I was listening to an interview with Jim Cornette and he was discussing "when wrestling was fun". I think he pinpointed it when he stated the "fun" ended when money came into play. Basically, when Vince McMahon started buying the territories out, combining and shifting things, working towards a single national entity in wrestling.

On one hand, I agree with him. Watching the classic matches, guys like Undertaker before he ever went to WCW let alone becoming the phenom in WWE. Watching the early days of the 4 Hoursemen and how they were feared in many territories and the like. Days when guys like the Rock n Roll Express would release music videos/commercials to be played for fans in certain territories announcing they were coming (kind of like the recent Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley video when he left WWE).

Back then, you really, truly, did not know who would show up. Even up to the attitude era when WWE bought out WCW and ECW. It was fun. Guys jumped ship, appeared on this show or that one.

On the other hand, I disagree with Cornette because "money" is what gave us guys like Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, etc.

You can see most of the big names from the 80s and 90's to early 2000's in their earlier days in other promotions. Mark Calaway was a big man and could do some awesome things in the ring and out (such as his back flip over the top rope) but it took McMahon's vision to create "The Undertaker" character along with Calaway running with the ball.

Without money coming into play and McMahon being able to grow WWF (back then) to the size it is we would probably never have seen guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, etc. There is no other promotion in the history of wrestling that could have gotten these guys in as many households as WWE did.

Those other promotions were on television, they simply were not on the same level as what McMahon created. That takes risk and that takes money.

Of course the freedom and fun is what gave us guys like Sgt Slaughter, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Hulk Hogan (watch his early career, he was a star before hitting WWE (WWF back then). Those are just a few of the names that came before money hit the scene.

Weird but in today's wrestling scene, I find myself missing guys like Sgt Slaughter, Duggan, etc - guys that were over the top in their gimmicks. You could just turn the brain off for a minute and be a kid again and enjoy the action.

To me, that is what is mostly missing from wrestling today. Just plain old fun.