Beyond the Ring Why Wrestling is More Than Entertainment

Wrestling is a funny thing. People love it; some are intent on calling it fake, and some know references but don’t know wrestling itself. The common thing is that all of them talk about it somehow. It is a scripted and rehearsed sports entertainment show, but the moves and dives are real. That is the rationale some individuals cite for their disdain, as if movies and television programmes are not scripted and rehearsed, whereas most of the wrestling itself is genuine and cannot be fabricated. It offers an escape for those who feel different, those who may be perceived as weird, or just people who don’t like to blend in. 

There’s something about wrestling that pulls you in and gets you invested and attached to the characters. It’s difficult to explain, but I’ll try anyway. Let me illustrate this for you.

Imagine a person who has an abundance of talent, excellent character, and perseverance, yet is prevented from reaching the levels of success by those above him. Every obstacle they put in his path, he overcomes with sheer determination. So, the ones in charge send two of their most powerful henchmen to face him and stop him from getting a ladder and reaching the top to claim Championship Gold. A rough, difficult, exhausting battle ensues, but he keeps holding on. He sees an opportunity; they’re both down. He gets a ladder, climbs it, and claims the championship at the top. All the effort the higher-ups made to keep him away from the gold was for nothing, and the determination, willingness, and persistence paid off in ways the good guy could have never imagined. 

That was a story in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) in which the good guy was Daniel Bryan, going up against the WWE establishment and their most deadly wrestlers alone. What we later found out was that Daniel Bryan was scripted to fail, but the audience response whenever he was on TV and won a match was nothing but thunderous cheers and applause. So, the ones in charge decided to change the script and, therefore, give the fans what they were desperate to see: Daniel Bryan succeeding.

The difference between wrestling entertainment and movies/TV shows is that wrestling mixes real life with storytelling to different extents depending on the storyline they’re doing. For example, in 2012, John Cena and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) had a feud in WWE. At times, they disliked each other, which made the audience more invested in their WWE TV story. It became one of the biggest and best feuds of the past few years. The feud not only engages the fans but also keeps them engaged in the show. The fans are called the WWE universe; with their cheers, their boos, and their chants, they have the power to effect change. 

In 2024, the most powerful character in WWE was a bad guy named Roman Reigns, who was the champion and ruled over the company for over three years consistently with his family, called the Bloodline, and beat anyone who opposed him. This is another example of mixing real life with fiction. The bloodline is genuinely comprised of Roman’s family members. 

Then came a returning Cody Rhodes, son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. Cody was in the company until 2016 but left to perfect his craft. The WWE universe watched him throughout the year work his way up to competing with the top guy, Roman Reigns. Their first match was at the biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. After a long battle, he was seconds away from winning the championship, but a new member of the bloodline interfered and cost him the match. Cody vowed to come back and fight Roman again at the next WrestleMania, and he would earn it. The WWE universe saw him climb back up to the top, earning an opportunity to fight Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. 

However, something unexpected happened during a WWE episode: Cody confronted Roman 2 weeks before WrestleMania and told him that he would take away everything from him, but not at WrestleMania. The crowd gasped, and Cody said he consulted someone who knows Roman well. The Rock’s music hit, and the crowd went wild. The episode ended with the Rock and Roman Reigns facing off.

For years, the people’s dream match was Rock vs Roman Reigns, cousin vs cousin; it just came at such a bad time. The rest of the week, people all over social media were furious. Cody Rhodes worked so hard for the entire year just for the Rock to take his spot against Roman. The hashtag #WeWantCody was trending worldwide. Every show building up to WrestleMania, the entire arena chanted, ‘We want Cody.’ Remember Daniel Bryan? That was happening again 10 years later, so they changed it back to Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns, but The Rock becomes a bad guy and joins Roman. That became the catalyst for one of the most successful years WWE has had in decades. The fans, deeply invested and caring about every event within the company, played a pivotal role.

It inspires people, me especially. Many things can help people, inspire them, and get them through tough times. Among other things, wrestling has done that for me. I’ll leave you with the full quote from one of my heroes, who sadly passed away in 2023, Windham Rotunda, aka Bray Wyatt. 

Wrestling is not a love story; it’s a fairy tale for masochists. A comedy for people who criticise punchlines. Most people struggle to comprehend the fantasy, yet the spectacle remains undeniable. Lines are blurred. Heroes are villains. Budgets are cut. Business is business. But it can also be a land where dead men walk. It’s a place where honour elevates you to an elite level. Where Demons run for office. And rock bottom is a reason to rejoice. WOOOOO! It’s an escape. A reason to point the blame at anyone but yourself for 2-3 hours. An excuse to be a kid again, and nothing matters except the moment we are in. Wrestling is not a love story; it’s much more. It’s hope. And in a world surrounded by hate, greed, and violence, a world where closure may never come. We all know a place that has hot and cold hops on tap. For better or for worse.