Wrestling shows you've been to

[MVP RULZ]

I'm quite sad and keep records of the events I've been to and matches seen on those shows, I've been to 43 Live WWE shows, highlights being 3 Wrestlemanias (26 with my best mate and the last two 38 and 39 with my wife and daughter) and the Raws after Mania each time, Extreme Rules 2014 in New Jersey and both UK events Clash at the Castle and Money In the Bank

We are going to Philadelphia to complete the 3 in a row this year, this year was a bit more wait and see but once The Rock was involved we've gone ahead as he is the only top star I've never seen now having ticked off Austin in Dallas 2 years ago 

My First event was Tour De Force back in 2003 at London Arena with the card being (according to my notes)

Triple Threat Match: Matt Hardy (w/Shannon Moore) Beat Rey Mysterio and Jamie Noble (w/Nidia)
Sean O'Haire Beat Brian Kendrick
Rhyno Beat A-Train
Torrie Wilson Beat Nidia , Sable Guest Ring Announcer
WWE Title Match: Brock Lesnar (C) Beat Big Show
Team Angle (Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass) Beat Los Guerreros (Chavo and Eddie)
John Cena Beat Chris Benoit
Tajiri and Rikishi Beat FBI (Chuck Palumbo and Jonny Stamboli) (w/Nunzio)  

I've also been to a couple of Ring of Honor shows, NJPW at the Cooper Box and 4 TNA shows back in late 00s-early 10s

I've spent far far to much money in my life watching wrestling but I wouldn't change in for the world   

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

I’d saw many holiday camp shows that I barely remember who was on when I was younger but the first proper show I vividly remember was a show at Everton Park Sports Centre in 1994ish which was headlined by Davey Boy in between leaving WCW and going back to WWE

I also have the sad distinction of being present for Yokozuna’s last match at the Liverpool Empire when he teamed with Greg Valentine in the main event

My first ‘Big League’ show wasn’t until 2009, the post Wrestlemania tour by WWE which had a cracking Punk/Jericho match that featured a post match run in by Ricky Steamboat and a main event of Cena and Mysterio vs Edge and Big Show

[SuperBacon]

19 minutes ago, MVP RULZ said:

I'm quite sad and keep records of the events I've been to and matches seen on those shows,

Absolutely NOT sad!

[Mr Kennedy]

Mayhem In Manchester

No Mercy 1999

ROH Unified

ROH FYF Liverpool

ROH FYF Finale

King Of Europe Cup Night 1

King Of Europe Cup Night 2

A couple of RAW in Manchester/Liverpool (Can only remember the one with the Santino/Sheamus tea party and one during the HBK/JBL feud, but there are a few others)

Wrestlemania 28

RAW after it (Lesnar’s return)

 

 

 

[Danny Franchetti’s Jazzbox]

Been to a few shows over the years and steadily progressed each time from house shows to tv and then a ppv.
 

Wanting to go a Wrestlemania and also a royal rumble at some point if possible, would like to go with my mates like I’ve been to the other events but funds and time off is an issue. Wouldn’t mind doing one of these Facebook group ones but the ones from pre Covid don’t seem to be running any more?

First was at excel arena in London, smackdown house show in April 2005 headlined by Undertaker vs Kurt Angle. Loved seeing Scotty 2 Hotty live as he was my first favourite when I started watching in January 2000. Lost my signs I had made for JBL & Mark Jindrak (loved his knockout punch finish, shame he lost to Rene Dupree that night), then my mum left the Stone Cold unleash hell t shirt she had bought on the train home.

Next was Raw house show at o2 London in November 2011, chuffed to see Kevin Nash teaming with Awesome Truth and hearing the Nwo theme for his entrance.

Then went to Smackdown tv taping at o2 London in May 2014, Hogan’s return, and had Batista vs Ziggler in a street fight. Was soon into Cesaro’s run with Heyman as well so I remember hearing an initial version of the twat sirens multiple times in the evening and was already sick of it by the time I went home, he had an arm wrestling match with Mark Henry on Main event and then did commentary on a Sheamus match on SD.

