Here’s the thing. I didn’t just read about the 70s guys. I chased their tapes, wore out my VCR, and sat with family on the couch while the room smelled like popcorn and old carpet. I watched Bruno, Dusty, Harley, and Andre throw down in those slow, heavy matches that felt like thunder rolling in. You know what? They still hit.
How I watched them (and still do)
My dad saved old VHS tapes from the local video shop. I’d rewind the same bouts till the tape got wavy. Later, I found more on the WWE classics library and old DVDs from Highspots. Sometimes I saw grainy stuff from Japan and AWA on a friend’s hard drive. It wasn’t fancy. But it felt real.
Lately, when I need a quick nostalgia jolt, I pull up this short clip on YouTube that captures the atmosphere perfectly.
If you want to tumble even deeper into that decade’s atmosphere—stats, ticket stubs, pop culture, and all—take a spin through Super70s and feel the time-capsule glow.
For a play-by-play breakdown of the most unforgettable bouts, my long-form recap lives right over here.
The feel of the era
Small arenas. A haze over the ring. Loud, honest fans. The territory system made every town feel like its own world. Belts meant something. A handshake could sell a main event. The pace was slower than now, sure, but the stories had weight. If a guy bled, the whole place went quiet.
The big names I felt in my chest
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Bruno Sammartino: At Madison Square Garden, the crowd sounded like a storm. His lock-ups looked like work, not play. Bruno vs. Superstar Billy Graham in 1977? I swear the noise got in my bones. If you’ve never seen that showdown, the 8/29/77 MSG event is streaming on Peacock in full. Pros: power, heart, a true champ feel. Cons: some matches ran long, with a lot of holds.
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“Superstar” Billy Graham: The look, the tie-dye, the strut. He talked like a preacher and flexed like a statue. He made the heel role look cool. Pros: promo master, style for days. Cons: ring work could be simple, but the swagger covered it. I even put his loud style to the test for seven days—here's how the experiment felt.
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Dusty Rhodes: The “son of a plumber” made me tear up more than once. That lisp didn’t hide a thing; it made him human. Dusty could sell pain like a movie. Pros: best talker of the decade. Cons: some finishes felt messy; the brawls could get wild and slow.
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Harley Race: Tough as old leather. Every slam had snap. He gave and took pain without blinking. Harley vs. Terry Funk in 1977? Grit you can taste. Pros: big-match aura, nasty suplexes. Cons: not flashy; if you want flips, look elsewhere.
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Ric Flair (young Flair): Still finding the “Nature Boy” groove, but slick even then. He bumped like a pinball. Early Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat in the late 70s had sparks already. Pros: pace, selling, style. Cons: not peak Flair yet.
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Andre the Giant: Seeing him walk to the ring felt like watching a mountain move. I once saw an old match with Blackjack Mulligan where the ring ropes shook from just their tie-up. Pros: presence like no one else. Cons: later in the decade he slowed, but the aura stayed.
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Nick Bockwinkel: Smooth as a suit. Talked like a lawyer, wrestled like a chess player. Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne in 1978 felt classy and mean at once. Pros: brains and timing. Cons: can feel “technical” if you want chaos.
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Stan Hansen: Wild cowboy energy. Stiff shots that made me wince. His 1976 run against Bruno? Brutal and real. Pros: raw power, chaos. Cons: not pretty; more storm than dance.
Matches I still rewatch
- Bruno Sammartino vs. Superstar Billy Graham (MSG, 1977)
- Stan Hansen vs. Bruno Sammartino (1976, the famous rough one)
- Harley Race vs. Terry Funk (1977, NWA title change era)
- Nick Bockwinkel vs. Verne Gagne (AWA, 1978)
- Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Mid-Atlantic TV, 1979)
They’re slower than modern sets. But the crowd reactions are the tell. You can feel the heat through the screen.
What didn’t age well
Some angles crossed lines. A few promos used words we don’t use now. Blood showed up a lot, and not in a safe way. Time limits and chinlocks could drag. If you love high spots every minute, you may get restless. I get it.
What I loved anyway
- Selling and pacing: A headlock meant something. A near-fall felt like a cliff edge.
- Promos: Dusty, Graham, Bockwinkel—three very different voices, all sticky in your head.
- Stakes: Titles felt heavy. Town-to-town feuds felt personal.
Little moments that stuck with me
I remember a Bruno comeback where the camera shook from stomps. I remember Dusty calling out “hard times” and my uncle nodding like he’d lived it. I remember Harley spiking a guy and the crowd going quiet, like a church gasp. And I remember Andre smiling at a kid in the front row, and the whole section melting.
Where I watch now
Most of what I revisit sits on the WWE library on Peacock, and old DVD sets in a shoebox. I also flip through old Pro Wrestling Illustrated mags I grabbed at flea markets. The paper feels soft and smells like a basement, which, weirdly, adds charm.
If those late-night nostalgia sessions ever leave you wanting some grown-up conversation beyond the squared circle, check out this roundup of adults-only, totally free hookup apps—it lays out which platforms are busiest and gives direct download links so you can start chatting without dropping a dime.
True story: last summer I road-tripped to Waterloo, Iowa for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame weekend. If you ever swing through neighboring Cedar Falls and want the kind of downtime that’s a little more adult than a headlock, Backpage Cedar Falls lists local companions and discreet meet-up spots so you can keep the night exciting long after the final bell.
Who this era fits
- New fans who like story first, moves second
- Old-school heads who miss the slow burn
- Parents showing kids why grandpa yelled at the TV
- Anyone who wants to hear a crowd, not just see one
- Anyone hunting for a crowd-pleasing throwback present can peek at these gifts for boomers that still get mileage
Quick lingo, plain talk
- Face = good guy. Heel = bad guy.
- Promo = talk to sell a fight.
- Work stiff = hits look and sometimes feel real.
- Territory = local group before one big company ran everything.
My verdict
Wrestlers from the 70s get 4.5 out of 5 from me. The matches can be slow. Some bits aged rough. But the heart? Huge. The sound of those crowds? Goosebumps. If you give them time, they give you stories you can feel in your chest.
Honestly, I still press play on Bruno vs. Graham when I need to remember why I love wrestling. And when Dusty says he’s got hard times, I believe him—every single time.