After each match we are left wanting more.
Nothing is ever enough as we strive for perfection.
Are we selfish or deserved of more?
—
What are those words exactly? As a professional wrestling writer and fan, I sit disgusted in what comes across my Twitter page each and every second of the day. Regardless of the night before, a “critic” finds something else to complain about.
For years, wrestling has become a constant in many people’s lives. It is something borne upon by our parents that was passed down from their parents. The Golden Era passed it to the Attitude Era, which transcended into the Ruthless Aggression Era and then the PG Era and finally now the Reality Era (if that’s its real name.
These time periods all have something in common: They weren’t perfect.
The Golden Era was boring at times—not enough flash and flair. With the Attitude Era came very grotesque storylines and concepts that weren’t acceptable to all audiences. A lot of fans found it too violent for their children to watch. I happened to be one of those children that was unable to witness blood spewing out of faces.
As for the Ruthless Aggression Era, it felt as if HHH pulled political favor, which led to bad decisions. After all, there was no real competition for WWE as WCW folded, leaving the McMahons with no struggle to be better than anyone else.
John Cena’s PG Era is self-explanatory for many reasons. It was/is too clean, and the 18-45 demographic was very frustrated with content. The “W” in WWE that stood for “Wrestling” was going away, and it was all about the “E” for “Entertainment.” Apparently, blood and swearing were the only aspects that made wrestling cool.
Currently, we are sitting in the Reality Era (like I said, maybe), deemed by many as one that will turn things around for the better. CM Punk is now in the front seat with new cast members ready to lead a charge. Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler and the Shield are alongside Punk, transcending the WWE Universe in a way that hasn’t been apparent before.
Professional wrestling is becoming the forefront of McMahon/Levesque’s product. Those guys mentioned have been or still are champions.
Twitter and reality are used now more than ever. There are countless examples of this: CM Punk’s contract storyline; Brock Lesnar’s UFC career; Punk/Jericho and the alcohol feud; Rock and Cena’s personal battle; and HHH/Undertaker’s spectacular performance while making Mark Callaway look like someone who was completely real, not a super-human that could do anything.
Within each era, there is always going to be a problem because with each passing day, the wrestling community is getting smarter and more in tune with backstage news and reactions. Spoilers ruin pro wrestling, and it is only going to get worse. Surprises are rarely used, and if they are, somebody tweeted it that day hoping to gain a couple of followers.
Prior to Lesnar’s return, WWE tweeted his arrival. I wanted a surprise, but it was spoiled.
As a die-hard fan of professional wrestling, it will never be perfection. Not even if Vince McMahon read EWN, the forums, or random fans’ blogs , because that still will not please everyone. Some like John Cena; others despise him. Most fans love CM Punk, but a few kids out there really find him annoying.
WWE is a battle of perception and personal opinion. It always has been, and it will continue to disappoint others and please the few left out of the ones wanting more.
Shawn Michaels, Edge, the Undertaker, Macho Man Randy Savage and Mick Foley all fought to bring us perfection. They never wanted the fans to leave wanting more from their performance. Selfish is not the right word, but more like lucky.
So why complain? To get to witness guys like I just mentioned perform in front of millions just for our pleasure and entertainment?
Yes, I believe we are lucky.
It’s pro wrestling, not perfection.
