Shining a Spotlight 7.31.08: Olympics vs. Wrestling

Do I have reactions to Adamale named GM of RAW and Freddie Prinze Jr joining WWE creative? Of course, I do. But I’m sure lots of others here at 411mania will talk about it and I’m the type who generally waits a bit to judge things so I’m giving it a chance before I say how it works out.

I’m not usually a regular Sports Illustrated reader. Oh, I follow sports, of course, just don’t pick up the issues every week. I did make an exception here with their big Olympic preview, running down the Games, the athletes and all of that. I don’t really expect to follow the Games (24/7 coverage on seven different NBC channels is a bit much) but I will catch highlights and root for my home nation athletes. What sort of struck me was so much of the articles highlighting the physical traits of the various athletes, their passions and their sacrifices and all of it. And while I read it, I couldn’t help but reflect that compared to what professional wrestlers go through, a lot of these Olympians are taking it easy.

In the interests of full disclosure, I acknowledge I’m one of the least athletic people you’re going to meet. One of the delights of going to a Catholic high school was the fact it didn’t even have a gym, let alone P.E. So, I don’t understand all the risks and pressure these athletes are under. I do highly respect them for their drive and their condition and their passion to be so successful. Many have gone through personal and physical traumas and have continued to shine and deserve commendation for it. But it does seem a bit off that the majority of these athletes are being hailed for putting their bodies through such things for an event that comes every four years while wrestlers go through even more on a nightly basis without anywhere near the respect or recognition.

Yes, I’m fully aware there’s a supreme difference between pro wrestlers and Olympic athletes. I’m not saying they should be considered equal by any means. Well, there is Kurt Angle, a Gold Medalist who’s turned into one of the best workers the business has seen in the last decade. But for the most part, a lot of wrestlers wouldn’t work out well in the Olympian scale of athletics. Not to mention it’s one thing to perform before a few million viewers on cable TV and another to be in billions around the world, pressure that can’t be topped. I recognize there’s a major difference between Olympians and wrestlers in that regard. But in terms of day in and day out athleticism…that’s another story.

The most annoying mainstream misconception of wrestling is that, despite all evidence, there’s no real athleticism or physical risk involved. I think that was one of the most shocking things of Foley’s first book to many reviewers, his revelation of the agony and trauma he and so many others have gone through in order to keep performing. Despite many more bios of it all, not to mention the media frenzy involving Benoit, a lot of people still think of wrestlers as stuntmen or circus performers, able to roll past anything, always faking injuries and never really getting hurt at all. The truth, of course, is much different.

Indeed, one can argue that pro wrestlers have a greater physical endurance than athletes in nearly any pro sport. Keep in mind, wrestling has no off season. They don’t have a DL list as such so a lot of them will keep on fighting while injured. More importantly, they’re on the road constantly, at least 300 days a year for most, a test for any human mentally as well as physically. Baseball players come close but then they only do it for about six months. Football players only have to worry about one game a week, basketball only a couple a week. But wrestlers go in there to perform at their best every single night and get nowhere near the same respect.

Yes, it’s true, not all wrestlers can be judged equally. But even the worst workers do deserve respect and recognition for going through this grind that few sane people would want. Great Khali is bad (not Giant Gonzalez horrific but still bad) and yet he willingly goes along with being hated and doing his grind. Wrestlers put their bodies through so much to entertain us and yet don’t get nearly the respect of mainstream athletes who do less work for a hell of a lot more money. Olympians are sort of in the same boat as it’s not until some of them actually win that they become household names (with the exception of guys like Bode Miller, who talked a massive game he couldn’t back up). But it still seems a bit off to me that these people are given so much attention for training for an event that comes every four years while the vast majority of wrestlers spend their careers without a big break.

There are some similarities between Olympians and wrestlers worth noting. First of all is the passion and determination. The vast majority of Olympians are dedicated simply for the challenge of making it, proving they’re the best in the world and getting the gold. Some are pushed by patriotism for their nation, or the pride of family and themselves. It takes a deliberate mind-set to go to such massive lengths to train and push themselves to such limits. Wrestlers are much the same as it takes a unique mentality to want to get into the business knowing all the risks involved. They have to train at the top of their endurance and put themselves through pain after pain and being pushed around by promoters in an attempt to eke out a living that still pales next to most pro athletes. In each case, wrestlers and Olympians have a major passion for their work, one that can’t be matched by others and a desire that can’t be explained.

