Writing Blog Number 2

20240828 In Defence Of Professional Wrestling

In Defence Of Professional Wrestling

I have been subjected to some vitriol on WdC as of late, and, as is usual in cases like this, things get personal. One thing was that because I like professional wrestling, I must be stupid and so my opinions don’t matter.

Well, f*ck you.

Professional wrestling is performance art. It involves a lot of pain, a lot of skill and a lot of ability. The stories are as intricate as many movies; the acting is better than a lot of modern “actors” can muster.

And it is fun. For me!

Yes, I said stories. The matches do not exist in isolation; there is nine times out of ten a reason for them occurring. That might be something sporting, like wanting to get a shot at a tile, personal, like someone abused someone else’s family, or long-term and intricate, like a redemption arc (Randy Savage, WM 3 to WM8, greatest wrestling story ever!). Sometimes they’re stupid – I remember a feud over a shampoo commercial – and sometimes they make no sense, but there is often a story involved. That is why the writer in me loves it.

Wrestling can also help the writer; I use it when teaching one of my writing courses. I find it is the best thing to use when helping beginner or not as confident writers with one specific element of writing.

Then there’s the, “But it’s all fake!” argument. Umm… you realise movies are fake, right? And most TV shows? Is it because it is in a sporting context? So you think Apollo Creed was really killed by Ivan Drago? At least wrestling admits the results are pre-determined; ask Formula 1 racing, professional boxing, South American soccer and Indian cricket about that and see the embarrassed non-looks you receive. If being fake – and ask my destroyed shoulder, lost tooth and bad back just how “fake” it is; being slammed on concrete, getting hit by a chair, going through a table hurt, like, a lot – is an issue, your poor minds must explode when you watch a superhero movie and see someone fly! Or see a criminal case solved in an hour (plus commercials). Or see the good guys win all the time.

It is entertainment. It is written (sometimes even well!) and makes better sense than some TV I've seen recently (*cough*The Acolyte*cough*). It is acted believably for what is presented, moreso than too many 'actors" in movies and TV shows I've seen lately. It is not meant to be the be-all and end-all of sport, and does not pretend to be, unlike nearly every other sport on the planet.

And it is rarely boring. Let's ask soccer about that, with a 0-0 scoreline after eighty minutes plus extra time.

Yes, I like professional wrestling. A lot.

And if you don’t, then I think there might be something wrong with your sense of fun.