Pulp Wrestling - Eye Of The Tiger
Posted by Jules McPherson
on 11/05/2006
Hello everyone and welcome to another weekly edition of the only column series on the web hosted by yours truly. Today we will be taking a look into a much fabled condition, which has often been the stuff of folklore. Hopefully you will find this column to be both entertaining and enlightening, or a close enough facsimile thereof. So without any further delay, let us now dive in to the bloody pool of Pulp Wrestling.
"There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. Then the rest of them who have to piss on the electric fence and find out for themselves. "
Will Rogers (paraphrasing) Somewhere in the tangled jungle of our minds lurks a tiger, slowly but surely stalking its prey. With each subtle movement it gives the illusion of being in complete control, just beyond that illusion, inside the very core of the tiger though is a passion, a hunger for blood, and sustenance that goes beyond anything else it may have on the agenda. At once it seizes the moment and lunges out at the target, with clocklike precision it strikes and brings it down.
All the subtle movements, skilled precision and cunningness that was used to corner the prey is then thrown out into the wind, as the tiger lets loose its sheer primal rage on the unfortunate victim its acquired. With great ferocity it rips into the flesh and bones of its prey, tearing it down to nothing. If you had been looking at the tiger in question during this act you’d have seen it at its most primal state, that of the devourer. If you had seen it during the hunt however, you would have seen it in a completely different light.
If you had any sense whatsoever though, you’d know better than to stray into its jungle, at any time, regardless of how cute and cuddly it looks to the naked eye.
The above paragraphs perfectly describe the act of a predator during the hunt. It’s also the basis for an often used figure of speech that gets thrown around a lot by athletes, coaches, and trainers in all walks of life. Best known for its use in the awesome theme song from Rocky III, the ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ has come to mean an all encompassing look in one’s eye that signifies, crazed passion, unreasonable drive, insatiable hunger, that classic ‘killer instinct’ and a few other extreme adjectives all simultaneously. It’s a look that’s often sought after but only rarely seen.
Some of my favorite performers of all time as far as wrestling is concerned have been men who not only had this look, but embodied those attributes. Men like Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Steve Austin, Eddie Guerrero, Brian Pillman, and countless others that I’m probably forgetting right now. Sure all these men were good to great wrestlers and in ring performers, but the one thing that always separated them from everybody else that they faced was their eyes. Their external eyes told the entire internal story about what was going on beneath the exterior of said person.
People can talk about precise delivery or amazing workrate all they want, but the one thing that has always drawn me in the most was neither of those things, it was the eyes of the performer. They say the eyes are windows into our souls. It’s the hardest part of our body to make lie. Hence that other classic song by ‘The Eagles’ called (You can’t hide your...) 'Lyin’ Eyes'. It may be a cliché, but often things get to be clichéd simply because they are true.
I can easily manipulate most of my body parts, and my words for the most part. But the first thing that reacts outwardly to anything is always the eyes. When you think someone is lying to your face, you normally look them right in the eyes to see if they are or not. Likewise, in any and every emotion it is the eyes that always convey the most sincerity and volume. This is why I never got the argument about masks holding wrestlers back. As long as the eyes are visible, they still have the most vital piece of their body exposed. If they’re hiding their eyes though, it’s normally out of nervousness or a self conscious awareness.
Take a look at Bret Hart’s early career. His original character was that of a cold calculating Hitman, yet when he spoke what was portrayed was a nervous shakiness that in no way corresponded with that kind of character. So what did he do? He put on a pair of cool looking shades and the problem was solved. By doing this he allowed himself to have a bit of privacy and space to grow in confidence. Sometimes people are not blessed with the ‘Eye of the tiger’ so they have to turn to whatever they can. In that way a wrestler using a mask that covers his eyes, is in a sense replacing his eyes with the eyes of the mask.
If he can still use his body to tell the overall physical story then I don’t see how that should be limiting to his marketability or his ability to connect with the crowd. Besides, the fact is that sometimes modern audiences can be very vain in wanting to see faces just for the sheer sake of seeing faces. In a way, so to speak, we all wear masks one way or another; masked wrestlers just take it to the next level. Take me for instance; the computer screen that separates me from all of you is, in a sense, my mask. You can't physically see me (hopefully), but you can connect with my words nonetheless.
Taking us back to the original topic though, when you look at the original list of men I mentioned, you’ll find in them all the traits I listed about this phenomenon.
Randy Savage was the embodiment of crazy for an entire generation of wrestlers and wrestling fans alike. Just one look into his eyes (when they weren’t being covered with massively preposterous shades) revealed a glimpse into the madness (pardon the pun) of his soul.
This was not a faked madness either, for a look at his actual life reveals a story of someone who was himself dedicated beyond what most people would consider an acceptable degree. Early in his life he played minor league baseball, as a right hander. Unfortunately for him he suffered an injury to his right shoulder that prevented him from using it. So what did he do? The sensible thing would have been to simply call it a career and just accept the hand fate had dealt him. But instead, his passion for baseball was so strong that he spent the entire off season tirelessly learning how to throw with his left hand.
