5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Oct 26)

5. A Disgusting Promotional Tactic

This week's RAW opened with a moment so heartbreaking that it made an entire community of fans reconsider wrestling's line between fiction and reality: Roman Reigns, and credit to WWE for not revealing this sooner as a means of putting the Big Dog over as a babyface, revealed that he has resumed his battle with leukaemia.

But let's hold our applause.

Many reconciled their perception of Roman Reigns the performer with Joseph Anoa'i the man, and took to social media to extend their warm wishes and support towards a performer whose deeply sad struggles with a serious illness have brought into focus just how little a manufactured pro wrestling push matters. In response to this separation of the work and the shoot, WWE being WWE blurred that line by accelerating Dean Ambrose's heel turn. Originally mooted for around the time of Survivor Series, Vince, in full carny mode, realised that cancer is heat, pal!

Subjectively, this wasn't offensive. There's no way Roman didn't consent to the angle, and the angle itself was portrayed with surprising nuance; Ambrose agonised over his decision, and Rollins understood his brother's outburst. "It's OK," he said. Ambrose, the red mist flooding his rational mind, intensified his assault. Ballsy, shameless, insensitive, whatever, it was effective - and Christ knows we complain enough about the all-encompassing lameness of heels under WWE's sports entertainment approach. WWE booked a WrestleMania main event on Monday. This being WWE, we'll see it in about three weeks at the latest, but still.

Objectively, this was an astonishing only-in-wrestling decision. For better or worse, this was warts-and-all WWE stuff absolutely uncaring of its own perception - despite the microscope looming above its head.

It might get real weird, depending on how Monday unfolds, but for now, this was wrestling at its highest, lowest, and most batsh*t.