In light of the upcoming Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture fight, I am reminded of my childhood.
Twenty-one years ago, I recall the anticipation felt by myself and all my twelve-year-old friends of the upcoming epic, the fight for the ages, the clash of the titans. We were waiting for Hulk Hogan to square off against Andre The Giant.
Andre was my favorite wrestler. Sure, I had hardly seen any Andre matches but there was a mystique to him that was unmatched. After all, he was the guy who had always stood by the fans and had never lost but still had never received a title match. I sympathized with the man and wanted to be second in line to slap Hulk Hogan upside the head. I thanked Roddy Piper for providing Piper's Pit as a forum to set this up.
Hulk Hogan was the unstoppable force to Andre's immovable object. He was the only world champion I had ever known. He was the reason I started to watch wrestling. I was enthralled when he played Thunderlips in Rocky III. I was in awe when he accompanied Ciny Lauper to an awards show, flexed to the crowd and my brother said "He's a real wrestler, you know". I sought him out and realized that I liked Andre better. But Hogan won all his matches right? Andre had never been bodyslammed but if anyone could do it the Hulkster could, right?
Most importantly, it was the first match between them and none of us knew what would happen. We talked about it at our Scouts meetings. I picked Andre. Jeff picked Hogan. And of course we were both right and noone could convince us otherwise.
Of course, there was a lot of myth in this. Andre had done plenty of work as a "bad guy" in Japan which I enjoy much more when I watch it as an adult. Andre had lost plenty of times, including to El Canek in Mexico. He had been bodyslammed by Harley Race, Killer Kowalski, and El Canek (that guy again). And he had faced Hogan in Japan, in Memphis and most importantly on the 1980 Shea Stadium card, a predecessor to Wrestlemania.
But we didn't know these things. And we didn't need to know them. I could have felt betrayed when I learned these things later but I'm glad we didn't know. What mattered was that we believed. And the day after Wrestlemania III the result was the buzz of the playground at school. Hogan won. Hogan bodyslammed Andre. When I got to see the show a couple months later, my family cheered as Hogan bodyslammed Andre, dropped the leg and pinned him. My father simply said "Yup, that's it, he's the best". It didn't even matter that the match kind of sucked, the hype and belief had captured our imaginations and put enough people in the Pontiac Silverdome that Vince McMahon could lie and say it was 93,000.
Fast forward to 2008. Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture are set to meet in the modern fight for the ages. And yes, they've both lost inside the octagon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Those losses actually and vulnerabilities actually add intrigue and everyone is sure they know who will win.
The third fight between Randy Couture and Chuck Lidell drew me into starting to watch UFC again, much like Hulk Hogan in 1986. Randy is like Andre in this fight with the size difference reversed. He's the old soldier of Mixed Martial Arts, the man who perseveres against all odds. He has fought the greatest mixed martial artists inside the cage and bureaucracy of promoting outside it (whether you think he was right or not, he did fight). He is every thing that an Ultimate Fighter should be: a world class athlete who brought his specialty (wrestling) into MMA, learned other skills and tied it together with the most important thing, heart. He has probably been in UFC a comparable amount to what Andre had been in the World Wrestling Federation (eleven years compared to fourteen years).
And then along came Brock Lesnar. The amateur wrestler turned professional wrestler turned mixed martial artist. The man who was seen as a bland, Bob Backlund-type in pro wrestling but is a colorful personality and promo man in MMA. Not because everyone else is bland in comparison but because there is such an air of legitimacy to this once "fake fighter". There has never been anyone like him. He exploded out of the gates to attack former UFC champion Frank Mir in February at a pace never before seen before getting caught in a kneebar. Then in August he spent three rounds bouncing around former Pride fighter Heath Herring, looking like a tiger playing with its catch before sinking in the killing blow.
Randy has never faced anyone like Brock. Tim Sylvia was bigger but Brock will be cutting to 265 pounds of muscle and strength, like any of the lower weight class champions, just way bigger. Randy's advantage is often wrestling, a hard advantage to have over Brock. And Brock's aptitude for picking up pro wrestling faster than most has transferred to his ability to pick up MMA faster than most.
