Wrestling is a funny thing, there really is nothing like it in this world. It's a mix of theatre, comicbooks, mythology, stunts and drama. Each of these elements form together to make a weird, unique form of entertainment.
At its crux, pro wrestling is a story telling platform. These stories can be self contained in one night, even one match, or some last for months, even years. Though a lot may not be very memorable or that good, there are a certain elite that glimmer like golden pages in the pro wrestling storybook. Pro wrestling storylines can be as layered and deep as any a novel or epic, it just needs the right cast and the right plot.
Wrestling, most of the time, doesn't have the benefit of being able to be redrafted and tweaked over years before anyone has chance to see it. Wrestling is operated in real-time, with stories being told in regular intervals, piece by piece added with the potential of things out of the writers' control occurring, like injuries and other real-life circumstances. However, though this can be seen as a negative, it also allows for those steering the ship to change things judged on reception and feedback.
One of my favourite stories is that of Daniel Bryan and his road to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I loved this so much because it tapped into real life attitudes of the fans, and it took the audience's opinion on something to make a truly heart-warming moment. Though the actual build to his championship win could be seen as taking place in a matter of weeks or months, the whole thing was a matter of years of prior work.
As a brief run down, Daniel Bryan had quite a large following was considered quite a big deal before coming to the WWE, though a lot of the higher ups in WWE didn't see it that way. For the first few years of his run in WWE, it could be said that he was not used to his true potential, yet he managed to make a lot of great things work that probably shouldn't have. Fans were elated when he finally won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but this was short live, losing it within minutes. Once it became clear that the WWE didn't have any real plans for Bryan to stay near the top and around the title scene, fans began to voice their distaste. This prompted the 'Yes Movement', that transitioned into being a full-on story on WWE television, culminating at WrestleMania 30.
Bryan defeated Triple H in a hard-fought battle which meant he was added to the main event, making it a triple threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship between him, Randy Orton and Batista. Here's how it played out:
That thunderous cheer is something no other form of story-telling can muster from it's audience. Whilst it is already pretty rapturous in that first clip, I feel like you can get a much better feel of it when you see live fan reactions;
Although it wasn't quite as loud, that is pretty similar to my reaction in my living room watching it live at 4AM. It's the weird blend of reality and fiction that conjures such an intense emotion, something incapable to be made from a book, TV series or film.
In terms of why I relate it to comicbooks and mythology, its really quite simple. Wrestling shows are made up with a cast of characters, all with their own unique backstories, allies, enemies, traits and personalities.
For example, let's look at the current (as of 17/10/16) WWE Universal Champion, Kevin Owens. He is a self-proclaimed 'prize-fighter', working to provide a better life for him and his family. Yet, his brutality and under-handed tactics counteract this noble cause, even betraying his long-time best friend in his pursuit for championships. So, just like that you have this complex character where he has an admirable goal, yet do the ends justify the means? As well as that, he has this certain coldness to his approach, but he also has his streaks of rage and emotional outbursts, adding another layer of this man's complicated personality. Added to this he has his egotistical streak and sarcastic tone to everyone, you now have this unique character.
On a very different plane to Owens, you have The New Day. Now, when these guys formed together, they were portrayed pretty much as a black preacher stereotype. However, through their actions and promos, they evolved this character into a more cocky, cheat-to-win group. Then from there they kept evolving into adding more comedy and zaniness into their antics. Soon they became 'faces' (good guys), mainly because people, myself included, just loved all the stuff they did week-in, week-out. The following is an interview from February when technically they were 'heels' (bad guys), but people loved them anyway.
And just like in comicbooks and mythology, we have these characters being shaped and changing from all the trials and tribulations they endure over their career. The examples I chose were to display the type of thing currently on television, but its worth noting that characters develop over years, sometimes decades, like The Undertaker, who at one point was no longer a mystical magician and was, instead, a badass biker who entered to Limp Bizkit (I shit you not).
The other things I listed as the appeals of pro wrestling was 'stunts and sport'. I feel like the matches themselves are stuck under the perception that they're all like Hulk Hogan matches of the 80s with a lot of shit-looking punches and maybe a slam or two. However, even back then with guys like 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig and Owen and Bret Hart, you have guys putting on great matches that have a whole host of amazing looking manoeuvres and excellent story-telling. It can be seen that wrestling matches have generally become more action packed as the years have gone on. You don't have to look far to find incredible stuff going on;
In regards to story-telling, it can sound a bit weird to say that a fight between two or more people can tell a story, but that's just another way in which wrestling is a bit strange anyway. The wrestlers themselves don't even have to speak to tell these stories, leaving it mostly to their actions, reactions and body language.
