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QOTD #35: Memorabilia



Today’s Question: What’s your favorite piece of wrestling memorabilia that you own?

I’m looking forward to your answer to this. If you want to start the discussion, scroll to the end or hit “comments”. Otherwise, stay here for all your CM Punk discussion from yesterday.


In the interest of fairness, I excluded MITB and Punk’s pipebomb, as I feel over 50% of the answers would have gravitated to those moments. So for a lot of you, I was asking for your 2nd or 3rd favorite CM Punk moment, but that didn’t stop you.

Lenny Vowels: The blowing of the kiss after MITB '11. Just so amazingly characteristic and perfect.

And Lenny manages to find a loophole just 1 comment into the day, by not violating the rules of the question, but definitely sodomizing the spirit.



mattindeed: "MY DIET SODA!!!!!!" Obviously.



TheConvictor: One thing that always bothers me about wrestling is when storylines get dropped, people turn face or heel without any justification, or wrestlers get repackaged and their past accomplishments immediately get treated as if they never happened. In that vein, when Festus became Luke Gallows and joined the Straight Edge Society, I always liked how CM Punk explained that Gallows was still Festus and that his previous zombie-like state was due to alcohol and drug abuse. Sometimes, it's the little things that make me happy.

Garth Holmberg, C.C.: This one might be a little odd, but his pre-match antics at Night of Champions '12, just for the sake of being different and one of the first PPV's I watched since my hiatus from the product. From wearing the Yankee pinstripes on his tights in Cena's "home town" to obnoxiously holding the title belt in the air and refusing to hand it over to the referee for a solid three minutes, it was just doing little things to really dig into your nerves. You can just see it in his face how much fun he has being a prick.

I think it’s rare that any wrestler doesn’t prefer being a heel, but CM Punk has manipulated it better than anyone in the modern era. The art of the “troll” has been lost, and so many heels are generic WWE mutations. Not Punk. The subtlety of the ways he can irritate his foes is never lost, and he does everything he can to get under your skin.

Magoonie NOT Teddy Belmont: I really enjoy the Punk/Joe Trilogy, some fantastic matches with a flowing psychology through each match. Joe vs Punk II is the best match of the three but all of them are great matches. If you are missing CM Punk and haven't watched these matches I implore you to track them down.

I had a pretty frosty relationship with ROH fans in the middle of last decade, who *really* didn’t care to hear anyone give any kind of negative review to the product, ESPECIALLY their golden boy Daniel Bryanson who I saw as blander than white bread (hey, I was wrong). With that said, Punk’s 60 minute draw with Samoa Joe was well done without being the usual masturbatory “let’s wrestle for DAYS” nonsense that Chris Hero was pulling at the time, and showed off some of the finest wrestling available at the time – indy or not. Homicide waiting until they’d finished the Broadway dance to beat the piss out of Joe and spit on him was the cherry on top to the best match Punk and Joe ever had.

PrimeTimeTen: Signing his WWE contract on the Ring of Honor World Championship.

There’s “selling out”, and then there’s selling out and giving the fans an unwanted golden shower on the way out. That whole angle made the later “Summer of Punk” in 2011 look like bizarro world; as he was given a heroes treatment in WWE for doing the exact same thing.

Mike_N: His mega-trolling of Jeff Hardy fans. It was such a dick move to come out dressed as Hardy and playing Hardy's music one night after he'd sent Jeff packing that you just had to sit back and applaud.

This was so magnificently done that most fans assumed that Hardy’s leaving was simply temporary, and part of the bigger angle. Nope; it was Punk just finding more ways to antagonize the fan base.


Petrock: Singing happy birthday to Rey Mysterio's daughter. My roommate's girlfriend walked by when I was watching that and was like "What a dick! Someone needs to kick his ass."

As great as Punk was torturing Aaliyah, it was Aaliyah who was really the star of the segment, putting on as realistic a performance as I’ve ever seen in wrestling.



Extant1979: I always loved how giddy Punk seemed when he was told to take over on commentary when all but Cena, Triple H, Punk and Sheamus (?) walked out. Really, whenever Punk was on commentary was a lot of fun, as he was a great throwback to Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan.

It’s obvious how much of a fan of wrestling CM Punk is, which is part of the reason his current walk-out is so heartbreaking. He lived and breathed it. He could just as easily work the booth like an old school commentator, as he could get in the ring and deliver a **** match.

Mike Mears: I'll share my least favorite one, also: The time my girlfriend jumped at me, completely naked, except a CM Punk mask. (She'd ordered the mask to get her order over 25 bucks for the free shipping when she got me the "Respect the Beard" shirt.)

