Pro Wrestling: Five reasons why you should attend a live event

Pro wrestling. That unique hybrid genre that bends the conventions of melodrama, sporting competition, live entertainment, comedy, theatre and even sadomasochism. Despite its many complexities, pro wrestling has often been met with the ire of non-fans due to the fakery involved with the production of storylines and the attempt to dupe fans through pre-determined match ups. Nevertheless, chances are you’ve seen at least some wrestling action in your lifetime.

Indeed, as a lifelong pro wrestling fan with a knowledge of the ins and outs of the business I may be a little biased but, in my opinion, pro wrestling is one of the worlds greatest art forms. You haven’t really experienced the charm of the craft until you see it live and there’s ample opportunity to see pro wrestling events all year round. While the larger WWE and TNA promotions visit the UK maybe once or twice a year, there are numerous independent UK wrestling organisations nationwide that put on entertaining shows at a fraction of the cost of the two major companies. Honestly, I’m here to tell you that a wrestling show is a great idea for a social event. A day or night out at a show will be more than satisfying for a fan and will be a great experience for a non fan. So, whether you’re a fan who’s never been to a live event or a non-fan that is more than sceptical, here’s five reasons for you to consider attending a pro wrestling show.

Theatre

As I have mentioned, pro wrestling is a hybrid genre, yet, at the heart of a live show is melodramatic theatre. Wrestling is the ultimate battle of good vs evil and lets face it, who doesn’t like seeing the bad guy get his comeuppance? The theatre of live professional wrestling can act as an escapist activity whereby one can imagine ‘becoming’ the often oppressed ‘babyface’ and overcome the evil ‘heel.’ Or, you may indeed favour the bad guy, and that’s fine too. Unlike other sports, wrestling offers a vast array of characters to win your affection and in a live setting emotional investment in the characters is key. Whether you identify with CM Punk or John Cena or detest The Miz, the live experience fully immerses you in the theatre of pro wrestling and it is hard not to emotionally invest.

Sport

The ‘sports entertainment’ universe of pro wrestling creates a bridge between sport and melodrama. All too often, non-fans criticisms are aimed at the pre-determined nature of the match ups. To them I say… don’t be foolish. The superstars of the WWE perform night in and night out with no off-season, often working through incredible pain while being on the road, making various media and charity appearances in addition to training. Wrestlers do suffer injuries and the toll of taking bumps is often debilitating. Therefore, the athletic moves the wrestlers perform are truly spectacular to see in person. The technicality of pro wrestling is a joy to see live while at the other end of the spectrum, how often do you get to see people dive onto each other from great heights or clatter one another with steel chairs? As a live experience, I’d wager that nothing is more engrossing than a wrestling match and that is reason enough to attend a show.

Chanting

Where else but a pro wrestling event can you be shouting ‘What?’ one minute, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ the next and round it all off with a chorus of ‘you suck.’ Live events have that unique atmosphere unlike any other product out there where fans are encouraged to voice their opinions and generally become part of the show themselves. At a large arena packed full of wrestling fans, the sheer volume coming from the crowd as they cheer, boo and chant is an experience in itself. That’s not to say audiences at small independent shows aren’t just as endearing as they can sometimes be more ‘anything goes,’ with amusing yet explicit chants breaking out. If you’re in a large group of friends, the freedom to chant and yell is somehow incredibly entertaining and definitely a merit for attending a pro wrestling event.

Community

Wrestling fans are genuinely some of the nicest people you will meet. Not only that, wrestling allows for a diverse range of opinions on the product. Yet, at a live event there is a great sense of community. The crowd are united together to bare witness to the event in what one might argue as a collective dismissal to what the naysayers say about their beloved product. That’s not to discourage a non-fan from attending, quite the opposite. It is hard to not to be enticed and charmed by the sense of togetherness.

