When the rumors of El Generico being signed to WWE broke online, there was an immediate outcry, the likes of which had been heard before. It seems every time a high-profile independent name is offered a WWE contract and chooses to sign, fans of said name respond with the same complaints.
“They’re going to water down his/her move set!”
“WWE won’t know what to do with him/her. He/she will be wasted.”
“I can’t believe he/she sold out.”
Regarding Generico, I had a conversation with another fan who said this: “I really wish he’d go back to ROH where he can be himself. I understand the ‘E’ money makes sure he & his family have a better life but man if you lose yourself, then who are you?” The conversation went on, but it got me thinking. Are these people really losing themselves when they sign a WWE contract? Are they truly selling their souls to the devil with the John Wayne-like strut?
Personally, I don’t believe they are, but there are fans out there who are die hard in their conviction that to sign with Vince McMahon (or Dixie Carter) is to abandon all self worth and be willing to be remade into “the WWE Image”. The person I referenced above swore that, were he in Generico’s position, he would never sign a contract no matter how much money was offered if it meant he couldn’t keep the identity he had built up on the independent scene. Which then led into a discussion about the fact CM Punk had been able to keep his name and identity pretty much intact, whereas someone like Bryan Danielson or Claudio Castagnoli had not.
To be in the professional wrestling business, not only do you have to have the in-ring skill, you also have to have a knack for acting. The audience must be able to suspend belief long enough to be drawn in by a wrestler’s performance in order to emotionally invest in them. It’s not unlike being a character in a movie. The Rocky movies would not have been as huge as they were if we hadn’t been able to believe Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. Linda Hamilton’s transformation as Sarah Conner between Terminator One and T2 was one of the draws of both movies. More recently, Christian Bale has been hailed as “the” definitive Bruce Wayne in the three latest Batman movies. Had these actors and actresses been unable to successfully pull off their characters, the movies would have lost a huge part of their appeal.
Yet, none of us expect Bale to keep being Batman off the set. Once the movie is over, the actor goes back to being himself until he is cast in another part for another movie. No one expected Michael J. Fox to keep being Marty McFly in “Family Ties.” Fans of actors and actresses are fans of the person behind the role – conversely, I’ve witnessed fans of wrestlers that, once they sign on with WWE and get their new role, they stop being fans. Why is that? They still have the in-ring skill, the talent, the charisma that drew people in. They are still the same person they ever were. The only thing that has changed is their employment and the role that they play. But that change is enough to spark a backlash that sends people into a frenzy, swearing they will never support said wrestler again.
With TNA’s recent fan-powered Gut Check voting, one of the people that has been aggressive in seeking to win is the “Super Hardcore Anime” LuFisto. A fifteen year veteran of the sport, she has done practically everything there is to do – deathmatches, tours of Japan and Mexico, even was the first woman to hold a major men’s title (the North Shore Pro-Wrestling Championship). Some fans questioned why she would want to work for a company that has long been rumored to treat some of it’s employees (particularly female employees) poorly. I asked her this question, and she gave me this response:
“I want to be able to perform on an international platform. I think I have the skills especially to do so. I want wrestling to be my main job because it’s in my blood. I breathe it. Wrestling for TNA would give me that opportunity to achieve new heights, push my limits and face a new challenge.”
For someone like LuFisto who has accomplished so much on the independent level, getting a shot to work for TNA is a new adventure for her to conquer. Who is to say that others, such as El Generico, CM Punk, or Chris Hero didn’t feel the same? Perhaps they seek to be the driving force behind a new revolution in mainstream wrestling. When it was revealed that Sara Del Rey would be a trainer down in the developmental camp, NXT, fans were incensed that she wouldn’t be in the division on television – yet, she still took the job, and who is better to shape the next crop of WWE Divas than a woman who was trained by “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson? Sara is a safe hand, and again, it was her dream to work for WWE. She has accomplished it. Instead of complaining about “losing her”, we should be happy that WWE now has an experienced female trainer and that Del Rey has realized her dream.
The bottom line is that we cannot know the innermost thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the men and women in wrestling. Be they motivated by money, by the chance to wrestle on television, by a desire to revolutionize WWE, or by a long held dream, those of us who are fans should support and be happy when one of our favorites enters the next step in their careers. They are not forced to sign, it’s their choice. For now, the curtain has come down on El Generico. Rami Sebei has taken off the mask and has put on the role of Sami Zayn. The stage is set – lets watch and see how he and the others that come on after him perform.