As our readers can attest, I never miss a chance to sing the praises of Roman Reigns. That was certainly the case this week, following an exciting opening segment on Raw.
As Reigns entered the ring, he received one of the most generous ovations I’ve ever witnessed, with fans chanting his name in song. As I often do in these moments, I turned to my wife and said, “Show this to someone who doesn’t watch wrestling or take them to this show, and they would think this guy is the most important man in the world.”
The presentation of the Tribal Chief — from the music to the fans raising their ones to the sky — is a powerful visual. And as I would soon find out, my theory about an outsider seeing Reigns’ presence proved true.
On Wednesday, I caught up with my neighbor, Francisco, who asked if I was still doing “the writing thing.” I told him I was, and soon we were reminiscing about wrestling from the past.
Francisco grew up watching the WWF of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Like many, however, he moved on after learning it was scripted entertainment. When he asked me about today’s top stars, I immediately acknowledged the OTC.
In doing so, I encouraged Francisco to watch the opening segment of Raw. I briefed him on Reigns’ character and storyline, and told him to focus on the crowd reaction before parting ways.
About 30 minutes later, my phone rang. Francisco greeted me in a way that had me belly-laughing.
“Hey Francisco, what’s up?”
“Roman… Roman Reigns!”
Hearing my neighbor mimic the fans’ soccer-style chant of the Tribal Chief wasn’t on my life bingo card, but it brought a huge smile to my face.
“I take it you enjoyed the segment?” I asked.
Francisco excitedly told me what he had seen as he began firing off questions, clearly intrigued.
“So, he’s a good guy, right?”
“What’s the Bloodline?”
“And the other guy is Samoan?”
“What’s going on with (Reigns) and (Paul Heyman)?”
As I answered, his curiosity grew. A fellow San Diego resident, he even asked about Rey Mysterio. I told him Rey was still active, and when he asked about other Mexican wrestlers, I mentioned Penta.
“Penta is really good and he’s on this show. But warning: he loses, so I don’t know if this is the ideal episode to see him in action.”
Then the conversation took a turn. Francisco, a combat sports fan, asked how others viewed wrestling.
“So, they let kids go to this? Isn’t it kind of violent?”
I explained that yes, kids still attend — just like we did growing up. While there’s still an aggressive edge, I added that today’s mainstream wrestling is more of a stunt show.
But then came the most uncomfortable question.
“Does it get bloody?”
I’m glad we were on the phone because I immediately felt a wave of embarrassment. I didn’t want to lie — but I also wasn’t eager to tell him the truth because there are two kinds of bloody: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, or the hardcore hysteria popularized by ECW — which Francisco was aware, though not by name — and modern promotions like GCW.
Eventually, I came clean.
“Yes, Francisco, it does get bloody. If you’re watching WWE programming, you’re likely safe for the most part, especially if you stick to their show on Tuesday nights (NXT). But yes, there are other promotions that are much more violent, and I don’t advocate for or advise watching them.”
My Pride And My Shame
For a long time, I was ashamed to admit I was a wrestling fan because the response from people was always the same: “You know that stuff’s fake, right?”
It used to bother me, especially coming from the same people who worshiped such works of fiction like The Matrix or Game of Thrones. That stuff was just as fake — but no one questioned it until I pushed back.
Today, I proudly wear my fandom on my sleeve — except when conversations turn toward wrestling’s bloodier and more extreme nature.
For a moment, I thought I had helped bring back a lost member to our flock. But I had to be honest. I didn’t want Francisco — or worse, his wife — to stumble across some brutal match with barbed wire, baseball bats loaded with nails, and God knows what else.
Franciso’s wife is a kind, modest woman, seemingly conservative in her values. My wife and I hold both of them in high regard. In talking to Francisco, he let me know that the missus likely wouldn’t share his curiosity. Thus, the last thing I want is to expose her to something I know she would find disturbing, and most likely offensive.
And that’s the problem. As much as wrestling needs new talent, it also needs new fans. While some fans enjoy hardcore blood and guts, that doesn’t mean the general public does. If anything, it pushes them away — and reinforces outdated stigmas.
At its best, wrestling is about strong characters, emotionally driven stories, and just enough danger to feel thrilling. It’s what helped WWE rise in the ’80s through Hulkamania, and what brought WCW out of its doldrums during the Monday Night Wars.
Now, in fairness, Mr. and Mrs. Francisco might actually enjoy an edgier, more violent wrestling program. However, my concerns make it so that I would not make such a recommendation.
And if others feel like I do, they’re likely to do the same. For the health of the industry, that is not a good thing.
