I would like to grab everybody's attention and concentrate on a topic that needed to be addressed: Professional wrestling is not fake. Yes, I said it. You can re-read it all you want, it won't change. But this particular mindset non-wrestling fans have towards one of the most grueling occupations in mankind, is nothing short of ignorant. Too many times I reveal my passion, my religious following of wrestling and it's followed up with "You know it's fake, right?". And sometimes it's not even the question, it's the way they ask the question too. Like you're a freaking kid. But you know what, if we're honestly going by that logic, let me give you all some breaking news: Those dragons in Game of Thrones? Yeah, they're fake as all get-out. They don't even exist.
Que you're jaw dropping to your ankles — oh wait, they didn't because you already knew that. You knew that there is no such thing as the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, but you still enjoy it right? You're still emotionally invested regardless, right? Despite knowing all this, you will still tune in every Sunday night (or whenever it shows, I'm currently reading the book before I watch it). So I ask you, what is it you hope to break to me whenever you bring up professional wrestling is fake? Before you answer, let me just go ahead and assume it's because I won't think the moves are real, or the characters the athletes portray aren't. Well, I hate to break it to ya, but while you're right about the characters being fake, the moves they perform are very real. Are they trained how to fall without sustaining too much damage? Yeah, why wouldn't they? Do they pull their punches to the point of ridiculousness? They're gradually getting better about this, but yes they do. The performers also cooperate when it comes to slams, suplexs, etc. to guarantee each other's safety because sandbagging (where one performer goes limp) can result in someone getting hurt. It's also like how Daniel Craig isn't walking on set and actually shooting people because that would make it a snuff film. So honestly, what are you trying to say? Despite knowing that a particular slam didn't hurt as much as the performer lets on, I'm still amazed at the sheer athleticism some moves require, or the physicality of which a slam is performed with.
"They're faking the pain!" Well yeah, kinda like how Clark Gregg faked getting impaled by Tom Hiddleston in the Avengers, but we all still mourned over that, didn't we? If I see Seth Rollins perform his superplex-falcon arrow combo, I'm still going to be in awe, regardless if it actually hurts or not.
To say you discredit these athletes, who put their bodies and livelihood on the line night in and night out for the consumer's entertainment, is an understatement. It reaches hypocritical and convoluted whenever the schedules and trainings of NBA, NFL, or UFC athletes get compared, I'm sorry but there isn't one player in the NBA that could handle a WWE schedule. Especially when you consider how they whine if they get breathed on, or how they hit the ice baths after a workout session. Professional wrestlers? You will see somebody get tossed from a ladder and through another ladder, just for them to get up and report to work the next day. If that was Lebron James-- don't even get me started. But, you see how it's also unfair to compare? It's almost as unfair as you calling what wrestlers do for a living, fake. If wrestling is so fake, then why did Daniel Bryan have to retire on February 8th due to brain lesions being found?
Turning my attention towards the characters - as if this needed further explanation, such is the logic I'm dropping - and how people willfully reminds you/me that the Undertaker isn't an actual dead man, or that Kane isn't really a demon from hell, no sh!t. How does a deadman have healthy skin with an excellent physique, complemented by a MMA inspired move-set and approach? Oh wait, the only thing "deadman/zombie" like about Undertaker is his entrance, attire, and appeal. But - just like how Bruce Banner/Hulk reverts back to Mark Ruffalo after a day on set - once the final bell rings and its time to go home, Undertaker reverts back to Mark Calaway the man. I hate, hate, hate using Big Evil has an example due to his dedication to kayfabe but he provides the strongest one. Besides, when was having characters a bad thing? Want to know why athletes like Connor McGregor, Cam Newton, and Russell Westbrook get more coverage than their respective organization? They ooze character and charisma, you want to see what they'll do next, especially when it comes to that man McGregor. The reason McGregor generates so much buzz is due to his ability to sell his fight through trash talk, which is something I have never seen one man do as well as he does. Instead of going on stage and sounding like every other fighter, McGregor tells you the first thing that pops in his head with the utmost confidence. WWE laid the blueprint for him and countless other fighters who you see now trash talking or cutting "promos"; it's also why they excelled in the late 80's (Rock n Roll era/Hulkamania), late 90's (Attitude Era/Stone Cold and The Rock), and early 000's (Ruthless Aggression era). Before you question my point, I encourage you to ask yourself the following question: When McGregor is on the card, what fight are you more interested in? Now apply it to a select performer and boom! You'll have your reason as to why characters exist and they're vital to not only WWE, but professional wrestling.
