would you consider WWE etc "sport"

Dtp1979

Omackeral wrote: »

Most people online that discuss it enjoy the behind the scenes stuff as much as anything else, the real life beefs rather than what's on screen. Sometimes, these real life things play out on screen the odd time and it's fascinating to watch. Take for example this, a wrestler called Matt Hardy was dating one of the female wrestlers Lita for years and she actually cheated on him in real life with another guy in the company called Edge (Adam Copeland). With the internet as it is now, it all became public. They decided to work it Into to the storylines and you could clearly see, if you're in the know, that they were goińg extra hard as in not pulling punches. There's been countless incidents like that over the years.

It's not for everyone and I can see where the ridicule comes from in fairness but thinking you're breaking news to someone by telling them it's fake is more ridiculous than anything else.

Fair enough. Point taken.
Going back to the op, It still shouldn't be on a sports channel though.

genericguy

stimpson wrote: »

But not compeditively. Unless there is a dance off.

But wwe isn't competitive its scripted

Omackeral

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Fair enough. Point taken.
Going back to the op, It still shouldn't be on a sports channel though.

Neither should Poker!

gerrybbadd

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Fair enough. Point taken.
Going back to the op, It still shouldn't be on a sports channel though.

Where would you have it put then? The WWF/E draw huge numbers to Sky and have been a very important part of Sky Sports for decades now.

Their monthly Pay Per Views draw huge buy rates (or at least they did, until the WWE created their own online streaming service)

osarusan

I recognise the athleticism and hard work that goes into WWE, but I don't think anything in which the outcome is determined in advance can be considered a legitimate sport.

RWCNT

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Where would you have it put then? The WWF/E draw huge numbers to Sky and have been a very important part of Sky Sports for decades now.

Their monthly Pay Per Views draw huge buy rates (or at least they did, until the WWE created their own online streaming service)

I think all right-thinking people agree that a separate Sky channel dedicated to pro wrestling coverage would be the best thing ever.

Cienciano

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Fair enough. Point taken.
Going back to the op, It still shouldn't be on a sports channel though.

This is just fücking stupid. Sports channels can show what ever the hell they want, just stop watching if you don't like it

Diabhal Beag

It's absolutely not a sport but it is in a world of its own in terms of how you can categorise is. The predominant term is "sports entertainment" which is a bit ridiculous, befitting to pro-wrestling. People get injured a lot, guys have actually died in-ring, there's still a huge steroid culture, people are playing a single character and politicking their way to being the face of the company and finally legitimate athletes have come from and have gone into pro-wrestling.

I watched it on and off (mostly off) for the last 10 years and it is a bit depressing the amount of young deaths there is. Performers are also kinda dry****es at times because this is the life but at the end of the day it's still men (and women) fake-fighting other men (and women) and you should have a bit of a sense of humour about it.

Boskowski

Its a sport. Its theatre but its also sports. A lot of of sports is theatre anyway. Sure Premier League is just one big soap for men. But what do I know, I'd tell you golf is a sport, too.

Dtp1979

Cienciano wrote: »

This is just fücking stupid. Sports channels can show what ever the hell they want, just stop watching if you don't like it

For a start, I don't watch it.
And, ahem, sports channels usually kinda show........ sports

Dtp1979

Boskowski wrote: »

. But what do I know, I'd tell you golf is a sport, too.

Wo wo wo, slow down. Your being ridiculous now

gerrybbadd

Google "Sport Definition" and this is what you get.

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment"

That pretty much sums up what the WWE does. And although the in ring action is pre determined, dont ever think it's not competitive. Those guys are in constant competition to further themselves, make themselves stand out, and to be the one pushed to the top.

RollieFingers

Dtp1979 wrote: »

You're dead right. It's not a sport and it shouldn't be on a sports channel.
What's even more amusing is the amount of overgrown children, or adults for want of a better word, who watch it and follow it like it IS a sport.

Someone didn't eat their Booty O's this morning!

hynesie08

It's not a sport, it's a TV show about a sport.

