Do you tell people you are a wrestling fan?

Super-Rush

I was having a conversation with a few lads in my class one day and the subject if wrestling came up. When i told them that i was and always have been a huge fan they were shocked and openly mocked me. One jokingly said that he had lost all respect for me. Then the usual stuff about it not being real and its supposed to be for kids were thrown at me.

It reminded me of the documentary Beyond the Mat where Barry Blaustein tells us that he likes wrestling but he doesn't tell many people about it.

I remember during the Attitude era that wrestling became cool and was generally accepted within mainstream culture, but now it seems that its almost back to the fairground days where only a certain type of people watched it.

Are you embarrassed by the fact that you are a wresting fan?

Do your friends know you like wrestling?

If you were asked for a list of hobbies would watching wrestling be one of them?

Do you tell the truth one Monday a month when you can't keep your eyes open at work/college because you were up all night watching TLC on a stream on your laptop?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote: »

I was having a conversation with a few lads in my class one day and the subject if wrestling came up. When i told them that i was and always have been a huge fan they were shocked and openly mocked me. One jokingly said that he had lost all respect for me. Then the usual stuff about it not being real and its supposed to be for kids were thrown at me.

It reminded me of the documentary Beyond the Mat where Barry Blaustein tells us that he likes wrestling but he doesn't tell many people about it.

I remember during the Attitude era that wrestling became cool and was generally accepted within mainstream culture, but now it seems that its almost back to the fairground days where only a certain type of people watched it.

Are you embarrassed by the fact that you are a wresting fan?

Do your friends know you like wrestling?

If you were asked for a list of hobbies would watching wrestling be one of them?

Do you tell the truth one Monday a month when you can't keep your eyes open at work/college because you were up all night watching TLC on a stream on your laptop?

I love the bit abotu not being real. I just point out that neither is Home and Away/X Factor/Fringe or whatever they watch themselves.

Most of my mates know (or knew, as I stopped watching a while ago: got fed up with the same John Cena/Randy Orton climax evey week, and I found Cena massively boring and repetitive) but I could always equate it with some art form, be it theater, costume design, character developement, and so on, while pointing out that they had little or no interest in art themselves, damn philistines!

GRMA

I generally dont tell people.

Because people are stupid.

"Its fake!"

"Yeah I know, and so is every program on the TV, your point?"


I love that awesome moment though when you (usually by accident) discover that some guy who are in lectures/work with likes wrestling too

Omackeral

Ha you know it's fake right?

Yeah... So are most porn stars' t*ts but I still like them.

jaykhunter

All of my friends know I'm a massive wrestling fan. Jeez I've had people I'm not particularly friendly with ask me if I was on the radio talking wrestling, it's no secret. Probably because I'm not a teenager, it's rare I'll encounter someone who'll slag me about it. It'd be pretty easy to turn the tables on someone who did - between those karaoke contests, soap drivel and every film and TV show ever made (also fake), I can bat it away pretty easy. I'd also ask if they had their feelings hurt because they thought it was real. My friend Steve just had his 30th. His loving wife had me help design the perfect wrestling cake and his family loved it.

Just on boards, you have a doctor, dentist, teacher, architect, engineer and a lot more all "open" wrestling fans. Nothing to be ashamed about.

TerrorFirmer

I used to love watching wrestling. Then this horrible, soap-esque crap crept in that I frankly just cannot stand. Yes, the wrestling itself is awesome. Yes, we all know it's not real and always did. But seriously, when I turn on WWE these days, frankly I am absolutely embarrassed and switch it off most of the time.

starviewadams

No,only my best mate knows about it,and that's only because we were massive fans back in the 90's together,but he grew out of it.

Have lots of 'normal' astro/work mates who I would never dream of telling because I'd know the slagging and ''you know it's fake stuff'' I'd be subjected to,and I couldn't be bothered arguing about it.

