How the UKFF saw things...

[NEWM]

This thread could totally tank, but inspired by the quality (sometimes for the wrong reasons) Benoit and Wrestlemania XX threads in gold and some interesting nostalgia from longer tenured posters on here in that UKFF Memories thread, I'm quite interested in how the UKFF responded to certain events as they happened. I certainly wish more had been preserved like the Benoit thread, as in-the-moment stuff does sometimes have its place when re-reading (not that I'm advocating Live PPV/Raw threads or anything).

 

From some of the stuff in the Memories thread, it also seems as though the general tone and register of the forum has changed pretty dramatically over however long its been. I've been on here about three years, and from memory, I recall excellent, long ranging threads on stuff like January 4th 2010, the retirement of Shawn Michaels, the Nexus, the return of The Rock, the WWE's Summer of Punk and lots of other cool bits of the time. Further to that, I've completely fucked off news and gossip sites. If it doesn't show up on here, I never know - but seemingly all the things I care about do, so I'm more than sorted.

 

A few hot button issues spring to mind that I love to hear from the 'veterans' as to how people took to them - some funny memories of people going spastic, or some excellent/humorous posts that were perfectly placed at the time. My particular ones would be:

 

 

- The Hulk Hogan 2002 run

 

- Katie Vick

 

- Brock and Goldberg leave WWE

 

- The launch, rise and demise of The Wrestling Channel - thoughts, opinions, comments etc

 

- JBL wins the WWE Title from Eddie Guerrero

 

- John Cena and Batista become the new guys on top

 

- TNA's first five years or so

 

- Edge/Lita/Matt Hardy

 

- ECW One Night Stand 05 and 06

 

- Edge cashes in Money in the Bank

 

- ECW returns

 

- The mental and endless Wellness suspensions post-Benoit that rip through WWE's 2007

 

- The return of John Cena at Royal Rumble 2008

 

- The retirement of Ric Flair

 

Other newish-bies, feel free to add others you may be interested in. And for those that were there, be honest. How did you react, would you react differently now? Were you with or against the general grain of the forum? Any opinions you had then make you laugh now? Go on, indulge me with some self-indulgence.

[CiderBag]

Shouldn't there be some chat about Strong Style Tapes vs Terje or whatever his name was if this were to be vintage?

[IANdrewDiceClay]

- The Hulk Hogan 2002 run

Backlash (2002) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) promotion, which took place on April 21, 2002

 

Ian_hitmanhart - Joined: 24-April 02

 

I think my first post was something like "lol stop bitching you spackers".

[Arch Stanton]

- The Hulk Hogan 2002 run

Backlash (2002) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) promotion, which took place on April 21, 2002

 

Ian_hitmanhart - Joined: 24-April 02

 

I think my first post was something like "lol stop bitching you spackers".

That's mad Ian, you've been here 10 years this week!! We should have a party.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

That's mad Ian, you've been here 10 years this week!! We should have a party.

I had one on Tuesday. On my own. I blew out almost 14,000 candles. Then cried.

[Arch Stanton]

So, what did the UKFF actually think of Goldberg when he was still around the business? I was a member of another, far inferior wrestling forum from about 2003 to 2005 and the place was dominated by the type of smart mark Fin Martin mongoloids that the good folk of the UKFF now ridicule (it was prowrestling.com's forum if you were interested). Two of my faves, Billy Goldberg and Mizark Henry, were both almost unanimously hated by the mutants there. Proper workrate perverts they were. I always thought it was depressing to see such a lack of enthusiasm for a megastar like Goldberg starting with the WWE, but they just wouldn't look past the fact that he didn't sell a punch properly.

 

Was the UKFF overrun by this these keyboard warrior stereotypes around that time too?

[CiderBag]

Arch you're coming across as bitter they wouldn't let you in their club...

 

I remember this forum back in the days it didn't have this URL, it was just found through the (awesome) Wrestling-Edge network as a spin off forum. It was brilliant back then, and moistly a hub for tape traders to sell fifth generation VHS - and I sure as hell bought my fair share of tapes from SST, SiMania, JFFC, Picks Tapes and others.

 

RE Goldberg, the dude is one of the biggest stars of all time and he was legit star (still is if you think he was on NBC Celebrity Apprentice - you wouldn't see TugBoat on that gig). You didn't have shitty "Is Goldberg the next Warlord" threads filled with pointless rambling, people just seemed to enjoy and discuss things more without looking into things too much or crying over the future of the business. You had signatures going around with stars in them - such as Goldberg - not people trying to work their own little gimmicks in a signature by finding a niche wrestler and creaming over them like a dog pissing on his territory. How many Randy Orton sigs do you see lately? Of James Storm?

