The Great TSM Wrestling Survey

[Super Leather 0]

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I came here in 2002-ish, after seeing something of a plug for this site on Tom Zenk’s weekly column of hilarity. I very rarely post, but I do look at this board on a near-daily basis.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

I started watching wrestling sometime between 1983-1985. The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling era, more or less.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

The WWF, NWA-Jim Crockett Promotions, the AWA, WCW, and ECW via the Apter mags. I don’t have cable, so I can’t watch TNA. But I do try to pick up the best-of DVD comps.

B. What have some of your favourite companies been? Your least favourite?

ECW was the first wrestling promotion to market themselves to people like me and for that, I’ll always hold them in high regard. During the ‘80s, the WWF and JCP ran neck and neck for wrestling supremacy on my TV. The WWF got an edge later on when JCP started to Dusty-finish themselves out of contention. I really hated the AWA during Nick Bockwinkel’s last championship reign. By the time Curt Hennig won the title from him, it was already too little too late.

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

This isn’t applicable, because I only get Smackdown on my TV.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

1980s: Hulk Hogan, natch. Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, British Bulldogs, Tito Santana, Road Warriors, Dusty Rhodes, Rock 'n' Roll Express, Barry Windham, Colonel DeBeers, and I liked jobbers like the Mulkeys and Corporal Kirschner. Didn't become a Flair fan until his TV match vs. Barry Windham, and then finally admitted that Ric Flair was a good wrestler.

1990s: Bret Hart, Big Van Vader, The Undertaker, Cactus Jack, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, the Four Horsemen.

2000s: Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddy Guerrero, Rey Misterio Jr., Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Taz, Sabu.

 

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

When Tully Blanchard said on the Horsemen DVD that he was the “blasting cap” of the group, was he ever right. I absolutely HATED him and would have fought him myself. I hated Hulk Hogan during the '90s as well. El Gigante/Giant Gonzalez probably takes the cake for my most hated wrestler of all-time, with Bastion Booger, Earthquake, and Tugboat on that list too.

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

I enjoy watching Edge, MVP, Jesse & Festus, Thee Brian Kendrick, Natalya, Maryse, and whatever DVDs I pick up. Jeff Hardy’s current “crazy” character is cool too. Gotta love my old videos of Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, and the Funks too.

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

I watch Smackdown, or tape it when I’m not around. Yes, I kick it old school with a VCR. I don’t buy PPVs and never have.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

Probably during the mid-to-late ‘90s during the Monday Night War, and wondering if ECW would actually get a crack at being a national promotion. I had friends who watched wrestling then, and we’d get together and watch Nitro and Raw, and watch PPVs on a black box.

 

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?

Too many Dusty finishes in 1987 and 1988. The Ultimate Warrior’s rivalries with Papa Shango and Jake Roberts in the early ‘90s. The Attitude Era turned me off to the WWF until about 2000. The deaths of Eddy Guerrero and Chris Benoit have taken their tolls too. But I’m always able to find something that keeps me interested, be it ordering bootleg Japanese videos or reading the old shoot interview reviews on here.

 

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?

I’ve never stopped watching wrestling by my own choice. Only because I didn’t have access to a TV, such as when I was homeless for several years. But I’d keep up to date by reading the wrestling magazines anyway.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

Not applicable.

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

I just like good wrestling. I don’t care if it’s a technical masterpiece or a garbage brawl. My favorite matches to watch, though, are sixty-minute Broadways.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

I’m somewhere in between. Does anyone believe that wrestlers really come from places like Parts Unknown? Or Truth and Consequences, New Mexico? Or from the bottom of the Mississippi River? In my opinion, the only people who are worse than the ones who believe this stuff are those who actually go out of their way to spend time and bandwith dissecting it.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

Not really. I like to hear the commentary, which you obviously don’t get at a live event. Not to say that it wasn’t fun to attend, but I enjoy it more when I’m at home. As annoying as the marks can be, I’m not sure that sitting near a bunch of smart fans gabbing about “work rate” would be any less so.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

I had a great time at a WWF house show in 1988. It was cool to see Wrestlemania 9, even though it was probably the worst Mania ever. I got a great photo of HBK leaving the ring with his Intercontinental title, and got to spit on Hulk Hogan after he beat Yokozuna. So I guess the best and the worst both took place within the same day: seeing Wrestlemania live, and Hogan somehow taking over the main event and winning.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Bret-Austin at WM13 is my favorite match that I’ve seen in real time, followed by the Flair-Funk I Quit match as a close second. Favorite moments include the Horsemen jumping Dusty Rhodes with baseball bats, Piper assaulting Snuka with the coconut, Piper assaulting Andre with brass knuckles, the St. Paul Massacre, Ric Flair's return to WCW, any time Big Van Vader came out with that awesome helmet. Probably lots more, but those come to mind first.

 

15. Freestyle

We may be “smart,” but we’re still marks.

 

[Kinetic 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

 

Yo, I'm Kinetic aka K-Tic aka Danny Gregory. I can't remember exactly how or when I came across what would eventually become TSM, but I seem to recall mostly lurking at some previous incarnation of this board. My intial interest was obviously in the wrestling discussion, but I eventually migrated down the board from Music to Bottom of the Board nonsense.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

 

I first became interested in wrestling in the early 90s. This is probably revisionist history on my part, but I *think* that the first thing I ever saw on WWF TV was Shawn Michaels superkicking Marty Jannety and throwing him through a window. I was hooked for quite a while after that. My interest took me through probably 1994 or so, when for reasons that I can no longer recall I just stopped watching. I picked it up again in early '97 and didn't voluntarily miss an episode of RAW again until March of 2003. I haven't followed it all that closely since then.

 

3. The Company Line:

 

I really only ever watched the WWF. I didn't really become aware of WCW until the late 90s, and I never particularly enjoyed their product when I watched it. I was a good little soldier for Vince McMahon in a lot of ways, because I really regarded WCW as being the enemy during the "Monday Night Wars" and would get into really heated arguments with WCW-loyal friends at school. I can say without the slightest trace of irony or sarcasm that I felt victorious when WWF started beating WCW in the ratings in '98. I felt that I had chosen the right side of the battle.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

 

When I first started watching in the early 90s, I liked the Ultimate Warrior a lot. Undertaker, too. I don't remember actively disliking anyone, although I can remember heckling Shawn Michaels at a house show I went to in like 1992 or so. I remember bringing a stupid sign to that house show, too. I was one of those people. When I got back into it and smartened up in the late 90s, I was really into Shawn Michaels, Austin, Rock, and Triple H. At the beginning of this decade, I was hugely into Kurt Angle.

