Wrestling

[Ryan Taylor]

So the big news is that The Rock has returned to the WWE and is going to present Wrestlemania. How fricking awesome is that? I don't watch wrestling any more but man I used to love watching it as a kid. I've got so many childhood memories that revolve around wrestling that I can't help but still enjoy moments like this in the wrestling world. Just remembering fights that me and my brother would choreograph and then show to mum and dad were so awesome (until the time he actually punched me).

So yeah, any wrestling fans out there? Favourite wrestler? Best wrestling moment?

I had a lot of favourite wrestlers but I particularly loved The Undertaker (not the really old school version though). I loved it when he came back with the new image of the American Bad Ass rolling in on his motorbike with the bandana and beard and with the finishing move of The Last Ride. I can still hear his entrance music now from that main event. But my absolute favourite wrestler has got to be Mankind. He was just unreal, the images of him flying off the hell in a cell. Wow. And then that match where he faced Triple H at Royal Rumble when he came back as Cactus Jack. He poured the thumbtacks all over the ring but ended up being pedigreed onto them himself. Man I cried that night, I hated Triple H.

My favourite wrestling moment along with the ones mentioned above would probably be that image of Rikishi chokeslammed from the hell in a cell into the back of the pick up truck. The flashes of cameras that went off and the zoomed out shot is still vivid in my mind even though I would only be 9 at the time.

Ridiculous how much I loved wrestling, it's making me want to watch it again even though I just know I don't like the new crowd of wrestlers.

Over to you if there are, at all, any people who like wrestling. And it doesn't have to be WWF or WWE. Charlie posted a great video the other day from ECW I believe, man was that funny.

And here's some clips if anybody wonders what the hell I'm wittering on about:

• - One of the most iconic wrestling matches of all time and if you don't enjoy this then you never will
  - The famous Rikishi moment (Kurt Angle went on to win that match which I was pissed off about)
  - Triple H Pedigreeing Cactus Jack

[Matt Morrison]

I too have fond memories of wrestling. Though kind of ironic. Though really not totally ironic. Basically we used to, as sixth formers, take turns once a month going round each other's houses on Sunday nights (when Channel 4 was showing the PPVs for free, live, 3am Sunday nights) as a group of perhaps four of us, and drink beers, get really excited, and then get about 2 hours sleep (if that) before going to college the next day. It was fucking amazing. I had watched as a child (proper Undertaker era, with Paul Bearer and stuff, before The American Bad Ass) and then didn't watch for many years until I fell in with those guys at sixth form, though I think only one of them had watched it solidly since childhood, the rest of us got back into it through the group ethic.

I personally got properly back into it, I'd read a wrestling news website (can't remember which one other than I checked for it again a couple of years ago and it no longer existed) quite regularly, reading accounts of what had happened on episodes of Raw and Smackdown so I could keep myself up to date for the PPVs, and I remember really enjoying the interesting stories about behind the scenes controversies, which wrestlers really didn't like each other, the geniune McMahon power struggles, and all the things about the young prospects from the WWE's Ohio-based feeder promotion.

I have a lot of wrestling memories, but it's really hard to remember them and get back into telling them to you Ryan as they all seem so fucking long ago now. I definitely cried when Owen Hart died. Bret Hart was my utter favourite wrestler when I first watched it, before my break. There was all sorts I liked when I got back into it, and some I hated too - I remember when I stopped watching after sixth form there was that crap British guy, William Regal, and the last thing I heard he had (really unexpectedly to me) got really big in the promotion, I mean not only in the storylines but as part of the McMahon company now. Crazy.

Other memories that come to mind, other than your Mankind-off-the-cage, would be Shane McMahon's '50 foot' drop and one of my favourite bits of all, when Vince McMahon did his power walk down to the ring, fucked up sliding in, hurts his leg, and then can't stand up in the ring so does his acting mad thing whilst having to sit down. Ridiculous!

I think my old love for WWE (never ever, ever any other promotion since I discovered that, though I do remember Giant Haystacks and that on ITV when I was a proper youngster) probably laid the ground work for me to get into MMA, particularly as it was when Brock Lesnar got signed by the UFC that I jumped up my love for it at the idea of seeing a cartoon wrestling physique compete for real.

