30 Day Challenge - Day 1

Inspired by a thread I've reading online, I have decided to start a 30 Day Challenge, one which all of you can join in to. Hopefully you will.


Basically, each day there will be a new topic. We can discuss our choices and give reasons why.

For Day 1 my question to you is:

Who was your favourite Wrestler growing up?


Who was the guy that hooked you in, the one who you would watch shows to see the most?


Mine was Stone Cold Steve Austin.


Shock, I know. I started watching WWE in 1998, I never watched WCW and as I was 8 at the time, didn't understand the rivalry so it was never of any interest to me.Austin's antics and rivalry with Mr McMahon had me laughing and engrossed each week. He was different, he was THE man. The moment in the 2001 Rumble where he is sat in the corner, blood pouring down his face ready to whoop some a$$ with a smile on his face still remains one of my favourite ever moments. There's nothing else I can really say that hasn't been said about Austin before so I'll leave it at that.

Should also add that honourable mentions go to:

Mic Foley, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Kane & HBK

rock was number 1 for me! i just thought he was so cool and amazing! and he was! unfortunately i only got into wrestling just before austin got run down, so i wasnt that hot on him. anyone who sided with rock though i liked, like mankind and the rock n sock connection. tbh i cant remember much else in wrestling apart from austin rock mankind and dx because i was so pro rock! but i also loved the acolytes. ive never forgotten the episode of smackdown where dx planned to take out kane austin and the rock but it backfired when austin got the upperhand and the closing segment saw dx get utterly destroyed by the 3, the crowd were going mental!

Kane

From when I was 6 and got the first Smackdown game and was watching (then the) WWF on TV with my dad and Kane was always the character that had my attention. He had the look of monster, he was powerful, he had the great entrance. It always used to upset me when he wasn't given the World Title

Scott Steiner

The guy is a legend on the mic, a beast to look at and the promo's are pure gold

Long time reader, First time poster.

Have to agree Austin was always my favourite aswell.
I also got into wrestling in '98 when austin was THE man, everything he did, I used to think was so cool and he was such a bad ass. I actually really beleived he was ' the toughest s.o.b'

Kane and Undertaker were also some of my favourites at that time.

Its not a question that I can answer with just one name, the guy that hooked me in wasn't the guy who was my favourite growing up

The guy who hooked me in was The Ultimate Warrior, the muscle, the energy, the power, the speed and the face paint, he had everything I wanted to see and be, the matches he had with Hogan and Savage proved he was the best too (at least in a 7/8 year olds mind) and when he made the comeback at WrestleMania VIII the feeling I had for Wrestling I think will never be surpassed.

Steve Austin was the guy who made me want to watch every week, from his KotR-96 promo then his feud with Bret Hart, Austin's character development was the Jewel in the crown of the WWF leading into 1997 although by late 98 I was fed up of Austin and preferred Rock

Steve Austin for me as well.

Even if the WWE was awful at the time I still would have watched just for him. He was the first heel that I actually liked as a kid, everything about him just oozed bad a$$.

I know a lot of people want to see him have 1 more match but I think his last match was perfect. Against his best opponent in The Rock, and at my favourite WM, it was a classic.

Although if he did have another match I would still mark out.

Undertaker

In my first stint as a wee child Undertaker was mine and my dad's favourite, second stint it was Taker and Foley, recently its Punk n Ziggler.

But even when I didn't follow wrestling week in week out I'd pay for WM's because of Taker, I'd sit n watch Raw or Smackdown if Taker was coming on. The Rock and Stone Cold were great, fun and charismatic, but Taker holds attention effortlessly.

Foley second, the man was a true master of wrestling. Characters and people you believe make the dramatics of wrestling worthwhile.

Same as Chris for me.
I liked wrestling and watched it around at a mates house, HBK, Hogan, Million Dollar Man, Warrior, LOD and the Harts I remember being my first memories of WWF, but it was Undertaker at Survivor Series that me hook, line and sinker.

First time around it was Hogan and the Warrior, second time round The Rock especially and Stone Cold. They all just seemed to have this aura about them that made you want to watch them. I think first time round the Undertaker provided my first 'mark out' moments. I've stuck with it since The Rock bought me back but I wonder if I hadn't continued and I came back a third time, who'd bring me back in - I think Punk would be closest but I'm not sure I'd bother to be honest.

The Rock

The reason i started watching WWE back in 2000. He was my Favorite wrestler growing back and when he returned in February 2011 i screamed and ran around the house like a little boy when he used to win matches. That was the best moment in WWE for me personally in all my years watching. He hooked me in and now i never miss a Raw regardless what the show is going to be like. Rarley miss Smackdown as well. Never watch nxt, superstars just for the record!

Triple H

Back when I started watching, he was the guy. I watched Sunday Night Heat every week but my first PPV was Summerslam 2003, when HHH had to contest his WHC in the Elimination Chamber. I thought that match was insane and was hooked because of the devious way HHH retained his title.