Next was Raw tv at o2 in May 2018, at the end of a meet up with schoolmates in which we’d been drinking all day, did swingers golf in the afternoon. Not much of note at the show ( except Nia Jax & Ronda Rousey hyping their title match at MITB by being in the US at some premiere or press event instead of in person, oh and Braun Strowman’s Saudi royal rumble trophy fell over when he did his charge around the ring) not that I can remember much either. Had a guy sitting in front of me at the end of the evening say I had been spilling beer on him to which my defence was I thought I had been sitting on the other side of the arena to him.

Lastly went Friday to Sunday and stayed in an Airbnb to see Clash at the castle. We went out the Friday night to the pub near to the stadium and briefly saw Charles Robinson walking home, wished I’d got a picture. Great show and then followed it watching nxt uk the next night at the Airbnb in the curiously timed worlds collide event.

 

Edited February 17 by Danny Franchetti’s Jazzbox
Added detail

[gmoney]

WCW - London Arena - 11/03/00 - My first ever wrestling show. I went with my best mate, we were 14 and allowed to go into London for the evening on our own for the simple reason that no adult in both of our families could bear to sit through a wrestling show. This was an objectively shit card, but we had a great time, saw Terry Funk, Curt Hennig, Ric Flair and Lex Luger, all of who I loved, even if they weren't in their primes here. 

Varsity Pro Wrestling - Portsmouth Guildhall - Sometime early 2014 - After the WCW show gmoney has officially caught the wrestling bug now, and so it follows that 14 years later he goes to his next show. I dragged my ex girlfriend and a housemate to this. Memorable mainly because this is one of the last independent shows for Prince Devitt, or at least I knew at the time he'd been signed by WWE. Other than him wrestling UK Kid, a battle royal, and me buying a foam finger, I don't remember much. 

WWE - Wembley Arena - 04/11/2016 - The best seats I've ever had, 3rd row ringside. The thing I discovered about 3rd row ringside, is that I don't really like it. It's hard to work out what's going on a lot of the time because you don't have a decent view of the canvas. That's my television spoiled opinion anyway. This was a fun show. Roman Reigns vs Rusev was fun, Rusev bumped around like a champ. Jericho vs Sami Zayn was in full house show comedy heel mode and did a ton of business with his scarf which genuinely was the highlight of the whole show. Rollins vs Owens in a street fight was the main event and I have no memory of it at all. 

Kapow Wrestling - Selsdon Town Hall - Sometime in 2018 - The one reason I went to this was because Simon Miller was on the card. I was a big fan of his from his videogame journalist stint, back in the glory days of the Videogamer podcast, so when he became a wrestler I felt the need to support. He was still pretty green here, but it was a fun, family orientated show with some interesting Kapow characters - Major Lee Buff, Lookachu and someone called the Hitman who pantomimed a bow and arrow a lot. A daft laugh. 

Bloodsport 9 / ROH Supercard of Honor / Wrestlemania 39 - Ukraine Cultural Centre / Galan Centre / Sofi Arena - 30/03/23 to 02/04/23 - I'd always assumed I'd never go to Wrestlemania, being skint most of my life and also developing a crippling fear of flying meant it didn't seem likely. However my best mate (the one from the WCW show) got married in Ireland the previous year, meaning I was forced to get on a plane for the first time in years and first time ever as an adult without booze and it was wasn't so bad (my other crippling fear of public speaking was successfully defeated during my best man's speech). Then in February my work gave me a hefty bonus. Then Cody Rhodes was in the main event of Wrestlemania. Then Ibushi, one of my favourite twink nutters in wrestling was announced for the Bloodsport show. Hmmm, how much would this actually cost? This was one of the best weeks of my life, had fun at all the shows, saw Ibushi have probably his last good match, had an In-N-Out burger, saw Shane McMahon's body collapse, and to top it all, Cody won the big on in the main event of Night 2 of Wrestlemania. Hmmm?