Brock has never faced anyone like Randy. Randy always figures out a way to beat his opponents. even if he doesn't win, he seems to know how. Randy has as much experience as just about any MMA fighter you'll find, at least any one that is still good. And Brock was just a "fake wrester".
Is Brock too young? Is Randy too old? Is Brock too powerful? Is Randy too experienced? Is Brock too good for Randy? Is Randy too good for Brock?
Everyone thinks they know the answers. And everyone is sure they're right. Me, I think Brock will win. The harcore fan in me thinks that it is the best thing for business long-term, for both MMA and pro wrestling as Brock's exposure could be capitalized on by wrestling promoters (which doesn't mean they will do it). But more important than any such analysis, I just think it would be really cool. Of course, I will still cheer to see Randy win, just like I did when my father said "Yup, that's it, he's the best".
None of us know for sure. And it doesn't really matter what we think ahead of time. What does matter is that we believe.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Wrestler
From September 7, 2008:
"The Wrestler" from director Darren Aranofsky and starring Mickey Rourke saw its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival tonight. Director Aranovsky was in attendance and spoke to the crowd, bringing the producer Scott Franklin on stage as well as Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Rourke's daughter in the film. The film was simply fantastic. It was amazing that twenty years WWE was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "No Holds Barred" and ten years ago WCW was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "Ready To Rumble" but it took until 2008 for a great wrestling film to be made. And it happened through the work of an intellectual director and fantastic method acting by people not previously connected to the business. If the people behind this film weren't previously fans they sure did their homework. As a wrestling fan, I realized how much some scenes such as his deathmatch with Necro Butcher must have seemed, a seeming work of fiction based all too much on reality. A concern I had going into the film was whether the wrestling world presented would try to pretend the wrestling was "real" or if they would try to portray as the "work" that it is. Unlike No Holds Barred and Ready To Rumble which tried to present wrestling as "real", this film took you into the locker room to see wrestlers discussing the layout of their matches with terms like "the heat", "the comeback" and "take it home". And it is this presentation which makes wrestling seem more real than any work of fiction previously has. You are drawn into the psychology of pro wresting and even moreso, the pain experienced is depicted as more real than anything in the epic wars of Hogan vs. Zeus or David Arquette vs. Diamond Dallas Page. Central to the film is the character study. Much like the simple title of "The Wrestler" camouflages the catharsis of the film, the seemingly simple presentation of Randy "The Ram" Robinson as a 1980's leftover continually trying to relive the past belies the insight provided into the human condition. Rourke brings this character alive with elements of Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake Roberts as they all appeared in "Beyond The Mat". Add in a more contemporary version of a wrestler such as Eddie Guerrero pushing his heart to the brink through the use of steroids, or even Rick Rude in his attempted comeback. But although elements of these men are seen in the portrait of Randy, he is no more them than Robert Deniro was any of the taxi drivers he drove with in preparing for his role as Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver". "The Wrestler" provides a wholly original portrait of a man dealing with his physical and professional mortality and using the high of performing as the motivation for the drugs he uses to get him there. The relationship of Randy with Marisa Tomei's character of "Cassidy" is fascinating in its use of juxtaposition. She is a stripper using her body to perform and pretend to be give her customers the acceptance they seek from her without accepting them outside the world of the strip club. Randy is a wrestler using his body to perform in order to receive the acceptance he seeks from the fans who do not accept him outside the world of wrestling, where is alone and has to work at a grocery store deli counter. Cassidy puts on her mask to provide for her son whil Randy puts on his mask which drives him away from his daughter. Cassidy wants to quit to have a life with her son but cannot get away. The last thing Randy wants is to quit, but being forced to for health reasons brings him temporarily closer to his daughter. Rourke presents one of the most likeable characters I have ever seen on screen. Cassidy's referencing "The Passion Of The Christ" paints him as a Christ figure. He is a man in search of his soul in this film and sacrifices himself for his fans. He uses a Chris Benoit-like diving headbutt, bringing him more adoration while it brings him closer to death, and you feel awkward cheering him all the way. But he makes a choice, realizing the the wrestling arena is the only place he feels home and somehow it is painted as understandable. The film does not poke fun at wrestling. It presents it as something that seems simple but is layered and complex in its catharsis, much like Randy and Cassidy and the film itself.