Can WWE be a little hokey with characters? Absolutely, there's countless examples of this happening, perhaps more than I can be proud of. But when they nail a character, they nail it. It is also a well-known fact that the performers that hate each on television, could very well be best friends off-cameras. Thing is, that normally leads to quality television and compelling matches. Same thing when two performers legitimately don't like each other...
There's nothing like real beef to sink your teeth into when it comes to a rivalry. From Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart, CM Punk vs. Triple H, and the example above: Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz. But every once in a while, WWE strikes iron by putting two wrestlers together who may be polar opposites, only for the two performers to churn out classic after classic (see: AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns). There also may be a case where you've followed a certain wrestler for a while and have been longing to see them go up against another particular wrestler. When it finally happens, time stands still for you as you soak in your dream rivalry. For me it was AJ Styles vs. John Cena, and before I end this piece, let me elaborate on the real magic of professional wrestling.
Wrestling and MMA has always been unique in the sense you can literally follow your favorite athletes, from their humble beginnings all the way to their apex, and when they achieve something you've wanted for them, there's simply not a better feeling. While I get people follow certain basketball or football players, they frequency of which I see "fans" alternate loyalties saps a lot of emotional investment out of it-- where were all these Golden State fans in 2012?
To give you an example of what I mean: ten years ago a little Chuck hops off a plane from New York and arrives in his new home, Louisville. He's quite shy being in a new city and all, so he expectedly keeps to himself, becoming a loner in the process. A couple weeks of school fly by and while he's made friends, none of those friends go to after school care with him, the ones who do act as if they're too cool to be seen with him. In after school, there were these tables that a specific set of toys on them (i.e.: One had cars, another had dinosaurs), tending to his lonesome self, he soon stumbles upon an unspecified table. On this table is an action figure of a caucasian male, wearing long pants with neon green lines going down the sides, his face animated like any other action figure. He doesn't know what it was about this action figure, but he was intrigued by it. He looks over to the box he obviously came out of to see the figures name is "AJ Styles", on the side of the box he's "Catch TNA Impact! every Thursday at 6PT/9ET on Spike TV". Needless to say, he plays with the action figure until his mother picks him. In an almost coincidence of faith, it was a Thursday night and he thought he would see what "cartoon" this figure came from-- he was only 9 at the time. Sure enough, he'll never forget the first time seeing AJ Styles hit his iconic flying forearm, wowing him even more by performing a springboard 450 later on in the broadcast. This was a man he thought was a mere action figure, ever since then he's followed him and remained a staunch supporter of the Phenomenal One. Along with him winning a WWE world title, or having that coveted feud against WWE's flagship star, John Cena, he thought seeing AJ Styles in the WWE would be a pipe dream. That is until...
I was speechless. It was an actual childhood dream come true. And that my readers, is the magic of professional wrestling, anything can truly happen.Styles would go on to do everything I had envisioned of him doing ten years ago, everything I wanted him to accomplish.
Professional wrestling is not fake. We've already established that. It's a predetermined sport that sees two athletes go out and perform moves no regular human could do, much less the ones who deem it "fake". By the way, I have to ask, do you wall want wrestling to be real? Honestly, is that something you want to watch? Undertaker rendering people paralyzed because he dropped him with an actual Tombstone? Bret Hart actually stretching his opponents back while applying the Sharpshooter? Think about it before you speak. Anyways, I'm done ranting, stay beautiful and have a blessed day.
