“It never got better than that night.” - The Peaks of your Fandom

[Boss Playa]

The peak of my wrestling fandom—when I was most obsessed—was probably the mid-1980s, although my earliest memories go back to around 1980–82. I still vividly remember larger-than-life characters such as the Wild Samoans, Blackjack Mulligan and Chief Jay Strongbow. Growing up in New York City without cable, the WWF was essentially my entire wrestling universe.

After Vince McMahon took control of the company in 1982, the WWF began expanding beyond its traditional Northeastern base. By the time WrestleMania debuted in 1985, wrestling seemed to be everywhere. Kids at school who had never shown much interest were suddenly carrying WWF figures, lunchboxes and other merchandise. The wrestlers were becoming mainstream pop-culture characters, not just people we watched on television.

My first home pay-per-view experience was WrestleMania III in 1987. Since I did not have cable, I went to a friend’s house with a group of kids, and we each contributed five dollars toward the cost. Watching Hogan and André together made the event feel enormous, and the communal experience was almost as memorable as the show itself.

Getting Internet access in 1997 opened another chapter in my fandom. Through tape trading, early wrestling websites, message boards and online discussion groups, I discovered Japanese wrestling, lucha libre, the old American territories and the newsletter—or “dirt sheet”—side of the business. Wrestling became less of a single televised product and more of a global history to explore.

I still love wrestling today, although the connection is different. Much of it is rooted in nostalgia, but technology also allows me to fill gaps in my memory, revisit old footage and broaden my appreciation of the squared circle in ways that were impossible when I was a kid.

[IronSheik]

Hogan v Slaughter WM7 (Gateway to pro wrestling)

Foley retirement V HHH (hooked me back in after lapsing in 1994)

Rock V Hogan WM18 (absolute pinnacle of pro wrestling)

[hallicks]

I remember Judgement Day 2000 being the first PPV I watched, and then I was pretty much watching every Raw, Smackdown and PPV from then until late 2003. Didn't really watch much after that, but my brother would text me about the goings on. For months, I had no idea who this "JBL" character was that he kept going on about (why would WWE just parachute in some geezer I'd never heard of to the top of the card)? Anyway, I would continue the lapsed fandom for years until we moved to Los Angeles in 2012. The TV shows were now in my timezone, and the cable package we had contained the East and West Coast feeds, which meant we could DVR the 5pm show and fast forward through the adverts and watch it on Monday evening when I was back from work. This was when Daniel Bryan was picking up steam and was about to start the anger management/Team Hell No storyline where it all went stratospheric for him. 

Bryan became my guy. I don't think I could have told you the style of wrestling I liked most, I just knew I had this connection with D-Bry where I loved watching him wrestle and I was hugely invested in him winning matches. We didn't have kids yet so there was plenty of time to waste on watching a 3 hour Raw SUPERSHOW of a Monday night. And I was loving it. He might not have been the top guy, but he was all over the top of the card and anyway you all remember it just as well as I do. So when Summerslam tickets went on sale for Summerslam at the Staples Center in 2013, I knew I had to go. I still have the ticket email, I spent $170 for a seat in row 8 of the lower tiered seating, fairly opposite the hard cam. (Probably costs about $5,000 for that now). Incredibly for me, this was the Cena vs Bryan title match. My man, going up against the man, for the top belt in the company. Cena never lost in those days, not in any meaningful way at least. See the guy holding up the YES! YES! YES! sign wearing the YES! YES! YES! t-shirt in the middle here? That's me:

The crowd were white hot, I'd say about 60/40 in favour of Bryan. My memory of it is that was an absolutely classic match. I haven't watched it back for years, but I think I still have the DVD of it, and of course you can watch it on Netflix or Youtube now if you want. Bryan winning clean with the knee, the confetti coming down, God it was beautiful. That was it for me, getting to experience that moment live - it was never better. 

Of course it only lasted about 30 seconds before Orton came down, cashed in with the help of HHH and The Authority was born. From the all-time high to some of the most dogshit creative of all time. Stephanie all over the place. Crying Big Show. The dodgy ref with the fast count. Shawn Michaels missing the super kick in the hell in a cell and them fixing the graphic the following day with the most godawful MS-Paint job you've ever seen. Mysterio getting booed out of the building at the rumble because he was #30 and Bryan wasn't. 6 months of the most stubborn, tone-deaf, dreadful creative, and sure, they got there in the end, but fuck me was it hard work. Here's the sign at home the night before:

Don't be too harsh on my weird "E", I'd never done bubble writing with a fat marker pen before. I also went to the fan axxess, and met 3MB, Tensai (!), Damien Sandow and Jim Ross. An amazing day that not even the Authority bullshit ending can ruin my memory of. 

Edited June 28 by hallicks

[Chest Rockwell]

On 6/26/2026 at 3:37 PM, Boss Playa said:

The peak of my wrestling fandom—when I was most obsessed—was probably the mid-1980s, although my earliest memories go back to around 1980–82. I still vividly remember larger-than-life characters such as the Wild Samoans, Blackjack Mulligan and Chief Jay Strongbow. Growing up in New York City without cable, the WWF was essentially my entire wrestling universe.

After Vince McMahon took control of the company in 1982, the WWF began expanding beyond its traditional Northeastern base. By the time WrestleMania debuted in 1985, wrestling seemed to be everywhere. Kids at school who had never shown much interest were suddenly carrying WWF figures, lunchboxes and other merchandise. The wrestlers were becoming mainstream pop-culture characters, not just people we watched on television.

