When and what got you interested in wrestling?

[The Naitch]

Alright, i have to admit, I don't know much about wrestling before 2000, because for several reasons (although I am learning tons of shit right now)

1) I would watch a bit of it as a kid, played Royal Rumble on Super Nintendo, but I never really got INTO it.

2) I never had cable (ie TSN) I only had basic cable.

3) I thought wrestling was lame when it was in the Attitude era. Everyone was all over that shit in school, but I tried to distance myself from that "CRAP" at the time

I got interested in it around 1999, mainly because of The Rock. Mainly because I could relate to the guy, culturally. And even now, when wrestling is not "fashionable" nowadays, I am not afraid to express my love for wrestling in the general public, because my main passion is to be a wrestler in the future. I'm generally trying to live the lifestyle as if I was a wrestler, instead of just being a "fan"

Amen

[The Naitch]

oh yeah, and my two idols I look up to are

1)Rey Mysterio

2)The Rock



may sound gay, but I had to let that out.

[Sephiroth]

I was like 5 orso and i saw wrestling when my uncle was watching it, and i liked it my fav wrestlers are:

Benoit
Kurt Angle
Eddie
Shelton Benjamin
Charlie Haas
Rey
Jericho
The Rock
Rhyno

[Blue Demon]

I just happened to start watching when i was 5 and my bro had it on the tv. I thouht it was fun to watch

[Savio]

I used to watch livewire on saturday morning but until a month or 2 after shawn left and austin beat him I watched because I loved the gang war between the nation and DX.

[John la Rock]

I remember tuning into Raw in late 1997. Before I knew about the big stars like Hogan, Savage, Warrior, etc but watching the Austin/McMahon and Taker/Kane rivalries really got me interested.

Plus there was one guy that I absolutely hated and his name was Rocky Maivia. I hated his character so much that I started to like him because he was so entertaining and could really get the crowd going. Once he became The Rock in 1998 he became my favorite wrestler and still is to this day

[PureHatred]

I was 8 when I remember most of my family coming over ot our house to watch Wrestlemania 3. Crazy thing was seeing my grandma (who's a 4 foot tall hispanic woman) screaming her head off at the TV. Turned out she used to go to house shows in Guadalajara when she was young and at the Forum in Los Angeles whne she came to this country. Pretty much all my uncles are into wrestling and after that so was I.

[OssMan]

I was never really into wrestling until last year. I always used to play the games, and i tried to watch the show whenever i could. I never really followed it though. But about a year ago my friend called me and invited me to a house show, so i went. I was really into it even though i didn't know any of the names except for like Kurt Angle. I had the greatest time. From then on, I was always into wrestling. I watch the shows weekly and yeah.
My favorite wrestlers are

Rey Mysterio and Benoit
and rico of course

[tucsonspeed6]

I loved wrestling when I was little, but stopped watching when I was about 6 or 7. Then when I was a freshman in HS my best friend moved away and I started hanging out with my current best friend and he made me watch a wrestling tape and this was back when it was cool to watch wrestling b/c of SCSA and all so I forced myself to learn everyone's names and the next thing you know I was a fan.

[Corkscrewed]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth I was like 5 4 or so and i saw wrestling when my uncle dad was watching it, and i liked it

I started watching wrestling in 2000 which was unfortunatley a time when alot of people I knew were stopping because they felt it wasn't enjoyable anymore. It was my brother who got me watching it, boys in school would go on about it all the time and they'd constantly be asking me what my name was in order to tell me that it didn't matter what my name was, lol. They all loved Mick Foley too. The first match I ever saw was Bubba ray and Dvon vs someone I can't remember and Bubb got injured and the emp's came out and he threw this women through a table and I was like Jesus Christ but now it doesn't faze me and when my m8s come round they watch it and there like Holy S***
I loved The Rock straight away he was my first love, lol. He was fit and he was sooooooooooooooooo funny, I always like Steph too even when noone else did!
Even though my brother has stopped watching wrestling now, I continue because I am a loyal veiwer and this might sound gay but it is part of my life and is very important to me! does anyone else ever feel like that or is just me? anyway people can say its crap but I will always love it and when i am a future WWE diva (watch this space) I will finally be living the dream!

