A Treatsie on Psychology

Anthony asks, if a heel does his job, should he be cheered after the match? Or get a standing ovation? Plus a treatsie on psychology - the lost art of professional wrestling.

No, though fans play spoilers. Your goal as a heel should be to get an emotional attachment of disdain. If they're cheering for you, they don't disdain you.

The heel isn't a heel just for the sake of being a dick, he should feel justified. Hitler thought he was right. Dahmer followed a physiological urge. The jeers should make the heel feel as if they are against him because of some sordid past. Remember, at the end of the day, the fact that heels do this speaks to some emotional deficit. A hug from someone who wouldn't give it. They want the world to burn.

Don't act. Be.

Never act mad. Be mad. It is the required emotion. The fans paid for that emotion. Give them what they paid for. There have been times, I would work a young guy and think to myself, "this kid had better fire back." And if he did, even if I was booked on top, I'd put him over.

I was Teflon in my given vicinity. A loss couldn't stick to me. There's a difference between being pushed and being over. If you are pushed, you are being pushed down the throats of the fans. And it may bite a booker in the ass. But, if allowed to get over, a booker can't hurt you, even if you lose every match.

The worker's character should come from some pristine mental landscape that he can tap into. When you were a child, you pictured in your head what your match would be like. That is the vision that should be pursued, with acquired knowledge that only the mat and miles can provide.

When we go into a locker room, a new one, we should observe. It is its own tribe. Though we pray to the same God, we worship differently.

Read philosophy. Why? Philosophy is the opposite of religion. It's the justification of self, about deity.

Any situation, every situation you observe, watch for the psychology. If someone asks you a question, more often than not you can guarantee yourself the first question is just a primer for the real question, which is several questions away.

Wrestling psychology is human psychology.

Watch Toddlers and Tiaras. Watch the moms. That is perfect heel psychology. The mothers feel justified. They will swear it's in defense of their children. It's not. Their selfworth is tied up into a contest they aren't even a part of. They will lie, they will cheat, they will curse other children. All because they feel justified.

Wrestlers feel like the only place they can pick up psychology from is watching wrestling, and that's not true. Watch Tony Robbins, the infomercial guy. Watch his body language. Want to learn "wild man" facials? Watch Charles Manson. He is captivating. Watch how animals attack their prey to learn how to move. I frequently watch animal shows to learn how to move.

Watch Pentecostal preachers. Watch how they draw people in with movement. Everybody thinks it's the words. It's not. It's a form of hypnotism. Hand movement, repetitive motion, the long droning talking, rhythmic music in background. Watch the first ten minutes of The Last Exorcism, it briefly goes over exactly what I am talking about here.

And why is all of this applicable to professional wrestling? Because it is all varying forms of performance art.

Think of it this way, let's say you come to a small northeast town. Wrestling has never been there, or hasn't been there in years. No names, all indie guys. The first show the promoter draws the fans with his efforts. The return show, if done right, the wrestlers and angles draw the second show, through work rate and booking.

We are Alpha and Omega. We create worlds and we destroy them. We run the gamut of emotions. Then we clock out and go home. Fans check reality at the door and we impose our reality on them.

This is all a lost secret of pro wrestling. While everyone was so worried about having the most attitude of the attitude era, the time of amazing high spots and extreme wrestling, the art form I am discussing was dying. Maybe rightfully so, who knows. But now, old is new again.

Until next time,
-AWV