I also have been to NJPW Royal Quest 1-3, AEW All In 2023, a Rev Pro show, an All Star show headlined by Gangrel, but I can't be bothered write them up. 

Edited February 17 by gmoney

[air_raid]

10 hours ago, MVP RULZ said:

I'm quite sad and keep records of the events I've been to and matches seen on those shows,

I don’t think many of us would call that sad in this fandom. If you think this ;

20 hours ago, air_raid said:

FRIDAY 25TH MARCH 1994 * WWF UK TOUR * TELFORD
(1) Kwang pinned Koko B Ware (spinning heel kick)
(2) Earthquake pinned IRS (Earthquake)
(3) Diesel pinned 1-2-3 Kid (big boot)
(4) Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Tatanka (schoolboy)
(5) Jeff Jarrett pinned Doink
(6) The Quebecers beat Men On A Mission TAG TITLE
(7) Bret Hart pinned Owen Hart (small package) WWF TITLE

…. wasn’t pasted directly from a list of 145 or so shows all in the same format, you’re wrong. @Big Benny HG will be along shortly to show you his spreadsheets.

10 hours ago, MVP RULZ said:

I've spent far far to much money in my life watching wrestling but I wouldn't change in for the world   

That’s the spirit. My first (of four) trips to Tokyo alone cost me 2K, and even domestically I shudder to think what I spent on trains, taxis, National Express coaches, Travel Taverns, overpriced London beer and Little Thief breakfasts over the course of about 15 years making my own arrangements. But if I could have my time again, I’d spend considerably less money on some other things, and even more of it going to live wrestling.

[simonworden]

Been to hundreds of shows in my time but have memories of most of them. 

 

First ever was a TWA show in Bournemouth in Feb 2002 with Doug Williams, Dave Taylor (I think) and Robbie Brookside. Main even was Robbie Vs Karl Kramer in a table match. 

Through Bournemouth shows from TWA, WAW, VPW and Premier I got to see some awesome talent and matches through my younger years. Best match was John Walters Vs Joel Redman at premier in 2011 I think 40 minutes long absolute blinder and no cameras. Another less fond memory was going to a VPW show and being excited Dlo, Davairi and Masters were on it only to fall horrendously ill and have to leave after 30 mins. 

VPW in another instance in a backend sport hall in southampton has me sat with my friend who was a trainee and a very young Jay White which I didn't realise until he won the IWGP title. 

Indy show wise I went to both PWG shows, FWA, ROH at Broxbourne and NOAHs shows all wonderful memories. 

Countless London based shows, my last show in the UK for reasons I can't disclose without request was the Rev Pro show with Liger 

My first WWE show didn't happen until Raw at Wembley in 06 but that was an amazing experience proper pyro entrance, live TV feel and main even of Edge, Cena and Triple H Vs the Spirit Squad. 

All happy times. 

 

[no user name]

Is anyone else going to rev pro tomorrow? What I'm really looking forward to is being able to see it properly without the screen. 

As good as all in was it did feel a bit like it was thousands of people all watching aew on TV. Where as tomorrow I will be able to see it properly.

 

[herbie747]

First show I ever went to was WWF Insurrextion in Earls Court in 2000 

 

[Merzbow]

14 hours ago, Mr Kennedy said:

King Of Europe Cup Night 1

With the infamous ring break?

I didn't go but managed to find a copy at the old wrestling shop that Majik owned, I loved that place but I guess it wasn't the right time for it.

[The Dart]

Like a few others, I have kept a database of shows I've been to over the last 23 years.   Most are as a simple fan, but for fairness it's worth pointing out that I have done camerawork a bit over the years and used to referee a bit, which does bring the amount of shows higher than if I'd just gone to shows as a fan and those shows are in my database.   Nothing against some of those companies I worked for, but many of them I wouldn't have attended as a paying customer!  However, as a fan I am lucky enough to have been to pretty much every major promotion that was possible.  Missing out on ever going to a WCW show is my biggest regret as it would have been possible.   ECW is less of a regret because of how unlikely that was a possibility.

