TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,632
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Feb 21, 2013 11:56:53 GMT -5
Are there any years where you watched wrestling, but didn't fully appreciate the product at that time until years later?
For me, 2002-2003 would be those years. I was still a huge wrestling fan at the time and watched religiously. However, I never really appreciated the quality of the product (primarily the PPVs and Smackdown!) or the incredible roster depth until a few years ago. The roster was stacked with nothing, but big names and even the undercard featured guys who would eventually reach main event status (Booker, Eddie, Benoit).
By that time, the Attitude Era was gone and overall popularity in wrestling had declined. A lot of my wrestling friends stopped watching at that point so the Tuesday morning Raw recaps in homeroom ended. It wasn't as "cool" as it had been. I watched regularly still, but just wish I would have taken a step back to realize just how good the product was at that time.
Fast forward to 2007, the year Cena dominated the world and wrestling hit an all-time low. That was when I started to truly appreciate how good the WWE was in 2002-2003.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 12:08:36 GMT -5
2002-2003 were the best IMO. I have no idea how the people who watched it at the time didn't realize how great it was.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 12:09:08 GMT -5
1993.
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,632
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Feb 21, 2013 12:24:12 GMT -5
2002-2003 were the best IMO. I have no idea how the people who watched it at the time didn't realize how great it was. Don't rub it in, dammit! Just going back and watching some of those PPVs it's hard not to be impressed with the cards back then. Some of the lesser-hyped PPVs from 2002 alone were better than the last couple of WrestleManias. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 12:33:04 GMT -5
2002-2003 were the best IMO. I have no idea how the people who watched it at the time didn't realize how great it was. Don't rub it in, dammit! Just going back and watching some of those PPVs it's hard not to be impressed with the cards back then. Some of the lesser-hyped PPVs from 2002 alone were better than the last couple of WrestleManias. I would take a single match from Smackdown in 2002 over 95% of Wrestlemania matches ever. Angle, Benoit, Edge, Rey jr, Eddie, and Brock were ALWAYS on their A-game. Have you seen the finals of the tag title tournament at No Mercy 2002? Probably one of my favorite matches of all time. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 12:36:54 GMT -5
from Mid 2002-WM 20 was an awesome time......sure there were slips but there was so much greatness.Survivors Series 2002 remains one of my fave PPVs EVER.
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Infinite
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 27, 2009 13:49:36 GMT -5
Posts: 2,608
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Post by Infinite on Feb 21, 2013 12:43:31 GMT -5
2002 for me too. Smackdown was incredible.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 12:47:45 GMT -5
Heyman deserves all the credit for how awesome SD! was in 2002-mid 2003.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 14:02:48 GMT -5
1996
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Post by Nivro™ on Feb 21, 2013 14:09:44 GMT -5
93-96...Mostly New Generation stuff coming out of the Golden Era. I thought it was horrible not having guys like Hogan, Warrior, Rude, Flair etc around. Looking back, while he wasnt "great" it was much better then what we got the following 16 years :/
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Post by Mr. Orange on Feb 22, 2013 8:59:29 GMT -5
1994, 1996, 1997, 2002-2003, 2005
2005 is a big one for me, I mean look at the matches/feuds we got:
Angle vs. HBK: Classic matches
WrestleMania 21 had a bunch of great matches
Rey vs. Eddie: Not great matches, but pretty good
HHH vs. Batista: Hell in A Cell
HBK vs. Shelton Benjamin: Gold Rush
Cena vs. JBL at Judgement Day
Tanaka vs. Awesome at One Night Stand
Edge vs. Hardy at Unforgiven
2002 is the same boat. PPV's were spectacular, and Smackdown during the late part of the year was on fire, with the Guerrero's, Benoit, Angle, Mysterio, Brock and Undertaker.
I'll say I think 2002 is one of the best years WWE ever had when it comes down to actual wrestling.
