWF! I still have some memories and my favorite wrestler was Earthquake-John Tenta. Strangely I remember always calling him as "Tank Boat", don't know why but probably due to his somatotype. I was shocked when I learned he died a few years ago. I also remember playing very often with my father as wrestlers and the ring was my parents bed. It was totally great fun! When we got back to Greece, wrestling wasn't that popular here and gradually forgot my passion. Just the first couple months I had bought the WWF Challenge board game and after that more popular stuff started getting my attention. Since then I never got involved with wrestling again. I have no idea of current wrestlers/matches but I think the "good wrestling" ended in 90s as many other great things!
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Post by Batman666 on Sept 29, 2014 21:51:36 GMT
You had an interesting favourite Reminds me of a saying I heard once that regardless who the wrestler is, s/he is somebody's favourite wrestler. I actually think I have an answer to why you called him "Tank Boat". Earthquake was in a tag team called The Natural Disasters with a wrestler named Typhoon. But before he was Typhoon he went by the name Tugboat as he was a sailor character. So could be that you heard Tugboat mentioned because that was his previous wrestling name and thought it was John Tenta's name seeing as it's easier for a child to remember something like "Tank Boat" than Earthquake Edit: And unfortunately there are a lot of deaths in the wrestling business. Just from the wrestlers mentioned thus far we have Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, Mortis/Kanyon and Earthquake/Tenta.
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Post by gallos_11 on Sept 29, 2014 23:38:04 GMT
It seems you're right, total demystification! Probably as a kid I thought it was John Tenta's nickname. I always had him in my mind as Tank Boat and years ago when I searched about him on the web I couldn't find any info. But after some intensive search finally found the name Earthquake.
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Post by wayeK on Sept 30, 2014 19:27:29 GMT
You had an interesting favourite Reminds me of a saying I heard once that regardless who the wrestler is, s/he is somebody's favourite wrestler. I actually think I have an answer to why you called him "Tank Boat". Earthquake was in a tag team called The Natural Disasters with a wrestler named Typhoon. But before he was Typhoon he went by the name Tugboat as he was a sailor character. So could be that you heard Tugboat mentioned because that was his previous wrestling name and thought it was John Tenta's name seeing as it's easier for a child to remember something like "Tank Boat" than Earthquake Edit: And unfortunately there are a lot of deaths in the wrestling business. Just from the wrestlers mentioned thus far we have Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, Mortis/Kanyon and Earthquake/Tenta. not to mention Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Matt Bourne, Big Bossman, the list goes on and on... I'm actually friends with Marty Jannetty
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Post by soera on Sept 30, 2014 21:12:45 GMT
I used to be a huge WWF fan (WWE be damned) when I was a child. My favorites were usually a toss up between the `Taker and HBK. I quit watching religiously around 2001 when it started to get really blown out acting and away from the actual wrestling. I try to find a way to watch Wrestlemania every year but its getting to the point where I dont know half the people on there anymore.
And one of my original childhood crushes was Miss Elizabeth <3 RIP.
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Post by Batman666 on Oct 1, 2014 3:14:26 GMT
I'm actually friends with Marty Jannetty Cool! Has he told you any great stories from his WWF days that you feel like sharing? I used to be a huge WWF fan (WWE be damned) when I was a child. My favorites were usually a toss up between the `Taker and HBK. I quit watching religiously around 2001 when it started to get really blown out acting and away from the actual wrestling. I try to find a way to watch Wrestlemania every year but its getting to the point where I dont know half the people on there anymore. And one of my original childhood crushes was Miss Elizabeth <3 RIP. Have you seen this years Wrestlemania? If not, I'm on the fence if I would recommended it or not. It was a good to great wrestling show but there was a thing on the show that you might really not like based on your comments. Hate to recommend a show that would leave a bad aftertaste. Hmm, childhood crushes in wrestling. I don't think I had any as a kid, though as a grown adult I was enthralled by Mickie James
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Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2014 12:02:55 GMT
Did you watch WWF on TM3? If I recall that was the German channel I watched WWF in 2000. --- (I actually found the unofficial types doing a quick Google search) Yeah dude, TM3 was the german wrestling channel during that time! I had two of those figures and played with them as I was a little child, crazy. I have no idea of current wrestlers/matches but I think the "good wrestling" ended in 90s as many other great things! Give Chikara a chance! Of course it´s no mainstream wrestling but independent, but enough stuff to be a wrestling mark again Here is a great match from 2012 with UltraMantis Black vs. Brodie Lee (now Luke Harper in WWE) at the 3rd night of JoshiMania: I'm actually friends with Marty Jannetty He´s awesome, a really nice guy. I´ve met him in 2011 at a legends tour here in Berlin. I used to be a huge WWF fan (WWE be damned) when I was a child. ... I quit watching religiously around 2001 when it started to get really blown out acting and away from the actual wrestling. I try to find a way to watch Wrestlemania every year but its getting to the point where I dont know half the people on there anymore. And one of my original childhood crushes was Miss Elizabeth <3 RIP. Yes that PG era of the WWE made a lot of WWE fans mad. I don´t watch their shows anymore. It´s not wrestling, it´s a disease and a soap opera. I just watch the match of the Undertaker every year, even nobody knows if he will wrestle at 2015´s Mania against Sting or not. I hope it will happen. Miss Elizabeth was a wonderful woman!
