Suspension of Disbelief Vs. Current Reality
#PWHS #Article #SuspensionOfDisbelief #CurrentReality #WWE
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Recently (mid-June, 2019) a match that was taking place for a WWE house show was abruptly stopped. One of the participants-Dana Brooke-had sustained a laceration after being run into the WWE's custom LED ring posts. Upon seeing the laceration (which by all accounts was superficial), the referee threw up the "X" signal and stopped the match. Trainers rushed the ring and Brooke was escorted up the aisle with a compress applied to her forehead.
As I read the report, and watched a video recap of the incident-I simply shook my head in wonder. My mind had traveled to the time when I first started wrestling-the territorial era when kayfabe was the rule. I thought about how bleeding was not only a standard part of most cards, but was encouraged. The cliché that held forth was "Red equals Green" (i.e. blood equals money).
There were promoters throughout the country (in the Southern United States especially) who would pay wrestlers bonus cash if they were opened the "hardway" ("Hardway" meaning by injury, not by razor blade). If a blow-off match to a program was due-especially if it were a gimmick match, such as strap, chain or cage-blood was almost a guarantee.
As I reflected on this, I also reflected on the fact that professional wrestling today has shed all pretense of being competitive sport; all pretense of opponents having any true animus for their opposition; all vestiges of being anything more than 100% entertainment-a melodrama played out inside of a ring. Perhaps even the term "Sports Entertainment" should be modified to "Athletic Entertainment of Stock Routines"-because there is no longer any pretense of sport involved.
Two points: 1. I am not advocating that today's competitors should go out of their way to mutilate themselves for the sake of pseudo-realism. If the officials at WWE (and other organizations) have determined that in today's corporate climate, all forms of real injury and bleeding should be eradicated, then that is their right to make such a decision as are in the best interests of their employees and their business health. 2. I am well aware that professional wrestling for more than a century has been at its heart pure entertainment. The difference is in its presentation. Rather than trying to get patrons to suspend their disbelief temporarily (to "believe" what they are seeing is true competition) as has been the traditional philosophy, in today's world you get 100% reality-the reality that what you are seeing is no more real than say the latest Avengers movie, or the latest docudrama presented on television.
What I miss is the fact that when something truly real-such as the accidental laceration of Dana Brooke-would occur in days past, the match would continue and the accident would be seamlessly incorporated into the match. Stopping a match in midstream is much like letting the air out of a balloon-it destroys all the form, content and purpose of what previously existed.
Naturally if an injury occurs that is far more serious in nature, the match should be stopped. But for an accidental cut, a bruise, etc. why not let the match continue to a logical conclusion. The match could easily have been ended with a pin, a disqualification, etc. Allowing a natural ending to a match-regardless of mishaps along the way-is something that is sorely missed in today's product.
A prime example-perhaps too strong of an example- are the two matches that Bruno Sammartino worked in Madison Square Garden. The first was against "Cowboy" Bobby Duncum, and the second against Waldo Von Erich. In the first match, Sammartino suffered a broken arm accidentally. Rather than immediately stopping the match, the wrestlers and referee made the decision to go to the finish as quickly as they could. Bruno used his healthy arm and his legs to beat Duncum into submission. The comeback was timed perfectly and none in MSG were any the wiser that a mishap had occurred.
A few weeks later, to avoid a substitution on the main event (and possibly trigger a riot), Sammartino had his cast removed and went in against Von Erich. Von Erich attacked before the bell and "damaged" Sammartino's arm with his European title belt. (Von Erich was careful to attack the upper arm near the shoulder and avoid the broken forearm area of Sammartino). Bruno bladed the arm and then put Von Erich away with continual kicks and stomps. It was perfect and the Garden crowd completely understood why Bruno couldn't use his arm. The match only went about seven minutes, but no one went home disappointed.
Two different eras, two different mindsets. Some may call the kayfabe era too extreme. Perhaps. I call today's era too timid. There is a happy medium that can be reached, but rarely does that ever happen.
