Last week, we had part one of “What is Wrestling” which featured answers from Mike Quackenbush and Pulse Glazer. I requested my readers to send in their answers to that very question, and below is what I received. Actually, I got a bit more than what is below, but those e-mails were the ones that stated “Mike Quackenbush pretty much summed it up for me…” or “Pulse Glazer hit the nail on the head there…”. Things like that. Nonetheless, let’s get to YOUR responses.
Giorgos Prokopiou wrote in…
I believe the answer to that question lies within another, much more common question, one every Wrestling fan has been asked many times over, often with more than a subtle hint of irony:
“Why do you watch that thing, isn’t it fake ?”
Ok, first of all, it’s not “fake”…it’s still real to me dammit!!
(Look that phrase up on YouTube if you’re not smiling right about now)
Seriously though, it’s not fake. It’s scripted and directed. There is a huge difference between the two. The performers, who get in that ring day after day, put their bodies, their careers and their lives on the line, all just to entertain us, deserve more than being called “fake”. It is degrading and disrespectful. Pro Wrestling is Respect to the performers who risk all they have to entertain us.
And entertain us they do. Working in the ring together, telling a story for a good twenty or so minutes, absorbing us in, letting us escape and believe that what we’re seeing is real, building emotions until they can get the loudest reaction in the world by simply lifting their arm in the air after the other has been on them for two seconds. Pro Wrestling is Emotion.
Then there’s the things they do outside the ring. The comedy, the anger, the frustration. A good Professional Wrestler can talk as good as any actor, stand in front of a live audience and make them laugh, cheer, boo, have them eating out of the palm of his hand. Pro Wrestling is Performance.
So there you have it:
Respect – Emotion – Performance
That is certainly why I watch Pro Wrestling, so for me, that IS Pro Wrestling.
But unfortunately, I have to agree that what Jeff Jarrett once said about why people believe in Pro Wrestling is true: “For those who believe, no explanation is needed. For those who don’t believe, no explanation will do.”
HIW from www.chikarafans.com wrote…
“Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two competitors competing for a physical advantage.”
Alex from www.chikarafans.com wrote…
“I know that this may be a weird reply, but Professional Wrestling is a business. It is to make money, pure and simple. It’s fine to have all different styles and whatnot, but at the end of the day, it’s how many people you can draw.â€
Jamie OD from www.chikarafans.com wrote…
“My basic answer is professional wrestling is a form of entertainment that presents itself as a mixture of sport and stories. Not original, I know but I just like getting to the point.â€
odessasteps from www.chikarafans.com wrote…
“I just always say soap opera for men or modern day Greek theater.â€
Chikara
1) Five King of Trios teams have been added since the last edition of PWG Chikarticles. I have a section dedicated just for the teams of King of Trios below.
2) Lince Dorado will make his Chikara Wrestling return at Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One when he teams up with Ophidian and Claudio Castagnoli to go up against the team of Amasis, Mike Quackenbush and Tim Donst. Hallowicked vs. Larry Sweeney has also been added to the card. For details on Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One, check out the upcoming events section.
3) Olsen Twin Colin Olsen has been on the last three episodes of ECW on Sci-Fi! He’s taking the role of a wimpy kid who has “feeble mat skills” and “would be the last one picked in a middle school dodge ball game”. This is kayfabe at its finest, and one of the best ongoing angles on ECW TV in a long time. Congratulations to Colin Olsen.
Confirmed King of Trios Teams
1. The Colony (Soldier Ant, Worker Ant and Fire Ant)
2. Team FIST (Gran Akuma, Icarus and Chuck Taylor)
3. The Order of the Neo Solar Temple (Ultramantis Black, Hydra and Crossbones)
4. Team Ring of Honor (Shane Hagadorn, Alex Payne and Rhett Titus)
5. Team IWS (Stupified, Player Uno and El Generico) (Added This Week)
6. Team Chikara Campeones (Delirious, Hallowicked and Helios) (Added This Week)
7. The Marvelous Three (Mitch Ryder, Larry Sweeney and Shayne Hawke) (Added This Week)
8. Team IPW:UK (Martin Stone, Sha Samuels and Terry Frazier) (Added This Week)
9. Team F1rst Wrestling (Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz) (Added This Week)
10. Team Tim AnDrew (Tim Donst, Drew Gulak and Andy Sumner)(Added This Week)
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
1) American Dragon lost his PWG World Title at All Star Weekend 6 Night One when he was submitted by none other than Low-Ki.
2) You can find All Star Weekend 6 Night One Results here. Night Two Results can be found here.
Chikara
1/27/2008 at the Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA: Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One
1. Shane Storm vs. Eddie Kingston
2. Worker Ant vs. Vin Gerard
3. Hallowicked vs. Larry Sweeney
4. Claudio Castagnoli, Lince Dorado and Ophidian vs. Mike Quackenbush, Tim Donst and Amasis
2/29/2008 at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, PA: King Of Trios 2008 Night One
Details Coming Soon…
3/1/2008 at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, PA: King Of Trios 2008 Night Two
Details Coming Soon…
3/2/2008 at the New Alhambra Arena in Philadelphia, PA: King Of Trios 2008 Night Three
Details Coming Soon…
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
1/26/2008… Location and Show Name Unknown
Details Coming Soon…
Around the World…
CZW on 1/12/2008 in Philadelphia, PA
1. Greg Excellent and Beef Wellington vs. Stupefied and Player Uno
2. Whacks vs. DJ Hyde
3. Lufisto vs. Mickie Knuckles
4. Sabian vs. Azriel
5. Ruckus vs. Drake Younger
6. Joker vs. Brain Damage
7. Nick Gage vs. Danny Havoc
UWA Hardcore Wrestling on 1/18/2008 in Toronto, Ontario
1. Ruckus vs. Josh Prohibition © (UWA Canadian Title Match)
2. Sabian and Joker vs. Cheech and Cloudy © (UWA Tag Team Title Match)
3. Delirious vs. Tyler Black
4. The Flatliners vs. Ring Crew Express
5. Ricky Reyes vs. Arik Cannon
6. Dan Paysan vs. Johnny Gargano
7. Josh Abercrombie vs. Lionel Knight
International Wrestling Cartel on 1/19/2008 in Elizabeth, PA: A New Beginning 2008
1. The Sandman © vs. Dennis Gregory (IWC Title Match)
2. John McChesney© vs. Larry Sweeney (IWC Super Indy Title Match)
3. BabyFace Fire© vs. The Burning River Brigade (IWC Tag Team Title Match)
4. Super Hentai vs. Ruckus
5. Troy Lords vs. Delirious
6. Gambino Brothers vs. Sexual Harassment
International Wrestling Syndicate on 1/26/2008 in Montreal, QB
Information Coming Soon…
Full Impact Pro on 2/16/2008 in Crystal River, FL: Redefined
1. Black Market vs. Heartbreak Express (Loser Never Wrestles in FIP Again)
2. Erik Stevens © vs. Roderick Strong (FIP Title Match)
IWA Mid South on 3/1/2008 in Joilet, IL: The 500th Show
1. Eddie Kingston © vs. Too Cold Scorpio (IWA-MS World Title Match)
2. LuFisto and Mickie Knuckles vs. Vulgar Display of Power
3. Drake Younger vs. Roderick Strong vs. Michael Elign vs. Viking (IWA Strong Style Title Match)
4. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jack Thriller (I Quit Match)
That is it for this week. Enjoy your weekend!
