In Defense Of Enjoying Wrestling

Recently wrestling has been talked about after the outrage of fans on social media regarding the 2015 Royal Rumble pay-per-view with their #CancelWWENetwork. People were mad about the way the actual rumble progressed and especially mad at the winner. 

In these interviews and talk shows that I've been listening to that normally never talk about wrestling they give the same statements that have been said for decades now and just make me roll my eyes. Let me give a little background on my connection with wrestling. This won't take long.

I have been watching wrestling for 32 years now. I was born at the end of the 70's so I was fed a steady diet of WWF, NWA, WCW, AAA, and somehow was able to watch stuff from the South and Texas. My favorite wrestlers were Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude, Legion of Doom, and The Great Mutoh. At one point I watched 8 hours of wrestling a week which has now become about 15 minutes a week in highlights. I wrote columns for Tha O Show for six years and even got to be on shows with guys like Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Ricky Johnson (The Rock's uncle), and Booker T. even though I couldn't talk to them. Its awesome to be able to listen to a show and know I am listed with them. Currently my favorite wrestling programs are PWG and NXT.

Now back to the point of this post defending wrestling. The first thing I always hear is “You know wrestling is fake, right?” Its said in a tone and a look as if they are dropping some bombshell on me. By the way, if you are doing this to a kid you are a massive dick. Let them know that Santa isn't real and that one day they will die while you're at it. Fans of wrestling know that it is not real in the fact they know that the wrestlers know beforehand which of them will win or lose.

Using the dismissive “wresting is fake” statement to take the joy out of wrestling for someone that loves it is the ultimate dick statement. Imagine going to a movie and every time someone is shot, falls in love, dies, or fights someone behind you said “These are all actors. None of this is real.” How would you feel watching that? Before you lost any pleasure you got from the movie chances are you'd really want to slap or get away from whoever said it. Now that MMA is more popular the fans of it, most that loved wrestling growing up, have jump on the bandwagon of shitting on it.

MMA fans are using the same argument of it being fake including Joe Rogan who is standing behind a monster. What is odd is hearing the arguments against MMA through the years. I've watched UFC since it was in the single digits and dick punching was allowed. Fans hated when people called it human cockfighting. Literally. Till this day they get mad when someone calls it gay and say “Its just two sweaty men laying on each other!” Hey, MMA fan? You know that feeling you just got? Remember it. When former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion Brock Lesnar who was also a former WWE champion went to UFC he was shit on because he came from “fake” wrestling. He lost his first fight against a killer in MMA, came back, won, destroyed a legend, came back from diverticulitis, and eventually lost to a guy that was on the juice. All his college wrestling skill and ability were ignored because he was in WWE.

Now we are back to present day and fan outrage combined with know it all people with old criticisms. Roman Reigns won the rumble and people are mad for multiple reasons. Some say he is a terrible talker which is a thing now. As a child there were a few guys known for being good at talking and wrestling like Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes. Now everyone is expected to be great. 

Reigns is criticized for his wrestling ability as well. I don't think anything he does is special: but it looks really cool because of his looks. This is a good looking man. Any guy reading this would trade in a family member to be in this guys body for one day and sling mad dick around. So I think some jealousy is mixed in the anger towards him.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan because he is a product of WWE and their farming system. There are other wrestlers that I have watched for years that I would much rather see in his position but they don't have the look or luck or Reigns. This guy comes from a great wrestling lineage of Anoa'i that includes the Wild Samoans, Yokozuna, The Rock, and Umaga. But I have a feeling that his heart isn't 100% into it and that he will leave for movies as soon as possible. Yes, The Rock did it and is now known as Dwayne Johnson but he put in years in training, being hated, and eventually becoming the Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment. I doubt Reigns will stick around long enough to get to that level. So I don't watch him much or anything else in WWE. I watch two minute clips skipping all the talking that happens in wrestling now. I don't order shows or go to live events. It has nothing to do with it being PG. Its just not for me anymore and I'd rather support what I like than continue to bitch about what I don't.

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