This was real entertainment Look at the 9 minute mark and just unreal shocked facec of The Rock and Stone Cold right after [youtube]08o6BygI0tQ[/youtube] some fantastic wwe commentating too
97-02 were the glory days imo. Shit was intense, the feuds were classic. That was an insane match and I just love how Angle somehow managed to retain the title that night.
Its tempting at this point, transportation was the biggest question mark this year. But next year, its amazingly easy to get to compared to Miami
Im gonna make an effort to go...I have never been to a live WWE event. This might be the opportune time. Hope they make it worth going to though. How much do tickets for wrestlemania go for?
It's obviously a long time ago but I went to V and VI in Atlantic City and both times my favorite won the belt. We also went to 10 with Yokozuna beating Lex Luger for the title at MSG... distant memories.
Damn Lex Luger and Yokuzuna were like super hero characters come to life...The wrestling world has changed. You know people make a big deal about the Taker and Mankind fight when Mankind fell through the cell...But I dug this up because I remember by reaction was like WTF when this happened [youtube]eIlc6tSfArA[/youtube]
I paid $60 for mine this year. We had upper deck but it was a prime spot, pics on the last page. The lower level is usually about $250. Floor goes from like $400-$1000.
Im saving up big time for next year. Wanted to go to WM this year but unplanned things got in the way. I plan on getting a floor seat right across the ring from camera view so I'll be on tv. I'm willing to shell out a couple of hundred for a ticket, since it will be my first and probably last time going to a live event. Also depends on the card though. If we get Austin, Rock and Lesnar next year im so in.
I'd say their Golden Age probably started a little before that. I think Ted DiBiase was the man who really should get credited with starting it. He was one of the least likeable heels ever, he was a great technical wrestler as well as being one of the best on the mic. I thikn the greatest thing the promotion ever did was have Andre turn on Hogan becuase DiBiase bought him. Back then it was unthinkable to have Andre who was arguably just as popular as Hogan turn against him. Of course you had the controversy on Saturday Night's Main Event with "two Dave Hebners" and Andre handing the belt to DiBiase which of course was declared illegal by Jack Tunney which led to the tournament at Wrestlemania IV which of course paved the way for my favorite Macho Man to become the face of the organization. They hit a lull before the attitude era where there was some garbage like Doink the Clown or Outback Jack but the rise of DX and Undertaker as well as Austin and the Rock made it must watch TV every Monday.
I think it depends on when you start watching it. The first era you experience will always be the best. I started watching in 97 at the ripe age of 8 (I'm a young'n lol). I thought the Bret Hart vs Austin feud was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Then Austin vs McMahon, the Corporation, DX, etc. That shit had me glued to the TV set every Monday. Was never big on WCW but the nWo angle was pretty cool too. The fact they were competing for ratings on Monday's probably had something to do with the awesome product. I never saw the era you were talking about, I'm sure it was good, but after the attitude era with chairs, thumbtacks, McMahon getting involved, zamboni's being driven to the ring, inferno matches, Hell in a Cell's, etc. etc., what more can you do in this industry? There's nowhere to go but down.
As a kid, I got into wrestling by watching WWF, and I loved it. As I got older (from about 16-20), I gravitated towards ECW because the quality of wrestling was so much better. It didn't have the glamor or money or detailed, sordid drama that WWF/WCW had, but the the actual wrestlers were so much more skilled and executed moves that I hadn't seen before, certainly not in the WWF. My favorites to watch were Rob Van Dam and Sabu. They pulled off some of the craziest and athletic moves, which to me, was more entertaining than anything else. They were awesome as a tag-team, but they also produced equally epic matches as opponents. If you haven't seen any of them, here's a highlight video of them as opponents, with the second half of the video featuring RVD. [youtube]2kGRuze3AdM[/youtube]
You have a point, although I started watching back when guys like Pedro Morales, Billy Graham, Bob Backlund and Don Muraco where the kings of the WWF. Nothing specatacular about them so when guys like Savage, Hogan and Andre came along it was amazing how much the organization grew and changed. I loved the Raw/Nitro fueds, I would go back and forth but ultimately stuck with WWF when The Rock/Austin/Michaels became stars because the NWO angle got old and stale. It would have been great if they had kept it at 5 or 6 guys but when scrubs like Juventud Guerrero and those guys became members and there was nWo Red and Black or whatever it got lame. The original idea of the Outsiders, Hollywood and the Disciple was awesome. Loved the Disciple (aka Brutus Beefcake). Reminded me of Zack Wylde. I was a huge ECW fan, used to go to the bingo hall on Packer Ave in Philly to see the events live. Also saw it in Asbury Park and up in New York. The Sandman was my favorite but the best thing about it was the unpredictability of it. Yeah it was scripted but you seriously had no idea what would happen from one event to another. One event at Asbury Park I saw a match between The Pitbulls/New Jack vs The Triple Threat. Sadly 4 of those 6 guys are dead but it was unreal, I thought a riot was gonna erupt on the boardwalk. Then in the main event Jerry Lawler showed up and Rick Rude turned on Tommy Dreamer and gave him the Rude Awakening. I'm quite sure Beulah got her ass kicked too.
