WrestleRadioRock  

As CM Punk dove into the crowd following his Intercontinental Title win last night, joining the ranks of past IC Title legends like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock (oh, and Chyna), I found myself thinking, "Here we go again".  For the first time in almost six years, I tuned into a WWE weekly program willingly to catch the action Vince McMahon was brewing up. 

And I was sucked in, just like I never left.

From the age of four through nineteen, many things in my life (naturally) changed.  I went from listening to, as a child, Garth Brooks and Tennessee Ernie Ford to growing into Metallica and Pantera.  I took martial arts lessons, then picked up a guitar and started bands.  One thing remained constant thoughout everything I outgrew or grew into:

I loved professional wrestling.

I never got into comics, I wasn't a big "super hero" guy, and I had a hard time attaching myself to weekly shows like Sitcoms, etc., but pro wrestling was all I needed.  At least five guys have played Superman, but there's only one Hulk Hogan, one Ric Flair... you get my point.  I staged cards with my action figures, who usually weren't wrestling related (I am still proud of my Mega Man/Casey Jones angle).  When I got older, my friends and I scoured the "dirt sheets" and insider websites and started calling ourselves "smart marks".  I took notes on NBC's "Wrestling's Greatest Secrets Revealed"  Hell, I can even claim to have started a backyard fed with my friends in high school.  It's laughable to look back on it now, but just like Arn Anderson did when he was a teenager, I planned my life around the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling (the good old days, not now), and, occasionally, World Championship Wrestling (I was such a McMahon mark).

"Hey, want to go see a five-star movie that holds the secret to curing  AIDS and cancer while making you rich in the process?"

"Can't.  Raw  is on."

Sadly, that all changed for me in the Summer of 2003.  For those who remember, it was during the Triple H/Kane feud, which gave us the infamous Katie Vick angle.  I won't elaborate (those who know can nod, those who don't, feel lucky).  It made me embarrased, even disgusted to be a wrestling fan, so between that and me not hanging out with my wrestling buddies as often as I had before, I stopped watching.  I even refrain from admitting my past to people until they mention it first (or if I'm drunk).  Since then, I'd catch the occasional Pay Per View (when others were pitching in on the order), pick up the collection/legend DVDs that the WWE has been releasing, read a new autobiography, or catch Puroresu (Japanese wrestling) and Lucha videos on YouTube.  Oh, and regularly check out WrestleCrap.com and the books they have released.

Oh, sweet, sweet WrestleCrap, how you make me laugh so much...

I tried to get into the new ECW (which, for obvious reasons, I couldn't), or catch a snippet of Raw, Smackdown, or TNA Impact but I found it hard to get into.  That is, until my good friend, soon-to-be co-host, and former bandmate Brandon, contacted me with the idea that gave birth to Wrestle Radio Rock.  I think I have always wanted to jump all the way back in, but I was holding myself back, with Triple H's politicking and Stephanie's grating voice haunting me.  Thanks to Brandon, and my secret addictions (for which my wife ever-so-graciously puts up with), I felt comfortable to get back into the swing of things.  I must say, it felt good to settle in and do my research for our upcoming brodcast.  In fact, I can't wait for my next "research session" on Thursday, and especially our first show on Saturday.  We hope you enjoy our first broadcast, which we aim to make the first or many.

Buckle in, kids, it's going to be a wild ride.

Horns up!
Chris, WRR