Attend any wrestling event, and you'll expect to see some level of interaction between the professionals and the people around ringside. Wrestling excels as a live show, and some people enjoy watching it in person so much because they're almost guaranteed to get up close and personal with some of their favourites. Thankfully, this is one WWE rule which seems to be dying out, but the promotion decreed some time ago that wrestlers were to work to the camera, and largely ignore what the crowd were saying, chanting or gesturing. Needless to say, this takes away a lot of the fun fans get from attending wrestling live, and even restricts talent from honing their skills. Picture the scene - Wade Barrett has just thumped Dolph Ziggler into the ringpost, and is rolling him back into the ring, when he hears a nearby ringsider telling him how much he sucks, and how he can't wait to see Ziggler kick his ass. WWE would like Barrett to ignore the fan, and get on with the match, but wouldn't it be a lot more enjoyable for all involved - including those watching at home - if Barrett spun round and jawed off for a second with the fan? Obviously, this wouldn't be effective every single time it happened, but occasionally it would add depth to the character, and reaffirm that he's the heel. Ignoring the fans full stop makes little sense.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
