WWE: The generation of entertainment

“The following contest is scheduled for pin fall. Making his way to the ring, weighing 330 pounds from Houston, Texas, it’s “the UNDERTAKER”…. DINGGGGG….and an abominable lull descend around the arena….”

Sounds familiar? It certainly is for the kids of the 1990s and till date as well. Yes, it is the most coveted cash rich sports event of the world, the World Wresting Entertainment (WWE). During our childhood days we used to be ardent fans of the superstars who had acquired a God like cult status in our naive minds. However as time progressed, we sensed something is wrong. Yet our fervor and penchant for the merciless bashing prevented the doubting sparks to fan into flames. One fine day, a 12-year-old fan of this sports entertainment got his beliefs demolished, his worries turned into stupid naivety and his affinity for WWE got burned to the ashes. Reason- the secrets of the biggest sporting entertainment programme got exposed by none other than the superstars themselves. When the same faces, who bore the brunt of the knockout punches, or the fiery finishing moves, now declare that those were nothing but a farce, the poor 12 year-old-chap could not hide his disappointment.

So how does this happen basically, the industry thrives upon a big hoax and yet rakes in the moolah every single time the show goes live! It is a vast network involving the wrestlers, the referees, definitely the management and last but certainly not the least, the commentators. (Remember JR, Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler). Yes, those guys whom we thought were the disinterested party in the entire set up, they actually have the most critical role to play in this showbiz game.

To begin with the props, starting from the floor of the ring, to the corners of the ropes, to the tables, chairs, ladders all are real, real enough to appear so on the television screen. However when they break it isn’t real anymore. The table become plywood, the ladders are not hit with the slightest force and the chairs make the lesser sound than the feet of the wrestler. The floor of the ring is a thick layer of mattresses donning the base and thereby making a fall look hard enough but never causing the pain the move was intended to. The chairs are hit on the backs, on the head and then the blood spits out from the wounds. A gory scene created with the state of the art creativity and with an instrumental role played by the referee. The ‘weapon’ which is used in this case is hard-to-catch small razor which is efficiently passed by the referee while attending the wrestler who is down, writhing with pain. With a small cut is perfected by the experienced customer and bingo, a stream of blood flow leaves the audience in awe and the viewers perplexed and aghast. It was however confessed by one pro-wrestler that sometimes it so happens that the cut cannot be accomplished so placidly and it leaves the person with a deep gash. At that point, the match is abandoned and the wrestler is ‘stretchered off’ in an ambulance.

The responsibility of the commentator in such eventful matches is quite crucial. They essentially determine how long a match is to be continued, who is to win the match (in some cases) and in what manner, etc. They are situated just in between the action stage and the audience. Hence, their primary duty is to gauge the reaction of the audience. Accordingly, they gesture the referee via their pen! When the audience is bored and tired of the same person gaining the upper hand, the referee is communicated and accordingly the direction of the contest is swayed.

These and more have been officially disclosed by the wrestlers on a programme, namely ‘Secrets of pro-wrestling” which was aired on Star World, ages back. When we were those 12-year-old boys bubbling with enthusiasm and amazement when we used to see our favourite superstars perform nerve wrecking finishing moves, vowing to end the career of their rivals and flash the middle finger as a sign of victory. Maybe, the middle finger was flashed at the cynics who tried to explain their kids, “grow up bub, that’s just play-acting, simulation to the highest level…” We would be irritated at times, give a smirk, or be nonchalant most of the times and keep ourselves glued to the impending pile-driver tombstone or the People’s elbow. These have been an integral part of our childhood memories. The story is same in every household all over, yet the adrenaline rush that we get even at a ripe age of 22 to see our favourite superstar of the yesteryear (Read Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, etc) pack a punch is unmatched. The era may have changed, the names have changed or soon to change, yet such entertainment continues despite all the reprimand and it will do so. “That’s the bottom-line ‘coz Stone Cold said so…”