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[Opiate]

Because if you like combat sport, your time could be used better by watching the real thing.

I assume the best use of your time for these purposes is "whatever entertains you the most," which for you may be UFC but for someone else might be wrestling. For me it's neither.

I can understand calling wrestling juvenile, but 1) that's a different argument and 2) lots of things are juvenile, and if we went around yelling at every woman who loves soap operas and every guy who likes wrestling and every person who likes E! entertainment news and every alien who watches real house wives of Atlanta, we'd pretty quickly be pointing our fingers at basically everyone, which doesn't seem productive. Most people have their "I want to watch something stupid, silly and fun" time, and if this is what wrestling fans want to do with theirs, so be it.

To be clear: while I am calling wrestling "stupid, silly fun," I'm also complimenting wrestling fans for (mostly) being aware of that, instead of insisting that their preferred stupid-silly-fun of choice is actually deep and meaningful and how dare you malign the respected name of [insert stupid, silly fun hobby here].

 

[Ronin]

It's like a live action comic book. Backstabbing, betrayal, deaths, returns, team-ups, and if they write themselves into a corner they will just retcon it.

 

[njean777]

I watch it because it is fake and extremely stupid. It makes me laugh and I do still get into all the drama. I never liked MMA because it is real and just a little to violent. I am fine with fake fighting or scripted things, but real fighting is just going a bit to far for me.

 

[Dead Man]

I assume the best use of your time for these purposes is "whatever entertains you the most," which for you may be UFC but for someone else might be wrestling. For me it's neither.

I can understand calling wrestling juvenile, but 1) that's a different argument and 2) lots of things are juvenile, and if we went around yelling at every woman who loves soap operas and every guy who likes wrestling and every person who likes E! entertainment news and every alien who watches real house wives of Atlanta, we'd pretty quickly be pointing our fingers at basically everyone, which doesn't seem productive. Most people have their "I want to watch something stupid, silly and fun" time, and if this is what wrestling fans want to do with theirs, so be it.

To be clear: while I am calling wrestling "stupid, silly fun," I'm also complimenting wrestling fans for (mostly) being aware of that, instead of insisting that their preferred stupid-silly-fun of choice is actually deep and meaningful and how dare you malign the respected name of [insert stupid, silly fun hobby here].

This may be my favourite post of yours.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Also, you can enjoy both MMA and Wrasslin for different reasons, or even the same depending on how much of a mark you are.

 

[Kaladin]

Some people look at wrestling as the lowest form of entertainment and look down at people who watch it as the same. All they can see is bad acting and fake fighting. I have encountered it before myself and I have learned to just nod my head and move on because usually people like that won't change their opinion.

 

[Maninthemirror]

I used to watch it a lot until the quality of storylines and the value of the characters diminished. Wwf to wwe and wwc of the 90s had a level of characters and stories which cannot be touched by current generation. I just cant find myself entertained with it anymore

 

[slit]

I used to watch it a lot until the quality of storylines and the value of the characters diminished. Wwf to wwe and wwc of the 90s had a level of characters and stories which cannot be touched by current generation. I just cant find myself entertained with it anymore

I hope when you say WWF of the 90's, you don't mean early to mid 90's because it got pretty awful. Which is ironic since I was a huge fan back then.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I used to watch it a lot until the quality of storylines and the value of the characters diminished. Wwf to wwe and wwc of the 90s had a level of characters and stories which cannot be touched by current generation. I just cant find myself entertained with it anymore

There's a lot of amazing, incredible stuff outside of WWE if you want to check out how awesome the other shit is.

 

[Worthintendo]

Because if you like combat sport, your time could be used better by watching the real thing.

I don't watch wrestling just for the fighting, I watch it for the theatrics of it all, the stupid hammy acting, the mark out moments, the human train wrecks matches can be. I find UFC boring cause it lacks all of that. That said I respect the guys who do it, they are tough as shit and no way I could do that.

I love watching stuff like HHH vs Daniel Bryan at this years WM, the storytelling, the emotion, everything leading up to that match. It was amazing and then they stole the show in one of the greatest matches I've ever seen. You don't get awesome storytelling like Savage vs Warrior WM 7 or Kurt Angle vs Shane McMahon King of the Ring 2001 in stuff like MMA.

 

[Norml]

I assume the best use of your time for these purposes is "whatever entertains you the most," which for you may be UFC but for someone else might be wrestling. For me it's neither.

