The world of professional wrestling is a strange one. At first glance, it appears to just be grown men and women beating each other up, which is only somewhat true. However, in reality, it is so much more.
Professional wrestling is a form of athletic theater, combining action with drama. Wrestlers, rings and announcers take the place of actors, stages and narrators. It may seem like wrestling is just all about the fights, however, in reality they’re just there to pave the way for the medium’s most important aspect: the drama.
Ever since the early days of the medium, the story has always been the most important aspect. Sure, the fights are cool and all but, it’s mainly used as a plot device, a means to an end. It’s not the main reason most fans watch it. Wrestling usually tells sort of mythological stories. These larger-than-life people are locked in never ending combat, trying their best to prove themselves as the best.
With that being said, wrestling is fictional. Everything from the punches, the slams, kicks, throws and even the storylines. Meaning wrestlers are just glorified stuntmen. While this is often a point a lot of nonfans like to use to insult the sport, it is wrestling’s greatest tool.
There are about a half-dozen major wrestling companies. so for the sake of the article I’ll only stick to talking about the most popular one, World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE. With that being said, keep in mind that what I go over in this article applies to all of them.
Wrestling as we know it today started in the early 1950s. Controversial businessman Vince McMahon hosted the very first WWE (known as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation at the time) show on Jan. 7, 1953. It was here that we saw the first and most important story telling device in the medium: the championship belt.
There are a number of championship belts in the industry, the Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team and Universal just to name a few. These belts are used almost as a status symbol among wrestlers. Being the holder of a belt is one of the highest honors a wrestler can earn, symbolizing excellence, achievement and prestige. They’re also one of the main causes of conflicts.
Most storylines follow the endless battle to claim a specific belt. Most of the major conflicts we’ve seen within wrestling stems from the belts. In reality, they’re just these big and bucky straps of leather covered in fake gold. However, if you strip away your logical worldview you start to see them as something different. They’re these grand prizes, a wrestler’s means to an end, the only true way to stop fighting. A wrestler with a belt sits on top of the food chain, no longer having to fight their way upwards. It’s the only true way to prove oneself.
One of the best examples of this can be found in a currently ongoing storyline, Roman Reigns and his Bloodline. Roman Reign was granted the WWE championship belt back on Aug. 30, 2020. This happened right after the wrestler returned from a year long battle with leukemia. After Roman claimed the belt, he made a promise to the entire WWE that we will do everything within his power to stay the champion.
Roman started the Bloodline as a way to protect his title. The team is led by Roman Reigns and features his real-life cousins, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. They group is managed by long time promoter Paul Heyman. Sami Zayn and Jimmy’s twin brother Jay Uso were also members at one point.
The Bloodline was his way to make sure that he would keep the belt and stay the champion. The group would find ways to make sure Roman won all of his matches, whether legal or not. During big matches if it looked like Roman was in a rough spot and about to lose, the Bloodline would come bursting out onto the ring and save him. Thanks to them, Roman has been able to stay as the WWE champion for over 1200 days, the longest in the company’s history. Roman is now seen almost as a villain figure in the world of wrestling, doing what it takes to win.
Speaking of villains (also known as heels), they also serve as pretty big parts of storylines. If there’s a hero, there must also be a villain, but how does one frame a real person as this big unstoppable thread? How do you get millions to hate you? It’s all about stage presence. The way you walk, your speech patterns, what you wear and even the moves you use, are all important.
Let’s look at the most infamous villain in the business, the Undertaker. Everything about the Undertaker is meant to look as intense and threatening as possible. Before even stepping foot into the ring, you were able to tell what he was all about. He would enter wearing a big black leather trench coat and stetson hat, resembling the traditional appearance of his namesake. He would even sometimes carry a shovel with him.
The Undertaker doesn’t become truly horrifying, however, until he is in the ring. He’s mostly known for his devastating submission Hells Gate and his horrifying Tombstone Piledriver. As amazing as those moves are, I think the most important part of the Undertaker character is the specific way he gets up.
Most wrestlers do something similar to a kickup after being knocked on their back. The Undertaker however, does something much different. He hoists himself back up, almost as if he was a zombie being brought back to life. No matter what hit him, he would get back up. He was painted as this unstoppable force of nature and all-powerful force.
I know that I used some really grand words in this article, words that honestly sound a bit silly considering the context. However, they are well deserved. Yes, wrestling may be fake, but there’s a good reason behind it.
Wrestling is not about watching the peak of human strength battle each other, it’s about watching these individuals fight each other to prove a point. They fight to prove that they are the best. While the titles may not really mean anything, seeing the journey these people go through makes it all worth it.