10 Things Only '90s Wrestling Fans Will Understand

2. Wrestling Is Meant To Be Fun

Stone Cold Steve Austin Mankind
WWE.com

Remember when Edge was a laugh?

Edge used to have patter. He used to have a quick wit. Once upon a time, were Randy Orton to have insisted he continued to stay away, Edge might have said something funny in response, like "I didn't actually realise I was out that long, Randall, but it might as well be 2011 for how much has f*cking changed with you around".

Something like that.

Yes yes career-ending injuries aren't exactly fertile gag material but for f*ck's sake, lighten up a bit. You can say entertaining sh*t even in the context of a programme high on personal animosity. It's called trash talk. It's called entertainment.

The WWF was fun in 1998, but if Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon clashed heads under the pen of this creative team, it's not getting over. McMahon is constantly reminding Austin that he was fired from WCW. Austin is telling us all that he scratched and clawed to make it to the WWF, as if he is not a badass pro wrestler but rather a house cat.

It's so tediously intense nowadays, as if it's somehow more believable that way. Edge's "grit" quota gives the script away somewhat so maybe give him the kazoo back or something. Anything.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!