I have a confession. When I was a pre-teen I was a huge WWE (pro wrestling) fan. In my earlier years, I’d resisted the tempting allure of spandexed muscle men slamming each other into oblivion. But one day I found myself watching Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat wrestling “The Nature Boy” Rick Flair for the NWA championship title at the “Clash of Champions” in 1989, and that did it for me. From that point on, I found myself glued to the TV cheering my favorite brawlers like “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine.
Throughout my childhood, my father would tease me and tell me that it’s fake. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t shake my rock solid faith in the sanctity of the “sport.”
Honestly, it wasn’t until WWE owner Vince McMahon started calling it “sports-entertainment” that I started my slow and painful journey into the world of reality. Looking back, I sort of miss those lost innocence moments. Like when I waited with bated breath for the Ultimate Warrior to kick out from Hulk Hogan’s leg drop at Wrestlemania 6. It was a part of an awesome childhood that I’ll always cherish.
Someone finally managed to capture a moment which most wrestling fans must reach at some point (hopefully within their childhood): the moment you realize that it’s not real. Here’s the YouTube video. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ReBlac9l3E
Featured image is screengrab from YouTube.