Recently, I think that one of the best matches to depict this is that of Johnny Gargano versus his tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, in this past summer's epic 'Cruiserweight Classic' tournament. Gargano is often touted as having a ton of toughness and endurance, whilst Ciampa is mainly regarded as being a heavy-hitter who knows how to inflict pain. Before the match in an interview with Ciampa, he gave the great line 'I hit with intent to hurt, not to injure', which I thought really resonated in the match itself. Ciampa was hitting Johnny with everything he had, yet he couldn't put him away, resulting in sequences like this;
In terms of why I relate it to comicbooks and mythology, its really quite simple. Wrestling shows are made up with a cast of characters, all with their own unique backstories, allies, enemies, traits and personalities.
For example, let's look at the current (as of 17/10/16) WWE Universal Champion, Kevin Owens. He is a self-proclaimed 'prize-fighter', working to provide a better life for him and his family. Yet, his brutality and under-handed tactics counteract this noble cause, even betraying his long-time best friend in his pursuit for championships. So, just like that you have this complex character where he has an admirable goal, yet do the ends justify the means? As well as that, he has this certain coldness to his approach, but he also has his streaks of rage and emotional outbursts, adding another layer of this man's complicated personality. Added to this he has his egotistical streak and sarcastic tone to everyone, you now have this unique character.
On a very different plane to Owens, you have The New Day. Now, when these guys formed together, they were portrayed pretty much as a black preacher stereotype. However, through their actions and promos, they evolved this character into a more cocky, cheat-to-win group. Then from there they kept evolving into adding more comedy and zaniness into their antics. Soon they became 'faces' (good guys), mainly because people, myself included, just loved all the stuff they did week-in, week-out. The following is an interview from February when technically they were 'heels' (bad guys), but people loved them anyway.
And just like in comicbooks and mythology, we have these characters being shaped and changing from all the trials and tribulations they endure over their career. The examples I chose were to display the type of thing currently on television, but its worth noting that characters develop over years, sometimes decades, like The Undertaker, who at one point was no longer a mystical magician and was, instead, a badass biker who entered to Limp Bizkit (I shit you not).
The other things I listed as the appeals of pro wrestling was 'stunts and sport'. I feel like the matches themselves are stuck under the perception that they're all like Hulk Hogan matches of the 80s with a lot of shit-looking punches and maybe a slam or two. However, even back then with guys like 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig and Owen and Bret Hart, you have guys putting on great matches that have a whole host of amazing looking manoeuvres and excellent story-telling. It can be seen that wrestling matches have generally become more action packed as the years have gone on. You don't have to look far to find incredible stuff going on;
In regards to story-telling, it can sound a bit weird to say that a fight between two or more people can tell a story, but that's just another way in which wrestling is a bit strange anyway. The wrestlers themselves don't even have to speak to tell these stories, leaving it mostly to their actions, reactions and body language.
Recently, I think that one of the best matches to depict this is that of Johnny Gargano versus his tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, in this past summer's epic 'Cruiserweight Classic' tournament. Gargano is often touted as having a ton of toughness and endurance, whilst Ciampa is mainly regarded as being a heavy-hitter who knows how to inflict pain. Before the match in an interview with Ciampa, he gave the great line 'I hit with intent to hurt, not to injure', which I thought really resonated in the match itself. Ciampa was hitting Johnny with everything he had, yet he couldn't put him away, resulting in sequences like this;
Matches don't even have to be that complex to tell a story, it could just be 'Wrestler A has a damaged leg and is fighting through it' or 'Wrestler B is fucking angry at Wrestler B for 'x''.
Without going on forever, those are, in my opinion, the pillars of the appeal of pro wrestling; a unique way of telling stories in both in and out of the ring, the web of lore and mythos that coincides with the deep characters and just incredible spectacles of athleticism and toughness within the matches. All of these combined together form a great platform of entertainment, enthralling me near daily for as long as I can remember, and for the foreseeable future.
I hope you guys enjoyed this! This is a series I'm going to hopefully expand on, dunno how often though. If there are any aspects of pro wrestling or queries you have about this strange pseudo-sport I love that you would like explaining or your understanding developed upon, or even just let me know and I'll add it to the list.
Have a good one guys!
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