Yeah, I went to a few events at the Hammerstein Ballroom, which was awesome, because - like most of their venues - it was small and you can see everything. At one of the events, I was like 5th row; I'm pretty sure I got bled on lol. And I definitely agree about the unpredictability of it. I don't watch wrestling now, so I'm not sure how common this is, but back then, the title could & would change hands a week prior to a PPV event (and the card would be altered accordingly) -- this was something WWF and WCW were not doing. Furthermore, I liked how proprs (tables, chairs, etc.) were legal and part of the norm because the props allowed so many more moves to be executed legally within the match.
I lost my chair at one, I think I gave it to The Franchise and he rocked somebody with it. I didn't get it back and had to stand the rest of the card. I was standing most of it anyway but it was incredible. I also liked how they weren't afraid to headline the guys who weren't "main eventers" one match in Philly the main event was Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten vs The Dudley Boys" who also had Sign Guy Dudley, Big Dick Dudley and Joel Gertner in their corner. Balls was awesome but he was hardly a main event guy. I also remember them pumping Spike Dudley who was fearless. Mickey Whipwreck was another fearless guy. I have so many memories of that stuff and how great it could have been if Vince's ego didn't destroy it. I ultimately lost interest in wrestling when a watered down version of ECW was presented by the WWE like they invented it. They should have just allowed it to be rather then destroy it. There were so many great technically sound wrestlers who were amazing with a mic but Vince had to silence the stars of that organization like Raven, Gertner, New Jack and Taz (one fucking Z Vince). When Taz was in ECW he was incredible in his promo's but wasn't unbeatable. He lost to Sabu a number of times and then Mike Awesome (RIP) threw him around. Quite possibly the best tag line.... Beat me if you can, survive if I let you!!!
I refrained from my rant about McMahon destroying ECW, but I'm glad you took that initiative. As soon as Paul Heyman (?assuming he got bought out by the McMahon Empire) capitulated it, I knew it wasn't going to be the same as before, waiting until like 1AM on a Saturday night to watch it on MSG (I think that's the network it was on, but it's been so long that I might be mistaken). For a little while, I followed it under the umbrella of WWE, hoping that maybe it'd be kept its own distinct entity. But once the wrestlers started floating in&out of it, I knew it was over and wouldn't be the ECW I had always known. That's pretty much when I lost interest in wrestling. Granted, I was older and kinda "outgrew" it anyway, but any thread of interest to which I clung was now gone. And yes, Taz ("FTW!") was awesome. I've never seen someone exhibit such a diverse arsenal of suplexes -- it was truly innovative, especially for mainstream wrestling.
Basically I knew it was over when it went to TNN or whatever tbe hell that country station was. It was still ECW but it was a toned down version. It didn't have that cult like effect that it once did. I assume of course McMahon bought it and got it on cable just to see if people would watch a toned down version which instantly turned off the hardcore fans. Then they made somebody boring and not extreme but none the less a very good wrestler in Lance Storm the champ and I knew the nail was in the coffin. I pretty much stopped watching. There is some great stuff on youtube but I love the Taz stuff. He was a beast and one nasty fucker.
I went in '92 at the Hoosier Dome.The majesty of it all was worth it. I've been to several WCW/WWE events since thing, RAW and such. Definetly worth it. Especially if you have kids into it. The looks on their faces are priceless when their favourite wrestler/wrestlers come out to the ring.
