Pro Wrestling Fans: Please Explain the Appeal, Cause I Just Don't Get It.

Yea, I remember the Sheephearders...didn't snap to the link tho.
I just had a name pop into my head, do oyu remember "The Professor" I think that was what he went by, or was it "The Genius"?...He pranced into the ring with a morterboard and robe on and was always braggin about how smart he was but almost always got humiliated and beaten...unless he was able to cheat...

anyway.

 

Yep. The Genius was also "Leaping" Lanny Poffo. Son of the famous, Angelo Poffo and brother of Randy "Macho Man" Savage (aka Randy Poffo).

 

Damn Kam thats is one long ass post up there, but read every bit of it. Whats cool is that I bought the "nWo: Back in Black" DVD today at Half Price Books, and just finish watching it a few mins ago. Again, that has to be the most genius idea for wrestling history. Showed everything from the highlights the peak times of Razor Ramon and Diesel to the infamous MSG scene (of course it was a video camera, not actual professional shots) but did show Hall getting out of the ring and people shouting to him that he was a sellout. The DVD is great and even had side interviews w/ Hall, Nash, and Hogan while breaking kayfabe. Good stuff to watch.

 

I am going to type part 2 later tonight.

The reason I like wrestling. Particulary, the 1997 to 2001 era.

 

Well, I think the wrestling drama is bad for you. It's mostly cheap revenge fantasy, like comic books. I'd just as soon not get sucked in, like p*rn. I think they're about the same, wrestling and p*rn.

I prefer to operate on a different level. I don't think it's right to keep hitting that charge in people. It cheapens them...and you.

On the other hand, I love cheezy martial arts pics...so, I'm a hypocrite. Actually, I really could do without the revenge fantasy plot...it's so dumb anyway. I dig the action ballet. I just don't dig the same thing with 300lb speedo steroidmen.

 

Anybody who knows anything about wrestling is in awe of the physicality of the performers. When you look at guys like Bret Hart and Kurt Angle, you see that there is a real art to it when it is done well. The ability to do these things without sustaining major bodily injury. The ability to "sell" a move.

Anybody who does not get my point needs to watch "Bret Hart : Wrestling with Shadows" and "Beyond the Mat."

 

I've been waiting for a take from Refman.

 

Yay!! Gillberg rules!!

And about wrestling... I've watched it ever since 98' and I've always found it intresting to watch. It's kinda like a soap opera with action in it. It's just not two men in tights fighting each other. If you've actually watched a whole wrestling show you can see that you actually need talent to wrestle. There's people like Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Gurrerro that actually have some talent and then theres just some big fat guys like Big Show and Goldberg trying to wrestle but end up making a boring match.

 

I guess it is time for my second half.

I guess I got to about 1996, 1997.


WCW was starting to rake in the ratings. Memorial Day Monday. WCW Monday Nitro. Scott Hall comes in from the Audience and interupts the match. He gets on the stick, and does his shtick. WCW never actual mentions him by name. It is one of those Holy **** Moments in wrestling. In this time, wrestling was still in the we don't really talk about the other company, infact, we don't even know it exist. THe line was sorta blurry now.

This is one of the reasons I like wrestling because of that.

Next week on Nitro, he went to the play by play booth place, and started talking mess with the Tony Shill Schivone. Sting gets in his face and stuff. He says that he is going to bring in a big surprise.

WHen he said big, he meant tall.

Next week, he shows up with Kevin Nash. They start beating people up and so and so.

A match was set up at the Pay Per View, the Bash at the Beach pitting Three of WCW's finest vs Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and their mystery partner.

Team WCW was of course Sting, and Lex Luger, and Randy Savage.

So, the Outsiders, Hall and Nash come out, but with out a third partner. Later during the duartion of the match, Hogan walks on out. He gets in the ring. At first, Hall and Nash scatter. But Macho Slim Jim is laying down, so Hogan gives him the leg drop.

Basically, Hogan turned EVIL. A BAD GUY. A HEEL. A NOT FAN FAVORITE.

That was a big moment in wrestling. That is one of my favorite moments in wrestling. Even Though I hate Hogan as a good guy, and as a bad guy. I just don't like Hogan.

Anyhoo, they would terroize WCW. I remember this one episode of Nitro when they were at an outdoor venue. I think They were at Universal Studios, or they were at Club la Vela maybe? I think more like Universal Studios or whatever. Rey Mysterio comes out of the trailer, and jumps off the stairs, and Nash catches him. Nash then throws him like a dart, head first into the trailer wall. He went vertical. It was awesome. That was a nice spot by Mysterio.

