Welcome to another edition of CB’s World. It’s been awhile since I offered up an exploratory column that focuses on someone else’s perspective on pro wrestling, such as the Taking YOUR Wrestling Pulse series I’ve done in the past. And since this week presented a little bit of a lull for me (I’m not all that interested in John Cena vs. Johnny Ace and SmackDown / Impact were both throwaway shows in my opinion), I figured it would be a good week to ask someone near and dear to my heart about what she thinks about WWE and TNA from the viewpoint of a casual fan.
That’s right, I interviewed my wife about pro wrestling, and below are the results of this little study I’ve coined The Wife ‘n’ Wrestling Connection:
Below are different questions/topics in bold, with the wife’s responses in italics…
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What are your favorite wrestling matches to watch?
Anything with John Cena, because I like what he represents outside of the ring.
Who is your favorite Diva?
Beth Phoenix, she kicks ass.
Who is your favorite all-time wrestler(s)?
Anything with D-Generation X, I love Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
When you think of TNA, who are the first two people that come to mind that you like?
Mickie James and the Olympian, what’s his name?
Kurt Angle?
Yeah, him!
Who are your two favorite wrestlers to watch come down to the ring?
I love that big Funk guy [Brodus Clay] and the Indian guy from movies [Great Khali]. I like seeing them dance and I like their songs.
LOL that’s hilarious!
When you watch WWE with me, what is your interest level? Is it compelling to you at all or just there as a time-killer?
I like the action and some of the moves. Sometimes the stories are really weird though.
How do you feel about the announcers?
I like Booker, wasn’t he King Book-AH once? Oh, and the young guy [Josh Matthews] is OK. Don’t like that guy who loved Miz last year [Michael Cole].
OK, here are some specific wrestlers, tell me what you think…
Sheamus: Scary-looking
Daniel Bryan: He sucks. I don’t like him.
You know you’re supposed to not like him because that means he’s doing his job
Then he’s doing it real well.
CM Punk: I like his wrestling moves and his tattoos.
John Cena: He’s my favorite. Like what he stands for and I don’t like it when he gets his ass kicked.
Randy Orton: My second-favorite. Love his muscles.
I’m sure you do. ;) Moving on, Chris Jericho: I like Jericho a lot. I used to hate him, but then before he left I started seeing him become a little nicer and I saw his humanity a little. Even now, I still like him and appreciate him for being there so long. I feel like I’ve seen him the most along with Cena, or at least I remember him the most. I don’t know.
I can see that, too. Looks like you appreciate him being a familiar face and he obviously stands out to you.
Definitely.
Okay, a few more. Kane: Love his acting ability (sarcasm). Remember when we watched that movie See No Evil? Yikes.
Brock Lesnar: He makes me nauseous.
Alberto Del Rio I like his cars and his ring announcer guy is funny. Love the way he rolls his Rs too!
Last one, because I know you love her. Vickie Guerrero: EXCUSE ME! I do love Vickie!! She tries really hard, looks to be in great shape these days, and I really appreciate her being a strong woman in WWE.
Yeah, I appreciate the career she’s had too after everything that happened. Plus she always does anything that’s asked of her, that’s a testament to her strength as well.
Definitely agree.
Okay, two more questions. We watched the entire last season of Tough Enough together. You seemed to be into it a lot more than Raw when we watched. What did you like about it over regular WWE shows?
I loved Tough Enough! It was more personal and I felt like there were real interactions, not just a script to follow. Plus you know I love all those reality shows.
That’s right. Wasn’t it you that told me Tough Enough was filmed in the Real Chance of Love house, or something like that?
LOL guilty as charged!
Any last thoughts on WWE or wrestling?
Actually, I’ve been wondering, Where’s Vince been?
Good question. Probably campaigning for his wife or something. Thanks again for doing this and giving me a column this week!
Oh, that’s what this was for? LOL good to know!
Haha yeah this wasn’t just to kill time in the car, but it also worked out that way too!
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I thought this was a fun way to bring a more casual fan’s perspective on wrestling to the site. We get so caught up and so serious about what happens in WWE and TNA, that sometimes it’s a good thing to step back and see what other folks think. Overall, I’m very happy the wife doesn’t take wrestling all too seriously and that she gets some enjoyment from watching some of the guys and gals that have been on Raw, SmackDown, Tough Enough and Impact.
And you know what, I think it’s awesome that she loves the Funkasaurus and the Great Khali because they simply dance when they come to the ring or have a theme song people can dance to while watching. If nothing else, those songs stuck with her more than “Generic Rock Song #37”, and that’s pretty telling if you ask me.
Lastly, her love of John Cena, her long-time familiarity with Chris Jericho and her passionate words about Vickie Guerrero’s journey also says to me that casual fans who don’t follow every nook and cranny of WWE programming are less concerned with the stories WWE are telling / force-feeding, and more interested in whatever connections they have formed with characters based on anything ranging from superficial (Randy Orton’s muscles) to something deeper that speaks to them (what Cena stands for, Vickie’s journey).
Just something interesting to think about the next time we all get so caught up in what happens on one episode vs. the long haul.
That’s all from me — CB.
