Arm Anguish

Oh, the art of suffering.  Wrestling fans understand that the aptitude of the victim at selling the anguish of a hold is what adds the drama, passion, and enjoyment to a wrestling match.  Even a simple move like an Arm Bar or a Wrist Twist can be used to inspire the most profound feelings of compassion and concern all the way to the very back row of the arena if sold properly by the victim of the hold.

Even if the opponent is just gripping his wrist, a great wrestler will drop to his knees in obvious agony, howl to the ref or to the heavens above about the unfairness of his suffering, and allow tears (or crocodile tears) to pour down his cheeks as if he’s feeling the greatest pain of his life.  He’ll then slap the mat, kick his feet, make a great show of his discomfort, and cry out: “No!  NOOOO!”

Some may say this is over-done, that it proves wrestling is phony (can a wristlock or Arm Bar really hurt that much??), but I believe some dramatic, over-blown, eye-squinting suffering often makes the difference between a ho-hum back-and-forth competition and a passionate, sincere war between determined enemies that really burns itself into your memory for years.

In the world of theater, they talk about an actor “chewing the scenery:”

Chew (up the) scenery means ‘to act melodramatically; overact’. The connotation, either positive or negative, depends on whether the overacting is appropriate to the role or occasion.

He minces and chortles, preens and roars and chews the scenery. He is wonderful. It is the best work I have ever seen him do. It is, most likely, the most fun he has ever had on stage — and it shows.

Just as a great actor enjoys an opportunity to Chew the Scenery, to really let loose with some melodramatic mincing and chortling, so too do the greatest wrestlers enjoy “chewing up the mat” — emphasizing the level of suffering to see what heat they can generate from the audience.

So you pro wrestlers out there in cyber-land reading this Blog (you know who you are), don’t be shy — feel free to really over-do it.  That’s wrestling as we like it.