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

 

Pretty low, as evidenced by the fact that I rarely post in this section of the board. I've managed to keep up with wrestling to a certain extent over the years, but I don't think I could give you a detailed account of any match or angle from the last 6 years.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

 

Probably 1998. The TV was really entertaining and the sudden mainstream popularity of wrestling made me feel like my taste in entertainment was being validated by the public at large. It was just nuts suddenly see wrestling stuff everywhere, whereas six months earlier I would have been embarrassed to admit liking it in mixed company.

 

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?

 

There wasn't anything specific. I managed to make it through the InVasion and Katie Vick and the new nWo and all that shit. I just decided in early 2003 that there was no room in my adult life for wrestling, and realized pretty shortly after I stopped watching that I didn't really miss it.

 

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?

 

Again, I always maintained some level of interest, although it's been very low for the majority of this decade.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

 

Yeah, March of 2003.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I'm the L-A-fuckin'-Z, and I came here back when it was still TheSmarks thanks to the rants of that douche Scott Keith.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

Initially when I was probably 3 or so, but I really go into it when I was 11 in late 1997.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action, New England Championship Wrestling, Ring of Honor

B. What have some of your favourite companies been? Your least favourite?

The original ECW is, and always will be, my favorite company. There was just an air of excitement to it, even in its dying days, that is impossible to match nowadays, although RoH comes close (but without weekly TV it's hard to get into them, since I'm not rich enough to buy every DVD). Least has been WWE in 2002 and WCW in early 2000 (the Sullivan break from Russo).

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

WWE Raw by default. I don't have enough money to buy RoH DVDs constantly, TNA has turned me off almost completely since halfway through 2004 except for small little spurts, I'm usually out Friday night so I don't watch WWE SmackDown, ECW is dead (and I refuse to watch that abomination known as WWECW), and NECW never does shows in SE Mass, or even the immediate MetroWest area, anymore.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jake "The Snake" Roberts were my favorites as a kid since they were my parents' favorites, but I still hold Piper in high regard. When I got really into it in 1997, I took a quick liking to Steve Austin, Mankind, The Undertaker, Degeneration X, Raven, Perry Saturn, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Dean Malenko.

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

Hulk Hogan, Rocky Maivia (I didn't really like The Rock until late 2000, actually), most of the nWo, and the bulk of the WWF undercard.

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

CM Punk, Edge, Chris Jericho, Chris Hero, Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, LowKi

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product? Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Did you ever? Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that?

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not watching and 10 being uber-obsessed, I'd put me at a permanent 6.5 or so. I'm really into it, but I don't watch every single show. I do try to make sure I at least get a recap of what happened when I didn't watch, but I don't feel too bad if I miss a show.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

1997-early 2002. The first 4 1/2 years of watching were my peak, really.

 

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? Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004?

ECW was gone, WCW was gone, the InVasion angle was a bomb creatively, and WWE shows were just getting boring. I started getting back into it with TNA and RoH, but never had the money to follow RoH as closely as I wanted to, and TNA took a permanent turn for the worse in late '03 that they've never truly recovered from.

 

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?

I gave up watching for a few months when I got my own place and couldn't afford cable to watch Raw, but that's it.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

I just started watching again when I got cable, and I try to watch every week. WWE bringing in people other than 'roidfreaks, especially talented ones, certainly helped.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes? Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

I guess "extreme" style. I'm not too into the ultraviolent/deathmatch stuff, and I can't get into pure lucha libre for the life of me. Standard punch/kick bores me too, and I have to be in the mood to enjoy a technical showcase. But the "extreme" style (think of the RVD/Lynn series, where all styles of wrestling were blended with an emphasis on a quick pace and excellent highspots/reversal sequences) is one I can get into easily. It's been this way since I first got into ECW, which is why I wish a company like that was still around.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

Somewhere in-between TNA marks and WWE Apologists. As long as something remotely reasonable is presented to me, I can accept it. The things I can't get into are complete retconning of characters, like Kane, that go 100% against what was established about them for years prior, especially when it's done poorly and with no actual reasoning. I also hate the Canadian Destroyer unless Petey hits it coming off the top or while running, simply because there's no real momentum going that would make the move come close to even remotely working in real life.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

I prefer to watch on TV/DVD/tape, because then I can focus on both what the company is attempting to present their product as, and what it actually is. You can catch things with the aid of a trio of ringside cameras that you can't sitting in the balcony with only one viewpoint, dig? But there's a certain aura to being to a live show, especially a good one.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

Best: Seeing an awesome no-budget TLC match between the Logan Brothers and PRIDE at an NECW event in Framingham (if you YouTube a MV of it, you can actually catch me jumping up in disbelief after a huge spot).

Worst: Sitting through a fucking atrocious DOA/Los Boricuas tag match in late '97.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Events: ECW Heat Wave '98, WCW SlamBoree '98, WWE Vengeance '03, WWF WrestleMania 17, ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000, ECW Hardcore Heaven 1999, RoH Death Before Dishonor IV, WCW Great American Bash '00 (whatever, I like the flow of the show), WWF Royal Rumble '98, FMW Anniversary Show '00, WWECW One Night Stand '05, WWF No Way Out '00, ECW Guilty As Charged '99

Matches: Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka (both HW '98 and N2R '99), Team RoH vs. Team CZW (DBD IV), Briscoes vs. Steenerico (Driven, DBD V night 2, Man Up), almost all of the Dreamer & friends vs. Dudley Boyz brawls (ECW throughout the summer of '98), almost everything involving HHH between Rumble '00 and WM 17, Cruiserweight Battle Royale (SlamBoree '98), Raven/Saturn vs. Benoit/Malenko (Spring Stampede '99)

Moments: El Ciclope unmasks after winning the Cruiserweight Battle Royale to reveal himself as Dean Malenko (SlamBoree '98), Dreamer avenges Beulah's broken neck by finally beating the Dudley Boyz (Heat Wave '98), Homicide rushes to the aid of RoH to defeat CZW at their own game (DBD IV), Austin captures his first WWF Title (WM 14), Benoit/Guerrero celebrate their holding of the top belts in the industry (WM XX, even if it has been tarnished I still love that one moment), Taz chokes Douglas out for the ECW World title (GAC '99), AJ Styles breaks Jarrett's guitar with an enzugiri and then rolls him up to win the NWA World title for the second time (TNA in early '04), and the biggest one being Foley's retirement walk after losing HIAC to HHH (No Way Out '00).

