Why do ya love Wrestling?

[IcemanSK]

With all the awful stuff going on lately, a lot has been written that makes folks turn off the set. But what do ya like about it?

I love that they are incredible athletes who create characters & personnas that just take me somewhere else for awhile. Ric Flair's strut, the Spinna-roonie, off the top rope, the ref's back is turned, "Ya know, Mean Gene,"......it's all really fun.

 

[Grenadier]

It's the soap opera that guys are allowed to watch. Of course they know it's fake, but it's the entertainment aspect that keeps us glued to the set.

Sometimes, it's for the admiration of the high flying 'rasslers, such as the Mexican Luchadors. Other times, it's for someone's impressive microphone skills, or just their sheer presence for the current time.

For example, seeing Nikolai Volkoff on television, during the Cold War, and how he would constantly mock the USA, claiming that our olympic teams stank, and how he would donate his entire salary to the Soviet gov't, so they could make more missiles, made you want to hate the guy. Even though you knew that he was really a defector from Yugoslavia, you still had to boo him when you saw him singing the Soviet national anthem before each match, in front of a screaming and jeering crowd.

Or, you'd see the Honky Tok Man pulling out every dirty trick from his sleeves, but when his opponent tried to retaliate, he'd duck behind the ring ropes, and the ref would hold back the other guy. During that time, the HTM would then poke the other guy in the eye, or kick him in the junk. Classic entertainment.

 

[Catalyst]

I haven't watched in years, but I agree with Grenadier's comments on the "Rope Opera" for men aspect. For me, I think it was the Good vs. Evil morality play.

You had clear-cut good guys and clear-cut bad guys. The bad guys would cheat, lie, pull dirty tricks, etc. but in the end you wanted to see that good triumphs over evil.

Everybody knew that it was fake, but you still needed to see that good ultimately prevails (at least in the "squared circle").