Sports are athletic competitions. Professional wrestling is sports entertainment.It's a bit different when it comes to sports though... you can't tell me you would be 100% cool if it turned the NBA was fixed?
Wrestling is taking athletes and creating storylines.
Now, yeah...give me a real sport that was competitive the entire time I was alive, then flip the switch on me? Different story.
I respect pro wrestling because I've actually been in a wrestling ring, and I stood in the center of it, jumped in the air and landed on my back, and it not only knocked the wind out of me, but also gave me a sore spot on my shoulder blade for about 3-4 nights. Not off the top rope, or flying over the rope...just a simple backdrop.
Back when I watched wrestling, guys were jumping off of ladders and landing on tables outside of the ring. From the top of the ladder, to the floor, it's a massive drop. Same with a 30-foot tall cage, onto a table.
When I was younger, I wasn't watching wrestling just to see who won the match. I watched it for the entertainment, the storylines, the athleticism and amazing feats that guys like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (two of the greatest bball players ever) couldn't deal with.
My girlfriend was actually laughing at the show two weeks ago, thought it was stupid. So did I. I haven't watched wrestling in almost a decade, it seems. However, a few days ago, I showed her a match that happened back in the late 90s, showed her one that happened around 2002. Then, tonight's return (of The Rock)...she thought it was awesome. Not turning her into a fan, of course, but she admitted she would be more into it if he was wrestling, full-time, and some of the best wrestlers in the business back in the day were still going strong.
It's much more than just winning a match.
