Top 10 Things Pro Wrestling Fans Obsess Over

[IrishCanadian25]

1. Move sets. Apparently in order to be good, wrestlers need to have a repitoire of maneuvers in each match that rivals the guide book for WWE '13. The greatest closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera, had two main pitches, and he was among the most dominant and entertaining pitchers to watch in history. A guy doesn't need to be able to execute a reverse spinning toe hold to be a great professional wrestler.

2. Clean wins. I'm guilty of this one from time to time. Just because a heel wins dirty doesn't mean they still didn't win. The best babyfaces don't need to put their heel opponents over "clean" in order to legitimize them. The Undertaker was one of the greatest heels of all time, and the day he beat Hulk Hogan for his first WWF Title as Survivor Series involved blatant interference by Ric Flair. It was effing brilliant. Didn't diminish The Undertaker at all. Yokozuna is regarded as one of the most dominant champions of all time - he needed help to beat Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, AND The Undertaker all in one year.

3. ECW. Yes, it was innovative. Yes, a lot of stars passed through there. Yes, Paul Heyman knew how to book. At the end of the day it was also largely a spectacle of violence in a bingo hall surrounded by a garbage crowd. An intense crowd, but not a room full of people I'd want to hire.

4. Heel Stables. If mainstream pro wrestling goes a few weeks without a heel stable, all of a sudden we see 15 threats pop up about who needs to be placed into a heel stable, and who needs to be in charge of it. And speaking of which...

5. The Four Horsemen. Great group - a long damn time ago before many of us were born and before most of us were fans. And I'm not talking about Curt Henning / Mongo McMichael / Chris Benoit four Horsemen. I mean the legit Four Horsemen - Flair, Arn, Ole, Tully, and JJ Dillion. Most of the remaining incarnations sucked.

6. Real Names. Apparently wrestlers should use their real names to truly get over. Fans may want this so they have accessibility. I don't know. But Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect, Edge, Dusty Rhodes, CM Punk, The Undertaker - all name in the list of all time greats, and none of them use their real names. I will, however, concede the Michael McGillicutty point. Don't wreck the son of Curt Henning by naming him after a cheap bottle of Menthol Liqueur.

7. RAW Ratings. Why do fans worry so much about what rating a wrestling show gets? When I watch Mad Men every Sunday evening, I don't go onto the internet the next day to find the Nielsen Ratings for the show and then have whole discussions about how "well watched" it was. I only care that I chose to watch it. Are we that obsessed to watch something popular? Funny, because if and when wrestling hits a 5.0 or 6.0 rating again, I bet a lot of people will be upset at "fake, fair weather fans."

8. The word "What." I can't stand it. It was an obnoxious catch phrase when Austin used it - MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. Mark Henry was dead on the other week. It's pathetic. Stop being such followers living in the past and move on, dammit. Austin's gone.

9. Mocking botches. Wrestling matches are live, not taped, and these are performers, but not all professional stunt men. Why fans feel the need to chide a wrestler with a "you f'd up" chant is beyond my understanding, especially considering that real accidents have landed guys like Droz in wheelchairs. It's not funny and it never has been.

10. Lists.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Just to add to the heel stable point, the irony of your point is that when a heel stable is formed its usually critically examined before the damn thing can even begin. Ace's and 8's was going on maybe two weeks before everyone was suggesting ways to improve it, "they should add this guy," "this guy doesn't belong," granted now I do say repeatedly Garrett Bischoff above everyone doesn't belong but that's because in a stable where they attempt to resemble bikers he looks like someone whose after getting off the set of a porno with a biker theme.

On the real names point and more specifically the final line, some need to remember that while he may hint he dislikes the name now, Michael McGillicutty was Joe Henning's choice because he wanted to make it on his own rather then off his his fathers name and legacy, this was obviously an incorrect decision as now any time he appears the first thing you hear is, "the son of the great Mr. Perfect" and he should be renamed Joe Henning or something similar, but in the beginning it was his choice.

