I don’t care if you think wrestling is fake. The WWE’s storytelling is insane

I remember February 14, 2008, for two reasons. No.1, my sister – Daisy – was born, about four in the afternoon. But No.2, it was the day I received my first World Wrestling Entertainment action figures – a two-pack featuring the then World Heavyweight Champion, Edge, and his bitter rival, Rey Mysterio.

I loved these action figures. My brother and I would spend hours staring at their immaculately shaped bodies and smashing them onto a plastic wrestling ring that used to make crowd noises whenever one of your toys would slam onto the mat.

Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 in California, US, in 2023. Credit: AP

My mother despised them and would frequently yell at us to, “Stop smashing those bloody wrestlers … it’s midnight!”

I was 10 at the time, and over the next few years, WWE became my life.

Both my parents got into it as well. I remember my dad becoming emotional when Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 26, meaning he would have to retire. (Dad loved Michaels’ entrance music, Sexy Boy – if you have not heard it, I urge you to Google it as soon as possible.) Over the following years, my brother and I were lucky enough to attend three live shows in Adelaide. We saw legends Triple H, Undertaker, Batista, John Cena, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and my favourite wrestler, CM Punk, perform at the highest of levels.

I would race home from school on Monday and Friday nights for Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown, the company’s two most popular weekly shows. It was a special time to be a wrestling fanatic.

WWE superstar CM Punk.Credit: Facebook

However, over the next few years, I lost touch with my WWE-side. I became more interested in soccer, girls, DJs and other teenager stuff like that. But in January 2023, sad and a little crushed after spending Christmas alone, my brother and I watched the Royal Rumble – one of the company’s “big four events” – in which 30 wrestlers enter a ring, and have to throw each other over the top rope to guarantee themselves a main-event match at that year’s Wrestlemania. “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes won, and, once again, I was hooked.

The most common criticism of WWE is the notion that “it’s fake and scripted”. And, well, it is indeed fake and scripted. However, there are certain elements of WWE that cannot be faked.

When a wrestler leaps off the top rope and smashes through the announcer’s table … they cannot fake that! Gravity doesn’t stop hurting because the script says Drew McIntyre wins the match. His ribs will hurt. His shoulders can be displaced.

When a guy as big as Roman Reigns jumps on you, it is still going to hurt … because he’s 6′ 3 and weighs over 130 kilograms.

These performers are insane people. They throw their bodies around like rag dolls for the entertainment of others, and yet there appears to be a real lack of respect for professional wresting among the general sports, particularly WWE. The recent A24 feature film, The Iron Claw – based on the true story of the Von Erich family – was an insight into what nearly every wrestler experiences: pain, tragedy and regret. These guys are remarkable athletes, and returning to it now that I’m older has made me reconsider how amazing it is for them to do what they do.

But, if I am being completely honest, my love for professional wrestling is not about the performance art. No, there’s a dumber reason. I adore the way professional wrestling, specifically the WWE, tells its stories. They are insane. They come up with the most ludicrous and bananas narratives, and I devour them like a three-course meal from Guy Grossi.

One of WWE’s biggest storylines over the past few years has revolved around the current “Undisputed, Universal WWE Champion” Roman Reigns – who is referred to in the world of WWE as “The Tribal Chief” – and the aforementioned Cody Rhodes. The son of WWE Hall of Famer, the late, great, Dusty Rhodes, Cody’s shtick has been to “finish the story” of his father. Dusty never won the WWE Championship, the most prized title in the business. Cody has yet to, either. So, since his return to WWE in 2022, Cody has made it his mission to win the championship that has eluded his family for over 55 years.

Now, I don’t care if you believe wrestling is fake or not, that is just classic storytelling.

Of course, WWE has its problems. The company is littered with lawsuits. From steroid use and sexual misconduct all the way at the top, to its hypocritical and problematic alignment with Saudi Arabia – in which some of WWE’s “superstars” (WWE lingo for employees) are not legally allowed to perform in the country due to religion, gender, sexuality, etc. Yet while these are genuine criticisms of the WWE – and professional wrestling in general – it seems the main thing that many people simply cannot get past is the “fakeness”. I find that so disappointing and boring when you consider the effort and genuine awe of it all.

For the first time since 2018’s Super Showdown, the WWE is coming to Australia this week for a televised, pay per view event – Elimination Chamber – in which the wrestlers fight inside a ring, inside a chain-linked circular cage. The show is on track to sell out Perth’s Optus Stadium (with a capacity of more than 60,000). My brother and I are both going, and for the first time since 2013, I will be at a WWE live event. I will be wearing my John Cena “U Can’t See Me” T-shirt, while cheering and booing my little heart out.

I hope to see you there.

Roby D’Ottavi is a writer and director based in Melbourne.

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