I was sitting around the other night and there was nothing on TV so I started looking through my DVD collection for a video to watch....nothing really peaked my interest. So I moved over to my old VHS tapes.....and then I found it. "Best of PPV Matches '98-'00" It was a self-produced tape with 15 matches that filled up and entire 8 hour VHS tape. The matches were from a period between June of 1998 to December 2000 and the match list looked like this: HHH vs. The Rock - Fully Loaded '98 (2 out of 3 Falls for IC Belt) HHH vs. The Rock - SummerSlam '98 (Ladder Match for IC Belt) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince & Shane McMahon - King of the Ring '99 (Ladder Match with CEO of WWF in the briefcase) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon - St. Valentine's Day Massacre '99 (Steel Cage Match w/Austin's WM Title shot on the line) The Rock vs. Mankind - Royal Rumble '99 (I Quit Match for WWF Title) The Rock vs. Mankind - St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Last Man Standing Match for WWF Title) Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys - Royal Rumble '00 (Tables Match) HHH vs. Cactus Jack - Royal Rumble '00 (Street Match for WWF Title) HHH vs. Cactus Jack - No Way Out '00 (Hell In The Cell for WWF Title) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Undertaker - SummerSlam '98 (WWF Title Match) Mankind vs. The Undertaker - King of the Ring '98 (Hell In The Cell) Kurt Angle vs. The Rock vs. HHH vs. The Undertaker vs. Rikishi vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Armageddon '00 (Six-Way Hell In Cell for WWF Title) Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys - WrestleMania '00 (Ladder Match for Tag Team Title) Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boys vs. Hardy Boys - SummerSlam '00 (TLC Match for Tag Titles) HHH vs. The Rock - Judgement Day '00 (Iron Man Match for WWF Title) I watched this tape from beginning to end over the course of two days and could not have been more entertained or more disappointed. I was disappointed because everything that wrestling was then is nothing like it is now. Back in those days the WWF's talent pool was loaded. Quite frankly, it was overflowing. Think back to an episode of RAW in those days and there was never a weak segment on the show, hardly ever a dull moment and it didn't need to be dominated by Austin or The Rock or Vince McMahon to get us through. In fact, some of the best episodes I can remember were the ones where we didn't even see Austin or The Rock until they came out at the end of the night to wrestle in the Main Event. Their storylines were fresh and imaginative and it wasn't always the main event guys that got the best storylines either. The buildup to some of those TLC matches were classic. The reason that I bring all of this up is because I used to love watching wrestling. Never missed a RAW, never missed a Smackdown, never missed Heat and never EVER missed a PPV. But today, if the WWE was holding a PPV in my backyard, I wouldn't even open my curtains to see it. The talent pool is shallow, the storylines have no imagination and I haven't seen a PPV since I walked out on WrestleMania 23 last year. It just breaks my heart that it is this way because I would love to be watching it. It's just that everytime I try, I find myself reaching for the remote before making it through whatever segment I have stumbled upon. I still follow the WWE closely thanks to the various wrestling newsboards out there, but nothing out there is peaking my interest to suck me back in. The WWE is so freaking top-heavy these days it's not worth watching the whole show to get to the main event these days and it has been that way since the summer of 2002 which was when I tapped out as a loyal viewer. Anyway, I just wanted to get that off of my chest. Watching that tape over the past couple of days made me miss the days when I was a loyal fan and saddened me to see how much the WWE is just coasting because they have no competition anymore and don;t have to take the risks that they used to take back in the good ol days.
If you watched this past raw this Monday, you missed some good stuff. I was all about WCW back in the day, but Still recorded raw and watched it [I was a Benoit fan]. I was addicted back then, And now that I'm old enough, and work every day.. to have money, I actually go to shows when theyre here, I fulfilled a dream in going to Wrestlemania 24. I feel in no way is the talent pool shallow. Maybe on the Microphone, which is no where near how it use to be, But Wrestling wise.. I couldn't ask for better wrestlers. Of course there is HBK, HHH, Taker, Kane, Big Show.. all the people who just have to show up to get the crowd going, but then the talent pool breaches out to its best when you bring up the likes of Edge, Jeff Hardy, Kennedy, MVP [minus the ring attire], Y2J, CM Punk, Kofi, Carlito, Finley, Shelton Benjamin [prolly the best all around athlete in WWE, just no mic skills], Cena, Orton. Those guys are amazing, and I know i'm leaving out a bunch. Those are just some of my personal favs, minus Orton.. cause I really think the dude sucks, but still gets over with the crowd. I Love WWE, Even though my 2nd and 3rd favorite Wrestlers are property of TNA, I would never... EVER... think of watching such a pathetic show in my life [Kurt Angle, and Sting]. I got tickets for a Raw house show here on July 12th, i'm 2nd row.. And then 8th Row for the Smackdown Taping in Charlotte, NC on July 15th.. And Waiting for Single tickets to go on Sale for WM25, unless i'm dead broke.. or just way to far, I will always be at Wrestlemania after this past year. I had the time of my life. But definitely, if you missed this past Raw, you need to find a way to check it out, it was amazing, and almost just like The Good Ol Days, with so many different things happening one right after another.
The attitude era was the best the wwe had to offer. you guys should check out the best fo raw volumes 1&2 on dvd. they are pretty hard to find in stores but are entertaining.
If you live in NYC or have DirectTV/Dish Network....check out 'MSG Classics'. It's a kickass show, about an hour long (they usually show two back-to-back). Here's the wiki page on it for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWE_Madison_Square_Garden_Classics And here is the MSG Network's page: http://www.msg.com/wwe/index.html Here is this week's shows (airing Wednesday, July 9th @ 8pm): Episode 1: From April 22, 1986 WWF Tag Team Champion The Dynamite Kid vs. Brutus Beefcake (w/Johnny V) WWF Intercontinental Championship: Randy Savage (c) (w/Miss Elixabeth) vs. Tito Santana WWF Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and Hillbilly Jim vs. Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy (w/Bobby Heenan) Episode 2: February 23, 1992 WWF Intercontinental Championship: Roddy Piper (c) vs. The Repo Man The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) vs. The British Bulldog Rick Martel vs. Big Boss Man 20 Man Over the Top Rope Battle Royal
Ohhh, good call steve...I've always meant to check out that msg show. I wonder if it is broadast in hd too. Gotta check it out this week. Thanks
Cena? Really? I hate the guy in the WWE, with a passion. I liked him before he was shoved down our throats. He's an awful face too. Orton is one of the best things about the WWE IMO. That period were he was champ was the best thing about the WWE in a while. He's the best heel in the business along with Edge.
Has the WWF been this good in the last few years? http://www.youtube.com/v/iyD8O_zILy4 Do hardcore wrestling fans like the Rock? http://www.youtube.com/v/RefO3eIRS3s [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G8u1ErQTO0"]YouTube - The Rock sings to Sacramento[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8NwhkqE3UI"]YouTube - Some of The Rocks funniest moments[/ame]
i didn't like the rock at the time, cause.. as stated many of times, I was a Benoit fan. I love technical wrestlers. But looking back, The Rock was great. He didn't need to be technical, but can actually wrestle, plus had all the other aspects of being great. When he said he was entertaining, MILLIONS.... and... MILLIONS of the Rock's Fans, he truely was. once you seen him on the screen, or his music hit, you were ready to be entertained.