And the "you fucked up" chant began in ECW, featured ever so slightly during the Attitude Era, has been carried on the indies for so long now that whenever WWE go to a smark hotspot such as New York, Chicago, Toronto etc, the chant is almost embedded in their brains. I went to an ROH show in Liverpool and Bryan Danielson versus Nigel McGuinness was the main event to unify the belts, Danielson screwed up a Springboard Clothesline, fans started chanting and with one stare from Bryan everyone stopped. Was pretty cool.

And number ten makes me refrain from complimenting your list.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

On 6, I don't think anyone minds about real names. It's just that the names all the WWE guys get given are just so shitty. The likes of Dolph Ziggler, Byron Saxton, Michael McGillicutty even Dean Ambrose, are all just terrible names.

 

[ShatteredDreamsProduction]

Expanding further on the heel stable. Look at the shield. Been together a few months. Wrestled a handful of matches and people scream for them to be separated and sent off on the hunt for singles success. Which really annoys me as with so many singles stars at the moment. I feel they would get lost in the shuffle. Then everyone would be complaining that the WWE split up the shield and ruined them.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I would add mid-card titles to your list. To me they're just "mid-card" titles. If the mid-card title holder loses to a main eventer you should be like, "hey, that makes sense." The bitching and moaning about Wade Barrett losses is kind of weak. Just appreciate the match if you think it was high quality and enjoyed it and don't worry about Barrett's win/loss record. He is doing what a mid-carder is supposed to do while they are a "mid-carder".

The one thing I'd wish wrestling fans to start obsessing over again is the idea of occassionally bring back Best of 5 or 7 series. It let's guys take losses without creating a total freak out from the fans or hot shots the belt.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Move sets and clean wins I most definitely agree with. For some fans, you're not a "good wrestler" if you don't pack your matches with all sorts of flips & flops, over the top spots or one insane display of athleticism after another. If you know how to work a crowd, tell a story and/or have good technical ability; you sometimes get the "you can't wrestle" bullshit. If someone has all those things, that's great but, frankly, they don't mean a damn thing if you can't get the fans to care about you. Otherwise, wrestlers like Amazing Red would be stars like Hulk Hogan or The Rock.

I can't count the number of times that I've seen fans obsess over wrestlers winning clean. For some strange reason, they expect it even more out of heels. To a good many internet fans especially, if a heel isn't portrayed as some human juggernaut whose such a badass that you'd catch pneumonia once his shadow fell across you, then he's not being a good heel. I have no idea where this line of thinking came from. I can't count the number of times Ric Flair either one or retained a championship because of cheating. He's arguably the greatest of all time yet, for some reason, modern heels are being held to a completely different standard. It also seems to be extremely selective, depending on the wrestler. I remember The Miz cheated left & right to keep his title during his WWE Championship run and was relentlessly hounded for being a "weak champion". Bobby Roode does the same thing in TNA and gets hailed as the greatest champ in TNA history.

I also flat out despise the "What?" chants. I wish to God Austin had never come up with that.

I'd also, possibly, add tournaments to the list. Whenever you turn around, someone starts a thread or comments in a thread that they want to see more tournaments. I do agree that a tournament every so often is a fun novelty but not at the frequency some want it.

I'd also add unpredictability to the list. Some fans, especially internet fans, complain that wrestling is no longer unpredictable. No shit. How can it be unpredictable if you troll the internet looking for spoilers or rumors about upcoming shows, pushes, feuds and matches? Often times, even when they are surprised, they gripe as much as ever. At other times, it's as if they want it just for the sake of it being unexpected whether or not it makes any whatsoever.

 

[Bookerkingston]

Fantasy Booking, or whatever it's called. This mostly occurs around Wrestlemania season, but it's a year-round thing for the most part. Every year people get all over Youtube and they get on the forums and post up their Wrestlemania predictions. They give you the WHOLE "list" of matches for the event, the build-ups of the feuds, what happens in the matches, potential heel/face turns, run-ins, who wins the match and how they win it. And what takes place on RAW the night after. They got a whole essay written out like 3 or 4 months before anything even happens.

What is there to gain from spending so much time trying to show me how "smart" you are and telling exactly what you think will, or SHOULD happen? I just want to sit down, watch what happens, and enjoy the show.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I guess this could be added to "movesets" but I'd say "High Flyers." If a guy is "high flyer" he is automatically a "good" wrestler and should get a title run, in the eyes of many wrestling fans.

