Ten Things I’m Grateful for as a Wrestling Fan
Thank you Vince McMahon for your contributions to the wrestling world. As the world processes Vince McMahon’s retirement, here is a fan’s perspective on what Vince has done for the grappling game.
Like most people, I can separate the art from the artist and while there’s plenty to write about McMahon’s escapades outside the ring, this is all about what I’m grateful to Vince McMahon for. Thank you Vince for these ten things (and there are plenty of others).
Hulkamania
Although Hulkamania existed in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Vince McMahon saw what the AWA’s Verne Gagne was blind to and transformed Hogan’s popularity into a cultural phenomenon.
Hogan’s popularity cannot be overstated as he transcended wrestling, becoming an international celebrity and took the WWF from a regional promotion to a national one.
WrestleMania
Vince McMahon’s genius was his ability to take ideas to the next level. Hulkamania wasn’t a WWE creation and neither was pay-per-view. Nonetheless, Vince McMahon saw Jim Crockett’s success with Starrcade and decided to take it national.
The first WrestleMania was a gutsy move and could have severely weakened (or even bankrupted) the WWE. However, Vince’s vision proved successful, and “The Showcase of the Immortals” has become the WWE’s crown jewel.
The Rock-n-Wrestling Era
As much as I love the Attitude Era, there’s no escaping my fondness for The Rock-n-Wrestling Era (1984-1990). The WWE was a who’s who of talent thanks to Vince throwing money at seemingly anyone who stepped into a ring.
Hulk Hogan led the charge but there were plenty of other stars in the singles and tag team ranks. The Intercontinental Championship featured some awesome action while the tag team division boasted an amazing array of talent including The British Bulldogs, Demolition, The Hart Foundation, The U.S. Express, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, and many others.
World Class Production Values
While I’m still a big fan of old-school studio wrestling, I love how the WWE turned wrestling into a slickly produced product with multiple cameras, quality sound, bright lighting, and everything fans enjoyed in major league sports.
While Dick Ebersol is responsible for telling Vince he had to improve the WWF’s production values when the two collaborated on Saturday Night’s Main Event, Vince took everything he learned and ran with it.
Monday Night RAW
The WWE’s focus on a weekly flagship show was one of Vince McMahon’s greatest decisions. While this led to the decline of the WWE’s weekend syndicated shows, it created more competitive matches and turned Monday nights into destination television for wrestling fans.
The Attitude Era
Wrestling fans have their favorite eras but chances are every WWE fan is familiar with the Attitude Era. Like anything from the past, there’s a certain nostalgia that clouds people to its imperfections but there’s no denying just how consistently entertaining this era was. Just another thing I say thank you Vince for.
The Mr. McMahon Character
Wrestling fans can point to their favorite characters, but in my opinion, the Mr. McMahon character is one of the greatest.
This is a classic example of turning chickenshit into chicken salad as Vince’s attempts to present himself as a babyface after “The Montreal Screwjob” failed miserably.
Vince ran with the fans’ hate, creating a character that would serve as the perfect foil to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and several other babyfaces over the years.
While nothing can compare to Vince’s feud with Austin, his programs with babyfaces such as The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, and Shawn Michaels were special in their own right.
Preserving Wrestling History
People can complain about the WWE owning tape libraries from various wrestling territories (many of which the WWE helped put out of business) but to its credit, the WWE has provided access to high-quality footage that fans would otherwise have to scour the Internet for. It’s not a perfect situation but kudos to Vince for preserving some of wrestling’s footage.
These preservation efforts have created some fantastic means of reliving small and big moments in wrestling whether it’s shown on the WWE Network, the WWF’s Coliseum videos, or its WWE videos on DVD and Blu-Ray.
The WWE Universe
While there are times when it can be embarrassing to be a wrestling fan (Katie Vick for starters), there are so many WWE fans from every walk of life and it’s always fun to share your love for wrestling with others.
While wrestling fandom has been around since its earliest days, Vince took wrestling mainstream, so much that it’s not looked down upon so much.
Although I may be wrong with that take, I know that my enjoyment of wrestling has provided many memories with friends and relatives whether it’s watching TV or attending shows.
Wrestling Video Games
Nothing can replace the fun of watching wrestling but for me, wrestling video games are such a great way to recreate the magic of wrestling and challenge other people to matches without wrecking your home.
Sure, there have been some garbage wrestling games but the WWE has a terrific track record dating all the way back to the earl,y 90s.
Thank You Vince!
Thanks for the memories Vince!
What do you think of Vince’s contribution to the wrestling world? Let us know in the comments below.
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