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Original Message
"Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 07-25-05 at 11:38 AM
Once upon a time, pro wrasslin' was the buzz all around the country. It even made it onto MTV. I was into it when I was in college (mid 80s) and shortly after. Then it had a renaissance in the late 90s as mega-promoter Vince McMayhem made himself the ultimate villain and wiped out Ted Turner's WCW.

Now what has happened? Its ratings are down, and no one's talking about it, good or bad. And I see that at SummerSlam, they have to trot out fifty-some-year-old Hulk Hogan again? Against Shawn Michaels? Can this bunch produce no one new? Have all the gimmicks and story lines been played out?

How long before pro wrasslin' goes back to the carnival tents and high school gyms whence it came?


Where have you gone, Chief Jay Strongbow?

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Messages in this discussion
"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Seana on 07-25-05 at 04:02 PM
Ooooh! I was a big wrestling fan in the olden days. I had posters (that I got from Pro Wrestling Illustrated) of the wrestlers on my walls. I remember my cousin's BF taking me to my first wrestling match. I got to see the British Bulldogs! I actually forget if it was Nicolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik or the Hart Foundation they fought. I admit I was young enough and new enough to the "sport" at the time to believe the title might actually have changed hands.

I'm not sure what happened. Personally, I couldn't handle the soap opera-ishness of it anymore. I had always rather enjoyed the plotlines, so long as they were secondary to the actual wrestling. But it's the reverse now. I admit, also, that it was fun in the beginning to watch the WWF and WCW duke it out.

It just doesn't amuse me to watch guys yell at the camera (and the crowd, and each other) for an hour. They used to get a couple minutes air time and maybe they'd steal the mike from the ring announcer or get an interview on Piper's Pit, but now they get the mike right away and address the crowd for ages and blah blah blah.


Bring back the Federettes! No wait, please don't.

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 07-27-05 at 09:54 AM
And now, the WWE can't even stereotype wrasslers like they used to.

Seana, I bet you remember, as the Detroit Free Press mentions in the article, that

professional wrestling has a history of stereotyping foreigners. The Iron Sheikh and Nikolai Volkoff were popular wrestlers during the 1980s when the United States was embroiled in conflicts with the Soviet Union and Iran.

One small problem. Iran hated the Soviet Union too. Ah, but your average fan didn't know that. Oh, and Volkoff was either from northern NJ or the suburbs of Baltimore.


I got to see a title change hands! Tito Santana regained his Intercontinental belt from Greg "the Hammer" Valentine in a cage match 20 years ago.

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by bystander on 08-11-05 at 12:11 PM
I have fond memories as a kid watching wrestling with my grandfather. I was a big Chief J. Strongbow fan. When he started his Indian dancing you knew there was gonna be Heck to pay. Another favorite was Andre the Giant.

Now, I just don't see why anyone watches that stuff. Do people actually Pay to View it???

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 08-11-05 at 03:21 PM
Probably nowhere near as many as Vince McMayhem would like.


I lvoed the Chief Jay Strongbow war dance too. Anyone remember his "brother" Jules?

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by mrc on 08-11-05 at 01:30 PM
What Seana said.

A Nefarious Dice Creation

"I always HATED wrasslin'"
Posted by Spanky68 on 11-14-05 at 01:22 AM
My parents both worked 2 jobs when I was a kid. SO I spent most weekends with my granny. She was a sweet little old lady. Until wrasslin came on. Then she was like that little lady on Houston Wrasslin who sat ringside and bopped wrasslers with a hammer when they fell close to her.

I didn't mid that part of her much, as it was a kick to see her excited about something after my grandpa died. But the conflict came in the timing. I wanted to watch Saturday Night Live, and it came on at the SAME TIME. There weren't VCRs (at least none we could afford) in 78 or 79.

So I was FORCED to watch it and HATED it. Can't stand it now.


"Another thing about wrasslin'..."
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 11-13-05 at 09:42 PM
LAST EDITED ON 11-14-05 AT 06:51 AM (EST)

Made redundant by a similar thread in Off Topic, so I'm moving my post there.

