What wrestling means to me?
This isn’t going to be typical Wrestling Brain article, so I would understand if not many people read it, but I’m in a sticky situation writing this article, as I am writing this on a Sunday and as everyone knows Night Of Champions is tonight so firstly I don’t know what will happen but as my articles go up on a Monday, I hope everyone enjoyed it. This week I’m going to talk about myself, when I first started watching wrestling and why really my life revolves around wrestling.
I was born with Noonan’s syndrome, which affects the growth of my muscles. So basically I can’t really take part in any able-bodied sports. However I was about 9 years old and I sat in my parents room watching TV and came across a program called WWE Raw on a Friday morning, I remember watching it and thinking wow and then my love for WWE was born. My parents were surprised, I remember my mum saying to my dad ‘don’t worry he will go off it within a week or so’. It’s been a very short 400 + weeks.
In both primary and secondary school I probably had a handful of friends, and when I told a few people that I was a fan of WWE, they said “uh don’t you know it’s fake” I’ll be honest anytime someone says that it gets me annoyed, so I always think well isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster a fake or a soap a fake. WWE is my passion, it is what makes me different from most teenagers at my school.
Naturally being a 9 year old WWE fan my first favourite superstar was John Cena. I was also a fan of Shawn Michaels, so obviously I was split whilst I watched Wrestlemania 23. As presumed I supported the faces and despised the heels, so my favourites also included Jeff Hardy, Triple H and Undertaker.
As I learnt more about myself and my disability, I found out that I wouldn’t be able to do things that most 17 year old would be able to do. So I wouldn’t be able to become a professional wrestler, which of course for most WWE fans may be their dream but it certainly would be mine.
One of my favourite matches of all time was Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at both Wrestlemania 25 and 26, the story telling in both matches were great and the tears that were in my eyes when Undertaker beat Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 26 under the stipulation if Shawn Michaels loses he must retire.
As the years passed on and I got Twitter and Facebook I learnt more and more about the wrestling business, and my love for certain wrestlers were lost, but then I turned to love other superstars like CM Punk. Whilst purchasing most WWE PPV’s on Sky Box Office, I became a bit more critical of WWE, but then I found myself hooked to it and I couldn’t let go.
My emotions have got to me some times whilst watching or reading about WWE, whether it was reading about the untimely deaths of Dusty Rhodes, Ultimate Warrior and most recently Roddy Piper. Yes, they are all characters in a TV program, they seem to be closer in your hearts when they die, compared to your favourite reality star or actor dying. When The Undertaker lost to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30 a part of me died. I know I wasn’t around when Undertaker’s streak started, but I started to watch WWE when the streak mattered the most I’d hoped the streak would always live, and the legacy of The Deadman would live forever.
So here I am, still a misfit, still have a handful of friends, and still loving WWE. So what’s new over the past 9 years of watching WWE? People on here at SLTD wrestling have allowed me to share my voice every week, this isn’t The Wrestling Brain talking, this is Callum Owen talking. The one that was told 9 years ago that I would only like WWE for a week, the one that was told that WWE is fake. Still here, still fighting and still watching WWE week in week out, The Wrestling Brain will keep on fighting, and I’m here for the long haul, you now who I am, are you ready to join the revolution, my revolution, let’s roll on another 9 years, 18 years, 27 years and many more years.
Are you ready?
So as much for last week’s Raw’s Season Premiere, that was my Season Premiere, starting from where I started. Join me next Monday as I will discuss all things Hell In A Cell.
Follow me @callumowen98 and @SLTDWrestling on Twitter and like SLTD Wrestling on Facebook. Until then, enjoy yourselves, stay safe and well
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