Case in point was the Joe.ie story doing the rounds of the Rumble party in Captains,one of the lads put the link up on FB with the usual wrestling fan abuse like the fake thing,gay lads wrestling in underwear,room full of virgins etc,and I had typed up the perfect argument listing all the stupid shít he likes (terrible music,referring to a british football team as us,crap movies etc) that nobody bats an eyelid about,but I just couldn't be bothered arguing.

DEFTLEFTHAND

As fans we all the type of people who just dismiss wrestling as low brow silliness. They're ignorant to the business and make no effort to try and understand it. That's fine everyone has their own interests but you shouldn't mock others just because you don't get something.

I think it's this kind of stereotypical view that people have which stops me from telling people. I never talk wrestling with friends, one or two have watched it and were fans but they drifted out of it over the years.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

I wouldn't broadcast it or anything as Im tired of the same old reactions but amongst my mates it'd be well known. I get the p*ss ripped out of me a fair bit from the lads about it but Im well able for them!

xpletiv

That cakes awesome Jayk

I dont tell people in general. It has unfortunately gone back the dark days of not really conversing about it. It lost a lot of respect after some really, really terrible storylines and the PG just made it worse - I know PG added more value to the brand, but it took away its older generation and lost a lot of vocal support (cause now fans can barely talk!).

I work with a chap that wrestles. We converse about it a lot. But not a single other person, as its just 'not cool' to be a fan of wrestling. I lived with a guy for nearly a year and a half till I found out he was also a pretty big wrestling fan... so I guess that proves it.

Angron

I don't go around saying I'm a fan to everyone, but if it comes up in conversation, or if someone asks me do I like it, I won't deny it. I enjoy it, so I have no reason to be embarrassed about it. People wanna make fun of me cause of it, then fine, not like I have to give a damn.

thebostoncrab

As someone else before me said, Im long out of college etc so I don't encounter any negativity when I mention it. Hard to hide it though; half my t shirts are wrestling related Im more or less known as the wrestling fan and anytime anything with wrestling pops up friends and work mates instantly ask my view of take on stuff. It's alot more refreshing than the "that's ****in' gay" comments from secondary school and college

Mitch Connor

Yeah - i mean I don't bring it up as a first point of conversation, but I wouldn't lie and say I don't watch it.

Never had an issue with it, its all just a bit of fun and entertainment.

grames_bond

Being a wrestling fan got me a job - f*ck anyone who looks down their nose at you for something you enjoy!

krudler

What makes me laugh is when people point out its "fake". As if having watched it for the best part of 25 years I wouldnt have known how the business works. Next time I'm tempted to just go "WHAT?!" and start crying.

connemara man

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Yeah - i mean I don't bring it up as a first point of conversation, but I wouldn't lie and say I don't watch it.

Never had an issue with it, its all just a bit of fun and entertainment.

+1 on this

RICHIE26188

+ 2

orestes

I've no problem saying I watch it, if it comes up I just shrug and say it's something I've always watched and enjoyed so fukk it.

I was actually sat around a table with a bunch of people over the weekend and someone asked me if I was still heading into town on Sunday night (I was planning on heading into Captains for the Rumble but couldn't make it in the end). Someone asked what I was heading into town so late on a Sunday night for and I explained there was a bar throwing a Rumble party. Half of the guys laughed (old fans who had grown out of it), half of the guys looked at me funny (the I've never watched it cos wrestling is fake guys) and the girls just looked confused (wrestling? Boys will be boys, bless).

One of the girls genuinely asked what I find so entertaining about it. Not in a "you know it's fake, right?" kind of way, but genuinely asking what people find appealing about it. I explained it's like a soap opera in ways, that once you understand what's going on in a match and appreciate the skill and athleticism involved it's pretty much a performance art, and with a load of pageantry and a bit of silliness thrown in. It's a mix of athleticism and theatre, and once you appreciate it for what it is it's just fun to watch and let yourself get caught up in.