However, as said above me, other superstars had a huge influence on my liking for wrestling. I loved the Thuganomics gimmick of Cena, the high flying/lying, cheating, style of the late Eddie Guerrero (RIP) and have always admired Edge.

Its a tough call. My first wrestling experience was the 2000 Royal Rumble so I immediatly fell in love with Cactus Jack and The Rock. But to be honest I never really had a guy who I tuned in to watch.

I've had lots of guys who I loved watching, Angle, Austin, Taker, Lesnar, Rocky, HHH, The Dudleys, The Hardys, E&C, but never one solid favourite.

UpsideDownFace wrote:
Who was the guy that hooked you in, the one who you would watch shows to see the most?

Started watching wrestling late '99, what had me hooked instantly was the HHH/Mankind/Cactus Jack storyline. Up until then all I had seen in wrestling was a few episodes of WCW's Nitro, but Triple H had an aura about being a heel, he'd do anything to get the job done, whether that was Mick or Vince. I supose I was kind of spoilt with that storyline as he and had Cactus had some amazing matches, and Mick retired shortly after which I will never truly forget and is something WWE will never recapture ever again! I can still remeber taping my first PPV when it used to be on channel 4. The Royal Rumble 2000. Looking at the card then, and what actually happened, WWE would fail to produce a show like that if they took all the best matches from this past year unfoutantly!

Thank you very much for your replies guys, it's much appreciated.

The Rock, Austin, Michaels, and Taker for me. All 4 were unbelievable and got me hooked on pro wrestling. They were all good in the ring and on the mic, and had insane charisma, they still rank in my top 5 of all time

For me it was Ted Dibiase.

The whole story where he bought place number 30 the previous year and was then given number one was fantastic. And the Rumble itself was the best one ever - the way Ted handled himself was the first time I had seen something like that. At the time I thought he was going to win.

I started watching wrestling in late 91, early 92, and the guy who got me hooked was Sid Justice. I was gutted when he didn't win the Rumble in 1992, and was absolutely captivated by his heel turn. I can still remember his rant at a 'press-conference' when Hogan was named number one contender instead of him.

Undertaker for me

Nakatomi Plaza wrote:I started watching wrestling in late 91, early 92, and the guy who got me hooked was Sid Justice. I was gutted when he didn't win the Rumble in 1992, and was absolutely captivated by his heel turn. I can still remember his rant at a 'press-conference' when Hogan was named number one contender instead of him.

Even as a 9 year old kid I was very annoyed why Hogan was portrayed as the good guy after spitting the dummy out that Sid eliminated him from the Rumble

For me and i imagine a lot of people will either be hulk hogan or the ultiamte warrior as they were the first wrestling figures i got. Although warrior just sneaks it for me and then closely follwed by sting (in his bleach blonde hair days and out of left field will be ron simmons and then lex luger)
On a side note which figures did people prefer the moving spring wwf or the hard solid but more realistic wcw?

Ultimate Warrior for me.

As much as Hogan was over with fans, the Warrior had a lure about him that you couldn't help buy into. I don't think I have seen so much energy come from one competitor ever. The guy was just immense.

Jammy31 wrote:Triple H

Back when I started watching, he was the guy. I watched Sunday Night Heat every week but my first PPV was Summerslam 2003, when HHH had to contest his WHC in the Elimination Chamber. I thought that match was insane and was hooked because of the devious way HHH retained his title.

However, as said above me, other superstars had a huge influence on my liking for wrestling. I loved the Thuganomics gimmick of Cena, the high flying/lying, cheating, style of the late Eddie Guerrero (RIP) and have always admired Edge.

Triple H is an interesting one for me. I was never his greatest fan for many of the reasons I've also seen posted on here criticising him. However, the less he is on TV the more I realise what he bought the game (if you'll excuse the pun) and the more appreciation and respect I have for him.

I always loved Triple H - way back to the aristocratic thing he had going on. I just think he's an outstanding wrestler, and a great character actor who can bring life to any feud, and gets an unwarranted bad rap for being the boss' daughter's husband.

The guy who hooked me from an early age though, was Bret the Hitman Hart. Don't know why. It was nothing to do with his wrestling ability, because my mind wouldn't have worked like that back then. It might have been the audacity to wear pink. It might have been the shades. I don't know - I just thought he was proper cool.

If I was a kid now, I'd probably love Heath Slater

Two for me really.

When i was a nipper it was Hogan yes i used to say my prayers and take me vitamins.

Then drifted away from it and stopped watching completely until a beer drinking, finger gesturing toughest SOB in the wwf/e dragged me back in (just when you think your out they pull you back in ha ha)

Randomly caught wm 13 and seeing Austins determination not to tap struck a cord with me and i was hooked again!