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Post by warriorlynx on Jan 14, 2019 11:26:13 GMT -5
When you come to think of it, there were really two eras, or epochs in Vince K's WWF/WWE. The first is the "Real" Era (1982-1995) where a vast majority believed it was a legitimate contest (or real with theatrics) this due to the huge maintenance of kayfabe. The second is the "Work" Era (1996-Present), where the vast majority know it's all a work.  Vince has a history of fighting against the idea of government regulation or state commissions having any say as they used too, hence he had to make people understand it was "Sports Entertainment". In 1985, NBC (News 9) did a piece exposing the truth about professional wrestling, however they too aware that many people still believed it was real. Still even in 1987, one newspaper stat showed that 90% of adults believed it was a sport (at least with theatrics). Eventually scandals turned media attention to the WWF. The rise of the Internet brought more awareness and a majority of people believed it to be "fake", hence the "Work" Era. Even then, in the late 90s more exposure on TV, the movie "Beyond the Mat" and even WCW's "Ready to Rumble" showed how "fake" Wrestling was. Kayfabe would eventually die with the advent of social media. Which one was better to you? Did you ever believe it was real? Did you know from day one it was a work? |
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Post by MKSavage on Jan 14, 2019 11:37:13 GMT -5
I liked the "real" era, but then again I was a kid. I liked the attitude part of the "work" era but mainly because we had WCW and WWF both producing good/decent products. Haven't liked much of wrestling since WCW went under and it's mainly been WWE. Really dislike the Cena-led era - present day, but, I am older now and things look ridiculous in my adult eyes. I can remember seeing my dads reaction when I was 10/11/12 watching wrestling, he would just shake his head, he couldn't understand how anyone could like this or believe it was real. That's kind of where I am at now, watching todays wrestling. As a kid I believed it was real, but as a teenager I started to notice how they worked together and talked to each other during matches.
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Post by The Brain on Jan 14, 2019 13:35:10 GMT -5
Definitely the ''real'' era. I miss gimmicks and angles that really sold you on the feud. I really miss Kayfabe... 
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 14:39:38 GMT -5
Even though I loved the attitude era which falls in the "work" category, I'm going with "real". I started watching in early 91, I believe in late 92 is when I found out it was a work. I was talking with my classmates about wrestling when someone blurted out "but that's all fake".
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Post by MKSavage on Jan 14, 2019 14:43:20 GMT -5
Definitely the ''real'' era. I miss gimmicks and angles that really sold you on the feud. I really miss Kayfabe...
Me too, they need to bring back kayfabe. Or at least quit giving out results/spoilers before events happen. |
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Post by PJ on Jan 14, 2019 14:47:44 GMT -5
The real era. Even though you knew it wasn’t real was it was much more fun because it was presented in a way that people still weren’t 100% sure. And because of that there were still times I would be engulfed in it. Now you know everything and it’s nowhere near as fun.
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champofakind
Main Eventer
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Post by champofakind on Jan 14, 2019 14:54:09 GMT -5
I got into it heavy when I was 7 or 8 so like 95/96. And I thought it was real til my grandpa that was watching it with me told me it was fake.. a Vader match was on funny enough. He said if that guy (Vader) was really punching the other guy he'd be out cold. Well little did he know Vader was actually probably really landing those shots into that guy lol.
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Post by Planktung on Jan 14, 2019 15:24:34 GMT -5
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phantomdreamer
Mid-Carder
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Post by phantomdreamer on Jan 14, 2019 16:06:28 GMT -5
In 1985, NBC did a piece exposing the truth about professional wrestling, [/b][/quote] What is this "piece" that you're referring to? |
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Post by TheLastDude on Jan 14, 2019 16:13:50 GMT -5
The real era. Even though you knew it wasn’t real was it was much more fun because it was presented in a way that people still weren’t 100% sure. And because of that there were still times I would be engulfed in it. Now you know everything and it’s nowhere near as fun. This. I liked it so much better when I didn't know what a push was. When I was a kid, wrestling was magical and something that you could watch in wide-eyed wonder. |
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Post by TheSystem 1.5 on Jan 14, 2019 18:25:28 GMT -5
In 1985, NBC did a piece exposing the truth about professional wrestling, [/b][/quote] What is this "piece" that you're referring to?[/quote] Really, you’ve never seen David Schultz slapping the piss out of John Stossel on 20/20? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 20:06:16 GMT -5
I thought the op was talking about the Eddy Mansfield thing.
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phantomdreamer
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Post by phantomdreamer on Jan 14, 2019 20:48:07 GMT -5
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davie™
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Post by davie™ on Jan 14, 2019 21:46:47 GMT -5
As someone that grew up during the Attitude Era I still would say "worked" era because wrestling is always best when you have no idea whats going on.
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Post by warriorlynx on Jan 15, 2019 7:35:38 GMT -5
[/b][/quote] What is this "piece" that you're referring to?[/quote] Really, you’ve never seen David Schultz slapping the piss out of John Stossel on 20/20?[/quote] 20/20 was on ABC. Why would NBC do a hit piece on wrestling the same time it aired Saturday Night's Main Event? www.nytimes.com/1985/02/23/arts/tv-notes-abc-reporter-may-sue-wrestler-who-hit-him.html [/quote] Sorry guys I might have made a mistake, I could've sworn NBC did it before SNME aired, but anyway here is the piece from News 9 in New York (I'm not sure who owned this was it CBS?) NBC Sportsworld 1985, not a piece, but they do talk about the reality and razor blades starting at the 5 min mark: |
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Post by PJ on Jan 15, 2019 10:32:39 GMT -5
That’s WWOR TV based in Secaucus NJ.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 10:40:25 GMT -5
Did any of you see the Eddy Mansfield wrestling ezpose in the mid 80s? How nobody from the business killed him for that is a miracle!
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Post by warriorlynx on Jan 15, 2019 11:12:12 GMT -5
That’s WWOR TV based in Secaucus NJ. At least it was in the territory lol. |
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Post by k5 on Jan 15, 2019 11:42:36 GMT -5
i didn’t live through enough of the real era to really say, but I can’t say I agree with the concept of real era/work era. I’d consider anything after the WWWF had shed the first W to be the work era, and anything previous to that is the real era, which stuck in south up until the mid90s.
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Post by warriorlynx on Jan 15, 2019 11:49:19 GMT -5
i didn’t live through enough of the real era to really say, but I can’t say I agree with the concept of real era/work era. I’d consider anything after the WWWF had shed the first W to be the work era, and anything previous to that is the real era, which stuck in south up until the mid90s. That's fine, but the extra W was gone in 1979, so it was still quite old school. The Rock n'Wrestling connection (~1983-85) brought the WWF into mainstream/pop culture. It just took time before the masses figured it all out. WWF wrestlers still maintained kayfabe, still made you believe it was real. For example, the Iron Sheik was punished because he was carpooling with Jim Duggan, which is a big no no at the time. Heck even Randy Savage had a legal separation from Elizabeth for real in order to maintain his heel turn in 1989! It was a different time. |
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