Underaker's Burns and the Dangers of WWE's Pyrotechnics and Other Stunts

I love Mark Calaway's (aka The Undertaker) entrance. I think it is the best in the history of the WWE. It is a grand spectacle and perfectly indictative of the Undertaker character. But during last week's Elimination Chamber Pay Per View, a stream of fire shot up from the ramp and caused numerous burns on the Calaway's chest.  

Calaway quickly deviated from his slow, methodical Undertaker entrance and ran towards the ring. Off camera, the referees gave him several bottles of water to douse himself with throughout the match. Fortunately, he was the last participant to enter the chamber, so he could regain his bearings and complete the match.

I don't want to seem like I'm Monday morning quarterbacking, but there is a big problem with the whole entrance. The streams of fire should be on the sides of the ramp, not on it. I remember watching Smackdown several times and thinking to myself "this is dangerous, why is he so close to the flames?" Having him walk through the fire is unnecesarry and doesn't do much to enhance the entrance.

I doubt I'm being overly critical of the WWE. This is not an isolated incident. During the final fireworks celebration of Wrestlemania 24, 45 people received minor injuries from pyrotechnics gone amok. I'm not an engineer and I don't know much about fireworks, but I do know that mistakes like these are unacceptable and endanger people's lives.

Of course, there have been other accidents in the WWE that could have been prevented. The most notable is Owen Hart's. As most people know, Owen died in 1999 while performing a superhero like entrance from the ceiling. The safety latch on his harness had been removed, earlier in the night, to make the entrance look smoother.

Thankfully, nothing terrible happened as a result of the Elimination Chamber accident. But that was due to sheer luck more than anything else. Calaway could have received facial burns, or been blinded, or even killed.

Wresling is theater, and part of the theater is having a grand spectacle. But it should not be at the price of a performer's safety or health. One mishap could ruin a career or even a life. I love pro wrestling and I have so much respect for what the wrestlers do. As for the stunts, I prefer them to be just a little less spectacular if the performer is going to be safe.