Nowadays, everyone knows that professional wrestling like the WWE and AEW isn’t real and is scripted from start to finish. So then the boom, case closed, it’s not a sport. But there is a lot more to it, in my opinion, and many more facts to consider rather than just real versus fake.
Now, before I make any statements and claims regarding my opinion on this topic, no, professional wrestling is not a sport, by definition. Yes, obviously professional wrestling is predetermined and has outcomes decided before the matches even start.
These matches are rehearsed, and the winners and losers are decided for storyline and creative writing standpoints more than anything. These matches are also, although extremely dangerous sometimes, cooperative and done with complete safety of all competitors.
Yet still wrestlers of all promotions, even indie league wrestling, are top-notch athletes. The level of athleticism it takes in order to perform in a wrestling ring is in the highest percentile imaginable. Although safe when the bumps or moves are hit, these performers take on real injuries and have to constantly go through surgeries and recoveries for the extreme aspects of the sport.
The level of talent, practice, and skills in gymnastics, martial arts, conditioning, stamina, acting, and storytelling needed to be an in-ring wrestler is unparalleled.
So then where does professional wrestling land in terms of whether it should be determined as a sport? Well, it depends. If you define a sport as something that has to be competitive first, no matter what, then there’s no way you can say pro wrestling is a sport, since it’s fake at the end of the day.
But I disagree; although it’s labeled as sports entertainment, I think wrestling is a sport, just not in any of the traditional ways. It’s its own unique category that is a combination of combat sports mixed with theatre, soap opera-style storytelling, and a stunt show. It’s much more like figure skating, whereas it is a visual art that only the highest level of athletes can perform.
