If you’ve been following A Fresh Voice for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m dead serious about professional wrestling.
Yes, that WWE stuff. Or as my grandmother affectionately called it, wrasslin. I’ve been a fan since I was 4 or 5 years old. I’ve tried my fair share of moves on my cousins. Thankfully, they made it through to adulthood with no injuries on my part (The Walls of Jericho was my thing, though!).
I live in an area where there aren’t many wrestling fans. People who aren’t familiar with the product will usually say “You know that’s fake right?” (Pro Tip: Don’t tell a wrestling fan it’s fake. We already know what we’re watching, and we don’t care if it’s scripted). Since I don’t have really any real life friends who dig wresting, I did what any logical person would do.
Go find them on the internet.
I found throngs of wrestling fans. All with diverse opinions, likes, and dislikes. It truly is it’s own community. In my years of communicating with other wrestling fans via Facebook, I’ve encountered several different types of people. Some you click with. Others you don’t. At the end of the day, you all still love wrestling. That being said, there are so many nuances to fans. I thought about it, and I’ve come up with 10 different types of wrestling fans that you can encounter.
Sit back and enjoy!
1. Casuals
Casual fans only know the WWE. They once watched Stone Cold and the Rock (Hulk Hogan if you were a teen/adult in the 80s), and if you ask them about wrestling those are the only names they’ll produce (Okay. Maybe Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man, too). Wrestling was part of their childhood. Thus, they have fond memories of it. Some may watch RAW on occasion. However, most casual fans have grown up and moved on to bigger and better shows. *Flips Netflix to Ozarks*
2. WWE Fanboys
I’m gonna be honest right here. I cannot stand WWE fanboys. Why? They have absolutely no objectivity to their fandom. WWE is the absolute greatest thing ever created. They’ve never made a mistake. Ever. Nothing can compare. WWE Fanboys hold several hats to include lawyers and apologists. They’ll defend Vince McMahon’s every move like they are being paid. Other wrestlers from other promotions do not exist……… until said wrestler signed by WWE. By proxy, they become “really talented and full of potential.” I try to avoid these types of fans at all costs. However, I can’t escape them. Since WWE is the premier wrestling company in the world, I run into them full force. These people say they love wrestling, but really they just love WWE.
3. Indy Fanboys
Independent wrestling is on the rise here in the states. The independents are much smaller promotions, and they do not have the glitz and glam of WWE. However, they have their own personality, and plenty of fans flock to them. Mostly because they have less rules than WWE, a variety of interesting gimmicks, and really solid wrestling (Note: You can see some absolute nonsense on the Indies. They aren’t exempt). Indy fanboys are WWE fanboys on a lower scale. The caveat is anything WWE related is trash. Yet, they still watch RAW, Smackdown Live, and every other WWE pay-per-view. Why? You tell me.
4. I Only Watch Puroresu/NJPW
These are fans who have turned away from the Americanized style of wrestling, and strictly watch Japanese promotions. Is that bad? No. Is it good? No. It’s just their preference. The bad comes in when said fan becomes a snob because “they watch New Japan and you don’t.” #BizCliz4Life #TooSweeeeeet
5. The Internet Wrestling Community (IWC)
Ahhh… The IWC. I could write an entire post on this group alone. The short of it is these are wrestling fans who discuss their passion for wrestling on the internet. This is a very loud, boisterous vocal minority that will scream if they don’t get their way. They’ll boycott the WWE immediately after a PPV. Even threaten to cancel their subscription to the WWE network…….. and watch RAW the following Monday.
6. Anti-IWC
I didn’t really scratch the surface of the ridiculousness that can encompass the IWC (which I think is an outdated term). It just goes without saying that there are those who oppose the IWC because people and their ever important opinions. The Anti-IWC group will frequently call out the IWC for their inconsistency. In short, they usually complain that the IWC is complaining…….all while being oblivious to their own complaining. Consistency, folks. Consistency.
7. Fantasy Bookers
A booker in the wrestling world decides the card. Who is the main event. Mid-card matches. Type of match. What talent (wrestlers) will be involved. Granted I’m just a fan, but from what I know booking seems to be a pretty hard gig. That’s for the actual job. Fantasy bookers create their own scenarios based on an upcoming event. They’ll do all the work of the actual booker except it’s all in their imagination. Some of these fans are extremely creative.
CAUTION: Some fantasy bookers may be irritable if WWE (because why watch anything else?) does not do what they have predicted. Be prepared for reactions to be possibly volatile.
8. Thirst Buckets
I’ve ran into extremely parched wrestling fans. Most are males. In fact, 99.9 percent of them are males. I can count on one hand how many “Omgoodness look at his body” posts I’ve seen from female fans. The TBs constantly compare booties, chest sizes, who looks better, which one they’d marry (I’m gonna keep it PG), etc. They have dedicated Woman Crush Wednesday threads. They say stuff like, “I’d drink (insert name here) bathwater.” If there’s a wardrobe malfunction, then the internet all but breaks from the picture sharing. And OHHHH MYYYYYY *Michael Cole Voice*, don’t let any of the female superstars have nudes leaked. You will see grown men turn into 13 year old boys within two seconds. Their behavior is what earns most wrestling fans the Mommy’s Basement label.
