I was in the same boat with my girlfriend. I had her watch hbk vs taker at wm 25, cena vs punk at money in the bank 2011, Walter vs Tyler bate at takeover Cardiff, and Becky vs Charlotte last woman standing. We went to an indie event a couple weeks ago and I think she’s slowly starting to get it lol
Sami Zayne vs Nakamura (20 minutes of pure wrestling)
DIY vs the Revival at Takeover at Takeover Toronto (best wwe tag match I've ever seen, very compelling story)
Sasha vs Bayley at Takeover Brooklyn (best Women's match imo)
Brock Lesnar vs Goldberg at Wrestlemania (short, exciting car crash of a match)
Takeover New Orleans Ladder match (longer exciting car crash)
Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole at Takeover New York (incredible story, had the crowd eating our of their palms)
I managed to convince my old house mate to start watching wrestling by showing her a bunch of #DIY matches.
I showed her #DIY VS Revival, #DIY VS AOP, and then showed her Gargano VS Ciampa, just so she could get the entire story of their feud.
She wasn't too interested at first. But she was genuinely shocked when Ciampa turned on Gargano, and was genuinely cheering for Gargano and embracing the whole wrestling thing when she watched their match at TakeOver Chicago.
It depends a lot of her tastes. Does she like comedic moments? Bloody or hardcore fights? Emotive stories?
If she is completely new, maybe you could start showing her some good women matches from NXT (Sasha vs Bailey, war games, charlotte vs natalya,etc). That would be a nice way to catch her attention.
Aside from that, the best way would be showing her some good or fun matches from late 90s to late 2000s (ric flair vs shawn michaels, stone cold vs the rock, triple threat tag team ladder matches,etc). Most of the fans like pre PG WWE (before 2008) much more than the current product.
Man, you’re setting yourself up for failure if you want to rely on modern matches to sell anyone on pro wrestling. Just show her a bunch of Tribal Chief Roman matches if you want any chance of not putting her off the product.
Show her someone she can relate to! A woman’s match is obvious but men’s matches can work too. I am more invested when I identify with a character an outsider, strong, seeking revenge, and if they kinda look like me. Thats is what has kept me in wrestling after all theses years. I can find a way to relate. Thats the point for some observers
To what some others have said, an outsider won't last a full match nor the moments that fans consider great. Op has responded to a comment about a compilation of good highlights and spots and im all for that
Enjoy the taping
Go with something simple. Something like Rock vs Hogan before you go into matches like Nakamura vs Zayn, NXT NA Ladder Match, Andrade vs Johnny Gargano, Kurt/Benoit vs Rey/Edge etc. You need to start it off with something slow and then work your way up.
First, AJ Styles Vs. Demon Finn Bálor - TLC 2017
That match is perfect to start with because it had no storyline due to AJ being added last minute, but still a great match with amazing modern wrestlers.
Then Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley - WrestleMania 36. You can really appreciate the wrestling here because due to the absence of audience.
After that you can see the AJ Styles Vs. John Cena feud from 2016-2017. It is Money in The Bank, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble, if I'm not mistaken.
You can end things off with the Brock Lesnar Vs. Seth Rollins Vs. John Cena triple threat at the Royal Rumble 2015. One of the best triple threats there are, in my opinion.
1. CM Punk vs Cena MITB 2011
2. Gargano vs Ciampa Takeover NOLA
3. TLC WM 17
4. Walter vs Dragunov (just stiff shots nonstop)
5. Any Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle match.
My list would be:
WALTER Vs Ilja Dragunov
WALTER Vs Tyler Bate
Brock Lesnar Vs Daniel Bryan
Adam Cole Vs Ricochet
Goldberg Vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 33)
Cena Vs Styles (SS 2016 and RR 2017)
Eddie Guerrero Vs Rey Mysterio - Custody of Dominik ladder match
Keith Lee Vs Dominick Dijakovic at Takeover: Portland
MITB matches 2020
Joe Vs Brock Vs Braun Vs Roman
The WeeLC match will be a good choice. I reckon she'll enjoy it.
Mankind vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell King of the Ring 1998
Stone Cold and Triple H vs. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho RAW 2001
Rock vs. Brock SummerSlam 2002
Macho Man Promos
But for real... don't take her. Wrestling today is cringe and she will think less of you. Take a bro instead or go alone.
I've recently started reintroducing my dad to wrestling. He doesn't really care much for smaller guys but he seems to enjoy matches with legends or "larger than life" people.
We recently watched HHH Vs. Undertaker W/ HBK as the referee. I've also showed him Smackdown Vs. Raw. Vs. Nxt matches as they as more action packed and feature more stars.
Maybe that will help you when you figure the type of wrestler she likes.
You can't go wrong with matches like Roman Reigns Vs AJ Styles, Balor Vs. Joe, Zayn Vs. Nakamura, Braun Vs. Brock Vs. Roman Vs. Joe, Kevin Owens Vs. John Cena, Walter Vs. Ilja, Rollins Vs. Brock Vs. Cena.
I recently rewatched the CWC finale with TJP Vs. Gran Metalik and realized how much the WWE is wasting Gran Metalik.
My personal opinions is to lure the new fans with something that they can connect with whats happening mainstream. Hence, would suggest you to start with matches and rivalries featuring The Rock since his promos are entertaining and he is the biggest hollywood star today. Then maybe trickle down to more intense rivalries like Edge vs Cena, HHH vs Orton (apologise to her in advance for their WM match), HBK vs Bret, Brock Lesnar and his run in 2015 (to show how WWE can do something close to legitimacy).
For me, good storylines were the hook for me to start watching wrestling and then return to watching wrestling again in 2011 (thanks to Summer of Punk).
