Patreon Exclusive: Why I Love Professional Wrestling

Since the age of seven, I’ve been a fan of wrestling. Back then, the only access I had was VHS tapes of the World Wrestling Federation from my local video shop. I’d get my dad to rent as many as he possibly could, then watch them constantly until he had to take them back. I can even pinpoint the moment I fell in love. SummerSlam 1989. Ultimate Warrior vs “Ravishing” Rick Rude. I didn’t care about whether it was ‘fake,’ and thank god there was no internet around to dampen my genuine awe of it. It was just fascinating. The roar of the crowd, the music, the action. I had never seen anything like it, and it blew me away. There’re many reasons why I love professional wrestling, and here’re just a few.

I bought all the Hasbro action figures and the magazines. I even remember my gran buying me the Jake “The Snake” Roberts figure with the spring-action arm, then seeing how much joy it brought me, went and got me Hulk Hogan. The list of figures and merchandise grew and so did my love of WWF. As I got older, I still adored watching it, but I’d watched all the tapes and seen everything I could see. Flashforward to the late 90s when my friend was blessed with Sky Sports. He’d record Monday Night Raw for me, and then we’d do nothing but talk about what had happened. D-Generation X, The Rock, Mankind, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. By the turn of the millennium, I was well aware it was a show, a story, but I didn’t care.

Why I love professional wrestling: Suspended disbelief

When I hear someone call it fake, it still bothers me. Are the emotions I feel when I watch it fake? Are these guys hurting themselves week in, week out fake? No, not at all. They are telling deep stories through their art, and putting in hours upon hours of training to do it. You don’t have to be a genius to know someone called The Undertaker isn’t actually a dead man. Just don’t tell me it’s fake, OK? Like any form of entertainment, it offers escapism. I’ve had times when I’ve laughed until I’ve cried, and cried until I shut myself away for hours. Ric Flair’s retirement, Edge’s return at Royal Rumble. Fuck, these are moments I’ll cherish forever.

I remember the first time wrestling made me cry. Much like a favourite TV show or movie, you become enamoured by certain characters, and when they’re gone, it’s as if you’re in mourning. Unfortunately, the moment I’m referring to is when an actual wrestler died. At Over The Edge in 1999, a famous wrestler called Owen Hart fell more than 70 ft above the ring during his entrance. Thankfully, I never saw him fall, but I remember the commentators Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler look devastated. It broke me. The Hart family are legendary in the professional wrestling business, and Owen was a phenomenal athlete. He was also funny, a great entertainer, and as I learned more about the personal side of the business, he was a great father.

Now, then, forever

When I realised it wasn’t ‘real,’ per se, it didn’t bother me. They’re in the ring taking bumps and putting their lives on the line. Yeah, the winners are pre-determined, but it’s the thrill of the storyline, culminating in a match in front of thousands of people. Even now, I get excited by potential matches or what’s happened on the latest television show. For saying WWF/WWE was my religion growing up, I barely watch it anymore. As I’ve grown older, I’m more interested in the skill and ability on display inside the ropes. New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling. The list goes on. It doesn’t matter what I’m watching, I still get giddy watching the world’s best perform.

There’re tons of reasons why I love professional wrestling, but the main one is it helps me to forget about all the shit things going on in the world. It helps me to escape the tough times in my life and soak in some of the greatest entertainment that exists. It brought me closer to my gran, helped me through the pandemic and the breakdown of my marriage, and gave me hope during the darkest times of my depression. I get it isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK. I’m just grateful it exists and there’s so much good stuff out there that I’ll never grow tired of the ‘2.9 counts’ and the big returns. Fuck, professional wrestling is great.