Today's Question: In the history of your fandom, what is the loudest pop you've ever heard/seen (on TV or in person) during a wrestling event?
Yesterday's Question: In this month's 35th anniversary issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, they ask several people what's the best and worst thing about the business today as compared to 1979. Assuming everyone here wasnt a fan in 1979, we'll say 1989 and ask the same question:
a) How is the business better than 25 years ago?
b) What is the worst thing about the wrestling business compared to 25 years ago?
Chris B
Better: By and large, wrestling is more respected then back then. Once they finally admitted that it was "fake" people began to actually be more impressed and show more appreciation for wrestling once we were over arguing whether its fake or not......
Worse: Championships, they are nearly meaningless. In 1989 it meant something when Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude feuded for the Intercontinental Title......Now? Titles are traded like nothing, and worst of all, champions are constantly losing meaningless TV matches to set up heatless feuds that mean nothing.
I think a typical conversation with my dad accentuates whats wrong with the product.....usually, it starts with one of the 2 phrases "man you still witch that fake sh*t" - usually me chuckling because of Chris B's first point...the other being "So HE's the champ?.....oh when did he beat The Hulk?" That's the thing. The hardcore fan still needs to appreciate it whether its "fake" (I always hate that word) or not, and the casual fan needs to have a reason to care.....I think Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair would reach more casual fans that The Miz or Eric Young (though Brock Lesnar as their champion works...in terms of legitimacy). Being "The Champ" meant something in 89. It doesn't as much today.
Jason Clark
Better in 1989: the rosters. The WWF's roster, in October 1989, had Hulk Hogan, Andre, Bret Hart, Savage, Jake the Snake, Demolition, Rick Rude, Ted Dibiase, The Rockers, the Brainbusters, Piper & Hennig. The NWA had Ric Flair, the Midnights, Lex Lugar, Sting, the Steiners, and Pillman.
Worse in 89: the drugs (steroids), the drugs (coke), and the drugs (booze).
Hard to top the overall talent level, and remember there were still territories like AWA & World Class as well.
daveschlet
Better: no jobber matches (but some guys who are stars are actually jobbers) also better production values, and of course the #1 reason is the network (only $9.99).
Worse: wwe monopoly, no tv shows to look forward to in their old time slots, no real reason for feuds, too many title changes, lack of good tag team wrestling, all my old favorites are retired (or dead).
I think the lack of jobber matches - contrary to what a lot of bloggers believe - has hurt the business. How can a guy like Ryback stay over if he doesnt squash anybody every now and then? He hasnt won a match in months. Not every match, but a few here and there (and keep the matches short)
Hold that 10 for Johnny B. Bad
Favorite: Today's product is can't miss television. Great matches, interviews, and angles happen on a near week to week basis. In 1989, you could miss 3 months of non-Mania build tv, and not have nearly as much fun stuff to catch up on.
What I like the least is the treatment of the mid-card singles champion. In 1989, the mid-card champ sat on top of the mid-card division. These days, it seems like a mid-card champ is instead positioned at the bottom of the world title division.
Agree 100%. The I-C and US titles used to be great tools in preparation for world title runs. Now they just serve as props to go with action figures
J.T. Murphy
Best: In general, there are more and better talented workers all around the world.
Worst: The WWE having a virtual monopoly means there are nowhere near as many main-event spots to go around as in the territory or Monday Night Wars eras, and thus it's much easier for someone supremely talented to spend their career in midcard hell.
Scott Malec
Better than 25 years ago:
Production values- obviously with the advent of HD, wrestling has never been clearer, sharper or brighter, especially with the insane lighting rigs of the WWE. But to me, all that lighting makes the product look more commercial and generic. I always liked the darkened arena looks of the territories and early WWF because it made things look more authentic. But most people aren't me. (Among other things.....)
Worse Than 25 Years Ago:
Overexposure- While the WWF of 1989 had a similar amount of television time per week, it seems that today's product seems to be way overexposed in comparison.
Booking Style- The 50/50 booking of today's WWE midcard is all that needs to be said here.
Value of Championships- Speaking of champions, I was a huge fan of the secondary titles back in the day because they gave lower level talent a chance to shine and created more space at the top of the card. And they were contested hotly and treated with respect. Think of all the great matches and feuds over the Intercontinental and WCW/NWA U.S Titles. And now they're almost all treated like props except the World Title.
Say what you want about the WWE....their production values are second to none. The problem is that they are homogenized. Every show has the same look, same feel, etc. every week. Seen one you've seen them all
parallax1978
WWE workrate is light years better now. It is also nice that they don't treat us like we are stupid... meaning they admit a lot of it is scripted.