Some athletes, both Olympians and wrestlers, have different schools of thought depending on their training. Those who graduated Stu Hart’s infamous Dungeon automatically have a tougher backbone just by being put through abuse more common for a prison than a training area. Japanese schools of wrestling are even more infamous for their horrible brutality on rookies. A lot of Olympic coaches and trainers likewise put their charges through physical trials that may seem almost abusive but they insist are necessary to keep them on edge and ready. Yes, a lot of them can take their events a bit seriously, berating and punishing themselves for losses or mistakes but consider that some wrestlers (Benoit comes to mind) do the same.

But still, it does seem that wrestlers undergo more physical and mental trials than Olympians do. Yes, Olympians train constantly but they still have some downtime while wrestlers are constantly on the road to different places around the country and the world. Also, an Olympian gets injured, they’ll cede to common sense and take time off to rest it while a lot of workers will keep going through injuries. And, as mentioned, a lot less time for themselves while Olympians will get a bit of downtime as physical rigors every day can do as much damage as taking too much time off.

Of course, some will bring up the drug issues. Yes, there’s lot of steroid abuse in wrestling, along with drinking and other recreational drugs. But anyone who tells me the Olympics are cleaner hasn’t been watching sports news the last few years. The fact is, steroids were along in the Olympics long before wrestling and still continue today. True, the IOC has been trying to clean it up but I think it’s safe to say more than a few athletes have snuck by their screening process. They have gotten to big names like Marion Jones, who was presented as an Olympian hero but has now been stripped of her medals and banned from competing after admitting to using chemicals to boost her performances. The aforementioned Bode Miller spent more time in bars than on the slopes in 2006 and the results were clear. So while the Olympics may be cleaner drug-wise, it’s really not by all that much.

Putting them against each other, it’s true the Olympics has more prestige and pressure than wrestling. But the fact is, most Olympians only do a few meets and competitions a year in preparation for the big one while wrestling is day in and day out nearly every day of the week. Wrestlers simply put themselves through more physical dangers and for a hell of a lot less cash and (with a few exceptions) no major endorsement deals. The toll on wrestlers, physically and mentally, is a sad one that Olympians can’t really compete with. After all, the age of retirement from wrestling versus Olympic athletes is a hell of a lot higher due to their lack of funds and push to keep on going. Which is telling, that we’ve still got a lot of guys in their 40’s and 50’s going on while a lot of Olympians retire by 30.

It’s telling that when so many pro athletes try their hand at wrestling, thinking it’ll be a snap, they end up pretty bad. But guys with backgrounds in Olympic sports (Kerry Von Erich, Mark Henry, Angle) do tend to work out better. Again, I’m not trying to knock Olympians, as they believe so much in what they’re doing and train rigoursly to be the best and that deserves respect. But it still seems somewhat off to me that while the world watches these men and women go through events that take place every four years, there are hundreds who put themselves through much more physical and mental trials every day with nowhere near the fame, money or respect. They do have similarities in their passion and dedication but when it comes to physical risks, pro wrestlers go through feats even Olympians can’t match. They may not get the glory of the Games but they do deserve respect for holding their own, if not for their countries than for themselves and for us fans as well.

Also around 411mania:

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The Wrestling Doctor looks back at the best of Clash of the Champions.

Chin discusses the Importance of Vader.

The Wrestling Bard has an intriguing bit comparing Jericho to the Joker.

Evolution Schematic continues its history of the Undertaker.

The Shimmy winds down the Benoit report card.

Cook does some rethinking on Santino.

The Tiger does his Take on some nice indy stuff in NYC.

Thoughts from the Top Rope continues its fantasy WWE vs TNA battle.

Piledriver Report discusses the changes on RAW.

Don’t forget Column of Honor, Triple Threat, 3 R’s, Ask 411, Fact or Fiction and the rest.

For this week, the spotlight is off.