H Jenkins on July 20, 2024
The 2024 Olympics in Paris kick off on July 26, and the media coverage has been intense leading up to this event that happens every four years. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman even appeared in a commercial for the games. There are many sports being contested on the world stage, but pro wrestling isn’t one of them. Mark Henry knows exactly why.
Mark Henry recently spoke to Forbes’ Alfred Konuwa, where he was asked if he thought pro wrestling would ever become an Olympic sport. Some fans have argued over the years that pro wrestling should be included, similar to other sports that have fought for acceptance into the Olympic Games.
The WWE Hall of Famer was honest in his response, saying that it’s not going to happen because pro wrestling isn’t based on actual athletic competition. Instead, everything is scripted and planned out, so there’s no way to judge it on athletic merit alone.
“And I was able to master how to make people love me by being me. And I made people hate me about being the opposite of me. And there are actors that they have trouble putting it down. Once you get into character, sometimes you almost believe that you are the character. And when I was on-screen, I was that person and I had to have people give checks and balances. Every referee that I was ever in the ring with, used to have to tell me, ‘Mark, breathe.’ I would forget to breathe, I would be so angry. So when you take yourself to a place where you emotionally get invested, people didn’t have a choice but to believe me because what they saw was the truth.”
“Pro wrestling fans will have to tune into their favorite promotions during the Olympics if they want to catch any action. Amateur wrestling has been an Olympic sport since the early days, but pro wrestling will remain out of contention, despite the hopes of some fans.”
The Olympics have produced future pro wrestlers like Kurt Angle, Ronda Rousey, and to a lesser extent Gable Steveson, but they all competed in different sports during the games and earned medals for their efforts.
What’s your take on pro wrestling becoming an Olympic sport? Do you think it should happen? Let us know in the comments section!
July 20, 2024 10:51 am
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