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

It's been 10 days since the last response, so time to unpin this. It was a fun exercise though.

[theone 0]

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I'm me...the nephew of an unnamed person who has worked backstage at WCW, WWE and currently TNA.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

Ever since I can remember, my family has been involved in wrestling for 25+ years

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

WWF/E, WCW, AWA, NWA, Mid-South, ECW, NJPW,

 

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) pre-90 - AWA

90 - 94 - WWF

94-97 - WCW

97 - Current (if for nothing else, the pure lack of choice) - WWF/E

 

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

WWE. TNA seems to always be two steps behind... great ideas with terrible execution

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

The Rockers, Hogan, Tatanka, Sting, Lex Luger, HBK

 

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

Johnny B Badd, Bossman, Crush, Giant Gonzales, Vader,

 

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

Orton, DiBiase Jr, Rhodes, Evan Bourne, Motor City Machineguns, AJ Styles

 

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

Fairly into it...don't miss a Raw or PPV, try not to miss SD but it happens

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

Without a doubt...the Monday Night War era and what followed... spring '96 - fall 01

 

 

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?

When vince bought WCW I completely lost interest for a few years....The combination of no competition and HHH on top for way too long = snooze

 

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?

Completely quit watching from 02-04ish

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

Technical holds / european style

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

If it's a shitty story line, I don't hesitate to say it.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

Been to 20+ WCW events (used to get in free when family was on the booking committee), Been to 4 Raws, a WM, two In Your Houses and a few WWE house shows

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

best: WM12 - HBK's entrance and taking the belt

worst: any post-98 WCW event

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Savage @ wm4

HBK @ wm12

Hall/Nash/Hogan with the original nWo

The infamous nWo making fun of horseman interview

Any time sting beat vader in the early 90s

[daileyxplanet 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

What brought me here was show recaps back in the day w/ Jhawk and Corey Lazarus.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

I relatively flirted w/ wrestling right before the Attitude era but my most vivid memory that got me hooked was the night after Montreal where the nWo was singing 'O Canada, and I was all WTF!? and made me watch RAW to see what happened. What I used to do in the 3 hour Nitro Era was watch the first hour of Nitro, then flip back and forth between the two for the head-to-head hours. Then sometimes I would wait until 3 or so to watch the last two hours of Nitro. Tuesday mornings were the least productive in school. And I was in fifth grade.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. What companies have you followed? WWF, WCW, TNA, random indie for cheap dvd?

B. What have some of your favourite companies been? WCW, WWE Your least favourite? TNA, WCW

C. What is your favourite company right now? TNA. Any reason why? Trying to be the offspring of WWE and WCW when they should be the bigger brother to ROH

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling? Loved original DX and Shawn Michaels.

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand? Goldust, Headbangers (I rooted for NWA during the 'invasion'.

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.) Matt Bourne, CM Punk, AJ Styles

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product? At arms length, will dive in if it catches my interest. Will view from afar, just reading spoilers every two weeks when not.

Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Nope Did you ever? Not really, never Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that? If I watch it, I watch it "live" or on DVD. If you consider right now to be the most interested in wrestling you've ever been, the rest of the questions in this section can be skipped over.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak? Attitude Eral

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

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?

Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004? Growing up.

 

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? I've given up cold turkey sometimes.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom? n/a

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

Do you tell critics to "relax because it's just wrestling and you should enjoy the matches" (aka TNA fans about everything that happens on Impact!), do you come up with solutions that the writing team didn't bother to think about but you figure "it's there if you read between the lines" (aka "WWE Apologists"), somewhere inbetween, or do you take your greatest joy in watching wrestling to deconstruct everything that makes no sense?

 

12. Do you attend live events?

And more specifically, do you get a thrill out of big arena shows, do you prefer the smaller 'intimate' settings of the local indy show, or would you rather forget the whole thing and watch everything unfold on your HDTV without dealing with 'the marks'?

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

 

15. Freestyle

Add any closing remarks you feel are absolutely necessary to letting TSM know your thoughts on wrestling.

 

Again, just have fun with it. If it comes off as lame, I apologize, but I'm hoping it brings the "wrestling sections" of the board closer together instead of further apart.

 

Will edit with more later.

 

[Old School 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I've been around since the big yellow board days when SK still posted. I think it was called Smark Rant back then, or something like that.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

It was around the build-up to the Mega Powers exploding at Wrestlemania 5. I remember the Saturday Night's Main Event where Savage/Hogan split 'cause Savage got jealous over Elizabeth. My family used to always order the Survivor Series when we all got together for Thanksgiving too. Back then, PPV's weren't just on Sunday's.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. WWF, WCW, ECW (when it was ran by Heyman), TNA, some 90's Puro (AJPW, NJPW, Super J's) and some ROH.

B. I loved late 80's NWA, late 90's ECW and '05 ROH.

C. I guess WWE by default. I can't really devote time to Indies and whatnot anymore. I really only watch RAW.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Adrian Adonis, Bad News Allen, Bobby Eaton

B. Nikolai Volkoff, Koko B. Ware

C. Santino, DiBiase Jr, Umaga

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

It's not what it used to be but I am a lot older and know a lot more nowadays. I still get nostalgic every now and then. I'll still get the occasional goosebumps over a big return or a grand Undertaker entrance.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

Sting Vs. the nWo. When he was just hitting everyone with the Scorpion Death Drop. Nitro was a must-watch show for me.

 

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?

When both ECW & WCW died and I knew that WWF was all that was left. Then Rock and Austin both took off and I haven't cared too much since.

 

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?

I quit for a couple of years after Hogan left WWF.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

The nWo brought me back.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

I have no idea. I dislike cruiserweights and lucha style though. I'm a bigger fan of plodding matches that build to a finish. Not acrobats.

