I've gone long enough hiding this from everyone and I think it's time the truth came out. I shouldn't be ashamed of this part of me, but I can't help feeling judged every time someone finds out about it. So, in the interest of being honest with myself, my family, and everyone I know, the time has come to simply say it out loud and stop being afraid of it. So, here we go...
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm a fan of professional wrestling.

I know, it's hard to believe that anyone with my level of intelligence could POSSIBLY enjoy such a barbaric form of entertainment (cut that snickering out there, I can hear you...). I suppose it's some juvenile thrill that never really went away, or it could be my need for mindless entertainment imposing on what should be a mature outlook to life. Or, maybe I just like seeing some get powerbombed through a wood table. Whatever the reason is, I'm a fan of pro-wrestling and have been for decades. I grew up watching Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ricky Steamboat, and the Ultimate Warrior in my early teen years. As my interest grew, I started branching out to Japan pro-wrestling, then to Lucha Libre, then to the independent circuits. That being said, I'm not about to bore any non-believers out there with my significant amassed and useless knowledge. My reason for blogging about this at all is simple: why is pro-wrestling regarded as such a low-brow form of entertainment?

Ok, before you start raising the obvious arguments, let me start by pointing out a few things. First, I'm not suggesting pro-wrestling is some higher form of expression that is misunderstood. It's grown men and women slamming each other around; not much room for higher purpose there. Second, yes I know it's staged, so are soap operas (notice I said staged, not faked... more on that later). Third, many consider it barbaric and trivial with over-tanned, under-trained actors that are more muscle than mental. To this I ask: have you SEEN Jersey Shore??? My gripe here isn't that the criticisms are wrong; most of them have valid points that, under the right context are as correct as they are compelling. The problem is that opponents of pro-wrestling seem to regard the phenomenon as a legitimate form of sport or competition. This is like comparing an episode of NYPD Blue to an episode of Cops... same level of drama, totally different level of legitimacy.

Let's break this out a bit... no one can argue that many of the wrestlers out there are impressive physical specimens. The fact is that there is a huge level of athleticism involved with their profession. Many pro-wrestlers have amateur backgrounds with recognized credentials (NCAA, national championships, etc.), and are as strong, agile, and fast as any professional athlete in any sport. However, the application of this ability is where the lines tend to get blurred. One of the biggest arguments you will hear is: "wrestling is fake".

Right.

Have you ever fallen on your back onto grass, dirt, or something relatively hard? Hurts doesn't it? Have you ever been tackled playing football with friends on astroturf and gotten the wind knocked out of you? Hurts doesn't it? Ever jumped off a 5 foot rise and land on your butt? I'd be worried about you if you did, but if so, it HURT didn't it? The point here should be clear: just because it's scripted doesn't make it "fake". The moves they perform and the bumps they take are painfully real many times, and the athletic prowess it takes to pull them off in a convincing fashion is genuine given the difficulty it presents. And as for padded ring mats... get over yourself, that's not a mattress under the canvas.

The fact remains that these are men and women that put their bodies on the line for the sake of entertainment, no different than a Cirque de Soleil acrobat or motorcycle exhibition stunt rider. No one would ever doubt the performer's athletic ability despite knowing the final outcome of the performance. Why should pro-wrestling be any different? The bottom line is pro-wrestlers are entertainers as much as they are athletes, and vice versa, yet people still crucify them for being something they never claimed to be in the first place.

So we're back again at the point of all this. In the end, I would dare to say this entry is nothing more than an attempt to justify my interest in a pointless means of entertainment. But let's face it, don't we all seek out those distractions that whisk us away from our reality for a little while and allow us to live vicariously through the characters and situations that make our adrenaline pump? We may never admit that we do it when it's something more "acceptable", like watching football or taking in the ballet. But if we're all being honest, doesn't everyone imagine themselves behind the mask every now and then? For wrestling fans, we're just sports fans who appreciate a little drama behind the hits.

I close with a quote from one of the legends in the business, Ric Flair: "For those who don't get pro-wrestling, no explanation will do. For those that love pro-wrestling, no explanation is needed." I'm a wrestling fan, people... and if you ain't down with that, I've got two words for ya... (fellow fans, fill in the blanks... I'm outta here).