Muscle Matters: The Importance Of a Good Body In Pro Wrestling

In pro wrestling, size does matter. It’s no secret that WWE feels safer pushing muscle monsters like John Cena or the newly debuted Mason Ryan than they are investing in smaller, more athletic men such as Kaval and Evan Bourne.

I’m not for a minute saying that I am a fan of this mentality.

While there is certainly a place for big men in sports entertainment (provided they have sufficient wrestling talent of course), like most people, it annoys me how Vince McMahon’s personal interest in bodybuilding often results in the squashing of great wrestlers who don’t weight 260 pounds or a high-level feud starring a green-as-grass giant.

However, I’m equally annoyed at the portion of wrestling’s fanbase that claim that a wrestlers look and body appearance shouldn’t matter as long as they are good in ring—I wholeheartedly disagree with this.

Wrestling is a business based on larger than life characters, designed to suspend the viewers’ disbelief for the purposes of entertainment.

Think about when you first saw wrestling. Now tell me that part of the hook for you wasn’t that you were awe struck by the sheer magnificence of the men's bodies, especially if you were a child watching in the 80’s or 90’s.

I remember the PPV that got me addicted: It was the 1994 Royal Rumble. Bret Hart, who was booked strongly on the card, became my instant favourite (and remains my all time No. 1 to this day) while I also cheered the likes of Lex Luger, Shawn Michaels and Diesel.

While it wasn’t specifically the bodies I was cheering for—would I have had the same reaction if Hart and the others looked like unemployed nobodies who spend all day on the couch eating chicken from a bucket? Unlikely.

Sting, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton to name just a few are all guys who won’t be remembered for their impressive build but in comparison to normal people off the street, they have amazing physiques.

How many hearts would HBK have broken with a roll of white flab hanging over his sparkly ring outfits?

While I don’t think wrestlers necessarily have to be totally ripped, they certainly do need to look like athletes. Even the likes of Rey Mysterio, whose gimmick is basically being small, has a toned body and looks well conditioned to any person (wrestling fan or not).

When it was first announced Bryan Danielson had signed with WWE, there was, of course, the expected backlash from fans of indie wrestling who said that WWE wouldn’t push him because he was an independent star (a fair enough point) and because he didn’t have the aesthetics WWE wants.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong but WWE is an entertainment business. This means they exist to make money, and they do this by encouraging fans to follow and pay to see their product.

If a person, for example Danielson, doesn’t look like a star, the vast majority of the WWE audience will not accept that person as though they are a star.

If a person looks, on first impressions, like they have similar physical athletic abilities to you, your friend or the guy who stands at the bus stop, most people aren’t too willing to shell out cash to see him fight another guy.

I’m not saying that seeing that person compete skilfully can’t make you change your opinion but first impressions can last a lifetime and they are made largely on appearance (it’s worth noting that Daniel Bryan has a better, more athletic and toned physique than Bryan Danielson).

Many of the same fans who said this of WWE’s “shallow views” have also recently criticised Edge for “getting too fat” by which they mean his previously visible abdominal muscles appear to have faded slightly. He’s hardly started resembling Yokozuna.

Of course there a few exceptions to the rule. Colin Delaney’s gimmick, for example, was helped by his pasty, scrawny look. Mick Foley, overweight and pale, was loved by audiences because he was the, albeit slightly crazy, beloved everyman.

Could someone with Triple H’s muscles and tan have done the Mr Socko gimmick? No, that would have been ridiculous but Foley's eccentric but lovable appearance did it perfectly.

Looking at today’s rising stars, few have bodies we as wrestling fans would particularly take note of, but if they didn’t look so good we’d certainly notice that. John Morrison’s rock god appearance wouldn’t really work if he replaced his six pack with a full keg. Despite being an on-screen narcissist, Dolph Ziggler doesn’t rely on attention being given to his appearance yet he obviously has a great body.

In September 2009, a few month before his main event push began, The Miz tweeted “I haven’t done leg workouts in 4 years… Now that I’m in trunks, I’ve been doing it.” This Miz doesn’t have what most people would imagine a wrestler’s physique to be, but he does look well-conditioned and pays attention to his appearance.

So whilst having basketball biceps shouldn’t be the No. 1 priority for a wrestler, it has to be taken into consideration that human beings are by nature visual.

Looking like a legitimate athlete is the first step to people treating you as one. Looking like an average Joe could make people overlook you and not invest time in watching your ability as a fighter, as your appearance suggests you have little.

Do me a favour and next time you watch a wrestling show, especially WWE, just take a moment to appreciate the condition that these men are in and maybe imagine that your uncle were doing the same thing in the same outfit.

Still think aesthetics have no effect?