When did WWE (WWF) Peak?

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

I just returned home approximately an hour ago and was flipping around the "dial" and came across WWE Raw.

I watched my first WWF (now WWE) match on TV in 1977 and was hooked for about 10 years (during my teens). I was again into it again from about 1999 through 2002, for what reason I do not know (as I obviously knew wrestling was fake and was 30 years old, perhaps it was my "white trash" roots....).

Wrestling fans, current or former, when do you think the WWE (WWF) or any of the other former federations (AWA, NWA, ECW, TNA, WCW) reached their peak?

Was it during the Monday night ratings battles between WWE and WCW in the 1990's? The 1980's with Wrestlemania and Piper's Corner? Bruno Sammartino vs. Billy Graham? The Rock? HHH? Steve Austin? Brett Hart? It certainly isn't today after watching this crap on TV right now.

I could go on, but curious as to some input.

ME===>:drink::drink::drink::grandmais:grandmais:grandmais:drink::drink::drink:

bigtendominator · Dec 6, 2009

I want to say the '80s, that is when I watched, but I think a lot of people have followed it for long after the '80s and it actually was even more popular.

TheFunkMonkey · Dec 6, 2009

98-99. Just in terms of TV ratings.

Monday night, Raw and Nitro. Both of them had 5+ ratings.

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

I would say the late 90's is when it peaked. Not only Raw vs. Nitro but ECW with "extreme" (yet uber-cheesy) wrestling.

F.A.D.E.D. · Dec 6, 2009

has to be when steve austin was a bad MOFO. about 10 years ago...

GIMME A HELL YEA...........and thats the bottom line cuz stone cold said so. Then he would chug beer. LOL

FZA · Dec 6, 2009

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

F.A.D.E.D. said:
has to be when steve austin was a bad MOFO. about 10 years ago...

GIMME A HELL YEA...........and thats the bottom line cuz stone cold said so. Then he would chug beer. LOL

He would wear more than half a can of beer as it spilled. LOL.

KingofNicotine · Dec 6, 2009

It's debatable. I think the 80's they went through a golden age of wrestling where Vince pretty much took wrestling to a mainstream level it had never seen.

People lost interest during the steroid scandals then with Stone Cold and the Rock in the late 90's, WWE peaked again. That era peaked around early 2000's before WWE bought all the other companies.

I personally got bored somewhere around 99 after seeing Vince vs Stone Cold for the 20th time I just called it quits and never watched again.

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

E-loco said:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BvTNyKIGXiI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BvTNyKIGXiI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Great vid.

bigtendominator · Dec 6, 2009

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

KingofNicotine said:
It's debatable. I think the 80's they went through a golden age of wrestling where Vince pretty much took wrestling to a mainstream level it had never seen.

People lost interest during the steroid scandals then with Stone Cold and the Rock in the late 90's, WWE peaked again. That era peaked around early 2000's before WWE bought all the other companies.

I personally got bored somewhere around 99 after seeing Vince vs Stone Cold for the 20th time I just called it quits and never watched again.

I do think Wrestlemania 1 was the turning point to bring it mainstream. That's right after Hulk Hogan appeared in Rocky III as Thunderlips.

KingofNicotine · Dec 6, 2009

I think it could've been Wrestlemania 3. Hulk vs Andre the Giant in front of 93,000.

F.A.D.E.D. · Dec 6, 2009

Its still real to me dammit....(then you here the guy say.."Settle down man")

Rambo · Dec 6, 2009

Yea matter of opinion. Some will say 80's while others will say the attitude era with stone cold and the rock. Hogan has just hooked up with tna wrestling and plan to go head to head with the wwe. Hopefully it will spike some interest in wrestling again.

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

I personally remember watching WWF on Friday nights in the late 70's and early 80's on Canal 47, Spanish TV. It was in English, but the commercials were in Spanish. Every so often my brother and I would be able to catch it on Channel 9, WOR (now UPN, 'nuff said) or MSG if there was an event at Madison Square Garden.....ahhh, the Golden Years.

artiesliver · Dec 6, 2009

Rambo said:
Yea matter of opinion. Some will say 80's while others will say the attitude era with stone cold and the rock. Hogan has just hooked up with tna wrestling and plan to go head to head with the wwe. Hopefully it will spike some interest in wrestling again.

Problem is that Hogan is OLD and his knees are shot.

I do remember watching Hogan be the first one ever to slam Andre at Shea Stadium in 81 or 82.

OJS#32buff · Dec 6, 2009

Wrestling took off upward when hulk was on the 7-11 posters and the kids
began coming (who became fans) peaked during the wcw/wwf feud goin head-to head Mon. nights. Hulk Hogan made wrestling what it is. Hate to see
Hulk and Flair age and keep going though. Theres a good wrestling story on
Wikipedia GL

OnWisconsin · Dec 6, 2009

KingofNicotine said:
I think it could've been Wrestlemania 3. Hulk vs Andre the Giant in front of 93,000.

hey KON, i thought bare breasted avatars annoyed you......what up:think2:

gynecologist · Dec 6, 2009

I only watched Wrestling around 2000-2002 when my ex girlfriend had a cable box that got all the PPV stuff and they loved that shit..

THE ROCK was the #1 guy then, HHH, UNDERTAKER, and BIG SHOW were other notable names.. I couldn't name a wrestler now unless they were pre-2002

KingofNicotine · Dec 6, 2009

Naw, I took the other one off cause I thought the mods weren't cool with topless avatars but they don't.

When did WWE (WWF) Peak?

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