WHEN: Your favorite time period for wrestling

[Loss]

I'd have to say mine is WCW/NWA from about 1986 to 1993. There was a lot of crap amidst the good stuff, no doubt, but the peaks were better than anything happening in the US scene most of the time. When I think of the "golden age" of my fandom, I think of people like Ric Flair, Sting, Vader, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, Brian Pillman, the Steiners, Arn Anderson, Cactus Jack, a young Steve Austin, Tully Blanchard, the Midnight Express, the Rock & Roll Express, the Dangerous Alliance, the Road Warriors and even Dusty Rhodes. I remember how crucial it was that I tune into to TBS at 6:05 Eastern time every Saturday evening. It was a tradition, and even though I had long since stopped watching the show regularly, it saddened me when it was cancelled in April of 2000, since that time slot had been synonymous with wrestling for nearly three decades. Some of my favorite memories from this time period:

 

* The Four Horsemen hiring a cameraman to watch them attack Dusty Rhodes in a parking lot and break his arm. Most people know this as the "Make It Good" angle

 

* Jim Cornette hitting Baby Doll with his tennis racket in the stomach, and them implying that she'd never be able to have children as a result

 

* The Four Horsemen attacking Ricky Morton and rubbing his face in the concrete backstage. That entire feud was fantastic -- Flair's promos holding up training bras in Morton's face to make fun of the age of his fans was priceless.

 

* Nikita Koloff turning babyface and challenging Ric Flair

 

* Ric Flair and Barry Windham and their classic feud

 

* Jim Cornette throwing a fireball in Ron Garvin's face

 

* Ole Anderson being kicked out of the Four Horsemen because he put his family first, leaving room for Lex Luger to join the group

 

* Magnum TA returning to the NWA after his car accident, and how even the heels were so moved they were crying

 

* WAR GAMES! All of them ...

 

* Lex Luger being kicked out of the Horsemen for throwing JJ Dillon over the top rope at a Bunkhouse Stampede

 

* Barry Windham turning on Luger and joining the Four Horsemen in what was probably my very favorite angle of all time

 

* Sting showing up and creating so much excitement immediately by pushing Ric Flair to the limit

 

* The Midnight Express/Fantastics feud, and the wild brawl they had at Clash I with the ringside area pretty much being destroyed

 

* The Midnight Express holding the World and US tag titles at the same time

 

* Barry Windham becoming the personification of cool, wearing the black leather, growing a beard, and wearing a black glove so he could start using the claw hold

 

* How furious I was when Lex Luger was robbed of the World title ... all 756 times!

 

* Ricky Steamboat coming back from nowhere and beating Ric Flair in a tag match where he was the mystery partner

 

* Flair and Barry Windham breaking Eddie Gilbert's nose by Flair kneedropping him on the face on the concrete at ringside

 

* Dusty Rhodes getting a spike in the eye from the Road Warriors (and losing his job for blading during primetime)

 

* Chi-Town Rumble! The Chicago crowd was hot for every match, and Flair's entrance is the best I've ever seen for any wrestler

 

* How exciting it was anytime a Clash of the Champions came on

 

* Ric Flair getting piledriven on the table by Terry Funk

 

* Terry Funk dressing up a jobber like Ric Flair and making fun of him

 

* The Great Muta doing moves no one else was doing at the time in the US

 

* Terry Funk suffocating Ric Flair with a plastic bag

 

* The Midnights and Cornette setting up the Dynamic Dudes

 

* Sting getting kicked out of the Horsemen

 

* The Steiners doing cool tag moves I had never seen before

 

* The Freebirds creating a weird story about how the Southern Boys were really from Wisconsin, and how they'd yell "I smell cheese" anytime they were announcing a match the team had. They also pretended they were huge rock stars selling tons of albums, and they'd occasionally go "on tour", leaving "Carlos and Leo" behind in their place. See, Lance Russell, host of NWA Pro, hired an investigative reporter to show that the whole Freebirds act was a total lie, and the Freebirds retaliated by saying they had hired two Cuban actors who looked exactly like them to play their part in the videos, and they felt so sorry for those guys being hoodwinked that they tried to get them a job. As goofy and fun as it sounds

 

* The Midnights and Southern Boys tearing down the house at the 1990 Great American Bash

 

* Teddy Long having to be Ric Flair's Chauffeur For A Day

 

* The BAD backlash over Flair getting fired from WCW

 

* The Dangerous Alliance!

