It's easy to dislike pro wrestling. But it's hard to ignore: purely masculine in a lot of ways, and on the surface devoid of nuance or meaning. Fake violence between costumed men (and women, but that's for another day), struggling to be taken seriously in a clearly rigged contest. But despite the scripting (which generally only applies to the finish of the match and not the action therein) you will find, with a few exceptions (one of which is included in this post), pro wrestling to be on a whole more entertaining and engaging than MMA. The opportunity to construct a match that is not only athletic but also engaging storyline-wise separates professional wrestling from any legit sport. It's not about the competition, but the stories and feats of human ability. Violence used to perpetuate conflict. Watch and see.
ECW is a good place to start. Essentially the turning point in American professional wrestling w/r/t the '90s, matches like this (4 way dances, triangle matches and gimmick stipulations) separated it from the herd. Not to mention the ruthless violence, encouraged use of weapons, and general mature-audiences imagery and legitimacy. The fans are rabidt, and the workers distinct and important (with the possible exception of Little Guido). Present in this match are Tajiri, Mikey Whipwreck, Psicosis and the aforementioned Little Guido.
Part 1 of a match between Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa, two of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time. They work "stiff," which is to say almost all strikes connect with full force. Exemplary of perfect technique and execution. R.I.P. Misawa, one love.
This is an MMA fight from PrideFC, featuring two fighters trained in (and in the case of Takayama most famous for) pro wrestling. Don Frye is underappreciated in the US, that goes without saying. Takayama I don't know much about, but he has a hell of a build, and can throw a punch. This is sheer ruthlessness, and the ability present in people famed for their scripted matches.
This right here is just fucking good.
that's it for now, but there'll be more again soon. you'll see. this wasnt the big post i wanted to make this week, but that'll get done soon. don't worry.
0 comments:
Post a Comment