"The Wrestler" from director Darren Aranofsky and starring Mickey Rourke saw its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival tonight. Director Aranovsky was in attendance and spoke to the crowd, bringing the producer Scott Franklin on stage as well as Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Rourke's daughter in the film. The film was simply fantastic. It was amazing that twenty years WWE was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "No Holds Barred" and ten years ago WCW was part of producing a lame wrestling film called "Ready To Rumble" but it took until 2008 for a great wrestling film to be made. And it happened through the work of an intellectual director and fantastic method acting by people not previously connected to the business. If the people behind this film weren't previously fans they sure did their homework. As a wrestling fan, I realized how much some scenes such as his deathmatch with Necro Butcher must have seemed, a seeming work of fiction based all too much on reality. A concern I had going into the film was whether the wrestling world presented would try to pretend the wrestling was "real" or if they would try to portray as the "work" that it is. Unlike No Holds Barred and Ready To Rumble which tried to present wrestling as "real", this film took you into the locker room to see wrestlers discussing the layout of their matches with terms like "the heat", "the comeback" and "take it home". And it is this presentation which makes wrestling seem more real than any work of fiction previously has. You are drawn into the psychology of pro wresting and even moreso, the pain experienced is depicted as more real than anything in the epic wars of Hogan vs. Zeus or David Arquette vs. Diamond Dallas Page. Central to the film is the character study. Much like the simple title of "The Wrestler" camouflages the catharsis of the film, the seemingly simple presentation of Randy "The Ram" Robinson as a 1980's leftover continually trying to relive the past belies the insight provided into the human condition. Rourke brings this character alive with elements of Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake Roberts as they all appeared in "Beyond The Mat". Add in a more contemporary version of a wrestler such as Eddie Guerrero pushing his heart to the brink through the use of steroids, or even Rick Rude in his attempted comeback. But although elements of these men are seen in the portrait of Randy, he is no more them than Robert Deniro was any of the taxi drivers he drove with in preparing for his role as Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver". "The Wrestler" provides a wholly original portrait of a man dealing with his physical and professional mortality and using the high of performing as the motivation for the drugs he uses to get him there. The relationship of Randy with Marisa Tomei's character of "Cassidy" is fascinating in its use of juxtaposition. She is a stripper using her body to perform and pretend to be give her customers the acceptance they seek from her without accepting them outside the world of the strip club. Randy is a wrestler using his body to perform in order to receive the acceptance he seeks from the fans who do not accept him outside the world of wrestling, where is alone and has to work at a grocery store deli counter. Cassidy puts on her mask to provide for her son whil Randy puts on his mask which drives him away from his daughter. Cassidy wants to quit to have a life with her son but cannot get away. The last thing Randy wants is to quit, but being forced to for health reasons brings him temporarily closer to his daughter. Rourke presents one of the most likeable characters I have ever seen on screen. Cassidy's referencing "The Passion Of The Christ" paints him as a Christ figure. He is a man in search of his soul in this film and sacrifices himself for his fans. He uses a Chris Benoit-like diving headbutt, bringing him more adoration while it brings him closer to death, and you feel awkward cheering him all the way. But he makes a choice, realizing the the wrestling arena is the only place he feels home and somehow it is painted as understandable. The film does not poke fun at wrestling. It presents it as something that seems simple but is layered and complex in its catharsis, much like Randy and Cassidy and the film itself.
Bigger Stronger Faster
I just finished watching Bigger Stronger Faster and it was a great documentary. I assumed I had seen a lot of the highlights that would be in the movie or heard about them already but there was still plenty to take in.
One of the things that struck me about the movie was the honesty, openness and balance displayed by Chris Bell. The viewer is provided with several opportunities to change their mind in the movie without always being told what your mind should be.
