What Wrestlers Did/Do You "Mark" For?

[Joel]

I think every wrestling fan has favourites, but some wrestlers you like so much you begin to "mark" for them - Meaning that you mainly tune in for that wrestler, you defend them if they are criticised, for some (mainly when you're young) it may go as far as you hating their rival.

For me, I was always a Warrior mark, rather than a Hogan one. From his insane promos to his electrifying entrance, to his finishing sequence. Not to mention the face paint and a body you'd dream to have (not in a homo way... well maybe just a bit).

I will always say that Demolition are the best tag team in history. I don't care what anyone says, which I guess makes me a "blind mark" for them.

I stopped watching wrestling in the mid 90's. Then late '98, Friday night I turned onto Sky Sports and saw this bald man humiliating McMahon throughout the whole show. I laughed my ass off throughout those segments and was upset to see the show end. I couldn't wait to watch again next week and when I did, there was no going bavk from there. Austin got me back into wrestling. Austin was the only reason I wanted to watch it for the first few months. I remember I was pissed that he didn't win the Survivor Series Deadly Game tounament. I loved it when he beat Taker in the Buried Alive match at Rock Bottom, hated Vince for screwing him in the Rumble, found it hilarious when he destroying Vince in the cage and marked out for him winning the title at WM15. Yeah, Austin is probably my favourite wrestler ever.

When Austin had to leave in 1999 for surgery, Rock became my favourite for that period. I had always liked him, but he never appealed to me as Austin did. He seemed repetative and I never really cared for his matches. But I wasn't a HHH fan, never cared for Big Show and Kane was stuck in a lame angle where he had been given a heart and was dating Tori, so The Rock was the only thing that I felt was good at the time. I guess if he wasn't around (and the next person on my list), I wouldn't have even bothered watching, because I couldn't stand the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. It bore me to death.

This guy's first promo in WWF was awesome. After all the hype surrounding his debut, it was not let down when he interrupted The Rock. Jericho had arrived and caught everyones attention. Flawless on the mic, amazing in the ring, just oozing charisma. He couldn't even stay heel for more than 6 months, because everyone was cheering for him. I was getting annoyed waiting for him to win the big one and when he did, it didn't even feel right. It was during the invasion storyline and he had just beaten Rock - who was on his side - so it didn't feel as big of a story as it should have. Even so, it was about time. Today he is definitely the best in the company.

I thought Kane was pretty awesome until he started to talk and shit. I loved the Raw episode when he just kept turning up and chokeslamming people and even tried to burn some people. And his entrance rocked. Also, the mystery surrounding him was great. So I guess I was a bit of a Kane mark.

Right now, the only person I would say I mark for is Michaels. And that is to do with his past and also I respect that he can still go out there and wrestle better than most of the guys in WWE. I got to admit, I am a big fan of CM Punk right now. But not a mark yet.

So yeah, that's my list I guess. As you can see, it is WWE guys, as I never really watched WCW. But obviously you can put anyone in your list, be it from WCW, AWA, Japan or Mexico.

[muscularmatt]

http://redriverautographs.files.wordp ress.com/2009/01/rock-bull-dwayne-the-rock-johnson-775398_1178_1319.jpg

That is all

[Bish]

Warrior
Mr.Perfect
Sid
Raven (in WCW)
Mankind (early heel run)
Taz
The Berzerker
Virgil

[Dale C.]

I liked Chris Jericho :joel:

[BarnDoor]

Bishop stop lying, no one ever marked for Virgil.

Look I have my favourites. 'Mark' is a faggy term which I abhore. I love Demolition, but how could I mark for them when I got into wrestling in 1991?

I rarely tuned in just for one wrestler. Storylines or certain matches yes, but I never say 'Oh if such and such isn't on tonight I ain't watching'. But of course, I am more likely to be excited by the presence of certain people on a card.

When I was really young, I was a Big Bossman fag for a while, and remember crying when he got beaten by Nailz - I was only 6 at the time for Christ's sake. I think it's difficult when you get to about 10,11, and realize what wrestling entails, to really be faggy about a wrestler to that extent.

From 1996 onwards I took a particular interest in the following:

Jake Roberts (1996 Run) - For all the wrong reasons

Mick Foley (1996-1998 WWF run was top notch)

NWO (up until early 1999) - Infact especially early 1999, since I only really started watching WCW in mid-1998, and this was the period of the second great NWO-Horseman War.

Sid - for being 'The Man' of course

Austin - always made things more interesting

The Dudley Boyz - I remember being rather happy when they won the tag titles off the Outlawz, but they changed after that (for the worse) and I lost interest fast.

Early Kane - Brilliant. After Summerslam 1998 he became a cancer.