In 1989 there were alternatives and JCP had some of the best matches in history... wish we had something like that today. Also storylines progressed more logically and over a longer period of time.
We don't get Flair and Steamboat in their primes very often though....but you are absolutely correct
Adam "Colorado" Curry
A: better production, or really better technology in general. Less shitty matches.
B: the booking is total shit and everyone wrestles the same cookie cutter style. Shitty scriped pomos. Trying to be entertainment instead of wrestling.
50/50 booking....kryptonite to a true wrestling fan.
thebraziliankid Adam "Colorado" Curry
I forgot about the banning the Piledriver and some other moves, let them use, teach the guy when to do these moves.
I long for the days where the piledriver in Memphis meant "Instant hospitilization" in the words of Jim Cornette
Johnny Polo
A) No more "enhancement matches". I really disliked those. "His opponent, already in the ring, from somewhere, weighing in at something: John Jobber!"
B) Titles mean nothing. Tag Team wrestling doesn't even exist. The commentary is horrendous. Security confiscates signs in the crowd that Kevin Dunn doesn't like. Everybody's promos are scripted except for HHH, Cena, and Heyman.
Vince Jordan
Yeah but outside of those reigns you've mentioned, you are forgetting in the last 4 years there have been:
WWE Champions: 19
World Champions (WHC Retired): 15
US Champions: 10
IC Champions: 17
Divas Champions: 12
Tag Team Champions: 13
and in TNA there have been:
TNA Champions: 17
X-Division Champions: 18
Knockouts Champions: 17
Tag Team Champions: 15
Just look at all those numbers. Back in the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's, we were lucky to see maybe 3-4 TOTAL title changes (all belts changes combined) per year.
Great point - usually followed by a huge celebration. I can still remember Nikita Koloff beating Tully Blanchard for the TV title setting off a locker-room emptying celebration - it was a big deal (The TV title...seriously). I couldnt imagine such a scene today..
By the way, thanks for the numbers....drives the point home. I remember 1999 being particularly ridiculous with the title reigns as well
C BREEZY
Pro wrestling has lost its balls
NateNash
Has anyone checked Stephanie's purse? They could be in there...
If I had to guess, those belong to Triple H
Joe
Better: WrestleMania. The interactivity with fellow fans. Having so much available to watch with the click of a mouse. Better overall athletes....
Worse: Compelling mid-card story lines or lack thereof. Merchandise; there's far more crap on WWE Shop than stuff you wanna buy. Authority figure story lines, they are way overdone now and I think most can agree a guy like President Jack Tunney making appearances only when necessary would be a great way to go about today's WWE. The announcing, ugh.
jabroniville
Better:
Kayfabe is basically dead (there's still bullshitting, but nobody's trying to pass it off as real, which was unacceptable even 25 years ago. Anyone who wasn't an idiot had figured it out by then). The women are hotter. TV shows aren't just 90% Jobber Matches. People brawl to a count-out in big matches less often. More people know how to do promos. Guys don't just come in to feud with the Champ and then get eaten alive as badly. The overall match quality has never been better in North America. Fewer restholds and headlocks.
Worse:
Too much 50/50 booking and non-sustained pushes. A more homogenized style and visual appearance for wrestlers. Too many "Big matches" on TV, and the same old guys in the main event, making it boring and "seen it before" when they try to pull off Orton/Cena AGAIN. The top guys really don't carry themselves like STARS as much anymore. Way too few Big Fat Heels. Royal Rumbles where there are 25 "big stars" getting pushes, so everyone clogs up the ring for 20 minutes each. A shittier tag division.
Extant1979 - Ghetto Superstar
Better: The internet. I have a place like this to hang out with wrestling fans and discuss the product.
Worse: The internet. That same great place is full of judgmental assholes who are never EVER happy with anything.
True...but we wouldn't have this blog otherwise! The internet has taken away the element of surprise, and the possibility of a true loser leaves town match, but there are some good things too
"Women wrestlers are actually hot now. That's a big plus."
To further illustrate this point, stop and google Candi Devine, or Leilani Kai (2 of the best women wrestlers of the 80s).....now google/compare with any combination of The Bellas, AJ Lee, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Lisa Varon, Alicia Fox, or Madison Rayne.....I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Yikes. Fabulous Moolah would be laughed out of Vince's office today!
Truthfully, I think the golden age in terms of being a fan was about 1984-86 as the territories were still going pretty strong, and there were more options. 1989 was close enough to those years, but I think the downturn had already started a bit with the demise of the territories. 20 years from now, when the WWF is the only game in town, and all of the wrestlers, and all of the matches look the same, I have to wonder if we will look at the current era the same as we look back at the 80s today.
