# In defense of professional wrestling - long **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 28, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732 "2007-06-28T04:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/101 "2007-06-28T20:52:33Z")
People here have compared wrestling to Lost or CSI or Die Hard. I have never met anyone who considered any of those real. I have met several people over the years that thought wrestling was real. :rolleyes: So I won’t buy the everyone knows it’s fake argument. Most or some, but not everyone. As far as the story lines go, from the very small amount of time I have watched, they are nothing more than a soap opera. Soap, pure and simple. Soap operas for rednecks. Not my cup of tea. I don’t like Days of our Lives, so guess what, I don’t like wrestling. If you do, fine, but don’t expect me to be at all interested in tomorrow’s cage match. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/102 "2007-06-28T22:03:45Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] People here have compared wrestling to Lost or CSI or Die Hard. I have never met anyone who considered any of those real. I have met several people over the years that thought wrestling was real. :rolleyes: So I won’t buy the everyone knows it’s fake argument. Most or some, but not everyone. As far as the story lines go, from the very small amount of time I have watched, they are nothing more than a soap opera. Soap, pure and simple. Soap operas for rednecks. Not my cup of tea. I don’t like Days of our Lives, so guess what, I don’t like wrestling. If you do, fine, but don’t expect me to be at all interested in tomorrow’s cage match. [/QUOTE] And more to the point, it’s bad in the same way soap operas are bad. The writing is awful and the acting is terrible. I look at wrestling fans the same way I look at people who enjoy shitty movies and television shows. Nobody here would hesitate to criticize a bad movie, play, or TV show, yet when wrestling is critiqued, everyone acts like it’s unfair. If there was another TV show as bad a WWE that was on several times a week, it would be just as deserving of the scorn people have for it. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/103 "2007-06-28T22:15:25Z")
[QUOTE=brickbacon] And more to the point, it’s bad in the same way soap operas are bad. The writing is awful and the acting is terrible. I look at wrestling fans the same way I look at people who enjoy shitty movies and television shows. Nobody here would hesitate to criticize a bad movie, play, or TV show, yet when wrestling is critiqued, everyone acts like it’s unfair. If there was another TV show as bad a WWE that was on several times a week, it would be just as deserving of the scorn people have for it. [/QUOTE] When you say wrestling is crap, that’s you giving your opinion. Hell, for the most part, I agree - there’s little I still like to watch, but there are some things that come up I enjoy (such as Melina entering the ring, but I digress…) However, when you (global you) say wrestling is crap and the viewers are idiots because they don’t know its fake, you’re making personal insults and people, including me, will take umbrage at that. ETA: Say _LotR_ or _Buffy_ is crap, and you’ll get an even larger backlash. > [@Rick](#): > > I have met several people over the years that thought wrestling was real…If you do, fine, but don’t expect me to be at all interested in tomorrow’s cage match. Some people believe that no plane hit the Pentagon. Says more about the company you keep. Likewise, don’t expect me to care about the AI or Survivor winner, or whether Paris and/or Britney are in jail or not. Different interests all around. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/104 "2007-06-28T22:15:55Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] It is? I usually get a laugh when about once a year, the local outlets will run their _Wrestling is Fake, Facts at 10_ story. [/quote] Which suggests that the rest of the year, it’s **not** reported as fake. Unless I’m missing the point here. > [@](#): > > No but if you won an Oscar, that would appear. That would be a closer equivalent in wrestling. It also helps fill column space. Yeah, but when F. Murray Abraham is listed in the newspaper and they mention he has an Academy Award for Best Actor, they don’t imply he won the award for writing “Veni Sancte Spiritus” in B Flat Major. The award actually says _actor_ on it. When they say that so-and-so won the Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Title, the very name of the award implies that he achieved the award _by wrestling._ He didn’t — and I think that’s deceptive. That’s okay within the context of wrestling itself, but I don’t think other news media need to be complicit in that deception. As a news consumer, I’m not asking for entertaining lies. I’m asking for entertaining _truths._😉 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/105 "2007-06-28T22:26:21Z")
