Professional Wrestling and Myth

In this project, I analyze the need for heroes as a key component of forming community. The decline in American religiosity necessitated a shift for the public as the church was the center of American civic life. Churches functioned as the third places (besides work and home) where people can find a community and reaffirm community values. The decline of sacred mythic heroes provides an opportunity for new heroes to be born. In the search for third places, people found community through hobbies and chose heroes in their specific interests. Professional wrestling is such a third place, and is an intriguing ground for research since it is responsive to the cultural zeitgeist. Wrestling also has the ability to mimic mythic stories via their characters. I apply Joseph Campbell’s typology of the hero’s journey to Daniel Bryan, a wrestler who embodies the everyman ideal that can elevate a commoner to hero. The fans’ enthusiastic support of Bryan in his quest to defeat the bureaucracy that had stagnated his potential resonated with fans and made Bryan a hero. The implications of this study show that Campbell’s typology of the hero is still relevant today and wrestling is a place where it can be applied. However, the downfall of national heroes means that people will cast a broad net to find heroes, including reality television. There is also a danger that people may mistake fictional stories for true heroic accomplishment. Overall, professional wrestling functions as an important third place for creating a sense of community and reaffirming communal values.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Guy, Anthony Terrell

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Rowland, Robert C

• Daniel Bryan
• Fandom
• Myth
• Pop Culture
• Professional Wrestling
• Third Spaces

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

https://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32703798

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/39414