Wrestling WWE

[SUPERECWFAN1]

thank the Jeebus that silliness is over

Sure it was silliness , the era was one in its own time. Course there was more funny moments that happened when things weren't as big. Like when Ken Patera threw a huge rock into a McDonald's once. You don't get that really anymore . Like the wild stories like that outside the ring.

[TheInvisibleMan]

because professionals have learned to act like professionals? that guys are getting their college degrees before going into wrestling so they plan for a life after wrestling?

Ill take that over rock throwing any day

[SUPERECWFAN1]

because professionals have learned to act like professionals? that guys are getting their college degrees before going into wrestling so they plan for a life after wrestling?

Ill take that over rock throwing any day

Well we have a guy who is accused of rape. There is numerous bad folks in wrestling and that will never change and what they did outside the ring. And a number of guys did go to college like Dibiase , Funk and more. Its just things wasn't as open now or exposed worldwide. Like if guys like Flair destroyed Patera's car and Piper wanting to hit a strip club and do coke. Nowadays that would be on page #1. Then not many knew and its only stories that would come out later.

That era had its own insane charm for the stories outside the ring. Like when Austin Idol took a $5,000 check to a bank he won in a Battle Royal where the guy (may have been Ole) hadn't paid him well. So Idol walking up with this check that was just part of a match and not supposed to be cashed , he walks up and goes to the lady , "Baby don't ya know who I am , I am Austin Idol and just won the Battle Royal last night."

She believing it was real and that this guy legit won an actual sporting event because she had attended in the town cashes it. Were not gonna get things like that anymore.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

because professionals have learned to act like professionals? that guys are getting their college degrees before going into wrestling so they plan for a life after wrestling?

Ill take that over rock throwing any day

It was a totally different thing though. Today being a wrestler is akin to being a reality tv star or even just a regular television star. Back then it was a big secret fraternity where you were part of this massive work that was fooling the world. There was money in it and they were terrified that if the business was exposed it might mean the end of the gravy train. They didn't know Vince McMahon was going to spill the beans and put on a circus act and people wouldn't care.

[TheInvisibleMan]

It was a totally different thing though. Today being a wrestler is akin to being a reality tv star or even just a regular television star. Back then it was a big secret fraternity where you were part of this massive work that was fooling the world. There was money in it and they were terrified that if the business was exposed it might mean the end of the gravy train. They didn't know Vince McMahon was going to spill the beans and put on a circus act and people wouldn't care.

its not that people didn't care, they were happy to be included

and you know what, it IS entertainment, always has been

no different than an episode of NCIS or Boston Legal or Quantum Leap

we all know Scott Bakula didn't actually travel through time, but we all still care about Dr Sam Beckett

[Malvolio]

its not that people didn't care, they were happy to be included

and you know what, it IS entertainment, always has been

no different than an episode of NCIS or Boston Legal or Quantum Leap

we all know Scott Bakula didn't actually travel through time, but we all still care about Dr Sam Beckett

Right. That's what I tell people who tell me, "You know that's not real," like they're telling me something I don't already know. I'v known pro wrestling is pre-arranged since I was 10 years old. But one of my schoolmates told me that while the regular matches are fake, the championship matches are real. I just laughed because I knew that the championship matches are the most scripted of all. They might allow a bit of ad-libbing in a match that doesn't really matter much, but the only time they might change the outcome is if God forbid, someone gets injured by falling the wrong way or something.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

its not that people didn't care, they were happy to be included

and you know what, it IS entertainment, always has been

no different than an episode of NCIS or Boston Legal or Quantum Leap

we all know Scott Bakula didn't actually travel through time, but we all still care about Dr Sam Beckett

In the 60's and 70's and before that it was presented as a real sport. There were magazines dedicated to boxing and pro wrestling. Sports columns talked about Thesz and Sammartino the way they talked about baseball players. Sports in general are entertainment. Wrestling wasn't presented as an act. People who were in the business were saying "this is real, this is a legit sport, watch two tough guys fight each other". Imagine what would happen to the NFL if tomorrow Goodell came out and said it was all predetermined entertainment. The Patriots are the Ric Flair dominant heels. We build up a few babyfaces every year to draw money. That's what promoters and wrestlers were afraid would happen to wrestling.