Anyhoo. Sting, aka the Franchise used to be this colorful outspoken guy. He would wear colorful face paint, and colorful tights. the NWO would recruit WCW wrestlers to Join. NWO members consisted of the IRS, aka Mr Wallstreet or some ****, X-pac, aka the 123 kid, aka the lightning kid, aka Sean Waltman. I dunno. That guy is a punk. Anyhoo. Scott Norton, Buff Bagwell, The Big Show: The Giant. Hell, they even branched out to Japan.
It was called NWO Japan. It had The Great Muta, Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Tenzen (I think) They wanted Sting in NWO, so they had a fake look alike sting to beat up Lex Luger.

Lex Luger and the rest of the WCW guys said it was sting, thus eventually turning Sting into his Crow facade. He would hang up in the rafters. Thiis was my favorite point in WCW. Sting is one of my favorite wrestlers cause he made great songs such as Messege in a Bottle, and every breathe you take. Hell Sting could play bass pretty good. eh. No, not that Sting. But Sting gave 110% each time he wrestled. That is why I like wrestling too. Giving it their all night in and night out. Sting would hang out in the rafters and I remember the first time he repeled from the rafters. It was in the United Center because I remember him passing infront of the Chicago Bulls banners. Everynow and then he would beat up NWO members during the final minutes of the matches.

A part of this era of WCW I hated was when during the main event, there was always a run in. People hate run ins alot. Every now and then, yeah I guess it is a part of what needs to be done, but not every god dang monday.

I remember my favorite Sting moment. Sometime the NWO would use imposter stings and stuff. So one time Sting used imposter stings. One was coming down the aisle. The camera focused on it. Then ANother one was coming down the aisle. I honestly thought it was him, BUt then another came down the aisle. Then all of a sudden a bunch were coming through the arena. and the NWO guys would easily kick their ass.

And then three came down the walkway aisle. I remember Buff Bagwell, Punched the 1st one, the 2nd one, and then the third one. the first two went down, but the third one stayed up. after he hit the third one, he turned around, and did a flex. But he turned around again, and got his ass pummeled. I thought that was funny.

Their payoff match with Sting came at WCW's big PPV, Starcade. It was a sorry match up. It was all botched, but Sting won when Bret Hart said Hogan tapped out.

Yeah, Not as long as the other psot above. I quit.


I will do this tommorow.


Tommorow Kam talks about Degeneration X. I kinda skipped them somewhat.

 

yea i know what u are talking about. i used to love wrestling back then. i remember all those moments cause i taped every show. this was all during highschool and the next day we would talk about it. i watched wcw every monday night just hopin Sting would do something, but it was really frustrating when he shows up at the end of the show and it looks like he is about to do something and those stupid annoucers say " we're out of time". The guy i hated the most was that Larry "I am living legend in my own mind" Zabisko(sp?). He was the biggest punk, every week all he does is say how he hated the NWO and how he would love to beat all their a$$e$ but he never did sh#t. I crack up every time an nwo MEMEBER would go over and taunt him at the annoucers table and he would try and act all tough spewing how great he was and about tradition and all that crap. I liked the NWO , they had the best theme music in wrestling back then. Every one in WCW acted like they were all united in beating the NWO , then one by one most of the major stars joined them. Anyone remember NWO wolfpack?

 

What I don't understand are the people who rip on wrestling by saying they can't understand why anyone would watch someone pretending to hit each other, then the same person turns around and turns on the television and watches a movie or a television program and watch people pretend to kill each other, or beat up each other, or rape each other. It's just in the context of what you look at it. I always tell someone who used to rip me for watching wrestling, after they say wrestling is stupid because it's pre-determined, I tell them a movie is pre-determined but that doesn't stop you from watching it. Wrestling is a story wrapped in a sports genre. I used to be a big wrestling fan since the early 80s, I'm not anymore though. Wrestling has just gone completely down hill.

 

Espn's Bill Simmons wrote a great piece about how he wished the ultimate wrestling betrayal- the surprise chair to the back- could happen in other walks of life. Like, "President Bush and Tony Blair meet for tea at 10 Downing Street and Ohhhhhh! Blair and...what's this... Sadaam Hussein slam Bush with a chair! Oh, the humanity!"

I loved wrestling until I got laid, basically, and then I grew out of it. I guess I didn't completely outgrow the sentiment, since I moved on to Jerry Springer, but it's not something I thrill to like I did when I was 13 watching wrestling on Channel 39. I think the guys at the WWF were smart to move beyond good guys and bad guys in the 90's, though. Very post modern that Vince Mcmahon.


-SR, who put the yeeeehaw in your motor and transmission

 

That crazy Scott Hall is at it again.


http://mikemooneyham.com/pages/viewfull.cfm?ObjectID=481BC7C0-F5D0-4F2D-B003B8D338E325EB

- The always controversial Scott Hall has been busted again. The former wrestling superstar, whose probation prohibits him from drinking alcohol, was jailed Sept. 19 for the third violation of his current probationary status. His last violation of probation occurred for a DUI last December.