What is your favorite aspect of professional wrestling?

[Swiss Ultimate]

This is really just an excuse to unveil my new signature.

Still, I think for me it changed from when I was a small child and returned as a teenager.

When I was a small child I thought it was real so I watched more to make sure the evil men who weren't Sgt Slaughter (my idol) were thwarted week in and week out.

Apparently my parents thought I knew already but, yeah...(I think I stopped believing at 6-7)

I returned to the sport through ECW. The match that brought me back was "Sabu VS. Terry Funk" at Born to be Wired. What got me into it was just the bad-assery of it all. These two men, knowing full well they weren't trying to kill eachother, were exposing themselves to inhuman punishment and suffering just to entertain their fellow man. My love for the sport then moved on to an appreciation of the athleticism and even the idea of a staged bout between men. I got into the history of how the sport developed from a real and dangerous side-show in traveling carnivals to what it has become today.

[Jeritron]

Kinda hard to decide. It sounds like a cop-out, but I feel like a mix of all of these is what makes wrestling appeal to me still. It's the fact that it provides all of these aspects that makes it unique

[The Jayman]

I agree with Jeri. I can't really pinpoint 1 aspect that is my favorite when I do enjoy every aspect of wrestling.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Multiple voting is acceptable. LOL, I copped out too.

[The Franchise]

They are all part of the beautiful synergy that is pro wrasslin

If I had to choose, at this point, it's definitely nostalgia that is the leading cause of my wrestling watching

[Jeritron]

I will have to give a mention to the "operatic storytelling" and the whole general feel that surrounds wrestling. Especially this time of year. The novelty of making everything seem grander and more important than it really is. Title lineage, "moments", face and heel turns, returns and "retirements", streaks. I guess just the universe that exists within the building of a wrestling event, and has no real connection to the outside world.

It's hilarious that whatever venue a wrestling event is at is the site of the wrestling world, and in kayfabe wrestlers show up to this. Rules don't apply at said venue, and things carry on as they were the week before.
Really funny when you think about it. It's hilarious that heels bother showing up, normal laws of society aren't enforced, and everyone waits until the timeslot of the show to say what they have to say or do what they have to do.

[The Franchise]

Yeah, if you think about wrestling it's absolutely ridiculous. The amount of punches wrestlers take in a match should probably knock them out, but they still get up and perform moonsaults and elbow drops. :D

[The Franchise]

Also when a wrestler calls out another wrestler, within a few seconds their music plays. It makes it seem like the entire roster is standing next to the entrance just in case someone calls them out.

[Jeritron]

On the same coin as nostalgia, I think "the future" is always a big attraction to wrestling fans. Wrestling fans are always anticipating, speculating, and craving what is going to happen next.
The business is built off this really. There's always interest in who will be the next big star, and such. Even though wrestling often clings to nostalgia, there is definitely always a moving future, and even though it may not usually turn out how people wish or expect, it's always interesting and continually present.

[The Show Off]

I didn't know you could pick multiple until I saw the results...

Here's how I'd rank them as far as importance to me:

1. Athleticism
2. Promos
3. Bad-Assery
4. Nostalgia

Though I've been activly watching wrestling for 20 years now (since I was 7) nostalgia is great but it has no baring on why I watch today. I watch because I love wrestling not because I "loved" wrestling.

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, The Show Off pretty much has stated my opinion.

Also, when reading the pol options, I misread the third option as "The alcoholism" somehow.

[Nicky Fives]

mix between athleticism and nostalgia.....

[Anybody Thrilla]

PUPPIES!

[/Lawler]

[Loose Cannon]

I like the theme music

[KayfabeMan]

VAM-PIRO!!

[Xero]

Athleticism, bad-assery and promos. I'd also throw in storytelling both in the ring and storylines in general.

Honestly, I could go on, because I love so many aspects of the product. Another one is announcing, which can, at times, make or break a match or a moment.

[#1-norm-fan]

Yeah, it really is kind of a cop-out but there isn't one real thing. It's a combination of many things. Character development and writing and storytelling. When done correctly, I find it to be the most unique and intriguing form of entertainment in the world.

[Gertner]

The storylines by far.

Btw I fucking HATE the term "workrate". It's a term used by fat ass ROH douchebags to death.

[DLVH84]

I am heavily influenced by the old school and Puroresu styles of pro wrestling, which are heavily based on athleticism.

[The Gold Standard]

Everything

[Emperor Smeat]

All of them combined but Nostalgia is the biggest for me.

Remembering how good wrestling used to be during the Monday Night War and growing up helped keep me as a fan during the horrible early Brand Split years where RAW was boring or when Smackdown was being destroyed to favor Raw. Always watched hoping for a good match or moment that would remind me why I continue to watch wrestling (ex. Eddie's title reign, Angle-Lesnar feud, ECW One Night Stand 2005, etc).

[dronepool]

A mix of all 4. I'm not a 'serious' fan like I was when I was 14 during the Attitude era, I didn't watch WWE from like 2003 till 2008 (with a random viewing here and there in 2007) I dig it it for the some nostalgia but more than that is for the athleticism, promos and 'bad-assery (whatever is left of it) -and it's something to watch on TV that isn't a rerun.

[Swiss Ultimate]

The storylines by far.

Btw I fucking HATE the term "workrate". It's a term used by fat ass ROH douchebags to death.

I know, I actually did that for you, heh.

It's a legitimate term but, people often use it to explain why they're a better fan and know more than you.

"You watch for sports entertainment, I'm more interested in work-rate and the science of it." = "You watch for entertainment, I'm taking this way too seriously."

[Londoner]

How well the feuds are built, is what does it for me, and how interesting the wrestlers are, for example, how good their promo's are or if they continuously put on good matches, etc.

[Rammsteinmad]

For me it's a combination of the four, but I guess when it comes down to it I most enjoy a good quality wrestling match.

[glanville6]

I like the theme music



Same here.
Its a toss up between gift of gab and nostalgia. Mic skills got my vote