Holy crap! How is it that I never noticed this thread before? I don't follow it as closely as I did in my teens and twenties but I still love the action and spectacle. A close childhood friend first introduced me to it in 1981 or 82 and I was quickly hooked. I remember wrestling before Hulkamania was born. The first major face turn I can recall is when Jimmy Snuka renounced the services of Capt Lou Albano. The guy had no mike skills at all but even as a bad guy fans were won over by his high flying feats and finishing move. But his time as a major face was short lived. Vince Jr didn't want any other good guys stealing Hogan's spotlight. And when he was indicted for beating his girlfriend to death he really had no choice but to quietly cut ties with him. Amazingly, the authorities finally have the evidence they need for a murder conviction and the 72 year old former superstar is awaiting trial.
But anyway, that was just the beginning of my love affair with wrestling. As the years went on I actually came to enjoy Jim Crocket Promotions/NWA/WCW even more than the WWF. It's hard to believe it but back in the 80s, Ric Flair was younger than I am now. I could go on and on about the Macho Man, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, Sting, Bret Hart, and so on but that will be a post for another day.