3. The Wrestling Boom Coincided With The Internet Boom
WWE.comWhen I think back to how I got started reading about wrestling I can point to a specific event: Survivor Series 1997. I had been watching the wrestling business since about 1986 as a six year old, but as I got older I got into it even more. I jumped on the internet, which was still pretty new in those days, to read about what really happened. We didn't know, so we had to get more info about it. I was still in high school at the time. After that, I was hooked on it. What's cool about the hottest period in wrestling (from about 1997 to 2001 aka The Attitude Era) is that it coincided with the boom of the internet. Back then, the internet was only dial up for most of us and there would be internet usage plans that would be something like 40 hours per month for $25. It's ridiculous right? But that's how it was. The internet sites back then were pretty basic. Graphics weren't a big deal. The advertisements were not as present as they are today. There were a lot of popups in some cases, but they weren't like they are now. I can also remember newsletters were very popular. You signed up for a mailing list and you would get the news, but it was not as easy as it is now. Part of the reason why I really grew to love wrestling in those days was because there were forums where you could talk with other fans about it. At school there were only a few people that really cared, but on the internet there were people there all the time. It was great. It cannot be understated that the best time to be a wrestling fan was also when the internet started to become the biggest thing in our lives too.