10 Things Japanese Wrestling Does Better Than WWE
6. Wackiness Of Pro Wrestling Pt 1: Unbelievably Extreme Stipulations
One of things that allowed wrestling to first transcend into popular culture was its inherent wackiness. Whether fans believed it to be scripted or not, there were always certain quirks that made wrestling unique and lovable. Hitting each other with steel chairs, getting thrown through tables off ladders, and other hardcore elements were among the most timeless of wrestling perceptions.
Of course, WWE doesn’t do hardcore wrestling in as extreme ways as, say, ECW used to. And they definitely don’t go as crazy as the Japanese, who pretty much invented the idea of hardcore wrestling.
From full-on inferno matches where the entire ring and its immediate outside were set on fire; to having death-matches with scorpions, tanks full of piranhas, and cacti; to explosions; to multiple lengths of barbed wire around the ring, the Japanese know how to satisfy the inner bloodlust that exist in every wrestling fan.
As a result, pro wrestling in Japan stays very much the same, in that the elements that made it unique and easily distinguishable as an art form aren’t watered down or forgotten in order to satisfy a more cynical audience. Wrestling in Japan is still loved in all its forms, and doesn’t have to change as much as WWE does in order to draw in a wider audience.