[Jon O'Neill]

Almost started this thread myself when the Rock came back. I'm definitely watching WrestleMania now.

[Ryan Taylor]

Excellent Matt! I'm glad there is at least one other person who watched or watches wrestling. I remember the Shane McMahon drop too, that was pretty immense. Other bits just coming back now are when Chyna actually injured hersefl doing one of her signature moves (think she jarred her neck or something). And you mention Paul Bearer, I think I remember him getting put in the luggage bit of a coach? Or was that Kane? Or both? It was around the time of No Way Out. I'm just watching The Rock vs Triple H at Backlash 2000, the one where Shane McMahon is the special guest referee and does the pin counts fast for HHH. Then comes the moment when Rock does the double rock bottom through the announcer's table and JR and Jerry Lawler scream "DOUBLE ROCK BOTTOM, DOUBLE ROCK BOTTOM!!" Then Stone Cold comes in to resuce the day and The Rock regains the Heavyweight Championship. Jizzed.

[Jon O'Neill]

You two have pretty much covered the period I watched it for though. The Rock was my absolute idol, I remember all his great matches the best.

Wrestlemania XV main event vs. Stone Cold, four-way main event the following year, with Mankind, HHH and Big Show, then the one where Stone Cold turned bad.

Just bringing back so many memories now, thinking about it. Scotty 2 Hotty, Steve Blackman, APA! Dudley Boyz! D-VON! GET THE TABLES! Actually thinking about it now, probably the best matches were Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz in two installments of Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches. I think the first one (WM XV) was just a ladder match, but there were tables present. Then E&C got their chairs gimmick and the TLC match was at SummerSlam? It was incredible anyway, CARNAGE!

The 24-hour falls-count-anywhere Hardcore Title I remember as being hilarious. Crash Holly was having a nap and someone pinned him and got the ref to count really quietly so as not to wake him up. So funny.

[Jon O'Neill]

Just remembered Stone Cold dragging someone around a supermarket in a trolley and hitting them with everything in sight. Who was it?

[Matt Morrison]

Haha yeah that 24 hardcore title was awesome. I also remember Vince calling someone a nigger at some point? Can't remember the relevance though, it's probably on youtube.

I presume you remember the times when the black girl - er... damn I've forgot, when her tits 'accidentally' fell out when she was celebrating on some other guy's shoulders and one of the other girls she'd beaten pulled her top off? Awesome, I used to have that video on my PC and watched it loads when I first got it. Didn't watch Mae Young getting her tits out quite so often. Remember that really weird story where she'd had sex with someone (Mankind, no, someone more normal I think) and gave birth to a hand? Fucking awesome.

And of course everyone's seen the One Night In Chyna sex video where X-Pac fucks her spotty bum and you can see her golf ball-sized clit.

[Jon O'Neill]

Didn't watch Mae Young getting her tits out quite so often. Remember that really weird story where she'd had sex with someone (Mankind, no, someone more normal I think) and gave birth to a hand? Fucking awesome.

Mark Henry.

[Matt Morrison]

Haha oh yeah it was Mark Henry she was with, she was 80 haha. Sexual chocolate.
Here's the video where she gave birth to the hand. Must be the most insane WWE thing ever.

And this:

[Mark James]

Used to like wrestling as a kid when they actually had characters. Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was definitely my favourite until 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin came along. After he went it got pretty shit. Oh and Hawk and Animal as The Legion of Doom were the best tag team. My favourite bit was in a royal rumble when Gerry 'The King' Lawler was knocked out of the ring but both of his feet hadn't touched the floor so he technically hadn't been knocked out and he was hopping around outside the ring waiting for just one guy to be left. Hitman comes along with a mallet and smacks him on the foot with it. Also the time Sergeant Slaughter was screaming at HHH and Shawn Michaels and they took out riot helmets with motorised window wipers to stop the spit getting in their faces. Its practically unwatchable these days as they seem to cut away from the action all the time, unless its the pay per view events.

[Matt Morrison]

Crazy to think she used to be a big thing, an important pioneer in woman's entertainment wrestling. Not sure if it's a case of the mighty fallen, or a mighty rising.

