Is It Fake?

Yes it is. "It" is scripted out much like a sitcom. The people in "it" are not your typical actors. They are more like larger than life performers. If you watch "it", you are looked down upon by most of the media. You are looked at as a low brow person by some of your peers. "It" is a scripted act performed in front of thousands of crazy fans night in and night out. Why do you watch "it" if "it" is not real? In response, I might ask you why do you watch a television show? My normal response to the question is because "it" entertains me.

In case you haven't figured it out, I am talking about professional wrestling. My love for wrestling is matched to my love of sports. The two are different, yet are similar. I know wrestling is fake. Wrestling has writers in the backstage area who script out who will win and lose. I believe I am in the majority that know wrestling is fake. I have met people in my life that talk about wrestling as if it is never written down. I believe I am a realist wrestling fan. I know certain people come on to BBSD and see a WWE Raw blogger and think why the hell is he writing about wrestling when he knows it is fake? The truth is I write about wrestling on a weekly basis because wrestling has been a big part of my life ever since I was a little boy.

My first real wrestling experience happened about twenty years ago. Picture yourself as a small child mesmerized by a large athlete that looks like he can bench press the world. He has "the largest pythons in the world". His name was Hulk Hogan. I was not old enough to remember Hulk body slamming Andre the Giant. I was able to witness many other classic feuds Hogan had in the late '80s and early '90s. I watched Hogan take on Earthquake, Boss man, Macho Man and Ric Flair. Hulk was Americana. The fans embraced him as the wrestler who could overcome anything, much like America. Eventually, like anything else, wrestling started to evolve and a new face was to emerge.

The mid 1990's the United States was changing. The famed "Say your prayers and eat your vitamins" slogan by Hulk Hogan did not have the same feel. America had a new attitude and wanted a different kind of hero. As a society, we were tired of corporate fat cats making billions of dollars. The middle class needed a foul mouth, beer chugging, finger gesturing, almost anti hero to feed off our frustration. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you, Stone Cold Steve Austin. As a wrestling fan, Austin was everything I wanted my hero to be. He beat the crap out of his boss. He had no rules or boundaries. Most important of all, Steve loved doing it. You could tell how much Austin loved the business. He fought with heart, conviction and passion. Even now, I believe Steve would give anything to be able to wrestle again. The fans gave Steve respect because of two reasons. One, we loved what he gave the business and two, Austin earned it.

The main reason I love wrestling is because I respect the men and women who perform. They are out on the road over 300 days a year. I assume since wrestlers travel, they miss out on many family functions. I wonder where some of them were when their kid had his/her first steps. I'm saddened to think how difficult their family life is. The family life is one one aspect I respect. The conditioning, pounding and care wrestlers go through is brutal. The commercials WWE has done showing the injuries that have occurred to their wrestlers is difficult to watch. Rey Mysterio talks about how having 5 knee surgeries on the same knee. The man I talked about above, Steve was out over a ear with a neck injury. Steve ultimately had to retire because of his neck problems. Everything wrestlers do is life threatening, which earns my respect.

I text one of the hosts of Showstoppers on BBSD, John Conner. I asked John why he watches wrestling. His response: "The reason I watch wrestling is because of the stories, the women, the fact that anything can happen. Pretty much, it is the male's version of a soap opera, and I love every minute of it." I agree with John's statement 100 percent. Wrestling is a soap opera for men. Wrestling is the most unpredictable written show on television. You never know what to expect. My profile picture is with my idol Jim Ross. J.R has the job I want someday. Jim has been in the wrestling business for over 30 years. Jim calls wrestling with as much passion and love as a fan would. He embodies exactly what the fans want to hear when they are witnessing history. I loved Jim's call when Austin won his first WWE title. "The Austin Era has begun" Jim said with heart. You can tell when Jim has a great relationship with a wrestler because he puts in extra passion in his voice.

I use words such as passion, heart, conviction and desire because that is what a great wrestler shows. If you are in the wrestling business and do not want to be the best, the fans can feel that. Wrestling fans have to feel your performance, much like an actor or actress in a film. A wrestler gets in the ring and has to prove him or herself each night to the audience. A difficult task to say the least. However, if a wrestler succeeds the end result is being a champion. I don't know what it is like to win a WWE championship, but when I did wrestle I won their championship. I recall after the match feeling a great sense of pride and accomplishment. I guarantee professional wrestlers feel that same feeling. The desire and determination to be the best has to make a person feel unbelievable. Is it fake? Yes but it sure does feel real.