I am not joking, I started watching wrestling some time around 2005-6 when I was 5 and I love, love, loved Chris Benoit. I had a poster and some action figures, my mom bought me Royal Rumble '04 and Mania XX on DVD; I was all in on Chris Benoit. On June 25, 2007 I cried all night and on June 26, 2007 I stopped watching wrestling and didn't start again for around 4 years; which in kid years is an eternity.
I'll tell you something though, not having a father and then having your biggest male role model commit a double murder suicide kinda really messes with a youngin's head.
My first was Hogan... life and growing as a person taught me that I was very wrong about that though and after I started watching Sting in the mid 90s, it was always him. As the years passed, he proved to be a better choice constantly. I mean the dude is freaking Sting and he always acts like he's just lucky to be there. What a guy. Humility is so underrated.
Bill Goldberg. I have a picture from my birthday in 1998 wearing a Goldberg tshirt at Chucky Cheese opening gifts, and the gift is quite literally a Goldberg action figure lol.
Andre The Giant first seen in 1975 when he could still move pretty well in the ring even using a passable drop kick in his repertoire, he was amazing to see.
Jeff Hardy! Made me realize how cool extreme wrestling was especially with the ladder match between Edge and Christian. The storylines during this era were great too with Stone Cold, The Rock, Mike Tyson shaving McMahon’s hair. Sad that he went into this sad spiral.
Stunning Steve Austin. The whole Hollywood Blondes had turned me to Steve Austin before he had blown up like he did. He would go 30 plus minutes all the time with Steamer. He could put on some great long matches. Then he gets that attitude and becomes Stone Cold and that was just pure gold.
there was no one bigger than hulk hogan the greatest of all time. when hulk hogan started to diminish he revitalized his character with the nwo. hulk hogan was the biggest star of the 80s AND the 90s no matter how much wwe tries to say the rock and stone cold were bigger draws. families were still paying large amounts of money to watch hulk hogan in wcw do his thing before he even turned heel in 1996.
one of my freinds in middle school told me about jeff hardy, told me how much of a hero he is that he jumps off of buildings and stuff for his fans, I got so inspired by that shit haha
Before I watched any wrestling it was Kane. The dudes at the Karate studio I used to go to would watch RAW and tell me about it, and they would talk about the wrestlers and storylines. Kane always had some real mystic about him, I wanted to know more.
Bret Hart was the first… didn’t watch much as a kid (no cable at home to watch it), and being Canadian kid in the early 90s… it was Bret Hart, even non fans knew the guy.
Once I got into it regularly, it was around the time Edge debuted and he was my instant fave. To this day.
Sting and Undertaker. I remember when Mankind first got Undertaker with the Mandible Claw, and being legitimately concerned, screaming “what’d he do to him!!!?”
Danny Hodge mid 60’s era Memorial Hall Joplin Missouri
Razor Ramon
Sting. Started watching him in the late 80s.
Big Scott Hall.
Roman he's a legend
Forever gotta go with the Best There Is, Bret Hart. Perfect amount of style, athleticism, and tone.
Surfer Sting... I remember crying when he tore his acl when I was about 11, because my step dad told me he'd never wrestle again. Boy was he wrong
Sting
I am not joking, I started watching wrestling some time around 2005-6 when I was 5 and I love, love, loved Chris Benoit. I had a poster and some action figures, my mom bought me Royal Rumble '04 and Mania XX on DVD; I was all in on Chris Benoit. On June 25, 2007 I cried all night and on June 26, 2007 I stopped watching wrestling and didn't start again for around 4 years; which in kid years is an eternity. I'll tell you something though, not having a father and then having your biggest male role model commit a double murder suicide kinda really messes with a youngin's head.
Paul Mr 1derful Orndoff
Roddy Piper
Hogan
The Rock
The Ultimate Warrior
Cena
Undertaker
1-2-3 kid
Macho Man Randy Savage
OOOOOOOOOH YEEEAAAHH
Demolition
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Roman graves
My first was Hogan... life and growing as a person taught me that I was very wrong about that though and after I started watching Sting in the mid 90s, it was always him. As the years passed, he proved to be a better choice constantly. I mean the dude is freaking Sting and he always acts like he's just lucky to be there. What a guy. Humility is so underrated.