[Matt Morrison]

A few select photos from one of those local wrestling events I went to with the aforementioned mates, in Salisbury, 1998-99 ish.
You know the ones, the posters you see round towns, event at the Town Hall, advertising ex-WWE wrestlers.

We had the Bushwhackas, the dude who was like Crocodile Dundee (forgotten), Doink The Clown, and quite a few more actually.





These events were definitely a case of how the mighty have fallen though.

[Ryan Taylor]

Haha I'd forgotten all about the Mae Young boob thing (I couldn't even remember her last name). It was at Royal Rumble wasn't it during the beauty contest? I think at this Royal Rumble there was also the incident were it took like 8 men to push RIkishi over the rope, and then also that Japanese guy hurt his neck after landing awkwardly out of the ring. Think his name was something like Takamichinoko (close?) and he had a Japanese mate called Funagi (I think?). They were literally the shittest wrestlers to select on the playstation games like Smackdown and Smackdown 2. Can't go without mentioning Trish Stratus in a wrestling thread. Fuck me man, at like 10 years old that was some heavenly shit right there and Tori (Kane's bird who later went off with X-Pac, the long haired black cunt from D-Generation X urghhhh (although I liked Bad Ass Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)). Also a point that always comes up is just how poor a finisher The People's Elbow was. It was effectively an elbow drop yet seemed to practically kill all the opponents. I remember that on Smackdown 2 for playstation once the elbow pad had already been taken off he still did the finisher (after pressing L2) as though it was still there. LOL. Oh and Stone Cold being hit by a car in the parking lot which was found to be driven by Rikishi in the end? APA were awesome and The Boss Man. Steve Black the fucking kendo man lol yeah. Trying to remember some obscure wrestlers. Remember Taz? Think his debut match was against Kurt Angle on Raw where he defeated him by doing The Sleeper and everyone was like "WTF? Is that legal?"

[Matt Morrison]

The last time I checked, Tazz (double Z I think) had become one of the main full-time commentators.

Apparently a couple of years ago the Undertaker was doing some kind of foot-to-the-throat submission move, that made people bleed?
Anyway, he designed it himself based on the gogoplata move in jiu jitsu cos he's such a big MMA fan.
When Brock Lesnar got beat the fuck up in his most recent UFC match, the Undertaker (as himself, not in character, though I guess it's a thin line) got all up in his face and tried to offer him a fight. He goes to nearly every UFC show.

[Ryan Taylor]

The last time I checked, Tazz (double Z I think) had become one of the main full-time commentators.

Yeah sorry Tazz. And I was still watching when he became a commentator but wasn't aware he was still doing it.

Apparently a couple of years ago the Undertaker was doing some kind of foot-to-the-throat submission move, that made people bleed?

Fucking mental that!!

[Jon O'Neill]

When Brock Lesnar got beat the fuck up in his most recent UFC match, the Undertaker (as himself, not in character, though I guess it's a thin line) got all up in his face and tried to offer him a fight. He goes to nearly every UFC show.

Wow, really? How comes?

[Matt Morrison]

When Brock Lesnar got beat the fuck up in his most recent UFC match, the Undertaker (as himself, not in character, though I guess it's a thin line) got all up in his face and tried to offer him a fight. He goes to nearly every UFC show.

Wow, really? How comes?

I don't really know. I think there was evidently some beef behind-the-scenes when they were in WWE together. I'm guessing, as it's the Undertaker, it'd probably be something to do with him being around forever and not liking the new young gun who was suddenly the champion and having all the promotion from the company. Would be my guess.

Here's a vid of a quick staredown at UFC and Undertaker asking him if he "wants to do it". (It's a personal thing. It's kinda personal.)

[Ben Wilson]

Just remembered Stone Cold dragging someone around a supermarket in a trolley and hitting them with everything in sight. Who was it?

Booker T, that was just before wrestling got taken off Channel 4 (for the aforementioned Mae Young incident).

I used to be big into wrestling at roughly the same time as everyone else- the awesome 1999-2002 Rock/Austin/HHH/Kurt Angle era. The TLC matches were definitely the highlight of those days, closely followed by the awesome 6-man hell in a cell at Armageddon 2000.

