Feeling Nostalgic

[Corndad]

I'm feeling nostalgic after watching an old Raw I found On Demand. December 15th 1997. I never realized how many of these historic events happened that one night.


-Owen Hart confronting Vince a few weeks after the screw job
-Austin throwing Rock's IC belt into the River
-DX cutting Legion of Doom's hair (Hawk's Mohawk cut half off). Also first step for New Age Outlaws joining DX
-Vince's speech about a New Era coming and the age of the Superhero telling you to say your prayers and taking your vitamins being passe.
-Hell even Steve Blackman kicked the crap out of the Savio Vega that night

All Epic. All in one show. I miss the shows where so much happens in just one night. This also went against the first Nitro that Bret Hart was on, so maybe all the epicness can be explained there but still.

This is why it was the "cool" thing back then. Amazing TV.

I guess to make this a thread, Can you ever see WWE back at that level again where such amazingness happens in just one night?

[Jakob Synn]

Originally Posted by Corndad Can you ever see WWE back at that level again where such amazingness happens in just one night?

Here's the thing though. Were you watching Raw back then? If so, then at the time did you think it was so historical?

I find it a little difficult in this day and age to think something is historical or great or will be remembered in 10 years because when experiencing it first hand it's just another great show, but in retrospect, in 10 years from now it will be historic.

To me it's all about looking back at it years from now because when experiencing it first hand or on TV at the same time you don't really think of it that way.

[Corndad]

Originally Posted by Jakob Synn Here's the thing though. Were you watching Raw back then? If so, then at the time did you think it was so historical? I find it a little difficult in this day and age to think something is historical or great or will be remembered in 10 years because when experiencing it first hand it's just another great show, but in retrospect, in 10 years from now it will be historic. To me it's all about looking back at it years from now because when experiencing it first hand or on TV at the same time you don't really think of it that way.

Oh yea watched ever since I was a little kid mid-late 80's. That's a good point but would have to think at that time seeing Vince talk "more realistic" made a lot of people think how this could be something really special happening in front of them.

There are a few events even recently alot of fans think were really historical at that time. The Taker-Shawn Wrestlemania Matches are a big example. Maybe even the first Nexus attack depending how their careers go from here.

[Jakob Synn]

Originally Posted by Corndad Oh yea watched ever since I was a little kid mid-late 80's. That's a good point but would have to think at that time seeing Vince talk "more realistic" made a lot of people think how this could be something really special happening in front of them.

What made the whole Vince persona was for the longest time we thought he wasn't in charge of the entire WWF and that made it more impactful.

I remember watching the whole Bret Hart/Steve Austin feud and thinking they hated eachother beyond a doubt. I mean that was a time where I didn't know anything about the backstage of wrestling so it was so impactful.

I remember watching Bash At The Beach where Hogan turned and it was crazy because no one expected it and so historical because not only was it historical because it was the start of the nwo but it was also the first time Hogan had gone heel, so it had that much more impact.

[stultiloquy]

Originally Posted by Jakob Synn Here's the thing though. Were you watching Raw back then? If so, then at the time did you think it was so historical? I find it a little difficult in this day and age to think something is historical or great or will be remembered in 10 years because when experiencing it first hand it's just another great show, but in retrospect, in 10 years from now it will be historic. To me it's all about looking back at it years from now because when experiencing it first hand or on TV at the same time you don't really think of it that way.

I remember watching that episode of RAW when it originally aired.
While I can't say that it felt monumental back then, I can definitely remember feeling as though something was different about the WWF at that point in time.
I think perhaps it had to do with them breaking that barrier that they never crossed before in directly addressing their competition. That, and the in-ring and vignette action just started to get a different feel about it.
An interview was more than just an angry guy yelling into a camera about how he was going to destroy some other guy.
The wrestlers started to feel layered and more tangible than before. They started to let their personalities show through the veneer of their character and everything didn't feel as forced as it used to.

I particularly like Shawn Michaels' behavior in that match against LOD. I crack up every time I see him tell the ref to slap Animal and Hawk on the hand if they try to enter the ring illegally.