True Wrestling Fan: The story

Everybody has their reasons to become a fan of a sport. In a Cricket crazy nation like ours, it might be when Ganguly smashed his maiden Test Century on debut at the Mecca of Cricket, or it might be Paes getting India a bronze in the Olympics in the same year. For others, it would be the breath-taking display of ball control by Zizou, so on and so forth. It doesn’t really matter what the event is, but once you’ve witnessed it, you’re left in awe. You feel that child inside you jumping around in joy, and that’s how you know you’re passionate about it; that’s when the fan inside you takes life. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to provide an inspiration, something which you feel strongly about. The same thing applies when you’re a Wrestling fan.

For most of the people, a ‘Wrestling fan’ equals people who’re not so sharp, and you can’t blame them. I mean, how can you become a passionate fan of something which isn’t even a ‘sport’ anymore in the United States? I remember the times when I had discussions with my friends when I was in school; we were so inspired, so left in awe with the larger than life characters. Well, and we also thought it was all real. And when the mirrors broke; when the illusion was over, they moved on. You see a Shakespearean play and you get inspired for that brief hour, but do you still ponder over what would have happened with Macbeth or Hamlet if things didn’t pan out the way they did? Sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? Then how can you be a fan of something you know is scripted; which is only done as a drama scene, second only to the clichéd Hollywood films? The answer: the realistic aspects of the strings of Pro Wrestling.

You read about guys travelling for 300 days a year, leaving their families behind. But you seldom hear, or see the sacrifices they’ve made. One such instance made me a passionate fan of Pro Wrestling. A young fan turned into a passionate follower in 2004, the day of Wrestlemania 20. So, what could have happened that changed the way I saw Pro Wrestling, or in particular, the WWE? The story of two men who gave their everything for two decades to finally reach the pinnacle of the business. More than that, was the reality that followed. Tears in their eyes as they stood side by side, holding the two most coveted titles in the history of the business: The story of Christopher Michael Benoit and Eduardo Gory ‘Eddie’ Guerrero.

That moment when Triple H tapped out to the eruption of the ecstatic Madison Square Garden is a breath taking one. Not often is a guy so loved and respected at the Mecca of ‘Sports Entertainment’ as Benoit was on the night. Reality is not what one can see, but what one feels. That night, it was real. The emotions, the drama; the fact that Good ol’ J.R lost his voice at the end of the event tells you what that moment meant for everyone in the business. Finally, after 2 decades, the two of the ‘Three Amigos’ were at the helm of the Company. Not many expected that after Eddie nearly died after being involved in an accident when he was in WCW. Chris Benoit’s career was defined by that one moment, until his tragic death 3 years later.

To understand better, you need to be a little more familiar with their lives. Eddie Guerrero was loved by one and all, well, at least during his second run in the WWE. Alcohol and drug abuse were all too familiar to Eddie back in the early and late 90s, and he almost lost his life being reckless. Chris Benoit was the kind of guy who commanded respect, and ultimately earned it. So what made their duo so special? In a World of backstabbing and stepping over people, their friendship bloomed, which started when Benoit gave Eddie a concussion when they were in Japan! You do not see such admiration between two fellow Wrestlers anymore, and you certainly don’t feel the reality in it.

The true emotion lies in the reality, and these words aren’t appropriate for anyone else more than Eddie and Chris. That night at Wrestlemania 20, fans had tears in their eyes, which made it different. It was something memorable, something special. This was what made me a true Wrestling fan, and this is what still drives me as an inspiration. It is not odd to find important things in the most insignificant places, and when you find it, you hold on to it for as long as you can.