Also, many fans obsess over the indy circuits/indy wrestling.

Finally, people obsess over who "deserves" a title shot or title run, or the main event at a PPV.

 

[Trill Co$by]

HENNIG! THE GUY'S LAST NAME IS HENNIG!

I swear for people claiming to be such fans of Curt Hennig, and even Joe, there sure are a lot of those same people spelling his name wrong.

Mini rant aside...

I'd like to add one more thing to that list. Apparently, in order for someone to be worth anything, they have to have come from a long time in the independent scene. Despite the fact that The Miz, John Cena, and even Trish Stratus [AN ALL TIME GREAT] were never truly independent stars... though Miz does have a few independent matches floating around. And those aren't even some of the greatest names.

To me, it does help for someone to have come through the indies. That, to me, means that they're more accustomed to how the business truly works. They've been through the politics, they've seen shady booking, and they know when to take the pay and when to walk away. But that doesn't mean that WWE can't go out, find someone with a nice physique, and train them to become a great worker.

A lot of people at the moment are high on Big E Langston. But what they don't get is that he doesn't have any independent experience [FCW/NXT withstanding]. Titus O'Neil and Darren Young are always brought up when the tag titles are mentioned, and Titus came straight from College Football to the WWE. Roman Reigns of the shield has family lineage, but otherwise, he was a football guy as well.

My point is that independent wrestling doesn't mean they'll make a great draw in WWE. In fact, sometimes it makes more sense to find a Mike Mizanin, tune him up, and turn him into a rating booster.

But you know, that's just one opinion I have...

 

[Mustang Sally]

Mocking botches. Wrestling matches are live, not taped, and these are performers, but not all professional stunt men. Why fans feel the need to chide a wrestler with a "you f'd up" chant is beyond my understanding, especially considering that real accidents have landed guys like Droz in wheelchairs. It's not funny and it never has been.

Point well taken. In the movies and TV, when filming a segment in which something goes wrong, the director yells "cut!" and they try the whole thing again. That's easy on the performers. In pro wrestling (as in stage plays) it's much tougher because whatever you do becomes part of the record books since you don't get a second chance when the action is live. Plus, even in stage plays, we're talking about flubbing a spoken line, which is a hell of a lot easier to deliver than maneuvering your body in mid-air. (i.e., it's easier to speak than to suplex).

Actually, flubs in the ring make the whole product look more real and believable, because mistakes happen in real life, no? In a circus, the gal walking the tightrope sometimes makes a misstep on purpose, leading the audience to believe they're about to witness a real live disaster. The possibility of such is what brings the crowds in (the chumps love it). Conversely, jeering the wrestlers for screwing up a move is part of the show, too......a lousy part, but a part just the same.

The promoter probably doesn't care that the jeering folks don't understand what they're seeing.....as long as they buy their ticket, they can boo all they want.

 

[wrestlingfan]

What about John Cena? For someone they hate, wrestling fans will make 100 page threads that last for weeks about him.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I remember The Miz cheated left & right to keep his title during his WWE Championship run and was relentlessly hounded for being a "weak champion". Bobby Roode does the same thing in TNA and gets hailed as the greatest champ in TNA history.

There was a big difference IMO when it came to both reigns. Roode was built up as a top face, winning the BFG Series and heading on to be the world champion. He then lost in the most screwey way possible, a roll up, his tights being held AND his arm under the ropes. Then he realises "Hard work....gets you nowhere in life!" and beats Storm in a great heel turn.

It was a point made during Roode's reign that he had talent, but chose to still cheat anyway. Also what was interesting is that as time went on Roode got stronger and stronger as a champion with some wins, going through pretty much every main eventer on the roster. A lot of his matches he didn't cheat either, but won through circumstances. Add to that, all of matches ranging from decent to amazing, and you had the best TNA title reign in history!

Now Miz, was never booked as being credible in the slightest. He won the title via a MITB cash-in, and proceeded to have crap matches and crap promos. Add to that he wasn't physically imposing in any way, and that he was overshadowed by Rock and Cena. And you had a horrible world title run with probably the worst WWE champion I can think of.

So I think the two reigns were very different.