Wrestling, scripted but not fake.

Well my friend and I were arguing about how wrestling is fake. I'd say it's fake and then he'll always reply like this "It's scripted, not fake!", I don't really see the difference since if it's scripted wouldn't that make it's all fake?

so to you people out there, do you think wrestling fake? what's the difference between fake and scripted?
(oh and by wrestling I mean WWE)

GreenGoblin said:

Well my friend and I were arguing about how wrestling is fake. I'd say it's fake and then he'll always reply like this "It's scripted, not fake!", I don't really see the difference since if it's scripted wouldn't that make it's all fake?

so to you people out there, do you think wrestling fake? what's the difference between fake and scripted?
(oh and by wrestling I mean WWE)

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I'm a TNA fan and I found that offensive.

It's scripted, but it's certainly not fake. The outcomes are predetermined, but as the great Mick Foley once said, there's no way to fake falling 20 feet off the top of a steel cage. There are very real injuries too. (be warned, the video below is not for the faint-hearted)

AwesomeAsCrawdaunt said:

I'm a TNA fan and I found that offensive.

It's scripted, but it's certainly not fake. The outcomes are predetermined, but as the great Mick Foley once said, there's no way to fake falling 20 feet off the top of a steel cage. There are very real injuries too. (be warned, the video below is not for the faint-hearted)

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Wait, what offended you? the fact that when I say wrestling it's automatically WWE and that I don't think about TNA, or because I said wrestling was fake?

Even as a girl, I am completely addicted to WWE, and my perspective is different from the boys'. WWE is definitely scripted, but not the fights for a title. I mean, do you seriously think a chick like AJ would make out with Kane or Daniel Bryan? Oh, and CM Punk, but he's hot so he doesn't count. And yeah, some of the fights are scripted, but as I said, not the ones that include championships.

Looking back on what I said, I didn't understand a word of it.

GreenGoblin said:

Wait, what offended you? the fact that when I say wrestling it's automatically WWE and that I don't think about TNA, or because I said wrestling was fake?

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It's a popular view that I really don't like. There is more than one wrestling company in the world.

The outcomes are predetermined and of course the story lines are just that, story lines, but sometimes situations account for improvisation and real injuries can and do occur. Then there's also the actual athleticism and pain involved. You jump of the roof of a cage like that and tell me it doesn't hurt.

Acting: I say overacting but not scripted, they are after all personalities.
Scripted: Probably to some extent (the outcome? though it's ultimately up to the fighters) but I doubt it.
Real or Not: I'd say those injuries are pretty real, but I doubt the racks on any of the round card girls are :P

I mean half of them look like barbie dolls ._.

Yes, wrestling is fake, but to what extent? You can't fake someone jumping off a ladder or even worst, a 20 feet steel cage.
some of the hits are fake, yes. No one can take like 30 punches at the head and not bleed. But the pain they endure are real. And all the weapons they use are also real. So fake or not, I completely respect what they're doing. Breaking their bodies for wrestling fans like us to enjoy watching the show.

People have been saying that it's fake forever. Sure, the matches are determined beforehand by the writers and the bookers in the back to push the wrestlers or Superstars into the limelight. But they also try to make the show entertaining for the fans, which is why I hate the WWE PG direction with the lack of violent matches and no blood policy, overuse of John Cena (Turn heel, Cena! You'd be a good bad guy!) and Michael Cole being a heel announcer. I came from the 1980s Wrestling Boom which I still enjoy watching matches from that era and lived through many different eras, including the WWE Attitude Era and I always enjoy seeing somebody get cut up and still continue the battle and ultimately win. But that's just me. Heck, I still love Hulk Hogan despite him being what John Cena is today, but I grew up watching Hulk Hogan defeat everybody and telling us to train, say our prayers and eat our vitamins. It's cheesy today, but we still think of it fondly.

I'm getting off track.

You have to remember that these guys train hard to take the beatings they put each other through every night. They know how to take a bump and get very minimal damage, like how hardcore wrestlers train themselves to absorb punishment from multiple objects that would most likely put them in the hospital. The only time it gets real is when something bad happens when a wrestler gets a move wrong and seriously injures himself or his opponent.

If this was real, the rosters of every promotion would be dwindling very fast due to constant injuries or even worse, death. The action may look fake, but the pain they go through is real. That's why they tell people to not try this at home.

I think that the largest difference between it being pre-determined and being fake is that, while the match outcomes are planned ahead of time, many of the moves being done during a match actually hurt. Even take a simple body slam for example. The mat they're being slammed on isn't a glorified trampoline as I've heard some people say, but it's basically plywood with a thin layer of padding on top. Hitting that mat 30 times a night up to 200 times a year truly does take a toll on your body, even if you're performing as safely as possible. Then when you factor in guys flying out of the ring, getting hit with steel chairs, going through tables, etc., you begin to appreciate that they're putting their body on the line for entertainment- even if they know the final outcome well before the fans.

Then there's the whole other aspect which is the out of ring stuff. I've heard wrestling being compared to an action-packed soap opera, and I think that it's a good comparison. Just like other TV shows and movies, 99% of the time the people that are feuding with each other are at least acquaintances away from the ring, even if their characters would beat each other within an inch of their life. So yes, this part of wrestling is fake (including CM Punk's highly talked about promo last summer).

But one thing that many professional wrestlers don't care about is whether people call it fake or not (a few others might chew you out for saying it to their face, though). They get into the business knowing the stigma around the industry, and how it's viewed by the general public. Even the fans know that everything is pre-determined and pre-planned, but they watch because they appreciate the stories that the wrestlers are able to tell both in and outside the ring. That's why I think it's good that wrestling is aptly called "Sports Entertainment": it isn't 100% real, but they'll do everything they can to make sure the fans leave happy.

And if anyone has the time, you should check out a documentary called "Beyond the Mat." It was made in the late 90's, but it gives an in-depth look at the industry from the very top right down to the local companies, and it gives you a real appreciation of what these guys go through for the fans.

"Fake"? Whenever was "professional wrestling" showcased as being anything other than entertainment? It's not fake in the slightest. Those who believe it to be a non-stop physical fight to the knock out are a little ahead of themselves in terms of what they think the human body can go through. There is scripted outcomes, and all wrestling moves are attempted to be done safely and not to intentionally damage the other party. There is a lot of physical skill to be involved in this. You don't watch a film and say "well that stunt was fake", you enjoy watching it understanding that the stunt was professionally handled, likely by a double. So what you get in professional wrestling is a form of stunt acting, with a lot of risk and pain involved in some cases. The things they do in the ring actually hurt, the outcomes are pre-determined and there is a lot of work put into making sure there is no lasting injuries.

Professional wrestling is a show, not a sport.

I remember a wrestler named Draz. (dont quote the exact name) The other guy was suppose to hang him up on the rope and Draz had his neck broken and is paralyzed from the neck down.

Few months ago Wade Barrett suffered a separated shoulder. ALLL wrestling promotions are scripted. If you go to a non wwe or TNA event. I suggest ROH myself but you see and sometimes feel the impact and contact of the wrestler hitting the mat.

We have to remember this guys literally put their lives on the line each night to entertain us. From the lil guy companies to WWE.