Last night’s edition of Monday Night RAW didn’t have any truly incredible matches or backstage segments, but one moment will stick with me for a while. Of course, I’m referring to the moment where both Elias and Kevin Owens were treated to an onslaught of boos from a raucous Seattle crowd after they said that having a basketball team in Seattle just didn’t make any sense. The fans didn’t just boo for 10 seconds, no it went on for minutes and one could tell that even the talent weren’t expecting such a reaction.
It wasn’t a particularly brilliant insult and was practically the definition of “cheap heat,” but that ultimately doesn’t matter. What this moment showcased was what happens when the crowd is both fully engaged and participating as part of the show. They made what could’ve been a decent, if not throwaway jab at Seattle, into a genuine moment that left Twitter and the television audience buzzing.
That’s some of the beauty of wrestling. Fans have a tremendous role that they can play in boosting, or detracting, from the experience. We saw the polar opposite occur during the Seth Rollins-Dolph Ziggler Iron Man match at WWE Extreme Rules, where a bored crowd decided they’d rather count down with the clock than pay full attention to the match. That isn’t fully on the crowd, as the WWE has to present a product that they find captivating and worthwhile, but it does go to show how they can impact the viewing enjoyment.
This is also a large part as to why it’s so much to attend a popular independent wrestling event, such as PROGRESS Wrestling or ALL-IN. Nearly the entire audience is there to have a blast, and the wrestlers can play off that energy during their audience. Comedy spots are funnier when everyone is laughing along, and people are more likely to hate the heel if the crowd is booing their dastardly actions rather than just blankly staring at them. A good audience won’t make a bad show good or great, but it might just make it bearable, and it can elevate a good segment into something much more.
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