Yesterday's Question: In this month's 35th anniversary issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, they ask several people what's the best and worst thing about the business today as compared to 1979. Assuming everyone here wasnt a fan in 1979, we'll say 1989 and ask the same question:
a) How is the business better than 25 years ago?
b) What is the worst thing about the wrestling business compared to 25 years ago?
Chris B
Better: By and large, wrestling is more respected then back then. Once they finally admitted that it was "fake" people began to actually be more impressed and show more appreciation for wrestling once we were over arguing whether its fake or not......
Worse: Championships, they are nearly meaningless. In 1989 it meant something when Ultimate Warrior and Rick Rude feuded for the Intercontinental Title......Now? Titles are traded like nothing, and worst of all, champions are constantly losing meaningless TV matches to set up heatless feuds that mean nothing.
I think a typical conversation with my dad accentuates whats wrong with the product.....usually, it starts with one of the 2 phrases "man you still witch that fake sh*t" - usually me chuckling because of Chris B's first point...the other being "So HE's the champ?.....oh when did he beat The Hulk?" That's the thing. The hardcore fan still needs to appreciate it whether its "fake" (I always hate that word) or not, and the casual fan needs to have a reason to care.....I think Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair would reach more casual fans that The Miz or Eric Young (though Brock Lesnar as their champion works...in terms of legitimacy). Being "The Champ" meant something in 89. It doesn't as much today.
Jason Clark
Better in 1989: the rosters. The WWF's roster, in October 1989, had Hulk Hogan, Andre, Bret Hart, Savage, Jake the Snake, Demolition, Rick Rude, Ted Dibiase, The Rockers, the Brainbusters, Piper & Hennig. The NWA had Ric Flair, the Midnights, Lex Lugar, Sting, the Steiners, and Pillman.
Worse in 89: the drugs (steroids), the drugs (coke), and the drugs (booze).
Hard to top the overall talent level, and remember there were still territories like AWA & World Class as well.
daveschlet
Better: no jobber matches (but some guys who are stars are actually jobbers) also better production values, and of course the #1 reason is the network (only $9.99).
Worse: wwe monopoly, no tv shows to look forward to in their old time slots, no real reason for feuds, too many title changes, lack of good tag team wrestling, all my old favorites are retired (or dead).
I think the lack of jobber matches - contrary to what a lot of bloggers believe - has hurt the business. How can a guy like Ryback stay over if he doesnt squash anybody every now and then? He hasnt won a match in months. Not every match, but a few here and there (and keep the matches short)
Hold that 10 for Johnny B. Bad
Favorite: Today's product is can't miss television. Great matches, interviews, and angles happen on a near week to week basis. In 1989, you could miss 3 months of non-Mania build tv, and not have nearly as much fun stuff to catch up on.
What I like the least is the treatment of the mid-card singles champion. In 1989, the mid-card champ sat on top of the mid-card division. These days, it seems like a mid-card champ is instead positioned at the bottom of the world title division.
Agree 100%. The I-C and US titles used to be great tools in preparation for world title runs. Now they just serve as props to go with action figures
J.T. Murphy
Best: In general, there are more and better talented workers all around the world.
Worst: The WWE having a virtual monopoly means there are nowhere near as many main-event spots to go around as in the territory or Monday Night Wars eras, and thus it's much easier for someone supremely talented to spend their career in midcard hell.
Scott Malec
Better than 25 years ago:
Production values- obviously with the advent of HD, wrestling has never been clearer, sharper or brighter, especially with the insane lighting rigs of the WWE. But to me, all that lighting makes the product look more commercial and generic. I always liked the darkened arena looks of the territories and early WWF because it made things look more authentic. But most people aren't me. (Among other things.....)
Worse Than 25 Years Ago:
Overexposure- While the WWF of 1989 had a similar amount of television time per week, it seems that today's product seems to be way overexposed in comparison.
Booking Style- The 50/50 booking of today's WWE midcard is all that needs to be said here.
Value of Championships- Speaking of champions, I was a huge fan of the secondary titles back in the day because they gave lower level talent a chance to shine and created more space at the top of the card. And they were contested hotly and treated with respect. Think of all the great matches and feuds over the Intercontinental and WCW/NWA U.S Titles. And now they're almost all treated like props except the World Title.
Say what you want about the WWE....their production values are second to none. The problem is that they are homogenized. Every show has the same look, same feel, etc. every week. Seen one you've seen them all
parallax1978
WWE workrate is light years better now. It is also nice that they don't treat us like we are stupid... meaning they admit a lot of it is scripted.
In 1989 there were alternatives and JCP had some of the best matches in history... wish we had something like that today. Also storylines progressed more logically and over a longer period of time.
We don't get Flair and Steamboat in their primes very often though....but you are absolutely correct
Adam "Colorado" Curry
A: better production, or really better technology in general. Less shitty matches.
