How obsessive are YOU?

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

This is a question I'm asking due to a situation that has recently come up in my life.

 

Last year I was a peer tutor in a grade 9 drama class at my high school and one of the kids was a big wrestling fan. He was and still is your basic definition of a "mark" except he reads the internet occasionally. He thinks The Rock is the best, that HHH is one of the best in the ring and has no knowledge of wrestling outside North America. He is has also been in a wrestling school here in Ontario for 2 years. I graduated last year but we still talk a lot online, with him sometimes asking me some really hard questions to answer.

 

Don't get me wrong, I really like the kid, nice and all but his main problem is such: He wants to progress when he's really not ready. He's barely been watching wrestling for 4 years and he's constantly inquiring about Puro, "old school" wrestling, psychology and indy guys. I can understand that he wants to branch out but he's just simply not smart enough to understand the deep stuff yet. I know it sounds mean to say it, but it's the truth.

 

My current dilema is such: Lately he has been asking me if I could make comps for him and help him learn about AJPW, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit , you know, smark stuff. I don't know why but whenever he asks me I get a weird feeling. It's almost as if my brain is saying "He's not ready to learn this yet" or "He's not worthy." Am I a bastard from refusing this kid the material he wants or am I doing the smart thing by letting him grow gradually?

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

I don't think you're a bastard, but I don't really see anything wrong with him being exposed to that stuff.

I was only watching wrestling maybe two years before I got smarked up, and it was fine. I think four years is long enough.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

Yeah, but this is a 14 year old kid. I just don't know if he'd be able to grasp the psychology of Misawa vs Kawada when he still thinks HHH is awesome, that's all.

[Guest BAR]

Let the kid pay his dues. I watched wrestling for 10 years before I became a smark.

 

I have friends like this. Infact, I tried to do to them, what your about to do to this kid, it didn't work.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

Yeah BAR, that's kinda how I feel. I put my time in as a mark, but that was during the kayfabe days. Kids today are starting at a whole new level when it comes to wrestling. I didn't have any clue whatsoever about puro until 3 years ago. Now kids can start watching it right off the bat.

 

Sometimes he asks me why I say WWE today sucks and I try to explain him that I was raised on Steamboat vs Savage and Monsoon and Heenan. Nowadays he has HHH vs Steiner and Ross and Lawler. I guess unless you were there at the time you don't understand.

 

I'm also very passionate about the wrestlers I love, particularly Benoit and Guerrero whom he seems to be growing to like. It's a very mean, elitisit thing to say and do but this kid really isn't worthy of Benoit yet. That's why I always lie when he asks if he can borrow my Stampede or New Japan tapes of Benoit.

[Guest IDrinkRatsMilk]

You've got a point. Hold off on the Misawa vs Kawada, but maybe start with some less severe smark stuff, like Bret Hart.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

I say make a comp of none-WWE stuff for the kid to check out. Some ECW, some FMW, some TNA, etc. Mostly guys that go flying a lot (marks tend to instantly take to spotfests), and, on that same comp, have one or two solid technical matches.

 

Ween the kid. My nephew's only 8, and he prefers watching Angle/Benoit with me instead of TLC matches. The kid also happens to be a master of selling when me and him wrestle (one time I powerbombed him onto my bed, and he sold it like his back was broken; he had me legitimately scared).

[Guest razazteca]

give him some:

 

Benoit vs Black Tiger

Benoit vs Lyger

Los Gringos Locos

some Tiger Mask then progress into Misawa vs the world

[Guest ShooterJay]

I've always considered ECW the easiest path to smarkdom, I got hooked on that stuff early 2000 and that was how I l developed real appreciation for wrestling itself over storylines and characters.

[Guest Ram]

If you do give him a video, make sure it has some storyline stuff on it too.

 

Transition is the key or some shit.

[Guest Basswitch]

My little brother watches Toryumon and stuff like that with me. He has not seen Misawa vs. Kawada.....he's to young (lol).

[Guest Mole]

I might get flamed for this, but recommand him Scott Keith's book Buzz on Proffesional Wrestling. For someone who wants to know some 'inside' stuff and is new to this type of wrestling, this would be perfect for him.

[Guest Banky]

*flame*

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

It's not a tough concept to pick up on.

 

Just give him a few links and some message boards - in a year he'll be fine.

[Guest godthedog]

wait, this kid's 14 and he's been in pro wrestling school for 2 years? how does that work?

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I dunno. It works like he started when he was 12.

[Guest Ravenbomb]

what does this have to do with being obsessive? I thought i was gonna get to tell how I named my penis Raven and put my pubes in white-dyed dreadlocks...

(j/k)

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

The obsession being, I feel weird sharing my Chris Benoit or Eddy Guerrero stuff with him. Perhaps I'm a selfish prick. Perhaps he's not worthy of those two wrestlers yet and should stick to The Rock and HHH.

[Guest Banky]

I share my love for Eddie Guerrero with everyone. He's that good.

[Guest Respect The 'Taker]

Yeah, but this is a 14 year old kid. I just don't know if he'd be able to grasp the psychology of Misawa vs Kawada when he still thinks HHH is awesome, that's all.

Have you seen a "Clockwork Orange"??? If so, strap him in a chair Clockwork style, with eyelids held open, and show him the 'Best of HHH 2002 - The Main Event Sleeper Era" over and over until he becomes sick at the sight of Trippers.

 

Problem solved.