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| A Couple Of These Guys Should Probably Read This Column |
Ok, this is a post that I actually wanted to do for a little
while now. I’ve seen a lot of blogs that deal primarily with the product that
is on television or the independents. Even on the podcast I am apart of (The
Wrestling Mayhem Show), that is what a majority of our time is spent talking
about. While there is definitely a place for it, I wanted to make this blog
from the perspective of a fan, so I thought it would be a great idea to give a
guide of what to do as a independent wrestling fan. Some of these apply to
mainstream pro wrestling as well, but these are mainly meant for attending
independent wrestling shows. Luckily, Texas has some really awesome wrestling
fans that I have gotten to know, and they really don’t need to learn these
rules. But I hope that these things that I have learned from frequenting the
independent scene can be passed onto others who want to be even better fans.
So, lets start it off.
Bring Money And Spend It:
This is a rule that I am a very big proponent of. Of course,
on the independent level, wrestlers are not making a great deal of money just
from the company alone, so a lot of the time they rely on money made by selling
their merchandise (T-Shirts, 8x10s etc.) By buying a wrestlers merchandise, it
is a simple, common courtesy that shows that you are appreciative of the time
they’ve put in, the hours spent on the road, or any other extraneous factor
they went through, so that they could perform in front of you for your
entertainment. I remember back at the August show for Anarchy Championship
Wrestling, Darin Corbin and Arik Cannon made a guest appearance, including Arik
Cannon performing in a brutal and intense contest with Matthew Palmer. The
two’s road schedule for that weekend consisted of them wrestling Friday and
Saturday for Chikara in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, and then making their way
down the next day to Austin for ACW. This is a prime example of the rigorous
schedule that independent wrestlers go through, and I remember seriously regretting
not bringing enough money to the show to buy anything from either Cannon or
Corbin. Since then, I have taken the time to make sure I have the proper amount
of money for me to be able to purchase something from anyone that is selling.
For a really large show, I like to bring at least $40 in cash just to be safe,
because you can never be sure how many people will be out during an
intermission to sell their merchandise. Also, I tend to be a person that
prefers getting pictures with wrestlers as opposed to just autographs. It’s
just a personal preference of mine. However, the rule I always make is as long
as they have something for sale, I will buy an item from them before asking for
a photo. Usually, it its just a $5 8x10, but I feel more comfortable giving
someone some form of payment before asking for something that they don’t tend
to charge for. And almost all the time, the wrestler is more than willing to
get a photo with you once you have bought something from them. One of my
personal examples of this was when I met Jazz at this past years ACW Queen of
Queens Tournament. Some people were approaching her asking for photos, and she
said they would have to pay. But, after buying a $10 8x10, she had no problem
getting a photo with me and was very kind and nice about it. Overall, even the
most minimum amount of money you can give to a wrestler tells the performer
that you care and appreciate what they are doing, and encourages them to
continue doing it.
Think About What You Are Chanting:
Ok, here is hoping as I am writing this, that this does not
go like the last time I tried to bring up chanting at wrestling events, because
I would really like to not get reamed a new asshole. Let me first note that I
am not telling anybody what to chant and what not to chant. I am telling you to
THINK about the things that you are chanting. First off, if you see me at any
Anarchy Championship Wrestling event, you will know that just like the rest of
the crowd in the Mohawk, I like to heckle. And just about every time I go after
some of my favorite heels at the shows, they are able to take the stuff that I
am saying and use it to come up with great material. People like Gary Jay,
Angel Blue and Chris Trew do this to a tee. But, while I do heckle, I have my
own line as to what I yell at people. I try my hardest to make sure that I
don’t say anything that is entirely intrusive to what the wrestlers are trying
to do in the ring. Sometimes I do slip up and so do many of wrestling fans, but
it is all about realizing it and making sure that you never do it again. I’ve
said stuff that probably even doesn’t intrude on or anger one of the
performers, but I feel a sense of regret as if it did and I make a mental note
to never repeat it. Also, if for some reason you develop some sort of issue or
have some form of hatred towards a performer, for whatever reason, have an
understanding that you should choose indifference over anger. The whole goal of
a wrestler is to get a reaction out of a fan, and if you want to continually
yell about how horrible a person is, they will eat it up. Now, that takes me to
one of my least favorite chants in wrestling (and trust me there are many), the
“You Fucked Up” chant. I am 99 percent sure that within the entire time of me
being a pro wrestling fan, I’ve never once had the impulse or found the need to
chant “You Fucked Up” at a wrestler. And that’s not because the situation never
arose, it’s because I find the chant to be extremely counter productive. First
of all, the people who decide to chant this more than likely have never stepped
foot in a wrestling ring, so how are they to know what is right and what is
“fucked up”? Second, when at a live pro wrestling show, there is suppose to be
a suspension of disbelief that everything occurring in the ring is purposeful,
so chanting this is pretty much the equivalent of yelling out all of the
magician secrets during a magic show. Please do not ruin it for the rest of us
who wish to suspend reality. And third and most importantly, how do you think
that by chanting “You Fucked Up”, it is going to improve the match in the least
bit? Like I mentioned before, I don’t want to tell anyone what they can and
cannot say at shows, because everyone has their own lines of what they consider
right or wrong. But I do encourage you to think about the things you chant at
shows in order for you to develop your own lines and your own limits.
