Why do you love wrestling?

[Tiger Maskooo]

I see alot of cynicism. I get it. This has at times been a crushing age of wrestling. There's alot to be jaded about.

Alot.

We've seen ecw come back and become a cynical ploy for vince to get bobby lashley over. We've seen talent be squandered. We've gotten invested to get let down to the point where you feel stupid for cainrg. The worst though? We've seen guys we revered die and others become murdering monsters.

However I think there's alot to love about this crazy world of dude fighting in underwear so this thread is about why you love pro wrestling.


I think I love wrestling because it might be the most free artform in the world. It can be anything. You can tell a story so many more ways in wrestling than anywhere else. You can do a character so many ways as well. An example that comes to mind is the prophecy and the second city saints from roh. Two stables with religious undertones and egotistical leaders. Yet they're different.

Even the violence itself can be done so many different ways. It can be balletic like a shawn michaels match. It can be down and dirty like a brawl. It can be ultra violent like a deathmatch. It can even be a mix.

I also love wrestling because it's almost like a live action comic book in the dark storytelling,the arc nature,the over the top violence and the colorful characters. It's also great theatre and can provide great feel good moments.

Why do you love wrestling?

[dlg3000]

I grew up on it and I have been a fan ever since. Wrestling was very different 30 years ago than it is now. It is hard to explain why I love wrestling except for the fact that it is fun to watch. I will never grow out of it and I am proud to say that.

[mcmahonfan85]

i love wrestling because when done right it's fun and entertaining

[Chardee MacDennis]

Mar 3, 2012 10:04:34 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

i love wrestling because when done right it's fun and entertaining

This. When wrestling is done right, there is no form of media that is better.

[Deleted]

It is really difficult to put into words. I like everything about wrestling. The action, the struggle between "good" and "evil" (depending on your view), the characters, the different styles, the build through promos, calling of the moves and the flow.

Nowadays, I wish they would put a little more effort into wins and losses and how they should actually "matter". I know it's "sports entertainment" now (as its been since the 1930s - you think Ali Baba was a technical wizard or just a great character to sell tickets?), but it does need to put a little more effort in selling the sporting aspect of it.
To show people that "not just anybody can do this. These guys train hard to be athletic." Just because you have an idea for a great character doesn't mean you have the skill and ability to make it work in the ring.

[Deleted]

Here's something I enjoy. A couple of years back, Tyson Kidd teamed with Chris Jericho on Smackdown. Just a random little tag match. Matt Striker mentioned their similar backgrounds and said that Kidd would learn a lot just from teaming with Jericho. It's true in kayfabe, but it's also true outside of it.

I like the reality subtext of pro wrestling, saying its not real is completely missing the point. They're not just mindless drones out there doing what the script says, they are living, breathing "performers" that are constantly honing their craft. The kayfabe chase for the title is one thing, but winning that title is a crowning achievement for the wrestler. It's different from say The Office, Dwight Schrute is the best paper salesman on the planet, but Rainn Wilson isn't. CM Punk is the WWE champ in kayfabe, but it's because Phil Brooks is one incredible pro wrestler.

Pro wrestling is the most misunderstood, under-appreciated artform in the world.

[NOwave]

I liked Jeff Jarrett's answer best: "To the fan, the attraction of pro wrestling never needs to be explained, to the non-fan, no explanation will ever be enough."

[Deleted]

I love the absurdity of it all, at it's best it's like a dadaist post-modern jazz theater.

[Objection!]

My explaination would just echo the opening of Beyond the Mat. I can't put it much better than Barry Blaustein did.

[molson5]

Mar 3, 2012 9:59:06 GMT -5 dlg3000 said:

I grew up on it and I have been a fan ever since. Wrestling was very different 30 years ago than it is now. It is hard to explain why I love wrestling except for the fact that it is fun to watch. I will never grow out of it and I am proud to say that.

Ya, same for me, I grew up on it and that's enough. I'm proud that I never grew out of it, and I'm proud that I don't have the cynical love/hate relationship with it. It doesn't have to be perfect or "correctly booked" for me to like it. I enjoy a great match, a terrible match, a great angle, or a wrestlecrap angle. It's all part of package of the last 30 years.

[zeez]

Because it's still more entertaining than most everything else on TV these days.

[Zaq "That Guy" Buzzkill]

Mar 3, 2012 12:30:39 GMT -5 zeez said:

Because it's still more entertaining than most everything else on TV these days.

^^
I also like it because the guys involved are some of the most dedicated and passionate workers in business of both sports AND entertainment.

["I'm Batman..."]

Mar 3, 2012 12:01:43 GMT -5 NOwave said:

I liked Jeff Jarrett's answer best: "To the fan, the attraction of pro wrestling never needs to be explained, to the non-fan, no explanation will ever be enough."

That's a great quote.

["Playboy" Don Douglas]

I grew up on it.

When it's done right, it can be everything you want from entertainment: Exciting. Action-packed. Funny. It can take you on a ride through just about any emotion you can feel. It can give you the classic good guys and bad guys story in several different ways. Leave you happy when your guy gets the big win. Have you shaking your head and mad (or just shaking your head) when things don't go your guy's way.

Plus it reminds me of my uncle Don and great-uncle John Douglas, who my dad and I always watched wrestling with when I was a kid, who are no longer with us.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

I love it because, when done well, I honestly think that it is the best form of entertainment out there. There are so many stories that can be told that it's insane. It basically combines all sorts of genres. It is mostly action but it can have elements of drama, comedy, romance and suspense. It can be damn near anything.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Because it's thrilling at best and hilarious at its worst. Plus wrestlers are rather underrated as all around talents, seeing as it requires both acting skill and a high pain threshold.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

Mar 3, 2012 10:04:34 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

i love wrestling because when done right it's fun and entertaining

Exactly. When everything falls into place, there isn't an art form more compelling or worth getting emotionally invested into in my opinion.

And like the OP said, you can mix and match it any way you want and it doesn't look out of place when done properly.

[Deleted]

Because it's real and straight.

In all seriousness,

Mar 3, 2012 14:32:31 GMT -5 Magic knows Black Lives Matter said:

I love it because, when done well, I honestly think that it is the best form of entertainment out there. There are so many stories that can be told that it's insane. It basically combines all sorts of genres. It is mostly action but it can have elements of drama, comedy, romance and suspense. It can be damn near anything.

sums it up perfectly.

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

When the OP mentioned a live-action comic book, that summed it all up for me.

[rapidfire187]

I really don't know. I've just been obsessed with it since I can remember. I think that it might be because it brings me back to my childhood or something. When I watch a really good match, I can't help but think about how I would have felt seeing it as a kid.