9. Airport Greeters
Here’s another type of fan I can’t stand. The AG group has absolutely no shame in going to the airport (or hotel), waiting for their favorite superstar to come through, and asking for an autograph/picture (Just so they can sell it on eBay. CM Punk was right. Again). How would they know a flight schedule? Some of them actually look this information up. I wouldn’t know how or why this info is accessible because I’m not a creep. Nonetheless, it’s out there. Some folks go as far as dragging their kids to the airports, too. They teach their children that stalking is okay (Yes, this is stalking). The justification? They don’t have enough money for paid meet and greets, so invade the talent’s space when they are tired from continuous traveling. Why? Cheap fandom of course. The talent better not even think about being annoyed either. Otherwise, these same autograph vultures will besmirch their used-to-be favorite wrestler’s name because “they don’t appreciate their fans.” I’m not making this up. Some fans are so bad with it the talent actually knows them by name. That’s an utter shame. Ladies and Gents, don’t be this fan.
10. Business Experts
None of us have any clue how to run a billion dollar company. If we did, then we wouldn’t be online talking about hypotheticals in a Facebook group. We barely know how to manage our own finances. The only thing we know is what we like to watch. Enter the business expert fan. They understand WWE stock, marketing, the value of a wrestler in mainstream, and business decisions made by Vince McMahon. They routinely take the time to let you know how much they understand the business of wrestling (namely WWE) in order to prove that other fans “just don’t get it.” They discuss streaming numbers and berate fans for “not putting money into the product” (If you come in contact with a wrestling fan, more than likely they’ve put their fair share of money into buying tickets and merchandise). Never mind the business expert fan’s credentials include barely a high school business course and experience cashiering. And, you guessed it…. They don’t own their own business. Vince! Hire this one for an exec position quick!
11. Podcasters
Everybody has a podcast. Everybody (Look out for mine coming soon. Shameless plug, I know). There is even a podcast called Everybody Has a Podcast. Why should wrestling be any different? I think the podcasters are pretty cool. They give general fan insight on wrestling events or issues prevalent in the wrestling world. It really gives a voice to how fans feel about the product. Shout to the Jobber Tears, Tru Heel Heat, and Dirt Sheet Radio who do a good job of giving different viewpoints in the wrestling realm.
12. Uncle Dave’s Crew
Dave Meltzer is the foremost journalist in professional wrestling. He was reporting behind the scenes stuff before Vince came out with Beyond the Mat. Dave has been at this for decades. As such, he’s got a legion of fans that hang on his every word. If it’s a Dave prediction, then it’s gonna happen. Or, Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Either way these fans are riding with Uncle Dave for the long-haul. But the real star (see what I did?) is Dave’s match rating system. I don’t know much about it. What I do know is Dave will rate wrestling matches on a 1-5 star system. His ratings system is the stuff of legends if for nothing else other than it sends wrestling fans into an absolute frenzy! Why? Well, their match wasn’t rated what it should have been. Oh, you didn’t know?
13. I Hate Wrestling Fans
Hatred. It’s an ugly word, but it’s pretty accurate here. the IHWF crew makes it their mission to show hypocrisy amongst the wrestling fan base by loudly declaring, “I hate wrestling fans yo! They are so fickle!” every single. chance. they get. They blame other fans for the state of the wrestling business. Bear in mind, they are a wrestling fan and at one point and time all of us have been hypocritical about something wrestling related. It’s meant as a form of superiority, but I feel like it’s closer to self-loathing……
14. AEW Fanboys/Haters
All Elite Wrestling is the hottest new promotion to pop up within the last year. Now, I’m an admitted AEW fan. It reminds me of my young days being a WCW fan (4 life!) and I enjoy the product they’ve presented thus far. Of course, AEW is not without it’s flaws. There are things they could definitely work out, but that doesn’t affect my overall enjoyment. I’d like to think of myself as objective, but fanboys excuse AEW’s every move. It’s much like WWE or Indy Fanboys (Indy fanboys and AEW fanboys could be interchangeable). If you’re a fan of the product, no one can talk noise (or sense) about it no matter how nonsensical it is. Of course, with fans come haters and AEW has plenty. These fans look for every reason to criticize AEW simply because of hype. They wish for the demise of this pro wrestling organization because other people like it. Let that sink in. Most have turned into WWE fanboys which means objectivity is thrown right out the window. Fandom, right?
15. True Fans
Most wrestling fans will balk at this notion. Wrestling is so preference based that it’s tough to define what is a true fan. Well, I’m here to do that for you. A true fan just loves wrestling. They enjoy the product and they aren’t searching for a reason to complain. They allow themselves to be pulled into the show. Suspension of disbelief is still a real thing (even if they are part of the IWC). They are appreciative of how the talent puts their lives on the line for the sole purpose of the fans entertainment. For adults, they let their little kid excitement shine through. The kicker is this excitement is not based on a specific promotion. If there’s good wrestling around, then this fan is here for it.
Well folks, those are the 15 types of wrestling fans I’ve encountered. I’m sure I’ve fallen into some of these categories. I’m positive I’ve described a wrestling fan reading this. One thing is for sure, we all love wrestling with an absolute passion.
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