So since we're all following PWX, I assume we're all wrestling fans. Pretty safe assumption I think. Anyway, what kind of wrestling does everyone like to watch? Favorite Promotion? Favorite Time period? Favorite wrestlers? Whatever, leave it here.
90's All Japan is awesome, but its not my favorite. All the matches I've seen from around then are really good, but thats the problem. I've got a best of 90's Japan DVD set that I got for christmas 2 years ago and I still haven't watched all of it. The problem is every single match is so good that you get worn out on it. Its good stuff no doubt but its not my favorite.
My favorite would be the SoCal indy promotion PWG. Good mix of comedy and all around good wrestling. They haven't put out a single BAD show since their first year and even the BAD shows were not terrible.
Hard to think of a single favorite wrestler, so I'll just make a top 10 list. No particular order:
Eddie Guerrero Chris Benoit Jushin Liger Samoa Joe CM Punk Homicide Kenta Kobashi Mitsuhara Misawa Rocky Romero Davey Richards
For me personally I love classic Stampede Wrestling because I grew up on it. The Monday Night Wars era for all promotions involved was an exciting time to watch as well.
Lately I've been watching a lot of OVW, IWA, CZW, Noah, and FMW.
Recently I've been watching a lot of CHIKARA, which ranks up there with PWG as my favorite promotions, primarily because they don't take themselves so seriously as to be retarded like a lot of the TNA and WWE storylines.
Dave, have you been watching...recent CZW? I hear its pretty bad but I haven't seen any myself. What IWA are you watching? I assume IWA-MS but just checkin.
Raven I've never gotten into CHIKARA. I've been meaning to get the Tag Gran Prix from a couple years ago. It had Super Dragon & B-Boy teaming up. Ebessan & Billy Ken Kidd were also tagging together in that tourney but I just never got the chance. If you had to name your favorite 3 shows from Chikara what would they be?
Umm ROH is probably my favorite right now. I love the whole no nonsense wrestling style. And a close second would be CHIKARA. Like said above they don't take themselves seriously and just put on a good show for everyone, without all the smut and lackluster story lines.
I think the most recent King of Trios tournament is my favorite. But quite frankly they're all pretty good. Like PWG the commentary really makes the show.
Grew up with WWF and WCW... Now strictly WWE nad "ECW" ... But I think we all want something better than this... Also,yesterday I watched some NJPW and I loved it...
I enjoy the NWA Territories, the early WCW and also the classic UK joint promotions (favorite match: hxxp://www.dailymotion.com/flying_hat/video/xdztp_fit-finlay-vs-davey-boy-smith-31382). This no-nonsense ROH and CHIKARA stuff seems promising as well. I might look into it.
My favourite perioud of wrestling was the monday night wars.During the wars because of the competition wrestlers were forced to give everything they've got .At that time my fauvorite were the impact moves that the wwf used like the stunner or the pedigree hell even the rock bottom sometimes so that's my fauvorite type of wrestling the old wwf attitude era
I grew up on the 1980s WWF, NWA, UWF, & WCW. I started watching wrestling at about the exact moment Hulkamania was born in January 1984. I used to hate wrestling with a passion until I saw Hulk Hogan & Oh My Gawd I was hooked. Then came along the Road Warriors since then my life has never been the same LoL. But I'm sad to say I don't watch the stuff now...rarely. I feel the magic isn't there any more. Most of the wrestling I watch today are mostly matches from the 80s & 90s. The gold 'ol days as they say.
The IWA I see is actually the Puerto Rico promotion. I haven't been fortunate enough to see much of the Mid South stuff but if anyone has any spare dvd's kicking around our mailing address is:
28585 4050 East Hastings Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C-6J4
All of the CZW I've seen has been from dvd's people send us. ToD4 is a classic around the studio. Everyone is forced to watch it!
