10 Things We Learned From WWE SmackDown's First Ever Episode

10. Nobody Could See

SmackDown 1999 Vince Stephanie McMahon
WWE Network

Patrons attending events in 1999 were more patient than some might think.

As the opening boom shots flew over the audience, hundreds of signs could be seen flapping around in the excitement. Then, when Vince and Stephanie McMahon came out for their show-opening promo, a lot more could be seen being waved around from fans on the floor. That had to be annoying for those behind them.

Signs have made a bit of a mini-comeback in recent years after a period of few, and that's even with WWE's well-known strictness over the messages fans are allowed to convey. Apparently, that wasn't an issue back in '99. There were signs saying things like, "Show Your Puppies", "We Want Puppies", "I Love Sex" and the delightfully crude, "Hunter Shags Chyna" all over the place.

Compare to this modern times, where signs are more likely to be PG, and WWE's micromanagement over fan behaviour (sometimes rightly so; they have sponsors to appease, after all) is barefaced. Back during the era of Attitude, it looked like one fan in every three had a piece of cardboard in their hands.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.