Why I love pro-wrestling, and why I think every fan should too
Greetings, Reader.
I don’t know if you’ve read any of my articles before or even recognise my name, but this is my twentieth article. I’ve done six list articles, six opinion-based articles, two articles about wrestling rumours, and five kayfabe articles, but I would like to use this landmark to speak to you directly about an opinion of mine, and for the first time, use first person. I’m going to pour my heart out about why I love wrestling, and why I think every fan should too, in the best way I know how to: a long, four page piece.
To start, I would like to point out that the very concept of wrestling is stupid. A number of men or women grappling in front of an audience, wearing what can pretty much be called underwear and covering themselves in oil to make themselves look shiny.
That’s what a normal person would see. To me, wrestling is an art. It’s a craft that is beautiful in its own way. It’s not just a random sequence of people trying to kill each other, it’s a lot more than that.
It’s literature, it’s drama, it’s combat, it’s sport, it’s inspiration, it’s comedy, it’s horror, it’s gore, it’s beauty, it’s shock, it’s madness. Wrestling isn’t really like anything else.
But how? In obviousness, wrestling is combat, sport, gore, horror and madness. But what about the rest?
Literature doesn’t have to be restricted to screenplays, novels, and poetry. Wrestling is a form of literature too. Every outcome that takes place, every promo that’s cut, every big spot that takes place, all of it for a reason. It’s doesn’t just happen for the sake of it.
Take Daniel Bryan’s story leading to WrestleMania XXX for example.
Daniel Bryan was the babyface underdog everyone wanted to see succeed, just because everyone who mattered told him he couldn’t. But it did. And it was an exceptional moment. At SummerSlam 2013, Daniel Bryan pinned John Cena, the top dog, clean, with no nonsense, and won the WWE Championship.
But within minutes it all came crashing down. Triple H, who everyone thought was on Daniel Bryan’s side, turned on him and allowed Randy Orton to walk away with the gold, and why? Because Daniel Bryan was “too small, too ugly, and not the right man to lead a global corporation”. This was something that made everyone sympathise with Bryan for. It was unfair, cruel, and we all wanted redemption.
After months of struggle, Bryan clawed his way to the top, at WrestleMania XXX, defeating the legendary Triple H in one match, and the sure-to-be Hall Of Famers Batista and Randy Orton in another, all with an injured shoulder.