 

* Jushin "Thunder" Liger coming in and having a really good series with Brian Pillman

 

* Jake Roberts showing up out of nowhere and injuring Sting

 

* Cactus Jack and Abdullah the Butcher coming out of gift boxes and attacking Sting

 

* Ron Simmons winning the World title and the Baltimore Arena crowd going insane

 

* Vader beating the hell out of everyone

 

* Vader powerbombing Cactus Jack on the concrete floor

 

* The Heavenly Bodies and Jim Cornette invading WCW Saturday Night and Cornette shooting on pretty much everyone in the company

 

There's probably tons more I am forgetting.

 

Honorable mention goes to the NWO's early days (June-November 1996). I was less interested after Eric Bischoff joined the group, but the early days were just one great angle after another (Hall and Nash powerbombing Bischoff, Hogan turning heel, a fake Sting joining the NWO with everyone convinced it was the real one, Kevin Nash turning Rey Misterio into a human dart and he and Nash leaving the entire locker room laid out backstage).

 

From the WWF, my two favorite time periods were late 1991 when Flair came in and Savage was feuding with Jake, and April-November of 1997, when Bret Hart turned heel and the US/Canada feud was at a fever pitch.

 

What would you guys consider your favorite time period?

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

When I was actually watching, 1991-1993. I'd take it back a few years to 1987 if you count what I saw through videos. More specifically, this is pertaining to WWF since I never really watched NWA/WCW, nor have I gotten too into this period through tapes.

 

1992 seemed to be a magical year for both major promotions and I'd probably call that my favorite year in wrestling. There were so many things that the WWF was doing right during this period that I'd be hardpressed to really find fault in almost anything they did.

 

- One of the best Royal Rumble matches with the largest crop of potential winners.

 

- The phasing out of Hogan, as much as I adored him at the time.

 

- Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels coming into their own as single's competitors

 

- Ric Flair as WWF Champion.

 

- The crop of big players being as diverse as I think it's been in the last two decades (Hogan, Flair, Undertaker, Savage, Sid, Piper, Jake Roberts, etc.).

 

- The Savage/Flair/Liz love-triangle.

 

- The tail-end of the Savage/Roberts program.

 

- A Wrestlemania highlighted by classic IC and WWF title matches and capped off with the return of the Ultimate Warrior (which was pretty huge at the time).

 

- The incorporation of the ladder match within the company.

 

- The secondary title being held in almost as high regard as the WWF title.

 

- One of the most atmospheric Summerslams in history, featuring a match dubbed one of the best in North America.

 

- The decision to go with Bret Hart as WWF Champion, even though it went against the norm for what many thought the prototypical champ at the time should be.

 

Honestly, there was just so much clicking in the WWF around this time. All of the feuds were interesting and producing some classic contests. I'd say the tag team division was the only big flaw the company really had, and that can be attributed to the loss of three or four of their top tag teams over the last year (Rockers, Harts, Demolition, primarily).

 

That year still collected some of the best workers of the time and put them into programs that would eventually be remembered as some of their finest.

[Loss]

It's sad that 1992 is when the bubble popped on the WWF financially, because the product was very good that year.

[Coffey]

Probably the Sting Vs. nWo era of WCW. There was a lot going on, and it got me to start watching wrestling again. I'd quit following it for a few months prior to that.

 

A lot of really good undercard matches went down. Raven's Flock was swinging. Just tons of stuff that I could get into. I loved Jericho, Malenko & Eddie Guerrero. Juventud and Mysterio as well. The Cruiserweight division was fun to watch. Even when it was Silver King or El Dandy wrestling.