She was really interested and we had a pretty cool conversation for about ten minutes, till the guy beside me poked me in the ribs to get my attention. He pointed out that everybody else at the table had also been talking about wrestling for the past ten minutes, including the guys who had apparently never watched it. All of the guys were talking about favourites from when they were kids, gushing about the attitude era, mega moments like Foley going off the cell, the Montreal screw job, all the uusual stuff, and explaining all of their favourite bits to a group of very confused and bemused girls who were laughing at a bunch of guys in their twenties acting like kids.

I always find it amusing how many guys don't watch wrestling or sneer at it, and once the ball gets rolling turn into total kids about it. Just ask any guy about Hogan/Warrior at WM6 and I betcha they all remember who they wanted to win at the time.

Ridley

jaykhunter wrote: »

Just on boards, you have a doctor, dentist, teacher, architect, engineer and a lot more all "open" wrestling fans.

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Hashtag_HEEL

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote: »

Are you embarrassed by the fact that you are a wresting fan?

I used to be for a long time! It was always frowned upon! I'd always get the usual "It's Fake", "It's ghey", "It's two grown men hugging and groping each other in front of thousands of people!" Now I couldn't care less!

I recently got into an argument where someone (who is a closet wrestling fan) started on how it was "Fake & Ghey" and how Punk looked like "S##TE" and I wasn't having any of it! I just stick up the one fingered salute when people start at me over it, or disrespect the performers who put their own and each others lives on the line for entertainment!

The only time that I do get embarrassed is when I'm outside Smyths for a signing and people start staring over!

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote: »

Do your friends know you like wrestling?

I've always managed to surround myself with friends who are into the same things as me. The guys that I've hung around with for a couple of years usually spend their time talking about: Star wars (20%) Comics(20%),Movies/Games(10%),Miscellaneous(10%) and Wrestling (40%)!

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote: »

If you were asked for a list of hobbies would watching wrestling be one of them?

Sometimes.



[\RANT/]

Ando's Saggy Bottom

Ridley wrote: »

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

If only an undertaker posted here.

Diabhal Beag

Only a handful of my circle would know anything about wrestling and even then they wouldn't know anything outside of what they'd see on the shows. Most of them wouldn't have a clue I'm a fan. I'd never let on that I'd follow it as closely as to post on an internet-message-board about it to the ones who know. I won't lie though when I tell you I get a shiver down my spine when I see wrestling t-shirts in the greater Galwegian public.

But ya it's like being gay except you get more abuse.

Stereomaniac

Ah now. I wouldn't have that viewpoint anymore. In fact, I have turned a few people back onto wrestling of late. A guy who I was playing music with even came to the show in The Point with me last year. Hell, me and a guy in my class had a bet that almost got out of control over the result of The Rock vs. CM Punk. I won, anyway, but the class were quite entertained.

Charisteas

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

But ya it's like being gay except you get more abuse.

Yeah it was tough sitting down with my parents and opening up to them about liking men who wear spandex and who wax and baby oil their chests.

Kerplunk124

Well I dont go up to people and say ''I WATCH WRESTLING'' but if the conversation ever came up, yeah i tell them. not much to be ashamed of. People can watch Eastenders or Fair City and get no slack so i just compare it to that

Stereomaniac

I have always been open about it. But there's also the whole Mick Foley point of view, that I'm pretty sure I read in one of his books, where chicks don't want to hear much about wrestling.

Washout

There is a table of about 5/6 of us at lunchtime,in work....talk mostly wwe.

eh i dunno

Washout wrote: »

There is a table of about 5/6 of us at lunchtime,in work....talk mostly wwe.

Any jobs going??