 

Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

I'm not sure. I was a big mark for top rope finishers when I was younger but I never really liked the high-flying style. Just as finishers.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

I wish it was presented as more of a sport, with rankings and whatnot. It's hard to believe that Batista can lose 10 times in a row and still be the #1 contender...

 

12. Do you attend live events?

Yes I do, whenever they come to my city. I've only traveled to two shows though. One was an ROH show and the other was a WWF house show. I've been to all but one that have came to my city.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

I've had a lot, actually. Allison Danger yelling at me that I "don't have shit!" Alex Shelley trying to come through the crowd by jumping over people and I didn't see him coming and he ran into the back of me and fell down. Slapping the shit out of Huge Morrus at a Thunder taping. Screaming in Raven's ear trying to get him to break character.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

I like the love triangle stuff a lot. I think it makes for feel good TV moments. Savage & Liz getting back together at the end of Warrior/Savage at WM7 for example. I liked the Jericho/Trish/Christian stuff. I liked the Angle/HHH/Steph stuff. I even liked the Matt Hardy/Lita/Edge stuff.

[Kristianna 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I am Kristianna. I was sent here from the planet Vagina to study the wrestling fan for possible capture and inclusion in our galactic zoo.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

Oh man, I got started in the mid-80's golden era of WWF superstars. Being from Texas, we also watched a lot of WCCW on Saturday morning, too. My big brother and I were really big Warrior marks. Besides that, I really enjoyed the "work-rate" guys like Michaels, Perfect and Hart (Owen and Bret). My first wrestler crush was Bret Hart, actually. When I entered my late teens, and I started caring about being popular and cool, so I kinda steered away from watching it, and by the college years (the vaunted Attitude Era) I wasn't watching at all. When I got into my mid-20's, I fell in love with a guy who absolutely loves wrestling, and I think I found a truly kindred spirit. My friends still think its lame.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

I guess I've already answered this, but yeah... big WWF and WCCW fan. I liked WCW wrestling too, but I never seemed to catch it as often.

 

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).

WWF was my favorite, even though I knew the guys weren't as technical. I really appreciate work-rate, especially these days, but you gotta tell a story, too. My least favorite was during the winding-down days of WCW when they put the belt on goddamn David Arquette just to promote that shitty movie. DDP was great, but then again, he partenered with fucking Jay Leno and Karl Malone. I don't know if that's funny, disgusting or both.

 

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

WWE is my favorite now, mostly by default. ROH doesn't do shows in the south, and TNA just reminds me of the very worst elements of WCW.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

Ha, I got ahead of myself earlier and covered that already. Go me. Warrior for energy and entertainment value, and Bret Hart for putting on great matches.

 

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

I hated the "giant" guys who could barely do anything in the ring. I guess they made compelling heels and all that, but it just didn't do it for me.

 

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Shawn Micheals, Evan Bourne

 

D. There was a 4th question here, but it basically ripped off the entire premise of a thread (or more than one thread, in theory) that already exists in General.

Ooh, that's so hot. I love it when bad-boys fight the man and break all the rules...

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Did you ever? Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that? If you consider right now to be the most interested in wrestling you've ever been, the rest of the questions in this section can be skipped over.

It really just depends on the wrestlers and the storylines they're telling. I hate anything having to do with Hornswaggle. I'm really sick of Batista. He's probably the most "over" jobber of all time, and I think the time off will do some good for him and the RAW title scene. I like Cena, but he really needs some kind of makeover, too. Overall, I find myself more compelled to watch RAW, but Jeff being champ on Smackdown does help a lot. ECW carries no water anymore.

 

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

Hell, I'm more likely to host parties now than I ever was, and I enjoy playing the Smackdown Vs. Raw series here and there, as long as I can play it on easy against the computer or someone who can't kick my ass.

 

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?

Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004?

Well, when I went to college, I got involved in a lot of things that meant I didn't either have the time to watch. Also, watching pro-wrestling isn't among the favorite activities amongst sorority girls. Also, I drank a lot... and smoked a ton of weed. So I don't know if I'd remember any of it anyway.

 

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?

I missed most of the attitude era and the monday night wars because of the above reasons.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

Moving in with a guy who watches wrestling religiously helped re-spark my interests. All of his friends are big fans, too. So we'll have PPV parties.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

I like the guys that really make it the most entertaining. To me that's guys like Michaels and Cena, who bust their ass to make the matches as best as possible. Hell, Michaels is the best combination of showmanship and work-rate I've seen lately. And the guy's been around a while.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

Do you tell critics to "relax because it's just wrestling and you should enjoy the matches" (aka TNA fans about everything that happens on Impact!), do you come up with solutions that the writing team didn't bother to think about but you figure "it's there if you read between the lines" (aka "WWE Apologists"), somewhere inbetween, or do you take your greatest joy in watching wrestling to deconstruct everything that makes no sense?

I tell anyone who trashes wrestling because its fake to just piss off. It's pre-booked and all that, but its an elaborate stunt-show with theatrics and soap-opera elements. I don't know, works for me.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

And more specifically, do you get a thrill out of big arena shows, do you prefer the smaller 'intimate' settings of the local indy show, or would you rather forget the whole thing and watch everything unfold on your HDTV without dealing with 'the marks'?

I love going to house shows, PPV, RAW events... whatever. Living close to Dallas, they come through pretty often, and we try to go when we can.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

Best experience was a couple of years ago when I got some of Sandman's beer splashed on me when he did his entrance at a RAW house show. Its cool when you're able to be that close to the wrestler. I don't really know what the worst experience is... they were never really that bad.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Matches: just off the top of my head... Owen vs. Bret at WM X, Joe Vs. Punk II, Rey vs. Eddie (Halloween Havoc 96?... of course, I had to see it years later.) Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series 2002.

Moments: CM Punk's winning the ECW title, Warrior trapped in the sealed casket (lame I know, but I marked for it when I was young), Benoit and Eddie celebrating their world title wins together.

Events: WM VI, X, XXI

 

15. Freestyle

Niggas hatin', but they can't fade this...

 

okay, I'm sorry... I'm white, I shouldn't be free-styling.