 

There were a lot of wrestlers that I'd grew up watching, like Hogan and Piper, mixed in with wrestlers that were "new." Like Goldberg and DDP.

 

I just got into it.

 

Sting randomly Scorpion Death Dropping people made me tune in every week.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Put me in on the late-'91-1992 bandwagon. This period just seems to have everything, with vintage Randy Savage, vintage Rowdy Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, and Jake Roberts playing the best heel that I've ever personally seen. And, let's not forget - WCW was having an amazing year as well.

 

My second pick would be the late '96 - early '98 era that spanned from the Austin/Hart feud to the first two months of Steve Austin's WWF title reign.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

I expected everyone to echo Loss' sentiments in the initial post because that era (not all the way up to '93, though) is easily my favorite era in wrestling. I guess not all of us had the privilege of living in an area where that was the only show in town or are old enough to have watched and remembered it. A damn shame, too, because those of you who cite late WCW or early '90s WWF as your favorite time period in wrestling OBVIOUSLY missed out. Because no way does any period listed here hold a candle to 86-90 NWA.

 

If I had to go with a second period, it'd be '98-'00 WWF.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

1990-1993. Basically, right up to WM X. I was just a wrestling freak. I'd rent all the tapes I could (every WM, every SSlam, every SSeries, every RR, the Wrestlefests, World Tours, etc.) and bought every WWF magazine I could (damn I wish I still had those). I remember trying to draw Hulk Hogan and LOD on flights to Florida. I used to call up the Harold line which was a weekly "inside" hotline run by a local newspaper (free). I wanted to gobble up all the information I could. Hogan and Bret Hart on top, great angles, wrestlers and wrestling around that time as well. Superstars every Saturday at 11, followed by Cavalcade at 3. Then they started to get really, really, goofy. The "Unbelievable" commercials were corny, the wrestlers were getting a lot more gimmicky and childish. It was a case of me growing up and them not that led to a general disinterest. I didn't stop watching, I just lost my enthusiasm for it. Plus, they were putting more focus on RAW and Superstars became a less important show. I started to watch a lil more WCW then, as it was becoming more available to watch in my area and it was just something different. Main Event on Sundays, Worldwide on Saturdays (didn't have TBS).

 

Then the NWO came around, and at the same time Steve Austin was emerging. The Austin/Hart feud was awesome, especially when they put the America vs. Canada slant on it. It started getting a lot more "real". The "who is the 3rd member of the NWO" angle had me too. Wrestling was getting a lot better. Of course, then you had 1998/99 when it was peaking in popularity. It was great watching wrestling as it was "cool", because then you didn't have to hide the fact that you were a wrestling fan.

 

2000 had to be my favourite year, though. In one week, there was RAW on Monday, Nitro on Tuesday, Thunder on Wednesdays, Smackdown on Thursdays, ECW on Fridays, Saturday Night/Metal on Saturdays, and Heat/some PPV on Sundays. I was finally on the internet, which gave me access to an abundance of information and a chance to actually TALK about wrestling. And I got to watch Japanese wrestling, something that I wanted to do since seeing Tenryu at WM7 and Lyger and Muta in WCW. There was the ECW show in Mississauga that simply cannot be topped in terms of live wrestling experience. The world became open in 2000 for me.

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

I expected everyone to echo Loss' sentiments in the initial post because that era (not all the way up to '93, though) is easily my favorite era in wrestling.  I guess not all of us had the privilege of living in an area where that was the only show in town or are old enough to have watched and remembered it.  A damn shame, too, because those of you who cite late WCW or early '90s WWF as your favorite time period in wrestling OBVIOUSLY missed out.  Because no way does any period listed here hold a candle to 86-90 NWA.

That's true. I think it's a case of most of us having a soft spot for whichever era was going when we began watching. Looking back, a lot of the angles they did in 1991 WWF were hokey (i.e. the Mountie kidnapping the Big Boss Man during PTW and locking him up in the boiler room), but that era is still one of my favorites. It was my first exposure to wrestling as it was happening and I credit it for furthering my interest in wrestling.

