The Slam

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                     19:07
                                                                                                                                    22nd March 2025

 Just as I finished dinner, I received a message from an old friend. It was a link to a video of The Undertaker and Kane from WWE sitting together, reacting to their iconic match at WrestleMania XIV. As I watched the entire video, a flood of memories came rushing back, swirling around in my mind. I longed to share how incredible WWE was back in those days, but I knew my son wouldn’t understand, his current favourite show is Paw Patrol. I turned to my wife and started recounting the glory days of wrestling. She listened, but I could tell she was only pretending to be interested. To be honest, it’s been over a decade, almost two, since I last watched WWE. Time flies, but those memories still feel as vivid as ever.

Back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, I used to watch WWE religiously. The show always warned us not to try the stunts at home, but, of course, we did anyway. Whenever my friends and I got together, it didn’t take long before our discussions about WWE turned into impromptu wrestling matches. Looking back, it’s a miracle none of us ended up with any permanent injuries, at least none that I can recall.

I was a bit of an extremist when it came to WWE. I even started my own WWE newspaper called The Slam. I’d use my friend’s typewriter (the same friend who sent me the link today), and carbon paper to create copies. I sold each issue for 1 INR to my classmates, parents, and even my neighbours. Now that I think about it, I realize how incredibly cool my neighbours were for humouring me and buying those papers. These days, I make it a point to buy whatever the kids in my neighbourhood are selling, it’s my way of paying it forward.

I wish I could see those old issues of The Slam just one more time. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but I know I poured my heart into it, describing everything I watched on WWE in the most exciting way my young mind could imagine. Those were the days, full of passion, creativity, and a whole lot of wrestling.

Not only that, I even started a group in my class called The Big Red Machine, named after Kane’s iconic persona. To recruit my classmates, I resorted to bribery, distributing my lunch money, 1 INR each, for a month. I remember overhearing one of the students whispered to another, “I don’t even root for Kane, but I got paid.” It’s funny now, but back then, I was dead serious about building my WWE-inspired faction. Those were the days, when loyalty could be bought for a rupee, and Kane’s mask and fiery theatrics felt larger than life. Looking back, it’s hard not to laugh at how far I went to share my passion for wrestling with anyone who’d listen (or accept a bribe).

It’s funny how something as simple as a video link from an old friend can bring back a flood of memories, reminding me of a time when life felt larger than life itself. Those were the days, when WWE wasn’t just a show, but a way of life. Those moments from the late ’90s and early 2000s will always hold a special place in my heart. Wrestling wasn’t just entertainment back then, it was a shared experience, a source of creativity, and a bond that connected friends, classmates, and even neighbours. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.