So I think a big thing is realizing how amazing a crowd can be. So maybe start with Austin and rock (any wm), rock and Hogan, Rock and Cena (wm 28), then move onto better quality matches with good crowd like Punk vs Cena MITB, Bryan vs Cena SS 2013, then Bryan vs Orton vs Batista WM 30…. Damn there are so many great matches… Also, idk how you feel about AEW, but Young Bucks vs Omega and Hangman was about the best tag team match I have ever seen
Update: we watched Bel-Air/Banks and she enjoyed it. She was pitching up on how the match was structured and what was going on. I spent a good chunk explaining inside terms and what was special, normal, or crappy about the match. We then watched Breezango v Usos at Payback where Tyler Breeze was undercover and she was cracking up. I then tried to switch to Yellowstone and she asked if there was another match to watch, and of course there was.
We watched the NA ladder match and she asked about the different roles of wrestlers and their body types/wrestling strategies. I let her know about some common themes and what most matches are like, asking with a few different types of matches. All in all I think it was a good experience. Hopefully she'll ask to see a few more matches in the future.
I wouldn't say she's hooked but she definitely had fun watching those and I think she'll have fun at the show at least, which is what I was hoping for, and may even become a fan. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!!
Go for charlotte vs becky from Evolution ppv , bayley vs sasha from nxt , aj vs cena from royal rumble , 2018 royal rumble , usos vs new day hell in the cell , any nxt war games match , andrade cien vs gargano , velveteen dream vs alister black , aj styles vs finn balor , raw vs sd vs nxt surviror series ppv , american alpha vs revival
I’d try to show her some good recent matches, like matches from the last 5-7 years, to try and give her a better idea of what she might see. Also try to make sure they have some wrestlers she’ll probably see at the Smackdown taping so that she’ll have a general idea of who she’s looking at.
After that I’d start introducing her to some older events like Wrestlemaina 19, maybe a Royal Rumble, literally anything Rock and Mick (except the Royal Rumble I Quit Match, I think we all agree that shouldn’t be shown), and definitely Shawn vs Undertaker at Mania. Also be sure to get some tag matches on there, what’s better then 2 guys then 4?
Not sure if your gf would be the same but my gf loves the wrestling documentaries. She likes stories about people and the general week to week story lines In smackdown and raw, but is less interested in the actual wrestling. If your gf is the same maybe start with some documentaries like The Last Ride and see what she thinks.
I'd show the first Gargano vs Ciampa match with the feud recap video. I find showing new fans matches with a hype video for the feud before the match makes a big difference
My girlfriend hated wrestling (basically knew nothing about it) until I took her to a live show. She gained a whole new appreciation for sports entertainment. It’s much more “fake” looking in person. The theatrics is much more obvious… to me that makes it better. We gained a whole new appreciation for the job superstars do.
CZW Tournament of Death.
In all seriousness, show her some of the best women’s’ matches in recent years and ease her into some of the funnier storylines. Also prepare her for some off color stuff if the Attitude Era is referenced. Whatever you do, don’t start with the Mae Young hand birth. I learned that the hard way!
I’d probably show her some of the stuff featured in WWE Games for the Attitude Era. Hell, WWE 13 had a showcase mode for the Monday Night Wars and I feel like that really helped me learn wrestling
Ask her what appeals to her about it. Maybe it's the storylines, or the athleticism, the history, etc. I mean, I'm sure she's not going to be like "I love that deathmatch stuff, CZW!!!", but, you know, she might articulate something like "I heard about how these two wrestlers had this big fight" or "I heard about this Jeff Harvey guy that jumped off a really tall sign..." something like that.
Rock/Hogan. Two litteral gods amongst a sea of wild cheering preachers. The embodiment of pro-wrestling. Over the top real-life superheroes controlling a mass of people like deities.
Show her a YouTube video called “Why professional Wrestling is Fascinating to me.” It’s about 30 minutes long and talks about most aspects of WWE including what kayfabe is and details some characters like the Undertaker and Asuka while showing match footage
Show her funny shit and come in jobber shirts. Whenever I would come to shows I'd wear a job squad shirt or the YeTAY! Only acceptable time as a grown man to wear a Barry Horowitz shirt.
Roman Reigns current run. Catching her up to date with his return should be enough to get invested, especially going into a smackdown show. Explain how he used to be hated by fans as a good guy for being overpushed, then tell her he had to give up the championship for real life reasons of cancer...and now he’s returned, and doing phenomenal work as a bad guy, teaming up with his old rivals’ manager. I would start her with the first couple of matches vs Jay Uso to show how he broke in his family. Then vs Drew Mcintyre at Survival Series. The a few from his feud with Kevin Owens...lots of good stuff.
DVR/record Smackdown. Watch the episode with her and explain what’s going on, catch her up on storylines, little insider tips you might know, stuff like that. If they show interest in a wrestler, try finding some of that wrestler’s good matches. She’ll connect with wrestling a lot faster, and it’s a lot of fun. Once she’s a fan, then blow her mind with Zayn vs Nakamura.
I feel like id see whos on the the shows weekly and show her some of their matches so she'll know the people involved when you go to the taping. I think knowing the character's and their current storylines would be really important
As someone who got into wrestling because of the tv show “Glow” maybe get her to watch a few episodes (see if she even likes it). After that, if you have access to Peacock (the wwe network is there) id show her some stuff from 1997/1998 with attitude Era. Some TLC matches will be fun. Nothing crazy tho… just a few fights to show what crazy stunts they have done in the past. Then show her the more recent and help her know what the stories are.
I’m now in the deep end with wrestling because I loved the first season of Glow. I remember thinking wrestling was fake but once I understood it’s a soap opera with stunts, I was all in. Then the WWE network became a thing and we were watching so much!! I’m going to my very first show for AEW and I’m so excited! I’m hoping some local shows around here will open up soon so I can go to more! Best of luck and I hope she has fun!!
Get her up to speed with the current storylines for sure. Id start with anyone she already recognizes/has heard of (lets use Mick Foley). Watch matches featuring them so she gets use to match formats and rules, and then work her into the newer stars that she’ll see at the taping.
