What is a true wrestling fan & Who should we cheer for?

[the_phenomenal1]

I've been thinking recently whilst watching WWE programming & reading these forums, are we slightly hippacritical?

Take for example Randy Orton v John Cena.

The buildings are usually split on Cena so there's half of the people cheering for him & half cheering for Orton. This reminds me of boxing really where the fans cheer for who they like.

However, Wrestling isn't a real sport like boxing and the creative team build up the different people to be good/bad because that's the way this wrestling entertainment business has always been. Would Hogan slamming Andre have had the same effect if Hogan was not really cheered for, what made that moment great was the fact he was the American Hero & the underdog and the crowd were willing him on.

Now for the hippacritical part, we say on these forums about certain people getting good/bad reactions and surely it's down to the people in the building get a reaction. If there's a match for Heat taped in say London and there is a match between:

William Regal & Larry London the hometown boy, surely there should be a reaction and the fans should cheer him on knowing full well he isn't going to win, but because in any other sport you would.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I personally cheer for anybody that has that certain something about them. I cheer Ken Kennedy because when he first appeared he was hilarious. On Smackdown he just got better and better, and sadly on Raw he's not being used. I also cheer for the wrestlers who put their careers and health on the line regularly, which is one reason i loved ECW (original version) because these guys were getting paid chicken feed or not at all, yet at every show they'd beat the holy high hell outta each other with whatever came to hand first.
Guys like Foley, HHH, Austin, Funk, Taker, Kane, HBK, Flair, the Hardys, Kane, Edge and Christian, the Dudleyz who have come close to crippling themselves, burning themselves, and killing braincells on a regular basis are the guys to cheer for because these are the guys who ensure we get our moneys worth

 

[matty]

It doesn't matter that it's not real. 2 MAJOR examples. First, Stone Cold was never meant to be the "face." He was cheered because people liked his character and the PEOPLE birthed Austin 3:16. It was not in the WWE agenda to have him be the star he became. Maybe some day but the crowd reactions were unstoppable. People still annoyingly shout "What" when the heels talk, mind you I love Austin, I just think it's annoying that during interviews they still say what. I refuse. Anyways, the second example is one I have a fond memory of because I was there. Wrestlemania 18. If only for the night, The Rock was a heel and Hogan was the Face in terms of crowd popularity. Watching this match on dvd still gives me the chills because I have never seen such an electrical crowd on such a hyped match. It was incredible. I grew up idolizing Hogan and there was no way I was going to cheer Rocky. Imagine my delight when basically the whole crowd cheered HOGAN, HOGAN, HOGAN!

But the argument to that would be that the whole "show" and the idea behind it is to cheer the good guy & boo the bad guy is it not?

Always cheering the face and booing the heel died when the attitude era started.

 

[jonyblade2007]

Always cheering the heel and booing the face died when the attitude era started.

I Think you got that backwards.

A True wrestling fan is someone that enjoys it for what it is and doesn't complain about every little thing. I sometimes turn the channel when some I don't like comes on but there is no way you are going to like everything.

A true wrestling takes wrestling for what it is. Mindless entertainment

 

[Unrated Superstar]

I think we should cheer for whoever we want, plain and simple. Some people argue that if you cheer for a heel, you're not giving him credit as a heel, as if it's a sign of disrespect. But if you truly didn't like a heel, would you cheer for him? No, you'd still boo him because you don't like him. Just like you boo for a face if you don't like him.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I feel like if I pay my money, I should be able to cheer whomever I so choose. I think there is a huge distinct difference between cheering for someone becuase its just the thing to do, and to be disruptive, and cheering someone becuase you like them. As long as you cheer purely for reasons of who you like, then you should be able to. If your doing it just to make yourself the show, then your an asshole. If you are cheering becuase you actually are a fan of the guy, then you are fine.

 

[chrisgod]

I feel like if I pay my money, I should be able to cheer whomever I so choose. I think there is a huge distinct difference between cheering for someone becuase its just the thing to do, and to be disruptive, and cheering someone becuase you like them. As long as you cheer purely for reasons of who you like, then you should be able to. If your doing it just to make yourself the show, then your an asshole. If you are cheering becuase you actually are a fan of the guy, then you are fine.

Everytime the WWE comes to Mexico, people goes nuts and cheers the very first wrestler to go out... and it's a HUUUUUUGE pop, even if it's Snitsky...