In that time period, there was a very real fear of the business being exposed. To be part of the business was to be part of a secret club and you were charged with protecting the secret. It wasn't like it is now. You need that context when you judge how the business was handled back then.

[TheInvisibleMan]

people hearing "wrestling isn't real" was like your obviously gay friend telling you that they're gay

you're like "cool, we know, everyone knows....let's get a sandwich"

[TheInvisibleMan]

In the 60's and 70's and before that it was presented as a real sport. There were magazines dedicated to boxing and pro wrestling. Sports columns talked about Thesz and Sammartino the way they talked about baseball players. Sports in general are entertainment. Wrestling wasn't presented as an act. People who were in the business were saying "this is real, this is a legit sport, watch two tough guys fight each other". Imagine what would happen to the NFL if tomorrow Goodell came out and said it was all predetermined entertainment. The Patriots are the Ric Flair dominant heels. We build up a few babyfaces every year to draw money. That's what promoters and wrestlers were afraid would happen to wrestling.

In that time period, there was a very real fear of the business being exposed. To be part of the business was to be part of a secret club and you were charged with protecting the secret. It wasn't like it is now. You need that context when you judge how the business was handled back then.

like the Illuminati?

the He Man Womun Haterz Club?

[wjowski]

In the 60's and 70's and before that it was presented as a real sport. There were magazines dedicated to boxing and pro wrestling. Sports columns talked about Thesz and Sammartino the way they talked about baseball players. Sports in general are entertainment. Wrestling wasn't presented as an act. People who were in the business were saying "this is real, this is a legit sport, watch two tough guys fight each other". Imagine what would happen to the NFL if tomorrow Goodell came out and said it was all predetermined entertainment. The Patriots are the Ric Flair dominant heels. We build up a few babyfaces every year to draw money. That's what promoters and wrestlers were afraid would happen to wrestling.

In that time period, there was a very real fear of the business being exposed. To be part of the business was to be part of a secret club and you were charged with protecting the secret. It wasn't like it is now. You need that context when you judge how the business was handled back then.

While kayfabe was heavily enforced well into the 90s, there'd been news articles about pro-wrestling being scripted since at least the 40s.

EDIT:

In fact Jack Pfefer exposed the whole business in 1932.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_P...sing_the_Sport

[SUPERECWFAN1]

There was a few articles here and there where people tried to say the business wasn't real. But of course for years they presented a real sports product and would challenge people if they believed it was fake. Even Vince for awhile tried going on the whole aspect of reality and had to change direction quick after the Dr. D incident where he slapped Stossel in the ears a couple times. Many applauded Shultz at the time for this who thought he was doing his job to protect the business. Shultz even claims Vince told him to do this then.




Shultz claims he would have slapped Stossel again if told to. Because he listened to his boss and was protecting the business.

[steve2275]

i agree when he says that people arent being utilized

[wjowski]

There was a few articles here and there where people tried to say the business wasn't real. But of course for years they presented a real sports product and would challenge people if they believed it was fake. Even Vince for awhile tried going on the whole aspect of reality and had to change direction quick after the Dr. D incident where he slapped Stossel in the ears a couple times. Many applauded Shultz at the time for this who thought he was doing his job to protect the business. Shultz even claims Vince told him to do this then.




Shultz claims he would have slapped Stossel again if told to. Because he listened to his boss and was protecting the business.

Uh, that wasn't 'a few articles here and there', that was a major expose' that hurt pro-wrestling's reputation for years.

For all the big talk about 'protecting the business' the truth is pro wrestling's been exposed before any of us were even born.

[steve2275]

Uh, that wasn't 'a few articles here and there', that was a major expose' that hurt pro-wrestling's reputation for years.

For all the big talk about 'protecting the business' the truth is pro wrestling's been exposed before any of us were even born.

.........yep

[BigLbo]

I'm still guessing Nakamura, but Ziggler has a shot. AJ has a food opponent either way, though honestly I'm not sure AJ vs Ziggler feels like a WM match.

it would probably just open the show anyways. the main B-show match will most likely be something involving shane/brianson/owens/zayn.