I may catch a little crap for this, but what the heck. Someone inevitably announces "remember, it's fake".
Well, ladies, I don't know that it's all fake. In fact, I don't believe that it is all fake. I'm sooooooooooo tired of hearing people say that because it makes no sense. This is sports/ entertainment - not strictly entertainment. Having worked on many films (over 30) and having watched many fight scenes (with breakaways, candy glass, etc.) set up and choreographed I am aware that a lot of what we see is fake. I know how many of the gags are done. Quite honestly I couldn't give a hoot if it's fake or not, if I didn't buy in it I wouldn't watch it. Did you leave Leathal Weapon saying "Yeah, but it was fake". Of course not, whether or not it was real had nothing to do with it's entertainment value. But for some reason, people constantly say "It's fake" about wrestling, even here where they should know better. I assume a certain amount of savy from this wrestling audience.
Remember Vince said on the SuperBowl commercial "Get it" Yes, Vince I get it. It's for fun. It's sports/entertainment!
There is a lot of sports, high flyin' maneuvers, and day-in-and-day-out athletics that go into the making of the shows that these boys bring us on a regular basis. It is not strictly entertainment. But even with the best choreography they still get hurt sometimes. If they had the best choreography and everything was planned out, we wouldn't watch. It would be too damn boring for the type of show and audience it reaches. Usually when a wrestler is hurt, it's not on purpose (unless if they've encountered Bret), but it happens. Tempers can flair. Unscripted occurrences happen. Do you really think it was scripted that Roaddogg would come out in his socks last week? And if so, please fill me in. Isn't it possible that he was just helping out his buddy and that he and X-Pac are really having a rift with BABG. And if that is possible then isn't is actually possible that perhaps someone though the Rock's butt off the stage and there wasn't a cushy little mat for him to land on??????
I was recently told by someone that Rocky didn't break his arm and that it was "fake". Well, she may be right. I was in the arena that night and it was real concern by the crowd in Rock's immediate area. It would make no sense for WWF suits to hold up the momentum at the end of the show for a scripted arm break. That is nonsensicle. Let's bring down the audience right after the climax. No. That would be very bad marketing. It was taped, so the audience in tv land never new how long Rock laid there. He could have hopped up, shown up with a cast at the following televised event and we would have believe all the same. I do not believe it was suspenseful, except for those in the immediate vicinity who could actually tell that he had been hurt. But for those of us further away, we couldn't tell what was going on.
So often I hear things that are completely paradox. From "it's all a show and they never really get hurt, it's just fake" to "he's taken a toll over the years". Well, has it or hasn't it taken it's toll. If it has taken it's toll then somebody got hurt along the way.
Of course, all the wrestlers have taken knocks and all too often the knocks are serious. It is not at all unphathomable that Rocky would break his arm from a fall off a stage. Yikes! Why do we assume these boys are made out of rubber? I think that Vince is just fine and will sport a neck brace on at Over-The-Edge. That is fake!! But the Rock quite possibly did get a hairline fracture that put him in a cast for a month, or a couple weeks. It's possible that he kept it on longer than was necessary for show. Perhaps if he wasn't wrestling the doc would have given him a sling and words of caution about bumping into anything. Since he's a wrestler a cast would be the only reasonable option since these boys try not to take sick days, besides it's better for the show, right.
The point is this, it's not all fake, if it were Brian Pillman wouldn't have taken too many pain pills that may have led to his accidental and quite untimely death. The pills are for pain and probably pain incurred from wrestling.
Taker's hip is what brought me on this line of thought. There was no advantage for him to hobble out to the ring - pychological advantage or otherwise. It would not build fan base and would not create the sense of pity in SCSA, supposedly allowing UT to have the upper hand. People would more likely cry "retire" and at his age it is not an appropriate tactic; from a 20-year-old yes, from a 37 year-old wrestler, no. The pain was visible in Taker's eyes. Did you notice that on two occassions he didn't go down to the ring on last week's RAW? It's probably just old stuff acting up in his bones. It made me think of a couple months ago when he had a wonderful glow in his eyes and how that glow seems to have passed at least for now. I hope his life is good and it's just the pain and I hope the pain passes quickly.
I've said my peace.
Jozie
The Unwrapped Undertaker
