Wrastlin': the WWE and Other Thoughts on Pro Wrestling
"And that's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so."
Hey, sup. Since the inception of 1 AM Media, I have tinkered with the idea of writing about wrestling. Before I had any clear creative vision for 1 AM Media, I considered doing lists. My ideas were like “Top 5 Craziest WWE Storylines”, “Best Movies about whatever”, etc. I realized that was not the direction I wanted to go in, but the idea of writing about wrestling was always in the back of my mind. I had some trouble coming up ideas that were not too concise and not too broad. I felt as though I would not do the WWE justice by writing about it. The WWE’s long history is far too vast to talk about without the piece turning into a doctoral thesis paper. A history that goes back as far as the 60’s. As a result, I sort of abandoned the idea considering I was not a WWE historian. Then I started writing fictional short stories. As I realized how much I enjoyed fiction, the wrestling ideas began to reenter my head. It was the perfect way to write about the WWE, while not sounding like an amateur.
That was until I saw Darren Aronofsky’s 2008 film “The Wrestler.”
“The Wrestler” follows a washed-up wrestler as he struggles with the transition to civilian life. After being a hero of the pro wrestling world in the 1980s, Mickey Rourke’s Randy “The Ram” Robinson makes ends meet by performing in smaller local shows. His health begins to decline due to physical exertion and rampant steroid use. (SPOILER: When Ram’s health is at a critical point. He makes the decision to perform in one last match. It is a reunion match against a former foe from Ram’s prime. This decision is driven by the fact that he lost all connection to his daughter, as well as a stripper (Marissa Tomei) he fell in love with.. As the final match is beginning, Marissa Tomei’s character shows up at the venue and urges Ram to back out. He explains that the fans are his family and that he belongs in the ring. The final scenes are extremely moving.
“The Wrestler” is easily my favorite Aronofsky film. It just struck me when I watched it. The performances by Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei are gripping and believable. The film accurately portrays the behind-the-scenes life of a former star. It also serves as an inside-baseball look at professional wrestling. I highly suggest watching it.
I am by no means a die-hard wrestling fan. As a person in my young twenties, I go through nostalgic phases. Wrestling is one of those recurring phases. I grew up watching the WWE, playing the video games, buying the toys, and recreating the moves. Wrestling had a profound impact on my youth. I used to love watching the athletic spectacle the superstars were putting on. Now I can appreciate the athletic spectacle, but I am more interested in the writing and storytelling. The style of storytelling is so unique to pro wrestling and it would not work in any other form of media. The characters are larger than life. The crowds are electric. The commentary is exciting. It’s just fun. The same way a carnival is fun. Pro wrestling just has a way of captivating fans that is hard to describe.
Part of a wrestling fan’s love for wrestling is their favorite era. The WWE has had several different eras throughout its long history. A fan’s favorite era is usually based on which era the WWE was in during his or her formative years. The most popular era is the Attitude Era from 1997-2002 (The exact times the eras change are widely debated, but that is a story for another day). Explaining the eras of the WWE can become very complicated so I’ll try my best to make it as simple as possible. many resources provide a deeper look at the eras including this Reddit Post. Basically, the eras change when major events occur both inside the ring, and out. The Attitude Era was perhaps the raunchiest and most daring era. The wrestling itself took a backseat to creative risks, large personalities, and an emphasis on showmanship. Stars like The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Mick Foley and The Undertaker shined during the Attitude Era.
The era I grew up watching was the Ruthless Aggression Era. The Ruthless Aggression Era gave birth to the careers of John Cena, Batista, Kurt Angle and Edge. I’m leaving so many superstars out of both eras but those are some of the big names. The Ruthless Aggression Era drifted away from the craziness of the Attitude Era, with the occasional absurdity that was reminiscent of its predecessor.
I won’t speak much on the eras before, or after these two because I have not watched them. Many people argue that wrestling went downhill after the Ruthless Aggression Era, but I think they are just attached to nostalgia. When I see wrestling now, it is still entertaining. However, it lacks the edge that the wrestling of my childhood had. This is in some cases, for the better. The WWE (WWF at the time) had some questionable storylines in the late 90’s. I will say I can appreciate the creative risks taken. In the late 90’s, the WWF was seeing how much they could get away with on TV. Now I get to enjoy all those moments on Peacock whenever my wrestling phase begins to creep back in.
I can’t go any further without mentioning the elephant in the room. “How can you enjoy wrestling when you know it’s fake?” So what? Despite the outcomes being scripted, the superstars put their bodies through hell to put on a good show. “The Wrestler” does an excellent job of portraying just how much these men and women give to their craft. The fact that it is scripted is the best part. Without a script, we would not have gems like Vince McMahon “exploding” in his limo,
A ladder match to determine the custody of a child (this is real),
Mankind being thrown off a 16-foot steel cage,
Mankind being choke slammed through a 16-foot steel cage,
The inception of the “Suck it!” gesture by D-Generation X.
and many, many, many more. I could do this all day.
I suppose my intention with this piece was to highlight my appreciation for the WWE. The rabbit hole goes far deeper, including some darker events that occurred outside the ring. I want to focus on the good in the WWE so I won’t mention any, but it would be unjust not to acknowledge the fact that the WWE is far from perfect. A fully fleshed out piece about the WWE would take months of research and planning. This piece is just me dipping my toe into the world of wrestling. Perhaps I may post a more concise piece focusing on a specific time, or wrestler, or event. Perhaps not. We’ll see.
With that being said, I am thankful that I grew up a fan of the WWE. I may have grown out of my fandom, but nostalgia will always peek its head around the corner and pull me right back in. I haven’t kept up with it since about 2012, but seeing classic clips on Instagram, as well as watching old pay-per-views always puts a smile on my face. The absurdity, spectacle, and characters are as compelling as any movie or TV show.
I can’t wrap this piece up without mentioning one of the best PS2 games of all time: “Smackdown vs. Raw 2006.” This was the first WWE video game I ever played. Since then I have given some of the newer ones a try, but they just don’t hit the same. As a result, “SvR 2006” is one of the games I purchased out of nostalgic impulse. I still play it to this day.
Well, there you have it.
Be sure to check out this playlist of some of my favorite entrance songs.
Thanks for reading.
Smell ya later.
-CJ
Good one. Enjoyed it...and I don't even follow it!!