Do you care if they win or lose?

[SuperBacon]

Was having a chat with Punkstep recently about sports other than football, and not really having a team etc so no real investment, apart from loving sport, and then we were discussing wrestling and despite loving it, not really being bothered who wins.

I then had to reach back into the memory bank and realised I've never really been bothered. Sure I had my favourites and I'd always want Bret to win, but I wasn't particularly bothered if he didn't.

During the Bret Hart/Steve Austin feud, I loved both of them so was happy for either to win (IIRC Austin only won one through DQ at IYH right?) 

I can only think of two instances where I really gave a shit: Shawn beating Bulldog at One Night Only as the entire place was livid and it was my first wrestling show, and I was very much invested in Daniel Bryan winning it all at Mania 30. I was desperate for him to win and would've been gutted if he hadn't triumphed.

And this isn't me being too cool to care, I've just never been that arsed who wins or who is champion etc. I just want to be entertained and see a good match.

Is this common? Or do you all really care who wins and why? Maybe (definitely) I'm just a miserable sod.

Any instances where you've absolutely lost your shit over a match or result?

[BrodyGraham]

I was more emotionally invested in Danielson winning at All In 2024 than I've ever been in any job I've ever had.

[DavidB6937]

Definitely depends on who it is and the situation.

I enjoy suspension of disbelief. I like rooting for the underdog. So say Sami Zayn getting a title shot in Montreal against Roman Reigns. The plucky babyface vs the monster heel. In that scenario I absolutely want to be behind Sami and throw my all into it emotionally. Very much like the Daniel Bryan situation.

But yeah, a lot of the time it doesn't get to that level where I care massively about who wins. I think wrestling is at its best where they can get you that invested though.

[westlondonmist]

Sting, always wanted him to win. Just something about him. Root for him no matter what. 

I would actually say that I've often felt wrestling is more about the bad guy losing rather than a specific good guy. 

[SuperBacon]

8 minutes ago, westlondonmist said:

I would actually say that I've often felt wrestling is more about the bad guy losing rather than a specific good guy. 

Good point. Everyone loves to see a chicken shit heel get their comeuppance don't they?

[tiger_rick]

30 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Any instances where you've absolutely lost your shit over a match or result?

Bret's title win at WrestleMania 10 is the most I've ever celebrated a match result. Was like a football result. 

I was behind Bret in every match I ever saw. I think somewhere around the end of 1997, I lost the magic and never really got it back but prior to that, if one of my guys (Bret, Warrior, Savage) was in action, I was all in.

Since 1998, I've never quite being as invested. However there have been a few instances. Eddie Guerrero challenging Lesnar in 2004 springs to mind. C**** B***** in the Rumble and Mania that year. Both of Hangman's title wins. 

On the losing end, probably most deflated by Tatanka not winning the IC belt at Mania 9 and then Bret losing on the same night! 😂

[Carbomb]

C**** B***** and Eddie Guerrero at WMXX - there was a lot of meta-fandom going on, rooting for them both in and out of kayfabe, having heard that McMahon wasn't high on them even though they were clearly great at what they did. When B***** got the tap was the last time I truly celebrated a wrestling win, jumping off the sofa and punching the air. Fucking ruined now, obviously.

I rooted for Cody from a distance to win the big one at Mania, because I'd been a fan of him back when he was starting out. 

Main one, however, was Bret. Always cared when he won or lost.

Also just remembered that I was really up for Kobashi finally getting the win over and the belt off Misawa in NOAH in 2003. Great match.

Edited May 5 by Carbomb
Carl Cort

[Chili]

I sometimes think if the story is incredibly well told it really matters to get that cathartic outcome. As @DavidB6937says, depends on the situation. I was absolutely rabid for Hangman Page to win his first title from Kenny Omega in 2021, and that was on the strength of them basically in a way saying it WILL happen and the key characters were so good at building that goodwill in their roles.

Add me as another for Eddie Guerrero. I was still convinced it wouldn't happen and I just really wanted to see if they'd do it, and because Eddie Guerrero had that about him too. In that situation you just wanted it so badly.

Edited May 5 by Chili

[TheScarlettChad]

Of course I care. If you make a guy lose big matches, he'll only ever be thought of as a failure. You can even have a guy lose ONE match and win others and he'll be doomed. Zayn at EC '23. Call an audible and have him win. That was his one shot and while he can always win it later. It won't feel as good or as earned as it could have thre Years ago. 

[Carbomb]

23 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said:

Of course I care. If you make a guy lose big matches, he'll only ever be thought of as a failure. You can even have a guy lose ONE match and win others and he'll be doomed. Zayn at EC '23. Call an audible and have him win. That was his one shot and while he can always win it later. It won't feel as good or as earned as it could have thre Years ago. 

It's quite intriguing as to how critical that can be in a wrestler's career; so much is dependent on timing, character, ability, etc.

A case in point of the opposite to me is The Rock, when he got practically squashed by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002. It was always a testament to his character work and charisma that he could probably lose more than most main-eventers and still be considered one of the biggest ever. Somehow his losses never factored into him later being packaged as "The Final Boss".

Cody Rhodes is another - despite having a fairly lengthy run in WWE in which the highest he ever got was the IC, he was able to go away and come back, inspiring enough in the audience for a main-event/World title run.

Drew McIntyre, despite at one point being part of a comedy jobber stable, has risen to multiple World champ status as well.

[Daaaaaad!]

I got very cross while wearing my Scotland top at Clash at the Castle '22 and angrily reacted to a loutish Cockneeeeey-sounding fella who shouted 'UNLUCKY OLD MATE' after Roman retained against Drew.

Like others, there have been a few who I've willed to win - Daniel Bryan Danielson being a common one as well as some others - but Drew being a Scotsman has had the most sports-like effect on the wins and losses I've ever experienced.

Edited May 5 by Daaaaaad!
it was 2022 not 2023

[Roy]

I remember really wanting Bulldog to beat Bret Hart at SummerSlam 92, which is funny as I then became a Bret fan after that match.

In terms of the most emotionally invested I've been in watching a wrestling match, the only time since then was when Cactus Jack wrestled Triple-H at No Way Out in 2000. It seemed inconceivable that Cactus would retire a month before WrestleMania. But lose he did, and then he came back within a month for a payday.

[NeverYield]

I have done in the past, definitely, but on the whole these days not really, I just want good matches and somewhat cohesive storytelling that makes sense and doesn't feel like a complete lost cause. 

If I think someone is a total birk though and just don't like their work and find them really irritating then I can definitely get invested in them being beaten  🤣

Edited May 5 by NeverYield

[HarmonicGenerator]

The last time for me was as recently as All In Texas last summer, desperately willing Hangman on to beat Moxley and win the title.

Shows what I know, it’s less than a year later and not once since he disappeared off TV have I been excited by the idea of him coming back.

Edited May 5 by HarmonicGenerator
I misspelled his name and I care so little now I almost didn’t change it

[Lorne Malvo]

Eddie winning the belt was a massive one.

I didn't think I'd ever find that level of investment again, but Danielson at All In matched it.

Even more than that though, Orange Cassidys International Title run had me hook line and sinker. I was biting my nails at every match hoping this wouldn't be the one match too far for him. 

I've said it before, but genuinely my favourite title reign ever. If they ever put the main strap on him I'll lose my mind.