Also, the complete roster gets good pops... regardless they are heels or faces... Orton always gets a great reaction from girls... and you can't blame them for cheering... they paid a ticket so they can do it... as long as the match happens, people start booing the heel so the dynamic doesn't get affected by this.

I think a good wrestling fan (or a good sports entertainment fan to be more specific) cheer whoever he/she wants, marks for his favorite wrestler even if it's not the best mat technician (because of that Batista is main eventing and will be in that level for a long time I guess), and also likes promos...

Nobody is going to tell me they are better wrestling fans than me because I'm a HHH fan (yeah have to admit it...) and he is not the best in the ring / mic / attitude / ring attire , etc... You just enjoy watching it and that's it... You don't need to be Dave Meltzer to enjoy a match...

 

[kurtisraw07]

I would define a true wrestling fan as follows. He cheers for who his favorite wrestler is regardless of his face/heel status. He doesn't cheer for a guy just because Vince manipulated him to do so. It's the same problem with American Idol. The voters of that show vote for who the Judges give the most positive feedback. That's my problem with Cena's fanbase. His fans don't have minds of their own and blindly cheer for him with no way to back up why. I personally cheer for MVP, Edge, and Orton. Also it wouldn't hurt if the majority of WWE's faces weren't lame. Cheering for WWE's faces at the present time is the equivalent to watching Full House and thinking Danny Tanner isn't creepy. An intelligent person can't do that.

 

[14-Year Old Virgin]

What does cheering certain wrestlers have ANYTHING to do with a true wrestling fan? Cheering for certain wrestlers and not cheering for others is not what defines a "True Wrestling Fan". One person said that he liked HHH. He cheered for him. Then you are a "True" HHH fan. Nothing more. It does NOT make anyone a "True Fan" of wrestling.

A "True Fan of Wrestling" is a person that will watch ANY wrestling on TV. Whether or not it's WWE, TNA, NWA, ECW, ROH, or anythinhg else you can find. A "True Wrestling Fan" does not have to like certain promotions but watch it regardless for the simple answer of it being wrestling. Something you love watching.

I am a "True Wrestling Fan" as I will watch ANY wrestling good or bad. I like the WWE, TNA, & I even enjoyed Wrestling Society X as well! Just watching those guys perform is enough for me! I have not had the honor of really watching ROH yet as there is no way I can see it as it is not televised in my area. But, it's wrestling, so I will watch it and Enjoy it. Like someone else said, I don't like every segment you see on the shows, but if you think any show is GREAT top to bottom, then you are a Fan of that particular program and not a "True Fan of Wrestling" but a "True Fan" of that promotion.

 

[chrisgod]

I would define a true wrestling fan as follows. He cheers for who his favorite wrestler is regardless of his face/heel status. He doesn't cheer for a guy just because Vince manipulated him to do so.

You have some good points here, but I have to disagree the most.

It's the same problem with American Idol. The voters of that show vote for who the Judges give the most positive feedback.

Sure it happens, basically that's the objective of a push, having you cheering someone more and more and buying his merchandise...

That's my problem with Cena's fanbase. His fans don't have minds of their own and blindly cheer for him with no way to back up why.

I think you're a little bit rude with Cena's fans... Because there are a lot of reasons to cheer him... Gosh I sound like a chain gang soldier!!!... but I'm not... well I'll try to explain myself...
1. Girls cheer him because they find him good looking, just like a pop star... wouldn't you cheer for Jessica Simpson dressed with lingerie even if she sucks at singing???
2. Kids cheer for him because he is portrayed as a Hero, as a fighting champ, because they wan't to be like him... I can't imagine a kid saying he wants to be like Super Crazy... maybe here in Mexico... no wait... not even here
3. He has some catch phrases and is good at the mic, and he is kind of entertaining...

I personally cheer for MVP, Edge, and Orton. Also it wouldn't hurt if the majority of WWE's faces weren't lame.

Good for you if you cheer popular heels who are currently getting a push, and it's obvious they are going to be main eventing for the next years... I see how people die for Kennedy... and he is a face now... is he lame??? is HBK lame??? is taker lame??
And I supose Hogan wasn't lame...

Cheering for WWE's faces at the present time is the equivalent to watching Full House and thinking Danny Tanner isn't creepy. An intelligent person can't do that.