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

And in reference to the Attitude Era, while it definitely resparked my love for pro wrestling, I don't look back at it with as much admiration as you may expect. It was a great time to be a fan, but I don't view it in retrospect as fondly as I do my favorite era.

 

It's possible that the way things turned out in recent years has tainted my take on the Attitude Era.

[Loss]

I think the Attitude era had long-term repercussions that we're still feeling today, and it's still too early to say for sure, but I tend to think so many crippling long-term events happened during that time period that it's going to take a total reinvention (and I do mean a TOTAL reinvention) of the product to move forward.

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

 

 

"Total reinvention you say? Then I'm your man."

[goodhelmet]

That Was Then...

Since I am older than most of you, my take on wrestling is a little different when looking back at the early years. I used to be a huge wrestling fan from 1982 until 1988. I watched all of the huge WWF angles in the emerging years of rock n' wrestling. I tuned in every Saturday Night to TBS. I caught UWF (the former Mid South) every Saturday morning before it went belly-up. I was watching WCCW at its peak.. even if I had to stay up past midnight.

 

I have to disagree with the notion that 1986+ NWA was pure gold. I loved it and was devoted to it up until a certain point where the Dusty booking killed my interest in the product. It wasn't only the Dusty finishes but the short title reigns for faces, the endless amount of jobber matches, the continued employment of Tully Blanchard, the fact that from 1985 until the first Clash (where I was too busy watching WM IV), there were no feautured main events that I can recall unless it was a recap of a house show. By the time the Clash of Champions became a regular feature, they had already lost me as a fan.

 

From 1984-1989 I thought the WWF product was a much more interesting time period. I saw more main event matches. The storylines always seemed to pay off. The wrestling may have been subpar to the NWA product but I was too ignorant to know what made a good match. I just knew that when I saw Steamboat-Savage, it was the most amazing match I had seen up to that point. And before that, I remember going crazy when the Bulldogs won the tag belts at Wrestlemania 2 (my first PPV experience... although I think it was closed-circuit tv) . I remember throwing my shoe when HonkyTonk Man beat my favorite wrestler for the IC belt. Then going nuts when Warrior squashed him like a grape. While the nonsensical booking of the NWA and the cartoonish characters of the Fed turned me off from wrestling for a good 7 years, I always had a fondness for that time priod.

 

 

This Is Now!

 

Now, I have a new appreciation for late 80s NWA because I can ignore the stupid booking decisions and focus on alot of the ringwork. I never liked Barry Windham as a kid but can appreciate his work now. I also tuned out the NWA before my favorite wrestler realized his dream of becoming World Champ. Now, I can watch that markout moment and still be happy for the Dragon. Even then, I still don't consider this time period my favorite.

 

Thanks to tape trading and the large amounts of wrestling that I have been exposed to, I don't see how anyone who has seen early and mid-90s All Japan can even think of a better time period for a wrestling company. The large volume of high quality matches speaks for itself. From the Jumbo-Misawa matches of 1990 to the Best television year any company has ever produced (1993) to the best singles match ever (6-3-94 Kawada-Misawa) to the best tag matches ever (6/95 and 12/96). All Japan set the standard so high for quality matchexs that matches I thought were great before are now merely adequate.

[Loss]

AJPW 1990 (or so) to 1996 (or so) is probably the best time period ever for a wrestling company, and I won't dispute that, but having not seen every single episode of TV, having not ordered any PPVs, having not watched any of this stuff or followed any of it as it was happening, having not browsed the wrestling magazines at checkout stands looking for any information on the top stars of the group, I can't say that it was my "favorite" time period, even if it was easily the best. I'm sure had that product happened in the US, or even been broadcast in the US as it was happening, I probably would have been really into it. It's great to look back on it, as I've seen a lot and hope to see much more, but it's a completely different animal. Because as great as the wrestling from AJPW is, because we're watching it retroactively, we can't experience little things like being ecstatic when our favorites win, or eagerly awaiting the next show, because we already know what's going to happen next. It would be the modern-day equivalent of five years worth of Smackdown spoilers being put online tomorrow. That's why I can't call it my favorite. I say that not to cheapen anything AJPW ever accomplished, but rather to put it in perspective.

