Come on admit it when you very first watched wrestling you believed it was real and you were sucked in. Then the doubts crept in and you started to realise that if this was actually real some of these moves would lead to certain death, some would possibly cripple and others would surely break bones. Nope, not even a wrestler can defy gravity or shake off what seemed to be an severely injured leg or arm in a matter of seconds. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that half of those moves just wouldn't come off in the other guy didn't want them to. (just watch Finlay v Black Prince when Dave Finlay refuses to play ball)
So what was your job as a wrestler?, to win the bout we all thought. Yet the reality was that your job was to keep your opponent safe, make him look good and sell the bout to the crowd and his job was to do the same for you.
How long did it take for you to figure this out (be honest now!) and once we did why did we still remain interested? Also if you paid money in good faith to see what was sold as a genuine competitive fight, would you not have grounds to sue? I wonder if anyone ever did?
Matches know as "Strong Style" these days make Professional Wrestling worth watching and always did
I went and still go to wrestling shows for one simple reason, I enjoy them, good wrestlers make the bouts very convincing, wrestlers who were/are less skilled not so much. You would get the 'they know how to fall etc' disbelievers but a fall still has a landing and can still hurt, as do so many other moves. Don't analyse, enjoy!
I think we were aware of wrestling's bad press and the various fixes.
But our logic was continually challenged by so many hard, rea(-looking) bouts that we just had to come to some other conclusion.
Not fooled for very long if you watched the Pathe News Reels of the 1950's and 60's with comments such as "preparations for the fight otherwise know as rehersals"!
When i saw Johnny Saint (\pre World Title) and Eric "Tug" Wilson knock seven bells out of each other at Liverpool Stadium, then both departed the hall in the same Ford Cortina, with Tug at the wheel!
About six years into my fandom I finally accepted it was all fixed. Then I saw Dave Finlay wrestle live and realised it was definitely real.
I was probably 10 or 11 when I was watching a McManus bout, he was getting seven bells knocked out of him by his opponent, can't remember who it was. The crowd were noisy, it looked like McManus was about to lose, when he did his "short range jab", straight fingers into his opponents mid-section, and the bloke went down like he had been shot, a couple of quick moves and McManus had the pin/submission.
That pretty much opened my eyes, and I realised I was being duped.
I somehow convinced myself that title bouts couldn't be scripted, because who in their right minds would not want to win a title and belt. I sort of held this view until I was about 13, when one day, I was walking through a park with my friends, talking about a midweek, late night TV match I had seen the previous evening, and one of them said, "you do know that all wrestling is fake, right?", and I said something about that being true but not title bouts, and everyone started laughing. It dawned on me that I was being foolish.
All my immediate friends were growing out of Wrestling, but I decided I enjoyed it and it was harmless fun.
In BBC Timeshift I think Max Crabtree puts it spot on.
For those that like wrestling ....No explanation is needed.
For those that don't like Wrestling........Any explanation will not do.
You escape from reality and just enjoy it. I was best if it looked real.
I'll give you a sensible answer Frank. I started watching live in 1965, aged 11. I had the knowing uncle and my dad telling me it was fixed (except for Billy Howes and Mike Marino apparently for my dad). In the summer of 1965 I avidly read and re-read the Sunday People expose, but was immune to everything they said. In the next five or six years I guess I fought against any thoughts that everything was not as it seemed. Until one night around 1970 or 1971 Pallo against Royal at Southport. Round one Royal rolled across the ring and pinned Pallo in seconds (or maybe the othe way around). A few weeks later saw them again. Royal rolled across the ring and pinned Pallo in seconds. Erm, I thought, that is unlikely. Very unlikely.
So you mean running into Big Daddy's belly really would knock you out? Kendo really did hypnotise Robbie Brookside? I had no idea!
I did mate, watched it a few hours ago. Adrian was great! its such a shame I can't get to see more of him. The first thing I have to say is that he could really wrestle, his ring craft was excellent and he was most defiantly entertaining. I'm a fan! Jim Breaks was as good as ever and they were a great match who complemented each other beautifully. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
FRANK!!-How double-dog dare you??- EVERYONE KNOWS that Wrestling is NOT 'Fixed'!!
Did you watch your STREET Match yet? When's the last time you saw a THREE QUARTER NELSON
Operated??
MAIN MASK