After RAW put on one of there most stellar performances in terms of booking, angle development and pure entertainment value I went to school on Tuesday ready to discuss the intricacies of the show with some of my markish friends. We had our usual discussion with them throwing out their phrases and doing a couple crotch chops in the hall, much to the chagrin of the teachers passing by. All in all it was a good discussion. I try and not tell them too much about wrestling or what is going to happen, as I feel that it takes away the fun for them. I remember being without the Internet and wrestling just seemed more fun back then, so I allow them that same pleasure.
As school went on I went to my CWP class and immediately began discussing wrestling with my teacher, who is a fan of the sport. Someone mentioned the Severn piledriver looking legit. I remarked that I felt that it wasn't completely legit but that it was still a stiff shot and that there had to be some pain involved with it. My teacher began laughing hysterically. I was aghast. He claimed that NOTHING was real and that it was acting on the part of Severn. I'll admit, it WAS a work but the piledriver was stiffer than Clinton's cock after an intern comes in. I was beginning to get steamed at my teacher but I managed to calm myself down.
The class continued until we got some more free time to talk. At this point he said something that just about blew my top. He mentioned that Austin's neck injury was a complete fake as well. This was the neck injury that Owen Hart gave Steve that almost ended his career. I muttered, "Bullshit" under my breath. He told me to watch what I said and I told him he didn't know what he was talking about. Then it hit me. Who is the one that looks like the fool here? Me or him? In actuality, he is the fool. But when it comes down to what society thinks, I'm the one that looks like an idiot for playing off anything about wrestling to be real. To me this is a travesty. Mistakes do happen and they happen frequently. Why can't people accept this? Kevin Nash recently made a great statement regarding this concept, saying, "Just because a pro football player knows a tackle is coming doesn't mean it makes it hurt any less." I'm not on Kevin Nash's bandwagon at all, but that statement is well put.
Should we get angry over people thinking this way? I suppose not, but it sure upsets me. It's not really anything but ignorance that prevents them from knowing the risks that the wrestlers put themselves under to give us a good show night in and night out. This ignorance is not something that they can really be accountable for either. Most fans that watch wrestling are just casual fans that are just in it for the entertainment value and don't care one way or another if anyone gets hurt. That attitude is absolutely fine as these are the people that really make up the mass majority of the industry's audience.
My advice to people who run into similar situations like the one I have just so articulately described? Calmly point out the facts to the people and try to explain to them the dangers involved in the sport of wrestling. Maybe you can enlighten them. Then again, maybe you can be like me and get detention for it. :)
