Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

[Spectre]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

Ditto, never missed it that entire year. Amazing year in wrestling.

I was in 8th grade then and I remember just how much we talked about wrestling on Tuesdays . Wrestling will never be the same.

[MagicBucsWsoxFan]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

For me, its hands down 1997.

check out all these great pay per view matches

http://wrestlingvideos.users.btopenworld.com/wwf_1997.htm

Michael-Undertaker - no holds barred and Hell in a cell
Hart-Michaels - survivor series controversy
Hart-Austin - Submission
Hart-Taker - HBk as Ref, which started their great fued when he screwed undertaker.

[albsur2003]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

Most definitely 1998. I was a sophmore/junior in high school at that time. Back then, I loved wrestling, I'd wear my Degeneration X T-shirt to PSAT prep class on Saturdays. Haha, that's when EVERYONE at school was watching wrestling. I still remember watching the King of the Ring 1998 (one of the best PPV's ever) and going ape **** nuts when Kane won the WWF Championship. I was pissed when he lost it the next night on Raw. Man, memories. That was a great year, for more than one reason. Haha.

[Dukefan22]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

98 of course, but I would have to say that the first half of 2000 trails it by only a small margin. 2000 also contains my favorite PPV of all-time (well, that wasn't a WM) in Backlash. That card was so great.

[CaptainZombie]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

While 1998 is popular amongst everyone here on OS and I do agree that it was an excellent year in WWE history, I'll have to choose 1989 as one of my personal favorites. There was just so much going on, especially with many new superstars that were arriving into the WWF.

**The whole Mega Powers break-up was solid back then. The way that the storyline was building up in '88 to reach it's climax in '89 was excellent. Only reason why I say climax is that the Hogan-Savage feud continued over the years.
-Saturday Night's Main Event Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage vs. Twin Towers which was the final straw to the friendship.
-Hogan vs. Savage WM5 main event.
-Summer Slam/No Holds Barred tie-in that culminated in a Steel Cage Match between Hogan & Beefcake vs. Savage & Zeus.

**Rick Rude/Ultimate Warrior feud that ran hot from Royal Rumble '89 to WM5 to Summer Slam' 89. It was a battle over that started as a body building contest that had the IC Title involved and tons of cheating from Heenan to get Warrior even more annoyed.

**Jake Roberts/Andre the Giant feud. Who would have thought Andre was so afraid of snakes.
-Big John Studd staredown with André from the floor until Roberts threw his snake Damien into the ring to scare André from ringside.

**Demolition/Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson feud. An interesting feud where the Busters stole the belts from the Demos at a SNME.

**WWF debuts of Dusty Rhodes, Ronnie Garvin (debuted late Dec. '88), The Bushwhackers (debuted late Dec. '88).

**Return of "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka

**Hulk Hogan vs. The Genius at SNME XXIV in October 1989. Not for the match alone, but Mr. Perfect stole the WWF Title from Hogan during that match. At the end of the show, Perfect would destroy Hogan's WWF title belt with a hammer.

**Commentary from the teams of Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon, Gorrilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan were great.

**Shades of the Big Boss Man/Hogan feud in early '89 that would also start up later on during their WWF careers was well done.

**Strike Force getting back together again, only to break-up at WM5 when they lose to the Brain Busters.

[SPTO]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

hm i'd go with '98 and 2000 in terms of entertainment and being all around solid years from start to finish.

Now in terms of impact and what it did to the business then its hands down 1987 as the first three years of Vinny Mac's expansion was validated with the biggest drawing event in wrestling history in WMIII.

[TheFallenAngel]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

2000 was the best year the promotion has ever done. It had a large amount of entertaining characters and storylines while producing the actual best matches the promotion has ever seen in one year. With Russo out, the storylines were less-ridiculous and a lot easier to get into.