B: the booking is total shit and everyone wrestles the same cookie cutter style. Shitty scriped pomos. Trying to be entertainment instead of wrestling.
50/50 booking....kryptonite to a true wrestling fan.
thebraziliankid Adam "Colorado" Curry
I forgot about the banning the Piledriver and some other moves, let them use, teach the guy when to do these moves.
I long for the days where the piledriver in Memphis meant "Instant hospitilization" in the words of Jim Cornette
Johnny Polo
A) No more "enhancement matches". I really disliked those. "His opponent, already in the ring, from somewhere, weighing in at something: John Jobber!"
B) Titles mean nothing. Tag Team wrestling doesn't even exist. The commentary is horrendous. Security confiscates signs in the crowd that Kevin Dunn doesn't like. Everybody's promos are scripted except for HHH, Cena, and Heyman.
Vince Jordan
Yeah but outside of those reigns you've mentioned, you are forgetting in the last 4 years there have been:
WWE Champions: 19
World Champions (WHC Retired): 15
US Champions: 10
IC Champions: 17
Divas Champions: 12
Tag Team Champions: 13
and in TNA there have been:
TNA Champions: 17
X-Division Champions: 18
Knockouts Champions: 17
Tag Team Champions: 15
Just look at all those numbers. Back in the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's, we were lucky to see maybe 3-4 TOTAL title changes (all belts changes combined) per year.
Great point - usually followed by a huge celebration. I can still remember Nikita Koloff beating Tully Blanchard for the TV title setting off a locker-room emptying celebration - it was a big deal (The TV title...seriously). I couldnt imagine such a scene today..
By the way, thanks for the numbers....drives the point home. I remember 1999 being particularly ridiculous with the title reigns as well
C BREEZY
Pro wrestling has lost its balls
NateNash
Has anyone checked Stephanie's purse? They could be in there...
If I had to guess, those belong to Triple H
Joe
Better: WrestleMania. The interactivity with fellow fans. Having so much available to watch with the click of a mouse. Better overall athletes....
Worse: Compelling mid-card story lines or lack thereof. Merchandise; there's far more crap on WWE Shop than stuff you wanna buy. Authority figure story lines, they are way overdone now and I think most can agree a guy like President Jack Tunney making appearances only when necessary would be a great way to go about today's WWE. The announcing, ugh.
jabroniville
Better:
Kayfabe is basically dead (there's still bullshitting, but nobody's trying to pass it off as real, which was unacceptable even 25 years ago. Anyone who wasn't an idiot had figured it out by then). The women are hotter. TV shows aren't just 90% Jobber Matches. People brawl to a count-out in big matches less often. More people know how to do promos. Guys don't just come in to feud with the Champ and then get eaten alive as badly. The overall match quality has never been better in North America. Fewer restholds and headlocks.
Worse:
Too much 50/50 booking and non-sustained pushes. A more homogenized style and visual appearance for wrestlers. Too many "Big matches" on TV, and the same old guys in the main event, making it boring and "seen it before" when they try to pull off Orton/Cena AGAIN. The top guys really don't carry themselves like STARS as much anymore. Way too few Big Fat Heels. Royal Rumbles where there are 25 "big stars" getting pushes, so everyone clogs up the ring for 20 minutes each. A shittier tag division.
Extant1979 - Ghetto Superstar
Better: The internet. I have a place like this to hang out with wrestling fans and discuss the product.
Worse: The internet. That same great place is full of judgmental assholes who are never EVER happy with anything.
True...but we wouldn't have this blog otherwise! The internet has taken away the element of surprise, and the possibility of a true loser leaves town match, but there are some good things too
"Women wrestlers are actually hot now. That's a big plus."
To further illustrate this point, stop and google Candi Devine, or Leilani Kai (2 of the best women wrestlers of the 80s).....now google/compare with any combination of The Bellas, AJ Lee, Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Lisa Varon, Alicia Fox, or Madison Rayne.....I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Yikes. Fabulous Moolah would be laughed out of Vince's office today!
Truthfully, I think the golden age in terms of being a fan was about 1984-86 as the territories were still going pretty strong, and there were more options. 1989 was close enough to those years, but I think the downturn had already started a bit with the demise of the territories. 20 years from now, when the WWF is the only game in town, and all of the wrestlers, and all of the matches look the same, I have to wonder if we will look at the current era the same as we look back at the 80s today.
The pop CM Punk got in Chicago was probably the loudest that I remember.
ReplyDeleteAustin helping Mankind win his first title
ReplyDeleteMalenko unmasking as Ciclope to hurt Jericho
The loudest pops I've ever heard live were as follows:
ReplyDeleteIn fourth place Dean Malenko unmasks during the luchadore battle royal and takes the title from Jericho at Slamboree.
