WWE and Pro Cycling

[pleyser]

As a long time pro wrestling (insert joke here) and cycling fan, I've been noting a lot of the similarities between the two. There can be a fine line between "sports" and "sports entertainment".

Note the following similarities...

-both have rampant PED use necessary for high level success

-both have a long list of premature deaths due to PED abuse (either direct or circumstantially)

-both have examples where widely suspected individuals successfully withstood government investigations about PED's without prosecution (Vince McMahon, Lance Armstrong)

-both seem to have an administrative body that proclaims stringent testing procedures (read the WWE wellness policy for a laugh, http://corporate.wwe.com/company/wellness/faq.jsp, then watch a wrestling program to see if it's valid)

-when an athlete or entertainer is caught in violation of said policy, it's usually only the less successful or "small fish" that are sanctioned (Contador an exception for sure)

-both seem to have managers with questionable or shady backgrounds/associations (Johan Bruyneel, Mr. Fuji, Bjarne Riis, Bobby Heenan)

It seems the entertainment is a bigger part than the sport. The Tour de France is cycling's Wrestlemania, and we just want to be entertained.

 

[Caruut]

Most of those points could be made about most major professional sports. Of course in sports which are pretty rotten at the top, the managers are going to be rotten too - generally they come from the top of the sport, and so have doped.

Football
American Football
Baseball
Rugby
Basketball
Tennis

All have flagship events, major superstars, doping procedures which are a farcical facade, PED problems and are played (at a professional level) at least in part, for entertainment.

What you have just described is a list of problems facing sport.

 

[Fetisoff]

Most of those points could be made about most major professional sports. Of course in sports which are pretty rotten at the top, the managers are going to be rotten too - generally they come from the top of the sport, and so have doped.

Football
American Football
Baseball
Rugby
Basketball
Tennis

All have flagship events, major superstars, doping procedures which are a farcical facade, PED problems and are played (at a professional level) at least in part, for entertainment.

What you have just described is a list of problems facing sport.

This.

I'm sure if I was more bored, I could compile a list, comparing any one of these sports (including cycling) to Mexican drug mafia, or Cosa Nostra or something.

Yet again, cycling unfairly gets singles out

 

[The Hitch]

Both are among the toughest sports in the world. in fact i would rate pro wrestling as the only pro sport that is tougher than cycling. At least if you did a list of the sports where it is possible to become a millionaire thus ruling out things like gobi desert marathon or whatever those psychos do these days.

 

[Fetisoff]

Both are among the toughest sports in the world. in fact i would rate pro wrestling as the only pro sport that is tougher than cycling. At least if you did a list of the sports where it is possible to become a millionaire thus ruling out things like gobi desert marathon or whatever those psychos do these days.

Actually, I've heard somewhere (and it does make sense) that water polo is considered one of the most hardest sports in the world. Not sure what you have to do to become a millionaire playing water polo though

 

[BroDeal]

There sure are a lot of toughest sports. Phony pro wresting. Water polo. When does synchonized swimming come into this?

 

[Fetisoff]

There sure are a lot of toughest sports. Phony pro wresting. Water polo. When does synchonized swimming come into this?

Well maybe you could enlighten us what is the hardest. Cause obviously I'm clueless. Maybe football? Hey, I'd much rather run 10 km in 90 minutes, then swim the amount water polo players do in the game.

 

[Night Rider]

Well maybe you could enlighten us what is the hardest. Cause obviously I'm clueless. Maybe football? Hey, I'd much rather run 10 km in 90 minutes, then swim the amount water polo players do in the game.

Boxing would have to be number one among sports that can make you a millionaire.

 

[BroDeal]

Actually, I've heard somewhere (and it does make sense) that water polo is considered one of the most hardest sports in the world. Not sure what you have to do to become a millionaire playing water polo though

There might be a lucrative post-retirement career as a rent boy.

 

[The Hitch]

There sure are a lot of toughest sports. Phony pro wresting. Water polo. When does synchonized swimming come into this?

Yeah its scripted but that doesn't make it any less difficult. Makes it more difficult actually. Your not only responsible for your own wellbeing, your also responsible for your opponents.

Boxing would have to be number one among sports that can make you a millionaire.

I would say pro wrestling is harder. It requires a far large skillset and they perform over 250 days a year. Requires massive ammounts of steroids stamina drugs and painkillers to get through it.

 

[Caruut]

Yeah its scripted but that doesn't make it any less difficult. Makes it more difficult actually. Your not only responsible for your own wellbeing, your also responsible for your opponents.



I would say pro wrestling is harder. It requires a far large skillset and they perform over 250 days a year. Requires massive ammounts of steroids stamina drugs and painkillers to get through it.

My scepticism about whether pro-wrestling is a tough sport is not about the toughness. I'm sure it's tough, just not that sure it's a sport.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Actually, you could be onto something. If we replaced the first 20km of flat stages with a 15-minute Mark Cavendish promo, the sport could be vastly improved.

 

[ChrisE]

Wrestling stars do more than entertain.....they are world ambassadors as well, spreading good throughout the globe and combatting tyranny. Here is Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage throwing down the gauntlet to one of the evildoers. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rE0-ek6MZA

 

[The Hitch]

My scepticism about whether pro-wrestling is a tough sport is not about the toughness. I'm sure it's tough, just not that sure it's a sport.

Probably under most definitions not, but does that matter?

 

[taiwan]

Last time I heard cycling likened to pro wrestling, it was being implied that cycling was fixed. Anyone think that's plausible these days?

 

[Caruut]

Probably under most definitions not, but does that matter?

To me, yes. To wrestling fans, no. Everyone goes home happy

 

[Guidokcd]

Pro wrestling is not considered a sport. It is sports entertainment. Hence why it's called WWE. For me, personally, if you can't bet on it, then it can't be a sport, and you can't bet on a WWE match. Granted, you can bet on all sorts of things, just not pro wrestling.

 

[Martin318is]

Probably under most definitions not, but does that matter?

ummm, if you are evaluating it in contention as perhaps the world's toughest sport then, yeah, it does matter.

If I were to seriously think about the question then I would be looking at a grouping of:
"cycling/boxing/MMA/NFL/moutaineering/etc"

that was completely seperate to:
"Ballet/WWE/Ice Dancing/Etc"

 

[andy1234]

Next debate....

Is playing the back end of a pantomime donkey, as demanding as riding a TDF mountain stage......?

 

[max_powers]

lol, yes Cycling needs more larger than life characters to bump the entertainment value.


Fabian as the Swiss Prince.
Pozatto the Italian Stallion
Boonen Muscles from Brussels

JV as a weasel type pro wrestling Manager.


a host of Belgian Bruisers, British Bulldogs, Spanish high fliers, French Milquetoasts, and two faced All Americans fill the roster

all overseen by the ruthless UCI, in cahoots with evil Big Money

Even the announcers (specifically Phil and Paul) get roughed up in the crossfire.

 

[Caruut]

Fabian as the Swiss Prince.
Pozatto the Italian Stallion
Boonen Muscles from Brussels

Looks like the credits for something far less wholesome than cycling