How well do wrestlers remember their own matches

[dirtyoldman]

Ok, so we watch them and enjoy them, and watch them over and over and discuss with fellow fans.

But with wrestlers doing so many matches in a year, does it all blur into one for them?

I mean if you asked a wrestler about their match with X at judgement day 2012, would they look at you and go 'jesus, I can't remember what I had for breakfast two days ago and I've been sober since then '.
Maybe the really big stuff like rumble wins or Wtestlemania title matches will stick, but for anything else?

(Sorta inspired by the Hogan 'misrembering' stories)

[celtics543]

I think Bret remembers every match he ever had and can tell you the date, opponent, result, and high spots plus how they were called in the ring. Jericho seems similar.

Meanwhile I've heard shoots with guys who have to be reminded of even their biggest moments.

[Jindrak Mark]

Mar 25, 2023 6:09:33 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

Maybe the really big stuff like rumble wins or Wtestlemania title matches will stick, but for anything else?

Sid claims he wasn't even aware that he main evented Wrestlemania in 1992. When people were making a big deal out of a young, inexperienced guy like him getting the honor of main eventing Wrestlemania with the biggest star ever in Hogan Sid was apparently confused and thought it was like just a regular live event.

You know Sean—and this is not an exaggeration—I don’t even remember my first Wrestlemania. I didn’t realize it was Wrestlemania, and I’m not kidding you. I didn’t look at the booking sheet, I didn’t care who I was working with; I didn’t care. It was a business to me. I didn’t care if I won or lost, I just wanted to get paid.

After my first Wrestlemania, someone said to me ‘you know you’re main eventing Wrestlemania?’ And I said, ‘no? Was I?’ I remember the Hoosier Dome, but I didn’t realize that was Wrestlemania. I do remember doing the interviews for it, and having that Southern accent—I guess I was saying Wrestling Mania or saying it the wrong way—but there was a big sign that said ‘Tell Sid to just say ‘Mania’.

[Mozenrath]

I don't know if he still does, but supposedly, Chris Jericho keeps track of every match he's had and whether he won or not. Lance Storm said something to that effect years back, anyway, while saying he never bothered, himself.

Many wrestlers have terribly memories about these kinds of things, though. Sandman did a shoot where his son was present and had basically a photographic memory and had to keep correcting Sandman. Billy Gunn in shoots seems to completely forget some of the angles he's been in, which, given he's been wrestling since 1985, I imagine it kind of runs together sometimes.

[pinja]

It depends on the amount of backdrop drivers and brainbusters.

[Renslayer]

Steve austin tends to remember his matches really well

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

I’m always impressed by Kevin Nash’s flawless memory of his title win over Backlund, down to the attendance!

[dirtyoldman]

I think its a bit like if at your job, there's a part of your day that people watch.
Can you imagine if someone came up to you and said "I thought the way you handled that phone call from HR in April 2016 was pretty cool"..
You'd be like "ummmm...thanks"
Or maybe it would be more like William Shatners response in that comedy skit..

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Let me tell ya something, brotha. At the 1978 WCW SummerSlam in the Andromeda Galaxy, Elvis watched me slam Galactus through the sun with a George Foreman grill. That teeny tiny Shawn Michaels then eliminated Cliff Burton and the rest of Metallica begged me to take his place. But I couldn’t do it, jack, because John Belushi had developed a drinking problem. I had to put that dude in his place and out drink him after flying back from Japan and wrestling my 400th consecutive day that year. Big John Studd died 30 minutes later.

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

Mar 25, 2023 9:34:18 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

I don't know if he still does, but supposedly, Chris Jericho keeps track of every match he's had and whether he won or not. Lance Storm said something to that effect years back, anyway, while saying he never bothered, himself.

Many wrestlers have terribly memories about these kinds of things, though. Sandman did a shoot where his son was present and had basically a photographic memory and had to keep correcting Sandman. Billy Gunn in shoots seems to completely forget some of the angles he's been in, which, given he's been wrestling since 1985, I imagine it kind of runs together sometimes.

Never forget the time that Billy Gunn said that he and Bart wrestled the New Midnight Express, despite the fact that Bart Gunn was in the New Midnight Express.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Depends on the person.

Last week like less than an hour after his match I told a buddy "Loved that corkscrew you did" and his reply was "wait I did a corkscrew in that match?"

But then tonight told one guy,and we haven't seen each other in almost 11 years now,"You remember that main event from blah blah blah date" and he not only remembered it but mentioned the comment some lady made when he told a heckler "That aint' waht your mama said last night at the Super 8 Motel"

[Feyrhausen]

Bruno Sammartino had an amazing memory.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

It for sure depends on the wrestler. It seems Taker and all the stuff he been talking about since retirement remembers everything. Austin and Jericho remember everything it seems like.

Billy Gunn confused himself about KOR 98 saying we didn't. Me and Bart did.

Than you have Hogan who lives in a Alternative universe. Or Sid who just plan dumb sorry to say. Or you have guys who always responses to a story some else said then where involved in and go "Thats not how it happened, this is what went down." Shane Douglas anytime he talks about the kliq stuff and WWE. Nash and Hall always had a different story when asked about it. Flair does that to a lot.

[Jindrak Mark]

Nash will remember random incidents that happened backstage or back at the hotel and be able to recall the specific town they happened in but when it comes to on-screen stuff he either has a terrible memory or just doesn't care.

One specific thing he always gets wrong is the timeline afterwards Starrcade 1998. The first time I assumed he misremembered on the spot but he tells it the same way in every shoot interview and I don't think any interviewer ever corrects him. He always says that after Starrcade 98 and the fingerpoke of doom Goldberg was supposed to beat all the NWO before getting the title back but Goldberg smashed his arm through the car window and they couldn't finish the story. The problem with that is the Goldberg window thing happened post-Starrcade 99, not 98. He always remember it taking place a year earlier than it did. In reality Nash and Hogan both turned face in spring 99 before they could ever do the logical finish to the story with Goldberg.

[Stu]

Mar 25, 2023 12:19:38 GMT -5 dirtyoldman said:

I think its a bit like if at your job, there's a part of your day that people watch.
Can you imagine if someone came up to you and said "I thought the way you handled that phone call from HR in April 2016 was pretty cool"..
You'd be like "ummmm...thanks"
Or maybe it would be more like William Shatners response in that comedy skit..

Similar to sitcom stars having a hard time remembering episodes like we do. First, it's just a job. Second, a lot more work happens on their end behind the scenes whereas we only focus on a weekly episode. Doesn't help we watch them over and over.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Mar 26, 2023 12:46:46 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

Nash will remember random incidents that happened backstage or back at the hotel and be able to recall the specific town they happened in but when it comes to on-screen stuff he either has a terrible memory or just doesn't care.

One specific thing he always gets wrong is the timeline afterwards Starrcade 1998. The first time I assumed he misremembered on the spot but he tells it the same way in every shoot interview and I don't think any interviewer ever corrects him. He always says that after Starrcade 98 and the fingerpoke of doom Goldberg was supposed to beat all the NWO before getting the title back but Goldberg smashed his arm through the car window and they couldn't finish the story. The problem with that is the Goldberg window thing happened post-Starrcade 99, not 98. He always remember it taking place a year earlier than it did. In reality Nash and Hogan both turned face in spring 99 before they could ever do the logical finish to the story with Goldberg.

I remember that too. I'm like that didn't happen in that time. I think Nash mixed up Goldberg's two injuries and nobody told him different. The angle never started beyond the one match with Nash, we had bam bam and than Hogan went out. Than Goldberg went out not long after.