In third place Sting descends from the rafters following the thrilling Curt Hennig vs Giant.
In second place any opening to an ECW house show.
And in first place Mankind v the Rock Dec 27, 1998, glass breaks. Austin comes down and chair shots Rock to death and Mankind wins the world title.
Austin helps Mankind
ReplyDeleteDaniel Bryan beats Bray's ass in the cage
Jericho "wins" the WWF title from Triple H.
ReplyDeleteFlair chop blocks Vader's leg and wins the belt at Starrcade.
CM Punk enters the ring at MITB.
Hogan getting five separate pops during his Wrestlemania 18 entrance:
ReplyDelete1. When his nWo theme hits
2. When he first steps into the arena
3. When Finkle says his name
4. When he steps through the ropes
5. When he rips off his shirt.
And of course, the massive, massive pop for the hulk-up sequence during the match.
LOUDEST ON TV: Austin Helps Mankind (Duh)
ReplyDeleteLOUDEST LIVE: Bryan winning the title this year at WrestleMania. Coolest live event I've ever been a part of.
I popped when Hennig hit the fisherman's suplex on the Giant.
ReplyDeleteUnderrated pop is Austin's return to the RAW before No Way Out after Raw went off the air. Never understood why they have it away but what a treat for the crowd that was there. I'm sure it's on YouTube. It was on the No way Out DVD as an extra
ReplyDeleteWhen Austin returned at Unforgiven 2000. Holy shit.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hogan's music hits at WrestleMania 6. That's the one.
ReplyDeleteI was there for that one. I was among the "poppers"
ReplyDeleteI was at Backlash in DC that year ... that was pretty ridic, too.
ReplyDeleteAustin helping Mankind win the title or Austin at WM 17. Insane crowd reactions.
ReplyDeleteAustin returning at Backlash 2000
ReplyDeleteGoldberg beating Hogan for the belt
Luger & Windham winning the tag team titles at the first Clash of the Champions
The best part was I wasn't much of an internet wrestling fan at the time so I had no idea Austin would be there. In fact, I actually said to my friend "Man I wish Austin was here" before the show started. So his appearance was a big surprise to me.
ReplyDeletewhat sucks now bout the bryan wm30 moment is it seems so meh now. they threw him in a shitty feud with kane, than the injury happened.
ReplyDeleteHulk wm 18 by a country mile...
ReplyDeleteI was at IYH Breakdown and the crowd was hot for The Rock all night. And when he came out for his three-way cage match with Shamrock and Mankind, the fans went ballistic. And we went molten for that double people's elbow spot and Rock's win.
ReplyDeleteCM Punk
ReplyDeleteMoney in the Bank 2012
It was a great show. Nitro during its prime.
ReplyDeleteYour comments here made me put on WM18 on the network. Seeing the reaction Hogan got, made it worth bringing him back. I can see why they tried putting the title on him, if he was getting that kind of reaction.
ReplyDeletei hate though that they stripped the old hulk footage of voodoo child. Greatest entrance music of all time!
ReplyDeleteu mean 2011? i know cant believe punk cena 1 was 3 yrs ago already.
ReplyDeleteIt was a perfect fit. Same thing with "Enter Sandman". It makes the entrance.
ReplyDeleteOn tv: The reaction from the moment Austin's music hits through the announcement of Mankind as (for the first time) WWF Champion.
ReplyDeleteLive: That I heard was Austin making his entrance at WM 17. That I saw though: Rock pinning John Cena at WM 28. I glanced to my left to behold the reaction, and it was just a sea of thousands and thousands of people jumping up and down. If you watch the match back it's all there in the camera shot too. I think that pin really shocked a lot of people in the best way possible.
I once got a 20 oz. Diet Pepsi at a RAW and it kept making this really strong sizzling and bubbling sound. Turns out that I didn't screw the cap back on the whole way.
ReplyDeleteHulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter in MSG in June 1991, Desert Storm Boot Camp match. It wasn't the first time I've seen Hogan live and in person at MSG, but when he beat Slaughter in that match, it was insane. Hogan vs. Big Bossman in the steel cage at MSG in March 1989 was awesome, too.
ReplyDeleteI love me some Hogan MSG matches!
ReplyDeleteNot a pop but Bret Hart's heel heat. I was at the Raw in Summer '97 when he said he'd put the USA's enema in Pittsburgh. The boos for Bret were so deafening I couldn't hear him talk.
ReplyDeleteRVD pinning Cena at ONS 2006.
ReplyDeleteIt's been said, but both Jericho's debut and Austin appearing during Mankind's title match were the two biggest pops I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bret then said later, "I wouldn't have really put them there, it would have been in Washington."
