Xavier Woods compares WWE to Shakespeare, and it makes a lot of sense

In the latest episode of StarTalk Sports Edition with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Xavier Woods took a moment to compare WWE to Shakespeare.

In one of the weirder sentences I’ve ever written, Xavier Woods took a moment on the most recent episode of StarTalk Sports Edition with Neil deGrasse Tyson to compare WWE to Shakespeare.

While a bit farfetched on the surface, Woods’ argument actually makes a lot of sense considering the roots of Shakespeare and the cultural presence WWE and wrestling hold today.

During Xavier Woods’ appearance on StarTalk Sports Edition, he discussed everything from his current recovery from an Achilles injury to his nonsensical love of Cool Ranch Doritos mixed with chocolate ice cream, but it was a few moments in comparing WWE to Shakespeare that seemed to stick out most during the episode.

"“It’s an incredible thing. So you know the concept of groupthink and how it can be dangerous and how it can be really positive? I think that wrestling is one of the greatest examples of positive groupthink on the planet because it’s the last form of Shakespeare around. An audience in a 360 degree radius without having the opportunity to do things again. Everything is live. If it happens, it was supposed to happen. And being able to feed off of that energy that the crowd brings and then being able to make them feel a certain way, whether that emotion is happiness, sadness, whatever it is, that’s—it’s essentially, it’s groupthink at its core,” said Woods."

Seemingly baffled by the comparison, host and renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson replied “let the record show that Austin Creed analogized WWE to Shakespeare.” Without missing a beat, Woods doubled down saying “bam, that’s what it is. That’s what it is!”

In reality, Woods’ comparison isn’t really that far off from the truth. While live theater does still exist today, it’s not entirely the same as it was over 400 years ago during Shakespeare’s time. On the contrary, descriptions of Shakespeare’s audiences sound more like a live wrestling audience today than they do the average theatre-goer.

As Xavier Woods explained, it is the live and unpredictable nature of the product combined with the audience participation that really rings true. Images recreating Shakespeare’s famed Globe Theatre see the audience surround the stage much the same way that wrestling audiences surround the ring and entrance ramps.

No different than WWE, the audience tended to be diverse in social makeup with both the very rich and lower middle class sharing the venue. However, the layout itself was reversed with the cheapest seats being standing room with the stage at eye level and the more expensive options being higher up in the galleries.

While the tweet has since been deleted, one Twitter user pushed back against the comparison while bashing wrestling and stating that Shakespeare provokes thought, something he implied wasn’t possible with wrestling. Woods pushed back, quote tweeting it and emphasizing that professional wrestling can “provoke thought which can be deemed prolific and beautiful” when it’s done well.

Certainly, not every production in Shakespeare’s day was artistic perfection or received with universal praise, however it was the prospect of what it could be when truly magnificent that kept people coming back. That’s no different in wrestling, with the power of the art-form at its best keeping fans engaged and eager to go on that emotional rollercoaster that performers hope to provide.