E-Wrestlers: Kayfabe or Legitimate fighters | Community Chat

[Jeremy King]

Hey all.

Expect some regular 'Community Chat' posts from me, as I aim to delve into the minds of the fantastic handlers who play here (either bravery or stupidity on my part, this). Also, feel free to post some yourself if there are any topics you're curious to discuss with the handlers here.

This particular topic asks the question: How do you see your character? As a kayfabe sports entertainer? Or as a legitimate fighter engaging in 100% real competition?

I'd love to hear reasons why people see their characters as kayfabe wrestlers and performers. I'd also love to hear reasons why people see their characters as 100% professional competitive athletes.

How do you see it? Is your guy a professional wrestler, whereby every fight is like an MMA competitive fight? Or is your character in on the result, win or lose, with the opponent? Are the feuds kayfabe? Does the answer depend on how the fed you compete in views itself? Can you be one way and other handlers in the same fed view it another way?

What are your thoughts and/or feelings on this subject?

Let's discuss!

[Deleted]

Is there even any feds out there that play it, this is all fake and scripted, anymore?

I’ve always viewed it as this is my wrestler’s life, there are no gimmicks, and everything is real. There is nothing fake about it.

[Deleted]

Jun 23, 2016 2:23:58 GMT @nevilleproctor said:

Is there even any feds out there that play it, this is all fake and scripted, anymore?

I’ve always viewed it as this is my wrestler’s life, there are no gimmicks, and everything is real. There is nothing fake about it.

Same here. 

[Deleted]

For me, the way my characters view it is akin to an MMA fighter. It's a legitimate competition, but they're still out to entertain, to a degree.


With a character like Void, for instance, there has to be some separation from him in the ring and him on his days off. He's a character who plays up his violent, psychotic side to portray himself as a bad guy whilst in the ring. If I was going to try and play him the same away from the ring then he'd have been sectioned a long time ago.

[Deleted]

You know, I think about this topic all the time and I am a bit shocked it doesn’t get brought up more.

I can understand how competition e-Feds seem to be exclusive to the notion that it is entirely legitimate fighting, but what I find odd about that thought process is that wrestling, well, at least professional wrestling, is simply predetermined and more of a show than an actual sport. Doesn’t that just lurk in the minds of handlers when they’re writing? It does for me.

What bugs me the most is when a character boasts that he or she is undefeated. This irks the fuck out of me every single time, and it’s only because it is professional wrestling and what we see on television is written out beforehand by an actual team of professional writers. They literally write the show out entirely, even to the point of a finish, and the wrestlers simply put together the match. That’s always sitting in the back of my mind when I see a character boast a record or a win. I just can’t shake it.

Plus, think about angled feds. Characters lose and it is predetermined, much like real life. Wouldn’t that be the closest and most realistic form of e-Fedding available? It sure would be, and the best part about angled feds is that when someone can actually sell a loss, or even a win, it makes it so much sweeter. But that’s because the handler gets it. They know it’s unrealistic to go undefeated and be heralded as wrestling Jesus. Goldberg did it in WCW, but he eventually lost. It was an angle and a story.

This brings me to the essence of professional wrestling as a whole. People respect good matches, because of what? What happened in the match, right? Maybe it was pure athleticism or perhaps one wrestler or both wrestlers are just very good at their craft. But a lot of people love the story that a match displays; every piece of a match matters and has a story to unfold, even if some are better than others. That’s my beef with e-Fedding in general and this topic; too many people just have random finishes that are meaningless and have no true purpose. It’s a finish just to be a finish and it told nothing. Some douche got a win and some douche got a loss. Now go update your Twitter page, John Cena II, because you’re now 6-0 and an undefeated beast of professional wrestling.

[Deleted]

I think Dick is a combo of both. He loves the promo part where he gets to talk shit and get under peoples skin, but he also gets int he ring and tries to get the job done.

[Deleted]

Jun 23, 2016 2:25:50 GMT @collins said:

Jun 23, 2016 2:23:58 GMT @nevilleproctor said:

Is there even any feds out there that play it, this is all fake and scripted, anymore?

I’ve always viewed it as this is my wrestler’s life, there are no gimmicks, and everything is real. There is nothing fake about it.

Same here. 

I've always been in the same boat, only because the Kayfabe idea can only work in a tight, co-operative e-fed setting, as it only takes one butthurt handler after a loss to blow the whole thing up with the 'Fuck it, I didn't lose, it's all fake anyway' promo after the fact.

[Jeremy King]

I've always looked at the format of the fed to determine this answer.

If you're a competitive fed, then you're wrestling's answer to the UFC. The fights are 100% real and unscripted. The feuds are 100% real and legitimate. You're not enemies on camera and buddies backstage. It's raw and it's real. It's like taking the pageantry of the WWE, the fighters' promotion work of the UFC and the competition of NCAA wrestling and fusing them all together to make one unique, delicious cocktail.

If you're an angle fed, then you're e-fed's answer to every other sports entertainment/professional wrestling company out there. Your handlers are writing with actors. Everything is scripted and predetermined.

There's no right or wrong way to play this, as far as I'm concerned - but that's how I've always viewed it.

[Deleted]

Jun 23, 2016 10:31:23 GMT Jeremy King said:

I've always looked at the format of the fed to determine this answer.

If you're a competitive fed, then you're wrestling's answer to the UFC. The fights are 100% real and unscripted. The feuds are 100% real and legitimate. You're not enemies on camera and buddies backstage. It's raw and it's real. It's like taking the pageantry of the WWE, the fighters' promotion work of the UFC and the competition of NCAA wrestling and fusing them all together to make one unique, delicious cocktail.

If you're an angle fed, then you're e-fed's answer to every other sports entertainment/professional wrestling company out there. Your handlers are writing with actors. Everything is scripted and predetermined.

There's no right or wrong way to play this, as far as I'm concerned - but that's how I've always viewed it.

Agree 100% here. If it's angled, absolutely the kayfabe concept works. When the judging is based in a competitive setting, it doesn't make sense to play that way. At least in my mind. 

"It's still real to me!"