ReplyDeleteNot sure about in person, but on TV, I don't think anything came across louder than the pop for Austin when he cost Rock the title against Mankind. So perfectly overbooked.
ReplyDeleteFlair in 98 has to be mentioned as well. I know age and life has taken it's toll on Flair, but what he's missing the most is the class and presence he used to carry. He used to be RIC FLAIR. Now, he's just another guy.
ReplyDeleteWWF:
ReplyDeleteHogan.
Montreal after WM 18.
WCW:
Flair returning from hiatus 1998
ECW:
Sandman returning to ECW from WCW 2000
Loudest sustained crowd heat.
First WarGames Great American Bash 1987
The crowd lost their shit for Sting that night.
ReplyDeleteNikita Koloff turning face to help Dusty against the Horsemen got a HUGE reaction.
ReplyDeleteAustin helping Mankind beat Rocky may be the loudest sustained pop in history. The place was hot before the glass broke, then all Hell broke loose. I can't help but get chills every time I see that.
Honerable Mentions: Punk at MITB 2011, Hogan at WM X-8, Jericho's Debut, Goldberg Pinning Hogan, Austin at WM X-7, Benoit Winning at WM XX
The two John Cena/Randy Orton staredowns during the 2011 Royal Rumble. The roof blew off the place.
ReplyDeleteI was there for that! I can still hear the ringing.
ReplyDeleteGoldberg giving Hogan the jackhammer.
ReplyDeleteI love when he hits Rock with the legdrop and JR goes: HE BEAT ANDRE THE GIANT WITH THAT MOVE.
ReplyDeleteMakes it even more impressive when he kicks out.
Must be like Homer after that concert. He could barely hear what Marge was saying!
ReplyDeleteLinda getting the "Genetic Jackhammer" must have been a loud noise also. (yep, i'm on a roll today)
ReplyDeleteSo the biggest pop you've seen was fizzy soda?
ReplyDeleteWasn't there one where they both pointed at the WM sign and the crowd booed them? Don't remember the year, since everything Orton does is extremely boring and he hasn't been interesting in about 10 years.
ReplyDeleteDDP hitting the Diamond Cutter on Goldberg was also massive. WCW's anemic production crew just didn't do sound as well as they could have done. Those crowds were going crazy and it sounded like a low hum where WWE has always sweetened their crowds to the fullest. It really makes a difference.
ReplyDeleteThis QOTD has been beaten to death and then some, but I think Austin coming out to help Foley is the gold standard.
ReplyDeleteFor live pops, Cena coming back at Rumble 08 was incredible.
Upvote for going a different direction with a topic that's been brought up gazillions of times.
ReplyDeleteThose Southeast crowds went fucking bananas for face turns. I love that 'HOOT! HOOT! HOOT!' noise the crowd would do every time the brand-new face would pop the heels. I'm glad we still have that to an extent and am really sad those fans seem to have disappeared.
ReplyDeleteAny Austin entrance in 98. I think WM may have been the loudest. Wait, Over the Edge. Wait, when he helped Mankind.
ReplyDeleteNon-Austin would be Flair at GAB 89 or Sting at Uncensored 97
Y2J's debut and just about everything Austin did late 99-early 2000 was up there. No one was more over and got as consistent a pop from what I can recall. Punk's return and the Cena belt showdown was pretty cool too
ReplyDeleteWM18. Hogan Hulking up and kicking out of the Rock Bottom. That was insane.
ReplyDeleteJR and Lawler during that entire sequence (really the whole match) makes it even better. "Whatcha gonna do Rock? Whatcha gonna do!?!?!"
ReplyDeleteThree loudest I was at live:
ReplyDelete- Mick Foley beats the Rock in Worcester 12/98
- Steve Austin returns from the bar to destroy the Alliance 7/01
- Scott Steiner debuts at Survivor Series 11/02
Honorable mention to Benoit winning at the end of WM20
I was in Worcester and still get crazy goosebumps when I watch those final moments back... amazing.
ReplyDeleteTaker's return at Judgement Day 2000
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/yVQR9Cs6If8
Crowd went apeshit
Love that... especially Vince's weird march/walk before Taker slugs him.
ReplyDeleteQuestion asked for loudest pop and that Diet Pepsi was a screamer!
ReplyDeleteUncensored 1997, when Sting finally directly attacked the NWO and single-handedly took them all apart.
ReplyDeleteI'd say: (1) Foley beating Rock for the WWF World title on RAW; (2) Austin returning at Backlash 2000 to destroy HHH and Vince; and a personal favorite, (3) 2 Cold Scorpio debuting the 450 splash on a random COTC.
