10 Things Only '90s Wrestling Fans Will Understand

3. What The Word 'Over' Really Means

Stone Cold Steve Austin Mankind
WWE.com

People think the Fiend is a star.

Are you joking?

Look at the numbers. They have spiralled with the Fiend as a featured character on WWE programming. I know some of you are thick, but "down" is worse than "up".

But but merch!

The money is drawn by the same intensely dedicated people, all of whom are the type to Photoshop insert blonde women's wrestler with black hair because they want so desperately to make Sister Abigail A Thing.

The Fiend isn't star. Before the "PC Era," he generated a noise pitched somewhere between mystified silence (TLC 2019) and intense, prolonged boos (Hell In A Cell 2019). There's something modern WWE fans aren't aware of, and it's very easy to learn - just the one syllable! - and it's called a "pop". The Fiend hasn't once worked a match of any measurable length throughout which fans have been super into it for the duration. Wearing a cool mask and telling the most easily eviscerated long-term story in all of wrestling isn't the stardust left behind the trail of a genius.

Nobody ever went apesh*t for a Fiend match. Nobody is scared of the scary Fiend character. He isn't over.

If he was over, people would be in thrall to his work, and not pointing out that the last time he "came into contact" with Braun Strowman, Strowman "changed" into a dancer two months later on SmackDown.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!