Mother’s Day: Favorite Wrestling Mom

What does your mom think of pro wrestling?

Chad Gelfand: My mom is not a fan of pro wrestling, but she is amused by the little bit she sees when I’m watching it. She really likes Stephanie and Shane McMahon because she remembers how young they were when I first started watching wrestling and now they’re all grown up.

Adam B. Yuro: She wasn’t a fan at all. She always hated my brother and I taking over the TV when we were kids. Hated it even more when started backyard wrestling.

Devonte Grant: Not her cup of tea.

Calvin Gibbon: She’s surprised I still love it, but she gets why I like it. It was something we watched together at first! But it took over my life as a fandom.

Anthony Mahalis: My mom thinks wrestling is stupid, but she knows I love it, and I don’t think she has beef with it.

John Corrigan: It’s unfathomable how she has tolerated my obsession for this long, let alone me brainwashing her other children into watching it.

Jack Goodwillie: Not much, but she’s rather indifferent about my interest in it. She did try to steer my brother and I away from it, and other forms of crude violence as kids, I.E. Power Rangers, TMNT, X-Men, you name it, but I’d say we found our way eventually.

David Gibb: My mom thinks pro wrestling is low class and senselessly violent.

Evan Cross: She knows nothing about it besides when she’s hunting for Christmas presents and asks if I want tickets to a house show in February. I appreciate the gesture, but I’d rather just get a ShopRite gift card.

If she doesn’t have a favorite already, who would her fave wrestler be?

Gelfand: It’d probably be The Rock since he’s the most recognizable wrestler in the world.

Yuro: Her favorites were Jeff and Matt Hardy when I was a kid. So I’m assuming she would still love them now.

Grant: The Rock.

Gibbon: Edge would be my mom’s number one all-time. Although her new boyfriend is Roman Reigns…I say go get him, Mom!

Mahalis: I would guess her favorite wrestler would be Big Match John, probably because of his positive message.

Corrigan: She loves The Miz. I doubt she has ever seen him wrestle, but he was on Rachel Ray or something one time and she got hooked.

Goodwillie: It’s probably John Cena, not just because of the visibility, but because I think she likes his sense of humor. Anybody else would take some explaining (see next answer).

Gibb: My mom would probably be a Lanny Poffo/Aiden English type.

Cross: Probably Andre the Giant because of The Princess Bride. As far as current wrestlers, I’d say Bayley, since she’s not rude or a showboat.

If you could show her one match to explain why you love it, which match would you choose?

Gelfand: I think the Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H match from WrestleMania 30. The “Monster” video package beforehand, the underdog story of Daniel Bryan, the crowd being 100% behind Bryan, great villains in Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. That match has all of the elements that make wrestling great.

Yuro: This is a hard one. I would have to go with The Shield vs. Evolution at Payback 2014 or Sting vs. Hulk Hogan at Starrcade 1997.

Grant: Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 21.

Gibbon: I don’t have to. She gets it even though she thinks it’s childish now. But my go-to match to show non-fans is Daniel Bryan winning the Triple Threat at WrestleMania 30.

Mahalis: I would show her Hogan/Rock at WrestleMania. That isn’t my favorite match of all time, but it shows a combination of how big the moment can be and the excitement level.

Corrigan: Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. She has at least known who the Nature Boy is since she was a teenager, and at her age, she could probably identify with having to give up something you’ve done your whole life.

Goodwillie: I think this goes for a lot of people who I’m trying to explain wrestling to, but it’s probably Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. HBK at Backlash 2004. First off, rematches were not that common at the time, but running back a multi-man match was virtually unheard of. Second off, this encounter was every bit as good as the WrestleMania XX match with the caveat of it being Benoit’s hometown of Edmonton and Shawn Michaels still having the Canadian heat from the Montreal Screwjob. The match not only tops the previous encounter, but Benoit proves his naysayers wrong one more time and taps Michaels with Bret Hart’s patented Sharpshooter, bringing things full circle for the Canadian fans. It’s a match that goes to show you can have your cake and eat it, too, as far as the pure wrestling-storytelling balances (darts a look at Troy Taroff).

Gibb: Liger-Pillman from Superbrawl II. It has the best combination of energy, pro wrestling storytelling, and top tier wrestlers in Power Ranger costumes.

Cross: Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena at Royal Rumble 2015. It’s the rare example of a great match that didn’t have much buildup, making it easier to understand. Plus having Cena, a familiar face, would draw some of her interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYG1R9JLEQ8

What gimmick or storyline would you be most embarrassed to show her?

Gelfand: Katie Vick…yeah, that storyline had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Yuro: Eugene, do I need to say more?

Grant: Anything involving Val Venis.

Gibbon: Any of the raunchy angles from the Attitude Era. That was the era when she really stopped watching.

Mahalis: I’d be totally embarrassed to show the Mark Henry/Mae Young hand incident. I mean, that speaks for itself.

Corrigan: Snitsky being a “baby killer” one year after she gave birth to my brother was terrible timing.

Goodwillie: I think what actually sold my mom on the idea that wrestling is nothing more than a soap opera in spandex is her walking in the room on a Thursday night to see us watching a live custody hearing in the ring between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio over “Eddie’s son” Dominic. To this day, she’ll tell me how phony that storyline looked, even though I 100% believed it. It may have been the same episode, give or take a week or two, that Muhammad Hassan unleashed a terrorist assault on The Undertaker. Needless to say, 2005 was a fun year for wrestling.

Gibb: Uh, pretty much any of the ones that involved women and took place prior to 2014.

Cross: Katie Vick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOm6wV9P4hQ

Who is your favorite wrestling mom?

Gelfand: The legend herself, Shelton Benjamin’s Mom! (They did you dirty with that storyline, Shelton and you deserved much better.)

Yuro: Linda McMahon. She has dealt with a lot of bull throughout the years from her husband and kids. She is the true MVM of wrestling.

Grant: Mickie James.

Gibbon: Excuse me! It has to be Vickie Guerrero. She was a great onscreen villain and a really sweet woman in real life.

Mahalis: This one I don’t really have a good answer to. I’m going to just go with The Rock’s mom. I think she is the most identifiable mom in the company and she seems like a nice lady.

Corrigan: It used to be Judy Bagwell until Maryse became a MILF.

Goodwillie: Only one correct answer here: Momma Benjamin, of course!

Gibb: Helen Hart. She was the picture of support, and if you grew up watching wrestling in the ’90s, it was hard not to feel like you were related to her, too, somehow.

Cross: Shelton Benjamin’s Momma. She dropped everything and went on the road with him for two months.