I dont tell anyone but im an old school fan and dont watch recent stuff. DVD's under the bed. Cant have guests seeing them. GF and a few mates know and thats it

Sirsok

No secret to anyone I watch wrestling...any partners I've settled with we're made very much aware upon entering the relationship with me that I watch it...have regular public convos on FB with friends about wrestling... I love it and don't hide it from anyone... I don't wear the tshirts but that's because I don't purchase stuff online, had a dx tshirt though which I wore proudly.

Have the girlfriend watchin beyond the mat and the rumble....she doesn't mind it now that she has a grasp of what exactly it is

DEFTLEFTHAND

Sirsok wrote: »

No secret to anyone I watch wrestling...any partners I've settled with we're made very much aware upon entering the relationship with me that I watch it...have regular public convos on FB with friends about wrestling... I love it and don't hide it from anyone... I don't wear the tshirts but that's because I don't purchase stuff online, had a dx tshirt though which I wore proudly.

Have the girlfriend watchin beyond the mat and the rumble....she doesn't mind it now that she has a grasp of what exactly it is

That's the thing, once the non fan gets a grip on what it's about the prejudice fades. Even over Christmas my father came into the living room when I was watching old WCW dvds, He sat down and watched with me and I could see by the end he was intrigued by it, he could appreciate the athletic ability and story telling on display. Before he always associated the product with the old English world of sport stuff.

brianregan09

Being a Wrestling fan all my like couldn't give a toss what anyone else thinks I collect action figures too, don't hide either , anyone that doesn't like it can fcuk right off

bobby_says_hi

I never admitted to it back in high school and if I ever did talk about it, I would talk as if it was something I used to watch because there were plenty of guys I knew used to watch it as well. In college I admitted it and got endless slagging for it but they seem to have mellowed out on it now. These days whenever I mention it I seem to get a lot of people saying they used to watch it and not being mean spirited about it at all. And I really don't look like the type you'd expect to be a fan so I guess that's a bonus

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Reminds me of when I was in about 2nd year and I used to watch Raw in bed every Thursday night and Smackdown of a Friday. Whenever anyone walked past or were about to come into my room I used to change the channel really quickly(or so I thought:pac:) so no one would know. Got to the stage where mam eventually gave me a big talk about watching "shíte"(her roundabout way of saying "porn") on telly late at night and all the rest. Quite embarrassing. :P

The Showstopper

My Facebook and Twitter accounts both revolve around wrestling, I mention it the same as, and even more so, I would for all the sports I enjoy. I regularly use wrestling catchphrases in conversation with non-wrestling fans and regularly wear wrestling t-shirts.

EdenHazard

well im just a casual watcher of wrestling now, used to be big into roh and stuff, now would barely keep track of wwe storylines, but a lot of the lads i'd know would be casual fans as well. and im not friends with what you might call typical wrestling 'geeky' types so yeah its not a big deal tbh. at wrestlemania my fb newsfeed will be full of rock/cena stuff.

krudler

orestes wrote: »

I've no problem saying I watch it, if it comes up I just shrug and say it's something I've always watched and enjoyed so fukk it.

I was actually sat around a table with a bunch of people over the weekend and someone asked me if I was still heading into town on Sunday night (I was planning on heading into Captains for the Rumble but couldn't make it in the end). Someone asked what I was heading into town so late on a Sunday night for and I explained there was a bar throwing a Rumble party. Half of the guys laughed (old fans who had grown out of it), half of the guys looked at me funny (the I've never watched it cos wrestling is fake guys) and the girls just looked confused (wrestling? Boys will be boys, bless).

One of the girls genuinely asked what I find so entertaining about it. Not in a "you know it's fake, right?" kind of way, but genuinely asking what people find appealing about it. I explained it's like a soap opera in ways, that once you understand what's going on in a match and appreciate the skill and athleticism involved it's pretty much a performance art, and with a load of pageantry and a bit of silliness thrown in. It's a mix of athleticism and theatre, and once you appreciate it for what it is it's just fun to watch and let yourself get caught up in.