I can understand calling wrestling juvenile, but 1) that's a different argument and 2) lots of things are juvenile, and if we went around yelling at every woman who loves soap operas and every guy who likes wrestling and every person who likes E! entertainment news and every alien who watches real house wives of Atlanta, we'd pretty quickly be pointing our fingers at basically everyone, which doesn't seem productive. Most people have their "I want to watch something stupid, silly and fun" time, and if this is what wrestling fans want to do with theirs, so be it.

To be clear: while I am calling wrestling "stupid, silly fun," I'm also complimenting wrestling fans for (mostly) being aware of that, instead of insisting that their preferred stupid-silly-fun of choice is actually deep and meaningful and how dare you malign the respected name of [insert stupid, silly fun hobby here].

Sure,I just think there is more useful information that can be had besides entertainment.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Some morons don't realize that most entertainment is fake, I guess.

I snapped to this fact of life when I was 11 and found out my favorite heavy metal band weren't really devil worshipers.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

I agree the focus should not be on it being fake. Everyone knows it's fake. If you're going to make fun of wrestling, there's plenty other fodder. For example: it's basically a fucking soap opera with over-the-top theatrics, ridiculous commentary and shitty, fake fighting.

 

[The Elite]

I agree the focus should not be on it being fake. Everyone knows it's fake. If you're going to make fun of wrestling, there's plenty other fodder. For example: it's basically a fucking soap opera with over-the-top theatrics, ridiculous commentary and shitty, fake fighting.

But you just said...

 

[Bloodrage]

Movies are fake. Why do you watch movies?

 

[CaptainTiptop]

I like wrestling because, like most entertainment, it's fun. Yeah it's fake but, again, just like most entertainment.

I've tried watching UFC and I just found it boring. Not for me, personally.

 

[Exis]

Wrestling is interesting is everyone involved is getting paid to entertain me. Sure sometime they fail but more 'real' combat sports appear dull by comparison.

 

[flkraven]

Men and women training their bodies to tip-top condition, risk serious injury doing highly physical activities to entertain paying fans.

...totally not a real sport.

I rarely if ever watch wrestling nowadays, but watched a ton when I was younger. Yes, it's not 'real' in that the big set pieces and outcomes of every match are predetermined, but all of those maneuvers are very difficult to execute, very painful, and can easily go horribly wrong. Although it is extremely cheesy from a 'storyline' perspective, there is blood, sweat, and tears, and that's about as real as it gets.

 

[RP912]

The reason I watch it for the storytelling between two or more wrestlers in the ring. I watch it for the dedication that promotions put into shows. I enjoy the silly to serious promos, the backstages antics, the heartbreaking segments to make grown women/men cry, and even the worst shit is watchable.

I love the fact that over the course of an century, the professional sport entertainment of wrestling tries to raise the bar and draw new viewers every day. Sure its fake but so are movies, tv shows and other things that have a motive behind it. Bottom line I enjoy wrestling for what it is....a male soap opera.

 

[Beardz]

OP, do you like movies?

 

[Ithil]

Men and women training their bodies to tip-top condition, risk serious injury doing highly physical activities to entertain paying fans.

...totally not a real sport.

I rarely if ever watch wrestling nowadays, but watched a ton when I was younger. Yes, it's not 'real' in that the big set pieces and outcomes of every match are predetermined, but all of those maneuvers are very difficult to execute, very painful, and can easily go horribly wrong. Although it is extremely cheesy from a 'storyline' perspective, there is blood, sweat, and tears, and that's about as real as it gets.

It's not a sport, but the definition of performance art:

In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or via media; the performer can be present or absent. It can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the performer's body, or presence in a medium, and a relationship between performer and audience. Performance art can happen anywhere, in any venue or setting and for any length of time. The actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work.

Might as well be a description of pro wrestling.

The idea that people said "I never watched it after I learned it wasn't real" is always baffling. It's not like you don't know movies you're watching aren't real, so what's the problem with wrestling not being real?

I wonder if it's solely that they have a "sports" mindset when watching it and so they view it as a "fixed sport" instead of a performance, like a dance.

