Oh, TPWW poster, tell me everything you know

**Nowhere Man** · 10-25-2011, 03:44 AM

1). How long have you watched wrestling? (If it's "off and on," include only the total of "on" years)
"On" for about seven years straight, from '98 to '05. Been on and off since then, so I'd say roughly eight-and-a-half years total.

2). What is your first memory of professional wrestling?

An episode of WCW Thunder, where Sting had a match with Macho Man, which of course ended in a big run-in by the nWo.

3). Who was your first favorite wrestler?

Goldberg

4). Who is your favorite wrestler now?

Mick Foley

5). If your favorite wrestler is not currently working, who's your favorite active wrestler today?

CM Punk

6). What is your favorite match?

Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle at the 2003 Royal Rumble

7). What is your favorite moment in wrestling history?

The first ECW One Night Stand. Yeah, it was mostly a nostalgia kick, but it was still just so damn good watching it.

8). Have you ever stopped watching? If so, what made you stop? What made you start back up?

I lost interest in '05/'06, right around when John Cena was really starting to dominate the main event scene, but that had more to do with most of my time being taken up by college than any real distaste for Cena. I stopped watching entirely after the Benoit murders, and didn't really come back to it until late last year when I started watching PPVs with NoJabbaNoBogRoll and Afterlife.

9). On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a mark are you? (10 = Little Jimmy, 1 = Vince McMahon)

I'd say around a 6 or a 7.

10). Describe some of your markish tendencies from when you were younger, and/or some that still manifest from time to time.

Back when I first started watching, I was a gigantic mark for Goldberg and would get extremely mad when he was made to look bad. Of course, now I know he was pretty terrible in the ring and allegedly a gigantic asshole to work with, but I still quietly mark out a little whenever I see him. Same goes for any of the old WCW Cruiserweights like Rey and Chavo, and midcarders like Raven, since I had to go to bed before the main events, so I only really remember the midcard.

11). Did you start off as a mark? If so, how long didn't you know about the nature of the business? If you started watching with the knowledge that it's fixed, what drew you to it?

I sort of had the "it's still real to me" mentality, where even though I knew it was fake, I still rooted for the face over the heel and got mad when people cheated, etc. I think I initially got into it because everyone I knew was into it, wearing nWo and Austin 3:16 T-shirts and stuff, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

12). How many live events have you attended? Which ones? What are some of the differences you experience when watching on television, as opposed to in the arena?

I've been to two WCW House Shows in 1999, one WWF House Show in 2000, a Smackdown taping in 2003, and one of the very first TNA PPVs (the one that debuted the X-Division Title)

13). Who is your least favorite wrestler, and why? (Any time period)

Jeff Jarrett. I never liked his personality or his look, his finisher looks stupid, the guitar doesn't make any sense now that he doesn't do the country-singer gimmick anymore, his theme music is incredibly annoying, and I couldn't stand how he used to hog the TNA World Title like a poor man's Triple H.

14). What was, in your opinion, the stupidest/worst moment in wrestling?

Kane, Triple H, and the Katie Vick fiasco.

15). Who is the WORST wrestler? (If other than your least favorite)

Not counting celebrities like Dennis Rodman or non-wrestlers like Tank Abbott, I'd probably go with Zeus. Although he's a little before my time; a more recent contender would have to be Khali.

16). Who is the BEST wrestler? (If other than your favorite)

A toss-up between Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho.

17). Choose 5 adjectives to describe the qualities of a successful wrestler.

Charismatic
Energetic
Reliable
Memorable
Passionate

18). What key factors make the difference between being bored with a match and blown away by it?

Gimmick Consistency-- Don't know a better term for it, but basically a wrestler's style coinciding with his gimmick. Angle vs. Benoit should be a fast-paced technical clinic, Austin vs. Taker should be a down and dirty brawl. A great match doesn't always have to be a string of high-octane chain sequences; the tone of the match should fit the angle and the wrestlers themselves.

Innovation-- Do at least one spot that I haven't seen before; don't just re-hash old stuff. Or at the very least, approach a spot from a new way.

Suspension of Disbelief-- This one's kind of intangible, but basically it means that even though I know it's fake, make me care anyway. Angle/Benoit from the '03 Rumble isn't just my favorite match because it's a technical masterpiece (though it certainly is); it's my favorite match because even though the Wrestlemania buildup between Angle and Lesnar telegraphed from miles away that Angle was going to win, by the time the match reached its climax, I seriously believed that Benoit could actually win it.