I’m sorry … this is your least favorite story?

Chris B: This ... every time.



Vintage: More of an understated one, but it was the first SD after the Nexus invasion, where Punk was among the first to get beat down. He came on SmackDown a few nights later and talked about being attacked by "36 armed assailants."

Punk has to write his own material, because if there’s anyone that witty working on the writing staff today, they’re being vastly underused.

Michael Weyer: Cashing in MITB for the first time in 2008. Just great as Edge had been beaten down by Batista, crowd was hot but still a huge reaction when Punk comes out, hits a GTS and wins the World title. Brilliant in Edge getting a taste of his own medicine but also great moment for Punk elevated nicely.

This was absolutely beautiful, because as you mentioned, it was the first time anyone other than Edge had used the “Cash On The Champ While He’s Down” routine. To finally have Edge get his comeuppance for his years of scumbagging was quality writing, and it was the right guy at the right time.


greaterpower99: Breaking Point. He's doing a backstage interview and just as he's declared that he's not afraid of the Undertaker, the lights go out. Both Punk and interviewer gasp in fright before the lights come back on, revealing Jimmy Wang Yang laughing at his prank. Punk joins in the laughter for a second, then viciously beats him up and resumes the interview as though nothing had happened, " as I was saying. ....".

jimmybell: That time when Shannon Moore was doing an interview as "The Prince of Punk" in ECW. CM Punk walked into the shot, stared at Moore for a long time, said "You're a poser", then slapped him. Punk waited for Moore to do something, then just chuckled and walked off. One of the best outright burials I've seen.

I’m usually against a full-fledged burial of anyone, but Moore was little more than a jobber at this point, and anything that helped the rocket ascension of Punk is something I’m prepared to overlook.

Knuckleberry Pinn: The match where he finally wins the belt from John Morrisson was awesome, after, surprisingly, their earlier contests were anything but.



Charismatic eNegro Jef Vinson: I love when he screamed, "YOU'RE A WHORE!!" at the stripper.

The best part of this story, is allegedly afterwards he was asked to apologize to the girl by the club owner in the parking lot. Punk walked up to the girl, and told her “nope, you’re still a whore”, and walked away.

Bill Ray: "Click, click, click! That's the sound your knees make! That's also the sound of remote controls when you appear on a TV screen!" -Punk busting on Kevin Nash

Seeing an undersized “Vanilla Midget” take it to Kevin Nash on the microphone was wonderful. I can’t ignore the fact that Punk is an embraced bully; but he’s given a free pass because while poor bystanders like Shannon Moore take his abuse, so do people like Kevin Nash who had never gone without getting in the last word.

Crikey Mate Down Under Aussie: "Your arms are just too short to box with God" He was always a better heel, and he was borderline delusional at his own greatness heading into the match with the Rock, amazing line, amazing delivery.



Great choices all around. Truthfully, this thread could have been 4 times longer, and we still wouldn’t have run out of things to talk about. But I’ll wrap it up here. I’ll be back tomorrow with more. Have a happy Friday, BoD! Play us out, CM Punk.


Comments

  1. I think I still have my tickets from the last couple Summerslams somewhere

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  2. My wrestling games. I have mini collection.

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  3. My copy of the Wrestlemania XX DVD signed by Eddie Guerrero.

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  4. Billy Jack Haynes shoot interview

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  5. I have a Eugene shirt that I got signed by him at an indy show a few months after he left WWE.

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  6. Christian "Captain Charisma" t-shirt.

    That is indeed how I roll.

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  7. Photo of Razor Ramon arm wrestling my dad

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  8. Personally autographed picture to me from DX (HHH, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, X-PAC, and Chyna), also one from Jumpin Jim Brunzell, and one from Mr. perfect , Animal, and Ken Resnick I got signed at a Twins game. It was the program to the baseball game.

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  9. I have a replica ECW title belt (championship!). The silver one that they had at the end of WWECW. I also have a lot of DVDs, magazines, some wrestling figures, trading cards and some 8x10s.

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  10. Signed 2x4 by Hacksaw Jim Duggan (and shards of an in-ring used 2x4), signed beauty school head by Al Snow, or a piece of Mr. Perfect's chewing gum. Take your pick.

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  11. my Dad was the consul general in Kuwait when Vader got into trouble in 97 so I got his autograph on some random piece of paper from the hotel he was staying at, I don't even know where it is anymore. And my brother ran into Road Warrior Animal at an airport somewhere and got an 8 x 10 signed for me.

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  12. A picture of me holding the Million Dollar Belt with Virgil. And it only cost me $10,000!