 

[biggersmaller]

I'm 30 and my first real introduction to the WWE was right after college, a superfan friend was conducting extremely detailed statistical analysis for his hobby fan site, so by helping him I watched every Royal Rumble over the course of a year. I found this method to be a great way to learn the roster of wrestlers, however I quickly became more enamored with business side of things. Over the years I've stopped watching Wrestling, but occasionally I watch a documentary or read a book. I'st clear how incestious the business leaders are, and how miraculous it is the business still stands today. It's a bizarre redneck family enterprise that mismanaged what became a household name to a worth of $700 million - a business that could be in the billions if properly managed.

BUT- regarding how fake it is, there's a little girl out there who's had fourteen abortions, an' she ain't even ten yet. But I guess that's just "not real" for some people. That said, I attended my first WWE event with some friends (Elimination Chamber) - and although amazed with how much more fake it looks in person, was genuinely entertained by the over-the-top showmanship of it all. I don't know if I'll be bringing my two young sons anytime soon as several were, but I would drink heavily and attend with friends if given the opportunity again.

 

[snarge]

OP, you're spot on that people always ALWAYS have to point out it's fake. I find the other thing they say is some thinly veiled homophobic remark about "2 sweaty dudes in tights".

 

[BumblebeeCody]

I know that Mark Whalberg riding on a DinoBot with Optimus Prime in China didn't actually happen but no-one cries foul on that shit.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Scripted? Yup. Feuds fake? Yup. People still putting their bodies on the line to entertain? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbz9AgCdpxU For sure.

 

[Heroman]

Men and women training their bodies to tip-top condition, risk serious injury doing highly physical activities to entertain paying fans.

...totally not a real sport.

I rarely if ever watch wrestling nowadays, but watched a ton when I was younger. Yes, it's not 'real' in that the big set pieces and outcomes of every match are predetermined, but all of those maneuvers are very difficult to execute, very painful, and can easily go horribly wrong. Although it is extremely cheesy from a 'storyline' perspective, there is blood, sweat, and tears, and that's about as real as it gets.

It is not a sport.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

OP, you're spot on that people always ALWAYS have to point out it's fake. I find the other thing they say is some thinly veiled homophobic remark about "2 sweaty dudes in tights".

Real men ride each other pal

 

[Buzzati]

OP, you're spot on that people always ALWAYS have to point out it's fake. I find the other thing they say is some thinly veiled homophobic remark about "2 sweaty dudes in tights".

If you're not gay why would you want to watch something that looks gay? It's not homophobic.

 

[Ithil]

If you're not gay why would you want to watch something that looks gay? It's not homophobic.

I think the point is it doesn't "look gay", it's just a problem with the person who can't handle seeing shirtless men.

 

[bill0527]

I usually like to find out what the other person likes and then spend a great amount of tim berating it and demeaning it endlessly.

I'm more of an Old Testament eye-for-an-eye kind of guy rather than a New Testament, Jesus said turn-the-other-cheek kind of guy.

I've been watching wrestling for most of my 40 years and there is nothing FAKE about it. Its SCRIPTED and there is a difference. You know what else is scripted? Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Broadway, every Hollywood movie not a documentary, and most all of reality TV.

Yes, the punches are pulled, but that punch was still real. It was still thrown. The guy just 'ACTED' like it hurt like a MFer and he got knocked into the middle of next week.

It certainly isn't FAKE. Tell my friend, who got bodyslammed by Tojo Yamamoto off the top rope at the Evansville Coliseum in 1982, landed wrong, broke his back, and walked with a limp the rest of his life, that its fake. These guys put their bodies through hell and live with pain for most of the rest of their natural lives, and they do it night after night just to entertain people. Tell Randy Orton who just got 12 staples in his head Sunday night that its fake. These guys, while most are horrible actors, I liken them to circus performers who are highly trained to do what they do and they do it because they love to entertain live crowds.

You don't have to like it. We can still be friends, but don't try to shame me into something I've enjoyed for most of my adult life. Especially when I can find your guilty pleasure and shoot holes into the validity of how real it is.

If wrestling is fake, then so is most everything else around us. As I said, everything from movies, to television, to manufactured celebrity drama, to gangster rap.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

If you're not gay why would you want to watch something that looks gay? It's not homophobic.

Sure it is. You're avoiding the gay.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I usually like to find out what the other person likes and then spend a great amount of tim berating it and demeaning it endlessly.

I'm more of an Old Testament eye-for-an-eye kind of guy rather than a New Testament, Jesus said turn-the-other-cheek kind of guy.

