sabu
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,605
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Post by sabu on Sept 21, 2010 15:44:07 GMT -5
1997 - 3 strong promotions 1986 - NWA was on fiya
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Post by Nomad Soul on Oct 6, 2010 18:30:46 GMT -5
What an awesome topic.
My immediate answer without even thinking is 1992. For all the reasons people have said plus:
Royal Rumble '92 - awesome, Wrestlemania 8 - awesome, Summerslam '92 - awesome, Superbrawl II - awesome, Wrestlewar '92- awesome, Beach Blast '92 - awesome
Can't argue with that! And the matches
You've got the best Rumble ever, Flair/ Savage, Savage/Warrior, Bret/ Bulldog on the WWF side.
And on the WCW side you've got Wargames '92, numerous Steiner bros matches, Steamboat/ Rude iron man, the Sting/ Vader series, Sting/Cactus Jack series. Awesome ALL THE WAY (thank you Cowboy Bill Watts!)
And then the rosters. Anyone who is or was anyone seems to have been knocking about in 92. The great generation of the 80s coming to their mid-late careers, and the new generation coming though.
Got to be 92. I'd say the top five would be something like this:
1. 92 2. 97 3. 89 4. 01 5. 90
Storylines-wise I think WWF was pretty much untouchable from 87 till 93
Wrestling-wise, the NWA hit a very hot streak 85-9. And then again in 92.
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defdave
AC Slater
Llllllllet's get ready to rumblllllllle!
Posts: 196
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Post by defdave on Oct 18, 2010 11:59:49 GMT -5
1987 and 1997 were probably the best years for the business. Things were peaking around these times. Sorry I'm old for this board, 1984 for me. The territory system was still running pretty strong at this point. Man I know. I feel ancient on this board where everybody's talking about how they started watching wresting in the mid-late 90's. 1984 was awesome. Although I didn't start watching wrestling until the following year, I quickly got into watching tapes and there was just so much great wrestling in the early 80's. I need to go take my Geritol and take a nap now, kids.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Oct 18, 2010 18:46:12 GMT -5
No love for 1998? That was my favorite year ever.
I'd have to say the top 3 were 1997, 1998, and 2000.
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nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,732
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Post by nisidhe on Oct 18, 2010 19:38:25 GMT -5
It sounds like I"m on a bandwagon, here, but 1992.
It was the year that legends once thought unstoppable were made to concede their spots to a rising tide of younger and more technically-gifted professionals. By the end of 1992 the vast majority of those who had peaked in the Rock N Wrestling days were either retired or had been depushed to jerking curtains at house shows on the B tour. While some of the larger-than-life elements of the 1980s remained, there was also a trend away from the showmanship, and the superheroism we as fans assigned to wrestling's superstars.
This was unusual territory for Vince McMahon, who was forced to imagine his empire growing without the influence of the superstar who largely built its foundation. For the powers that be at WCW, it was building its own national brand without the support of the old National Wrestling Alliance, the regulatory board with which it had often been confused and which WCW was now outgrowing. And in Philadelphia, a small, ragtag band of wrestlers and wannabes were slowly remaking wrestling in their own image, widening forever the body types and personalities and thus the universe of wrestling heroes, and infusing all of wrestling with a democratic, "punk" sensibility that was violent as Johnny Rotten while as accepting and encouraging as Joey Ramone.
As college students began using what would be known as the Internet to discuss wrestling, a strange convergence happened. The powers that observe these things began observing the grunge movement and the college cultural scene and the interests of what was dubbed "Generation X." The Internet Wrestling Community, with its tape swapping opportunities, its discussions and its general mayhem, was among the largest groups in the beginning, and it's assumed that it reached critical mass, and the attention of bookers and promoters, beginning in 1992.
/incredibly pompous treatise full of BS
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mybraveface
ALF
On balance, off balance, doesn't even matter, 'cause I'm better than you are, yeah!"
Posts: 1,200
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Post by mybraveface on Oct 19, 2010 0:36:15 GMT -5
Well, the peak of my fandom was 1989-1994, so, yeah. Those years.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Oct 19, 2010 2:19:37 GMT -5
Have to go with a two-year period: mid-1985 thru mid-1987 or so.
WWF was coming off WM I with a Saturday morning cartoon, LJN figures and the first of the two major modern public recognition eras. Crockett had the Horsemen and Nikita going strong, AWA had strong title holders in Bockwinkel and Hansen, Mid-South/UWF was enjoying its brief golden age, World Class was just ending its own, Portland was still going strong and Florida was nearing its end.
