WWE and company, wrasslin' lovin' and hatin' Options

[chadbeserk]

Good argument, but its still a "fake" sport whilst being "real" entertainment (you can tell I'm mid way through a liberal arts degree becuase I put "real" in inverted commas.).

Also I'm not convinced that all those people watching it in those giant  auditoriums know its fake, some of them look a) pretty slow, and b) pretty invested in the fight.

I like wrestling though, so these aren't major digs.

This is true but the same could be said about the sad souls who campaigned to "FREE THE WEATHERFIELD ONE!" when Deidre Barlow was jailed in Coronation Street. There are always people in every enjoyable medium who take it just that little bit too far.

[gulfcoast_highwa...]

I posted THIS in the 'silly' boards, but it illustrates the point.

[chadbeserk]

LOL! That's great. Though I know a couple of people who had tears of joy at the end of Wrestlemania 20 when Benoit and Guerrero hugged (in a rugged manly way) in the middle of the ring. I didn't. Not in the slightest. I just had something in my eye that's all.

[Sean of the Dead]

I used to watch it when the Rock was there, despite his stupid catchphrase, and I haven't watched it since.

'If you smell what the Rock is cooking!'

We do what?

[empathy-with-bea...]

I posted THIS in the 'silly' boards, but it illustrates the point.

thats exactly what I was thinking of.

[soundsofdespair]

I used to watch wrestling all the time, and yeah, thank you to channel 4 for messing up the programming. I'm personally tierd of defending wrestling, because people just aren't willing to see how entertaining it can be. When it's done right, it really is amazing. Like the TLC at wrestlemani x-7, or cactus jack at the royal rumble. How can falling on the floor be fake? Its peoples own fault their missing out?

[chadbeserk]

Can't believe they put the title back on that hack, John Cena. Made me choke on my Coco Pops!

Rey Mysterio pulled a blinder though.

[Jumpin Jack Flas...]

its more about the drama and the storylines u have 2 admit it is engrossing i just recently picked up the thread again after eddie grerro died coz i wanted to see whats changed,in my view they never really replaced the rock, someone who had that electricity although batistas quite good

[chadbeserk]

Batista will always be a poor man's Brock Lesnar. He's more likeable than Brock, who admittedly was a prick and a half. But he ain't got the presence or the charisma of Brock, let alone the Rock, Stone Cold, Triple H etc.

[Jessopjessopjess...]

Chad - thanks for the considered, thought-out reply. But, as with Beasty, I still would find it hard to watch as any form of entertainment, whether it's deliberately 'out' as a scripted event or not. And it's comments like this:

Can't believe they put the title back on that hack, John Cena.

that are the reason why. It's the pomp and showmanship and dressing up theat ridicule any skill the competitors have. Why be outraged by a descision made by whoever the ruling bodies of wrestling make?

Your comparison to Coronation Street is interesting, though. I cannot defend anyone who staged a Free Deidre Rachid campaign, because they are idiots with too much spare time.

But if you really like fighting - a genuine contact fight between individuals skilled in their own martial disciplines, why not watch K1 or something? These are superhard, superskilled athletes who genuinely hurt each other to win. That's entertainment. It has almost the same spectacle as wrestling, only they don't dress up in bright coloured lycra and snarl at the camera about people 'goin' DOWN!'.

[Jumpin Jack Flas...]

wot eva happened to brock lesnar? i just got back into it and a loada people have disappeared i stopped watchin around the time of chuck and billy and rico u fancy givin me a rundown since then or would it take 2 long?

[gulfcoast_highwa...]

Brock wanted to chase his boyhood dream of being an American footballer, so the WWE granted him a contract release (with a no-compete clause), their argument being, they had spent millions in pushing him, why should he be able to wrestle for another company when they've been good enough to let him go.

His dream turned out to be just that, he proved too old to start a new career. Realising he now needed to make some money and resalising he could only wrestle for the WWE he had talks with Vince McMahon about a return but he wanted a lighter schedule and the same money. Vince refused.

Brock then went to court to get the 'no-compete' clause declared illegal. After a protracted battle he won and now wrestles in Japan.

[Jessopjessopjess...]

wot eva happened to brock lesnar? i just got back into it and a loada people have disappeared i stopped watchin around the time of chuck and billy and rico u fancy givin me a rundown since then or would it take 2 long?

Stop writing in text speak!

[chadbeserk]

Chad - thanks for the considered, thought-out reply. But, as with Beasty, I still would find it hard to watch as any form of entertainment, whether it's deliberately 'out' as a scripted event or not. And it's comments like this:

Can't believe they put the title back on that hack, John Cena.

that are the reason why. It's the pomp and showmanship and dressing up theat ridicule any skill the competitors have. Why be outraged by a descision made by whoever the ruling bodies of wrestling make?

Your comparison to Coronation Street is interesting, though. I cannot defend anyone who staged a Free Deidre Rachid campaign, because they are idiots with too much spare time.

But if you really like fighting - a genuine contact fight between individuals skilled in their own martial disciplines, why not watch K1 or something? These are superhard, superskilled athletes who genuinely hurt each other to win. That's entertainment. It has almost the same spectacle as wrestling, only they don't dress up in bright coloured lycra and snarl at the camera about people 'goin' DOWN!'.

I guess it's about being "hip" to it. Or being a "smark" as I think the term is. When I was a kid, I loved watching Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. But as I grew older, I saw through the "pomp and showmanship" and realised as wrestlers, they technically sucked balls. Now when someone asks me who my favourite wrestlers are I'm more likely to say Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe etc. Wrestlers who for me, are technically brilliant. I still have a soft spot for Hogan the same way I have a soft spot for a cheesey film from my childhood like "Pump Up the Volume" or "No Retreat No Surrender". The Ultimate Warrior is just plain shite. I guess you have to be able to look through all the "glitz" and look for the style beyond the substance. Some people, like yourself, are put off by the decoration and that's okay. That's just the way it is. My reasoning for hating the idea of John Cena being given the title is the same way older (and wiser) fans felt at the time when Ultimate Warrior was champion. Me? I thought it was brilliant. But now I'm a bit more "wise" to the business, it's a bit more annoying. It's the style over substance issue again.

[chadbeserk]

Lesnar was schedueled to face Goldberg at Mania 20. It was hyped as one of the biggest matches on the card, but after finding out that the company were not intending to put the title back on him but instead planned on him returning the favour and jobbing to the recently revived Undertaker after Mania, he decided to follow his "dream" to play in the NFL, despite the fact that he had never played football in school or college. He told WWE this with hardly any notice. As punishment, WWE made him job to Goldberg in the worst match at Mania20. You know it's a bad match when Goldberg is carrying the match. Lesnar just could not be arsed. And didn't take to kindly to the fans chanting "Fuck you, Lesnar!" for his perceived betrayal to the business. It's a shame to be honest and his leaving was Smackdown's loss.