My first home pay-per-view experience was WrestleMania III in 1987. Since I did not have cable, I went to a friend’s house with a group of kids, and we each contributed five dollars toward the cost. Watching Hogan and André together made the event feel enormous, and the communal experience was almost as memorable as the show itself.

Getting Internet access in 1997 opened another chapter in my fandom. Through tape trading, early wrestling websites, message boards and online discussion groups, I discovered Japanese wrestling, lucha libre, the old American territories and the newsletter—or “dirt sheet”—side of the business. Wrestling became less of a single televised product and more of a global history to explore.

I still love wrestling today, although the connection is different. Much of it is rooted in nostalgia, but technology also allows me to fill gaps in my memory, revisit old footage and broaden my appreciation of the squared circle in ways that were impossible when I was a kid.

This is very obviously written by AI. 

[Boss Playa]

No, AI assisted for clarity, but my own thoughts and experiences. Like using spellcheck or a dictionary.

[Chest Rockwell]

I'm not disputing that they are your experiences, just that they've been smashed through a filter that makes them read like a fucking LinkedIn post and it makes me despair. It is absolutely not like using a spell checker or dictionary. 

[Boss Playa]

8 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

I'm not disputing that they are your experiences, just that they've been smashed through a filter that makes them read like a fucking LinkedIn post and it makes me despair. It is absolutely not like using a spell checker or dictionary. 

I respect your opinion. I'll keep my thoughts as to the quality of your writing style to myself. Do you care to debate or explore anything I wrote? 

[Chest Rockwell]

16 minutes ago, Boss Playa said:

I respect your opinion. I'll keep my thoughts as to the quality of your writing style to myself. Do you care to debate or explore anything I wrote? 

Absolutely not. 

The word debate traces its roots back to Late Latin, evolving from a violent, physical origin to its modern meaning of a structured, reasoned discussion.

 

[Boss Playa]

7 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Absolutely not. 

The word debate traces its roots back to Late Latin, evolving from a violent, physical origin to its modern meaning of a structured, reasoned discussion.

 

Ok. As you were!

[HandsomeButchIII]

Fuck me.... Imagine using AI to say you like wrestling. I was going to post about being an early Satellite user in 1989, when WE HAD IT ALL. But I lost the will to live a few posts ago. 

Edited June 28 by HandsomeButchIII

[Devon Malcolm]

On 6/26/2026 at 3:37 PM, Boss Playa said:

The peak of my wrestling fandom—when I was most obsessed—was probably the mid-1980s, although my earliest memories go back to around 1980–82. I still vividly remember larger-than-life characters such as the Wild Samoans, Blackjack Mulligan and Chief Jay Strongbow. Growing up in New York City without cable, the WWF was essentially my entire wrestling universe.

After Vince McMahon took control of the company in 1982, the WWF began expanding beyond its traditional Northeastern base. By the time WrestleMania debuted in 1985, wrestling seemed to be everywhere. Kids at school who had never shown much interest were suddenly carrying WWF figures, lunchboxes and other merchandise. The wrestlers were becoming mainstream pop-culture characters, not just people we watched on television.

My first home pay-per-view experience was WrestleMania III in 1987. Since I did not have cable, I went to a friend’s house with a group of kids, and we each contributed five dollars toward the cost. Watching Hogan and André together made the event feel enormous, and the communal experience was almost as memorable as the show itself.

Getting Internet access in 1997 opened another chapter in my fandom. Through tape trading, early wrestling websites, message boards and online discussion groups, I discovered Japanese wrestling, lucha libre, the old American territories and the newsletter—or “dirt sheet”—side of the business. Wrestling became less of a single televised product and more of a global history to explore.

I still love wrestling today, although the connection is different. Much of it is rooted in nostalgia, but technology also allows me to fill gaps in my memory, revisit old footage and broaden my appreciation of the squared circle in ways that were impossible when I was a kid.

AI;DR

[HandsomeButchIII]

Standards have dropped since my days, Gkadders.

[wandshogun09]

4 hours ago, HandsomeButchIII said:

Gkadders.

See, AI would’ve spellchecked that for you! 

[Supremo]

Another one where you not only had to be there, but experience the twenty years of dross that came before it.

It’s the year 2019. WWE has been shit for what feels like decades. Wrestlemania 35 has just happened, claiming numerous lives after people reportedly died from boredom and exhaustion. Pay per view main events around this time include Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin and a Money in the Bank match where Brock Lesnar runs in at the end to steal the briefcase after taking zero bumps.

Everything is geared towards antagonising, trolling and stopping you from watching. Only complete freaks continue to suffer through it. And whilst the rumours seem true and a new promotion is being built around The Elite, there’s no way of knowing whether it’ll actually be successful. There’s every chance it could be another XWF, TNA or Wrestling Society X.

And then Cody vs. Dustin at Double or Nothing 2019 hits an absolute home run, solidifying that a true alternative had finally arrived.

Everything WWE wasn’t at the time. Dramatic, engaging, completely WCW-coded blood bath.

It’s happening! Oh my god it’s happening! We’re back!

A far cry from the dog shit Goldust vs. Stardust from Fastlane 2015. Cody really shoved it up their arse. He should probably put the feelers out about going back. I bet he could be more successful this time.

Edited June 29 by Supremo

[Lorne Malvo]

4 minutes ago, Supremo said:

 Pay per view main events around this time include Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin and a Money in the Bank match where Brock Lesnar runs in at the end to steal the briefcase after taking zero bumps.

I think part of the reason AEW did so well initially was because of how dogshit the WWE product was in 2019. For about three months their main title feuds were Seth Rollins vs Baron Corbin and Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler. Fuck me that's rough.