AnotherCrapUsername Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Absolutely amazing time to be a wrestling fan in the UK. Unfortunately I missed the launch day as I was in New York for Wrestlemania 20 if I have my dates remembered correctly. To be able to watch ROH and CZW on TV when I'd only been able to get the shows via tape traders was unbelievable. To be able to the actually have a match of mine shown on the channel was a mind blowing moment for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 I remember being insanely excited about this before it launched and for the first couple of weeks I watched a bit of everything. I ended up not being particularly fussed with much of the output, but I would usually chuck it on if nothing else was on instead of flicking through the music channels. I was fascinated with CMLL, but it didn't last too long. It introduced me to World of Sport wrestling, which from the brief mentions in Power Slam, I'd been lead to believe was crap, but it shat on Ring of Honor and the like. Shoot interviews were the main thing I watched probably, getting a great peak behind the curtain while marvelling that something so low quality could make broadcast television. It's main legacy for me though was the forum, which I joined at some point in 2004. I had a great time there, made some online friends and some of us washed up here when the forums closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 6 hours ago, theringmaster said: Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing; anything Alex Shane got his fingers in was doomed to fail Whats does the general dislike for Alex Shane stem from then? genuine question. Ive been on here forever so always catch pieces of business involving Shane, but ive never really got into the whole BritWres scene outside of casually checking in and attending the odd show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 Noah on TWC is the only time I've ever really given a shit about Japanese wrestling. A combination of the accessibility making it something we could all watch and discuss, the presentation and then the matches, particularly anything with Jun Akiyama and Kenta Kobashi in 2004, being incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEGIT Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 31 minutes ago, ThommoLincs said: To be able to the actually have a match of mine shown on the channel was a mind blowing moment for me. Cool, what match was that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 It's pretty mad that it was actually around for such a short time period. I think of it as some massive thing in my life looking back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members herbie747 Posted October 25, 2021 Author Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, theringmaster said: Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing; anything Alex Shane got his fingers in was doomed to fail TWC had nothing to do with Alex Shane though. He helped us run and book International Showdown in 2005 and did a great job. That was his only involvement besides being part of the FWA, which we aired. He also introduced us to the guys at Cage Warriors which we ended up airing. And I think he was involved with RQW (with Len Davies) too, which was on the channel for a brief period. I've had a few dealings with Alex Shane over the years and they've all been positive. But of course, that's just my personal experience. 🙂 Edited October 25, 2021 by herbie747 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members bAzTNM#1 Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 I think it started going downhill when they would stick a random film on. Could have been between 8 or 10pm. After that, you knew it was sadly struggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEGIT Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) To me it was such a great time to be a fan. Wrestling for me seemed to grow and change as I grew older and my interests changed. I was young in the early 90s and the cartoony family fun of early 90s WWF was my favourite thing to watch. As I grew out of that we got the attitude era which was the coolest thing to watch for a kid my age. Then come the 2000s, I started attending local shows, visiting forums, watching stuff from the Indies and that, and my fandom went to new levels. And at that time The Wrestling Channel came along, and it was great to feel like a 'smart' fan, and to meet other people my age who thought of themselves 'smart' fans. The excitement involved in watching some of TWCs shows, even the Bagpipe Report, and talking to my mates about it in person or on forums, was a different experience for me as a fan. Good times Edited October 25, 2021 by LEGIT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members garynysmon Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) So many positive memories tbh. There was a lot of stuff I never watched, particularly the Japanese stuff, but I loved the original MLW and was hooked on TNA. I was also a fan of the Bagpipe Report, for as long as it lasted. I'm sure there were a few RF interviews too? Its just a shame, looking back, that the channel started when general interest in wrestling was on the wane. But of course, pre-digital TV it wouldn't have been a go'er anyway. TWC will forever remind me of this promo though! Edited October 25, 2021 by garynysmon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Xtreme_lives Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) This was a great flashback, TWC opened my eyes to a whole world of wrestling and was my first time seeing shoot interviews. I'd totally forgotten about Friendly TV How about these golden promos Edited October 25, 2021 by 2Xtreme_lives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamaras-Tash Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 I can remember watching the trial runs on Friendly Tv, can remember one match being Low Ki beating the piss out of Special K I think it was in ROH and being blown away. I taped so much stuff from there too was a great time to be a fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamp Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 I like how Alex Shane is playing the drums in the CZW one for some reason. It's weird looking back but I feel like I took TWC for granted in some ways. Like I thought I'd watch way more of it than I did. And now I think I'd have been more interested in the CMLL, GAEA and NOAH options than I was then. It's also that period of time when it felt like all online wrestling fans were desperately looking for any kind of alternative to latch on to. As much as people bang on about the tribal nature of WWE and AEW fans, it felt like a lot of fans felt like that about CZW, ROH, FWA and TNA at that time, even though I've always wondered how much everyone was actually watching of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 25, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted October 25, 2021 bloody hell, i remember that CZW promo videon why are Shane and the other guys shoehorned into it though? 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoon Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 The Bagpipe Report... I seem to remember an episode where the host went on this long, random rant about his hatred of the state of the wrestling industry or something and the programme abruptly ending shortly after. What was the story there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.