Professional Wrestling: YES! We Know It's Fake!
Professional Wrestling, more specifically the WWE, has fallen under the scrutiny of most sports fans since its creation. Most people think that wrestling is a disgrace to other sports, considering the moves are choreographed and are clearly not meant to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Believe it or not, the fans of the WWE know that it’s not real!! You may wonder, “If they know it’s fake, why do they still watch? Why do they care?” Well, as a huge WWE fan, I can tell you all about why these athletes/actors have captured my heart and many millions more.
First of all, the WWE is not just a bunch of guys who pretend to beat each other up. Each superstar has his own persona, theme song, and larger-than-life attitude. As you can imagine, the combination of such attitudes leads to massive conflicts. These conflicts are then made into story lines, and that is what makes it truly interesting. When you think that one guy is a massive d*ck, you become invested in cheering against him. It is almost like a soap opera with some a*s-kicking thrown in. Plus, no one ever said these guys are great fighters, per se. WWE fans view the wrestlers as stuntmen more than anything. They are constantly flying through the air and landing flat on their backs. They may not really be fighting, but their bodies take a beating every time they enter the ring. Next, the WWE superstars are great people outside of the ring. They spend a lot of their time visiting troops and granting wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a matter of fact, John Cena, one of the biggest WWE superstars, has currently granted more wishes than any other celebrity. In addition to granting wishes, the WWE superstars and administration founded the “Don’t Be a Bully, Be a Star” initiative. They go around to schools all over the country and talk to kids about how bullying is wrong and how violence is not the way to solve problems. I think this initiative is great because although they may portray violent characters on television, they acknowledge and support an anti-violence cause.
Next time you decide to tell a wrestling fan that it’s all fake, I want you to think of this article. We are not fans because of their a*s-kicking abilities. We are fans because we support the cause of the WWE, we like the high flying stunts, and we enjoy the drama and conflict between characters. And then, ask yourself this: Is that so different from the reality TV you watch?