WrestleMania 32

Manwiththeplan · Jan 29, 2014

Phoenix said:
Nobody believes it is a "real" sport. Nobody. But a lot of the physicality is absolutely real. They do a pretty fantastic job of limiting serious injuries by having such great choreography and scripting, in fact, as well as other things to make it look real.

I've seen someone on this forum argue otherwise

TheCowboy · Jan 29, 2014

Phoenix said:
Nobody believes it is a "real" sport. Nobody. But a lot of the physicality is absolutely real. They do a pretty fantastic job of limiting serious injuries by having such great choreography and scripting, in fact, as well as other things to make it look real.

Sorry if I'm wrong, but I know that there are people out there who still believe WWE is real wrestling. Doesn't bother me but I went to UFC and ditched WWE years ago

big dog cowboy · Jan 30, 2014

TheCowboy said:
I mean that's great to watch with your son but would you watch it if your son wasn't interested?

Yes sir. I did for many many years before he was born.

BrAinPaiNt · Jan 30, 2014

Stop watching fake wrestling and watch UFC. You still get plenty of drama but when they hit they hit for real.

big dog cowboy · Jan 30, 2014

BrAinPaiNt said:
Stop watching fake wrestling and watch UFC. You still get plenty of drama but when they hit they hit for real.

But, but, but....I thought it was all about being entertained!!!

MichaelWinicki · Jan 31, 2014

big dog cowboy said:
But, but, but....I thought it was all about being entertained!!!

LOL!

Certainly there's something to be said for the UFC style... Great athletes... Real fighting.

But to me it lacks something. It's an amped up version of amateur wrestling. And it doesn't hold my attention for long.

The "Professional" version of wrestling today is too choreographed IMO. It has to be in order to pull off all the high-risk maneuvers that they do. The result is that it's over the top. Less is more when it comes to what they do in the ring. Then the high-spots stand out so much more. They've spoiled fans into expecting non-stop action from the opening bell on. The result is short matches and lot's of high-spots but not a lot of great memories because one match is just like another.

DanteEXT · Jan 31, 2014

BoysFan4ever said:
Something must be real in all that somewhere. I saw Hulk Hogan once in an airport & he could barely walk & looked like a cripple. I don't know a thing about him but he was in bad bad shape. I guess in all that fake there are many real injuries. To his credit he had stopped in the concourse & was signing autographs for kids & people that had asked.

Even though the ring is padded and gives a little (some more than others) I'd have to imagine years of body slams and suplexes would eventually take their toll on all of them. Even Hogan and his ridiculous finishing move. Years of "jumping" up and landing flat on his ***... I'm not a doctor but I can't see how that wouldn't have a cumulative effect on his hips, spine, etc.

MichaelWinicki · Jan 31, 2014

DanteEXT said:
Even though the ring is padded and gives a little (some more than others) I'd have to imagine years of body slams and suplexes would eventually take their toll on all of them. Even Hogan and his ridiculous finishing move. Years of "jumping" up and landing flat on his ***... I'm not a doctor but I can't see how that wouldn't have a cumulative effect on his hips, spine, etc.

That's a valid point.

By the time he was in his late 30's Bruiser Brody's elbow and hip were a car wreck. All those "flying knee drops" had to drop on something... and it was his elbow and hip. He put off surgery and downed a whole lot of aspirin.

Phoenix · Jan 31, 2014

Not to mention the high flyers leaping 10 feet in the air off the top rope and crashing down to the mat or even the floor...or being thrown into the steps...or being suplexed on to the announce table... or crashing into tables, ladders, chairs...or being thrown off the entrance ramp onto the floor below...those guys literally get beat to hell and break bones, etc. Yeah it is all scripted, shows are written in advance, but as I said before, much of the physicality of this is absolutely real. Sometimes guys don't pull their punches enough...I mean it just goes on and on.

Phoenix · Jan 31, 2014

MichaelWinicki said:
LOL!

Certainly there's something to be said for the UFC style... Great athletes... Real fighting.

But to me it lacks something. It's an amped up version of amateur wrestling. And it doesn't hold my attention for long.

