What Is Wrestling?

A few years ago when I started working for a drama company, I turned around and asked my old boss, is Wrestling a type of theatre? She said what WWE and that stuff? Yeah I replied. No its a stupid sport full of over grown men who are wimps she replied.

Now while I was close to then going crazy with the fold up metal chair I was sitting on to show how wrong you can be. I got me thinking, what would you define wrestling as?

Barring greco-roman and olympic wrestling, I struggle to call predetermined wrestling a sport though it is very athletic and mainly you have to be in good shape to wrestle, so is it technically just a form of theatre no different to shakespear, since its live and done in a similar way (ok well not quite). The only other terms I could think of is soap opera for men, either that or raw and smackdown are a action and adventure tv series. I don't know it just got me thinking.

Your thoughts?

Televisual entertainment for me.

It isn't sport. Sport implies competition.

And for the independants that are not on TV - I suppose theatre is the closest thing. Doesn't sound like a ridiculous suggestion to me.

Your boss was being a snob, Demons right sport is competition but before kayfabe was broken it was seen as sport.

Many look down on it thinking its for kids but it's like a live action theatre no different than going to watching an action movie IMO

Well wikipedia defines sport as: "Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants."

The free dictionary has: "Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively."

Dictionary.com has: "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature"

I think professional wrestling fits into all of these, even though I and others probably don't class it as a sport. Competitive nature isn't necessary for something to become a sport.

I used to watch Legends of Wrestling and ITV used to have it on a Sunday in the 80's. If you watch it, there are very little kids there. It is adult entertainment.....the old grannies in the front row getting in a tiss when the heel acts up.

Because wrestling is now more mainstream, it is looked down upon. The fact is wrestling is like "The Only Way Is Essex". They say it is real people in real situations, but in reality it is all scripted and if they don't say what the producers want, they prompt them and do it again. But they still want to keep the aura intact, so they state that it is all off the cuff.

For all the backlash wrestling gets, I still have a lot of respect for the guys and girls that take part. It is scripted yes, but there is no way you can fake falling off a 20 foot ladder, or having your body slammed on the canvas night after night. Then there is the knowledge that is needed, perfecting every move and putting your personal health in another guys hands.

Think of all the wrestlers from the previous generation that are now having health problems. The Undertaker is a good example. The guy is made financially but keeps on coming back. His knees and back are shot to bits and he will suffer his last years away from wrestling in constant pain. There is no "fake" about that. Then there are all of those wrestlers that don't make it, that still go out and wreck their body night after night for our viewing pleasure, maybe only wrestling in front of 100 people.

In today' society, which lets face it is pretty bleak, you need to have opportunities to suspend belief. That might be movies, as someone has mentioned, wrestling, or watching the soaps.

I tried out for a wrestling school years ago, and failed miserably. I am not embarrassed to admit that. It takes a love, dedication and skill in the art - which is the same within sport and acting. It just so happens that professional wrestling bridges in between the two.

pro wtestling is pre determined and unlike most sports you don't have to be the most talented player/performer to make it to the top and this obviously takes away from the sporting aspect, but no one can deny the athleticism, talent, heart and guts required to be a wrestler. I wouldn't say I watch wrestling for the same reasons I watch others sports I'm passionate about such as football, golf and tennis for example, these sports are all about winning and to do that you have to be the best. Pro wrestling is not all about winning, it's about getting over and making money, personally I resent they way the business has gone in the last decade and I don't shout from the roof tops that I'm a wrestling fan probably due to the modern stigmas attached which have been previously mentioned by others. I tend to avoid the subject should someone see it on my sky plus box, I love the business as a fan but today more as viewer of a television show than as a sport.

Good question Awesome.

For me pro wrestling is basically part stunt show, part soap opera.

Its always intrigued me that rather than make it a legitimate, competitive sport, they chose to go down the entertainment route.

Because of that, in order to give the whole thing a purpose, you have to have scripts, plots - the whole "Hollywood" element, which is generally pretty good, if at times corny and/or utterly confusing.

Then you get on to the stunt show element - the fights. While they're obviously staged, with the outcomes serving the respective fighters' stories / status / position in the organisation, they can still be great to watch. They may not actually be competing, but they're still putting their bodies on the line, as if any of their moves don't come off, they can still pick up nasty injuries. For that alone they have my respect.

While I have noticed a big gap in the "quality" or skill levels shown in fights (sometimes its painfully obvious they're acting) the top wrestlers can put on amazing and convincing shows. Some of the fancier moves (jumping off or through the ropes, flying kicks, throws etc.) are worthy of any movie fight scene.

Unfortunately I think that too often the fights take second place to the out-of-ring drama. Which means that shows can often hang on good story and script writing and good acting on the part of the wrestlers.