How and at what age did you realize wrestling was fake ?

[Scuba 06]

I think I started watching wrestling around the age 7 or 8, sometime around the fall of 1998. If I can remember correctly, I think it took me about a year to realize it was scripted. I obviously heard it in school like everyone else probably did, but I'm sure I tried to ignore what I was being told. As I watched over time though, I continued to notice that the wrestlers weren't really hitting each other. So my doubts started growing, but if I had to pick a singular moment that really began to sway my mind is when I came across a picture online of Kane without his mask as Diesel and Issac Yankem. Although, I didnt much about who those characters were, I investigated various websites and then found out that Kane and all other wrestlers were everyday people just acting for show. To say I was disappointed was probably an understatement. Anyways what ages were you guys when you realized the show was fake or scripted and, did any particular event tip you off ? How did you feel afterwards ?

 

[berlinbrawler]

The first time I saw wrestling I was about 8 years old. I knew it was fake from the first moment.

My brother made sure of that. He was a cocky know-it-all-12 year old and he wasted no time. That bastard. (He also ruined Santa Claus for me.)

Although I must admit I didn't want to believe it at first. For a long time I couldn't shake my doubts that maybe it was all real and that my brother was saying it just to fuck with my head.

Eventually I was making peace with the fact that they were pretend fighting, but it took me a lot longer to accept that the characters weren't real, either. I was convinced Kamala really was a ******ed cannibal that needed to be locked up between shows and who was too dumb to figure out how to pin a guy. And then there was that time Jake had his snake bite Randy Savage. No way that was pretend! Surely after that Randy hated Jake's guts for real!!!!

But it must have been around my 13th birthday when once and for all I accepted the ultimate truth. (Namely that IT'S ALL STILL REAL TO ME, DAMNIT!)

 

[ProWrestlingFan84]

I vaguely remember my first exposure to pro wrestling and it was some local indy thing at my local school. I think I got to see Honkey Tonk Man but honestly it was quite sometime ago (18 years or so, I'm 27). Point being I was well aware that wrestling was fake then. There was never any bubble that was popped, my parents just always told me it was fake but I never cared, I always thought it was just awesome to watch. Now I think I realized wrestling was more scripted in outcomes and everything during high school and the attitude era started becoming popular. I still remember when Stone Cold really shot up with popularity and it seemed all the sudden wrestling was cool to watch when here I was had been watching it since I was a little kid but well maybe that's when I realized it was something different. Not sure if that really answers the question but that's my perspective.

 

[Its_A_Snake!]

I think it was back in 1998. I recorded WCW on VHS the night before and watching it round my Dad's place.

The NWO was having a giant brawl backstage. Im not to sure on this but I think it was Kevin Nash who was brawling with Scott Hall (I Know it was Hall) and Nash irish-whipped him into a garage door.. and Hall ran into it, slowed down, stopped right infront of it for a second and jumped straight into it. Me and my Dad looked at eachother at the same time like.. WTF was that?!

 

[midgensa]

Another good thread here.

I honestly do not ever remember thinking it was real. I followed wrestling slightly when I was a kid and a big Ultimate Warrior fan. I remember my parents at least telling me that it was "fake."

Not sure though. I definitely might have thought it was real the very first time I saw it, but ever since I have been "into" it I have known it was "fake." Though as a kid I definitely did not understand the full fledged scripting that was involved.

 

[DirtyD79]

I always figured the charcters were fake. I mean come on Papa Shango using voodoo to light people's feet on fire, Undertaker getting up from getting the holy shit kicked out of him just because Paul Bearer holds up an urn? Nailz an Escaped convict who's first order of business was go on to a nationally broadcast TV show in front of a whole arena full of people to commit assault and battery on The Big Bossman?

About the time I was 14 was when I started reasoning out everything else was scripted too. Especially when you got Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan doing the Nancy Kerrigan spot and both coming back to the ring with busted knees or Bob Backlund losing the WWF championship in 8 seconds.

 

[Charlesworth]

When me and all my mates started watching wrestling we were in year 5 so about, 10 years old, which was 1998. All the older kids at school would tell us it was fake, but didnt know how it was set up and all the ins and outs. Because we were young, i mean when you look at wrestling through 10 year old eyes it looks real, we kept watching and i guess suspended our disbelief. Maybe even slightly believed it might be real.

The day it all hit me like a slippery fish though, was the day i watched some kind of recap/behind the scenes show for Wrestlemania 2000. Quite clearly right there, on my TV, i saw Jeff hardy And Bully Ray embracing and slapping hands post match. I lost a little bit of faith in the world that day.

 

[HBsam31]

I had cousin that spoiled everything for me as a kid. Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, you name it. I got into wrestle around age 6 around the time of Mania 3. As soon as my cousin saw I loved wrestling he told me it was fake. I was probably 8 when he told me, and I chose not to believe him. When he saw that he would bring friends over to tell me it was fake to. Yes he was that invested in ruining my good time.