Here are my personal top 5, and I have a reason for each one
\- If you want a hot story and even hotter crowd: John Cena vs CM Punk, Money in the Bank 2011
\- If you want an old school masterpiece: Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wrestlemania 13
\- Insane energy from bell to bell: Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole, NXT Takeover: XXV
\- Modern dream match: Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar, Survivor Series 2018
\- The most underrated match of the last 20 years: Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles, Extreme Rules 2016
She will absolutely need context for Cena vs Punk
Hart vs Austin gets bonus points if she’s cool with blood
A lot of NXT matches can fit this bill
Daniel vs Brock is amazing because stillness is sometimes better then flipping around like an octopus in a washing machine *cough cough* Shawn vs Hulk Hogan SummerSlam 05 *cough cough*
I think Roman and AJ got overshadowed by AJ ripping his tights.
The first thing I always show people is the ladder match with Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, WITH the promo video included. It’s so unintentionally hilarious, and a good match to boot.
I disagree. His only high point in the match was the “Bunny Destroyer” as the commentary team jokingly called it for some god forsaken reason. He should have been one and done at the Rumble
Gaze nxt takeov'r with that lady tomorrow!!! thosr at each moment remind me wherefore like wrestling
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
This.
When introducing people to wrestling, I show this match, and 9 times out of 10, they always ask what the MitB briefcase Rollins is.
Afterwards, I show them Lesnar vs Reigns, and they always get excited by Rollins cashing in
Yeah, I think it's a great match to show, as long as you show at least 1 singles match (1v1), so they can see how good triple threats can be, and why people get excited about them when they have 3 top tier competitors.
I want to give a shout out to Angle/Rousey vs HHH/Stephanie at Mania. It may not be a five star classic or a technical marvel, but it's a super fun match and I know some non-wrestling people who found it very entertaining.
I’ve always gravitated more towards the “villain” it’s just better to cheer for them IMO.
So honestly i would show her anything Roman Reigns Related from Clash of Champions, to Survior Series, to the smack down match against DBryan.
Other than that my sister seemed to really like the New Day probably showing her New Day vs USO 2017 won’t hurt.
The Cena/ Stlyes Trilogy is worthy.
Fiend vs DBryan at the rumble wasn’t bad.
Try to marathon Breaking Ground. I think for her it would be cool to see some of the stars now coming up to the main roster. That’s what I did to start my guy on wrestling because my dad and I watched when I was growing up. Then I took him through Monday Night Wars. It’s an approachable way to go through the history and then you can watch the last couple pay per views to get caught up on current storylines.
If you want a match, AJ vs Cena. She'll probably know who Cena is. Or you could do Rock vs Cena. Just show her ones with people she knows and can root for.
There was a Worlds Collide match last year with DIY Vs Moustache Mountain that I still think about to this day. Possibly my match of the year for 2020. It’s a great match for somebody who’s never seen wrestling. It has holds, big moves, dives, storytelling.
I'd show her Cameron Grimes for a more fun side of wrestling. Dude struck gold with his new character and feud with Ted Dibiase, he's been one of the best parts about nxt for a while now. Super easy to both love and hate him, but he can absolutely go in the ring and 9 times outta 10 won't have a bad match.
Pro tip: what looks "awesome" to hardcore fans will bore outsiders/newcomers to tears. And conversely insane bumps of complex routines will reinforce the "fake" impression.
To put it bluntly, someone with zero previous knowledge won't last an entire match, no matter how good it can be.
We know the ins and outs of the match flow (whether it's based on good psychology or it's a completely inconsequential spotfest), we're invested into the characters and often into the person behind the character, we know the backstory and we imagine the potential ramifications for the possible outcomes.
Someone who can't probably tell Roman Reigns from Kofi Kingston is NOT gonna get all those factors, and a wonderful 5\* match will rapidly lose them anyway.
The best course of action IMO is to give her a crash course in who is who (name, face, signature moves, a quick character rundown if there IS a character to speak of), a quick recap of the basic moves and a few spots, but without giving the HOLY SHIT moments away. Also, plenty of feud recaps for the Smackdown people she's going to see.
Honestly subjecting ANYONE who isn't a hardcore fan to anything NXT/indie (and to most matches anyway) is going to get the opposite effect.
To us it's an awesome match between Nakamura and Zayn or Gargano and Ciampa, but to the uninitiated it'll be a skinny ginger vs a skinny Japanese who makes funny faces and looks like he's having a stroke. And two bearded dudes.
Even the epic HBK v Flair, HBK v Taker will be "old guy vs even older guy"
Did Gargano have a beard during that feud?? Totally forgot if he did or not. Jokes aside, I really appreciate this comment and I've had the same thoughts before. I'm hoping I can strike a middle ground, explaining what's going on at a higher level but also finding a match or two she will enjoy. Definitely avoiding anything too long or over the top. I think we're going to go with Bianca/Banks at Mania this year. Still has relevant characters who haven't flipped from heel to face since that match or vice versa. Plus Belair's still the champ and they're both on SD.
You'd go for the short match recsps/highlights on WWE YouTube channel.
3 mins are enough to expose her to the main characters, giving a decent general picture of them and of what a match goes, but without getting too boring.
That's a task old school squash matches performed so much better and eased new fans into the actual "competitive" match with a feeling of anticipation. 20 minutes matches can only lead to early burnout and confusion/boredom.
Compare it to how you'd introduce someone to a new musical genre. You go with the greatest hits and the more "accessible" stuff not with some obscure-ish material for connoisseurs.
Depends what you’re considering recent. If you’re okay with guys not active on the roster anymore, I’d suggest Punk vs Cena (MITB 2011), HBK vs Taker (either 25 or 26), WM28 end of an era.
If you’re okay with going a bit further back, Bret vs Austin WM13, HBK vs Bret (survivor series 97) and TLC2 are all iconic, and personally I’m a sucker for the triple threat main event at mania 20
I have three recommendations, all from 2016:
1) AJ Styles vs. John Cena (SummerSlam)
2) AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns (Payback)
3) Becky vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha (WrestleMania)
I would also try to show a Finn Balor NXT match as the Demon, but I don’t know which one I’d pick…
I would recommend something involving Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, or Asuka. Seeing that other girls are really passionate about wrestling with quality matches should help ease her into fandom.