I thought Hogan bought the WWE and was changing the name back to WWF?

micar

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Google "Sport Definition" and this is what you get.

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment"

That pretty much sums up what the WWE does. And although the in ring action is pre determined, dont ever think it's not competitive. Those guys are in constant competition to further themselves, make themselves stand out, and to be the one pushed to the top.

"competes against another or others"
This is exactly why wwf is not a sport.

pickarooney

Del2005 wrote: »

A lot of sports know the final results before the start. It's very rare that a top team or ranking player is knocked out in the qualification rounds, so does that mean that only the final is sport and the rest entertainment?

You must make a killing at the bookies.

Can you bet on Wrestling?

Unearthly

pickarooney wrote: »

You must make a killing at the bookies.

Can you bet on Wrestling?

Yes on paddy Power

Paddy Samurai

More circus entertainment than a sport IMO.Lots of dressing up in funny costumes,acrobatics ,hitting each other with chairs ,jumping off ladders etc.
But highly skilled for all that!.

galljga1

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought Hogan bought the WWE and was changing the name back to WWF?

That's dependent on Gawker paying him for being a d1ckhead.

sabat

I would consider it as much a sport as things like gymnastics or figure skating where participants don't compete directly against each other but are rated on somewhat abstract qualities; the difference being that in wrestling the judges are the fans. The belts and titles on offer are more props than the actual prize which is popularity, either as a face or heel, which leads to better pay etc.
I know a large part of that popularity is determined by the writers, but genuine talent, both as a showman and athlete, still rise to the top. This kind of thing happens in "real" sports too-David Luiz is at best a slightly better than average footballer but his Sideshow Bob hairstyle means he's instantly recognisable, getting him a £50M transfer and automatic place in the Brazil team.

murpho999

micar wrote: »

The best team over 38 games win the league.

Just because the current leaders are an unexpected team does not make all previous campaigns not "sport".

Surely look at man city. Needed a last minute goal to win the league.

Look at Liverpool...leaders with 3 games to go. They could have afforded to loose one. Went to crystal palace and went 3 up. All they had to do was hold that lead. But they conceded 3 goal, drew and dropped 2 points. That was the match where they lost the league....not the Chelsea match.

Arsenal won the league but beating Liverpool by 2 goals in anfield . They needed to win by 2 clear goals and scored their final goal late on in the match.

Sorry but in relation to this , it was the Chelsea defeat that cost the title. A win against Palace would still have required Man City to drop points in their last 2 games. The Palace draw just eased that pressure.

As for wrestling, definitely not sport and don't get the attraction.

Riddle101

It's not a sport in the general sense in that the matches are all pre determined and it's not competitive(unless you count backstage politics) but it is an athletic endevour that showcases great athleticism and hard work and dedication put into that particular craft.

That being said, WWE is probably one of the worst examples you could use if you ever wanted to make a point about wrestling being a sport. WWE refers to itself as sports entertainment, and a lot of times they try to emphasize the entertainment element more than anything else. There are wrestling promotions out there that do take wrestling seriously, and treat it as much like a sport than WWE does(Although it's still predetermined of course). For example Ring of Honor has showcased high quality wrestling over the years, especially in it's early years. If there was ever a case to be made for pro wrestling being a sport, than I would point to ROH and show them a few of the best matches from that promotion, and I'd refer them to names like Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries, and Nigel McGuniness. There's also a lot of great wrestling matches and wrestlers from Japan too as pro wrestling is a big deal in Japan too. New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan are probably among the biggest promotions from that country.

Now that's not to say that WWE sucks when it comes to wrestling. They have a long list of great wrestling matches and great wrestlers to chose from. Guys like Kurt Angle, Curt Hennig, Brock Lesnar, and Chris Benoit(Although Benoit's name has become a taboo name in the wrestling industry after what he did) Now those are guys from older times, but if you want to watch guys from newer times than I would refer to AJ Styles, Cesaro, and Ireland's very own Finn Balór. There's more great wrestlers out there who have committed themselves deeply to wrestling but i'll leave it at that.

