will to get things done at whatever the cost are those who receive the most praise. While wrestling fans of the past put their faith in the Hulk Hogan way of life – the prayers and the vitamins, brother – fans of today live by a creed of distrust and “opening a can of whoopa—“ on those who present opposition. Society has changed drastically and children of today are much more cynical and distrustful. While Hulk Hogan was revered as an idol to be held in the highest respect years ago, today that same idol has also found it necessary to change his own persona into a “bad guy” in order to get himself over with the fans. The much-heralded red and yellow hero of yester-year found himself appearing in the face of loud “boos” and constant chants of “Hogan Stinks”. Some viewed it as the end of an era. Hogan and the WCW saw it as it was…an opportunity to make a necessary change in order to stay popular in the 90’s. Face it, many of the characters that we see every Monday night parallel many people we know in everyday life. I’m sure everyone knows someone who has an attitude like Stone Cold, someone who is self-absorbed like The Rock and perhaps even the shrewd yet somewhat cowardly businessman like Vince McMahon. Professional wrestling has changed drastically over the years. An era that focused more on showmanship and less on talent gave the fans characters such as Doink, The Red Rooster, Chief J Strongbow. Today’s product is geared toward a more mature, adult-oriented venue which gives the fans the best possible product. I’m proud to be a part of this fascinating establishment. Mainstream media be darned! To heck with those who look at professional wrestling through condescending eyes. Think what you will about wrestling fans. Personally, I hold them in the highest regard…and so should you because you never know when you...
