(SPIN): Which Wrestlers Still Keep Up Kayfabe?

[Rollie Forbes]

Hardly anyone does kayfabe anymore. This ain't the 90s anymore.

This post by @kentucky got me to thinking. In modern wrestling, which wresters, managers, etc. are still keeping the art of kayfabe alive?
In no order, the ones I can think of are:
-Jonathan Gresham
-Paul Heyman
-Jay Lethal
-Bryan Danielson
-Moose
-Josh Alexander
-Bobby Lashley
-MVP
-The Boogeyman
-MJF*
-Bayley
-Trish Adora
-Shane Taylor
-Ron Hunt
-nZo
- Kenny King
- Calvin Tankman
- Tre Miguel
- Rich Swann
-Scott D'more

These are the wrestlers whom I've never seen break character in ring or on social media (barring a major world event), and/or who always have realistic looking matches.

*I gave him a pass for the song & dance since it was a one off.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Riddle
KO
Darby

 

[Tres Leches]

mjf he even beefing with his moms

 

[Bonefan32]

I don't know much about danhausen but it seems like he's always in character

 

[Rell Lauren]

It's impossible with camera phones and social media. Undertaker was the last one but he broke it following retirement.

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

I don't really follow any individual on social media (but I see plenty of RTs) but MJF lives in kayfabe and Danhausen does pretty well with that too. As @Rell Lauren says, impossible unless you want to live your life in kayfabe. Not like pre Monday Night Wars when they could just stay in kayfabe when making a public wrestling appearance, now it's a 24/7 thing. And with so many more money-making opportunities outside of what happens on the shows, it makes it even harder.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

It's impossible with camera phones and social media. Undertaker was the last one but he broke it following retirement.

He had no other choice but to as the money was more lucrative that way.

 

[Reality Check]

I don't really follow any individual on social media (but I see plenty of RTs) but MJF lives in kayfabe and Danhausen does pretty well with that too. As @Rell Lauren says, impossible unless you want to live your life in kayfabe. Not like pre Monday Night Wars when they could just stay in kayfabe when making a public wrestling appearance, now it's a 24/7 thing. And with so many more money-making opportunities outside of what happens on the shows, it makes it even harder.

Pet Peeve of mine with wrestling is social media usage. It's a little absurd that by now they don't have two social media accounts: one for staying in character that the WWE can manage and a personal account.

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

I think a lot fo the lack of kayfabe, especially for people who currently are or have goals of doing anything outside the shows (podcasts, Twitch/YouTube, ads, movies, tv shows, etc.) probably don't want people thinking they are in their real life just like their wrestling character.

I mean like MJF plays up the a$$hole character so much in everything it could make you wonder if he really is just an a$$hole in real life. Like other wrestlers when asked about MJF don't say good things about him personally, are they working or shooting in these interviews?

To me kayfabe is like method acting. At least with method acting, when you're done with the movie or season you're done with method acting that character. With how much more media attention to wrestling than there was during the height of kayfabe, I don't think it's fair to ask wrestlers to be in kayfabe for years on end, especially if they are a heel.

 

[Hoodoo Child]

mjf he even beefing with his moms

Wait what?

 

[puppetmaster]

Sting.

You rarely if ever see him without face paint / dark shades and still know little about him personally without doing a deep dive

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

Wait what?

You should follow him on Twitter

 

[Norrin Radd]

Wait what?

 

[Hoodoo Child]

 

[The Prince of All Saiyans]

Pet Peeve of mine with wrestling is social media usage. It's a little absurd that by now they don't have two social media accounts: one for staying in character that the WWE can manage and a personal account.

Wasn’t that what Braun Strowman had then he got posted up a pic with Roman?