She was really interested and we had a pretty cool conversation for about ten minutes, till the guy beside me poked me in the ribs to get my attention. He pointed out that everybody else at the table had also been talking about wrestling for the past ten minutes, including the guys who had apparently never watched it. All of the guys were talking about favourites from when they were kids, gushing about the attitude era, mega moments like Foley going off the cell, the Montreal screw job, all the uusual stuff, and explaining all of their favourite bits to a group of very confused and bemused girls who were laughing at a bunch of guys in their twenties acting like kids.

I always find it amusing how many guys don't watch wrestling or sneer at it, and once the ball gets rolling turn into total kids about it. Just ask any guy about Hogan/Warrior at WM6 and I betcha they all remember who they wanted to win at the time.

Years back I was seeing a girl who early into meeting up was looking through my dvd collection to find something for us to watch, and she was looking at my wrestling dvds, and asked if I had always like it.
And like you I explained what it was I enjoyed, the atmosphere, the production of it all, the athletic part, and just because it's downright entertaining. She was genuinely curious and we wound up watching a few matches and some parts of different Manias just to show her what it all about, fast forward a few months and she's sitting beside me in The Point shouting at HHH :pac:

Dancor

Anybody says anything negative to me about liking wrestling they get a stunner.

krudler

Dancor wrote: »

Anybody says anything negative to me about liking wrestling they get a stunner.

Giving a boss the double finger and dropping them with a stunner is on my bucket list.

Jason Todd

It's funny, the wider circle of my friends like wrestling, but that's not how we became friends, we were friends and then discovered we all liked pro wrestling. Mind**** to find out that friends of mine who I didn't realise knew each other actually did know each other from going on buses up to the Point/O2 to see shows!

I'm not into it now as much as I used to be, was a massive fan until my early teens and then got back into it around 2001 as I started college. I even did my thesis on Pro Wrestling, my lecturer thought it was great as it was so original! I definitely had a 'don't give a fúck attitude' if anyone tried to call it fake or whatever. A combination of being overexposed to it through my thesis, the constant Cena push, the dawn of the (new) PG era and meeting my missus all contributed to me falling away from it.

I keep up with what's happening now through this forum and my mates and the odd episode of Afterburn (or whatever it's called now) and I'd always make a point of getting time off work the day after Mania so I can watch it live with my mates. No one asks me nowadays if I like it as I never wear my old shirts as they don't fit and don't carry around a copy of Powerslam either, ha ha, but I love surprising my little cousins with how much I know and I have a little son now myself so will probably use him as an excuse to watch more of it in the future I'm sure! :pac:

darced

This post has been deleted.

Charisteas

The guys at work know I watch it and most of them used to watch it themselves, one or two would still watch the Rumbles and Mania, even a guy from the Czech Republic. I got a bit of stick for flying to London to watch TNA though.

My girlfriend hadn't a clue what wrestling was when we met, had never even heard of Hulk Hogan or The Rock, then I took her to a couple of local indy shows and she quite enjoyed it.

Family all know obviously, and one of my cousins has just moved to Tokyo so I'm trying to persuade him to check out a show over there.

krudler

Charisteas wrote: »

The guys at work know I watch it and most of them used to watch it themselves, one or two would still watch the Rumbles and Mania, even a guy from the Czech Republic. I got a bit of stick for flying to London to watch TNA though.

My girlfriend hadn't a clue what wrestling was when we met, had never even heard of Hulk Hogan or The Rock, then I took her to a couple of local indy shows and she quite enjoyed it.

Family all know obviously, and one of my cousins has just moved to Tokyo so I'm trying to persuade him to check out a show over there.

Whaaat, sure everyone has heard of both of them. Hulk Hogan is the one wrestler whose name is synonymous with wrestling.