[Blade2kxx 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I tend to lurk alot, but I came to TSM back in '03 or so based on TheDames TNA reviews at first. I don't post all that often, but I check the boards very often.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

I started when I was 5 when my uncle got WMVIII on PPV, but my interest didn't peak until I was 8 or so.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

WWF/E, NWA/WCW, ECW, TNA, RoH

 

B. What have some of your favourite companies been? Your least favourite?

I'm more a fan of periods than actual companies, but I guess you could say I'm into TNA as a concept more than the actual execution therein. ECW and Flair-era NWA are awesome stuff though.

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

Ring of Honor. I don't have money to buy every DVD, but the RoH live experience is better than any other federation I've ever seen. The crowd interactions, the wrestling, it's all awesome stuff.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

Bret Hart was my idol growing up. Raven later became my fascination. As far as other past favorites... IRS, Ted DiBiase, DDP, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Early Rey-Rey, and I'm ashamed to admit that I got sucked in by the Goldberg hype for the longest time.

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund, Konnan.

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, Edge, Chris Jericho, Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, Samoa Joe, MVP, Matt Hardy, Chris Hero, Steenerico

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product? Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Did you ever? Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that?

I used to be about as obsessed a fan as you could find, but over the years I've mellowed down into a milder form of obsession. I don't get goosebumps for PPVs excluding WrestleMania, but as my interest in The E and TNA drops, my status as a RoHBot is growing. I'll probably always love the product and the business though.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

1995-2006. The last big event I did as a group sort of deal with WMXX. I lost cable in 2006 and it's hurt my ability to watch since then.

 

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? Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004?

Gradual loss of interest formed by a stale WWE, incoherent TNA, and still relatively unheard of RoH. That would be early 2005 for me. For the record, the aforementioned boring title reign was anything but and you can stick it.

 

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?

Always stuck with it.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

N/A

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes? Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

I'm pretty all over the place, but I gotta say... yeah, I love a good technical duel, and I love violence as much as the next guy, but when I see a match like an RVD/Lynn or a Danielson/Black that can mix everything into a coherent whole...

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

The Undertaker. I'm sick of the supernatural powers thing.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

Yes, mostly RoH. I went to SD in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago and it just wasn't as fun of an experience.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

Best: This IS sorta recent but still... Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries, RoH Final Battle 2008... Actually, fuck that, the last three matches for that show were absolutely amazing.

Worst: McMahon vs. McMahon, No Mercy 2003.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Events: RoH DBD IV, Supercard of Honor, Final Battle 2008, TNA No Surrender 2005, Sacrifice 2005, WWE WrestleMania X7, WrestleMania X, SummerSlam 2002, Vengeance 2001, WCW Clash of the Champions I, Bash at the Beach 1996

Matches: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WM13), Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (CotC 2/3 Falls), Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Souled Out '98), TLC II (WMX7), Team RoH vs. Team CZW (RoH 100th Show, and Death Before Dishonor IV), Sting's Squadron vs. The Dangerous Alliance (WrestleWar '92), Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (WM12), AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Lo-Ki (Not the Ladder Match), AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe (TNA Unbreakable), Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Owen Tribute), Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. HHH (WMXX), The Briscoe Brothers vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (RoH MAN UP!), Tyler Black vs. Nigel McGuinness (RoH Take No Prisoners), Blood Generation vs. DO FIXER (RoH Supercard of Honor), AMW vs. XXX (First TNA Cage Match)

Moments: Benoit & Eddie at WMXX, The Sandman makes his entrance at the first One Night Stand, Goldberg crushes everyone as he's unleashed from the Elimination Chamber, Raven smashes DDP with a stop sign on an MTV set, Tyler canes Sandman, Foley's anti-hardcore promos, Chairs rain into the ring in ECW, Joey Styles goes off on Sports Entertainment, Paul Heyman rants about Vince McMahon before getting Tazzmission'd, Jimmy Jacobs forms The Age of the Fall while Mark Briscoe hangs above him dripping blood, Eric Bischoff reveals himself as the priest at the Billy & Chuck wedding.

 

 

[Turbo Lion 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

I came to TSM in the early 2000's and liked the banter. I was a huge wrestling fan at the time. Kotzenjunge and I actually met once as we both lived in Charleston at some bar's PPV event. TSM actually made me laugh out loud a lot so I stuck around. After a prolonged stint, I've come and gone depending on internet access and the level of school intensity in undergrad.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

I first REALLY got into wrestling around the time Booker and Benoit feuded over WCW's television championship. One of them won it at a house show that a friend and I went to yet the other had it back by the time TV rolled around. I was baffled. But intrigued.

 

It is worth noting, however, that when I was 4 or 5, I was NUTS about GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). My mother loves telling people about how when I was a kid I was in front of the TV for the GLOW girls every weekend.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. WCW, WWF and ECW. Alternately at first but eventually all together. Then TNA when it came along. The last few years have been spotty, though.

 

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).

 

WWF circa 1999-2002 was great. I marked big time for WCW just before - I distinctly remember the DDP/Raven feud. Raven attacking DDP on MTV's TRL was, at the time, one of the craziest things I'd seen. But from Foley returning to the Cactus Jack persona through 2001 or so was pure gold for me. This is also when I got "smart" to the business. I got into TNA back when it was formative and the X-division was blowing up. Unfortunately, I only really got to see snippets of ECW here and there on the internet and when TNN screwed them over weekly. But what I saw, before Vince bought everyone, was always fun.

 

Wrestling seems bizarrely cyclic. But I don't think the cycles are predictable. It's really dependent on the relationship between the product and the audience. Any of those companies have been great and terrible. It depends on the booking and the atmosphere.

 

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

 

I don't have a favorite right now. I mean, really, there are only 2 choices nationally. TNA probably wins because I generally enjoy watching the cruisers work. But neither has consistently grabbed my attention.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites: Nothing is stellar these days.

 

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

DDP was the first guy I marked out for. Then I was a HUGE Foley mark, especially after reading hiss book and learning about his career. Being a big guy too, he became kind of a role model. And hey, I wound up marrying a pretty hot, classy chick who has placed in international Harp competitions so I guess it worked. Of course, Rocky and HHH's feud was an incredible thing to see go down. I mark for HBK. Sometimes.