I've been to 150 WWE shows (I really don't ever want to work out how much money I've spent on that), 11 TNA shows, 10 Ring of Honor shows, 5 Game Changer Wrestling shows, 3 NJPW shows, 2 AAA shows, 2 MLW shows, 2 Evolve shows, 2 Pro Wrestling Noah shows, 2 World Wrestling Allstar shows, 1 AEW show, 1 Dragon Gate show, 1 Florida Championship Wrestling show, many many other US indies and most UK promotions of note from the last 20 years.   131 different promotions in total.   2,803 wrestlers, 5,914 matches.   There's so many other shows I could have gone to, especially with the London wrestling boom 5-10 years ago, but at some point costs had to come into it and I didn't go to lots of shows that I "could have" gone to.   

[air_raid]

On 7/20/2022 at 6:58 AM, air_raid said:

MARCH 1994

A PERSONAL REPORT
So, I went to Telford's leg of the European tour, the Friday after Mania X, in Telford, which is such a nowhere town it makes me wonder why they didn't just go to the NEC again. This was my first time seeing the WWF live having seen no adverts and not having Sky, so Papa Raid told me not to get my hopes up and that I probably wouldn't see anyone I know from TV. I hadn't seen Mania yet and made the mistake while queuing of telling my dad that we hate Owen, and another child heard me and turned around saying "Yeah, what a fluke." So I immediately knew my hero had lost to his little brother. My variants of the undercard were Koko vs Kwang, Earthquake vs IRS, Kid vs Diesel, Tatanka vs Bam Bam, Doink vs Double J followed by the Quebecers vs MOM for the tag belts, before being informed the main event was for (iconic words).... "the World Wrestling Federation Championship!" Of course, I knew that whichever heel came out as challenger would give away straight away as to which babyface had left WrestleMania as the WWF Champion. And I lost my tiny mind when Owen's music started. Papa had already bought me Bret's t-shirt at intermission and sure enough my hero came out with the belt, for what I learn today was literally his first title defence, anywhere in the world. The program for the tour gives glorious full pages to various wrestlers where it’s obvious they’re opposite the guys they’re wrestling, in many cases repeats from Mania - Bret vs Owen, Lex vs Yoko, Razor vs Shawn, Savage vs Crush. Then in the back, quarter page photos and bios of the rest. It was fairly straightforward to piece together most of what the German cards would have been, but for years I wondered who Adam Bomb or The Model wrestled, until eventually learning… each other. It was an unbelievable experience all in all for an 11 year old.

 

On 8/26/2022 at 6:32 AM, air_raid said:

NOVEMBER 1996

A PERSONAL REPORT
I went to the NEC show a mere two nights after Survivor Series aired on delay on Sky Sports. Many will claim they felt short changed by how long Sid vs Farooq didn't go, but as someone over the moon that the reign of the Boy Toy had been terminated, I pretty much only wanted to see Sid come out with the belt and do a powerbomb so I was pretty happy, and Bret vs Mankind and Taker vs Vader were both excellent so it was 100% satisfaction for me.

There's a review here which includes a photo of the program/calendar which I also bought ;
https://www.angelfire.com/wrestling3/ukmania/2ndShow.html

Worth pointing out inaccuracies ; Undertaker won after a chokeslam, he did NOT Tombstone Vader, which was one of the most incredible things I ever saw when he managed it on Raw in the build to Canadian Stampede, and again at the PPV. Secondly, Sid powerbombed Farooq, he didn't go home with a chokeslam.