Brian Pillman likewise in his pre-wrestling career played pro-football as a nose tackle, a position unheard for a man of his size. The toughness and tenacity required of him to do something like that is almost unfathomable to most. The reason for him doing it was that he was consumed, heart , mind and spirit with a deep desire to do what he loved. It was that same desperate drive that would lead him to a legendary career in pro-wrestling, and tragically also, to an early demise. Lastly there was Steve Austin, a man who became a household name because of his intense drive.
His early days as Stone Cold were saturated with the kind of unapologetic ambition and determination that would go on to make him a legend. It was that same passion that led him to wrestle for years after a neck injury that by all means should have put him out for good. Those who think just anyone could have pulled off that role in the Attitude Era, are sadly, sadly mistaken. These examples show exactly the kind of insanity I’m talking about, which speaks as to why so few are seen as having this ‘Eye of the tiger’ condition. Seriously, after reading these stories, who would want it?
On the outside these men all seemed to be in control. Which is what made their matches so crisp, but on the inside the same thing that helped them attain that kind of needle like precision, is also what ultimately lead to their machine gun like tempers and uncontrollable personalities. Take a look at some of the greatest ‘talkers’ of all time. If you look beyond those like Ric Flair and The Rock who just exuded ‘coolness and charisma’ you’ll find mostly men like Steve Austin, Randy Savage, Jake Roberts and Brian Pillman. These men were off the wall loose cannons. (Albeit all in their own unique ways...)
They were not defined by catch phrases, or simple sayings. They were their personas. It was not an act, more so than a simple exaggeration of self. In my own life I have always strove to have these traits. To be the man that when he speaks, everyone listens, that just like the tiger in the jungle, has a presence that evokes danger, mystery and excitement. The problem with all of that is that in the real world, such people are not given the same mythic like status as pro-wrestlers with those traits. They are instead, locked in insane asylums or thrown into prisons, or worse yet are seen shirtless on an episode of Jerry Springer raving on and on like a lunatic.
This is just another one of the endless reasons I love wrestling. It gives applause to the kind of people who would generally only be met with fear or misunderstanding. It’s a place for social rejects of all kinds to come and be welcomed, whether they’re passionately driven individuals, or just flat out psychopaths. And before I go any farther, yes there is a difference, which is why I didn’t mention every dumbass who had balls enough to stick his dick into a chainsaw’s grasp and call it ‘wrestling’ in this column.
So how can we as regular everyday people capture this ‘Eye of the tiger’? We can’t. It is not a thing which can be possessed by human beings. It is only a thing that can possess us. You see, in order to gain this kind of drive, you must disconnect yourself from every single logical thought you ever had. Everything you thought was impossible is now possible, if you are willing to make it so. Such courage and passion does not come at an easy price though. Often times the luminaries of our great pastime who’ve been possessed by the aforementioned qualities end up in less than desirable situations themselves.
It should serve as a warning to everyone though, by looking at the lives of those who’ve gone before us that we need not make those same mistakes ourselves. Although, distressingly there are bound to be many more in the future who will repeat them. This is why, while I admire this attribute, I also fear it. I don’t want to become one of those people so driven by their passion that I wind up in the cemetery because of it. I’d very much like the ability to say I did and have it be true, but the simple fact is compared to the men listed above, I am a gutless coward.
This is why I write about wrestling instead of actually getting in the ring and risking my own neck. Through this I can attain a very small glimpse, an infinitesimal portion of the adrenaline that must go through an actual wrestler’s mind when he is in the throes of performance. Sure it’s a far cry from the real thing, but then again, far less is required of me also. Perhaps you are different than I, and instead of hiding in fear from the tiger that pervades all of our minds begging us to come hither, you actively pursue it. If that is you, I wish you nothing but the best in terms of success and prosperity gained because of your unrelenting nature.
Not every story of passion always comes to a fatal or otherwise tragic end. Sometimes, in the muck of sad songs, there is one or two who manage to survive the self-inflicted wrath of the road, both of wrestling and life in general. To those much credit must be given. If you’re like me however and simply enjoy sitting on the sidelines, then don’t fret. I didn’t mean to imply that we’re all cowards, we’re simply intelligent enough to know our limitations, and our reward is that we get to watch and enjoy the great feats brought about by those who are either not so physically limited, or just too crazy to give a damn.
Whatever the case may be, may you go in peace, love and admiration of those who've gone before you after reading this column. If in any way while reading this you connected with the side of yourself that would really like to abandon fear and give your own dream a go, then I am unbelievably grateful to have been able to be a part of such a realization. If you just thought about some fond memories of days gone by, or even current history, then more power to you as well. For a wise man that was quoted at the beginning of this column once said, "We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by." I think that describes me perfectly.
Thanks again, as always for reading through my thoughts. I really do appreciate it and welcome any and all feedback. You may contact me personally at pulp_wrestling@yahoo.com... I will respond personally to each and everyone who’s willing to write. So until then, be good to each other.
Jules.
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