The Ministry of Darkness - I loved this faction. Great idea, music, and Undertaker in his prime. Plus the Acolytes (pre-APA) were an awesome tag team, again I remember being very happy when they reclaimed the titles off the Hardyz at Fully Loaded 1999.

Scott Norton - Late 98 and early 99, the closest I got to 'marking' for a guy. A real powerhouse who should have gone further. Plus it felt special since I knew I was probably the only person in the world who actually 'marked' for him.

I was really into beatdowns and hardcore matches back then, which is why I think the above catered to my interests so much. When I watch wrestling retrospectively (the only real way I have been able to experience the best of ECW and WCW), I still of course maintain an interest in such things, but I also have become more drawn to promos/skits (Paul Orndorff and Gary Spivey at Fall Brawl 1995 is an unheralded classic) and great technical matches, such as the Flair-Steamboat classics. Only through such retrospective viewing have I been able to gain a true appreciation and fondness for the likes of Demolition, Rick Rude, Perfect, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Vader, Sting, The Steiner Bros., Sabu, the NWO in their prime, and Arn Anderson. I've also developed something of a weird fetish for the more oddball characters which did nothing for me back in the day, such as Waylon Mercy and Ludvig Borga.

I leave you with this. Tell me it isn't one of the greatest things you have ever seen:

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[Joel]

I always thought you was a huge Goldberg fan, Barndoor? I remember when you first joined and said that you wanked after every Goldberg victory during his streak :laugh:

Also, this has to be the best acting ever:

ldwMw0fO5Fo

When you say you was too young to "mark" for Demolition, I get it. But my brother used to tape all the wrestling events on TV, so even when you watch them back at an age where you can identify things, you realise how good they were.

[Sweey]

I only watched for a few years (about 1996-the Raw/SmackDown split) so:

Austin - as Barn says, always made things interesting.

I thought the idea of D Generation X was interesting until they starting whoring it and then it just became stupid. The Nation of Domination were interesting at the time of The Rock's "uprising".

Kane was interesting at first but the story didn't fit in with using him so much and getting him to "speak" so often with the electronic voice-box.

EDIT: Mick Foley too. At the time he was brilliant to watch.

[Bish]

It's true Barn, I loved the shit cunt that was Virgil. His music was awesome too.

I also missed out Papa Shango (when he first arrived) and Doink when he was a heel. I thought Matt Osborne played that character better than anyone.

I never really 'marked' for anyone either, I just liked certain characters more than others.

Whenever I look in the mirror, I do what Mr.Wonderful does.

[Phatmann]

I used to root for Shawn Michaels all the time when I first got into wrestling. I remember him beating Vader and Yokozuna within a week - or was it 2 weeks? - and also his iron man match with Bret Hart was tense stuff. No falls in an hour of wrestling was madness.

Kane when he had his mask on and didn't speak was just a machine and I enjoyed watching his match-ups.

Mankind was a great character in wrestling and was probably my favourite once I'd been watching wrestling for a bit. Mick Foley was a sadistic bastard too, the guy is class.

I was only really a massive fan of wrestling for about 3 years though so I haven't much knowledge of the history of other wrestlers.

[Papa]

Shawn Michaels all the way when I watched it. Others would be Kane and The Hardy Boyz (didn't like their persona but loved the high-flying stuff). I know I'm missing somebody I loved so expect this post to be edited later.

[BarnDoor]

I always thought you was a huge Goldberg fan, Barndoor? I remember when you first joined and said that you wanked after every Goldberg victory during his streak :laugh:

Also, this has to be the best acting ever:

ldwMw0fO5Fo

When you say you was too young to "mark" for Demolition, I get it. But my brother used to tape all the wrestling events on TV, so even when you watch them back at an age where you can identify things, you realise how good they were.

Yeah of course.

As for Goldberg, I thought I said I wanked when Nash beat him? Maybe not, but no I didn't like Goldberg really. That post was in the days when I was just trying to stir up shit around here.

[Original?]

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Bret > Anyone

[Foxhound]

Stone Cold & The Rock.

I stopped watching after the Invasion storyline was over.

[Mullet Taylor]

Bid Daddy Cool Diesel. Does he still hold the record for being the longest world champion in wrestling in " recent " years ? i think i heard someone came close to it but Diesel won it by a few days

The Rock when he was a heel

Vince McMahon.

[uA - 1905]

I don't keep up with it that much, but Jericho.

[Miggy]

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Bret > Anyone

Agreed. He made pink cool.

[Winger]

Bret Hart
The Undertaker
Bad Ass Billy Gunn
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Eddie Guerrero (WCW and WWE)

Owen Hart & The British Bulldog
The New Age Outlaws

I also really liked Crush until he hooked up with the Nation of Domination.