Canis Lupus

Omackeral wrote: »

Well done on making the same joke everyone ever has ever made. Also, maybe this thread might give you some other viewpoint, these women are absolute stunners.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056257084&page=142

I bet you call comic books graphic novels.

arybvtcw0eolkf

WWE is no more a sport than the UFC is a sport.

NiallBoo

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Google "Sport Definition" and this is what you get.

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment"

That pretty much sums up what the WWE does. And although the in ring action is pre determined, dont ever think it's not competitive. Those guys are in constant competition to further themselves, make themselves stand out, and to be the one pushed to the top.

You could put "Great British Bake-off" under that definition too...

Edward Hopper

Sky will continue to consider WWE as a sport as they are desperate to find enough sport to fill their five channels.

The MLS became a great league worth reporting on coincidentally around the time they got the rights to it after BT robbed half their sport.

Couple of other excellent fillers on sky sports, fishing a couple of times a year, Netball, and my favourite, the Pro Kabaddi League.

They can only have so many Gold programmes looking back on cricket or football seasons/legends.

timthumbni

I reckon big daddy could have beaten any one of these modern primadonna body oil yanks in the ring with one of his famous body splashes. I still have his pictures on my wall. Though What's this crap people are talking about the outcomes being fixed though. I suppose some bouts may be fixed but no more than in boxing or football or tennis.

Of course it's a sport and a very tough one. Yes, they ham it up a bit before the bout but what about boxing and ufc? They do the exact same and why is it only wrestling that some stupid people try to say is fixed? I bet none of these people would be prepared to step into the ring and wrestle the undertaker, big daddy etc.

Once these guys step in the ring it's a war and no me really knows who will end up the victor. It's as real as mom's apple pie.

the groutch

Even when you get to the pre-determined element, that is heavily influenced by the wrestlers' performance.

Although certain storylines are planned well in advance, a lot of stuff is decided on a week-to-week basis, and can often be changed based on how the wrestlers perform in the ring on the mic, especially based on their ability to get a reaction (be it cheered or booed/hated) from the fans.

So there is still a competitive element akin to sports, even if it's not technically a sport in itself.

Bounty Hunter

Hello, Pro Wrestling moderator here...

First off re: Is it a sport? well I would have to go along with the definition of what a sport is above and say that that does very clearly fit Pro Wrestling but that of course that the winner of the competition is predetermined. This does not bother Pro Wrestling fans, PW fans enjoy the athleticism and storytelling involved in the product that is in the case of this discussion the WWE. If the performers are good enough just like actors in television shows you can suspend you belief that it is actually storytelling you are enjoying and instead get sucked into the show / matches.

We as fans know that it is pre-determined, we know "The Undertaker" is not literally a deadman or that Bray Wyatt is not really a cult leader but we are not exactly running around telling people it's real now are ? Nope. It does take real athletic ability to be able to do what those people do however and their are real hardships these people have to endure even without talking about what it takes to get to the WWE in the first place (injuries, the road schedule etc)... but we still don't tell people it is real however? We know better than that even if they don't know better than to point out the opposite.

In fact it always amazes me how people who aren't fans of something act towards those who are. Even within this thread (which surprisingly has been better than I had feared) you have people describing wrestling fans as overgrown children or man childs... I mean WTF why insult others for liking something you don't like, for finding some enjoyment in something you don't consider a sport even though it does not even label itself as a sport it labels itself as entertainment (the E in WWE).

Telling a wrestling fan wrestling is fake won't in my opinion piss off too many wrestling fans (at least not adults) instead it will lower their opinion of you for deciding to drop this pearl of wisdom on them. Do you really think they thought it was ? do you really think they needed you to tell them that and that you won't come across as a d!ck for doing so ? can you really not see that it is just as fake as any other show on television (who's fans know it has a predetermined outcome) such as Game of thrones or perhaps more appropriately a soap opera like Eastenders.