Netflix becomes home to all WWE content, including RAW, Smackdown, and live events

[telstar_1]

I have seen some of the data, WWE gets a amazing number of viewers on Peacock, I do have to believe this will hurt them.

It is not for me, have a issue with fakeness, same reason why I hate reality shows.

There's movie recently out and still in some theaters about a real-life "wrestling family" in the 70s & 80s with 3 brothers who all "rassled" (The Iron Claw). There was dysfunction and a series of untimely deaths that suggested to some a "family curse".

Early in the show, one of the bros bristles as a would-be gf he just met mentions that it's "fake," then seeing his reaction softens it to "well...let's say, "prearranged?" He then delivers a calm and, I think, very cogent explanation, which I wonder whether in real life these guys could manage (paraphrasing): "It's about delivering to the audience, and when you do that well, you get that crowd reaction, you get 'promoted' to higher-level bouts."

Pro wrestling has always been about the show rather than technical rules-following athleticism. All but the most impressionable clue in right away that it's just about the spectacle, the storylines. Being "real" or not is beside its point. If it would be operated as "real," it would be boring as hell as competitors would maximize their own self-protection over crowd-pleasing spectacle.

As to Netflix, I have it but wouldn't be a consumer for any of this. Industry observers say it's the right deal for them to keep broadening the audience.

 

[Yespage]

Pro wrestling has always been about the show rather than technical rules-following athleticism. All but the most impressionable clue in right away that it's just about the spectacle, the storylines. Being "real" or not is beside its point. If it would be operated as "real," it would be boring as hell as competitors would maximize their own self-protection over crowd-pleasing spectacle.

Wrestling is a whole lot of things. It is scripted, it is athletic. Bobby the Brain Heenan was no different a heel than Byron Hadley in Shawshank Redemption. Their actions are of such to get a particular reaction out of the viewer. You are supposed to hate both of them, despite neither being actual people.

The outcome of Kofi Kingston winning the title was no different than Andy Dufresne getting out of Shawshank or Roy MacAvoy making the long shot in Tin Cup. It is all scripted, but in such a way to elicit a reaction... though a tad bit for Kingston was real in the sense of him getting his due (the person, not the wrestler).

Fiction is entirely made up, but we get wrapped up in it. Wrestling is just another form of fiction. Like other fiction, there is good and bad. And it might not be for some. But the whole issue with it being "fake" is silly as it isn't real sport, it is predetermined. But it is the journey to get to the outcome that is the product, and if done well (see Steamboat / Flair, Michaels / Angle) it can be remarkable. Or it could be like Orton and Lesner and really suck.