CJ’s Sight an Introduction: How I became a fan of Professional Wrestling

How I became a fan of Professional Wrestling

I cannot pinpoint exactly when I saw my first pro wrestling match. I know it was sporadically in the early to mid-1990s. The memories are so vague of Big Bossman, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and those of that era. Pro wrestling didn’t become a mainstay in my daily interests until the Monday Night Wars. I’ll admit that I even started watching WCW Monday Nitro first and would flip to WWF Monday Night Raw during commercials. My programming routine reversed on Mick Foley’s famous win. I was one of those 600,000 to change the channel. I remember the immense pop Stone Cold received when his entrance music hit. I woke up my parents cheering so loudly. It was an amazing feeling to be a fan on that night. That was the night I fell in love with Pro Wrestling.

Those that know me always wonder where my knowledge of the sport comes from. Well, you can thank the internet, YouTube, and various other sources. I would hear a name or remember a name I hear, and then go hit the web. I would watch videos of names like Rick Rude, Fabulous Freebirds, Midnight Express (old and new), the Von Erich’s, Ric Flair from his heyday, and many others. The further I went back in time, the more I loved pro wrestling. What is captivating about that era, to me, is that the sport was “real” to people.

Look up videos of pro wrestling from those days before the secrets came out. Sure, some people knew it was a work, but to others, it was a lifestyle going to the arena and cheering for your favorite guy. Listening to the crowd was a fun experience, sitting in my chair watching the videos that are so fuzzy I can barely see the action.

Another part I have to key in on are the stories of those that lived it. I could listen to Old School wrestlers all day talk about doing their craft, and the stories they have to share. I always get a kick out of hearing the ‘rib’ stories. Which are practical jokes they would put over on others. I would talk to people that spent time going to arenas. I always picture myself there back in the 70’s and 80’s era. I would have loved to experience that.

Well, that’s a brief on how I became a fan of Pro Wrestling. No, it is not ‘sports entertainment’ to me, but it is a sport. A sport I will always be a fan of.

Thanks for reading,

Chris Rose