WWE Debate: Is Professional Wrestling a Sport, Theater, or Both? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

I can safely assume that if you are reading this article, then you are in some way, shape or form a fan of professional wrestling and will agree with my next statement....

Wrestling is a form of art. It is the child of writers, athletes, producers, marketers and fans. You, the fan, are its pulse. Without you, there is no professional wrestling. There is no canvas for the WWE to paint on.

So what exactly is art?

Art:

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance

In many ways, "sports" are a form of art as well. Michael Jordan would paint a canvas as he "lit up" his opponents for 50 a night. Peyton Manning dissects opposing defenses like a surgeon (a surgeon's an artist, right?) and the beautiful symmetry that comes with each and every pitch and crack of the bat in baseball is definitely artistic in my opinion. 

So if all of these arts are sports-related, then that would make professional wrestling a sport too, right?

Well, that answer depends on your answer to one question... can you look past the script?

Let's break down a couple of things people say about professional wrestling and sports:

"Wrestling is fake! It can't be a sport. Sports are real!

... Thanks! I know. It always has been, and always will be. It is a scripted and performed event much like your favorite play, movie or television show. So in retrospect, the WWE is no different from the Jersey Shore...except for much better actors, athletes and fights.

Professional wrestling takes the notion of sport and scripts it...kinda like a sports movie. Even though the outcome is predetermined, that doesn't mean there aren't qualities of "sport" involved. For God's sake! Poker is on ESPN every day. Is that a sport?

Would 90,000+ people show up to a poker, bowling or TV taping event?

"Wrestlers aren't athletes. They are steroid in-juiced meat heads who couldn't hack it in the real world, and who failed at other sports out of high school" 

... This was said to me from a friend who I quickly gave the stunner to after this comment.

You can honestly sit there and tell me that NASCAR drivers, golfers, fishing "experts" and bowlers (all events considered sports) are better athletes then professional wrestlers? I didn't think so.

"Sports are dervived from true competition. Wrestling has a script. There is no competition; No one wins or loses anything"

Just because there's a script involved it doesn't take away from the competitive environment of professional wrestling. Ask any former wrestler, read an autobiography on a wrestler or use common sense. There is tremendous competition within the WWE.

Not performing to the high standards in the ring? "You're Fired".

Not getting over with the fans? "You're Fired."

Being a nuisance and refusing to be a team player? "You're fired."

Don't want to continually train, live the grueling road schedule and establish connections...see where I'm going with all this?

While NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and overseas soccer players (football, I know, I apologize) are getting paid ridiculous contracts (with a lump sum up front, and a lot of the contract guaranteed), professional wrestlers do much more work for a lot less. We can safely take the competition argument out of the discussion.

So ultimately, if you can look past the script, then professional wrestling is a sport.

We have an answer...albeit a convoluted one.

As my friends and I discussed this, we came to one conclusion.

We can't look past the script, and therefore don't think it's a sport. But it's damn entertaining! We will go as far to say that it is sports theater, but that's it.

What do you think?