I was reminded of also being an overweight child wanting to grow up to look like Hulk Hogan or Arnold Schwarzennegger. For years I steadfastly refused to believe that they and the professional wrestlers I enjoyed watching were using steroids. Of course, when I was eleven years old I also refused to believe that the Giant Machine was Andre The Giant under a mask. "No way man, Andre wouldn't do that, he was suspended". Sadly, this was about as credible as believing that Hulk Hogan's muscles came from prayers and vitamins.
Chris Bell appears to have interviewed as wide an array of experts as could be expected for a film on steroids. Anti-steroid politician Henry Waxman is provided the opportunity to explain his side and comes off about as knowledgable as Nancy Grace saying that Chris Benoit was demoted from the Four Horsemen to Raw. Joseph Biden is in the film saying that the use of steroids is Un-American. Maybe it's the Canadian apathy regarding nationalism coming out in me, but shouldn't his concern be more about whether or not it is Un-Human?
I especially enjoyed that he interviewed Harrison Pope, a noted researcher regarding the use of anabolic steroids. One thing that wasn't discussed (and I realize that not everything could be) is that in 1993 Pope was responsible for defining what is often known as "muscle dysmorphia" as well as "reverse anorexia". He maintained that just as someone with anorexia nervosa (a type of body dysmorphia) would never think they are skinny enough and always perceive themselves as being fat, a bodybuilder with body dysmorphia would never see themselves as being big or muscular enough. Such obsessions would lead to harmful extremes taken to become more muscular, which would frequently include the use of anabolic steroids. After the death of Chris Benoit, I remember reading in Dave Meltzer's "Wrestling Observer" that Benoit would stay on steroids during two periods when he was out of WWE for six months as well as a year and that he would obsess about thinking his arms were getting smaller. Just as anorexia can occur in female models being pressured to be thin, Benoit often had difficulty being taken seriously in wrestling due to his size even though he was apparently a heavy steroid user. I imagine it didn't take much to convince himself he wasn't big enough when he was told this was the case.
Anyways, the film contains a non-mainstream presentation that there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the harmful effects of steroids. One of the arguments frequently presented by anti-steroid people when steroids were compared with alcohol and smoking is that alcohol and smoking are legal. In my opinion, this is a pretty weak argument given that for people who have died from the use of alcohol or tobacco, the fact that they are legal does not make them any less dead. The legality (or lack therof) of such substances is a human construction and the insides of one's body do not discriminate in their reaction based on the legality. I can have the gut reaction that steroids are bad and harmful to your long-term health, but this doesn't fly too far if I'm having that gut reaction while up-sizing my extra value meal at McDonald's (perfectly legal by the way).
One would almost come out of watching this film thinking that society should just give up and not worry about steroids. That does not seem to have been Bell's intent but the lack of previous emphasis on the pro-steroid argument (or at least the non-anti-steroid argument) makes it something unfamiliar and thus fresh and convincing. Certainly the deaths of professional wrestlers connected to steroid abuse would seem to be evidence against steroid use, but are steroid use and steroid abuse always the same thing? It has been said that an issue for pro wrestlers is using steroids year-round rather than in cycles. Another issue is the combination of steroid use with the use of painkillers and other drugs. Perhaps the concept of harm reduction, involving a reduction in substance abuse with a person's drug of choice while recognizing that complete abstinence is not possible for that person, could be introduced to wrestling. Unfortunately, the Vince McMahons of the world would likely use this as a rationalization to enable continued steroid use rather than to allow people to do the best they can.
I would highly recommend this film. Bell has a gift for comparing steroid use with other issues such as pilots using amphetamine and musician using beta blockers, asking why one is acceptable when another is not. Chris Bell also delivers messages that Canadians would be proud of, noting that American soldiers on "Go Pills" bombed and killed friendly Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and that Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympic Gold Medal for steroid use while Carl Lewis was awarded the gold medal after his steroid use was covered up. It took courage for him to make this film and to highlight hypocricy.
Oh, and the bull with mega-muscles was really cool to look at as well.
One of the things that struck me about the movie was the honesty, openness and balance displayed by Chris Bell. The viewer is provided with several opportunities to change their mind in the movie without always being told what your mind should be.