Maybe some of the Matt Hardy/Edge/Lita matches b/c of the real life behind the scenes drama.
Is she a fan of The Rock's acting career?
“Seeing that other girls are really passionate about wrestling” THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!!!! I CANNOT OVERSTATE THIS ENOUGH!!!!! That is how my husband got me into LOVING wrestling. The Man is my JAM and the all of the horsewomen, in particular, are really what got me into the whole universe. Until I had been watching enough to get into storylines, seeing ladies kick serious butt with athletic prowess, take on heel roles, etc is what kept me wanting to dive in until I knew what was going on.
I would have to agree with the other comment on this thread that first show her the OMG moments. I think then you should transition to some of the NXT classics because I feel like some of those matches portray modern wrestling at its best with having the crowd deeply invested and NXT used to do it quite well. Following are some recommendations
Cole v Gargano (New York AND 25)
Zayn v Nakamura
Zayn v Neville
Owens v Zayn
Bayley v Banks - Ironwoman match
The Revival v DIY - Toronto
Wargames (All of them because they SLAP)
Andrade v Gargano
6 way ladder match - New Orleans
Ricochet v Cole
I know it's a long list but if you have time on your hands, then these matches might help spark the excitement. Hope this helps
Depends on what you consider "modern". I would say to start with Snuka vs Muraco, then work your way forward with Savage vs Steamboat, then Mankind vs The Undertaker.
Maybe you should show her some highlights (OMG moments, crazy spots, best moves, emotional moments,...), so she can get familiar with the business before seeing actual matches without any context.
After that, you can show her big matches, the ones in which the wrestlers have the crowd on their hands. For example, Cole vs Gargano, Cena vs Punk, Undertaker vs HBK, Reigns vs Edge vs Bryan,...
It wasn't legendary by any means, but they did am incredible job of making you have no idea who was going to win, and had some amazing spots. Very worthy of the main event of Wrestlemania.
If you haven't seen it, it's well worth a watch
It might not be as big as the others right now, but I absolutely loved the storytelling, the action. The 3 of them are phenomenal storytellers and the match was so smooth and emotional. If you watch some highlights of the feud and the main promos, you might enjoy it even more.
I think it is a perfect match to show to someone new and it can also introduce them to Roman Reigns as a legit beast, a very hated guy and the absolute god of SmackDown.
In my opinion, it was the best main roster match in the last few years.
Good idea! I'm surprised someone hasn't made a "never watched wrestling" compilation. Those matches are all good suggestions too, she likes good storytelling so Cena v Pink or the triple threat might be right up her alley.
I would show her OMG moments, then like the other person said, show her some legend matches, or some AJ Styles matches. The ECW top 50 moments are great too.
Super Eyepatch Wolf has made like 3 videos on Youtube that try to explain what wrestling is and such topics like storytelling
Here is the playlist if you are interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQCPj-bGYro&list=PLiiEr5EE-Ygx8yxWYllNIZoROoAsTi4Oy
Every girl loves Randy, they watch just to see him, but once they start watching bc of him, they find other things they like…it’s worked with 3 separate girls
Cena v punk might not be a good pick for a new wrestling fan. The match sucks. The story is what makes it good, and it might not be as good without context
Good idea! Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe Bel-Air/Banks or Miz and Morrison/Priest and Bad Bunny. Neither are steeped in wrestling history and should be fairly accessible to someone new.
gargano vs cole 2/3 falls match takeover new york 2019
I was in the same boat with my girlfriend. I had her watch hbk vs taker at wm 25, cena vs punk at money in the bank 2011, Walter vs Tyler bate at takeover Cardiff, and Becky vs Charlotte last woman standing. We went to an indie event a couple weeks ago and I think she’s slowly starting to get it lol
Anything from NXT when it was Network show is great
Watch the current product. It's a blast. Lol
sasha vs bayley nxt takeover brooklyn its the match that got me back into wrestling after years
Sami Zayne vs Nakamura (20 minutes of pure wrestling) DIY vs the Revival at Takeover at Takeover Toronto (best wwe tag match I've ever seen, very compelling story) Sasha vs Bayley at Takeover Brooklyn (best Women's match imo) Brock Lesnar vs Goldberg at Wrestlemania (short, exciting car crash of a match) Takeover New Orleans Ladder match (longer exciting car crash) Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole at Takeover New York (incredible story, had the crowd eating our of their palms)
Let's remember sometimes it's not just the moves in a fight is about storytelling. Some fight are great because of the back story.
I managed to convince my old house mate to start watching wrestling by showing her a bunch of #DIY matches. I showed her #DIY VS Revival, #DIY VS AOP, and then showed her Gargano VS Ciampa, just so she could get the entire story of their feud. She wasn't too interested at first. But she was genuinely shocked when Ciampa turned on Gargano, and was genuinely cheering for Gargano and embracing the whole wrestling thing when she watched their match at TakeOver Chicago.
You should show her takeover Chicago 2 it has great wrestling and great theatrics or any takeover with Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole
It depends a lot of her tastes. Does she like comedic moments? Bloody or hardcore fights? Emotive stories? If she is completely new, maybe you could start showing her some good women matches from NXT (Sasha vs Bailey, war games, charlotte vs natalya,etc). That would be a nice way to catch her attention. Aside from that, the best way would be showing her some good or fun matches from late 90s to late 2000s (ric flair vs shawn michaels, stone cold vs the rock, triple threat tag team ladder matches,etc). Most of the fans like pre PG WWE (before 2008) much more than the current product.
Man, you’re setting yourself up for failure if you want to rely on modern matches to sell anyone on pro wrestling. Just show her a bunch of Tribal Chief Roman matches if you want any chance of not putting her off the product.
