RealGM

I've been watching some Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, and Pedro Morales matches. The problem I have with 1960's and 1970's wrestling is it was a lot of the same basic moves. Variety makes wrestling great, and there wasn't much during that time. Personally I think I'd rather watch today's wrestling. When you had the Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid matches and you had wrestlers like the Rock n Roll Express come in along with some great main eventers wrestling got much better. I'd have to say early 1980's.

I think it's really a personal thing but pro wrestling has been an evolution. It was really popular when it first came about. But if you grew up watching the 80's and beyond and look back, those matches will look boring and too basic. Wrestling always hits an evolution period. The 80's really started to change wrestling quite a bit. Then the mid-90's changed it again and it's all for the better.

I don't know if you've seen The Destroyer but watch some of his matches in Japan from the late 60s/70s, IMO it blows away most of the stuff of the last 20 years, one of my all time favs, watch one of his matches vs. Mil Mascaras (07/25/74 especially) or even Giant Baba. Japanese promotions have easily led the way in in-ring quality.

I feel the same the same way about the pre-80s stuff. I just can't watch it. I think it's largely because it was a performance for the live audience rather than a TV audience. Vince hadn't come along yet, and perfected the way we view wrestling on the screen. I give those guys the benefit of the doubt (obviously, haha) and say that it was probably a different experience live.

Coach Smiley wrote:I don't know if you've seen The Destroyer but watch some of his matches in Japan from the late 60s/70s, IMO it blows away most of the stuff of the last 20 years, one of my all time favs, watch one of his matches vs. Mil Mascaras (07/25/74 especially) or even Giant Baba. Japanese promotions have easily led the way in in-ring quality.

It doesn't seem like too many people here watch Japanese wrestling so it was more a question about American wrestling. I agree with the last comment though. Are these just clips or full matches? I'll have to watch him soon.

IMO it hit it's peak when it was nWo/WCW vs Austin/WWE

Then it all went downhill.

ECW re-booted the sport, but when McMahon bought everything, it was ruined for me.