Well, there is the fact that its both pre-determined, and many moves are done co-operatively (effectively being a co-operative gymnastics routine or a stunt show if you prefer). There's plenty of real maneuvers applied at the same general level you would perform while sparring, but there's also some stuff that's whole cloth performance and would never work on any kind of resisting opponent unless you were ungodly overpowering to them.Palindromemordnilap said:
While there is a ton of physical conditioning, and training that goes into pro wrestling, and they are certainly top tier athletes. You wouldn't go to a karate competition and see the opponent grabbing the guys foot and boosting him into a spinning roundhouse kick. Maneuvers are what they are, and they're applied to an opponent that is attempting to defend the maneuver, not actively assisting it. One is a competitive or combative affair, while the other is two (or more) performers creating the illusion of such with grains of realism in it.
As to its broader stigma, I don't understand it. It is essentially just the long running version of a Rocky film, or whatever.