If the faces are portrayed unstoppable Hogan style (Cena) then people say it's ridiculous... If they attack everyone else ala Austin (HHH) then trey are burying the midcard...
I think you can cheer anybody if they like the character and that's it... saying people doesn't have a reason to cheer the faces doesn't sound fair to me... It's like saying people who cheer Taker is stupid because he is not really a deadman... I mean, he has been over always because of the gimmick... but some years ago, people complaint about his ring skills and promos...

 

[HBK-aholic]

I think a true wrestling fan is someone who enjoys the show. I mean, come on, "true" wrestling fan? This is sports entertainment, where we watch for our entertainment. There are no true fans, or any other name you use to give power to a select group of fans. We all love the product WWE puts out, therefore we are all fans.

Sports Entertainment is my life, it's like the one constant thing in there. No matter what, I will watch Raw every week religiously. However that doesn't make me a "true" fan, compared to someone who watches it every so often. We're both fans, even though I may like it more/less than someone else.

As for who we should cheer for, I cheer for who I enjoy wrestling. Shawn Michaels is my favourite wrestler, therefore I will cheer for him wrestling no matter what. Mr Kennedy is another good one, another guy I love watching, therefore I'll cheer for him. Santino Marella makes me laugh loads, therefore I'll cheer for him too.

Responses to people such as Cena, who it's 'cool' to like one minute, and then it becomes 'cool' to hate him another, annoy me. I've never been a big fan of Cena, so I won't cheer for him. Why? Because he just doesn't entertain me, something a wrestler needs to do in Sports Entertainment. However it annoys me when people cheer/boo a wrestler just because it's the 'in' thing to do.

 

[Danmen001]

I'm bored so I'm gonna debate with you. Hem hem.

I would define a true wrestling fan as follows.

You would define that.

He cheers for who his favorite wrestler is regardless of his face/heel status.

If you liked someone, wouldn't you want what they want, and what they want is for you to cheer/ boo you, depending on their face/heel position.

He doesn't cheer for a guy just because Vince manipulated him to do so.

No one manipulates anyone into anything. It's entertainment, your ment to like some and not like some. Even if you respect them all, they want you to boo them if their a heel, and if you like them, why not respect their wishes.

It's the same problem with American Idol. The voters of that show vote for who the Judges give the most positive feedback.

The fans vote for who they like, you saying that is basically saying what you think. You pretty much admitted that YOU are the one who thinks like that.

That's my problem with Cena's fanbase. His fans don't have minds of their own and blindly cheer for him with no way to back up why.

That is a bit biased. Cena Fans, basically sounds like you putting them in a group like they don't matter. His fans cheer for him because they like him. Thye are into his charisma, they have plenty of reasons to like him. Why are your reasons for not liking him then?

I personally cheer for MVP, Edge, and Orton.

I respect them, I like them too. I like how good they are at their job..... their job is making poeple boo them.

Also it wouldn't hurt if the majority of WWE's faces weren't lame. Cheering for WWE's faces at the present time is the equivalent to watching Full House and thinking Danny Tanner isn't creepy. An intelligent person can't do that.

That sounded really smarky. The WWE aren't lame, they are booked in the way they are to entertain us, make us generally like them. And don't you think your being hypocritical. Before you argued that a true wrestling fan cheers someone regardless of his face/ heel status. Now you are saying cheering for faces at the present time is stupid. Hypocrtiical much.

An intelligent person can do that, I do. I am intelligent and you are just being smarky.

 

[The great gama]

Why do we have to pigeon hole ourselves by define what a true fan is. We all fans here arnt we? just being here online rite nw (Its 23:52 in south africa btw) makes us fans. Who people cheer for is up to personal choice. Like hbk-aholic said "You cheer for who ever entertains you." wether they are heel or face.

 

[L4L]

No one can tell you what a true wrestling fan is. If you watch WWE and love it then you are a pro wrestling fan, some may like watching TNA or maybe ROH they to are also Pro Wrestling fans, neither can claim to be a truer Pro Wrestling fan than the other. Same goes for Japanese Pro Wrestling fans what it comes down to is style prefrences thats it. Personally I don't favor WWE's style of Pro Wrestling but I still watch it thats not to say someone who does favor it is stupid or not a true wrestling fan its just what they like. Who you cheer for is also a personal thing. You may like someone that I don't you may think so and so is great i may think they suck that doesn't make either person right or wrong its just opinion. There is no such thing as a true wrestling fan if you watch and like you are a wrestling fan period. Anyone who says different is lying to themselves.

