WWF, WWE, WCW or other?

[Peter.1986]

As a lot of people have a lot of different views on in interested to see what everyone's allegiances are. some I'm wondering, when it comes to wrestling, what company are you a fan of and what do/have you watched?

[KnowYourEnemy]

<p>Pre-NWO WCW and ECW. I watch a lot of Lucha Underground, too. </p><p> </p><p>

I've always figured most of the users here were primarily ECW fans.</p>

[Peter.1986]

<p>I actually thought most were WCW and/or ECW fans who currently watch WWE.</p><p> </p><p>

I'm a WWF fan, started watching it around 93, but couldn't watch it regularly until about 96-97 where I watched every Raw, smackdown or ppv until around 01</p><p> </p><p>

Since then I've always kept up with what's going on but never watched a full live show since. I do watch a lot of old stuff now, like WCW, WWF, WWE from 90- around 07.</p>

[Rayelek]

I didn't get into wrestling until 2001 or so, so brand split era Smack Smackdown or Angle/Christian/AJ era TNA. Before the Main Event Mafia stuff..

[Jaysin]

Growing up, I primarily watched WCW. I'd only turn to Raw if I knew Goldust or Owen had a match.

 

Now I predominantly watch only WWE ppvs, but I try and follow New Japan, Lucha Underground and NXT as much as possible.

 

Working on getting into some indie companies like PROGRESS though.

[Peter.1986]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Growing up, I primarily watched WCW. I'd only turn to Raw if I knew Goldust or Owen had a match. <p> </p><p> Now I predominantly watch only WWE ppvs, but I try and follow New Japan, Lucha Underground and NXT as much as possible. </p><p> </p><p> Working on getting into some indie companies like PROGRESS though.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Did you go straight to WWF when WCW got taken over or did it take a while for you to switch? And how did you feel about WWF wrestlers when you eventually did?</p><p> </p><p> Personally if it had happened the other way round I probably wouldn't have taken it. I remember putting raw or something on after I stopped watching and booker t (i think) beat the rock and I couldn't accept it</p>

[Jaysin]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Peter.1986" data-cite="Peter.1986" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Did you go straight to WWF when WCW got taken over or did it take a while for you to switch? And how did you feel about WWF wrestlers when you eventually did?<p> </p><p> Personally if it had happened the other way round I probably wouldn't have taken it. I remember putting raw or something on after I stopped watching and booker t (i think) beat the rock and I couldn't accept it</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I started watching immediately just to see how the WCW guys were used. I followed WWF pretty much constantly from then on, but the last few years despite them having one of the best in ring rosters in history, the stories being told just aren't that good anymore. </p><p> </p><p> Will probably attempt to get back into watching weekly once the Brand Split starts.</p><p> </p><p> As far as how I felt about the WWF guys, I knew most of them already. I loved Kurt Angle, the Hardy Boys, Edge & Christian, and countless others.</p>

[BHK1978]

<p>I am not sure if I am a fan of anything modern day. I mean I will watch ROH, WWE, and TNA if I get a chance but I would never go out of my way to watch them (That's actually a lie because I have driven over an hour and a half to watch each company but it is not normal for me to do it.).</p><p> </p><p>

I grew up in the 1980's in New England so the WWF was what I was brought up on and I look back fondly on it right up until around 1991 or so. I got into the NWA/WCW in 1989 because my friends assured me it was "real" and not for babies like the WWF was. The very first show I watched was when Terry Funk piledrived Ric Flair through a table and I thought my friends were right and I was hooked on the NWA/WCW until it closed. </p><p> </p><p>

I was also a fan of Global when it was on ESPN. In the early to mid-1990's I started watching ECW (Maybe a month or so before Shane threw the NWA title in the garbage), USWA, and Smokey Mountain Wrestling because all three shows were shown on a VHF station where I live.</p><p> </p><p>

My interest in wrestling started to diminish once Vince won the war with WCW and put the last major threat out of business. I felt that without competition, Vince would no longer put on a good show and I was right for the most part. Sure there are pockets of stuff in the WWF over the past fifteen years that have been really good but most of it has sucked or has been just decent.</p>

[LordJaguar]

Mid-South/UWF then NWA/Early WCW and finally WCW/NWO era...

