It’s time for another Top 5. This time I’m going to indulge my somewhat shameful pro-wrestling fandom and tell you my five favourite wrestling signs, those badly-drawn and badly-spelled cardboard signs that marks and smarts use to dispay their allegiances and, often, their names. I fully expect that this post will be of very niche appeal.
5. "2"
It’s lost all of its humour now due to severe over-use, but this sign was very entertaining the first time I saw it. It’s a succinct commentary on the absurd frequency of "near fall" two-counts. Taking the piss is what wrestling fandom is really about.
4. "Eddie Guerrero Mows My Lawn"
Good old fashioned racism in this one. Latino people mow other people’s lawns apparently. Funny. This sign also spawned the follow-up "I mow Eddie Guerrero’s lawn" sign as he grew in popularity.
3. "Fuck The FCC"
Unlike the previous two signs, this one didn’t lead to a host of copycats. In fact it barely appeared on TV at all. There was much pausing and re-winding involved in finding out what the person in the front row had done to attract the attention of the venue security. It turns out he had held up this sign, and got kicked out of the arena for his troubles. I hope the FCC were watching.
2. "Tazz"
Fans frequently carry signs with their names written on them and a downward-pointing arrow, presumably to help their friends and family spot them in the crowd. A heel at the time, Tazz carried on this tradition while sitting in the crowd behind the announcers’ desk disrupting the show. The only thing better than the fans taking the piss out of the show is the show taking the piss out of the fans.
1. "But He’s From The USA"
How many times did I complain about the irony of geographically-impaired fans chanting "USA" in opposition to Muhammad Hassan, often while he faced non-USian opponents, before one brilliant fan produce this sign? Absolutely brilliant.