Aight, so… Ever since I started this site, I’ve known that the week after WrestleMania, I was gonna drop an entry about wrasslin’. So this shit here is like 10 months in the making. I haven’t mentioned it much on here thus far, but I’m a huge wrestling fan- been watchin’ since ’87, and still do. I’ve had a lot of interests in my years, but wrestling is only second to music as the one that’s kept my interest for the longest time. Wrote a blog about it, like to read it? Here it go:
I was introduced to wrestling in the late-’80s by my friend Tony (R.I.P.) and my older brother Kawann. I used to just watch it because they were and I had no choice, but not because I actually chose to. That changed one day, when Tony’s mother rented WrestleMania III on video. We watched the whole tape from front to back and I was locked in from there- in front of the TV every week watching Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, and the rest of ‘em. I also taped all the shows, rented the tapes, bought the magazines, had the action figures, and went to see it whenever it came to Baltimore. By the time the ’90s started, I was a wrestling freak.
Up until about ’93, I was still watching WWF and WCW on the regular, but shit started changing. By then, it was a lil’ too kid-friendly for me, even though I was just barely a teenager myself. By the end of that year, I was in high school and into things that were the direct opposite of what wrestling was. By the time they had a clown named Doink with lil’ midget clowns named Dink, Wink, and Pink, I was off that shit. For the next few years, I’d watch on and off, but I didn’t care for it enough to follow it like I did before. If I heard about something, like Hulk becoming a bad guy, I’d briefly check it out and go right back to not watching. I was too busy tryna nail some girls and buy all the new records to give a fukk about who the new tag team champs were.
However… one day in November ’97, I happened to turn on WWF Monday Night RAW because there wasn’t much else on TV. It was way different than I’d last remembered the WWF. It wasn’t a bunch of cartoonish characters and corny clown shit anymore. Their top good guy was stickin’ up his middle finger and drinkin’ beer, the top bad guys were talkin’ bout “Suck It”, there was a pseudo-Black activist crew- all kinds of wild shit I’d never seen on a wrestling show. Before long, I was clickin’ back and forth between Raw and WCW Monday Nitro every week. The same way I was into Hogan n’nem back in the day, I was now watching Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Goldberg, D-Generation X, and the NWO.
I was feelin’ this new direction wrestling had gone in, because it was more reflective of what was going on in popular culture. Of course I still had to hear about how I could watch it knowing how “fake” it was, but my answer to that has always been the same: “well shit, I knew that since I was 9″. I (like most wrestling fans my age) haven’t been watchin’ it for realism, I watched it for entertainment. When people watch movies, nobody ever says “How can you watch that? You know he didn’t really shoot him, right?” I love that shit for the same reason I love hip-hop- because no matter how staged and sometimes even awful it is, it’s still my shit. I’m about as likely to drop wrestling for “real” sports as I am to start listening to Justin Bieber.
The other night, I saw what’s likely the final match of a wrestler I’ve been watching since I was 8, Shawn Michaels. On top of that, it was against someone I’ve been watching since I was 10, The Undertaker. Shit like that reminds me of how long I’ve been watchin’. It’s been called a “male soap opera”, and as pause-worthy as it sounds, that’s about the best way to describe it. It’s a never-ending series with a revolving door of characters and storylines, and that’s why I’ve never been able to stop watchin’ for too long. It might sound crazy to people who’ve never followed wrestling to the extent that I have (or not at all), but it’s really my favorite TV program of all time.
-D!
“Hulk Hogan! I’m comin for you, nigga!!”
LOL Booker T knew he was wrong as shit.
Nice one though, Danj–this post mirrors my EXACT experience with wrestling. Startin in the 80′s, leaving it alone the same time and coming back in 97. Loving WCW and WWF…
Not much else to say other than the only thing that really turned me off in all the years of being a mega fan was all the wack racial angles they took in WWE. Los Boricuas, The Godfather, etc. I still ain’t forgave DX for that Nation blackface shit.The worst offender by far is that Cryme Tyme coonery though. Those niggas need two Razor’s Edges and a separation notice apiece. I think they went back to jobbin anyway.
And what up with Carlito? Why they can’t let a puerto rican shine though?
Yo… them racial angles are always off the wall. That Los Boricuas/DOA/NOD shit was the worst. So many useless wrestlers and so many got-damn matches for months on end. The black gang, the white bikers, and the Latinos- turrible.
Yoooo… I love that DX Nation parody, but X-Pac went too far w/ that Mizark shit. Did homie really have to go as far as the blackface?
Carlito- wild story. Dude was on the rise, but from what I understand, his lack of work ethic is why they bumped him down like they did. Also, I think he lost his spot when Jeff Hardy came back… cause up to that point he was blowin’ up. Hardy comes back, next thing you know, Carlito’s barely on the show. THASNOTCOOL.
-D!
Yea, I’d heard Carlito had crazy heat on him with the other wrestlers and management but I never knew why. That sucks. Every time I think about X-pac doing that shit, I think about how he was banging Chyna at her worst and strung out on whatever the drug-du-jour was.
