The Average Wrestling Fan - Is The Stereotype Warranted?

[Loki]

Or on the Shimmer forums, they're the same there too.

[air_raid]

But Shimmer fans will excuse some of the most abysmal wrestling you will ever see in your life and put it over like its Flair vs. Vader. I have no earthly idea why. I mean that would be all well and good, but the same bunch of fans will rip shreds out of WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts for match quality, when you see worse wrestling on shows they are grading like WrestleMania III.

 

If I could play devil's advocate (having never watched Shimmer), it might be because just as their prefer ROH for putting over the "sport" of pro wrestling over Sports Entertainment, they like Shimmer because it takes womens wrestling seriously, which is notoriously thought of as one of if not the most neglected part of WWE programming. Its a textbook example of buying into an ideal regardless of, as you say, match quality.

 

In terms of TNA which at least presents their knockout division as competitive and (reasonably) sensible with longer-than-two-minute matches fairly often, there is quite a sizable ROH/Shimmer crowd that will blindly bash TNA and everything they do compared to their wrestling, not because TNA sucks, but because "it's TNA" and they have the God-given right to piss on it, even though the same retards proudly boast to never watch it, because it sucks, and haven't watched it for years, because it sucks, even though they have no basis of knowing it sucks, because they haven't recently watched it. So yeah, Shimmer matches are obviously going to piss on knockout matches, because "TNA sucks," FULL STOP to that particular breed.

 

 

 

TNA does suck, mind.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Are you sure you're not just judging the entire fanbase unfairly based on the Shimmer fans that post on here?

I'm not one to generalise usually, but I see wrestling as quite the basic taste these days and you need variety for it to entertain you otherwise it'll get boring. Wrestling for me has always been about a wide variety. I like to see Hulk Hogan as much as I like to see Shawn Michaels and as much as I like watching those to, I like to see Rey Mysterio and a bit of Santino as well. Then I'll stick Chris Masters on to do his thing, followed by LayCool being funny and patronizing. The idea of watching 8 or 9 women's matches on the trot confuses me a lot, especially when the quality is so piss poor. Even I will admit those All Japan Women Supercards from the mid-90s were brilliant to watch. The wrestling seemed solid and the girls carried themselves like they were better than the men (which they were in some cases). But see Alissa Flash flapping her arms about and doing the both legs off the floor kick to the stomach that you could do on Steel Cage Challenge for the NES and then reading that the match was "out of this world" to me is ridiculous.

 

it might be because just as their prefer ROH for putting over the "sport" of pro wrestling over Sports Entertainment, they like Shimmer because it takes womens wrestling seriously, which is notoriously thought of as one of if not the most neglected part of WWE programming.

A lot of them wear skimpy clothes and are pure wank material though? I'm all for women coming across as serious, but could they do it in something other than tiny leather shorts to a crowd of 100 men with carry bags under the seats?

[number1davidotungafan]

Are you sure you're not just judging the entire fanbase unfairly based on the Shimmer fans that post on here?

Are you sure you're not unfairly judging your worth on this forum due to sucktitude?

[RepoMan]

I think there's probably a good amount of ROH and Shimmer fans who aren't very vocal, and they're probably far more normal and capable of taking in all various wrestling styles and companies without coming over like fanboy elitist cunts. I consider myself someone like that. I've seen the majority of ROH shows, and a good number of Shimmer ones too, but I can't imagine ever coming over like those on their forums.

[Mr. Seven]

I think it's more that the Shimmer fans on here (all three of them) are so unapologetically smug and arrogant about it. They act like they're part of this pure elitist thing and that WWE and Evil Vince should be ashamed of themselves for not pushing their woman's division to the moon.

 

It's also a little disconcerting (for me anyway) that the hardcore Shimmer fans are blokes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying things should be confined to genders and there's plenty of female musicians and actors I'm a big fan of, but come on, the notion that a bunch of male wrestling fans are there because they LOVE THE WORKRATE is either 1: bullshit or 2: alarming.

 

I don't blame the girls themselves though, I'm sure they see people like freaky and SBA as marks they can cosy up to and get money from while the lads get to go home to their beds and dream about getting in the ring and being stretched by their favourite female grappler.

[King Pitcos]

I don't blame the girls themselves though, I'm sure they see people like freaky and SBA as marks they can cosy up to and get money from while the lads get to go home to their beds and dream about getting in the ring and being stretched by their favourite female grappler.

