The Passion of the Wrestling Fan

[vampireblade]

Before I start i have to say i felt that i just needed to post this as it has been on my mind for quite some time.
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I've been coming on WrestleZone for about 4 or 5 years now, and been an active member of the WrestleZone forums for a little under 2 years and consider myself a member of the IWC. During my tenure as a member of the IWC I have come to realize that alot, and I do mean alot of people love to bash TNA. All this week I have sat back and asked myself why this is, and honestly I still have yet to come up with a reason. Now i am not saying TNA is perfect by any means. However in the grand scheme of things they are one of the better wrestling promotions out there. Now im not saying TNA is the only one that gets bashed, WWE has its share of haters as well. neither company is perfect because neither company is able to please everyone. However that is where things get interesting because if you dont like what one company puts out there is another company that you can go watch to see what you like. In other words with competition it works out better for the product and the fans.


I like to think there are two types of fans the ones that take it for what it is, whatever is put on their plate, they never say a word just grin and bear it. The other type of fan is called the Internet Wrestling Community, we have a special love for this sport. We love to see amazing matches because it is that thrill of seeing two wrestlers who make the most important aspect of the story happen not on the mic but in the ring, and because of that love we gladly voice our opinion on the stuff we love as well as the stuff we hate through websites like this and twitter. And I am willing to bet everyone on these forums remembers the first time they watched wrestling. I know I do, it was sitting with my grandpa and seeing this mountain of a man named Hulk Hogan march to the ring to beat down the dungeon of doom on WCW Nitro.

You see as much as we criticize wrestling and call things stupid we tend to watch each and every week regardless of what happened the previous week, why? because at heart we are still fans. You look at other sports baseball, football, soccer, hockey, I could name off more but you get the idea, all of their fans if their team sucks they simply stop watching until their team gets better. Wrestling fans are not like that despite how bad it gets we stick through till the end. We watch Raw every Monday even if we do have to sit through a horrible segment or match, same with Impact and SmackDown all because we love this sport. In the end the passion those men and women have when they step in the ring is shared by all of us fans, whether its WWE and 20 thousand inside the TD Garden in Boston or TNA with just under or over a thousand in the impact zone, we still tune in every week to watch what happens next because wrestling provides us with an escape of our everyday lives. In the end I believe that although most in the wrestling world turn their noses up at us we the IWC have proven time and time again have love and respect for this magnificent sport, the sport of kings.

Your thoughts?

When did you fall in love with wrestling?

 

[HBsam31]

I agree with what you said 100 percent. I am not overly critical of any of the shows, but will always point out what i think could be better. I watch TNA every week and think they are improving every week. I also watch no matter what as it is just a part of who I am. My sister in law and I have a very close bond that is based almost solely on watching wrestling together. It makes me laugh, it makes me excited, it makes me nervous, and sometimes it can even make me cry. Not much else can make me cry. I call that passion for something. I have said in other threads that competition brings out the best in wrestling and we need to take it easy and be less critical of the smaller companies. Most of all we need to give them a chance and watch them so competition can actually happen. I am not asking for another Monday Night War, just a company that can give us a strong alternative to WWE. As to what got me into wrestling, it was when my dad brought me home a copy of Wrestlemania 3 when I was 5. i watched that and was hooked for life.

 

[vampireblade]

I agree with what you said 100 percent. I am not overly critical of any of the shows, but will always point out what i think could be better. I watch TNA every week and think they are improving every week. I also watch no matter what as it is just a part of who I am. My sister in law and I have a very close bond that is based almost solely on watching wrestling together. It makes me laugh, it makes me excited, it makes me nervous, and sometimes it can even make me cry. Not much else can make me cry. I call that passion for something. I have said in other threads that competition brings out the best in wrestling and we need to take it easy and be less critical of the smaller companies. Most of all we need to give them a chance and watch them so competition can actually happen. I am not asking for another Monday Night War, just a company that can give us a strong alternative to WWE. As to what got me into wrestling, it was when my dad brought me home a copy of Wrestlemania 3 when I was 5. i watched that and was hooked for life.

Agreed if someone who watched this sport as long as someone like you or me have, turned around and said that they dont have a passion for it then i would call them a liar but we are all on this site for a reason we love wrestling despite who makes fun of us whether it be friends or family we watch every week like we always have because we know that what they're missing is something special. most of the friends i have is because of wrestling. I even have an ex girlfriend that i met at a wrestling show.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I like to think there are two types of fans the ones that take it for what it is, whatever is put on their plate, they never say a word just grin and bear it. The other type of fan is called the Internet Wrestling Community, we have a special love for this sport.