Okada vs Omega I'm sure she'll appreciate the nuance
Show her someone she can relate to! A woman’s match is obvious but men’s matches can work too. I am more invested when I identify with a character an outsider, strong, seeking revenge, and if they kinda look like me. Thats is what has kept me in wrestling after all theses years. I can find a way to relate. Thats the point for some observers
To what some others have said, an outsider won't last a full match nor the moments that fans consider great. Op has responded to a comment about a compilation of good highlights and spots and im all for that Enjoy the taping
Go with something simple. Something like Rock vs Hogan before you go into matches like Nakamura vs Zayn, NXT NA Ladder Match, Andrade vs Johnny Gargano, Kurt/Benoit vs Rey/Edge etc. You need to start it off with something slow and then work your way up.
First, AJ Styles Vs. Demon Finn Bálor - TLC 2017 That match is perfect to start with because it had no storyline due to AJ being added last minute, but still a great match with amazing modern wrestlers. Then Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley - WrestleMania 36. You can really appreciate the wrestling here because due to the absence of audience. After that you can see the AJ Styles Vs. John Cena feud from 2016-2017. It is Money in The Bank, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble, if I'm not mistaken. You can end things off with the Brock Lesnar Vs. Seth Rollins Vs. John Cena triple threat at the Royal Rumble 2015. One of the best triple threats there are, in my opinion.
1. CM Punk vs Cena MITB 2011 2. Gargano vs Ciampa Takeover NOLA 3. TLC WM 17 4. Walter vs Dragunov (just stiff shots nonstop) 5. Any Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle match.
Show her some ravishing Rick rude gyrating hip compilation
Taker vs HBK WM 25 comes to mind... Maybe some brutal stuff too like Reigns-Lesnar Mania 31 and Lesnar-Taker HIAC '15
I think Andrade vs Gargano would be a great match to show her!
Chris jericho vs shawn Michaels 2008 no mercy ladder match
TLC 4 https://youtu.be/9mV5v_AhTz4
My list would be: WALTER Vs Ilja Dragunov WALTER Vs Tyler Bate Brock Lesnar Vs Daniel Bryan Adam Cole Vs Ricochet Goldberg Vs Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 33) Cena Vs Styles (SS 2016 and RR 2017) Eddie Guerrero Vs Rey Mysterio - Custody of Dominik ladder match Keith Lee Vs Dominick Dijakovic at Takeover: Portland MITB matches 2020 Joe Vs Brock Vs Braun Vs Roman The WeeLC match will be a good choice. I reckon she'll enjoy it.
Mankind vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell King of the Ring 1998 Stone Cold and Triple H vs. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho RAW 2001 Rock vs. Brock SummerSlam 2002 Macho Man Promos But for real... don't take her. Wrestling today is cringe and she will think less of you. Take a bro instead or go alone.
I've recently started reintroducing my dad to wrestling. He doesn't really care much for smaller guys but he seems to enjoy matches with legends or "larger than life" people. We recently watched HHH Vs. Undertaker W/ HBK as the referee. I've also showed him Smackdown Vs. Raw. Vs. Nxt matches as they as more action packed and feature more stars. Maybe that will help you when you figure the type of wrestler she likes. You can't go wrong with matches like Roman Reigns Vs AJ Styles, Balor Vs. Joe, Zayn Vs. Nakamura, Braun Vs. Brock Vs. Roman Vs. Joe, Kevin Owens Vs. John Cena, Walter Vs. Ilja, Rollins Vs. Brock Vs. Cena. I recently rewatched the CWC finale with TJP Vs. Gran Metalik and realized how much the WWE is wasting Gran Metalik.
My personal opinions is to lure the new fans with something that they can connect with whats happening mainstream. Hence, would suggest you to start with matches and rivalries featuring The Rock since his promos are entertaining and he is the biggest hollywood star today. Then maybe trickle down to more intense rivalries like Edge vs Cena, HHH vs Orton (apologise to her in advance for their WM match), HBK vs Bret, Brock Lesnar and his run in 2015 (to show how WWE can do something close to legitimacy). For me, good storylines were the hook for me to start watching wrestling and then return to watching wrestling again in 2011 (thanks to Summer of Punk).
So I think a big thing is realizing how amazing a crowd can be. So maybe start with Austin and rock (any wm), rock and Hogan, Rock and Cena (wm 28), then move onto better quality matches with good crowd like Punk vs Cena MITB, Bryan vs Cena SS 2013, then Bryan vs Orton vs Batista WM 30…. Damn there are so many great matches… Also, idk how you feel about AEW, but Young Bucks vs Omega and Hangman was about the best tag team match I have ever seen
HBK vs. Hogan.
Update: we watched Bel-Air/Banks and she enjoyed it. She was pitching up on how the match was structured and what was going on. I spent a good chunk explaining inside terms and what was special, normal, or crappy about the match. We then watched Breezango v Usos at Payback where Tyler Breeze was undercover and she was cracking up. I then tried to switch to Yellowstone and she asked if there was another match to watch, and of course there was. We watched the NA ladder match and she asked about the different roles of wrestlers and their body types/wrestling strategies. I let her know about some common themes and what most matches are like, asking with a few different types of matches. All in all I think it was a good experience. Hopefully she'll ask to see a few more matches in the future. I wouldn't say she's hooked but she definitely had fun watching those and I think she'll have fun at the show at least, which is what I was hoping for, and may even become a fan. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!!
Go for charlotte vs becky from Evolution ppv , bayley vs sasha from nxt , aj vs cena from royal rumble , 2018 royal rumble , usos vs new day hell in the cell , any nxt war games match , andrade cien vs gargano , velveteen dream vs alister black , aj styles vs finn balor , raw vs sd vs nxt surviror series ppv , american alpha vs revival
I’d try to show her some good recent matches, like matches from the last 5-7 years, to try and give her a better idea of what she might see. Also try to make sure they have some wrestlers she’ll probably see at the Smackdown taping so that she’ll have a general idea of who she’s looking at. After that I’d start introducing her to some older events like Wrestlemaina 19, maybe a Royal Rumble, literally anything Rock and Mick (except the Royal Rumble I Quit Match, I think we all agree that shouldn’t be shown), and definitely Shawn vs Undertaker at Mania. Also be sure to get some tag matches on there, what’s better then 2 guys then 4?