 

It's also the reason I like to watch wrestling in chronological order when I can, because I like to watch it in the order it was intended to be watched, in as close to the proper context as I can artificially create. Picking up great matches on comps does have its advantages, and we're less likely to overrate something because we get caught up in the moment no doubt, but there's something missing from that experience in the end.

[goodhelmet]

I can agree with that to a certain point... but I don't see how the nonsensical bookings and Dusty finishes of that late 80's NWA product didn't make you completely despise the show or at least turn it off.

 

Also, that is why I broke my post into two parts... THEN and NOW. Now, after experiencing much more than even I thought possible, I have a new appreciation for old NWA and even more for AJPW. Because of all of the good-great matches, AJPW is easily my favorite based on work alone.

 

Back then, growing up, I thought the old WWF shows smoked the NWA programs in terms of payoff and presentation. And I bought the books, the magazines, soaked up Ted DiBiase's blood from the old Freeman Coliseum, bought the PPVs, went to the house shows when they came into town, and all the other things wrestling fans do. But after all of that, my memories aren't the reason I still watch. I still watch because of what my new perspective allows me to appreciate... the actual work.

 

AfterI swore off wrestling in 1989, I didn't watch wrestling again until the NWO angle picked up and made me interested enough to start anew as a wrestling fan. Now, looking back, I am too bitter to appreciate that era even though it set the foundation for my fandom today. Too many mistakes and bad memories of woulda, coulda, shouldas.

[Loss]

It frustrated me to no end, actually, but I liked Ric Flair, even as a kid, and he was champ much of the time, and he was also the main reason I kept watching.

 

It's amazing how many ways that era influenced me as a fan, many of which were horrible. I remember in 1997 during the NWO era when Luger won the title, and I kept waiting for someone to reverse it since that's what happened most of the time when a babyface won a major title on the wrestling I grew up on.

 

As far as the WWF goes, there were a lot of people I liked, but I always felt like the referees and announcers were too biased toward Hulk Hogan, and I felt the NWA announcers tried to be impartial, so that was the main reason I had trouble getting into the WWF. I also was really into the magazines at the time, and almost all of them bashed Hogan and the company constantly, propping up Ric Flair as a true wrestler and true champion. I can't tell you how many times I read, "Could Hulk Hogan go 60 minutes?" in one of those things, and it just sunk in with me.

 

The NWA was really bad about letting the heels run rampant without them ever getting their comeuppance, but I thought there were better matches. I could tell the difference between good and bad matches even then, probably because I watched wrestling like a sport. If Sting, for example, had an upcoming match against Ric Flair, I was thinking of strategies he should use to counter the figure four or whatever. Just how my mind worked.

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

There's no comparing an era I would have to watch on TAPE to an era that I actually LIVED through. It's like Loss said, there's a huge difference when you're not watching the TV weekly, ordering the PPVs, taking part in the storylines developing instead of ordering a pack of VHS shows from some seedy online retailer. Even if it was the best wrestling I'd ever seen, I'd be hard pressed to call it MY favorite era, because unless I lived in Japan or wherever this wrestling took place AS it took place, it's not really MY era, is it?

[Guest Some Guy]

I loved 1997 WWF. The emergence of Steve Austin was just incredible. The whole Austin/Hart Foundation feud, the Austin/HBK deal in June, Austin's promos that year were worlds better than anything he did after. The HBK/Bret feud and the original DX formation were great. ECW on Raw, Foley becoming a star ("Pick me Steve"), the Rock breaking out, The NAO forming. Canadian Stampede. 97 set the stage for the biggest boom period in WWF history and sort of justified my insistance on sitting through all those shitty Raws in 96 while I could have been watching Nitro live, which was a superior show at the time.

