Professional wrestling is something I failed to give any thought or attention to prior to meeting my husband, Blaine. We have been together for over 12 years, and married for almost four, and I will be completely honest in saying that when I first caught wind of the fact that my boyfriend, at the time, was an avid wrestling fan, I wasn’t sure if it was a bit of a red flag or not.
I have, for most of my life, considered professional wrestling to be one of the stupidest sports in existence. I simply could not wrap my mind around the fact that anyone watching professional wrestling was already well aware of the fact that the entire event is staged, and therefore deemed the sport a joke, and watching it to be a waste of time.
That sounds harsh, and it is. Allow me to admit that before Blaine educated me in a lot of things about wrestling and the professional wrestling world, my opinion of the sport was wrong and misinformed. I still don’t particularly love it by any means, but after hearing Blaine’s narrative about it and the joy it has brought him both in childhood and adulthood, I’ve come to respect it a hell of a lot more than I ever have before.
Blaine’s love for wrestling and his extensive knowledge about it have encouraged me to recognize that this sport is so much more than a performance. Granted, it really is a performance at its core, but I’ve realized this element of the sport is what so many fans love. The costumes, the personalities, and the rivalries that come with the latter are what make it so appealing and entertaining, and while the outcome of the match may be pre-determined, professional wrestling still takes an absolute toll on the body, and the people doing it are incredible athletes.
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