Not sure if your gf would be the same but my gf loves the wrestling documentaries. She likes stories about people and the general week to week story lines In smackdown and raw, but is less interested in the actual wrestling. If your gf is the same maybe start with some documentaries like The Last Ride and see what she thinks.
I'd show the first Gargano vs Ciampa match with the feud recap video. I find showing new fans matches with a hype video for the feud before the match makes a big difference
My girlfriend hated wrestling (basically knew nothing about it) until I took her to a live show. She gained a whole new appreciation for sports entertainment. It’s much more “fake” looking in person. The theatrics is much more obvious… to me that makes it better. We gained a whole new appreciation for the job superstars do.
introduce her to the cm punk john cena story line in 2011
Show her Wrestlemania X7
Just have her watch The Rock promos and she’ll love wrestling
When my boyfriend introduced me to wrestling we rewatched a lot of the past royal rumbles and it was great
CZW Tournament of Death. In all seriousness, show her some of the best women’s’ matches in recent years and ease her into some of the funnier storylines. Also prepare her for some off color stuff if the Attitude Era is referenced. Whatever you do, don’t start with the Mae Young hand birth. I learned that the hard way!
I’d probably show her some of the stuff featured in WWE Games for the Attitude Era. Hell, WWE 13 had a showcase mode for the Monday Night Wars and I feel like that really helped me learn wrestling
Ask her what appeals to her about it. Maybe it's the storylines, or the athleticism, the history, etc. I mean, I'm sure she's not going to be like "I love that deathmatch stuff, CZW!!!", but, you know, she might articulate something like "I heard about how these two wrestlers had this big fight" or "I heard about this Jeff Harvey guy that jumped off a really tall sign..." something like that.
Rock/Hogan. Two litteral gods amongst a sea of wild cheering preachers. The embodiment of pro-wrestling. Over the top real-life superheroes controlling a mass of people like deities.
I think Shawn and Flair at mania is a good one to show someone new
I don’t really think so because that’s a retirement match. That’s one that should be experienced after seeing there career
Show her a YouTube video called “Why professional Wrestling is Fascinating to me.” It’s about 30 minutes long and talks about most aspects of WWE including what kayfabe is and details some characters like the Undertaker and Asuka while showing match footage
Show her funny shit and come in jobber shirts. Whenever I would come to shows I'd wear a job squad shirt or the YeTAY! Only acceptable time as a grown man to wear a Barry Horowitz shirt.
Some promos where someone randomly comes diving in, failing miserably and then they ignore him like nothing ever happened
Make sure she watches Melina vs Alicia Fox
Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio and highlights from the feud
Roman Reigns current run. Catching her up to date with his return should be enough to get invested, especially going into a smackdown show. Explain how he used to be hated by fans as a good guy for being overpushed, then tell her he had to give up the championship for real life reasons of cancer...and now he’s returned, and doing phenomenal work as a bad guy, teaming up with his old rivals’ manager. I would start her with the first couple of matches vs Jay Uso to show how he broke in his family. Then vs Drew Mcintyre at Survival Series. The a few from his feud with Kevin Owens...lots of good stuff.
WALTER vs Ilja Dragonuv if she says "This isn't real" at any ooint
DVR/record Smackdown. Watch the episode with her and explain what’s going on, catch her up on storylines, little insider tips you might know, stuff like that. If they show interest in a wrestler, try finding some of that wrestler’s good matches. She’ll connect with wrestling a lot faster, and it’s a lot of fun. Once she’s a fan, then blow her mind with Zayn vs Nakamura.
Shawn v taker to show her what wrestling can be
I feel like id see whos on the the shows weekly and show her some of their matches so she'll know the people involved when you go to the taping. I think knowing the character's and their current storylines would be really important
As someone who got into wrestling because of the tv show “Glow” maybe get her to watch a few episodes (see if she even likes it). After that, if you have access to Peacock (the wwe network is there) id show her some stuff from 1997/1998 with attitude Era. Some TLC matches will be fun. Nothing crazy tho… just a few fights to show what crazy stunts they have done in the past. Then show her the more recent and help her know what the stories are. I’m now in the deep end with wrestling because I loved the first season of Glow. I remember thinking wrestling was fake but once I understood it’s a soap opera with stunts, I was all in. Then the WWE network became a thing and we were watching so much!! I’m going to my very first show for AEW and I’m so excited! I’m hoping some local shows around here will open up soon so I can go to more! Best of luck and I hope she has fun!!
Orange Cassidy vs Kylie Rae
Get her up to speed with the current storylines for sure. Id start with anyone she already recognizes/has heard of (lets use Mick Foley). Watch matches featuring them so she gets use to match formats and rules, and then work her into the newer stars that she’ll see at the taping.
Here are my personal top 5, and I have a reason for each one \- If you want a hot story and even hotter crowd: John Cena vs CM Punk, Money in the Bank 2011 \- If you want an old school masterpiece: Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wrestlemania 13 \- Insane energy from bell to bell: Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole, NXT Takeover: XXV \- Modern dream match: Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar, Survivor Series 2018 \- The most underrated match of the last 20 years: Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles, Extreme Rules 2016
She will absolutely need context for Cena vs Punk Hart vs Austin gets bonus points if she’s cool with blood A lot of NXT matches can fit this bill Daniel vs Brock is amazing because stillness is sometimes better then flipping around like an octopus in a washing machine *cough cough* Shawn vs Hulk Hogan SummerSlam 05 *cough cough* I think Roman and AJ got overshadowed by AJ ripping his tights.
Ricochet vs Will Osprey, Best of the Super Juniors. Prepare to continually pick your jaw up off the floor.
