Have the Japanese fans become Americanized

[pigman]

Have american fans had an influence on the fans in Japan. I mean have you noticed a diffrence in the japanese fans than what they used to be, lets say 30 years ago? What are all of your opinions?

[Tradewynd]

American smart marks have some influence over Japanese smart marks who can properly read English and take the time to search out message boards like this one. Realistically speaking, that is a very small number. The biggest American influence in Japan is Zach Arnold. His site generates a lot of Japanese traffic, he has heat with all of the magazines (and some people I REALLY wouldn't want to have heat with) and breaks a lot of stories on his radio show before the magazines can.

Japanese fans are different than they were 30 years ago, but at the same time the business is a lot different than it was 30 years ago. It's also important to consider that 30 years ago, Inoki vs. Ali hadn't happened yet, and nothing could equal the rub wrestling got once people realized how badly Inoki whooped him in a match where the rules were greatly stacked against him. Ali found out that pro wrestlers be strongest the hard way.

[pigman]

Your right. I still think there has been a little change in the way the fans react in japan now. Anyway good reply.

[darktowerchilde]

I think both cultures influence each other. More American wrestling fans, at least a larger percentage of them than twenty or so years ago, view wrestling as a more athletic pursuit and so-called "American strong-style" wrestling promotions have popped-up everywhere. Puroresu also became more "sports-entertainment" influenced, as later FMW, WEW, Tourymon, and of course Hustle demonstrate. Also, you could also say that the WWE has become more globablized, with a bigger influence on your average Japanese wrestling fan, as recent sold-out WWE wrestling tours of Japan show. The thing is, puroresu started out as being heavily influenced by early american pro wrestling and eventually incorporated mexican/lucha libre styles, which, of course, were influenced by american wrestling in the first place (I'm talking about early luch a libre, without the topes and such), so it's all cyclical.