I've been watching wrestling for most of my 40 years and there is nothing FAKE about it. Its SCRIPTED and there is a difference. You know what else is scripted? Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Broadway, every Hollywood movie not a documentary, and most all of reality TV.

Yes, the punches are pulled, but that punch was still real. It was still thrown. The guy just 'ACTED' like it hurt like a MFer and he got knocked into the middle of next week.

It certainly isn't FAKE. Tell my friend, who got bodyslammed by Tojo Yamamoto off the top rope at the Evansville Coliseum in 1982, landed wrong, broke his back, and walked with a limp the rest of his life, that its fake. These guys put their bodies through hell and live with pain for most of the rest of their natural lives, and they do it night after night just to entertain people. Tell Randy Orton who just got 12 staples in his head Sunday night that its fake. These guys, while most are horrible actors, I liken them to circus performers who are highly trained to do what they do and they do it because they love to entertain live crowds.

You don't have to like it. We can still be friends, but don't try to shame me into something I've enjoyed for most of my adult life. Especially when I can find your guilty pleasure and shoot holes into the validity of how real it is.

If wrestling is fake, then so is most everything else around us. As I said, everything from movies, to television, to manufactured celebrity drama, to gangster rap.

Brother, we need more people like you in Wrasslegaf. Come on in, the water's fine...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=847229

If it's old shit, if it's new shit, if it's foreign shit (to us) we all talk about it. Come on in brother!

 

[RP912]

OP needs some czw in this life.

 

[Buzzati]

OP, you're spot on that people always ALWAYS have to point out it's fake. I find the other thing they say is some thinly veiled homophobic remark about "2 sweaty dudes in tights".

I think the point is it doesn't "look gay", it's just a problem with the person who can't handle seeing shirtless men.

 

[snarge]

If you're not gay why would you want to watch something that looks gay? It's not homophobic.

At worst, it is. At best, it's still showing some sort of insecurity. It's a stupid comment, either way.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

"Wrestling looks gay"

 

[Abstruse Moose]

I watched it till I was 14. The storylines were enough to keep me interested for a time. It's pretty much just theater.

I think the problem in most peoples eyes is when grown men watch it. It's a product directed towards young people. Not dissimilar to grown men watching My Little Pony. People like what they like.

 

[FallingEdge]

In reference to the OP's question, I don't personally go out of my way to tell wrestling fans it's fake because I'm pretty sure they're aware of that by now.

As for why I don't like wrestling, it boils down to the idea that watching sports is about rooting for an individual or team who have a genuine chance of winning a competition based on their athleticism and the thrill/tension of seeing that play out live. Sure, you can admire a wrestler's dedication or technical skill, but you just don't get that dynamic when the outcome has been predetermined.

One of my good friends is an absolute wrestling nut and has everything WWE/F have ever put out on DVD. At this point, I can see it holds an entertainment value for him beyond that of a regular sport, something that is part-nostalgia for his childhood and part-belonging to a community. I understand the argument that watching wrestling is like watching a scripted action film, but

1) films aim for verisimilitude, whereas I can't help seeing the fake punches and kicks that don't connect in wrestling;

2) an action or fight scene in a movie is worthless to me without a quality story to give it context;

and 3) the palette for wrestling stories is very limited, amounting to juvenile spats, affairs and...other things that contrive people to get in a ring and smack talk each other (with the the profanity reined in to be able to sell children's merchandise). Then there's the earnest Republican patriotism that annoys international audiences, the latent racism, the objectification of women...

From a UK perspective, equating wrestling to soap operas does a disservice to UK soap operas. For the record I think they are trash, but you have to respect that these things are on every single day and the writers constantly have to contrive compelling new storylines that feel realistic. As much as it pains me to say, the quality of dialogue and acting in a soap is far beyond anything in a wrestling match.

So ultimately, for people who don't like wrestling it boils down to the competition angle being unsatisfactory, the core action being unsatisfactory and the storylines being unsatisfactory. What's left after that?

You should watch more wrestling if you think there is no thrill or dynamic even if the outcome is predetermined. Doesn't mean you can't have a great match or wonder what will happen next. You don't always know who wins.

Katsuyori Shibata vs Tomohiro Ishii: http://youtu.be/ASVEQ6VGkQA


And this mindset of soap opera for men is so outdated. There is more to wrestling than WWE. That is like saying that all MMA is UFC.

