RE: Wrestling Fans Stop Being Toxic and Enjoy the Show
Damn, Carl, I don't think I've ever read a better rant from you anywhere! I've been out of the wrestling fandom for quite some time, and I was never very big into it beyond watching the occasional PPV DVD from the WWE (so many acronyms...) and picking up one of the Smackdown games, but I feel like that makes me and others like me the perfect reader for an article like this.
I love seeing your enthusiasm for all the different promotions that come through your area. Seeing one of your "off Facebook so I can enjoy this event" posts always makes me smile. I daresay you enjoy wrestling more than video games.
It's fascinating how many people don't understand that with direct access comes increased responsibility, and that one's voice only carries so far. You boost your favorite star, event, or promotion exponentially further just by purchasing a ticket or grabbing some merchandise. Money, as always, talks louder. It has to. That's the nature of the biz, after all.
Excellent, excellent, excellent read, my man. Keep up the great work. @helpiecake, @slobberchops, and @curangel, if you're around, I think this one's worthy of some more love. :)
I do enjoy wrestling more than video games, especially live. It is a treat around here as it is not exactly "wrestling central" in Arkansas. I grew up with my earliest memories being at wrestling events, in the crowd and behind the scenes, watching these super huge guys walk around, pose for pics, etc. I was like 4 to 6 years old around this time (1980 to 1982) the era of the body builder coming into wrestling.
This being the land of "if you don't hunt you suck" makes it even more interesting being a wrestling fan.
Hell, when I started Scenic 7 PR some of my first first clients were wrestlers and organizations that came through this area. I have made some long time friends from those days, even though some have moved onto bigger venues while others have left the business.
I take supporting things I like seriously and personally. I know it is part of being a fan but I just hate seeing others waste their time complaining about wrestling. Especially today. There are 10+ organizations that put on weekly shows on YouTube, some have hundreds of 1 to 2 hour shows in their history while others are just starting out. That is in addition to the near 15 hours of wrestling content on television each week (depending on what channels you have access to). Add in Hulu or the WWE Network to access non-televised events and you can easily push that to well over 20 hours a week of original content.
My point being if you are a fan of wrestling or looking to see what all the fuss is about, you have plenty of content to enjoy. Don't like what WWE is doing on Raw but still like their presentation? Check out Smackdown, Superstars, Main Event, or even NXT. Hate WWE and all it stands for? Check out Impact (free on Twitch, airs weekly on AXS TV) where it feels like WWE from the late 80's/early 90's. Prefer something bigger with more modern moves? Check out AEW on TNT. Want a smaller feel but some recognizable talent? Check out MLW or Booker T's Reality of Wrestling on YouTube. Prefer old school ECW style events? Tommy Dreamer keeps that dream alive with House of Hardcore.
There is simply too much content available for people to be this toxic over something they don't like. Plain and simple. It is not that the promotion they are watching sucks, it is because they suck. Don't like what you are watching then you are only wasting your own time supporting it and complaining online.
I understand fans like me are rarer today than they were back in the day and I am fine with that. I will continue to support what I like and check out new talent whenever possible. I am the same way with anything I am a fan of - I support it any way I can feasibly do.