 

[Agrex]

There is no such thing as a "true wrestling fan". You either like wrestling, which makes you a wrestling fan, or you don't, which doesn't make you a wrestling fan. There is also no such thing as a wrestler someone must cheer for, to be classified a "true wrestling fan", because some people may like that certain wrestler, and some may not. The ones that like him/her can cheer for him/her the others don't have to. It's not like there's a rulebook on how you should watch/enjoy wrestling properly.

Another thing that annoys me is that how people can say that a certain wrestler is not a real wrestler. Nearly every athlete to enter the pro wrestling business isn't an amazing amateur wrestler. Does that make him/her a bad wrestler? No. Some wrestlers have different styles, and whatever style they perform in, they are still wrestlers. For example, cheering for a brawler doesn't make you less of a wrestling fan than someone who cheers for a technician. It's all about what style you, as a wrestling fan, like more, or who you like more. That's what makes you a real fan.

 

[WinstonDeckard]

I've always cheered who I liked and it's always boiled down if they're good in the ring mostly. Even when I was a kid I didn't know why I liked a guy I just liked him because I enjoyed him in the ring (hell I didn't even know if I knew that, I just liked him). Like when I used to watch WCW my favourites were Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero, Finlay, Booker T, Malenko etc. I realized later that as I was a kid I liked those guys because they were good wrestlers putting on good matches consistently. So I go by that still to this day. Do I hate some guys yup, do i like some guys that aren't great in the ring or aren't the best technically in the ring, yes but for the most part it is based on what they get done in the ring.

 

[FOTH 3:16]

I think that A true wrestling fan is someone who will watch wrestling because it is wrestling.I think a true fan just loves to see an entertainer go out there,wether it is Hacksaw or The Rock,and wrestle for us.They would watch any wrestling,from WWE to the local backyard show,just to see some action.A true fan will cheer for somebody they like regardless of face/heel status.They have their own opinions on what is an entertainin g show and what is a snoozefest but will watch ethier one.They like a good show but are okay with a bad one.And they like a balance between good wrestling,unrealistic gimmicks,realistic gimmicks,and storylines that work but will take a card full of ethier one just because they wanna see wrestling.With that being said,I'm not a true fan.But I do enjoy wrestling.

 

[reddevil69]

I think a true wrestling fan is someone who enjoys the show. I mean, come on, "true" wrestling fan? This is sports entertainment, where we watch for our entertainment. There are no true fans, or any other name you use to give power to a select group of fans. We all love the product WWE puts out, therefore we are all fans.

Sports Entertainment is my life, it's like the one constant thing in there. No matter what, I will watch Raw every week religiously. However that doesn't
make me a "true" fan, compared to someone who watches it every so often. We're both fans, even though I may like it more/less than someone else.

As for who we should cheer for, I cheer for who I enjoy wrestling. Shawn Michaels is my favourite wrestler, therefore I will cheer for him wrestling no matter what. Mr Kennedy is another good one, another guy I love watching, therefore I'll cheer for him. Santino Marella makes me laugh loads, therefore I'll cheer for him too.

Responses to people such as Cena, who it's 'cool' to like one minute, and then it becomes 'cool' to hate him another, annoy me. I've never been a big fan of Cena, so I won't cheer for him. Why? Because he just doesn't entertain me, something a wrestler needs to do in Sports Entertainment. However it annoys me when people cheer/boo a wrestler just because it's the 'in' thing to do.

Agreed. At the end of the day it's all about watching the performers you like and not being interested in the ones you don't. I like Shawn and Taker and they are by and large the reason i still tune in, but there are a few others that interest me as they develop over time such as Umaga, Kennedy, Cm Punk, and i dig Jeff Hardy as well.

It's about entertainment and if someone is entertained by a performer who is less of a worker than that is their choice. Comparing work-rate and athletic ability and wrestling skill between wrestlers is one thing, but everyone has a personal preference as to what they are entertained by....that is why Hogan was as big a draw as he was....best worker? No way...but did he entertain millions of people on a regular basis for 5 years on top of the WWF?...he certainly did.