 

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

Hmmm. Specifically I don't know. I've never gotten the appeal of Goldberg. I'm not too partial to Vince's coveted big guys. I'll take some little japanese guys with serious workrate over the hosses any day of the week. Though Lesnar's ability to pull off a Shooting Star (sometimes) was impressive.

 

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.) The X guys in TNA. And the motor city machine guns. Booker when he's on. Angle when he's not a full on dick about it. If Rock came back with his A game, I'd be there. Robert Rude sometimes. I do have a soft spot for Samoa Joe.

 

 

D. There was a 4th question here, but it basically ripped off the entire premise of a thread (or more than one thread, in theory) that already exists in General.

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Did you ever? Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that? If you consider right now to be the most interested in wrestling you've ever been, the rest of the questions in this section can be skipped over.

 

Until we get cable, its mostly what I scavenge online. My interest is minimal - I'm more interested in the OAOAST than anything on TV right now. Though I'll probably catch Mania because it's fucking Mania.

 

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

 

1998-2002. No doubt.

 

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?

Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004?

 

I went to college in 2003. At my school we, stupidly, couldn't have TV's in our rooms. So my wrestling intake was suddenly limited to a couple of DVD's that I owned and TSM. When I got home for breaks the product had started to crash so I lost a lot of interest.

 

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?

 

I leave and return often. But I try to keep an eye on it to see if something is going on that I'd like to see play out.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

 

I haven't. I'm a writer, a filmmaker. I like different kinds of cultural storytelling. I like the *mechanics* of how wrestling works as a storytelling form. I'll always have a soft spot for it and I"ll always be ready to cheer my head off when the product warrants it.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

 

Cruisers, Lucha and Japanese stuff. I like fast paced, high risk stuff. But I also like when the medium-big guys get out there and put on a good show. It's one of the reasons I like Foley and Rocky. Rock would work his ass off when the time came, though it was a bit limited. He was hustling and you could tell. Foley would do whatever it took to entertain. But generally I dig the innovative cruisers.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

Do you tell critics to "relax because it's just wrestling and you should enjoy the matches" (aka TNA fans about everything that happens on Impact!), do you come up with solutions that the writing team didn't bother to think about but you figure "it's there if you read between the lines" (aka "WWE Apologists"), somewhere inbetween, or do you take your greatest joy in watching wrestling to deconstruct everything that makes no sense?

 

It's a kind of theater to me. A bizarre theater. But it's a form of storytelling and I respect the work that goes into it. I've defended it against some more of my artsy theater friends. Like any show or play or movie, sometimes it just goes too far (Katie Vick), but generally I let it follow its own rules.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

And more specifically, do you get a thrill out of big arena shows, do you prefer the smaller 'intimate' settings of the local indy show, or would you rather forget the whole thing and watch everything unfold on your HDTV without dealing with 'the marks'?

 

The first Smackdown ever in Charleston was one of the most fun, electrifying audience experiences of my life. I will always love and appreciate a good live show, but the product would have to warrant the money right now. It doesn't.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

 

During the Stone Cold/HHH feud back in like... 01, 02 I guess, they went through a phase where they were contractually forbidden to touch one another before their PPV match. Smackdown came to town. HHH and Eddie had a match. Everyone was expecting Austin to interfere somehow, but he didn't. The titantron went off indicating commercial break. HHH and Eddie were still in the ring for some reason. We figured we just got screwed on an Austin appearance.

 

Then... THE GLASS SHATTERED. That place went abso-fucking-lutely nuts. I've never heard or felt a reaction like that before or since. Austin hits the ring with a six pack. He offers one to Eddie, who takes it. He offers one to HHH, who drinks it. Then Austin, if I remember correctly, hits a stunner on Eddie, I guess as a message to HHH.

 

It was awesome. Great little treat for the live audience.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

 

I was really into Foley/HHH HIAC. I believed in Foley and I was deeply disappointed when he lost and "retired". I remember Rock's promo before No Way Out 01 - "Tick tock, tick tock, Kurt Angle." And the win. Most of that timeframe was full of great stuff to me.

 

My FAVORITE, though, even though it also PISSED ME OFF... was a Raw where Jericho rolls out and challenges HHH for the title. Right there. Trips agrees and they go, and Jericho WINS. I nearly fell off the couch in joy. The live fans looked like they lost their balls over it. Then HHH made Hebner reverse the decision and negate it because... uh, because HHH and Steph were in power or something. But that Lionsault and the 3 count were awesome.

 

15. Freestyle

I await the next golden age. I'll happily be there.

[spman 0]

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

 

I've been here since the very beginning, came over from SKeith's old website

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

 

I specifically remember watching an episode of Superstars / Challange or whatever it was on my Birthday in 1992 which featured Berzerker winning a battle royal. I didn't begin watching on a regular basis however until around the first episode of RAW

 

3. The Company Line:

A. I've been a WWE mark almost exclusively. I briefly kept up with what was going on in WCW from 1996-1998ish, but it never really held my attention much.

 

B. I was always and will always be a WWE mark in my heart. Does American Gladiators count?

 

C. Probably nothing, since I only skip through RAW on my DVR and read the results online, and I ignore ECW and Smackdown

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. I always dug Crush, even when he turned heel. I really liked Macho Man too, so it was quite the conflict for me when they had their feud. I was a big mark for Bob Backlund during his heel turn as well.

B. Diesel annoyed the crap out of me, even as a young mark I knew he was worthless. I never particularly cared for The British Bulldog for some reason either. I always hated Lex Luger with a passion.

C. I find Santino amusing, although he utter lack of in ring ability kills any hope I might have for him. I dig Miz and Morrison a lot as well. Randy Orton is probably the best heel they've got right now. I'm apathetic towards just about everyone else.

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

 

I don't care enough to watch anything regularly, but I'm still a mark in my heart. I don't completely ignore the product, but it's not exactly a major part of my life either. When the live shows come around, assuming my schedule is free, I usually make it a point to go, but it's more an excuse to hang out with friends then actively wanting to watch the shows. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being no interest at all and 10 being the focal point of your life, I'd say I was at a 4.

 

Do you still get butterflies of excitement that make you look forward to upcoming PPVs? Did you ever? Do you watch every televsied wrestling program live, or just a few - and FF'd via DVR at that? If you consider right now to be the most interested in wrestling you've ever been, the rest of the questions in this section can be skipped over.

