Pro-wrestling Champ (12-21-09)

In the hall the exit of which led out to the square professional wrestling ring placed in the center of the stadium, the tiny movement of each muscle of Mr. Champion was visibly nervous and impatient for the moment when his charismatic halo would be extravagantly radiated toward each bunch of the aficionados who filled the stands. It was during a short break after the previous bout. The stadium was swooning with vigor and expectations for the next match, where two fighters would vie with each other for the title.

A boy, who sneaked into the space, off-limits to anyone outside the organizing team of the event, called over from behind the champion: “Hey, Mr. Champ. Are you not ashamed of being called Champion?”

After being taken aback a little but soon regaining equilibrium, the champion asked the boy a question in return: “What do you mean, boy? Am I not the champion?” He huffed, pointing to the gold champion belt wrapped around his waist.

“Almost everything you do is fake, isn’t it? Like, when you throw the opponent to the ropes, that one somehow comes back to you to be attacked. What is that!? And who thinks that an elbow-drop from the top of a ringpost will be effective? How can such an attack hit the opponent successfully? It’s ridiculous! Why can a body slam work? Why can someone escape from a firmly locked arm-bar to a distant rope? These things never happen in any serious style of fighting!,” the boy was upset.

“You can’t be a champion in those rings!”

The boy was probably one of those passionate watchers of martial-arts’ bouts, who disputed the iconic scenes of the traditional style of professional wrestling.

1951 is regarded as the inception of the history of pro-wrestling in Japan, when Rikidozan, a wrestler and the founder of the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance (JWA), made his debut. During the period after the inauguration, assisted by a depressing mood that many Japanese bathed in after their defeat in the Second World War, Rikidozan’s brave fights with his favorite karate-style chops against more hulking non-Japanese wrestlers raised the popularity of the sport while encouraging its spectators.

Even after his death, the support of fans remained stable through the independence of each of the two wrestlers of the JWA: Antonio Inoki, or Kanji Inoki, founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling while Giant Baba, or Shohei Baba, did All Japan Pro-Wrestling. Each of these groups attracted a large number of fans, thanks to a particular channel of telecasting.

However, 1984 was a watershed: The Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) with a more serious style of wrestling, with no so-called rope-work, many kicks, and much more critical lockings, was set up by Akira Maeda to debunk the traditional style.

In the movement, while pro-wrestling groups increased in number by spinning off or splitting up regardless of what fighting style it was, the traditional side needed to keep the attention of its followers one way or another, to maintain the businesses.

Indeed, during the time the wrestlers of major groups such as All Japan Pro-Wrestling were conducting much more hazardous techniques, throwing away the opponent by the way one had to fall on the mat from the top of the head or power-bombing one from the top of the head.

And there was Frontier Martial-arts Wrestling (FMW) founded by Atsushi Onita. That was a day when the wrestlers of this group fought a fight amid fireballs over the ring on the edges of which barbed wires were placed instead of usual ropes, another example of attention-seeking practice.

Nevertheless, according to shrinking popularity, the telecasting times of both New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro-Wrestling were forced to move to be late at night.

To be more critical to pro-wrestling, the arrival of the ultimate style led by PRIDE in the late 90s began overshadowing not only show-oriented wrestling even more but also even that in the UWF style. Many (Japanese) supporters of pro-wrestling must have been disappointed by the scene in which Nobuhiko Takada brandishing the UWF style, whom many believed to be the strongest man (in the world), was put to rout by legendary Rickson Gracie.

At present, neither New Japan Pro-Wrestling nor All Japan Pro-Wrestling is on the TV schedules of the five major private broadcasters.

“Say something!,” the boy was urging.

After contemplating for some seconds, the champion found something to say.

“Well, if you argue in this way, our fights may be fake. As I throw the other wrestler to the ropes, he comes back to me. And I often climb a ringpost to jump.”

The champion inhaled deeply before continuing.

“All of these things are what we believe in as integral part of pro-wrestling. Look, I certainly have severe pains around my neck and knees after countless battles. I am sure that our fights are harsh, often even dangerous. To confess, I am at times scared of fighting a fight, for the reason. Boy, what encourages me to run up to the ring, do you think?”

Just when Mr. Champion finished his remark, an uplifting regular tune for him began revving, went across the stadium and told that his fight would start soon. “Champion! Champion!” the spectators were chanting.

“They believe in what I believe in. They believe in me as the champion.” After bracing his face and training a lion’s eyes in the direction of the ring, Mr. Champion turned his look back to the boy and put on a smile.

“I am their champion,” Mr. Champion said, as he began cantering to the ring to blend in with the spotlight which would be reflected emerald-green by his costume.