[RGWhat316]

I mainly got into it because of my cousin. He was a big fan and had gone to a few live events, and was a big Hogan fan. So I decided to watch RAW with him in '98 when the Mike Tyson/Stone Cold confrontation was on and got into it around that time. Been watching ever since. But I mainly only watched the WWF/E, never watched WCW or ECW so when the Invasion happened in '01 I was completely lost.

[The Naitch]

Originally Posted by rockycentral I started watching wrestling in 2000 which was unfortunatley a time when alot of people I knew were stopping because they felt it wasn't enjoyable anymore. It was my brother who got me watching it, boys in school would go on about it all the time and they'd constantly be asking me what my name was in order to tell me that it didn't matter what my name was, lol. They all loved Mick Foley too. The first match I ever saw was Bubba ray and Dvon vs someone I can't remember and Bubb got injured and the emp's came out and he threw this women through a table and I was like Jesus Christ but now it doesn't faze me and when my m8s come round they watch it and there like Holy S*** I loved The Rock straight away he was my first love, lol. He was fit and he was sooooooooooooooooo funny, I always like Steph too even when noone else did! Even though my brother has stopped watching wrestling now, I continue because I am a loyal veiwer and this might sound gay but it is part of my life and is very important to me! does anyone else ever feel like that or is just me? anyway people can say its crap but I will always love it and when i am a future WWE diva (watch this space) I will finally be living the dream!

welcome to my world. We have a lot in common. I'll be living the dream too. It's like I'm high on life or something.

[loopydate]

My dad was a wrestling fan when he was growing up (he used to watch the Kentucky/Tennessee-area promotions on a local channel), but he was never a "big" fan. Once I got old enough to the point where horseplay begins, he started teaching me about the guys he used to watch like Bobo Brazil, and he'd mime the Coco Butt for me, or he'd teach me the Wahoo McDaniel sleeperhold, just to play around with.

I started watching wrestling religiously around 1989 (I would have been seven). I got really into the Hogan/Savage feud and have been hooked to this very day.

In the early-'90s, I used to watch the GWF from time to time, just because it was more wrestling on TV. In the mid-'90s, I started following WCW, so when the nWo invasion started, I got right into it. The Monday Night Wars were fantastic for me, even though I loathed Steve Austin (still do), and was pissed that he was the focal point of the WWF product. Also, about that time, I started getting into ECW. THIS was something I'd never seen. The theatrics were meaningless, the arenas weren't glamorous, the only thing that mattered was good wrestling and putting on a show that would leave the crowd wanting more. I still wish there was something like that.

At the moment, I love Benoit, Guerrero, Cena, and Orton holding the titles. I think Christian could be the next main-event superstar if he's pushed right. The cruiserweights amaze me...when they're allowed to. And, even though he's much-maligned, I owe a lot of my attention to wrestling to Shawn Michaels, so I will always be an HBK mark.

[ilt_undertaker]

The Undertaker, Macho Man and Flair got me interested. And RICO!!!!!!!!

[The Naitch]

ilt, you like the undertaker? boy I learn something new everyday

Yeah, I like Ric Flair, but I can't really relate to him in the real world sense. I can relate to guys' like Rock and Rey when it comes to being truly inspired.

[ilt_undertaker]

[Boondock Saint]

I first started watching the RAW after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Feb. 1999. I was in 8th grade. I started to watch because wrestling had become the "cool" thing in school, and because my little brother, who never watched wrestling either, rented WWF Warzone one day. And so I decided to check out the stuff for real.

Oh man. I remember, for some strange reason, my favorite wrestler was Big Bossman. I just thought he looked cool and didn't really care about quality wrestling at the time. Just mainly for the storylines. I LOVED The Corporation. And I LOVED the "Higher Power" storyline, even if the ending of it was a letdown. That angle has a special place in my heart. Aww.

Since then, by the time I graduated highschool, wrestling wasn't cool by the end of 2000. I still continued to watch it though even if my younger brother and friends quit. I didn't care what anyone thought about it. Now, close to the end of my freshmen year in college, no one I know watches it except for my girlfriend, and that took some time to get her into it. But she's gone to both a RAW and Smackdown with out me, cuz I've been at school, so I think I did a good job.