Fun

Indeed, wrestling is all about FUN. Live wrestling allows you to immerse yourself in a world that is completely unique. The pomp, the pageantry, the intensity and the drama all create an atmosphere that should be experienced by wrestling fans or anyone just wanting a great night out. I hope I’ve persuaded you to give it a try. You know you want to…

Lets Talk Wrestling - Attending live show's... what did I get from them?

Writer’s note – I’m writing this half drunk and late at night. I’ve had a lot of Uni work recently so haven’t had chance to type a blog recently… so here’s a short one.

WWE’s bi-annual tour of the UK rolled around almost two weeks ago now. I attended two shows. One was a house show, the other a tv taping. A few interesting things popped up.

CM Punk is OVER. When I say over, I’m talking chants for him all the way through the show regardless of what was happening in the ring. Obviously, it was apparent how over Punk was already BUT until you’ve attended a house show, you’re unable to scope just HOW much fans love him. A sea of shirts, chants galore, the stars have aligned for Punk. In addition, it seems WWE is pushing him as THE guy. Punk not only main evented the Manchester house show but closed the show as well. John Cena looked like the ‘right hand man’ to the Punk show… is this a new direction WWE are looking to take? With Cena’s feud with The Rock currently taking precedence, it seems perhaps not. What does the future hold? We play the waiting game.

Who else is over? Long Island Iced Z-Zack Ryder. Are you serious, bro? I am serious, bro. A myriad of ‘We Want Ryder’ chants, broski shirts and headbands selling out AND a main event Raw match in which he was more over than Cena? Wow. Zack Ryder is a true success story. When he was floating around in the ether, Ryder didn’t lay down. When it came to Z True Long Island Story, it was either get noticed or get fired. Ryder’s show put him on the map and not only is he now a top merchandise seller but, arguably, is the third biggest face on Raw. If WWE can stop the inconsistent booking of Ryder, they honestly have a star on their hands.

I’ve mentioned John Cena a few times in this blog already, but he’s worth mentioning again. Cena receives a mixed reception in the US but in the UK…shit, it seemed to be a significant swing towards absolute hatred. How do I know this? Well, for my university dissertation I’m writing on WWE and the media. While attending the shows, I was looking for emails to conduct some qualitative analysis with genuine wrestling fans. As I approached a female wrestling fan and explained my research to her, she declined my request for an email conversation. Why? She couldn’t stand John Cena. Excuse me, what? That was her genuine answer. She wouldn’t answer some questions because she disliked Cena… What in the blue hell? She claimed that Cena was destroying the show and moreover, his fans were ruining her enjoyment. Really? WWE and Cena have to be either stupid or genius to instill that much hatred in an apparent babyface. Do people really hate Cena that much? The guy works his ass off for the company and is a great performer. It seems people have smokescreen in front of their eyes when it comes to Cena. Is it cool to boo him? Maybe. Does he take a lot of time on Raw and get shoved down our throats? Sometimes. But is he the top draw and most recognisable name in the WWE? Yes, and WWE are going to continue to take advantage of that until he can no longer compete. WWE is a business and do you know what businesses want to do? Make money. Cena is money. He’s absolutely no different to Hogan, Austin and The Rock. They were shoved down our throats too. Honestly watch some old episodes of Raw and Smackdown. The Rock competed in multiple matches on Smackdown quite a few times. I guess I just don’t understand the gripe sometimes.

The show’s overall were good. I’ve always gone to TV tapings so to go to a house show was fun for a change. Nice lengthy matches and a lot more theatre is how I’d describe a house show. Unfortunately, the atmosphere seemed to be lacklustre this year… maybe its just the state of the product, I don’t know. Having never attended a Smackdown event, I think I’m definitely going to one next year! If you haven’t been to a live show, I highly recommend getting your ass to one because it’s great to see the tv stars you know and love live and in person. A guy sat behind me in Manchester described it as ‘enthralling.’ I think I’d agree.

Thanks for reading Lets Talk Wrestling.

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