 

PPV never really excited me as a kid because I never had the capacity to order them. I used to watch the scrambled feed and listen to the commentary just so I could keep up with what was going on, but that was about it. I work most monday nights now, so I fast forward through my DVR of RAW when I get home, and usually discover that I didn't miss very much at all.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

 

 

Hmm, I would say as a child my interest peaked right arouind 1997, reaching it's peak at Survivor Series of that year and declining from there. 1998 and 1999 are a blur to me, I seem to remember having watched when I could, but I don't remember being nearly as compelled as I had been prior. I started watching again more frequently around late-1999, and had a resurgance of interest from then right up through about the end of the Invasion around the time Jericho won the belts. I think the major fuck up that was the Invasion angle really made me lose interest. I got interested again around the time Eric Bischoff came back and was in charge of RAW, but once they threw him in the trash, I lost interest again.

 

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?

Was there anything even specific? Just a gradual interest loss of interest? Retirement (or death) of a favourite? A boring title reign on SmackDown in the Summer of 2004?

 

I think a combination of Eddie and Benoit passing away, along with the shitting all over ECW pretty much did it for me. I think the ECW thing in particular cemented the idea in my head that Vince McMahon only has one vision of what Professional Wrestling is, and has no intent on ever deviating from that mindset.

 

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?

 

I've stuck through some real low points like 1995 and 2003, but I've never completely abandoned it.

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

 

I like matches that tell a story ie: Flair vs Steamboat, Bret vs Backlund, Bret vs Michaels Iron Man

 

Has it always been this way, or have your tastes changed over time?

 

Nope, pretty much always been the case

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

Do you tell critics to "relax because it's just wrestling and you should enjoy the matches" (aka TNA fans about everything that happens on Impact!), do you come up with solutions that the writing team didn't bother to think about but you figure "it's there if you read between the lines" (aka "WWE Apologists"), somewhere inbetween, or do you take your greatest joy in watching wrestling to deconstruct everything that makes no sense?

 

I gave up any hope for Kayfabe a long time ago. Nothing is completely out of the question anymore.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

And more specifically, do you get a thrill out of big arena shows, do you prefer the smaller 'intimate' settings of the local indy show, or would you rather forget the whole thing and watch everything unfold on your HDTV without dealing with 'the marks'?

 

I actually prefer Indy shows a lot more then WWE, it's always a lot more fun and a lot more intimate. I do still attend WWE when I have the chance, but not nearly as often as I used to.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

 

Worst: I had terrible seats once for RAW shortly before Survivor Series 2003, the view was obscured and I could hardly see anything.

 

Best: Absolutely fantastic seats for the RAW 15th anniversary where I got to live out my dream of seeing Hulk Hogan live, even if it was just for an in ring promo.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

 

Royal Rumble 1992, Bret winning the belt at Wrestlemania X, Jericho winning the belt on RAW in 2000 only to have the decision reversed, Benoit and Jericho beat Triple H and Austin for the tag belts in 2001, Eddie wins the title in February 2004, Benoit wins the title in April 2004

 

15. Freestyle

Add any closing remarks you feel are absolutely necessary to letting TSM know your thoughts on wrestling.

 

I am more then able to separate Chris Benoit the person from Chris Benoit the wrestler. Whatever may have gone on in his personal life doesn't taint his in ring contributions in my mind at all.

 

Again, just have fun with it. If it comes off as lame, I apologize, but I'm hoping it brings the "wrestling sections" of the board closer together instead of further apart.

[BruiserKC 0]

General Interest Questions

 

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

BruiserKC...I came here in 2005. Before then, I was a regular at 2xzone, the Yahoo Wrestling chat rooms, and a private board called Horsemen's Paradise which involved some very serious wrestling discussion. Redjed led me to this board from those days at HP.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

1979...saw wrestling for the first time at a friend's house. I was 5 years old and his brother and girlfriend flipped on Georgia Championship Wrestling and I saw first Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. I have watched ever since.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. Which companies have you actively followed in your tenure as a wrestling fan?

WWF/E, NWA (Central States, JCP, and Georgia mostly), Mid-South/UWF, World Class, ECW, AWA, and TNA.

 

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).

Favorite companies growing up were the UWF/Mid-South of the mid-80s, NWA/Jim Crockett from '85-89, and ECW of the mid-90s. My least favorites were WCW at the end, as well as WWF in the mid-90s also.

 

C. What is your favourite company right now? Any reason why?

I enjoy TNA the most. A handful of these wrestlers have turned down WWE opportunities, such as AJ Styles and Hernandez of the LAX. They are less handcuffed than WWE performers so they can do their thing.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Who were your favourite wrestlers (or gimmicks) growing up / when you first started watching wrestling?

Road Warriors, Fabulous Freebirds, Four Horsemen, Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, RVD, Jerry Lawler (before he acted like a kid that just discovered puberty).

B. Who were some guys you couldn't stand?

Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, The Cat Ernest Miller (I turned off the TV everytime I saw his mug on WCW) Hogan and Flair I found boring...Flair has grown on me a bit but I still hate Hogan with a passion.

C. Who are your current favourites (if applicable / different from A.)

Samoa Joe, Jericho, CM Punk, Christopher Daniels, MVP

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

 

Currently I do watch...I make it a habit of not reading the spoilers for TNA, ECW, and SD so I can just watch to see what happens. I would say I am interested and will eventually get my son and maybe my daughters to watch (although they're at the age right now it's not something they should see yet.)

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

When were you compelled to watch every second of televised wrestling AND shell out money on PPVs, get excited about the release of video games, have TV/PPV parties with friends, etc.

 

For me it would be in the mid-80s to late 90s, when I was in high school, college and shortly after. Many Saturdays spent watching wrestling in the morning instead of cartoons and then watching NWA wrestling before heading out with my friends.

 

 

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?

I don't talk on wrestling boards and the like as much as I used to but I still watch and pay attention. It's also harder to talk about it as most of my friends don't watch and my wife thinks I'm out of my gourd for watching.

 

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?

