The match between the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania was the most shocking match in the WWE universe. When Brock Lesnar broke the Undertaker's undefeated streak, it was perhaps the biggest upset among WWE fans. The crowd was left speechless and disbelief. It has been lingering in some of the fans minds including my own: "Was this pre-determined or was this an accident?"
Vince McMahon stated that it was his decision to book the Undertaker to lose against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. This was due to a lack of potential candidates available for a main event. It's rumored that the Undertaker himself agreed for Brock Lesnar to end his undefeated streak. Others say that it was Brock Lesnar himself who changed the script. What is the verdict? Who should've been the one to defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania? Was Brock Lesnar the right choice for the Undertaker? Why or why not?
I used to believe that Brock Lesnar was a terrible candidate for the job as he seemed no where near the Phenom's level. The Undertaker deserved to face someone who was at the top of a major wrestling promotion. Nevertheless, i have come to realize that Brock Lesnar was the ideal wrestler to break the Undertaker's undefeated streak. In recent matches, i've watched the Undertaker grow old and sluggish. He began making more mistakes and became easily exhausted. During his match with Triple H at Wrestlemania, he suffered a concussion and injuries to his lower back. According to the storyline, he suffered humiliation despite gaining a victory. I would imagine that the Undertaker reflected on his age and retiring long before Brock Lesnar. If he made a huge mistake losing against a superstar that most fans despise at Wrestlemania, there would be a huge uproar. His entire career would end in disaster and his streak being broken by the most unfavorable superstar would cause such a great disappointment. The Undertaker could not let all of his fans down which is why he chose to take action. What set Brock Lesnar apart from the other superstars? He wasn't boastful. He was humble and didn't act as if he was better than the Undertaker like others. He didn't do any promos emphasizing the ending of the Undertaker's streak. Brock Lesnar faced the Undertaker as any other competitor.
Both the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar are MMA fighters. Both are aggressive, ruthless, and dominant in the ring. Brock Lesnar has defeated the Undertaker before under his American Big Evil gimmick and badly. Brock Lesnar is the beast incarnate and for good reasons. Both had an epic clash at Wrestlemania and when the Undertaker performed Hell's Gate on Brock Lesnar - He performed one of the most amazing counters. Brock Lesnar rather than tap out, picked up the Undertaker and slammed him against the canvas. Hell's Gate became the Undertaker's destructive finisher next to tombstone piledriver and favored in later years. Most wrestlers who faced the Undertaker would pass out, tap out, or go for the ropes. Brock Lesnar was demolishing the Undertaker already delivering three F-5's in a row.
By the time Brock Lesnar finally pinned the Undertaker, the referee counted "1! 2! 3!" and it was over. Paul Heyman was so shocked along with everyone in the room. Brock Lesnar had beaten the Undertaker and barely broke a sweat in doing so. Some booed the Undertaker but most fans nevertheless cheered him on as he exited the ring.
Brock Lesnar has caused many injuries in MMA and pro-wrestling alike. He has shown to be a ferocious opponent time and time again. Brock Lesnar is a 5-time world champion and one of the best paid athletes in history. It's finally time for the Undertaker to push a new pro-wrestler unlike pro-wrestlers such as CM Punk and John Cena. Brock Lesnar was the best candidate for the job being a pro-wrestler who reflects the new face of a revolutionary era in WWE and UFC entertainment.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that Pro-Wrestling is "fake" on the same level as fictional films. Pro-Wrestling is indeed very real. How real is it? We will analyze the many theatrical performances of pro-wrestling.
It is commonly thought that Pro-wrestlers follow a carefully written script for everything (matches, promos, and other extreme stunts). The winner of a match is pre-determined. While that might be true, it's not always the case. Take a look at this example of a script involving a match.
Did you notice something? The winner is chosen but there are no specific and pre-determined directions as to HOW that victory is to be achieved. There's simply no time for every wrestler on the roster to get it perfect during practice. They only have around a week before the match starts. What's their last resort? Improvising. If only it was that easy for people to simply follow everything written down on paper and get paid. It doesn't work that way. How are they going to win the match while the crowd watches? WWE says "Figure it out!" Referees and other wrestlers might whisper directions, but they are no substitute for skill. Pro-Wrestlers must have an advanced understanding of the dynamics of signatures moves, the paces of matches, and creativity in performance. It is by this understanding that they can be amazing entertainers loved by millions. Those who know nothing of Pro-Wrestling will be walking out of the company's doors.