 

On 9/5/2022 at 6:58 AM, air_raid said:

SEPTEMBER 1997

A PERSONAL REPORT
So, I went to One Night Only. Of course, the original card had Bret Hart defending the big belt against Stone Cold Steve Austin and the grudge match of Undertaker vs Ahmed Johnson (neither of which happened due to injuries) supported by Ken Shamrock vs Owen Hart and The Patriot vs Vader, but all of that plus what they actually put on was window dressing for The British Bulldog VS Shawn Michaels for the European title. Words can't express how much, in spite of the show being positioned between two In Your House events and the focus being very much on Taker/Shawn in the Cell, how much the edits to the UK broadcasts spelled out that this was a giant deal, easily the biggest show on these shores since SummerSlam 1992, very much positioned as a sequel of sorts with heavy emphasis on reminding us OF that night at Wembley, and that this was a glorious homecoming for Smith. The European title, somewhat of an afterthought at times prior to SummerSlam, was pushed as prestigious and something that the Heartbreak Kid, recently WWF Champion, truly wanted to win. They pushed the animosity and history between the two with footage from SNME from 92 of HBK relieving Davey of the Intercontinental title, and spliced in from the Fab 4 special of comments Shawn had actually made about Bret to make them seem about Smith in terms of the nature of their rivalry. Smith of course talked at length about how much we were the best fans in the world, and everything was geared towards this being the start of a glorious new future of UK PPV specials, and 100% seemed designed to push Shawn as a very real threat, but one that the heroic Bulldog would overcome. The idea Davey could lose this match was UNTHINKABLE. Of course, as is widely known, Davey Boy told several tabloids that he was dedicating victory in the match to his cancer-stricken sister Tracey.  We know now that Vince had told him that he was winning, and that Europe was "his" territory. One hour before showtime, they changed it to Shawn winning. The logic was that they'd be doing another PPV in April at the Nynex (best known as the Manchester Evening News Arena, now the AO) and they'd make even more money from the rematch with Davey winning the belt back in his announced hometown. Nevertheless it floored everyone. Cornette couldnt believe it, and Bret was especially incredulous at the finish (a DX/Vince/Brisco creation) that he knew hearing it, would make the Harts look like idiots, much as we all felt when it happened. Speaking even as a guy for whom Bret was the top hero and Davey just his lieutenant, the match swallowed me up, and the feeling of tension and panic in the building as Bulldog had his knee worked over was unreal. This was "my" SummerSlam 92 in a way, and the suspension of disbelief in my block at least was in tatters even if we "knew" Davey would win in the end, and the frustration was tangible that Bret and Owen weren't coming out to help him. Smart to it all being a work, me, my mate and everyone around us couldn't understand what was happening. The rage that filled the NEC at the end of the match, I can't really describe. There wasn't violence, but things were thrown, as you know if you've seen it. Coming out of the building, everyone was absolutely shell-shocked. Nobody could believe they'd beaten the Bulldog in England. It didn't make sense, and Bret describes a similar effect on Davey, like the fire in him died that day.

Other thoughts - when Vince grilled Bret about the fans not liking him as much as he thought and Bret said "I don't know, all they get is American television" it prompted some lad in my block to yell "Yeah cos we've got SKY!!" with an amount of pride I found hysterical. Interestingly when Vince asked if it mattered to Bret and he said, disarmingly, "It matters" it seemed to get a good reaction in the building. The overwhelming feeling seemed to be that Bret was popular but as the rival to Stone Cold, he'd become a baddie regardless. Owen, conversely, was stupidly popular because he was Bulldog's tag partner. LOD were over like mental, nobody seemed to know who Tiger Ali Singh was, and the reaction that stayed with me was the deafening boos for The Patriot, as though THAT FLAG made him an enemy, which I didn't quite understand. And I swear, I saw tears in Del's eyes. But... yeah. You don't need me to tell you that with three top matches, a really enjoyable Dude vs Hunter opener and a belting LOD reaction, this show made me think that the UK PPVs were going to be a big deal. This was undoubtedly the best. Rebellion came close to being a big deal for canon but didn't feel like anything would REALLY happen, Rebellion 2001 had Rock v Austin and Jericho v Angle, but for me One Night Only was.... well, one of a kind.