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Post by ShadowAngel on Oct 1, 2014 14:10:54 GMT
I have no idea of current wrestlers/matches but I think the "good wrestling" ended in 90s as many other great things! I think wrestling turned to crap in 1999 which by far was the worst year in wrestling history. WCW had it's "Summer of Suck", followed by Vince Russo coming in and destroying everything, WWF was in full Crash TV mode with barely any good wrestling, ECW was more or less bankrupt and unable to do anything with their locker room full of junkies and on top of that you had the Heroes of Wrestling PPV which is easily on of the Top 5 worst wrestling events of all time and might very well be Nr. 1 (though UWF Black Jack Brawl, WCW Great American Bash 1991, December to Dismember and WWF King of the Ring 1995 are very strong competitors) And then Mainstream wrestling just died when WCW and ECW went out of business. TNA is horrible, WWE is nearly unwatchable (NXT is pretty good, but my god do they come up with retarded names and gimmicks) so all that's left is Japan and US Independent wrestling but to be honest, ROH is like a headless chicken for a few years now, Chikara lost some of it's appeal to me, so at the moment there's not a lot that really keeps me interest about wrestling. I'm curious to see what Jeff Jarrett does with his new promotion though. Surprisingly, I was a huge fan of Mortis! Kanyon was a good wrestler and the whole "Blood runs Cold" storyline with all those Mortal Kombat influenced wrestlers (Glacier - horrible wrestler but one of the best entrances ever, Wrath, Ernest Miller and James Vandenberg) Yes that PG era of the WWE made a lot of WWE fans mad. I don´t watch their shows anymore. It´s not wrestling, it´s a disease and a soap opera. PG has nothing to do with the WWE being crap. WWF was PG until 1998/1999 and they made a pretty good product, even went near the boundaries of what you can show (like the Jake Roberts/Randy Savage feud where Savage got bitten by a snake)
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Post by Batman666 on Oct 1, 2014 17:18:24 GMT
I find it hard to pinpoint when wrestling turned "crap" as I always find some kind of wrestling somewhere that I enjoy and think is good, but if I had to pick a year, I would go with 2005. Eddie Guerrero's death and how that effected Chris Benoit, it felt like an end of an era with a sad death which in a way two years later resulted in a horrifying murder-suicide. Wrestling wise it was another end of an era as in Japan they let Rikioh win and end Kobashi's amazing 2 year run as NOAH champion, which in hindsight must rank up there as one of the worst decisions made by a Japanese wrestling company. New Japan was reeling and was still in their MMA vs. Pro Wrestlers fetish that more or less killed Pro Wrestling in Japan. And Cena/Batista became world champions ushering in the current era and definitely ending the previous glory days even if Cena himself is not really to blame for that.
One of the problems (if not the biggest) with the WWE product today is the way they book (decide who wins and how) people, they create few to no stars and they don't feel the need to create stars as they are built around the company name rather than the wrestlers. Thus it doesn't really mean anything or matter anymore who the world champion is, as the wrestlers themselves are not draws anymore the way they are booked. Which is why basically half the rosters has been a world champion at one point but they don't make a difference or are anything special. When they are not booked as champions or main eventers (besides the few protected and established stars like Cena etc.) being World Champion just means you're just a guy wearing a belt not that different from the fan in the stands with his own replica belt.
WWE has become the circus that comes around once or twice a year in your hometown and you go to the show because it's the WWE and it's a habit, not because they are advertising a match you must see or have a hot draw as a World Champion that is a must see.
It's a sound business plan where you are never dependent on individual wrestlers and the power is in the company's hands but it's killing the product and the fans enjoyment when very few things matter anymore. The same matches, the wins going back and forth, nobody except the few established stars like Cena stand out or matter.
But to bring a little positivity, I feel the product at the moment is interesting with a couple of potential rising stars in Reigns, Ambrose & Rollins. Plus they are booking the world champion good and strong (even if Brock Lesnar is one of those established protected stars).
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Post by brian on Oct 1, 2014 18:17:46 GMT
I'm no major wrestling fan, but when you take Pro Wrestling as an industry, you make some great points Batman666.
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