General Interest Questions
1. Who are you and what's your business here?
Dames was the board's owner when I started. I'm not sure where I came from, but I'm here mostly to entertain myself.
2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?
'95ish? It was really soon after my family first got satellite service. I specifically remember watching an episode of Nitro featuring a Lex Luger promo and a Giant/Loch Ness match. I started renting old PPV tapes from my local video store and became a huge fan really quickly.
3. The Company Line:
A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?
Actively? WWF/E, WCW, and TNA for a short while.
B. What have some of your favourite companies been? Your least favourite? (In theory, your answer can be the same - if you were growing up a fan of the technical wrestling WCW brought to the table but thought the end of the line for them was some of the worst television this side of My Mother The Car, that's cool).
I liked WCW better as a kid because they had all the old stars I watched on tape all the time. I generally enjoy the current WWE product quite a bit now, though.
C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?
WWE. It's free and on TV all the time, so it's easy to follow. Plus, it's been much more wrestling-based in the past few years than it has in a long time. That helps a lot.
4. (Not So) Favourites:
A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?
Savage, Hogan, Warrior, Flair, Malenko, Jarrett. If you had asked me at 12-13 years old who would be the one to finally take the WCW title back from Hogan and the NWO, I would have swore up and down Dean Malenko was the only man who could do it.
B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?
I hated Jericho during the Malenko fued. I was also really upset when Hogan turned heel.
C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)
Cena, Morrison & Miz, Kozlov, Mark Henry, Bourne, both Hardys, Taker, Edge.
Specific Questions about your Interest
5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?
I DVR and watch RAW and ECW every week. Was watching SmackDown until it moved to CW since there's no local affiliate here. I usually split the Rumble and WM with a buddy, and try to download or rent PPV's if they sound interesting enough.
6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?
'97? I had a bunch of friends who watched, too. I went to my cousin's house every month to watch ever single WCW PPV. I have specific memories of watching the World War 3 with the Piper/Hogan contract signing.
7. At what point could you tell your interest was dipping and why do you think this happened, or what specific event(s) triggered the decrease?
Late 2000? I'm thinking we got ride of satellite sometime around there. I remember hearing random things here and there after that, but not paying much attention. I do remember hearing that David Arquette had won the WCW title, though. By then I was a bigger WWF fan anyways. For a short while, I watched Smackdown on UPN in 2002, but I usually had to work Thursday nights. More recently, the double shot of Eddie & Benoit hasn't helped.
8. Have you ALWAYS stuck with wrestling even during times of low interest, or are there any lengths of time you stopped watching for a period only to come back at a later date?
Stopped in late 2000, started back during the horrible RAW of '03 time period.
9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?
I'm still a fan.
Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature
10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?
I tend to like old-school Memphis style or high-end puro the most now.
Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?
I ran the gamut in tastes. I didn't know or care one way or the other when I was younger, then I discover Scott Keith and workrate, then I discovered psychology. Right now, I could watch a match that's nothing but punching and love it as long as it works within the story being told.
11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?
I just sit back and enjoy it. Some stupid booking decisions get on my nerves, but I've been watching wrestling long enough not to care anymore.
12. Do you attend live events?
When I can. I've been to one WWE PPV, one TNA PPV, a handful of WWE houseshows and TV, a bunch of Memphis shows, and I'm hoping to see ROH in Nashville this weekend.
13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?
WWE houseshows are the best. Unforgiven 2007 was the worst. It was a birthday present from my girlfriend, too.
14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?
I love ton of the old NWO and DX stuff for nostalgic reasons. The Cena thing at the Rumble this year was pretty great.
15. Freestyle
Add any closing remarks you feel are absolutely necessary to letting TSM know your thoughts on wrestling.
I like wrestling, but I try not to take it too seriously.
