All The Small Things

I was chatting with a fellow wrestling lover recently and we began discussing the Subtle Little Things we enjoy about pro wrestling — the insignificant, innocuous aspects of their gear, their motions, their body language which add to the flavor of a match and make it interesting.  These are tiny grace notes which are overlooked by most folks, and which are not commonly considered titillating or exciting, but for a truly obsessed wrestling fan make all the difference.

One example I’ve mentioned before is the Foot on the Bottom Rope.  I always notice when a wrestler out on the ring apron rests a boot on the ring rope, and I always love to see it.  It is a mystery WHY these little things catch our eye, they just do.

Another common example of the Subtle Little Thing is the drawstring hanging out over the front of a wrestler’s trunks.  It’s just a little knot of white string, no larger than a rubber band.  But many wrestling fans have told me they really start grooving on a match when that little string slips out and starts flopping around (bright white in color in contrast to the trunks.)

Why does a little piece of string gain such significance and power in the mind of the obsessed fan?  I don’t know — because it came out of a very intimate and private place?   Because it foretells that those trunks may loosen and fall down?  Because it signifies that the wrestler is torn up and in disarray?

The boots are also fertile ground for Subtle Little Things to flourish.  Many wrestling lovers notice tiny aspects of a boot that drives them to want to stare — the laces and little circles of metal around the lace holes, the color of the boots relative to the outfit, the wrinkles that form around the ankle due to the foot position.  I could probably write a few articles just on boot fetishes alone.

A “fetish” is defined as: “an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression.”  By this definition, I don’t know if Subtle Little Things qualify as fetishes, but they sure add to the enjoyment of a match!

I suppose because they’re so unusual and kinky, the masks and the subtle details of a mask can also produce strong reactions in the brains of the viewers.  The contrasting colors, the tight strip of laces down the back, the wrinkles in the spandex fabric along the jawbone, the bulges in the side of the mask where his ears protrude have all been mentioned to me as being eye-catching and  arousing to see.

Other Subtle Little Things that I’ve heard my fellow wrestling lovers mention include the little half inch of sock that pokes out over a wrestler’s boot; the little strip of fabric between the wrestler’s thighs when he spreads his legs; a glimpse of underwear sticking out of his trunks; the white wrist tape; kneepads; bare feet; and stars, stripes, or other decorations on a wrestler’s gear.

They aren’t always gear-related either.   Small insignificant gestures can gain huge power in the wrestling lover’s brain as well, such as the way the ref pats down the combatants before a match…

Other Subtle Little Gestures that have caused wrestling lovers (for some unknown reason) to really salivate include resting of a free hand on his victim’s body while in a hold; the snap of the head when he suffers a punch to the gut; the shaking of his head to “clear the cobwebs” after a stiff slam; the jiggle of flesh in his chest and stomach after a high impact move.  Wrestling lovers of all stripes will zero in on nearly any motion or pose.

So I want to start a new series of articles on these Subtle Little Things — the tiniest of details that we love to see in a match.  And I don’t mean the obvious, blatantly sexual images like a huge bulge, a well formed ass, a dude groping another dude, etc.  I also don’t mean the wrestling holds themselves — everybody knows a Body Scissor and a Bearhug are hot and are fully intended to be hot.

By using the term “Subtle Little Things,” I am referring to tiny nuances that would normally have no interest, but when you see it in a wrestling match, it makes you say “WHOOP!  THERE IT IS!”

To get it started, I’d like to hear from you about your Subtle Little Things.  I need to know what small details you appreciate seeing. What gear accessories, fleeting motions, or seemingly unintentional actions make you take notice and become engaged in a match?  Let’s see how many fans love the same things.  Leave me some comments at the end of this article or send me an e-mail.

In upcoming articles, I will then talk about the most common or most unusual Subtle Little Things you’ve confessed to me, and try to sort out WHY we love these insignificant aspects of wrestling — WHY they’ve gained so much power in so many of our thoughts and fantasies.