I got back into it a few years ago when I got tickets to a Raw taping at Birmingham- fucking mental night. Was sat right by the aisle so was able to get up really close to the wrestlers as they headed to the ring. Main event iirc was Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels, and it was HBK's first match in ages. Then there was a bonus match featuring Triple H vs. Umanga. Awesome night.

[Jon Corby]

Wow.

[George F. Jenkins]

Wow.

I used to study the carefully rehearsed set pieces of the televison version of wrestling. I loved the way a big man waited to be picked up and slammed down on his back. I admired his skill when he made sure that his feet hit the canvass first, thereby breaking his fall. Of course, the ladies loved it, but it didn't happen in real wrestling, where the priority was not circus entertainment. I also loved the way the little underdog was often slammed down three or four times before he got the big man down who then got counted out. the audience sceamed in appreciation of his victory. Wonderfull entertainment.

[Martin Bishop]

The last time I checked, Tazz (double Z I think) had become one of the main full-time commentators.

Yeah sorry Tazz. And I was still watching when he became a commentator but wasn't aware he was still doing it.

He was called Taz in ECW and Tazz in WWE, so you're both right. He still commentates, but for TNA, not WWE. Not sure how many Zs these days. While we're on wrestler-turned commentators, Booker T has recently returned to WWE as a commentator on Smackdown.

I've been a big wrestling fan since the early nineties. I'll try and write a proper post when I don't have to get up in the morning.

[Ian Volante]

I saw it in the Hulk Hogan/Zeus era, with the likes of Jake the Snake and the Million Dollar Man, Mr Perfect, Legion of Doom, Andre the Giant that sort of thing. I saw it years later with all the soap opera-style bollocks, spoilt it from what I could see. I think I drifted away from it when the Undertaker first appeared.

[Richard Priest]

I was a big fan when I was a kid watching televised British wrestling on a Saturday afternoon, also used to go and watch it in Stoke-on-Trent live - Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks, Pat Roach et al. I still watch some of those old bouts on YouTube. Used to watch some of the WCW etc, particularly British wrestlers who'd crossed the pond e.g. Finlay, Chris Adams, Dave Rocky Taylor. Of the American wrestlers I was quite a fan of AJ Styles. Not watched it for a while though, with American wrestling I usually find there's too much talking and not enough action and lose interest quite quickly.

[Soph K]

Never watched wrestling and probably never will. Don't really like it.

Only time I've ever watched some kind of wrestling was on CBBC - thumb wrestling. It's slightly boring, but I was wanting to watch the thing that was on after it; the thumb wrestling thing was one of those really short programmes, if you have ever watched a mini programme/know what I mean.

[Ryan Taylor]

Never watched wrestling and probably never will. Don't really like it.

Only time I've ever watched some kind of wrestling was on CBBC - thumb wrestling. It's slightly boring, but I was wanting to watch the thing that was on after it; the thumb wrestling thing was one of those really short programmes, if you have ever watched a mini programme/know what I mean.

I have also watched the thumb wrestling short clips on CBBC. Probably waiting for Arthur to come on.

[Jon O'Neill]

So I had a few friends over to watch WrestleMania last night, it was pretty good. I got 7/8 predictions right (thought Cena would turn heel and beat Miz). Was most happy with predicting that Michael Cole would beat Jerry Lawler on DQ.. apparently the betting lines were ridiculously lopsided in Lawler's favour here so maybe I should've put my money where my mouth was.

But yeah, the crowd was really bad, wasn't a lot of excitement, not sure why. Even The Rock didn't get that much love from the crowd.

I think The Undertaker broke himself or something cos that match went downhill fast. They just kept kicking out of each other's finishers.

But overall yeah, was fun, would do again.

[Ben Wilson]

So I had a few friends over to watch WrestleMania last night, it was pretty good. I got 7/8 predictions right (thought Cena would turn heel and beat Miz). Was most happy with predicting that Michael Cole would beat Jerry Lawler on DQ.. apparently the betting lines were ridiculously lopsided in Lawler's favour here so maybe I should've put my money where my mouth was.