Interesting post, but I believe that narrowing it down to just two categories doesn't do justice to a third type of fan......of which I include myself. I have a "special love for the sport" but with me, it's not a question of taking whatever they give me and "grinning and bearing it." I think it's more a case of accepting pro wrestling for what it is in today's world: a unique form of entertainment that happens to have wildly oversaturated it's marketplace. Unlike many other IWC fans, I don't expect everything they toss at us to be fresh and unique; with 4 hours of original programming each week, there can't possibly be enough ideas to satisfy people who effectively won't be happy with anything they come up with, anyway.

Many fans demand inventive, new ideas, yet detest everything WWE comes up with. In the last couple of days on this forum, you can read how they hate the Kane/A.J./Punk program..... they hate the idea of Brock Lesnar facing Triple H at Summerslam.... they hate the idea of Big Show turning heel (even though lots of them had been clamoring for it the past couple of years)........... you name it, they hate it.

So, don't forget the third type of fan: I love the product and am willing to accept the notion that everything can't be new and exciting, but there's so much going on in pro wrestling, I'll be a fan forever. I love the interviews, the backstage events, the pageantry, the Vaudevillian-like skits.....and of course, the action in the ring. But I don't keep my mouth shut about things I'd like to see changed; that's what an IWC forum is for. Being a participant on a wrestling forum doesn't mean you're dissatisfied with pro wrestling.

 

[xJER1CH0H0L1Cx]

I'm a fan that is SUPER vocal about things I don't enjoy but I make it a point to realize what I DO like. For example, most of my friends judge WM's as a whole when they're finished. "That 'Mania sucked!" is what I usually hear. I however, take away individual moments from certain events that I will remember forever. I guess I'm a purist but I'm able to be critical and supportive..... I never realized how difficult it is to actually describe my fanhood. I probably left a bunch of stuff out.

 

[GrandSword]

I like all types of wrestling and currently I prefer TNA to WWE, however I don't say I hate WWE and that it is rubbish etc. For the most part I like to acknowledge the good things being done by each company and try and ignore (fast forward) the bad. For example I really don't like the Miz, so I will fast forward all of his segments. But I might rewatch the Bryan/Punk stuff over and over. TNA and WWE go for 2 hours each show, and so there is hopefully soemthing there for everyone. Stuff that you like you watch, the other stuff, you either fast forward or go get a snack.

Ryback squashes might not be your cup of ta, but then again there are those that love it. So each to their own and with so much tv I think the two major companies are trying to reach as many different fasn as they can.

 

[scomvp316]

I first started watching wrestling when I found COTC I by scanning channels for something interesting on. Still love the Flair/Sting match and beats any match ever in WWE hands down. I have thought since WCW closed its doors thanks to TW/AOL that there are two different types of wrestling fans. There are WWE fans and then just pure wrestling fans on the other side. Way too many WWE fans think WWE is the greatest promotion of all-time. I have always compared WWE to the NY Yankees. WWE has more money than any other promotion even when WCW was around. Most fans want a good wrestling show not some obsessed with Hollywood half-ass wrestling with too much "entertainment". If WWE is so great then why is it that the majority of talent in TNA and ROH if offered a contract will not make the jump? The politics in this company now is very close to what WCW's politics was. VKM has never understood the wrestling fan and is alienating the fan base to try to gather casual viewers. The "Entertainment" crap compared to wrestling has never ever drawn a dime. The fans just want a good show whether its WWE,TNA,ROH, and or any other promotion in the world. The one thing I don't understand with fans is that they complain about TNA rehashing stories but when WWE does it not a peep. News flash after the MNW every possible storyline has been used so end of story. The only way WWE will change is when fans reject the product or another promotion figures things out and can compete more consistently.

My question to WWE fans is why do they dislike TNA soo much? There is no doubt TNA has screwed up alot in the past. Within the last year the product has got better. I do think they screwed the AA story up. Aries should get screwed over losing his title and then build him up towards BFG and beat Roode at BFG after Aries goes through guys like Joe,Styles,Gunner, and then finally Bully. Do WWE fans just have no faith that anyone since WCW can't topple WWE? Is it because Russo use to put out crap on TNA Programming? Is it because of Bisch/Hogan alliance in TNA? Is it any of the above or just that they are elitists and think WWE is great and every other promotion sucks?

 

[vampireblade]

I'm a fan that is SUPER vocal about things I don't enjoy but I make it a point to realize what I DO like. For example, most of my friends judge WM's as a whole when they're finished. "That 'Mania sucked!" is what I usually hear.I however, take away individual moments from certain events that I will remember forever. I guess I'm a purist but I'm able to be critical and supportive..... I never realized how difficult it is to actually describe my fanhood. I probably left a bunch of stuff out.

I agree, wrestling will always have its ups and downs on every show whether it be TNA ROH or WWE. The key is exactly what you said take away the individual moments that make this sport great the moments that remind us why we became fans in the first place. I believe that through all the bad stuff there are moments that we know cannot be duplicated in any other sport or any other form of entertainment.