Love all kinds of wrestling. Not a big fan of garbage wrestling due to the complete lack of selling and psychology in the most part - however, i have seen lots of good hardcore matches. I love strong style Japanese wrestling, as well as Japanese jr, WWE, but I must say I am very fond of my own countries wrestling style. Nice to see it making an impact in America over the last few years with Colt Cabana and Doug Williams.
I honestly prefer fast paced, crazy moves, and especially creative moves and strategy used in matches. I think the wrestlers always have to be entertaining...and that's one of the reasons I loved The Rock. That guy may have oversold, but he was always moving, always giving us something to watch. I also loved old school ECW and Wrestling Society X while it was on.
I'm not big on people just hitting each other w/ blunt objects though, a.k.a. garbage wrestling...not that it offends me or anything, it's just...boring.
I agree with kireblade, garbage wrestling sucks, but wrestling that manages to incorporate weapons in to there matches is really fun to watch. I especially enjoy watching fans bring the weapon matches because you get to see the extent of some of the fans creativity which can be really interesting. I forgot to mention it in my other post, but WSX is great.
Altough I'm a huge deathmatch and blood mark (especially of all that super-sweet Big Japan stuff, that rockz so fudgin!), but nothing knocks good chain wrestling out. I'm a very big Mike Quackenbush and Alex Shelley mark, but I also love Hard-Hitters like Necro, Arik Cannon or Kobashi. Crazy brawls like at IWS are also always welcome. Japanese Strong Style and Dragon Gate popcorn wrestling pawns also.
Right now...I think I'm going to have to Boycott all mainstream wrestling and strictly enjoy Ring of Honor, PWG, CHIKARA, IWA MS, and of course CZW. I've been geting into Puro as of late, so Dragon Gate, NOAH, and some other places have sparked my interest.
I started watching NWA/WWF around 1980 but my favorite period in wrestling is the mid-upper 80's. I also enjoyed some WCCW & AWA in the 80's.
I don't watch modern wrestling anymore and haven't for the past 6-7 years. When I'm in the mood to see some wrestling then I'll watch some matches from the 80's - early 90's.
When WWE is at it's best is what I enjoy. Examples are Mysterio vs. Angle at Summerslam '02, and from the same event, HBK vs. HHH and Lesnar vs. Rock. I like catch-as-catch-can technical wrestling, best exemplified in Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar. I also enjoy these styles mixing with luchadore wrestling, as in Rey Mysterio or Super Crazy.
I don't like the drama/soap-opera storylines; I think it should be about what happens in the ring, making a legacy, getting revenge (for something wrestling-related such as a defeat, an abandoning or injury) and getting titles/wins.
I got into wrestling right around when the Monday Night Wars were starting up, but it wasn't until I saw ECW for the first time around like '97 that I really became obsessed with a wrestling show. Once WCW and WWE raided all the ECW talent, I got out of wrestling for a while. I was duped into watching the first few episodes of WWE's ECW because I thought it would be like the first two Barely Legal's they put on, but I was obviously mistaken.
As for right now, I'm a HUGE ROH mark. It's a shame that I got into once the founding fathers (CM Punk, Homicide, Samoa Joe, Low Ki (Senshi), Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels etc.) got snatched up by TNA and WWE, but I still think they put out the best product I've ever seen on a consistent basis. I went to their last show in Philly and that had to be the first time I've gone to a wrestling show in over 7 years and I loved it. Every match I've seen has at least a handful of innovative spots, great psychology, and does fantastic story-telling without Don West, Mike Tenay, Jerry Lawler or Jim Ross shoving it down your throat. Aside from the fact that every match they put on could steal the show at any WWE or TNA PPV, I really like the fact they are trying to provide a true alternative to the grueling schedule that Vince McMahon has his wrestlers go through. Instead of having guys on the road 350 days a year, ROH just runs a show every other week or so. This allows workers the time they need to rest and let their bodies recover, and as a result you don't have guys turning to pain killers or drugs to get through matches. Also, this allows guys to give 110% every time out because their rested and ready to go. I feel like ROH is what the original ECW would have evolved into. When WWE stole ECW's edgey storylines and hardcore style and called it "Attitude" I think that, had ECW stayed in business till today, it would've done what WWE still couldn't do and that's put on great matches with some of the most talented and dedicated workers in the business.