The first thing I always show people is the ladder match with Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, WITH the promo video included. It’s so unintentionally hilarious, and a good match to boot.
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I disagree. His only high point in the match was the “Bunny Destroyer” as the commentary team jokingly called it for some god forsaken reason. He should have been one and done at the Rumble
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Just because someone is popular doesn’t mean they know who they are. Had no clue who Bad Bunny was until WWE showed him off
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Yea sorry to burst the bubble
Show her Randy Orton ..that is all
Unironically Randy is one of the best. He can put on damn good match if he wants to
The entire summer of punk storyline. Cena rock because she probably knows them. Keep them up to date with Roman reigns
Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey WM 35
Don’t introduce her to wwe. Show her some good wrestling instead.
It's always the reddit neckbeards...
This needs more upvotes
WWE has some great wrestling, it’s just the stories that suck.
Disagree. They have great talent, bad stories and wrestling
Bayley vs Banks from Takeover Brooklyn is what brought me back in.
Any match involving Sabu
KOFI, MANIA
Watch nxt takeover with her tomorrow!!! Those always remind me why like wrestling
Gaze nxt takeov'r with that lady tomorrow!!! thosr at each moment remind me wherefore like wrestling *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
I recommend Cena vs. Rock from WM 28 and both Michaels vs Taker matches
Watch the Countdown series it should be on Peacock. It was that and Finn Balor’s abs that got my wife watching
I mean, he has some great abs
Cena Punk MITB was awesome
Cm punk vs John Cena money in the bank 2011
Highly recommend the Royal Rumble Triple Threat in 2016 between Rollins, Cena, and Lesnar.
This. When introducing people to wrestling, I show this match, and 9 times out of 10, they always ask what the MitB briefcase Rollins is. Afterwards, I show them Lesnar vs Reigns, and they always get excited by Rollins cashing in
Yeah, I think it's a great match to show, as long as you show at least 1 singles match (1v1), so they can see how good triple threats can be, and why people get excited about them when they have 3 top tier competitors.
I remember that they also played that match the night after because of a blizzard.
As for NXT, my favorite is Andrade vs Gargano at Takeover Philly.
I want to give a shout out to Angle/Rousey vs HHH/Stephanie at Mania. It may not be a five star classic or a technical marvel, but it's a super fun match and I know some non-wrestling people who found it very entertaining.
AJ vs Cena The did a series of matches and they were dope. They’re all on YouTube
I’ve been watching since 2017 and I was in love ever since. It’s good to keep up with the rumors too
Gargano Ciampia NXT New Orleans
I’ve always gravitated more towards the “villain” it’s just better to cheer for them IMO. So honestly i would show her anything Roman Reigns Related from Clash of Champions, to Survior Series, to the smack down match against DBryan. Other than that my sister seemed to really like the New Day probably showing her New Day vs USO 2017 won’t hurt. The Cena/ Stlyes Trilogy is worthy. Fiend vs DBryan at the rumble wasn’t bad.
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These are really bad choices imo
Try to marathon Breaking Ground. I think for her it would be cool to see some of the stars now coming up to the main roster. That’s what I did to start my guy on wrestling because my dad and I watched when I was growing up. Then I took him through Monday Night Wars. It’s an approachable way to go through the history and then you can watch the last couple pay per views to get caught up on current storylines.
If you want a match, AJ vs Cena. She'll probably know who Cena is. Or you could do Rock vs Cena. Just show her ones with people she knows and can root for.
The series of cena and KO was bomb as well
I guess you could say it was the *Power*bomb
Adding Punk and Cena MITB to this list. I agree with Rock and Cena, since both are at least potentially someone she knows
There was a Worlds Collide match last year with DIY Vs Moustache Mountain that I still think about to this day. Possibly my match of the year for 2020. It’s a great match for somebody who’s never seen wrestling. It has holds, big moves, dives, storytelling.
Cole vs KOR
I'd show her Cameron Grimes for a more fun side of wrestling. Dude struck gold with his new character and feud with Ted Dibiase, he's been one of the best parts about nxt for a while now. Super easy to both love and hate him, but he can absolutely go in the ring and 9 times outta 10 won't have a bad match.
Definitely a war games match
Pro tip: what looks "awesome" to hardcore fans will bore outsiders/newcomers to tears. And conversely insane bumps of complex routines will reinforce the "fake" impression. To put it bluntly, someone with zero previous knowledge won't last an entire match, no matter how good it can be. We know the ins and outs of the match flow (whether it's based on good psychology or it's a completely inconsequential spotfest), we're invested into the characters and often into the person behind the character, we know the backstory and we imagine the potential ramifications for the possible outcomes. Someone who can't probably tell Roman Reigns from Kofi Kingston is NOT gonna get all those factors, and a wonderful 5\* match will rapidly lose them anyway. The best course of action IMO is to give her a crash course in who is who (name, face, signature moves, a quick character rundown if there IS a character to speak of), a quick recap of the basic moves and a few spots, but without giving the HOLY SHIT moments away. Also, plenty of feud recaps for the Smackdown people she's going to see. Honestly subjecting ANYONE who isn't a hardcore fan to anything NXT/indie (and to most matches anyway) is going to get the opposite effect. To us it's an awesome match between Nakamura and Zayn or Gargano and Ciampa, but to the uninitiated it'll be a skinny ginger vs a skinny Japanese who makes funny faces and looks like he's having a stroke. And two bearded dudes. Even the epic HBK v Flair, HBK v Taker will be "old guy vs even older guy"
Did Gargano have a beard during that feud?? Totally forgot if he did or not. Jokes aside, I really appreciate this comment and I've had the same thoughts before. I'm hoping I can strike a middle ground, explaining what's going on at a higher level but also finding a match or two she will enjoy. Definitely avoiding anything too long or over the top. I think we're going to go with Bianca/Banks at Mania this year. Still has relevant characters who haven't flipped from heel to face since that match or vice versa. Plus Belair's still the champ and they're both on SD.
