- Pro Wrestling and Bodybuilding: Brothers in Pain and Iron:
The sports of pro wrestling and bodybuilding are in a league of their own.
Truly popular in North America and around the globe, both have been laughed at,
not taken seriously as sports and humiliated in the media. But, the two behemoths
still pulled it off by becoming the cornerstones of the American sport-entertainment
culture.
Pro wrestling and bodybuilding complete each other because they share the
same goals, the same roots. The athleticism, the entertainment aspect and the
dedication of the athletes involved in these two sports bare astonishing resemblance.
Two worlds with bigger than life characters and Greek god bodies.
From hardcore workouts to flexing and posing, pro wrestling and bodybuilding
have more in common than any other sports. Training trough injuries, hard diet
and tight schedules; those athletes are true sporting brothers, living on the
end of a lightning bolt
- Life in the gym:
Pumping iron is a way of life for the two sports. No athletes can go the distance
without weight training but pro wrestlers and bodybuilders have taken lifting
to new heights.
Both train to live a healthy life but the main focus of their professions
his to look good and muscular. Bodybuilders are making a career at looking the
most muscular and cut possible. Pro wrestler on their side, must look big in
the ring to create the larger than life aura that made the pro wrestling industry
famous and marketable.
Most professional wrestlers have started their journey to the ring by lifting
weights in the gym. WWE superstars like Rene Dupree, John Cena, Batista and Triple
H have been contestants in regional/national bodybuilding contest before entering
the squared circle.
In a special edition of the WWE magazine published in December 2001, RAW
World Heavyweight champion Triple H explains his view on the importance of bodybuilding
for pro wrestlers: “The gym is definitely a sanctuary for me when I’m on the
road. I can’t imagine not going to the gym - it’s part of the wrestling business
to be in the best shape you can.”
Pro wrestlers and bodybuilders don’t train for countless hours in the gym
simply because it’s a part of their job, they do it because it’s a passion. The
love for the sport of bodybuilding has helped the athletes to surpass roadblocks
( injuries, lousy paychecks and rankings) and become even more successful at
what they do
- Are you ready for some entertainment?:
In 2004, the bodybuilding industry has become more and more like pro wrestling
in term of entertainment value. The implantation of the challenge round at the
Mr. Olympia, the trash talking during press conferences and the internet war
or words between competitors have skyrocketed the entertainment aspect of bodybuilding
to new heights.
Nobody knows when King Kamali or Lee Priest will go berserk and trash the
bodybuilding community and give the IFBB a piece of their mind. At each contest,
the IFBB and NPC judging rules are under attack by the athletes and the fans.
The judges are now the heels (bad guy) and the bodybuilders the babyfaces.
Like pro wrestling, the clash of sizes in every IFBB contest now steals the
show. Will the little guy with an aesthetic body finally beat the 290 pounds
muscle freak? Each “clan” have his legion of fans and the battle in raging as
much in the stands than on stage.
Now, let’s put some of those fiery rivalry to good use. The brand new challenge
round is like a classic wrestling match. The warriors are announced, egos are
banging, buffed bodies are fighting for the spotlight and nobody’s spot is safe.
Jay Cutler said prior to the Olympia that the new round was “going to add a lot
of entertainment value to the show”.
- The dedication:
Beyond the entertainment, the magazine covers and the oiled bodies on stage
and in the ring, Bodybuilders and pro wrestlers share a dedication to their training
regimen that no other sports can match. Unlike other disciplines, pro wrestlers
and bodybuilders live their sports 24/7, all year long with very few rest periods.
The so-called off-season in bodybuilding might be less strenuous on the diet
side, but in the gym, the finesse exercises are swept away by the return of heavy
lifting and hardcore workouts. Bodybuilders go on a muscle mass building odyssey
until their next pre-contest phase. There is no place for extended golf practice
ala NHL hockey players. The off-season is crucial to the development of the bodybuilder’s
body and even more for his career.
In pro wrestling, the show must go on all year long. Wrestlers spend most
of their time on the road, in a different city every night. Keeping a good training
regimen in such conditions is a tough task. Sleep hours are cut, workout sessions
are rushed and because of the aggressiveness of the sport, recuperation and rest
are not sufficient.
That’s where the importance of weight training comes into play. Triple H
knows more than anybody that to prevent injuries and battle the inevitable, you
have to be prepared. “I’m a big believer in consistency, because your body thrives
on it. Be consistent with your workout.”
So, bodybuilders and pro wrestlers must thrive for a near perfect work ethic.
There’s no place for errors or shortcuts in theses two industries. Lack of confidence
and direction can only result in injuries. Being complaisant and lazy can also
destroy a career in no time. Pro wrestling and bodybuilding are very competitive
and there are no guarantees for stardom.
But these two sports are really about pushing the envelope and being the
best that you can be. Sure, there’s only one World Champion and one Mr. Olympia.
But in their hearts, bodybuilders and pro wrestlers are all true champions.
Bottom line, the two business have the same demand at the end: Highly trained
athletes with off the chart bodies than can deliver big time on stage. Between
the pain and the honors, there’s a complex way of life, full of sacrifices and
joy, that needs the be backed up by tireless dedication from the athletes and
their entourage. That’s why pro wrestling and bodybuilding, in this day and age,
are truly brothers in pain and iron.