Also, and this is just a personal pet peeve of mine, can we
try to avoid the “This Is Wrestling” chant as much as possible. I get that what
you are seeing in the ring is amazing, but did the awesome match that you are
watching suddenly make you realize that you were at a wrestling show? Where did
you think you were? Instead you should probably chant “This Is Better Than The
Stuff On Television”, because that’s pretty much what you are saying and it
doesn’t make you look like a person who blacks out and then suddenly realizes
you are at a wrestling show. Also, I prefer that one because it can be chanted
to the rhythm of the “You’re Gonna Get You’re Fucking Head Kicked In” chant.
Respect If A Company Is Family Friendly:
This rule very much plays into the previous rule about
chanting. Though it may not seem as important on the surface, it actually is.
I’ve talked with my good friends from the Wrestling Mayhem Show, Sorg and
Chachi, who do DVD production for a indie wrestling company in Pittsburgh, and
they’ve noted at times how fans trying to be less family friendly at shows pose
problems to their production as far as trying to deliver a final product that
families can watch. As much as one may feel that they can do whatever they want
at their shows, a wrestling company is trying to deliver their product a
certain way, one that at times will appeal to families and children, and you
should be respectful of that. Don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of saying
expletives at shows and in my daily life, but there is a time and a place for
it and a family friendly show is not the place. Sometimes a curse word slips
out here and there. But just like chanting, it is important to recognize it and
have an understanding that you will not do it again. Now take for example this.
At Anarchy Championship Wrestling, a clearly not family friendly show if you
note both the fact that it takes place in a bar and the atmosphere that comes
with Anarchy, one of my favorite people to heckle and harass is Angel Blue.
I’ve done it so much that it has spawned quite possibly one of my favorite
photos of all time.
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| Photo Courtesy of Texas Anarchy |
But not too long ago, I was at an event that was much more
family friendly, and when the heel Angel Blue came by, I replaced my middle
fingers with thumbs down and it provided the same effect. Also, at Anarchy
Angel Blue is much more liberal with swear words when it comes to her retorts
at a heckler, but at this event she also kept it PG, which is a sign that the
company is trying to portray a PG product. And that right there is the key. If
you are not sure if a show is trying to go more family friendly, look out for
certain clues. Is at least 50 percent of the crowd made up of children? Then
don’t curse. Are the wrestlers saying “I’m going to kick you’re butt” as
opposed to “I’m going to kick you’re ass”? Then don’t curse.
Don’t Expect Every Wrestler To Be Your Best Friend:
This tweet from independent star and no-nonsense tweeter
Portia Perez sums things up pretty nicely.
Let me preface this by saying that by frequenting the local
independent wrestling scene, I have gotten the pleasure of meeting some
extremely nice and amazing pro wrestlers. If you are a new fan to the
independents, I expect that you will as well. But, don’t take it for granted. Just
because you meet nice people on the indies, doesn’t mean that being “nice” is
an automatic qualification of a pro wrestler. I’m not just talking about heels
as opposed to faces. Beyond the merchandise table or after the main event, no
wrestler is required to be your best friend. I have a lot of respect for the
performers that have an image to maintain as an athlete and a performer, which
would be tainted by too much association with the fans. This goes both at shows
as well as on the internet. Remember that just because you “friend” a pro
wrestler on Facebook, it doesn’t automatically make you their “friend”.
But like I mentioned before, there are tons of extremely
kind pro wrestlers that you do get a chance to meet, and sometimes associate
with beyond that. I’ve had many great conversations with people after a show or
on the internet, and I am immensely appreciative of it, because they don’t have
to be that way. And at times, because you have those relations, you get deemed
by some as a “mark trying to weasel your way into the business”. I’ve gotten that before once or twice. But,
that is far from the case. I make it a point when speaking to pro wrestlers to
not edge my way into what is going on backstage, mainly because I have no
desire to know any of it. If you do become friendly with a pro wrestler, don’t
be a “dirt digger” and just treat them like normal human beings. In fact, treat
them as higher then normal human beings because that is exactly what they are.
They are busting their butts to perform something spectacular, and you are in
the crowd. Lines should not be blurred.
DON’T TOUCH THE WRESTLERS:
If you are a sensible human being with a functioning brain,
you probably do not have to read this one. But, if something compels you to try
to break this rule, you have reached the point of no return, and no one else in
that building will feel sorry for what happens to you.
Well there you have it. Those are my tips on being an independent pro wrestling fan. I won't say I know it all, and I probably have much more to learn, but those are just the things that I have come to understand and pride myself in doing. So, tell me what you think. Was there anything I missed? Do you disagree? Leave a comment below and let's have a discussion.
Until then,
The Wrestlefan
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