The product in 1997 was far superior to the product in 1998 and 1999. The storylines were a lot sharper and you had a bunch of good matches. 1998 was a fun year but 1999 in retrospect was really bad if you like wrestling. The pay-per-views for the most part in 1999 were awful as they were just trainwrecks and glorified versions of RAW. 1999 had Russo written all over it and if you go back and watch now, it really isn't that good where as 1997 and 2000 still hold the test of time.

[Seymour Scagnetti]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

I guess I must be showing my age but 1987 for me. Not only did it feature the most hyped match in history with Andre\Hogan, ( lousy match but man were people hyped for it) you also had the Steamboat\Savage match in that WM as well. The Honky Tonk Man's IC reign after his upset of Steamboat made him one of the most hated and effective villians of all time. He wasn't a cool villian because everybody hated him which is hard to do.

It was also the 1st year of Saturday's main event, the Orndorff\Hogan fued, the debut of Jake the Snake who gave Steamboat a snake facial for the 1st time, Ultimate Warrior, Million Dollar Man and Rick Rude. It was also the year that started the beginning of the end to Hogan's reign when he lost the title to Andre just before the next WM.

I know wrestling was popular in the late 90's but for those too young to remember wrestling was so popular in 1987 that the 90's don't even compare, everybody watched it, young and old, male and female and they were selling out 20000 seat arenas in many cities just to watch WM3 on pay per view. If they had Raw in prime time that year it would of doubled the ratings of the 90's. Every house show, which happened usually every month or so was close to a sell out and if Hogan was fighting, it was standing room only. I laugh when people compare Austin's popularity to Hogan's. Hogan was a god to most fans and was one of the most recognizable athletes in the world at that time. When he lost the title for the 1st timeit was front page news in alot of newspapers, at least in Toronto.

[ggazoo]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

It was also the 1st year of Saturday's main event, the Orndorff\Hogan fued, the debut of Jake the Snake who gave Steamboat a snake facial for the 1st time

Hate to correct you, but the first SNME was in November of 1985. Orndorff\Hogan and Jake/Steamboat happened in '86.

I know wrestling was popular in the late 90's but for those too young to remember wrestling was so popular in 1987 that the 90's don't even compare, everybody watched it, young and old, male and female and they were selling out 20000 seat arenas in many cities just to watch WM3 on pay per view. If they had Raw in prime time that year it would of doubled the ratings of the 90's. Every house show, which happened usually every month or so was close to a sell out and if Hogan was fighting, it was standing room only. I laugh when people compare Austin's popularity to Hogan's. Hogan was a god to most fans and was one of the most recognizable athletes in the world at that time. When he lost the title for the 1st timeit was front page news in alot of newspapers, at least in Toronto.

Couldn't agree more. Living in Toronto, I remember when Randy Savage was on the front page on the Sun after winning the WWF Title at WrestleMania IV.

And, for all the youngins' out there, Hogan is the most popular wrestler of all time. Austin is a distance second. Take it from someone who lived it.

[mvspree8]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

I'd agree if someone said they thought 1998 was wrestling's last real "golden era" year. I loved the beginning of '99 with the Foley/Rock feud..

I'd also agree if someone said they need to have another PPV entirely dedicated to a championship tournament.

[Spear]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

Hate to correct you, but the first SNME was in November of 1985. Orndorff\Hogan and Jake/Steamboat happened in '86.



Couldn't agree more. Living in Toronto, I remember when Randy Savage was on the front page on the Sun after winning the WWF Title at WrestleMania IV.

And, for all the youngins' out there, Hogan is the most popular wrestler of all time. Austin is a distance second. Take it from someone who lived it.

I remember they had the Starrcade 97 results in the Star sports section, that was the only time I've seen wrestling in the paper being treated as last nights sports.

[ubernoob]

Re: Greatest year in WWF/E history ?

Hogan definately takes the cake for most popular wrestler ever. For the younger crowd, it's Austin though. Hogan wins because he came first, took wrestling mainstream, and was VERY VERY family oriented ("Take your vitamins and say your prayers")

Everybody knows who Hogan is though, regardless if you have ever watched wrestling or not.