[QUOTE=Fish] Which suggests that the rest of the year, it’s **not** reported as fake. Unless I’m missing the point here. [/quote] The rest of the year, it isn’t reported at all. At least, not in any national news outlet nor the NYC local outlets. > [@](#): > > Yeah, but when F. Murray Abraham is listed in the newspaper and they mention he has an Academy Award for Best Actor, they don’t imply he won the award for writing “Veni Sancte Spiritus” in B Flat Major. The award actually says _actor_ on it. > > When they say that so-and-so won the Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Title, the very name of the award implies that he achieved the award _by wrestling._ He didn’t — and I think that’s deceptive. That’s okay within the context of wrestling itself, but I don’t think other news media need to be complicit in that deception. As a news consumer, I’m not asking for entertaining lies. I’m asking for entertaining _truths._😉 Technically, he did win the award for _professional_ wrestling. The winning of the match may have been forecast, but the path that was taken to get there wasn’t. Professional wrestlers have to earn it. Now, I will give you that the gold medal professional wrestler Kurt Angle won in the Olympics for _amateur_ wrestling is very different from the World Championships he won, in that the former was a true one-on-one competition, while the latter was a steady climb where he earned the right to be the face of WWE. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/106 "2007-06-28T22:50:58Z")
Hmmm. Better response than I expected. [QUOTE=Fish] My point is that Employee of the Month is so trivial that it never gets mentioned unless it’s pertinent. I wouldn’t expect to see “Employee of the Month” 1991 for Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers" in my obituary. [/QUOTE] I think your problem may be one of scale. Wrestling produces slightly better TV ratings than the food prep area at your Wendy’s would, had it been televised. I have a friend who used to be a part-time wrestler in a local promotion called Southern Championship Wrestling. Now he works for the county election board. When he dies, I don’t think “SCW Tag Team Champion” is going to appear in _his_ obituary either. On the other hand, I would suggest that Dave Thomas’ obituary probably made a passing mention of burgers. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/107 "2007-06-28T23:02:30Z")
No body knows their audience better than the wresling promoters. They give them exactly what they want. It changes with time and follows trends very well. During Iraq 1 they had an Iraqi wrestler to hate just in time. Kaufman regognized what the audience was and tweaked them. He knew how to make them react and did a great job of it. The audience may not always know how well it being pandered to but it works great. There is no appeal to intelligence. It is emotional. They want people to get upset and mad . They do right on cue. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/108 "2007-06-28T23:14:45Z")
Hearsay from Richard Cushing; the attorney investigating the alleged murder of Nancy Argentino by her wrestler boyfriend, Jimmy Snuka… > [@Vince McMahon](#): > > “Look, I’m in the garbage business. If you think I’m going to be hurt by the revelation that one of my wrestlers is really a violent individual, you’re mistaken.” ---
**Author:** ![Beaucarnea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Beaucarnea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beaucarnea)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/109 "2007-06-28T23:36:17Z")
I don’t watch wrestling, but the condescension in this and the parent thread is frustrating. Whether you are a fan or a hater, the wrestlers’ on-stage personas and over the top storylines are a marketing wet dream. Here are some stats for the snobs: The Broadway musical Cats grossed an estimated 350 million dollars after playing for 21 years. [WWE is now publicly traded and grossed $400 million](http://finance.google.com/finance?q=WWE). Last year. Bubba has deep pockets and a successful marketing strategy that outshines the lights on Broadway. After seeing Cats, I’d rather watch wrasslin’. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/110 "2007-06-29T01:44:25Z")
Yeah, the snobs are really going to be inpressed by the update that wrestling is more profitable than Broadway, seeing as how snobs always corrolate artistic merit to profitability. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/111 "2007-06-29T01:46:02Z")
> [@Pixiesnix](#): > > I consider coming into this thread and calling it “laughable” and “an insult to your intelligence” to be denigrating. If it doesn’t bother you, then why make the special point of coming in here and saying those things? [QUOTE=Beaucarnea] I don’t watch wrestling, but the condescension in this […] thread is frustrating. [/QUOTE] Look, many of you have to come to grips with what this thread is. Stop being fucking martyrs about how picked on you are. This thread was opened in the pit to fight about the merits of professional wrestling. That’s exactly what the detractors (like me) are doing. I’ve never once threadshitted in any CS wrestling thread; hell, I’ve never even read one of them, much less posted to one. If people do that, then your martyr act will have some traction. Pulling that “woe is me” crap here is a bullshit tactic. > [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > Well, the WWE roster is chock-full of NCAA amateur champions, non-failed athletes from other sports (there are two former FSU football players whose numbers were retired; one is Deion Sanders, and the other is on the WWE roster right now- you figure it out), not to mention former MMA champions. Unless, of course, you don’t count MMA either, because it’s kind of like wrestling, and wrestling is FAAAKE? The vast majority of college athletes – even the ones who win national championships – _are_ failed athletes because they weren’t good enough to turn pro. Just like the vast majority of highschool athletes (even on teams that win state championships) are failed athletes because they weren’t good enough to make it on a college team. Don’t