On the Repudiation of Coolness*

Dear Wrestling,

So I'm watching Gentleman and a Scholar on High Spots, and I'm not quite two hours in. Excalibur and Jimmy Havoc are drunk, Dan Barry apparently hasn't been drinking but like me, can meet that looseness and goofiness without needing to.

Jimmy is trying, bless him, to say thank you to Excalibur for his part in inspiring not just Jimmy, but many indie wrestlers especially in England. Excalibur, bless *him*, is (also like me) just barely a Gen-Xer, and not having it. He downplays his moveset, his ability, his impact...

The question shifts to "Well, what do you think your legacy will be?"--and tellingly, even he can't deny that he's a great talker. Dan says of his commentary, "I think you on commentary has been your shining light, in that you appreciate pro wrestling, so when you're commentating on it, you're not doing things to get, like, the point across. You are literally calling it as you see it, and your appreciation for what exists in front of you is astronomical, and I love that."

I've been (officially) a wrestling fan for 1 year and 7 months. At every step along the way, as I've gone deeper and deeper--from "Oh,  the New Day are *cool*! But I hate Kevin Owens.." to "God, I hate that I like KO, and I love Sami and I keep hearing about this history..." to "Holy shit, PWG is the Platonic ideal of wrestling" and so on, each time there's been a guide. A psychopomp, to guide me further into the underworld.

One of the first was @MithGifs and I only don't thank her profusely every single day because I'm certain it would make her uncomfortable.

Excalibur was another.

In coming to wrestling, for me it's often been a matter of finding my place in it. Not changing myself to fit, but seeing what of me can be found here, and in the people here. Sometimes there's almost nothing for me, but sometimes someone shares my priorities and values in unexpected and amazing ways: that's Excalibur. And I don't mean his pedantry, although of course I relate to and appreciate that.

No, it's that he's not cool. Wildly uncool. He's excited and present and bringing all of himself to the table. Coolness is distance, it's death and a smirk and exclusion. Coolness divides.

Excalibur unites. He, through his commentary, wants us all to see how amazing that was, and how much history there is between these two wrestlers, and how that move references such-and-such.

He wants us all to be there in the room, to whatever degree possible, to experience it with him and with each other.

I can honestly say that Excalibur was pivotal in my becoming a wrestling fan. Finding that it's not all tans and body guys and being gatekept, but that as long as you love it, you're *in*. Love is the price for the ticket, it's the seating and the people next to you, it's the guys in the ring. It's everything.

And I know people like him, and he'll hem and haw and say it wasn't him, he was part of a wave, on and on--he's wrong though. And that's ok.

Acknowledging and accepting that he Did the Thing might be more than he can manage: fair enough. The thing is, he isn't writing the history and stories of this era of wrestling.

We are.

His reputation doesn't depend on whether or not he thinks he deserves it.

Those of us who are grateful to him, we'll have our say.

Thanks,
Autumn










*I'm the worst at titles. I decided to ape Hume, I don't know why. Bored, probably.