I guess I would say I really like ROH because it treats wrestling as a real sport and, unlike TNA and WWE, doesn't resort to high school level boner jokes to get fans to care about matches.
[quote][cite] Jakeshark:[/cite]I got into wrestling right around when the Monday Night Wars were starting up, but it wasn't until I saw ECW for the first time around like '97 that I really became obsessed with a wrestling show. Once WCW and WWE raided all the ECW talent, I got out of wrestling for a while. I was duped into watching the first few episodes of WWE's ECW because I thought it would be like the first two Barely Legal's they put on, but I was obviously mistaken.
As for right now, I'm a HUGE ROH mark. It's a shame that I got into once the founding fathers (CM Punk, Homicide, Samoa Joe, Low Ki (Senshi), Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels etc.) got snatched up by TNA and WWE, but I still think they put out the best product I've ever seen on a consistent basis. I went to their last show in Philly and that had to be the first time I've gone to a wrestling show in over 7 years and I loved it. Every match I've seen has at least a handful of innovative spots, great psychology, and does fantastic story-telling without Don West, Mike Tenay, Jerry Lawler or Jim Ross shoving it down your throat. Aside from the fact that every match they put on could steal the show at any WWE or TNA PPV, I really like the fact they are trying to provide a true alternative to the grueling schedule that Vince McMahon has his wrestlers go through. Instead of having guys on the road 350 days a year, ROH just runs a show every other week or so. This allows workers the time they need to rest and let their bodies recover, and as a result you don't have guys turning to pain killers or drugs to get through matches. Also, this allows guys to give 110% every time out because their rested and ready to go. I feel like ROH is what the original ECW would have evolved into. When WWE stole ECW's edgey storylines and hardcore style and called it "Attitude" I think that, had ECW stayed in business till today, it would've done what WWE still couldn't do and that's put on great matches with some of the most talented and dedicated workers in the business.
I guess I would say I really like ROH because it treats wrestling as a real sport and, unlike TNA and WWE, doesn't resort to high school level boner jokes to get fans to care about matches.[/quote] Not trying to be a dick or anything, but I never get the whole 'Vince evil, ROH not evil' shit. Here's the thing, who in WWE is taking retarded headdrop bumps a couple of nights a week, and what are most indy guys doing? If you want to argue whose life is in more danger its really hard not to argue the guys making little money, working in front of crowds of a few hundred, not making mech royalties and having to take nothing but unnecessary risks night after night to feed blood and 'workrate' hungry fans.
I think that the industry as a whole has gone to shit and part of that is people willingness to spend money to see people really hurting themselves. I do however think that the WWE, as industry leaders, have the ability to make things better or worse, and I do not see them doing that. My ethical issue with the WWE has less to do with its actions, and much more to do with what it is not doing.
"Not trying to be a dick or anything, but I never get the whole 'Vince evil, ROH not evil' shit." I'd like to think that it's much more complex then 'Vince evil, ROH not evil'. Vince McMahon is responsible for one of the biggest booms in the history of the industry and all the memorable matches and moments that came out of it. He's also a father and husband and he's done some very generous things throughout his life. I certainly don't think Vince McMahon is evil, I just think that he is so set in his vision of what pro wrestling should be and how pro wrestlers should be marketed that he often puts his workers in harms way by subjecting them to a schedule that leaves them exhausted and injured.
"Here's the thing, who in WWE is taking retarded headdrop bumps a couple of nights a week, and what are most indy guys doing? If you want to argue whose life is in more danger its really hard not to argue the guys making little money, working in front of crowds of a few hundred, not making mech royalties and having to take nothing but unnecessary risks night after night to feed blood and 'workrate' hungry fans."
