Anybody watching the new Fall TV lineup?

[HappyGilmore]

I'm loving the Wrestling Channel.  On Demand.  It's WWE Classics, with thousands of wrestling shows and pay per views dating back to the mid '60s, from the gamut of pro wrestling organizations (NWA, WCCW, WCW, AWA, WWF, WWE, ECW, etc.)

I hate wrestling now, but I have taken my nephews to a couple WWE events.  I was a wrestling fan in the 1970s when it was on TV Saturdays (followed by roller derby).  When I watched it, these were some of the popular wrestlers:

* IVAN PUTSKI (my favorite)
* CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW
* ANDRE THE GIANT
* BRUNO SAMMARTINO
* GORILLA MONSOON
* KEN PATERA (who once won The World's Strongest Men competition)
* MISTER FUJI
* PROFESSOR TANAKA
* TONY GAREA
* THE WOLFMAN
* SGT. SLAUGHTER

Those were the days . . .

I'm 'younger', so to speak (25).  I was more a fan in the late '80s-the late '90s.  Much more entertaining for me then (Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker). 

I try to watch their current product, but mostly find more fun in the 'older' stuff, from the '70s and '80s as opposed to now.  Which really sucks for them as they could make more money with a better product instead of relying on their past product to bring in money.

[AndyC]

I'm loving the Wrestling Channel.  On Demand.  It's WWE Classics, with thousands of wrestling shows and pay per views dating back to the mid '60s, from the gamut of pro wrestling organizations (NWA, WCCW, WCW, AWA, WWF, WWE, ECW, etc.)

I hate wrestling now, but I have taken my nephews to a couple WWE events.  I was a wrestling fan in the 1970s when it was on TV Saturdays (followed by roller derby).  When I watched it, these were some of the popular wrestlers:

* IVAN PUTSKI (my favorite)
* CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW
* ANDRE THE GIANT
* BRUNO SAMMARTINO
* GORILLA MONSOON
* KEN PATERA (who once won The World's Strongest Men competition)
* MISTER FUJI
* PROFESSOR TANAKA
* TONY GAREA
* THE WOLFMAN
* SGT. SLAUGHTER

Those were the days . . .

That got me thinking of Waldo Von Erich, who lived in my hometown for many years. Until his death this year, in fact. I didn't know him, but I remember seeing him around. Hard to miss a licence plate that says W VON E. I kind of think my brother might have gone out with one of his daughters at some point in the 70s.


He retired in 79, which was a bit before I got into wrestling. I mostly enjoyed it in the golden age of the WWF, from about 1983 to 1990. I think my interest waned shortly after Wrestlemania 6, which I attended. I did, for a couple of years, watch Wrestlemania at a local bar, just as an excuse to spend a Sunday afternoon consuming beer and nachos with friends. I was a huge fan in the 80s, but I can't say I've watched wrestling at all in 15 years or more. If I had to pick the best years, I'd say 1983 to 87 or 88. There were about five years there when it was really good, and my friends all followed the WWF faithfully. Today, wrestling is an idiotic soap opera. They've given up even pretending any of it is real, and really aimed at the lowest common denominator. I mean wrestling never had much class, but what class it did have is long gone.

[HappyGilmore]

If I had to pick the best years, I'd say 1983 to 87 or 88. There were about five years there when it was really good, and my friends all followed the WWF faithfully. Today, wrestling is an idiotic soap opera. They've given up even pretending any of it is real, and really aimed at the lowest common denominator. I mean wrestling never had much class, but what class it did have is long gone.

I don't wanna take it too 'off topic', but the WWF did have a really good run from about '97-'01 as well.  By that point they completely obliterated the 'Is it real?" aspect and came out and said it's 'sports entertainment.'  They completely enhanced the Undertaker's character, making him an undead zombie warrior with mystical powers, blowing stuff up with lightning.  At the same time, they had 'real' characters like Stone Cold Steve Austin, who the working class could relate to: he drank beer, flipped off authority figures, and would attack his boss on a routine basis.  Who here at one point hasn't wanted to show up to work one day, and just go to his boss and be like, 'Screw you" and clothesline him?