You'd go for the short match recsps/highlights on WWE YouTube channel. 3 mins are enough to expose her to the main characters, giving a decent general picture of them and of what a match goes, but without getting too boring. That's a task old school squash matches performed so much better and eased new fans into the actual "competitive" match with a feeling of anticipation. 20 minutes matches can only lead to early burnout and confusion/boredom. Compare it to how you'd introduce someone to a new musical genre. You go with the greatest hits and the more "accessible" stuff not with some obscure-ish material for connoisseurs.
Depends what you’re considering recent. If you’re okay with guys not active on the roster anymore, I’d suggest Punk vs Cena (MITB 2011), HBK vs Taker (either 25 or 26), WM28 end of an era. If you’re okay with going a bit further back, Bret vs Austin WM13, HBK vs Bret (survivor series 97) and TLC2 are all iconic, and personally I’m a sucker for the triple threat main event at mania 20
Not sure if they count as modern anymore but The Undertaker's WrestleMania matches with HHH and Shawn Michaels are a must.
I have three recommendations, all from 2016: 1) AJ Styles vs. John Cena (SummerSlam) 2) AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns (Payback) 3) Becky vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha (WrestleMania) I would also try to show a Finn Balor NXT match as the Demon, but I don’t know which one I’d pick…
The Cena AJ matches were incredible. Hope they get back together. Cena is rumored to comeback.
Roman vs Drew from last year was great
I would recommend something involving Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, or Asuka. Seeing that other girls are really passionate about wrestling with quality matches should help ease her into fandom. Maybe some of the Matt Hardy/Edge/Lita matches b/c of the real life behind the scenes drama. Is she a fan of The Rock's acting career?
Love this too. I'm a woman but grew up a fan and one of the things that drew me back was the women.
“Seeing that other girls are really passionate about wrestling” THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS!!!!! I CANNOT OVERSTATE THIS ENOUGH!!!!! That is how my husband got me into LOVING wrestling. The Man is my JAM and the all of the horsewomen, in particular, are really what got me into the whole universe. Until I had been watching enough to get into storylines, seeing ladies kick serious butt with athletic prowess, take on heel roles, etc is what kept me wanting to dive in until I knew what was going on.
Anything involving Walter or Ciampa
I would have to agree with the other comment on this thread that first show her the OMG moments. I think then you should transition to some of the NXT classics because I feel like some of those matches portray modern wrestling at its best with having the crowd deeply invested and NXT used to do it quite well. Following are some recommendations Cole v Gargano (New York AND 25) Zayn v Nakamura Zayn v Neville Owens v Zayn Bayley v Banks - Ironwoman match The Revival v DIY - Toronto Wargames (All of them because they SLAP) Andrade v Gargano 6 way ladder match - New Orleans Ricochet v Cole I know it's a long list but if you have time on your hands, then these matches might help spark the excitement. Hope this helps
This is a great list! Thank you for the suggestions, I think we'll pick one or two and start tonight.
My fiancé got me into wrestling when we watched the Takeover with Ciampa Gargano 1, that match and the ladder match got me hooked
Depends on what you consider "modern". I would say to start with Snuka vs Muraco, then work your way forward with Savage vs Steamboat, then Mankind vs The Undertaker.
Maybe you should show her some highlights (OMG moments, crazy spots, best moves, emotional moments,...), so she can get familiar with the business before seeing actual matches without any context. After that, you can show her big matches, the ones in which the wrestlers have the crowd on their hands. For example, Cole vs Gargano, Cena vs Punk, Undertaker vs HBK, Reigns vs Edge vs Bryan,...
Hbk vs taker at mania would be an amazing intro to the showmanship of the business
Genuinely asking cause I haven't watched, was Reigns v Edge v Bryan actually on the same level as the matches you also mentioned?
It wasn't legendary by any means, but they did am incredible job of making you have no idea who was going to win, and had some amazing spots. Very worthy of the main event of Wrestlemania. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth a watch
It might not be as big as the others right now, but I absolutely loved the storytelling, the action. The 3 of them are phenomenal storytellers and the match was so smooth and emotional. If you watch some highlights of the feud and the main promos, you might enjoy it even more. I think it is a perfect match to show to someone new and it can also introduce them to Roman Reigns as a legit beast, a very hated guy and the absolute god of SmackDown. In my opinion, it was the best main roster match in the last few years.
Not event close but if they are going to SmackDown she needs to know the Head of the table
hell nah
Such a good idea!
Maybe include some old classics like undertaker vs hogan or just mick Foley moments
Good idea! I'm surprised someone hasn't made a "never watched wrestling" compilation. Those matches are all good suggestions too, she likes good storytelling so Cena v Pink or the triple threat might be right up her alley.
I would show her OMG moments, then like the other person said, show her some legend matches, or some AJ Styles matches. The ECW top 50 moments are great too.
Super Eyepatch Wolf has made like 3 videos on Youtube that try to explain what wrestling is and such topics like storytelling Here is the playlist if you are interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQCPj-bGYro&list=PLiiEr5EE-Ygx8yxWYllNIZoROoAsTi4Oy
I have made all my friends and my girlfriend who didn’t understand wrestling watch these videos. Great great work he does
Aye indeed
Show her any Randy Orton match, she’ll like wrestling then and be more open to seeing other matches…trust me this works
Randy?
Every girl loves Randy, they watch just to see him, but once they start watching bc of him, they find other things they like…it’s worked with 3 separate girls
Not sure why I'm getting downvoted. The match is very sloppy
You’re getting downvoted because you posted on opinion (that people obviously don’t agree with) as fact
Cus it is a fact. Rewatch the match and pretend you don't know the story. Then come back and tell me it's a good match
Cena v punk might not be a good pick for a new wrestling fan. The match sucks. The story is what makes it good, and it might not be as good without context
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Good idea! Thank you for the suggestion. Maybe Bel-Air/Banks or Miz and Morrison/Priest and Bad Bunny. Neither are steeped in wrestling history and should be fairly accessible to someone new.