Age and Wrestling
I think after HHH v Undertaker End of an Era match at Wrestlmana. I know they are not on the active WWE roster, but they are two of very few WWE wrestlers who are over 40. This made me think of my relationship with wrestling characters.
I wonder how age effects wrestling fans. Listening to wrestling podcasts, I hear a lot of option on wrestlers depending on when people found them. There are different aspects that appeal to people at different age. The first big entry place for wrestling fans is elementary school. I think at this point wrestlers seem superhuman. I think even if you are an elementary school now, even the small wrestlers seem superhuman the why they fly around.
The high school age fans are attracted to the cool characters. There is something about wrestlers who are cool that kids say, "Yeah, that is who I'm going be." They are a specific kind of roll model. Some times you like the cool heels like Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels and some times you like the rebel heros like Stone Cold or the Rock.
Fans in their 20s they root for the wrestlers they feel are under approached. They start to see the idea the people running the promotions are getting it wrong. They root for wrestlers that aren't getting a big push. These are the wrestlers that you think will be great if they get a push.
I hear fans in their 30s rethinking who they root for. They reconsider the character aspects they enjoy. Some of the bloggers I read seem to embrace some of the more fun aspects of pro wrestling. When you are a fan in your 30s it is easy to laugh at some of the dumb parts of wrestling, but still enjoy it.
I am at this point where I am older than most of the wrestlers in the WWE. I know it is like most sports. I think it is funny I am older than the vets coming to the end of their careers. I wonder what this will do with my relationship with pro wrestling. How will I relate to these characters now that I see them as kids? Do other pro wrestling fans think about this? I will let you know once I figure it out.
I wonder how age effects wrestling fans. Listening to wrestling podcasts, I hear a lot of option on wrestlers depending on when people found them. There are different aspects that appeal to people at different age. The first big entry place for wrestling fans is elementary school. I think at this point wrestlers seem superhuman. I think even if you are an elementary school now, even the small wrestlers seem superhuman the why they fly around.
The high school age fans are attracted to the cool characters. There is something about wrestlers who are cool that kids say, "Yeah, that is who I'm going be." They are a specific kind of roll model. Some times you like the cool heels like Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels and some times you like the rebel heros like Stone Cold or the Rock.
Fans in their 20s they root for the wrestlers they feel are under approached. They start to see the idea the people running the promotions are getting it wrong. They root for wrestlers that aren't getting a big push. These are the wrestlers that you think will be great if they get a push.
I hear fans in their 30s rethinking who they root for. They reconsider the character aspects they enjoy. Some of the bloggers I read seem to embrace some of the more fun aspects of pro wrestling. When you are a fan in your 30s it is easy to laugh at some of the dumb parts of wrestling, but still enjoy it.
I am at this point where I am older than most of the wrestlers in the WWE. I know it is like most sports. I think it is funny I am older than the vets coming to the end of their careers. I wonder what this will do with my relationship with pro wrestling. How will I relate to these characters now that I see them as kids? Do other pro wrestling fans think about this? I will let you know once I figure it out.
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