All I know is that watching what is called wrestling today leaves me with the same feeling as eating junk food: A small bit of satisfaction, and a yearning to consume something more substantial.
As I read the report, and watched a video recap of the incident-I simply shook my head in wonder. My mind had traveled to the time when I first started wrestling-the territorial era when kayfabe was the rule. I thought about how bleeding was not only a standard part of most cards, but was encouraged. The cliché that held forth was "Red equals Green" (i.e. blood equals money).
There were promoters throughout the country (in the Southern United States especially) who would pay wrestlers bonus cash if they were opened the "hardway" ("Hardway" meaning by injury, not by razor blade). If a blow-off match to a program was due-especially if it were a gimmick match, such as strap, chain or cage-blood was almost a guarantee.
As I reflected on this, I also reflected on the fact that professional wrestling today has shed all pretense of being competitive sport; all pretense of opponents having any true animus for their opposition; all vestiges of being anything more than 100% entertainment-a melodrama played out inside of a ring. Perhaps even the term "Sports Entertainment" should be modified to "Athletic Entertainment of Stock Routines"-because there is no longer any pretense of sport involved.
Two points: 1. I am not advocating that today's competitors should go out of their way to mutilate themselves for the sake of pseudo-realism. If the officials at WWE (and other organizations) have determined that in today's corporate climate, all forms of real injury and bleeding should be eradicated, then that is their right to make such a decision as are in the best interests of their employees and their business health. 2. I am well aware that professional wrestling for more than a century has been at its heart pure entertainment. The difference is in its presentation. Rather than trying to get patrons to suspend their disbelief temporarily (to "believe" what they are seeing is true competition) as has been the traditional philosophy, in today's world you get 100% reality-the reality that what you are seeing is no more real than say the latest Avengers movie, or the latest docudrama presented on television.
What I miss is the fact that when something truly real-such as the accidental laceration of Dana Brooke-would occur in days past, the match would continue and the accident would be seamlessly incorporated into the match. Stopping a match in midstream is much like letting the air out of a balloon-it destroys all the form, content and purpose of what previously existed.
Naturally if an injury occurs that is far more serious in nature, the match should be stopped. But for an accidental cut, a bruise, etc. why not let the match continue to a logical conclusion. The match could easily have been ended with a pin, a disqualification, etc. Allowing a natural ending to a match-regardless of mishaps along the way-is something that is sorely missed in today's product.
A prime example-perhaps too strong of an example- are the two matches that Bruno Sammartino worked in Madison Square Garden. The first was against "Cowboy" Bobby Duncum, and the second against Waldo Von Erich. In the first match, Sammartino suffered a broken arm accidentally. Rather than immediately stopping the match, the wrestlers and referee made the decision to go to the finish as quickly as they could. Bruno used his healthy arm and his legs to beat Duncum into submission. The comeback was timed perfectly and none in MSG were any the wiser that a mishap had occurred.
A few weeks later, to avoid a substitution on the main event (and possibly trigger a riot), Sammartino had his cast removed and went in against Von Erich. Von Erich attacked before the bell and "damaged" Sammartino's arm with his European title belt. (Von Erich was careful to attack the upper arm near the shoulder and avoid the broken forearm area of Sammartino). Bruno bladed the arm and then put Von Erich away with continual kicks and stomps. It was perfect and the Garden crowd completely understood why Bruno couldn't use his arm. The match only went about seven minutes, but no one went home disappointed.
Two different eras, two different mindsets. Some may call the kayfabe era too extreme. Perhaps. I call today's era too timid. There is a happy medium that can be reached, but rarely does that ever happen.
All I know is that watching what is called wrestling today leaves me with the same feeling as eating junk food: A small bit of satisfaction, and a yearning to consume something more substantial.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Suspension of Disbelief Vs. Current Reality.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: November 15, 2019.
Article: #230.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Suspension of Disbelief Vs. Current Reality.
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: November 15, 2019.
Article: #230.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Harry can be Read Here.