19). If you had the power to start your own wrestling company, and the power to hire any five wrestlers to spearhead your roster, who would they be? (Feel free to include past wrestlers in their primes)

1) Stone Cold Steve Austin
2) CM Punk
3) Rey Mysterio Jr.
4) Mick Foley
5) Chris Jericho

20). (This is stolen from another thread) Finally, if Vince McMahon and/or Dixie Carter (or any other authority in wrestling) asked you for one minute of advice, what feedback would you deliver with the highest priority?

Vince: Despite your best efforts to remove your company from associating with it, the fact of the matter remains that you run a wrestling company. Your performers aren't just actors who happen to improvise fight scenes; let them actually apply their craft. And remember that your best promo men of all time (Rock, Foley, Austin, Punk, Jericho, even Cena on a good night) were great because they could cut amazing promos all on their own, without lines handed to them. People can detect when someone's personality is phony and forced; that's why Cena can never keep more than half of the audience on his side. Also, fire everyone in your Creative Department, don't bother with having a Divas Division until you have performers who are memorable and decent in the ring (on a similar note, hire Daffney), and look into working ROH as your new farm league, because FCW sucks.

Dixie Carter: Quit trying to compete with WWE, because frankly, no one is ever going to beat them at their own game. Instead, focus on the positive elements that your company has, pushing things you've got that WWE doesn't (namely the X-Division and decent tag/women's divisions), quit spending money on over-the-hill talent and trying to sponge off what little name-value they have left, and develop and push TNA's home-grown talent. Also, fire Hogan and Bischoff, and bring in Paul Heyman--I know he's got a ridiculous list of demands and will probably piss a lot of people off, but it'd be better than repeating the demise of WCW all over again.

**ZosoMetalManiac** · 10-25-2011, 10:54 AM

1). How long have you watched wrestling? (If it's "off and on," include only the total of "on" years)

It's been off and on since 1997. All together there's been about 10 years of 'on' time.

2). What is your first memory of professional wrestling?

My very first memory is watching Shawn Michaels ruin the match between The Undertaker and Bret Hart at Summerslam 1997. I fucking hated Shawn Michaels after that and it only got worse after Survivor Series that year.

3). Who was your first favorite wrestler?

The Undertaker.

4). Who is your favorite wrestler now?

Triple H and CM Punk are tied.

5). If your favorite wrestler is not currently working, who's your favorite active wrestler today?

N/A

6). What is your favorite match?

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at Wrestlemania. Just loved watching it.

7). What is your favorite moment in wrestling history?

My biggest mark out moment ever happened watching Raw when The Undertaker returned after the casket burning at the Rumble and finally said he'd fight Kane. That's still a favorite moment of mine.

8). Have you ever stopped watching? If so, what made you stop? What made you start back up?

I grew bored with the product, really. I still kept up on what was going on and caught shows every once in a while especially when big things happened like Bret Hart's return and Shawn Michaels' retirement. I really wanted to go to Wrestlemania to see his last match, but my work sucks and I couldn't get the day off. I started watching regularly again around Wrestlemania this year because my buddy and I talked about ordering the PPV since it had been awhile since we'd watched one.

9). On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a mark are you? (10 = Little Jimmy, 1 = Vince McMahon)

I'll just say 5. The happy medium.

10). Describe some of your markish tendencies from when you were younger, and/or some that still manifest from time to time.

I still cringe at spots that look really gnarly but I know are a total work. I just can't help it. Even if it's a work doesn't mean it feels good.

I defend the business all the time when people say it's fake. I also bring up putting my brother in the Sharpshooter and making him cry. Haha.

11). Did you start off as a mark? If so, how long didn't you know about the nature of the business? If you started watching with the knowledge that it's fixed, what drew you to it?

I was a complete mark when I first started watching. I had no idea it was a work until my uncle (also a huge wrestling fan) told me it was. Surprisingly, it never changed how I looked at wrestling. It actually made me appreciate it it more since it looked so real to me.

12). How many live events have you attended? Which ones? What are some of the differences you experience when watching on television, as opposed to in the arena?

