Following my Mathematical Connections to Wrestling article, I decided to apply my knowledge elsewhere and see what connections to wrestling I could find in biology.

Since this article I have written the third in this series Philosophical Connections to Wrestling: Ethics.

Wrestlers on a roster are very similar to animals in the wild and interact very much in the same way. Some find very different ways to achieve success, but all do it through relationships.

Symbiosis

This is a relationship where two or more species rely on each other for survival. The bond can be biased, but all parties receive something from and give something to the others.

Coral reefs are a good illustration, where coral organisms and the algae that live inside them both rely completely on each other for survival.

It is quite easy to pick out some examples in the WWE, such as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder. This is a pretty equal relationship where both give similar benefits to each other. Neither is really a good wrestler, but their association as a tag team is keeping them afloat in the WWE.

Similarly, I believe Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson fall into the same boat, but given a small push, both could have a chance at surviving on their own.

These relationships are in a constant state of flux, though, and some wrestlers can move from one relationship to another.

Parasites

Some animals are so successful in the wild that parasites have evolved to survive solely off that success. It is a complete one-way relationship, but most of the time little or no harm is done to the host (stronger wrestler).

Mosquitoes are a well-known parasite that feed off the blood of their host and usually do no damage to them (after the bite goes away).

This is not a situation a wrestler wants to be in. On their own, they will have no chance, so they rely on the better wrestler that they are affiliated with to stay popular and keep them alive (in a professional sense).

Before Lance Cade was fired, he was in an almost parasitic relationship with Chris Jericho. He had been successful in a symbiotic relationship with Trevor Murdoch prior to this, but following their split, he needed this union to avoid getting fired. However, we know this didn’t last long.

Hornswoggle is another who could fall into this bracket. Some may disagree, but without Finlay, I don’t think he would have a place in the WWE.

The Pack

Various species live in large groups, as they stand a better chance of survival in bigger numbers. Most could stand a chance at survival on their own, but there are many benefits to living in large numbers.

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