Your Favourite Era For Wrestling?

[David]

After the sad death of the Macho Man I thought I'd look up some classic Youtube highlights the other night whilst the wife was out, and have a few beers at the same time.

 

As usually happens on Youtube, one video links to another, and before long your watching all manner of old wrestling that you hadn't even thought about until you saw it linked.

 

The question I'd like to throw out there, is what period do you look back on more fondly? Now, I understand that there'll be those who aren't old enough to remember the 80's firsthand, and maybe only know what they've seen from tapes and so forth, but even so.

 

For me, nothing beats the late 1980's. I loved the whole deal with Hogan & Beefcake vs Savage & Zeus at Summerslam, and the Akeem gimmick with Slick etc. When you throw in the likes of Perfect, the Warrior, the Boss Man, Legion Of Doom and Demolition it really was the dogs bollocks.

 

I can't really comment on todays wrestling, as I don't watch it except from the odd episode of TNA now & then, but it just doesn't have a patch on the stuff from back then.

 

Or am I simply old now and looking back through rose-tinted glasses?

[AJS269]

The 90s, we had ECW and WCW at there peak and 98-99 were 2 of the WWF's best years.

[tiger_rick]

I think a lot of it is rose tinted. At it's best, the 80's and 90's were better than now because of the stonger characters and their ability to work. However, I'd say there was a ton more crap on TV back then. We seem to gloss over it a bit but the amount of tedious squash matches and the number of awful lower card acts is often forgotten.

 

It's also not as simple as splitting it into decades. The first half of the 80's was nothing like the second half. 90-92, 93-96 and 97-2000 were all completely different eras. The last decade after about 2003 has also been vastly different to what came before it because of the amount of new faces and then 2007 onwards changes completely because of the direction of the product.

 

My favourite eras are the second phase of the cartoon era, from about 1989 to 1992 and 1997 and 2000. I enjoyed 98-99 at the time but don't look back on it with anything like the fondness of the two awesome years that bookend it.

[Your Fight Site]

The naughties, as that's when I started watching wrestling and WCW was a show I enjoyed watching until just over a year into the decade.

 

[Richie Freebird]

I can

[Magnum]

It's also not as simple as splitting it into decades. The first half of the 80's was nothing like the second half. 90-92, 93-96 and 97-2000 were all completely different eras. The last decade after about 2003 has also been vastly different to what came before it because of the amount of new faces and then 2007 onwards changes completely because of the direction of the product.

 

Yeah, I'd go along with this. I love the majority of stuff from 97-2001, but there's not a whole lot from the remaining bulk of either decade that I often have the inclination to watch.

 

I'm also not going to make the mistake of categorising that entire period as the 'Attitude era' because, with the exception of the Mae Young stuff at the start of the year, 2000-2001 wasn't anywhere near as edgy or adult-oriented as 98/99. Generally, I'd have to say 99-2001 is my favourite period of wrestling - it peaked in the first half of 2000, which for me (as far as the WWF went) was about as perfect as a wrestling company is capable of being. However, there was enough good stuff in 99 and 2001 - The Rock's run as corporate champ, the start of HHH's push, Austin's heel turn - for me to include both years in my favourite period of wrestling.

[garynysmon]

For me, it's 1992-1994 when it felt that me and all my schoolyard peers were into it. It still beings back great memories to this day. When you're 8 years old, there's no-one cooler than Crush, believe me.

 

But I would have loved to have been around in 1984-85 to see the Rock 'n' Wrestling connection come around.

[garynysmon]

Generally, I'd have to say 99-2001 is my favourite period of wrestling - it peaked in the first half of 2000, which for me (as far as the WWF went) was about as perfect as a wrestling company is capable of being. However, there was enough good stuff in 99 and 2001 - The Rock's run as corporate champ, the start of HHH's push, Austin's heel turn - for me to include both years in my favourite period of wrestling.

 

I'd disagree there and say the WWF's peak was 1997 to 1999. It was generally over the hump by then i.m.h.o.

[David]

It's also not as simple as splitting it into decades. The first half of the 80's was nothing like the second half. 90-92, 93-96 and 97-2000 were all completely different eras. The last decade after about 2003 has also been vastly different to what came before it because of the amount of new faces and then 2007 onwards changes completely because of the direction of the product.

I know that, but for the sake of creating a thread I had to split it somehow, and everyone will see it differently. If it makes it any easier I can remove the poll?

 

It's the actual discussion that should prove interesting, especially if people start talking about gimmicks and angles that they remember.

[Max Power]

Those time preiods are probably slightly wrong, because each of the different "eras" of wrestling overlap decades i'd say.

 

My favourite period was 1998-2001. Utterly superb, if a little rose tinted now I've grown up. It probably peaked between September 1999-Summer 2000. That particular year was outstanding not only for the in ring stuff, but for the whole package - from Rock/HHH all the way down to Head Cheese/TnA right through the TLC midcard and the Angle/Jericho/Benoit stuff.

 

Amazing.

[Smegma Cake]

There's arguments for all eras that I've watched. Early 90's because I was a kid and everything was absolutely amazing to watch as a youngster. The Attitude era produced the most exciting TV I've ever seen and it become a must watch thing that has stuck with me till today. However even todays wrestler is good because of the amount of ways to watch it. In early 90's I had to rely on tapes from my Uncle in the US, during the Attitude era you had to have Sky Sports to watch Raw and you had to beg your parents to buy PPV's.

 

Now, I can watch any show I want online via some medium.

 

I agree that wrestling peaked at 99-00 when Nitro started to become the shits and the Attitude era was fading, wrestling now is overproduced and it looks far better but doesn't have that feel to it.

 

1992 would get my vote simply because I don't think I've have gotten hooked during the Attitude despite how great it was.

[AshC]

1991-92. Best angles ever!

[Magnum]

It probably peaked between September 1999-Summer 2000. That particular year was outstanding not only for the in ring stuff, but for the whole package - from Rock/HHH all the way down to Head Cheese/TnA right through the TLC midcard and the Angle/Jericho/Benoit stuff.

 

Amazing.

 

It's a cliche, but I think there literally was something for everyone during that period. There were great mic workers, like Austin, Rock and Vince, with Foley, Angle and HHH also doing some fantastic promos during that time. There was top quality wrestling, involving all of those mentioned (maybe not Vince) plus Benoit, Jericho, Guerrero, Edge, Christian and the Hardys.

There was also a good mix of comedy (genuinely funny comedy, like Angle's little promos and Edge and Christian's skits) and serious stuff, while I think they did a far better job of targeting viewers of all ages than they did in the early Attitude era or the PG era of the last few years - they ran some edgier angles with HHH, the Dudleys and Jarrett, while Crash Holly and Too Cool/Rikishi were better kids' characters than Hornswoggle has ever been.

[King Pitcos]

A lot of it probably is rose-tints. My favourite era is the attitude era, because it was stuff that hadn't been done. Today it's just the same formula, only it's all been seen before. Back then, it was new. I especially liked the bit when Austin was out for a year. Rock got stale as fuck in that time, mind, although I don't think I noticed that until I went back and rewatched in 2004 and found him near enough intolerable.

[AshC]

The TV in 2000 was nowhere near as exciting as the TV in 98-99. Most of the pay-per-views were pretty great mind.