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Jamal
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 24, 2005 14:53:44 GMT -5
Posts: 4,877
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Post by Jamal on Feb 22, 2013 13:13:21 GMT -5
The Ruthless Aggression era for me. (02-04)
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Lithium
Superstar
Joined on: Jun 5, 2010 18:09:07 GMT -5
Posts: 859
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Post by Lithium on Feb 22, 2013 20:45:31 GMT -5
2009 for SmackDown. It was okay during the lead up to WrestleMania, but after the draft it was on fire up until the CM Punk and Undertaker rivalry.
CM Punk's transition into an awesome heel and feud with Jeff Hardy.
Chris Jericho and Edge's tag-team while short lived was great.
Jericho's matches with Rey Mysterio were awesome.
That period of SmackDown is in my top all-time favorites.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 7:22:22 GMT -5
2002-2004, hands down.
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Post by wabarrett on Feb 24, 2013 11:24:09 GMT -5
Two periods, June 2002 - November 2003, and August 2005 - June 2006 both included some incredible matches, rivalries and storylines.
02-03 gave us Brock Lesnar's rise, the first Elimination Chamber, Shawn Michaels return, Summerslam 2002 [perhaps one of the greatest PPVs ever in terms of wrestling content], Evolution, Goldberg, Steiner, Rock vs. Austin, Eric Bischoff as RAW GM, the first Buried Alive and Stretcher matches in years, the amazing Tag Team Division on Smackdown, Eddie Guerrero's popularity sky rocketing, Angle vs. Benoit, Angle vs. Lesnar, I could go on and on. Parking Lot Brawl, Torrie stripping a hell of a lot, Kane's unmasking etc. etc.
05-06 (while not quite comparing to the above) gave us the Smackdown vs RAW brand warfare, Flair and Triple H's feud, Rey's fairytale Rumble win, the return of SNME, Michaels destroying Vince McMahon at Mania, and of course the Foley/ Edge Hardcore match, the ECW Invasion, RVD's WWE Title win in the Hammerstein Ballroom, the culmination of Matt Hardy and Edge's feud, 3 of Orton and Undertaker's 4 matches that year, one inside HIAC, Angle vs. Undertaker at NWO, DX's comeback.
Some historic stuff to be fair.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 11:40:07 GMT -5
2001-2006 Was just incredible years man. That was the best time to be a wrestling fan no doubt.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2013 12:46:44 GMT -5
2001-2006 Was just incredible years man. That was the best time to be a wrestling fan no doubt. WWE got so bad around 04/05 I stopped watching for a long time. |
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gravedigger3
Main Eventer
Empire Wrestling Federation
Joined on: Apr 7, 2006 21:17:04 GMT -5
Posts: 3,434
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Post by gravedigger3 on Feb 24, 2013 17:54:13 GMT -5
I think 2004 is a very underated year. Had lots of good moments and matches
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Post by Mr. Orange on Feb 24, 2013 19:42:56 GMT -5
I think 2004 is a very underated year. Had lots of good moments and matches I agree. While it wasn't the highest profile year or a year with the greatest storylines, it was more a wrestling year. The best matches though I think happened in the first part of the year. Triple H/HBK: Royal Rumble Eddie vs. Lesnar: NWO Benoit/HHH/HBK: WMXX Eddie vs. Angle WMXX Orton vs. Foley: Backlash Benoit/HHH/HBK: Backlash Benoit vs. Orton: SummerSlam And whoever said 2009 Smackdown, I agree completely. Morrison, Jericho, Edge, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Undertaker, Ziggler and Mysterio all had great matches on a weekly basis. |
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Post by LeighD on Feb 25, 2013 9:24:45 GMT -5
January 2002 - April 2004 - Such a great time period. I LOVED SD! during 2002 and most of 2003 as there was a lot of fresh and new material being given to us. RAW was great but I really loved SD! during this time frame.
But after WrestleMania XX, I don't know something happened and it wasn't as great. I actually haulted a lot of my watching. Not becuse of the product but just others stuff.
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