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  13. How was Bryan Danielson blander than white bread in ROH? Did you not see the charisma he had, the emotion he exuded or the different styles he could work depending on the opponent?

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  14. Agree.

    He was never bland in RoH.

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  15. I have a signed script from most of the wrestling stars of Ready to Rumble. I have all my LJN figures still but they are in "Well played with" condition, I still revisit them from time to time and now my kids enjoy them as well.

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  16. Chris Jericho's first WWF shirt, I was a huge Jericholic and to have him in my favorite wrestling organization was exciting times.

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  17. The old fashioned Hot Rod shirt. I always wanted one as a kid and I finally got one.

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  18. Yeah Bryan Danielson was fucking awesome. In the ring for sure but even as a character he was incredible. That Jon Moxley/Bryan Danielson stuff is as good as it gets.

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  19. Autographed Tony Schavonie 8x10.

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  20. I don't own it any longer but i remember loving the Hacksaw Jim Duggan 2X4 plush replica that i got as a kid at a 80's house show.

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  21. My collection of the Hasbro figure series is almost complete (off the cards) with the exception of the final series (featuring Borga, Yoko #2, Kid, Gunns, Bomb, and Crush #3) and a couple from the bloated sets that came out in 1992 (specifically Nailz and Owen). I'm going to say that's easily my favorite. Sitting on one of my shelves right now.

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  22. A giant egg from Survivor Series 1990. It has not hatched yet.

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  23. My buddy got a broken hand from Taz at an ECW show in Buffalo. Does that count as memorabilia?

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  24. I have a program from an NWA house show where some of the "Young Guns" were signing autographs before hand- the three I got were Scott Steiner, Brian Pillman and Scott Hall (as well as local radio personality "Banana" Don).

    I also have a 64 Oz glass Andre the Giant mug I used to take to parties and drink out of in college.

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  25. Eh... his "I've gone a little nuts and grown a beard" era was not all that great. He really didn't have the chops as an actor to back it up. His exit interview at "Nowhere To Run" where he "quit" was terrible.

    That said, when he came back a few months later clean-shaven and acting like everything was normal when he beat James Gibson for the ROH title, he was showing brilliant little tics that not all was what it seemed. Only weeks later he was in his niche as the arrogant, obnoxious, audience-trolling champion... and we all loved him for it.

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  26. I've got a shit ton of dvds, wrestling games, boxed Legends figures of Flair, Moolah, a boxed Iron Sheik covered in blood, boxed talking Triple H, but probably my favorite piece of memorabilia are three Suicide/Manik masks that I bought for my two boys and myself. We've spent countless hours at home wrestling on the floor while wearing those masks. And when I'm not wrestling with my youngest son, he's wrestling with an old nWo Hollywood Hogan wrestling buddy that I got back in '99.

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  27. I could see someone saying that about him in 2002 when ROH was one big jerk off promotion (well it still is but less so) but once he came back from England in 2003, he really learned how to work a crowd and just was oozing charisma.

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  28. HowmuchdoesthisguyweighJuly 25, 2014 at 11:02 AM

    I have some good pictures from wrestlemania 25 weekend.... Pictures with rotunda, Patterson, sanction, tony atlas, Harley race... Good times

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  29. AverageJoeEverymanJuly 25, 2014 at 11:12 AM

    Sodomizing the Spirit should be your new catchphrase

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  30. AverageJoeEverymanJuly 25, 2014 at 11:14 AM

    I got the kids size WWECW (the Phoenix one) belt for my son. It's awesome with real metal and leather. My WCW belt is fake leather and plastic and cost way more. I really like his much better than mine though I am too fat to wear it.

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  31. My event programs. (Bash '87, Bash '88, Survivor Series '89, WM VI, SummerSlam '90, SummerSlam '91, Survivor Series '91, WM VIII, Survivor Series '92, WM IX, WM X, WM XIX, WM XX)

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  32. AverageJoeEverymanJuly 25, 2014 at 11:19 AM

    My Dude Love shirt that I got off of WWF.com in 98, wore it to every WWF show I went to till 2005. I also picked up an orange version of the Macho Madness t-shirt which is my new WWE event wear.

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  33. I bought a set of 4 D-Generation X shot glasses way back when, that I loved. One was the "Two words: Suck It!," another was "down where? down HERE!," the third was the bar code, and the 4th one is one I can't even remember.

    During my sophomore year of college, my roommate and I were hosting some friends and I looked for them. My roommate, half in the bag, told me he and another of my friends accidentally broke two of them - the bar code, and the one I can't remember - and that he was really sorry. I was incredibly disappointed - not pissed because of how genuinely bad he felt - and got fucking hammered that night. I still sometimes wish I had the two that broke.

