Did anyone used to watch wrestling?

[Wrestlemania]

Or perhaps you still do?

I was talking with a friend about '90s nostalgia and we both loved wrestling, WWE or WWF as it was then known.

It was huge at school especially with the boys but I knew more about it than any of them. I remember, perhaps falsely, it being part of thr culture in a way. I'm sure more so in the U.S but I remember seeing wrestlers appearing in tv shows. On merchandise everywhere and then there were things like Celebrity Death Match. Some of the first movies I remember watching featured Hulk Hogan.

Was anyone else a fan?

It was Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks when last I got a glimpse of it.

I have hazy early memories of watching British wrestling with 'Big Daddy' and 'Giant Haystacks'.

I then got massively into WWF when we got cable TV and I really believed all of the backstories and drama that came with it. It was huge in my school in the early 90s with both boys and girls.

Hard to look back on it with nostalgia when you realise a lot of them went on to have early deaths or were really badly treated by the company.

My Nana late 70s. Mick McManus was a "dirty bugger". She loved Big Daddy.

and before them Jackie Pallo and Mick McManus!

I loved Cactus Jack

Kendo Nagasaki and Catweazle, early 70s, Saturday afternoon at 4. Kent Walton commentating. Bliss.

@TroysMammy

My Nana late 70s. Mick McManus was a "dirty bugger". She loved Big Daddy.

My nanna was a bit Victorian in her ways apart from watching Big Daddy 😆

My granny, like many others, was into big daddy et al. Happy memories of Saturday afternoons watching it with her.

Right through the 90s up to around 2013. I still follow via forums but don't watch any more.
I was all about the Hardyz, Edge and Christian, then Orton, Cena, Wade Barrett was my last big fandom. Oh and the Shield.

It's just such a shitty business though. The more you know, the less you want to give Vince a penny.

Yes loved wwe on Saturday mornings. This was during the peak era of the rock, Dudley boys, hardy brothers, under taker ext

I too watched Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks back in the 80s. Saturday evenings with pop and a banana (it was shopping day and we only had bananas on Saturdays).

Never got into the WWF stuff that came later with all the costumes and stuff.

But I loved Glow on Netflix.

Yes I did on sky one in the early 90s.
I also dated a professional wrestler in late 90s not for long though proper Cringe and seeing all the rehearsals behind it all killed the magic for me 🙈😂

I loved Andy Kaufman, The ‘Intergender Wresting Champion’ who only wrestled women - ahead of his time!

WWF then they changed their name because of wildlife.

Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, The Undertaker his manager Paul Bearer , Macho Man his fiance Elizabeth cringy couple, Jake the Snake, Tornado (committed suicide I think due to a wrestling related disability), Sapphire, Hart Foundation - Brett, Owen, Anvil - loved it. Everyone boys and girls loved it.
The only issue you needed sky to watch it.
My dad's mate used to tape it for us and every Sunday we would go to the Gurdwara, do our studies and then get the tape and come home and watch it. Ready to discuss on Monday at school. Happy times.

In one bedroom we had 2 double beds, we would push the beds together throw the cushions on the sides and me and my siblings would play Royal Rumble. We always let the baby be the winner and had a fake winner's belt.

Happy days.

I''m enjoying reading everyone's memories and feeling nostalgic now. I'll have to watch some of the old British wrestling on YT.

I usually preferred the heels/bad guys. My favourites were Undertaker, Tatanka, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Legion of Doom. Then later Undertaker, Kane, APA(I had such a big crush on Bradshaw) The Brood and Test(Another crush)

I'm feeling an urge to go listen to their themes now. I played some of those themes as often as I played my Boyzone and BSB albums..

My dad loved wrestling on a Saturday afternoon on ITV, and I have very happy memories of going to see it live at Oxford town hall with him - Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy and so on

I loved Cactus Jack

I always preferred Mick Foley when he was Cactus Jack and not Mankind.

We used to go & watch Big Daddy etc at Belle Vue in Manchester when I was little. We had to put my nana in the middle of the row of seats after she ran down to the ring & battered Mick McManus with her handbag for being 'dirty'.

My friends and I used to watch in the era of The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold, Big Show, Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Rikishi and Too Cool, Chyna, Chris Benoit.

I remember having a sleepover at a friend’s house one night watching Royal Rumble in the early hours of the morning.

I used to love it back in the day.
A friend of mine is still a huge fan.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFMYWFRjQs

I used to think that The Brood's entrance was the coolest thing ever. It didn't get much better for me than a vampire wrestler. I recently learned that they had to crouch below the trap door for ages before their entrance, because otherwise you'd see their heads poking up, it's ruined the magic a little(of course age does too) but I still love that theme.

We used to go & watch Big Daddy etc at Belle Vue in Manchester when I was little. We had to put my nana in the middle of the row of seats after she ran down to the ring & battered Mick McManus with her handbag for being 'dirty'. grin

That's hilarious. I love your Nana. She was probably the fiercest opponent he'd ever faced.

I loved Andy Kaufman, The ‘Intergender Wresting Champion’ who only wrestled women - ahead of his time!

That reminds me that I really need to watch the movie about him. Man On The Moon I think.

Ah the hardy boys!

Have you watched Fighting with my Family? Fantastic film if you love wrestling. I’ve watched it 4 times

In one bedroom we had 2 double beds, we would push the beds together throw the cushions on the sides and me and my siblings would play Royal Rumble. We always let the baby be the winner and had a fake winner's belt.

I also dated a professional wrestler in late 90s not for long though proper Cringe and seeing all the rehearsals behind it all killed the magic for me

I can see why it would but I still envy you your glimpse into behind the scenes,

I have really fond memories of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks on Saturday afternoons with my Nana and Grandad.

WWE passed me by, I was probably too old for that.