 

[FallingEdge]

If you're not gay why would you want to watch something that looks gay? It's not homophobic.

 

[.GqueB.]

Because if you like combat sport, your time could be used better by watching the real thing.

All substance and no flash. And sometimes there isn't even any substance. I can watch that stuff every once in a while but I tend to have much more fun watching clips on youtube since I can skip all of the boring bits.

 

[jmdajr]

I watch because it's fake.

 

[zma1013]

Eh, I stopped watching wrestling a long time ago when they stopped actually wrestling and instead did nothing but talk. Seriously, every time I turn on the shit they are talking. Shut up and get in the ring you assholes. The talk-to-wrestle ratio is severely skewed towards the former.

 

[hbkdx12]

I was a huge wrestling fan back in Junior High and some of high school. Just got back into it a year or so ago.

I don't care that people make derisive comments and the like by calling it fake because when i hear fake I instantly think scripted and granted those are two different things, to someone who doesn't watch wrestling, to them you're just talking semantics.

To be fair, on the flip side, i've seen plenty of people get real up in arms over certain things as if they were "real" like daniel bryan winning Wrestlemania. People are all "OMG I can't believe he did it, i'm so happy for him, He deserves it, blah blah blah" and i'm just kind of like...uh it's written that way. It's scripted. He didn't actually overcome some kind of insurmountable odds or some kind of adversity regardless of what the promos and storylines suggest. He won because it was written that way. We know this

Wrestling is a huge male soap opera and the enjoyment for me is that it's interesting to see where they take the feuds and what happens etc although from the past year or so that i've watched hasn't been very interesting being that the wwe as it stands is basically comprised of 2 teirs: Cena and then everyone else. Whereas years ago (when they had legitimate competition) there was much more watchable talent and intertwining and engaging feuds. The actual wrestling was far more entertaining as well but that's all stuff for a different thread.

 

[BajiBoxer]

Isn't that just more reason to disapprove of it?

Yes, that's a rational reason to not like it, yet it's also a reason I've never seen given. It's always some kind of idiotic condescending rant about it being "fake". Haven't come across one anti-wrestling person who gave a damn about the performers.

 

[Striker]

I hope when you say WWF of the 90's, you don't mean early to mid 90's because it got pretty awful. Which is ironic since I was a huge fan back then.

Every period has their awful moments. My favorite period of pro wresting is probably 1989-1992 WWF. Larger than life characters like Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, bunch of great, legendary tag teams, cool gimmicks like Million Dollar Man, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Macho Man Randy Savage, and so on. It's unmatched to me. The Attitude Era and WCW's 1996-1998 years were an incredible time to be a fan as well because that was the peak of wrestling, even if it became more prude and had more violent behavior (ECW included).

 

[RyanardoDaVinci]

I used to watch in when I was in Junior High; I knew it was fake since I was a little kid but just watched to talk about it the next day with friends.

I remember the moment I stopped watching: it was during the height of Stone Cold's popularity and his "feud" with Vince McMahon. Vince was in the ring spouting off stuff, blah, blah, blah -- he said something about Stone Cold and I started counting, "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, now." Stone Cold's music started and he rushed to the ring.

I changed the channel and never watched wrestling again.

 

[British Monsoon]

I think the problem in most peoples eyes is when grown men watch it. It's a product directed towards young people. Not dissimilar to grown men watching My Little Pony. People like what they like.

Here's a quote from 2012;

"The current WWE audience by age looks like this – 22% are between the ages of 2-17, 23% are between the ages of 18-34, 26% are between the ages of 35-49 and 30% are age 50 or older."

That's a pretty broad demographic for a product directed solely towards young people.

Eh, I stopped watching wrestling a long time ago when they stopped actually wrestling and instead did nothing but talk. Seriously, ever time I turn on the shit they are talking. Shut up and get in the ring you assholes. The talk to wrestle ratio is severely skewed towards the former.

There's always products out there that take it in the complete opposite direction, no promos, all action - PWG, for instance, their shows are always a lot of fun;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6TxJ8rygdc

 

[MercuryLS]

I think less of people that like westling. I can understand if you're a kid, but a grown adult? Get the fuck out of here.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I think less of people that like westling. I can understand if you're a kid, but a grown adult? Get the fuck out of here.

 

[Heroman]

I think less of people that like westling. I can understand if you're a kid, but a grown adult? Get the fuck out of here.

Why do you think less of people who like wresting?