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| IS WRESTLING REAL? It is not a smart idea to accuse a pro wrester of being a fake. A few years back, John Stossel, consumer reporter for ABC's 20/20, did just that to to wrestler Dr. D (David Schultz). The good doctor clapped him over the ears so hard that Stossel believed that his hearing had been permanently damaged. Comedian Richard Belzer challenged Hulk Hogan to put a headlock on him. Hogan did just that, with such force that it cut off the blood supply to the comedian's brain. When Hogan released the hold, Belzer dropped to the floor unconscious. Goldberg doesn't appreciate being called a fake. He has challenged anyone to stand up to his spear, in which the 285-pound mountain of muscles charges headfirst from about 10 feet away. If anyone can stand up after the charge, "they can call it a fake," says Goldberg - but not before. Wisely, there have been no takers for that challenge. Back in the 1950's there was serious discussion about whether wrestling was "real" or not. Fans, particularly young fans, thought it was "real-real". Certainly most people had moments of doubt, but that didn't arise while we were watching a match, and doubts didn't interfere with the enjoyment. Those who didn't appreciate wrestling generally dismissed it as completely fake. Wrestlers them selves don't like to seriously discuss the reality of wrestling. You're likely to get an answer like the one Hulk Hogan gave, "For those who believe, you don't need an explanation; for those who don't believe, no amount of explaining will do." But wrestling isn't just a matter of faith. Something is really going on in that ring. Looked at coldly, it should be clear that if everything that appeared to be happening in a match was actually happening, the police would be called because somebody would be seriously injured or killed. When a 280-pound man jumps from the top ring rope onto his opponent, who is lying flat on the canvas, the results is going to be, at the very least, a lot of broken ribs. Unless, of course, the jumper makes a very serious and successful attempt not to injure his opponent by not quite landing on him, or by landing in a way in which knees, elbows or other bony parts don't make the impact. The results of the jump can still be painful, but not deadly or dangerous. If a wrestler is repeatedly punched, or kicked viciously, he is not going to be able to get up from the canvas and do the same to his opponent a minute later, unless the punches and kicks are "pulled" so that they have very little power in them. Nobody is going to get up after being hit viciously in the back of the head with a steel folding chair, unless he hasn't really been hit in the head, but across the back instead, and the chair has not been swung as viciously as it appears. The blow is going to sting, but it won't be lethal. Moves like the clothesline and forearm smash are popular, because they can be made to look good, but don't do any real damage to the opponent. A toehold applied by a strong and skillful wrestler, can easily break a man's leg. But if that skillful wrestler doesn't apply full pressure, the hold is going to look a lot worse than it is. And how about a wrestler picking up a then body slamming who weights a lot more than he does? The big fellow has to give the little guy a bit of help by jumping into his arms and grabbing his trunks to steady the hold. If the bug gut was really struggling to get away, the little guy wouldn't be able to handle him, and hit the move correctly. But in the match it doesn't look like the guy is cooperating. What goes on in the ring is no action adventure film. The leaps and falls are not accomplished by trick photography. The wrestler can't call in a stunt man to take the blows for him. There is both pain and danger in every match/ Sometimes injuries are faked in order to give a wrestler time off or build up anticipation about the rematch. But of course, there are plenty of real injuries as well (Sid breaking his leg in a WCW PPV), and there have been a few deaths in the ring (Ted DiBiase's father died of a heart attack while wrestling. A really good wrestler is one who can make the blows and the holds look more devastating than they really are, but not put his/her opponent out of business. It takes years of training, talent, and a lot of courage to make it big in the word of pro wrestling. If you see some of the more inexperienced or less talented wrestlers on the minor circuits, their matches really do look fake. In the big time, however, it's very hard to tell what's real and what is a "work" (not real). That's why professional wrestlers tend to bristle when they are told wrestling is "fake". It may not be "real-real", but for the fan, it's a great show, and it's quite real enough. These individuals are real athletes, and real professionals. In the late 1980's, Vince McMahon finally settled the reality question in wrestling, when he began describing WWF wrestling as "sports entertainment" rather than pure sports. It wasn't that McMahon had a sudden attack of truthfulness, what he wanted to do, was to get his business out from under the control of state and local athletic commissions. For their part, most athletic commissions were quite happy to relinquish control over pro wrestling. It had always been something of an embarrassment, and they never quite knew what to do with it. There was some fear that McMahon's admission would alienate fans. In fact, it seems to have had the opposite effect, because the popularity of wrestling has jumped, both on television and in the arenas. A lot of people seemed genuinely relived to know that the guys in the ring aren't going to get killed or maimed. That allows them to relax and enjoy the show. Still, wrestlers don't like to spend a lot of time talking about the tricks of their trade. It's important to maintain the illusion and to allow the fans, to engage in what writes of fiction call "the willing suspension of disbelief". Watching wrestling is a lot like watching stage magic. You know it isn't real, that's the lady really isn't being sawed in half. But it looks so darn real that you can't figure out exactly how it's done, and you marvel at the skill of the performer. |
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