I was reminded of also being an overweight child wanting to grow up to look like Hulk Hogan or Arnold Schwarzennegger. For years I steadfastly refused to believe that they and the professional wrestlers I enjoyed watching were using steroids. Of course, when I was eleven years old I also refused to believe that the Giant Machine was Andre The Giant under a mask. "No way man, Andre wouldn't do that, he was suspended". Sadly, this was about as credible as believing that Hulk Hogan's muscles came from prayers and vitamins.
Chris Bell appears to have interviewed as wide an array of experts as could be expected for a film on steroids. Anti-steroid politician Henry Waxman is provided the opportunity to explain his side and comes off about as knowledgable as Nancy Grace saying that Chris Benoit was demoted from the Four Horsemen to Raw. Joseph Biden is in the film saying that the use of steroids is Un-American. Maybe it's the Canadian apathy regarding nationalism coming out in me, but shouldn't his concern be more about whether or not it is Un-Human?
I especially enjoyed that he interviewed Harrison Pope, a noted researcher regarding the use of anabolic steroids. One thing that wasn't discussed (and I realize that not everything could be) is that in 1993 Pope was responsible for defining what is often known as "muscle dysmorphia" as well as "reverse anorexia". He maintained that just as someone with anorexia nervosa (a type of body dysmorphia) would never think they are skinny enough and always perceive themselves as being fat, a bodybuilder with body dysmorphia would never see themselves as being big or muscular enough. Such obsessions would lead to harmful extremes taken to become more muscular, which would frequently include the use of anabolic steroids. After the death of Chris Benoit, I remember reading in Dave Meltzer's "Wrestling Observer" that Benoit would stay on steroids during two periods when he was out of WWE for six months as well as a year and that he would obsess about thinking his arms were getting smaller. Just as anorexia can occur in female models being pressured to be thin, Benoit often had difficulty being taken seriously in wrestling due to his size even though he was apparently a heavy steroid user. I imagine it didn't take much to convince himself he wasn't big enough when he was told this was the case.
Anyways, the film contains a non-mainstream presentation that there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the harmful effects of steroids. One of the arguments frequently presented by anti-steroid people when steroids were compared with alcohol and smoking is that alcohol and smoking are legal. In my opinion, this is a pretty weak argument given that for people who have died from the use of alcohol or tobacco, the fact that they are legal does not make them any less dead. The legality (or lack therof) of such substances is a human construction and the insides of one's body do not discriminate in their reaction based on the legality. I can have the gut reaction that steroids are bad and harmful to your long-term health, but this doesn't fly too far if I'm having that gut reaction while up-sizing my extra value meal at McDonald's (perfectly legal by the way).
One would almost come out of watching this film thinking that society should just give up and not worry about steroids. That does not seem to have been Bell's intent but the lack of previous emphasis on the pro-steroid argument (or at least the non-anti-steroid argument) makes it something unfamiliar and thus fresh and convincing. Certainly the deaths of professional wrestlers connected to steroid abuse would seem to be evidence against steroid use, but are steroid use and steroid abuse always the same thing? It has been said that an issue for pro wrestlers is using steroids year-round rather than in cycles. Another issue is the combination of steroid use with the use of painkillers and other drugs. Perhaps the concept of harm reduction, involving a reduction in substance abuse with a person's drug of choice while recognizing that complete abstinence is not possible for that person, could be introduced to wrestling. Unfortunately, the Vince McMahons of the world would likely use this as a rationalization to enable continued steroid use rather than to allow people to do the best they can.
I would highly recommend this film. Bell has a gift for comparing steroid use with other issues such as pilots using amphetamine and musician using beta blockers, asking why one is acceptable when another is not. Chris Bell also delivers messages that Canadians would be proud of, noting that American soldiers on "Go Pills" bombed and killed friendly Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan and that Ben Johnson was stripped of his Olympic Gold Medal for steroid use while Carl Lewis was awarded the gold medal after his steroid use was covered up. It took courage for him to make this film and to highlight hypocricy.
Oh, and the bull with mega-muscles was really cool to look at as well.
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