I really don't think that statement is accurate. WWE wrestlers are injured just as often if not more then independent workers (for proof check out www.wrestlinggonewrong.com and look at the number of injury videos in the WWE and WCW sections as opposed to the ROH and Indy sections combined). Yes, ROH wrestlers often do more "high-risk manevuers", but they actually injure themselves much less then WWE wrestlers doing what are considered "low-risk" or basic manevuers. Triple H as torn his quad god knows how many times doing things like kicks. John Cena tore his pectoral doing a hip toss. These injuries in the WWE can either be attributed to a couple of factors that are results of the decisions Vince makes. First, he will push anyone who looks cartoonishly muscular and as a result you have guys abusing steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in the hopes of a big push. Those sorts of drugs make muscles larger and tighter then they're ever supposed to be and as a result you see a lot of muscle tears in the WWE. Second, instead of making less money by fewer dates and letting his workers rest and recover, Vince makes his workers live on the road for 350+ days a year and as a result you have these exhausted workers who are out in the ring opperating at 70% and putting themselves more at risk then if they were fully rested. Third, because of Vince's treatment as wrestling as an over-the-top spectacle instead of a sport, his workers are pushed into more stunts that are dangerous then any "head bump" indy workers take. The prime example there is Owen Hart's tragic death as he was persuaded into a dangerous ring entrance he wanted no part of.
I think Spunk is showing a common misconception about fans like myself. I'm no more blood thirsty then the 10 year old kid in the front row of a WWE show. I want the same thing he wants; to be entertained. And while most fans try to villify "smart" fans by saying we demand too much of the wrestlers, we really don't. We don't need to see buckets of blood or guys getting dropped on their heads all time. We want to see them give their best effort everytime out and suprise us with something we haven't seen every now and then. Vince McMahon doesn't allow his wrestlers to do this both through the product he presents and the conditions he forces his workers to accept.
My biggest issue with the WWE right now is that because of its actions and its place in the industry, you can not work your way up the ladder in wrestling and be rewarded like you can in almost every other industry. If you work for five years straight in spite of injury in order to get to the top of the industry, once you get to the WWE you have to keeping working without rest and despite of injury. Also, despite steroids, the physical requirements that push people to work out and work so much causes repetitive injuries and makes muscles more prone to injury.
Add in the fact that he completely disregards in ring ability and you find people who injure opponents working there, people with no experience working title matches, and people who have trained there bodies for looks not for their jobs. Its insane.
I find it interesting how, despite the majority of unique World Champions in WWE over the past 15 years being...well, NOT physically jacked (Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Kane, Undertaker at about any time, Austin, HHH in 1999 even though technically he was a bodybuilder, Kurt Angle in 2000), the main event scene DOES consist mostly of those cartoonishly muscular characters. IN FACT, I'm going to predict a main event World Title (or just ECW Title) push for The Boogeyman once he changes his gimmick (and the resulting re-heat about his lying about his age in Tough Enough dies down) and drops the paint-and-voodoo thing, JUST because of the bodybuilder push philosophy.
[quote][cite] fullMETAL:[/cite]I find it interesting how, despite the majority of unique World Champions in WWE over the past 15 years being...well, NOT physically jacked (Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Kane, Undertaker at about any time, Austin, HHH in 1999 even though technically he was a bodybuilder, Kurt Angle in 2000), the main event scene DOES consist mostly of those cartoonishly muscular characters. IN FACT, I'm going to predict a main event World Title (or just ECW Title) push for The Boogeyman once he changes his gimmick (and the resulting re-heat about his lying about his age in Tough Enough dies down) and drops the paint-and-voodoo thing, JUST because of the bodybuilder push philosophy.[/quote] That's stupid of course the bodubuilder look is pushed as champs I mean for everyone is like this - more muscles=toughness ans agillity.So it's pretty normal