Welcome to another episode of me talking about the world of Sports Entertainment, where fantasy and reality collide. I named my column after thinking about how it is I approach Sports Entertainment; by being pro-realistic. What does it mean to be pro-realistic and how does it help me enjoy the product more? Let's find out.
Being "Pro-Realistic"
"It's fake, isn't it? But just how fake is it?" ~ A familiar quote we, as wrestling fans, have endured over and over again. I am sure this topic has been covered a bajillion times, but it is the issue I deal with more on a daily basis than any other theme, topic, or news story wrestling has ever given me. A fake sport that just when it captures people's interest in the ring, something over-the-top happens and turns people away. The quote I am used actually comes from my girlfriend's mother. It occured about 8:15, on January 20th. It was the Rey Mysterio versus Mark Henry match. You may or may not remember this match, so to refresh the memories let us take a look at how the WWE viewed the match, taking this from their archives.
"Early in the match, Rey used his speed, trying to stick and move to counteract the World’s Strongest Man’s size and power advantage. While Rey managed to keep Henry at bay for a while, eventually Henry caught Mysterio and used his power advantage to dominate. However, Henry got cocky, holding Mysterio above his head for an extended length of time. Rey was able to escape before Henry could do anything, and hit a series of 619s to chop the big man down to size. Rey then hit the frog splash for a near-fall, but Henry showed his agility, rolling out of the pinfall and over Mysterio. He then nailed Rey with the World’s Strongest Slam, getting the three count and winning the chance to face Angle on Jan. 29"
We watched the entire match, and I enjoyed it immensely. My markism for Mysterio was pouring out, because I know any self-respecting #1 contender like Mark Henry would not loose the match before his PPV match, unless for a story purpose. Henry won, but the match came off great. My girlfriend's mom then made that quote, after remaining mostly quiet through the segment I was thankfully allowed to watch on their TV. My first response was the same I give every dumbass "wrestling's fake" comment, "How real is that Survivor you watch?" I read alot, and know that there is accusations that say Survivor is bullshit, that SUV's take people to events and stunt doubles are used to add intensity, and certain interactions are prescripted. She got mad and said I was giving her bullshit, but I was trying to give a stupid answer because I didn;t have the time to explain the complex matter in being able to not only watch, but enjoy, wrestling as a whole. But more often than not, I give the explanation I am about to. And for me, the biggest factor in establishing wrestling as a respectable form of entertainment is its presenation. Survivor is crap, mainly because it doesn't have to be real, it never once says " All actors are living alone on an island with a real chance to die." Its TV, trying to be real because it is implied reality, but who actually does it live? That is where my respect for the WWE and other wrestling promotions is firmly placed. Aside from actual sports, very little is aired live.
It is the very nature of a live show that draws people to watch. It is why Smackdown should be live too, but the action is always done in front of a live crowd nonetheless. These guys perform a match they put together, both behind the scenes and in the ring. The better the stars, skill, chemistry, and charisma are, the better the match. Intense battles that utilize every move and some never seen before from a wrestler is needed to draw the audience into the battle being waged. My friends watch wrestling with me, because I force it on the TV. No matter if we play cards, smoke blunts, drink beers, or anything else that may go on, everyone respects my wish to watch Raw or Smackdown. But while they watch, they look for the 'fake' spots. We all know what they are; those non-punches, unebelievable moves like Booker's Scissor Kick, or complex hold or a submission not held tightly. They see those and without skipping a beat, they shout " LOOK HOW FAKE THAT IS!", how retardedly annoying is it? But how did I be able to look past it? I watch Survivor with the same animosity people do watching Raw. They know its pre-planned, so that makes it fake.
So every TV show in the world is fake!!!
I fell in love with the WWF during the Attitude Era. It was the most bad-ass time to be a fan. You had Austin fans who hated Goldberg fans, Rock fans who hated DDP fans, and vice-versa. It was cool to be a fan. But why was it cool? Everyone was able to accept the pro-realistic aspect of wrestling for a short time. With Mike Tyson getting involved, more insane spots, and tons more blood than ever before, gimmicks both super natural and pure realistic were accepted. We could watch The Undead Undertaker face the Stone Cold Steve Austin. That era is now over, and what is left is exactly what was there before the Attitude, Sports Entertainment.
Every time the WWE plays their hype videos before the start of any show, I somehow forget reality at the door. I accept the Pro-Realistic world of Sports Entertainment. I don't see punches being pulled, I see an attack on a wrestler in the middle of the ring. I don't see a submission as a way to slow a match down, I see it as a way to make the other guy tap out. I don't see 'botched' spot, I see a mistake athletes make all the time. When a Wide Receiver misses an easy catch, I don't shout " HE SCREWED UP ", no one is perfect. I try to loose myself in the moment of the match, from the entrance to the aftermath, I watch how two guys use their characters and arsenal to give a match that flows two ways. It is the element of in-ring athletics that make these men legends and heroes in my eyes. I hyped the Road to Wrestlemania tournament to my friends and got them to care, but when they sat down last night, they played cards while I watched. Maybe I am wrong, maybe it will be impossible to make people remember the passion they had as a former fan. Most people used to watch wrestling, but somehow forgot how they enjoyed it.
For all of us who watch wrestling, and watch those matches that don't make sense in the perspective of physics, we give up the full-fledged scientific analysis while watching wrestling. We can analyze a football and plays, we can analyze a baseball's projectory track, or a basketball's rebound mechanics. But when you have The Rock staring eye to eye with Hulk Hogan, and the millions... and millions of cheering fans across the world watching two super-egos collide, there is no science to prove it is an amazing feeling.
What my hope was in writing all this was to once again make the people here in the Asylum, and one day beyond, remember that we all watched wrestling because we loved it. Unconditionally now, we all seem to watch it as angry fans with shit television with the same love, but no passion. I am saddened when people crap on Mysterio's size being the only major factor in why he shouldn't main event, Undertaker's dominance over 16 years, or John Cena's title reign because it brings down the magic of what the WWE is trying to do. I thought signing up to be here would allow me to see other people who enjoy the product like I do. I was wrong. I found critics twice as cold as the people who ask if it is fake. I hope that those of you who watch wrestling can become Pro-Realistic again, and enjoy the moment as it is. Loose the bullshit, and enjoy watching the superstars compete EVERY SINGLE WEEK, 52 WEEKS a YEAR.
Thank you for reading this long column and hopefully it will inspire you to watch wrestling the way we did when we first started watching it. Not as a angry critic, but as a fan. A Pro-Realistic fan.
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