The Stunner is still my favorite finisher but tied with the Rock Bottom. They used to look hard as shit every time they were executed. I even put my moms in the Rock Bottom once when I went for a hug.
I really wish TNA could get their act together with the LAAAAMMMEE storylines and make sure they follow through on their pushes on certain wrestlers. You can’t push 8 different guys as the Champ in a 6 month period and have me get behind all of them.
Ive only been to one event (Bound for Glory 07) but I’m trying to hit WM next year since its here in ATL.
Yo… the thing w/ TNA that kills me and prevents me from watching most of the time is how packed they are with oldheads takin’ up TV time. I mean yeah, WWE has some dudes who’ve been around for a while, but TNA right now is revolving around people I was watching when I FIRST GOT INTO wrestling, lol. I mean damn- Hogan, Flair, Sting, Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett? And the storylines are wack too- Samoa Joe kidnapped by ninjas? Really bruh? LOL.
STILL haven’t been to a Mania yet… was thisclose to going to WM20 in NY back in ’04, but I couldn’t get shit but a cheap seat by the time I had the money to buy a ticket.
-D!
*shaking shit out of the top rope* ULTIMATE WARRIORRRRR! (R.I.P.)
No mention of Bret “The Hitman” Hart? You are forgiven because you included The Rock aka Rocky Mavia aka The Brahma Bull aka The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment aka My Secret Concubine (hahaha). Fucka Dwayne Johnson I THE ROCK with the raised eyebrow, and silky ass shirts. lol
LLS @ Shawn Michel’s anciet ass still wrasslin’. double LLS for him still calling himself the Heartbreak KID… ditto for Ric Flair being the Nature BOY. C’mon son!
Oops. I typed I “heart” THE ROCK (with the symbol) but I forgot WordPress doesnt read symbols. my bad
Bret was cool… but his best years were during that time when I wasn’t watching anymore. But he was my boy at one point during the early-90s.
But ya man the Rock? I concur- the actor Dwayne Johnson ain’t shit, but ‘The Rock’ was. I hear he’s supposed to be coming back to do somethin’ this summer- might not happen, but if it does, automatic must-see shit right there.
Far as Michaels- true, he’s old, but dude still outdoes damn near eyyyy’body in the ring, which is crazy. But yeah, I think he’s really called it a day. I’m LMAO MORE at Ric for bein’ in TNA now… and wrestling again after he had the perfect retirement TWO YEARS AGO. SMH
-D!
Oh, BTW- Warrior isn’t dead. I remember when that was the rumor tho’- cause he left for a while, then when he came back his hair was different and he was smaller, LOL.
But yeah, the original Warrior’s still alive- doing speaking engagements and lectures, if you can imagine that- haaaaaaa!
-D!
We use to have our on league on Park Heights/Park Circle. My dude was Heavyweight Champ, I was Intercontinial (Ricky Steamboat and Macho Man were my dudes). I went in and out of wrestling so many times. I remember when Stone Cold was hitting it big, it was crazy. By then, I was a little too old to be flippin’ people off and stuff, but when people ticked me off, I’d imagine a Stone Cold Stunner or Rock Bottom.
Shoot, I think I need to bring that back. Talk silly, a slap to the face and Stone Cold Stunner. That would work just nice… lol
Steamboat & Macho… speaking of Mania III, that was my fav. match on that show. Macho was def. my dude, even when he turned bad on Hogan, lol.
The Stunner is still the hardest move ever… shit looks like you could break/snap somebody’s neck legit with it. I’m surprised he never did accidentally.
Oh, and I def. used to participate in the lil’ around-the-way wrestling federations. I used to be the cowardly Ric Flair-type heel- I liked bein’ the one who cheated to win all the time, lol.
-D!
some personal info about me, i poured a cup of ice on the iron sheiks head at the westchester county center when i was about 11-12 years old while he walked to the ring. we happened to be sitting on the 2nd level right over where the wrestlers walked out. it was amazing!
HAAAAAAAAA… Sheik! I’m surprised he didn’t threaten to make you humble, haaaa.
He’s hilarious on Twitter by the way- he’s always dissin’ Hulk Hogan and Jay Leno randomly and sayin’ a buncha out-there shit… couple weeks back he said “I will have the sex with the fat Precious girl”
Going to wrasslin’ events always used to be some fun shit. Matter fact, I’m takin’ my nephew to see it on the 25th. I don’t give a damn about John Cena, but it should be fun. Haven’t gone to one since ’92.
-D!
I used to watch wrestling and play the video game for the same reason you did, my brother and cousins were into it heavy, remember diamond dallas page? lol Wasnt rey mysterio the one that did all those flips and shit? He was my favorite. The hottest wrestlers were the rock and buff bigelow…
Oh wait… I forgot about the video games. I played those too, even the 1st WWF game they ever had on Nintendo with only SIX wrestlers on the whole damn thing, lol.
And yeah, I remember DDP *throws up the diamond*. Mysterio was doin’ his thing- still is, but back then, nobody was fukkin w/ him when it came to the flippy moves and whatnot. Matter fact, that’s my nephew’s favorite wrestler now.
-D!