9 Times Wrestling Made You Believe
When the art of wrestling meets the suspension of disbelief, and we forgot it's supposed to be fake.
Wrestling is pre-determined entertainment, something its fans have come to accept ever since the demise of 'kayfabe' during the 1980s. Its scripted nature can help make it entertaining in a way 'real' sports rarely match.
At its best, professional wrestling is high drama as well as an athletic showcase, and like any good play, movie, or novel it has the power to make us forget we're watching a story at all. The very best wrestlers know this, and are as much actors in a stage play taking part in the ring as they are athletes. The WWE is in the business of stories - if it wasn't, everything it produces would be the XFL.
When wrestling makes us suspend our disbelief it can bring out our emotions, confound us with an unexpected turn, or get us thrumming with tension. It's not easy to achieve, and plenty of the WWE's wrestling storylines fail to engage the part of our brain that doesn't care about whether it's 'fake' or not. But sometimes, for a few glorious moments, we forget about the scripted promos and backstage politics.
Sometimes, wrestling makes us believe.
9. Mark Henry’s Retirement Promo
Big Mark’s sorrowful retirement promo came at a time when Edge’s retirement was still very clear in fans’ minds. The memories of that emotional in-ring heart to heart must have been particularly raw when the living menhir, Mark Henry, walked to the ring in wrestling’s most memorable pink jacket, carrying a pair of wrestling boots he was surely about to hang up.
Mark began in the halting, uncertain tones of someone who is speaking from the heart. He mentioned his beloved family as he seemed close to tears. He even acknowledged the ‘Sexual Chocolate’ chants as he addressed the crowd as if they were close friends and colleagues.
We believed absolutely that Mark Henry’s long career was at an end. We believed it so completely we forgot for the moment that John Cena was in the ring with him.
And then we remembered it as Mark Henry slammed Cena through centre of the Earth and inducted him into the Hall of Pain. Not only did we believe Mark Henry was about to retire, we believed that John Cena believed it, too, and that Mark Henry was a nuclear-strength badass by swerving him along with an arena full of people.