[dvdWarrior]

<p>My favorites were the NWA of the 1980s, (Ric Flair, The Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, and all that), WCW, (up until about 1998 or so... when the bottom fell out there, IT FELL OUT!!!!), and the WWF's New Generation, (Bret Hart, Diesel, HBK, Razor Ramon, etc.). I like lot of ECW's later PPVs also, as well as a lot of the WWF's 1980s stuff, for the nostalgia.</p><p> </p><p>

Nowadays, I like NXT and Lucha underground more than anything. I watch WWE and TNA, but my flame for wrestling doesn't burn anywhere near as brightly as it used to. I'm much more of a 'pro-wrestling' guy than a 'sports entertainment' guy.</p><p> </p><p>

I still love to watch all the stuff from that first paragraph on the WWE Network and play TEW though.</p>

[mrwhippy]

Being in the UK I grew up with WWF. Even as a child the over-the-top gimmicks of the early to mid 90s didn't appeal to me and it wasn't until KOTR 96 that I really got invested in it (also started to watch Nitro in the late 90s when Bravo picked it up). I remember watching WMXX but can't really remember 21 so I think I stopped around then; I was getting a bit tired of it by this point and I only really watched SmackDown and the PPVs.

 

I went a long, long time without watching properly, mid 2013 was when I got back into it. I drifted away again after SummerSlam last year. I read up on it all but I've not got a lot of interest in watching. If a TV match gets a good review then I'll just watch that; the video packages on the PPVs are more than good enough at recapping the feuds.

 

Like I said I'm a big reader so I also do the same thing with TNA, ROH and occasionally NJPW. Most of my watching now is on 80s and 90s stuff, I'm pretty knowledgeable now on most wrestling from 1984-2004, but I'd be more confident in my TNA and ROH knowledge over WWE from 2005-2012.

[Peter.1986]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="mrwhippy" data-cite="mrwhippy" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Being in the UK I grew up with WWF. Even as a child the over-the-top gimmicks of the early to mid 90s didn't appeal to me and it wasn't until KOTR 96 that I really got invested in it (also started to watch Nitro in the late 90s when Bravo picked it up). I remember watching WMXX but can't really remember 21 so I think I stopped around then; I was getting a bit tired of it by this point and I only really watched SmackDown and the PPVs.<p> </p><p> I went a long, long time without watching properly, mid 2013 was when I got back into it. I drifted away again after SummerSlam last year. I read up on it all but I've not got a lot of interest in watching. If a TV match gets a good review then I'll just watch that; the video packages on the PPVs are more than good enough at recapping the feuds.</p><p> </p><p> Like I said I'm a big reader so I also do the same thing with TNA, ROH and occasionally NJPW. Most of my watching now is on 80s and 90s stuff, I'm pretty knowledgeable now on most wrestling from 1984-2004, but I'd be more confident in my TNA and ROH knowledge over WWE from 2005-2012.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> What age are you? I loved the cartoon style characters of the early 90's as I was a kid and thought it was real. There was some really scary moments for me, but as I was growing up WWF changed its style and it really went hand in hand with my age. The problem for me in the early to mid 90's was we didn't always have sky sports and I would rely on other people to tape me raw or the PPVs (that wernt PPVs)</p>

[Peter.1986]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Growing up, I primarily watched WCW. I'd only turn to Raw if I knew Goldust or Owen had a match. <p> </p><p> Now I predominantly watch only WWE ppvs, but I try and follow New Japan, Lucha Underground and NXT as much as possible. </p><p> </p><p> Working on getting into some indie companies like PROGRESS though.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> So goldust and Owen were the two wrestlers you looked out for in WWF? Quite surprising to me considering I didn't think an awful lot about them. Owen was a good wrestler but apart from when he was involved alongside or against bret he didn't always seem to serve much purpose. As for goldust i sort of never like him but I suppose he brought us a lot of good moments, and shattered dreams was a great finisher lol. Was it because he was an old WCW guy?</p>