[goodhelmet]

Loss...

It frustrated me to no end, actually, but I liked Ric Flair, even as a kid, and he was champ much of the time, and he was also the main reason I kept watching.

This may be the big difference between you and me. I never cared for Ric Flair and certainly never followed him. He sold me with his interviews and I always wanted him to lose regardless of his opponent but he wasn't mine. I also had an undying hate for Tully Blanchard that made it very hard for me to enjoy his matches... even if they were technically good.

 

I remember in 1997 during the NWO era when Luger won the title, and I kept waiting for someone to reverse it since that's what happened most of the time when a babyface won a major title on the wrestling I grew up on.

Sure, I remember when Luger won also. And in typical NWA fashion, the face lost the belt just a couple of weeks (or one week?) later. Not that I wanted Luger to be the face of the promotion or anything. Also, this was one of the things that handicapped my enjoyment of that NWA period. How many times did you invest emotion into someone and get screwed over?

 

As far as the WWF goes, there were a lot of people I liked, but I always felt like the referees and announcers were too biased toward Hulk Hogan, and I felt the NWA announcers tried to be impartial, so that was the main reason I had trouble getting into the WWF.

I don't blame you for this but to be honest, I didn't follow WWF for Hogan. I was more into the tag Titles (think about the tag teams... Bulldogs, Harts, Dream Team, USA) and the IC belt. I went to three WWF house shows in the 80s and not one featured Hogan.

 

I also was really into the magazines at the time, and almost all of them bashed Hogan and the company constantly, propping up Ric Flair as a true wrestler and true champion. I can't tell you how many times I read, "Could Hulk Hogan go 60 minutes?" in one of those things, and it just sunk in with me.

I probably read the exact same magazines. Are you talking about the Apter mags... PWI, Wrestling Insider? Those magazines also featured positive stories on the WWF and their tag teams, Steamboat, Savage, Muraco, etc.

 

Or maybe the magazines you read were long after I quit watching wrestling. I don't know.

 

 

The NWA was really bad about letting the heels run rampant without them ever getting their comeuppance, but I thought there were better matches. I could tell the difference between good and bad matches even then, probably because I watched wrestling like a sport. If Sting, for example, had an upcoming match against Ric Flair, I was thinking of strategies he should use to counter the figure four or whatever. Just how my mind worked.

I was the same way to a degree. Once again, the NWA booking really hampered my ability to go that far since I knew I was usually let down in the end. It was easier for me to invest emotion in WWF matches or WCCW matches because I knew there would be a payoff. I could then geek out and write up my predictions and predict the finishes and match times and check my winning percentage after the show and whatnot. I mean, fuck, in 1986, I was 11-12 years old but WCW never failed to let me down for three-four years straight. I probably dedicated as much time and emotion into that company before I finally gave up on it long before I gave up on wrestling as a whole.

 

 

CJ...

There's no comparing an era I would have to watch on TAPE to an era that I actually LIVED through. It's like Loss said, there's a huge difference when you're not watching the TV weekly, ordering the PPVs, taking part in the storylines developing instead of ordering a pack of VHS shows from some seedy online retailer. Even if it was the best wrestling I'd ever seen, I'd be hard pressed to call it MY favorite era, because unless I lived in Japan or wherever this wrestling took place AS it took place, it's not really MY era, is it?

I think an era can be yours and you can enjoy it even if you never lived through it or experienced it firsthand. My favorite historical era is the Vietnam War era. I also love teaching the 1920's and thr Jazz Age. I didn't experience either of these firsthand but through studying and researching, I have learned so much about these times that they have become my favorites. The same applies to wrestling. Through research and obtaining a large collection of matches, I am able to appreciate Japanese wrestling from the early 90s. In this way, I also put it in the proper context. I have my THEN and NOW sections in my initial post. Looking back, I know that I enjoyed 80s WWF more than 80s NWA during its time. Now, being a little older and wiser, I would probably enjoy NWA more because of the work involved.