name Deion fucking Sanders as an example by proxy of how successful pro wrestlers are as athletes. What, did Deion’s success leach onto them by osmosis? > [@Liberal](#): > > The argument that they couldn’t make it in some other sport is misplaced. Even Michael Jordan, whom I sure everyone will agree was an athlete playing in a sport, couldn’t make it in baseball. So, pro wrestling is choreographed (to a degree), but a person who doesn’t know what he’s doing — a hockey or football star, for example — stands to be seriously injured if he engages in it. I think “fake” is the wrong word. I think “enhanced” is better. I defy either of you to name a single successful pro athlete in pro wrestling. A guy who played on an NCAA team who wasn’t good enough to get drafted or become an undrafted free agent is pretty much the exact opposite of a “successful” athlete. Another way to go would be to name a pro wrestler who made a successful transition to a real sport. [Brock Lesnar](http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/07/27/lesnar040727.html) is probably the closest one, and he was a [complete bust](http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/MIN/7630542) in the world of real sports. As for Michael Jordan, anybody will tell you that he was, in fact, a _failed_ baseball player. He was a successful basketball player, though, so he wouldn’t qualify as a failed athlete. Wrestlers aren’t good enough to crack the lineup in _any_ sport, so as I said before they roid up and play make believe in the WWE. * * * In defense of pro wrestlers, someone rattled off a list of various (non-wrestling) accomplishments. You forgot “Governor of Minnesota.” Regardless of what you think of his time in office, Jesse “The Mind” Ventura did indeed get elected to be friggin’ governor. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/112 "2007-06-29T02:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=Martin Hyde] I agree, it’s an athletic endeavor, but not a sport. To be honest I like Sports Illustrated’s definition of sport. They define sport as “an athletic competition in which defense is employed.” Which discounts things like competitive swimming and track and field as sports, because while they are definitely competitive, the contestants aren’t really competing against one another directly. [/QUOTE] I completely agree with you, but be careful with that definition lest [post=8518557]RickJay[/post]'s head explode. > [@](#): > > That defies any logical or existing definition of “sport,” and leads to a lot of ridiculous conclusions. You’re proposing a stupid definition of “sport” where sprinting is not a sport […] > […scroll down to post 44…] > Yes, I know that’s what you’re saying. And what you’re saying is ridiculous. You’re taking a perfectly good word and completely redefining it with arbitrary boundaries in an illogical and pointless manner. Essentially nobody in the English-speaking world agrees with you; you’re more than welcome to make up your own language, but we usually use English on the SDMB, so don’t be surprised if you confuse some people with this new word you’re using that’s spelled S-P-O-R-T. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/113 "2007-06-29T02:26:06Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] People here have compared wrestling to Lost or CSI or Die Hard. I have never met anyone who considered any of those real. I have met several people over the years that thought wrestling was real. :rolleyes: So I won’t buy the everyone knows it’s fake argument. Most or some, but not everyone. [/QUOTE] I’ve met people who thought that soap operas were real and they _hated_ the characters who behaved badly, to the point of sending hate mail to the characters, not the actors. There are people who really believe that magicians are actually tapping into something spiritual when they make someone disappear. It’s not a large percentage of the total audience, but they exist. There are many magicians who keep the “act” going long after they are off the stage. The acting and writing in pro wrestling is over the top and exaggerated because those are the rules of the genre. Do you complain about the exaggerated gestures in old silent movies or Kabuki theater? No, they are the accepted conventions of the genre. Also, the wrestlers are playing to large stadium with thousands of people in the seats; subtle gestures don’t go over well. I haven’t watched wresting in many years, but I appreciate what these guys and gals do and the genre as it’s own form of entertainment. Part of the entertainment is the way they play with the line between what is real and what is fake. 99% of the audience knows it, and the other 1% is under 10 years old or exceptionally dim. It’s like watching a magic show; you know he’s fooling you but it’s exciting, interesting, takes skill and training, and there are nice looking bodies all around to distract you. