The Seven Tenets of Pro Wrestling Fandom

As 2011 falls to 2012's finisher and will soon be pinned 1-2-3, it is that time of year we reflect on our loves and passions, our joys and sorrows, and our strengths and weaknesses. We judge ourselves on the year that was had, and make resolutions on the year ahead. It may be more suitable by aiming to better ourselves in terms of family, friends, school, work, relationships, and other forms of social interactions.

But, honestly, that stuff is freaking hard.

Our family is insane, our friends are jerks, school and work suck, and our significant other is just going to leave us anyways. You know what's always going to be there, though? Pro wrestling. Because pro wrestling loves you. While we cannot make the pro wrestling we watch any better directly, we can improve how we enjoy it.

These are not rules on how to be a wrestling fan, but simply guidelines to improve the wrestling fan's experience. Without further ado, here are the seven tenets of pro wrestling fandom.

It may seem odd that this is even on the list, but it is sometimes overlooked. You cannot know what is going on with the product if you do not pay attention to it. Opinions should not be created by reading recaps or who won and lost. There is something fundamental in a show that gets lost in translation. That is not to say that one can't take a break sometimes. In fact, it is probably better for one's fandom if they step away from the product every now and then. But when you are in, it's best to go all in. Keep up with the shows, re-watch the highlights, and hell, even occasionally buy a Pay-Per-View instead of finding a stream online. By actually witnessing what is happening with your own eyes you can determine yourself how much you are enjoying the show, instead of letting someone else determine it for you.

Learn Your History

Professional wrestling has a long and expansive history. From its carnival days to the Golden Age, from the NWA to the nWo, from Hulkamania to Austin 3:16, there are entire generations with their own stories to tell. And that is to say nothing of what Japan, Mexico, and the world over has to offer. It may be too much for a new (or even old) fan can handle. But it is definitely worth it. Start small, with one promotion, one era, or even one wrestler, and move on from there. Wrestling has come a long way over the years, and it is constantly getting better and better. To know how great wrestling is, you gotta know where it has been.

Be Aware of Different Promotions

Contrary to popular belief, WWE is not the only company putting wrestling out there. Maybe you would like it more if there was more family drama, wicked old men, and Velvet Sky's ass. Well then TNA Impact! can be your drug of choice. Perhaps you prefer your wrestling to be insanely athletic, extremely authentic, super serious business. Ring of Honor is certainly the way to go. Or it could be you enjoy the crazy, the over the top, the absolutely out of this world gimmicks (like a stable of wrestling ants. Called the Colony. They are a colony of ants. That wrestle). Well look no further than Chikara. Then we have the indies across the country, and wrestling promotions around the world. There is no need to be locked into the WWE because it is the biggest. If you love wrestling, but don't necessarily love what the big E is offering, make sure you look elsewhere to find what tickles your fancy.

Watch with Friends

Wrestling is a lot like sex. Yeah, it's possible to do it alone with only a broomstick, but where the fun is that? It is something that should be enjoyed with as many partners as possible. Sometimes even up to 30 at once! Being a wrestling fan is very similar. As enjoyable it is to watch wrestling alone, it only makes things better by having friends join in. Get a group of people to gather around the television on Monday nights and mark out together. Make a compromise with the significant other, where you will watch Keeping up with the Kardashians and they will watch Smackdown with you (both are about equally "real"). With the huge internet wrestling community, there will be plenty of voices with all different viewpoints that will talk about what you just watched. Don't keep your opinions bottled up. Let everyone know what you enjoyed and what you hated. It will make the experience that much more meaningful.

Don't Assume Your Own Booking Skills

Running a company is freaking hard. You got employees to manage, bills to pay, and buyers to please. It makes no difference whether the product is thingamabobs or wrestling. One might argue that a wrestling promotion is harder to run than a standard manufacturing company on account of the product being living human beings. There is constant backstage politicking, company moral that must be kept up, and an extremely fine and constant line between hurt and injured. This is not an excuse for crappy booking. This is, though, a precaution with saying how well you would handle things. If you honestly think that you can stand face to face with Paul Levesque and tell him that he's going to job to an up-and-comer, well you got more balls than I do my friend. You are not aware of everything that is going on behind the scenes, nor do know exactly what will happen in the future. There is a difference between saying things could have been done different and saying you would have done things differently. Be mindful of that difference.

Know the Difference Between Smart and Intelligent

A smart mark, or smark, is one who considers himself or herself well informed of the backstage workings of the business. They constantly are checking online sources for the latest rumors and possible story outlines. Kayfabe is not only dead; it has been given the full Katie Vick treatment. Smarks can still enjoy wrestling as it is presented on the show, but much of their discussion of the product have to do with who is being pushed, buried, and buyrates. An intelligent mark, on the other hand, is aware of the backstage happenings, but does not let that information overwhelm their opinions They know wrestling, both the matches and storylines, are not real, yet they respect the athletic achievements of the wrestlers and the human drama that plays out week after week. A wrestlers standing within the promotion is commonly discussed by intelligent marks, but so is match quality, wrestlers chemistry, long term build, and moments that they were just plain entertained by. A smark is similar to a smartass; being called one should not be taken as a compliment.

Let Yourself be a Mark

The bottom line, my friends, is that watching wrestling should be enjoyable. Sometimes the powers that be make it very hard to enjoy the product. Occasionally we just aren't into it like we used to be. And once in a while we have to turn the TV off or we'll throw our remote against the wall. This does not mean, though, that we should hate every second we witness. There is always at least one moment, one spot, one move, one line, one look, one single instance of brilliance in even the worst of shows. When you see that diamond in the rough, then grab on to it and cherish it. Focus on it, remember it, and talk about it until it drowns out all the crap you had to sit through to reach it. Because wrestling will always take two steps forward, one step back. As time moves on though, we will only remember the single step gained. So when you see something that you love, love it like a pre-teen with no shame. Love it like you used to when you first saw a finisher or a move from the top rope. When you heard a promo that had your sides splitting with laughter or hands clenched in anger. When you were a witness a heroic run-in face turn, or a traumatizing backstabbing heel turn, Those moments are why we watch. Those moments are why we love professional wrestling. So go forth, my brethren, and proceed to mark the f*ck out.