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by willinCal on 11-14-05 at 03:50 AM
It's sorta getting old IMO. How many times do you see the good guy/bad guy persona? Then they start using women to attract more men to see the fights? With the theatrics and obvious fakeness (is there such a word?), I've lost interest.

I think you're using the wrong words here, "pro wrestling". WWE, WWF, etc is considered "wrestling entertainment" IMO. That's all it is. If you want to talk about pro wrestling, think of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) or Pride.

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 11-14-05 at 06:46 AM
Hence my use of the term "wrasslin'" to distinguish it from "wrestling" and the other sports of which you speak.
"Eddie Guerrero "
Posted by volsfan on 11-14-05 at 07:58 AM
Was found dead in his hotel room yesterday morning. Here is the story.
"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Draco Malfoy on 11-14-05 at 08:07 AM
I just saw this after vols' major bump.

I still care. I enjoy the "soap-operaish" aspects of the shows, but I really keep watching in hopes for that glimmer of hope, that show of athleticism that I love. I admit I don't find that much in WWE every now and then, although guys like Eddie (RIP), Mysterio, Angle, and Benjamin always give me hope. I enjoy watching TNA (especially their X Division) and independent matches when I can find them online. That's where you find the guys who are doing it for the love of the "sport" and entertainment of the fans.


"Fear not death, for the sooner we die the longer we shall be immortal." - Benjamin Franklin

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Seana on 11-16-05 at 10:45 PM
I enjoyed the athleticism too. My favourite match ever was Owen Hart vs The British Bulldog for the European Championship thing they made up for that European tour. (How long ago was that?) That was a great match. Actual wrestling moves, some of the high-flying stuff, but more substance than flash. Damn fine match.

And to answer another poster's question: back before there were little kids running around our house, DH and I used to have Wrestlemania or Summerslam parties. We'd order the PPV and have people over. It was great fun. I've even been in the audience for what was it...Breakdown, maybe? It was a crappy ending, no resolution. Also, they would go to commercial and there'd be nothing. So you just sat there, twiddling your thumbs waiting until something started. Not at all what I expected, having been to live matches before.


"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 11-16-05 at 11:47 PM
Seana, we used to have wrasslin' parties like that in college as well with the Wrestlemanias and the like. You should have seen all us guys bust out into our Hulk Hogan impressions simultaneously! And, of course, we would have been great summary writers with how we ragged on the proceedings.

Best match I ever saw was Randy Savage vs. Rick Steamboat for the IncontinentIntercontinental belt at Wrestlemania III (still, IIRC, the largest crowd for an indoor event). Like what Seana said, that was where it seemed like the script got thrown away.

There were dozens of pinfall attempts and lots of reversals, such as Savage foiling Steamboat's trademark pulling himself up into the ring after being thrown over them. Then George "The Animal" Steele made sure Savage didn't pound Steamboat with the ring bell, as he had before. After that, when Savage went to slam Steamboat, Steamboat cradled him for the pinfall and the title.


So why didn't you ever come over?

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by engaged on 11-17-05 at 00:18 AM
i dont care about pro wrasslin' anymore
"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Seana on 11-18-05 at 09:43 AM
I remember that one! I'd forgotten about George and the "in love with Elizabeth" thing. Poor woman.

Would you believe I liked Roddy Piper? He was hilarious. And The Junkyard Dog. I liked him, too.

Yeah, we were nasty in our critiques at the parties too, but that was half the fun!


'Cause I was, what? 12?

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by Cygnus X1 on 11-20-05 at 07:58 AM
Roddy was great; my buddy even had one of his shirts.

"But just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions!"


Oh. I guess that *would* explain it.

"RE: Does anyone care about pro wrasslin' anymore?"
Posted by bullzeye on 11-21-05 at 08:14 AM
Dating myself a bit here - but when I was a kid in the 70's we used to watch it every Saturday afternoon - the days of Gene Kinisky, Mr X., Andre the Giant. Seems campy now that I look back but those were more innocent times (now that sounded campy).

Didn't get into the hype of the new wrestling - though strangely, got hooked on the most recent Ultimate Fighter reality program.