Fantasy Wrestling as a Site of Competitive Fandom and Connected Learning

This paper explores Over the Ropes, a fantasy wrestling federation (FWF) that is part of the larger WWE fan community called the Wrestling Boards. Although more like a text-based RPG than traditional fantasy sports, it does carry the hallmarks of competitive fandom, including learning, play, and engagement as described by Halverson and Halverson (2008), just as more traditional fantasy sports. This paper explores a history of wrestling to underline the cultural importance of wrestling and then orients the activities of the FWF Over the Ropes as a competitive fandom and an example of connected learning.