The "Professional" version of wrestling today is too choreographed IMO. It has to be in order to pull off all the high-risk maneuvers that they do. The result is that it's over the top. Less is more when it comes to what they do in the ring. Then the high-spots stand out so much more. They've spoiled fans into expecting non-stop action from the opening bell on. The result is short matches and lot's of high-spots but not a lot of great memories because one match is just like another.

What is so odd about today's WWE vs. what was before is the whole attitude of the "entertainment" aspect of the "sport". Vince has fully embraced "sports entertainment" of course. But his DADDY before him loathed it. He actually wanted nothing to do with the "entertainment" aspect being brought in...and people tried. Look up Andy Kaufmann's history, and his little run in with the King, Jerry Lawler. For years people thought that was real, but it was a work, kept secret for many years. And Andy tried and tried and tried to get his act into "professional wrestling" back then, but the elder McMahon time and again rejected it.

Or at least I think that's how it all went. Of course I could be wrong.

MichaelWinicki · Jan 31, 2014

Phoenix said:
What is so odd about today's WWE vs. what was before is the whole attitude of the "entertainment" aspect of the "sport". Vince has fully embraced "sports entertainment" of course. But his DADDY before him loathed it. He actually wanted nothing to do with the "entertainment" aspect being brought in...and people tried. Look up Andy Kaufmann's history, and his little run in with the King, Jerry Lawler. For years people thought that was real, but it was a work, kept secret for many years. And Andy tried and tried and tried to get his act into "professional wrestling" back then, but the elder McMahon time and again rejected it.

Or at least I think that's how it all went. Of course I could be wrong.

Point taken about the "Entertainment" angle.

There's something to be said about that, but while the matches feature more action and more high-points (in a shorter period of time and with more choreography involved) it has a non-real feel to the whole thing. It's more like Cirque du Soleil in the squared circle.

I think it was Rich who posted something about Harley Race delivering a simply knee drop and he was so good at it that you would swear he was going to crush his opponents skull.

Fans today wouldn't appreciate that. It's not risky/daredevilly enough. But it inherently looked more real.

Manwiththeplan · Feb 1, 2014

Honest question, but if I had a question about the Harlem Globetrotters, would it belong in the sports zone or the off topic zone?

DanteEXT · Feb 2, 2014

Manwiththeplan said:
Honest question, but if I had a question about the Harlem Globetrotters, would it belong in the sports zone or the off topic zone?

Sports zone.

TellerMorrow34 · Feb 3, 2014

TheCowboy said:
As I kid I liked it. I'm not really sure why adults would religiously watch it though, knowing it is fake.

Same reason they religiously watch TV shows and movies even though they know they're fake.

TellerMorrow34 · Feb 3, 2014

TheCowboy said:
Sorry if I'm wrong, but I know that there are people out there who still believe WWE is real wrestling. Doesn't bother me but I went to UFC and ditched WWE years ago

BrAinPaiNt said:
Stop watching fake wrestling and watch UFC. You still get plenty of drama but when they hit they hit for real.

I watch both for completely different reasons and entertainment.

TheCowboy · Feb 3, 2014

BraveHeartFan said:
Same reason they religiously watch TV shows and movies even though they know they're fake.

We don't associate movies and TV shows with being sports though..

TellerMorrow34 · Feb 3, 2014

TheCowboy said:
We don't associate movies and TV shows with being sports though..

I don't associate wrestling as a sport either, other than the athletic side of it. But since I know it's predetermined it is nothing more than a TV show, or movie, or play to me. If people get all worked up and caught up in the fact that it's billed as Sports Entertainment, and that bothers them, then that's their deal. It means nothing to me and what I watch.

TheCowboy · Feb 4, 2014

BraveHeartFan said:
I don't associate wrestling as a sport either, other than the athletic side of it. But since I know it's predetermined it is nothing more than a TV show, or movie, or play to me. If people get all worked up and caught up in the fact that it's billed as Sports Entertainment, and that bothers them, then that's their deal. It means nothing to me and what I watch.

Many people view it as a legit sport because it's labeled "wrestling." I sound like a hater right now. Not putting it down, but just sharing my opinion.

TellerMorrow34 · Feb 4, 2014

Nah not a hater at all. People aren't haters simply because they don't like something.

MichaelWinicki · Feb 4, 2014

I looked at the proposed main event matches for the upcoming WM... And I shake my head.

You've got a guy who wrestles a handful of times per year as a headliner? Really?

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