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Wrasslin'

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Dusty, Dec 13, 2016.

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  1. Dusty

    Dusty Banned

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    Professional wrestling is nowhere near as popular as it was in the 90s and earlier decades (which can be blamed on multiple things including the death of kayfabe) but still has a pretty big following worldwide. Are there any past or current fans of it here on LV?

    I haven't been watching the wrestling world very closely recently apart from reading some dirtsheets and watching and listening to shoot interviews from guys like Jim Cornette (who can be kind of an abrasive asshole with non-wrestling opinions I totally disagree with, though when it comes to the business he knows what he's talking about and is entertaining) but overall I've been a fan for a decently long time. It's something I feel deserves more credit than the comments it often receives; many brush it off as nothing more than "lol fake fighting" and this is an ignorant view as it's much more than that. It's a performance artform like nothing else with a long and storied history dating back over 100 years now which takes tremendous athletic and charismatic skill and conditioning to really be successful. Each match involves wrestlers putting their lives in the hands of others and a great deal of trust with regards to competence and safety, and when it's really at its best the suspension of disbelief kicks in and it's a real spectacle to behold. Even though the outcomes are pre-determined, it's not wrong to call wrestlers athletes for what they pull off. This isn't to say there's not plenty about the business to be criticized, especially in its current mainstream state (people in the business themselves do all the time, one company has a monopoly and its closest competition is a very distant second that's extremely poorly managed to the point of being laughable often leading to complacency in angle quality, for just one example) but "it's bad because it's pre-determined" is not one that holds any real merit. It would be foolish to claim a film sucks because the actor playing the bad guy didn't actually get shot or that the actors in a sex scene aren't together in real life and it's just as foolish to apply that logic to pro wrestling, which is at the end of a day of really breaking it down another form of scripted live-action entertainment..but a startling number of people do. I don't fully understand why and it leads to people being embarrassed to admit they're fans sometimes which is a shame (though admittedly there has been plenty of things to be legit embarrassed about over the years, Google 'Katie Vick angle' for example, thanks Vince Russo...)

    A slight rant in there but something I feel as a fan/someone who respects the business of pro-wrestling has to be said in its defense.

    Consider this a pro-wrestling general thread, all things pro-wrestling related welcome. Were you a fan in the past? Are you one now? Any favorite memorable angles/gimmicks/wrestlers? Reasons you stopped watching? Predictions for the direction of various characters and storylines? All of that sort of thing.
     
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  2. Cadbberry

    Cadbberry Dad: 76.... Or Cad: 76

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    Marshadium Z ★★★★★Love Ball ★★★★★GS Ball ★★★★★Mewnium Z  ★★★★★
    I am not allowed to watch it but when I see in highlights on youtube always interests me. The movements they make just are satisfying and so interesting to watch the anatomy move. Also, it is always great to see someone getting slammed down, good aggressive moments I enjoy watching.
     
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  3. TheBlazingInfernape

    TheBlazingInfernape Gone, probably forgotten

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    I'm always in the mood for a good WWE event, hell I've attended two in the past year. Hell In a Cell and Survivor Series 2015 I've attended and it was great. Having Sheamus Brogue Kick someone's head off or Brock Lesnar tossing people like human pizzas and Undertaker just sending people to their tombs is always enjoyable.
     
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  4. Dusty

    Dusty Banned

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    Oh nice, you're lucky. I've always wanted to attend an event live but they never come to where I am except for maybe a house show once a year if we're lucky. The last time they even shot an episode of Raw in my region was like 1997 if I recall correctly. The closest to being live at a PPV was back when they would show them at the movie theaters here to watch with that crowd, more fun than watching alone but still not the same.

    One of the things I always liked were some of the promo video packages done to recap events and promote an upcoming big match. They're typically really well done (I don't like Kevin Dunn much but if he oversees these then I have to give him some props) and they show off the story telling aspect of wrestling. They'll recap weeks and sometimes months of a storyline in a concise and meaningful way and it really adds to the hype around a big match, My favorite of all time is the promo package leading up to the Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker match for WrestleMania 26. I've shown this to people who were non-wrestling fans just to display the kind of thought that goes into things and it's turned even their heads a bit. Great promo package, even six years later I enjoy watching it. Give it a look if you're curious about some of the kind of storytelling that goes on.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMGD8QHRBbQ
     
  5. Reckless

    Reckless Won't take the easy road

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    aYYYYY WRASSLIN'! \o/ Can't actually believe that WWE made two former indie darlings as their main champions this year! Kevin Owens and AJ Styles are awesome. <3

    Speaking of promo packages, this gem is the one of the first I ever saw when I got into wrestling a couple of years back. It's still one of my favourites, especially after the halfway mark;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7thUp8uTm18

    I too would love to go to a WWE PPV. Maybe Wrestlemania one day when I can afford it!
     
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  6. Dusty

    Dusty Banned

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    That was a great feud. It was around that time when I started watching wrestling more heavily, the early 2000s.

    I know what you mean about the indy guys, if you told me in 2008, 2009 that Tyler Black, Jon Moxley, AJ Styles, Kevin Steen and Samoa Joe will be in or involved with WWE and considered serious valuable talent I would have laughed at you, but here we are. It's nice to see. I still haven't been watching wrestling as mych as I used to but I will probably catch Royal Rumble cause it's Royal Rumble and WM33 because it's basically the superbowl of wrestling; I always come back to watching more around this time of year and see if it keeps my interest after that.
     

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