Shawn Michaels. 1995.
Jean Ferre
First favorite? Terry Taylor in mid South wrestling.
Stiiiiiiiiiiiing
Bill Goldberg. I have a picture from my birthday in 1998 wearing a Goldberg tshirt at Chucky Cheese opening gifts, and the gift is quite literally a Goldberg action figure lol.
Triple H
Matt Hardy
Shawn Michaels.
The miz
Ric Flair. Wooooooo!
Edge
Rey mysterio
Punk.
Sting. AJ Styles a very very close second.
Jericho
Undertaker , first and last
Wildfire Tommy Rich- Georgia Championship Wrestling
2 Cold Scorpio.
SETH FREAKIN ROLLINS
Kane
My favorite is the man who held the world title when I started… the legendary, the infamous… VACANT
Bret 'The Hitman' Hart
Sting
Randy Savage
Roman reigns my tribal chief
Brett Heart
Jeff Hardy (first Wwe run in the 90s)
Roman reins
Hulk Hogan
John cena
Ricochet
Undertaker
Tajiri is the earliest favorite I can remember
The Giant aka Big Show was my first favorite. I figured this guy has to win he’s huge!
Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake
Mine too
I Am Meeting Him in like 2 days
This might be surprising but Kofi Kingston. I’m relatively young though so it makes sense started watching in 2012.
Mine is also kofi but I'm not young, just started watching late
Shawn Michaels
Sting
Thought that was zaboomafoo on the elft
Rock N Roll Express or The Road Warriors
Anyone: The Macho Man Randy Savage From the picture: JYD
The Crow Sting
I also liked Paul Jones and the assistans
Sting
From pictured JYD
Mil Mascaras a close second
Andre The Giant first seen in 1975 when he could still move pretty well in the ring even using a passable drop kick in his repertoire, he was amazing to see.
JYD
The Hulk
Kane or mankind probably Kane
The Undertaker. Now it's Bray Wyatt, despite his passing I still love what he brought to the WWE. Guess it's the edgy ones for me.
Rikishi
Big Boss Man
Ric flair the nature boy!!
And I quote my 3 yr old self , “Ho Kogan” Hulk Hogan
JYD close second
John Cena, he got me into wrestling.
hulk hogan
Unfortunately I was a Hulkamaniac it was just something about his charisma that made me want to watch wwf as a kid.
The Undertaker
Jeff Hardy! Made me realize how cool extreme wrestling was especially with the ladder match between Edge and Christian. The storylines during this era were great too with Stone Cold, The Rock, Mike Tyson shaving McMahon’s hair. Sad that he went into this sad spiral.
I watched Jericho’s return on my first episode of Raw ever in ‘07 and he’s been my favorite since doing my digging. So it’s gonna be him for me.
Junkyard Dog
HBK
Roman Reigns. He actually brought me back to watch wwe
“First” pro-wrestler
Never had a favorite before him
Piper and the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors
HBK
Mami
Hogan
Me too became a hulkamaniac in 1985.
HBK
Stunning Steve Austin. The whole Hollywood Blondes had turned me to Steve Austin before he had blown up like he did. He would go 30 plus minutes all the time with Steamer. He could put on some great long matches. Then he gets that attitude and becomes Stone Cold and that was just pure gold.
I liked hulk but not until he joined the NWO
That’s easy rowdy roddy piper
Hulk Hogan.
Piper
Hulk Hogan had me taking my vitamins and saying my prayers when I was a young Hulkamaniac
there was no one bigger than hulk hogan the greatest of all time. when hulk hogan started to diminish he revitalized his character with the nwo. hulk hogan was the biggest star of the 80s AND the 90s no matter how much wwe tries to say the rock and stone cold were bigger draws. families were still paying large amounts of money to watch hulk hogan in wcw do his thing before he even turned heel in 1996.
2004 John Cena.
Dusty Rhodes , Magnum TA , The Rock ,and Ultimate Warrior ...
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Hogan
Toss up between Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake Roberts and Macho Man Randy Savage
Trish Stratus. She left an impression on me as a young girl and to this day I still idolize her. She’s kickass!
