Wrestling according to a nine-year-old
After hearing all the discourse online about the Tuesday Night War, I decided to try something a little different and light-hearted. I had the privilege of sitting down with my nine-year-old daughter to interview her about wrestling. Though she tried to take these questions seriously, I told her to answer as honestly as possible and not to try to “sound older” when she was giving answers. This was all done for fun and to be a palette cleanser with all the craziness going on. Here is our interview.
Wrestlers
Let’s start with an easy question: who is your favorite wrestler? “Well, I have two. C.W. Anderson is one of my favorites, mostly because he is my friend and I have known him my whole life. My other favorite is Cody Rhodes because who doesn’t love Cody Rhodes? Plus, I love his nickname. ‘The American Nightmare’ sounds really cool!”
Okay, well, who is your least favorite wrestler? “Oh, that is easy, Dominik Mysterio. I know that it is part of the storyline, but he hates his dad. That is not a nice thing to do. He should love his dad.”
Well, that is very sweet. Let me ask you this: what do you think about LA Knight? “I have heard of him, but I don’t think I have ever seen him. I don’t know if I like him or not because I have never really seen him.”
That is fair. What about John Cena? “Yeah, he’s cool.”
I know you said Cody is your favorite wrestler, but who do you think is the best wrestler? “That is a good question. I am not sure.”
Do you know any women wrestlers? “Rhea Ripley, Natalya, Bayley, uh I am trying to think of another name. I know who I am thinking of, but I can’t think of her name. She spits the green stuff out of her mouth.”
Asuka? “YEAH Asuka. I forgot the other ones, so that’s all I can think of right now.”
Okay, do you know who Becky Lynch is? “Yes, I know who she is. She is a female wrestler. I have seen her wrestle before.”
Thoughts While Watching Wrestling
How often do you watch wrestling? “Technically every night, but that is because you are watching it. I do not watch it by myself. I watch it with other people, like you and mom.”
You don’t talk about wrestling with your friends at school? “There was this one time in third grade we had to research someone. My friend picked Vince McMahon and did a research paper on him.”
What do you like about wrestling when you watch it? “Well one, they are not actually trying to hurt each other, but it is something to be entertained by. Wrestling is a good alternative to not watching anything on TV.”
What do you not like about wrestling? “The thing I don’t like about wrestling is a lot of people can get injured. That’s not something I want to watch (actual injuries).”
When do wrestlers get actual injuries? “When they do TLC matches. The TLC matches and the barbed wire (in matches) are just not for me. I do not like seeing when someone is bleeding.”
What would get you to watch wrestling more often? “If they didn’t do their shows so late. How can I watch if I am already going to bed at that time?”
Miscellaneous Questions about Wrestling
Do you know who any of the champions are on any wrestling show? “Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are the world champions or something like that. I don’t really know any more of the champions. I know Dominik came out with a belt, but I think someone took it from him.”
Would you rather watch two girls wrestle (Asuka and Roxanne on NXT) or a guy wrestle a dinosaur (Copeland and Luchasaurus)? “I’ve already seen a lot of girls’ matches, so I am going to say a person wrestling a dinosaur inflatable. That would be really funny.”
I didn’t say an inflatable dinosaur, there is a wrestler who is a dinosaur named Luchasaurus. “Oh okay, well, that still sounds pretty funny.”
Yeah, it does sound funny. Do you like it when wrestling is funny? “Yes, kinda. It’s funny to watch people dress up in ridiculous things and then fight each other.”
One last question: what is the coolest wrestling move you have seen? “I was thinking you would ask that. The coolest wrestling move is the One-Winged Angel. I don’t know why I like it, but it is a really cool move. Plus, it is the one you said I could do on my stuffed animal.”
Overview
It was a very enjoyable experience to sit with my daughter and ask her these questions. We kept things light and wanted to have fun while also trying to gauge what, if anything, appeals to a younger audience. No, this is not a definitive essay on what companies can do to attract a new audience. This was a simple interview from one person’s point of view. This did help me figure out that wrestling fans are in a bubble and we do not need to take things so seriously. I am not saying “Just enjoy wrestling” but I am saying wrestling is not the end all be all of pop culture, so maybe take a step back, reevaluate your viewpoint, and look at things through a different set of eyes.