Case in point
Believe it or not I actually embrace this side of wrestling, a great deal of its appeal, for me at least, is that it is at times so ridiculous and borderline farcical that you can't help but sit back and laugh at it. But for as much as I enjoy laughing at the ott nature of the business, this is not the sole reason I am so fascinated by it. You see, I love pro wrestling specifically American Pro Wrestling.
Socially this is a potentially fatal statement, perhaps on par with coming out and admitting to being a homosexual sure your friends are still your friends but they would rather avoid the subject and your father will never look at you the same way again. Well, perhaps its not that bad, but it's something that is best left out of everyday conversations.
You see being a wrestling fan has only been acceptable twice in the last 25 years. The first was from the mid eighties to early nineties. A time when Hulk Hogan was not just an a tragic caricature (Imagine that) but the upholder of truth and justice, a time when saying your prayers and taking your vitamins did not have any suspicious connotations. The second time came around in the late nineties when wrestling transitioned from family orientated entertainment into a raunchier, sleazier product, a time that saw the rise of stars such Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. This is arguably when when wrestling was at its hottest, a time when a child could wear a HHH 'The game' t-shirt and not fear a vicious Grange Hill style bullying.
Sadly,in mid 2001 the wrestling bubble burst yet again for reasons that I am frankly not qualified and too lazy to go into. Conveniently, it was around this time when I started watching. That Summer my younger brother had borrowed a copy of Summerslam 2001 and by chance I had nothing to do so I watched it with him. I watched a match between the recently turned heel (Wrestling carny for bad guy) face off against Kurt Angle for the heavyweight title. For nearly 30 minutes Austin relentlessly beat on Angle, bloodying him and hitting him with every move in his arsenal only for Angle to keep fighting back valiantly. The match ended when a desperate Austin attacked the referee to keep his title (A champion cannot lose unless he is pinned or made to submit)as Angle finally stood up having been robbed of the title that was surely his, lead announcer Jim Ross protested angrily and assured the audience this feud was not over. This was the point I became hooked.
Even back then I knew wrestling was fake, that the punches weren't connecting and that Kurt Angle had not really had his head slammed into a steel ring post ten times only to get back up (albeit bleeding profusely). Still, I was drawn in, by the physicality being displayed, the reaction of the crowd and the story being told in the ring and when it was all said and done, I wanted to see more. It's now 2010 and I'm as big a fan as I've ever been.
It's hard to sum up why I enjoy wrestling to the extent i do and perhaps my views are jaded somewhat by my fascination with the inside nature of the business. Over the years I read various wrestling insider websites and documentaries have developed a mild understanding as to how the business works, such as how matches are put together, insider terms and the business decisions and thought processes behind them. I use the term mild, because even after my 9 years as a fan and spending as much time as I do, reading up on the insides of the wrestling. It is an industry so complicated and with a history that so vast and racked with politics, scandals and just general wackiness that I don't think I could ever hope cover it all unless I became a wrestling historian. As it stands I am happy with it being an everyday past time. My love clearly does have its boundaries.
A lot of non fans will often talk about Darren Aronofsky's film The Wrestler, how it made them respect wrestlers and what they do for a living, and although The Wrestler did well to make light of the hardships that a wrestler can face in his career, it really doesn't even begin to cover just how much dedication and skill it takes to become a successful pro wrestler. Being a wrestler is a lot more then just being a big man who can throw another guy around, it takes timing and psychology to become a good wrestler. Developing Psychology is perhaps the most interesting part of becoming a wrestler and often sets apart a good and a bad match. Among other things, it also takes a special type of charisma and showmanship to connect with a live audience and those watching at home. Some of the most charismatic personalities and watchable characters I have been created in wrestling, this may seem like a bold statement but it is true. One need only look at The Rock whose natural charisma was such that he outgrew the business and went on to a successful movie career appearing in hit films such as The Scorpion King and...um The Tooth Fairy.
Something The Wrestler also didn't go into is just how fun the sport can be (I'm calling it a sport for now, I'll come to that shortly), at the very least wrestling to me can be escapist fun, like a soap opera but more fun and twice as ridiculous. Take this for example
WWE inparticualr is perhaps so charming because it's one of the last elements of society to not be hit by the hammer of political correctness, of course this isn't always something to be proud of, but at the very least you can just sit back and laugh at how unashamed they are of it.
Representing all of Africa comes Zulu tribesman turned pro wrestling superstar Saba Simba
At it's best however, when the stories are serious and coherent and the matches that follow are executed properly it can be as rewarding as any movie and like any good film a wrestling match can get an emotional reaction out of you whether it's anger, laughter and sometimes it is oddly moving. The matches themselves are also exhibitions of some of the finest athletic ability you will see anywhere.
Shawn Michaels moonsaults onto a prone Ric Flair at Wrestlemania 24
One of the things Aranofskys film did do, albeit to an uncomfortable degree, was highlight the physical nature of professional wrestling. Now, some people will scoff at the idea of wrestling as a sport and yes it's true wrestling is fake, WWE even acknowledge it somewhat by referring to themselves as sports entertainment. Every move is designed to look painful when in fact they are executed as safely as possible and the matches are pre determined. However, to call wrestling fake is grossly unfair, scripted is perhaps a fairer term. In fact for a so called fake sport there is a tremendous amount of physicality involved and something as basic as falling back first onto the mat takes a physical toll. It is also worth mentioning that a wrestlers safety is also affected by the other man in the ring with him, should one of the participants in a match slip or make a mistake the consequences could be dire.
This is not to say that I regard wrestling as being above other forms of athletic competition, I understand that wrestling is indeed fake whereas boxing and the increasingly popular sport of mixed martial arts are real physical contact bloodsports and that along with sports such as rugby, football and tennis these are real competitions decided by who are the better compettiors and not pre determined, It has however, always upset me how the men involved in these sports earn our respect and admiration and yet no matter how many years of dedication and sacrifice it takes to perfect the craft of professional wrestling, they are still treated as the red headed stepsons of the sporting world.
One of the things that I appreciate when it comes to wrestling, or more specifically WWE, has little to with wrestling at all but. The production values in WWE are second to none, whether it's the video packages produced to promote an upcoming event or a wrestlers highlight reel, these are some of the most effective and technically sound state of the art videos you will see anywhere. Then of course there are the sets (The ring area and wrestler entrance way) which are always fantastic especially at the Wrestlemania events which is WWE's biggest show of the year. As far as spectacle I'd say you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who does it better than WWE.
An aerial view of the Phoenix stadium at the conclusion of Wrestlemania 26
Randy Orton makes his way to the ring at Wrestlemania 26
This is not to say wrestling is perfect, there have been moments that have been so truly tasteless and intelligence insulting that I have been embarrassed to be fan. But the way I see it, every TV show, sport or form of entertainment has these moments, anyone who watched England play in The World Cup this year or watches Eastenders on a regular basis would know this feeling quite well.
This entry is not intended to convert any new believers, merely to sum up my thoughts on an industry that not everyone will understand or be willing to appreciate. I suppose it's an acquired taste. I don't know if I'll ever lose the wrestling bug, it's something I've thought about, even wished for at times. The truth is, over the years my love for it has grown even more and I've developed a respect for it.But, Who knows, in five years I may be writing about MMA and how it's so much better then that 'stupid wrestling thing I used to like'. But for now I'm a fan and unashamed to be so.
For the most part.
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