William Regal Shares His “Wasp Theory” For Pro Wrestling, Not Liking The Term “Mark”
William Regal has explained why he doesn’t like it when people use the term “mark” when it comes to pro wrestling.
There’s a lot of different verbiage in pro wrestling going back many decades. Today’s wrestling fan knows a lot of them like a babyface (or simply a face) is a good guy while a heel is a bad guy. The term “mark” is often used in a derogatory way sometimes by people in the pro wrestling business referring to fans that don’t have a clue what they are talking about.
As a veteran of pro wrestling for 40 years, William Regal knows so much about the business that he has loved his entire life. Regal is moving on from AEW and going back to WWE in 2023 although he recently blasted some of the reports that have come out about him. Considering AEW’s Owner Tony Khan admitted that Regal is leaving AEW to work for WWE again, that part is true, but perhaps Regal was angry about reports that he might have a Vice President role in WWE. It’s currently unknown what his job title might be when he returns to WWE.
Regal’s expected return to WWE also means the end of his Gentleman Villain podcast, so on that final episode, he talked more about his thoughts on the wrestling business. Regal would go on to discuss the “wasp theory” for younger wrestlers.
“This is for young wrestlers. Unfortunately, we overcomplicate this, as wrestlers. It’s been going on from the gladiator days. It’s been going on from… I’ll hold me hand up, I’m a faithless heathen, but from David and Goliath. If you had a hundred people and they all got stung by a wasp, this is nothing wrong with anybody, 98 people would get away from it. They’re the smart ones.”
William Regal would go on talking about his wasp theory and explained why didn’t like the word “mark” in pro wrestling.
“That’s why when we’ve used the word, the “m-word” [mark] which I don’t like. They’re the smart ones. Don’t look at them as the silly ones, they’re the smart ones. A wasp sting hurts. The two people who stay are the two wrestlers. They’re not right in the head. If you wanna go and fight for a living, you’re not quite right.”
“100 people get stung by a wasp. 98 of them go, oh, I don’t want any more of that and go stand over there. Then 99 and 100 are the two people that will fight the wasps. And the 98 people will go ‘I wish I could do that.’ That’s your audience! They want to see things they wish they could do!”
The wasp theory also applies to heels and babyfaces, according to Regal.
“If you want to take it into villains and babyfaces, number ninety-nine, if he’s a villain. If that wasp decides to try and sting him back, he may go and try to hit it from the side, and hit it from behind. Number one hundred, who’s your babyface, that wasp could sting him a thousand times on the face, on the arms, on the legs, he’d still be trying to bite the head off that wasp. And if you watch any movie, that’s basically how it’s told. Right?”
Lastly, William Regal made the point that wrestling can be that simple.
“It’s that simple. And we try to make it all kinds of complicated.”
When William Regal returns to WWE, he is not expected to have an on-camera role, but instead would be used more backstage to help the NXT roster and perhaps recruit talent like he did in the past.