10 Most Controversial Wrestlers Of 2017
9. The Young Bucks
For:
An act as entertaining as they are important, the enterprising Bucks have bucked the monopoly WWE once enjoyed over the worldwide wrestling scene. They proved, calculably, that there is major money to be made beyond Titan Towers. Irrespective of your perception of the Bucks, spot monkeys or legends in their own time, what they have contributed to wrestling, if only for the wrestlers, is to be commended. Those who veer towards the latter appreciate the Bucks for their witty in-ring innovations, and underrated ability to craft genuine stories in the ring; their matches with Roppongi Vice must have f*cked off the Revival, because they were as effective in channelling the classic cutoff spots of yore.
Against:
Their comedy spots threaten to make wrestling a bit too daft, even for those in their corner. Those who aren't despise the Bucks for their Superkick parties, which by design unravel suspension of disbelief. They don't kick guys in the face as a strategic tactic; they do it to enhance the bratty gimmick. Nick and Matt wrestle as if it wrestling is both real and unreal; this selective acknowledgement of kayfabe is enough to inspire hysteria among their detractors.
Author Verdict:
It took a while, granted, but if the art of wrestling is worth dedicating so much of your personal time to, it should be celebrated as something as diverse as film and music is. Fiction has acknowledged itself as fiction for centuries; done entertainingly enough, it works in wrestling, too.