Does freaky still post here?

 

Are you sure you're not just judging the entire fanbase unfairly based on the Shimmer fans that post on here?

Are you sure you're not unfairly judging your worth on this forum due to sucktitude?

Yes, I'm sure. And so are you, which is why you've not got the balls to have a go without resorting to trolling under a sockwank account.

[number1davidotungafan]

I don't blame the girls themselves though, I'm sure they see people like freaky and SBA as marks they can cosy up to and get money from while the lads get to go home to their beds and dream about getting in the ring and being stretched by their favourite female grappler.

Does freaky still post here?

 

Are you sure you're not just judging the entire fanbase unfairly based on the Shimmer fans that post on here?

Are you sure you're not unfairly judging your worth on this forum due to sucktitude?

Yes, I'm sure. And so are you, which is why you've not got the balls to have a go without resorting to trolling under a sockwank account.

 

I'm sure I have balls big enough for you to suck. See signature.

[King Pitcos]

I'm sure I have balls big enough for you to suck. See signature.

Who's signature?

[number1davidotungafan]

I'm sure I have balls big enough for you to suck. See signature.

Who's signature?

 

You suck at spelling, genius.

[David]

Man, you're a shit gimmick.

[King Pitcos]

I'm sure I have balls big enough for you to suck. See signature.

Who's signature?

 

You suck at spelling, genius.

Of course, div kid. You suck at being an entertaining troll.

[The Genius]

At the risk of going back on topic from all the suck comments it seems to me IMHO that there's way more casual wrestling fans than people are led to believe.

 

I think it's just a case that loads of them are in "the closet" about it.

 

I mean you only have to look at the numbers WWE does in the UK (when it comes over a coupla times a year to rape and pillage) and you can't really say that's "niche market" level attendances???

[The Invisible Boy]

Well I never really cared who knew I was a wrestling fan when I was at school or college, it was actually some guys I used to hang around with in primary school who got me interested in it. Then when I was at high school and the wrestling craze started watering down and people said they didn't watch it anymore or said it wasn't cool I'd still openly talk about it with people or wear a wrestling shirt on own clothes day.

 

When I was at uni I started not to talk as openly about being a wrestling fan, only a few mates there knew, and I would wear a few wrestling shirts, maybe one or two a little noticable but others were just ones wrestling fans would know about, the type other people would just think were a designed logo or a band shirt.

 

When I started working I never mentioned it to anyone and sort of keep it to myself now, I don't know why, it's just not something a lot of people are into or it's not something people want others to know they're into so they would probably say they aren't into it and wouldn't talk about it with me anyway. In my last two jobs I don't think anyone knew I watched it and in my current job I just started recently only one girl knows I watch it but that's due to her watching it too and bringing it up in conversation first so the odd time I do see her around we might have a quick chat about something wrestling related. I'm not too bothered if anyone did know I watch it but sometimes I think if you've just started a job it might be something people think is weird or it isn't a good first impression, I'd like to make a name for myself based on my work and personality before someone judges me for watching wrestling.

 

I suppose in the last few years I have become a little weary of people knowing I'm a wrestling fan. I do like to wear the odd wrestling shirt, ie. Punk's Nexus one or the Top Rope Nexus one but I do get uncomfortable about the WWE Authentic logo thing in the corner. I do still chat about it with people who follow it though, not in a loud obnoxious way but just in the same way we chat about anything in the pub.

 

I do understand the thing about stereotypes and that might be one of the reasons I feel a little uncomfortable, not due to me thinking these stereotypes are true, I know there are some fans like that but the majority aren't. Anyone who doesn't watch wrestling usually does think that the stereotypical wrestling fan is one of those already mentioned (ie long greasy hair, smells a bit, leather coat, a bit of a nerd) or they think wrestling is for kids and that's why I feel a little weary about openly saying I'm a wrestling fan.

 

I'm not a closet fan by any means though, I am open about it but I just don't shout it from the rooftops or go around telling everyone unless I know they watch it too, otherwise I think they will think of those sterotypes and that stereotype doesn't fit me at all anyway. I'm not particularly a gamer, not really into metal music anymore, don't dress all in black, have long greasy hair or smell but I do like to look around at news sites, write on this forum and discuss wrestling, which some non-wrestling fans would probably think is quite sad anyway.

[SpursRiot2012]