The Grunt and Groan Game

Endeavoring to write about professional wrestling has proven to be far more difficult than I expected. Not because I don't have much to say about it but because I have TOO MUCH to say about it. Think about that for a second. Look at the length of my previous blog posts (and read them if you haven't because I can be quite clever at times). I actually am having trouble writing about wrestling because I just have too much to say about it. But just as I try to tell younger performers trying to get an understanding of our art: in wrestling less really is more.

Very simply, fans go to wrestling events for the cathartic experience of living vicariously through someone they love defeating someone they hate in physical combat. It is a business in that promoters are investing time and money into getting patrons to come and exchange capital for their product. It's an art because it is based on reaching into a real, fantastic world and seeking to invoke real, heightened emotions. 

I love professional wrestling. As a fan, as a participant, as an ambassador of the sport, I love professional wrestling. The physicality, the drama, the brutality, the pageantry. The empathy, the manipulation, the danger, the surprise. When wrestling is great it provides an interactive experience that no other athletic endeavor or entertainment field can duplicate.

A number of possible blog entries came to mind. I could write about the reality of wrestling. I could write about the appeal of wrestling. I could write about the "violent" nature of wrestling. What makes a good wrestling show? Why do I call it an art form? Perhaps if people comment on this post I will reply with specific posts.

One thing I will not do: tell you HOW we do what we do. In my opinion too much of the wrestling business has been exposed already and I feel an almost sacred responsibility to protect some of our secrets. Penn & Teller do the Cups and Balls trick not to show you how to be a magician but to show you how hard their job is and just to offer a little insight into their art. Similarly I am willing to share "why" we do some of the things we do but if you want to know the "how" I suggest you do what I did and go to wrestling school.