ReplyDeleteThat whole comment would confuse any of us who live in places where Diet Pepsi is soda and not pop.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was aiming for.
ReplyDeleteI attended a Nitro in summer of '98, the one immediately following the Great American Bash. Chris Benoit was being interviewed after beating Finlay, and he said "I'm not with the red or the black, I'm with" and he held up the sign of the Horsemen. The place exploded with cheers and "We want Flair" chants.
ReplyDeleteI suggest an upcoming QOTD: Soda or Pop? Cola wars!
ReplyDeletePeople lost their shit when Brock Lesnar F5ed Big Show.
ReplyDeleteBret's music hitting in Montreal when Shawn was out in the ring for Summerslam.
ReplyDeleteRock getting announced as host of Mania
Jericho WWE debut
Yeah that one too.. plus Shawn winning... lots of huge pops at that show.
ReplyDeleteD-Von coming out too.
ReplyDelete"GOT YOUR HOPES UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, DIDN'T YA??"
ReplyDeleteIn person, Warrior got a HUGE pop at the San Diego Sports Arena, post WM 12. When HBK came out, I thought to myself, "damn. Guess that's why he's champ now." Then Warrior came out and pretty much dwarfed HBK's pop. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole time he was out there.
ReplyDeleteTV...bah. Far too many to consider.
All these answers are WRONG.
ReplyDeleteBiggest pop in wrestling history was when Hulk Hogan bodyslammed 750 pound Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III.
There were 200,000 people in the Silverdome, after all.
That first 450 splash was awesome! I do remember it
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vince Jordan. I think my life perhaps would have been okay without that visual.
ReplyDeleteROH's "Ring of Homicide" during the CZW beatdown when Homicide's music hit. You'd think the show was being held in a stadium instead of some gym.
ReplyDeleteAnd then the pop lasted for the entire brawl between 'Cide and Necro Butcher. It was crazy.
Agreed.....you kinda get the sense the higher ups in WWE must be going....
ReplyDelete"Well hes Ric Flair, so we definitely should have him on the payroll"
"Okay so what do we do with him?" "Well........"
(crickets)
(crickets)
Well, he did gorilla press slam an 8-foot 700 pound giant......who died shortly thereafter
ReplyDeleteThat may end in fisticuffs, as would any question involving those weirdos who call sneakers tennis shoes.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because at Survivor Series in 96 at MSG, Shawn got booed, but a few years later, in the midst of a huge and rapidly occurring downturn post-Rock and Austin departure, HBK's return was much appreciated by the wrestling-savvy audience.
ReplyDeleteI was there. Agreed
ReplyDeleteIF you look behind Shawn when the music hits I'm pretty sure there is a guy who lost control of his bowels.
ReplyDelete200,002 you forgot Gorilla and Jesse
ReplyDeleteHuh? They held off taking the title off of Bryan and only did when it was clear he wouldn't be back by Summerslam.
ReplyDeleteUltimate Warrior destroying Honky Tonk for the IC title in SummerSlam '88, massive ovation at that reign finally ending, fantastic work.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Rock beating HHH at Backlash 2000, from Austin's huge pop entering to the win.
I was at an indie show that was doing a king of the ring style tournament, and in the finals, one guy pulled out a pile driver that popped the really tiny crowd into a wild frenzy. Then a minute later, the two guys were battling on the turnbuckle, and one guy pulled the dude OFF THE TURNBUCKLE and into a backbreaker.
ReplyDeleteIt was one of the most insane, creative spots I've ever seen, and it's probably happened before, somewhere, but I'd never seen it, and neither had that crowd, who went BALLISTIC over these two moves in a row.
Pretty sure he was trolling. At least I hope so.
ReplyDeleteOn tv: On the 1/4/99 Raw, when the glass breaks during the Rock/Mankind match, the crowd goes insane.
ReplyDeleteHogan slamming Andre at WrestleMania III.
In person: Steve Austin and Kurt Angle do a run-in during the Bagwell/Booker match in Tacoma on Raw.
Wrestlemania 18 or Hogan in Montreal.
ReplyDeleteThe Hart Foundation entering at Canadian Stampede. The pop is earth shattering.
ReplyDeleteSoda or you are a terrorist
ReplyDeleteAlso punk at mitb 2011
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to side with my universe-reshaping colleague here.
ReplyDeleteHogan really should have won that match.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Jericho and HHH didn't tell them both to go fuck themselves when they got through the curtain.
Underrated huge pop: Virgil turning on Ted DiBiase.
ReplyDeleteOne that sticks out to me was when Triple H returned from injury. My memory is hazy, but I believe that lead to him facing Jericho at WM and getting the opposite of the biggest pop ever.
ReplyDeleteI was a part of that pop. It was massive.