Saying that someone is a 'true fan' because of who they like or don't like or by the frequency of which they watch Raw or smackdown regularly is stupid. I know people that only watch Ring of honor and they are rabid fans of indie wrestling shows...does that make then ay less of a fan of the craft and art form of wrestling?

And i am by no means a Cena fan but i respect his work and the effort he brings to his matches, but half the fun of watching is booing guys like him. That's what it's all about, cheering and booing and being entertained and having enjoyed yourself at the event.

 

[schoondog]

A true wrestling fan must:

1. think that every old wrestler is overrated(except the warrior), and should put over younger talent before they retire, no matter if the younger talent is good or not.

2 hate russo

3 think that HBK is the greatest ever

4 think that TNA should fold

5 should atleast know of one indy wrestler that they think is the next big thing, even
though the only thing they can do is get there high spots in.

6 hate Cena

7 think that Edge and christian were one of the greatest tag teams of all time

 

[EnigmaticAngel]

This is my first post so bear with me please. I just saw so much in the last post that I disagreed with. So like everyone else Im gonna voice my opinion.

1. think that every old wrestler is overrated(except the warrior), and should put over younger talent before they retire, no matter if the younger talent is good or not.

1. The Ultimate Warrior was overrated my friend he was extremely green and could hardly wrestle without hurting anyone. Think about this every time you think about Warrior. He and Sting came in together. Sting can get work. Where is Warrior?
As for the every old wrestler is overrated thing just because someone is old doesnt mean they are overrated, if anything it means that they could just hack it longer than the people comin up when they did. If the "old" wrestlers are so overrated then why didnt wrestling die out in the 70s and 80s or earlier? The wrestlers that you are so quick to call overrated are the ones who laid the foundation so that the younger guys, who for the most part do deserve some kind of push in there career whether you like em or not just because they had what it took to make it to whatever show in the first place, would be able to even come up through the ranks.

2 hate russo
2. Whether you hate russo or dont hate him (I for one couldnt stand him in WCW and cant stand him now. I think Jarrett should kick him in the teeth one good time.) But even if you disagree with me that doesnt make you more or less of a fan than anyone else.

3 think that HBK is the greatest ever
3. Thats just an opinion, as well. Granted its one that I am willing to defend to the death because in my opinion HBK is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be... take that Hitman fans that are still whinin about what went down in 97. Sorry had to do that. No offense if you are a Hitman fan.

4 think that TNA should fold
4. Think TNA should fold? First, if you think so strongly that TNA should fold why are you even worried about Vince Russo. Secondly, I highly disagree with that statement. TNA has its faults I admit, but apparently so does WWE or else they wouldnt be doin this completely ridiculous Million Dollar Giveaway garbage. Also, TNA just started back in like 2002. Give it time. If you actually look at the history of WWE it had fairly similar beginnings to TNA. It even started with a famous promoter and his son, imagine that..lol. So give it time before you criticize it.

5 should atleast know of one indy wrestler that they think is the next big thing, even
though the only thing they can do is get there high spots in.
5. I know a lot of different indy wrestlers but I couldnt tell you if I wanted to whether they were the next big thing or not. Thats up to the promoters, the scouts, the writers and whoever else is in charge of wrestling. I for one never expected Booker T to blow up like he did and I didnt see him until like the early 90s after he came through the Indy ranks and made it to WCW. So thats not really something you can predict.

6 hate Cena
6. I cant stand Cena either. Never could, never will. But just because people do like Cena, as several people have said earlier, does not mean they are less of a wrestling fan than you are.

7 think that Edge and christian were one of the greatest tag teams of all time
7. E and C were great. I know its just an opinion but its my opinion. They may have been one of the greatest of all time. But so were/are the Rockers, the Road Warriors, Harlem Heat, Outsiders, Brain Busters, London and Kendrick, Hardy Boyz, America's Most Wanted, Demolition, Hart Foundation... seriously people I could do this all night... and probably a couple weeks for single's wrestlers.

This is just my opinion folks. And I surely dont think that anyone is less than a wrestling fan than I am... even if they think that Edge, Cena, RKO, etc. are the best thing since sliced cheese and I think that guys like Undertaker, HBK, John Morrison, etc. are much better. Its all opinion and as momma always said (hope yall like that Forrest Gump reference...lol) opinions are like buttholes.

PEACE AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YA