[Peter.1986]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I am not sure if I am a fan of anything modern day. I mean I will watch ROH, WWE, and TNA if I get a chance but I would never go out of my way to watch them (That's actually a lie because I have driven over an hour and a half to watch each company but it is not normal for me to do it.).<p> </p><p> I grew up in the 1980's in New England so the WWF was what I was brought up on and I look back fondly on it right up until around 1991 or so. I got into the NWA/WCW in 1989 because my friends assured me it was "real" and not for babies like the WWF was. The very first show I watched was when Terry Funk piledrived Ric Flair through a table and I thought my friends were right and I was hooked on the NWA/WCW until it closed. </p><p> </p><p> I was also a fan of Global when it was on ESPN. In the early to mid-1990's I started watching ECW (Maybe a month or so before Shane threw the NWA title in the garbage), USWA, and Smokey Mountain Wrestling because all three shows were shown on a VHF station where I live.</p><p> </p><p> My interest in wrestling started to diminish once Vince won the war with WCW and put the last major threat out of business. I felt that without competition, Vince would no longer put on a good show and I was right for the most part. Sure there are pockets of stuff in the WWF over the past fifteen years that have been really good but most of it has sucked or has been just decent.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Looking back do you think you would still be watching if WCW won the war and took over WWF?</p>

[Hive]

<p>I grew up on WCW, so most of my fond nostalgic memories of wrestling involve WCW. Apart from the odd match here and there, I never really got a chance to watch WWF. And that is why my TEW mods are very WCW-centric.</p><p> </p><p>

My very strong interest in wrestling faded after only a couple of years (the candle burned brightly, but fast), with me losing interest for about 8 years before catching WWE 2004 by coincidence - and again, I fell for wrestling as a "mark", watching it eagerly for about 6 months.</p><p> </p><p>

After that, it took my discovering TEW 2008 to get engaged with wrestling again. This time however, it was as a "smark" opposed to a "mark", where I divulged into all sorts of background information as well. I watched TNA and WWE shows sporadically with my interest spiking around the time when Hogan and Flair joined TNA.</p><p> </p><p>

These days, I find the product of either company to be so dissapointing that I only watch a few select matches per year.</p>

[Bigpapa42]

<p>So I grew up in the touring territory of Stampede Wrestling. While I was a WWF fan first and foremost, I got to watch a lot of Stampede - including going to live events when they came through. Didn't have cable or satellite growing up, so had to rely on the location stations carrying some WWF content and the Stampede Wrestling weekly show. We would sometimes be lucky enough that neighbors with satellite would invite us over for a big event. I recall watching WM3 live. </p><p> </p><p>

In the mid 80s, I was still pretty young but I was already aware of wrestling beyond the WWF and Stampede. I knew about the NWA and AWA from magazines, video tapes, and catching the rare shows at someone's house. I didn't really understand all the different promotions that belonged to the NWA, but I knew some of the stars. </p><p> </p><p>

Into the early 90s, viewing became a bit more sporadic. Not entirely certain whether it was harder to find (still just had local channels) or other interests took precedent. I can recall watching Yokozuna's long reign, the turn of Lex from the Narcissist, the Lex Express, all that jazz. I actually turned down the chance to go to a house show that turned out to be where Bret Hart won the world title for the first time (there's a regret). Vaguely knew about WCW and its happenings - Sting, Vader, etc. Had some friends in high school who were WCW fans and would tell me about it, but never really watched it with them for some reason. So I knew about the signing of Hogan, the Outsiders, the NWO and all of that... It seemed so exotic and exiting. </p><p> </p><p>

Started university in '97, right at the height of the Monday Night Wars and there were plenty of fans in the dorm. I happened to live on a floor that was WWF-centric. Another floor was WCW-centric. I would usually watch Raw, occasionally head to the other floor for WCW, and both were typically competing against Monday Night Football. We would sometimes get PPVs. I recall watching Survivor Series '97 and spending half the night online with one friend, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. But for the most part, I was what I would consider a casual fan. I enjoyed it, tried to watch regularly, but I wasn't going online for news and rumors, digging up insider dirt, or any of that. Once I was no longer living in the dorm, interest waned a bit and I watched pretty sporadically. I wasn't following all that close by the time WCW died and through most of the 00s, Monday Night football tended to take Monday nights through a portion of the year at least. I was aware of ECW but saw very little of it until it had already died. </p><p> </p><p>

