Wrestling not cool

[farlance]

I was watching a video interview with Paul Heyman and he made the comment that one of the problems with wrestling is that it isn't "cool" anymore and it made total sense. I remember in the late 90's most adults hung out and talked about wrestling around the water cooler and it was cool. The wrestling companies didnt have to work so hard to market their product, because the casual fan did it for them.

This day in age most adult fans almost have to be closet fans and do not discuss watching it in front of all their friends at work and school because of the negative reaction and teasing by non fans. Believe me I've tried.

I think this really effects TNA because they are a newer company and dont advertise as much as they should. I also doubt that TNA has gained many fans on thier own that werent already WWE fans, or WCW fans back in the 90's. I also think that even if TNA advertised and marketed their product, the ratings wouldnt skyrocket until people thought wrestling as a whole was "cool" again.

My question to everyone would what would be a long term strategy, what could be done by either company to make wrestling "cool" again. Cool to the point where everyone is saying "did you see wrestling last night?"

 

[red ass skull muhfukkah]

I was actually thinking of posting a similar thread.

I can honestly say I know what your saying. Wrestling is probably one of the least "cool" things you can be fan of these days. It's frowned upon in almost all circles.

If you think about it, wrestling nerds like us and people on these forums, are the least respected nerds out there. While these days it has become accepted and even "cool" to be a comic book nerd or an anime nerd, being a wrestling nerd hasn't for some reason. Even other nerds look down on us and wrestling in general.

I don't know what can change people's perception about it and make it "cool" again like it was in the 90's. Maybe we just have to wait a few years, when the kids watching wrestling now grow up, similarly to what happened in the 90's. Wrestling wasn't "cool" again until Austin, The Rock, and the NWO showed up. Wrestling "nerds" just needs to wait for the younger fans to grow up and hope that it becomes somewhat more accepted in the near future.

Apologies for using the term nerd to describe most fans in the IWC, I figured most posters wouldn't be offended by the term. If you are, apologies.

 

[jpickens]

Maybe if the WWE and TNA would stop insulting the fans both hardcore and casual with corny storylines and bullshit angles and go back to treating it like sport then and only then will it be cool again but in my opinion cool is three letters away from fool.

 

[youngbullzeye]

I agree with the op wrestling isn't cool anymore to people as it once was.I go to high school and kids hardly say anything about wrestling ,and if they do they never say anything about the new wrestlers it is usally wrestlers from the attitude era.Many people might say that vince killed wrestling part of this statement can be true but the real person that killed wrestling is .......Dana White and the UFC.That is the real reason why wrestling isn't cool anymore.People at my school always say did you watch lesnar beat blah blah blah and other stuff like that.So this is the reason why wrestling isn't cool anymore.

 

[Djm]

I don't really care about wrestling being "cool". During the last big boom period, I didn't go out of my way to talk about wrestling with other people beyond my friends. That's no different from how it is now.

At this point, wrestling is niche form of entertainment like sci-fi, anime, or lots of other things that may be considered "nerdy". I don't see why that's necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Jonnie Walker]

No, wrestling isn't cool, but neither is *********ion and alot of people do that. Wrestling is fake fighting with a bunch of sweaty men in tights. Of course it's not going to be considered cool. It's acting, it's theater. Sure, you have to be athletic in most cases, and people do get legitimately hurt, but the cool thing now is UFC and MMA, which is real fighting. But I find wrestling much more entertaining than UFC because there are stories, and when you buy a PPV, you're guaranteed a main event that's at least 15 minutes, instead of something that could last 30 seconds. Wrestling isn't cool when you're an adult, but it's fun to watch and fun to do. I used to backyard wrestle on my trampoline, and while it wasn't cool, I had a blast doing it. It doesn't have to be cool for other people, but if you like it and you find it fun, then it's cool to you.

 

[The Holy One]

This is only a trend. I believe in time wrestling will be talk about again the same way it was in te 90s and you only have Vince from going to PG to thanks for this. This helps build new fans for wrestlng and in time they will be the ones talking about it at work and school when they are older. Even to this day, I still have some friends who still watch wrestling and my dad and older brother sometimes join me when I'm watching a show.

 

[enterkey]

I for one miss the days of wrestling being "cool," outside of this forum I don't have anyone to talk about wrestling with and not get the response "dude UFC is like totally awesomer cause its all real and shit so that fake stuff is gay" or "u know that shit's fake right?" or "all those guys are on roids, fuck that". I miss the days of the attitude era where I could go to school and talk about wrestling with some friends and that was back in grade school for me. There are maybe 3 people that I have been known to talk about wrestling with in these days and since college I only talk to like one of them. It doesn't really bother me so much that it isn't cool cause I couldn't care less what other people think but the lack of real world discussion saddens me.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think you are right, and it is a shame that wrestling is not cool anymore.

Me and my younger brother, im 23 hes 20, used to LOVE wrestling the same amount, we had the action figures, the posters, t-shirts etc etc. Now, if I ever put wrestling on the TV when I am round at my parents, even for just a couple of minutes he goes "GAY...and leaves the room moaning about how it sucks and that he wants to watch Pimp My Ride or some garbage like that!

Hardly any of my friends watch it, a few did until a couple of years ago, and now even the lad who loved it as much as I do says he hardly watches anymore. To even speak about the late 90s stars like Austin/Rock etc is rare now.

Sucks a bit, but I have plenty of other things to talk about, but I would like the occasional wrestling chat sometimes lol