It's a fact of life that nothing comes from nothing. In a business like professional wrestling - so mired in respect for the past and for those who have come before - being a legend is a big bloody deal. Up and comers used to trade tapes, and now they trade links, gluing their eyes to matches from decades earlier and trying to capture in their heads how it was done, how those performers performed their magic tricks and sold theatre as fighting to the fans. In that sense, everybody who's helped to build the business for whoever the current generation happens to be, is a role model. For those wrestlers who found themselves struck by individual inspirational figures, the road can be easier and it can be harder. You could find that having a template to follow gives you a leg-up on your peers whereas, conversely, you could be accused of plagiarism, or even gimmick infringement, unless or until you're able to carve out your own name in the industry. A role model in these terms could include someone who's a hero, an inspiration, a motivational force and a pattern to follow - or it could extend to genuine mentorship, a relationship that defines their career. Here's ten of the best examples of how the influence of a WWE star's role model can affect their performances, their career, their outlook and perspective on the business...
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