It's definitely different when you're there. You get to start chants and really get into it in the arena. A live wrestling show will always be more exciting than seeing it on TV or PPV.

I went to a few Raws, the first one being in 1998 and the last one being in 2005. I also caught a few Nitros and a WCW house show. I actually enjoyed the house show better than Nitro. I went to Summerslam in 2003 and seeing an Elimination Chamber was pretty sweet.

Last live show I went to was an ECW house show in 2006. That was great because it was in a little building and it had a much different atmosphere. I'll be going to Raw out here in January, so that will be awesome. It's been a long time.

13). Who is your least favorite wrestler, and why? (Any time period)

John Cena. I stopped watching wrestling in '06/'07-ish and when I started tuning in regularly again earlier this year, he is doing the same damn thing he was doing back then. Really?

14). What was, in your opinion, the stupidest/worst moment in wrestling?

Mae Young and the hand. What. The. Fuck?

15). Who is the WORST wrestler? (If other than your least favorite)

Goldberg. He was a mere novelty that got old really fast to me.

16). Who is the BEST wrestler? (If other than your favorite)

Bret Hart. Anytime I think back to when I first started watching or pop in an old tape, I'm always impressed by his matches.

17). Choose 5 adjectives to describe the qualities of a successful wrestler.

Hard working
Intelligent
Exciting
Charismatic
Marketable

18). What key factors make the difference between being bored with a match and blown away by it?

I personally need a story to be told in the ring, and it needs to make sense. I get bored if it's simply all about spots. The crowd reaction definitely counts. A hot crowd makes a match much more exciting.

19). If you had the power to start your own wrestling company, and the power to hire any five wrestlers to spearhead your roster, who would they be? (Feel free to include past wrestlers in their primes)

1. Bret Hart
2. Shawn Michaels
3. CM Punk
4. Triple H
5. Dolph Ziggler

20). (This is stolen from another thread) Finally, if Vince McMahon and/or Dixie Carter (or any other authority in wrestling) asked you for one minute of advice, what feedback would you deliver with the highest priority?

If you can make the titles seem as important as they used to and tighten shit up in the storyline department, things could be a lot better. Also, give the talent more control over their characters. They shine better that way.