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Post by Chuckie Finster on Oct 19, 2010 2:41:02 GMT -5
2006 was a really good year. ECW, for all it was ripped for, was great for what it is. TNA had the LAX invasion, Samoa Joe destroying everyone, Jarrett's best heel stuff in TNA and Senshi as X-D Champ. That was also ROH's peak year with the CZW war, Dragon Gate had a great year breaking through in America with the final battles of Do Fixer and Blood Generation and several other small DG trios which led to the formation of the two super groups the Muscle Outlaw'z and Typhoon. Also in Japan, it was the year of the juniors as Marufuji won the GHC Heavyweight Title plus Minoru Suzuki became the Triple Crown Champion. Also, the 4th generation in New Japan was born with Tanahashi becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion after the Lesnar fiasco. It was IWA-MS's final really good year, PWG was featuring Steen, Generico, Ryan, the Young Bucks and Chikara was just getting noticed.
Also, WWE didn't do half bad as well.
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Post by Orange on Oct 19, 2010 2:42:35 GMT -5
I really enjoyed WWE around 2006, so for specifically WWE I'll say 2006. For all of wrestling I'll have to echo 1997.
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Post by Prince of Darkness on Oct 19, 2010 17:34:47 GMT -5
IMO 2006 was the last really fun year for wrestling all around. Sure there was some crap in every company, but they also delivered a lot of fun and cool stuff on top of it. Then 2007 hit and everything went to hell. I actually think that 2006 was my least favorite year in wrestling. Kurt Angle leaves the WWE, Vince Russo becomes the head booker of TNA again, Eddiesploitation makes Smackdown unwatchable, John Cena overcomes the odds yet again, ECW gets resurrected only to go down as a hollow shell in December 2 Dismember that same year.* I actually stopped watching wrestling after that year for awhile, good thing too, as 2007 was arguably worse. * Until HardCORE Justice gives ECW a new nadir.
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JMA
Hank Scorpio
Down With Capitalism!
Posts: 6,880
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Post by JMA on Oct 19, 2010 17:42:25 GMT -5
I'll go with the 1997 consensus. All the promotions were good then.
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Post by Nomad Soul on Oct 20, 2010 17:44:07 GMT -5
Looks like in a straight up race its between 92 and 97.
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Post by bubbles on Oct 20, 2010 20:29:40 GMT -5
I started watching in Jan 2000 so I have a soft spot for that year.
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Incognito
ALF
Putting the fun back in funeral
Posts: 1,024
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Post by Incognito on Oct 20, 2010 21:30:07 GMT -5
I'm going to say 92 (reasons mentioned) with 97 (reasons mentioned) as a close second choice. Everything seemed to click during those years. In '97 there was a variety of styles to satisfy almost all types of fans and it's a shame that hasn't really resurfaced on the same scale. Also, 1989 should get a nod.
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Post by steamboat1 on Oct 20, 2010 22:20:32 GMT -5
For a calendar year....has to be 1989.
In the NWA, you had Flair-Steamboat, Flair-Funk, Lex Luger dominating the U.S. title scene as both a face and a heel, the amazing ascension of Sting to the main event, the Road Warriors feuding with the Varsity Club and the Samoan Swat Team, the debut of Scott Steiner and the formation of the Steiner Brothers, and the debuts of Sid Vicious, Brian Pillman, Great Muta, Ron Simmons, Shane Douglas and some guy that would later become the Undertaker
In WWF, The Megapowers exploded as Hogan feuded with Savage the entire year, in the middle of which Savage won the title of King from Jim Duggan and Zeus debuted and was posed as a threat to Hogan. Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson made the jump to WWF and were the ones that ended the year plus reign of Demolition, only to lose the titles back in 3 months and be gone from the company one month later. The Ultimate Warrior feuded with the entire Heenan family over the IC title and ascended to the main event facing off with Rick Rude in the WWF match of the year at Summerslam then squashing Andre the Giant in the fall. Andre would team with Haku as the Colossal Connection in the Winter and win the tag belts from Demolition in his final run in WWF. Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect were putting on clinics at house shows across the country in the midcard. Jake the Snake Roberts and Ted Dibiase had a year long feud where Dibiase "broke" Jake's neck. All of that and Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Earthquake debuted and Roddy Piper came out of retirement to go after Rick Rude.
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TuneinTokyo
Hank Scorpio
The Mountain from Stone Mountain
Posts: 6,431
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Post by TuneinTokyo on Oct 21, 2010 22:35:12 GMT -5
82-86 I like to think of it as one long year. Basically middle school for me.
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JMA
Hank Scorpio
Down With Capitalism!
Posts: 6,880
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Post by JMA on Oct 22, 2010 0:32:09 GMT -5
What's interesting about 1992 is that despite all the good wrestling, it was WWF's worst financial year at the time.
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kuda
Trap-Jaw
Internet TOUGH GUY!
Posts: 301
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Post by kuda on Oct 22, 2010 1:15:40 GMT -5
I loved '89 NWA, '98 WCW, '99 ECW and a lot of early 90's AJPW/NOAH/NJPW. '05 ROH was real strong too.
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