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/114 "2007-06-29T02:38:11Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] I defy either of you to name a single successful pro athlete in pro wrestling. A guy who played on an NCAA team who wasn’t good enough to get drafted or become an undrafted free agent is pretty much the exact opposite of a “successful” athlete. [/QUOTE] [Ernie “the Big Cat” Ladd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Ladd) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/115 "2007-06-29T02:43:07Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] I’ve never once threadshitted in any CS wrestling thread; hell, I’ve never even read one of them, much less posted to one. If people do that, then your martyr act will have some traction. [/quote] That was **Leaffan** back in CS, which is why this thread was created. > [@](#): > > I defy either of you to name a single successful pro athlete in pro wrestling. A guy who played on an NCAA team who wasn’t good enough to get drafted or become an undrafted free agent is pretty much the exact opposite of a “successful” athlete. [Steve McMichael](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McMichael) [Bill Goldberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Goldberg) [Ernie Ladd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Ladd) [Edward “Wahoo” McDaniel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahoo_McDaniel) [Ron Simmons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Simmons) (this is the wrestler I believe was referenced by the retired FSU number) Not an inclusive list, as I can think of at least two others off the top of my head. Ken Shamrock, Steve Blackman, and Tank (something) moved from Ultimate Fighting to wrestling, but none really went far as wrestlers also need a personality, which all 3 lacked. Marc Mero was a 3-time Gold Glove winner. NCAA wrestling lacks a professional league to graduate into. There are quite a few NCAA wrestling champions and standouts - some of them have even shown personalities! > [@](#): > > Another way to go would be to name a pro wrestler who made a successful transition to a real sport. [Brock Lesnar](http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/07/27/lesnar040727.html) is probably the closest one, and he was a [complete bust](http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/MIN/7630542) in the world of real sports. Due to its scripted and cooperative nature, wrestling is a good fit for athletes, usually football, after suffering an injury that precludes them from continuing in a purely competitive sport. Wrestlers will work around legit injuries. Bill Goldberg in interviews has said (and I’m paraphrasing from years back) that he’s wrestled with injuries that would end an NFL career. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/116 "2007-06-29T02:45:23Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] Another way to go would be to name a pro wrestler who made a successful transition to a real sport. [Brock Lesnar](http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/07/27/lesnar040727.html) is probably the closest one, and he was a [complete bust](http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/MIN/7630542) in the world of real sports. [/QUOTE] Were you hoping nobody would actually _read_ the article, or something? A guy who hadn’t played organised football since _high school_ almost made the Vikings roster, despite nursing a moderate groin injury throughout camp, and you call him a complete bust? You know, I heard Steve McMichael was a pretty good lineman for the Bears back in the day… even went to a few Pro Bowls, they say. But wait, he went on to be a pro wrestler, so he can’t have been an actual athlete, right? He probably just roided up or something. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/117 "2007-06-29T02:49:40Z")
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee] I defy either of you to name a single successful pro athlete in pro wrestling. [/QUOTE] I already did, way back on page 1. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/118 "2007-06-29T02:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Were you hoping nobody would actually _read_ the article, or something? [/quote] I read all the articles. What immediately strikes me is the way the wrestling dramas are recounted as factual, which gets a big :dubious: from me. I realize Wiki isn’t the last word in . . . well, anything, but it _is_ ostensibly factual. Again, it’s the completely credulous way – _apparently_ credulous way – that all this stuff is taken at face value as “real” that really strikes me and ultimately escapes me. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/119 "2007-06-29T02:56:19Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Due to its scripted and cooperative nature, wrestling is a good fit for athletes, usually football, after suffering an injury that precludes them from continuing in a purely competitive sport. Wrestlers will work around legit injuries. Bill Goldberg in interviews has said (and I’m paraphrasing from years back) that he’s wrestled with injuries that would end an NFL career. [/QUOTE] Bill Goldberg’s injuries DID end his NFL career: he was forced to retire from football because of a torn abdominal muscle. The Rock lost his starting spot at Miami because of a shoulder injury, to Warren Sapp, of all people. Rocky never sniffed the field again, for obvious reasons, and thus went undrafted. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732/120 "2007-06-29T03:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] I read all the articles. What immediately strikes me is the way the wrestling dramas are recounted as factual, which gets a big :dubious: from me. I realize Wiki isn’t the last word in . . . well, anything, but it _is_ ostensibly factual. Again, it’s the completely credulous way – _apparently_ credulous way – that all this stuff is taken at face value as “real” that really strikes me and ultimately escapes me. [/QUOTE] So you blame wrestling for the quality of reporting by sources outside wrestling? 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-professional-wrestling-long/409732.md?page=7)