What keeps you watching wrestling

In general I would say there is an air of pessimism amongst the IWC about the current state of mainstream wrestling, and has been that way for at least the past 4 years. But if things are really that bad in wrestling, why do we all still watch it, or spend some time in or days to read spoiler sites, watch wrestling videos on youtube, come on this great forum etc.?

So I wanted to focus on the positives and see what keeps everyone interested in wrestling and watching every week.

My reasons for watching wrestling in order of importance are:
1. Really enjoy the art of wrestling and how much talent it takes to construct the matches.
2. Nostalgia. I have been watching wrestling since I was 2 hand higher than a duck, and hopefully will never lose interest in it.
3. Love the industry itself, especially when real life overlaps on to the tv shows.
4. I am toying with the idea of trying out wrestling, and like to learn from what I see these guys do.
And 5, it's just plan fun and beats waching the soaps!

What makes you tune in every week?

Interesting question animal and very good reasons for watching Wrestling. I have been watching wrestling now for 22 years and despite it being in the worst place possible at the moment, there are still some things that are brilliant about wrestling. These are the things that keep me watching it.

1. Gimmicks. Even though this is slowly dying, when I first watched wrestling the gimmicks had you hooked. Warrior, LOD, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, Macho Man, Hogan, British Bulldog. I could go on, but they were able to identify with the fans

2. Wrestling itself. Regardless of what era there will always be a match you watch whether it be WWE, WCW, ECW, TNA that will have you go WOW that was awesome and you can always remember where you were when you saw it. The first match that had me saying WOW was Warrior v Hogan at WM6. Albeit it wasn't technically the best match ever, as a spectacle it was brilliant. You could just feel the electricity in the crowd and in the ring. Wrestlers put so much of their lives into wrestling and never get the mainstream credit they deserve.

3. Careers. I think what is gripping about wrestling is watching careers start, flourish and even end. WWE used to be great at this and now it seems to take a different path. I watched Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Steve Austin, HHH, The Rock go through these phases and seeing their careers end and coming to an end. Watching them work their way up and reach the top. Always refreshing to see.

4. Fans. They are always there in force even when they are watching a poor product. They have loyal fans and they do produce some funny signs. Deserve so much credit for attending.

What keeps me watching wrestling?

I wish i knew. I cant remember the last time i enjoyed a wrestling show. Ive got many criticisms i cant even be bothered to list them all. Yet i still maintain interest clinging on to the little bit of hope that one day, maybe, just maybe, wrestling will get good again.

I've been veeeery patient!

This is simple, for key ingredients to keep me watching, and not in any particular order......
1. compelling story lines not ones just botched together for the sake of selling the next PPV. If this means dropping the number of PPV’s I ma all for it.

2. Characters with DEPTH, I can’t stress this enough, and closely linked with this is giving wrestler’s mic time to develop their character and not just develop feuds, if a wrestlers character is well enough defined then a lot of feuds will write themselves.

3. Humour, not rubbish skits but reoccurring themes which make me laugh, such as Steiner’s terrible/amazing promos and Flair elbow dropping jacket, Hogan shouting Son of a bitch off camera etc.

4. Quality WRESTLING matches.

Thats all well and god Fad but the question is what keeps you watching not what will keep you watching, I watch because its pure habit and I love to kid myself on I could book wrestlers and angles better than the pros

i think i only still watch due to how much i enjoyed it as a child. The same as many others i just hope 1 day it returns to its former glory. I dont think it will all the time VKM is in charge though.

good point gaffa i admit i got a bit sidetracked there, but to be fair most of them things occasionally pop up in TNA and that’s why i keep watching TNA week in week out and only watching WWE occasionally or skipping large parts of an episode. I find the humour more to my taste in TNA, when TNA put on a good match it is a really good match, I think they just need to tweak their story lines and clearly define the main eventers characters a bit better. And for GOD SAKE gave the X Division Lads some Mic time to build their characters

I can't actually say why I still watch wrestling. I suppose it's just like another one of those soaps, but interesting.

Mr H wrote:What keeps me watching wrestling?

I wish i knew. I cant remember the last time i enjoyed a wrestling show. Ive got many criticisms i cant even be bothered to list them all. Yet i still maintain interest clinging on to the little bit of hope that one day, maybe, just maybe, wrestling will get good again.

I've been veeeery patient!

sums it up perfectly

I suppose I watch WWE every week in the hope that it gets better; it's a habit; the shock factor (Nexus last year) and I want to see how some of the storylines play out (eg Christian/Orton).

Well for me, it's something i watch all the time.

I only got to start watching properly in August 2009 and only become aware of the internet (dirtsheets etc) last year sometime.

Ever since then i cannot stop watching it and i enjoy it if i'm honest.

At the same time i understand people from older eras are losing interest in it.

Miky just dont morph into lionbloodeverywhere mark 2 with your undying enthusiasm. Im not sure i can hack a board full of rhetorical questions again!

Mr H wrote:Miky just dont morph into lionbloodeverywhere mark 2 with your undying enthusiasm. Im not sure i can hack a board full of rhetorical questions again!

Eh? I'm just being fair to both sides mate

Haha its alright mate i know you were, its nice to see you are enthusiastic and you bring alot to the board, im just winding you up

What happened to LionBlood, has he not joined us on 606V2 yet?

He's staying on 606 till the end he said, he will be here eventually though.

he has account here just waiting til 606 dies in 13 days time

More importantly, where is Angelina?

angelina isn't coming

Hes officially a traitor Steve!

He's on one of the rival sites!

someone find the site and drag him/her here

I am disgusted by this new Miky. He will no longer be welcomed. I do miss his fantastic posts though. Mmmmmmmmmm, smokewheel pizza!!