I love it. And don't see myself stopping watching it for any reason unless I just don't have the time. Over the past 5 years I've learned to appareciate more quality wrestling etc. Done my best to learn about older wrestlers and whatnot. Love it.

[Scarface]

The 1997 royal rumble and an amazing heel in Stone Cold Steve Austin. The intensity between him and Bret amazed me. He was so bad ass, kicking everyones butt.

[Shaggy]

I got into wrestling when I was real little. I dont remember the age exactly. All I can remember was that it was around 3-5. Something like that. Well my Grandma was a really big wrestling fan and every time it was on I would sit with her and watch it. Everyone laughs when I tell them that my Grandma was the one who got me into wrestling.

Wrestlers I Idolized Growing Up:

Bret Hart
Hogan
Piper
Flair
Macho Man
Mic Foley

Fav Wrestlers that still wrestle now would have to be:
Maven
Triple H
Randy Orton
Mic Foley

I started watching when I was about 4 yrs old when the WWF was on Saturday and I think Sunday mornings. The Ultimate Warrior, the Rockers and the Hart Foundation were my favorite. But the two moments that really stand out to me that really got me hooked for life happened in the early 90's. The Barber Shop incident and Earthquake "killing" Jake's snake really got me hooked on wrestling as I had not really seen anything like this up to that point.

[The Naitch]

I'm learning to appreciate quality wrestling nowadays instead of just the thatrics side of things.

Can someone tell me their opinions of the Tyson/Austin/DX deal?

[KayfabeMan]

My family (grandfather,grandmother,mother) used to go to ALL of
the "old-time" cards up in NY. My grandparents went,and then wh-
en my mom was born,she went to all of the shows with them and
my uncles.

For my first Christmas I received one of those big 16 inch W.W.F.
Hogan dolls,with the old W.W.F. World Championship Title Belt.TV
was on one day,and Hulk came on the TV,and (naturally) having
the doll my attention turned to the TV,and I was hooked. Hogan
is the reason I started (and kept on) watching. Cactus Jack (as
he was then known) was who I related to the most,and kept me
interested in deciding to become involved in wrestling.

[Hired Hitman]

September, 1997.

A Mate got me into WcW, and in turn I got him into WWE

so yeah... it was alright... i was a mark before the year 2000... the internet changes how you view stuff

[jasonvoorhees]

It was on my birthday, it was 1997 i think when The Undertaker tried to Crusified Austin, then i started watchind, WWF SHotgun, sunday night heat, Raw.

[The Naitch]

as a fan, internet can ruin the surprise

as someone who wants to be in the business, internet can be a useful tool

[DaveWadding]

I started watching in late 92... I was like 6, and the G.I. Joes were my big thing. I was channel surfing on like a Saturday morning...and I saw Sargeant Slaughter cutting a promo at the very tail end of a show. Of course, I was like "DUDE! He's on G.I. Joe's...WASSUPWIDDAT?!" and so I started watching full time that next week...and havent looked back since

[The Naitch]

GI Joe was the shit

When I was six and living in Harare, Zimbabwe, my uncle came over and put wrestling on the TV while we were eating supper. He was a pretty fan and he got me into it. Back then I was pretty hyperactive, and it was one of the few things that could keep me in one spot for more than 5 minutes.

[Xero]

My first exposure to wrestling was when I was in kindergarden, when kids were talking about it... Around the time of Yokozuna and the like... I never watched it then, but I would "play wrestle" and I always had to be Yoko cause I was heavy... I played the games like WWF Superstars in the Arcade and the Arcade Game... I would rent old wrestling tapes from Blockbuster like SummerSlam 94 and 96 (I loved the Taker vs. Taker and Mankind vs. Taker boiler room brawl matches)... I always rented the Piper video for some reason and loved the Hogan/Piper feud... I really started watching around 96/97... I was a big WCW mark and loved the nWo (I got this Hogan shaking doll still )... My favs were Piper and Hogan... Then, the first event I ever went to was at MSG in 97... It was a house show... It had Vader vs. Mankind in a casket match and Syco Sid vs. Bret Hart for the WWF championship for the main event... I remember I would sit there and yell at the ref when he wasnt looking, lol... This night I was hooked on WWF, and have been ever since... My first TV event was SummerSlam 97... My grandparents had gotten me tix as a suprise... And thats about it... Im a huge wrestling fan now, lol...