10-25-2011, 03:44 AM	#1
Nowhere Man Now. Here. Man. Posts: 8,370	1). How long have you watched wrestling? (If it's "off and on," include only the total of "on" years) "On" for about seven years straight, from '98 to '05. Been on and off since then, so I'd say roughly eight-and-a-half years total. 2). What is your first memory of professional wrestling? An episode of WCW Thunder, where Sting had a match with Macho Man, which of course ended in a big run-in by the nWo. 3). Who was your first favorite wrestler? Goldberg 4). Who is your favorite wrestler now? Mick Foley 5). If your favorite wrestler is not currently working, who's your favorite active wrestler today? CM Punk 6). What is your favorite match? Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle at the 2003 Royal Rumble 7). What is your favorite moment in wrestling history? The first ECW One Night Stand. Yeah, it was mostly a nostalgia kick, but it was still just so damn good watching it. 8). Have you ever stopped watching? If so, what made you stop? What made you start back up? I lost interest in '05/'06, right around when John Cena was really starting to dominate the main event scene, but that had more to do with most of my time being taken up by college than any real distaste for Cena. I stopped watching entirely after the Benoit murders, and didn't really come back to it until late last year when I started watching PPVs with NoJabbaNoBogRoll and Afterlife. 9). On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a mark are you? (10 = Little Jimmy, 1 = Vince McMahon) I'd say around a 6 or a 7. 10). Describe some of your markish tendencies from when you were younger, and/or some that still manifest from time to time. Back when I first started watching, I was a gigantic mark for Goldberg and would get extremely mad when he was made to look bad. Of course, now I know he was pretty terrible in the ring and allegedly a gigantic asshole to work with, but I still quietly mark out a little whenever I see him. Same goes for any of the old WCW Cruiserweights like Rey and Chavo, and midcarders like Raven, since I had to go to bed before the main events, so I only really remember the midcard. 11). Did you start off as a mark? If so, how long didn't you know about the nature of the business? If you started watching with the knowledge that it's fixed, what drew you to it? I sort of had the "it's still real to me" mentality, where even though I knew it was fake, I still rooted for the face over the heel and got mad when people cheated, etc. I think I initially got into it because everyone I knew was into it, wearing nWo and Austin 3:16 T-shirts and stuff, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. 12). How many live events have you attended? Which ones? What are some of the differences you experience when watching on television, as opposed to in the arena? I've been to two WCW House Shows in 1999, one WWF House Show in 2000, a Smackdown taping in 2003, and one of the very first TNA PPVs (the one that debuted the X-Division Title) 13). Who is your least favorite wrestler, and why? (Any time period) Jeff Jarrett. I never liked his personality or his look, his finisher looks stupid, the guitar doesn't make any sense now that he doesn't do the country-singer gimmick anymore, his theme music is incredibly annoying, and I couldn't stand how he used to hog the TNA World Title like a poor man's Triple H. 14). What was, in your opinion, the stupidest/worst moment in wrestling? Kane, Triple H, and the Katie Vick fiasco. 15). Who is the WORST wrestler? (If other than your least favorite) Not counting celebrities like Dennis Rodman or non-wrestlers like Tank Abbott, I'd probably go with Zeus. Although he's a little before my time; a more recent contender would have to be Khali. 16). Who is the BEST wrestler? (If other than your favorite) A toss-up between Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. 17). Choose 5 adjectives to describe the qualities of a successful wrestler. Charismatic Energetic Reliable Memorable Passionate 18). What key factors make the difference between being bored with a match and blown away by it? Gimmick Consistency-- Don't know a better term for it, but basically a wrestler's style coinciding with his gimmick. Angle vs. Benoit should be a fast-paced technical clinic, Austin vs. Taker should be a down and dirty brawl. A great match doesn't always have to be a string of high-octane chain sequences; the tone of the match should fit the angle and the wrestlers themselves. Innovation-- Do at least one spot that I haven't seen before; don't just re-hash old stuff. Or at the very least, approach a spot from a new way. Suspension of Disbelief-- This one's kind of intangible, but basically it means that even though I know it's fake, make me care anyway. Angle/Benoit from the '03 Rumble isn't just my favorite match because it's a technical masterpiece (though it certainly is); it's my favorite match because even though the Wrestlemania buildup between Angle and Lesnar telegraphed from miles away that Angle was going to win, by the time the match reached its climax, I seriously believed that Benoit could actually win it. 19). If you had the power to start your own wrestling company, and the power to hire any five wrestlers to spearhead your roster, who would they be? (Feel free to include past wrestlers in their primes) 1) Stone Cold Steve Austin 2) CM Punk 3) Rey Mysterio Jr. 4) Mick Foley 5) Chris Jericho 20). (This is stolen from another thread) Finally, if Vince McMahon and/or Dixie Carter (or any other authority in wrestling) asked you for one minute of advice, what feedback would you deliver with the highest priority? Vince: Despite your best efforts to remove your company from associating with it, the fact of the matter remains that you run a wrestling company. Your performers aren't just actors who happen to improvise fight scenes; let them actually apply their craft. And remember that your best promo men of all time (Rock, Foley, Austin, Punk, Jericho, even Cena on a good night) were great because they could cut amazing promos all on their own, without lines handed to them. People can detect when someone's personality is phony and forced; that's why Cena can never keep more than half of the audience on his side. Also, fire everyone in your Creative Department, don't bother with having a Divas Division until you have performers who are memorable and decent in the ring (on a similar note, hire Daffney), and look into working ROH as your new farm league, because FCW sucks. Dixie Carter: Quit trying to compete with WWE, because frankly, no one is ever going to beat them at their own game. Instead, focus on the positive elements that your company has, pushing things you've got that WWE doesn't (namely the X-Division and decent tag/women's divisions), quit spending money on over-the-hill talent and trying to sponge off what little name-value they have left, and develop and push TNA's home-grown talent. Also, fire Hogan and Bischoff, and bring in Paul Heyman--I know he's got a ridiculous list of demands and will probably piss a lot of people off, but it'd be better than repeating the demise of WCW all over again.

