WWE Extreme Rules 2012: Why Live Events Are Fun for the Whole Family

WWE is not simply men and women wrestling or dancing little people, it is an entertainment spectacle the like of which cannot be seen anywhere else.

There is so much going on during a WWE event that it seems like there would have to be something for everybody.

I had the chance to attend Extreme Rules this year with my good friend, Bill, and his 4-year-old daughter, Lily. Bill has been a fan of both WWE and TNA for many years, and his love of the sport has developed in his daughter as well.

We went to Extreme Rules, and at first I admit that I was hesitant of how a young girl would react to the noise, intensity and overall insanity of what was happening.

I shouldn't have been worried at all. She was not only very well-behaved but had a great time. She even said she wanted to go to another one right away after the show.

She was rooting for her favorites, John Cena and CM Punk, while everyone around her was cheering for guys like Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler and Brock Lesnar.

She was not the only little kid having a great time. Right next to her was another girl, no more than 6 years old, and she was cheering her head off the whole night.

The crowd was littered with kids ranging from toddlers all the way up to teens, and everyone was having a good time. Isn't that what it's all about?

It is things like this that make me realize that WWE is good fun for the whole family. Sure, it is kind of violent, but so was every show I watched growing up, and I am a very passive person as an adult, unless you drive too close to my back bumper.

Power Rangers, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny and ThunderCats were all children's shows that portrayed violence in some way in every episode.

WWE events are an opportunity for kids and parents alike to suspend belief for a couple of hours and enjoy a show with finely-tuned athletes performing some of the best in-ring action in the world.

There are always food, merchandise and various activities to go along with the show itself, making it feel more like a special event and less like the taping of a television show.

I understand why some people may not enjoy wrestling, and that is their right, but the people who never watch should not be judging those who do and those who choose to let their kids watch.

The entire night I watched as parents and their kids enjoyed the show and bonded over a shared love of wrestling.

My friend bought he and his daughter matching John Cena shirts, and something special he can always show her is the moment she was on camera as Kane and Randy Orton fought their way past us, less than a foot away.

That will always be something he can show her and say, "Look, we were on TV!"

I had a family who did not enjoy pro wrestling, but my father surprised me with tickets when I was 12 for no other reason than he wanted to do something nice for me that we would both remember.

I know people who come away from baseball, basketball, football and hockey games pissed off because their team did not win. Even if a wrestler does not win, I have only rarely seen anyone leave a WWE show upset.

If you are a wrestling fan who has never experienced it live, I recommend you go see when WWE is coming to your area and order your tickets now—you won't regret it.

Thanks for reading. f you have a memory from a WWE event involving one of your parents, siblings or children, please share it in the comments section below.