Pro Wrestline: Sport Or Sports Entertainment
...1997
Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling Narr. Steve Allen
Written and Produced by A&E
Special Documentary A&E
New York, New York
1 March, 1998
WCW/nWo: Sting Unmasked Narr. Toni Shiavone
Written by Eric Bischoff, Produced by Turner Broadcasting Co.
Special Interview, Turner Entertainment
Atlanta, Georgia
5 May 1998
Nagurski, B. "Professional Wrestling"
Microsoft Encarta `99
(Electronic Version).
Copyright INSO Corp. 1993-1998
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING: SPORT OR ENTERTAINMENT?
I. Introduction
"Do you smell what the Rock is cookin?" shouts The Rock. This is the new crude
face of professional wrestling. But it wasn't always like this. Haven't you ever wondered
about the real history of pro wrestling, not the ‘history' of what happened last week on
Raw or Nitro? People either watch it or don't, or some watch it and don't admit it. In
any case, what is it really? Some call it a controlled riot with commercial breaks, a
melodrama of mayhem, or a brawl with a referee. Whatever you call it, it's an old form of
entertainment with plenty of ups and downs, but recently, it has become a part of
mainstream America.
II. The Early Years
Wrestling is as old as human history. It has always been used for dominance or
competition. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Arabs all were great wrestlers.
Plato's name literally means broad-shouldered, and he wrestled in his early days. The Irish
used it as a way to settle differences. In fact, it was Irish immigrants living in Vermont
who brought the sport to America. Because of this, Vermont would produce the best
wrestling talent for the next 50 years. Presidents like Washington, Taft, and Coolidge
were all rasslers, and Abraham Lincoln was very much a professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling began when veterans from the Civil War used the...
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