Like many fandoms, some of the most fervent professional wrestling viewers have a reputation for crossing boundaries with performers, as was on display during this year’s WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sitting down for an interview with comedian Chrissy Chaos, WWE’s Damian Priest was asked about those encounters. He gave a less harsh response than many others in the industry while still making it clear the behavior isn’t acceptable.
“There’s a lot of passionate fans, let’s say that, and I’ll say this: look, sometimes – and I get it – when you’re so passionate about something, you kind of forget normal – how to act normal. You forget, you know, just common decency,” Priest said. Although these fans often invade the personal space of pro wrestlers, he doesn’t believe it stems from maliciousness. “I do forgive it a little bit, but I’m not saying that it’s also okay [or] that I’m happy when it’s happening.”
“But it’s a part of [being a pro wrestler], so, to anybody who’s in a celebrity type of role? If you’re gonna complain about being approached by fans, then you chose the wrong industry!” Priest interestingly added. However, he quickly noted that even though he does understand the passion, he isn’t excusing everything, especially fans acting inappropriately. “At the same time, we’re still people and we’re still going to react like people. So we’re going to have our moments too.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Chrissy Chaos and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Read the full article here
