Today's Faith: American Professional Wrestling

The Religion: American Professional Wrestling
Existing since late 1800's in the United States, professional wrestling is a predetermined athletic event in which the purpose of the competitors is to pin the opposition's shoulders to the mat inside a ring to the count of three. Over time, wrestling has developed into a red-headed subculture with colorful characters, dramatic and cheesy storylines, and intriguing action. Many consider it to be a colorful soap opera performed by stunt men. While depicting an athletic contest with fixed outcomes, pro wrestling's main purpose is to entertain the audience and encourage them to cheer the hero and boo the villain, making it one of the few forms of live theater that encourages the audience to participate in the drama.

The God: Ric Flair
Touted by the majority as the best in-ring performer of all time, “The Nature Boy” is considered the ultimate standard from a combination of multiple heavyweight title reigns, quality of matches with opponents of various skill levels, bringing fans into the building using his rhetoric and charisma, and having the ability to be a convincing conquering hero or vile villain effortlessly. Most fellow wrestlers say that he is peerless and having a storybook career lasting over 30 years makes him the true litmus test.

The Messiah: Vince McMahon, Jr. The father of modern pro wrestling that has engulfed the U.S. and made pro wrestling a solidified aspect of Americana. McMahon was the one of the first to utilize pay-per-view for events, buying and taking over territories throughout the country, along with creating and nurturing future stars. While many promoters had clenched too close to tradition, McMahon let the cat out of the bag that pro wrestling was predetermined. Many people and wrestling fans scoff at the term “sports entertainment” to classify wrestling, but like or not McMahon changed the face of the industry and is it’s Walt Disney.

The Twelve:

Hulk Hogan- 1980’s superstar and household name that took pro wrestling into the mainstream. He’s probably the first image that pops into a person’s head when the word “wrestling” is uttered.

Bret “Hitman” Hart- Self-proclaimed “best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be,” Hart is considered to be a Mozart of the mat when it comes to having great matches with anyone and is an icon in his native Canada.

Shawn Michaels- A veteran of over 20 years and is dubbed as“the icon who can still go.” He has captivated audiences with both his interviews and ability to have great matches with men who have no business having a good match.

Stone Cold Steve Austin- Responsible for the second wrestling popularity boom in the late 1990’s due to his beer swilling, anti-authority character. Drew more money into the arenas and sold more merchandise than any wrestler ever in the U.S.

The Rock- Now going by his real name Dwayne Johnson, The Rock is arguably the most charismatic wrestler produced in the country and also has the most success transferring into mainstream entertainment.

Lou Thesz- A legit shooter (a wrestler who can take a man down and cripple them if necessary) known to a generation simply as “The Champ” that assisted the National Wrestling Alliance in becoming a legitimate body in pro wrestling and has passed down knowledge to future wrestlers in the United States and assisted pro wrestling developing in foreign countries, especially Japan.

Terry Funk- Debuting in the 1960’s and still performing, Funk is an excellent brawler, passionate, willing to work with anyone and make new stars. A former world champion, Funk was able to reinvent himself as a hardcore wrestler (a wrestler that takes huge risks such as falling through tables, getting hit with chairs, and using fire among other things) at an age when most wrestlers retire.

Andre the Giant- A universally respected man in the business. Andre drew crowds due to his size, but kept them in their chairs due to his quiet charisma. Andre’s size and stories regarding his strength and drinking prowess have turned him into a legend in and out of the ring.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis- Pioneer in wrestling that drew crowds during a time in which wrestling was a carnival act. Able to cripple a man if necessary and entertain if asked. Lewis was able to have wrestling matches lasting up to 6 hours. Trainer of many great wrestlers, including Lou Thesz.

Verne Gagne- Champion wrestler and promoter of one of the most powerful wrestling territories through his American Wrestling Alliance. Trainer of many great wrestlers, including Ric Flair. Gave Hulk Hogan, the Iron Sheik, Shawn Michaels, and many others their first big breaks in wrestling.

Bruno Sammartino- One of the biggest draws in Madison Square Garden and an icon to many Italian Americans during a time in which most ethnicities were absent from television’s spotlight. Da Brune had only two title reigns, but they lasted a combined 11 years. Top that.

Buddy Rogers- The first “Nature Boy” in wrestling, was one of the first wrestlers to draw crowds due to charisma and looks along with in-ring ability. Rogers was a long time rival to Lou Thesz and was the first WWWF champion.

The Anti-Christ: The Parents Television Council
A media watchdog group that criticizes “harmful television” that includes professional wrestling. The groups’ leader, L. Brent Bozell III, has claimed that pro wrestling messes with children’s psyches and even provokes homicidal behavior…right.

The Satan: Media Portrayal
The media typically depicts wrestlers as mostly dumb, steroid addicted muscleheads or overweight clowns along with insulting wrestling fans by portraying them as rednecks that believe the in-ring action is real.

The Bible: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
A weekly document covering insider news and show results from wrestling shows and mixed martial arts events throughout the world. Created, authored, and edited by Dave Meltzer for over 20 years.

The Christmas: Wrestlemania
Professional wrestling’s annual equivalent to the Superbowl. A big money draw to every town it has been hosted.

Churches: WWE RAW, ECW, TNA Impact, WWE Friday Night Smackdown!, your local independent shows.

Devotions:

“Hooker: An Authentic Wrestler’s Adventures Inside the Bizarre World of Professional Wrestling” by Lou Thesz
“Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks” by Mick Foley
“A Lion’s Tale” by Chris Jericho
“Death of WCW” by Bryan Alvarez and R.D. Reynolds