One skill that is critical for every pro wrestler to master is the art of suffering. The fans must be convinced that the agony and pain being experienced by the beaten man is intolerable, authentic, and mind-blowing. Just as a well-faked orgasm can drive one’s partner crazy, so too can convincing displays of pro wrestling pain in the ring encourage heart-pounding excitement and passion in the viewers. And when the pain and injury have gone beyond the limits of endurance, the skilled wrestler reaches the ultimate level of exhaustion by becoming the proverbial Rag-doll. His eyes will roll shut, his body will lull and sprawl, devoid of strength, utterly helpless. You gotta love it.
From childhood, men are taught to be strong and fierce, to “shake off” their pain, to not cry like a baby. Masculinity is defined by endurance in the face of suffering. To crumple and fall, to submit, is to be a sissy, a nancy-boy, a pussy. So pro wrestlers who act exhausted and beaten, who routinely put their bodies in vulnerable positions of defeat, ironically must put their egos on hold and accept a degrading, unmanly feminization.
Pro wrestling is entertaining because it’s full of ironies, contradictions, mixed messages, and swerves. It is the most hyper-masculine sport, and it’s also surprisingly gay. It celebrates strength and pain-tolerance, yet at the same time, every match involves one wrestler in a submissive, sissified, defeated posture.
We’re told that the keys to winning the match are athleticism, speed, and strength, yet much of the wrestler’s time is spent laying limp, motionless, and helpless. The wrestlers’ bodies are powerful and buff, yet are depicted as being infinitely mushy and devoid of power. The fans honor and respect the hero for his strength, yet for the majority of his time in the ring, he acts completely hurt and weak and defeated. It’s all backwards and opposite, like when Superman went to Bizarro World and people said “Good-Bye” when they were arriving and “Hello” when they were walking away.
Our hero sells his suffering blatantly, putting his pain on display like a sharp slap in the face, to garner your compassion. He’s such a nice fella, so attractive and friendly, so why oh why would anyone want to hurt him like this? Why must good people endure this level of agony in this cruel world??
The human condition is fraught with injury, illness, and ultimately death. We all question the strength and fitness of our bodies, never sure when our health is going to give out. We are therefore fascinated by the limits of suffering, the human body’s susceptibility to pain. We feel bad for a beaten man, while also feeling disgusted by the frailty of the human body.