Even if wrestlers are creative, it still means that the violence is fake right? Nope. While the goal is to keep each wrestler safe when executing moves, real injuries occur. Pro-Wrestling doesn't have the luxury of the same safety procedures as Hollywood does. Your performing live in front of millions, not behind the scenes of a film set.You can't use stuntmen while everyone's watching. This is where talent comes in. Pro-Wrestlers must execute every signature move almost perfectly. If they don't, an injury to a vital area can be fatal.
Here's a few examples of real life injuries that happened in the history of Pro-Wrestling: Undertaker vs. Mankind:
One of my favorite matches. It shocked WWE after Undertaker threw Mankind off hell in a cell. According to news reports via Wiki, the Undertaker had a broken foot. Mankind suffered the following injuries:
* A dislocated shoulder
* A concussion
* A dislocated jaw
* A hole in his bottom lip
* Loss of Consciousness Hulk Hogan chokes Richard Belzer:
Richard Belzer, a stand-up comedian, was mocking wrestler and calling it fake. Richard Belzer taunted Hulk Hogan into performing a real wrestling move. Hulk Hogan put him in a front-face lock, blocking his windpipe as his arms went limp. Hulk Hogan let him go as the back of Belzer's head hit the stage hard, causing it to bleed. Owen Hart breaks Stone Cold's neck:
As Stone Cold faced Owen Hart, he got his neck broken during a finishing move. He suffered temporary paralysis and Owen Hart had to stop the match.
Wrestling moves:
Punches and kicks do hurt no matter how they are delivered. The moves done in Pro-Wrestling require athleticism and power. They are choreographed but dangerous. That's why many of them are banned from pro-wrestling. There's a good reason why you should never try this at home.
The ankle lock - These are used in combat sports like MMA and submission wrestling. When applied with excessive force, these can tear muscle, tendons, and break bone.
Tombstone Piledriver - This is dangerous because of the compression from the neck to the head. This can cause paralysis as the body weight and force is transferred to the head on impact.
You must remember that the ring-mat is covered with a wooden plank. Though wrestlers are slammed on it, there's not much protection to ensure a soft landing.
Props:
While the use of weapons is limited, the injuries caused are still dangerous.
Chairs - Regardless of what anyone says, chair shots do hurt
Ladders - These can tear a wrestler's face wide open.
Ringbell - Using the back of it can split a wrestler's head open.
Thumbtacks - These are painful as they puncture the skin and must be removed afterwards.
Barbed wire - Real barbed wire is used with a fake one. When it's time for a wrestler to be cut, real barbed wire is used.
Bleeding:
Some claim that fake blood is used, but this isn't necessarily true. Pro-Wrestlers actually do bleed sometimes from impact of blows or from "blading." This is where a pro-wrestler takes a blade out and quickly makes an incision on their forehead. Chair-shots, punches, kicks, and other weapons further open the wound and causing more blood.
In conclusion, many features of pro-wrestling are not fake. This is a misconception that is unfortunately causing a degradation of the pro-wrestling business (as i will explain later). Educate your friends and family of the real dangers of Pro-Wrestling.
The match between the Undertaker and Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania was the most shocking match in the WWE universe. When Brock Lesnar broke the Undertaker's undefeated streak, it was perhaps the biggest upset among WWE fans. The crowd was left speechless and disbelief. It has been lingering in some of the fans minds including my own: "Was this pre-determined or was this an accident?"
I used to believe that Brock Lesnar was a terrible candidate for the job as he seemed no where near the Phenom's level. The Undertaker deserved to face someone who was at the top of a major wrestling promotion. Nevertheless, i have come to realize that Brock Lesnar was the ideal wrestler to break the Undertaker's undefeated streak. In recent matches, i've watched the Undertaker grow old and sluggish. He began making more mistakes and became easily exhausted. During his match with Triple H at Wrestlemania, he suffered a concussion and injuries to his lower back. According to the storyline, he suffered humiliation despite gaining a victory. I would imagine that the Undertaker reflected on his age and retiring long before Brock Lesnar. If he made a huge mistake losing against a superstar that most fans despise at Wrestlemania, there would be a huge uproar. His entire career would end in disaster and his streak being broken by the most unfavorable superstar would cause such a great disappointment. The Undertaker could not let all of his fans down which is why he chose to take action. What set Brock Lesnar apart from the other superstars? He wasn't boastful. He was humble and didn't act as if he was better than the Undertaker like others. He didn't do any promos emphasizing the ending of the Undertaker's streak. Brock Lesnar faced the Undertaker as any other competitor.
By the time Brock Lesnar finally pinned the Undertaker, the referee counted "1! 2! 3!" and it was over. Paul Heyman was so shocked along with everyone in the room. Brock Lesnar had beaten the Undertaker and barely broke a sweat in doing so. Some booed the Undertaker but most fans nevertheless cheered him on as he exited the ring.
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