The sight of two or more muscled men, and in some cases, women, struggling with each other in an arena has enthralled millions of fans for some time. People simply cannot get enough of the testosterone filled battle between the giants. Live shows and television broadcasts attract enormous numbers of viewers and many of the giants of this sport have very large followings. Yet the history of professional wrestling is long and often illustrious.
In time, this so called sport has mutated in a form of amusement. Matches are carefully scripted and the outcomes are known to the organizers and the contestants alike. Every move, every attack and every action is carefully planned and rehearsed. Strangely, many fans refuse to acknowledge this fact, preferring to believe that the match is real and that the eventual winner achieved victory through his own efforts.
Modern shows are designed to excite the crowd and to involve them emotionally and often even physically. Contestants are thrown from the arena, into the crowd, on a regular basis. Referees and contestants often cheat, on purpose, purely to get the crowd worked up. Abuse from the crowd is common practice and even expected and encouraged. Most matches place a popular hero against a villain.
Just because these matches are fixed and choreographed does not mean that the contestants must not be physically strong, lithe and fast. The potential for injuries are real and the contestants have to perform complicated movements. This is why most successful career wrestlers are large muscled and supremely fit. They are also particular about their diets and they spend a lot of time warming up before each match.
Detractors argue that amateur wrestling is a legitimate sport that is even contested at the Olympic Games. They are of the opinion that pro events detract from the strict rules that govern the sport and that the public may see the legitimate matches as being organized as farces similar to those offered on the pro level. The standard defense is that the public are aware of the differences and that they simply do not care.
The present version of this sport has its origins in traveling carnivals in the eighteen hundreds. Wrestlers used to challenge the audience to last a certain amount of time with them n the ring in order to be awarded a cash prize. Later, wrestlers competed with each other while bookmakers took bets from the crowd. Promoters started fixing the outcomes in order to lull the public into betting on what seems like a sure winner.
The shows that are so much enjoyed by millions of people go back centuries. In the ancient Babylon and Egypt the sport was prestigious and it is depicted in many drawings from those times. However, it was the Greeks that refined the sport and its popularity continued in the Roman period. It is from this period that the modern version originates and is differentiated from the amateur version in that grappling below the waist is allowed.
As a form of mass entertainment pro wrestling probably has a long and prosperous future. As long as people enjoy the theatrics, the costumes and the supposed violence the crowds will keep supporting their heroes. The history of professional wrestling is an ancient one and the shows people watch today is a far cry from the original versions.
In time, this so called sport has mutated in a form of amusement. Matches are carefully scripted and the outcomes are known to the organizers and the contestants alike. Every move, every attack and every action is carefully planned and rehearsed. Strangely, many fans refuse to acknowledge this fact, preferring to believe that the match is real and that the eventual winner achieved victory through his own efforts.
Modern shows are designed to excite the crowd and to involve them emotionally and often even physically. Contestants are thrown from the arena, into the crowd, on a regular basis. Referees and contestants often cheat, on purpose, purely to get the crowd worked up. Abuse from the crowd is common practice and even expected and encouraged. Most matches place a popular hero against a villain.
Just because these matches are fixed and choreographed does not mean that the contestants must not be physically strong, lithe and fast. The potential for injuries are real and the contestants have to perform complicated movements. This is why most successful career wrestlers are large muscled and supremely fit. They are also particular about their diets and they spend a lot of time warming up before each match.
Detractors argue that amateur wrestling is a legitimate sport that is even contested at the Olympic Games. They are of the opinion that pro events detract from the strict rules that govern the sport and that the public may see the legitimate matches as being organized as farces similar to those offered on the pro level. The standard defense is that the public are aware of the differences and that they simply do not care.
The present version of this sport has its origins in traveling carnivals in the eighteen hundreds. Wrestlers used to challenge the audience to last a certain amount of time with them n the ring in order to be awarded a cash prize. Later, wrestlers competed with each other while bookmakers took bets from the crowd. Promoters started fixing the outcomes in order to lull the public into betting on what seems like a sure winner.
The shows that are so much enjoyed by millions of people go back centuries. In the ancient Babylon and Egypt the sport was prestigious and it is depicted in many drawings from those times. However, it was the Greeks that refined the sport and its popularity continued in the Roman period. It is from this period that the modern version originates and is differentiated from the amateur version in that grappling below the waist is allowed.
As a form of mass entertainment pro wrestling probably has a long and prosperous future. As long as people enjoy the theatrics, the costumes and the supposed violence the crowds will keep supporting their heroes. The history of professional wrestling is an ancient one and the shows people watch today is a far cry from the original versions.
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