[Steel]

Many of us are old timers who grew up watching the WWF, NWA, Polynesian Pacific, UWF, Georgia Championship and other regional promotions...this was before Vince McMahon Jr. turned the WWF into the global commodity that is now the WWE. Pro Wrestling broke kayfabe (the secret fact it was scripted) and became sports entertainment.. wrestlers became performers.

There are fans of both eras and the athletes still break their backs as there is nothing "fake" about getting suplexed, slammed to the mat or busted open hardway.

I personally prefer the old school and would love to see smaller organizations return to challenge the monopoly that is the WWE.

Anyone else?

[FreshDebesh]

I do miss the days when it was the WWF, UWF, NWA, AWA and WCCW. I remember I used to watch all of those shows. Most of the drama unfolded in the ring instead of backstage like it is now. Ah, the good ol' days...

[trebleshot]

Yeah, I miss the old days. I didn't mind the "superhero" shtick or flashy moves at first, because there was still a lot of old school mat wrasslin' in between the pop.

Nowadays, it seems it's practically required that every match have interference, both sides breaking rules (if any) and finish in a free-for-all.

[Cataclizm1]

I will always hold 80's WWF near and dear to my heart. 96'-98 with the nWo rocked my socks off. But there is still stuff in today's WWE that I can appreciate.

[Weirdwolf]

Yep, I miss the old days as well. The WWE as it is today has just killed pro wrestling in general to me. I used to work with a local wrestling promotion (helped with ring set up, sometimes ran the intro music off my laptop, made and hung fliers, and did security during shows) and it was awesome. I got to meet great people in the business.

I just got tired of people telling me they weren't interested in "that fake crap" when I tried to talk it up to people and get them interested in coming to the shows. They'd seen what's on TV now and it ruined it for them. It's all about sex and extracurricular activities that's going on backstage and not the in-ring performance at all. Most of the current-gen wrestlers have talent, but it's seldomly used to its fullest potential. I just can't watch it anymore. Couple that with not being able to afford traveling to our shows very little pay (if any) for what I did, just a free ticket in and the ability to go backstage, I stopped on the indie scene too.

Vince McMahon has just poisoned pro wrestling and I fear it may never recover, especially with other similar sports out there like MMA people can watch.

[big hank]

Though I'm not much into the sport anymore, as a kid in the 70's/early 80's I grew up on Gordon Solie and all the old timers! I remember when Nature Boy was still a boy, The Iron Sheik, and of course Dusty! There was something so savage about it then viewing it from a kid's eyes! So I'd have to say I definitely have a soft spot for old-time rasslin'!

[STLHBKid]

I'm a huge wrestling nut, have been for the past 29 years... (yes I was 4 when I got hooked)...

There have been the ups and downs over the years.. but that's what DVD's and compilation tapes were made for! To go back and watch the Rock with the Nation of Domination - that my friends is the real "priceless"

I'm supposed to go meet / greet Ric Flair next week in STL for Ring of Honor.. I hope it turns out great and not some 2bit crap that I wasted money on.

If anyone cares, I uploaded a few of my pictures on Toyark here, just click on my profile to see me with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Saturn, Benoit, etc etc... or give me a holler on my MySpace.com - www.myspace.com/57093299