I have been asked countless times why I am a professional wrestling fan. The short answer is, "because I like it." There is a much longer answer to this question.
First of all, one of my least favorite comments when someone finds out that I like professional wrestling is, "You know it is fake, right?" Do I have to like something just because it is real? Do you watch Spiderman because you really believe that this guy named Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and turned into a superhero? Do you believe that Ash Ketchum goes around capturing small animals in a small ball the size of an apple? The answer to that question is, "Yes, I know it is fake." They will usually respond with, "but they make you believe that it is real."
That is what most people think about professional wrestling, but that is not the case. Vince McMahon has tried his hardest to make sure that people understand that it is not real. He makes the men and women on screen be called superstars and divas instead of wrestlers. He makes sure that people do not refer his business to a sport, but as sports entertainment. During the intro video on all WWE home videos they say that all of the superstars and divas are trained professionals so that you should not try what they are doing at home.
This leads into why I like professional wrestling. Most people are surprised when they find out that I love WWE, but hate UFC. The reason for this is because UFC proves why WWE is fake. If it was real, it would be boring. Wrestling can be described as a "soap opera for men." You have your love stories, your hated rival stories, and the just filler stories.
Another reason that I love professional wrestling is that there are so many characters that you can find at least one to relate to. There are the stories of the person who has been in the business for 10 years to finally achieve his boyhood dream of holding that World Championships, there are the girls that are dating the man everyone hates, but does not realize they are hurting them, and then there are the stories that revolve around best friends working together and doing what they love. You can always find a character that you can see a little bit of yourself in them.
Even though the action in the ring may not be real, the emotions are. In 2000 after Kurt Angle won his first WWE Championship he was crying in the middle of the ring, those were his real emotions showing. Another instance of real emotion is when Matt Hardy and Lita (a real life couple) broke up after six years and Adam Copeland (Edge) started dating Lita. The rumor was that Matt Hardy was released from the WWE because he was becoming harder to work with do to always being in a bad mood after Lita broke up with him. During one of Edge's matches, Matt Hardy returned and just beat him up. The story may have been part real and part fake, but you could tell that Matt was taking out all of his frustrations on Edge. During an interview with Matt Hardy during the RAW 100 video, Matt said that it tore him apart knowing what Edge, one of his best friends, did to him.
Another reason that I enjoy professional wrestling is that I understand the hardships it takes to excel in the business. I have read both Eddie Guerrero's autobiography and both of Chris Jericho's autobiographies. These superstars that you see on TV have been in the business for years. They started out wrestling in bars in front of twenty people to where they are now and wrestling in front of millions of people every week.
Another annoying comment that people make is, "They know how to fall so it doesn't hurt." You try telling me that there is a way to fall off of a twenty foot ladder through a wooden table and not be even a little bit in pain. Injuries do happen in the business, but they take as many precautions to keep their employees as safe as possible. They are constantly putting their bodies on the line so that they can keep their fans happy.
These are all the reasons that I enjoy the entertainment that is professional wrestling. If you agree or disagree with me you can comment on my post. I do not care if you disagree with me, but please be respectful with your comments.
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