[ColdwaVer]

I watched a good bit of it on and off growing up, but I really started getting into it around Summerslam 90, when I was spending my summer days getting babysat and my friends house, and his whole family were big wrestling fans. The first major thing I remember seeing was the episode of SNME featuring Hogan's return from being sat on by earthquake, a WWF title match between the Warrior and Rick Rude, Demolition defending the tag belts against the Rockers, Mr Perfect defending the IC title against Tito Santana, and Mean Gene going on safari with Lord Alfred Hayes.

[The Naitch]

I remember my friend who I grew up with had a huge steel chain and started swinging it around in the air (I forget which wrestler did that) then he accidently tore up the rose bush and he got in mad trouble from my other friends' mom. Good times.

[The Naitch]

Retro Moment:

I remember when I think it was Dibiase called out Earthquake from the crowd. I was a total mark back then and thought he was an actually fat ass fan.

And I remember Dibiase popped some kids' basketball. Major heat. I hated the guy back then.

[Arashi Kage]

I cannot really recall or say what got me interested in wrestling. Back in the late 80's, 1987/88 to be exact, back when there was such a thing as Saturday morning cartoons, my brother and I would watch all our favorite sweet 80's cartoons, then at 12 noon WWF Superstars would be on and we would always watch it.

Back then, everybody watched/knew wrestling. Wrestling....excuse me, WWF was a household name, I'd go as far to say it was almost in the same league as sporting leagues... NHL, NFL, NBA, etc. 80's kids grew up on wrestling, it was a kids/family show and it was awesome. Not like today's "sports entertainment" in which I will not even get into discussing the content because we are all aware of it.

80's - mid 90's wrestling
late 90's - present (there are exceptional moments, it's not all that bad)

[El Santo]

Like all of you I watched as a kid in the 80's. I stopped watching, but my little sister (yup, my sister) got all caught up in the WCW and the nWo. I liked what I saw, and while my sis has grown out of it, I haven't.

[KillerWolf]

yeah, i watched it a bit as a kid in the 80s. then i lost interest in it. then in 1990 or 91 when i was about 15, i was fliping through channels and stumbled upon wrestling and at that moment i saw a guy that just looked so ****ing awesome, and he was putting the ultimate warrior in a casket. ive been watching ever since. i was a huge mark for the undertaker for many years, but now i wish he would go away....or turn heel.

i remember watching some in the late 80's, but i didn't like it then. the thing that attracted me to wrestling is hbk. he was putting on great matchs IMO and DX was greeat. i'll always be a hbk mark.

[The Forgotten One]

I started paying attention to wrestling when I was 5, watching WCW Main Event on Sunday. Sting is the wrestler that got me hooked onto wrestling and i've been a fan of him ever since.

The first wrestling show I ever went to was at Dillard's Park in Rome, GA. I don't remember much but I remember seeing the Armstrongs and some guy named The Bullet.

[KayfabeMan]

Originally Posted by The Forgotten One I started paying attention to wrestling when I was 5, watching WCW Main Event on Sunday. Sting is the wrestler that got me hooked onto wrestling and i've been a fan of him ever since.

WCW Main Event was an AWESOME AWESOME show. You knew that
when you tuned in you were going to see exciting matches. I was a
big-time WCW mark,and would watch Pro,Main Event,Saturday Night,
COTC,all the PPVs,and WCW All Nighter. Good times; good times

Originally Posted by The Forgotten One The first wrestling show I ever went to was at Dillard's Park in Rome, GA. I don't remember much but I remember seeing the Armstrongs and some guy named The Bullet.

Probably "Bullet" Bob Armstrong; definitely an entertaining guy.

[thuganomicalcrippler]

I've been REALLY into wrestling since last year, and I started watching only because of Rey Rey. I found him totally awesome, and I've been hooked since then.