by Bad Booking
A lot of things can change in a decade.
As a matter of fact, that’s how long I’ve been a wrestling fan for.
Professional wrestling has always been a stable where I live. Whether it was WCW Monday Nitro, or later with WWE Raw, there was always the sound of “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor”.
I had caught bits and pieces of SmackDown in the early summer days of 2002, but they were scattered and too far in between.
It was when I saw Raw for the first time in its entirety which got me hooked through the nose.
July 22, 2002 was the date. It was the night after Vengeance. The Rock had just become the undisputed WWE champion, Eric Bischoff was running the joint, and his newest acquisition was one HHH.
After some friendly persuasion from Shawn Michaels, HHH decided that the only way to compete in the WWE was to rekindle some of the fire left behind in the Attitude Era.
Only it would be short lived.
A thunderous pedigree during a D-Generation X reunion left a friendship shattered, and a four-year blood feud ensued.
It was the camaraderie of that, Eddie Guerrero talking trash with The Rock, amongst a host of others that finally embraced me into the wacky world of sports entertainment.
While there were times the WWE would test my patience, I always came back to it. Some of it is habit while some of it is like feeling like you’re seeing a best friend again.
Some of my favorite wrestling memories also includes:
*My brother got a tape of Wrestlemania 13 one year for Christmas. This was the first time I have watched Wrestlemania from bell to bell. I will say this: Through the horrible video and audio, that Steve Austin and Bret Hart left a lasting impression on me. Both men beat the hell out of each other while the passion they showed in their craft was more enduring. Austin, bleeding like insanity, finally passed out in Bret’s patented sharpshooter. The only thing I didn’t know at the time was that this was the most masterful double turn in the company’s history. Probably even professional wrestling too while I’m at it.
*For Wrestlemania XX at the house, it was quite the affair. A good parade of people was there with no shortage of refreshments and possibilities. One of my brother’s friends during the three way main event asked, “When will someone bleed?” A couple of minutes later, Shawn Michaels catapulted himself into the post and bled a nine on The Muta Scale. This was mere minutes after a gaggle of people, including myself, imitated Paul Bearer before the real one came out!
*June 7, 2010. That Raw was a piece of shit. Three hours long and nothing happened at all. John Cena seemingly had CM Punk disposed of. However, off in the distance, laid Wade Barrett and his steely eyes. Michael Tarver, who may have had a baby for dinner, jumped the barricade. Wait, all the NXT guys are jumping the ring! Cena got his ass whooped! “I’m not better than you,” as Daniel Bryan would kick John Cena’s fucking head in. The ring imploded, the desks were destroyed, and it left a lasting impression. For three hours of suck-ass television before it, those 15 minutes were amongst the best things in the last decade.
I hope some of you may identify with these moments, and perhaps even chuckled slightly. You’ll be enjoying more of The Tome of Bad Booking shortly.
Categories: Smooth Runs
The Johnson Transcript 
Leave a Reply