Each of these families produced generations of successful wrestlers. In Canada alone, we have the Harts out west, the Vachons and Rougeaus duelling it out in Quebec, and the Cormiers and Duprees in the Maritimes. A full discussion of wrestling’s bloodlines is well beyond the scope of this column. I’ll pause to note that pro wrestling’s dynasties could be a book unto itself. There seems to be a lack of correlation between one generation’s status in the business and the next, talent notwithstanding. Pro wrestling has its fair share of “nepo babies” and others whose careers are built on attempts to distance themselves from those legacies. We can think of cases where children desperately cling to their parent’s legacies despite their own shortcomings. We can come up with examples where children’s accomplishments eclipse or are overshadowed by their famous parents. The recent deaths of Lanny Poffo and Jerry Jarrett show how much of the ‘sport’ we love is carried by the same few families: how they ebb and flow over time, the role that ownership may play in giving some wrestlers a leg up, and the unpredictability that comes with each generation. The wrestling business is generational as well. In my case fostered by successive Schwartz fathers (and carried on by me with my own children) and tolerated with gentle good humor and occasional disbelief by Moms. In my case, that person was (and is) my Dad. We feel in our guts that this show, with its acrobatics and feats of strength and drama and colorful characters, is a way for us to connect with our fellow viewers. Part of what drew us in is the impression it made on the adult in our lives. If said memory is John Cena then I can’t see you. Maybe your first memory is Antonino Rocca or Bruno Sammartino or Ric Flair or Jerry Lawler or Hulk Hogan. Routine for the adults in the room but new to us. As kids, left with a responsible adult on a lazy afternoon or evening, set in front of the idiot box to watch the latest episode of our local (or national) promotion’s show. I imagine that many of us born post-television came to our pro wrestling fandom in a similar way.
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