For the most part I've watched during the down times, but there were a couple of times I stopped watching for a length of time. One when Bruiser Brody was murdered, I stopped watching for several months until the Flair-Steamboat series of matches. Then when Hogan turned heel in WCW and became champion I stopped watching them for almost a year.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

I was a huge fan for the basic, tough-guy style of wrestling that the UWF/Mid-South put out, plus enjoyed the hybrid of technical and hardcore ECW and MLW put out.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

To me, it's like watching a play or a movie. I know it's not real, but if it catches my attention and has me riveted it's done its job.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

I usually try to attend at least one a year. It sucks though TNA doesn't come to Iowa, although on a couple of occasions I sneaked up to Minnesota to take in an ROH show.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

Being at the SNME taping when Hogan superplexed Big Bossman off the top of the cage, plus I've seen both the NWA World title and WWF title change hands at shows I've been at. Least favorite...I believe it was in 2002 or 03, the night before Backlash. It was a house show and the whole thing lasted less than two hours. It felt rushed and I felt ripped off.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

Flair-Steamboat at Clash of Champions VI, Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome, and Taz-Sabu at Living Dangerously '99.

 

15. Freestyle

I have very strong views, both with wrestling and other issues, but I enjoy the business and I enjoy this board.

[Broward83 0]

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

Name's Chris. Found this board thru a friend of mine via the online poker popularity boom.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

I think it was around when I was three or four. Might've been older but I can recall watching WWF Superstars in the first house I lived on prior to going to elementary.

 

3. The Company Line:

A. WWF / WCW / ECW (Latter day when it hit TNN but saw it once on the Sunshine network whilst on vacation to Florida) and RoH. Haven't seen a full show but I've seen a "Best Of" DVD or two and enjoyed what I saw.

 

Edit: I totally forgot about 'em and reading Kristianna's post about WCCW made me remember catching Paul Boesch and the Houston Wrestling they'd show on Friday/Saturday nights.

 

B. The above and for some reason, NJPW. I've seen bits of a show here and there..I think it was because of my love of Muta, Liger and Chono that got me to learn about NJPW.

 

C. WWE. Only real company for me to follow that I can see their shows on a constant basis. After dealing with TNA I kinda stopped caring about them.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A: Bret Hart. I honestly believe that one can only support one guy or the other. Much like fans in Texas can only support UT or AnM.

B. Early on I kinda just enjoyed everyone really.

C. Miz n Morrison. Orton. Jericho. Matt Hardy..Evan Bourne..MVP. Quite a few guys I care to see perform in the ring.

 

Specific Questions about your Interest

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

I try to catch all the WWE programming that I can. TNA..if I'm bored I'll watch it but overall I've got a decent interest in the product.

 

6. Eh, I've yet to hit the wall where I just don't care. If I had cable and the money for it I'd still order PPVs and catch all the weekly programming. Still get SvR every year and try to scrape up the cash to hit a show when they come to Houston.

 

7. I think it dropped when things became a bit too formulaic and instead of compelling personalities I get poorly written bit characters.

 

8. Yeah, stuck with it during the good and bad.

 

 

I'll get the rest later.

[Scroby 0]

1. Who are you and what's your business here?

Scroby, I started reading TNA reviews from Dames and after e-mailing him a few times, he invited me to join the forums. At first I was against it because I figured it was a bunch of dumbasses pretending they knew everything about pro wrestling...I was only half right.

 

2. When did you discover an interest in wrestling?

When I was a kid I used to watch Superstars on Fox and Wrestling Challenge on USA.

 

3. The Company Line:

WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA. I tried following stuff like XPW, but without tv it was very hard to follow, plus the announcers sucked.

 

4. (Not So) Favourites:

A. Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior (I was so, so, so young), Mr. Perfect, Jake Roberts, Ted Dibiase, LOD, and Randy Savage. I always loved watching their matches, even though I hated Dibiase and Mr. Perfect as a kid, though I loved their music.

 

B. Skinner. I found him really boring even as a kid. I just didn't care for him and always saw him as someone who just didn't fit. Repoman as well, mostly because he beat the hell out of someone and it was really the first time I've seen someone just beat the hell out of someone. The motorcity machine guns, I just don't get their appeal. They're matches aren't to bad but they're not decent either. They're just a pair of spot monkeys who don't sell very well at all.

 

C. William Regal, Kurt Angle, Team 3D, The Undertaker, HBK, Mr. Kennedy. There's very few people who I get excited about now a days. Though Mark Henry is really starting to grow on me.

 

 

5. How would you gauge your current interest level in the product?

 

WWE: I get pretty bored with it pretty quickly, though after a few weeks of being bored with the product, a show or two or a upcoming PPV event (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania) will re-spark my interest then after a few weeks of a show pretty much repeating itself, I'll get re-bored with the WWE.

 

TNA: The problem with TNA is that I'll forget to watch it and won't watch it for a few weeks just because I don't care. TNA isn't to bad now, but it still could be a lot better and focus on more wrestling without screwy finishes.

 

6. At what point in wrestling history (if it's not now) would you consider your interest to have been at it's peak?

 

I've always been interested in Pro Wrestling, I can't think of a time when I didn't like watching pro wrestling.

 

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?

WWE and TNA now adays have really decreased my interest in watching their shows. There's just nothing they can do now storyline wise that can keep me glued to their product. There's to little wrestling or when there's a good amount of wrestling the match either sucks or has a horrible finish.

 

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?

 

9. If applicable, at what point did you decide to pack in the wrestling fandom?

 

Never have.

 

Interesting Questions of a Somewhat Random Nature

 

10. What style of pro wrestling best resonates with your personal tastes?

Chain wrestling or matches that have great psychology.

 

11. Where do you "draw the line" with the whole "suspended disbelief" deal?

If anything I try to figure out where the storyline or gimmick is going.

 

12. Do you attend live events?

I try to, but WWE is really expensive and TNA never comes to California. I go to Nor-Cal indy shows a lot.

 

13. If applicable, what are the best and worst experiences you've had going to a show live?

Raw in Oakland: The Rock's return after Austin walked out.

No Way Out in San Francisco: Eddie winning the title.

WrestleFanFest 2007: Bad: A lot of people got fucked over by the promoter and Big Vision Entertainment.

Good: I had a great fucking weekend.

 

14. What are your favourite matches, moments, or events?

I really don't have any, my memory is really shot. I normally watch a match and think "this was really good or this will be really good."

 

15. Freestyle

Stop believing everything Meltzer or PWI tell you...sheep.