In 08, I found WMMA, which led me to TEW 2007 and I was hooked. Started following wrestling pretty closely, turned into a smarky fan, learned about puro, and so on. Even went to WM in 09. I've gone in and from watching every week since then, but I don't hesitate to identify myself as a wrestling fan, which I wouldn't have done thru the 00s - and not out of shame. I just wasn't. </p><p> </p><p>

While the WWF tended to have my attention through most of the 88 through 01 period, that was circumstance more than preference. I've gone back and watched most WCW (at least thru the Nitro period to the end). Maybe its because I couldn't watch it as much back in the day, which always made it feel a bit more exotic and exciting, but WCW has long held a special place in my heart. Especially the great unknown of "what if it would have survived". One of the great divergence points in wrestling history.</p><p> </p><p>

I did watch TNA pretty regularly from 2008 through to about 2011, but I gave up on it. Followed ROH, and a lot of puro but more a "catch the good matches afterward" than proactively watch any products. I honestly don't know if I have much for "allegiances". I'm not particularly loyal to what are essentially products being sold to me.</p>

[sebsy]

My first taste of wrestling was, bizarrely, unexpectedly being able to pick up the signal on our tv from our next door neighbours satellite dish, which meant free WWF! I was friends with the kid next door and he liked the wrestling too, so when the big shows were on I could watch it at home through their dish

 

I was quite young at the time, would have been around the years of 8-12ish (very hazy on this) so around 91/95. I had loads of the action figures and a little plastic blue ring and my favourite superstar by a mile was Bret Hart. Even had a poster of him on the back of my door... Looking back now, as I was so young, I can't remember any storylines or anything from the time, perhaps in part due to the fact that sometimes the picture we got through another house's dish could be not of the best quality. I vaguely recall that I stayed up late one night with my mom and brother to watch Summerslam at Wembley in 92 but that could be a false memory.

 

I properly got in to wrestling on my own when I got cable TV with the Sky Sports channels roughly several months before WMXX, and have watched ever since. Was really excited about it all at that time as the roster was really good (Angle, Lesnar, Taker, HHH, HBK, Eddie, Benoit as well as the beginnings of Cena, Orton and Edge (singles wise) plus all the lower card matches seemed to have proper build up and story to them. Loved it when Benoit won the Rumble and then the amazing match at WMXX with HHH and HBK.

 

Never got in to WCW, think it was shown on terrestrial TV here at some point but not when I was watching WWF. Few times over the years I've flicked through the channels and watched 10-15 minutes of TNA but it just seems so inferior.

 

One other thing, a daft thing really, but even though I wasn't watching any wrestling at the time, I remember hearing about Owen Hart's death because it was only a few days before the Champions League final between Manchester United (I'm a supporter) and Bayern Munich, so whenever I think of either our CL win or Owen Hart, I always immediately think of the other.

[BHK1978]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Peter.1986" data-cite="Peter.1986" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="41956" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Looking back do you think you would still be watching if WCW won the war and took over WWF?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I am not sure. Maybe but I don't know if the product would be as bad as it was right before it closed down. If that was the case then I would have to say no.</p>

[jwt13]

<p>Started at the age of 2 with WCW, I remember some of the late 90's but I was still 3/4. My favorite years are 02-08 Smackdown, and TNA from around 06-13</p><p> </p><p>

Now I watch WWE, and since TNA has been great again I've watched them since the move to Pop.</p>

[Drebin]

Watching properly, in terms of actually sitting down to watch 2 hours of Raw/Nitro - then its circa early 96 - early 2001 for WWF Raw, and probably late 96 (maybe early 97) for WCW Nitro, until the takeover in essence.

 

After that, I pretty much stopped watching wrestling... i caught bits and bobs after the takeover, bit everything lost a bit of fun for me.

 

But things really peaked for me in those years, absolutely loved it and lived it (as much as I could from the UK). That included have WCW/NWO on the N64 and WWF No Mercy, it just was everything on a Friday night (thats when the shows were on for us).

 

It was just perfect for me, age 16-20, so it appealed to me and my mates...Friday night, some drinking and some wrestling on TV and console. Setup the weekend anyway.