The Power of the Pin: Pro wrestling was the greatest babysitter I ever had

I am a child of the 1980's, when cable television really took flight. And so did professional wrestling.

My earliest memories in life revolve around watching Wrestling at the Chase, the St. Louis-based program that aired on our local independent station. Even after all these years, I can still hear the voice of legendary announcer Larry Matysik echoing in my ears.

Then, my grandparents got cable, and I would often park myself in front of their living room set on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, I found myself begging to stay with them on the weekends just so I could watch wrestling from all over the country.

It was my first exposure to The American Dream Dusty Rhodes in Florida, Jerry The King Lawler ruling over Memphis, and Bullet Bob Armstrong down in Georgia. I became obsessed with knowing everything about these mythical people who seemed to tell the greatest stories ever told, all neatly wrapped up within an hour or two.

'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes was one of the first stars that seemed lager-than-life to me

That led to buying wrestling magazines, so that I could follow the rankings of my favorite promotions. I would totally absorb the writings of Bill Apter or Stu Saks, to the point that I almost had their stories memorized by heart. After a while, I not only knew all the wrestlers, but their weights and what location they hailed from (even if it was "parts unknown").

Those flamboyant figures who flashed across my screen were larger than life. They became my heroes and my villains, and they shaped my imagination.

And, I think that's why I still watch to this day. Because even at 45, it's a reminder of my childhood, and more innocent times.

I also believe that's why everyone else in my age group still watches it, too, and one of the reasons that the pro wrestling audience is getting generally older, in terms of demographics.

A good portion of the viewers grew up in the 80's and 90's when the sport was really blossoming and cable TV became more widely available.

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— crash and burn holly (@gifapalooza) November 2, 2020

Pro wrestling has a different appeal today

Many from Generation X or Y grew up in homes with either a single parent, or two parents who worked. So, in essence, pro wrestling became a once-a-week babysitter, as the average family's lives were evolving at the same time, too.

As the television landscape changed and wrestling lost a lot of its innocence, a new batch of kids weren't exposed to that environment. They had many more entertainment options, and the idea of "appointment TV" is no longer relevant.

Much of the decline in wrestling's popularity can be blamed on subpar storylines, and rightfully so. And many older fans have walked away because they have been turned off by the modern product.

However, a good percentage of that loss can also be credited to the changes that have happened in the world, from one generation to the next. Pro wrestling just doesn't mean as much to younger generations than it did to mine. They have so many other forms of entertainment and technology that their interests are much more divided.

At the same time, I'm still locked in every week, just like I was when I was 10 years old. And while it's not quite the same for me, there's still a little of that same, old magic left.

So, I guess wrestling is no longer a babysitter for the kids; it's merely just a distraction for the adults.