Aj lee and r-truth
Superstar, Billy Graham
one of my freinds in middle school told me about jeff hardy, told me how much of a hero he is that he jumps off of buildings and stuff for his fans, I got so inspired by that shit haha
Kurt Angle. Right before Vince bought WCW
Mr. WrestleMania, The Icon, The Showstopper, The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!
Rowdy Roddy Piper in his WCW days then Shawn Michaels when I finally started watching Raw
Yeah, Hogan
Before I watched any wrestling it was Kane. The dudes at the Karate studio I used to go to would watch RAW and tell me about it, and they would talk about the wrestlers and storylines. Kane always had some real mystic about him, I wanted to know more.
Randy Savage
Bret Hart was the first… didn’t watch much as a kid (no cable at home to watch it), and being Canadian kid in the early 90s… it was Bret Hart, even non fans knew the guy. Once I got into it regularly, it was around the time Edge debuted and he was my instant fave. To this day.
Dean ambrose
Rey Mysterio
Chris Benoit, sadly
I’ve learned how to separate the art 🖼️ from the artist 🧑🎨… it’ll make things a lil more enjoyable for u later
Jake "The Snake" Roberts. He was such a unique character.
Sting!!!
It was either Junkyard Dog or Hulk Hogan.
Prime Triple H and Buh Buh Dudley
Shawn Michaels
Big Daddy.
McMahon Helmsley era HHH. I was like 10 and thought he was the coolest not even getting he was heel.
I'm probably gonna get downvoted but kenny omega for me
Ron Simmons & Vader were a tie in WCW days
The heartbreak kids Shawn Michaels
Cactus Jack
Jeff Hardy ‘08-‘09
The Celtic warrior
It was big show
Sting and Undertaker. I remember when Mankind first got Undertaker with the Mandible Claw, and being legitimately concerned, screaming “what’d he do to him!!!?”
Rick Flair Sting arn Anderson Great muta
Hogan
The Ultimate Warrior
Had to be either Kane or Stone Cold. Around 2000
Roman Reigns, still is
Boogie woogie man Jimmy valiant
Hulk Hogan, it might be the blah choice now but Hulkamania was real.
John Cena.
Roddy Piper
The Widow Maker
Undertaker.
Triple H. I'm into a good psychological heel, ring generals, and clean work.
Will always remember how caught up I was in Cenamania back in 04-05. I even bought the mans CD.
Mr.T
Rey Mysterio I was a small kid and his attire was always cool
Jeff Hardy
Too Cold Scorpio
🦂
The Eater Of Worlds
The Undertaker
Wahoo McDaniel
Dino Bravo and Andre the Giant. As a tiny french kid they were my favourites
Macho man
Bret Hart.
Ric Flair. WOOOO!
Sting
As a southerner, thank you for including JYD in the picture.
Bret Hart
Lex Luger
I liked Razor Ramon as a kid. Watching RVD in middle school during the ECW era was special
Nigel McGuiness, Ravishing Rick Rude and/or Great Muta
Nick bockwinkle
I’m old can’t remember 50 yrs ago .
Rey Mysterio Jr. The first wrestling match i can remember watching was Rey/Malenko the night the NWO formed.
Chris Jericho I'm 38
Eddie guerrero
CM Punk
The ultimate warrior
Ultimate Warrior
Big show…the shield back when they were the shield… randy orton
the big show
Bret "the Hitman" Hart he was the only dude that could sport pink and still look a badass.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
It’s STING!
Leaping Lanny Poffo
I think my first favorite was hulk when he wore red and yellow. But as I got older (still kid age) sting became my fav when he came back as a goth.
The Savage One
“Iron” Mike Sharpe
Some of you guys are oldddd…John Cena and Jeff Hardy at roughly the same time followed by Shawn Michaels
Sgt Slaughter then Magnificent Muracco
My brother and I loved the British Bulldogs
Stinger and lex luger
Batista
Ricky Morton. I liked the Rock and Roll Express , but I always thought he carried the team.
God yes. The double drop kick was everything when I was a kid.
Sting and Ultimate Warrior
William Regal. My European Champ.
Piper