It’s now been 24 years since the first Wrestlemania pay-per-view was held in New York. I was four years old. Now I’m nearly 30 and wrestling is nearly as fun as it was back when I believed every minute of it. This year I went to King Tom’s to catch the PPV with some other wrestling cohorts. I watch every Monday at home, but there’s nothing better than watching some wrestling with other guys that know the history and can still enjoy it. It’s the only time when my Great Muta references don’t go to waste.
I’m not going to cover the full show, as King Tom already did a good job over at his site. But what I will talk about is what has become the greatest type of match in wrestling: the ladder match.
Some of the best matches I’ve seen over the years have been ladder matches. It’s the best combination of stunt props and foreign objects. Only a ladder can serve as a ramp and a baseball bat. Last night’s ladder match was the best match of the night in my book. Out of the six guys fighting, half were of good fighting stock and the rest were just there to take bumps…and take bumps they did.
The other event of the night was the much-hyped “fight” between giant, The Big Show and boxing champ Floyd Mayweather. It was such an event, that even ESPN had it covered. As far as celebrity events go, it was pretty good and certainly entertaining. Of course, the celebrity won albeit with the help of some brass knuckles. No real surprises as history goes, but far better than I expected.
Overall, it was a half-half show. First half was really good and the latter half suffered from unexciting and disappointing spectacle. Makes me glad I just watched it with friends instead of seeing it live. Sometimes the TV ringside seat is the best.
I used to love watching The Great Muta fight and spray his mist in everybody’s faces.
My students came in talking about it this morning. They thought it was the best thing in the world!
Sheesh Brian!
The more I learn about you the more I learn how much we have in common.
I was a big WWF fan for years – decades actually. My interest dropped off a bit after The Rock era and things got a bit out of hand (wife said no way w/kids).
Anyway – did you catch the Hall of Fame ceremony? It brought back some great great memories.
I even shed a tear during Nature Boy’s speech…
best,
Pete
Yeah, I’ve been watching wrestling since I was 5 years old, thanks to my dad. I agree with your wife though, today’s wrestling is so un-kid friendly it’s sad. It’s one thing when it was Hulk and King Kong Bundy, but out right pillow-jellow matches and more blood than ever, I wouldn’t let my kid watch it either.
It’s been very interesting watching wrestling over the years though. I’m not as hardcore as I used to me with it, but it’s a good “between the commercials” jump on Monday nights.
Flair’s goodbye was a nice thing to see. He certainly deserved it, but I also think he was *way* past due to retire. It was hard to watch him turn into a jobber just to put over new guys. And how about Ricky Steamboat?! He looks like the guy that runs the deli down the street!