[S1mon]

Big Van Vader was a legend, as was the one and only Ming from WCW, with the 'Taka Deathlock' ... talking of Taka... what about Taka Michinoku and Funaki... what an immense pairing... would struggle to fight their way past The Mean Street Posse lol.
*Oh, and what about Tracy Smothers? the man who could only use his elbows, and would only make token appearances on 'Metal' on a Saturday, deliberately put there to get hammered by star guests like... Bull Buchanan :| lol.

[BarnDoor]

I believe you mean Meng, and his move was the Tongan Death Grip. Possibly the toughest son of a cunt to ever set foot in the ring, if even half the stories about him are true. He is said to have gouged Jimmy Jack Funk's eye out, and cleared whole bars of rednecks single-handed, biting off the occasional nose in the process.

And what about Tracy Smothers?

[S1mon]

^ Thanks for the correction ... ... What did you make of Tracy Smothers? ^Lol, I'm not even sure that joke would make it into a Chucklevision script.

[BarnDoor]

Well he was shit wasn't he? Even in the FBI he wasn't worth caring about. But my hatred of him goes back to his early WCW days, and the wretched team of him and Steve Armstrong - The Southern Boys, or Young Pistols as they were later known. Talk about marking out - the relief was palpable when I saw the Freebirds beat them for the US Tag Team titles at Superbrawl I, and even that was 15 years after the actual event.

[HH]

Watching more WCW than WWF/E when I was younger I was tuning into Goldberg/NWO, it did get out of hand but I enjoyed watching Goldberg's style whilst there was Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio Jr, Chris Jericho, Ultimo Dragon and probably so many more. The cruiserweight division was something I really looked forward to every Friday evening, Billy Kidman, Psychosis, Mysterio and even douches like Disco Inferno were great to watch.

At an early age I was quite fond of Bret Hart but never really watched WWF at the time, only watching it because my older cousins would. Maybe the pink attire caught my young eye :joel:

Tuned in and out of the Attitude Era and in properly from 2002. I preferred technical wrestling more than the style the Undertaker and others had. So when Benoit, Guerrero and Angle were on top, I had to tune in every week, the story lines weren't half bad either.

[BarnDoor]

Someone edited Jake Roberts' Wikipedia page to hilarious effect:


Finishing moves

Drug overdose
Pissing in a tin can

Signature moves

Whipping his dick out
Not paying child support
stumbling
Three left-handed jabs followed by a right-handed knockout punch

Managers

Heroin (WrestleMania III)
Jim Beam
Crack cocaine
Evan Williams
Cocaine
Jake's sister Mandy(wife)
Benny Agbayani

[Joel]

Big Van Vader was a legend, as was the one and only Ming from WCW, with the 'Taka Deathlock' ... talking of Taka... what about Taka Michinoku and Funaki... what an immense pairing... would struggle to fight their way past The Mean Street Posse lol.
*Oh, and what about Tracy Smothers? the man who could only use his elbows, and would only make token appearances on 'Metal' on a Saturday, deliberately put there to get hammered by star guests like... Bull Buchanan :| lol.

The Mean Street Posse were the greatest trio in wrestling history. No doubt. Pete Gas should have been a multi time WWE Champion.

I believe you mean Meng, and his move was the Tongan Death Grip. Possibly the toughest son of a cunt to ever set foot in the ring, if even half the stories about him are true. He is said to have gouged Jimmy Jack Funk's eye out, and cleared whole bars of rednecks single-handed, biting off the occasional nose in the process.

And what about Tracy Smothers?

Exactly the same thing Jake Roberts used to say about Ming. He said no one in the locker room would mess about around him.

[Haribo]

The Mean Street Posse were the greatest trio in wrestling history. No doubt. Pete Gas should have been a multi time WWE Champion.

Never have I read a more accurate statement.

[Neo]

The Rock
The Undertaker
Jeff Hardy

To a lesser extent Randy Orton and Edge. I honestly couldn't give a shit about anyone else.

[cadey]

"Mark" is such a gay piece of slang, stop trying to be a smark son, you're on a PES forum, you're not a smark and you never will be. You're better than that I'm sure.

When I loved wrestling back in the early 90s, my first phase, it was probably Hulk Hogan who was my favourite before Bret Hart came along.

Then I stopped watching it for years like most people and came back in the late 90s and used to watch whatever was going, WCW, WWF, ECW etc I remember liking Goldberg in WCW, Steve Austin in WWF and Taz in ECW because they were the main players at the time I get back into it.

Wrestling is shit now and some Irish cunt is the world champion, what is that all about? I've never even heard of him!