    I still have the other two, and I'm the only one who gets to take a shot from the "Suck It!" glass. I love those things.

    2nd place is probably my Kaientai EVIL shirt. That gimmick was so racist, but I still adored it so.

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  34. Holy shit, dude! I loved the Hasbro figures and have approximately 100 of them. That's a quality collection you have, sir.

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  35. Is this the Y2J shirt? I have one too.

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  36. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonJuly 25, 2014 at 11:26 AM

    3/4 scale autographed WWE US "Spinner" belt and a kid sized TNA X Division title belt with 80% of the titleholders names on it.

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  37. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonJuly 25, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    Was it as boring as the real thing?

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  38. I think so, I got his first two shirts, the Y2J one and the Jericholics one.

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  39. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonJuly 25, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    I always kick around the idea of buying that one.

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  40. I don't really have any wrestling memorabilia, but I have a large tape collection with most all WWF pay-per-views through 2000, all NWA/WCW pay-per-views, nearly all ECW pay-per-views, all SNME, all Clashes, all RAWs/Nitros through 1999, Superstars 1995-1997, Action Zone 1994-1995, Shotgun Saturday Night 1997-1998, Thunder & Sunday Night Heat 1998-1999, Prime Time Wrestling 1991-1992, and all the "Best of WWF" tapes from Coliseum Video. I also have lots of other random Coliseum Video tapes. I need to digitize a good chunk of my collection, since about 50% of it is VHS tapes.

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  41. I have a bunch of oversized cardboard posters promoting C-shows at William Paterson College from the late-80s (I should snag those from my parents' house...), along with a personalized autographed Frisbee with a poem from Leapin' Lanny Poffo.


    Somewhere in my parents' basement is a selection of the LJN WWF figures from the 1980s, along with the ring.


    Of course, I also proudly wear my Hulkamania T-shirt to the gym every chance I get.

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  42. The action figures (circa '89). Probably also the *only* piece of wrestling memorabilia I still own.

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  43. Uncrusimatic_Buck_NastyJuly 25, 2014 at 11:48 AM

    my ppv copy of wm xx

    proves that benoit really did win the world title that night

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  44. Uncrusimatic_Buck_NastyJuly 25, 2014 at 11:48 AM

    "a kid sized TNA X Division title belt"


    so, the x division title belt

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  45. Only because I lost my beloved Macho Madness tape in a previous move. Although it was pretty close to completely worn out so... yeah.

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  46. No, it was the greatest autograph in the history of our sport. He even only had a half a signature because he ran out of time!!!

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  47. Uncrusimatic_Buck_NastyJuly 25, 2014 at 11:50 AM

    no, that's the wm xx reboot, when jim won

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  48. I got it from some guy off eBay. He has a shop in Philly, can't remember his name.

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  49. I also still have my VHS copy of that main event. Or am I thinking of 17... shit, I'll need to check when I get back home.

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  50. Yes, it's my least favorite. I like when my girlfriend is naked, and I like CM Punk. I don't like those two things intertwining.

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  51. But all the DVDs and VHS tapes have him winning too

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  52. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryJuly 25, 2014 at 12:44 PM

    Still have the event taped on video as well

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  53. davidbonzaisaldanamontgomeryJuly 25, 2014 at 12:45 PM

    Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage Wrestling Buddy plushes. When I was kid, those two would put on insane full-monty matches every night.

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  54. "Lenny Vowels: The blowing of the kiss after MITB '11. Just so amazingly characteristic and perfect.


    And Lenny manages to find a loophole just 1 comment into the day, by not violating the rules of the question, but definitely sodomizing the spirit."

    The love. I feels it.

    For today's question, I'm going with my original WWF DVD copy of Wrestlemania X-Seven. Pre-network, it was still the only way to watch the show in non-blurred full form, and I'll still watch it this way on occasion. Cost me a solid $30 on eBay several years ago, but I recall it spiking a bit higher after that.

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  55. I wouldn't want my girlfriend naked and intertwining with Punk either

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  56. The Ladies know him as MR. Small package

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  57. I would consider it an honor and a privilege.

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  58. I've got a few homemade VHS left, and it's a strange bunch:


    November to Remember (1996 or 97, I forget which. It's the one with Jenna Jameson being ringside for Dudleys/PG-13)
    WWA's two PPVs on one tape
    The first RAW and SD after the brand split became "official"
    Whichever Wrestlemania (I'm more certain it's 20 now, but nowhere near 100% sure until I lay eyes on it)
    I know I used to have WM17 and the last Nitro, but I think those have vanished with time.

