If you asked a common person on the street what they knew about wrestling, they probably couldnât tell you much. After all, wrestling has never been consistently mainstream in many parts of the globe. However, even if that person you asked told you nothing else, you would at least probably hear one of the names of Hulk Hogan, The Rock, or Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Itâs a simple concept really, as those three men represented wrestling when it was most popular. Granted, even though wrestling did hit popular strides when those three wrestled, itâs still a matter of opinion whether or not the product was actually good then/ Some common fans maintain that the Hulk Hogan era of the mid-1980s was when wrestling was its finest. Others will tell you that the Attitude era of the late 1990s represented wrestlingâs best. However, even though these were two completely different eras, they share one thing in common, and thatâs the fact that they were referred to as âboom periods.â More often then not, the common person will remember the wrestlers of one of wrestlingâs infamous boom periods.
You canât blame them for that. Wrestling was so wildly popular during these different years that it was almost âuncoolâ to not be a fan. I remember being in 6th grade during the Attitude era. If I ever dare confused Goldberg and Stone Cold Steve Austin, I would be running away as fast as my scrawny legs would let me. The fact is, is that wrestling often hits strides where it becomes wildly popular, then dies, becomes popular again, and then dies again. Itâs a vicious cycle that has left even the best wrestling promoters baffled for decades.
In the age of wrestling today, more often then not, you will observe that many fans are clamoring for that next boom period. If you go onto any wrestling opinion website, talk to any fan at a live show, or interact with your own friends who are into the sport, many of them would love to see wrestling go mainstream. They want to see wrestling popular again! They want to have another hero like Hogan! They want to be a spectator of another Monday Night War! Even Vince McMahon himself has said that WWE is on the brink of another boom period. So if everyone wants it, then where the hell is it? And if it comes, do we really want it as much as we say?
Well to answer this dilemma, letâs look at why wrestling has never consistently been popular. Many promoters claim this problem stems from the fact that wrestling is cyclical, and that you canât control the cycle. I really hate that theory, because it just makes it seem that these promoters donât have their own destiny in their hands. They are basically saying that it doesnât matter what they promote â” they are at the mercy of some almighty âcycleâ and itâs this cycle that determines how their product gets over; not what they actually book. Thatâs complete and utter BS. Itâs just an excuse to hide behind poor booking.
Apparently this âcycleâ is the reason Triple H destroying everyone on the RAW roster from 2002 to 2005 cast away millions of viewers each week; whereas it wasnât in effect when the Rock was cutting some of the most entertaining promos in wresting history in the late 90âs as RAW pulled phenomenal ratings in the sixes and sevens. Do you see what Iâm getting at? The fact of the matter is that promoters determine their own experience, and they arenât at the mercy of some mysterious âcycle.â When the product is bad, itâs because they made it bad. When the product is exciting, itâs because they made it that way. They make the decisions, not this supposed cycle. Now, I know that wrestling companies canât control things like injuries or the economy, but all creative decisions are ones they make and no one else. In turn, itâs these decisions that control the fate of the promotion, not some cycle.
In all honesty, the only thing keeping WWE from another boom period is themselves. Many predicted that John Cenaâs push would lead to a boom, but then they booked him against flimsy heels like Jericho and Angle, which caused him to become exposed and be turned on by the fans. Itâs up to the powers that be, and them alone to find that next big star. (And on that note, having a VKM death angle wonât bring this about either, but thatâs for another day entirely.)
Until then, we all just have to sit and wait for that next boom period. But really, is that something we really want? Is it truly our calling as wrestling fans to wait until the next boom period?
I have never understood the craze at wanting another boom period. Arenât most wrestling fans attracted to the sport because they donât enjoy other mainstream entertainment? I would say nine times out of ten, that is the case. Many wrestling fans like wrestling and care less for other sports. Theyâre not all that way, but just from the majority of the ones I have interacted with, that is the case. Wrestling fans are rebels, plain and simple. They enjoy wrestling because it gives them something alternative to stand up for. Regardless of whether or not they think itâs âreal,â they watch it because thatâs what makes them happy. If they donât like the NFL or American Idol, they can turn to wrestling to live in a the fantasy world of rings and men in tights.
I truly believe that wrestling fans love the fact that they are fans of alternative entertainment. Deep down inside, itâs their way of getting back at society. Donât believe me? Then explain to me why Stone Cold Steve Austin was the biggest drawing star of all time, while playing the ultimate rebel. Wrestling fans like the alternative, and thatâs why the diehard fans embraced concepts like ECW and to an extent, TNA. ECW achieved cult status when wresting was at itâs hottestâ“a true oxymoronâ“meaning that ECW took off only when wrestling was in a boom period, not when the two bigger companies were showcasing awful products. The most die hard fans turned away from the mainstream of WCW and WWF in the late nineties to watch something different, and thatâs something to think about.
All in all, wrestling fans will always have something to complain about, and even if wrestling does get to another boom period, they will turn away from it in search of some alternative form of the product. At the end of the day, clamoring for another boom period actually goes against the very grain of what it means to enjoy wrestling. If wrestling is unpopular, fans get mad; if wrestling does get popular, fans still get mad. Itâs a vicious cycle, and the overall best thing to do is to watch whatever wrestling you want, and as long as it entertains you, who cares if itâs popular or not? Watch what you like, and let the promoters see if they can figure out that âmysterious cycle.â
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Post Column Updates
If you just read this, thanks for your time! I would like to take this time to apologize for not having a column out in several months now. Things got too backed up, but I really hope to stay on a more consistent schedule from here on out.
I would also like to tell you that May actually marked my two year anniversary in writing columns! Itâs truly been a pleasure, and I canât thank my readers and peers enough for all the opportunities and help they have given me. So hereâs for two years, and hopefully many more!
If you have any feedback for this column, itâs always much appreciated, and I ALWAYS respond. Maybe not right away, but I love interacting with readers that take the time to send me their thoughts. You can reach me at:
Email: [email protected]
AIM: TimW14
Thanks again for reading, and until next time, this has been From the Eye of the Dragonâ¦
