Professional wrestling may be considered as a joke in some circles but, the rest of the circles house the wrestling faithful, a kind of a cult following. It is a showcase of sport and entertainment. Ever since the emergence of the phenom called “HULKAMANIA”, professional wrestling has never been the same. Pro wrestling is just as exciting and maybe even more so, than a circus. Can you imagine if P.T. Barnum ever owned a wrestling company? Well, he is and his name is Vince McMahon, Jr. In its earlier days during the mid to late 1980’s, the WWE then WWF had colorful characters and had a circus-like, almost cartoon-y, flavor to it.

Professional wrestling has larger than life characters, it has athletic competition, it has loud music that get the fans psyched up. Professional wrestling has pyrotechnic displays, bright colorful lights, sex appeal; some wrestlers are even thought of as to be superhero-like by the children who watch them and even idolize them. Professional wrestling has fiery explosions, explosive action, drama, and it fills you up and sometimes depletes you of a plethora of emotions.

A man named Vince McMahon, Jr. had a vision of how he thought that professional wrestling should be: a vision about the money that could potentially be made. Vince McMahon had the vision and then saw it through and is probably one of the richest men in the world right now. Vince McMahon took professional wrestling out of the National Guard armories, the high school gyms, the local grange halls and the barns and brought it into football stadiums, sports arenas and even to the war zones.

It is a safe bet that if you asked ten young boys what they want to be when they grow up, eight of them will say that want to be a professional wrestler. Who wouldn’t want to be a professional wrestler? Professional wrestlers have a rock star status. They wear colorful costumes, and professional wrestlers are ultimate gladiators in the battles of the war of good versus evil. Professional wrestling changed in the mid 1980’s with Hulk Hogan coming on the scene and burning it up like a wildfire out of control. Professional changed and never looked back. The phenom went from filling up a two hundred seat armory to setting indoor attendance records all over the world.

Professional wrestling has something to offer for everyone. Do not worry about what you think you know about professional wrestling. Just enjoy the spectacle that it is. Enjoy the athletics, the showmanship, and the warrior-like battles. Enjoy the drama and the acrobatics; enjoy the shedding of blood sweat and tears. Enjoy the ups and downs that your favorite wrestler brings you. Love professional wrestlers or hate them; they should at least be respected for what they do out there.

They put their bodies on the line for our entertainment, they travel three hundred fifty plus days a year for our enjoyment, and they sometimes die because of professional wrestling. Professional wrestling is full of glitz and glamour, but, it also has a darker side. Wrestlers get injured and depending on the seriousness of the injury; professional wrestlers are still expected to perform for us every night. For every night that they cannot wrestle, professional wrestlers will not be paid. The life of the professional wrestler is a tough one and not everyone has the ability or the temperament to become a professional wrestler. Think about that the next time you voice your dislike for professional wrestling and its gladiators, actors, and colorful characters.