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  59. I don't really have much memorabilia. I do have some Mick Foley stuff, and I guess my fave would be the Mick Foley Xmas ornament that I keep in its box.

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  60. Tough one, it would either have to be the loads of WWF and WCW stuff that my fathers uncle gave me ( which include a Bushwhacker "welcome home" mat and a autographed photo of the Undertaker), or it would be the sign that I got Matt Cross to autograph.
    In the T-shirt department, it's gotta be the original Nexus shirt I have from when they were my favorite faction.

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  61. Wouldn't surprise me, the rarer something gets, the higher the price.

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  62. I see what you did there.

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  63. The large ljn rubber ones or the smaller plastic ones that came out summer 1990?

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  64. My piece of memorabilia is recent. I have the kendo stick that was used during the Kevin Steen vs Cliff Compton match @ ROH's 12th Anniversary Show...signed by him too.

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  65. I'm an obsessive loser and I taped all WWF programing and ppvs from 1987 to 2003 (I just lost my love for it then)...more than a 1000 tapes, include some WCW and ecw. It's hard to lie when people see them on so many bookshelves.

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  66. As it is, the price is still at about the same-ish, although sealed copies are insane at around $75-80 apiece.

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  67. Insane, but better than $200 apiece.

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  68. Signed Bret Hart picture from 1995(I took it at ringside); a picture of me with Mick, Al Snow, and Hugh Morrus, and my Macho Man shirt.

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  69. I'd definitely consider a one-night trade... Punk gets my girl, i get AJ.

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  70. When I was trying to get into the ROH thing, I was watching 2003/2004, during the height of Samoa Joe/Homicide/Punk. I never understood the Colt Cabana love during that timeframe, he screamed Indy wrestler, and his comedy was subpar. Danielson, however, was the biggest mystery to me. He looked like the Generic CAW from video games, before you do anything to them. His interviews were bland. He was a good wrestler, do not misunderstand me. He had the game down, and was a solid worker. But as a character, I just never bought in to seeing anything special, and the rabid Internet love confused the hell out of me. I have done a complete 180 on Danielson, and while he'll probably never be my favorite wrestler, I realize he's pretty much The Man right now and should be pushed to the moon while they still have him as an active wrestler, if he's able to recover from his neck problems.

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  71. Main Event Spectacles v. AJ Styles I think is where the light really clicked and he became more of a complete package rather than just all around technical wrestler.


    His title run from 2005 to 2006 is just incredible and then to follow that up with his feud with Morishima plus the Nigel stuff? Incredible.


    I never thought he'd hit the heights he did in WWE but he seems like they've had plans for him since day 1.


    Cabana was someone whose stuff works better in front of a live crowd but I loved the dynamic with him and Punk, and of course the Homicide feud did wonders to bring him out of his shell

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  72. The only memorabilia I have is the commerartive wwe spinner belt...I still dnt no why I bought it

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  73. I don't know that the word "favorite" applies, but I still own a copy of Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story. I got it just after I got back into wrestling in '04 and found out Chris Benoit had won the title at Wrestlemania. I loved it, documentary and matches alike. I haven't watched or touched it in years.

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  74. Not sure if it's a "favorite" anymore. But, I got Chris Benoit's autograph when the WWE was in Toronto for Summerslam '04. It was the day before at Ontario Place.

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  75. And, with My Way gloriously intact.

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  76. The thrift store near my house has some WEEEIIRRRD shit... I bought my brother a Stone Cold commemorative plate for ten dollars. For some reason, the Chyna commemorative plate was twenty.

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  77. I've got a ton of caricatures of wrestlers that I've drawn over the years and gotten signed at personal appearances/after shows/whatnot. It's especially awesome because they always appreciate being given a copy of the cartoon, it leads to some interesting interactions (Kevin Steen proclaimed my drawing to be "better than pizza," because I interrupted him while he was getting food and he told me that said interruption better be worth it) and I know that instead of your stock 8x10, I've got a signed picture that nobody else ever will. Although, I look back at the shit I drew in 2000 and think "OH GOD THIS SUCKS I WISH I COULD MEET SHAWN MICHAELS AGAIN I WILL NEVER DISPLAY THIS."

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  78. That's one of the few wrestling shirts I wouldn't feel weird about wearing in public - that, and Kaientai's "EEEVIL!!!" shirt. Of course, I own neither.

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  79. I have a bottle of JR's barbecue sauce signed by the man himself. I won it in a Twitter contest.

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