In
this world, we often look for ways to keep ourselves amused. We want to
enjoy life, and be entertained, we want to get lost in magical lands
filled with diversity. We like to listen to music, and get lost in the
songs. We like to play video games and truly become one with it, even if
its just for a short time. We like to play our favourite sports, we
enjoy the adrenaline of watching it too. There is no doubt that life
would be one giant bore if we had to work all the time, we would end up
going insane of boredom to the point that life would not be worth
living.
So what does Wrestling provide? People seem to forget how to truly enjoy
wrestling. They become so lost and deluded from what wrestling is all
about, that they take out their anger by shouting at it, or arguing with
their friends over it. Personally I enjoy a lot of things about
wrestling. I could sit here and write ten more blogs on things that I
don’t enjoy, but then I would become what I hate. This beginning chapter
is about something very specific. It keeps wrestling going, and makes
it somewhat addictive. We want to know who is guarding the big castle.
We want to know who has worked and achieved that glory and success that
will eventually make them legends.
If you have not guessed by now, I am talking about the changing of
Championships. Don’t you ever feel like a PPV is so much better when
there are a lot of title changes, compared to when there’s none? Why is
that? Maybe because we like that initial buzz we get in our stomachs as
the ref goes to slam that hand down on the mat for the third time. Maybe
its the thrill of seeing that wrestler finally make it on a big stage,
you can see the passion in their eyes, the sacrifices they have made to
get to that point. Becoming a Champion in wrestling can be incredibly
popular and unpredictable, or totally forgettable. It all depends who
won what, where and how.
I have seen so many different title changes. To the absolute brilliant,
to the outrageous, and even to the point it made no impact whatsoever.
It’s like scoring that goal in football, (Soccer for you Americans
reading) its like winning a trophy in your favourite game. It’s like
getting that huge promotion at work, only on a much grander scale. The
whole world watches as that wrestler achieves. Isn’t it funny how a
belt, is worth more to the wrestlers then spending time with their
families? Isn’t it funny how wrestlers sacrifice so much of their time,
to get to that level. Many wrestlers never get that far, they never
achieve greatness. They put everything on the line, yet we don’t
appreciate these men, because they never won anything of importance.
It’s even funnier how they manage to make the titles “prestigious”,
despite all the title changes being predetermined. CM Punk made the WWE
title relevant again, even though he never actually beat anyone in a
real fight, he was chosen as the man to carry it until Vince McMahon
would decide to pass it on. I could go into how negative it was that The
Rock became WWE Champion. How it was .. a travesty, that he was Champion, but
to be honest, I am happy whoever holds it. Whoever is given the WWE
Championship has got it because they were right for it at the time, for
the boss of the company.
Wrestling is always moving forwards. There are so many moments, so many
title changes, as fans we are always caught up in the moment. If we
stand around to dwell on the past too much, we might miss something in
the present. In my life time I have seen some title changes that really
got to my heart. In those moments, I could not have been happier for
that wrestler. Should I give some examples? Well I don’t wish to create a
list, but I can tell you that title changes such as … Chris Benoits
World title win, Eddie Guerreros WWE title win, the first time Kurt
Angle won the title, the time Chris Jericho became Undisputed Champion,
even the more recent one of Austin Aries winning the TNA World
Championship, all of these and many more have made me reach a state of
absolute happiness.
Everyone has wrestlers they love and hate. They really want to see
their guys succeed. For some people, seeing John Cena win the title on
any occasion was huge to them, while absolutely cringing to others. This
is why I love Pro Wrestling. The fans are so diverse, so passionate,
they will let you know exactly how they feel, and when that big title
change happens, they will go nuts with excitement, or they will boo the
roof off the building.
Title changes are magical, but they can also be damaging. Those title
changes that should have, or should not have happened. Vacated titles
are also a bummer, but most of the time, unavoidable, but you can enjoy
the fact that there will definitely be a new champion crowned.
It’s not just about titles either, its about special tournaments too.
Gone are the days of King in the Ring, but I can guarantee that if the
WWE put on a huge tournament bracket for the WWE title someday, it would
be massive. People love to follow things like that, they like to try
and predict who will win. They will even place bets on who will become
Champion, to add to the excitement.
I am sure you all get the idea by now. Sometimes a wrestler has to be a
Champion for a long time to make the title change more meaningful and
memorable. How many of you will forget how your favourite wrestlers won
their title? Or will you instead, remember how they lost it?
Always look on the bright side of life. Yes that is a quote from Monty
Python, but its a damn good one. Look at the good things in Pro
Wrestling, instead of the bad things. Try not to nitpick so much, I know
how easy it can be to pick at all the really silly things that can
happen, but just realize that anything you don’t like will soon be over,
and you can move on and forget about it. Try telling people why you
love professional wrestling, and be proud of it, instead of hiding it
away like a dirty little secret.
As I sit here, waiting for Wrestlemania XXX, once again I think about the changing of the guard. It appears almost guaranteed that Daniel Bryan will win, despite him having to overcome HHH, Batista and Randy Orton. The only outcome anybody wants to see is Daniel Bryan, stood there at the end of the show, thrusting those titles up into the air, as the crowd chants “YES!”. It has been a long time since a crowd has legitimally begged, craved, and cried over the fact that a wrestler is not champion and should be champion, even Mick Foley has got sucked into it all. Is it time that guys like Cena and Orton take a backseat to the new face? Or is the WWE just setting us up for one big disappointment?
These questions is why i love professional wrestling, because although you think you know what will happen, you can never be 100% sure, and I can guarantee that millions of wrestling fans will jump out of their seats as the referee counts 1-2-3 for Daniel Bryan, the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
