Breaking kayfabe?
Let’s call this an introduction of sorts, shall we? By now, there’s a considerable amount of you who know who I am, not by my actual name, but the alias that has become my identity across social media, mainly Instagram. For those who don’t, on Instagram, I go by the name @markouthalfrican, which is a decision that I sometimes regret it, because people will run into me at shows and ask “Hey, are you that ‘Mark Out’ guy?” and although I’m often inclined to say no, my answer is yes. In reality, as you can clearly see, my actual name is Terrence and I, just like you, am a fan of professional wrestling.
It’s been such a huge part of my life from the moment I was born, literally. My parents were big fans, so I naturally gravitated towards it before I could even know what it was. Before I had the ability to remember, I was watching professional wrestling. Fortunately, most of the friends I have aren’t judgemental over the fact that I’m a fan, watch it or have watched it themselves, in some capacity. One of the most difficult things to have to do is explain what being a fan of professional wrestling is all about to someone who doesn’t understand.
You can always describe the feeling, the excitement, the experiences it gives to us, but those who don’t understand, won’t understand, unless they experience it, personally. It’s an escape. A temporary escape from reality, allowing us to enjoy ourselves and even bond over something that we all love. There’s something for anyone and everyone. If you know me, you know there is no discrimination. I love professional wrestling and, in saying that, I do my best to keep an eye on as much as possible. You name it, I probably watch it. I’m a huge fan of independent wrestling and am a very big supporter of women’s wrestling.
Whether it’s WWE, NJPW, TNA, ROH, CZW, WSU, PWG, PROGRESS, SHIMMER, AAW, AIW, Shine, Beyond or even smaller, more local independent promotions, they’re all apart of something that I love. Professional wrestling definitely isn’t something that I like to take for granted. I like to enjoy what I can, while I can, before I don’t have it anymore. You never know what could happen. I have never considered myself to be a “know-it-all” when it comes to professional wrestling. Possessing knowledge of the general history is enough for me. Other than that, I know enough to get a pass and that’s honestly enough for me.
Overall, I’m nothing more than a person who loves and appreciates professional wrestling. Old school, new school, whatever you could find in between. Professional wrestling is something I’ve always turned to. Whether it was just to escape or keep me out of trouble, it has always been there. Not once has it ever turned its back on me, or any of us, I would assume. At this point, if I don’t stop myself, there’s no telling when I would finally stop typing. I think this is the beginning of many good things to come, not only from me, but also everyone else who is involved in this site and eager to share their thoughts or opinions on a wide variety of topics and I honestly couldn’t be more excited for the endless possibilities.
