Into the Fire: Life is Pro Wrestling

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Sport is an amazing thing. It is the definitive showcase of competition among people and shows us at the peak of our physical powers as humans. Entertainment is perhaps the most sought after commodity on planet Earth. It is what gives us that quick jolt of emotion our normal lives may not always make so accessible. These are two starkly different things when defined under normal conditions, but in this era where the demand for instant gratification is so high, the lines are now more blurred than ever. Today, the difference between sport and entertainment is barely noticeable.

Take for instance the fiasco in Brooklyn with Conor McGregor invading a UFC function he was not scheduled to be a part of. Outside of the realm of sport, this act would be categorically considered pure criminal behavior. Within the confines of a sporting universe however, the reaction to Conor’s tirade and subsequent arrest has been met with mixed opinions and classifications. Some people do see him as a whiny thug who was seeking attention because he was being threatened with being forced to vacate his championship. Others are calling this stunt a master class in fight promotion; a publicity stunt. Either way, people are talking and that is all that matters in this sports entertainment universe.

Conor McGregor’s tirade was an extremely violent example of how reality is nowhere in sight when you are looking at a sporting event in 2018. Other examples may involve the bending of the rules not disgracing a team’s legacy as a champion, but adding to a lore of false wisdom and cunning. There are also examples of having the most advanced technology on the field and the court, yet no one actually knowing what they are seeing when they see a replay over 100 times in a span of three minutes. The blurring of the lines between what is real and what is staged is everywhere. It is virtually impossible to see clearly what is actual sport and what is just entertainment. This is because with our lives being accelerated by technology and the need for instant gratification, we are collectively learning together that this entire time we have been on this planet, life for humanity has been one thing; Pro Wrestling.

Movies and scripted TV shows are awesome, don’t get me wrong. And I love sport as much as the next guy because I too enjoy healthy competition. But what Pro Wrestling does better than all of those genres is put a mirror in front of us all as people and we get to see the reflection of what we are, what is going on around us, and how it all shapes everything. Think about it. You see a fake pro wrestler commit a heinous attack on someone in a very palatable way that is still uncomfortable. Your reaction is, “oh my god, somebody has to kick this guy’s ass!” You buy a ticket when the show comes to town to get that wish granted. This is the a simple formula that has worked in Pro Wrestling since the late 1800s and it will always work because it plays off of us as humans. What advanced technology and quite frankly smarter people in charge have now done is take this model and applied it to our other sports, our politics, and virtually every other aspect of this society we share.

So when Conor McGregor throws stuff at a bus and legitimately injures fellow MMA fighters, or Tom Brady cheats to win, or a referee blows a call that is obvious on the replay; recognize that you are reacting the same way you do when Brock Lesnar attacks a handcuffed and defenseless Roman Reigns. You will either get really hot about and voice your opinion. Maybe that results in you ignoring MMA or football because it is not in line with your moral code. Or maybe you are pissed off but still entertained, so you watch social media and you obsessively scroll your Facebook or Twitter feed to see what happens next. Maybe you just don’t care because you enjoy something else on the card. Whatever your reaction is, you do have one and you do not concern yourself with discerning the difference between sport and entertainment because they are now one in the same. You can buy the ticket and enjoy the game/show or you could get hot about it. I wouldn’t get too heated though, because it is all most likely a work anyway, because life is Pro Wrestling.

– Alan Michael