 

"Workrate Perverts" are fine with me - they're just passionate fans who like their wrestling the way they like it. If I'm bugged by it, I just wont enter a discussion. Back in 1999 - 2000 I could be considered a pervert because I watched ECW before Delta made the tapes nicely available and I'd get into the matches the crowds were clearly getting into. I couldn't name you five modern indy wrestlers now as I'm just not into that scene. But I don't begrude anyone who is - its simply me fourteen years ago.

[Max Power]

My first ever post was a thread about Hogan's 2002 run. I remember it well. I got absolutely hammered on it:

 

"Hogan.

Are live crowds in a time warp?"

 

I then went on to eulogise over how it was all Hulk's fault that ratings had dropped since Wrestlemania and pondered as to why he would ever be cheered by live crowds.

 

I then didn't post again for ages.

 

EDIT: Looking at my joining date, it appears that this doesn't stack up. Did something happen with the board or anything?

[CiderBag]

My first ever post was a thread about Hogan's 2002 run. I remember it well. I got absolutely hammered on it:

 

"Hogan.

Are live crowds in a time warp?"

 

I then went on to eulogise over how it was all Hulk's fault that ratings had dropped since Wrestlemania and pondered as to why he would ever be cheered by live crowds.

 

I then didn't post again for ages.

 

EDIT: Looking at my joining date, it appears that this doesn't stack up. Did something happen with the board or anything?

 

He returned again in early 2003. He left in 2002 after jobbing to Brock, thinking he was going to get to beat him at Survivor Series.

[air_raid]

If I had to guess, Max, your post may have been to do with his 2003 return rather than 2002.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

He returned again in early 2003. He left in 2002 after jobbing to Brock, thinking he was going to get to beat him at Survivor Series.

Wrong, but I suppose it makes a good story. He left because of his WrestleMania payoff being lower than it should have been. Why they asked him to come back, he told them he wanted to beat Brock and they said no. He put Brock over because he wanted to, not because he thought he was getting anything in return. He also put over Kurt Angle. And The Rock. He did more jobs during that period than he'd ever done.

 

Hogan came back with a new attitude towards the promotion. And once they fucked him on his payoffs, he was back to being the old Hulk Hogan. Telling people to fuck off when they ask him to lose. If they'd have done business with him fairly, he'd probably be still there now.

[CiderBag]

I didn't say he left DUE to the job, I was giving the timeline.

 

Meltzer said he jobbed believing he was getting the Survivor Series main event, which is good enough for me. Unless you're actually Hulk Hogan of course and you're giving me first hand knowledge, in which case I apologise, brother.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Meltzer said he jobbed believing he was getting the Survivor Series main event, which is good enough for me. Unless you're actually Hulk Hogan of course and you're giving me first hand knowledge, in which case I apologise, brother.

He was supposed to get the Survivor Series main event, after he put Brock over. Hence why he did a stretcher job to him. And when he pay off came in low, he pulled out of the match unless they gave him the belt. Thats the common story from then and now. And I was still pointing out you were wrong, considering he never left thinking he was winning at Survivor Series. That was something he demanded when they fucked him on his pay.

[King Pitcos]

If I had to guess, Max, your post may have been to do with his 2003 return rather than 2002.

 

Hogan's 2003 return was taped on the 21st of January, I think, which would've been the morning of the 22nd here. And it wasn't on telly until the 23rd. So the bloke signing up can't have been a reaction to that, unless the Hulkster's return was rumoured beforehand.

[CiderBag]

Meltzer said he jobbed believing he was getting the Survivor Series main event, which is good enough for me. Unless you're actually Hulk Hogan of course and you're giving me first hand knowledge, in which case I apologise, brother.

He was supposed to get the Survivor Series main event, after he put Brock over. Hence why he did a stretcher job to him. And when he pay off came in low, he pulled out of the match unless they gave him the belt. Thats the common story from then and now.

 

I'm not disagreeing, and said nothing to the contrary. I was just giving the timeline with some added pre-text.

 

Survivor Series was GREAT that year in MSG, and Brock vs Hulk would have gone down a proper storm if it happened. Still, the short Big Show vs Brock match was amazing, with Brock chucking Show around like a sack of shit and slowly turning face in the process. It all worked out well though, with Show being able to drop to Angle and we all got the Brock vs Angle match at Mania.

 

As per the thread subject, this board at the time was very worried about Angle pulling out / getting taken out of Mania due to health. People even had photo sigs of "Brock vs ?" thinking for sure Angle wouldn't be there. Memories