Jason Todd

That's a good point actually, about bringing people to shows, I brought a couple of my college mates who weren't in to it to an IWW show here in Waterford, they would rib me about Pro Wrestling from time to time, nothin serious though. But after seeing a live show, featuring Sheamus, Alex Shane and Raven no less they had a while new respect for it! They were so impressed with seeing the bumps etc live and hearing every slap and thud, they talked about it for days after! It definitely helps when people can see what goes in to it, although we got to hang around after and watch Raven flub a promo a ton of times which kind of took a little shine from it. I was in my elements! Another thing that impressed my buddies was that a lot of the younger guys were dismantling the ring and helping to pack it into the van, which was a big eye opener to them as they realised the levels of dedication these guys had.

rovert

Funny given that this is National Pro Wrestling Day in the US.

Oh man people get annoyed when I talk about this. Long story short I don't tell people and haven't really since my undergrad/the early days of college. As a rule when I have even then people wouldn't ask me do you it is fake instead they would be appalled that someone like me would even watch it pointing to my perceived intelligence and/or education. I post this in the knowledge that people have already posted about real people in professions far more "white collar" than mine. For whatever reason I got similar reactions in the past for listening to rock music. I remember a girl in my secondary school telling me she just assumed I listened to classical music:



The above comes off horrible I know.

During the Attitude Era everyone would talk about it and play the video games so it was grand. But even then I wasn't mad about talking about it. To my ears Irish people talking about Wrestling and Wrestling terms just sounded well wrong. I still have friends who are very much into it. Either Rajah reading/Raw watcher types or a handful these real hardcore fans (not smarks) who follow WWE around the UK or go to multiple PPVs even the B-shows. One girl I used to work with recently got a tattoo that I am 100% sure would go viral if someone posted it on a forum. Not because it is lewd just what she got it of probably won't be around in six months.

Would never, ever talk about it in my current job as I don't want to be known as the "Wrestling guy" and honestly think it would hurt my managerial prospects.

It is my dirty secret.

jaykhunter

krudler wrote: »

Whaaat, sure everyone has heard of both of them. Hulk Hogan is the one wrestler whose name is synonymous with wrestling.

You'd be surprised at the absolute obliviousness of some people. Couple of irish med students I met NEVER HEARD OF BATMAN.

starviewadams

rovert wrote: »

Would never, ever talk about it in my current job as I don't want to be known as the "Wrestling guy" and honestly think it would hurt my managerial prospects. It is my dirty secret.

Pretty much this,I've already had to shake off the tag of the new guy,don't need to attempt to shake off being the wrestling guy!

Mr.Nice Guy

I wouldn't bring it up tbh.

I also find that if I'm talking to someone I think may like wrestling it's tough to know how to raise the subject. It's like being a Stonecutter. Wrestling fans should have our own secret handshake perhaps. Maybe one where we delay for a few seconds whilst looking at the crowd around us.

connemara man

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I wouldn't bring it up tbh.

I also find that if I'm talking to someone I think may like wrestling it's tough to know how to raise the subject. It's like being a Stonecutter. Wrestling fans should have our own secret handshake perhaps. Maybe one where we delay for a few seconds whilst looking at the crowd around us.

When talking to someone you think likes wrestling and they say something you agree with say you know it wrestling fans will pick up on it and sorted

ibFoxer

I have no shame in being vocal about how much i enjoy wrestling. At this stage in work it is expected that i will be off the Monday after mania. I actually had a very in depth conversation with one of my bosses recently about how yes, results are predetermined but that doesn't make it any less athletic. I think for the most part he gets it.

krudler

rovert wrote: »

Would never, ever talk about it in my current job as I don't want to be known as the "Wrestling guy" and honestly think it would hurt my managerial prospects.It is my dirty secret.

That sucks that a harmless personal interest would affect a job prospect, I'm sure nobody has ever been told "oh you're the x-factor person, clearly not managerial material"

Thrawn

I do I have no problem telling anyone I am a wrestling fan. But anyone who see me could tell I'm a a geek and wouldn't be shocked at all.