WWE: Dear Seth Rollins, wrestling does not need realism

Earlier this week, WWE Superstar Seth Rollins bashed intergender wrestling because of it’s lack of “realism.” Newsflash, buddy: wrestling doesn’t need realism.

This Sunday live for the WWE Network, Seth Rollins will attempt to reclaim his Universal Championship in a match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Well, the Seth Rollins character, I should say. Prior to the match, Seth Rollins – as in, the real man behind the character – gave a candid interview with the Daily Star. At one point, in light of his Mixed Tag Team main event at Extreme Rules, where his partner Becky Lynch took an End of Days from Baron Corbin, Rollins was asked how he felt about intergender wrestling.

Rollins had the following to say:

“There are places for it. But this full on independent style women vs men match where the women are chokeslamming the men? Our business is based in realism a little bit, so let’s do that as best we can. I think let’s live in a reality a little bit here, I am not saying women aren’t as good as men because that is not the case. But there is a reason when you go to the Olympics there are men’s and women’s [sports], there is a reason you have men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball. It is not they aren’t as talented, or they are not as good as athletes, but you just need to break it up. There are women out there who are incredible.”

My problem isn’t with Rollins’ comments on intergender wrestling. To each their own; different strokes for different folks and I while I disagree with his stance as a personal fan of intergender wrestling, I accept that difference in opinion. What I do not accept is him using “realism” as a means to justify his stance. Wrestling, whether it be in WWE or otherwise, needs a lot of things, but realism isn’t one of them.

I understand that I, a writer who can hardly be called “a wrestling insider” even, am the last person Seth Rollins wants to hear from about what his profession should and shouldn’t be. Which is why despite this title, I will not be solely addressing him. I mean, hell, he already blocked us on Twitter so there’s no way he wants to read this anyway. Nor am I trying to speak on behalf of fans and what they want. I simply want to use this space to address how I view wrestling from my POV.

I view wrestling as a refreshing break from reality. Not sure how many fans agree, but I feel like there’s always been a big gap between reality and wrestling. Wrestling lies in the same vain as movies where the appeal is in how far from reality the medium is. The less realistic, the more entertaining it is.

It’s just as much fun to see, say, Black Widow take down a horde of dudes by herself in Iron Man 2 as it is to see Tessa Blanchard hold her own against Brian Cage or Sami Callihan. Or, keeping it to WWE, moments like Bayley slamming Buddy Murphy in NXT, Sable powerbombing Marc Mero, or Ronda Rousey overpowering Triple H on multiple occasions. Maybe they weren’t realistic, but as evident by the pops that they received, these moments sure did entertain the fans.

That’s what it should really boil down to; what’s entertaining. Not realistic. If other fans are like me, then again, the lack of realism is what’s appealing in wrestling. If I wanted realism in my fights, I’d watch UFC, or replay footage of The Malice at the Palace over and over again (as if I haven’t watched that clip every day since 2004).

If realism is such an important factor in wrestling, then we would have to criticize how “realistic” it is that a Deadman rose from the dead to have wrestling matches. Or how a 5’6 luchador from San Diego has toppled giants four times his size, how Bray Wyatt’s Fiend could even exist in a real life climate, or how a thing like The Ultimate Warrior could even exist at all.

Truth be told, one of the biggest detractors against wrestling from audiences who don’t watch it is that it’s unrealistic or “fake.” Both truths that the wrestling business can never get around because professional wrestling always has been and always will be “fake.” Wrestling can either try to compete with “real” competitive sports like MMA and basketball by making every fight a “shoot,” or just embrace the kayfabe.

Wrestling is at its best when it does the latter. Whether embracing its unrealism calls for an extreme of a character like The Undertaker or for Becky Lynch to beat the tar out of Baron Corbin, wrestling can only ever embrace how unrealistic it is to find success and find an audience, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Yes, there have been instances where wrestling and reality have mixed together – take the Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton feud as one example – but wrestling can never be based in full-on realism. It never has been nor should it ever be.

As far as realism goes, wrestling is closer to The Office where we get a glimpse at a staff’s workplace as things go completely wrong in a chaotic work environment. Wrestling is perhaps the only place where “things go completely wrong” can range from someone interfering during a match to Roman Reigns almost getting murdered.

Wrestling is completely bonkers and that’s why a lot of fans love wrestling. Seth Rollins should understand that.