Wrestling Never Left Me — And Now, I’m All In
A personal story of rediscovery, connection, and why wrestling still means everything.
Where best to start this wrestling blog, then telling the story on where my love for it all began and where I’m at now in 2025. So here it is—my journey with wrestling. Where it started, how it faded, and how it came roaring back stronger than ever. Maybe you’ll see some of your own story in it too.
If you read my introduction blog - Welcome to the JoshhyWrestling Wrestling Blog, you’ll know that my first ever wrestlemania (not live) was Wrestlemania 23, where John Cena defended the WWE championship against ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Micheals, in what I remember to be an absolute barn burner!
In terms of when I actually started to love wrestling or when my first ever show I watched was, it’s really tough to pin point. If WM23 was in 2007, and I didn'‘t watch it live, I must’ve been around 9 or 10 years of age when I did watch it.
I have memories of getting into wrestling, and whilst I don’t have exact dates or a timeline, I thought it would interesting for me to note some down here and see if they reasonate with you, the reader.
One memory I have actually comes from playing on the xbox 360 with my cousin, every day after school. Halo 3 and WWE Smackdown vs Raw! That was the life mannn. No responsibilities, no where to be - Other then school and on the xbox going ONE ON ONE WITH THE UNDERTAKER PLAYAAAH. I know this will reasonate with a lot of people as these SVR days were peak. GM mode on those games was so thrilling and competitive. I remember owning the games on my PSP too and I’d battle it out with the computer as if this was real life. My brand HAD to win. My cousin is definitely a huge factor into why I love wrestling today. He first told me about it, he told me about both WWE and TNA back in the day. Along with our grandad and my mum who also both factor in massively. My grandad loved watching wrestling. More so the older older stuff but when TNA was on free TV he and my mum loved that. My mum loves wrestling. I too watched a lot of TNA with her on a Sunday. Back in the Aces and Eights days. We’d stay up, despite having school next day. Memories like that you always hold on to.
Another memory I have is actually designing paper belts. It’s as cool as it sounds and a cost effective method I should use in 2025 to save money instead of buying the real replicas! So for this, I’d take 3 pieces of paper. (3 pieces per belt - My dad would spend a killing on paper in order for me to do this - Thanks dad) I’d use one piece to draw the middle design, normally a big W or something that replica’d the belts at the time, so the spinner or the big gold. Then I would use the other two to create the straps each side, designing custom side plates! After this, I’d carefully cut them out, stick them together and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a championship belt for the price of 3 pieces of paper and an hour of fun. Seriously, if you’re a parent reading this, it’s a really fun idea!
An earlier memory of wrestling actually involves my dad. We’d watch Monday night Raw everytime I’d go to his house. We even ended up going to an episode of Monday Night Raw in Manchester, which was the coolest thing ever as a kid and at my age now! The excitement will never change. I can’t give specifics because the mind doesn’t go that far back but I do remember Cena getting taken out by Umaga and inside, I was devestated! Again, memories you hold onto.
It’s a bit all over the place, I know! Timelines don’t add up but I’m kind of just writing as it comes back to me.
Following on the timeline, I was HOOKED. I Loved it. I told my friends about it. I told anyone who would listen. My favourites - John Cena, Jeff Hardy, HBK + HHH (DX). I had merch, I had figures. I would save my £10 a week pocket money and that would get me so so much. Unlike today where you’re looking at £20 a figure.
As the years went on, I was still hooked. I watched everything regularly. Raw, Smackdown, NXT - BLACK AND GOLDDDDD BAYBAYYYY. What a time btw.
2019-2021 : I’ve had a lot of chatter with wrestling folk over the years and I see a trend with this period of wrestling. A lot of people dropped off - admitidely, I was one of those people.
I stayed in the know, I watched the manias, I’d watch the top 10s on YouTube weekly but unfortunately my love for wrestling faded. Not just WWE but wrestling. I don’t know why. Perhaps It’s because I was going through the transition of adulthood. These were my uni years. Was I worried about how I was perceived for liking wrestling? Possibly. It’s hard to know as it just happened and I didn’t stop to reflect. I know a lot of people who went through this. Something you love for so long, just one day stops. And I appreciate each person is different.
After this period, I started watching PLE’s again, just on my own, trying to bring back the love.
July 1, 2023 is an important date.
So… Money in the bank 2023! The first EVER Wrestling show that my girlfriend watched. Straight to the point - SHE HATED IT! She made it clear, she didn’t understand because it was her first ever time.
“Why doesn’t she just grab the briefcase? It’s right there”
“Why are they climbing the ladder so slow?”
And in fairness, both very valid questions. Don’t tell me you’ve never thought that in a MITB match.
Moving switfly on, January 27, 2024. She want’s to watch the Rumble. Cool, let’s do it!
We watch the rumble, the first show since that MITB match she kinda watched.
But listen to this… She TOLD me, she quite liked it. She said “that was great, when’s the next one?” To which my reply… 3 days, Monday Night Raw Baybayyy.
SHE WAS IN!
A funny little side story — though it definitely wasn’t funny at the time! A few months ago, my girlfriend admitted that she actually didn’t enjoy the Royal Rumble at first. She only said she liked it because she saw how happy I was that she was watching with me!
But here’s the twist… after sitting through the weekly shows following on from the Rumble, something clicked — and she ended up falling in love with it all, just like I did years ago. (I can forgive her for this because now she’s a die hard)
Fast forward to today - 19/06/2025 - We watch atleast 10 hours of WWE weekly, we watch TNA, we go to several brit wress shows monthly. SHE IS HOOKED! I AM HOOKED.
Wrestling has been the thread that’s quietly run through every chapter of my life — from childhood joy and family bonding, to the moments of drift and rediscovery, and now into adulthood where the passion burns brighter than ever.
It’s funny how something that once felt like just a hobby becomes a core part of who you are. Whether it was designing paper titles, screaming over GM Mode, staying up late with family, or now sharing it with my girlfriend and building content around it — wrestling has always found me, no matter the stage of life.
This blog isn’t just about nostalgia — it’s about connection. To wrestling. To people. To moments. And if even a little bit of what I’ve written here resonates with you… then welcome. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Thanks for reading — let’s keep this ride going.