“1! 2! 3!” Over 75,000 thousand fans screamed in unison at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco as Seth Rollins pinned Roman Reigns to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
The fact that Rollins wasn’t even a participant in the match when it began didn’t bother a soul in the building or watching at home. This was the WWE and sports entertainment, where reality blurs with fantasy, and fans have continued to grow in their support of the league for over 30 years.
WWE has been able to set itself apart from traditional sports leagues and entertainment entities by creating larger than life personalities and appealing to the American ideal of “good guys” taking down “bad guys.” From Hulk Hogan’s brand of American hero in the 1980s to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s anti-hero in the 1990s and John Cena’s blend of American pride and never-give-up attitude, WWE has always created an individual or face of the company that relates directly to the times we live in.
Many professional sports organizations choose a standard bearer that they can thrust into the media spotlight for fans to rally behind. They are presented as modern-day heroes, but too often fall short, whether on the field or off, leading to public relations disasters. Case in point: Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are promoted as the face of the NFL, modeling all that is virtuous and possible in sportsmanship. They continue to dominate the league year after year — until something like Deflategate happens. The gold standard he once represented turns out to be nickel-plated.
Ditto for Tiger Woods and his dalliances that harmed the PGA’s image.
Ditto for Lebron James’ arrogance and his “easy route” pit stop in Miami.
The fact is, professional sports leagues can’t keep up with the WWE and the cast of characters they have had under their umbrella. The majority of professional athletes are too focused on their personal brand to worry about the image of their league. For the WWE, the focus rests squarely on the league and its various initiatives. Whereas a variety of professional sports leagues are routinely paid by the military to produce patriotic displays, the WWE often gives out free tickets to servicemen and women. Their annual “Tribute To The Troops” is a sincere gesture of support for military members and their families.
Those charitable causes are just the tipping point for the WWE, as they participate in anti-bullying causes, reading causes, and the Make A Wish Foundation. John Cena currently holds the record for most wishes granted at over 500. At no point is the WWE and its talent dragged kicking and screaming to these events. This sets them apart from professional athletes, who are much less inclined to answer the call of charity.
These efforts help WWE connect meaningfully to the communities and causes with which they align themselves. Moreover, by not taking themselves too seriously on television, they can make a genuine impact behind the scenes, and this appears to be the primary goal.
One of WWE’s central focal points is family. While the McMahon family runs the ship, the league is known for its tradition of wrestling families, a factor that keeps expanding and attracting a growing fan base that is itself family-oriented. The Rhodes family, the Hart family, and the Anoa’i family symbolize an important message: To be successful, you must honor your predecessors.
It’s not surprising that a league that defies gravity (in more ways than one) would seem to follow the philosophy of Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one of the league’s most successful Hollywood converts, has no conceivable need to wrestle any longer. Yet, as a proud member of the Anoa’I family, he will return to the WWE for WrestleMania 32 in 2016. That pride in family and business resonates strongly with the values of Middle America, and Middle America has rewarded the league with immense loyalty in return.
This may help to explain why the scripted nature of the sport doesn’t bother the fans. If anything, the faux-fighting is its charm. Americans can appreciate performance art wrapped in a cloak of reality, and we respect the league for being authentic about their inauthentic shtick.
With Wrestlemania, there’s no pretense. Americans don’t care if you’re fake; just don’t pretend you’re not, meanwhile living a double life. It’s a nice contrast to professional athletes who pretend to be authentic and righteous and virtuous — only to disappoint fans when scandals emerge and the truth comes out.
The wrestling business has been alive and well for 30+ years, because it puts family first and self considerations second. All while flying around like maniacs in tights.
That’s what we call ‘Murica.
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