Do people still watch WWE? I used to, but that was back in the Steve Austin, The Rock, Degeneration X days. Ever since then I'd occasionally try to watch and it's just the same stuff recycled over and over again.

Like I was thinking of watching tonight so I went and started watching last week's RAW and it's the exact same formula. Some guy in a suit comes out and starts talking trash, then some crowd pleaser breaks in somewhere in the middle of a ten minute speech and is like 'hey dude, you svck' and so on.

And the clips from the previous week showing this guy in the suit attacking John Cena's hurt arm with a "steel chair" against the "steel" stairs has been done over and over again in wrestling (at least when I used to watch).

Can they really add anything new to the mix? It's like someone gets jumped, someone confronts someone, cat fight in bikinis, trash talk, oh yeah you wanna fight, well let's do it at the next PPV. Interview about some PPV match. Some guy in a suit like "oh yeah, well I just came up with this match for the next PPV". Title fight, title doesn't change hands... Oh I guess we'll have a rematch at the next PPV, but let's make it a ladder match.

Why can't it try to do something different?

I watched it when I was a kid and it was still called "WWF." That was back in the Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, etc. days. Although I appreciate the athleticism involved I can't get into it as an advlt. All the manufactured drama is pretty tedious to me.

I watched it when I was younger. I saw a bit of John Cena vs The Rock recently. I thought it was terrible.

Let's go Cena, Cena svcks!

Eh, I used to, when i was like 8 or so. But then I realized it was a bunch of old actors running around in latex panties.

It's ridiculous how many people I had to convince that they weren't actually fighting and it was all staged. Now when I tell people I wrestle and people are like "Woah, like John Cena?!" I just shake my head and walk away.

I went through a couple of phases of watching wrestling. It was rather big when I was a kid - back around the time they had the WWF cartoon, even.

Then I went through another phase while I was in college (my room-mate was a big fan, and his mom always sprung for the PPV events.) That was around the time Owen Hart died tragically.

I usually tended to see it as a soap opera for the younger male demographic, really. (If you pay close attention - at take out a lot of the fighting, obviously - they really do tend towards similar story-lines, even.) I'm just not that into these days, again. I do respect the physicality of these guys, though. Sure, it's not a "real" sport and it's all pre-planned, etc. But it still takes a lot of athleticism and sacrifice to do some of that stuff.

It's really not for me, anymore, but I can still see the appeal, I suppose.

I used to watch it years ago, but I lost interest. I always knew it was staged and appreciated it for what it was. My worst friend is really really into professional wrestling and has been for pretty much his whole life, to the point that he's going to start training to be a pro wrestler next year, so yeah, I still have some exposure to the whole wrestling community.

What amazes me is that so many people react with the following when pro wrestling or WWE is brought up:
1. Wow, people still watch that? - I'm pretty sure WWE is more popular now than it ever has been in the past, selling more tickets, getting more views, and making more money than ever before. I'm pretty sure the most recent WrestleMania broke some type of record for something like that.
2. You know it's fake, right? - Again, I think pretty much anybody above the age of 10 realizes that pro wrestling is fake. It's not appreciated and watched by older people because they think it's real. Obviously those people exist, but they are not the majority.

You wrote the 'F' wrong

I used to watch it. Even up through high-school. I knew it was fake, all my buddies new it was fake, but we enjoyed it for the show. It's like a soap opera on steroids. Good stuff!

Hmm, I was in....8th grade I think? When Owen Hart died, coming down from the ceiling. I remember everyone in my class was talking about it the next morning.

I agree btw, Wrestling is pretty much a Soap Opera for the 13-25 Male Demographic. I watch it on occasion, just to see who all new has been added, but I rarely watch more then 2 episodes in a 6 month time period.

I remember the South Park episode that parodied it, it started out pretty much exactly how you described and turned into a full blown Roman Theater play set up.

I've been following the WWE since the late 80s. WCW as well, and I liked WCW better.

1. WM28 broke the attendance record for that particular arena. 70,000-74,000+ I think. Considering the ALL STAR match lineup they had, it was best WM I've seen(but nothing will top the first Ladder Match in WM10). It is questionable to me, to say that this era sells more tickets, than the attitude era.

2. The Moves are real. There are however "storyline injuries" but alot of injures from said moves are real, and some, such as Stone Cold, have had to retire due to too many injuries. Some storylines are fake, but some are based on real life beef between 2 people used to generate ratings. In reality no one wants to get seriously hurt, cause these moves can prove to be seriously damaging, so yeah you will see "blocked" dropkicks but they play off like they were hit, or chair shots that are cleverly "buffered" by their hands as it hits them in the head, or lowing their head to absorb the impact better.

I'd be more inclined to believe your second statement, if I haven't blatantly watched punches and kicks thrown that clearly did not land(I have rewound and rewound multiple times on such incidences, and even called over my wife to verify), and the wrestler on the receiving end of that punch/kick throws themselves backwards as though they were hit with a massive blow. Some of these punches/kicks aren't even close, having been missed by a good 6 inches

having said that though, I do understand sometimes their fake moves CAN go wrong, and no matter how well practiced, they'll get injured for real. But all that blood and crap you see on them is nothing more then cleverly hidden stunt blood and what not.

I used to. My favorite was Sting.

I remember the first Wrestlemania.

Hulk Hogan vs Rowdy Roddy Piper.

AND... you were allowed to bet on the match.

Ah the Halcyon Days of the WWF.

Rasslin was real back then.

When they changed their name...

They sold out.

Az