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This is going to be a very different article for me, it’s going to be personal and open, I won’t be using numbers or that like normal, just feelings.
Ever since I first saw Edge spear Jeff Hardy from a ladder at Wrestlemania X-Seven (2001) I knew I was a wrestling fan through and through. Watching Eddie Guerrero, Kane, Austin, Undertaker was what I’d do every weekend. I’d go to my friend’s house who had pay TV and we would watch it together before doing the typical acting it out.
I’ve always had a very strong emotional connection to Wrestling, but that’s the point of wrestling. It’s a very unique thing where it’s designed to create larger than life characters that grip us and pull us in to make us feel emotion.
It can be hate, love, joy, despair... anything, as long as you feel emotion then they have done their job. It doesn’t matter if it’s a hall with 50 fans, an empty arena or a sold-out stadium full of screaming fans, it doesn’t matter—as long as you feel, then you win.
This week, CM Punk returned to wrestling for the first time since 2014. It was a surreal moment packed with emotion for many people all over the world. However, one thing ruined the moment somewhat, and that was people making fun of a man crying in the crowd. I saw a lot of comments attacking him. However, thankfully even more people came to his defence because so many people resonated with this man.
If we take a quick look at the history of some of the greatest moments in wrestling, they are all tied to the emotion of the fans around what is happening in that ring. From the "I'm sorry, I love you" moment to The Undertaker losing the streak, Edge's return and when Roman left due to leukaemia. These are all moments that, for me, as a fan, I will never forget because they are full of emotion and that is what is real about wrestling.
Wrestling isn’t alone in being able to create these emotions, however it is unique in how it creates them. Emotion is the reason why fans buy merch, stand around for hours to get a signature or follow your favourite wrestler on social media to support them.
Wrestling has always been a form of escape, a way to forget about the world around us and invest in something else even if it’s just for a moment.
After becoming more interactive with the IWC on twitter I have personally met some amazing people who help and support me everyday and I hope I can give that back to them. Wrestling is a community and a place where we can come together and experience the emotion together. It’s a place we can support each other and come together for our joint fandom. It doesn’t matter what era you prefer or the promotion you support, it’s all based on emotion and wearing that emotion on your sleeve.
I won't lie, I have been crying a lot recently with Edge’s return, Christian’s return, Brodies passing and CM Punk's return. I think we all should remember that wrestling is designed for us to feel our emotions. So, if you’re not expressing your emotions then why are you watching?
To the guy crying on screen, you should feel great that this moment was able to bring that level of emotion to you. Also, you were 100% not on your own, we all cried and smiled and cheered. Let’s all agree wrestling is better when you feel the emotion that comes with it.