SLT: Posing

In a previous article asking you to share the “subtle little things” in a wrestling match which tickle your fancy, a reader mentioned “Posing: both victory poses and especially posing while applying a hold.” I would agree that it’s a beautiful thing when a wrestler stops for a few seconds, giving our eyes a chance to look him up and down.

A wrestler’s posing is the periodic rest in the music of the match, a moment of Hey Look Me Over where the stud presents himself.  He willingly surrenders his body to our gaze in this moment, giving us the right to see him and appreciate him as he stands like a statue.

I believe this posing is intended to please wrestling fans like us — the sort of fans who get off on good looks, muscle, bare flesh, and tight gear.  Other types of wrestling fans may enjoy the comedic aspects of a match, or the raw violence, or the skillful high-flying moves, but the posing is meant specifically for our pleasure.  Other types of wrestling fans may not even notice when it happens or enjoy that they’ve stopping moving.

Some of you are probably thinking this subtle posing is happenstance, not a deliberate effort to tantalize and entertain us.  The wrestler has just stopped to catch his breath or plan his next move — it’s not a flirtation for our viewing pleasure.

But I beg to differ.  You will notice that a great wrestler is always aware of the camera’s location — where our Male Gaze is projected from.  And he will turn and square his hips to us, or spread his legs, or otherwise position his body just right for maximum visual impact.  It’s like a wink in our general direction, as if he’s saying: “You’re digging me, right?  Go ahead and stare!”

As mentioned by the reader who commented on his love of posing, the magic may also happen right during the application of a hold — especially a hold that displays the body like the Abdominal Stretch.

This striking pose by the great Barry Horowitz on the great B. Brian Blair (remember those studs?) occurs during an Ab Stretch.  Blair’s chest and stomach are turned and presented just so, to enable the camera (our eyes) to ravage him. Horowitz flexes his upper body and grips the top rope in an iconic pose of dominance.  They hold the subtle little pose just long enough to screw with us and excite us.

A great wrestler is also aware of his best assets and will use poses during holds as a chance to show them off.  So he will proudly flex to display the power in his legs, or his nice bicep peak, or an eye-catching bulge in his trunks.

How nice of them to remember that a group of us wrestling fans are craving some eye candy and how nice of them to willingly feed it to us.

So you young wrestlers out there just learning your craft need to remember to slow down and give us plenty of posing.  Don’t be afraid that the straight fans may figure out that you’re visually whoring yourself for the fans who get off on wrestling — they will never notice what you’re doing (or will pretend they haven’t noticed and won’t say anything.)  After all, the whole point of pro wrestling is for us to look at you.