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ryobiguy t1_iwyadtj wrote

Reply to comment by NoesHowe2Spel in Chris Jericho: "I literally want to go in front of the IOC, the International Olympic Community, and pitch pro wrestling as an Olympic sport. Gymnastics, pairs gymnastics, figure skating, pairs figure skating, what is that? It's two people working together to put on the best performance possible." by SgtThund3r

One definition of a sport is: "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment."

How does wrestling fall short of that definition?

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skaliton t1_iwyc746 wrote

>competes against another or others

I'm going to say right here. They aren't there competing to be the best. You'd end up having to treat it like any other 'entertainment' sport. You'd have to strip out most of the moves (because they are too dangerous) and really think of objective criteria to decide what the 'best' suplex is

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Beyond that there is another glaring problem: The Olympics generally focus on sports that people around the world tend to play. Outside of rednecks and teenagers in the US the only other place it is 'big' uses a VERY different set of rules

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Sentsuizan t1_iwyzssc wrote

They are competing to be the best. The difference is the criteria is more how loud the crowd cheers/boos you.

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skaliton t1_ix0wdfb wrote

and surely that has nothing to do with the 'story' and how charismatic someone is rather than their ability to do a move

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Sentsuizan t1_ix0wj9l wrote

It has a lot to do with their ability to do a move, particularly without killing themselves or their opponent. Nobody likes a dangerous worker

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slappy47 t1_iwz84ax wrote

That last part is a terribly misguided assumption.

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hypatiatextprotocol t1_iwyerow wrote

Bernard Suits, philosopher of games and gaming, defined sport as "the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles."

I think the definition we really lack is, "What makes an Olympic sport?"

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SapientSausage t1_iwykes8 wrote

Please correct me... But it's all planned out. Pro wrestling doesn't have competition except for popularity through being famous and infamous. It has choreography like some sports-- but there isn't a single true physical competition between pro wrestlers

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PetoPerceptum t1_iwyut79 wrote

And Jericho isn't suggesting that it is. He is suggesting that it should be looked at and scored in the same way that gymnastics, figure skating, or diving is.

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