Think about the greatest arcs in the history of fiction.
Jesse Pinkman being freed from the Jack Welker’s gang thanks to Walter White at the end of Breaking Bad, Zuko’s series long redemption arc in Avatar Last Airbender and of course, a great science fiction movie that explores freedom, resilience and overcoming great odds.
I’m of course talking about the 2000 classic, Battlefield: Earth.
Fortunately, professional wrestling has some of that freedom, resilience and overcoming great odds. It’s basically the entire arc of a racist man named Terry.
Lucky for me, I don’t have to do that but I will describe two of the best wrestling arcs that had a profound impact on where I was in life.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker. Wrestlemania 26. Streak vs Career.
You’re probably asking yourself, “why not the original match aka Royal Rumble 1998 in a casket match?”
Well, it’s definitely because you thought that I was going to talk about a match that led to a retirement for Shawn Michaels only to wrestle again several years later which involves Triple H. Just saying.
Their encounter at Wrestlemania 25 ruled harder than the Achaemenid empire but what made the next match even better was Shawn Michaels’ relentless pursue into thinking that he can defeat The Undertaker because Mr Hickenbottom
was this close in putting an end to Taker’s streak.
That relentless purse is what I relate to. Several months ago I auditioned to be a host in a competition I’ve alway wanted to host in and risked everything to get to where I was. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it and to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t happy for a while.
Watching this match in hindsight taught me that sometimes the risks you’ll take will not pay off but that doesn’t mean your life is over.
I mean look, 14 years later, Shawn is out here being head booker of the year by embracing black excellence and making sure that the NXT parking lot is the most dangerous place on Earth.
Anything is possible when you realize yourself, “I am him”.
Daniel Bryan against The Authority. Summerslam 2013 Till Wrestlemania 30.
Look, I know that “authority” and Bryan Danielson is no longer an oxymoron and yes, Bryan winning the titles at Wrestlemania 30 was a response to the constant loud crowd reactions of him despite what some people would tell you that it was “designed all along” by WWE (yes, I’m supposed to believe that the same people that told Roman Reigns to say, “sniveling little suck-up sellout full of sufferin’ succotash” came up with a 8 month long compelling story).
But, it was a great happy accident though.
Wrestling works well when you improvise in the moment no matter how they’ve tried to make a match between a current world champion and a Hollywood actor work, screwing their biggest babyface in the process only to blow it in their faces and make the right decision in the end.
Surely, that would never happen again in 2024, right?
Wit aside, this entire storyline is great mainly because it’s a good old fashioned underdog story. Seeing someone who isn’t the typical WWE mole succeed on that level is always a great feeling whether it’s Mick Foley’s in 1999 or 15 years later, Daniel Bryan.
The main reason why it’s a great feeling is because it tells me that with determination and the belief in ourselves, we can achieve our goals. To quote the man himself, “fight for your dreams and if you fight for your dream, your dreams will fight for you”.
On and all, I will never forget how this medium has transformed the power of storytelling inside the squared circle, where every twist and turns shapes not only the characters but as well as the hearts and minds of those who bear witness.
Within these stories, I find echoes in my own trials and tribulations so much so that it connects with me as a fan in a deep level.
In other words, I love pro wrestling and there’s no shame in that.
