5 Reasons Why Wrestling Is NOT Fake

Here are the top five reasons why wrestling is not fake, as presented in the transcript:

Key Point: Proper behavior and respect within the wrestling locker room are crucial for career survival.
Details:
- Newcomers must introduce themselves to every person in the locker room, shaking hands and stating their name (e.g., "Hi, I'm Marcus Bagwell. I'm nice to meet you.").
- Failing to do so can be a "definite career ending move" and prevent survival in the industry.
- Beyond introductions, it involves being polite to elders and understanding one's rookie position.
- A critical aspect is "not selling it," meaning not overreacting or showing excessive upset when something happens. For example, if someone is pranked, one should not exclaim, "Oh my god, I can't believe you did that!"
- "Selling it" instantly gets you "heat" (negative attention) and signals that you cannot be joked with.
Example: The speaker recounts an incident where Stone Cold Steve Austin (then Stunning Steve Austin in WCW) repeatedly dunked him with ice water in the shower for two months during TV tapings. Because Missy Hyatt had advised him on locker room etiquette, he "walked out of that shower door... going like nothing happened." This ability to "not sell it" and "play along" was "lifesaving for my career."
Argument: Locker room etiquette is a "huge part of your career" and can be a "gamechanger" or lead to the "end of your career" if not handled correctly.

Key Point: Wrestlers must maintain a high level of physical conditioning and appearance, which requires significant effort.
Details: The speaker identifies three essential "checks" for a wrestler:
1. Body: Physical fitness and appearance.
2. Ability: Wrestling skills.
3. Talk: Charisma and promo ability.
Argument: While some wrestlers, like Mick Foley, might be gifted with a certain "look" that doesn't require extensive gym work or tanning, others, like the speaker ("Buff Bagwell"), must dedicate considerable time to training, tanning, dieting, hair, and outfit preparation.
Real-world Application: The speaker describes the demanding routine: "tanning diet on the road dieting. That means we get to a restaurant. I would buy three meals at that restaurant. I knew all day long I've got my meals. You got to go by what you go through that day. Shower, tan, train, diet, hair, whether your haircut, you got your outfit, your look."
Conclusion: "Training was such a big part of my career because my name was Buff Bagwell. I've knew if I could get one of those checks without it being about wrestling, I'm onethird on the way there, brother. So training was a huge part of it for me and it's a huge part of why wrestling is not fake to me and that's because it's very difficult especially on the road to stay in shape."

Key Point: The constant and demanding travel schedule in professional wrestling is physically and logistically taxing.
Details:
- The speaker is a "two million mileer with Delta," not including other airlines.
- Each travel destination requires arranging a rental car and a hotel.
- Logistical considerations include being on upgrade lists and securing the right seats.
- Wrestlers often coordinate travel arrangements, with one person handling flights and another handling rental cars and hotels (e.g., Lex Luger and the speaker).
- The schedule involves a "hotel, rent a car and airline ticket every weekend."
- Even minor details like hotel room location are important for efficiency (e.g., "making sure your hotel room was next to the elevator because you got to be in and out of the hotels quick because you go work out, you're hungry. You don't want to walk a mile to the elevator and then a mile back.").
Argument: "Travel is a another huge part of pro wrestling which makes it not fake."

Key Point: The wrestling ring's surface is not a trampoline or springboard but a hard, unforgiving structure.
Details:
- The ring is constructed with steel poles running horizontally and vertically.
- A thick piece of plywood sits on top of iron.
- A mat of significant thickness is placed over the wood.
- A canvas covers the mat.
Argument: The speaker refutes the common misconception that the ring is bouncy, stating, "It is metal, wood, and I'm mad about that big. That's not fake when you hit it."
Personal Experience: The speaker recounts, "The first time I hit it, I quit. I was never coming back. And I'm a pretty tough kid, man. I was a tough athletic kid when I tried out and I kept going back for some reason I do not know but the mat is definitely another reason that wrestling is not fake."

Key Point: The ring ropes are made of tough, unyielding materials that cause significant pain upon impact.
Details:
- WCW and WWE rings have different rope specifications. WWE ropes are 20 feet, while WCW ropes were 18 feet.
- The "rope" is actually a "steel cable" covered with a piece of garden hose and tape.
Argument: Contrary to the perception that they are like "rubber bands," these ropes are "steel cable" that wrestlers, often weighing "220, 250 big boys," run into and hit at "full speed."
Personal Experience: The speaker states, "It was the hardest thing for me to get used to. I had one of the biggest backs in pro wrestling and I remember my back was solid black and blue and it finally like a callous. You got used to hitting that rope."
Conclusion: "But that is the top five reasons why wrestling is not fake."

Locker Room Etiquette: Rules of conduct and respect within the wrestling backstage area.
Selling It: Overreacting or showing excessive emotion to an event.
Heat: Negative attention or animosity directed towards a wrestler.
Training: Physical conditioning, dieting, and appearance maintenance.
The Three Checks: Body, Ability, Talk – essential components for a wrestler.
Ring Construction: The materials and layers that make up the wrestling ring floor.
Ring Ropes: The composition of the ropes used in wrestling rings, emphasizing their hardness.