ReplyDeleteWhen Santino was one of the two men left in the 2011 Royal Rumble with some other guy.
ReplyDeleteBetween that and the grapefruits, I'm surprised she's still alive.
ReplyDelete(Take that, your lunch!)
Burt Rivers isn't just some other guy!
ReplyDeleteI thought his name was El Patron?
ReplyDeleteYou did good!
ReplyDeleteAny Austin pop from late 97 to 2001. Just pick a random Raw in 1998 and he gets a bigger pop than anything today.
ReplyDeleteYou're starting to turn into a cynical bastard. The Vince Jordan of whenever it was you debuted wouldn't have stooped this low!
ReplyDeletei thought this was gonna be about the dude from the muppets
ReplyDeleteThe loudest Pop on TV, to me, was when Austin helped Mankind win the title. But the loudest pop I ever hear in person, and it maybe magnified by nostalgia, but my first live event was main evented by Terry Funk vs Hulk Hogan, 1985. When Hogan came out, I really learned the meaning of "blowing the roof off the place". His entrances were amazing back in those days.
ReplyDeleteNot the loudest ever, but I happened to want to re-watch Undertaker vs. Mankind, Hell In a Cell at King of the Ring 98.
ReplyDeleteWe all know the match. Mankind thrown off the Cell. And then chokeslammed through the Cell.
When Undertaker and Mankind climbed the Cell for the restart (after thrown off, before the thrown through), the pop was big. We all thought it was a great show, not realizing that Mick was hurt semi-badly, and after the chokeslam through the Cell, he was almost completely out of it.
El Taco Del Burrito was the other guy.
ReplyDeleteNo. Rock winning was the right call.
ReplyDeleteNah
ReplyDeleteThe only pops I've seen wrestle was on regular show. So, he's the biggest.
ReplyDeleteLive? Steamboat pinning Savage in the Silverdome. The only time in my life that I could not hear my own voice screaming.
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteI was at the Greenville Bi-Lo Center in 1998 when Flair returned to WCW. We screamed forever. Forever and ever. Nothing tops that in my experience.
ReplyDeleteThat guy starts pounding the barricade like he about to see the second coming.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Virgil finally getting his win over DiBiase at Summerslam 91 got a huge pop. Not biggest ever, or anything, but still big,
ReplyDeleteI supposed to be there but couldn't get off work. Regret that to this day
ReplyDeletepersonally, I love it if the crowd is so hot for the match to start that everyone pops just because of the ring bell. one great example for that would be the first Cena vs. Rock WrestleMania match.
ReplyDeleteTV pop, for a LONG time was Foley's first title win, when Austin came out, but the post WM29 Raw when Ziggles cashed in was pretty close.
ReplyDeleteYes I do.
ReplyDeleteGod dawn when did I get so old
I'm sure all the big top 10 pops have been mentioned, so in the underrated pool:
ReplyDeleteLinda stands up, kicks Vince in the grapefruits @ WM17.
Stooges return to take out the Mean Street Posse @ Summerslam '99
DDP unveils his La Parka Mask vs Savage on Nitro
Pillman low blows Taker, Bret grabs the flag on RAW in Nova Scotia
wwe.com did a chat and i asked Finkel this question and he said this was the biggest pop he heard working for the company.
ReplyDeleteYes. Hogan winning would've been so stupid. That's not why he was there in 2002
ReplyDeleteIt's pop. Just like the east coasters to bother with 2 syllabals when one will do. How inefficient. Pffffffffft.
ReplyDeleteThe naturally biggest one I'd of course Austin running in and costing The Rock the Title against Foley. The crowd just comes UNGLUED, screaming so loud that you realize halfway through that the announcers are actually trying to be heard and they're being drowned out completely.
ReplyDeleteUnderrated....I was just thinking of that one
ReplyDeleteBiggest pop i ever recalled would have to be one that sadly will never be allowed to be shown ever again. The end of WM 20 with Benoit and Guerrero holding the top belts is worthy of the loudest pop for these vast talented but tragic figures. Now for a second option, I would say that honor goes to sandman returning to the ECW arena after that disastrous WCW run.
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting that got a louder pop then Hogan--Andre!?
ReplyDeleteThe loudest pop I ever saw live was Jericho's WWF debut in 1999 at the Rosemont Horizon. The building literally exploded (R.I.P. Gorilla). That was the only Raw I ever attended. Honorable mentions go to Steamboat's NWA title win at Chi-Town Rumble '89 at the UIC Pavillion (Luger and the Road Warriors also got huge pops that night) and Steamboat winning the IC title over Savage in a false finish at a house show at the Horizon in Oct 1986.
ReplyDeleteJR completely lost it on that spot.
ReplyDelete