But yeah, the crowd was really bad, wasn't a lot of excitement, not sure why. Even The Rock didn't get that much love from the crowd.

I think The Undertaker broke himself or something cos that match went downhill fast. They just kept kicking out of each other's finishers.

But overall yeah, was fun, would do again.

I've been catching up with highlights... bit of a disappointment but I suppose living up to the hype would have been tough. Biggest disappointment for me was no Shawn Michaels interference in HHH/Taker.

First 'mania I ever watched as it happened was 22. Edge/Foley, HBK/Vince, HHH/Cena... those were good days.

[Ben Wilson]

How could Shawn Michaels's theme music get any more corny? What if William Shatner 'sang' it?

[Mark James]

How could Shawn Michaels's theme music get any more corny? What if William Shatner 'sang' it?

That is legendary.

[Soph K]

Never watched wrestling and probably never will. Don't really like it.

Only time I've ever watched some kind of wrestling was on CBBC - thumb wrestling. It's slightly boring, but I was wanting to watch the thing that was on after it; the thumb wrestling thing was one of those really short programmes, if you have ever watched a mini programme/know what I mean.

I have also watched the thumb wrestling short clips on CBBC. Probably waiting for Arthur to come on.

Arthur's boring

[Martin Bishop]

Didn't finish watching Wrestlemania til Wednesday. I was a bit disappointed with Undi/HHH. They just went for a bunch of big spots with no story to string them together. However, by the end, the idea that Undertaker was literally superhuman and unbeatable at WM was interesting. It was also one of the better uses of the Hell's Gate finisher I've seen. Normally the other guy just walks into it and it looks really contrived.

I enjoyed Cole v Lawler. The section where Michael Cole was in charge dragged a little, but it was still fun seeing him hide in the Cole Bunker and get carried out afterwards. It says something about the state of the company when the best (and most protected) heel act is an announcer.

Glad Miz won. What WWE needs more than anything is fresh faces on top, so it's good that he still has the belt. What was less good was the way I felt he was an afterthought in the Rock/Cena feud. It would have been so much better if Miz had tried to celebrate with The Rock, thinking they were buddies, before getting beaten up. Instead he tried to fight and got squashed like a jabroni.

[Martin Bishop]

But yeah, the crowd was really bad, wasn't a lot of excitement, not sure why. Even The Rock didn't get that much love from the crowd.

Often the crowd seems quieter in the big Wrestlemania domes. I think it's partly due to the acoustics of having the crowd spread out so far and wide.

It may also be because most of the fans who pay the big bucks for the seats up front are "smart" fans - the sort of diehard fan who would spend more time analysing storytelling or complaining about them not pushing young talent, than they would cheering for the good guys.

[Matt Morrison]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/enterta ... e-wwe.html

[Martin Bishop]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/enterta ... e-wwe.html

This is the natural evolution of what Vince has been doing for years. You're not allowed to use the word "wrestling" on WWE TV. It has to be "sports entertainment". It's ridiculous. Other banned words on WWE include wrestler (should instead be superstar), belt (championship), woman (diva) and fans (the WWE Universe).

[Lee Kelly]

extremly poor mania folk, first of all pulling daniel bryan and sheamus from the card wasnt a smart move as bryan is probably the best wrestler in the business, he can work with anyone, secondly talking money in the bank of as well again was stupid as so much talent was wasted, and thirdly throwing ziggler and morison into that garbage with snooki was dreadfull dont no what vince was thinking, i will say this though cole lawler was ok but went on far too long, even think i heard someone trying to start a boring chant, as for taker hhh, it was the saver of the card, there was no way they could top takers last 2 mania matched with hbk cause the 2 guys are not in great shape and age is definetly catching up on them!
cena miz was ok but it was so predictable, and the finish was too short, again i would blame lawler cole match for dragging on too long as they only had a few minutes left to complete the ppv before viewers lost the feed! overall not the worst mania ever but certainly not the best!! Although the set was kick ass!!

[Ben Wilson]

RIP Macho Man Randy Savage

[Mark James]

RIP Macho Man Randy Savage

More work for the Undertaker. (sorry)