10-25-2011, 10:54 AM	#2
ZosoMetalManiac Posts: 80	1). How long have you watched wrestling? (If it's "off and on," include only the total of "on" years) It's been off and on since 1997. All together there's been about 10 years of 'on' time. 2). What is your first memory of professional wrestling? My very first memory is watching Shawn Michaels ruin the match between The Undertaker and Bret Hart at Summerslam 1997. I fucking hated Shawn Michaels after that and it only got worse after Survivor Series that year. 3). Who was your first favorite wrestler? The Undertaker. 4). Who is your favorite wrestler now? Triple H and CM Punk are tied. 5). If your favorite wrestler is not currently working, who's your favorite active wrestler today? N/A 6). What is your favorite match? Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin at Wrestlemania. Just loved watching it. 7). What is your favorite moment in wrestling history? My biggest mark out moment ever happened watching Raw when The Undertaker returned after the casket burning at the Rumble and finally said he'd fight Kane. That's still a favorite moment of mine. 8). Have you ever stopped watching? If so, what made you stop? What made you start back up? I grew bored with the product, really. I still kept up on what was going on and caught shows every once in a while especially when big things happened like Bret Hart's return and Shawn Michaels' retirement. I really wanted to go to Wrestlemania to see his last match, but my work sucks and I couldn't get the day off. I started watching regularly again around Wrestlemania this year because my buddy and I talked about ordering the PPV since it had been awhile since we'd watched one. 9). On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a mark are you? (10 = Little Jimmy, 1 = Vince McMahon) I'll just say 5. The happy medium. 10). Describe some of your markish tendencies from when you were younger, and/or some that still manifest from time to time. I still cringe at spots that look really gnarly but I know are a total work. I just can't help it. Even if it's a work doesn't mean it feels good. I defend the business all the time when people say it's fake. I also bring up putting my brother in the Sharpshooter and making him cry. Haha. 11). Did you start off as a mark? If so, how long didn't you know about the nature of the business? If you started watching with the knowledge that it's fixed, what drew you to it? I was a complete mark when I first started watching. I had no idea it was a work until my uncle (also a huge wrestling fan) told me it was. Surprisingly, it never changed how I looked at wrestling. It actually made me appreciate it it more since it looked so real to me. 12). How many live events have you attended? Which ones? What are some of the differences you experience when watching on television, as opposed to in the arena? It's definitely different when you're there. You get to start chants and really get into it in the arena. A live wrestling show will always be more exciting than seeing it on TV or PPV. I went to a few Raws, the first one being in 1998 and the last one being in 2005. I also caught a few Nitros and a WCW house show. I actually enjoyed the house show better than Nitro. I went to Summerslam in 2003 and seeing an Elimination Chamber was pretty sweet. Last live show I went to was an ECW house show in 2006. That was great because it was in a little building and it had a much different atmosphere. I'll be going to Raw out here in January, so that will be awesome. It's been a long time. 13). Who is your least favorite wrestler, and why? (Any time period) John Cena. I stopped watching wrestling in '06/'07-ish and when I started tuning in regularly again earlier this year, he is doing the same damn thing he was doing back then. Really? 14). What was, in your opinion, the stupidest/worst moment in wrestling? Mae Young and the hand. What. The. Fuck? 15). Who is the WORST wrestler? (If other than your least favorite) Goldberg. He was a mere novelty that got old really fast to me. 16). Who is the BEST wrestler? (If other than your favorite) Bret Hart. Anytime I think back to when I first started watching or pop in an old tape, I'm always impressed by his matches. 17). Choose 5 adjectives to describe the qualities of a successful wrestler. Hard working Intelligent Exciting Charismatic Marketable 18). What key factors make the difference between being bored with a match and blown away by it? I personally need a story to be told in the ring, and it needs to make sense. I get bored if it's simply all about spots. The crowd reaction definitely counts. A hot crowd makes a match much more exciting. 19). If you had the power to start your own wrestling company, and the power to hire any five wrestlers to spearhead your roster, who would they be? (Feel free to include past wrestlers in their primes) 1. Bret Hart 2. Shawn Michaels 3. CM Punk 4. Triple H 5. Dolph Ziggler 20). (This is stolen from another thread) Finally, if Vince McMahon and/or Dixie Carter (or any other authority in wrestling) asked you for one minute of advice, what feedback would you deliver with the highest priority? If you can make the titles seem as important as they used to and tighten shit up in the storyline department, things could be a lot better. Also, give the talent more control over their characters. They shine better that way.