 

It is with this reasoning that I also have to call early 90s All Japan my favorite time period from wrestling. My interest in wrestling has gone through peaks and valleys. The NWO angle brought me back into the fold after a seven year hiatus. Tape collecting and puro kept my interest in wrestling when the American product had tried to kill my interest. Just because I didn't see Hansen and Kobashi in 1993 doesn't mean it has no personal or sentimental value to me now. I experienced that match and hundreds of others at a different time in my life and they are no less important just because I found them from a "seedy tape dealer".

[Guest Crucifixio Jones]

But watching wrestling is a much more interactive experience than being the fan of a historical or musical era. It loses some of its enjoyment if you weren't there to actually take part.

 

It's basically the difference between watching an entire season of a television show as it airs or watching it all in one shot when it comes to DVD. You can still be a fan, sure, but it's not the same as having to sit through commercials, wait weeks between episodes to get the entire experience. The fact that it comes from another country is just another obstacle to overcome.

[sek69]

I liked the 85-93 era of the NWA as well as the heyday of WCCW. I used to watch AWA and World Class on ESPN every day and I didn't even know the World Class stuff was years old until they made mention of someone as NWA world champion that wasn't right for the year I was watching it.

 

There was just something about watching wrestling in front of smaller crowds in buildings that probably were used for flea markets the day before that made a better connection with me than the WWF having super mega shows in front of tens of thousands.

[goodhelmet]

But watching wrestling is a much more interactive experience than being the fan of a historical or musical era. It loses some of its enjoyment if you weren't there to actually take part.

This is a matter of opinion.

 

 

It's basically the difference between watching an entire season of a television show as it airs or watching it all in one shot when it comes to DVD. You can still be a fan, sure, but it's not the same as having to sit through commercials, wait weeks between episodes to get the entire experience. The fact that it comes from another country is just another obstacle to overcome.

Those just happen to be the parts of the experience that you might have savored. If you look at the Dave Meltzer thread, there were different reasons why people turned away from the product. For some, it was the storylines, for others it was the lack of long matches. For me, it was the lack of quality matches. In Japanese matches, particularly from early 90s All Japan, it gave me what I was looking for... quality matches. It also gave me a new perspective on wrestling and shifted my paradigms of what wrestling should and can be. I wouldn't trade that for all of the Nitro parties in the world.

[Guest TheShawshankRudotion]

I dunno.

 

Nowadays, I find it much more satisfying to watch a show on DVD than on TV. LOST for example. I love the show, but the gap between episodes has really hurt it IMO because it hasn't been able to build properly. With a DVD you can watch it when you choose - you can watch them all in one or two sittings, or you can pace yourself and watch one a week. Arrested Development is a show that I avoid watching Season 2 episodes so I can watch them on DVD, as I did with season 1. With Firefly I was absolutely in love with the show and a part of me wishes that I could have been there watching at the time it was aired on FOX so I could have participated in the campaign to save the show, so I could get to read the shows blog at the time it happened... but then again, maybe I wouldn't have loved it as much because it was a different time. You never really know. They're different experiences. You lose and gain things both ways.

[Guest bigm350]

My favorite periods were when the NWO debuted, and when Hogan first joined the group. And Austin's feud with the Hart Foundation in the Spring/Summer of 97. Awesome stuff.

[goodhelmet]

I jut wanted to clarify one thing... I currently do not think WWF from the 80s is better than the NWA product from the late 80s-early 90s. I am simply stating that as a kid, I enjoyed the WWF product more. Nowadays, I can barely sit through most WWF past programming but thanks to tape trading, I can fast forward through all of the shit and still get what I need out of any era of wrestling.

[Loss]

I jut wanted to clarify one thing... I currently do not think WWF from the 80s is better than the NWA product from the late 80s-early 90s. I am simply stating that as a kid, I enjoyed the WWF product more.

Precisely. That was the purpose of this thread. I don't even know that I'd prefer 80s NWA to any other wrestling to ever take place anymore, but that doesn't change the fact that I had so much fun watching it at the time.