Welcome to the latest edition of Four on Four. This week, we have a casual fans theme. We’re looking to peer into the mind of individuals who used to be diehard wrestling fans but rarely or casually watch the product today, or who are happy to watch what WWE has to offer without the distractions of the indies. Let’s meet the panel:
Juan Vazquez: Was stalked by a Velvet Sky loving werewolf at an independent wrestling show. Handheld video game enthusiast.
He doesn’t have a twitter but says you should follow ours: @WrestlingEarth
“Hollywood” Chris Hall: No relation to Hollywood Hulk Hogan, we think. Designer of this glorious website you read. St. Louis Cardinals hater. Bigger Oakland Athletics hater.
Follow him on Twitter: @powerofliberty1
Kelly Marshall: Has half of Mr. Fuji’s cane as her prized possession. Also had her camera smashed by Andre the Giant’s foot when she was 10 years old. Roll Tide.
Follow her on Twitter: @ksm
Andrew Blackett: Enjoys a glass of shandy on a rainy day, but don’t even think about giving him shandy on a sunny day. Feels like he’s finally ready to take a run at his older brother.
Follow him on Twitter: @blacketta
1. Who is your favorite wrestler of all time?
Juan:
My favorite wrestler of all time… hmmm… this is a tough one. A lot of people would choose a favorite wrestler based on how popular the wrestler is while I base it on how good of a wrestler I think the wrestler actually is.
My favorite wrestler is… drum roll please… Kurt Angle. This guy really knew how to make a match worth watching. His technicality in the ring was amazing. I believe his greatest matches were those against Brock Lesnar. Nobody could have pushed Kurt to be as great as he is if it was not Lesnar in my opinion. Kurt brought a certain type of physical reality that is rare to see in the ring.
Chris:
My favorite wrestler of all time would have to be The Rock. I got into wrestling because of The Rock. One of the most dynamic characters of all time, he used his limited move set to his advantage, adopting a more athletic brawling style that made for very good storytelling during the Attitude Era years.
Kelly:
Can I have three for my three lives as a wrestling fan? As a little kid, George “The Animal” Steele stole my heart the minute I saw him. I had a MINE doll and I secretly hoped he would win Miss Elizabeth’s heart from Macho Man. Looking back, I probably just wanted him as my own pet.
I would check out every wrestling book and VHS tape my local libraries had to get a handle on the history of feuds and stables. I was mesmerized by early-NWA. I could never find them on my local TV as a kid, but the old VHSes impacted me enough to know that I should be a Sting-head. As my second life as a fan emerged (when Hogan turned heel), Sting was my man. I was so pissed that he just stood in the rafters and watched. I missed out on the best days of Sting, but he still holds a top spot in my heart.
Today, it’s Punk all the way. Those times he was ‘drunk’ at Jericho – best. (I took Jericho to Hooters once with Dean Malenko, Chavo Guerrero and Chris Benoit).
Side note: My favorite referee was Joey Marella, but don’t tell Charles Robinson.
Andrew:
Stone Cold by far. He taught me so much from a young age and was a fantastic role model. Continue reading