WWE

(Again, we at Mormon Geeks feel a terrible sadness for those affected by the Aurora tragedy. Please keep those affected in your thoughts and/or prayers.)

When I was a kid, I was a pretty big fan of the WWE (formerly the WWF). From 1990 through 1996, I watched wrestling as often as I could. My mom wasn't a big fan of me watching such violence and did what she could to forbid it. But I still got a little more than 6 years of it before I decided I just didn't have time for it anymore.

There's plenty to like and hate about wrestling. When they're standing up there and talking, I'm thinking, "Shut up and wrestle already." But when they're tossing people over the ropes, jumping off ladders, leaping off the top turnbuckle, landing on the Spanish announce table, or winning a title I want them to win, it's awesome.



Here are pics of who I consider my favorite 3 from that era. Left to right that's the Undertaker (probably the coolest character ever to grace the WWE), Bret Hart (my favorite wrestler during that time), and Shawn Michaels (someone I hated for a while until his character became liked).

Fast forward 15 years to 2011. Netflix has a deal with WWE to have some of its DVDs on Intsant Watch. One of these was "The True Story of Wrestlemania." For whatever reason, I decided to watch it.

In doing so, I got sucked into the stories again and the history. I started watching what I could, including renting DVDs from Netflix that I hadn't seen in over 15 years. I read what I could through Wikipedia about the history I had missed from 1996 to 2011. I had moments of sadness and loss upon hearing how many of my favorites had passed on. Below are three of my favorites that have sadly departed:

From left to right that's The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig), and the Big Bossman. I am still sad at their loss.

 As I read what had happened from 1996 - 2010 in the WWE (since it was early 2011 when I became re-interested in this), I became intrigued by the current wrestlers.

 I was fascinated that the son of one of the greatest villains was wrestling (Ted DiBiase Jr). I started to root for this great villain and was quite glad when he not only became a "good guy", he became one of the major champions (Sheamus).

And then of course, my wife has become minimally invested and even has her own favorite: John Cena.

There are a few reasons I chose to blog about wrestling today. First, today will be the 1,000th episode of WWE's Monday night show called "Monday Night RAW". 1,000 is no small feat. The thing that makes me want to watch it (besides being reinvested into WWE) is that I watched episode 1. I cannot believe it's lasted this long. That is awesome.

Second, I've been thinking about blogging about the WWE. I get mocked for liking it. I got mocked for it when I was younger. I get mocked for it now. I even get mocked by geeks for liking it. It bugs the crap out of me when I'm sitting there watching it and someone who doesn't get it just mocks it automatically. It's one thing to make fun of something or someone that you understand. (I mock the LDS church all the time. But I'm a member and do not lesson my faith in it by saying things like that.)

This was the reason that no one from 1997 to late last year actually knew that I liked wrestling. No one that didn't already know I liked it, had no idea I used to be so into it. I shouldn't be embarrassed for liking something like that anymore than someone should be embarrassed for being a major Harry Potter fan, or aTwilight fan, or a Desperate Housewives fan, or a Days of Our Lives fan, or a Nickelback fan, or a Bachelor Pad fan, or a Real Housewives of (this city) fan, or a Jersey Shore fan, or a Keeping Up With the Kardashians fan.

We get entertained by dumb things at times. I don't think wrestling is dumb, honestly. (About 75% of the time that one of them is talking, telling off somebody else, I do.) I do enjoy it and if you want to mock me, all I have to say is this: Beware, I WILL mock you back, because you obviously want me to do that to you since you're doing it to me.

Alien abductions are involuntary, but probings are scheduled.