Real or Fake?

Question
Ok. A lot of my buds think that wrestling is fake. A lot of others think that it is real. Personally, I think it is real. I want the trust and you honest opinion. It would be well appreciated!

Answer
Hi Bradshaw!

The true answer is that it is more fake than real. However, the moves should not be done at home as they will send someone to the hospital. A lot of wrestlers go injured and they know what they are doing.

The acting, plot and interviews are all set up beforehand like the outcome of the match and usually a team of script writers decide what happens. Every wrestling federation in the world knows who is going to win what before a match starts. The outcome of the match is determined by various things, usually to do with how well the crowd takes to a wrestler and how hard he works - of course, even in wrestling there is office politics as well.

The moves are real but wrestlers use techniques to make them less prone to severe injury (normally a wrestler knows how to fall after being slammed for example and kicks/punches are often pulled back so as to make contact but not to injure the opponent). They both have to rely on each other to 'sell' their moves (make them look convincing). Also, microphones are placed under the ring for added impact so a move can sound worse than it is. A match is not always rehearsed move for move but there is a limited amount of rehearsed choreography during the match.

Chairshots and wrestlers going through tables are real. Tables are often weakened (sometimes you see a wrestler fall through a table before his opponent has done anything) but a chairshot is a chairshot (ouch!).

Wrestlers occasionally cut themselves deliberately (Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and HHH especially) using a razorblade to give the impression that he has been busted open.

All in all, Bradshaw, some things do not need to be questioned. I would hope that believing one way or the other would not stop you enjoying wrestling for what it is - entertainment.

Thank you for your question.




Robert Preston