 

On 3/27/2023 at 6:33 AM, air_raid said:

OCTOBER 2003

A PERSONAL REPORT

So, I went to Passport To Pain at the NEC. Fairly sure our very own dear @Liam O'Rourke went too as we seem to have a fair few shows in common. I went along with four mates who were fairly casual fans who just watched whenever we happened to put it on at uni, and @tsve (if he still lurks) - @jazzygeofferz did you attend the MEN show headlined by Taker & Angle vs Lesnar & Cena or am I thinking of someone else? Anyway… tsve bought the new V1 t-shirt and we were all pretty deflated when Matt lost to A-Train who we considered a bumbling oaf at the time, and I was personally miffed to see Dragon not win his match, especially with a loser like Funaki winning it. But really, this was the Eddy Guerrero show. He had an unfair advantage being in the first match but the response to him was sheer love, in based on all available reports what was his last successful US title defence. When he didn’t accompany Chavo for his match with Haas we knew what was coming, and the reaction to Eddy coming back out to negate Shelton’s interference was huge. One of my casual fan mates saw how popular Eddy was and asked “Do you think they’d ever make him champion?” and my immediate reaction was “No…” but then I thought about it and said “… maybe one day, if he gets this kind of reaction everywhere.” How little I knew! And on a non wrestling note, this date meant missing the crucial England qualifier away to Turkey but we did overhear “Beckhams missed a penalty” from behind us. And the football theme continued into Cena’s pre match rap where he used the line “your football teams singing the blues” - which got a pop from the Villa fans in attendance. Bully Ray wearing a Liverpool shirt in the MEN, it wasn’t.

Apologies for the double post but if interested here are some of my brief notes from 4/5 of my first live shows, from House Show Happenings, not including my trip to the Birmingham leg of the ill fated WCW tour of 2000. It’s a good jumping off point as most of my shows attended until 2013 are non WWE so I haven’t written about them yet… maybe there’s a thread in it.

Either way 2005 is the year I started spreading my wings beyond the West Midlands, to take in one offs including and shows from promotions such as (hopefully in rough chronological order) : International Showdown, FWA, 1PW, Universal Uproar, FCW, ROH, King Of Europe Cup, IPW:UK (pre split), the Indypendence Day weekend, TNA, Noah, Dragon Gate UK, New Japan, All Japan, Zero One, DDT, AJW, Stardom, Wave, Ayako Hamada’s anniversary show, Rev Pro, Eve, SOW, Southside, AWW, PCW, FutureShock, Ayumi Kurihara’s retirement show, Ice Ribbon, WCPW, HXC, FCP, Progress, NXT, NXT:UK and probably some I forget. Everywhere from Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Altrincham, Prestwich, Preston, Blackpool, Morecambe, Liverpool, Sheffield, Doncaster, Castleford, Nottingham, Beeston, Lower Gornal, Telford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Oxford, Stevenage, St Ives, Hoddesdon, Reading, Bethnal Green, Walthamstow and Wembley, to about a dozen venues scattered across greater Tokyo, Yokohama and Warabi/Saitama. To see everyone from Hogan and Flair, Bret, Shawn and Taker, Sting, Vader, the Roadies and the Steiners, Rock, Hunter and Austin, Angle and Lesnar, Cena and Orton, AJ, Joe, Daniels, Bryan and Punk, Misawa, Kobashi, Marufuji, KENTA and Liger, Tana, Nakamura & Okada, Kenny & Kota, Manami Toyota, Dynamite Kansai and Aja Kong, Doug, Jonny & Jody, Ospreay, ZSJ and British Strong Style, all the way to MJF, Toni Storm, the Bucks, Rhea, Becky, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

That’s not to say I saw everyone. I never got to see Razor, Muto or Chono, Bull Nakano, Kawada, Trish Stratus or Batista, and it would be nice to say I’d seen Io and Kairi from today’s names.

Edited February 17 by air_raid

[Mr Kennedy]

7 hours ago, Merzbow said:

With the infamous ring break?

I didn't go but managed to find a copy at the old wrestling shop that Majik owned, I loved that place but I guess it wasn't the right time for it.

That’s the one. 
 

Then all of Gauntley’s children started chanting “Holy shit, holy shit” 😂

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

King Of Europe Cup was when Jody Fleisch smashed his face in wasn't it. It was also when Davey Richards and Zebra Kid made friends with each other. I was pretty drunk at that show.